Saturday, January 10, 2015

CD Review: Various Artists, Speak Easy: The RPM Records Story, Volume 2, 1954-57

Not Recommended

As promised, Ace Records in the U. K. has followed up Volume 1 with a second 2-CD set of hits from the RPM label owned by the Bihari brothers of Los Angeles. This one covers the years 1954 through 1957. It is disappointing, in part because the recordings they have to choose from are not as good as the earlier RPM sides, and also due to some questionable choices of what songs to include.

The good news is that B. B. King recorded some of his best sides between 1954 and 1957, and this set includes nine of them. An interesting oddity is an extended alternate take of B. B. covering Tennessee Ernie Ford's hit “Sixteen Tons,” complete with a lengthy false start, an apology, and a completed version. There are also five terrific songs from Johnny “Guitar” Watson, and four rare selections by Chicago harmonica man George Smith, one of them the classic instrumental “Blues in the Dark.”




However, Ace's policy of including alternative takes when the master take has already been issued on another CD is called into question by what appears to be a blooper. The alternate take of Johnny Watson's “Ruben” features only a backing track by the band during the break. Missing is Watson's guitar solo, the highlight of the song. A mistake of a different kind is including Eugene Fox's two part lame attempt at comedy, “The Dream.”

I have two main problems with this set. First of all, beginning in 1956, RPM tried to expand into the pop market. There is, for example, an embarrassing early effort by Paul Anka. There are five rockabiily songs. As a result, the second CD includes about ten songs that are of little interest to R&B fans, who are, after all, the primary consumers of this set.

Next to B. B. King, RPM's biggest hits during this period were by R&B vocal groups. I've noticed that European R&B reissue labels prefer up tempo vocal group sides, while American collectors prefer ballads. Given my bias, not surprisingly, I'm disappointed with Ace's choices.

The Biharis' most successful group was the Jacks, who had six RPM releases and also recorded on Modern as the Cadets. (In general, the Jacks sang ballads and the Cadets did up tempo songs, but there were exceptions.) The Jacks receive only two selections here, their big hit “Why Don't You Write Me?” and the undistinguished jump tune “Sugar Baby.” Left on the table are several fine ballads by their smoky-voiced lead singer Willie Davis. If they felt the need to include an up tempo side, “How Soon” would have been a better choice. Fortunately, the entire Jacks/Cadets output is available on two Ace CDs.


Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns were a top-notch West Coast group who had three RPM releases. Only one of them makes it onto this set. (By the way, did you know that Maye was also a major league outfielder/first baseman. As Lee Maye he for played 12 seasons (1959-1971), primarily with the Milwaukee Braves.) I can't quarrel with the inclusion of “Eddie, My Love” by the Teen Queens, since it was one of the label's biggest hits, but I'm unimpressed with their other two choices from this group. Clydie King and the Teens' cover of the Six Teens' “A Casual Look” has to be one of the “youngest” teen hits ever. And so it goes.

This set is not without its unexpected pleasures. I had heard of, but not heard, Little Eddie Lang (real name Langlois), a New Orleans singer-guitarist known for his row of gold front teeth. CD 2 contains one side of each of his two 1956 RPM releases, the only records he made. He is not to be confused with jazz guitarist Eddie Lang (real name Salvatore Massaro), who recorded some great instrumental duets with Lonnie Johnson and died in 1933.

There is some excellent R&B on these two CDs, but not enough to justify their purchase.

Disc 1: The Meadow Larks, Real Pretty Mama; Pass the Gin; Quinn Kimble, Feel My Broom; Connie Mack Booker, Love Me, Pretty Baby; Earl Curry, One Whole Year, Baby; Lover Boy (Ike Turner), The Way You Used to Treat Me; Lonnie the Cat, I Ain't Drunk; B. B. King, Don't You Want a Man Like Me?; You Upset Me, Baby; Every Day I Have the Blues; Crying Won't Help You; Preacher Stephens, Whoopin' and a-Hollerin'; The Chanters, She Wants to Mambo; Buddy Milton and the Twilighters, O-O-Wah; The Fox (Eugene Fox), The Dream, Parts 1 and 2; Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Hot Little Mama; Too Tired; Those Lonely, Lonely Nights; Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns, Truly; Joe Houston, Shtiggy Boom; The Jacks, Why Don't You Write Me?; Little George Smith, Blues in the Dark; Oopin' Doopin' Doopin'; Donna Hightower, Doggone It; Hands Off; Johnny Wright, Suffocate. (74 min.)

Disc 2: B. B. King, Sixteen Tons; Did You Ever Love a Woman?; Sweet Little Angel; Bim Bam; I Wonder; The Teen Queens, Eddie, My Love; Billy Boy; Rock, Everybody; Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Ruben; She Moves Me; Little George Smith, Cross-Eyed Suzzie Lee; Down in New Orleans; The Jacks, Sugar Baby; Pat Cupp, Do Me No Wrong, Long Gone Daddy; Little Clydie and the Teens, A Casual Look; Richard Berry, Yama Yama, Pretty Mama; Eddie Lang, I'm All Alone; You Got to Crawl Before You Walk; Paul Anka, Blau-Wile-Deveest-Fontaine; The Jewels, She's a Flirt; Donna Hightower, He's My Baby; Maxwell Davis, Cool Diggin'; Jack Lewis, Bippin' and Boppin'; Prentice Moreland, Memories of You; Vido Musso, Speak Easy; Darrell Glenn, Hello, Baby; Don Cole, Snake-Eyed Mama. (73 min.)

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