Bobby Peterson, Rockin’ Charlie Pts 1 and 2

116 | 22 March 2024

Only known photo of Bobby Peterson Quintet | Last FM | 14593

The two part instrumental Rockin’ Charlie by Bobby Peterson dates from around 1960 and was issued as Sue WI 342. Rockabilly.nl advises us that the quintet comprises of Joe Pyatt, David Butler, Chico Green and Jamo Thomas. The band recorded six singles for Buddy Caldwell’s Philadelphia based V-Tone label between 1959 and 1961, before disbanding in 1962.

Percussionist and singer James “Jamo” Thomas went on to record “I spy for the FBI” and other songs before working in Stax Records’ promotion department.

Rockin’ Charlie, V Tone 210, 1960. Sue UK WI 342.

Chart position: data not available.

Collection of Martin Whitell

Collection of Dave Hewitt | dhpetersone

Collection of Dave Hewitt | dhpeterstwo

V-Tone Album Cover | Records by Mail

Big Al Downing, Yes I’m loving you/Please come home

111 | 24 December 2023

Big Al Downing | Rockabilly Hall Of Fame | 14594

Country, rhythm and blues, gospel and rockabilly music singer, pianist, record producer and song writer Al Downing was born in Lenapah, Oklahoma, on January 9, 1940 Downing began his career doing piano and vocals in Bobby Poe and The Poe Kats, who were an early backing band for country entertainer Wanda Jackson, and on her recording “Lets Have A Party” he plays piano.

His songs have been recorded by Fats Domino, Tom Jones and Bobby Bland.

Mr Downing also became a famed record producer in his own right, and is mainly known for his country music records, which were his most successful recordings.

Al Downing sadly died from cancer in Massachusetts on July 4, 2005.

Bobby Poe is famous as the producer of Sh’Mon by Mr Dynamite, also released on UK Sue.

Yes I’m loving you (V-Tone 215, 1960)  was released as Sue WI 341. Chart position data not available.

Collection of Martin Whitell

Anita Wood, This has happened before

106 | 26 October 2023

Anita Marie Wood Brewer was born in 1937 and was a girl friend for a time to Elvis Presley. Her 1963 or 1964 recording of “This has happened before” was issued on Sue WI 328 as the B side of Dream Baby.

She sang with Andy Williams, uncredited, on his 1959 hit of “The Hawaiian Wedding Song”.

Chart position: data not available.

Collection of Martin Whitell

Larry Williams, Dizzy miss Lizzie

Laurence Eugene (Larry) Williams was born on May 10, 1935 and died on January 7, 1980 leaving behind a whole catalogue of much loved rock and roll classics, most of which were recorded in the short period of 1957 to 1959 for Specialty records. Dizzy Miss Lizzie was first issued in the UK on the London label and was re-issued as Sue WI 381.

Affendaddy | 14602

Roy Head, Treat her right

royheadtreatherright

Roy Head’s Treat Her Right was on the This is Sue! Sampler LP. Originally issued in the UK on the Vocalion label in 1965, licenced from Back Beat records. Treat Her Right was produced by Huey P Meaux (although not credited) and recorded at Gold Star Studio, Houston, Texas. Roy Kent Head was born on January 9, 1941. With his group The Traits, Head began recording in 1958. Treat Her Right is his best known recording. Previously issued by Decca Group on Vocalion VP-9248.

US Pop No. 2, 1965.

In Performance:

Plastic Dreams | 14549

CD and LP.com | 14548

Updated 9 May 2020

Little Richard, It ain’t what you do/Crossover

109 | 27 December 2023

Richard Wayne Penniman (Little Richard) was born on December 5, 1932.

“It ain

“It ain’t what you do”, Vee Jay 652, 1965.  UK Sue WI 4015, July 1966.

Chart Position: Did not chart.

Ritchie Valens, La Bamba/Donna

109 | 29 October 2023

Ritchie Valens | Top Tour of Spain | 14537

Guitarist, singer and song writer Richard Steven Valenzuela was born in Los Angeles, California on May 13, 1941 and grew up hearing traditional mexican mariachi music, flamenco music and rhythm and blues. By 15 he would take his guitar to school with him, and sing to his friends. He was self taught but a very accomplished musician. He dropped out of high school in 1958 to take up music full time.

He died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959 along with Big Bopper, Buddy Holly and others. He had been afraid of flying ever since there was a local plane crash near where he lived.

La Bamba, Come on Lets Go and other songs had been recorded for test purposes in a basement studio but the versions for issue were all taped in a session at Los Angeles’ famed Gold Star Studios for the Del-Fi label.

Ritchie Valens’ classic rock and roll recording La Bamba has been issued many times, and was scheduled for release on UK Sue WI 4011 in May 1966, but it is thought that it was never marketed. (It is on ILP 933, The Sue Story Vol 2).

“Donna”,/”La Bamba”, Del-fi 4110, 12 November 1958. UK Issue: London American HL 8803, February 1959.

Chart Position: “Donna” Billboard No 2, February 1959; “La Bamba”, Billboard No 22, February 1959

Frankie Ford, Sea Cruise/Roberta

114 | 18 May 2024

A perennial favourite which has been re-released time and time again, Frankie Ford, who was born in Gretna, Louisiana on 4 August 1939, will be forever known as the singer of “Sea Cruise”. The recording was originally recorded by Huey Piano Smith and current understanding is that the Ace Record company decided to replace Smith’s vocal with Ford’s. The Frankie Ford version was recorded in 1959 and provided them with a million seller. Ford was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

Frankie Ford died in Gretna, Louisiana following a long illness on 28 September 2015.

Ace 554, 1959. WI 366, March 1965.

Sea Cruise, US No 11 R&B, No 14 Pop, Gold disc.

Frankie Ford | Raucous Records | 14491

Collection of Martin Whitell

Chris Kenner, Land of 1,000 Dances/That’s my girl

117 | 28 March 2024

Chris Kenner | WBSS Media

Singer and song writer Christophe Kenner was born in Kenner, Louisiana, on December 25, 1929. On his youth he sang with gospel choirs. In his teens he moved to New Orleans to work as a stevedore. After early recordings he started working and recording with Allen Toussaint in 1961 and had some success with his songs “I like it like that” and “Something you got”.

The original recording of “Dances” starts with a spoken introduction, which was omitted when the recording was released. Sometimes Fats Domino is mentioned as a co-writer, although he is not credited on the Sue release. This was a private arrangement to get Domino to record the song in return for half of the royalties.

Kenner’s career was affected by his high spending, alcoholism and unpredictable behaviour. He was notorious for being unable to remember the words of his own songs at performances. In 1968 he was convicted of the statutory rape of a minor and served a three year prison sentence at the infamous Angola prison.

Chris Kenner died in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 25, 1976, age 46, after a heart attack.

“Land of 1000 Dances”, Instant 3252 (1962) . Released on UK Sue WI 351 in January 1965.

Chart position: US No. 77, 1962.

Collection of Martin Whitell

Bobby Lee Trammell, New Dance in France/Carolyn

112 | 28 October 2023

Bobby Lee Trammell | Public Domain | 14497

Singer and politician Bobby Lee Trammell was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas on January 31, 1934. He began playing music while in school and originally was interested in country and western music. He moved to Long Beach, California after completing school and tried to secure a recording contract. Meanwhile he secured a job at a Ford plant. He started making rockabilly records in 1957 but kept getting into various scrapes; a protest on a radio tower over a station’s refusal to play his record ended with him having to be rescued from the tower; at a date with Jerry Lee Lewis, he had a tantrum and destroyed Lewis’ piano. That resulted in him being blackballed. He went into US politics as a representative for his home state Arkansas, being elected in 1997, and died in Jonesboro, Arkansas on February 20, 2008.

“New Dance In France”, SIMS 183, 1964. “Carolyn”, Atlanta 1501, 1962. Released in UK on Sue WI 326 on 7 July 1964.

Chart position: data not available.

Collection of Martin Whitell

Thurston Harris, Little Bitty Pretty One/I hope you won’t hold it against me

114 | 27 December 2023

Singer and song writer Thurston Harris was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 11, 1931. He was only popular for a short time. After a spell with vocal groups including The Lamplighters he recorded as a solo artist. Little Bitty Pretty One is his only major success, and was released in 1957. It has been released a number of times in the UK.

Thurston Harris died in Pomona, California, in his sleep, of a heart attack on April 14, 1990.

“Litte bitty pretty one”, Aladdin 3398, 1957. Previously issued on Vogue 45/V 9092. UK Sue WI 4016, July 1966.

Chart Position: US Pop No. 6, R&B No. 2, 1957.

Thurston Harris | Public Domain | 14508

Collection of Dave Hewitt | dhthurstonbitty

Collection of Dave Hewitt | dhthurstonhope

Larry Williams, Bony Moronie

Larry Williams was born on May 10, 1935, was a friend of Little Richard, a cousin of Lloyd Price, and wrote some rock and roll classics during the late 1950s. Bony Moronie is one of them and it was recorded in 1957, and with all Specialty recordings of the time issued in the UK first on London American HL-U 8532. Williams was a talented, but also a troubled man who died on January 7, 1980 aged 44.

US Pop No. 14, R&B No. 4, UK No. 11, 1957.

Vinyl Sid | bony78.jpg

Updated and converted to blocks 7.3.21

Joe Tex, Yum yum yum/You little baby face thing

112 | 25 October 2023

Joe Tex | Ace Records | Joetexsu

Yusuf Hazziez (Joe Tex) was born Joseph Arrington Jr in Rogers, Texas, on August 8, 1935. At High School he played saxophone in a school band and also sang in a Church choir. In the mid-fifties he was singing in a group called The Sunbeams.

Yum Yum was recorded in New Orleans in 1959 for Ace Records using Little Richard’s backing band and featuring Allen Toussaint on organ. Until he started having hits he regularly opened shows for Jackie Wilson, James Brown and Little Richard.

His long association with Dial Records, mostly distributed by Atlantic, started in 1961, but the first successful recording was “Hold What You’ve Got” (1965, Dial 8106), which made No. 2 in the US R&B Chart, and which had been recorded at Fame, Muscle Shoals.

Joe Tex died at Grimes Memorial Hospital in Navasota of a heart attack on August 13, 1982. He has been nominated for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.

He was associated for a long time with the country music producer and publisher Buddy Killen (born Florence, Alabama, 13 November 1932, died from cancer in Nashville, Tennessee, 1 November 2006).

“Yum Yum Yum”, Ace 572, November 1959. Released in UK on Sue WI 370 on 7 May 1965.

Chart Position: did not chart.

Collection of Martin Whitell

Bobby Parker, Watch your step

Bobby Parker started off in the 1950s playing guitar in a number of support bands, for artists as varied as Bo Diddley and the Everly Brothers. In 1961 he recorded Watch Your Step, which was first issued in the UK on London American, then reissued on Sue. Parker is still playing, appearing and recording.

Photo of Bobby Parker by Tim Holek | 14513

Bobby Parker’s Official website

Updated and converted to blocks 7.3.21

Billy Preston, Billy’s Bag/Don’t let the sun catch you crying

104 | 7 October 2023

Billy Preston | The Band | 14516

Keyboardist, singer and song writer William Everett Preston was born in Houston, Texas on September 2, 1946. Billy Preston was a child prodigy, playing organ in public as young as age 10, even playing for Mahalia Jackson. By 1962 he was playing in Little Richard’s backing group. In 1965 he recorded an album, The Most Exciting Organ Ever, from which this single was taken. To this day it remains a fantastic instrumental. He recorded several times with The Beatles and for their Apple record company, with which he had a number of successful recordings.

Preston had a complex personality, had suffered sexual abuse as a child, and had personal difficulties with addictions and his homosexuality; in 1991 he was sentenced to nine months detention in a rehabilitation clinic followed by three months of house arrest for a sexual offence with a minor. There were subsequently other offences of different natures.

Billy Preston died of kidney disease in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 6, 2006, aged 59.

“Billy’s Bag”, Vee Jay 653, January 1965. Released on Sue UK WI 4012, May 1966. Chart Position: Did not chart.

The Independent: Billy Preston Obituary

Collection of Martin Whitell

Larry Williams, Bony Moronie

Larry Williams, a lifelong friend of Little Richard, recorded for famous rock and roll record label Specialty.  Bony Moronie sold more than one million copies in 1957-8. Williams died in 1980 aged only 44.

Larry Williams | Public domain | 14489

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