#688 (Week of 11/27/10 - 12/3/10)

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ALADDIN'S R&B STARS
Charles Brown (Part One) And Amos Milburn (Part Two)

"Honey Sipper"
by Charles Brown And Band
on Aladdin 3272
released in 1955

Above: Johnny Moore's Three Blazers consisted of (L-R) Johnny Moore (guitar), Eddie Williams (bass fiddle) and Charles Brown (vocals, piano). Brown went out on his own as a single artist in 1948.

The Latest in Success Stories
NEW YORK, July 1949—This is one of those show business success stories. It's about a young Fort Worth pianist-singer, Billy Valentine.
Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, a hot group in the blues-and-rhythm market for several years, received a tough blow at the box office when singer-pianist Charles Brown decided to go out on his own some months ago. A replacemant, Lee Barnes, proved totally inadequate.
Two weeks ago the Blazers were due for a series of recording dates with the Victor company. Desperate for a singer-pianist replacement, the remainder of the group, Johnny Moore, Oscar Moore and Johnny Miller, headed out on the road in different directions in search of a "new Charles Brown."
In Washington, leader Johnny Moore was told of a pianist-singer in Fort Worth who, the informer claimed, "would make them cats forget Charlie Brown." So Johnny placed a person-to-person call to Fort Worth and had the prospect sing for him over the phone. The youngster was told to hop a plane for New York.
The Fort Worth product was in New York the next evening and auditioned an hour later. Milton Ebbins, group's manager, hired him on the spot and two days later sliced wax with the group.

Coast Lends Spark to Giant $25,000,000 R&B Year
January 1955—....Coast manufacturers such as Modern, Exclusive, Excelsior and Black & White took a page from their pop counterparts and the motion picture industry's "star" system and established their own rosters of talent. The early catalogs of Hadda Brooks records on Modern; Exclusive's Johnny Moore and the Three Blazers, Herb Jeffries, Mabel Scott and Joe Liggins; Roy Milton and Camille Howard on Specialty; Slim Gaillard on Atomic; Kay Starr on Jewel; Charles Brown, Wynonie Harris, Helen Humes and Lester Young on Philo, later renamed Aladdin; Oscar Pettiford on Black & White; Paula Watson on Supreme; Cecil Gant on Gilt-Edge; King Cole on Atlas, and many others set the pattern....

Above: Johnny Moore's Three Blazers clipping from 3/23/46 The Billboard magazine.

Above: Charles Brown clipping from 1/1/49 The Billboard magazine.

Victor Wax Pacts Moore, 3 Blazers
NEW YORK, March 12, 1949—RCA Victor this week inked Johnny Moore and the Three Blazers to a waxing pact. Moore's small group built into a top-notch race attraction in the past three years via its recordings on the Exclusive and Modern labels. This group's top etchings included the original slicing of Gloria and an item called Drifting Blues. The deal for the Moore group, which spots Johnny's brother, Oscar, on the second guitar and has featured Charles Brown since the group's organization, was made on the West Coast.

(NOTE: Oscar Moore had been guitarist with the Nat Cole Trio from 1937 to 1947 before joining his brother's group in 1947.)

Above: Charles Brown clipping from 2/17/51 The Billboard magazine.

Click HERE for an article about Charles Brown by J.C. Marion.
(Above link will open in a separate window)

Jet Magazine (1/13/55) Singer Charles Brown Sues Diskery For $501,120
Blues singer Charles Brown sought $501,120 damages in a malicious prosecu­tion suit filed against Aladdin Records in Los Angeles. In the brief filed against Leo Mesner, Edward Mesner and Mesner, Inc., Brown charged he was "falsely and maliciously" arrested in Beverly Hills on a burglary and grand theft complaint sworn out by Edward Mesner. Brown said the trouble started when he took his contract from a desk at the recording company and told the clerk he was going to have a photostatic copy made of it. In court, Brown declared he had legal right to his contract and had committed no crime. Municipal Judge Charles Griffin agreed, dismissed the case.

Above: Label image of Aladdin 3272 recorded on 12/16/54 and released in January 1955. Charles Brown had thirty-four releases on the Aladdin label (1948-56) under his own name. A few of these had Johnny Moore's group backing him (1953-54).

Trade Magazine Clipping, July 1955: Charles Brown and Johnny Moore's original Three Blazers now at their 12th week at "Your Room"....

Listen to this week's selection by Charles Brown And Band on Aladdin 3272 from 1955:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...             Honey Sipper      B. Download RealAudio...             Honey Sipper      C. Stream/Download Media Player...             Honey Sipper

The Billboard 2-5-55 Review

     [To download audio files, right-click on link and then select "Save (Link) Target As..."]

Click HERE for ALADDIN R&B STARS - AMOS MILBURN (PART TWO).
(Above link will open in a separate window)

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