The Music City Story: 3 CD’s / Ace BOXCD11

Description

The Music City Story – Ace Cdbox11, with 48-page booklet.

Ray Dobard’s Music City Records of Berkeley, California, across the Bay from San Francisco, is a catalogue of mythic proportions that has been cherished for decades by a small hardcore of R&B, vocal group and, more recently, soul fanatics. Based on the available evidence – 50-odd 45 and 78rpm releases – and a lot of hearsay and rumor, many have spent hours fantasizing about the purported riches in the possession of its famously protective, zealous owner.

Ace Records is thus proud to unlock the Music City vault for the edification and entertainment of the world at large with the 3CD set “The Music City Story”, an unprecedented survey of the label’s 25-year operation, and an excellent primer for Ace’s forthcoming genre- and artist-based compilations of Music City material, telling the story with many rare gems from the catalogue and a surfeit of previously unissued goodies.

Although Ray Dobard experimented with recording a variety of genres, the legend of Music City is predicated on its role as a premier exponent of black rhythm and blues styles, with a strong regional flavor. Most significantly, the sound of Music City was street. Much of what appeared on the label and lies in its voluminous cache of unreleased recordings can be said to reflect the evolution of black popular music between the early 50s and the mid-1970s. It reflects reality: this is what was heard in clubs and juke joints, at high school auditoriums and rec centers, rent parties or literally out on the sidewalk, with all the dissonance and unoriginality that might imply, but matched equally by huge, invigorating dollops of innocence and exuberance, and a surprising amount of inspiration.

Amongst the set’s 78 tracks are names familiar to doo wop and blues collectors – the Crescendos, Gaylarks, Rovers, 5 Lyrics, Alvin Smith etc – while behind several others lurk famous names (James Brown, Lou Rawls) or others soon to be famous (Sugar Pie DeSanto, members of Sly & the Family Stone). From the raucous jump blues of Del Graham’s ‘Your Money Ain’t Long Enough’ to the hip street soul of Darondo, the breadth of genres represented is extensive, but the overall emphasis in “The Music City Story” is upon the black vocal group, be it 50s, 60s or 70s vintage. It is the rich seam of Bay Area groups mined by Music City that collectors most closely associate with the label. Dobard had only a couple of minor hits – the 4 Deuces’ popular ‘W-P-L-J’, Johnny Heartsman’s raucous ‘Johnny’s House Party’ – but kept the tape machine running pretty much constantly for much of his quarter-century in the business.

It has been many years since as significant a stash as Music City’s has come to light, and accompanying the tantalizing musical treats is an extensive, heavily-illustrated booklet detailing the label’s history. Given that the late Dobard was notorious evasive, an air of mystery has always surrounded his activities in music, but this is the first time a recounting of the Music City saga has been based upon hard data, rather than supposition. Documents, letters, tape box annotations, discographical notes, session chatter, even recorded phone conversations form a considerable body of evidence, that helps bring into focus what this fiercely independent and pioneering black entrepreneur achieved. Ray was no Dootsie Williams or Jake Porter, but nevertheless, a picture emerges of a fascinatingly complex figure, whose role in the black music scene in the mid-20th century cannot be discounted. As venerable East Bay bandleader Johnny Talbot puts it, “to me, Ray Dobard was the foundation of Bay Area music. There was hardly anyone who did anything later who didn’t bump into Ray, so he had to be a foundation.”

Archival research and notes by Alec Palao

Disc 1 · I’m A Working Man · Early To Mid-1950s

1-01    The 4 Deuces W-P-L-J
1-02    Del Graham Your Money Ain’t Long Enough
1-03    Golden Boy Keep Me Satisfied, Baby
1-04    Al Joseph Harris A Prayer
1-05    Sidney Grande Guitar Blues
1-06    Alvin Smith On My Way
1-07    Mr. Undertaker Here Lies My Love
1-08    The Midnights  Annie Pulled A Hum-Bug
1-09    The Twilighters  Late Last Night
1-10    The Rovers [50s] Ichi Bon Tami-Dachi
1-11    Johnny Heartsman Johnny’s Stomp
1-12    The Gaylarks Tell Me, Darling
1-13    The 5 Lyrics I’m A Workin’ Man
1-14    The 5 Campbells Morrine
1-15    Gloria Jean I Don’t Stand No Quittin’
1-16    The Dreamers  Crossing The River
1-17    The Golden West Singers [Gospel] This Wicked Race
1-18    The 3 Dons And Donna Jerry
1-19    The 5 Swans Lil Tipa-Tina
1-20    Jimmy Nelson The Wheel
1-21    Jasper Evans Wrong Doing Woman
1-22   The Gayteens Ding Dong
1-23    Leon Pryor From The Bottom Of My Heart
1-24    Al Bennett Bury Me In The South
1-25    unknown duo The Wallflower
1-26   [no artist listed] Big Six Radio Ad

Disc 2 · Scheming · Mid 1950s To Early 1960s

2-01    Johnny Heartsman Johnny’s House Party Pt. 1 And 2
2-02    The 3 Honeydrops Rockin Satellite
2-03    Lord Luther Just One More Chance
2-04    The Fidels [Formerly The Hi Fi’s] Love Me Tender
2-05    Gene Lee & The Blues Rockers Gonna Blow Out The Lamp
2-06    Wally And Theresa Are You My Boyfriend
2-07    The Marcels Indian Jane
2-08    Robbie Meldano & The Minor Tones I Need You Baby
2-09    Pee Wee Kingsly Flippin And A Floppin
2-10    The Holidays  Station L-O-V-E
2-11    Jimmy Raney Blues All Around My Bed
2-12    The Klixs Elaine
2-13    Johnny George Music City Hop
2-14    The Five Crystels Heaven’s Own Choir
2-15    Kary Lynn Dynamite
2-16    The Pagans Lover’s Plea
2-17    Willie Moore The Slopp
2-18    Joe Blackwell & The Individuals Beverly My Darling
2-19    The Satellite Band Party At Vern’s
2-20   The Crescendos  My Heart’s Desire
2-21    Lee Durell & The Tamaras You Gave Me Love
2-22    Little Lynn I Walk In Circles
2-23    Bob & Jessie Church On The Hill
2-24    Little Willie Littlefield Love You All Night Long
2-25    The Night Caps Mirage
2-26    Magnificent Montague Radio Spot

Disc 3 · Just One More Chance · Early 1960s To Mid 1970s

3-01    Wanda Burt & The Crescendos Scheming
3-02    Vermettya Royster with James Brown’s Band All Around The World
3-03    The Franciscans Ocean Of Love
3-04    D’Vonya White The Kasavubu Waltz
3-05    The 4 Rivers Nature Boy
3-06    The Derbys  Lonely One
3-07    Jackie Day Don’t Fence Me In
3-08    The Italics I Feel So Blue
3-09    The Fantastics I’m Waiting
3-10    The Swingin’ Brothers What To Do
3-11    The Powell Brothers You Are My Lover Girl
3-12    Johnnie Marie Thorne I Can’t Take Any More
3-13    The Music City Soul Brothers Something In My Eye
3-14    Music City Swingers Passing Thru Music City
3-15    Music City All Stars Do The Philly
3-16    Lou Rawls Too Late To Cry
3-17    Wanda Burt Feeling Fine, Feeling Good
3-18    The Soul Brothers She’s Coming Back
3-19    The Heavenly Tones [Teenage Gospel] He’s All Right
3-20    The Two Things In One Stop Telling Me
3-21    The Soul Sensations A Man That Is Not Free
3-22    Darondo Didn’t I
3-24    The Teardrop Tears When We Get Married – Part 2
3-26    [no artist listed] KYA Newsbeat Spot