The Hueys, "Coo-Coo Over You" c/w "You Ain't No Hippie," Instant 3289 (rel. 6/1968)
As Herb Alpert’s homely, heart-on-sleeve rendition of “This Guy’s in Love with You” sat atop the pop charts in June 1968, we tune in on a record not destined to reach the lowest rungs of mainstream public success. A local hit—it got into the Top 5 of New Orleans’ WYLD—it hit the middle of some regional charts but nothing added up to a national ruckus. Thus, the public never heard what might have delighted them: a loopy novelty song, co-penned by the master of this genre, Huey “Piano” Smith, that’s the only record I can think of that equates ice cream and cookies with makin’ whoopee. The group named after him was one of many loose-knit, ad hoc combos summoned by Smith to get his zany tunes onto vinyl. Huey had committed such musical mischief for over a decade and his approach hadn’t changed. This record could have come out in 1961 or 1971 with no fundamental difference in its sound or lyrics. Had it been issued on a bigger label than Joe Banashak’s Instant Records, which was well past its prime in 1968, it might have gone places. Having lost his Minit label in 1963 due to financial difficulty, and with it the distribution oomph of LA’s Liberty Records, Banashak continued Instant with little success beyond its home town. The label lasted into 1978, and aside from a few records singled out by Northern soul fans for their extreme rarity, most are unknowns lost in the murk of time. But enough of that. “Coo Coo Over You” begins as a bit of soulful testifyin’ imploring the singer’s sweetheart to come back. Then the chorus kicks in, which reveals the singer’s sweet tooth may be stronger than his carnal drive. Said singer recorded as Little Buck; his real-life name was Edward Ross. A year later, he made a single for the New Orleans label Seven B, "Little Boy Blue," that goes for four figures. His two excellent early '60s singles for Duke Records can be had for around 10 dollars each in decent shape. As was typical for Huey Smith's recordings, the vocalists were uncredited; Michael John Kirby of Way Back Attack suggests one of the two female singers is Gloria Franklin. The other voice may be Brenda Brandon, Smith's wife and the co-writer of both sides. "Coo-Coo..." sounds like a children’s song—a trait of Smith’s work—but it isn’t. And though it lacks the grace and poise of Allen Toussaint’s productions, this rough and ready sound delivers its big goof with authority. New Orleans was still home to the world’s best rhythm and blues musicians, and the house band keeps things kickin’. You might dance to it, but if you ponder what the song’s about, you might fall down laughing.
Cash Box goes deadpan, as if unable to accept the equation of ice cream and cookies to sexual delight.
“You Ain’t No Hippie” is the most 1968 song title of them all. A percolating rhythmic groove kicks off the proceedings, with the bassist’s nimble line front and center. Little Buck rants, rails and decries the title character at great length. “You ain’t no hippie ‘cos your head is small” is his final decree.
It’s hard to make out all the lyrics. Its gritty energy is impressive and—fascinating for its era—it’s not anti-hippie; it points out the fraudulence of someone trying to appear hip and with-it. Where the A side is timeless nonsense, this song roots itself in its era and is a fascinating artifact of a year of unrest.
The Hueys released a sequel to the A side, “Feelin’ Kinda Coo Coo, Too.” It’s harder to find, as are many of the later Instant records. I doubt any of them were pressed up in quantity. The badly-printed labels—often sun-faded so the “stant” in Instant is illegible—and dodgy local pressings make each purchase a gamble. What more could a record fiend want?
Tomorrow: new posts commence with an eerie 1964 effort by LA-based girl group Robin Ward and The Rainbows. A sought-after Dot Records single.
Wonder if "Coo-coo For You"' idea was formed after hearing Sonny the Cuckoo Bird's exclamation of the phrase "Coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs"? 'Get outta that bag 'cause you're nothin' but a drag.' Priceless lyrics! " You Ain't No Hippie" is every bit as au courant funky as the Isley Bros.1969 hit "It's Your Thing." Shoulda been a contender!
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