BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS
DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
THE SECOND SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8TH 2:00 PM
HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY 1721 OXMOOR RD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209
NEXT MEETING, NOVEMBER 12TH 2:00 PM THE SECOND SUNDAY
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
At the August meeting our guest speaker was Larry Parker. We all had a fun time hearing from Larry and are very thankful for Larry to drive from Georgia to be with us. Larry called me shortly after that and said he wanted to come back soon and do it again with some left out info and stories and bring some memorabilia. So, he will be with us again at this month’s meeting. So, if you missed meeting Larry in August here is another chance. And if you were there be sure to come again and here more of what Larry has to share about the early days of R&R and the Birmingham music scene.
BRC RECORD SHOW
There is a song entitled ‘Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad’. That is how I categorize last month’s meeting. First we went over the attendance (885 wrist bands given out & over 25 new members), then the profit the club made (TBD after last invoices come in) and positive comments by both dealers and attendees. Overall is was a very successful show. Then we spent the last portion of the meeting we spun tunes. Listening to early rockabilly/rockers that came out as R&R was being born. The musicians on some of those early recordings were amazing and yet we don’t know who they were and what ever happened to them as far as music goes. The bass lines, lead guitars, piano and even some impressive drum beats are something to hear on those 1951-1959 recordings.
Well, that is the two out of three that ain’t bad. But we do have to discuss the one that needs work to make sure it is in the ‘good’ category. Over the years we have had 10-15 members doing all the things that need to be done to put our record show together. Then we would have many others work at the front table and doing other errands that pop up. This past show there were only 6 working to put the show together and other than those same 6 we only had 2 volunteers to work the table. After discussing this situation, it has been determined that if 20-30 more BRC members do not step up, next year’s 2024 BRC Record Show will be our last. I will be sure we get in the 2024 show but I can’t say what will happen after that. That is not to say that BRC will no longer exist, the club will go on and hopefully the annual show as well.
Those of us who have been working on the show will meet soon and list every detail that we do and that list will be sent to all members and it will let you see what you might be able to do to be sure we have a 2024 show and more. We all enjoy walking into the show and having a good time browsing through hundreds of thousands of records. Imagine that in August 2025 that does not happen. Through death, health issues, retirement, age, moving away, or just plain apathy we have lost so many BRC members who were part of the preparations of past shows. And it is now time to replace those with new blood even if for a year or two then we get others to step up.
Well, that’s the good and bad news about the show. When the list of show preparations is shared, pick out a major part, a minor part but be part of the help to make sure this fun time for records collectors and music collectors continues. Hopefully the list will be in the December newsletter. And as far as this past show goes, thanks to those who made the show possible, those who attended and broke attendance records since we moved to Gardendale, those HOF members, both new and past inductees who dropped by and also to the staff of the Gardendale Civic Center who make sure the venue is ready for us. I look forward to seeing the new volunteers who will help prepare future shows.
THE BOYS IN THE BAND
As I have stated before I like looking at labels of 45’s and seeing who wrote songs, produced the songs and any other info that is listed. Unfortunately the musicians are not listed due to space and even LP’s did not list musicians until the late 60’s and into the 70’s. I came across a CD of hits for the Coasters a while back and for each song they have listed who the musicians were and I found out some interesting things. Some of you may know the ones I will list but probably not many and some may not care. I just find it interesting who was in the studio with groups like the Coasters providing the music. Let’s start by naming the people involved with the Coasters when they were know as the Robins. Probably one of the best known recordings, although it was done in 1954, eight years into the groups recordings, is ‘Riot In Cell Block #9’. Singing lead on that song is Richard Berry. Berry is the guy who would later write ‘Louie, Louie’. He was not an original member of the Robins and I don’t know how many songs he sang with the group but I just thought it was interesting he was on this recording. Of the nine Robins recordings on this CD, Mike Stoller was on the piano. Yes, that is the Stoller of the songwriting team, Leiber & Stoller. That team wrote many of The Robins & The Coasters early songs so I guess that is why he was in the studio. On at least five of the Robins recordings was Barney Kessel on guitar. Who, you might say. Kessel was a major session player for many groups over the years and in fact if you flip over one of Ricky Nelson’s first 45, ‘You’re My One And Only Love’ you will find not another Ricky song but ‘Honey Rock’ which is done by Barney Kessel. He also played on LP’s by Cher, Dion, Ike & Tina, Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke and was on Pet Sounds LP by the Beach Boys. He would also be on many of the Coasters early recordings.
On the Coasters July 24, 1957 studio sessions the guitar player(s) is listed as ‘Willie Dixon or Louis Myers’. So, did blues guitarist Willie Dixon play on at least three Coasters recordings including ‘Idol With The Golden Head’? I will have to keep searching. And on piano we still find Mike Stoller on nearly all of the groups hits even into the late 60’s. And after having session sax player Gil Bernal for at least 4 years, in came King Curtis on ‘Yakety Yak’. Now before I get to King Curtis let me say that Bernal was not just a passer-by. He played for many decades on lots of hits including Duane Eddy’s ‘Rebel Rouser’. King Curtis was on Coasters recordings from around 1958-1961. On two of the recordings on this CD we find playing guitar, Phil Spector. He was on ‘Shopping For Clothes’ and ‘Thumbin’ A Ride’. Also on one recording is Sandy Nelson playing drums. Sandy had the big hit, ‘Teen Beat’ in 1959. I never thought of him as a session drummer but he was. He played drums hits such as ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’ by the Teddy Bears (Phil Spector), ‘Alley Oop’ by the Hollywood Argyles and ‘A Thousand Stars’ by Kathy Young & The Innocents.
Well, that is a list of musicians that played on some of the Robins and the Coasters recordings. When we listen to recordings of groups like the Coasters often time we don’t think of who the musicians are. Research shows that many artists who had one hit or many hits were session players at one time before trying their hand at recording on their own. But before I close I should give credit to a few more of the personnel. Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller’s song writing mate does some vocals on some of the Coasters songs. He did the lead on the bridge for ‘That Is Rock & Roll’, and was the lead vocalist on ‘Shake ‘Em Up And Let ‘Em Roll’. And if you listen to ‘Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)’ the chipmunk sounding voice in the fade is pianist Mike Stoller. Did you know there is a banjo playing in ‘Along Came Jones’ and ‘That Is Rock And Roll’? Both were recorded in May of 1959, probably the same day so I guess while they had the instrument, why not? Not many pop/rock hits used a banjo. That is George Barnes strumming away on those songs. And I will end giving credit to Gary Chester playing drums and cowbell on ‘Keep On Rolling’. More COWBELL, Gary!
SOME COASTERS MUSIC TO LISTEN TO
(1958 #1 with King Curtis on sax)
(1960 #83 with Phil Spector on guitar)
(1959 flip of ‘Along Came Jones’ with George Barnes on banjo)
See ya,
Charlie