Record #0855: Lovey Dovey / Little Mama – THE CLOVERS

Atlantic 1022 (original, Monarch pressing) USA, February 1954
Words & Music by:  Side A – Eddie Curtis, Nuggy (Ahmet Ertegun); Side B – Carmen Taylor, Willis Carroll, Jesmet (Ahmet Ertegun & Jerry Wexler)
Musicians: Charlie White (lead vocals on side A, tenor vocals), Buddy Bailey (lead vocals on side B, tenor vocals) Matthew McQuater (tenor vocals), Harold Lucas (baritone vocals), Harold Winley (bass vocals), Bill Harris (guitar), Sam “The Man” Taylor (tenor sax), Vann “Piano Man” Walls (piano), Milt Hinton (bass), Connie Kay (drums)
Recording sessions: Produced by Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler (and engineered by Tom Dowd) at Atlantic Studios, New York, NY, on 24. September 1953
Highest chart positions:  Side A –US R&B #2; Side B – US R&B #4

The timeline of this recording session was entirely dictated by Uncle Sam. Buddy Bailey, who was the original founding lead singer and the distinctive voice behind The Clovers' earliest chart-toppers like "One Mint Julep" and "Ting-A-Ling", received his official U.S. Army draft notice in the late summer of 1953. Before Bailey had to report to basic training, Atlantic rushed the group into the New York studio for one final marathon session to capture as many tracks with Bailey's voice as possible for future release.

A bit of trivia regarding "Little Mama," is that two completely different versions were accidentally distributed to the public simultaneously in early 1954 due to a mix-up with the master tapes. One version is a more up-tempo take that highlights a roaring saxophone solo by Sam "The Man" Taylor, while the other features a jazz-inflected piano solo by Vann Walls. Because Atlantic was in a rush to ship the hit, the East Coast mostly received the piano version, while the West Coast and the South received the saxophone version. My copy was pressed at Monarch Record Manufacturing in Los Angeles.

List price: Les Docks lists this at $15-$25. 45cat.com Price Guide sets this at €35. Discogs.com shows a median price of $4,81 😊. I found six copies sold in eBay for $19-$30.

 

Record #0854: I’m Slippin’ In / I’m Searching – THE SPIDERS

Imperial 5291 (original) USA, June 1954
Words & Music by:  Side A – Dave Bartholomew; Side B – Rose Mitchell
Musicians: Hayward "Chuck" Carbo (lead vocals, tenor), Leonard "Chick" Carbo (tenor vocals), Matthew "Mac" West (baritone vocals), Oliver Howard (bass vocals), Dave Bartholomew (trumpet, band leader), Lee Allen (tenor sax), Alvin “Red” Tyler (baritone sax), Edward “Barney” Frank (piano), Frank Fields (bass), Earl Palmer (drums), Justin Adams or Adolph Smith (guitar)
Recording sessions: Produced by Dave Bartholomew (and engineered by Cosimo Matassa) at J&M Recording Studios, New Orleans, LA, in May 1954
Highest chart positions:  Side A –US R&B #6; Side B – none

Dave Bartholomew used "I'm Slippin' In" as a sonic testing ground. He pushed drummer Earl Palmer and bassist Frank Fields to play with a much heavier, driving emphasis on the backbeat—creating a rolling New Orleans rhythm. Combined with Lee Allen’s famously "dirty" sax solo, this specific recording served as the exact musical blueprint Bartholomew used just a year later to launch Fats Domino into global superstardom. Historians view this track as the exact moment doo-wop and R&B officially morphed into rock and roll.

In my view, rock ’n’ roll was not born at a single, clearly defined moment. Its emergence was a gradual process that unfolded over roughly eight to ten years after World War II.

When this became a huge R&B hit in the summer of 1954, lead singer Chuck Carbo suddenly fell severely ill and was sidelined for months. To capitalize on the momentum, Dave Bartholomew and the label kept touring and recording with the rest of the Spiders, putting Chuck's brother, Chick, on lead duties. When Chuck finally recovered and tried to rejoin, the other band members coldly told him he was out.

List price: Les Docks lists this at $30-$50. 45cat.com Price Guide sets this at €35. Discogs.com shows a median price of $13,20. I found two copies sold in eBay for $20-$25.

 

Record #0853: (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Loving You – ELVIS PRESLEY WITH THE JORDANAIRES

RCA Victor 20-7000 (original) Canada, June 1957
Words & Music by:  Side A – Kal Mann, Bernie Lowe; Side B – Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Musicians: Elvis Presley (vocals, rhythm guitar on side B, percussion on side A), Scotty Moore (lead guitar), Bill Black (upright bass), D.J. Fontana (drums), Dudley Brooks (piano), The Jordanaires (backing vocals), Hilmer J. Timbrell (rhythm guitar on side A)
Recording sessions: Produced by Walter Scharf (Side A) and Steve Sholes (Side B) at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA; Side A – 16. January 1957; Side B – 24. February 1957
Highest chart positions:  Side A – Canada #1, US #1, US Country #1, US R&B #1, UK #3, Australia #8; Side B – Canada #15, US #20, US Country #15, UK #24, Australia #22

I’ve already posted the original US 45 RPM release here.

This release was one of the very last times a brand-new Elvis single could be bought on a 78 RPM record in North America. Following this release, RCA Victor would only issue few more Elvis singles on 78 RPM (including “Jailhouse Rock”) before retiring the format entirely. Elvis’ last 78 RPM issue in the States was “One Night” in October 1958, and in Canada the last one was “A Big Hunk of Love” in June 1959.

List price: 45cat.com Price Guide sets this at €35. I found nine copies sold in eBay ranging from CAD 18 (in Canada) to USD 79 (in the States). A promo pressing was sold for USD 400 in the States in 2022.