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| I-10/I-15 interchange in Ontario, CA |
Pre-ramble
While recently in the greater Los Angeles area where San Bernardino, Riverside, L.A. and Orange Counties overlap, the only thing I could listen to in the rush of traffic was classical on KUSC. However, recollections were spurred along congested Interstate 10 as it continued east into San Bernardino-namely the music of the Turtles and Frank Zappa. It is in this no man’s land that the California air takes on an overall darker hue due to pollution and the industrial nature of the area. (When I left California in 2007, I realized that the Jan and Dean I was listening to driving up Kellogg Hill in West Covina did not mean anything at all to California.) With apologies to Reyner Banham, the congested raceway heads into San Bernardino where the all-encompassing built environment sprawls outs indiscriminately beyond human scale.
Happened to be in the Area
Plain Wrap were another group who acknowledged and sardonically expressed the frustration and futility of the rat race in their song “Traffic.” They were a Dickies-Descendents-ish melodic punk band from Placentia who had one album released by Enigma Records in 1985. The song succeeds in almost articulating the seemingly incomprehensible by taking the route of humor. Their lead singer Dallas Don Burnet would later go on to release a pretty much unknown, yet totally solid solo album in 2012 under the clever and optimistic title Cancel My Disappointment.
Anyway the Wind Blows It’s only in the last five years that I have finally started to "get" some of Zappa and the Mothers of Invention due to choice selections played on WFMU’s Big Planet Noise. Freak Out! is actually a lot more song-oriented and structured than the all-out Dada and theatrics that I was expecting. Being in the Mothers’ old stomping grounds, one can still sense the major swirls and their influences in the air. In fact, “Anyway the Wind Blows,” “Trouble Every Day” and “The Orange County Lumber Truck” continue to speak volumes to the situation here in the ‘20s. Further, Is it any wonder that Flo & Eddie would go on to join the Mothers of Invention? While the aforementioned musicians take vastly different approaches, they all share the same impetus to encapsulate and express the absurdity of this way of life with some much needed sense of levity and perspective.
Vocal group harmony was such a prevalent and pervasive influence on the Mothers, that they naturally became latter day champions of a sound that was then not exactly au courant according to the avant garde, the self-proclaimed hip and the cognoscenti. Including “Go Cry on Somebody Else’s Shoulder” on Freak Out! and releasing an entire concept album Cruising with Ruben & the Jets were pretty bold countervailing moves for ‘66-’68. Cruising... could also be heard to be all part of a continuum and a conduit to a sound both earthy and otherworldly. (With their ardent love and devotion to the streetcorner sound, Frank Zappa and Lou Reed had more in common than the musical adversaries were both willing to admit.)
Beyond Pledge Drives
With a majority of its singers, creators and original listeners no longer around, the original Doo Wop groups and sounds have been largely cast aside in its country of origin once again after its last resurgerence during the reissue heyday of the ‘90s. The recordings were then encoded onto compact disc and successfully sold in the form of Rhino’s Doo Wop box sets or even the numerous "discount" releases offered by Collectables. PBS did what it could at a national level with their pledge-drive specials, while Jerry Blavat and Art Laboe kept the sound alive on regional levels as legendary disc jockeys and personalities. As far as Doo Wop in this century, I have fond memories of the Mighty Echoes opening up for Jonathan Richman at Safari Sam’s in Hollywood in 2007. One of my favorite Doo Wop-influenced acts here in the ‘20 are Jintana & Emeralds who hail from Tokyo and have a highly-stylized, balmy and dreamy sound.
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| Jintana & Emeralds' 2nd full-length Lp from 2022 |
The harmonies of the vocal groups were able to soar thanks to a strong melodic foundation being efficiently propelled by continuous triplets galore. Nonsense syllables provided both hooks, while zig zagging the songs in different directions and echoes ricocheted off the walls. Unbridled joy and sorrow and everything between is expressed by the lyrics. Lastly, the layered vocal parts combined with minimal instrumentation added dimension, shade, contrast, while also dispelling the darkness. Successfully combining these moving parts resulted in urban hymns of spare elegance and deceptive simplicity that expresses an unmistakable American sound. Sometimes it’s austere and subtle, other times over-the-top and enthralling and occasionally the sound lifts off the streets to the stars. With lyrics typically focusing on elemental aspects that are usually taken for granted (e.g., moon, stars, love) it can hopefully spur listeners towards retaining a sense of wonder. Overall, Doo Wop is an evocative, atmsopheric nightfall music, with the best exploring emotional heights and offering transcendence.
West Coast Doo Wop
An entire compilation of rare Los Angeles Doo Wop is not something you see usually featured and/or reviewed in this digital age. Give credit to Ace Records for releasing this well-deserved and designed collection. One of the standouts is Arthur Lee Maye’s “Last Night.” This previously unissued rarity recently surfaced as an acetate provided by its producer Arthur Wright. The singer of this dusty diamond, Arthur Lee Maye, also had a stellar career in Major League Baseball as Lee Maye. Immediately following is another obscurity involving another leading figure. “A Long Time Alone” showcases Danny (aka Sly) Stone’s “golden child” talents. This deeply affecting record is the beginning of a long journey with many ascents, descents and detours to come.
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| Lee Maye in the Astrodome |
Some “Last Date” piano stylings break up the formula and sets “Eternal Love” by Cordials apart from the usual fare. The group, who transplanted to L.A. from Boston, would later go on to change their name to the Stompers and record for Landa Records. (On a related note, Landa featured some of my favorite graphic design that has ever appeared on a 45 record.) Surprisingly, the Cordials also featured Bobby (Boris) Pickett of “Monster Mash” fame in their lineup. The Dandevilles’ “Psychology'' includes almost as many “Don’t Wannas” as the Ramones, while “Jolly Green Giant'' has the Valaquans testing the rock ‘n’ roll waters before before later becoming an Impressions-ish soul combo. Another highlight is the striking “Hold Me” by Dorothy Berry & the Swans. Dorothy Berry was the wife of Richard Berry of “Louie Louie'' fame. In addition, Richard Berry himself is said to provide the basso profuno on this Vanco release that was composed by Etta James. Another intriguing element is the wiry, taunt and pronounced guitar that sounds like a jaw harp heard throughout the recording.
The Jades’ soothing “When They Ask About You” is reminiscent of the Flamingos’ “Only Have Eyes For You” with their take on the “doo-bop sh-bop” background responses. Elsewhere, James Lee Washington’s “I Need Somebody” jumps into this century in sensational fashion. This 1962 mini-masterpiece evokes Ronnie Spector and her wonderful “whoa whoa whoa'ing”, as she channels her inner-Frankie Lymon. Coincidentally, James Lee Washington’s real name is Morris Chestnut and he’s the father of actor Morris Chestnut Jr.-who made his film acting debut in Boyz n the Hood.
The Road to Los Angeles
Not everything is top-tier, but overall This Love is Real is a solid retrospective that plays well on the whole with its superior sound quality sourced from the original master tapes. The labyrinthine history of these obscure records and groups is straightened out in the comprehensive liner notes accompanied by fitting graphics and rare photos. Again, Ace Records is due recognition for their commendable coverage of this mostly overlooked, but pivotal era of Los Angeles music history of Doo Wop transitioning to Soul.
Desert Center of Attention
Moving over to Phoenix, the Tads were a versatile combo led by singer, songwriter and guitar player Leroy Fullylove. Released on Valentine’s Day 2023, this collection presents 30 tracks, recorded between 1956 and 1962, straddling the blurry line between R&B and vocal group harmony. The Tads were always my favorite when they previously appeared on Arizona-centric various artists collections like Desert Doo Wops and Sha-Boom Bang! It’s great to have this well-sequenced definitive collection including rarities, demos and alternate takes, which reveals additional aspects, facets and the prodigious talents of Leroy Fullylove. They were a classic vocal quartet with solo lead and harmony backing who both played in and overlapped the prevailing styles of the day. Their records spanned the range from the raucous and rough-hewn through melodic pop to brooding balladry. Leroy Fullylove and the Tads could even be compared to the legendary Nolan Strong & the Diablos.
Ring Chimes They have the distinction of being the first Black group to record for Randy Wood’s Dot Records and also the experience of auditioning for Bumps Blackwell’s Speciality Records in Los Angeles. The Tads got off to a promising and quick start in 1956. The group’s first release, “The Pink Panther” was composed and produced by future legend Lee Hazlewood. Hiding on the flipside is the hushed and heartfelt “Your Reason” that reflects the group's gospel beginnings as the Crusaders. This ballad contains the imploring line sung with candor: “I tried so hard to do my best.” “I Want to Know” continues their sound in the realm where the secular seems somewhat influenced by the spiritual. The ultra-catchy “Ring Chimes” with its skip-a-long tempo and underlying tropical rhythm could have been on one of the aforementioned Rhino box sets.
“Ring Chimes” is actually a cover from an Ohio-based group named the I.V. Leaguers who recorded for Dot Records. The song would also be covered by the Cadets at an even brisker pace. “She is My Dream” would have benefited from being played as a speedier clip. Still, it would be quite the cover song for a current roots-oriented outfit. “Wolf Call” is not the Elvis number from Girl Happy, but sounds more like a Leiber and Stoller vehicle for the Coasters and even locates itself in Los Angeles with the line: “Wella...Here I Stand on the Corner In Downtown L.A." The dusky “Me, My Shadow and I” features a menacing and looming guitar augmented with the prominent background accompaniments most likely influenced (once again) by the ones heard on the Flamingos’ “Only Have Eyes For You.”
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| The Tads with Lee Hazlewood "The Pink Panther"/"Your Reason" sessions in 1956 |
Both Mainstream & Marginal
The collection offers some surprising departures like the rockin’ R&B heard on the previously unreleased “I’m Sorry Little Girl,” and even country inflected numbers like “It’s Been Nice” which was composed by Leroy Klingman (who was a teacher by day and owner-operator of Viv Records at night). The uplifting “Glowing Moon” sounds like another lost classic that taps into the eternal. Two takes of the uptempo proto-soul of “One of These Days” has the outfit sounding like the near future in 1962. With its interstellar harmonic blend, “Jumpin’ Over the Moon” exuberantly achieves lift off in the midst of the space race. Lee Hazlewood was back in the picture as this blaster was launched by his short-lived Tandem Records label in 1961 and has the Tads sounding in fine fashion on this Fullylove composition.
For the Accelerated Ages The groundbreaking Tads were able ot put Phoenix on the map in the ever-evolving world of Doo Wop and R&B in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. They helped set Phoenix-area music in motion and made headway for those who would come after them like Eddie & Ernie, Dyke and the Blazers and even the Servicemen. After years of being prominently featured on compilations, Your Reason offers a closer look and more complete view of a group and their leader Leroy Fullylove. The vocal harmony/R&B group could be defined by the all-too-familiar missed opportunities, but most of all they should be heard and recognized for their striking, wide-ranging and timeless recordings forged as things were moving in so many directions.
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| The Tads-1959 |
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