#824 (10/25/14 - 11/7/14)

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"Great Day"/"Diane" Orville “Baggie” Hardimon And His Kings on Mercury 8108 released in 1948

"All I Need Is A Lucky Break"/"Shoo Shoo Baby" Four Kings And A Queen on Comet 1301A/B released in 1944

[The above photo provided by Paul Ressler.]

Above: Four Kings Of Jive (circa 1942/1943). Orville "Baggie" Hardimon is at left with guitar.

LINKS to other "Baggie" Hardimon records at this website: (Will open in a separate window)
"One Of Those Dreams That Fell Thru" - Four Kings And A Queen - Comet 1304A - 1945
"Meet Me At No Special Place" - The Five Kings - Manor 1062-A - 1947
"That's How Much I Love You" - The Five Kings - Manor 1062-B - 1947
"I Can't Get Up The Nerve To Kiss You" - Savannah Churchill And The Five Kings - Manor 1061-A - 1947
"Let's Call A Spade A Spade" - Savannah Churchill And The Five Kings - Manor 1061-B - 1947
"Sincerely Yours" - Savannah Churchill And The Five Kings - Manor 1066-A - 1947
"I'm Too Shy" - Savannah Churchill And The Five Kings - Manor 1066-B - 1947

Click HERE for an article about The Four Kings And A Queen/Five Kings by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)

NOTE: Wilhelmina Gray is the lead singer on "Great Day."

WILHELMINA GRAY

Afro-American (1/20/40): Wilhemina Gray, of Pittsburgh, who sang with Duke Ellington's orchestra in engagements at Butler and Cumberland, Md., substituting for Ivy Anderson, who was ill. Miss Gray was formerly singer-hostess at the Sky Rocket Bar Grill in Homestead, Pa., and also sang at Pittsburgh's Harlem Casino and Fullerton Inn.

ALSO:
New York Age (8/18/51): Wilhemina Gray is making a "comeback" at the Brooklyn Baby Grand this Friday. The former Cafe Society favorite and Duke Ellington vocalist has penned some clever songs during her "layoff," including "Barnyard Boogie" and "Lemonade" with Louis Jordan.

WILHELMINA GRAY

Jamestown (NY) Post Journal (6/21/58): Vocalist Wilhemina Gray returned to professional music after several years retirement to hold a featured role in the Broadway musical "Simply Heavenly" this past season, and to stylize her own interpretation of the de Paris music. Prior to this she sang with many of the better known maestros, among them Duke Ellington, and was featured in her own show in New York's Cafe Society Downtown.

(Buffalo Courier Express 12/6/41)

(New York Age 12/22/51)

(Pittsburgh Courier 10/30/48, courtesy of Marv Goldberg)

Above: Label image of Mercury 8108 released in 1948. This is Baggie Hardimon's only release on the Mercury label. Five other sides owned by Mercury were not released. Wilhelmina Gray is the lead singer on "Great Day" and Billy Scott sings lead on the flip "Diane." Composers of "Diane" are Erno Rapee and Lew Pollock, who also collaborated on other compositions in the 1920s such as "Charmaine."

Above: Label image of Comet 1301A released in 1944. Per Marv Goldberg, Joann Jones is likely the female singer on these two sides. This is the first of three releases by the Four Kings And A Queen on the Comet label (1944-45). The flip was composed by Phil Moore, who was a popular entertainer in the mid to late 1940s as the "Phil Moore Four."

Listen to this week's selections by two Baggie Hardimon groups:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...             1. Great Day - Orville “Baggie” Hardimon And His Kings - Mercury 8108 - 1948           2. Diane - Orville “Baggie” Hardimon And His Kings - Mercury 8108 - 1948           3. All I Need Is A Lucky Break - Four Kings And A Queen - Comet 1301A - 1944           4. Shoo Shoo Baby - Four Kings And A Queen - Comet 1301B - 1944             ALL FOUR played in sequence      B. Download RealAudio...             1. Great Day - Orville “Baggie” Hardimon And His Kings - Mercury 8108 - 1948           2. Diane - Orville “Baggie” Hardimon And His Kings - Mercury 8108 - 1948           3. All I Need Is A Lucky Break - Four Kings And A Queen - Comet 1301A - 1944           4. Shoo Shoo Baby - Four Kings And A Queen - Comet 1301B - 1944      C. Stream/Download Media Player...             1. Great Day - Orville “Baggie” Hardimon And His Kings - Mercury 8108 - 1948           2. Diane - Orville “Baggie” Hardimon And His Kings - Mercury 8108 - 1948           3. All I Need Is A Lucky Break - Four Kings And A Queen - Comet 1301A - 1944           4. Shoo Shoo Baby - Four Kings And A Queen - Comet 1301B - 1944

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

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