I pray now child that you sleep tonight When you hear this lullaby May the wind that blows from haunted graves Never bring you misery May the angels bright Watch you tonight And keep you while you sleep
First in what may be a continuing series featuring Connecticut-based bands that Brushback hasn't yet discussed. Why? Why not! I need a schtick.
First up, the Five Satins, hailing from New Haven. Everyone knows the classic In the Still Of The Night, but my favorite song by the Five Satins is the following much more soulful & upbeat number, released by Roulette in 1964. I love this song. LOVE it. Almost as much as I love the best pizza in America, also from New Haven. But I digress.
The Five Satins - You Can Count On Me (Roulette, 1964)
And another song I love, also from 1964. These songs are meant to be placed together on as many feel-good mixtapes as possible. This goes out especially for Rockin' Jeff, who recently posted a later cover version from his amazing collection of 45s.
The Tams - What Kind of Fool [Do You Think I Am] (ABC, 1964)
The Tams are not from Connecticut. The Tams are from Georgia, but are best known as mainstays of the Carolina beach music scene. Did you know that they took their name from the Tam o'shanter style of hat that the group chooses to wear on stage? Neither did I. Thanks, Wiki! Anyway, that opening flute reminds me of a third song that needs to be included in this imaginary mix. ALSO from 1964 (honestly, this was not planned). Taken from one of the best box sets ever:
this is a picture of the reissue, not the original box set
Sam Cooke & the Soul Stirrers - Oh Mary Don't You Weep (SAR, 1964)
That "drownded" gets me every time.
Sam Cooke was not from Connecticut, nor was his brother L.C. But L.C. did put out a fantastic song that completes this evolving set nicely -and guess what - it's from 1964. Spooky!
L.C. Cook(e) - Put Me Down Easy (SAR, 1964)
Don't you feel all warm & fuzzy now? The only thing better than listening to these songs would be listening to these songs while eating the meal of my dreams, below:
Pepe's White Clam Pie
If anyone's ever traveling from New Haven to Durham and wants to make a girl's dreams come true, please let me know!
Thank you for your vigilance, Anonymous! Here is track three from the King Solomon comp 'You Ain't Nothing But a Teenager' - the original version of 'Separation' issued on Magnum. Anyone who's already dl'd the cd, please add to your folder.
King Solomon - Separation (Magnum version) - track 3
This post is for ana-b, whose blog The Singing Bones is one of the best on the web. Ana recently gave birth to her first child, a baby girl, & to welcome little Anza to our world I figured I'd post something that I promised her mother quite some time ago. Ana, here's my lazy girl synopsis of Nick Loss-Eaton's very thorough liner notes:
Born King Sylvester Lee Melicious Solomon in Tallulah, LA on October 12, 1934 Solomon says simply, "I guess all the kids had long names". As a teenager, Solomon sang with an a capella gospel group that opened for a pre-Sam Cooke Soul Stirrers. In 1949 the aspiring singer got on a bus to Chicago where, in addition to running a restaurant, he met early mentor Sunnyland Slim & befriended Rufus 'Bearcat' Thomas. After 5 years in Chicago he made his way to Los Angeles and assimilated West Coast blues stylings into his Chicago blues & northern soul foundation - billing himself as either King Solomon & the Soul Brothers Band or King Solomon & the Handicappers. His bands included, among others, Maxwell Davis, Joe Kincaid, & Charles Wright of "Express Yourself" fame" (whose band accompanies King Solomon on the 1965 title song of this collection).
So. Here we have 24 songs released on 8 different labels between 1960-78 - and no wonder Ana has been confused! Also per Mr. Loss-Eaton, a different King Solomon (Hill) was a country-blues singer in the pre-war era. Yet another King Solomon was a pianist who accompanied Lowell Fulsom. Then there's Solomon Burke's nickname. And also apparently a 'hip hop artist' (can't you hear Mr. Loss-Eaton's sniff of disdain?;-)) Point is, this King Solomon, over several incarnations, is most enjoyable and y'all can listen to him here.
And for a preview, here is one of my favorite cuts from the cd. Recorded in the early 60s, it's obviously deeply indebted to a much more famous bluesman & one of his most famous songs - but hey. Dig it.
King Solomon - Yodelling This Morning (originally released on Magnum 720)
