John Lee Hooker ~ Vee-Jay Sides

John Lee Hooker On Campus

Vee Jay's 1964 album John Lee Hooker on Campus is titled to sound like a live recording but it isn't. As part of the Collectables Vee Jay reissue campaign, these 12 tracks originally tried to capitalize on Hooker's emergence on the coffeehouse/college tours he was involved in at the time. This is an electric album that contains excellent material from Hooker, even though the occasional background singers get in the way, attempting to modernize his gritty blues with a smoother soul sound. All of the Vee Jay reissues of John Lee Hooker material are worth having and are budget priced as a bonus. - Al Campbell / AMG

Vee Jay Records 1964
VJLP 1066

John Lee Hooker - vocals, guitar

A1 I'm Leavin'
A2 Love Is A Burning Thing
A3 Birmingham Blues
A4 I Want To Shout
A5 Don't Look Back
A6 I Want To Hug You
B1 Poor Me
B2 I Want To Ramble
B3 Half A Stranger
B4 My Grinding Mill
B5 Bottle Up And Go
B6 One Way Ticket

The Big Soul of John Lee Hooker

There may not be much running time to this LP -- not even 30 minutes -- but John Lee Hooker gives us value for every second there is, and in a totally unexpected setting. Jumping into the R&B and soul explosions of the early '60s -- or at least dipping his toe into them -- he's backed here by the Vandellas, no less, on all but one of the 11 songs here. And coupled with an uncredited band that includes organ accompaniment, among other attributes that one doesn't usually associate with Hooker, he pulls it off. Indeed, he manages to straddle blues and soul far better than, say, Muddy Waters did during this same period; he's still a little too intense for the more pop side of the field, but he's also stretching the appeal of the blues with every nuance on this record, and there are a few cuts here, such as "Send Me Your Pillow" that would have fit on any of Hooker's far more traditional-sounding blues releases; and others, such as "She Shot Me Down" (a rewrite of "Boom Boom"), that are so close to his well-known standard repertory that they slip right into his output without explanation. And the whole album is short enough so that even if he would have gone wrong -- which he didn't -- there was only so far he could have gone wrong. As it is, this is near-essential listening as some of Hooker's most interesting work of the '60s. - Bruce Eder / AMG

Vee Jay Records 1963

VJLP 1058

John Lee Hooker - vocals, guitar

A1 Frisco
A2 Take A Look At Yourself
A3 Send Me Your Pillow
A4 She Shot Me Down
A5 I Love Her
A6 Old Time Shimmy
B1 You Know I Love You
B2 Big Soul
B3 Good Rocking Mama
B4 Onions
B5 No One Told Me

John Lee Hooker ~ Vee-Jay Sides

John Lee Hooker - I'm John Lee Hooker

This review was for a reissue, however this post only contains the original 12 tracks...

Winding through the literally hundreds of titles in John Lee Hooker's catalog is a daunting task for even the most seasoned and learned blues connoisseur. This is especially true when considering Hooker recorded under more than a dozen aliases for as many labels during the late '40s, '50s, and early '60s. I'm John Lee Hooker was first issued in 1959 during his tenure with Vee Jay and is "the Hook" in his element as well as prime. Although many of these titles were initially cut for Los Angeles-based Modern Records in the early '50s, the recordings heard here are said to best reflect Hooker's often-emulated straight-ahead primitive Detroit and Chicago blues styles. The sessions comprising the original 12-track album -- as well as the four bonus tracks on the 1998 Charly CD reissue -- are taken from six sessions spread over the course of four years (1955-1959). Hooker works both solo -- accompanied only by his own percussive guitar and the solid backbeat of his foot rhythmically pulsating against plywood -- as well as in several different small-combo settings. Unlike the diluted, pop-oriented blues that first came to prominence in the wake of the British Invasion of the early to mid-'60s, the music on this album is infinitely more authentic in presentation. As the track list indicates, I'm John Lee Hooker includes many of his best-known and loved works. From right out of the gate comes the guttural ramble-tamble of "Dimples" in its best-known form. Indeed it can be directly traced to -- and is likewise acknowledged by -- notable purveyors of Brit rock such as Eric Burdon -- who incorporated it into the earliest incarnation of the Animals, the Spencer Davis Group, as well as the decidedly more roots-influenced Duane Allman. Another of Hooker's widely covered signature tunes featured on this volume is "Boogie Chillun." This rendering is arguably the most recognizable in the plethora of versions that have seemingly appeared on every Hooker-related compilation available. Additionally, this version was prominently featured in The Blues Brothers movie as well as countless other films and adverts. Likewise, a seminal solo "Crawlin' King Snake" is included here. The tune became not only a staple of Hooker's, it was also prominently included on the Doors' L.A. Woman album and covered by notable bluesmen Albert King, B.B. King, and Big Joe Williams, whose version predates this one by several decades. I'm John Lee Hooker is one of the great blues collections of the post-World War II era. Time has, if anything, only reinforced the significance of the album. It belongs in every blues enthusiast's collection without reservation. - Lindsay Planer / AMG 

Vee-Jay Records 1959, Chicago
VJLP 1007

John Lee Hooker - vocals, guitar
Eddie Taylor - guitar;  Frankie Bradford / Joe Hunter - piano;  Tom Whitehead - drums

A1 Dimples
A2 Hobo Blues
A3 I'm So Excited
A4 I Love You Honey
A5 Boogie Chillun
A6 Little Wheel
B1 I'm In The Mood
B2 Maudie
B3 Crawlin' King Snake
B4 Every Night
B5 Time Is Marching
B6 Baby Lee

John Lee Hooker - I'm John Lee Hooker

I will tell you simply that this album isn't live, only one track is.  Overall it's a pretty average album and will probably only be of concern to hardcore fans of JLH or the blues in general.  The tracks were compiled from several sessions and the players are basically disputed or unknown.

Vee-Jay Records 1974, Chicago & Longbeach, CA

VJS 7301

John Lee Hooker - vocals, guitar

You're Gonna Need Another Favor

New Sally Mae

Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine

She's Long She's Tall

You're Mellow

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Flowers On The Hour

It Serves Me Right To Suffer

Ain't No Big Thing Baby

You Can Run Baby

John Lee Hooker ~ Vee-Jay Sides

John Lee Hooker - Burnin'

The blues is such an interesting genre. Traditional, often derived, often brilliant in it’s simplicity, and often credited as being the basis upon which all rock n’ roll has been built. One thing is for certain about the blues – it’s simple. And when something is simple there will always be millions of imitators and very few genuine articles. Well John Lee Hooker is not only one of the few genuinely brilliant bluesmen, he’s arguably the greatest and most influential of the whole lot, and his album ‘Burnin’ stands as testament to this argument.
You open an album with a track like ‘Boom Boom’ and it’s over isn’t it? You’re sold on the quality of the man by the time he crushes you with ‘that’ voice in the first line of the first verse. You’re then trapped under the gravelly vocal and the wonderfully stilted and simple instrumentation for about a minute before John Lee opens up the shuffle pattern with a Ray Charlesesque vocal swoop/call to arms for the band. By the time ‘Boom Boom’ comes to a close you’re left wondering if music gets anymore tasteful than what you’ve just heard, and whether anyone else before him has knocked you flat with their voice like John Lee just has.
It has to be so hard to maintain the standard of a track like ‘Boom Boom’ throughout an entire album. It’s easy to step into the typical label formula of stacking the singles at the top of the order and then dropping everyone slowly and steadily into mediorce moments down a track list. However, this ain’t one of those albums. From the opener onwards John Lee sounds nothing less than inspired and completely involved with what rests at the heart of these tunes, and as such, the listener feels a similar connection to the material from start to finish. It must be said that this not an easily accomplished feat when looking at traditional blues music which is limited in terms of structure and progression, however with ‘Burnin’ John Lee Hooker undoubtedly achieves this level of continuity.
There’s such an amazing atmosphere to tracks like ‘A New Leaf’ and ‘I Got A Letter’ as set up by the simplicity and relaxed feel of the instrumentation and then drilled home by Hooker’s greatest asset – his voice. There’s genuine feeling behind the man’s words in the same way there is with Howlin’ Wolf. In this writer’s opinion that is the one crucial element that sets the truly great bluesmen apart from those who think that in order to help them understand the blues they need to go on down to Clarksdale Mississippi and take a photograph of the exact place that Robert Johnson met with and sold his soul to the devil. There are certain things that most will never understand, and there are certain parts of the ether that most will never be able to tap into. However, John Lee Hooker ain’t most people and that untouchable sound behind his voice on this record helps assure us of this. ~ Roland Ellis / Pig River Records

Vee-Jay Records 1962, Chicago
VJLP 1043

Bass – James Jamerson;  Drums – Benny Benjamin;  Guitar – Larry Veeder
Guitar, Vocals – John Lee Hooker;  Piano – Joe Hunter
Saxophone [Baritone] – Andrew "Mike" Terry;  Saxophone [Tenor] – Hank Cosby

A1 Boom Boom
A2 Process
A3 Lost A Good Girl
A4 A New Leaf
A5 Blues Before Sunrise
A6 Let's Make It
B1 I Got A Letter
B2 Thelma
B3 Drug Store Woman
B4 Keep Your Hands To Yourself
B5 What Do You Say

John Lee Hooker - Concert At Newport

Best review I could find was for a reissue which includes this album and bonus tracks called "Live At Newport" on the Vanguard label...

Live at Newport is an addition to the already huge pile of archival John Lee Hooker releases (one that will surely continue to grow as licenses to Hooker's myriad recordings for different labels exchange hands). What differentiates this release from many of the others is that it focuses on a pair of acoustic performances from the bluesman, a rarity in the Hooker catalog. In the early '60s, at the height of the "folk scare," Hooker stepped in front of crowds -- at clubs, coffeehouses, and festivals -- with his acoustic guitar. Live at Newport is split between two performances at the Newport Folk Festival -- a solo shot from 1960 and a set (or set highlights?) with upright bassist Bill Lee from 1963. The former is stunning for its clarity, reveling in a warmth that can only be attained from placing a microphone in the vicinity of a man with an acoustic guitar, turning the levels way up, and absorbing everything: the scratch of the pick on the strings, the echo of the performer's foot as it taps on the platform, the bristle of buttons as they graze the back of the guitar, the intake of breath. The first cuts on the disc are exquisitely rendered, with a great sense of dynamics inherent in Hooker's patented free blues style. The sound quality of the latter tracks leaves much to be desired, with Hooker's guitar often getting lost in the ambience of the room or the muffled thump of Lee's bass. Still, there is some wonderfully intimate playing as Hooker simultaneously leads and plays off of Lee's parts. ~ Jesse Jarnow / AMG

Vee Jay Records 1964,  Newport Festival
VJLP 1078
Guitar, Vocals – John Lee Hooker

A1 I Can't Quit You Now Blues
A2 Stop Baby Don't Hold Me That Way
A3 Tupelo
A4 Bus Station Blues
A5 Freight Train Be My Friend
A6 Boom Boom Boom
B1 Talk That Talk Baby
B2 Sometimes Baby, You Make Me Feel So Bad
B3 You've Got To Walk Yourself
B4 Let's Make It
B5 The Mighty Fire

The Swan Silvertones - Saviour Pass Me Not

Gospel at its best y'all. Enjoy!!

Staple Singers - The Best Of The Vee-Jay Years

Sorry to be so late to church today, had some internet issues. It is difficult to wrap your mind around the fact that Mavis is a little girl here; she sounds like a 200 pound adult.

"Since the Staple Singers are best known for their hits as a secular soul act on Stax in the late '60s and the 1970s, general fans should be advised that The Best of the Vee-Jay Years includes only gospel material, released for Vee-Jay (in 1956-1961) long before they moved to Stax. If you're aware of this and are simply looking for a good single-disc overview of their early years on disc, however, this fills that bill well. Their two most well-known songs from this period, "Uncloudy Day" and "This May Be the Last Time" (speculated as a possible source for the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time"), open and close the 17-track CD, respectively. Between those cuts are both Pops Staples originals and covers of traditional tunes like "Swing Down Chariot" and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." It's been said before, but it can be said here again: these are among the most accessible gospel recordings for rock-oriented listeners, owing to Pops Staples' distinctive tremolo-heavy electric guitar, the frequent use of light rhythmic drums, and the obvious connections to the soul music the Staples would make in their later incarnation. It's not necessarily going to be to the taste of every Staple Singers fan who loves them for their soul recordings, but it's first-rate, well-harmonized gospel with obvious links to the R&B and soul idioms."

Jimmy Reed - Found Love

It is hard for me to believe that this is the first Jimmy Reed post here, I LOVE me some Jimmy Reed, but sometimes you overlook the obvious.

"There isn't a bad track on Found Love. Not only are some of Jimmy Reed's biggest hits included -- "Baby What You Want Me to Do," "Big Boss Man," and "Hush Hush" -- but the title track is particularly notable, as it contains a one-note harp wail that proves to be vibrant, heartfelt, and timeless. As with most of Reed's albums of this period -- and most blues albums of this era -- the album contains material from across over a year's worth of sessions, from the spring of 1959 through the summer of 1960, with one track ("I Ain't Got You") pulled from a 1955 session. Eddie Taylor is playing a lot of the lead guitar, but Lefty Bates is also heard on many of the cuts, and Willie Dixon, no less, is playing bass on "Meet Me," "Big Boss Man," and "Come Love." Earl Phillips is responsible for all of the drumming, and Mary Lee "Mama" Reed is heard on the backing vocals of "Baby What You Want Me to Do." Reed's catalog has seen numerous reissues of varying quality across the decades, but the Collectables label did an admirable job in 2000, reissuing both Reed's library and that of John Lee Hooker from the same label with great sound quality and original packaging at a budget price." AMG

wiki - Reed was born in Dunleith, Mississippi, in 1925, learning the harmonica and guitar from Eddie Taylor, a close friend. After spending several years busking and performing in the area, Reed moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1943 before being drafted into the US Navy during World War II. In 1945, Reed was discharged and moved back to Mississippi for a brief period, marrying his girlfriend, Mary "Mama" Reed, before moving to Gary, Indiana to work at an Armour & Co. meat packing plant. Mama Reed appears as an uncredited background singer on many of his songs, notably the major hits "Baby What You Want Me to Do", "Big Boss Man" and "Bright Lights, Big City".

By the 1950s, Reed had established himself as a popular musician and joined the "Gary Kings" with John Brim, as well as playing on the street with Willie Joe Duncan. Reed failed to gain a recording contract with Chess Records, but signed with Vee-Jay Records through Brim's drummer, Albert King. At Vee-Jay, Reed began playing again with Eddie Taylor and soon released "You Don't Have to Go", his first hit record. This was followed by a long string of hits.

Reed maintained his reputation despite his rampant alcoholism; sometimes his wife had to help him remember the lyrics to his songs while recording. In 1957, Reed developed epilepsy, though the condition was not correctly diagnosed for a long time, as Reed and doctors assumed it was delirium tremors.


In spite of his numerous hits, Reed's personal problems prevented him from achieving the same level of fame as other popular blues artists of the time, though he had more hit songs than many others. When Vee-Jay Records closed down, Reed's manager signed a contract with the fledgling ABC-Bluesway label, but Reed was never able to score another hit.

In 1968 he toured Europe with the American Folk Blues Festival.

Jimmy Reed died in Oakland, California in 1976, of respiratory failure, eight days short of his 51st birthday. He is interred in the Lincoln Cemetery in Worth, Illinois.

Vee-Jay Records - The Definitive Collection

 Vee-Jay Records was the most successful black-owned independent record label in the pre-Motown era (Berry Gordy actually used Vee-Jay as a template in many ways when he set up Motown), placing records in the charts in an amazing diversity of styles, from blues and urban R&B to doo wop, straight pop, jazz, and gospel. Formed in Gary, IN, in 1953 (the label moved its base to Chicago soon after) by the husband-and-wife team of Vivian Carter and James Bracken (the company name was an extension of the pair's first initials), and blessed with the assistance of Vivian's brother, Calvin Carter, a gifted and visionary A&R man, Vee-Jay had an aggressive recording, licensing, and marketing approach that saw them selling records to black and white audiences alike, and it worked so well that the label frequently had difficulty meeting the demands of its distributors, which meant that Vee-Jay was often facing cash-flow problems. Still, when the label finally closed its doors in 1966, it had outlasted most of the other black-owned record companies of the era, a list that included Exclusive, Excelsior, Duke-Peacock, and JVB. This four-disc, 85-track box set chronologically reveals the Vee-Jay story, and it is an astounding mix of genres and styles. One of the label's first big finds was the laconic blues songwriter Jimmy Reed, and several of his biggest hits are here, including "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" from 1955, "Baby What You Want Me to Do" from 1959, "Big Boss Man" from 1960, and "Bright Lights, Big City" from 1961. Also here are tracks by the Staple Singers ("Uncloudy Day" from 1956 and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" from 1960), Gene Chandler (the timeless "Duke of Earl" from 1961), John Lee Hooker ("Boom Boom," also from 1961), the Four Seasons ("Sherry" from 1962), and the Honeycombs' "Have I the Right," which was recorded and produced by the eccentric Joe Meek in his home studio in 1964. There's even an early cut from a young Billy Preston, the hard charging instrumental "Billy's Bag" from 1964. What isn't here, unfortunately, no doubt due to licensing restrictions, are the two Beatles singles, "Please, Please Me" and "From Me to You," that Vee-Jay released in 1963, thus introducing Beatlemania to the U.S. at a time when even Capitol Records, EMI's American arm and thus first in line for the Beatles, failed to recognize the group's potential. Vee-Jay took risks and chances with its catalog, and that fearlessness in the face of the music marketplace kept the company constantly overextended financially and contributed mightily to the label's eventual demise, but the music that resulted was wonderfully diverse and vital, a central part of the sound of pop music in the 1950s and early '60s. After all, this is a label that gave the world (at least the U.S. part of it) both Jimmy Reed and the Beatles (not to mention the immortal "Duke of Earl"), and paved the way for Motown Records. That's not a bad legacy. Not bad at all. And it's only the tip of the iceberg.
 

Jimmy Hugnes - Why Not Tonight?: The Fame Recordings, Vol. 2

 At the beginning of Muscle Shoals, one of the other important guys besides Arthur Alexander was Jimmy Hughes.His song 'Steal Away' was the studio's first hit and set the model for what was to come.

Hughes, a cousin of Percy Sledge, was born and raised in Leighton, Alabama, close to Muscle Shoals. He began singing in a gospel quartet, The Singing Clouds, while at high school. In 1962, he auditioned for record producer Rick Hall at his FAME Studios. Hall was impressed, and recorded Hughes on a song, "I'm Qualified", that Hall had co-written with Quin Ivy. The record was leased to the Guyden label in Philadelphia, but was not a hit. Hughes returned to his day job at a rubber factory, and began singing secular R&B songs in local clubs.

Early in 1964, he returned to Hall with a powerful ballad he had written, "Steal Away", partly based on the gospel song "Steal Away to Jesus", and recorded the song in one take, backed by the studio rhythm section of Terry Thompson, David Briggs, Norbert Putnam and Jerry Carrigan. Hall and his friend Dan Penn then promoted the record around radio stations in the South, and it rose to # 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. The record has been cited as "a prototype not only for subsequent great soul singers such as Johnnie Taylor and Al Green, but also would help define the signature Muscle Shoals sound." On the basis of Hughes' record, Hall signed a national distribution deal with Vee-Jay Records for his FAME label. Hughes' follow-up record, "Try Me", reached # 65 on the Hot 100, and he recorded an album, Steal Away, released on the Vee-Jay label, which included the first songwriting collaborations between Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. He also toured with Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Bobby Womack and others.

Hughes' next few singles were unsuccessful, as Vee-Jay Records diverted their attention to The Beatles and The Four Seasons, and then folded. However, in 1966, after the success of Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman", Hall negotiated a new deal for his label to be distributed by Atlantic Records. Hughes returned to the charts with "Neighbor, Neighbor" (# 65 pop, # 4 R&B), "I Worship the Ground You Walk On" (# 25 R&B), and "Why Not Tonight" (# 90 pop, # 5 R&B), before moving to the Atlantic label itself with "It Ain't What You Got" (# 43 R&B, 1968).

Early in 1968, Hughes moved to Stax Records, where his recordings were issued on the subsidiary Volt label. His first record for the label, "I Like Everything About You", reached # 21 on the R&B chart, but later records were less successful. At the time, Stax was undergoing a major reorganisation with new management and new artists. Although his records, including a 1969 album Something Special, were produced by label boss Al Bell, Hughes later stated that he felt like the "low man on the totem pole" at the label, and became frustrated by what he saw as a lack of promotion. He also tired of touring and being away from his family, and in 1970 gave up recording and performing. He retrained, and got a government job making parts for nuclear power plants in the Tennessee River Valley, in later years only singing as a member of the congregation of his local church in Leighton.

Good News - 22 Gospel Greats (From the Vaults of Vee-Jay)

 This old Charly collection of Vee-Jay Gospel highlights is a classic. A particularly good set for someone who doesn't have a lot of Gospel or someone looking for an entry compilation. The disc is set up like a multi-act Gospel show with a pair of songs from each of the first four acts and then seven each from the "headliners".  Your very own Sunday morning Gospel hour.

The Story Of Vee Jay: America's Premier Black Music Label

I am really enjoying these label comps, and the Vee Jay story is a heavy one.  Great music throughout...  enjoy!!

"America's Premier Black Music Label" says the small print on the front sleeve, and while that's highly disputable, Vee-Jay was undoubtedly one of America's premier black music labels from the mid-'50s to the mid-'60s. This two-CD, 50-song set is a strong and varied selection of their wares, focusing mostly but not exclusively on their hit singles and better-known performers. Vee-Jay went into every area of black music, and though their jazz roster isn't represented here to keep the scope more manageable, every other genre is: R&B, doo wop, blues, gospel, rock & roll, and early soul. As with any select condensation of a huge vault, there's bound to be some argument among knowledgeable fans as to what tracks were selected; it seems odd that Billy Boy Arnold's "Rockin'itis" is here rather than his seminal blues "I Wish You Would," for example. But you can't argue with the bounty of hits that are present, from Jerry Butler, Betty Everett, Jimmy Reed, the El Dorados, Dee Clark, John Lee Hooker, the Spaniels, the Dells, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Gene Chandler. Hits like "Duke of Earl," "The Shoop Shoop Song," "For Your Precious Love," "Every Beat of My Heart," "Raindrops," and "Boom Boom" (all here, of course) might be expected from any Vee-Jay compilation, but to its credit this also has a lot of smaller hits or non-hits that have escaped oldies rotation. There's Fred Hughes' fine midtempo soul-popper "Oo Wee Baby, I Love You," for instance, a number three R&B hit in 1965 that barely made the pop charts; Memphis Slim's mordant blues "Mother Earth"; Hank Ballard's first version of "The Twist," predating both his own hit version and Chubby Checker's cover, recorded in 1958 but not issued until 1985; Little Richard's mid-'60s single "I Don't Know What You Got But It's Got Me," with Jimi Hendrix on guitar; Betty Everett's "You're No Good," just a moderate hit in 1963 but a much bigger one for Linda Ronstadt in the '70s; Jay McShann and Priscilla Bowman's jump blues "Hands Off"; Rosco Gordon's oft-covered R&B classic "Just a Little Bit"; and Gene Allison's early soul ballad "You Can Make It if You Try," covered by the Rolling Stones on their first album. Perhaps it might have made more sense to make the stylistic tone more even and not include gospel cuts as well. But the gospel acts represented here are undeniably important, including the Original Blind Boys of Alabama, the Swan Silvertones, and (on the mid-'50s sides) the Staple Singers.  - by Richie Unterberger /AMG

The Staple Singers - Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Well I'm sure for most of you, your souls have been saved for today.  I had my gospel stuff ready to post, but after working all night, lacked the jam to post this morning.

In any event, here's the first of many from one of my personal faves, The Staple Singers.  This album actually enjoyed some commercial success outside of the gospel circuit.

That was the appeal the Staples brought to their music, it crossed so many boundaries and found fans in "unlikely" places.  Pops eerie and stripped down guitar sound caught the ear of many a rocker.  Singers from all genres flocked to hear Mavis belt out.


For me, their music had a real foreboding - an almost ominous vibe that was part solemn and part joy.  When one considers the times, it makes sense, and although their musical themes deal with the Lord, it's certain that the political landscape of the day would influence their style.

I'm sure many of you have this little gem already, but for any newbies - get ready!  The album includes live recordings which are fantastic.  As I mentioned I will be bringing you guys the best from their gospel days.  Enjoy!!!

Vee Jay LP 5008
1969

Little Richard

Like most of you I have heard the constant 'line' that Little Richard (Richard Penniman) was an early R&B original, the architect of Rock n Roll, and such. The wiki bio echos that take. I have a somewhat different view.

I've been going through the Blues discography and the 8 disk Specialty set and the fact of the matter is that while he is recorded as early as 1951, all the singles prior to his first New Orleans session in September of 1955 are best described as forgettable! Until that first New Orleans session there is nothing that anyone would even bother archiving today where it not for that latter material. To take it a step further, looking forward through the sessions he has 3 more Los Angeles sessions in 1955 that produce nothing of any note then in February thru August 1956 he is back in New Orleans and a large chunk of his best hits are cut at J&M. Yet another lack-luster L.A. session is followed by a pair of N.O. sessions that produce six more singles. So from September 1955 to October 1956 Richard has nine New Orleans sessions resulting in 30 singles plus around 25 or 30 extra takes. During the same period 5 Los Angeles sessions result in 5 singles (0 hits) and a slew of rejects. In 1957 sessions in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles manage to produce 6 more singles with 'Keep a Knockin' (a composite of 4 takes in Wash.)  being the first quality tune he had ever produced outside of New Orleans!

Subsequent to that 1955-1956 golden era in New Orleans, Little Richard doesn't really do much other than to play those same songs endlessly for the next 7 years.  To be fair there is a mid 60's run with some new decent tunes but they correspond to the time he is reunited with the New Orleans guys who have come to L.A.! The rest of his career is spent re-doing his own hits and covering hits of others like Fats Domino and Elvis whilst self promoting himself into Architect of Rock n Roll he is widely considered to be today.

So what happened in New Orleans that worked so well for Richard? How did he leave here a star with giant hair, eye makeup and lipstick (he only had the hair when he got here) and a schtick and piano style that would carry him more than 50 years when he seemingly came here without much going for him? The obvious first answer is Cosimo Matassa, Earl Palmer and the J&M gang who play on all those records, producer Bumps Blackwell get some credit too but a less obvious answer lies in three young gay artists who were his friends while he was here, Esquerita (S.Q. Reeder, he didn't adopt the stage name until 1958) , James Booker and Bobby Marchan. 

Richard and Reeder met cruising for sex in a Macon, GA bus terminal and while I've never seen any documentation that Richard brought Reeder here with him, the fact is he shows up here around the same time and stays until 1963. Reeder taught Richard his piano style, and he and Marchan,( the singer for The Clowns who was also a female impersonator on Bourbon Street), likely influenced Richard on the makeup as well. Youngest of the group was was James Booker (18 or 19 at the time) who was 3 times the piano player of any of them, had been a pro since 12, and couldn't help but teach them all something.

My friend John Parsons, Booker's ex manager, has told me stories that James told him of the four of them cruising Canal street in Richard's new white convertible Cadillac, looking outrageous and hunting for action. (There was certainly no where else in the Deep South, or damn near anywhere else at that time that they could have survived such behavior. New Orleans has always shown great tolerance towards gays even when the rest of the country did not.) The stunning thing to me is that the 'public' seems to have clue that these guys are gay! When seen thru the 'gay-dar' educated eyes of one who has lived most of his life in New Orleans and San Francisco that seems incredible, but folks in the 40's and 50's saw what they wanted to see. My friend Cliff confirms that in his experience of his uber conservative Dad allowing him to see Richard in the late 50's in Chicago, something he would have forbidden had there been any thought of any singer being a homosexual.

There is another obvious important influence on both Richard and Esquerita who predates both by nearly a decade and who was well known to both of them. His name was Billy Wright. In fact Richard began his career openly imitating Billy Wright and Wright apparently used his influence in getting Penniman his first recording sessions at RCA. When I show the pictures of this guy, you won't believe it! He had the hair going in 1948!

So was at the end of the day was Little Richard really all that original, was he all that important? As to original, I'd have to say not really, almost everything about him is borrowed, but important, well clearly yes since he is the one whom everyone remembers and credits. He was the guy who was there in the right place at the right time and while his catalog of 'significant' material is surprisingly small, when it is good, it is really good.

This collection gives you the meat of the Specialty hits (I might have included a couple of the more obscure New Orleans tunes if it were me), some the best from the mid 60's Vee Jay sessions (I Don't Know What You Got is really quite good) and some of his covers of other folks hits. It is quite listenable and really about all the Little Richard one needs. (imo)