#686 (Week of 11/13/10 - 11/19/10)

---

*IN THE STYLE OF THE INK SPOTS - PART FOUR

"Rock-A My Soul"/ "Moses Smote The Water" by The Four Blue Jackets on Mercury 8004-A/B released in 1946

"*Baby, Baby, Please Come Home"/ "I Know Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well" by The Four Bluejackets on Mercury 8017-A/B released in 1946

Above: The Four Blue Jackets.

FROM MARV GOLDBERG (6/3/19):
I have a photo (really terrible quality) from the November 9, 1946 Chicago Defender. The "Five Blue Jackets" are pictured with Marva Louis. The personnel were named as: William Graham, Joseph Durant, Toby Bryant, and Jimmy Holmes. They didn't give Elmer Thomas' name, but he's in the photo (I guess; there are five of them). Note that "Baby, Baby, Please Come Home" was written by Graham.

Above: From The Billboard.... (Left) 8-10-46 clipping and (Right) 3-9-46 TV Review (both abridged).

The Billboard Review 4-27-46

Above: Label image of Mercury 8004 released in April 1946. Record review is from 4-27-46 issue of The Billboard. This is the first of four releases by The Four Blue Jackets on Mercury (1946-47).

The Billboard Review 8-10-46

Above: Label image of Mercury 8017 released in August 1946. Record review is from 8-10-46 issue of The Billboard. This is the second of The Four Blue Jackets' records for Mercury and their only non-spiritual offering. "Baby..." is done in a similar style as The Ink Spots, particularly the inclusion of the "talking bass" part.

The original "Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well" was done by Wynonie Harris with Lucky Millinder's Orchestra in 1945. The "answer" record "I Know Who...." was first done by Bull Moose Jackson on the Queen label in 1946. The Four Blue Jackets answer record shows "Millinder" as composer, while Millinder's record of the original shows "De Lange-Brooks."

Listen to this week's selections by The Four Blue Jackets:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...             Rock-A My Soul - Mercury 8004-A - 1946           Moses Smote The Water - Mercury 8004-B - 1946           Baby, Baby, Please Come Home - Mercury 8017-A - 1946           I Know Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well - Mercury 8017-B - 1946             ALL FOUR played in sequence      B. Download RealAudio...             Rock-A My Soul - Mercury 8004-A - 1946           Moses Smote The Water - Mercury 8004-B - 1946           Baby, Baby, Please Come Home - Mercury 8017-A - 1946           I Know Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well - Mercury 8017-B - 1946      C. Stream/Download Media Player...             Rock-A My Soul - Mercury 8004-A - 1946           Moses Smote The Water - Mercury 8004-B - 1946           Baby, Baby, Please Come Home - Mercury 8017-A - 1946           I Know Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well - Mercury 8017-B - 1946

     [To download audio files, right-click on link and then select "Save (Link) Target As..."]

This site is non-commercial. All information displayed is provided to further the general public's knowledge of RnB vocal group harmony.