Musical Episode #002: You Ain’t Too Cool

“You Ain’t Too Cool” An hour of Soul and R&B 45s

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Just in from a digging trip to Chicago I got home with a massive box of 45s and I was eager to listen to a lot of my finds (no listening stations in stores, no portable) and of course the first thing to happen when I get home is the power goes out for 2.5 days!  As a result, despite this new cache of wax, I didn’t include too much of that stuff, but I got a ton of great sides and made my pilgrimage to the Dusty Groove brick and mortar spot which was great.

Today’s serving of bumpin and thumpin draws heavily on Northern tracks, with some funk(y) tracks sprinkled in the middle and closing up with some R&B.  The JJ Barnes and Radiants track that open the mix are both standard bearers of their respective cities, JJ’s clap/tambourine beat couldn’t scream Detroit more loudly if it had a wall of Man O War amps and The Radiants track has all the hallmarks of Chicago with the falsetto vocals, trading off leads and delicate handling of the arrangements. 

The Ikettes and Barbara George sauce things up a little with the horns turning from soft to vamping and introduce us to a little of the New Orleans flavor.  The Sister and Brothers also hail from Louisiana and drop some seriously killer funk/soul with their ‘Yeah, You Right.’  Adding to the gumbo there’s a nice Lee Dorsey Track and Marie ‘Queenie’ Lyons, who though raised in NYC, was born and recorded in Louisiana.  Bettye Swann another transplant was from Louisiana but relocated to Los Angeles where she recorded some (of my favorite) sides.  Irma Thomas also fits this transplant mold that is coming to shape here, being a NO staple but recording this side of decidedly Stax inspired beauty for the Chess label.

Linda Jones and Willie Mitchell are the two tracks who are geographically dislocated here but it doesn’t mean they aren’t welcome additions to the mix, Willie bringing his rager of a track “That Driving Beat” that feels more at home in the Jr. Walker vein than the restrained Hi-Records sounds we’re used to hearing from him.  The Linda Jones track would be comfortable coming out of any number of studios over a pretty wide swath of time so it’s fine with me we share the love with the coastal Mid-Atlantic. The flip to this record is just as legit and def worth your time if you come across it.

Sprinkled in for good measure are a few other instrumental movers and shakers; the classic Phil Upchurch anthem “You Can’t Sit Down”, a nice groover from Cash McCall (picked that up in Chicago this past week), a record I hadn’t seen before by the memorably named “Robert, Ron & Eddie” (sounds more like dudes around a cooler than a band), Otis Spann’s freakout “Walking” featuring the smooth dudes Fleetwood Mac showing their teeth and The Interpretations rave up “Snap-Out”.

The last batch of records gets us rolling and rocking with Johnny Rivers’ cover of the Willie Dixon song (made famous by Willie Mabon!) Seventh Son, similarly unusual, we have Ruth Brown reprising her hit “Mama…” which was an early hit for her on Atlantic almost 10 years later on the Phillips label, Andre Williams drops some greasy moralizing in Cadillac Jack in a way that makes it seem like he could just breath songs like this without even trying.  I really like how chill the Willie Mabon track is, like it’s missing the deep gut in some of the other R&B tracks but not in a way that’s lacking punch, it’s more conversational and relaxed.  The mix wraps up with an absolute scorcher by Donoman and the Lakettes doing “Here Comes The Fool” a track I never ever tire of listening to, no matter what my mood.

Alright everyone, I’m going to go back to thawing my toes.  Hope you enjoy.

-George / Snack Attack

Tracklist:

J.J. Barnes “Please Let Me In” (Ric Tic, 1965)
The Radiants “Voice Your Choice” (Chess, 1964)
The Ikettes “Don’t Feel Sorry For Me” (Modern, 1965)
Barbara George “If You Think” (Sue, 1962)
The Accents “New Girl” (M-Pac!, 1964)
Robert, Ron & Eddie “Love Potion #9” (UniSFERE, 1968)
Sister & Brothers “Yeah, You Right” (Uni, 1969)
Marie “Queenie” Lyons “See And Don’t See” (De Luxe, 1970)
Bettye Swann “Don’t Take My Mind” (Money, 1967)
Irma Thomas “Cheater Man” (Chess, 1967)
Linda Jones “I Can’t Stop Loving My Baby” (Loma, 1967)
Lee Dorsey “Behind The 8 Ball” (Fury, 1962)
Cash Mc Call “You Ain’t Too Cool” (Thomas, 1966)
Willie Mitchell “That Driving Beat” (Hi, 1966)
Otis Spann “Walking” (Blue Horizon, 1969)
The Interpretations “Snap-Out” (Bell, 1969)
Phil Upchurch Combo “You Can’t Sit Down” (Boyd, 1961)
Johnny Rivers “Seventh Son” (Imperial, 1965)
Ruth Brown “Mama (He Treats Your Daughter Mean)” (Phillips, 1962)
Willie Mabon “Too Hot To Handle” (USA, 1963)
Andre Williams “Cadillac Jack” (Chess, 1968)
Donoman and the Lakettes “Here Comes The Fool” (Thunderbird, 1960)

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