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Thursday, March 25, 2021

LaVern Baker...The Essential Recordings...40 tracks

 

Delores LaVern Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American R'n'B singer who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedle Dee" (1955), "Jim Dandy" (1956), and "I Cried a Tear" (1958).

Baker began singing in Chicago clubs such as the Club DeLisa around 1946, often billed as Little Miss Sharecropper, and first recorded under that name in 1949. She changed her name briefly to Bea Baker when recording for Okeh Records in 1951 and then was billed as LaVern Baker when she sang with Todd Rhodes and his band in 1952.

In 1953 she signed with Atlantic Records as a solo artist, her first release being "Soul on Fire". Her first hit came in early 1955, with the Latin-tempo "Tweedle Dee", which reached number 4 on the R&B chart and number 14 on the national US pop chart. Georgia Gibbs recorded a note-for-note cover of the song, which reached number 1; subsequently Baker made an unsuccessful attempt to sue her and petitioned Congress to consider such covers copyright violations.

Baker had a succession of hits on the R'n'B charts over the next couple of years with her backing group, the Gliders, including "Bop-Ting-a-Ling" (number 3 R&B), "Play It Fair" (number 2 R&B), and "Still" (number 4 R&B). At the end of 1956 she had another hit with "Jim Dandy" (number 1 R&B, number 17 pop), which sold over one million copies and was certified as a gold disc. Further hits followed for Atlantic, including the follow-up "Jim Dandy Got Married" (number 7 R&B), "I Cried a Tear" (number 2 R&B, number 6 pop in 1958, with sax by King Curtis), "I Waited Too Long" (number 5 R&B, number 3 pop, written by Neil Sedaka), "Saved" (number 17 R&B, written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller), and "See See Rider" (number 9 R&B in 1963). In addition to singing, she did some work with Ed Sullivan and Alan Freed on TV and in films, including Rock, Rock, Rock and Mr. Rock & Roll. In 1964, she recorded a Bessie Smith tribute album. She then left Atlantic for Brunswick Records, for which she recorded the album Let Me Belong to You.

In 1990 Baker was among the first eight recipients of the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. In 1991, she became the second female solo artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, following Aretha Franklin in 1987. Her song "Jim Dandy" was named one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll and was ranked number 343 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. 


 LaVern Baker 1

 LaVern Baker 2

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Monday, March 1, 2021

Gene Summers...The Ultimate School of Rock'n'Roll

 

Gene Summers, born David Eugene Summers (January 3, 1939 – February 17, 2021), was an American rock'n'roll/rockabilly singer. His recordings include "School of Rock 'n Roll", "Straight Skirt", "Nervous", "Gotta Lotta That", "Twixteen", "Alabama Shake", "Fancy Dan" and his biggest-selling single "Big Blue Diamonds". Summers was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1997 and The Southern Legends Entertainment & Performing Arts Hall of Fame in 2005. He still performed worldwide and celebrated his 50th anniversary as a recording artist in 2008 with the release of Reminisce Cafe. 

...more on wikipedia HERE

                                                 Gene Summers

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1     School Of Rock & Roll     2:04
2     Nervous     2:22
3     Straight Skirts     1:56
4     Gotta Lotta That     2:05
5     I'll Never Be Lonely     2:14
6     Twixteen     1:51
7     Someone Somewhere     2:36
8     Alabama Shake     1:53
9     Almost Persuaded     1:58
10     You Said You Love Me     2:06
11     Dance Dance Dance     1:53
12     If You Don't Come Home     1:49
13     Just Because     2:01
14     Fancy Dan     1:58
15     Big Blue Diamonds     2:23
16     Someone Somewhere     2:43
17     Almost 12 O'Clock     1:44
18     The Push     2:04
19     The Great Pretender     2:05
20     Broken Dreams     2:29
21     Alabama Shake     1:44
22     The Clown     2:04
23     World Of Illusion     2:25
24     Cloudy Day     2:18
25     Who Stole The Marker (From The Grave Of Bonnie Parker)?     2:36
26     Goodbye Priscilla (Bye Bye Baby Blue)     2:22
27     Suzie Q     2:28
28     Baby Are You Kiddin'     1:32
29     Twixteen     2:12
30     Nervous     2:24
31     Rockaboogie Shake     1:34
32     Gotta Lotta That     2:13