Annisteen Allen, "Pardon Me" c/w "Rough Lover," Decca 9-30368 (rel. 6/1957)

 

Annisteen Allen is back with one of her most sought-after singles. All her 45s are on the radar of r&b DJs and us mere collectors. This was her last effort for a major label and a welcome departure from the hard pop sound of her other Decca 45s, which we've played here in the past. Ms. Allen is one of the great voices of Black music in the 1950s, and her ability to make a song her own is evident on this 1957 platter. The great guitarist Mickey Baker joins her on this session, and his playing is inspired.

Up first is the "nice" side. "Pardon Me" is a vaudevillian shuffle cleffed by Paul Evans, who was a prolific young white New York songwriter and performer who made some bland solo singles but penned excellent material when so inspired. Baker's guitar hyper-charges what might otherwise be a run-of-the-mill pop r&b item. I could do without the while male vocal chorus, but they are somewhat buried in the mix. Fellow session cat Sam "The Man" Taylor takes a throaty solo with asides by Baker.

Oh, yes...there is Ms. Allen's performance. She exudes confidence and makes a decent song seem magnificent as she sings. It's an admirable skill and it buoys this B-side into something special. Given the wild allure of the A side, which we'll hear in a moment, "Pardon Me" might have been designed as a safety clause; its sound had mainstream appeal and had the potential for a pop hit. 

Cash Box had no problem with the stark themes of "Rough Lover." Who'd'a thunk?

We've saved "Rough Lover" for last. It was penned by John Leslie McFarland, known to his friends as Pumpkin. McFarland was one far-out cat; stories abound about his eccentric behavior. He may have been bipolar before the medical world understood that condition. When not in a manic spell, he wrote hit songs for Elvis, Billy J. Kramer and Aretha Franklin. Ms. Franklin recorded a version of "Rough Lover" for her second Columbia Records LP. At the time, McFarland was her musical director and he penned almost all of the tracks on her debut album.

Here's the original version of this edgy song which could, in no way, shape or form, get across to the mainstream pop audience. This might have inspired apoplexy in the congested vessels of some corpulent Midwestern senator. He wouldn't have had to listen to the lyrics. Mickey Baker's scalding guitar would be enough to set him off.

Once he got the gist of the song, Ms. Allen's large-and-in-charge performance would have given him the shivers, shakes and shudders and, perhaps, fogged up his glasses. He would need to take the rest of the day off to recover. Poor fellow!

Decca embraced the onset of rock 'n' roll and released many strong rockabilly singles in 1956 and '57. This may be the wildest r&b side they put out in that timeframe. It didn't sell and proved the finale of Annisteen Allen's major-label activity. Two years passed before her next single was issued on Nashville's Todd Records.

Bear Family Records has never attempted a CD or LP of Annisteen Allen's recordings. She deserves a well-made modern compilation, as her performances remain gripping and exciting. While some of her material flirts with mainstream pop sounds, her singing takes it to another and better place. She deserved the success she never achieved, despite her best efforts.

Tomorrow: The Midnighters, with Hank Ballard, deliver two uptempo r&b movers via a 1955 Federal Records platter. House-rockin' r&b vocal group goodness!