Treniers, "Day Old Bread And Canned Beans" c/w "Rock 'N' Roll Call," Epic 5-9144 (rel. 12/1955)

 

This was a prolific group's 18th release in the 45-rpm format; their first was in 1950, and they'd made records for the industry-standard 78-rpm format since 1947. The Treniers were a family act, with twins Cliff and Claude Trenier, seen by the microphone in this publicity still, the group's front men. The twins were big fans of the black jazz orchestras of the 1930s-in particular, Jimmie Lunceford's big band.

They formed their first group in 1939, while they were still in college. This morphed into other combos until both siblings were hired by Lunceford as vocalists and dancers. The two returned to doing their own thing post-war and built the group that made a string of singles for Columbia's OKeh and Epic imprints. Older brothers Buddy and Milt joined them, alongside Skip, a nephew, and two essential musicians--alto saxophonist Don Hill and pianist Gene Gilbeau, who completed their live sound.

The Treniers had one of the most energetic, freeform acts in nightclub entertainment, with acrobatic dancing, zany comedy and high-voltage vocalizing that led a Manhattan nitery manager to nickname them "The Rockin' Rollin' Treniers." Their sound and approach was a marked influence on early rock 'n' roll; Bill Haley and His Comets were obvious fans and tried to emulate their overall vibe.

Their 1954 appearance on live national television--via The Colgate Comedy Hour, hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis--brought Black rock 'n' roll into white households for the first time. (Martin and Lewis couldn't help but clown along with The Treniers' act.)

Such a wild live persona was hard to capture in the recording studio. The Treniers had one solid chart hit (1951's "Go! Go! Go!) but none of their other Epic sides repeated its success. Their singles must have sold, as Epic kept them on into 1956. Today's platter is their next-to-last for Epic and shows them in fine form. We'll ramp up to the dynamic upbeat side. "Day-Old Bread and Canned Beans," co-written by Claude Trenier, r&b singer Damita Jo and sax man Don Hill, is low-key by group standards.

This sad story of a fallen man is narrated in first-person by Claude, whose voice paints a picture of a guy used to the best but now accustomed to the worst. A Scottish vibe informs the music, with Hill's excellent sax and an able-bodied guitarist to the fore. It's of a piece with "Money Honey" by The Drifters and "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' but Trash" by The Clovers, and it sounds like a classic to these ears.

"Rock 'n' Roll Call" was the intended B-side of this 
1955 single, but Cash Box knew best.

"Rock 'n' Roll Call" was co-written by Jack Hammer and Rudolph Toombs (whose name is mis-spelled as 'Combs' on the record label). Its military spoof leads to two superb jazz solos by Don Hill, whose powerful playing dominates this side. This is the essence of first-stage rock 'n' roll. The Treniers' drummer Henry Tucker Green, is outstanding on this pounding, chipper side.

In Frank Tashlin's 1956 rock 'n' roll musical comedy The Girl Can't Help It, The Treniers are seen in rehearsal and their sequence gives some idea of the live energy they possessed. I think they got a lot of oomph into their studio recordings and it's a pity they didn't click with the mainstream public. I'm sure jukebox distributors asked for their records to plug into thousands of roadside taverns and clubs; they were also solid sellers in Black communities. Records could sell a lot of copies without getting onto the charts, and this was perhaps easier for the record companies; Columbia let them go when their five-year contract ended in 1956. The Treniers signed with RCA-Victor, who didn't know what to do with them; a three-record deal with Brunswick followed. The end of the road was a terrible single for Dot Records in late 1958. 

The classic iteration of the group moved to Las Vegas and their focus on recording waned. Milt Trenier attempted a solo recording career and made the killer popcorn rocker "I'm Gonna Catch Me a Rat" for Dot Records in 1959. A few stray 45s by the later Treniers are out there, but live shows remained the group's mainstay. All members have passed on; Milt was an active performer in the Chicago area into the late 1990s and is fondly remembered there.

Many clips survive of the Treniers' act; visit YouTube and look around for 'em.

Tomorrow: a decade-plus leap to a late single by the always-great Shirelles. A 1967 Scepter Records platter that got all the way to #110.