Ten fave unreleased tracks chosen from my yearly Favorites lists
Today………from 1954
THE DIABLOS – MY KIND OF LOVIN’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzjUurPO54Q
Devora’s best boys blown here by “The Wind” straight from the street corners of Detroit with a memorable jump number “My Kind Of Lovin’”
first recorded in 1954 for Fortune Records but which was sadly
overlooked for release at the time.
First released on the LP “Daddy Rock : The Legendary Nolan Strong With
The Diablos” LP on Fortune in 1984
See here for more info on this album
https://www.lexjansen.com/fortune/diablos.htm
“My Kind Of Lovin’” ranked #62 most successful entrant in the 2014 Unreleased Battle
THE DRIFTERS – THREE THIRTY THREE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhw0T0VhywU
Private Clyde McPhatter’s last session with the Drifters (whilst on
leave) on October 24 1954 featured him (ld ten vcl),Gerhart Thrasher
(ten vcl) Andrew Thrasher (bar vcl) Bill Pinkney (bs vcl) and produced
said “Three Thirty Three” (that went unissued until 1971) plus “Everyone’s Laughing”,”Sugar Coated Kisses” and “Hot Zigetty”
In depth look at the early Clyde & The Drifters career by the ever
reliable Unca Marvy
https://www.uncamarvy.com/Drifters/drifters.html
First released on LP “Their Greatest Recordings : The Early Years”
(Atco) in 1971
This was #2 most successful track in the Unreleased Battle
THE FIVE KEYS – TEETH AND TONGUE WILL GET YOU HUNG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kazUfai-Ujg
From the notorious July 1 1954 session that the guys did for RCA’s
Groove subsid that caused a big problem-since The Five Keys were still
legally signed to the Aladdin label. Four tracks were recorded
that day including the proposed single “I’ll Follow You”/”Lawdy Miss Mary” which were all shelved
when the problem became apparent (thus opening the door for Capitol to
woo the boys into their arms)
The other two tracks recorded for Groove were buried in the
vaults---“When Will My Troubles End” and the track in question
here---the Leroy Kirkland penned “Teeth And Tongue Will Get You Hung” on which (as with the other Groove tracks) the lead is taken by Maryland
Pierce
Much more detailed writeup on the Keys here by---you guessed it---Unca
Marvy of course
https://www.uncamarvy.com/5Keys/5keys.html
This track was rated #84 in the list of entrants in the Unreleased
Battle
GUITAR SLIM – GUITAR SLIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-eD-yqch5s
Not to be confused with the several other artists with “Guitar Slim” in their moniker this is Eddie
“Guitar Slim” Jones of that ilk we are talking about here. The guy that topped the US R&B charts in 1954
with his classic “The Things I Used To Do”. And who cut several other classic sides since (and before!)
including the title in contention here---"Guitar Slim” cut for Specialty
in 1954 but that sadly went
unreleased at the time (until rescued in 1970 on the Specialty LP “The Things I Used To Do”)
This one by Slim came in at #15 in the most successful entrants chart in
the Unreleased Battle
THE HAWKS – HE’S THE FAT MAN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJQLIYqr2XQ
One of the better vocal groups to come out of New Orleans The Hawks had somewhat of a checkered history being a composite of two original
groups. On April 13 1954 when this song was recorded the Hawks comprised
Allen Matthews (aka “Fats” Matthews or Fat Man Matthews) (the lead here),Willie Thrower,Joe Gaines,Albert Veal and Buddy Morris.
“He’s The Fat Man” was finally released on the LP “Rhythm & Blues Vol.1 : The End Of An Era” on Imperial LM-94003 (Legendary Masters series) in
1968
In depth look at The Hawks by Marv Goldberg
https://www.uncamarvy.com/Hawks/hawks.html
This was #23 most successful track in the Unreleased Battle
JIMMY McCRACKLIN – NIGHT AND DAY
Anyone expecting the crooning “Night and day you are the one…..” famous old Cole Porter number is going to be sorely disappointed---no,that’s
not the word---I mean DELIGHTED..by this solid r&b jumper that Jimmy &
the band recorded for Modern back in 1954. Sadly this one slipped
through the net when new releases were being considered and lay in the
vaults for decades until its appearance on “The Chronological Jimmy McCracklin 1951-1954” Classics set in 2007
Incredibly this only rated #259 in the Unreleased Battle
It crashed out in Round One as seen below :-
6 Jimmy McCracklin -- Night And Day -- Modern -- 1954
6 Roy Hall -- Move On -- Decca -- 1955
Draw #1 and since I voted McCracklin........
THE PELICANS – DOWN IN MEXICO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Edhe5jZ4lI
Comprising Walter Lewis,Willie Hannah,Carl Leadbetter and Walter Brown
this group from New Orleans-besides cutting their own material for
Imperial also “moonlighted” as The Kidds on Post and Imperial (“Drunk Drunk Drunk” is particularly memorable)
ALL their material---both Pelicans and Kidds----came from the same
recording session---their ONLY one---recorded by The Pelicans in Los
Angeles on August 20 1954
“Down In Mexico” was released on the LP “Rhythm & Blues Vol.2 : Sweet & Greasy” on Imperial LM-94005 (Legendary Masters series) in 1968
This one came in at #38 in the Unreleased Battle
CARL PERKINS – HONKY TONK BABE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWtMv09s1Gw
The very first track ever laid down by Carl Perkins at Sun Studios in
Memphis. That session took place 10th October 1954 ft. Carl Perkins
(vcl,gtr) Jay B. Perkins (gtr) Clayton Perkins (bs) W.S. Holland (dms).
First released on the Bear Family set “Classics” in March 1990
This was #34 most successful track in the Unreleased Battle
ELVIS PRESLEY – TOMORROW NIGHT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K03mPoQKNxw
Recorded September 10 1954 (7 takes) at Sun Studios,Memphis Elvis awards
the memorable song--made famous
by Lonnie Johnson--the similar sparse but striking treatment also given
to his “Blue Moon”. Backing here is Scotty Moore (gtr) and Bill Black
(bs)
First released in 1965 on the RCA “Elvis For Everyone” album (but this
is an overdubbed version with the Anita Kerr Singers etc). The track as recorded appears on “The Complete Sun Sessions” set in 1987
And no, Lonnie Johnson WASN’T the original version of the song.
From 1939 this one was first
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVLhN2YjBJQ
THE SPIDERS - LOVE’S ALL I’M PUTTIN’ DOWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziYf7Vs-X_k
Just about my favorite of the bunch of unreleased gems listed in this
post this classic (with Leonard
Carbo lead) was recorded for Imperial March 11 1954. It really should
have appeared on the belated
Spiders LP that Imperial released in 1961 but it was not to be.Instead
this great track had to wait until
1992 to see light of day on “The Imperial Sessions” collection released
by Bear Family
This was #5 most successful tracks in the Unreleased Battle
In depth look at The Spiders by Marv Goldberg
https://www.uncamarvy.com/Spiders/spiders.html
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