Nicely written and kindly informative post!
The last of the black Rock 'n' Roll pioneers?
I just learned Huey "Piano" Smith passed away in his sleep on February 13th.
Rock ’n’ Roll doesn’t seem to be that popular with participants on this sight, but many of the artists who are revere Huey and his contemporaries: the black songwriters, singers, musicians, and bandleaders who created the music that led to the Big Bang that is Rock ’n’ Roll. And by Rock ’n’ Roll I am speaking of the music that came out of Memphis, Muscle Shoals, New Orleans (Huey’s hometown), Kansas City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and a few other hotbeds of musical activity in the late-40’s and early-50’s.
Guys like Dylan, Springsteen, John Fogerty, John Lennon & his bandmates, the glimmer twins (I hate that term, but okay ;-), Dave Edmunds, Robert Plant, Leon Russell, even Elton John (shudder ;-) owe a LOT to the originators. One such guy was Huey Smith, who can be heard in the recordings of Little Richard (McCartney’s favorite singer), Lloyd Price, Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis (for a shot of intense Rock ’n’ Roll, listen to Dave Edmunds’ recording of Lewis’ "I hear You Knocking". Phew!), Dave Bartholomew (I named my son after him), a bunch of others.
Have you ever heard Huey’s "Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu"? (The Flamin’ Groovies do a great version of the song on Supersnazz, their 1969 debut album on Epic Records). How about "Don’t You Just Know It"? SO cool! Surely you’ve heard "Sea Cruise", but most likely the hit version by Frankie Ford. Guess who wrote the song and recorded it first? Ace Records decided a version by a white singer would sell better, so replaced the original vocal by the singer of Huey Piano Smith And The Clowns with that of Ford.
I can’t think of another Rock ’n’ Roll originator who is still living. I treasure the memory of backing Don & Dewey (Specialty Records label mates of Little Richard, Lloyd Price, Sam Cooke, John Lee Hooker, many more)---both now gone---when they played The Continental Club in Los Angeles in the late-90’s (the great Earl Palmer played drums on many of their recordings). I couldn’t believe it: on the bandstand with Rock ’n’ Roll Royalty!
Honor the man; play some of his music tonight.
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Not a bad bone in his body, and a fountain of knowledge. Living down South for eight years (2008 thru 2016) @bdp24, soaking in all of them sights and sounds The French Quarter / Beale Street had to offer were a must. And I loved every minute when those opportunities arouse. |
Not to my recollection @bdp24, and likely do to the very fact "I was a Drifter." ;-) Hand Grenade in one hand and many acts to see & hear during any given Friday / Saturday evening. Sorta a bar hopping fella with no road map if you will .... Surely could've used the guidance of someone with your expertise then! Purely exploration. |
@dabel: The Continental Drifters were an "underground" super group, the members being Susan Cowsill (of The Cowsills obviously), Vicki Peterson (of The Bangles), Peter Hopsapple (of The dB’s), Mark Walton (of The Dream Syndicate), Gary Eaton (a mighty fine songwriter and singer, formerly of The Ringling Sisters), a great drummer named Carlo Nuccio (and I mean GREAT. I say that having seen & heard live Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell, Buddy Miles, Jim Keltner, and many other drummers far more well known than Nuccio. You can hear him on albums of Tori Amos, Dr. John, and Emmylou Harris), and a succession of lead guitarists. The Drifters had a "residency" at Raji’s in Los Angeles (a club in the basement of a very old hotel on Hollywood Blvd.), playing every Tuesday night for much of 1992. And let me tell ya, they were one of the very best live bands I’ve seen & heard in my many years of attending music shows. Every week they would have a different local band or artist (or two) opening for them, and the place was packed with musicians and songwriters and singers (both well known and aspiring). They made a buncha albums while they were together, but Nuccio tragically died last year at only 61 years of age (good ol’ liver "complications"). |
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