I feel good

Shirley and Lee - I Feel Good

This is an ace bopper from the distinctive sounding duo of Shirley (Goodman) and (Leonard) Lee -- New Orleans school friends who recorded for Eddie and Leo Messner's LA based Aladdin label. I Feel Good was the follow up to their smash hit, Let The Good Times Roll. In 1957 it climbed to #3 on the R&B charts and #38 on the pop. Their vocal style is said to have influenced early Jamaican ska. I think the accompanying music must have had an impact when it drifted that way as well.

Sometimes I feel

Ben Branch - Motherless Child

Today's offering of gospel funk comes from Ben Branch who began his career playing with B.B King. I generally try and stick to what it says on the record label when it comes to artist and track titles, but I figured Ben Branch & the Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir was a bit much. And, it's actually the SCLC Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir who are joining Branch, a tenor saxophonist, on this version of the traditional spiritual, Motherless Child. SCLC is an acronym for Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights organisation whose first president was Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Branch was an active member of SCLC and was also reportedly the very last person King spoke to before being assassinated. King's last words were to ask Branch to perform the gospel tune Take My Hand, Precious Lord at an event he was due to attend, and to "play it real pretty". Motherless Child, featuring Rev. Clay Evans on vocals, comes from an album recorded a little over a week after that fateful day. The album is called The Last Request and features an image of King on the cover.

Here it comes

B.B. King - The Hurt

B.B. King released The Hurt as the b-side to Whole Lotta Lovin' in 1964. It was written by Joy Byers, who also wrote a number of songs for Elvis -- including the similarly themed It Hurts Me, which she co-wrote with Charlie Daniels. Whilst listening to some of my 45s, today's selection caught my ear because it sounded like a Northern Soul spin, which I wasn't expecting from B.B. King for some reason. Sure enough, a version of The Hurt by Freddie North goes for big bucks on that scene. The Escorts also released a nice recording of it in '64. I'm not sure which was released first, but King's version -- arranged and conducted by Sid Feller, best known for his work with Ray Charles -- does it for me.

My Desire

Hadda Brooks Trio - That's My Desire

In 1947, That's My Desire was the first hit for the Hadda Brooks Trio, which featured Brooks on vocals and piano, Basie Day on bass and Al Wichard on drums. Ten years later, after several movie roles, Brooks used this tune as the theme to her weekly LA television show. She continued to act, record and perform throughout her life.

I found today's selection as I flicked through the jazz 45s section of Relics Records in Leeds, just a few weeks back. Although I was unfamiliar with Hadda Brooks, I liked the look of the label -- I have some other records on Modern, though at the time I wasn't entirely convinced that they were all from the same company -- so I figured for two quid it was worth a punt. After a reasonably heavy weekend (Northerners know how to drink, that's my excuse anyway...), when I was back at mine, I put needle onto record and was very pleasantly surprised by the sweet slow charm-infused vocals and music which drifted out of my overworked JBLs.

Top Ranking

Althea & Donna - Up Town Top Ranking
Mighty Two - Calico Suit

Althea Forrest and Donna Reid were just teenagers when Up Town Top Ranking climbed up the UK and Jamaican charts back in 1978. The rhythm (riddem) used is a re-recording of an Alton Ellis tune and, with the help of producer Joe Gibbs, Althea and Donna make it into a perfect pop-reggae summer smash.

Up Town Top Ranking also falls into the esteemed category of 'answer songs' -- it was made in response to Trinity's Three Piece Suit, which also uses Alton Ellis' I'm Still In Love With You as a base. The lyrics are basically about how good the two singers look in their clothes and flash car, and how much of a good time they are having. Which all seems reasonable to me, but they also make a point of indicating that they're still true to their roots.

The flipside version, Calico Suit, attributed to Mighty Two, is almost better, less vocals but it just sounds amazing.