Rhythm & Blues Review (1955)
July 8, 2020 2:39 PM Subscribe
Only about two of 'em qualify as rhythm and blues artists by 1955 standards, but hey, who's complaining?
Big Joe Turner, singing Shake Rattle and Roll with the house band. High point!
Nat King Cole singing Calypso Blues. Lousy song. Low point.
Most depressing thing: Seeing Cab Calloway singing "Minnie the Moocher" 30 years on - looking particularly unattractive. Doesn't anyone know that Cab Calloway was a great artist, who recorded at least 100 songs as good if not better than "Minnie the Moocher"? His bands were fantastic. Even more depressing: The Blues Brothers Movie disrespecting Cab by forcing him to sing "Minnie the Moocher" yet again! Fifty years on! (I've seen the man perform live. He had a wonderfully versatile voice.)
Then Nipsey Russell and Mantan Moreland: Outstanding talents doing a great bit. Glad those two guys got a taste of mainstream success before they passed on. Wonderful talents. Thanks as always, y2karl.
posted by Modest House at 5:29 PM on July 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
Big Joe Turner, singing Shake Rattle and Roll with the house band. High point!
Nat King Cole singing Calypso Blues. Lousy song. Low point.
Most depressing thing: Seeing Cab Calloway singing "Minnie the Moocher" 30 years on - looking particularly unattractive. Doesn't anyone know that Cab Calloway was a great artist, who recorded at least 100 songs as good if not better than "Minnie the Moocher"? His bands were fantastic. Even more depressing: The Blues Brothers Movie disrespecting Cab by forcing him to sing "Minnie the Moocher" yet again! Fifty years on! (I've seen the man perform live. He had a wonderfully versatile voice.)
Then Nipsey Russell and Mantan Moreland: Outstanding talents doing a great bit. Glad those two guys got a taste of mainstream success before they passed on. Wonderful talents. Thanks as always, y2karl.
posted by Modest House at 5:29 PM on July 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
The Lionel Hampton number that came up first after the sketch was entertaining if far too short.
posted by ob1quixote at 8:25 PM on July 8, 2020
posted by ob1quixote at 8:25 PM on July 8, 2020
Whadda lineup!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:31 AM on July 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:31 AM on July 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
Big Joe Turner, singing Shake Rattle and Roll with the house band. High point!
Indeed but then Sarah Vaughan, Ruth Brown and especially the wonderful and witty -- Let the doorknob hit ya where the boogeyman bit ya! -- Martha Davis are on their own pinnacles as well.
And, oh, all the tap dancing too!
Man, I was so happy to see this had not been posted when I hit Preview.
posted by y2karl at 11:34 AM on July 9, 2020
Indeed but then Sarah Vaughan, Ruth Brown and especially the wonderful and witty -- Let the doorknob hit ya where the boogeyman bit ya! -- Martha Davis are on their own pinnacles as well.
And, oh, all the tap dancing too!
Man, I was so happy to see this had not been posted when I hit Preview.
posted by y2karl at 11:34 AM on July 9, 2020
Whoa, you don't see a 1hr+ long video like that every day. Just unreal to see someone like Sarah Vaughan at that time, completely in her prime, singing with perfect tonality. I think I also noticed sax great Don Byas taking a solo near the end of the video.
Another interesting thing is that so much of this is really just rock n roll, just using a marketing buzzword of r & b instead. Of course, ever since practically delta blues of early artists like Belton Sutherland, rock n' roll was pretty well around in all forms but name.
Awesome post and please keep these finds coming!
posted by quit160 at 12:29 PM on July 13, 2020
Another interesting thing is that so much of this is really just rock n roll, just using a marketing buzzword of r & b instead. Of course, ever since practically delta blues of early artists like Belton Sutherland, rock n' roll was pretty well around in all forms but name.
Awesome post and please keep these finds coming!
posted by quit160 at 12:29 PM on July 13, 2020
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posted by mightshould at 3:37 PM on July 8, 2020