Blues singer, guitarist and harmonicist Luther Allison was born on this day in 1939. He spent a few years in the ’70’s and ’80’s living and playing in Paris until Alligator Records President Bruce Iglauer convinced him to retrn to Chicago. The Chicago Sun-Times called him the “Bruce Springsteen of the Blues.” “Luther’s Blues” was the title track from his 1974 album.
Singer Eydie Gormé was born on this day in 1928. She had hits on the Pop and Latin Pop charts in her career, and sang both as a solo act and with her husband, Steve Lawrence. “Blame It On The Bossa Nova” was the title track on her 1963 album and reached #7 on the Hot 100 and #6 on the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart that year.
Composer, arranger, and orchestra leader Hugo Winterhalter was born on this day in 1910. In a long and distinguished career, he worked with numerous artists as well as recording albums of easy listening orchestral music. His biggest hit was “Canadian Sunset,” a song written by pianist and composer Eddie Heywood. It reached #1 in 1956 and eventually received a gold record.
I’m going to assume that Jim came up with today’s prompt, “educate, learn, school, teach,” and you might have figured I would come up with a blues number.
“Wee, Wee Baby,” is from a 1963 album, Folk Festival Of The Blues, released on Chess Records’ Argo label. It was a live recording of an evening at DJ Big Bill Hill’s Copacabana Club on the South Side of Chicago. As Cub Koda (remember Brownsville Station?) said in his review on Allmusic, the album was mostly Muddy Waters, with a couple of songs contributed by Howlin’ Wolf, and one song each by Sonny Boy Williamson II and Buddy Guy that were actually studio recordings made to sound like live ones. The album was reissued four years later on Chess as Blues From Big Bill’s Copacabana, which is where I heard it.
Big Bill starts off by introducing the musicians for the evening (including Little Walter, who’s a no-show here), then Muddy, Buddy Guy, and Willie Dixon sing the song, backed by Guy’s band (Jarrett Gibson and Donald Hankins on tenor andd baritone saxes, respectively; Jack Myers on bass; and Fred Below on drums) and Otis Spann, Muddy’s piano player.
It was early one mornin’, I was on my way to school, (x2)
That was the Monday mornin’ that I broke my teacher’s rule.
I was in love with you baby, before I learned to call your name (x2)
Now you’re in love with someone else, and you’re goin’ to drive me insane
Oh wee, wee baby, you sure look good to me (x2)
Sometimes I wonder, who can your lover be?
[guitar solo]
I was in love with you baby, before I learned to call your name (x2)
Now you’re in love with someone else, and you’re goin’ to drive me insane
Oh wee, wee baby, you sure look good to me (x2)
Sometimes I wonder, who can your lover be?
Bye, bye bye baby, bye bye (x2)
Bye, bye bye baby, bye bye!
transcribed by the author
And that’s Song Lyric Sunday (and Song of the Day) for August 14, 2022.
Blues guitarist and singer-songwriter Robert “Baby Boy” Warren was born on this day in 1919. He was a leading figure in the Detroit blues scene in the 1950’s. “Mattie Mae” was released in 1954.
The Sound of One Hand Typing 