"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" - The Merry Macs (1942)

Today is the 73^rd Anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and it may not seem so special. But in a way it is. The attack took place on a Sunday morning; just like today; making it especially poignant when the occasion does fall on a Sunday every 7 years or so.

This song is probably my first real remembrance of Pearl Harbor as recent history. I’ve often said that being brought up in Brooklyn was like being brought up in the shadow of World War Two. So many of the records in our house were 78 RPM’s like the Andrew Sisters doing “Don’t Sit under the Apple Tree” and others just like it; all about sacrifice and faith. This record was a bit different and really appealed to me at the age of 5.

The story I first heard about this song; which is disputed; is a colorful one and involves Doris “Dorie” Miller, the first American to fire a shot at the Japanese in World War Two. He was an African-American steward aboard the USS West Virginia when he saw the gunner knocked out of action and took his place. It was; and still is; a thrilling story. It really fired my imagination and burned the lyrics into my mind forever.

Now that story may, or may not be true as it relates to Mr. Miller’s participation in the birth of this song; but that is of little matter. The real story of what he did was a giant leap forward for African-American sailors of the era, who were relegated to Mess duties and Laundries. He set a new example and was awarded the Navy Cross for his action manning a .50 caliber gun for about 15 minutes; untrained; until ordered to abandon ship. It is actually believed that he hit one of the planes; making it the first Japanese casualty of World War Two. That’s quite a story. And it’s true.

The other, more accredited version is of Chaplain Forgy aboard the USS New Orleans. He is actually credited; by witnesses;  as being the guy who said, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.” Either story may be the truth; and the above version of the song by the Merry Macs may be the original; but here is the song as I first remember hearing it; the later Kay Keyser version. The illustration at the beginning is actually the cover of the sheet music which my mother had, along with the recording.

   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUOPvtVZwo8

And here are the lyrics by Frank Loesser;

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

And we'll all stay free

Praise the Lord and swing into position

Can't afford to be a politician

Praise the Lord, we're all between perdition

And the deep blue sea

Yes, the sky pilot said it, you gotta give him credit

For a son of a gun of a gunner was he

Shouting, 'Praise the Lord, we're on a mighty mission

All aboard, we ain't a-goin' fishin'

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

And we'll all stay free'

Praise the Lord

(Praise the Lord)

And pass the ammunition

Praise the Lord

(Praise the Lord)

And pass the ammunition

Praise the Lord

(Praise the Lord)

And pass the ammunition

And we'll all stay free

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

And we'll all stay free

"Why Don't Ya' Do Right?" ("Weed Smoker's Dream") - Benny Goodman with Peggy Lee (1943)

This song is on just about all the CD’s in my car. It fits in well in any of the odd compilations I listen to. On one CD it can be heard between something by Ten Years After and Gillian Welch. On another it comes on at the end of “Maybe This Time” by Liza Minnelli and then followed by Abbott and Costello doing their best version of “Who’s on First.” It turns up again and again.

It’s not just the music that has held sway me on this one. Many times it’s that “back story” which adds something to the song, or just makes hearing it remind you of the story that goes with it. This is one that gets me on both levels; it’s a terrific song and a great story as well!

I love comparing the original versions of songs with their more famous ones. Take the song “I left My Heart in San Francisco” as an example. The Tony Bennett version is the most beloved. But my favorite is the live version by Dean Martin. As far as I’m concerned; and I know most people will disagree with me; he owns that song. But, I’m losing time here. Let’s get back to the “backstory” behind Benny Goodman’s version of “Why Don’t You Do Right (Like Some Other Men Do)”.

The song was never one which interested Mr. Goodman at all. It was recorded by the Harlem Hamfats on Decca Records in Chicago back in 1936. Written by Kansas Joe McCoy and Herb Moran it was originally titled “Weed Smoker’s Dream” with a subtitle of “Why Don’t You Do Now?” Lil Green recorded it a few years later as slow bluesy song which bears no real resemblance to Ms. Green’s recording.

That record became a favorite of Peggy Lee’s and she would blast it from her dressing room each night before the show. It was like a warmup for her. At first Mr. Benny was kind of annoyed with the repetition of the record night after night as he worked on arrangements for the band. Then one night he knocked on Ms. Lee’s dressing room door.

“You like that song a lot don’t you?”, he reportedly asked. “I sure do.” She is said to have replied. “Fine”, said Mr. Goodman, “I’ll have an arrangement made for you.” Then he went back to his dressing room and she went back to listening to the Lil Green record.

By July 27, 1942 they were in the studio recording the song in a slightly faster version of Ms. Green’s.  This would become the signature arrangement for this iconic song, which is still a staple of big band enthusiasts today. It’s also heard in some of the finer restaurants. Places where you hear “Black and Blue” by Louis Armstrong, or “Begin the Beguine” by Artie Shaw’s Orchestra.

At any rate, the record sold 1 million copies in a few short weeks, and though it only hit #4 on Billboard; which was a bit short of Mr. Goodman’s usual #1 recordings; it did become one of his most requested live numbers. It also served to bring Peggy Lee to the public’s attention. Her voice was more full and sensuous than most singers of the era; with the exception of Lena Horne, who defines both those terms.

In some respects this recording was the beginning of Ms. Lee’s long career as a solo artist. Indeed, she re-recorded it as a solo artist in 1947 after leaving Mr. Goodman’s band in 1943. She married the guitar player Dave Barbour; you have to watch out for the guitar players. But her performance of this song; especially on film; kept her in the public eye, and in 1947 she returned to recording with a new arrangement of the song. The one in my car is the same live version as above from the 1943 film "Stage Door Canteen".

Well, that’s the story that I enjoy so much that I had to share it. Probably seems a bit tame; no tricks involved. But here are the other 2 earlier version of the recording by Lil Green and the Harlem Hamfats. I’ve placed the Lil Green version first as it is at least recognizable. The Harlem Hamfats version will take a little effort to listen to.

Here is the 1941 recording by Lil Green, which is a bit slower than the Benny Goodman arrangement;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oavQY5V0xpg

And this is the original recording by the Harlem Hamfats. Aside from some signature hooks and phrases the song is almost unrecognizable from the later versions recorded by Ms. Green and Ms. Lee;

"Against All Odds" by Eddie Ray (2012)

 

I just finished reading “Against All Odds” by Eddie Ray. It was fantastic. In understated tones, he has delivered a living portrait of a time, though long gone, which still influences us until this very day. The book is all about taking chances and trusting your instincts in order to help make your dreams come true. It's the story of a family, raised in segregation, and yet still successful by virtue of hard work. And lastly, it's the story of one man's continuing search to define who he is and how the hell he got to be where he is today. In short, it was a pleasure to read.

I would never exchange my own life for someone else’s experiences; I’m fairly satisfied with my own; but I would have loved to have been along for the ride with Eddie Ray on his journey. In the same bold, yet somehow humble, fashion which has marked his incredible career in the music business, noted A & R (artists and repertoire) man Eddie Ray has penned a very impressive memoir. As he puts it, the book covers his journey from the “stockroom” at Decca Records; where he began his work as a shipping clerk; and his time at Aladdin Records, working for Leo and Eddie Messner; to the Boardrooms of America’s largest record companies; becoming the first African-American hired as a major executive of a major record company; in his case, Capitol Records in the mid 1960’s. In between those years he was interacting with some of the most famous of the Rhythm and Blues acts; including Fats Domino and Irma Thomas. It was while working with Ms. Thomas that the Rolling Stones did a cover version of her record “Time Is on My Side”, which cemented their place in the “British Invasion”.

His descriptions of traveling in the Jim Crow south with Fats Domino will have you scratching your head in disbelief, as they were relegated to eating bologna and cheese sandwiches behind grocery stores because no one would serve a “colored” man. The juke box inside might be playing “Blueberry Hill”, but you couldn’t buy a piece of blueberry pie if you were a black man. Not even if you had the number 1 record!

Filled with glimpses into the life of an African-American man in the days before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the author takes the time to explain the history of the music he promoted. What is rock and roll? Where did it come from, and how did it evolve? In this slim 200 page book the author has provided us with some of the answers to those questions.

Mr. Ray also chronicles his service on the President’s Copyright Tribunal in the early 1980’s under the Reagan Administration. Every artist today owes Mr. Ray a debt for the fair share they receive from their work. He redefined what constitutes a “performance”,  and how much a performer got paid for the recordings and films they had made. With technology changing, this was groundbreaking stuff.

The book begins far away from Franklin, North Carolina in 1926, where Mr. Ray was born. By cleverly starting in his later years, Mr. Ray incites the reader’s curiosity about just who he is and where he came from. His parents were hard working, literate people. There was a radio in their home on which Mr. Ray and his mother would listen to the Gospel shows on weekends. Reading was something which was revered. And when it came time to go to high school; which was not possible in Franklin back then; he went to Laurinburg Institute in the Eastern part of North Carolina to obtain a high school diploma. Later, at age 50, after having made a success of himself, he even went to college and obtained his degree. He describes it as one of the proudest moments of his life.

In his early years Mr. Ray was always encouraged by his parents to do his best; and more importantly, to pay no heed to the limitations placed upon him by the color of his skin. A man will be what he wills himself to be seems to be the attitude imbued in the author at an early age.

From his summer jobs working with tobacco, and also at a ball bearing plant in Connecticut, Mr. Ray got his first look at New York City, and the lighted marquees bearing the names of all the famous acts of the day. He vowed to come back there someday with a creation of his own. From such dreams, reality grows…

After a 120 day stint in the US Army was behind him, he set off to discover what he was really meant to do. Arriving in Los Angeles on his 19^th birthday, working as a dish washer, Mr. Ray seems almost to have accidentally fallen into his profession. Living in a skid row room while washing dishes made him hunger for more in life; and the music industry was where he would find it.

The story of Mr. Ray’s accomplishments; and how they have even affected you as a listener of music; is one that I highly recommend. It is at once, a history of the music industry as it pertains to artist’s rights and royalties; and also the story of a man searching for ways to repay the kindness which was shown to him by others on his way up the ladder.

His accounts of the artists he has handled are far more than I can name here. So, let’s just say that if you were listening to just about anything in the 1960’s, Mr. Ray had his hand in it somewhere. And, he is not shy about his “misses” either. He describes how he lost Janis Joplin and Michael Jackson to other labels by mere days.

But, more than all of the above; more than all of the awards and accolades he has received; as if those things wouldn’t be enough to constitute a book all on their own; Mr. Ray has written a portrait of his own search for the meaning behind it all. And you know what? I think he has found it. This is a terrific book.

For more about Mr. Ray, or the NC Music Hall of Fame, use the following links;

www.eddieraymusicman.com.

http://www.amazon.com/Against-All-Odds-Remarkable-Story/dp/1478213477

http://northcarolinamusichalloffame.org/

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2012/10/eddie-ray-against-all-odds_1.html