Louis Jordan "Saturday Night Fish Fry" (1949)

Louis Jordan was born in Arkansas and was playing the sax by the age of seven. He would form a band called The Elks Rendezvous Band, which, over time, became known as the Tympany Five.

He may well be the most famous artist that has been featured in this blog to date. He was inducted into the Rock and roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1942 he went on an eight year tear where 57 of his songs made the R & B charts, 18 of them hitting number one. He would have hits that would crossover into the pop charts which was unusual in a segregated age.Jordan was always proud of the fact that the Tympany Five's music was just as popular with whites as it was with black people. But like so many songs that are memorable, you have to work hard to hear this one. 

"Saturday Night Fish Fry" was just such a crossover hit. Written by Louis Jordan, it features a rollicking blues boogie tempo that is infectious. The song tells the story of some musicians who attend a spectacular party only to find themselves waking up in jail the next morning. The piano licks are worth mentioning as well as the nonstop lyrics.

This song was longer in duration (five minutes plus) than a 78 rpm record could handle so it was split in half. I remember "American Pie" (1972) by Don Mclean being split on a 45, as well as "MacAuthur Park" (1968) by Richard Harris. Know of any others?

Some (like Chuck Berry) believe that this is the first rock and roll song. That topic continues to be debated, although I favor Rocket 88 by Jackie Brenston (It was really Ike Turner). That song is worth it's own entry on this blog.

Now my buddy and me was on the main stem
Foolin' around just me and him
We decided we could use a little something to eat
So we went to a house on rampart street
We knocked on the door and it opened up with ease
And a lush little miss said, "come in, please"
And before we could even bat an eye
We were right in the middle of a big fish fry

Eddie Harris and Les McCann:"Compared to What?" (1969)

The President, he's got his war
Folks don't know just what it's for
Nobody gives us a rhyme or reason
Have one doubt, they call it treason
With chicken feathers all with out one nut

"Compared to What" was written by Eugene McDaniels who also wrote "A Hundred Pounds of Clay". The song was clearly intended to serve as an anti-war song during the Vietnam era. The song is performed by pianist Les McCann , who frequently collaborated with sax player Eddie Harris. They performed "Compared to What" at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in 1969. Later, Atlantic Records would release their live set from the festival on an album called "Swiss Movement". It became quite popular, mostly due to this song. McCann discovered Roberta Flack who would cover the song as well. You name the war, and the lyrics still apply...

This live track was recorded particularly well. McCann's gravelly voice adds a lot to the song and the opening riff pulls you in right away. 

This is almost nine minutes long. Enjoy the ride!
Check out Eugene McDaniel's interview about the song and listen to Roberta Flacks version as well!

King Biscuit Boy: "You Done Tore Your Playhouse Down Again" (1971)

King Biscuit Boy was the stage name of Richard Alfred Newell, a Canadian blues musician noted for his harmonica playing. The name was taken from the 'King Biscuit Flower Hour' an early American blues broadcast and was given to him by rock 'n' roll musician Ronald "Ronnie" Hawkins while he was playing as part of his backing band. Some of you may remember that members of what would become The Band backed him up at one time as well. Hawkins would later appear in their movie "The Last Waltz" and sings "Who Do You Love"?

King Biscuit Boy was very popular in his native Canada and made the playlists in the U.S. as well. In 1971 he realeased the album "Gooduns" which was wraped in burlap the same way flour was packaged in the old days (get it?). "You Done Tore Your Playhouse Down Again" is the first cut on the album. It was written by Newell and starts out slow and shifts gears into a complete rocker. I like that formula and Newell rolls in his harmonica to perfection.
This passage from Green Man Revue says it best: "Gooduns" starts with a slow buildup, Rick Bell's solo piano leading into one of the most stunning displays of boogie woogie I've ever heard, and then the band starts, Biscuit's harp, slide guitar from Ray Lanthier, and "Oohoooooooohooooooooo Little girl, little girl...." "You Done Tore Your Playhouse Down Again" is a song "about a hard drinkin' woman," the liner notes tell us. "You were last seen headin' up Highway 27 with a bottle of gin in your right hand..."

A buddy of mine turned me on to this in 1979 and the song just stunned me. Some songs are so good that you rember exactly where you were when you first heard it.

Turn the volume up on this one...

10cc: "Dreadlock Holiday" (1978)

10cc was a British band that (in the mid-70's), was touring Jamaica with the Moody Blues and Procol Harum. Apparently one of the Moody's encountered a rather threatening man on the street and recounted the story. 10cc made it a song and released it in 1978. 10cc was much better known for "I'm Not In Love" (1975) and "The Things We Do For Love" (1977), both hits in the U.S. "Dreadlock Holiday" peaked at #44 in the U.S.
We particularly like the vocals by lead vocalist Graham Gouldman.