Modernist #17
(Charlie & Inez Foxx – MockingBird)
Penultimate day of the Mod/ernist theme, (honest guvnuh !!), and then it’s onto musicolological pastures new. Hard for me to leave this theme as I love the music and am really enjoying the dialogue.
Couldn’t complete a mod/ernist theme without including this one from Charlie & Inez Foxx…1963 cut on Juggy Murrays Symbol label. BIG, BIG tune from back in the day.
themusicologist 
Hurrah…. my claim to fame!!
A classic. Yes, a BIG BIG tune.
My claim to fame? I danced “the dance” on stage with Inez Foxx. And then carried her off stage to the dressing room (only to the door if you must know).
The dance? A unique solo dance to the Foxx’s “Hurt By Love”….. you danced side by side and only ever had one foot on the floor during the whole 3(?) minutes. Very ackward to pull off without falling over!
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Now there’s something you don’t hear everyday..On stage where?
Also that might be Ike & Tina’s ‘Hurt By Love’. To the naked ear the two ‘couples’ sound almost identical, (both from Juggy Murray’s New York stable). Possible though that Charlie & Inez performed it live?
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spot on again!!..I had forgotten this song when thinking of the music of the day, but your right it was a big favorite…your judgment for the right grove is so good it’s as if you were there!..
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Inez & Charlie did do a version of ‘Hurt By Love’ too – it came out on UK SUe, and on the ‘Mockingbird’ LP….and another tune that I thought of was “I’m Blue” [Ikettes], another one on ‘London-American’….
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Well, the song was definately Hurt By Love because as I’ve already said it had a unique (solo) dance step… a jerky one leg crossing the other while doing a James Brown-like backwards one-footed slide (no mean feat let me tell ya!).
And the club was on Piccadilly. The name escapes me but it was a well known spot – not a dive or Mod temple – more a supper-club, very Las Vagas- ish.
Now, all of a sudden, I’m not too sure it was Inez Foxx. Was it Tina Turner drapped across my loving arms? Just the thought brings me out in a Cold Sweat…. hahahahahaha
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dear musicologist,
I’m writing this letter in Abidjan, cote d’ivoire to say how much I have enjoyed your recent modernist study and debate.
What it brought it light to myself, were the number of tracks that were simply overlooked in my own ‘well modern’ period. This was really 1984 to 1987 in Manchester, from age 14 to halfway into my 17th year.
For example, I had never heard that wonderful Mary Wells track or indeed the Miracles 45 submitted a few days earlier. I also enjoyed the reassurance to know I still get a buzz from listening to a Miracles track that was new to me.
My contemporaries and myself from this period, felt akin to the earliest modern scenesters, in that we were not at all influenced by the fashions or music that came with the revival mod bands. I’d say, simply because that had been 5 years earlier. Our scene was about musically, all things Stateside,Oriole, UK Sue, London American, Pye International, Blue Beat, White Island, Ska beat and getting refused a suit made by tailors because you were only 14 and would grow out of it ‘tout de suite’
Age 15 and 16, no problems down the tailors.
We felt we were forging ahead, discovering our own records and playing them at our own dances. We had no other reference , other than a love of US and JA black music. We nearly felt validated when I found a copy of Charles Hamblett and Jane Deverson’s 1965 work ‘Generation X’ and the quote that ‘Advanced Mods were only found in London and Manchester’!
Similarly Manchester kids have always been spoilt for US vinyl and during this period in the basement of a warehouse, near Oxford street, there was a shop called ‘Yanks’, they had another warehouse in Philadelphia that they directly imported from. Week in, week out, one could walk in, flick through their catalogue of 45’s, select discs of choice and the shop worker would disappear into the warehouse and come back with what was in stock. There was nothing there that could be used for listening to tracks, each record had to be bought blind.
The catalogue was sorted in label order, so yeah, US Sue was a popular page :- Jimmy McGriffs: Discotheque U.S.A. , Baby Washington’s ‘Hush Heart’ and many more.
I digress, to go back to enjoying hearing and not knowing the Mary Wells and the Miracles from this reminded of a night in Stockport when I went to a mid week dance that had been put on by Roger Eagle. I was 15, so this must been 1985. It was a short lived venture and I only went twice and nearly doubled the numbers both times.
The first time however, I ended talking to two guys that were propping up one of the pillars. It was chap called Phil Scott and one of his brothers, both very knowledgeable about music and there was a look of amazement at the records titles I sparred back at them. It was just stuff that was current on ‘our’ dance floor. Things like ‘Love Ain’t Nothin’ Johnny Nash Pye International, Welcome to Dreamsville : Sammy Ambrose : Stateside/Musicor. Sh’Mon Part 1 : Mr Dynamite: UK Sue, Do It To Me : Hector Rivera :Polydor/Barry, Zig Zagging The Capitols : Karen
The two brothers were serious Twisted Wheel guys through and through but I found it interesting that although we had a common reference, we had very nearly a different playlist.
A couple of interesting points, the brothers told me they went down the Scene club and they very dismissive on the standard of dress and of the records played. I could only presume at the time, that maybe they went in 1965 or later when things had moved on in London?
One of the brothers made a pilgrimage in the Sixties to go and meet Bobby Bland and took several cities to find him. Following a tour with near to no money until someone let him in.
The conversation must of wandered bluebeat ways because Phil told me that at the time Humpty Dumpty Eric Morris was big in the wheel and Oh Carolina Folkes Brothers was more popular in Manchester’s Black clubs. He only ever bought Humpty Dumpty, so I eagerly sorted him out with my spare copy of The Folkes Brothers. I never knew if it reached him, I passed the record through one of his friends.
Its Alright The Impressions was played nearly weekly at our dances. Still a true anthem. Its a trip to know the flipside was/is used so widely in J.A. music.
How good does Hello Stranger still sound? and the flipside needs to get praise, so cheers Countess!
Where’s “walking the dog’ rufus thomas? That used to get Steve Barrow barking and howling on the dancefloor!
My own personal favourite record of this time is ‘Keep an eye on Love’ Ernestine Anderson UK SUE WI 309 and the flipside is not to be sniffed at either
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Don D…
Extra spooky…the cut of which you speak..’Ernestine Anderson’ has been lined up as the final piece on the Modernist theme for the last Four!! days…I kid you not this piece is bursting to be aired on the theme but I have been distracted by the ‘sound and fury’ of this thing called life and am finding it difficult to make the time for themusicologist. Ideally I would be in a position to dedicate all my time to the ‘Project’ but at the moment I have a few monkeys on my back and wolves circling around the door as the Bastards try to knock some, (what they call), ‘sense’ into me by knocking the, (what they call), dreams out of me.
Thanks for your excellent post…I look forward to responding in detail.
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Without being flippant, you ‘sound’ a little blue Mr. Musicologist. I suppose to say hang on in there or things will get better is useless… so I won’t. What I will say though is I just popped over to the Jack That Cat Was Clean blog and what do I see……… The dreaded musicologist “slash” (two actually) through the word Modernist.
Here, on themusicologist, is where “slashing” Modernist was discovered…. and if anyone wants to disagree…. outside!!!
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hahahahahaha…it’s alright I know the ‘Cats’ and their intentions are more than honourable..as for the blues…I can’t deny they got a hold on me but it most certainly isn’t the first and definately won’t be the last time. what was it that Bobby Bland sung? (musicology #114)
“When you got a headache..a headache powder will soothe the pain,
When you try to rest…lord you feel alright again,
When you got a backache…a little rubbing will see you through,
But when you got a heartache…..there ain’t nothin’ you can do,
A man can’t break a stone so he tries another lick,
An ice man can’t cut his ice…no lord so he buys another pick,
Electric light go out…but a candle light will see you through,
But when you got a heartache…there ain’t nothing you can do..
One of the ‘Blues’ many, many top ranking, nail on the head cuts.
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“The two brothers were serious Twisted Wheel guys through and through but I found it interesting that although we had a common reference, we had very nearly a different playlist.”
That’s a very interesting observation by Sir Errol there…. not just generation wise either. I’ll bet that even in different cities, down to areas, and even clubs and cafe juke-boxes within those areas, kids were dancing and ‘larging it’ to differing playlists!!
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How does this grab ya…
musicology #70 newyearboogie #2 (I Can Make It If I Try -The Royal Premiers)
“no matter how dreary the situation is and how difficult it may be .. you got to walk tall, walk tall, walk tall” ..
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Remember it well..New Year 2008..just got back from a family trip to the Lake District…still trying to ‘make it’ 18 months down the line !!
You know the best things in life are free,
But I can’t wait around til someone give them to me,
If I want to be a success, I can’t depend on nobody but myself,
And that’s why I feel it and I believe it,
So help me girl I’m gonna prove it, to you and my self,
I can make it if I try…
One from my top fifty cuts of all time..
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one of the many things I like about this theme on modernist is reading about other peoples experience of that piece of history, in various clubs and dancehalls the music of the time was played but I suspect I only took notice of my favorite tunes, so they are the soundtrack to those early days for me, I only stood on one side of the stage area in the various dancehalls, never went to the bars (to much dancing to do, and not enough money) only went to the Scene in soho, and then only until 11pm. (had to be home by 12) so its been great to read about what others were doing…
I’m inspired by the talk of personal playlists to add two of my favorites of the time which just make it into the timeslot we’re looking at I think..
Shake a tail feather ..The 5 Du-Tones
What kinda fool…Tams
And on the subject of the fabulous Drifters, Under the Boardwalk still ‘sounds’ like summer to me, and never fails to make me smile..
But out of the many songs of theirs I liked my all time favorite was One Way Love..I know its ’64 but had to give it a mention when talking about the Drifters.
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Classic tunes you picked there countess…. have a go at spinning on that internal turn-table of yours……..
Mother-In-Law : Ernie K Doe.
Raindrops : Dee Clarke.
Every Beat Of My Heart :The Pips.
and Ya-Ya : Lee Dorsey.
Me? I was (still am) an Impressions man.
My number 1 then? Gypsy Woman…. silk, pure silk!!
My favorite Drifters (of the period) is Don’t Go, Please Stay….. haven’t heard it in Donkeys years. Another being Sweets For My Sweets.
Incredibly, both of these songs, plus Room Full Of Tears and Some Kind Of Wonderful, were recorded in one glorious afternoon session. The lead singer on all four is the Drifters new boy on the block…. Rudy Lewis!
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Sir.
What’s pleasently surprised me during the course of this pukka theme is I’ve realised that, to paraphrase a tune of the times, I had “Two Lovers”…. musically. And, like in the song, I loved them just the same…
I’m talking 1961/2 here.
The one type, as I think I’ve previously said… club music. The other… dance-hall music.
In 1960/61 it was easy to differentiate between the two. During 1962/3 they began to somehow fuse. In the year 1964 they became one!
P.S. Put me out of my agony and lay the last slice on me!!!!
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Just got my grubby hands on a set of 5 CD’s I’ve been after for a while. Titled Sweet Soul Music from Bear Family Records each CD has (I quote) “31 Scorching Classics from” e.g. 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 (’65 – ’70 apparently in the can awaiting release).
This is as good a CHRONOLOGICAL compilation of Mod/ernist music gets in my opinion. That being said don’t take my word for it. they are, after all, compilations!
Compilations, even though genre-pure, are by their very nature someone else’s musical tastes. Thus they can never hit the button 100% for 100% of the listeners. These are good, very good in fact. At least worth checking out.
But, and this is what I am plugging, with the CD’s came what I suppose are called information booklets…. and these are gold, pure gold.
Here’s just one nugget….. It’s from 1961 and it’s about Jimmy Reed.
“Vee-Jay partner Calvin Carter remembered their first encounter
“When we first met Jimmy Reed in 1963, he was actually working in Chicago in the stockyards, where he was cutting cattle. He was playing harmonica for a guy called King David that we were interested in. So we were having a rehearsal with them one day and we heard Jimmy play. We asked him, ‘do you have any songs that you’ve written?’ And he says, ‘No, but I’ve got some that I made up.’ And that was how we got Jimmy Reed.”
Personally, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Did any of these great artists ever get what was rightly theirs? And most importantly, receive the respect they rightly deserved. As for dignity, well………………..
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Sweets for my Sweet..excellent record, it makes me laugh cos at the time I used to think they sang ‘sweets for my sweet..sugar polaris., !! which as you can imagine puzzled me somewhate, it was many years later I discovered the next line was ‘sugar for my honey’…..often one only got to hear these fabulous songs once a week ..thats my excuse…
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Here’s another nugget from the 1961 CD book(let)…. This one courtesy of Solomon Burke ..
“After splitting from Apollo Records, he took over the family business as a funeral home director.
‘And then’ he told the Philadelphia Weekly, ‘I got hooked up with Singular Records, which was run by a guy named (Marvin) Babe Chivien, who left a beautiful red sports car parked out front of the funeral home. It was his way of suggesting that maybe I should get back into the music business. YOU CAN’T HAVE A RED CONVERTIBLE PARKED IN FRONT OF A FUNERAL HOME.'” (my capitals).
What a killer line. It conjures up the picture perfectly for me.
Solomon goes on….. “So I finally called him back and said ‘Sir, we need to move this car.’ And he says, ‘You can move it. All you have to do is say to me you want to record again, and I’ll send the keys over. It’s your car.’ I said ‘If we don’t move this car, my mom’s gonna kill me. For some reason the police won’t touch it, no tow companies will come get it’. He says, ‘I know all about that’…. He was a very powerful and influential man with lots of friends and connections.”……..
P.S. The song in question? Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms) recorded 13.12. 60. in New York for Atlantic.
Winding up on Solomom Burke and from the same page of the 1961 Sweet Soul Music CD is another nugget…. a cracker!
“After the session (and before Wexler could even cue up the playback of Just Out Of Reach), Burke was out the door. ‘I had seven or eight kids to support’ he said. ‘When it snowed you could work at 30th. Street Station in Philadelphia shovelling for five dollars an hour. They paid you right on the spot and gave you coffee and doughnuts. And you could bring along anybody, pay them 4$ an hour and keep the rest. I had about nine people I could bring. I HAD TO GO ‘CAUSE IT WAS SNOWING!'”
An absolute killer line!!
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