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#961 (9/16/24)
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BY TONY FOURNIER |
ROY BROWN
NOTE: LIMITED COVERAGE OF ROY BROWN WAS INCLUDED IN THE KING RECORDS ARTICLE - PART TWO. THAT WAS HIS "GOOD ROCKING TONIGHT" RECORD. SOME OF HIS BIO INFORMATION IS REPEATED HERE.
Roy Brown, from New Orleans, was a singer, songwriter, and bandleader. He first recorded for DeLuxe Records in 1947, resulting in an immediate hit, "Good Rocking Tonight". The lyrics to that song include "I'm a mighty mighty man." After it became a hit, Roy named the band "His Mighty Mighty Men".
When DeLuxe was acquired by King Records in early 1951, Roy moved over to the parent King label the following year, staying there until 1955. He had sixteen records released during his stay at King Records. Next was Imperial Records where he had a total of seven records issued from 1956 to 1958.
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Above: Photo of Roy Brown.
PITTSBURGH COURIER, October 30, 1948:
CRESCENT CITY SHOUTER, ROY BROWN, SINGS AS NEVER BEFORENEW YORK— ....The hero of this story started singing the blues when he was twelve, but got his hide tanned well because he selected the church choir in which to jazz up the familiar spirituals.
From then until he was eighteen he never sang the blues again, but did compose many such tunes which he kept in his back pocket on brown paper. Turning fighter for a while, the world almost lost a lad who just might be its most important purveyor of an old musical styling.
Seeking an easier way to make a living, he left the ring to sing his way across the country. In Los Angeles he won an amateur contest, singing the blues the first time since the church incident, and became an over-night sensation.
From then on the country took shape for him like a patch-work quilt and he covered many of them singing ballads and spirituals. The blues kept urging him on, but he kept them hidden away in his back pocket like a poor relative. It was left to the owner of a nitery in his home State to bring them out. Booked into the spot for two weeks he stayed six months.
His next stop was in Texas. In the Lone Star State the blues within him kicked him in the shins and he just had to bring them out. It was at the Grenada where he was doing everything except washing dishes. One night the girl vocalist lost her voice and Roy just had to do something. Out of his back pocket came a brown piece of paper and "Lolly Pop Mama" and "Good Rocking Tonight" were born along with a new blues sensation....
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
"Lolly Pop Mama" - Roy Brown - DeLuxe 1093 B - 1947.
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Above Left: Label image of King 4627, recorded on March 17, 1953 and released the following month. "Mr. Hound Dog's In Town" is an answer song to Willie Mae Thornton's hit song, "Hound Dog". Note the line about 1:05 into the song "I'm a mighty mighty man." Although the song is a close copy to "Hound Dog", Roy Brown takes full composer credit. Roy also has composer credit for the flip-side, "Gamblin' Man".
Above Right: Label image of King 4669, recorded on June 15, 1953 and released in 1953. Here again Roy Brown takes writer's credit on both sides.
CALIFORNIA EAGLE (Los Angeles, California), February 25, 1954:
NEW CLUB OASIS ROCKS THE TOWN WITH ROY BROWN
There will be some "Good Rocking" at the Club Oasis beginning this Friday night (Feb. 26) when America's most exciting blues stylist, Roy Brown and his Mighty, Mighty Men open at the West Coast's Jazz Haven, Western at 38th.Platter Favorite Roy Brown, the foremost blues exponent of rockin' rhythm, whose King records are rocking the nation, began singing as a youngster, following the lead of his mother, who was a church organist.
Roy led a young spiritual quartet when he was 12 and his musical career suffered a nearly fatal setback when his mother gave him the grandfather of all "lickings" for jazzing up spiritual songs.
Roy became a boxer when he finished school and sang strictly for pleasure until he entered an amateur contest in 1944 at Los Angeles' Million Dollar Theater and won first prize.
The blues singer really got started in the big time when his first compositions, "Good Rocking Tonight" and "Lolly Pop Mama", became national hits. He writes most of his great rockin' blues, and set an all-time record of having four best sellers in Billboard magazine's top ten at the same time....
CASH BOX, February 28, 1953:
....Roy Brown and The 5 Royales drawing capacity crowds on the Ralph Weinberg tour....The Cash Box Review (4/18/53):
ROY BROWN — KING 4627....
Mr. Hound Dog's In Town (B) Another answer to "Hound Dog". Roy Brown is in top form as he drives out the raucus story. Tune is the same as the original. Guitar work effective and helps keep the vein of the cutting in line with the original.
Gambling Man (B+) The lower lid is a slow beat blues. Brown sings with emotion as he tells of his baby's leaving him because she got tired of his gambling.(NOTE: A rating of B was considered "very good" and B+ was "excellent".)
CASH BOX, May 8, 1954:
....Harlem's Invaders Of The Week: Sensational blues shouter Roy Brown of the Syd Nathan roster drifted in, cooled for a brief spell then proceeded to make the rounds of the jocks and spots sporting a list of scheduled one nighters that will keep him and his crew wailing away until long past June....LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Mr. Hound Dog's In Town" - Roy Brown And His Mighty, Mighty Men - King 4627 - 1953.
2. "Gamblin' Man" - Roy Brown And His Mighty, Mighty Men - King 4627 - 1953.
3. "A Fool In Love" - Roy Brown And His Mighty-Mighty Men - King 4669 - 1953.
4. "Caldonia's Wedding Day" - Roy Brown And His Mighty-Mighty Men - King 4669 - 1953.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
MIAMI TIMES — MARCH 25, 1950
STICKS McGHEE Sticks McGhee (Granville Henry McGhee), from Tennessee, was a guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His brother was the famous blues guitarist Brownie McGhee.
"Sticks" had six records on the King label (1953-1955). While the King labels show his name as "Sticks McGhee", he was also known as "Stick", specifically on his Atlantic label records. Newspaper and trade magazines typically called him "Sticks", so that is what is used here.
Prior to joining King Records, Sticks had nine releases for Atlantic Records (1949-1953). His first, "Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee", was a big hit on the rhythm and blues charts.
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Above: Photo of Sticks McGhee.
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Above Left: Label image of King 4610, recorded on January 14, 1953 and released in 1953. "Head Happy With Wine" is in the style of "Yes, I Know", the hit 1953 song by Linda Hayes on Recorded In Hollywood. That was an answer to Willie Mabon's "I Don't Know". BMI.com credits Henry Glover and Sydney Nathan as composers of the above shown side. "Mann" on the label is a Nathan pseudonym. No mention of "Feed". The flip was composed by Granville McGhee, Sticks' real name.
Above Right: Label image of King 4628, recorded on January 14, 1953 and released in 1953. Granville "Sticks" McGhee is composer on both sides.
At Direct Right: BRIDGEPORT POST (Bridgeport, Connecticut), December 30, 1954:
NOTE: The Royals recorded for King Records' subsidiary label, Federal. The Scarlets (misspelled here) recorded for Bobby Robinson's Red Robin label. How great it would have been to attend that concert on New Year's Day!The Cash Box Review (3/21/53):
STICKS McGHEE — KING 4610....
Head Happy With Wine (B) Sticks McGhee, in his first King disk, shows up well as he dishes up the fetching lyrics smoothly against a simple, but potent, backing.
Little Things We Used To Do (C+) Flip is a slow rhythmic item, pleasantly and easily vocaled by Sticks.(NOTE: A rating of B was considered "very good" and C+ was "good".)
The Billboard Review (5/16/53):
STICKS McGHEE — KING 4628....
Whiskey, Women And Loaded Dice (78) Sticks McGhee has a cute hunk of material here, a cross between an r.&b. and a hillbilly tune, and he hands the effort a lively performance. He's backed with a big beat by the combo, featuring listenable piano. It's McGhee s best side in a long time and it could get some action. Watch it.
Blues In My Heart And Tears In My Eyes (73) A smooth after-hours blues is sung effectively by the chanter, over bluesy ork backing. Deejays should use it.(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered "good".)
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Head Happy With Wine" - Sticks McGhee - King 4610 - 1953.
2. "Little Things We Used To Do" - Sticks McGhee - King 4610 - 1953.
3. "Whiskey, Women And Loaded Dice" - Sticks McGhee - King 4628 - 1953.
4. "Blues In My Heart And Tears In My Eyes " - Sticks McGhee - King 4628 - 1953.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
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Above: Photo of Stick McGhee in a jam session. (L-R) Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry, Sticks McGhee, Washboard Jimmy King, Bob Harris, and Big Bill Broonzy. It was common for Brownie (guitar) and Sonny (harmonica) to play and sing together on records.
EXTRA RECORDS — STICK McGHEE
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THE STATE (Columbia, South Carolina), September 4, 1949.
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Above Left: Label image of Atlantic 873, recorded on February 14, 1949 and released in 1949. The labels credit Stick McGhee as composer of both front sides shown above. The flip-side of above left, "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water", was composed by Austin Powell and released by his Cats And The Fiddle on Bluebird 20-2795-B in 1941. Here the Atlantic label shows only "Traditional".
Above Right: Label image of Atlantic 881, also recorded on February 14, 1949 and released in 1949. Note that after the success of "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee", "His Buddies" name was modified accordingly on the next record.
On the flip-side, "I'll Always Remember", the label credits "Atla Williams–S. McGhee". Atla, not listed at BMI.com or ASCAP.com, seems suspiciously like it's short for Atlantic. That company became known for disguising the names of some of their executive songwriters.
Although the label credits "Stick McGhee And His Spo-Dee-O-Dee Buddies", the instrumentation on "I'll Always Remember" consists of only two guitars played by "Sticks" McGhee and Brownie McGhee.
THE BILLBOARD, March 5, 1949:
....Atlantic Records has signed the SELAH JUBILEE SINGERS and "STICK" McGHEE to exclusive three-year pacts...The Cash Box Review (3/12/49):
STICK McGHEE — Atlantic 873 ....Blues Mixture/Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee
Here's a platter you'll rate high once you listen in to it. "Stick" McGhee and His Buddies really cut lots and lots of grand blues when they cut. "Blues Mixture" is a traditional hunk of wax with the theme, "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water" behind it and instrumental that's gonna make you sway along with "Stick" and His Buddies. It's a side that rates a spot in everyone of your juke boxes.On the flip, "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee," "Stick", in our estimation, goes all out, greater and better than on the top, with plenty of beat, good lyrics, lots of rhythm and melody supreme. Here's a "sleeper" side if there ever was one. Just listen in to it.
The Billboard Review (9/17/49):
STICK McGHEE — Atlantic 881....
Lonesome Road Blues (83) Should be a big winner In the Deep South blues–and–rhythm areas. McGhee really knows how to do It.
I'll Always Remember (84) Stick's performance, with bent notes all over the place, should win lots of action for this side all over the place, tho the song Is far from distinctive.(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 80-89 considered "excellent".)
THE BILLBOARD, November 20, 1943: DISKERIES KISS AFTER HASSLE
NEW YORK—London and Atlantic diskeries wound up in a hassle this week over London's release of a Sticks McGhee record, but all was amicably settled by the end of the week.Joe Delaney, London's pop a. and r. chief, recorded McGhee on "Oh, What a Face" with the understanding that the r. and b. artist was no longer under contract to Atlantic. The latter label, however, produced a contract between it and McGhee.
Wind–up has London paying Atlantic a royalty, equal to McGhee's royalty, on the disking. McGhee, in the meantime, remains under contract to Atlantic. Additional twist revolves around the artist's name. On the Atlantic label he's known as Stick and on London as Sticks.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" - Stick McGhee And His Buddies - Atlantic 873 - 1949.
2. "Blues Mixture (I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water)" - Stick McGhee And His Buddies - Atlantic 873 - 1949.
3. "Lonesome Road Blues" - Stick McGhee And His Spo-Dee-O-Dee Buddies - Atlantic 881 - 1949.
4. "I'll Always Remember" - Stick McGhee And His Spo-Dee-O-Dee Buddies - Atlantic 881 - 1949.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
DAILY EXPRESS (Dayton, Ohio) — 3/24/51
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EXTRA RECORDS — "DRINKIN' WINE SPO-DEE-O-DEE"
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Above Left: Photo of Sticks McGhee. Above Right: Label image of Harlem 1018A, released in 1947. A number of websites on the internet claim Brownie McGhee, Sticks' brother, is "His Buddy" on the record. The flip-side of this record is "Blues Mixture" by Bob Camp And His Buddies, recorded in 1945 originally on the Southern label.
ASCAP.com credits "Granville Mac Ghee" and "Jay Mao Williams" as the composers of "Drinkin' Wine...". J. Mayo Williams owned and operated the Southern Record Company located in Chicago. Southern Records' subsidiary labels were Harlem, Chicago, and Ebony.
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THE BILLBOARD, March 1, 1947:
NOTE: The Southern, Harlem, Chicago, and Ebony labels existed from 1945 to 1950. "Don't You Think I Oughta Know?" on Harlem 1011 was Bill Johnson And His Musical Notes' first record (one side). And Harlem 1012 is by The Jubalaires/Dixieaires.
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Above Left: Label image of King 4292-AA, released in 1949. Wynonie Harris was a good choice to cover this song for King Records. King abided by ASCAP in crediting the writers on the label. Above Middle: THE BILLBOARD, May 7, 1949.
Above Right: Photo of Wynonie Harris.
The Cash Box Review (5/7/49):
WYNONIE HARRIS — King 4292....Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee
The great Wynonie Harris on deck with a fresh one that should win wide favor. "Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee", a current hot one on music machines, gets a terrific sendoff by Wyonnie and the band, as the mellow up-tempo rhythm of this bit seeps thru. Wax is loaded with all the riff and holler one could possibly expect. "Drinkin' Wine" is a side to ride with.LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" - Stick McGhee And His Buddy - Harlem 1018A - 1947.
2. "Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee" - Wynonie Harris - King 4292-AA - 1949.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
MORE COMPLETE COVERAGE OF WYNONIE HARRIS IS IN THE KING RECORDS - PART TWO ARTICLE.
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THE MAGIC-TONES
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Above: Photo of The Magic-Tones from 1957, (L-R) Willie Stokes, Gene Hawkins, Bobby Jackson, Arthur Williams, and Robert McGhee. They had two records released on the King label (1953).
Click HERE for an article about THE MAGIC-TONES by Marv Goldberg.
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Above Left: Label image of King 4665, recorded on August 21, 1953 and released in September 1953. BMI.com credits "Homer Murray-William Robertson" with composing all four sides on the King label by The Magic-Tones. This combo also wrote "I'm A Sentimental Fool" for another Baltimore vocal group, The Marylanders. Above Right: Label image of King 4681, also recorded on August 21, 1953 and released in October 1953. Disco-File provides the group member names who recorded the two King Magic-Tones' records in 1953 as Willie Stokes, Gene Hawkins, Arthur Williams, James Williams, and Joseph Reed.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "When I Kneel Down To Pray" - The Magic-Tones - King 4665 - 1953.
2. "Good Googa Mooga" - The Magic-Tones - King 4665 - 1953.
3. "How Can You Treat Me This Way" - The Magic Tones - King 4681 - 1953.
4. "Cool Cool Baby" - The Magic Tones - King 4681 - 1953.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
THE "5" ROYALES
Above: Photo of The "5" Royales who consisted of Johnny Tanner (lead), Jimmy Moore (tenor), Obadiah Carter (tenor), Eugene Tanner (baritone/bass), and (at bottom) Lowman Pauling (guitar/bass). This photo shows the vocal group members that were on all of the "5" Royales' King label singles.
WINSTON SALEM JOURNAL, January 17, 1954:
FIVE ROYALES HIT BIG TIME WITH RECORDINGS By A.A. MoriseyIt was a year ago when five Twin Citians made their first stage appearance at the famed Apollo Theatre in New York. Since then the Five Royales have had four hit records and are among the top 10 vocal groups in the nation.
The men are: Otto Jeffries, Lowman Pauling, Johnny Tanner, Jimmie Moore, and Obadiah Carter. They sang together around Winston-Salem for several years and were known among the home-town folks as the Royal Sons Quintet. They did a Sunday morning program on radio station WSJS for about five years.
Those were the days when the singers were known for their spirituals. In fact, when they first started to work professionally there was a bit of uncertainty whether they'd click as popular or spiritual artists. Playing it safe they recorded two sides of each. The popular sides, though not a howling success, did pay off.
Fries Auditorium at Winston-Salem Teachers College served as the recording studio for the first waxings. Carl Lebow, an Apollo Records talent scout, recorded the first two songs with portable equipment and sent them to New York. That was in the summer of 1952. The college auditorium was the nearest thing to a soundproof studio that could be secured for the purpose.
Their first record, "Give Me One More Chance", sold about 25,000 disks, not enough to get excited about but not to be ignored. The next recordings were made in New York and the sales were boosted to about 85,000. The song was "You Know I Know".
(NOTE: The "5" Royales' first record was "You Know I Know", backed with "Courage To Love", released on Apollo 441 in September 1952. "Give Me One More Chance" was recorded, along with several other songs, in an October 1951 session with Apollo, but was not released. The songs recorded in 1951 are spiritual and were done under the name "The Royal Sons Quintet".)
The Five Royales hit the jackpot on their third try when they recorded "Baby Don't Do It", which, to date, has been their biggest seller. It sold 325.000 copies. It was released about the middle of December, 1952 just after they had completed their first professional engagement, a dance in Trenton, N.J. The success of the second recording had convinced them that they could give up the regular jobs each held here and turn professional.
Two members of the quintet talked last week about their success in the past year and laughed at themselves for moving into a theatre like New York's Apollo without any previous stage experience. Their first engagement was a week long and they have returned several times in the past year.
The group has been busy most of the year with one-night stands in all sections of the country. They have worked with such well-known musicians as Tiny Bradshaw and Stan Kenton. They had a few hours here last week en route to Oklahoma City and a Texas tour. It was their first chance to visit their families in several months.
Christmas Day the group was in Chicago. Windy City fans stormed the Al Benson disk jockey radio program from a record shop when the Five Royales were guests. They autographed 400 photographs and many fans missed getting a picture. Mr. Jeffries recalled an engagement in Nashville, Tennessee, last August when the fans kept them from singing during the whole night.
"Every time we'd go on the stand they'd just pull us off. We never did sing. They'd pulled one off at a time before but that was the first time all of us had been taken off."
Pauling is writer and arranger for the quintet and wrote all of the songs they have recorded. Mr. Carter is the newest member of the group and the only single man. He joined the outfit about five years ago. But the others have sung together from the beginning, about 10 years ago....
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Above Left: Label image of King 4740, recorded on June 10, 1954 and released in August 1954. Except for the wild sax break, the song has a spiritual tinge to it. This is The "5" Royales first record out of twenty-six they recorded for King Records (1954-1960). Previously, The "5" Royales had nine records on the Apollo label (1952-1954). And prior to that, they had two spiritual records on Apollo as "The Royal Sons Quintet" (1951-1952).
Above Right: Label image of King 4744, also recorded on June 10, 1954 and released in October 1954. This is the vocal group's second record on the King label.
Lowman Pauling is composer of all four sides on the records shown above. He is credited with 126 song titles at BMI.com with four of these as "BMI Award Winning".
Twenty of the songs were co-written with Eunice Davis. Eunice, as a blues singer, had records on King's subsidiary label, DeLuxe, and also the Derby, Atlantic, Grand, and Coral labels. Here's the Eunice Davis link for much more information about her.
CASH BOX, July 24, 1954:
....Al Sherman, West Coast Representative for King Records, announced that they have signed The Five Royales, formerly on the Apollo label. First release on King is "Behave Yourself" b/w "I'm Gonna Run It Down"....The Billboard Review (8/7/54):
FIVE ROYALES — King 4740....
I'm Gonna Run It Down (77) For their first waxing on this label, the Royales have selected a pounding piece of material that shows off their expert harmonizing and unfailingly solid brat. A good recording that will only suffer from the fact that a powerful disk of theirs was released just two weeks ago by Apollo.
Behave Yourself (75) A warning to a femme fatale of the inevitable consequences of sowing wild oats. A smoothly handled reading by the group.(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered "good".)
The Billboard Review (10/23/54):
FIVE ROYALES — King 4744....
Monkey Hips And Rice (80) The group has a weird hunk of lyric material here, but the beat and reading should kick this one off toward strong sales. Watch it. It should grab much coin, too.
Devil With The Rest (80) The boys sing up a storm on this, a rhythmic, bluesy item which should attract and hold attention. Another fine side.(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 80-89 considered "excellent".)
CASH BOX, November 27, 1954:
....The King boss, Sydney Nathan, reveals the "5" Royales "Monkey Hips And Rice" has become the King label number one seller.LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "I'm Gonna Run It Down" - The "5" Royales - King 4740 - 1954.
2. "Behave Yourself" - The "5" Royales - King 4740 - 1954.
3. "Monkey Hips And Rice" - The "5" Royales - King 4744 - 1954.
4. "Devil With The Rest" - The "5" Royales - King 4744 - 1954.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
CASH BOX — 9/25/54
CASH BOX — 11/13/54
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Above: 1955 publicity photo of The "5" Royales. In the bottom notations, it states "Personal Manager - Otto Jeffries".
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Above Left: Label image of King 4785, recorded on January 19, 1954 and released in February 1955. The top side is another song composed by the duo of Eunice Davis and Lowman Pauling; the flip by Lowman on his own. Above Right: Label image of King 4806, also recorded on May 6, 1955 and released in June 1955. Bothe sides written by Otto Jeffries and Carl LeBow. Otto was a member of The "5" Royales.
Carl Lebow was personal manager of The "5" Royales. He was an a&r man at Apollo when the group was recording there and joined King Records as a&r head at King's subsidiary label, DeLuxe, after the group joined King.
At Direct Right: THE BILLBOARD, April 9, 1955.
The Billboard Review (3/12/55):
FIVE ROYALES — King 4785....
How I Wonder (73) The Royales have a relaxed, effective delivery on this r&b ballad.
Mohawk Squaw (72) This one's different, anyway. There's a tom tom touch to this story of the Mohawk gal who could only say "Ugh."(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered "good".)
The Cash Box Review (6/18/55):
FIVE ROYALES — King 4806....
I Need Your Lovin' Baby (B+) The "5" Royales blend on a middle beat effort with a slight calypso flavoring. Appealing treatment of a cute side. Strong beat for the dance crowd.
When I Get Like This (B+) The "5" Royales go slow, soft, and country blues. An effective effort, with a good lead performance.(NOTE: A rating of B+ was considered "excellent".)
The Billboard Review (6/18/55):
FIVE ROYALES — King 4806....
I Need Your Lovin' Baby (77) The excitement that the group generates in this upbeat material could make this the best seller for them in all of their most recent efforts. The solid beat and colorful arrangement is a big asset.
When I Get Like This (72) A slow and melancholy blues into which the lead singer pours his best. There is a tendency to drag, however, and the full impact of the material is missed. Nice, but not on par with the flip.(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".)
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "How I Wonder" - The "5" Royales - King 4785 - 1955.
2. "Mohawk Squaw" - The "5" Royales - King 4785 - 1955.
3. "I Need Your Lovin' Baby" - The "5" Royales - King 4806 - 1955.
4. "When I Get Like This" - The "5" Royales - King 4806 - 1955.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
NEW YORK AGE — 4/30/55
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EXTRA RECORD — THE "5" ROYALES ON APOLLO
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Above: Publicity photo of The "5" Royales. Lowman Pauling is at top. In the bottom notations, it states "Exclusive Apollo Recording Artists". In 1954, they left Apollo (due to a contract dispute) to record for the King label. As a result of the move, King's other "Royals" group (on subsidiary Federal) changed their name to "The Midnighters".
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Above Left: Label image of Apollo 446, recorded on March 11, 1953 and released in April 1953. "Help Me Somebody" made it to Number One on The Billboard's "R&B National Best Sellers" list in June 1953. Lowman Pauling composed both sides. Above Right: PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY, July 18, 1953 .
The Cash Box Review (Sleeper Of The Week) (4/18/53):
THE "5" ROYALES — KING 4458....Help Me Somebody/Crazy, Crazy, Crazy
The "5" Royales follow their "Baby, Don't Do It", one of the nation's top rhythm and blues tunes of the past few months, with a two sided release, either of which could break through for a repeat.The top deck, "Help Me Somebody", is a slow rhythmic item, with a religious feel, that moves up in tempo until it reaches a quick beat. Lead chants smoothly and with restraint against a soft backing.
The lower lid, "Crazy, Crazy, Crazy", is a middle tempo bounce with an infectious sound. The boys go wild and shouty and the mood of the piece is furthered by a torrid sax ride. Orking is solid on both decks.
The Billboard Review (4/18/53):
FIVE ROYALES — King 4806....
Help Me Somebody (81) The musical plea for assistance is wailed convincingly by the combo to a slow, tho insistent, beat. A good waxing. Bears watching.
Crazy, Crazy, Crazy (75) The Royals do their usual strong vocal, tho flip holds the more powerful entry.(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good" and 80-89 as "excellent".)
CASH BOX, April 25, 1953:
....Carl Lebow, a & r at Apollo, back at his desk. Carl was on a pleasure, business trip. Bess and Ike Berman (Mr. and Mrs. Apollo) excited about their second straight hit with the "5" Royales. They can't tell which is the side in as much as each end is stirring up action in different localities. "Help Me Somebody" and "Crazy, Crazy, Crazy" are the tunes....CASH BOX, May 2, 1953:
....Bess Berman, Apollo Records, reports that sales figures show both sides of the new "5" Royales release a hit. "Amazing thing", says Bess, "is that ops with machines that do not play both sides are buying more records so that they can spot both 'Help Me Somebody' and 'Crazy, Crazy, Crazy' in the same machine."TRADE MAGAZINE, June 1953:
....At the moment, the Five Royales on Apollo have the hottest waxing on the market with "Crazy, Crazy, Crazy" and "Help Me Somebody". Both sides of this disking are on the charts, making it the first double-sided r.&b. platter in a long, long time....LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Help Me Somebody" - The "5" Royales - Apollo 446 - 1953.
2. "Crazy, Crazy, Crazy" - The "5" Royales - Apollo 446 - 1953.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
CASH BOX — 5/2/53
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Above: CASH BOX COVER, February 6, 1954:
TEXT BOX ON PHOTO: Bess Berman, head of Apollo Records, is surrounded by the "5" Royales as they listen to the playback of the group's latest recording, "I Do" backed with "Good Things".
Ever since the boys broke into the limelight with their waxing of "You Know I Know" and followed it up with the sensational "Baby Don't Do It", they have been in the forefront of top vocal combos.
Their current Apollo record should send their reputation soaring even further.
At Right: CASH BOX, June 5, 1954: (Bess Berman)
NEW YORK—Bess Berman, owner of Apollo Records, and the only woman ever able to break through with outstanding success in the male-dominated recording industry, just sprung a surprise by forming a new pop label, Lloyd Records, as a subsidiary of Apollo. Mrs. Berman is a grandmother who became head of Apollo Records in 1948....Her recent decision to set up the new Lloyd pop label was the result of her discovery of a new quartet, the Larks. She heard that two stars of the Golden Gate Quartet, Orville Brooks and Eugene Mumford, had been talking to their opposite numbers in the King Odom Group, David Bowers and Isiah Bing, about going out on their own.
The unusual aspect was that the four men wanted to get away from the spiritual kick and had some highly original ideas in the pop area. Mrs. Berman listened to them, and was so impressed, she formed the Lloyd label and began cutting them under the name of The Larks....
NEW YORK AGE, July 31, 1954:
BATTLE ROYAL LOOMS OVER DISC CONTRACT OF THE FIVE ROYALES
NEW YORK—The Five Royales, popular singing group is causing what looks like a battle royal over their recording contract.The companies contending for the rights to book the Royales are the Apollo and King disc setups. Apollo, through its official head, Bess Berman, contends that the company holds contracts on the Royales through October 1956. On the other hand King and Deluxe records through Carl Lebow says the singers are under contract to King.
The Five Royales were started on Apollo Records about two years ago and ran up a very impressive string of hits over the past year. Last year they were one of the top r.&b. groups in the country.
This is not the first hassle between King and Apollo over the Five Royales. There were many booking fights over the Five Royales and the Royals, a King r&b group. A few months ago King voluntarily changed the name of the Royals to the Midnighters to end the booking confusion.
EXTRA RECORD — CHRISTINE KITTRELL, "I'LL HELP YOU BABY"
CASH BOX, June 13, 1953:
..... And still they come. Apollo's "5" Royales hit "Help Me Somebody" answered by Republic's "I'll Help You Baby" sung by Christine Kittrell. Both tunes have what it takes....
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Above Left: Label image of Republic 7044, released in 1953. Composer Ted Jarrett has 110 song titles listed at BMI.com. Above Right: Photo of Christine Kittrell. She recorded for Tennessee (1952) and Republic (1953-1955). Both labels were located in Nashville.
At Direct Right: CASH BOX, June 27, 1953.
Click HERE for an article about CHRISTINE KITTRELL by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)The Cash Box Review (6/6/53):
CHRISTINE KITTRELL — Republic 7044....
I'll Help You Baby (B+) Christine Kittrell dishes up a slow blues that picks up tempo and in it she really gives. She laughs and pleads and comes across in great style.(NOTE: A rating of B+ was considered "excellent".)
The Billboard Review (6/6/53):
CHRISTINE KITTRELL — Republic 7044....
I'll Help You Baby (75) Christine Kittrell turns in a very good vocal on this doleful blues melody, selling it with a lot of feeling. The ork backs her with a beat. Performance is much stronger than the material, and the spins and plays it gels will be due to the vocal by the thrush.(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".)
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
"I'll Help You Baby" - Christine Kittrell - Republic 7044 - 1953.
EXTRA RECORD — ROYAL SONS QUINTET
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Above: Photo of The Royal Sons Quintet, who were from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They had two records on the Apollo label, both in 1952. As you might guess, all four sides are spiritual songs.
Opal Nations, in his Royal Sons Quintet article, gives William Samuels, Johnny Tanner, Otto Jeffries, Jimmy Moore, and Lowman Pauling for Apollo 253. Obadiah Carter replaced Samuels on Apollo 266.
Lowman Pauling, Otto Jeffries, Obadiah Carter, Johnny Holmes, and Jimmy Moore all became members of The "5" Royales who recorded the group's first releases on the Apollo label.
At Left: Label image of Apollo 266, recorded on August 5, 1952 and released in October 1952. Lowman Pauling is the songwriter for both sides. Apollo used green labels for its spiritual series.
TWIN CITY SENTINEL (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), September 11, 1948:
....The Royal Sons Quintet is celebrating its sixth anniversary....HICKORY DAILY RECORD (Hickory, North Carolina), October 27, 1951:
....The Royal Sons Quintet of Winston-Salem, is heard each Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. over Station WAAA.... (NOTE: WAAA, Winston-Salem, signed on the air October 29, 1950 as the first Black programmed radio station in North Carolina and with an all Black format.)The Cash Box Review (10/11/52):
ROYAL SONS QUINTET — Apollo 266....
Let Nothing Separate Me (C+) The Royal Sons Quintet chorus a slow religious piece with harmonizing that ranges from soft to shouty.
Come Over Here (C) Flip is a similar item rhythmically chanted by the group.(NOTE: A rating of C was considered as "fair" and C+ was "good".)
The Billboard Review (10/11/52):
ROYAL SONS QUINTET — Apollo 266....
Come Over Here (78) Here's a spiritual that could stir a little action. Group repeats the title thruout and set a driving pace while doing it. Shifting leads inject a lot of excitement over the background.
Let Nothing Separate Me (74) This varies from rather smooth harmonious sections to wild sequences where the singers voices break.(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".)
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "Come Over Here" - The Royal Sons Quintet - Apollo 266 - 1952.
2. "Let Nothing Separate Me" - The Royal Sons Quintet - Apollo 266 - 1952.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
THE STRANGERS
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Above: Photo of The Strangers, (L-R) Woodrow Jackson, John Brizant, William Clarke, Pringle Sims, and John Grant. This is the line-up that recorded all of their sides for King Records.
The Strangers had six records released on the King label (1954-1955). Featured below are the vocal group's first and last records, both dealing with "friends" or lack thereof.
Click HERE for an article about THE STRANGERS by Marv Goldberg.
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Above Left: Label image of King 4697, recorded on December 28, 1953 and released in January 1954. It's The Strangers' first record. Both sides were composed by the five group members. Above Right: Label image of King 4821, recorded on June 15, 1955 and released in July 1955. It's their sixth and last record.
The flip-side, "Think Again", was composed by Sydney J. Wyche and Theodore McRae. BMI.com credits Wyche with 205 titles. Three are "BMI Award Winning Songs", including Elvis Presley's "A Big Hunk O' Love".
At Direct Right: THE BILLBOARD, May 29, 1954.
The Cash Box Review (Sleeper Of The Week) (10/15/55):
THE STRANGERS — KING 4821....Without A Friend/Think Again
A sleeper by the young group, The Strangers, seems to have that elusive quality that separates the cream from the milk.The lads sing a slow ballad, "Without A Friend", that has an unusual vocal sounding lead and the melodic content to focus attention. A pretty tune with a sympathetic lyric and effective delivery makes it a side to be watched.
The flip, "Think Again", is a rhythmic jump side that will provide the dancing tempo for the hoppers. The Strangers handle it in ok manner and the etching comes off a better than average side. However, for the action we'll go with "Without A Friend".
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "My Friends" - The Strangers - King 4697 - 1954.
2. "I've Got Eyes" - The Strangers - King 4697 - 1954.
3. "Without A Friend" - The Strangers - King 4821 - 1955.
4. "Think Again" - The Strangers - King 4821 - 1955.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
SUGAR RAY ROBINSON
Above Left: 1951 photo of Sugar Ray Robinson with his wife, Millie (left), and his sister, Evelyn.
Sugar Ray was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. In 1952 he retired from boxing only to return in 1955. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.
In 1953, while "retired", Sugar Ray put his fame and singing skills to use via a contract with King Records. This resulted in just one record for the company. Was this record a gimmick or could he actually sing? Here are some comments from The Billboard and Cash Box trade magazines... "Sugar Ray really sings well", "surprising performance", "impressive talent as a chanter"... Their reviews gave the record "very good" and "excellent" ratings.
Above Right: Multi-talented Sugar Ray Robinson was not only an adept singer, but was also an accomplished dancer. In the early 1950s, he took his act on the road performing alongside such notables as Louis Armstrong, Billy Ward And His Dominoes, and Charlie Barnett's Orchestra.
The above photo was taken in Paris, France, on June 8, 1951. Sugar Ray shows he's almost as good with his feet as he is with his fists as he does an impromptu tap dance routine aboard a river boat on the Seine River.
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Above Left: Label image of King 5128, recorded and released in 1953. Both sides were specially composed for Sugar Ray by Fred Weismantel and Henry Glover. It's interesting to note that both major trade magazines categorized this "popular" style record as "rhythm and blues". Above Right: CASH BOX, June 6, 1953: A KNOCKOUT
NEW YORK—Sugar Ray Robinson adds to his entertainment laurels by making records.Here he is shown with Syd Nathan (left), president of King Records, the firm for which he is recording, and Dan Fisher, King of Rhythm and Blues, and publisher of "Knock Him Down Whiskey," Sugar Ray's first side.
The disk was cut last week and is due to be released in conjunction with the ex-fighter's opening in Detroit.
At Direct Right: THE BILLBOARD, June 27, 1953.
At Far Right: ROANOKE TIMES (Roanoke, Virginia), October 27, 1953.
NOTE: Sugar Ray Robinson was a professional boxer, singer, tap dancer, and comedian.CASH BOX, June 6, 1953:
....Sydney Nathan and Henry Glover cut Sugar Ray Robinson on a couple of novelty sides and surprise of surprises—Sugar Ray really sings well. Two good sides, and with Sugar Ray's adulatory following, should really sell....THE BILLBOARD, June 6, 1953:
....Sugar Ray Robinson, who is now an important figure in the entertainment world after retiring from the ring last year, cut two sides for King Records this week. Robinson sings "I Shoulda Been on My Merry Way" and "Knock Him Down Whiskey." The sides will be released in a few weeks....The Cash Box Review (6/20/53):
SUGAR RAY ROBINSON — King 5128....
Knock Him Down Whiskey (B) The "Champ's" vocal chords display some of the sock he carries around in his mitts as he surprises with a professional reading of the tune written especially for him. Should go big in the special locations. Earl Hines ork supplies the backing.
I Shoulda Been On My Merry Way (B) Robinson carries the melody on this end for another surprising performance. Same comments. Hot material for special spots.(NOTE: A rating of B was considered "very good".)
The Billboard Review (6/20/53):
SUGAR RAY ROBINSON — King 5128....
Knock Him Down Whiskey (80) The great lighter shows impressive talent as a chanter in this well-produced side. Special material ditty about a bout with alcohol is clever and performed with telling impact by Robinson and the Earl Hines ork. Side could earn plenty of loot.
I Shoulda Been On My Merry Way (78) Romantic ballad with allusions to the ring is sung pleasantly. Tho the flip has the power, plenty of plays should be awarded this side too.(NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good" and 80-89 as "excellent".)
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. "I Shoulda Been On My Merry Way" - Sugar Ray Robinson - King 5128 - 1953.
2. "Knock Him Down Whiskey" - Sugar Ray Robinson - King 5128 - 1953.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
NOTE: Restoration of photos, clippings, record label images, and audio files is by Tony Fournier.
KING RECORDS - PART ONE FEATURES BULL MOOSE JACKSON, THE FOUR BLUE JACKETS, ANNISTEEN ALLEN, LUCKY MILLINDER, BILL JOHNSON AND HIS MUSICAL NOTES, THE JUBALAIRES, AND EARL BOSTIC AND HIS ORCHESTRA. ALSO INCLUDED IS A SECTION ON SYDNEY NATHAN, OWNER AND PRESIDENT OF KING RECORDS. AND SPOTLIGHTS ON THE SONGS "I KNOW WHO THREW THE WHISKEY IN THE WELL" AND "I'VE WAITED ALL MY LIFE FOR YOU".
KING RECORDS - PART TWO FEATURES LONNIE JOHNSON, LAVERN BAKER AND THE GLIDERS, THE STRIDERS, WYNONIE HARRIS, ROY BROWN, MABEL SMITH (BIG MAYBELLE), TINA DIXON, AND IVORY JOE HUNTER.
ALSO INCLUDED IS A SECTION ON KING RECORDS AND SYDNEY NATHAN, OWNER AND PRESIDENT OF KING RECORDS. AND SPOTLIGHTS ON THE SONGS "TOMORROW NIGHT", PLEASIN' YOU", AND "GOOD ROCKING TONIGHT".
KING RECORDS - PART THREE FEATURES TINY BRADSHAW, EDDIE "CLEANHEAD" VINSON, JOE THOMAS AND HIS ORCHESTRA, MABEL SCOTT, SARAH McLAWLER, THE SYNCOETTES, AND PERCY MAYFIELD.
ALSO INCLUDED IS A SECTION ON KING RECORDS AND SYDNEY NATHAN. AND SPOTLIGHTS ON THE SONGS "AFTER YOU'VE GONE", "T-99 BLUES, AND "TWO YEARS OF TORTURE".
KING RECORDS - PART FOUR FEATURES BIXIE CRAWFORD, WILD BILL MOORE, SONNY THOMPSON, LULU REED, TODD RHODES, KITTY STEVENSON, CONNIE ALLEN, LaVERN BAKER, AND SADIE MADISON. ALSO, A CONTINUING SECTION ON KING RECORDS' OWNER AND PRESIDENT SYDNEY NATHAN.
KING RECORDS - PART FIVE FEATURES EXTENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE SWALLOWS AND THE CHECKERS. ALSO, SECTIONS ON JIMMY RUSHING, DUKE HAMPTON, ELETRA HAMPTON, AND THE HAMPTON SISTERS, AND THE FIVE JETS. AND A SPOTLIGHT ON THE SONG "BICYCLE TILLIE".
KING RECORDS - PART SEVEN FEATURES EXTENSIVE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE FUQUA'S INK SPOTS AND THE ADMIRALS/SULTANS. ALSO, SECTIONS ON RALPH WILLIS, BUBBER JOHNSON, BONNIE LOU, THE HARMONAIRES, AND THE HURRICANES. AND SPOTLIGHTS ON THE SONGS "SOMEONE'S ROCKING MY DREAM BOAT" AND "CLOSE YOUR EYES".
1. "Lolly Pop Mama" - Roy Brown - DeLuxe 1093 B - 1947.
ALL TWENTY–SEVEN ABOVE KING LABEL SONGS played in sequence.
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Last Update: September 16, 2024
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