Pass The Bug w/ Gene The Hat

• Listen to this song on youtube: Pass The Bug Part 1, Part 2
• 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 may be incomplete or feature slightly different versions than the original 45s I’m referring to here.
• Download the songs by clicking the titles above

Afternoon everyone, got a rockin’ 45 for you today from 1961!  Not a lot of biographical information out there on Mr. “The Hat” aka Gene Sposato.  Gene The Hat released one other 45 before this that was picked up Checker, and one the following year and has little else in the way of official releases that I know or can find which is a shame because as you can hear, this track really wails.   Even though it’s a dance record at it’s core, the references to other dances, the vocal shouts of “you lookin good” and the crowd noise, I’ve always felt like maybe there’s a drug reference in the “pass” part of the song but who knows.  Along with the dance elements there’s some great musicianship on hand, the slight latin swing to the drums, the honkin sax lead and the kinda wimpy guitar all combine for great effect.  If you’re not moved to bug out when this comes on you may need more than I can offer here!

‘’(Pass) The Bug” was released on the revived Gee label after it had been sold to the infamous Morris Levy (as a gambling debt) by founder George Goldner.  The label had been inactive for a brief period but was revived with the Cleftones hit “Heart and Soul” in 1961 under the leadership of former King Records A&R and songwriter Henry Glover.  The label maintained the direction of the previous Gee releases in the R&B and vocal group vein but only lasted another year and change.

Gee and George Goldner in general had an impressive run in the New York City R&B scene of the 50′s and 60′s founding the Rama, Gee, Tico, End, Gone and Red Bird with Leiber and Stoller and finally Firebird before he passed away at the age of 52 in 1970.  His work with The Chantels, Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, The Crows, The Cleftones and scores more is impressive enough on it’s own.  His interest in Latin music, R&B, vocal groups and doo wop and the charting hits in those fields left a huge mark on the history not only of music in New York City but R&B and Soul in general.

As always there’s lots more to write, read and learn and I hope you do some digging yourself!

Enjoy today’s 45 and I’ll see you next time,

-George / Snack Attack

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