Kent:
The other day I heard "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" and it reminded me of something that Bob Slade mentioned years ago on his WRKS 98.7 - New York Sunday night "Soul Beginnings" show. He said that the original recording of the James Brown was actually 'sped up', when it was released as a single. Was wondering if you are familiar with the story and does anyone have the 'slow' version that we might be able to hear? Thanks!
John
I did a little bit of digging around on this but didn't really come up with much. However the B-Side of that single (Part II) definitely has a slower feel to it ... I wonder if this is how the whole song originally started out. Anybody know for sure? (kk)
The other day I heard "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" and it reminded me of something that Bob Slade mentioned years ago on his WRKS 98.7 - New York Sunday night "Soul Beginnings" show. He said that the original recording of the James Brown was actually 'sped up', when it was released as a single. Was wondering if you are familiar with the story and does anyone have the 'slow' version that we might be able to hear? Thanks!
John
I did a little bit of digging around on this but didn't really come up with much. However the B-Side of that single (Part II) definitely has a slower feel to it ... I wonder if this is how the whole song originally started out. Anybody know for sure? (kk)
How is Bobby Rydell managing with his transplants? Thanx!
Pttibg
Bobby is back out on the road again with a number of dates coming up ... he seems to have rebounded quite well! (kk)
Click here: Bobby Rydell's Tour Dates
>>>My ex-wife’s father was a survivor (now gone on to his reward) of the D-Day invasion at Normandy. He claimed that the lyrics of the Homer and Jethro song "Crazy Mixed-Up Song" were allegedly inspired by a less humorous poem, written by another D-Day survivor, commemorating the mind-numbing horror of the invasion, shortly after the experience. That poem goes like this:
‘Twas on the beach at midnight, Not a streetcar was in sight.
The rain and snow fell gently, For it rained all day that night.
Knowing the context puts a different spin on the words.
I have no way of knowing whether that story is true, but maybe someone else out there does. It seems totally possible to me that someone put together the “Be kind to your web-footed friends” chorus from summer camp or Cub Scout sing-alongs with a sanitized version of the above poem and came up with one of those versatile, well-written tunes that no one ever forgets. Meanwhile, the heroes of D-Day are gone, but never forgotten. (Wil Coté)
I have no way of knowing whether that story is true, but maybe someone else out there does. It seems totally possible to me that someone put together the “Be kind to your web-footed friends” chorus from summer camp or Cub Scout sing-alongs with a sanitized version of the above poem and came up with one of those versatile, well-written tunes that no one ever forgets. Meanwhile, the heroes of D-Day are gone, but never forgotten. (Wil Coté)
I remember there being quite a bit of discussion on this one back at the time we first covered it. Seemed EVERYBODY was familiar with it through some means (I still swear I knew it from an old Three Stooges kiddie record that I had) but we've seen and heard so many possible origins now, who knows. Here's another one ... from Ron Smith ...
Now those are the words (sort of) I remember my Dad singing (and always thought they came from his Army days — but he was in the Alleutian Islands):
Twas midnight on the ocean
A streetcar was in sight
A bare-footed boy with shoes on
Was standing in the light
A streetcar was in sight
A bare-footed boy with shoes on
Was standing in the light
Oh ain't we crazy ...
Ron Smith
Ron then found and sent me this ... sounds like this song (and the origins thereof) have been driving people crazy for years!!!
Click here: It was midnight on the ocean, not a streetcar was in sight,I stepped into a cigar store to ask for a ligh
Click here: It was midnight on the ocean, not a streetcar was in sight,I stepped into a cigar store to ask for a ligh
There's the "Oh Ain't We Crazy" part. This thing appears to come from 1900?
Ron
And we found more!
I especially like this one ...
Did we ALL grow up learning this ditty???
Click here: Barefoot boy with shoes on - YouTube
>>>I came across your website when trying to find information about the Youngtones. I'm very impressed and added you to my favourites for a definite look back later in the week. I have a track credited to the Youngtones entitled Come On Baby but can find no sign of it mentioned in any discography I have seen on the band. Do you have anything that you could help me with? I'm researching for my weekly radio programme and thank you for any assistance you may be able to offer. Many thanks and kind regards. (Ian Bell, TD1 Radio.com, Scotland)
>>>I came across your website when trying to find information about the Youngtones. I'm very impressed and added you to my favourites for a definite look back later in the week. I have a track credited to the Youngtones entitled Come On Baby but can find no sign of it mentioned in any discography I have seen on the band. Do you have anything that you could help me with? I'm researching for my weekly radio programme and thank you for any assistance you may be able to offer. Many thanks and kind regards. (Ian Bell, TD1 Radio.com, Scotland)
The Youngtones were a Hispanic group from Coney Island whose group members included Johnny Marsi (lead), Gilbert Rivera (first tenor), Joe Crespo (second tenor), Willy Rivera (baritone) and Louis Lugo (aka Louis Figueroa) (bass). Johnny Marsi later went by the name Jocco. Ronald Jackson was the lead on a couple of the X-Tra sides, he later went on to join the group The Jesters in 1974.
I believe this to be the group's entire discography:
X-tra 104 - You I Adore / It's Over Now (1958)
X-tra 110 - By The Candleglow (accompanied by The Dolls) / Patricia (1958)
Brunswick 55089 - Come On Baby / Oh Tell Me (1958)
X-tra 120 - Can I Come Over / Gonna Get Together Again (1959)
X-tra 121 - Can I Come Over / Gonna Get Together Again (1959) (yes that was issued with two consecutive numbers)
Times Square 31 - I Do / Day Train (by the Blasters) (1964)
Come On Baby is the only 45 listed by the group in my price guide, for whatever reason...
Two of the members of the Youngtones, Johnny Marsi and Gil Rivera later joined with Bobby "Ziggy" Andriani to record as Marci and the Mates for two releases on the Big Top record label, and would later record under other names (Johnny, Gil and Bobby; Hans, Chris & Anderson, etc). I saw on Forgotten Hits where Jocco mentioned recording for Atco -- that would be the Hans, Chris & Anderson 45 that got issued on Atco, The Pied Piper b/w Donna. While Donna is a remake of the Ritchie Valens hit, The Pied Piper is an original tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz86oDnKReg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsQrwUpgj6M
Hope that helps some.
Tom Diehl
Back in HS ('64-"68) I could go to the on-campus Youth Center and have lunch. Eventually, I noticed on the juke box "Ain't Nobody Who Can Do It Like Leslie Can" by Paul Revere and the Raiders. It wasn't a real winner, but I played it a lot (apparently I was the only one who did), and finally the manager got tired of it and rejected it. I never did notice what the flip side was. Can you tell me?
I believe this to be the group's entire discography:
X-tra 104 - You I Adore / It's Over Now (1958)
X-tra 110 - By The Candleglow (accompanied by The Dolls) / Patricia (1958)
Brunswick 55089 - Come On Baby / Oh Tell Me (1958)
X-tra 120 - Can I Come Over / Gonna Get Together Again (1959)
X-tra 121 - Can I Come Over / Gonna Get Together Again (1959) (yes that was issued with two consecutive numbers)
Times Square 31 - I Do / Day Train (by the Blasters) (1964)
Come On Baby is the only 45 listed by the group in my price guide, for whatever reason...
Two of the members of the Youngtones, Johnny Marsi and Gil Rivera later joined with Bobby "Ziggy" Andriani to record as Marci and the Mates for two releases on the Big Top record label, and would later record under other names (Johnny, Gil and Bobby; Hans, Chris & Anderson, etc). I saw on Forgotten Hits where Jocco mentioned recording for Atco -- that would be the Hans, Chris & Anderson 45 that got issued on Atco, The Pied Piper b/w Donna. While Donna is a remake of the Ritchie Valens hit, The Pied Piper is an original tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz86oDnKReg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsQrwUpgj6M
Hope that helps some.
Tom Diehl
Back in HS ('64-"68) I could go to the on-campus Youth Center and have lunch. Eventually, I noticed on the juke box "Ain't Nobody Who Can Do It Like Leslie Can" by Paul Revere and the Raiders. It wasn't a real winner, but I played it a lot (apparently I was the only one who did), and finally the manager got tired of it and rejected it. I never did notice what the flip side was. Can you tell me?
Skipper
The track comes from The Raiders' "Revolution" album ... but I don't show it ever appearing on a single. (Maybe it was on a jukebox EP???) It featured a rare vocal by Paul Revere, who one reviewer referred to as doing a very bad Aunt Jemima accent ...
There's only one truly horrid track, "Ain't Nobody Who Can Do It Like Leslie Can," an unintentional parody of black music sung in Paul Revere's worst Aunt Jemima accent ("Look at that woman dust!"). Its offensiveness would make Jon Spencer look like a sensitive civil rights liberal - if I thought that the Raiders had any idea how offensive they were being; they're just a bunch of clueless whitebreads who don't know what they're doing (hell, there are hardly any black folks in Idaho now, much less three decades ago).
From the sounds of things, you very well may have been the only one playing it!!! (Of course now I've got to hear it too!) kk
