#865 (6/4/16 - 6/17/16)

BLUE DECCA LABEL - PART SIX

SPOTLIGHT ON THE THREE PEPPERS

"Fuzzy Wuzzy"/
"Down By The Old Mill Stream"
The Three Peppers
on Decca 2239 A/B
released in 1939

"Mary Had A Little Lamb"/
"Was That All I Meant To You?"
The Three Peppers
on Decca 8508 B/A
released in 1941



[The above picture is courtesy of Paul Ressler.]
Above: The Three Peppers (L-R) Walter Williams (bass fiddle), Roy Branker (piano) and Bob Bell (guitar). These are the members who had seven releases on Decca (1939-1941, 1947) and three on Gotham (1949-1951). Oliver "Toy" Wilson is the piano player for the four releases on Variety (1937), the two reissues on Vocalion (1937), and the three sides backing Sally Gooding on Variety (1937) and Vocalion (1938).

Click HERE for an article about The Three Peppers by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)




The Three Peppers (L-R) Walter Williams, Roy Branker, and Bob Bell.




From Afro-American Newspaper July 2, 1938.
The article has Bell and Branker switched in the photo.





SOUNDIE VIDEO (MP4 DIRECT FROM THE ORIGINAL 16MM FILM):

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB - THE THREE PEPPERS - 1944


THIS FILM WAS OBTAINED AND TRANSFERRED TO MP4 FORMAT AT SIGNIFICANT EFFORT AND EXPENSE.
PLEASE DO NOT TAKE AND DISTRIBUTE IT AS YOUR OWN. THANK YOU.

VIEW THE SOUNDIE VIDEO (TRANSFERRED DIRECTLY INTO MP4 FORMAT FROM THE ORIGINAL 16MM FILM):     MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB - THE THREE PEPPERS - SOUNDIE - 1944
(NOTE: The Soundie video picture is in reverse. Best viewing is a mid-size picture, not full-screen.)

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO ONLY (WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER):     MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB - THE THREE PEPPERS - SOUNDIE - 1944

In addition to several Soundies released in 1944/45, The Three Peppers appeared in the 1936 short "Rush Hour Rhapsody," the 1939 all-black movie "Straight To Heaven," and the 1943 movie "A Lady Takes A Chance" starring Jean Arthur and John Wayne.



Above: Label images of Decca 2239 recorded on December 16, 1938 and released in January 1939. Does anyone hear "drums" on "Fuzzy Wuzzy" or either side, for that matter?



Above: Label images of Decca 8508 recorded on May 5, 1940 and released in March 1941. This is their only record issued in the Decca 8500+ "Sepia Series." "Mary Had A Little Lamb" on this record is different than the Soundie. In "Was That All I Meant To You?" they sing the statement "That Was All I Meant To You" rather than ask the question shown on the label.


Listen to this week's selections featuring The Three Peppers on Decca 2239 and 8508 from 1939 and 1941:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

     A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...
 
          1. Fuzzy Wuzzy
          2. Down By The Old Mill Stream
          3. Mary Had A Little Lamb
          4. Was That All I Meant To You?
 
          ALL FOUR played in sequence

     B. Download RealAudio...
 
          1. Fuzzy Wuzzy
          2. Down By The Old Mill Stream
          3. Mary Had A Little Lamb
          4. Was That All I Meant To You?

     C. Stream/Download Media Player...
 
          1.Fuzzy Wuzzy
          2. Down By The Old Mill Stream
          3. Mary Had A Little Lamb
          4. Was That All I Meant To You?
 
          ALL FOUR played in sequence
          (The "m3u" file may need to be opened after it is downloaded)

The Billboard - 4/7/45





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


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