Over The Hill and Way Down Underneath

For this edition of TGU, I have decide to follow on from an original post that appeared way back in January and which tackled the thorny subject of sex in music. It was always my intention to include a second selection of music that continued where the first post left off but I never got around to it and it has remained saved on my computer ever since. So here is a belated opportunity to complete unfinished business. This time around I've chosen 4 salacious items from the Rhythm & Blues genre plus one song that purposely does not fit that category. Incidentally that's original R&B and not the modern version that, for some inexplicable reason, shares the same name. Some of these recordings date specifically from 1946-1956 - not only a golden period for R&B but an extremely important one for popular music as a whole as within those 8 years or so, the evolution of Rock N'Roll was set in motion.

During the late 40's/early 50's, the music of the establishment still belonged to the world of the crooner with the charts being dominated by singers such as Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett and Perry Como. The 6 major record labels that controlled the music industry in those days were happy to promote what was, by comparison to what came later, a bland and uncontroversial product. However, in direct competition with what was popular at the time was an alternative form of music that had been slowly evolving and which was a fusion of two different distinct styles. The first of those styles was Country & Western, the music of the poor white population and rural by nature whilst the second genre was Rhythm & Blues - the music of the poor blacks and largely city-based though it took on different sub-styles depending on it's location. A number of artists started experimenting with a combination of these two with varying degrees of success but it wasn't until Bill Haley got to No.1 in 1956 with "Rock Around The Clock" that Rock N'Roll really took off.

Prior to that Rhythm N'Blues had been successfully plowing it's own furrow despite the fact that the major record labels wouldn't touch it with the proverbial bargepole. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, it was viewed as the music of a minority as it was being purchased almost exclusively by black record buyers. It was left instead to a large selection of enterprising independent labels to market it. Secondly, when placed in the right hands it was DANGEROUS music. Uptempo R&B with it's pulsing rhythms and loud amplified instruments could be very exciting whilst lyrically, the music refelected the daily concerns of the people that were purchasing it in the first place. So, plenty of songs about drinking and generally having a ball and plenty more about infidelity and the enjoyment of carnal delights. Under the circumstances , it's hardly surprising that RCA chose Perry Como as their role model.

We start with "One Night Of Sin". Covered by Elvis with great success, Elvis' version however provides a perfect example of an R&B song being "sweetened" for the white music industry. As with "Shake Rattle & Roll" when covered by Bill Haley, lyrics were either changed or in this case were subtly altered so that the song's original meaning was hidden from all of those sensitive souls who may actually find out what it was really about. In Presley's case, "Sin" was dropped from the title - as if that made any difference. As for the original artist, Lewis comes from that long line of musicians who originated from New Orleans, a venerable hotbed of musical excellence. He was responsible for the original version of "I Hear You Knocking", a No.1 hit for Dave Edmunds in 1972. Edmunds pays his respects by name-checking Lewis (amongst others) during the song's instrumental break.

SMILEY LEWIS - One Night Of Sin (1956)



I always thought that the sexual double entendre was a curiously English habit that reached it's creative peak in the "Carry On" series of films (well 1 or 2 of them anyway) This of course is not the case as the following two songs and probably hundreds of others help to demonstrate.

Tampa Red (left - born Hudson Whittaker) was primarily a slide blues guitarist who influenced a number of artists and who was also a red hot kazoo player, as the song included here suggests. He recorded in a variety of styles and apparently co-wrote a selection of material during his career of a slightly naughty nature of which the track below is but one. Bullmoose (right) on the other hand (so called becuase of his pugnacious facial features) was a one-time member of the Lucky Millinder Orchestra who eventually left to form his own band. Perhaps not the greatest of vocalists but a fine saxophone player, Bullmoose recorded ballads as well as jump blues with the odd risque number thrown in for good measure. Included in the latter is the suggestive number below and a song written by the fledgling Leiber/Stoller partnership called "Nosey Joe" that is apparently even smuttier than the track included here. As for the "hidden meaning" behind these songs? Well, it doesn't take a genius to understand that in Tampa's case I don't think he's talking about rolling on the carpet with the protaganist's pooch and as for Bullmoose - well he is apparently discussing with a female counterpart his latest vinyl purchase. Hmmm.....Yes.

TAMPA RED - Let Me Play With Your Poodle (1942)
BULLMOOSE JACKSON - Big Ten Inch Record (1952)




Wynonie Harris life story was so colourful that it's surprising that it hasn't been transferred to the big screen. Like Bullmoose Jackson, Harris first sprung to prominence as the lead vocalist for the Lucky Millinder Orchestra but soon outgrew the band and left to go solo, signing for Cincinatti's King Records again just as Bullmoose had done. After scoring a couple of early hits, Harris sprung to prominence in 1948 with his version of "Good Rockin Tonight" - another song that ended up in Presley's repertoire. From that point on, Harris chalked up a selection of hits, most of which were fairly raucous and all of which were about living it up. In Harris' case he really WAS talking from experience as he was apparently an early purveyor of the Sex Drugs & Rock N'Roll syndrome.....with extra sex. One typical story has King Records owner Syd Nathan paying Harris a visit at a sleazy Harlem apartment in order to obtain the singer's signature on his record contract. "When we knocked on the door there were three gals in with him. One of them opened her mouth and he threw her out into the hall without any clothes on. Wynonie was in bed wearing only a pair of pink satin underpants" Wynonie finally succumbed from throat cancer but along the way made some superb records. This song details the precise reason for a mature female's lack of sexual activity and features Harris' trademark raspy vocal and a backing band of the ass kicking variety.

WYNONIE HARRIS - Sittin On It All The Time (1949)



And finally, proof that the subject matter in question was being highlighted in song WAY before Big Joe Turner got a hold of it but in a slightly more refined manner. (My post's title incidentally is taken directly from the original "Shake Rattle & Roll" lyrics as sung by Big Joe. The couplet "Over the hill and way down underneath, you make me roll my eyes and then you make me grit my teeth" was apparently a little too graphic for Haley's fans, consequently it was omitted from Bill's recording.) Cole Porter, arguably the greatest American songwriter of all, not only got away with mentioning cocaine in a song ("I Get A Kick Out Of You") but famously and quite brilliantly wrote about prostitution too in this standard. A song as good as this can only be fully appreciated by someone brilliant enough to interpret it. Not only do we no longer have a chanteuse as good as Ella anymore but if this were released today it would probably have some difficulty getting airplay.

A frightened vocalist, Miss Kathryn Crawford, sings a threnody entitled “Love for Sale” in which she impersonated a lily of the gutters …When and if we ever get a censorship, I will give odds it will frown upon such an honest thing.

From 1930 New York Herald Tribune review of "The New Yorkers"

ELLA FITZGERALD - Love For Sale (1956)