Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Miracles – Got A Job (1958)
“Got a Job” was the very first single by a group now called the Miracles. Composed by Tyran Carlo (Berry Gordy & Billy Davis) and Smokey Robinson, this song was the start of something that is still going strong today: both The Miracles with their second lead singer Bill Griffin and the solo act Smokey Robinson are still performing! That is over a half a century of real longevity and talent.
Joslyn Layne, writing for Allmusic.com, sums up how the group known as the The Miracles came to be at Motown as follows:
“Scoring over 40 hits on the R&B Top 40 charts, the Miracles started out as the Five Chimes in the mid-’50s while the members were still in high school. The Detroit vocal group consisted of William “Smokey” Robinson, Warren “Pete” Moore, Clarence “Humble” Dawson, Donald Wicker, and James “Rat” Grice. Not too long after the group formed, Wicker and Grice left and were replaced by cousins Emerson “Sonny” Rogers and Bobby Rogers, who both sang tenor, and baritonist Ronnie White was in Dawson’s place. The vocal quintet then changed its name to the Matadors and in 1956 Claudette Rogers joined the band after her brother Sonny was drafted. The Matadors auditioned for Jackie Wilson’s manager, Nat Tarnopol, in 1956. Although Tarnopol wasn’t interested, finding the group too similar to the Platters, one of Wilson’s songwriters, Berry Gordy, Jr., was and he soon began producing the band, who now went by the name the Miracles. Gordy produced their first single, “Got a Job,” (an answer to the Silhouettes’ “Get a Job”) which was issued by the New York label End Records in 1958.”
[audio http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/2353823_3vwv0/llips_TheTwilights-SeaOfLove.mp3]Phil Phillips & The Twilights – Sea of Love (1959) #1 R&B, #2 Pop
This song is truly a one hit wonder classic that will live on until the end of time. Sadly the composer and singer, born John Phillip Baptiste but known as Phil Phillips, only ever received $ 6,800 in royalties for his masterpiece written to convince his then girlfriend of how much he loved her.
Phillips story is well written here at his “Black Cat Rockabilly” page and here at “The Ponderosa Stomp Foundation”. Rather than rehash here please click on the links to read his most interesting history in the music business.
Currently Mr. Phillips has his “The Official Phil Phillips MySpace” here.
Take a look at this Billboard Chart History of “Jingle Bell Rock.” It has been in the Top 100 in assorted categories in four different decades and two different centuries! Guess that’s all I need to say about the longevity of this classic .. eh?
1957 #13 Country Singles
1958 #6 Pop Singles
1960 #36 Pop Singles
1961 #41 Pop Singles
1962 #56 Pop Singles
1996 #18 Adult Contemporary Single
1997 #60 Hot Country Singles & Tracks
2005 #37 Hot Digital Songs
2006 #9 Hot Ringtones
2004 #64 Hot Canadian Digital Singles
Whew! So this is why you hear this song every December and always will.
This is the original version of the often covered holiday song penned by Joe Beal and Jim Boothe. Even though Helms had a successful career as a country singer before he released “JBR”‘ — this is probably the song that assured his place in The Rockabilly Hall of Fame. There is a great career biography for your reading pleasure at the RAB Hall of Fame Web Site, here, so I won’t rehash the details.
But I will give you the lyrics of this classic just in case you feel the urge to sing along (and I know you will get that feeling lol!)
Jingle Bell Rock Composed by Joe Beal and Jim Boothe
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun.
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air.
What a bright time, it’s the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh.
Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet
That’s the jingle bell,
That’s the jingle bell,
That’s the jingle bell rock.
Keep ringing and rocking to keep these oldies alive!
Although it has been covered by many — Eartha Mae Kitt recorded the original, definitive version of the holiday classic “Santa Baby.”
1953 was a great year for Kitt. Her very first album was released entitled “RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt.”
The single released from her LP “C’est Si Bon (It’s So Good)”, zoomed up the charts and made her a household name, becoming her signature song.
Then the single “Santa Baby” was released in 1953 becoming the biggest song of her long, eventful career. In fact the song charted over FIFTY years later in 2005 as #28 Hot Digital Songs and again in 2007 #43 Hot Canadian Digital Singles. Simply remarkable don’t you think?
Watch and enjoy Miss Kitt’s vintage performance of “Santa Baby.”
[audio http://boxstr.com/files/4204570_3rdmv/11.%20Rudolph%2C%20The%20Red-Nosed%20Reindeer.mp3|bg=0x008000|righticon=0xff0000|lefticon=0xff0000] Gene Autry – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Released in 1949. Charted 1957 #70 Pop Singles; 1998 #55 Hot Country Singles & Tracks; & 1999 #24 Adult Contemporary.)
This is truly one of my first records and I still have the original scratched up, beaten up 45 rpm heavy duty vinyl version of this song from my youth. I suppose all children of the fifties and sixties had a copy of this record.
The song also appeared on the 1957 LP of the same name (pictured above).
This classic has been covered by just about EVERYBODY! and will continue to be for all eternity. My favorite cover of all is by those fabulous harmonizing classic Temptations!
The song started out as a poem for an holiday advertising campaign for Montgomery Wards (RIP) and the rest, as they say, is history! If you are not aware of the history of the creation of this song please do read the concise and inclusive version provided at Snopes Urban Legends Teference Pages.
You may also learn about Gene Autry at his Official Web SIte — GeneAutry.com.
Here is a refresher on the lyrics for your caroling this year (LOL)
Orvon Gene Autry (1907–1998) The Singing Cowboy
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Composed by Johnny Marks
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows.
All of the other reindeer
used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph
join in any reindeer games.
Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say:
“Rudolph with your nose so bright,
won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”
Then all the reindeer loved him
as they shouted out with glee,
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
you’ll go down in history!
[audio http://boxstr.com/files/4003474_yz1yq/Bobby%20Day%20-%20Little%20Bitty%20Pretty%20One%20%281957%29.mp3] Bobby Day – Little Bitty Pretty One (1957) #67 Pop
Born in Texas but working in the Los Angeles do-wop arena, Robert Byrd composed and sang “Little Bitty Pretty One” backed with his group “The Satellites. ” It was released on Class Records in 1957.
Thurston Harris (1931-1990)
[audio http://boxstr.com/files/4002631_unwji/06.%20Thurston%20Harris%20-%20Little%20Bitty%20Pretty%20One.mp3] Thurston Harris – Little Bitty Pretty One (1957) #2 R&B, #6 Pop
Born in Indianapolis, but also working in the California music scene, some how Thurston Harris recorded and released his pretty much identical cover, on Aladdin Records, and beat out Day’s original! The cover, backed by “The Sharps,” went to the top of the charts becoming a classic oldie still played on the radio today!
Franklin Joseph Lymon (1942-1968)
[audio http://boxstr.com/files/4003475_yfaaa/Frankie%20Lymon%20-%20%20LIttle%20Bitty%20Pretty%20One.mp3] Frankie Lymon – Itty Bitty Pretty One (1958)
Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers were topping the charts when his management decided that teen idol Lymon should go solo. Lymon’s cover of “LBPO” was on his 1958 solo debut album on Roulette Records entitled “Rock & Roll.” The album has just, finally, been re-released on the Collectors’ Choice Music label this year.
[audio http://boxstr.com/files/4002602_krrax/06%20%20Little%20Bitty%20Pretty%20One.mp3] Jackson 5 – Little Bitty Pretty One (1972) #8 R&B
In 1969, The Jackson 5 were introduced to the world as another super teenage group on the wildly popular Motown label. Generally Motown artists would only cover songs from Jobete (Gordy’s publishing), but Motown management had the J5 doing pop covers on every lp and many of those covers were the same style and arrangements as Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. This cover of “LBPO” was no exception.
It was a cut on on 1972’s “Lookin’ Through the Windows”, the J5’s seventh LP. The brothers share lead on this one. I love it!
In addition to these early versions presented above, before Motown put their spin on “LBPO”, both Dee Clark (1938-1990) and the great Clyde McPhatter (1932-1972) released great versions of the song — with McPhatter’s reaching #25 Pop in 1962.
I created a poll for this post but the polls are not showing up on Wordpress.com right now. Until the problem is fixed please leave a comment as to which of these four versions presented is your favorite. I want to hear what you think.
BTW: I guess you can tell that the new theme for my blog posts in November is “Motown Covers Pop!” Hope you enjoy it.
[audio http://boxstr.com/files/3655423_hlfoz/15.%20Jackie%20Wilson%20-%20Lonely%20Teardrops.mp3] Jackie Wilson – Lonely Teardrops(1958)
Early years and career Jack Leroy Wilson, Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan, the only son of Jack, Sr. and Eliza Mae Wilson. Growing up in the Highland Park area of North End, Jackie, who was also called “Sonny” by friends, grew up rough, joining a gang called the Shakers and often getting in trouble. He dropped out of high school at the age of 15, and by that time had been sentenced to juvenile detention twice. After his second trip to detention, he discovered boxing, and boxed around the Detroit area, eventually winning the Golden Gloves division in Detroit at the age of 16. After getting married and becoming a father at 17, Wilson gave up boxing for music, forming a group that included cousin Levi Stubbs, who later went on to lead the Four Tops. He was soon discovered by talent agent Johnny Otis, who assigned him to join a group called the Thrillers. That group would later be known as The Royals (who would later evolve into R&B group, The Midnighters), but Wilson wasn’t part of the group when they changed their name and signed with King Records. After recording a few sides with Dizzy Gillespie’s record label, he joined The Dominoes after a successful audition to replace Clyde McPhatter, who had left to join The Drifters. Wilson was the group’s lead singer for over a year producing the pop hit, “St. Therese of the Roses”, before he began a solo career in 1957.
Solo stardom In 1957, Wilson signed a solo contract with Brunswick Records, a subsidiary division of Decca, and released his first single, Reet Petite, which became a modest R&B success. The song was written by another former boxer named Berry Gordy, Jr., who co-wrote it with partner Roquel Davis. Soon the duo composed and produced a sizable collection of hit singles for Wilson, including “To Be Loved”, “That’s Why”, “I’ll Be Satisfied” and his late-1958 single, “Lonely Teardrops”. The latter single became a No. 7 pop smash, and established him as an R&B superstar known for his extraordinary vocal range.
Due to his fervor when performing, with both dance moves and singing, he was soon christened “Mr. Excitement”, a title he would keep for the remainder of his career. His stagecraft in his live shows inspired Michael Jackson, among others. ( SOURCE: WIKI )
After making so many hits with fellow former boxer and friend Berry Gordy, it is hard not to wonder why Wilson was not part of the Motown machine! Wilson is remembered by his fans but he never became a huge pop star as did so many of the Motown acts. Surely this is one of those things that make you go hmm?!.
Before you go please check out Wilson’s lip synch to his classic hit “Lonely Teardrops” on “American Bandstand.” Not only was this a #7 Billboard Pop hit, but it went straight to the top (#1) on the Billboard R&B charts as well so it is definitely worth another listen and look see. (LOL)
Read more about Wilson at this website devoted to his legacy.
