Great two-sider from New Orleans’ Watch Records

• Listen to this song on youtube: That’s All She Left Me, Here You Come Again
• Listen to these 45s in a Spotify playlist here  with other 45s from the blog (though note, spotify doesn’t have all / many of the songs featured on the site so some playlists be incomplete or feature slightly different versions than the original 45s I’m referring to here.
• This song is available on Musical Episode #016: Singles Mixer v. 5

Today’s 45 is an amazing two-sider from New Orleans.  Though everything about this record visually screams NOLA, Wardell Quezergue, Earl King and a band that adopts the nickname of its town. The music on each side of this delightful two-sider is a little less obviously a Nola record that we may come to expect with the James Black Drums or funky Meters guitar for example though it’s good music nevertheless.

Watch Records was the on again, off again concern of Quezergue and King that operated primarily in the mid-60’s with a few releases (and a slight label art update) in the 70’s. Most well known is probably Professor Longhair’s absolutely essential “Big Chief.”

The Crescents– who are not the white northern group- as far as I know, only put out one other record.  Biographical information about the Crescents and McMillan Sisters is unfortunately scarce, all the more baffling because their side “Here You Come Again” is an absolute monster.  Shuffling drums (beautifully high in the mix might I add) carry the tune with the support of some gorgeously airy back ground vocals.  Both male and female voices use a variety of subtle phrasings that help shift the song’s perspective between the leads; the raspy and powerful lead who is telling the seductive other singer to ‘scram!“  It’s an awesome piece of mid-tempo soul that makes me crazy to think there’s no other records by them!

If you’re unfamiliar with the work of Quezergue and King there’s a whole host of records you can now spend the rest of your evening listening to on youtube and adding to your want list.

Hope you enjoy a little bit of New Orleans soul. 

Till next time!

-George / Snack Attack

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