NOLAN PITTS, "MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT" C/W "WHAT IS LIFE." MINIT 603 (REL. 10/1959)

Another gap in my collection of Minit Records 45s was filled last week with the label's second release--the lone recording of its performer, Nolan Pitts, who left music after this 1959 effort to pursue a long career as a pastor. He was also a staff sergeant in the US Air Force.

Born in Baton Rouge, where this early Minit single was recorded, Nolan Taegar Pitts' two recorded songs are excellent and it's a pity he didn't pursue music. He appears to have had a good life; he passed on in 2011 at age 83. I'd love to know how he got into music and what brought him to the attention of Joe Banashak, who, this early on, ran Minit on his own. With its next release, the first Minit single of Ernie K-Doe, Allen Toussaint's name appears for the first time--as does his distinctive piano work.

For several releases, Minit ping-ponged between Banashak's more documentary-style recordings of local talent, all steeped in the traditional bayou sounds of blues and country, and Toussaint's efforts, which changed the dynamics of New Orleans music and had immediate impact and influence on other musicians and composers. Banashak's last Minit single was #608, by local bluesman Matthew Jacobs. He ceded creative control to Toussaint, who achieved a pop hit with Jessie Hill's "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" and got the label national attention.

Banashak still had Instant Records, which has a considerable amount of Toussaint material but offers many examples of Banashak's production work. Unlike Toussaint, he wasn't a musician or songwriter; just a person, like Sam Phillips in Memphis, who was able to record regional performers and give them a shot at making a record.

"Middle of the Night" is a new-kind-of-mambo rocker with a name-dropping novelty angle. Every music star from Elvis Presley to B. B. King is mentioned in its lyrics. Pitts' gruff-but-expressive voice had much appeal. Its call and response approach suggests folk songs and work songs. Twangy guitar, wild piano and excitable percussion spur Pitts and his backup chorus through this surreal item that Huey "Piano" Smith might have recorded. Its chunky, cluttered sound is exciting.

"What is Life" is a classic piece of bayou philosophy with a captivating slow-drag rhythm. Pitts, who penned both sides, shows the influence of the recently-departed Chuck Willis, on this philosophical ballad. His voice is ideal for the mood of this song. Its over-busy instrumental background reveals the difference between Banashak and Toussaint. Banashak is an objective presence who made no attempt to guide the performance. Toussaint was a born arranger with an ear for how little--or much--any song needed.

He might have asked the guitarist to tone down the busy noodling in the background, for example, or asked the band to play a more focused riff behind Pitts' expressive performance. This as-is approach works well, and delivers a moody record that one of the most obscure sides in the Minit catalog. I was glad to find a clean copy of this scarcity for a most fair price. I have just four Minits left to find--all sought-after, rare and expensive. For those of you keeping score out there, the missing Minits are 606, 613, 663 and 664. If you have copies of any of these records and wish to sell them, I am an interested buyer. Please get in touch--thanks!

Tomorrow: the weird world of Lou Christie in a cheater: two stereo versions of singles tracks taken from a cash-in LP released when "Lightning Strikes" became a major pop hit. On both sides, he sings with the feral-sounding girl group The Tammys.

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