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SPOTLIGHT ON RUTH BROWN - PART TWO (1953-1954)
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"Mend Your Ways"/ |
"I Would If I Could"/ |
"If You Don't Want Me"/ |
"If I Had Any Sense"/ |
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"Oh What A Dream"/ |
"Mambo Baby"/ |
"Ever Since My Baby's Been Gone"/ |
(Includes Audio For Twenty-Two Songs)
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Above: Two photos of RUTH BROWN. THE CASH BOX, April 11, 1953: RUTH BROWN "MAMA" DISK
NEW YORK CITY—A rarity in the current succession of hit disks that uncovers a new "find" with each release that catches the fancy of the rhythm and blues public, is the established star who maintains his or her hold on the buying and listening disk fans. There are several such standbys, but none with the shattering effect of Ruth Brown, Atlantic Records Queenbee, whose every release zooms to the top of the heap with lightening speed.Miss Brown has sold an aggregate of several million records in the years she has been with Atlantic and, in this era of the fickle fan, this deed is a remarkable accomplishment. For two solid months the thrush has been astride the rhythm and blues Cash Box "Hot" charts with "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean". An immediate sensation, the disk rose to the number one spot with the reaction of mercury to heat. It was an inevitable success.
Given material, Ruth Brown can be depended upon to inject every modicum of appeal, excitement, tenderness, sadness, fire and color demanded by the tune!
The irrepressible chantress was endowed with a vivid and sparkling personality that transcends the wax. When the mood is tender, she is caressingly soft; when anger is called for, she is acrimonious, firey and vitriolic; and when sex is called for, she is sultry, burning and torrid. In "Mama", the chantress sings a rhythmic quick beat in which she employs all her vocal magic with devastating impact.
Click HERE for an article about Ruth Brown by Marv Goldberg. (Will open in a separate window)
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Above: Two more photos of RUTH BROWN.
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Above: Label images for Atlantic 993, both sides recorded on April 10, 1953, and Atlantic 1005, this side also recorded on April 10, 1953, the flip on July 2, 1953. Both records were released in 1953.
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The Billboard Review (5/30/53):
RUTH BROWN — Atlantic 993....
Wild Wild Young Men (88) The tempo and Miss Brown's performance measure up to the promise of the title. The Atlantic Records' star gives an abandoned performance, making the most of her fine technical vocal skill. Standout piano accompaniment. This could be another smash for Miss Brown.
Mend Your Ways (83) Insinuating ditty gets a standout performance by the Atlantic Records thrush. The vocal is on double track. Should catch plenty of r.&b. deejay spins and earn loot. This is a mighty powerful two-sided platter.
(NOTE: A ratings range of 80-89 was considered "excellent".)The Billboard Review (9/19/53):
RUTH BROWN — Atlantic 1005....
The Tears Keep Tumbling Down (85) This side, by the great r.&b. star, is a pulsating rumba blues. The performance has drive, mood, and beat. It should be another smash for the thrush..
I Wonder If I Could (78) A change of pace from the flip. This side is faster, but lacks the quality of the top side.
(NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered "good" and 80-89 "excellent".)LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "Mend Your Ways" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 993 - 1953.
2. "Wild Wild Young Men" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 993 - 1953.
3. "I Would If I Could" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1005 - 1953.
4. "The Tears Keep Tumbling Down" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1005 - 1953.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
EXTRA AUDIO #1 (Windows Media Player): CLYDE McPHATTER AND DRIFTERS; LaVERN BAKER
Above Left: Clyde McPhatter (with open arms) And The Drifters. Above Middle: THE BILLBOARD, October 24, 1953. Above Right: WINDSOR STAR (Canada), July 7, 1954.
(NOTE: Although the label shows "Vocal Quartet", this record features five singers as shown in the advertisement.)
(NOTE: Per the New York Age, dated April 3, 1954, when LaVern was at the swank Caprice Cafe in Milan, Italy, she met and was adopted as a daughter by the Count Pinches family, making her a Countess.)
Above Left: Atlantic 1006 label. The record was recorded on August 9, 1953 and released in September 1953.
Above Middle: Atlantic 1004 label. The record was recorded on June 19, 1953 and released in August 1953.
Above Right: LaVern Baker on stage singing to her audience.
PITTSBURGH COURIER, February 7, 1953: LITTLE MISS SHARECROPPER (LaVERNE BAKER) LOOMS AS STAR MATERIAL
DETROIT—It could be just a coincidence, but cagey Al Green, who recently parlayed a forgotten crooner, Johnnie Ray, and a new song, "Cry", into a tidy profit for everyone concerned, has another sure-fire star in the making, LaVerne Baker, 23, better known as "Little Miss Sharecropper", and you will never guess what this attractive singer's "hottest" record is to date. Why, "Tryin'", of course.Green, one of the bosses at the Flame Show Bar, has been exceedingly successful in the acquisition and development of new talent. "The girl is slightly less than sensational", Al reports, "and her records prove it. Right now, she's making a big swing through the South and when she returns, I know she will be ready for the real 'big time'".
Johnnie Ray, after severing business relations with Green, credited "Miss Sharecropper" as being one of two female blues singers who helped him to develop his own successful style.
She inherited the name "Miss Sharecropper" from Freddie Williamson, vice president of ABC, who needed another "Miss Cornshucks". After hearing the talented singer, Williamson decided to send her out on her own as "Miss Sharecropper".
(NOTE: The above article includes an unusable picture of Johnnie Ray and LaVerne Baker hugging and smiling.)
NEW YORK AGE, June 27, 1953:
....LaVerne Baker, lovely singer who just played the Apollo Theatre last week, is another product of Detroit that has made good in the Big City [New York City]. I don't understand why they would tag her with that terrible billing "Miss Sharecropper" and Al Green, her manager, should know better.... Ruth Brown comes to the Apollo Theatre on July 3, which is one of the toughest weeks in show business, the one embracing July 4, when most people try to get out of town....THE BILLBOARD, September 26, 1953:
Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters signed with the Gale Agency this week. McPhatter is the former lead singer of the Dominoes, and the Drifters is his new vocal group. He is now waxing for Atlantic Records; his first disk for the firm was released last week....The Billboard New Records To Watch... Rhythm And Blues (9/19/53):
CLYDE McPHATTER — Atlantic 1006....
Money Honey McPhatter, former lead singer with the Dominoes, starts his disk contract with Atlantic with a disk that could grab a lot of loot. He's effectively backed by the Drifters. Flip is "The Way I Feel".The Billboard Review (9/19/53):
CLYDE McPHATTER — Atlantic 1006....
Money Honey (82) The ork sets a real infectious beat behind the high piping of McPhatter for a powerful slicing for the market. This could pull well over the air and thru jukes, in addition to retailer loot.
The Way I Feel (80) McPhatter's voice soars to stratospheric heights as he tackles this romantic ballad. An outstanding effort that's also due for plenty of action. This is McPhatter's first waxing for the label since leaving the Dominoes.
(NOTE: A ratings range of 80-89 was considered "excellent".)LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "Money Honey" - Clyde McPhatter And The Drifters - Atlantic 1006 - 1953.
2. "The Way I Feel" - Clyde McPhatter And The Drifters - Atlantic 1006 - 1953.
3. "Soul On Fire" - LaVerne Baker - Atlantic 1004 - 1953.ALL THREE SONGS played in sequence.
RUTH BROWN POSTERS:
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Above: THE CASH BOX COVER, July 25, 1953.
Inscription: Ruth Brown, one of Atlantic Records' top selling stars, enthralls a jam-packed Apollo Theatre in her recent stand at the Harlem spot. One of the most consistent hit makers in the rhythm and blues field, Ruth Brown held the number one spot on the "Hot" charts in the nation for months with her "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean". Her current two-sided hit, "Wild, Wild Young Men" and "Mend Your Ways", appears to be headed for top honors at this time. The Atlantic Records artist was just voted the "Most Programmed Female Vocalist" by the disk jockies of America.
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At Left: CHARLOTTE NEWS, March 4, 1953. Directly Above: DAILY NEWS, May 14, 1953. At Near Right: At Far Right: |
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EXTRA AUDIO #2 (Windows Media Player): BILLY ECKSTINE
Above Left: Label image for M-G-M 11984 released in 1955. Above Middle: Photo of Billy Eckstine from Down Beat Magazine, January 11, 1952. Above Right: THE BILLBOARD, April 23, 1955.
At Left: THE CASH BOX SLEEPER OF THE WEEK, April 20, 1955.
ALABAMA TRIBUNE, September 4, 1953: RUTH BROWN JOINS MR. B. FOR TOUR
NEW YORK CITY—Singer Ruth Brown will join Billy Eckstine for an eight-day tour of California starting on September 11, it was announced this week by her manager, George Treadwell. Fresh from a triumphant 45 day tour with Joe Louis' Rhythm and Blues Revue, which played the Dixie circuit, Miss Brown had planned to take a much needed month's vacation. But an urgent phone call from her friend, Mr. B., caused her to change her mind and join him on the West Coast.A consistent box office attraction wherever she appears, Miss Brown's popularity is still on the increase. On the Louis tour it was estimated that she autographed at least 25,000 programs, scraps of paper, and cards for her fans, resulting in her deveoping a cramped right hand which was treated by a doctor.
SUN-TELEGRAPH (Pittsburgh), November 5, 1953: BILLY ECKSTINE EARNING BIG MONEY HERE
Billy Eckstine, who earned $12 per week as a singing waiter in the Fort Pitt Hotel back in 1940, is commanding a salary approaching five figures for his current stint in Tony Calderone's Twin Coaches. Billy, who was born 39 years ago on the North Side, has come a long way since he first crashed show business by winning an amateur contest in the Howard Theater, Washington, D.C., when he was 17 years old.He said: "I never took a singing lesson in my life and I have no particular style, but the public seems to like it." The public seems to like it so decidedly that Billy has waxed more than 300 MGM records [really?], six of them have topped the coveted million dollar mark [or over one million records sold?]. Billy is a former vocalist with the Earl Hines Orchestra. He left Hines to form his own orchestra in 1943, but disbanded it in 1947 to go out on his own.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
"Only You" - Billy Eckstine With Pied Pipers - M-G-M 11984 - 1955.(NOTE: While this song is similar to The Platters' "Only You", it is not the same song.)
EXTRA AUDIO #3 (Windows Media Player): BUDDY AND ELLA JOHNSON
Above Left: Label image for Decca 8632 A recorded on January 26, 1942 and released in 1942.
Above Right: Photo (L-R Standing) Buddy Johnson, Norman Orleck (The Cash Box), Ella Johnson, Joe Turner, Lou-Willie Turner, and Jackie Frego; (L-R Kneeling) Jerry Wexler (Atlantic Records), Alan Freed (Disk Jockey), and Ahmet Ertegun (Atlantic Records).
At Left: WEEKLY REVIEW (Birmingham, Alabama), August 21, 1943.
TAMPA BAY TIMES, June 12, 1953:
BUDDY JOHNSON'S ORCHESTRA AT MANHATTAN CASINO TONIGHT
Buddy Johnson and his Decca recording orchestra moves into the city today for a dance at Manhattan Casino. The Johnson aggregation is one of the top box office attractions in this area....Johnson is regarded as one of the most versatile bandleaders in the business. He is acclaimed as a composer, arranger, and pianist in addition to his standing as one of America's top bandleaders.
On occasions, he displays his talents as a vocalist. However, he usually leaves this department to his sister, Miss Ella Johnson, and Nolan Lewis.
Ella is one of the band's biggest features. She has been with the band since its inception in 1943....
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
"Stand Back And Smile" - Buddy Johnson Orchestra (Vocal By Ella Johnson And Ensemble) - Decca 8632 A - 1942.
EXTRA AUDIO #4 (Windows Media Player): WYNONIE HARRIS
Above Left: Label image for Hamp-Tone 100 released in 1946. Note that "J. Morris" is shown on the label as a Hamp-Tone All Star trumpet player. This is Joe Morris, whose orchestra would record for Atlantic Records starting in 1947 and through 1952.
Above Right: Label image for Aladdin 196A recorded in July 1947 and released in 1947. The Harlemaires would record one record for Atlantic Records, that in late 1947 (released in 1948).
THE CASH BOX, December 6, 1947: KING RECORDS PACT WYNONIE HARRIS
CINCINNATI—Syd Nathan, president of King Records, this city, announced the signing of Wynonie "Blues" Harris to an exclusive long-term contract this past week. King disclosed that Harris will soon wax 20 sides for the Cincinnati diskery in order to build up enough masters for release throughout the coming year.Nathan asserted that although Harris had recorded for a number of companies in recent years, he had never had the benefit of a nation-wide promotion campaign behind him. Nathan further disclosed that plans for Harris included full scale promotion among disk jockeys, juke box operators, and dealers.
(NOTE: In April 1953, "Mama Your Daughter's Done Lied On Me", an answer to Ruth Brown's "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" was released on King Records, sung by Wynonie Harris.)
Above: Wynonie Harris at the microphone.
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THE HARLEMAIRES:
NEW YORK AGE, September 8, 1945:
....Evelyn Purvis, femme singing star with the Harlemaires, is anxiously awaiting the return of her soldier-hubby from the wars. The unit is currently playing The Band Box in Baltimore, Maryland....PITTSBURGH POST GAZETTE, July 3, 1946: HARLEMAIRES OPEN TOMORROW AT OASIS
The Harlemaires, a quartet of instrumentalists and vocalists, open tonight at the Oasis on Bower Hill Road after a long run at the Cafe Zanzibar in New York. The four boys organized their unit three years ago while in the army.SIOUX CITY JOURNAL, August 10, 1947: QUARTET WILL COMPETE ON GODFREY SHOW
In an all-musical bid for popular acclaim, a mixed vocal quartet....will compete for honors on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts broadcast at 6:30 o'clock Monday evening over KSCJ. The evening's talent discoveries....will be The Harlemaires, a vocal quartet offering a special arrangement of Rose Of The Rio Grande....(NOTE: "Rose Of The Rio Grande" is one of the sides released by The Harlemaires on Atlantic.)
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): "Rose Of The Rio Grande" - The Harmonaires - Atlantic 856 - 1948.
(NOTE: This side was recorded on December 7, 1947.)
PITTSBURGH COURIER, October 4, 1947: JOCK'S MUSIC ROOM SLATES NEW TALENT
NEW YORK—Jock's Music Room....will tee off again this Friday with a new talent line-up. The fall festivities of the Music Room will be spiked by the Harlemaires, an instrumental and vocal group that has been creating some big talk along marquee lane.Led by pianist Chester Slater, the group just closed a successful fling in Washington. Its run here will be for four weeks with the usual option. However, come what may, the Harlemaires will not quit the big town for they already have inked for a turn at the Baby Grand. This is an unlimited engagement and may take care of the outfit's booking problem until early next year.
**************************************************************************************************************************************THE BILLBOARD, May 11, 1946: JT-HAMP-TONE'S FIRST TWO-SIDE HARRIS "HEY"
NEW YORK—Musicraft's acquisition of the Lionel and Gladys Hampton firm, Hamp-Tone Records, first reported in The Billboard April 6, was announced this week by Jefferson-Travis Corporation, owners of Musicraft. A new corporation has been formed, with Gladys Hampton as president. Stated purpose is to "provide a long-felt need for a show-window for promising Negro talent". First skedded release is a two-sided Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop, featuring Wynonie Harris.The Billboard Record Possibilities (6/27/46):
WYNONIE HARRIS — Hamp-Tone 100....
Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Parts 1 and 2) This one depends on the kind of production the new Lionel Hampton label can get from the Jefferson-Travis organization [the company that owned Musicraft Records]. If it gets any substantial amount (of play) at all, this rebop special will go. It's a cinch for the race spots and could easily join Hamp's own and the Beneke-Miller platter on over-all hit charts. All-Stars are just that and Wynonie's vocal is strickly sockeroo.(NOTE: Lionel Hampton had his own record of "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" on the Decca label. As did Tex Beneke and Glenn Miller on Victor. The song was written by Hampton along with his orchestra's "personality" drummer, Curley Hamner.)
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop Part 1" - Wynonie Harris With Hamp-Tone All Stars - Hamp-Tone 100 - 1946.
2. "Ghost Of A Chance" - Wynonie "Mr. Blues" Harris With The Harlemaires - Aladdin 196A - 1947.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
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Above Left: THE CASH BOX, April 18, 1953: RUTH REPORTS
NEW YORK—Ruth Brown reports to her New York-New Jersey disk fans on the success of her just-ended road trip with the Three B's package—Mr. B (Billy Eckstine), Ruth, and Count Basie. Interviewing the fabulous "Teardrops Girl" (whose Atlantic disking of "Mama" is currently riding high) is Jack Walker, WOV's popular night-side platter man. Walker handles the station's blues and rhythm show at 8 P.M. and then returns to the air at midnight with his "Life Begins At Midnight" chapter direct from Harlem's Palm Cafe.(Note the Atlantic 78-rpm record on the turntable and the Atlantic record sleeve nearby.)
Above Right: PITTSBURGH COURIER, June 20, 1953: BIG NAMES MAKE GOTHAM GAY
Ex-heavyweight Champ Ezzard Charles examines Singer Ruth Brown's muscles and shows surprise. It happened at the Band Box Cafe on Broadway where Ruth is headlining the show with Woody Herman. Other interested spectators include (left to right) Bandleader Lynn Hope, Blanche Calloway, who's credited with discovering Miss Brown, and King of the Baritones, Arthur Prysock.RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH, April 18, 1953: VOCALIST RUTH BROWN HEADLINES SHOW HERE
Ruth Brown, Atlantic Records singing Star, will return to her native Virginia as a headliner when "The Big Rhythm And Blues Show" is presented at City Stadium at 8:30 P.M. Saturday. Born in Portsmouth, Ruth's first singing experience was in the choir which her father directed at the Emmanuel A.M.E. Church there. But blues songs appealed to Ruth more than hymns and spirituals, despite her father's disapproval.In 1948 she broke the family ties and made an inauspicious start by being fired in Washington from Lucky Millinder’s band. Hard luck stalked her, and most of her well-meaning friends advised her to go back to her father’s choir. But after months of disappointments, she landed a job as vocalist at Washington’s Crystal Caverns, and temporarily her luck changed for the better. Blanche Calloway heard her sing and made arrangements for a debut in Harlem’s Apollo Theater and a recording session for Atlantic Records.
Then came the hardest blow of all. En route to New York by automobile, Ruth was nearly killed in a smash-up near Chester, Pa. For 10 months she was bedridden in Chester and her only consolation was the applause which fellow patients gave for her singing from a position flat on her hospital cot. Finally, when her two broken legs were sufficiently healed, Ruth finished her trip to New York. She made her recording as originally planned. Out of that first session came “So Long," and with this hit a star was born.
Since then—1949—Ruth has climbed to the top. Her roster of record hits include many "million-copy" sellers.... Buddy Johnson and his orchestra, the Clovers, Lester (Prez) Young and his band, and Wynonie (Mr. Blues) Harris will share the spotlight with Ruth Brown as headliners of the show at the Stadium. Comedian Dusty Fletcher, tap dancer Stuffy Bryant and the Edwards Sisters dance team will supplement the bill....
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Above: Label images for Atlantic 1018 and Atlantic 1027. Both front sides recorded on November 1, 1953. Both flip sides recorded on December 16, 1953. Both records were released in 1954.
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The Billboard Best Buy... Rhythm And Blues (1/23/54):
RUTH BROWN — Atlantic 1018....
Love Contest Sultry Ruth Brown has her best record since the legendary "Mama" as she socks over the story of a love contest. The beat is rhumba blues and solid. Sales should be solid too.The Billboard Review (4/17/54):
RUTH BROWN — Atlantic 1027....
Hello Little Boy (81) A frantic, exciting jump blues receives a first-rate performance from Ruth Brown over a jumping backing by the band. The chantress sells it with spirit and power, and the side has a chance to bust thru quickly due to its wild air.
If I Had Any Sense (79) The husky-voiced thrush turns in a good reading of a bright hunk of material in which she explains that it is time she returned home. The thrush sings it with a lilt and the beat is there.
(NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered "good" and 80-89 "excellent".)LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "If You Don't Want Me" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1018 - 1954.
2. "Love Contest" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1018 - 1954.
3. "If I Had Any Sense" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1027 - 1954.
4. "Hello Little Boy" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1027 - 1954.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
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Above: THE CASH BOX, April 18, 1953: BEST RHYTHM 'N BLUES FEMALE VOCALIST
At Left: FORT WORTH STAR TELEGRAM, February 28, 1954.
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Above Left: Ruth Brown, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Blanche Calloway - 1954.
Above Right: Ruth Brown and Sugar Ray Robinson - 1954.
At Left: CHICAGO TRIBUNE, April 21, 1954.
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Above Left: Label image for Atlantic 1036. Both sides were recorded on May 7, 1954. It was released in 1954. Above Right: RUTH BROWN. [This photo provided by Hans-Joachim Krohberger.]
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Above Left: THE CASH BOX, July 10, 1954.
Above Right: THE BILLBOARD, August 21, 1954.
SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER, August 8, 1954:
Ruth Brown (Atlantic Records), one of the best blues singers, has a definite hit in "Oh What A Dream". Already Mercury has cut the same tune with Patti Page doing the honors. That's very good, too, but we still prefer the Brown version, if only for the less commercial backing....WAUKESHA DAILY FREEMAN (Wisconsin), October 1, 1954: THIS IS OUTRIGHT THIEVERY!
Some time ago we wrote an item about a Nashville radio station, WLAC, and the wacky disc jockey, Gene Nobles, who plays blues and jazz, mostly by Negro performers. One of the records he pushes regularly is called "Oh What A Dream", sung by a gal named Ruth Brown.Not more than two months ago, Patti Page cut a new record called "Oh What A Dream". It was a direct steal from the Ruth Brown recording, right down to the piano and other instrumental doodling in the background....For our money, the performers who cut the records down South do a much better job. That goes double for the Ruth Brown tune.
The Billboard Review (7/17/54):
RUTH BROWN — Atlantic 1027....
Oh What A Dream (80) The thrush has a potent disking here that could put her back on top of the heap with exposure. The tune is a powerful ballad and she sings it with a lot of feeling supported solidly by a male vocal group. This side has a real chance; watch it.
Please Don't Freeze (79) Ruth Brown socks across the swinging rumba blues with a lot of power, over pounding support from a male vocal group and a solid rhythm combo. Side is in the tradition of some of the thrush's big hits and this one could break thru, too. Two good sides.
(NOTE: A ratings range of 70-79 was considered "good" and 80-89 "excellent".)(NOTE: The label credits "Her Rhythmakers", but the vocal group on both sides is actually The Drifters.)
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "Oh What A Dream" - Ruth Brown And Her Rhythmakers - Atlantic 1036 - 1954.
2. "Please Don't Freeze" - Ruth Brown And Her Rhythmakers - Atlantic 1036 - 1954.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
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Above Left: RUTH BROWN.
Above Right: RUTH BROWN performing on stage.
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Above Left: THE CASH BOX, November 13, 1954: GOOD NEWS
NEW YORK—Some of the top R&B wax stars gather at the After Hours Record Shop in the Harlem section of this city, to get the good news on the standing of their latest releases from The Cash Box. Front: (left to right) Lucky Thompson; Archie Moore; Flaps Hanford; Ruth Brown; and Willis Jackson. Rear: Joe Holiday; Joel Turnero; Monte Bruce; and Willie Winfield, lead voice of the Harptones.(NOTE: Lucky Thompson and Joe Holiday were both orchestra leaders and tenor sax players. Archie Moore was light heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Flaps Hanford owned the After Hours Record Store and Flaps Recording Company [After Hours and Chariot labels]. Joel Turnero owned Terrific Tunes [a talent agency] and was a New Jersey DeeJay. Monte Bruce owned the Bruce Records label, for which The Harptones recorded.)
Above Right: NEW YORK AGE, August 7, 1954: LOVE FINDS A WAY
At a gala "Going Away Party" for Vivian Brown Jackson, third from left, at Shalimar last Thursday night, hundreds of cafe society topnotchers came to pay their best wishes to the glamorous twin (Brown Twins), who leaves New York this week for San Francisco where she is soon to be married to Dr. Herbie Henderson. Pictured here are Nell Thompson, Gertrude Gibson (L. A. Sentinel), Vivian, Luther "Red" Randolph, Hada Brown, and blues singer Ruth Brown. This will be the first time in four years that the Brown Twins have been separated, but Love Will Find A Way.(NOTE: The Brown Twins, Vivian and Marian, were identical twins. Marion later moved to San Francisco to re-join Vivian.)
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Above Left: Label image for Atlantic 1044. This side recorded on August 11, 1954 and the flip on May 7, 1954. The record was released in 1954. Ruth is backed by "Her Rhythmakers" on both sides, but on the flip, "Somebody Touched Me", they are actually The Drifters. Above Right: Label image for Atlantic 1051. This side recorded on November 1, 1954 and the flip on August 11, 1954. The record was released in 1954. The labels for both sides show "And Her Rhythmakers", but they are only heard on the flip "Bye Bye Young Men".
"Singleton-McCoy" are shown as composers on three of the label images on this page and "McCoy" is again shown as a co-composer on a fourth label. They are Charles Singleton and Rose Marie McCoy, who were a song-writing team from 1954 to the early 1960s. They were both, especially McCoy, prolific composers for many of the top stars of the time, mostly black artists.
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Above Left: THE BILLBOARD, October 2, 1954.
Above Right: THE BILLBOARD, January 1, 1955.
The Billboard Review Spotlight (10/2/54):
RUTH BROWN — Atlantic 1044....
Mambo Baby (84) and Somebody Touched Me (84)
Ruth Brown, now riding high with "What A Dream", has what could be a two-sided hit here. Top side is a sparkling mambo, with an engaging beat and a solid vocal by the thrush. Flip is a bright rhythm tune with another strong vocal. Real coin-grabbers, these.
(NOTE: A ratings range of 80-89 was considered "excellent".)The Billboard Review Spotlight (1/1/55):
RUTH BROWN — Atlantic 1051....
Bye Bye, Young Men and Ever Since My Baby's Been Gone
Ruth Brown swings back on a lively rhythm kick with a sock reading of "Young Men". She also does a near-perfect job with the tender ballad on the flip. The thrush is mighty hot these days, and both sides should keep her up there.The Billboard Best Buy (1/22/55):
RUTH BROWN — Atlantic 1051....
Bye Bye, Young Men Coming up at a brisk clip, this record is beginning to take on promising proportions. Best sales reports to date have come from New England, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville, Atlanta, and St. Louis.LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "Mambo Baby" - Ruth Brown And Her Rhythmakers - Atlantic 1044 - 1954.
2. "Somebody Touched Me" - Ruth Brown And Her Rhythmakers - Atlantic 1044 - 1954.
3. "Ever Since My Baby's Been Gone" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1051 - 1954.
4. "Bye Bye Young Men" - Ruth Brown And Her Rhythmakers - Atlantic 1051 - 1954.ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.
NOTE: Most discographical information provided at this website is from Ferdie Gonzalez' Disco-File.
Listen to all this week's selections using Windows Media Player:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "Mend Your Ways" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 993 - 1953.
2. "Wild Wild Young Men" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 993 - 1953.
3. "I Would If I Could" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1005 - 1953.
4. "The Tears Keep Tumbling Down" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1005 - 1953.
5. "Money Honey" - Clyde McPhatter And The Drifters - Atlantic 1006 - 1953.
6. "The Way I Feel" - Clyde McPhatter And The Drifters - Atlantic 1006 - 1953.
7. "Soul On Fire" - LaVerne Baker - Atlantic 1004 - 1953.
8. "Only You" - Billy Eckstine With Pied Pipers - M-G-M 11984 - 1955.
9. "Stand Back And Smile" - Buddy Johnson Orchestra (Vocal By Ella Johnson And Ensemble) - Decca 8632 A - 1942.
10. "Rose Of The Rio Grande" - The Harmonaires - Atlantic 856 - 1948.
11. "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop Part 1" - Wynonie Harris With Hamp-Tone All Stars - Hamp-Tone 100 - 1946.
12. "Ghost Of A Chance" - Wynonie 'Mr. Blues' Harris With The Harlemaires - Aladdin 196A - 1947.
13. "If You Don't Want Me" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1018 - 1954.
14. "Love Contest" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1018 - 1954.
15. "If I Had Any Sense" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1027 - 1954.
16. "Hello Little Boy" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1027 - 1954.
17. "Oh What A Dream" - - Ruth Brown And Her Rhythmakers - Atlantic 1018 - 1954.
18. "Please Don't Freeze" - - Ruth Brown And Her Rhythmakers - Atlantic 1018 - 1954.
19. "Mambo Baby" - Ruth Brown And Her Rhythmakers - Atlantic 1044 - 1954.
20. "Somebody Touched Me" - Ruth Brown And Her Rhythmakers - Atlantic 1044 - 1954.
21. "Ever Since My Baby's Been Gone" - Ruth Brown - Atlantic 1051 - 1954.
22. "Bye Bye Young Men" - Ruth Brown And Her Rhythmakers - Atlantic 1051 - 1954.
ALL TWENTY-TWO ABOVE SONGS played in sequence.
ALL FOURTEEN SONGS ABOVE BY RUTH BROWN played in sequence.
[To download audio files, right-click on song title link and then select "Save link (target) as..."]
CLICK HERE for SPOTLIGHT ON RUTH BROWN - PART ONE (1949-1952).
CLICK HERE for SPOTLIGHT ON RUTH BROWN - PART THREE (1955-1956).
(Above links will open in separate windows)
