Smiley Lewis & Dave Bartholomew ~ 109 years later

   ~      

Smiley Lewis     

date & photographer unknown 

 

Today is the birthday of New Orleans rhythm and blues singer and guitarist, Overton Amos Lemons, better known as Smiley Lewis, born on July 5, 1913, in DeQuincy, LA. He played clubs in the French Quarter there, often with pianist Tuts Washington (and was sometimes billed as "Smiling" Lewis).   

 

Dave Bartholomew, grew up in the same neighborhood as Lewis and was then beginning a career as a producer with Imperial Records, this led to a recording session for the trio in March 1950, at which they recorded the song Tee Nah Nah. Lewis had his first national hit song with The Bells Are Ringing in 1952.   

Lewis was the first to record Bartholomew's song Blue Monday, in 1954; the Fats Domino recording of the song was a hit two years later. In 1955 Lewis achieved his biggest sales with I Hear You Knocking, the first recording of the song (written by Bartholomew and Pearl King), with Huey "Piano" Smith on piano.        

 

None of Lewis's Imperial singles sold more than 100,000 copies, but cover versions of his songs were commercially successful for other artists.     

 

 Dave Bartholomew Band 

date & photographer unknown

 

The Elvis Presley cover of the Lewis song One Night (which altered one risque lyric) was number 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 1 on UK Singles Chart. I love this song with its klink-klink-klink piano beat that makes the song smoothly glide along, in spite of the bouncy rhythm, while Presley does what he does best.    

 

Lewis's recording of I Hear You Knocking was released when U.S. radio was still mostly marketed to exclusively white or exclusively black listeners. A version of Knocking, his first solo hit, reached number one in the UK and number four in the United States; it was recorded by Dave Edmunds in 1970, in this version, Lewis is mentioned in the lyrics, along with Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Huey "Piano" Smith. The Gale Storm pop version of I Hear You Knocking reached the top five on the charts (link below).            

Lewis's recording of Shame, Shame, Shame was used in the soundtrack of the film Baby Doll in 1956. The song failed to enter the R&B chart. It was covered by the Merseybeats for their EP On Stage in 1964 and Aerosmith included it on their blues album, Honkin' on Bobo, released in 2004. The song also provided the title of the fifth episode of the HBO television series Treme, which included a rewritten version of the song with lyrics critical of the government's response to Hurricane Katrina.     

A short clip from I Hear You Knocking is included on the Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman novelty hit, The Flying Saucer (link below), in which, in an ironic nod to his original stage name, Lewis is referred to as "Laughing Lewis." Like everyone else whose music was appropriated for the record, Lewis was never paid.     

In 1975, Sylvia Robinson wrote a song with the same title performed by Shirley & Company, however, it was noting like the Lewis song. It is disco at it's best with a fantastic sax played by Seldon Powell! It was at the beginning of the disco era, so, what more can be said about that?

 

Lewis was hospitalized in 1965 with a diagnosis of ulcer; surgery revealed that he had stomach cancer. Bartholomew organized a benefit for him at La Ray's on Dryades Street. On October 7, 1966, three days before the benefit, Lewis died, in the arms of his second wife, Dorothy Ester Lemons, whom he had married six months before.         

 

Lewis was inducted into the Cleveland, Ohio, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Charles & Art Neville of The Neville Brothers in 1991.        

      

     

      

     

     

     

Viewfinder links:       

         

Aerosmith       

Dave Bartholomew         

Chuck Berry          

Buchanan & Goodman ~ The Flying Saucer          

Fats Domino        

Coleman Hawkins         

Smiley Lewis        

Smiley Lewis ~ Shame, Shame, Shame        

Elvis Presley        

Gale Storm ~ I Hear You Knocking         

Tuts Washington             

Tennessee Williams          
     
YouTube links:       

        

Buchanan & Goodman ~ The Flying Saucer        

Fats Domino ~ I Hear You Knocking               

Smiley Lewis ~        

       I Hear You Knockin'      

       Shame, Shame, Shame       
Elvis Presley - One Night        

Huey Piano Smith ~ Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu   

Gale Storm ~ I Hear You Knocking        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
Styrous® ~ Tuesday, July 5, 2022        
        

~ 
Music Notes

MAIN MENU - Blog Articles

~

Chrisma ~ Chinese Restaurant lyrics

 ~  

*		1		Thank you		4:17
		2		Black silk stocking		2:36
		3		Lola		2:52
		4		C-rock		5:29
		5		What for		3:43
		6		Wanderlust		2:14
		7		Lycee		7:38
		8		Mandoia		4:24
		9		Thank you		4:19
				Total playing time		37:53

Black silk stocking lyrics

Sensitive her feeling, when she's Waking in the morning, Black silk stocking Black silk stocking Put your hand inside it, and she'll tell you where to find it, Black silk stocking Black silk stocking And when she is not talking, be sure she wants some rockin' Black silk stocking Black silk stocking If you're not into rockin' you're best to keep on walking Black silk stocking Black silk stocking You think she's going to leave you, but she only wants to see you in her, black silk stocking Black silk stocking

Lutting instigation, her spell is captivating, Black silk stocking Black silk stocking Provoking whip, lash lash, please stop smoking Black silk stocking Black silk stocking Ho baby, baby no-ones loving, your degeneration Black silk stocking Black silk stocking Oh baby, no-ones loving, your degeneration Black silk stocking Black silk stocking

Lola lyrics

She lives alone Lola, But every night she goes down, to the Chinese where she works very hard there, sipping her cocktails. expenses paid Lola She is performing For a cause, Her glances faking, A deep fascination, She wants information She goes upstairs Lola Clinging on to Another man, She lays him down, down Almond eyes on fire,

Seducing his mind Behind the smoke and Screenz-a, Lola is a Private eye, She well disguises Her lingering actions, No-one suspecting At the Chinese Lola Killed all those Who did her wrong, Her soul is blazing Whith blood thirsty craving, No-one, objecting

C-rock lyrics

Let's rocking
Go back rocking
[etc.]

What for lyrics

What for She likes the way you bore, What for Her foot's inside the door, What for She'll push you to the floor, what for She loves the way you bore What for She likes the way you go What for Her answer's never no, what for She likes to take you so what for She loves you when you're low What for She likes to make you sigh, what for shee seems to get you high what for she's got to get some more what for she loves the way you bore, what for she never did before

What for She likes the way you know What for She likes it very slow, what for Your mind's about to blow, what for And you're just going to owl got it got it got it what for she likes the way you bore, what for She loves the way you bore Take it, take it, take it, take it, take it, what for We're getting to the core What for, we like the way we bore

Wanderlust lyrics

Got the wanderlust you go te the airport and see a plane take off, go to England or take a trip by sea and get off, where you want to get off, write to the boy next door, who always wants to do, what you're just about to do tell him that you like New York city I'm sure he'll like it too - you say you like your nation - so let's take a long vacation Tell your navigator to wait downstairs with his white gloves on, tell him to zip up your bag with his white gloves on take your diamond, so if you've got the money left, you can always sell it here I come, get ready get set fire go, go, go, go, go - you say you like your nation - so let's take a long vacation My transfer agent sens me where I Where I want to go That's a fact He thinks I'm great 'cos I treat him like dirt, like durt, he does me favours But I could do with even better ones, they call him sticky 'cos I treat him like dirt, like dirt, like dirt - you say you like your nation - so let's take a long vacation

Your transit airman is heating up the engine clear your head, go out and get it instead of watching T.V., and stagnating in your bed, by the window thinking of the next record that you're going to buy, you like Maurice with his safety pin so it's gonna be a Punk one - you say you like your nation - so let's take a long vacation Got the wanderlust it's time to go and do, what you've decided to do Go to Milan Or if not just you take a bike to see a sight I feel free you feel free and how about the boy next door, tell him that you like New York I'm sure he'll like it too - you say you like your nation - so let's take a long vacation

Lycee lyrics

I was looking through Through the, the window pane Tears of rain ran down, And blurred a sight so bad, Revolution now, Somehow, I feel afraid I, I heard her cry out loud, echoes insane, shee feel to the ground, her hand reached out in vain Young, Lycee was young, but now, oh there she lay, who will call her name, Victim of blood red flame, she, a living sun will not come back again

I, I saw her face Through the, the window pane, I, still hear her cry I feel, I want to die, I, I saw her face Through the, the window pane, I, still hear her cry I feel I want to die

Mandoia lyrics

I'v gotta in Mandoia An easy hackin in the haia smoking laia I see the hakin of the Maia In Mandoia I feel the iaia to mahoia through my Lala I see the hackin of Ma'haia in Mandoia An easy hackin in the haia smoking laia I see the hakin of the Maia In Mandoia I feel the iaia to mahoia through my Lala I see the hackin of Ma'haia so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... I'v gotta in Mandoia An easy hackin in the haia smoking laia I see the hakin of the Maia In Mandoia I feel the iaia to mahoia through my Lala I see the hackin of Ma'haia I'v gotta in Mandoia An easy hackin in the haia smoking laia

I see the hakin of the Maia In Mandoia I feel the iaia to mahoia through my Lala I see the hackin of Ma'haia so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm... so schön you can komm...

Thank you lyrics

We would like to thank:
Mr. King: for the wonderful chinese food
Moira: for lending us coffee
Yiannis: for inviting us to pay for meals
The japs: for inventing the American finger tip orchestra
The traffic warden: for the 52 parking tickets
The Queen: for her Silver Jubilee...
Romeo Ongarello: for international telecommunications
The publishers: for allowing us to earn 50% OF OUR RIGHTS

We would like to thank: Lonnie Donegan Eddie Cochran Fats Domino Jerry Lee Lewis Little Richard Bill Haley Chuck Berry Wanda Jackson Charlie Watts The Boys Mick Jagger The Saints Bill wyman Iggy Pop Neu (Ney)

Fats and his Cats Dave Anthony Mods Les Paul Sha-Na-Na Roxy Music Buddy Holly Gene Vincent Jimi Hendrix Jonny Kid Brian Jones Jim Morrison Elvis Presley Marc Bolan Louis Armstrong Bing Crosby

and to everyone alse we have forgotten in words but not in thoughts
thoughts, thoughts, thoughts, thoughts, thoughts, thoughts      

       

      

       

      

      

      

      

      

     

Viewfinder links:

     

Vangelis           

Chrisma

Chrisma ~ Chinese Restaurant           

     

YouTube link:

     

Chrisma     

     

     

     

     

     

Styrous® ~ Monday, march 1, 2021   

~

Music Notes

MAIN MENU - Blog Articles

~

Earl Palmer articles/mentions

  ~         

Fats Domino ~ I'm Walkin'      

Electric Prunes ~ Release of an Oath     

Goodbye, Little Richard!         

Tchaikovsky & the Nut Rocker     

     

     

     

     

      

     

      

     

Earl Palmer     

date & photographer unknown     

      

     

      

     

      

     

      

     

      

     

      

     

 

 

 

~

Music People

MAIN MENU - Blog Articles 
~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave Bartholomew articles/mentions

~    
Smiley Lewis ~ Shame, Shame, Shame      
Fats Domino ~ I'm Walkin'            
Gale Storm ~ I Hear You Knocking   
      
   
   
          
   
   
   
   
   

Dave Bartholomew

 date & photographer unknown

   
   
     

~

Music Notes
MAIN MENU - Blog Articles

~

Immortal Loves

~      
There have been many famous people I have loved through my life and have always thought of as "Immortal"!

Cases in point are Pope Pius XII, my very first dose of mortality when I was a teenager, Lucille Ball, Debbie Reynolds, Elvis Presley, Anne Baxter, Ingrid Bergman, Marilyn Monroe (I was totally in love with her, who wasn't?), Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Van Cliburn, Leonard Cohen, Miles Davis, Divine, Fats Domino, Carrie Fisher, George Harrison, John Lennon, Sandra Sakata (link below), Celeste Holm, Whitney Houston, Patti Page, Michael Jackson, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (his was the most shocking), B. B. King, Jon Lord, Jayne Mansfield, Leonard Nimoy, Prince, Lou Reed, George Romero (I expect him back any day now), Inger Stevens, photographer Jim Stewart (link below), Joan Sutherland and on and on. It was a complete shock to me when each and everyone of them DID die.    

I KNEW they were not immortal but they were so much bigger than life in my mind that I could not comprehend their death until it actually happened. The death of Little Richard today (link below) brought me to post this entry to the Viewfinder.   

       

        

Viewfinder links:          

Angelo Badalamenti ~ Twin Peaks & David Lynch                      

Lucille Ball ~ Wildcat            

Van Cliburn            

Carrie Fisher ~ Forever Princess Lea            

Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly           

Aretha Franklin & Whitney Houston ~ Now A Duet in Heaven      

Gene Hackman ~ Another Immortal gone         

William Hurt ~ Now an Immortal       

John Lennon ~ 35 years ago today          

Goodbye, Little Richard!           

Meat Loaf ~ A slice of Heaven                

Marianne Faithfull ~ Broken English 12" single       

Leonard Nimoy (goodbye Mr. Spock)           

Sidney Poitier             

Prince         

David Prowse, the greatest villain of all time              

Lou Reed ~ Transformer             

Sandra Sakata        

Jim Stewart          

          

         

Guess what?
They ARE immortal because 

they live on in my mind & heart!

       

           

Styrous® ~  Saturday, May 9. 2020       

      

      

~ 

In Memoriam

this 'n that ~ musings
MAIN MENU - Blog Articles

~

45 RPMs 41: "Fats" Domino ~ Blueberry Hill

~

Fats Domino ~ Blueberry Hill
45 RPM record
photo by Styrous®

Today, February 26, is the birthday of Fats Domino who was born in 1928. He was an American rhythm and blues pianist and singer-songwriter. In 1957 he recorded one of my All-Time favorite hits, Blueberry Hill. I remember falling in love with the song when I heard it. I was in high school and deeply in love with a beautiful girl named Janet who would break my heart later that year. While the lyrics are about having lost a love, the melody is beautiful and Domino's piano work is exquisite. Also, it is a terrific slow dance song!             

         

 Fats Domino ~ Blueberry Hill
45 RPM record detail
detail photo by Styrous®

Blueberry Hill was written by Vincent Rose, Al Lewis and Larry Stock for Gene Autry to sing in his 1941 western The Singing Hill; it became one of Autry's best-selling recordings. The song had previously been recorded, in 1940 by Sammy Kaye, Gene Krupa, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Kay Kyser, Russ Morgan, Connee Boswell, and Jimmy Dorsey; then by Louis Armstrong in 1949 and many others (links below).

The Domino version was ranked number 82 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.           

       

 Fats Domino ~ Blueberry Hill
45 RPM record detail
detail photo by Styrous® 

Blueberry Hill lyrics

[Verse 1]
I found my thrill on Blueberry Hill
On Blueberry Hill, when I found you

[Verse 2]
The moon stood still on Blueberry Hill
And lingered until my dream came true

[Bridge 1]
The wind in the willow played
Love's sweet melody
But all of those vows you made
Were never to be

[Verse 3]
Though we're apart, you're part of me still
For you were my thrill on Blueberry Hill

[Bridge 2]
The wind in the willow played
Love's sweet melody
But all of those vows you made
Were only to be

[Verse 4]
Though we're apart, you're part of me still
For you were my thrill on Blueberry Hill

     

The song was featured in the soundtrack of the 1956 film, Shake, Rattle & Rock! The film starred Fats Domino, Big Joe Turner and saxophonist Choker Campbell as themselves, Mike Connors of later Mannix fame, Lisa Gaye the sister of Debra Paget, Sterling Holloway, Douglass Dumbrille of the 1964 film Shock Treatment, Raymond Hatton whose films included In Cold Blood, Percy Helton of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Paul Dubov of High Noon (1952) and other film stars (link below).          

Since the Domino release in 1957, Blueberry Hill has been covered by dozens of recording artists: Elvis Presley (1957), Ricky Nelson (1958), Duane Eddy (1959), Little Richard (1964), Led Zeppelin (1970), Chris Isaac took a turn at it with French recording artist, Johnny Halllyday in 2006, Elton John (2007), an instrumental jazz version by Al Hirt and even a Czech version by Milan Chladil entitled, Růžový pahorek which translates into Pink Hill (the linguistic as well as the music suffers in translation). Dozens of others have covered it (links below).  

          

Fats Domino ~ Honey Chile
45 RPM record
photo by Styrous® 

The "B" side of the record is Honey Chile, the total opposite of Blueberry. It is bouncy, lively and a terrific dance song (link below).        
         

Fats Domino ~ Honey Chile
45 RPM record detail
detail photo by Styrous® 

One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Fats Domino sold more than 65 million records. Between 1955 and 1960, he had eleven Top 10 hits. 

On his birthday in 1987 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 29th annual Grammy Awards (link below).

In 1995 Domino received the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Ray Charles Lifetime Achievement Award.        

On January 12, 2007, Domino was honored with the OffBeat magazine Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Best of the Beat Awards, held at the House of Blues in New Orleans. The Mayor of the city, Ray Nagin, declared the day "Fats Domino Day in New Orleans and presented him with a signed declaration.

On May 19, 2007, his last public performance was at Tipitina's at New Orleans, performing to a full house (link below). In September of that year, Domino was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

In 2015, his song The Fat Man entered the Grammy Hall of Fame (The Recording Academy in Santa Monica, California).         

On August 21, 2016, Domino was inducted into the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame. The ceremony was held in Detroit, Michigan.         

       

        

Fats Domino ~ Honey Chile
45 RPM record detail
detail photo by Styrous®

Fats Domino died on October 24, 2017, at his home in Harvey, Louisiana, at the age of 89, from natural causes, according to the coroner's office.    

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Fats Domino among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.               
        

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A     Blueberry Hill, written by Lewis*, Stock*, Rose* - 2:14

Side 2:

B     Honey Chile, written by A. Domino & D. Bartholomew* - 1:55

Companies, etc.

    Published By – Reeve Music Co., Inc.
    Published By – Chappell & Co., Inc.

Notes:

B: From the American-International Picture Shake, Rattle and Rock

Maroon label version; for red label use this link: Blueberry Hill / Honey Chile
Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Matrix / Runout (Label Side A): IM-1082
    Matrix / Runout (Label Side B): IM-1083
    Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A): 45-IM-1082-2
    Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B): 45-IM-1083-2
    Matrix / Runout (Variant 2: Side A run-out, etched): 45-IM-1082-1 5407
    Matrix / Runout (Variant 2: Side B run-out, etched): 45-IM-1083-1 5407

Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Matrix / Runout (A side label): IM-1082
    Matrix / Runout (B side label): IM-1083
    Matrix / Runout (A side runout etched): 340 IM-1082
    Matrix / Runout (B side runout etched): 340 IM-1083

     
         
Viewfinder links:

1987 Lifetime Achievement Award         
Louis Armstrong    
Gene Autry       
Fats Domino
Jimmy Dorsey        
Gene Krupa     
Kay Kyser         
Glenn Miller       
Elvis Presley       
Little Richard          
Led Zeppelin             
Big Joe Turner        
    
Net links:
         
Blueberry Hill recorded versions           
Infogalactic ~ Selected list of recorded versions       
Jazziz ~ A short history of Blueberry Hill         
The Movie Court ~ Great Moments in Cover History: Blueberry Hill    
RollingStone ~ 500 Greatest Songs of All Time           
Shake, Rattle & Rock!        
Steyn Online ~ Steyn's Song of the Week ~ Blueberry Hill      

     
YouTube links:
         
Fats Domino ~  
        Blueberry Hill      
        Blueberry Hill (video)  
        Blueberry Hill (live) (1989)          
        Honey Chile         
        Honey Chile (film)         
Fats at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival       
Louis Armstrong ~ Blueberry Hill (1941)       
Louis Armstrong ~ Blueberry Hill (live)      
Gene Autry ~ Blueberry Hill         
Milan Chladil ~ Růžový pahorek (Pink Hill)        
Al Hirt ~ Blueberry Hill              
Elton John ~ Blueberry Hill         
Sammy Kaye w/Tommy Ryan, vocal ~ Blueberry Hill (1940)   
Brenda Lee ~ Blueberry Hill              
Jerry Lee Lewis ~ Blueberry Hill              
Glenn Miller & Ray Eberle ~ Blueberry Hill             
Elvis Presley ~ Blueberry Hill             
Led Zeppelin ~ Blueberry Hill      
     
       
   
        
       
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, February 26, 2020       
   

~

45 RPMs Archive
MAIN MENU - Blog Articles
~