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

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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

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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

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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 

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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

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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.

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