"…Lemon
Squeezing Daddy..."
Hot
on the heels of their definitive "Blowing The Fuse" and "Sweet
Soul Music" CD Series (15 volumes to each genre of R'n'B and Soul) comes
Bear Family’s Vocal Group attack - 15 discs spanning 1939 to 1963. Volumes 1 to
10 hit the shops in May and October 2012 and the last five in the spring of
2013. And while critics will argue that Vocal Group music has already been done
to death by Rhino (3 x 4CD Box Sets across the decades) and a mountain of other
cheapo labels taking advantage of the 50-year copyright law - this is the first
time someone reputable (other than Rhino) have had a go - and typically these
German-issued Bear Family CDs are gorgeous in all the right places -
presentation and audio. You get 32 tracks and a genre-expanding total playing
time of 89:05 minutes – some kind of record I think. So let’s talk about 'The
Glory Of Love' with our 'Lemon Squeezing Daddy'...if I might be so bold...
Released
May 2012 in Germany - "Street Corner Symphonies Volume 3: 1951" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on
Bear Family BCD 17281 AR (Barcode 4000127172815) breaks down as follows (I've
provided American 78" catalogue numbers on all tracks – 89:05 minutes):
1.
Sixty-Minute Man – THE DOMINOES (Federal 12022, A)
2.
The Glory Of Love – THE FIVE KEYS (Aladdin 3099, A)
3.
Sweet Slumber – THE FOUR BUDDIES (Savoy 779, A)
4.
Don't You Know I Love You – THE CLOVERS (Atlantic 934, A)
5.
Will You Be Mine – THE SWALLOWS (King 4458, A)
6.
Baby Please Don't Go – THE ORIOLES (Jubilee 5065, A)
7.
Gotta Find My Baby – THE RAVENS (Columbia 39194, A)
8.
My Reverie – THE LARKS (Apollo 1184, A)
9.
Shouldn't I Know? – THE CARDINALS (Atlantic 938, A)
10.
Wine – THE HOLLYWOOD'S FOUR FLAMES (unique 003/Fidelity 3001, A)
11.
Where Are You (Now That I Need You) – THE MELLO-MOODS with The Schubert
Swanston Trio (Robin 105, A)
12.
Who'll Be The Fool From Now On – THE MARSHALL BROTHERS (Savoy 825, A)
13.
That's What The Good Book Says – BOBBY NUNN with The Robbins (Modern 807,
B-side of "Rockin'")
14.
I'm Afraid – BILLY BUNN and His Buddies (RCA Victor 20-4483, A)
15.
Asking – THE CAP-TANS (Coral 65071)
16.
Lemon Squeezing Daddy – THE SULTANS (Jubilee 5054, A)
17.
Heartbreaker – THE HEARTBREAKERS (RCA Victor 20-4327, A)
18.
My Dear – THE FOUR DOTS (Dot 1043, B-side of “You Won’t Le Me Go”)
19.
Walkin' And Whistlin' Blues – THE FOUR KNIGHTS (Capitol 1707, A)
20.
Little Small Town Girl (With The Big Town Dreams) – THE BLENDERS (Decca 27403,
A)
21.
I Guess You're Satisfied – THE VICTORIANS (Specialty 411, A)
22.
I Gotta Go Now – THE RHYTHM KINGS with Isaac Royal & Orchestra (Apollo 1181,
A)
23.
Just In Case You Change Your Mind – THE 4 DEEP TONES (Coral 65061, A)
24.
How Blind Can You Be – THE FALCONS featuring Goldie Boots (Regent 1041, A)
25.
Give Me One More Chance – THE ROYALS (Apollo 434, A)
26.
Honey Chile – THE DRIFTERS (Excelsior 1314, A)
27.
I'll Try To Forget I Loved You – THE VARIETEERS (MGM 10888, A)
28.
Rain Is The Teardrops Of Angels – KING ODOM FOUR (Derby 757, A)
29.
Would I Mind – STEVE GIBSON and The Original Red Caps (RCA Victor 50-0138, A)
30.
May That Day Never Came – THE FOUR TUNES (RCA Victor 2200131, A)
31.
Fool, Fool, Fool – THE CLOVERS (Atlantic 944, A)
32.
I Am With You – THE DOMINOES (Federal 12039, A)
The
82-page non-detachable booklet is a feast of indepth liner notes on each
release by Grammy-winning writer and lifelong fan BILL DAHL. Let's put it this
way - there's a 'Photo Captions' index on Page 78 that tells who's who in the
black and white publicity shots that accompany most (not all) of the photos. It
actually lists the singer's names - who
else but Bear would do this? The text is also peppered with pictures of those
old American 78 and 45 labels like Columbia, Apollo, Unique, Robin, Savoy, Dot,
RCA Victor, Excelsior, Coral, Regent and Specialty. There is an occasional
other photo (a neon of The Robins at the Savoy Ballroom for gigs on the 2, 3
and 4 of July) and a trade advert (The Tingling Harmony of The Four Tunes). The
CD repros the rare "Just In Case You Change Your Mind" by The 4 Deep
Tones on Coral and the spine makes up a single photograph of the series name
when you line up all 15 volumes alongside each other on a shelf. Long-standing
and trusted names like Walter DeVenne, Nico Feuerbach, Victor Pearlin, Colin
Escott and Billy Vera have been involved in the research - while Audio Engineer
MARCUS HEUMANN did the superb mastering (some Disc/Metalpart transfers by
Victor Pearlin and Lothar Blank). The sources (as you can imagine) differ
wildly but to my ears the sound quality is improved on everything that I've
heard before (including some of the Rhino box sets). The audio and presentation
are top-class here (a norm for Bear Family)...
With
a huge 32 tracks and a format-busting playing time of 89:05 minutes – you
certainly can't accuse this CD of scrimping it. It opens with the sublime
crossover smash "Sixty-Minute Man" by The Dominoes – one of the
wittiest and sexiest of R 'n' B tunes that must have slayed them in the aisles
back in the day – the girls screaming as Bill Brown advises them 'to come up
and see old Dan' for his one-hour wonder session. We immediately melt into
proper Vocal Group magic with the deep harmonies and warmth of "The Glory
Of Love" where we "...got to cry a little...and laugh a
little..." in order to appreciate the glories of being head-over-heels. We
get further sappy sleepyhead with "Sweet Slumber" by The Four Buddies
(sounding beautifully clear despite its age) while the slinky 'Don't You Know I
Love You" shows why collectors adore the sheer class of The Clovers –
surely one of Atlantic's best 50ts R&B acts. Uber rare and sounding awesome
is "Will You Be Mine" by The Swallows featuring the sweet Lead of
Eddie Rich joined half-way through by Norris 'Bunky' Mack. Perennial favourite
of every bar-boogie band that's every existed – Joe Williams' "Baby Please
Don't Go" gets a Vocal Group going over by The Orioles (and again sounds
fabulous).
"...Well,
well...I came home this morning just about the break of dawn...the house was
empty...all the pillows was gone..." There can't be any genre lovers who
don't get weak at the knees at the deep-as-an-ocean voice of Jimmy Ricks going
at a jaunty R&B number backed by The Ravens – what a treat! You’re then hit
with a double whammy of vocal-group loveliness - "My Reverie" from
The Larks and "Shouldn’t I Know?" by The Cardinals – both sounding glorious
and massively evocative of the age. We get boozy with The Hollywood's Four
Flames on their drink some "Wine" dancer that is followed by the
sombre echo of The Mello-Moods and their cautionary tale of love. Worse - The
Marshall Brothers warn us that she may have "...found someone new..."
- unforgiveable frankly.
Genius
songwriters Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller get their first ever record credit on
the flipside of a Bobby Nunn 78" – "That's What The Good Book
Says" – accompanied by The Robins (misspelt of the label as The Robbins).
All the hallmarks of their witty rocking R&B is there – the irresistible
rhythm and those great words hat just seem to roll off the tongue "...Noah
was taking that brim and mixing it with wine...having himself a real crazy
time..." It's followed by a gorgeous inclusion – "I'm Afraid" by
Billy Bunn who's crying high falsetto was described by RCA Victor as their
answer to Johnnie Ray – and on the strength of this wonderfully evocative
smoocher – you have to say that RV weren't talking trash. Chimes lead in
Sherman Buckner's unique vocal twinge on the weepy "I'm Asking" as he
wonders what made his gal cry (his royalty cheques maybe) - only to have that
innocence trounced by the decidedly fruity "Lemon Squeezing Daddy"
from The Sultans where Clyde Wright tells us that out in California they grow
big and round (whatever can that nice boy be talking about). Gorgeous Audio
greets dear listeners for the genre-defining "Heartbreaker" by The
Heartbreakers where you can just see five guys in matching suits standing under
lampposts singing out their warning to all the ladies – "...I'm a
heartbreaker from now on..." (many women in the district packed in
relationships for good after this). Clearly dubbed from a very old Dot 78"
- "My Dear" by The Four Dots is not just here for sheer rarity value
- but because it’s a genuine lost beauty (you wish there was a better take of
it).
But
best track on the whole compilation may very well be the brilliant
"Walkin' And Whistlin' Blues" - a cover of the Les Paul B-side to
"How High The Moon" - also from 1951) that does what it says on the
tin. You get footsteps acting as the backdrop while the voices go
"ooh" throughout and then Lead Tenor Gene Alford starts whistling
after his smooth as velvet lines. It's the kind of nugget that will surely turn
in some hip TV program soon where a man with a Fedora or Pork-Pie Hat tips the
rim at the camera before he shoots someone who deserves his comeuppance. As if
"Walkin'..." isn’t sweet surprise enough – you're then hit with
another gorgeous winner – the lovely and lilting "Little Small Town Girl
(With The Big Town Dreams)" fronted by the beautiful voice of Ollie Jones
of The Ravens (what a total peach - it's going on a CD compilation of mine
right now). More R&B boppers come in the shape of the organ-driving "I
Gotta Go Now" by The Rhythm Kings and "Honey Chile" by The
Drifters. Rough transfers include the impossibly rare "I Guess You're
Satisfied" (the Specialty 45 is pictured on Page 51) and "Just In
Case You Change Your Mind" by The 4 Deep Tones. Final genius inclusion is
the beautiful (almost Ink Spots feel to) "Rain Is The Teardrops Of
Angels" by the unlikely sounding King Odom Four (what a sweetheart of a
tune). Then it all ends on two winners fans will surely own already –
"Fool, Fool, Fool" by Atlantic's The Clovers and "I Am With
You" by The Dominoes with Clyde McPhatter warbling a goodun (both sounding
better than anything I've had them on before)...
To
sum up – I hadn't really expected to enjoy this 1951 instalment as much as I
have but it's typical of these compilations – surprises and discoveries that
floor you. Niggles - they're too expensive as singles discs and perhaps they
should have been doubles because real collectors will have more than a few titles
on offer here. But Bear Family will argue '...not in this sound quality or
looking this good...' - and they'd have a point.
Presented
to us with love and affection by an independent record company that cares about
forgotten voices that shouldn’t be forgotten. What a sweetheart of a
compilation and another gold standard from Bear...
