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By Osiris Media / Neil Pellegrin
5
99 ratings
The podcast currently has 19 episodes available.
Among aficionados of classic R&B, the legendary Drifters vocal group is divided into two factions -- the "old Drifters" and the "new Drifters." The "old" group is the one that was founded by Clyde McPhatter in 1953 and, with many personnel changes, ran until 1958 with tremendous success. In the spring of that year, the group's manager, George Treadwell, fired the entire group, and, because he held exclusive rights to the name, he hired a group called the Crowns and rechristened them with the Drifters name. This group, also with many personnel changes over the years, is the aggregation that fans refer to as the "new Drifters." They enjoyed a string of R&B and pop hits stretching into the mid '60s.
Of the "old" (pre summer of 1958) group, there is only one survivor -- Bobby Hendricks. I had the chance to interview Bobby in June of 2013. Being a huge Drifters fan (particularly the "old" group), it was a real thrill for me to chat with him. Other topics we discussed were his early influences, his pre-Drifters musical endeavors and his success as a solo artist. I'm happy to share my talk with Bobby Hendricks on this latest edition of Trick Bag!
Your host,
Neil the Night Howler
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Songs:
Drifters - Drip Drop
Drifters - Moonlight Bay
Drifters - Suddenly There's a Valley
Flyers - My Only Desire
Settlers (Drifters) - Sugar Plum (rare recently discovered recording)
Settlers (Drifters) - Come Home (rare recently discovered recording)
Bobby Hendricks - Dreamy Eyes
Bobby Hendricks - Itchy Twitchy Feeling
Bobby Hendricks - I Want That
Bobby Hendricks - Psycho
Bobby Hendricks - Honey Drip
Bobby Hendricks - Good Lovin'
Bobby Hendricks - Let's Get It Over
Bill Pinkney & the Originals - The Masquerade Is Over
Bobby Hendricks - Go On Home Girl
Bobby Hendricks - A Thousand Dreams
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It's an all a cappella showcase on this installment of Trick Bag. Vocal groups were a hot commodity in the '50s and '60s, but it wasn't common for record labels to release recordings without instrumental backing. Fortunately, many a cappella tracks were recorded and preserved. I've picked out some real gems to share with you on this episode.
Your Host,
Neil the Night Howler
Trick Bag is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Neil Pellegrin. Produced by Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Matt Dwyer and Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Executive produced by Patrick Mitchell (EAC Productions). Artwork by Katherine Boils..
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Music in this episode:
Casanovas - Night Rider
Dovers - Only Heaven Knows
Volumes - Miss Silhouette
Nutones - Love Affair
King Crooners - School Daze
Royal Counts - Way Over There
Nutmegs - Hello
Eagle-Aires - Money Honey
Titans (Vitamins) - It's So Hard to Laugh, So Easy to Cry
Juveniles - Beat In My Heart (live on Wide Wide World TV show)
Tymes - Lover's Plea
Ad Libs - The Boy From New York City
Hollywood Flames - Roseanne of Charing Cross
Elegants - Little Star
Kripp Johnson's Versatiles (feat. Chuck Jackson) - Cold Feet
Debonairs - In My Memories
Sharps - I'm Such a Lovin' Man
Avalons - Love Me Now Or Let Me Go
Lillian Leach & the Mellows - You're Gone
Dappers - Good Lovin'
Heartbeats - A Thousand Miles Away
Miracles - Ooo Baby Baby
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It's time for Part 2 in a spotlight on Dan Penn, the great R&B songwriter who wrote hits for Aretha Franklin, James & Bobby Purify, Percy Sledge, Joe Simon, James Carr, Conway Twitty and many others. In this episode, we'll hear the biggest hits from the Dan Penn songbook and some great behind-the-scenes stories from the man himself. The depth of soul found in Dan's music combined with his down-home, charming demeanor makes this episode especially captivating and one you'll undoubtedly want to listen to more than once!
Your Host,
Neil the Night Howler
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Songs:
James Carr - The Dark End of the Street
Dan Penn - The Puppet
James & Bobby Purify - I'm Your Puppet
Aretha Franklin - Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
Barbara Lynn - You Left the Water Running
Otis Redding - Your Left the Water Running (demo with overdubs)
Janis Joplin - A Woman Left Lonely
Percy Sledge - Out of Left Field
Van Broussard - Feed the Flame
Warren Storm (as "Abel") - My Far Away Cow
The Sweet Inspirations - Sweet Inspiration
Clyde McPhatter - Denver
Dan Penn - See You In My Dreams
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
An Evening With Dan Penn (Part 1)
This episode is Part 1 of a spotlight on one of the all-time great R&B songwriters - Dan Penn. Dan has written hundreds of songs that have been recorded by an array of artists, including Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, Conway Twitty, Joe Simon, the Box Tops, Brenda Lee, James Carr, Otis Redding, Irma Thomas, Tony Joe White, Solomon Burke, Etta James and countless others. He's responsible for penning some of the greatest R&B and soul classics ever recorded.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Dan live in the studio for my radio program on WWOZ in New Orleans on April 23, 2019. I'm digging that conversation out of the archive to share with you here on Trick Bag!
Your Host,
Neil the Night Howler
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Songs:
Dan Penn - You Don't Treat Me Right
Conway Twitty - Is a Blue Bird Blue
Jimmy Hughes - I Worship the Ground You Walk On
Jimmy Hughes - It's a Good Thing
Irma Thomas - Cheater Man
Irma Thomas - Good Things Don't Come Easy
Tony Borders - Pass the Word
Brenda Lee - My Dreams
The Ovations - I'm Living Good
The Box Tops - The Letter
Betty Wright - Cry Like a Baby
Joe Simon - Nine Pound Steel
Percy Sledge - It Tears Me Up
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the Can -- Unreleased Gems (New Orleans Edition)
In this edition of Trick Bag, Neil takes you on a journey into unreleased gems recorded in New Orleans in the '50s and early '60s. The criteria for the tracks featured on this episode is that all the recordings have to have been left unissued -- or "in the can" -- for at least two decades before they were released.
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songs:
Li'l Millet - Rock Around the Clock
Roy Brown - I'm Convicted of Love
Smiley Lewis - Mama Don't Like
James "Sugar Boy" Crawford - The Facts
Clarence "Frogman" Henry - Lady With the Hat Box
Jerry Raines - Dixieland Rock
Pee Wee Crayton - Wondering Why
Shirley & Lee - The Real Thing
Little Richard - Heeby Jeebies Love
Art Neville - I'm a Fool to Care
Bobby Charles - Lonely Street
Earl King - Something Funny
The Tropicals - Sweet Sixteen
Paul Gayten - Down Boy
Richard Berry - Mad About You
Cesta Ayres - That'll Get It
The Spiders - Without Love
Jerry Byrne - My Little Girl
Tommy Ridgley - Ding Dong School
Snooks Eaglin - Mama, Talk to Your Daughter
Tami Lynn - World of Dreams
Larry Williams - Oh Baby
Jewel King - Go Now
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday – A Rare Interview with Bobby Mitchell (Part 2)
This episode is Part 2 of a showcase on New Orleans R&B man Bobby Mitchell, featuring a rare early '80s interview from the collection of New Orleans historian Rick Coleman. Also thanks to Coleman's archive, we'll hear interview clips from producer Dave Bartholomew, songwriter Roy Hayes and Bobby's wife, Marcie. We'll pick things up from 1957 tonight, the year that Bobby recorded one of his all-time classics -- "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday." Featured in this installment are some real rarities, including the original demo of "Wheel" by the song's writer, Roy Hayes, as well as Bobby's last commercial recordings done for Earl Stanley's Thunder Productions -- two tracks that have never been heard by the public!
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Songs:
You Always Hurt the One You Love
I Would Like to Know
Roy Hayes - I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday (demo)
I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday
You Better Go Home
64 Hours
I Love to Hold You
Well, I Done Got Over It
Just Say You Love Me
Send Me Your Picture
You're Doing Me Wrong
Mama Don't Allow
I Never Knew What Hit Me
I Got to Call That Number
My Southern Belle
Walking In Circles
You Can't Resist Me, Baby (unreleased recording courtesy of Earl Stanley)
A Lot of Lies (unreleased recording courtesy of Earl Stanley)
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Try Rock and Roll - A Rare Interview with Bobby Mitchell (Part 1)
In this episode, Neil the Night Howler shares an extremely rare interview with New Orleans R&B man Bobby Mitchell. Bobby's recording career started in 1953 and spanned only a decade, but in that short time, he undoubtedly left his mark. The recordings he made are beloved in New Orleans. He enjoyed many regional successes and found national fame with 1956's "Try Rock and Roll." His original rendition of "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday" landed him a spot on American Bandstand in 1958. By the mid '60s, Bobby's career was in decline. He retired from music, went to college and soon found success as an X-ray pathologist. Bobby Mitchell passed away on March 17, 1989 at the age of 53.
New Orleans music historian Rick Coleman recorded an interview with Bobby in the early '80s. Rick was gracious enough to share this very rare interview with Neil for use on this program. In Part One of this two-part series, Bobby will take us from his upbringing in the Algiers section of New Orleans to the height of his success as a record star in the mid '50s when he encouraged America to "Try Rock and Roll!"
Trick Bag is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Neil Pellegrin. Produced by Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Matt Dwyer and Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Executive produced by Patrick Mitchell (EAC Productions). Artwork by Liz Bee.
Music in this episode:
Rack 'Em Back
Angel Child
4 - 11 = 44 [sic]
Baby's Gone
Sister Lucy
The Wedding Bells Are Ringing
School Boy Blues
Meant for Me
I'm a Young Man
Nothing Sweet As You
I Wish I Knew
Try Rock and Roll
You Are My Angel
No, No, No
Goin' Round In Circles
I've Got My Fingers Crossed
I Try So Hard
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This installment of Trick Bag presents a special showcase of New Orleans soulstress Mary Jane Hooper. After releasing only a handful of singles between 1968 and 1970, this brilliantly talented vocalist (whose real name is Sena Fletcher) faded into obscurity. Her music has since garnered a dedicated following among R&B/soul collectors and much speculation has arisen about her recent whereabouts. A CD containing the material from her 45-RPMs and seven previously unreleased recordings -- all cut for New Orleans crawfish king Al Scramuzza's various record labels -- hit the market in 1997, helping to quench the lust for rare gems in the hearts of soul music devotees worldwide. This episode features a very rare 2016 interview I conducted with Mary Jane, which originally aired on my radio program on WWOZ in New Orleans. Also featured here are samples of never-before-heard recordings from Sena's personal collection! And, of course, we'll hear her classic sides as well.
Trick Bag is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Neil Pellegrin. Produced by Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Matt Dwyer and Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Executive produced by Patrick Mitchell (EAC Productions). Artwork by Liz Bee.
Johnny Adams - Release Me
Mary Jane Hooper - Harper Valley PTA
Mary Jane Hooper - Teach Me
Mary Jane Hooper - Psychedelphia
Mary Jane Hooper - That's How Strong Love Is
Sena & Raymond Fletcher - Bill Bailey
Sena & Raymond Fletcher - More
Sena & Raymond Fletcher - Blueberry Hill/Great Balls of Fire
unreleased recording produced by Willie Tee
Mary Jane Hooper - Remember When
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On this episode of Trick Bag, Neil digs into great male-female R&B duos of the '50s and early '60s. Some of these acts -- like Los Angeles' Gene and Eunice, New York's Mickey and Sylvia, and New Orleans' Shirley and Lee -- found success on the charts and with the concert-going public. In other cases, these duos paired up for only a handful of recordings before going their separate ways, but not without making their mark on R&B history and leaving behind great musical treasures for future generations of R&B and Rock 'n' Roll aficionados. Listen to this installment of Trick Bag for a double dose of excitement!
Trick Bag is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Neil Pellegrin. Produced by Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Matt Dwyer and Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Executive produced by Patrick Mitchell (EAC Productions). Artwork by Liz Bee.
Music in this episode:
Ruth & Al - I'll Be the Bee
Johnnie & Joe - There Goes My Heart
Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford - Lead Me On
Gene & Eunice - Bom Bom Lulu
Sugar & Spice - Indeed I Love You
Tarheel Slim & Little Ann - Lock Me In Your Heart
Bonnie & Ike Turner - My Heart Belongs to You
Charlie & Rosie - Don't Call the Wagon
Paul Gayten & Annie Laurie - I'll Never Be Free
Clyde McPhatter & Ruth Brown - I Gotta Have You
Ronald & Ruby - Lollipop
Lavern Baker & Jimmy Ricks - You're the Boss
Shirley & Lee - Baby
Joe & Ann - Gee Baby
Mickey & Sylvia - Bewildered
Little Esther & Bobby Nunn - You Took My Love Too Fast
Etta & Harvey - My Heart Cries
Clydie King & Mel Carter - Who Do You Love
Willy & Ruth - Farewell
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Genius of Soul Meets The Poet of the Blues: The musical collaborations of Ray Charles and Percy Mayfield
Mayfield, dubbed "The Poet of the Blues" for his seemingly never-ending stream of beautifully-woven song lyrics, laid down his first sides for Gru-V-Tone Records in 1947. He hit it big in 1950 with the now-iconic "Please Send Me Someone to Love," which has since been recorded by hundreds of artists. Percy's original version stayed on the R&B chart for 27 weeks, peaking at the #1 position. Other chart successes for Percy in the early '50s were "Lost Love," "Strange Things Happening," "What a Fool I Was" and "The Big Question." A devastating and near-deadly car accident in 1952 left Mayfield's face permanently disfigured, and the next several years would find his career in decline. Enter Ray Charles. In 1961, Ray, a longtime Mayfield admirer who had already recorded two of his songs, called on Percy's writing talents. The result: "Hit the Road Jack." Recorded by Ray and the Raelettes in the summer of 1961, it shot up the charts to the number-one spot. Charles immediately signed Mayfield to an exclusive songwriting contract, which lasted several years. In total, Ray would record 17 Mayfield compositions and, in 1962, signed Percy to his new Tangerine record label as a feature artist.
In this episode, we'll hear the majority of Ray's Percy-penned tracks. We'll also hear several of Mayfield's stellar Tangerine recordings, which feature Ray as pianist and arranger.
Trick Bag is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Neil Pellegrin. Executive produced by Patrick Mitchell, EAC Productions. Produced by Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Matt Dwyer and Justin Thomas. Artwork by Liz Bee.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The podcast currently has 19 episodes available.