SPOTLIGHT ON THE BEALE STREET BOYS!
"Teach Me, Teach Me, Baby" (MGM 10141-A)
"Wedding Bells" (MGM 10197-A)
"Home" (MGM 10273-B)
all by The Beale Street Boys
all released in 1948
Above Left: Sheet music photo of The Beale Street Boys, consisting of William Barnes (1st tenor), Bob Davis (2nd tenor), James Pugh (baritone), and David Pugh (bass). This may be the same group that had two releases on the OBA label in 1960 (writer's credits on at least one side of each disc show the name Bob Davis). It is unclear, however, when the OBA sides were actually recorded. (This photo is courtesy of George Moonoogian. Thanks, George!)Above Right: "Teach Me, Teach Me, Baby", their first of four releases on the MGM label (1948-49). They need "schooling" to "be good when they're bad". Kind of an early version of The De Castro Sisters' "Teach Me Tonight". The label states "sing and play".. did they each play an instrument? There is clearly a piano, guitar, and bass fiddle on these recordings.
Above Left: "Wedding Bells", their second release on MGM. David Pugh does a very nice bass lead on this standard tune, including 'talking' parts at the opening and further into the song.Above Right: "Home", their third release on MGM. There is nice harmony on this ballad, including a change of tempo in the middle of the song.
Click on an option below to listen to "Teach Me, Teach Me, Baby" using Windows Media Player.
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(file size=454KB)Click on an option below to listen to "Wedding Bells" using Windows Media Player.
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(file size=433KB)Click on an option below to listen to "Home" using Windows Media Player.
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(file size=449KB)Click HERE to listen (streaming)to all three sides in sequence.
[Audio restoration for all above by Dave Saviet.]
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