"Maybe" - Two Versions of One Song

One of my favorite R&B songs is "Maybe", which was recorded by the Chantels in 1957. The song was written by Arlene Smith and producer Richard Barrett. It went on to become a huge hit for the group, selling over one million copies, which made them the first "girl" group to accomplish this feat. They are considered to be one of the earliest of the "all girl" groups, which would eventually spawn acts such as The Cookies, The Supremes, and The Shangri-Las, to name only a few. The influence of these goups also spread into the Rock and Roll genre, with artists like The Beatles covering songs such as The Cookies version of "Chains", which had been written by Carole King.

By the late 1960's even Janis Joplin was covering some of the best songs of the 1930's through the 60's. "Summertime" by Cole Porter comes to mind, as does "Little Girl Blue" by Rodgers and Hart. But one of my favorite covers by her was when she did "Maybe" on the "I Got Them Ol' Kozmic Blues Again, Mama" album. She infused that song with the blues, pure and simple. I have both versions on my flash drive, back to back, and sometimes even I have to stop and marvel at the two interpretations of this great song. There is also another live version of this song, by Janis Joplin, from the Dick Cavett Show, which left the audience near tears. This version is from Germany in 1969.

And this is a link to an interview with Arlene Smith, which I hope you will find interesting;

http://www.classicbands.com/ChantelsInterview.html

"Say Hey Willie" - The Treniers w/ Willie Mays (1954)

Today is the 50^th anniversary of Willie Mays 512^th homerun. It should come as no surprise that he did this just 2 days before his 34^th birthday as May seems to have been a significant month for the man some called “the Say Hey Kid.”

In addition to the two highlights of having been born in the merry month of May; and hitting that legendary homerun; which I remember making headlines; May is also the month in which he first became a Major League player. On May 25^th, 1951 he became a member of the New York Giants; and except for a 2 year stint with the Army during the Korean War; he saw no combat, serving in Fort Eustis; he would remain with them even making the move to San Francisco in 1958. He played with them until 1972 when he came “home” to New York and the Mets.

Born in Alabama, his father played for the company team where he worked, and his love of sports was not lost on young Willie. He played multiple sports in High School before playing in the Negro Minor League for such teams as the Chattanooga Choo Choos and the Birmingham Black Barons. His team even made it to the Negro League World Series in 1948, due in a large part to his efforts.

But it’s his May 4, 1965 homerun which I will always remember. I’m not a huge baseball fan, but I have a sense of history. When the game was being played that day I was aware; as were most kids my age; that Willie stood a chance at breaking a record. And break one he did; hitting his 512^th homer, breaking Mel Ott’s record. He would go on to finish his career with a very impressive 660 homers; putting him in 3^rd place for most homers, last time I checked…

This record is one of many which came out about him during his career. My favorite was by a local group out of San Francisco called “The Amazing Willie Mays”, which I have been unable to locate anywhere. But the recording above should give you a good idea of the excitement which Willie Mays generated wherever he went. He was ; after all is said and done; one of the greats of baseball. And yes, that is Willie Mays performing on the recording with the Treniers. 

"Chapel of Love" - The Dixie Cups (1964)

Your eyes are not deceiving you; that’s the wrong record cover for the song you’re listening to. But the reason I posted it has nothing to do with the obvious error. Rather, I have posted this simply because it may be the best stereo version of this song I have ever heard.

Take it out to the car and listen to it with the sound up and the windows closed tightly. The hi-hat is right there, the bass is thumping and the vocals are out front. The whole car; as well as your body; seems to react to it.  I don’t know if this has been re-mastered but the quality is overwhelming.

Now, think about the first time that you ever heard this song. Most likely it was on a transistor radio, or in the car on a dashboard speaker. Both very low quality. But your reaction was the same; you simply couldn’t help but respond to this song.

Now, try this little experiment. You’re in the car. One of your favorite songs is playing. Turn the bass down to zero and do the same with the treble. Now listen. It’s still pretty good.  That’s when I want you to turn off the rear speakers. Then turn the balance to one side only. This is how you used to listen to most music; on one speaker with almost no tone controls. And the music was really good!

Over the years this has become kind of a test for me whenever I listen to new music. I subject it to the single speaker, six transistor, and dashboard car radio speaker test. You know what? When I did that with this version of “Chapel of Love” I ended up singing along even louder than when listening to it in stereo surround sound. Or maybe I could just hear myself better. 

Jack Benny's Golden Memories of Radio - (1966)

For decades I have had this album and been meaning to convert it to mp3 so that I can listen to it in the car. Somehow, I just never got around to it. This album is a six LP collection which was designed to be played on an old hi-fi with a spindle. For those too young to know what that is I’ll explain.

Each of the records are numbered from 1-6, but the sides are numbered in accordance with the they will be heard when you placed them; all six at one time; on the “spindle”, which gently dropped the next LP into place when the previous one had finished playing. I’ll bet you didn't know we had something like that back in the old days. When you finished with the first 6 sides, you simply flipped the whole stack over and finished the last 6. In this fashion you were able to listen to about 3 hours of music uninterrupted,

This collection was recorded on “virgin” vinyl, which was a grade superior to the material used for pop records put out by the commercial record companies. Those were “hit” recordings which might last a year or two in the minds of the public before being forgotten. So, the extra expense went into the making of “classical” records, and “jazz”, both of which were considered to be of more importance than popular music.

The reminiscing begins with George Burns and Gracie Allen, and continues with highlights from every show imaginable in radio history. Then the  action shifts to the radios emergence as a means of communicating the news, with the results of the first Presidential Election being broadcast, to the Hindenburg disaster and even Pearl Harbor, as evidence of the world’s growing reliance on the radio to keep them informed.

This album is a unique audio way of looking back on the history of the times in which the broadcasts were made. There is the abdication of King Edward, the Coronation of King George VI, and even the last broadcast from Corregidor, which was sent by a fellow from Brooklyn who lived near Flatbush Avenue. He says goodbye to his mother and wishes he had a Hershey bar just before the line goes dead. He survived the war and is even interviewed on the record about those last moments.

The world of sports is not ignored in either. There is the Dempsey-Tunney fight; or Schemling defeating Joe Louis; and then the return match, where the “Brown Bomber” wins the match and the hearts of his fellow countrymen. Jesse Owens at the Olympics and even Lou Gehrig’s famous goodbye are also included here.

From news to entertainment, this album delivers. There’s a lot of history, and hence education involved in listening to this collection of the Golden Years of Radio. One of the best things is that you can listen to it; or even download it; for free in about 7 minutes. I don’t know the who; or the why; behind this, but I am happy to share the link with you, in the hope that you will actually listen to this fantastic collection of radio history.

http://archive.org/details/JackBennysGoldenMemoriesOfRadio

"The Last Sultan" by Robert Greenfield (2011)

Robert Greenfield has done a masterful job in this sprawling biography of both Ahmet Ertegun and Atlantic Records. As a matter of fact, the stories of the two are almost inseparable. Author Robert Greenfield, using the words of many of Mr. Ertegun’s friends and business associates has put all of the stories, and history, together in a most readable manner.

From his birth in 1923 to an aristocratic family in the last days of the Ottoman Empire, to ruling over his own fiefdom in the music industry, Ahmet Ertegun was a man who loved to tell stories and live life fully. He was also one of the most beloved men in an industry filled with back stabbers. A hard negotiator when necessary, he could also be enormously generous to the artists who signed contracts with him and his label, Atlantic Records.

Mr. Greenfield does a thorough job of acquainting the reader with Mr. Ertegun’s background and how he came to America. Then he begins the real story of how this man’s love for black music, at a time when Jim Crow still reigned supreme in the South, built an empire consisting of some of the greatest musical talent of the time.

Whether he was down South, or roaming the streets of New York, London, or Los Angeles, he was always in touch with the rhythm of the “scene”. He had a natural “ear” for what was good or bad. In short, he had his fingers on the pulse of a generation, and he used that insight to bring some of the greatest music to the forefront of our lives.

From his very beginnings in the record business, until the end of his storied career, he knew no color, unless it was green. A man of many contradictions he would buy his suits of the rack for a hundred bucks, and then have them re-cut by a hotel tailor for 50 bucks more. And, even with that strategy he managed to make the list of the 10 Best Dressed Men at least 5 years in a row.

From his relationships with Bobby Darin, Professor Longhair and Ray Charles; whom he lost to another label; to his “scouting” out new talent, the man was a visionary. He helped to propel Steve Stills, of Buffalo Springfield fame, to the top of the charts; and then was instrumental in putting together Crosby, Stills and Nash. His friendships with Phil Spector, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie are well known, but in Mr. Greenfield’s hands these stories seem to come alive.

One of the most illuminating parts of this book concerned the Payola scandal, in which record companies were accused of paying disc jockeys to play their records. The federal government got involved and all the record companies were coerced into signing an agreement with the government barring this type of conduct in the future. Only two companies refused to sign. One was Chess, and the other was Atlantic. Their mutual attorney, Paul Marshall, argued correctly, that the original charges used to ruin Alan Freed’s career were baseless. The charges all hinged on the belief that all gratuities paid to the disc jockey belonged to the stations. Mr. Marshall countered that these “gifts” were merely “tips”, and if tipping was not in violation of the disc jockey’s terms of employment, then no crime had been committed.

He further argued that since the crime of payola, which stated that it “consisted of changing and affecting public taste”, did not apply when the disc jockey, or artist were already known. Since they were already recognized by the public, no change in taste could be affected. I found this section particularly interesting.

From race records to pop music, Ahmet Ertegun affected a whole generation of music lovers, leaving behind a whole world of music. His presence, at a time and place when social mores were changing, left us with years and years of music to enjoy. And that’s not a bad legacy at all. Filled with stories about almost every artist you can imagine, this book will leave you very satisfied, as well as a bit more knowledgeable about the music industry in general.