Various Artists Heavy Sugar: The Pure Essence of New Orleans R&B Parts 1, 2 and 3”; Heavy Sugar Second Spoonful: More Pure Essence of New Orleans R&B (all titles 4.5* for New Orleans fans, 3.5 otherwise)
The casual visitor to The Little House of Concrete, where these four sets are on high rotation might counter Hughesy's enthusiasm for the joys of New Orleans R&B with well, Hughesy, that's all very well but deep down it's just old style rock'n'roll isn't it?
And the casual visitor would, in part, be right. Much what we've come to know as old style rock'n'roll originated in recording studios in and around New Orleans. If the visitor still isn't convinced I'd offer two names - Fats Domino and Little Richard.
Those two names say a fair bit about what happened as that first wave of R&B boomed out over the late night airwaves on stations like Nashville's WLAC where the daytime playlist was aimed at white audiences.
After dark the station beamed rhythm and into thirty states from the Gulf of Mexico and across the Caribbean to Jamaica, as far north as Buffalo, New York, and west to the foot of the Rockies, reaching the ears of, among others, Bob Dylan, The Band’s Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Levon Helm. Mother Earth singer Tracy Nelson, growing up in Madison, WI was another listener.
It wasn't long before Fats Domino was being firmly set in the mainstream, close enough to white bread to avoid being pushed to the sidelines (though one notes the frequency of white bread covers of Fats' material) and ending up as a fixture in Las Vegas. Those interested in pursuing the subject are respectfully pointed towards Rick Coleman's excellent Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock 'n' Roll.
Little Richard may have grown up in Georgia and started recording for the Houston-based Peacock label (ironic, that, you'd be pushed to find a better descriptor than peacock when it came to Richard's stage presence) before moving on to Specialty (based in Los Angeles) .
His biggest hits were cut at Cosimo Matassa's J & M Studio in New Orleans with studio players who had worked with Fats Domino (drummer Earl Palmer and Lee Allen on sax for starters) rather than using his own road band.
For both Fats and Richard, recording for labels with a wider distribution brought success that wasn't possible for some of their Crescent City peers.
There are half a dozen offerings from each scattered through the hundred and fifty tracks here, and the enthusiast who wants to explore either man's extensive catalogue would be best advised to head elsewhere. There's an almost bewildering array of Fats Domino compilations out there, and Hughesy's copy of The Fat Man box set, acquired fifteen or so years ago is comprehensive enough to save me the effort of investigating those options further, and if I need more Little Richard there's always the ninety track The Complete Rock'n Roll Years '51-57 for $9.99 at iTunes.
And what’s on these disks? Here you go…
Heavy Sugar:
Part 1:
Little Richard: Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey
John Fred & The Playboys: Shirley
Huey Smith: Would You Believe It, I Have A Cold
Fats Domino: Telling Lies
Smiley Lewis: Someday (You'll Want Me)
Paul Gayten: Nervous Boogie
Frankie Ford: It Must Be Jelly
Joe Jones: A-Tisket A-Tasket
Jimmy Beasley: I'm So Blue
Ray Washington: I Know
The Supremes: Honey, Honey
Jimmy Clanton: Ship On A Stormy Sea
Myles & Dupont: Loud Mouth Annie
Shirley & Lee: That's What I'll Do
Alberta Hall: Oh, How I Need Your Lovin'
Oscar Wills (aka TV Slim): Flatfoot Sam
Professor Longhair: Look What You're Doing To Me
Bobby Mitchell: Try Rock And Roll
Charles Brown: I'll Always Be In Love With You
Lester Robertson: My Girl Across Town
The Tropicals: Sweet Sixteen
Roland Cook: I've Got A Girl
Lee Allen & His Band: Tic Toc
The Gondoliers: You Call Everybody Darling
Etta James: Dance With Me Henry
Part 2:
Fats Domino: Don't Deceive Me
Frankie Ford: Cheatin' Woman
Joe Turner: Honey Hush
Roy Brown: Diddy-Y-Diddy-O
Allen Toussaint: Whirlaway
Art Neville: Cha Dooky Doo
Ruth & Al: Real Gone Party
Bobby Marchan: Chickee Wah Wah
Mickey & Sylvia: There'll Be No Backin' Out
Sam Cooke: That's All I Need To Know
Jerry Byrne: Carry On
Huey Smith: We Like Birdland
Lee Allen & His Band: Creole Alley
Richard Berry: Mad About You Baby
Earl King: Well-O, Well-O, Well-O Baby
Bobby Mandolph: Malinda
Smiley Lewis: School Days Are Back Again
Jimmy Beasley: Don't Break This Heart Of Mine
Little Booker: Doin' The Hambone
Li'l Millet & His Creoles: Rich Woman
The Royal Kings: Teachin' And Preachin'
Little Richard: Oh Why?
Harry Lee: Every Time I See You
Junior Gordon: Blow Wind Blow
Lloyd Price: I'm Glad, Glad
Part 3:
Huey "Piano" Smith with His Clowns: Don't You Know Yockomo
The Spiders: Someday, Bye And Bye
Fats Domino: Would You
Lee Diamond: Hatti Malatti
Paul Gayten: Mother Roux (Yo Yo Walk)
Amos Milburn: We Teenagers Know What We Want
Art Neville: Zing Zing
Charles Williams: So Glad She's Mine
Smiley Lewis: Sweeter Words (Have Never Been Told)
Eddie Bo: I Love To Rock n Roll
Etta James: Tough Lover
John Fred: Good Lovin'
The Gondoliers: Knocked Out
Ernie Kador: Eternity
Little Richard: Kansas City
Charles Brown: Please Believe Me
Johnny Angel: Teenage Wedding
Clarence Henry: Baby, Baby Please
The Crystals: Love You So
Huey & Jerry: I Think You're Jiving Me
Lester Robertson: Take It Home To Grandma
Gene & Al's Spacemen: Mercy
Big Al Downing: When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
Bobby Charles: I'll Turn Square For You
Roy Brown: Saturday Night
Heavy Sugar Second Spoonful: More Pure Essence Of New Orleans R&B
Little Richard: The Girl Can't Help It
Huey "Piano" Smith & His Clowns: Beatnik Blues
Frankie Ford: You Talk Too Much
Larry Birdsong: I'm Pleading Just For You
Lee Allen & His Band: Cat Walk
Roland Stone: Preacher's Daughter
JoAnn Campbell: Funny Thing
Bobby Charles: Why Can't You
Jimmy Beasley: She's Good To Me
Charles Brown: It's A Sin To Tell A Lie
Alonzo Stewart: I Get The Blues When It Rains
James "Sugar Boy" Crawford: Morning Star
Willie West: A Man Like Me
Fats Domino: Tell Me That You Love Me
Johnny Fuller: Sister Jenny
Lester Williams: McDonald's Daughter
Smiley Lewis: I Shall Not Be Moved
Chris Kenner: You Can't Beat Uncle Sam
Clarence "Frogman" Henry: I'm In Love
Bobby Marchan & The Tick Tocks: Snoopin' And Accusin'
Bobby Lonero: Little Bit
Earl King: Funny Face
Benny Spellman: Ammerette
Tommy Ridgley: Jam Up
The Hawks: School Girl
Jimmy Beasley: Little Coquette
Amos Milburn: Shake Shake
Eddie Bo: We Like Mambo
The Spiders & Chuck Carbo: Honey Bee
Little Richard: All Night Long
Billy Tate: Single Life
Fats Domino: Don't You Know I Love You
Paul Marvin: Hurry Up
Professor Longhair: Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand
The Upsetters: Jaywalking
Huey "Piano" Smith & His Clowns: Just A Lonely Clown
Dee Clark & The Original Little Richard Band: Oh Little Girl
Jessie Hill: Scoop Scoobie Doobie
Johnny Love & His Orchestra: Chills And Fever
Frankie Ford: The Groom
Roy Brown: Good Rocking Tonight
Smiley Lewis: Lil Liza Jane
Lenny Capello & The Dots: Tootles
Ernie K-Doe: Tootles
Matthew Jacobs: Loaded Down
Collay & The Satellites: Little Girl Next Door
Irma Thomas: A Good Man
James "Sugar Boy" Crawford: She's Gotta Wobble (When She Walks)
Paul Gayten & Orchestra: Mule Face
Li'l Millet: Rock Around The Clock
Al Reed: Top Notch Grade A
Fats Domino: When I See You
Chris Kenner: Don't Make No Noise
Professor Longhair: Go To The Mardi Gras
Bobby Marchan: Quit My Job
Jessie Hill: High Head Blues
James "Sugar Boy" Crawford: You Gave Me Love
Jimmy Beasley: Good Lovin'
The Monitors: Candy Coated Kisses
Billy Tircuit: Crazy Green Lizard
Wynona Carr: I'm Mad At You
Arthur & Booker: You're Near Me
Smiley Lewis: Can't Stop Loving You
Huey "Piano" Smith & His Clowns: For Cryin' Out Loud
Al Tousan: Chico
Eddie Bo: Every Dog Got Its Day
Calvin Spears: Baby Come On Home
Clarence "Frogman" Henry: Just My Baby And Me
Big Boy Myles: She's So Fine
Paul Gayten: Tickle Toe
Frankie Ford: Watchdog
Aaron Neville: Get Out Of My Life
Little Richard: Can't Believe You Wanna Leave
Professor Longhair: If I Only Knew
Al Johnson: Carnival Time