Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Tremblin'



I picked up a record this weekend, a Spanish compilation on the Pancho label called "Tremblin'." I hadn't heard a note from it but I knew it was a keeper from the title and the cover. And it was on a label called Pancho! The description of its contents was written on the back cover:

"Seductive and intense female vocals. Some are gritty, some torchy, some hurting. All are passionate. The result: a suggestive, atmospheric long player to be enjoyed with intimate company that will make you tremble."

Holy Smokes!



As it turns out, about half of these tunes are "Fever" with different lyrics. But there are a few gems here, like the track on top, "Johnny, With The Gentle Hands" by Wini Brown. Can't beat that title! I don't know Wini Brown, but further research turned up a record made with Duke Ellington Orchestra alumnus Cootie Williams.





Another killer is the one right above, "Strange Man" by Hannah Dean. Further research found out that she was a stage actress, and made a few movies in the 70's. She recorded a few more singles for Columbia, and this one, "You You You," a b-side, killed me more than "Strange Man."  I am currently Hannah Dean's biggest fan.






Below is the title track, "Tremblin" from Byrdie Green, a jazz and R&B singer who made some records for Prestige with Johnny "Hammond" Smith. This single is pretty damn great.





Finally, the reason I ended up with this great collection, Miss Berna-Dean.  One of my favorite records, is a song I first heard on an EMI 2 CD set collecting the great sides and productions of New Orleans Dave Bartholomew, "I Walk In My Sleep." I finally snagged a nice 45 last weekend, and was hoping to find more by Berna-Dean. She has a track on "Tremblin'," but it's nothing to...uh...tremble over.  But, here is what started it all.





Hope ya dig'em.

3 comments:

cmealha said...

"You, You, You" is joyous and "I Walk in My Sleep" is simply gorgeous.

Noam Sane said...

I guess I'd object to the overuse of the "Fever" template here, if it weren't so malleable (and bitchin'!) a song. I love this stuff...no doubt mostly recorded by a bunch of people sitting around a couple of microphones, in a take or two, probably with a couple of drinks in them. I could listen to this stuff all night, and even if it all blends together after a while, it's the greatest blend you could ask for.

I remember finding a record many years back called "Jook Blockbusters." Just a bunch of old singles that somebody tossed together on a LP - a great cover, of course, of a large-ish woman dancing. It had Sun Ra's "Daddy's Gonna Tell You No Lies" on it along with a bunch of grimy 50's R&B. Gave it to a vinylist pal for safekeeping when I moved from the east to the west coast & when I came back he "couldn't find it." (yeah right...he sold it...but he's a friend...didn't call him out.) It's out there on the interwebs, I really should replace.

First time I ever heard H-Bomb Ferguson. Hank Ballard's great "Broadway." This one's on it too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2ezG85fISc Roy Tann - Your Driver's License PLease

buzzbabyjesus said...

"Fever" is hard to beat. Badass as hell.