Stormy Weather, The Spaniels (1958) Pookie Hudson & The Hudsonaires formed in 1952 at Roosevelt High School, Gary, Indiana. The following year they scored a top 10 hit with Baby It’s You. as the Spaniels. Two years later they recorded their classic Good Night Sweetheart, Goodnight and became one of the most successful R&B groups of their time.
Manhunt, Frank Weir and his Werewolves (1962) A dark suspect is spotted by a posse of rodeo clowns riding Shetland ponies and the manhunt is on. British orchestra leader Frank Weir had several hits during his career, but this tune wasn’t one of them.
The Okra Smugglers, Henryk Fantazos, date unknown.
Cherry, Oh Baby, The Rolling Stones (1976) For reasons unknown, the Stones covered Eric Donaldson‘s 1971 hit on their studio album Black and Blue. Guitarist Mick Taylor had quit the band in 1974 and they were auditioning for replacements.
Early Morning Boogie, Wini Beatty & Slim Gaillard (1946) Slim “McVouty” Gaillard had much success, and he’s anything but an unknown. Although Wini Beatty also appeared on many recordings, I found scant information about her.
Show Stopper, The Cashmeres (HEM Records, 1965) There is little information about this soul group from Washington D.C. (not be confused with The Cashmeres, a doo-wop group from Atlanta GA, or The Cashmeres from Brooklyn NY, or The Cashmeres from Portland OR). A 45rpm copy of Show Stopper is a rarity; according to Discogs, prices range from $680 to $1800 depending on condition.
My Good Pott, Doc Pomus & Curley Russell’s All Stars (1948)
Jerome Felder, better known as Doc Pomus, was one of the grandfathers of rock and roll. He wrote and performed rhythm & blues, a genre that belonged almost exclusively to black American artists whose 78s were often categorized as “race records.”
“By the late 1950’s he was established as one of the best songwriters in the business which is where he’d make his name and cement his legend. During that time it’s doubtful anyone buying his classic compositions performed by The Drifters, Dion & The Belmonts, Ray Charles and the ultimate white-Negro Elvis Presley, were even aware Pomus once sung this kind of music before any of those artists had even cut their first record.”
Violent Love, The Big Three Trio (1951) Okeh Records Active from 1946-1952,The Big Three Trio consisted of Leonard “Baby Doo” Caston (piano, vocals), Ollie Crawford (guitar, vocals) andWillie Dixon (upright bass, vocals). Dixon wrote this and many other blues standards during his lengthy career. (Note: Crawford replaced band founder and guitarist Bernardo Dennis in 1947.)
Brazil, Geoff & Maria Muldaur (1970) In 1939, Ary Barroso was stuck in his house during a rainstorm, so he wrote Aquarela do Brasil. Three decades later, multi-talented musician Geoff Muldaur and his wife Maria (nee D’Amato) recorded it as Brazil. In 1985, Terry Gilliam adopted the song for his cinematic vision of a retro-future dystopia, and now it’s immediately recognizable as theTheme to Brazil.
Funbar, Deerpeople (2013) I heard this song years ago (on Atomic Flash Deluxe Hi-Fi Radio) but didn’t know the title or the band name until recently. Formed in 2012 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Deerpeople were described as psychedelic folk rockers. One day they just stopped performing and recording for no particular reason, but reunited to officially disband in 2019.
Tacky Raccoons 