photo by Styrous®
~
Ain't Got No Home is a song written and originally recorded by American rhythm & blues singer and pianist Clarence "Frogman" Henry. It was recorded in September, 1956, and released as a single in the United States on October 27, 1956.
date & photographer unknown
I remember the first time I heard Ain't Got No Home, I thought, "What the hell is this?" The first verse of the song is sung in a man's voice, the second in a girl's voice, and the third in a frog's voice. But I was hooked, as usual!
45 RPM single label
photo by Styrous®
Henry was a New Orleans rhythm and blues man who used his trademark croak to improvise the song Ain't Got No Home one night in 1955. Chess Records' A&R man Paul Gayten heard the song, and had Henry record it in the Cosimo Matassa studio in September 1956. Initially promoted by local DJ Poppa Stoppa, the song eventually rose to number 3 on the national R&B chart and number 20 on the US pop chart. The gimmick earned Henry his nickname of "Frogman" and jump-started a career that endures to this day. The song was the first big hit released on the Chess subsidiary Argo Records.
Ain't Got No Home was covered by The Band on their fifth, R&B and blues inspired studio album, Moondog Matinee, in 1973.
There have been many artists who have done versions of the song: Suzi Quatro, Buddy Holly, Roscoe Chenier, the New York Dolls, and Jackie Edwards. Madeline Kahn did a fantastic version of the song (links below).
The song was used in the 1987 American horror comedy film, The Lost Boys. The scene it is used in with Corey Haim is pretty funny (link below).
There have been many artists who have done versions of the song: Suzi Quatro, Buddy Holly, Roscoe Chenier, the New York Dolls, and Jackie Edwards. Madeline Kahn did a fantastic version of the song (links below).
The song was used in the 1987 American horror comedy film, The Lost Boys. The scene it is used in with Corey Haim is pretty funny (link below).
Clarence "Frogman" Henry ~ Troubles, Troubles
photo by Styrous®
Troubles, Troubles is a bouncy tune that would have been a good song if it hadn't been over shadowed by Ain't Got No Home but after all, it was the "B" side (link below) .
Discogs lists the "Genre" of Ain't Got No Home as "Funk/Soul" but it was written years before Soul and a decade before Funk was in existence. It was "rhythm & blues" and no doubt about that!
In the United States, the song reached no. 3 on one of the Billboard R&B charts and no. 20 on the Billboard pop chart, the Top 100. The song is ranked no. 98 on the NME magazine's list of 100 Best Songs of the 1950s.
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A - Ain't Got No Home, written by C.Henry* - 2:23
Side 2:
B - Troubles, Troubles, written by C.Henry* C. Henry*, P. Gayton* - 2:!5
Companies, etc.
Published By – Arc Music (2)
Notes:
Argo misprinted the other submission by printing 'Clarence Henry' with no space.
The labels on this version corrects the misspelling.
Arc Music BMI
Argo Record Corp • Chicago, ILL • Made in U.S.A.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Rights Society: BMI
Clarence Henry "Frogman"* – Ain't Got No Home
Label: Argo (6) – 5259, Argo Record Corp. – 5259
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1956
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Rhythm & Blues
Viewfinder links:
Buddy Holly
Madeline Kahn
The Band
Net links:
New Orleans Frogman
YouTube links:
Clarence "Frogman" Henry ~ Ain't Got No Home
~ Troubles, Troubles
Madeline Kahn ~ Ain't Got No Home
Buddy Holly ~ Ain't Got No Home
Suzi Quatro ~ Ain't Got No Home
The New York Dolls ~ Ain't Got No Home
The Lost Boys ~ Ain't Got No Home
Styrous® ~ Saturday, October 27, 2018
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