Roger
2024-12-13 05:46:33 UTC
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PermalinkTODAY........FROM 1953
1. BABY DOLL – MARVIN & JOHNNY
On Specialty the first actual “Marvin & Johnny” release in October 1953
and a #9 BB r&b hit
2. YOU TOOK MY LOVE TOO FAST – LITTLE ESTHER & BOBBY NUNN
Esther & Bobby team up again on Federal on a very decent Mike Stoller &
Ravon Darnell number
3. YES BABY – JOHNNY ACE & WILLIE MAE THORNTON
Johnny Ace’s self penned duet with Willie Mae Thornton on Duke. The
flipside of Ace’s “Saving My Love For You”
4. THAT’S WHAT MAKES MY BABY FAT – JOE MORRIS & FAYE SCRUGGS
Credited to “Joe Morris Blues Cavalcade” on Atlantic this is a duet
betwixt Morris and his then current band songstress Faye
Scruggs—destined very soon to become much more famous as “Faye Adams”
5. DIM LIGHTS THICK SMOKE (AND LOUD LOUD MUSIC) – JOE MAPHIS & ROSE LEE
On Okeh label my favorite version of the Lester Flatt/Earl Scruggs
country classic (see the 1952 post in this series)
6. SHIRLEY’S BACK – SHIRLEY & LEE
My favorite 1953 episode in the most interminable love affair in 1950’s
r&b music
7. MY KIND OF WOMAN – EMITT SLAY TRIO
Highly amusing spoken word duet on the Savoy label
8. SHIRLEY COME BACK TO ME – SHIRLEY & LEE
The flip of their “I’m Gone” followup on Aladdin and a continuation of
that huge hit
9. GONNA TELL MY MAMA – JESSE ALLEN & AUDREY WALKER
Super bluesy New Orleans duet from Jesse & Audrey here on Imperial
backed by Dave Bartholomew & co.
10. TURN THE LAMPS DOWN LOW – LITTLE ESTHER & LITTLE WILLIE
Little Esther strikes again on Federal--this time with Little Willie
Littlefield on an early Leiber & Stoller song
11. I FORGOT MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER KNOW – THE DAVIS SISTERS
Many older folks introduction to Skeeter with this huge C&W #1 (5 weeks)
for the (not really) sisters newly signed to RCA. Tidy #18 BBpop hit too
12. EASY – JIMMY & WALTER
More or less instrumental version of “I Almost My Mind” by bluesmen
Jimmy De Berry & Walter Horton on Sun
13. BABY – SHIRLEY & LEE
The fine followup on Aladdin to their “I’m Gone” smash and their first
release of 1953
14. HONEY – MARVIN & JOHNNY (unreleased)
Unreleased item recorded for Specialty in 1953. The “Johnny” here is
Carl Green (later of The Turks)
15. I’M NOT A FOOL – MARVIN & JOHNNY
The catchy flip on Specialty to the #1 “Baby Doll” above
16. GOTTA CALL THAT NUMBER – JESSE ALLEN & AUDREY WALKER
Decent flipside to “Gonna Tell My Mamma” on Imperial listed above
17. THAT’S FAT JACK – JIMMIE LEE & ARTIS
Alias Jimmy Lee Cheatham and Artis Brewster these were a hubby/wife team
from Texarkana recording for Modern
18. I’VE LEARNED MY LESSON – EMMITT SLAY TRIO
The almost-as-amusing flipside to #7 in this listing above
19. DON’T TELL MAMMA – WILLIE JOHNSON & THELMA
Willie & Thelma attempt here to emulate the Shirley & Lee success story
for Savoy
20. WAY DOWN IN THE CONGO – IKE & BONNIE TURNER (unreleased)
Duet for Sun by Ike with his then-pianist wife Marion Louis Lee (alias
“Bonnie Turner”)
BUBBLING UNDER
21. SO IN LOVE – SHIRLEY & LEE
22. THE PROPOSAL – SHIRLEY & LEE
23. A DEAR JOHN LETTER – JEAN SHEPARD & FERLIN HUSKY
24. TWO HAPPY PEOPLE – SHIRLEY & LEE
25. SWEET TALK – FAYE ADAMS