Previous Vocal Group Record of the Week
#745 (Week of 2/18/12 - 2/24/12)

IN MEMORY OF JOHNNY OTIS
(WHO LEFT US ON JANUARY 17, 2012)

PART TWO

"Young Girl"/"Rock Me Baby"
by The Johnny Otis Orchestra
Vocal by ...Johnny Otis And The Peacocks/...Johnny Otis
on Peacock 1625
released in 1953


    

Above: Photo of the Johnny Otis Orchestra from the 1950's. Among many other things, Otis was a band leader, drum and vibes player, singer, composer, arranger, radio dee jay, and talent producer/promoter. He was involved in the careers of Johnny Ace, Willie May Thornton, The Robins, Little Richard, Little Esther, Etta James, Hank Ballard And The Midnighters, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John, Marie Adams, Mel Walker, Mel Williams, Arthur Lee Maye and others.

Night Club Review Excerpt From The Billboard 5/24/47:
....Johnny Otis, white drummer, and his all-Negro ultra-swing band handle the musical chores, acquitting themselves well in the solo spots with some knocked-out flagwavers and providing able accompaniment for the rest of the show. Otis plays a lot of drums and has a fine sense of syncopation. While guy plays loud tubs that may injure ear drums, it causes payees to sit up and take notice, judging from the big mitts his work garnered. Band is heavy (five saxes, four trumpets, three tram and four rhythm), but tunes the volume down on ballad work....

Click HERE for an article about Johnny Otis by J.C. Marion (there are three parts... click on "to next page" to view parts two and three).
(Will open in a separate window)



    
Above: Peacock clippings from (L) November 1953 and (R) November 1954.


    
Above: Label image of Peacock 1625 released in October 1953. The flip shows "Vocal by Johnny Otis" with no group credit. Is it the same Peacocks? Both sides were composed by "Phyllis Otis," using his wife's name as his pseudonym. The Peacocks had one other record, backing Junior Ryder on Peacock's affiliated label, Duke, released in December 1953. Johnny Otis had releases on Peacock from 1953 until 1957, at which time he moved to Capitol Records.

Trade Magazine:
****(September 1953) ....Johnny Otis has been signed by Peacock Records. His new record will be released next month. Don Robey, Peacock prexy, returned this week to Houston, after supervising waxings by Willie Mae Thornton, Johnny Ace, Joe August and Otis....
****(December 1953) ....Johnny Otis had the crowds at Billy Berg's 5-4 Ballroom rockin' with his newest on the Peacock label, "Rock Me Baby" for two solid week-ends. Otis also presented his "Jazz-O-Rama" show at the Carlton Theater with Marie Adams and the Ravens before leaving for engagements in Portland, Seattle and the Northwest....

Listen to this week's selections by The Johnny Otis Orchestra on Peacock 1625 from 1953:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

     A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...
 
          1. Young Girl
          2. Rock Me Baby
 
          BOTH played in sequence

     B. Download RealAudio...
 
          1. Young Girl
          2. Rock Me Baby

     C. Stream/Download Media Player...
 
          1. Young Girl
          2. Rock Me Baby


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


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