#876 (11/5/16 - 11/18/16)

"All Is Forgiven"/"Mercy Me"
Lil Greenwood And Quartet (The Lamplighters)
on Federal 12165
released in 1954

"Tell Me You Care"/"I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy"
The Lamplighters
on Federal 12176
released in 1954


[The above left photo is courtesy of Opal Nations and Lil Greenwood.]
[The above right photo is courtesy of Hans-Joachim Krohberger.]
Above: Lil Greenwood. Inscription on circa 1951 photo at left reads "Best Wishes, Lillie Greenwood. Vocalist with Roy Milton's Orchestra."

A Lil Greenwood biography by Todd Baptista is found HERE.


[The above left photo is courtesy of Hans-Joachim Krohberger.]
Above: (Left) Thurston Harris and (Right) The Lamplighters (L-R) Willie Ray Rockwell (tenor), Thurston Harris (lead tenor), Alfred Frazier (baritone), and Matthew Nelson (bass).

EXTRA AUDIO (Windows Media Player):

Federal 12149 was recorded on July 30, 1953 and released in August 1953. It is The Lamplighters' first record.

The Cash Box Review (8/29/53):

THE LAMPLIGHTERS - FEDERAL 12149....
Turn Me Loose
(B) The Lamplighters sock out a rocking quick beat wildie complete with screams and handclaps. Exciting and should catch its share of loot.
Part Of Me (B) A slow romantic blues ballad for a change of pace as the boys blend smoothly.

(NOTE: A rating of B was considered "very good.")

The Billboard Review (9/5/53):

THE LAMPLIGHTERS - FEDERAL 12149....
Turn Me Loose
(75) This bright handclapper is shouted strongly by the lead chanter, as the rest of the group provides exciting backing. Should collect some juke coin.
Part Of Me (71) The group does well on this romantic pleader. Good contrast to flip.

(NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered "good.")

Listen to "Part Of Me" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12149 - 1953.

Listen to "Turn Me Loose" - The Lamplighters - Federal 12149 - 1953.



Lil Greenwood (1960).

Lil Greenwood with Duke Ellington (1960).

[The above record provided by Dave Saviet.]

Above: Label image of Federal 12176, recorded on January 29, 1954 and released in April 1954. The Lamplighters had twelve records released on the Federal label (1953-1956). In addition, they had two records backing Lil Greenwood (1953-1954) and two records backing Jimmy Witherspoon (1953-1954) on Federal (none of these with credit on the label). And a temporary name change to "The Tenderfoots" produced four more releases on Federal (1955).

The composer of the flip-side song "I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy" is the ubiquitous Rudy Toombs.

The Cash Box Review (4/10/54):

THE LAMPLIGHTERS — FEDERAL 12176....
Tell Me You Care
(B+) The group runs through a slow blues dramatically and tenderly. Lead beseeches his love to tell him she cares. Treatment is strong and side could happen.

I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy (B) The Lamplighters sing a rhythmic ditty in good style. Lead tells how he used to beg for mercy when she had another on the string, but now he's asking mercy no longer. Good group but material weak through repetition.

(NOTE: A rating of B was considered "very good" and B+ was "excellent.")


Above Left: Label image of Federal 12165, released in February 1954. This is the second record of two that Lil Greenwood did with The Lamplighters, both showing "Lil Greenwood And Quartet" on the labels. Their Federal 12168 was released in 1953. She was also backed by The Four Jacks on two Federal releases (1952).

The labels for both sides show the composers as "Greenwood-Ervin." "Ervin" is Jesse Ervin, the guitar player with Charles Brown's Band, who plays guitar on both sides of this record.

Above Right: Clipping from the Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio) newspaper dated 12/9/60.


Listen to this week's selections featuring Lil Greenwood/The Lamplighters on Federal 12165/12176 from 1954:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

     A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...
 
          1. All Is Forgiven
          2. Mercy Me
          3. Tell Me You Care
          4. I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy
 
          ALL FOUR played in sequence

     B. Download RealAudio...
 
          1. All Is Forgiven
          2. Mercy Me
          3. Tell Me You Care
          4. I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy

     C. Stream/Download Media Player...
 
          1. All Is Forgiven
          2. Mercy Me
          3. Tell Me You Care
          4. I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy
 
          ALL FOUR played in sequence

Lil Greenwood (1960)

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


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