#859 (3/12/16 - 3/25/16)

SPOTLIGHT ON
THE PALMER BROTHERS - CABALIERS - SPARROWS
(PART TWO OF TWO)

"Virginia, Georgia And Caroline"/"I'll Be Around" Cab Calloway And The Cabaliers on Columbia 36611 released in 1942

"Brown Boy"/"Shake Hands" Al Sears And The Sparrows on Coral 65023 released in 1950

Ottawa Citizen dated 8/11/50

[The above photo of The Cabaliers was provided by Paul Ressler.]

Above Right: The Cabaliers (L-R) Clarence Palmer, Ernie Plamer, Dick Palmer, and William Green.

Click HERE for an article about The Jive Bombers (Includes The Palmer Brothers, Cabaliers and Sparrows) by Marv Goldberg.
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EXTRA AUDIO (Windows Media Player):

This is the original version of the song and the correct composer credits on the label. The photo above right is Lil Hardin Armstrong. She was a pianist, singer, composer, arranger, and bandleader.

Listen to "Brown Gal" - Lil Armstrong And Her Swing Orchestra - Decca 1092 A - 1936. [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

MORE EXTRA AUDIO (Windows Media Player):

[The above photo of The Jive Bombers courtesy of Ferdie Gonzalez.]

[The above photo of Al Sears was provided by Paul Ressler.]

Listen to "Brown Boy" - Clarence Palmer And The Jive Bombers - Citation 1161-A - 1952. [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

As shown on the label, The Jive Bombers were a self-contained vocal/instrumental group consisting of (Above L-R) Al Tinney, Earl Johnson, Clarence Palmer, and William "Pee Wee" Tinney. In 1956, Clarence Palmer and The Jive Bombers re-recorded "Brown Boy" as "Bad Boy" for Savoy Records, resulting in a big hit for them.

Listen to "Tweedle Dee" - Al Sears And His Rock 'N' Rollers - Herald H-448 - 1955. [Instrumental]

"Tweedle Dee" is an instrumental version of the LaVern Baker (And The Gliders) hit song.

In the 1940s, Al Sears made a name for himself playing saxophone for Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy, Lionel Hampton, and then the Duke Ellington Orchestra. As a fixture at Alan Freed's live shows, he became prominent as "Big" Al Sears in the mid-1950s. As part of Alan Freed And His Rock 'N' Roll Band, his most well-known record is probably "Right Now, Right Now," released on Coral in 1956.

The Billboard Review (1/26/52):

CLARENCE PALMER (THE JIVE BOMBERS) - CITATION 1161....
Brown Boy (74) There's some fine sax work here as the rest of the combo serves up a strummy beat to back the singer's convincing reading of Palmer's carefree opus.

The Billboard Review (2/19/55):

AL SEARS ORK - HERALD 448....
Tweedle Dee (76) The hit tune receives a rocking instrumental reading here by the Al Sears ork, with Sears featured on tenor sax. It's a good side and has a chance for a share of the loot on the tune.

(NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered "good.")

Above: Label image of Columbia 36611 released in June 1942. Cab Calloway And The Cabaliers had six records released on the Columbia and Okeh labels (1942-45). The Cabaliers had previously recorded with Cab as The Palmer Brothers.

Billboard Review (2/5/44) of "I'll Be Around"/"Virginia, Georgia And Caroline" (The Okeh 6717 Reissue):

Altho Alec Wilder's I'll Be Around has been around for some time, this excellent ballad has never attained the heights deserving it. And the fact that it is the mating side to the smash-selling Paper Doll disking by the Mills Brothers, with all indications that this mated side may yet build into hitdom on the strength of the association, there is good enough reason for the waxwork to reissue Cab Calloway's recording at this time. Moreover, the treatment is by far the best ever accorded a ballad by the hi-de-ho monarch.

Subduing his vocal acrobatics, Calloway gives smooth and sympathetic song to the ballad, ably supported by the finely blended harmonies of the Cabaliers to make for a first-rate rendition all around.

Also carrying over is the Virginia, Georgia And Caroline ditty, which originally mated Calloway's I'll Be Around disking. In contrast to the slow and soft ballad mood, this side steps up both tempo and rhythm, with Cab and the Cabaliers cutting thru acceptable vocal harmonies without creating any undue excitement. Ditty itself makes little impression now as then.

Buffalo Courier Express Review (1/23/44) of "I'll Be Around"/"Virginia, Georgia And Caroline" (The Okeh 6717 Reissue):

In a vein somewhat out of his usual world, Cab Calloway comes up with two melodious numbers on an Okeh platter. With some first-rate vocalizing by himself and the Cabaliers, the maestro of hi-de-ho provides a smooth offering of "I'll Be Around" in sweet and swing style. The reverse opus, "Virginia, Georgia And Caroline," is one of Cab's more sizzling numbers.

Above: Label image of Coral 65023 released in February 1950. "Brown Boy" has a nice extended sax solo by Al Sears. The Sparrows consisted of Clarence Palmer, lead singer on "Brown Boy," William "Pee Wee" Tinney, Al Tinney, and Earl Johnson, which is the same group as The Jive Bombers on Citation (see MORE EXTRA AUDIO above).

Al Sears is composer and lead singer of the flip song, "Shake Hands." Clarence Palmer adds some vocal interjections. The final thirty-five seconds of the song feature some fine sax work by Al Sears.

Al Sears And The Sparrows had two records released on the Coral label, both in 1950.

Listen to this week's selections featuring Cab Calloway And The Cabaliers and Al Sears And The Sparrows:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...             1. Virginia, Georgia And Caroline - Cab Calloway And The Cabaliers           2. I'll Be Around - Cab Calloway And The Cabaliers           3. Brown Boy - Al Sears And The Sparrows           4. Shake Hands - Al Sears And The Sparrows             ALL FOUR played in sequence      B. Download RealAudio...             1. Virginia, Georgia And Caroline - Cab Calloway And The Cabaliers           2. I'll Be Around - Cab Calloway And The Cabaliers           3. Brown Boy - Al Sears And The Sparrows           4. Shake Hands - Al Sears And The Sparrows      C. Stream/Download Media Player...             1. Virginia, Georgia And Caroline - Cab Calloway And The Cabaliers           2. I'll Be Around - Cab Calloway And The Cabaliers           3. Brown Boy - Al Sears And The Sparrows           4. Shake Hands - Al Sears And The Sparrows             ALL FOUR played in sequence           (The "m3u" file may need to be opened after it is downloaded)

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

Click HERE for SPOTLIGHT ON THE PALMER BROTHERS - CABALIERS - SPARROWS (PART ONE OF TWO).
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