Friday, November 2, 2012

Earl King - Come On, The Complete Imperial Recordings

 Another lovely contribution from guitar gus and one that has become rare and expensive:

Hard to figure out how this is no longer in print as it represents Earl's greatest work. For that matter it is a bit of a mystery to me that in this age of label centered reissues, there is no Imperial box and few of the artists outside of Fats have been compiled either. The catalog apparently belongs to EMI who seem to be out to best MCA in the race for worst stewards of a precious trust. Hopefully they will eventually allow Ace or Kent to do what they are obviously unwilling to do.

"...Various independent record labels in New Orleans created and perfected a sound that would cross over from black to white audiences and vice versa. Earl King's work at both Specialty (home of Little Richard and Lloyd Price) and Ace (home to Frankie Ford and Huey "Piano" Smith) were nothing short of outstanding, but it was his work at Imperial (home to Fats Domino) with Dave Bartholomew that truly stands out. That is the subject of a new complete exploration on Okra Tone/Rooster Records.
Included on this retrospective are King’s Imperial hits “Come On (Parts 1 and 2)” (also known as “Let the Good Times Roll,” the motto of New Orleans), “Trick Bag” and “Always a First Time.” All of these sound as fresh and vibrant as the day they were released in the early 1960’s, displaying Bartholomew's exquisite touch and King's keen execution.
Also included in this collection are other historical recordings plus tracks that were never released. The April 13, 1961 sessions, which featured the great pianist James Booker plus Bartholomew and Wardell Quezergue, are particularly enjoyable. These recordings include “You Better Know,” “Mama and Papa,” plus the unreleased “It’s Wrong” and “Case of Love.”
While this is an excellent collection of a sometimes overlooked but unquestionably important artist, the producers sequenced the music in order of its recording date. This subtracts from a natural flow and makes it feel sometimes more like a historical document than a record. But that does not detract from the overall power and enjoyment you will feel when you press play." Charlie Dahan, All About Jazz. 

Hmmm, given that these were all singles I would wish to ask Mr. Dahan what other method of sequencing he would suggest, aside from alphabetical or release date, what other criteria is there and what would constitute his "natural flow"? 

6 comments:

Feilimid O'Broin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Feilimid O'Broin said...

Thanks so much, Guitar Gus, for this rare gem. What a great way to begin the weekend!!!

The wonderful aspect of this blog is that it introduces me in depth to so many artists whom I have heard or read about but whose music received little airplay in the north where I lived where only the giant names toured. It's a graduate course in rhythm and blues, soul, and blues and I think its high time to express true gratitude to all of the professors who have worked so hard to put it all together. My ears, mind, and soul thank you!!!

wouter said...

great post, Gus! you made my day...

this is the only part of earl king's music that i didn't have, and some of these songs i used to play with my band ages ago.

thanks a lot! :-)

poppachubby said...

Oh man oh man!!! Big, big thanks Gus!!! K-Doe and now this?

KC, I vote to give Gus his stripes.

ceedee said...

Been slow to catch up with Earl King - but this is seriously listenable.

Many thanks KC

flatspin said...

Come on, these Earl King sides with Dave Bartholomew have to be his best! Thanks.

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