OTIS WILLIAMS & HIS CHARMS, "WATCH DOG" C/W "MY PRAYER TONIGHT," DE LUXE 45-6183 (REL. 3/1959)

Otis Williams and His Charms were a mainstay of King Records’ De Luxe imprint in the 1950s. They formed in 1952 when Williams, high school football star, sat in on a rehearsal and all parties involved had that “ah ha!” moment. Williams named the group after his favorite brand of candy, and the group made one single for the Rockin’ label in 1953.

Syd Nathan revived De Luxe to showcase the group, and a string of 39 singles appeared into 1959. The group switched to head label King for a further dozen 45s, this time into 1964. This is a large body of work and almost all of it excellent. The group specialized in r&b versions of country songs—we played a pair of them way way back in the Facebook days (those posts are all still up and most of the music links still work).

Today we’ll spin a scarce 1959 platter that contains two songs penned by Henry Glover, King’s main producer and in-house composer. This record is an ideal adjunct to the new podcast, which packs 21 performances by Black vocal groups of the 1950s and early ‘60s. We do what we can to keep doo-wop and vocal group music alive. It’s a vital American music form and deserves to remain alive and well.

“Watch Dog” is a delightful blend of doo-wop style and blues content. With a distant-sounding guitar that delivers nagging riffs, oodles of studio reverb and superb harmonies by The Charms, Williams is in top form as he sings a plea for freedom to be a roué while his girl stays at home.

Glover seems inspired by the songs and sound of The “5” Royales and its head cleffer Lowman Pauling. The lines of personal philosophy, delivered in driving group harmony, are right out of that group’s playbook—as is the insistent guitar figure that’s a bit distorted. The song might have been written with the Royales in mind and then passed along to Williams, who makes it his own from the first sounds of his voice.

>>>Hear it HERE!!!<<<

Billboard review, March 23, 1959.

“My Prayer Tonight” is a revival of a song first recorded by King group The Checkers in 1952. It benefits from an atmospheric arrangement and a more relaxed rhythm. (A comparison to the Checkers’ original—link below—illustrates how Black music changed its approach in the late 1950s.)

It’s the same song, but Williams and The Charms’ approach is modernized without dishonoring the first version. Otis’ intense lead looks forward to the soul music movement, which he would join with elán in the mid-1960s.

>>>Hear it HERE!!!<<<

The Checkers’ 1952 original:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWuo1o_Xxfo

Tomorrow: intense hormonal teen doo-wop from Cleo and The Crystals, via a rare 1957 Cindy Records 45. The sound of the boroughs of NYC—raw and naïve!