Miriam Makeba: Pata Pata (1967)

I'd be surprised if you have head this song in the last 20 years.

Well before Paul Simon, South African Miriam Makeba popularized African music in the United States.  She was a talented artist known for her singing and songcraft. She carried the nickname "Mama Africa" and "The Empress of African Song" as well.  Miriam was one of the first entertainers to speak out against apartheid, a system which institutionalized racial discrimination in her country in 1948.

Despite having to live in such a prohibitive society, she was able to join a number of local bands and began to tour. This would eventually lead her to the United States, where her outspoken demeanor and beautiful voice soon had her meeting and singing before the rich and famous. By then, Miriam was banned from South Africa, an exile that would last 30 years.

"Pata Pata" was originally sung and recorded by her girl group The Skylarks and released in 1957. It was finally released in the U.S. in 1967, and peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year. The tempo has more of a 60's feel than the 50's.

"Pata Pata" (Touch Touch) was written in the Xhosa language which includes click consonants. The rise and fall of vocal inflections can change a words meaning. Though I have yet to find a good translation of the songs lyrics, suffice it to say the story is about releasing energy after another week of being suppressed and finding romance at the local dance. One might compare it to the crowd energy that was found at a juke joint in the deep south.

Five marriages included her first husband, who left her three minutes after she gave birth at 17, three years with trumpeter Hugh Masekela, ("Grazin' in the Grass," 1968), and a controversial marriage to Black Panther leader Stokely Carmichael, which alienated her from her white following in the U.S. This would see her banned from several European countries.

She was able to return to South Africa after the fall of apartheid and was well received, but younger South Africans had little knowledge of her.

She had a heart attack after performing "Pata Pata" at a demonstration concert in Italy at the age of 76. A truly remarkable woman...

UPDATE 1/18/15
We kept digging and found a WordPress blog that had the lyrics in Xhosa, followed by a partial translation:

Pata Pata
(Miriam Makeba)

Saguquka sathi ‘bheka’
Nants’ iPata Pata
Saguquka sathi ‘bheka’
Nants’ iPata Pata

Yiyo mama, yiyo mama
Nants’ iPata Pata
Yiyo mama, yiyo mama
Nants’ iPata Pata

Pata Pata is the name of the dance
We do down Johannesburg where
And everybody starts to move
As soon as Pata Pata starts to play

Saguquka sathi ‘bheka’
Nants’ iPata Pata
Saguquka sathi ‘bheka’
Nants’ iPata Pata

Yiyo mama, yiyo mama
Nants’ iPata Pata
Yiyo mama, yiyo mama
Nants’ iPata Pata

Every Friday and Saturday Night
It’s Pata Pata time!
The dance keeps going all night long
Til’ the morning sun begins to shine!

 

[English Meaning]:

So we grooved and said ‘check it out!’
(This is the Pata Pata…)

That’s it, lady
(This is the Pata Pata…)

-

[Some Literal translations]:

Pata Pata – Hold/carry (in this sense, to hold or touch suggestively)
Saguquka – We turned around/changed (in this sense, to groove)
Sathi – We said
Bheka – Look
Yiyo – That’s the one/that’s it
Nantsi This is (it)/Here (it) is

Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater: "Cool Blues Walk" (1998)

Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater (Edward Harrington) is one of the last original purveyors of the classic West Side blues style. A contemporary of Magic Sam, Buddy Guy and Luther Allison, Eddy has developed a unique musical approach that comes from a wide variety of influences.  He learned guitar at an early age and that turned out to be left-handed and upside down! His band mates gave him a name to match Muddy Waters, thus Clear Water sounded like an Indian name. It stuck, and the nickname "The Chief" became part of his moniker as well.

This engaging title track  was recorded with the Duke Robillard Band (and produced with Duke).

‘Cool Blues Walk,’ is great because of the opening blues walk that you can't get out of your head, plus the smooth back and forth guitar duties between Clearwater and Robilliard, as well as Eddy's vocals. Both felt they had chemistry on the spot and Eddy, according to Duke, "... burns up the tracks with inspired blues guitar playing. This album should not only establish once and for all the Eddy Clearwater is one of the most powerful practitioners of the blues, but also one of the most creative and talented composers in all of roots music." -- Duke Robillard

The song (and album) features support from Robillard's band: Robillard, guitar; Doug James, (my favorite baritone sax player, who cut an album called "Blow Mr. Low"); Dennis Taylor, tenor sax; John Pack, bass, and Marty Richards, drums.

Carey Bell, the well known harp player, is Clearwater's cousin.

Mink Deville: "Spanish Stroll": (1977)

Willy "Mink" Deville (William Paul Borsey Jr.) was born in Connecticut in 1950. He had a wonderful way of matching American and Spanish rhythms to rock and roll. "Spanish Stroll" was the lead single from the band's first album "Cabretta" (known simply as "Mink Deville in the U.S.). The song features back up singers (The Immortals) that he discovered at a reggae concert at Max's Kansas City. Listen and you can hear why his songs are referred to as being "Spanish-Americana". No argument here. His time as a house band at CBGB's comes through as well. If you have never heard of Mink Deville you should check into some of his other work. His cover of "You Better Move On" (1961) by Arthur Alexander may be the best version ever. Mink had a 35 year career that ended with his death at the age of 58.

Funny that, in my research, I suspected that some people might have Mink Deville confused with Lou Reed. I found a lyric site crediting him for writing this song!

Hey Mr. Jim, I can see the shape you're in
Got your finger on your eyebrow
And left hand on your hip
Thinking that you're such a lady killer
Think you're so slick!
Alright, slick

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.