I've had this album roughly a decade and likely bought it at a used record store in Philadelphia. It's a bootleg on the Greasy label, apparently catalog number "R&B5463". although this formula is clearly just a description of the contents. Not much info of any sort on the album.
It's just what the title says, a very down'n'dirty roots r'n'b slice of lesser known African-American popular music from the mid-'50s through the early '60s. Influences come sometimes a bit more from the gospel side of things and some a bit more from the craps game in an alley behind the bar. In either event this is real, formative rock'n'roll with energetic performances and fun lyrics. If it doesn't make you smile I would seek medical attention.
Most compelling is the story of The Honeybears' "Whoa!", in which our lyricist passes out from drink in a local watering hole only to have a cork - and I certainly hope I'm hearing the word cork - shoved up his bunghole. When your parents say "they don't write 'em like they used to", I would point to this song.
The two most famous performers here are the venerable Pigmeat Markham, who scored a huge novelty hit in the late '60s with "Here Comes the Judge", and Rudy Ray Moore, best known as a blaxploitation film actor (Dolemite).
Put the cork in the bunghole!
Side One
"Talkin' Trash" - The Olympics
"Your Wire's Been Tapped" - Pigmeat Markham
"Alley Rat" - King Coleman
"The Hunt" - Sonny Boy
"Didn't It Rain" - Evelyn Freeman
"Homeboy" - Mr. Wiggles
"One Bad Stud" - The Honeybears
"Let a Woman Through" - Morine & The Zercons
"Pork Chops" - The Dorsets
Side Two
"Roll Dem Bones" - John Tee
"Look to Jesus" - Reverend Lofton & The Holy Travellers
"Show Me Where It's At" - Morine & The Zercons
"Ugly George" - Melvin Smith
"I No Longer Believe in Miracles" - Ada Ray
"Whoa!" - The Honeybears
"One Bone" - Claude Cloud
"Hobo" - Earl Curry
"Step It Up and Go" - Rudy Ray Moore
No comments:
Post a Comment