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.
No comments:
Post a Comment