Time Travel
Bouresteve
Taking a bit of a break from the MP3's, I was listening to the Complete Sun
Sessions the last few days back & forth to work, and was thinking that although
it's fairly obvious why the ones that were released as singles were, I kept
thinking that these 43 year old songs are, at least too me, as fresh and as
exciting as they were back then. This is not the caricatured overweight guy in
a jumpsuit, but a 21 year old kid that had quite a bit of soul, intrepreting
songs he was familiar with in his unique way. And that their output from July
54 to July 55 is arguably one hell of an output for one year. I also got to
thinking that if I had a time machine, I'd love to go back to the Sun Studios
during that year, and just experience that creative process. Maybe Bill
could've showed me some slapbass techniques. Or listen to Sam trying to
convince Elvis to at least try I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone with drums.
Anyway, if I could, I think that's where I'd like to timetravel to. Even if the
target was a bit off, being there for the Rocket 88 session, or trying to
convince Jerry Lee that he'd look less wild in a crew-cut would still work for
me. Target: The Sun Studios mid-50's. Where would any of you go? Maybe hanging
out and harmonizing with the Spaniels? Or maybe helping Chuck Berry with the
lyrics to Too Much Monkey Business. Or being the one to tell Little Richard
that god moves in mysterious ways. Anybody?
Steve
Hit Parade
(1)
Subject: Time Travel
From: boure...@aol.com (Bouresteve)
Date: Fri, May 22, 1998 09:44 EDT
Steve
(2)
Dear Steve,
Thank you for your imaginative post.
I also would like to travel back to the Sun Studio and observe some of the
historic moments: like when Elvis walked in there for first time and met Marion
Kessler, Surely, I'd love to see Elvis record perhaps the single greatest rock
'n roll song of all time "Mystery Train".
However, I started following the weekly charts and collecting The Hit Parade
songs in July 1951 when Les Paul & Mary Ford were the darlings of the pop music
universe. So to answer your question, if I had only one magical wish, I'd go
further back in time to the day when "Mary Ford Met Les Paul".
WHEN MARY FORD MET LES PAUL
In 1945 Les Paul had been performing jazz on NBC radio with his trio, but he
thought it might be a kick to do a few hillbilly shows just for old time's
sake.
Problem was, Les needed a singer, and when he ran into his childhood idol Gene
Autry one day in Hollywood, Gene offered a solution - a singer who'd worked
with him.
Gene said, "I know just the gal you're looking for. She sings good, and she's
good-looking".
He told Les her name, Colleen Summers, and gave him her phone number. But when
he called her, she didn't believe it was Les Paul.
Mary said, "I know you're pulling my leg because I'm a Les Paul nut".
Les said, "Well, whatever you are, I am Les Paul, and I'm asking you over to my
studio."
She said, "Well, I'll go that far anyway."
That night, she drove from El Monte all the way over to Les' place in
Hollywood. When she got there, Les was mowing the front lawn by flashlight,
wearing army shoes and a flannel shirt.
Mary said, "Can you tell me where the Les Paul studios are?
Les said, "Yeah - right behind the house. Go down the driveway and you'll run
right into the garage. Just holler, and they'll lift you through the window".
The door was sealed up so there was just the window.
So Colleen went back there, and the guys lifted her in. Now the guys in the
jazz trio were good players - they could also play country just for kicks, and
they began to rehearse Mary.
She started singing with them, then said, "Where's Les?"
"He'll be here any minute now", they reassured her.
Then when Les climbed in through the window, and she said, "Well, I see the
gardener, but where's Les? [laughs]
"That's not the gardener", the guys told her. "He's Les".
She said, "You're putting me on. this must be a gag."
So Les asked her to wait a moment, then picked up his guitar and played a
couple of runs.
"Satisfied?" he asked.
Mary said, "Well I'll be darned - you a-r-e Les Paul! [laughs]
That's how Mary met Les Paul, and then she did this series of hillbilly shows
with him. For those, Les named her Mary Lou - that's where Mary eventually came
from. After those gigs, Mary didn't work with Les professionally for another
four years. She was country, and he was doing jazz and increasingly, popular
music. But their romance took off immediately. Mary and Les started going
together right after that rehearsal. She was such a groupie - to her, there
was no other guitar player in the world. The only thing on her mind was Les
Paul. So from the time they met, it was right on.
Les said, "We were just meant for each other. That's all there is to it."
The rest is musical history.
Ed Yorke
Bill Bugge
Bouresteve wrote in message <
>Anyway, if I could, I think that's where I'd like to timetravel to. Even if
the
>target was a bit off, being there for the Rocket 88 session, or trying to
>convince Jerry Lee that he'd look less wild in a crew-cut would still work
for
>me. Target: The Sun Studios mid-50's. Where would any of you go? Maybe
hanging
>out and harmonizing with the Spaniels? Or maybe helping Chuck Berry with
the
>lyrics to Too Much Monkey Business. Or being the one to tell Little Richard
>that god moves in mysterious ways. Anybody?
>
Steve,
Once again, an excellent topic. I hope people take a break from the MP 3s to
comment.
I thought about it for awhile, and my choice would be nothing spectacular.
I would love to be on the street
corners of Harlem, say from 1954 to 1956, when all those great groups were
performing accappella. On one corner, the Cadillacs. On another, the
Channels. Down the block the Solitaires. And on and on. Wow, just thinking
about it gives me goosebumps.
--
Bill Bugge
-----------------------------------
Remove one "b" from address to reply.
>
>
Mark Dintenfass
My favorite time travel fantasy is sitting in the control booth next to
Jerry Wexler and watching Ray Charles and the Drifters and the Coasters
and Laverne Baker, etc., laying down all those great Atlantic tracks. To
have been there even just for the day Ray started tinkling the keys and
then his drummer started hitting those cymbals and the whole thing turned
into "What'd I Say" would be more than enough.
md
DianeE
Bouresteve wrote in message
<199805221344...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
>Anyway, if I could, I think that's where I'd like to timetravel to....
>Target: The Sun Studios mid-50's. Where would any of you go? Maybe hanging
>out and harmonizing with the Spaniels? Or maybe helping Chuck Berry with
the
>lyrics to Too Much Monkey Business. Or being the one to tell Little Richard
>that god moves in mysterious ways. Anybody?
>
--------------
Maxwell Street, Chicago, throughout the 50s. The epiphany of the blues.
(Yeah, you know me.)
DianeE
Bob Jones
I was pretty young in the '50s (born in '48) but maybe I'd like to go back
and tell Pat Boone and Ricky Nelson to reconsider recording cover versions
of Fats Domino songs. Or I'd like to see a Fats Domino concert or recording
session. He sold lots of records but also lost a lot of sales and chart
success to cover artists.
-Bob
Marc Wielage
In article <199805221442...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
hitp...@aol.com (Hit Parade) wrote:
> That's how Mary met Les Paul, and then she did this series of hillbilly shows
> with him. For those, Les named her Mary Lou - that's where Mary
> eventually came
> from. After those gigs, Mary didn't work with Les professionally for another
> four years. She was country, and he was doing jazz and increasingly, popular
> music. But their romance took off immediately. Mary and Les started going
> together right after that rehearsal. She was such a groupie - to her, there
> was no other guitar player in the world. The only thing on her mind was Les
> Paul. So from the time they met, it was right on.
------------------------<snip>------------------------
Ed, at the risk of starting a major Flame War, can you tell me why Les Paul
& Mary Ford split up? I show them as having about 30 charted hits together
until early 1961.
None of the biographies or historical references I own seem to have the
answer. Note, by the way, I'm a fan of Les Paul's work, and think he's an
amazing innovator, particularly in the recording business.
--MFW
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-= Marc Wielage | "The computerized authority =-
-= MusicTrax, Ltd. | on rock, pop, & soul." =-
-= Chatsworth, CA | m...@musictrax.com =-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
jcl
>
>I thought about it for awhile, and my choice would be nothing spectacular.
>
>I would love to be on the street
>corners of Harlem, say from 1954 to 1956, when all those great groups were
>performing accappella. On one corner, the Cadillacs. On another, the
>Channels. Down the block the Solitaires. And on and on. Wow, just thinking
>about it gives me goosebumps.
I was just going to post almost the same lines when I saw your
posting. I should have been a little faster:-)
When going to NYC next weekend I might substitute it with some street
corner Hip Hop? (Am I spitting in the church?) Hope they invent the
time travel machine soon.
Jorgen Claesson
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