TOMMY RIDGLEY, "COME BACK BABY" C/W "WONCHA GONE," HERALD 513 (REL. 2/1958)

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Tommy Ridgley made some of the best New Orleans recordings of the 1950s. More of a rock ‘n’ roller than Fats Domino, his piano-driven sides for Herald Records are among the most under-appreciated Crescent City material of this era. This is because Ridgley never achieved a big chart hit. A reliable draw as a live artist, he lacked something in the magic formula that makes a musical career. It doesn’t have anything to do with talent. Sometimes it’s who you know, or just being in the right place at the right time.

In the 1950s, grift was another factor. Payola ran rampant in the music business. Influential people’s palms were greased to get Joe Unknown into the public eye. Some unworthy performers thus became stars, while gifted soloists or groups who lacked the connections made great records no one heard when new.

This native New Orleanian had one minor r&b hit with the 1953 instrumental “Jam Up,” which Atlantic Records released. He’d made a stack of singles—45s and 78s—when he signed with New York’s Herald label in 1957. We played his Herald debut 45 here years back. Today we’ll dig his third Herald platter—two delightful rock ‘n’ rollers with that great ‘50s NOLA sound.

“Come Back Baby,” penned by saxman Alvin Tyler, is a bright mover with twangy guitar, insistent cymbal-work by drummer Earl Palmer and distant brass and woodwinds. Its zany lyrics name-check Larry Williams’ “Bony Moronie” and The Everly Brothers’ “Wake Up Little Susie.” Its big-yet-sparse sound is engaging, and the melody takes some weird intervals that grab one’s attention.

Ridgley was a big, intimidating-looking guy, but he comes off as a teenager on this side—a great example of a performer who can find the right persona for the song he sings. This record offers something different and appealing while it works inside the bounds of teen rock ‘n’ roll, 1957 model.

>>> Hear it HERE! <<<

Cash Box and I are in agreement. Doesn't always happen!

“Woncha Gone” is harder-hitting, and offers a roughneck take on the Fats Domino song. This intense song of accusation, score-settling and a sayonara rocks like mad and delivers great energy and drive. This was too scrappy and intense to captivate the teenage audience who adored Domino’s more laid-back approach. It is a stellar example of Black rock ‘n’ roll from the Crescent City and, as such, a treasure.

>>> Hear it HERE! <<<

Ridgley stayed with Herald into 1959, then signed with hometown imprint Ric Records, where he made a stellar run of singles into 1963, when the label’s owner passed on. All of Ric’s artists went into freefall, and Ridgley label-hopped for the remainder of his career. By dint of longevity, he became a legendary figure in New Orleans, and cut his first album in 1992—four decades after he’d begun to record. A fixture at blues festival, this second wind to his career was cut short by his death in 1999 from lung cancer. Ridgley worked construction to make ends meet, and exposure to asbestos was the root cause. I hope his family filed a lawsuit!

Tomorrow: imagine a smash-up of rockabilly and that bizarro song-poem music. That’s the sound of Jay Haggard, as delivered on a crazy-rare 1958 single from Daja Records. Must be heard to be believed!