The Magnificent Goldberg

Well, Seeline has mentioned all the flute players except Herbie Mann. So I will. Herbie Mann. MG

[Why is it that, every time I try to post something complicated, the effin' connection fux up? If I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all. It's taken nearly two hours to get back in! Here we go again.] I think Rex and Rex of Hollywood might have been the same firm. Galen Gart’s ARLD for 1940-1959 only lists one Rex label in LA. It was owned by Maurice A Rapoport and changed its name to Rem in about May 1949. It had several numbering series: 100 - ? (had reached 128 by 4/1949) 501 - ? (dates from 1945) 23000 - ? (had reached 23005 by 5/1949) 25000 - ? (had reached 25059 by 4/1949) 26000 - ? (had reached 26027 by 1947) 28000 - ? (had reached 28016 by 4/1949) 29000 - ? (had reached 29000 by 4/1949) It wouldn't surprise me if one or more of these series included the words “of Hollywood” on the label. Rapoport also owned the Metro label, which also had a 23000 series which had reached 23005 by 4/1948. Gart doesn't list any numbering series for Rem. MG

One thing about Tiny - as well as Charlie Christian, there was a big chunk of T-Bone Walker in his playing. MG

Heck, I wouldn't even think about them - health comes first. Good luck ! Quite right - but the US isn't quite like Britain in terms of workers' rights. MG

I wondered about that, too. But perhaps Mr C was Shirley's first husband. Interesting that JC was one of the early tenor/organ combo guys; not before Jaws/Doggett, but before Jaws/Shirley. MG

Yes! The first name that came to my mind when I saw this thread. He must be up there. Don't think so - Sonny probably made more albums as a leader or co-leader than most anyone else (possible exception Blakey) but comparatively little as a sideman. And it's sideman appearances that put a musician on top. MG

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis & Bill Doggett - Midnight slows vol 10 - Black & Blue MG

Can't resist! The Fly The Jerk The Watusi

Martin Short Wilfred Hyde-White The Associates

Well, if I could remember... It must be fifty or more years. MG

Eddie Rabbit Johnny Hodges Babbit

But Al Klink was capable sax solist in his own style, and sure in jazz "idiom". I'm sure you're right. Never heard him solo. MG

Ah, right. From the track list, this is the August 1977 recording Bill made for Who's Who in Jazz, entitled "Lionel Hampton presents Bill Doggett". Your listing omits one track on the original LP - "Dug's pad". The personnel is Bill Doggett - Organ, Piano Larry Troit - Bass Howard Overton - Drums Sam Turner - Conga, Drums Larry Luger - Guitar Lionel Hampton - Vibes Norris Turney - Alto Sax Charles Williams - Alto Sax David "Bubba" Brooks - Tenor Sax MG

Yes, just had some of that half an hour ago. Before it worked alright. Some of that today. Very slow. It's pretty bad at the moment, it's very slow and it's regularly timing out - again... Yes, the board's been having a bad hair day most of the day - better now, it seems. MG

I've heard it, too. Apparently a Chicago guy called John Steiner bought Paramount, then found that loads of the masters had been junked. Apparently, some farmer lined the walls of a chicken house out of some. Steiner rescued some and a bunch more, which Decca had been interested in buying, turned up at Riverside, who issued them, paying Steiner a small royalty. And that's it for Paramount, I gather. Eli Oberstein bought Gennett but doesn't seem to have been too interested in reissuing material; he wanted the label so he could get around shellac rationing (only firms in existence before the war could get an allocation). This must have been when he was involved in Elite and Hit Records, not Varsity. MG

That's really good! I love John Wright's playing; his sound is captivating! He's obviously made more recordings than I know about. Thanks Brownie. MG

Oh my, Teddy Tail! Billy Liar Charles Gerard Conn The Spin Doctors

The Rutles The Routers The Rumors

Chopper Jack the Ripper Sweeny Todd

Not sure about that - I think I have several versions that are quite a bit different - Kankawa's is one, from the album BIII, I think. I seem to remember that Henry Mancini's is different, too. And I have another big band version, that I can't remember just at present. Hm, Milt Buckner's, too. I'll have to check. MG Well, I've checked a few versions now. I was wrong about Kankawa's version - it feels different because of heavy wah wah guitar from Hiram Bullock in the intro, but it isn't. I found only two versions where they don't play Booker T's solo as part of the tune; both involve Milt Buckner. One's from his own album "Green onions" (Black & Blue); the other's from Eddie Chamblee's album "Twenty years after" (Black & Blue). In both versions, Milt does his "Green onions, make your belly stick right out" thing. And when he solos, he doesn't play the Booker T solo. And nor does Eddie Chamblee, on his version. So I reckon you're right about that, with two exceptions. MG

Not sure about that - I think I have several versions that are quite a bit different - Kankawa's is one, from the album BIII, I think. I seem to remember that Henry Mancini's is different, too. And I have another big band version, that I can't remember just at present. Hm, Milt Buckner's, too. I'll have to check. I've thought of another - "The Pink Panther theme". MG

I don't know of that Galaxy release; it must have been the last one he made. Could you post details please? Bill also recorded "Honky tonk" for King on his album "Honky tonk popcorn" in the late sixties with members of the James Brown band. A very different version - Bill solos and plays Billy Butler's solo! MG

"Blue mode". Never really warmed to it (have the 'rare groove' LP). Always thought that the best thing about it was the Mati Klarwein cover art. Maybe I'll give it another try. It sez "Forlenza Venoza Associates" on mine. Was Mati Klarwein Associates? MG Artist Bob Venoza was a friend/associate of Mati Klarwein. Venoza must have done the sleeve design using art by Mati. The penny's just dropped - I thought we were talking about the sleeve of "On Broadway". (daft ha'porth) MG

Gene Ammons & friends at Montreux - Prestige and goodnight all MG

When it comes to music industry stupidity, there is truly nothing new under the sun. They've been pulling essentially the same dumb stunts over and over for many decades. The action in the 1940's actually stemmed from the musicians' union, calling a strike against record companies. The union felt that radio and jukeboxes were taking work away from live musicians, and they felt that record companies ought to compensate musicians for airplay. They won, and to this day, radio stations are required to pay licensing fees to music publishers and to the union. I'm not sure how the jukebox issue was settled, but I'll bet it's a similar deal. There were scores of legal actions. The full rundown is set out at length in Russell & David Sanjek's "American popular music business in the 20th century" (OUP NY), which is bloody long but is actually a pot boiled version of Russell Sanjek's earlier book (in two volumes) with a similar title. R Sanjek was the first President of BMI. As I recall, the guy who first tried to prevent his records from being played on radio was Fred Waring, who lost his case. MG