Willie Jones, "Mary" c/w Willie Jones & Liza Smith, "Somewhere," Big Top 45-3050 (rel. 8/1960)
Before we dig in
today, I’d like to invite you to check out last Sunday’s post. Few people did,
and if you like today’s record, you’ll love last week’s. Sometimes the best
posts—ones I spend a lot of time on—are overlooked in the mad rush of the
internet. I invite you to treat yourself to some significant music and a fascinating
backstory:
https://franksjookbox.blogspot.com/2025/10/bobby-parker-watch-your-step-cw-steal.html
Today
we hail the return of Willie Jones, a living legend of the Detroit soul scene.
Now in his 80s, Jones still performs and is alive and well. In 1960, he had been
a member of local vocal group The Royal Jokers, who made several fine singles
in the 1950s and ‘60s, and began a solo career with the splendid 1959
recording, “Fast Choo Choo” for M-G-M’s Metro imprint. A year later, he was one
of many Detroit and Midwestern artists, including “Runaway” hitmaker Del
Shannon, to record for Big Top Records under the direction of Irving Michanik
and Harry Balk. The two had a musical fiefdom within Detroit and used a variety
of pen names to cloak their activities as songwriters, arrangers, etc. Johnny
Paris, of Johnny & The Hurricanes, was another member of this clique.
They,
like many white producers of the era, tended to take advantage of their artists
to some degree, but they made excellent recordings full of force and
atmosphere. This unusual single pairs a solo Jones performance with one of
least typical r&b duets you’ll ever hear. Jones is paired with Liza Smith,
whom I believe was a member of The Dream Girls, a Motor City girl group who
made several solid singles—we’ve heard some here in past days.
“Mary”
was co-written by Jones, Michanik and Balk; with stinging guitar and vocal
support by a group I assume is The Royal Jokers, it’s a fine outlet for Willie’s
raw-voiced performance. The roots of soul music are many, and this is one of
countless branches. Black vocal restraint in the 1950s got artists into the
mainstream—sometimes with good results but often with a subdued performance
that didn’t represent a vocalist or group’s real approach. Michalik and Balk
understood that these performers had to be able express themselves, and that the
impact would be felt by listeners.
“Mary” was too wild to get pop DJs to play it—save those in major urban areas with large Black audiences—but it’s a stunning performance with a simple, hard-hitting arrangement that works to Jones’ favor at every turn. I wish more r&b singles of 1960 took this approach. Before long, it would become the norm.
“Somewhere”
is an epic duet—with lines traded and echoed rather than sung in harmony. The
trumpet-voiced Liza Smith contrasts with Jones’ more subdued, passionate croon
to a relaxed ballad beat. The Royal Jokers moo block chords in the background.
This
sounds like the side aimed at the pop charts; Jones takes it down a notch and
allows Ms. Smith to dominate. It never loses touch with the blues part of
rhythm and blues, to its credit. This could have become sappy in other hands;
unwelcome strings would surge through a sugared arrangement with a white vocal
chorus (of the Dread variety) to overwhelm the singers at every turn.
“Somewhere” is, as I said, unlike any other r&b duet I know of; there may be more like this and, if so, I hope to discover them. The effect is fascinating and here’s yet another recording that had the potential to appeal to a mainstream audience but didn’t make the cut.
At
age 86, Jones and The Royal Jokers recorded their first proper album, Fire
in My Soul, and in 2019 he was interviewed about how he started in the
recording world. This excellent YouTube video bears the fruits of that
conversation. Six years out, the interview has gotten just one like—from me. I
can relate to this dilemma: something of worth being ignored and overlooked. I
invite you to give this interview some long-overdue attention. It’s well worth
the listen.
Tomorrow: the debut single of teenaged Joe Tex from 1955. A-side is a surreal, entertaining look at the Davy Crockett craze of that year. A King Records platter that represents a major upgrade for my collection. My prior copy is in Z- condition (suitable for disc golf).
Joe Tex and James Brown certainly took some pages from Jones' book of delivery and sound. "Somewhere" is fascinating. You can tell both singers are holding a little back. I found myself thinking what would this song have sounded like if the roles were reversed and Smith sang low and Jones did his wild man delivery.
ReplyDelete