Side One
1. Mac Beattie & Ottawa Valley Melodiers: Pizza Polka – 1975 *
2. Connie Francis: Vacation - 1964
3. Dean Martin: That’s Amore – 1953
4. Louis Prima: Banana Split For My Baby – 1956
5. Mendelson Joe: Hollywood Would – 1979 *
6. Nazareth: All Night Radio – 1983
7. Rolling Stones: Monkey Man – 1969
8. Oscar Peterson w Bucky Pizzarelli: Eleanor Rigby – 1969 *
9. The B-52s: Party Out Of Bounds – 1980
10. The Talking Heads: (Nothing But) Flowers – 1988
11. Blondie: Eat To The Beat – 1979
12. Frank Sinatra: It’s Nice To Go Trav’ling – 1958
13. Bob Dylan: I Shall Be Free – 1963
14. Whiskey Jack: Skin & Bones – 1984 *
15. Frank Zappa: The Blue Light – 1981
16. Stompin’ Tom Connors: Pizza Pie Love – 1971 *
Side 2
1. Iron Butterfly: Are You Happy – 1968
2. Ricky Astor & The Switchers: Pizza Pie Baby – 1964
3. Roy Taylor: Rubberhead – 1972? *
4. The Swallows: From Me To You – 1964
5. Chris Barber Special: Sweet Savannah Sue – 1955
6. Jeff Healey Group: Don’t Let Your Chance Go By – 1988 *
7. The Beatles: I’ll Cry Instead – 1964
8. Mike & The Mechanics: I Get The Feeling – 1985
9. Fra Lippo Lippi: Even Tall Trees Bend – 1986
10. The Stranglers: Shakin’ Like A Leaf – 1986
11. Ernest Tubb: Mind Your Own Business – 1968
12. Bluegrass Mountaineers: Bamboozled – 1963 *
13. The Formerly Brothers: Don’t Tell Me – 1987 *
14. Edwards & Devilliers: Beefeater’s Samba – 1974 *
15. The Formerly Brothers: Coming Back Home – 1987 *
CanCon = 35%
And Now for The Particulars:Side 1
1. Mac Beattie & Ottawa Valley Melodiers: Pizza Polka
(John MacNab Beattie)
Dad & Daughter: Banff rodeo – RBS 1282
Arnprior ON
Mac Beattie: vocal
Reg Hill: piano, bass
Bob Whitney: clarinet
Garney Scheel: steel
Merv Wilson: guitar
Jim Mayhew: piano
Peter Clements: drums
Produced by Ralph Carlson, 1975
There’s a place up the highway
That we visit each Friday
Where they serve up
Italian Pizza Pie
John MacNab Beattie b Arnprior ON 21 Dec 1916 / d Arnprior 14 Jun 1982 (65)
Mac Beattie was from Arnprior, Ontario and I’m not too sure exactly where his favourite pizzeria was located. In might be in Renfrew – that’s my guess! But they loved dancing around with a slice in their hands and a glass of wine spilling on the floor.
Note: Frankie Yankovic recorded another song called The Pizza Polka. In fact, there are a lot of different Pizza Polkas out there!
2. Connie Francis: Vacation
(Connie Francis / Gary Weston / Hank Hunter)
Connie Francis: Metro Records – MS-519
Newark NJ
Connie Francis: vocals
Cliff Parman: conductor
Produced by Irv Stimler, 1964
Recorded by Val Valentin
V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N! In the summer sun!
We're gonna grab a bite at the pizza stand
Write love letters in the sand
We're on vacation, and the world is ours!
Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero b. December 12, 1937 Newark NJ
3. Dean Martin: That’s Amore
(Jack Brooks / Harry Warren)
45 single bw You’re The Right One: Capitol Records F-2589
Beverly Hills CA
Dick Stabile And His Orchestra
Unknow back up vocalists
Produced 1953
When the moon hits your eye
Like a big pizza pie, that's amore
When the world seems to shine
Like you've had too much wine, that's amore
From the Paramount movie “The Caddy” with Jerry Lewis
Connie Francis, who sang an Italian adaptation of the song on her 1960 album More Italian Favorites.
Dino Paul Crocetti - b. June 7, 1917 Steubenville, Ohio d. December 25, 1995 (aged 78) Beverly Hills CA
Martin’s father, who was a barber, was originally from Montesilvano, in Abruzzo. Dino did not speak English until he started school at the age of five. Martin then dropped out of Steubenville High School in the 10th grade because he thought he was smarter than his teachers. He bootlegged liquor, served as a speakeasy croupier, was a blackjack dealer, worked in a steel mill, and boxed as a welterweight under the name Kid Crochet. He sang with local bands, calling himself "Dino Martini" (after the Metropolitan Opera tenor, Nino Martini).
4. Louis Prima: Banana Split For My Baby
(Louis Prima / Stan Irwin)
The Wildest!: Capitol Records Canada T 755
New Orleans LA
Louis Prima: vocals, trumpet
Keely Smith: vocals
Jack Marshall: guitar
Sam Butera: tenor saxophone
James Blount, Jr.: trombone
Willie McCumber: piano
Amato Rodrigues: bass guitar
Bobby Morris: drums
Produced by Voyle Gilmore, 1956
Spray the whipped cream for at least an hour
Pile it as high as the Eiffel Tower
Load it with nuts, about sixteen tons
Top it with a pizza just for fun
Banana split for my baby
And a glass of plain water for me
Louis Prima AKA The King of Swing b. December 7, 1910 New Orleans / d. August 24, 1978 (aged 67) New Orleans
5. Mendelson Joe: Hollywood Would
(Mendelson Joe)
Not Homogenized: Boot Records BRP 2104
Emsdale ON
Mendelson Joe: Vocals, guitar, foot, harmonica
Edward William Purdy: bass, keys, guitars, bass drum, synths
Jorn Andersen: drums, percussion
Ben Mink: violin, mandolin
Gord Neave: drums, percussion
Dianne Heatherington: bg vocals
Produced by Edward William Purdy & Mendelson Joe 1979
Recorded by Daniel Lanois at Grant Avenue Studios, Hamilton ON
Mastered at JAMF, Toronto
There’s a Kentucky fried chicken and chile dogs too
Think I’ll have a taco, no a pizza will do
A pizza will do, with anchovies too
I’m so lonely I don’t know what to do
Birrel Josef Mendelson on July 30, 1944, Maple ON
6. Nazareth: All Night Radio
(Nazareth)
Sound Elixir: A&M Records CS-9099
Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Dan McCafferty: lead vocals
Manny Charlton: guitars
Billy Rankin: guitars, backing vocals, keyboards
Pete Agnew: bass, backing vocals
Darrell Sweet: drums, percussion
Produced by Manuel Charlton, 1983
Recorded by Calum Malcolm
So you've run outa numbers
And you've run outa lovers
They won't deliver that pizza
7. Rolling Stones: Monkey Man
(Jagger / Richards)
Let It Bleed: London Records NPS-4
London
Mick Jagger: vocals
Keith Richards: guitars, backing vocals
Bill Wyman: bass guitar, vibraphone
Charlie Watts: drums
Nicky Hopkins: piano
Jimmy Miller: tambourine
Produced by Jimmy Miller, 1969
I'm a cold Italian pizza
I could use a lemon squeezer
Could you do?
8. Oscar Peterson w Bucky Pizzarelli: Eleanor Rigby
(Lennon / McCartney)
Motions and Emotions: MPS Records (US) MB 20713
Montreal QC / Paterson NJ
Oscar Peterson: piano
Bucky Pizzarelli: guitar
Bobby Durham: drums
Produced by Matthias Kunnecke, 1969
John Paul Pizzarelli b. January 9, 1926 Paterson, NJ / d. April 1, 2020 (94) Saddle River, NJ
Pizzarelli began his professional career at 17 when he joined the Vaughn Monroe dance band in 1944.
In 1952 Pizzarelli became a staff musician for NBC, playing with Skitch Henderson. In 1964, he became a member of The Tonight Show Band on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. During his time spent performing for the Tonight Show, he accompanied guest bands and musicians playing through a variety of musical genres, including playing with Tiny Tim (after tuning the performer's ukulele) on the day that Tiny Tim married Miss Vicki on Carson's show
From 1956 to 1957, Pizzarelli used the stage name "Johnny Buck" and performed with The Three Suns pop music trio. Pizzarelli continued to play into his 90s, making several appearances even after a stroke in 2016, officially retiring after a final brief appearance with Michael Feinstein in 2018. He died of COVID-19 on April 1, 2020
With Sarah Vaughan, Robert Palmer, Aretha Franklin, Janis Ian, Paul McCartney, Rosemary Clooney, Solomon Burke, Anita Baker, Neil Sedaka and Roberta Flack
9. The B-52s: Party Out Of Bounds
(Wilson: Schneider / Pierson / Strickland / Wilson)
Wild Planet: Warner Bros. Records XM5-3471
Athens, Georgia
Fred Schneider: vocals, percussion
Kate Pierson: vocals, keyboards
Keith Strickland: drums, percussion
Cindy Wilson: vocals, percussion
Ricky Wilson: guitars
Produced by Rhett Davies and B-52s, 1980
Recorded by Benjamin Armbrister at Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas
WOOOOOOOOOOOH!
It shouldn't be difficult!
Try not to condemn!
O.K. Who ordered pizza?
10. The Talking Heads: (Nothing But) Flowers
(David Byrne)
Naked: Sire Records – CD 25654
London
David Byrne: vocals, guitar, keyboards, toy piano, slide guitar
Chris Frantz: drums, keyboard percussion
Jerry Harrison: piano, keyboards, guitar, slide guitar, tambourine, backing vocals
Tina Weymouth: bass, keyboards, organ, backing vocals
Kirsty MacColl: bg vocals
Johnny Marr: guitars
Brice Wassy: percussion
Abdou M'Boup: percussion
Yves N'Djock: guitar
Produced by Steve Lillywhite and Talking Heads, 1988
Mastered by Jack Skinner
Recorded by Richard Manwaring
This was a Pizza Hut
Now it's all covered with daises
11. Blondie: Eat To The Beat
(Debbie Harry / Nigel Harrison)
Eat To The Beat: Chrysalis Records ECH 1225
NYC
Deborah Harry: lead vocals
Clem Burke: drums
Nigel Harrison: bass
Frank Infante: guitar
Chris Stein: guitar
Randy Singer (Hennes): harmonica
Produced by Mike Chapman, 1979
Mastered by Steve Hall
Recorded at The Power Station and Electric Ladyland Studios, NYC by Dave Tickle and Peter Coleman April to June 1979
Oh, you got a sweet tooth and I remember
Standing on the corner with a piece of pizza
Eat To The Beat
Talking about beats: Eat To The Beat, Blondie’s fourth album, went Platinum in by the US and UK. It was the first Blondie album to reach out beyond their New York punk style while still retaining enough raw energy, bashing out punk with style.
12. Frank Sinatra: It’s Nice To Go Trav’ling
(Sammy Cahn / James Van Heusen)
Come Fly With Me: Capitol Records W 920
Hoboken NJ
Frank Sinatra: vocals
Billy May Orchestra: Mannie Klein, Conrad Gozzo, Shorty Sherock, Mickey Mangano (tpt); Ed Kusby, Joe Howard, Murray McEachem, Si Zentner (tbn); J. H. Washbume (tuba); Harry Klee, Willie Schwartz, Buddy Collette, Jules Jacob, Fred Falensby (wwd); Felix Slatkin, Paul Shure, Mischa Russell, Marshall Sosson, Harold Dicterow, Dan Lube, Alex Murray, David Frisina, Lou Raderman, Jacques Gasselin, Ben Gill, Paul Nero (vln); David Sterkin, Paul Robyn, Alvin Dinkin, Alex Neiman (via); Eleanor Slatkin, Edgard Lustgarten, Elizabeth Greenschpoon, Armand Kaproff (vie); Verlye Mills (harp); Bill Miller (p); Al Hendrickson (g); Joe Mondragon (b); Alvin Stoller (d); Frank Flynn (perc).
Produced by Voyle Gilmore, 1958
October 1, 3, 8, 1957, Capitol Studio A, Hollywood
No more customs
Burn the passport
No more packin'
And unpackin'
Light the home fires
Get my slippers
Make a pizza
"Cover produced in cooperation with Trans World Airlines and featuring the TWA Jetstream Super Constellation"
13. Bob Dylan: I Shall Be Free
(Bob Dylan)
The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan: Columbia Records CS 8786
NYC
Bob Dylan: guitar, harmonica, vocals
Produced by John Hammond, Tom Wilson, 1963
Recorded at Columbia Studio A, NYC
Now, the man on the stand, he wants my vote
He’s a-running for office on the ballot note
He’s out there preaching in front of the steeple
Telling me he loves all kinds of people
He’s eatin' bagels
He’s eatin' pizza
He’s eatin' chitlins
Robert Allen Zimmerman b. May 24, 1941 (79) Duluth, Minn
14. Whiskey Jack: Skin & Bones
(Ray Davies)
Whiskey Jack: Master Disc Records CCR 9015
Toronto
Duncan Fremlin: banjo, vocals
John Hoffman: mandolin, fiddle, vocals
Bob McNiven: guitar, vocals
Greg Street: bass
With
Mike Francis, Danny Greenspoon, Jack Grunsky: guitars
Claude Desjardins: percussion, drums
Ray Parker: keys
Ron Dann: pedal steel
Produced by Chad Irschick, 1984
Recorded by Jeff Wolpert and Chad Irschick at Inception Sound, Toronto
Mixed by Chad Irschick and Whiskey Jack
Mastered at McClear Place, Toronto
Do the meditation and yoga
And she's thrown away the Good Food Guide
And she's given up the alcohol and pizzas
15. Frank Zappa: The Blue Light
(Franz Zappa)
Tinseltown Rebellion: Barking Pumpkin / Epic Records PW2-37336
LA
Frank Zappa: vocals, guitars
Ike Willis: guitar, vocals
Ray White: guitar, vocals
Steve Vai: guitar, vocals
Waren Cucurullo: guitar, vocals
Denny Walley: slide guitar, vocals
Tommy Mars: keys, vocals
Peter Wolf: keys
Bob Harris: keys, trumpet, high vocals
Ed Mann: percussion
Arthur Barrow: bass, vocals
Vinnie Colaiuta: drums
Produced by Frank Zappa, 1981
Recorded by Mark Pinske, George Douglas, Joe Chiccarelli, Alan Sides, tommy Fly
Song recorded live at the Berkeley Community Theater
Mixed by Bob Stone
Mastered by Jo Hansch at Kdisc
Oh well, you travel to bars
You also go to Winchell's Doughnuts
And hang out with the Highway Patrol
Sometimes you'll go to a pizza place
You go to Shakey's to get that
American kind of pizza
That has the ugly, waxey, fake yellow
Kind of cheese on the top...
Maybe you'll go to Straw Hat Pizza
To get all those artificial ingredients
That never belonged on a pizza in the first place
Frank Vincent Zappa b. Dec 21, 1940 Baltimore, Maryland / d. December 4, 1993 (52) Los Angeles
16. Stompin’ Tom Connors: Pizza Pie Love
(TC Connors)
To It And At It: EMI - 7243 5 20822 2 3
Halton Hills, ON
Tom Connors: vocal, guitar, bootsomp
Bill Lewis: lead guitar
Gary Empey: bass
Studio Musicians
Produced by Dr. Tom Connors, 1971
Charles Thomas Connors b. Feb 9, 1938 Saint John, NB / d. March 6, 2013 (77) Ballinafad, ON
This song was originally released up in Timmins by a young Tom Connors as the flip side of a single (Goin’ Back Up North: CKGB Radio Records). I got my version from Tom’s album To It And At It album.Side 2
1. Iron Butterfly: Are You Happy
(Doug Ingle)
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida: Atco Records SD 33-250
San Diego CA
Erik Brann: guitar
Ron Bushy: drums
Lee Dorman: bass
Doug Ingle: keys, vocal
Produced by Jim Hilton, 1968
Recorded by Don Casale at Gold Star Studios, Hollywood, CA
Douglas Lloyd Ingle b. September 9, 1945 Omaha, Nebraska
Doug Ingle started out playing organ in church when he was a teen. His keyboards are the ‘sound’ of the Iron Butterfly. Their active years were 1966–1971 during which time they recorded four albums.
3 IMPOSTER ALBUMS:
2. Ricky Astor & The Switchers: Pizza Pie Baby
(No credits)
The Dave Clark Five: Chaquita / In Your Heart: Cortleigh Records: No. 1073
(London)
Studio Musicians?
Produced 1964
Pizza Pie baby won’t you give your love to me?
Scott Johnson asks on YouTube: Was Ricky Astor & The Switchers a real group? Probably not. This album was a very common deceptive cash-in album from the 60's where a casual glance would make you think this was a Dave Clark album. In actuality only 2 Dave Clark tracks were used and the rest were by Ricky Astor. Most likely they were studio musicians who were given a day of recording time to fill out the album.
I remember seeing these albums sold at Mac’s Milk convenience stores for $1.69 but refused to buy it after reading the titles. (I already had the Bits & Pieces Canadian Capitol Records album with the song Chaquita on it). So even at a very young age, I was able to spot a rouse! (I bought mine second hand a few years ago, just to have it).
3. Roy Taylor: Rubberhead
(TC Connors)
Salute To Stompin’ Tom Connors: Marathon Records ALS 322
Roy Taylor: guitar, vocal
Produced by Jack Boswell, 1972
A friend of mine, Marcel Gagnon, purchased this album and phoned me up to tell me about it. He was so sure that this was a Stompin’ Tom album, complete with all the songs that he liked so he bought it only to find out that it was a scam, it wasn’t Stompin’ Tom at all, but rather a really bad singer doing really poor recordings of Tom’s songs. (Tom was not amused).
Actually Taylor put out two of these so-called ‘tribute’ albums: one for Tom and the other for Harry Hibbs. The Hibbs’ album is worse: nowhere on the cover does it even mention Roy Taylor’s name so people naturally thought that it was a Harry Hibbs album.
There was another album Salute to Stompin’ Tom released by Clompin’ Clod which Connors detested (and the music was ….. well…. Shall we say ‘Terrible’?) But this one wasn’t so convincing that it was a real Stompin’ Tom album.
4. The Swallows: From Me To You
(Lennon / McCartney)
Ain’t She Sweet: The Beatles and Other Great Group Sounds from England: Atco Records 22-169
UK
Studio Musicians?
Produced 1964
Here’s another one! Attempting to capitalize on the screaming success of The Beatles, four songs recorded in Germany by The Beatles (three with Tony Sheridan singing) were included on this album. All other (Lennon & McCartney) songs were recorded by a group called The Swallows who were also probably a bunch of studio musicians banded with that name for this specific record. The only gem on this album is “Ain’t She Sweet” sung by John Lennon.
Chris Barber RIP 1930-2021
5. Chris Barber’s Jazz Band: Sweet Savannah Sue
(Fats Waller)
Chris Barber Special: Nika Jazz Today Series: NJE 1007
London UK
Chris Barber: trombone
Pat Halcox: trumpet
Monty Sunshine: clarinet
Lonnie Donegan: banjo
Ron Bowden: drums
Mickey Ashman: bass
Produced by Denis Preston, 1955
Recorded by Eric Tomlinson
Donald Christopher Barber b. 17 April 1930 Welwyn Garden City UK / d. 2 March 2021 (90)
The Story of Rock n’ Roll has two sides. The first is the American story, often times overlooking the British side of things. Most people sight The Beatles as the ones who first brought rock back to America without looking very closely at their influences. Indeed, these went right back to trad-Jazz and the musicians who were performing it in the post-war days of the 1950s. And a lot of the credit should go to Chris Barber, a trombone player.
Barber was an English jazz musician who scored a UK top twenty trad jazz hit with "Petite Fleur" in 1959 and helped begin the careers of many musicians. One of them was banjo player Lonnie Donegan, whose appearances with Barber triggered the skiffle craze of the mid-1950s with his first transatlantic hit, "Rock Island Line", he recorded while still with Barber's band. Alexis Korner came out of his band, and Barber sponsored African-American blues musicians to visit Britain, which makes him a significant figure in launching the British rhythm and blues and "beat boom" scenes that would eventually manifest as the British Invasion. He also briefly played with Ken Colyer’s band.
This particular EP, I bought in UK at a charity shop somewhere. It features Lonnie Donegan on the banjo, the birthplace of British rock n’ roll in 1955.
6. Jeff Healey Group: Don’t Let Your Chance Go By
(Jeff Healey)
See The Light: Arista Records 209441
Toronto ON
Jeff Healey: guitar, lead vocals
Joe Rockman: bass
Tom Stephen: drums
Produced by Greg Ladanyi, 1988
Recorded by Thom Panunzio at The Complex, LA
Mixed by Greg Ladanyi at The Complex
Mastered by Doug Sax and Ron Lewter at The Mastering Lab, LA
Jeff Healey was a trad jazz buff who played a great trumpet. When he wasn’t off touring with his rockband, he was singing the blues with various Toronto trad jazz players, including Colin Bray on Standup Bass, well known for the years he hosted CIUT Trad Jazz show Sugarfoot Stomp (started by Healey in 1988). Over the years, Healey and Barber struck up a friendship and Jeff was asked to tour with Barber’s band but declined: “Been there, done that.” He didn’t relish being away from home for a long time. So he turned the tables and invited Barber to visit Canada and play with The Jazz Wizards. But here’s Jeff from his first album, released in 1988.
I know it’s incredible but I didn’t have the first Healey Band album until I found it in a bin at Reykjavik Records for about 6 bucks. 500 Kroner.
7. The Beatles: I’ll Cry Instead
(Lennon / McCartney)
Something New: Capitol Record Canada T 2108
Liverpool
John Lennon: double-tracked vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: bass
George Harrison: lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine
Produced by George Martin, 1964
8. Mike & The Mechanics: I Get The Feeling
(Michael Rutherford / Christopher Neil)
Mike & The Mechanics: Atlantic Records 78 12871
Dover UK
Mike Rutherford: guitar, bass
Peter Van Hooke: drums
Paul Carrack: vocals
Adrian Lee: keys
Paul Young: vocals
With
Allan Murphy: guitar
John Kirby: vocals
Gene Stashuck: vocals
Christopher Neil,: bg vocals
Alan Carvel, Linda Taylor, Ian Wherry: keys
John Earle: sax
Ray Beavis: sax
Louis Jardin: percussion
Produced by Christpher Neil, 1985
Recorded by Simon Hurrell at AIR Studios, Montserrat, AIR London & The Farm
9. Fra Lippo Lippi: Even Tall Trees Bend
(R Kristoffersen)
Songs: Virgin Records VL 2375
Nesodden, Norway
Rune Kristoffersen - Bass, keyboards
Per Øystein Sørensen - Vocals, keyboards
Morten Sjøberg - Additional keyboards
Øyvind Kvalnes - Additional keyboards
Henrik Janson - Guitars
Erik Häusler - Saxophone
Åke Sundquist - Percussion
Produced by Kaj Erixon, David M. Allen, 1986
What does Norwegian new wave music sound like? Check it out here with these guys.
10. The Stranglers: Shakin’ Like A Leaf
(The Stranglers)
Dreamtime: Epic Records EK-90745
Guildford UK
Hugh Cornwell: guitar, vocals
Jean-Jacques Burnel: bass guitar, vocals
Dave Greenfield: keyboards, vocals
Jet Black: drums, percussion
Produced by The Stranglers, 1986
Recorded at ICP Studios (Brussels); Spaceward Crescent and Farmyard Studios
Mastered by Ted Haylon
11. Ernest Tubb: Mind Your Own Business
(Hank Williams)
Ernest Tubb Sings Hank Williams: Decca DL 4957
Crisp, Texas
Ernest Tubb: guitar, vocals
Instrumental Accompaniment
Produced 1968
12. Bluegrass Mountaineers: Bamboozled
(Willma Lee Cooper / Carl Stutz)
Saturday Nite Jamboree: CBC Archives No serial
St Johns NL
Reg Whitten: banjo, vocal
Frank Thorne: guitar, vocal
Compilation CD Produced by Neil Rosenberg, 2007
Recorded live on CBC Radio, 1963
Mastered by Spencer Crew
Reg Whitten b. St John’s NL 1925 / d. 2001
Frank Thorne b. St. John’s NL 1927 / d. 2000
These two guys started playing music together in 1946 and are some of the first Newfoundlanders to play and record bluegrass music. For many years, Reg Whitten was the only five string banjo players on the Island. It’s thought that they used the Mountaineers name as a tribute to the first recognized bluegrass band from Newfoundland who played in the 1930s. The song was also recorded by Stoney Cooper and Wilma Lee (who wrote it).
RIP Gene Taylor
13. The Formerly Brothers: Don’t Tell Me
(Amos Garrett / Gene Taylor)
The Return of the Formerly Brothers: Stony Plain Records SPL 1104
Turner Valley AB, San Antonio TX, Norwalk CA
Amos Garrett: vocals, guitar
Doug Sahm: vocals, guitar, organ, dobro
Gene Taylor: vocals, piano
Kit Johnson: bass
Bodhan Hluszko (Michelle Josef): drums
Produced by Holger Petersen, 1987
Recorded by Colin Lay at Goede Creative, Edmonton, Alberta
Gene Taylor b. July 2, 1952, in Norwalk, CA / d. February 23rd, 2021 North Austin TX (68)
“At 17 he had a full beard, could easily buy booze, smoked cigars and, most importantly, was already a boogie/blues piano master,” his friend David Alvin wrote in his tribute.
In the early 1970s, Taylor, who’d been mastering the boogie woogie, joined Canned Heat. In 1978, Taylor moved to Toronto, Canada, to play music with his friend Morgan Davis, a well-known Canadian bluesman. He also played with Ronnie Hawkins and Downchild before joining The Blasters.
Taylor’s initial connection to the Fabulous Thunderbirds was another fateful encounter, on a night when both Alvin and Taylor simultaneously quit the Blasters. Band members “were fighting onstage in Montreal, and I just decided this was the end for me,” Alvin said, noting that the Thunderbirds had opened the show. Taylor made the same decision. Alvin recalls that “Gene walked directly onto the Thunderbirds’ bus and said, ‘Do you guys need a piano player?’” Taylor remained based in Canada for a few more years after that — he shared a Juno Award with Austin’s Doug Sahm and Canada’s Amos Garrett for their 1987 collaborative album “The Return of the Formerly Brothers” — before moving to Austin in 1993 to join the Thunderbirds. He recorded and toured with the group until 2006.
The cause of death was unknown, but is believed to have been related to the house having been without heat in the dead of winter due to the statewide power outages caused by the 2021 Texas power crisis
14. Bobby Edwards & Art Devilliers: Beefeater’s Samba
(B Edwards)
CBC Broadcast Recording: CBC Records: LM 405
Toronto ON
Bobby Edwards: guitar
Art Devilliers: giutar
Produced by Paul Mills 1974
Recorded by Larry Morey
Robert David Edwards b November 24, 1948 Scarborough, Ontario.
Art De Villiers has been a prominent brazilian jazz guitarist in Toronto. Bobby Edwards, now living in Tottenham ON, must be the most recorded Canadian guitarist ever. He began sitting in to recording sessions for radio and television back in the 60s when he was still a teen. Since his own professional career took off at the young age of 15, Edwards has performed on over 1.000 television shows and countless commercial recordings, and scored for a large number of motion pictures. During the hey-day of studio work in Toronto, Edwards was among the first-call musicians.
He claims to have been making 6 figures by the time he was an adult. Had money flowing out of his pockets. He participated in two Command Performances before HRH Queen Elizabeth II, and has been a featured guitarist with Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Henry Mancini, Anne Murray, Paul Anka, and Kenny Rogers. By the mid 80s studio work was drying up; commercials were using sound bites and the money dried up. Here, he and Art Devilliers are captured on rare vinyl by The CBC on a broadcast recording with 3 other artists: Jodie Drake, Christopher Jane and Claude Blouin.
15. The Formerly Brothers: Coming Back Home
(Gene Taylor)
The Return of the Formerly Brothers: Stony Plain Records SPL 1104
Turner Valley AB, San Antonio TX, Belgium
Amos Garrett: vocals, guitar
Doug Sahm: vocals, guitar, organ, dobro
Gene Taylor: vocals, piano
Kit Johnson: bass
Bodhan Hluszko (Michelle Josef): drums
Produced by Holger Petersen, 1987
Recorded by Colin Lay at Goede Creative, Edmonton, Alberta
Bonus Track This Week:
16. Chris Barber’s Jazz Band: Magnolia's Wedding Day
(Fields / McHugh)
Chris Barber Special: Nika Jazz Today Series: NJE 1007
London UK
Chris Barber: trombone
Pat Halcox: trumpet
Monty Sunshine: clarinet
Lonnie Donegan: banjo
Ron Bowden: drums
Mickey Ashman: bass
Produced by Denis Preston, 1955
Recorded by Eric Tomlinson
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