Various - Mule Milk 'N' Firewater

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:31
Size: 134.0 MB
Styles: R&B, Jump blues, Dirty blues
Year: 2005
Art: Front & Back

[2:24] 1. Rudy Moore - Ring-A-Ling-Dong
[2:55] 2. Roy Brown - Hurry Hurry Baby
[2:24] 3. Little Tommy Brown - Goodbye I'm Gone
[2:30] 4. Fred Clark - Bobby Sox Rocker (Take Two)
[3:01] 5. Big Jay McNeely - Mule Milk
[2:37] 6. The Checkers - Can't Find My Sadie
[2:41] 7. Five Jets - Everybody Do The Chicken
[2:00] 8. The Midnighters - That Woman
[2:15] 9. Fred Clark - Ground Hog Snooper
[2:17] 10. Rufus Gore - Fire Water
[3:03] 11. Jack Dupree - Stumbling Block
[2:37] 12. Joe Tex - Davy, You Upset My Home
[2:14] 13. The Lamplighters - Bo Peep
[2:25] 14. The Gardenias - My Baby's Tops
[2:15] 15. Joe Perkins - How Much Love Can One Heart Hold
[2:37] 16. Danny Cobb - Hey Mr. Warden
[2:21] 17. Tiny Topsy - Aw Shucks Baby (Take 2)
[2:18] 18. Joe Benson - Rock 'n' Roll Jungle
[2:07] 19. Little Wille John - Look What You've Done To Me
[2:05] 20. Little Wille John - Uh Uh Baby
[2:17] 21. H-Bomb Ferguson - Midnight Ramblin' Tonight
[2:17] 22. Ronnie Molleen - Fat Mama
[2:33] 23. Willie Wright - Got A Feelin'
[2:05] 24. Hank Ballard - Come On Baby Let's Shake It

This is an outstanding collection from the vaults of King and its subsidiary labels, Federal and Deluxe. These 24 tracks collect jump blues, doo wop, piano boogie, and outright bizarre novelties stretching from the late '40s through the early '60s. There is not a bad track on Mule Milk 'N' Firewater, featuring plenty of well-known names on mainly wild up-tempo songs by Roy Brown, Big Jay McNeely, Little Willie John, Hank Ballad & the Midnighters, and Jack Dupree. There are a few standouts amongst these rarities that may raise a few eyebrows. "Ring a Ling Dong" is from 1955 by Rudy Moore aka Rudy Ray Moore of Dolomite fame, and "Davy, You Upset My Home" finds a young Joe Tex vividly describing how his domestic situation is being torn apart by his girlfriend's unhealthy obsession with all things Davy Crockett! Unbelievable! ~Al Campbell

Originally posted on Dec 30th 2017. Updated to FLAC by Bluestender.

Mule Milk 'N' Firewater MP3
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Hank Ballard & The Midnighters - Blues & Rhythm Series 5132: The Chronological Hank Ballard, The Royals 1952-1954

Size: 309 MB
Time: 61:32
File: FLAC
Released: 2005
Styles: Blues, R&B
Art: Full

01. I Know I Love You So (2:39)
02. Starting From Tonight (2:54)
03. Every Beat Of My Heart (2:57)
04. All Night Long (2:17)
05. I'll Never Let Her Go (2:30)
06. Moon Rise (2:48)
07. Love In My Heart (3:04)
08. 5Th Street Blues (2:29)
09. Shrine Of St. Cecilia (2:30)
10. I Feel So Blue (2:28)
11. Are You Forgetting? (2:18)
12. What Did I Do? (2:30)
13. Get It (2:16)
14. No It Ain't (2:29)
15. That's It (2:30)
16. Hello Miss Fine (2:36)
17. Someone Like You (2:36)
18. I Feel That-A-Way (2:13)
19. That Woman (2:00)
20. Work With Me Annie (2:51)
21. Until I Die (2:24)
22. Give It Up (2:35)
23. Sexy Ways (2:34)
24. Don't Say Your Last Goodbye (2:54)

Once upon a time there was a mild-mannered Detroit vocal group called the Royals. Legend has it Jackie Wilson and Levi Stubbs (famous years later as one-fourth of the Four Tops) sang with the Royals prior to their discovery by Johnny Otis at the Paradise Theater in 1951. This Hank Ballard & the Midnighters collection in the Classics Chronological Series includes 12 selections recorded in 1952 for Federal Records in Cincinnati; these numbers reflect the Royals' early sentimental ballad aesthetic as well as their kicking rocker approach, first implanted by guest vocalist Wynonie Harris on "All Night Long" and revisited by Alonzo Tucker on "I'll Never Let Her Go." The addition of a panting hot saxophone (with either Robert Darby or Percy France blowing hot like Hal Singer) and a toothier rhythm section (Bill Doggett's band rocked and rolled behind the singers on "Are You Forgetting?") signaled a move toward looser and more sexually charged material. When Ballard replaced lead vocalist Henry Booth in 1953, that evolution was accelerated. Ballard, whose main inspiration seems to have been Clyde McPhatter, was born John Henry Kendricks on November 18, 1927. Ballard had a penchant for pleasantly smutty music with a danceable beat. Alonzo Tucker was assigned the lead vocal on "Get It," this group's first Billboard R&B hit. From here on out even the slower numbers always had a little extra kick to them, and a twangy guitar began to predominate in between juicy blasts from the saxophone. Seeking to avoid being confused with the "5" Royales, the group changed its name to the Midnighters during the summer of 1953. "Work with Me Annie," recorded in January of 1954, is still considered by some to be the greatest record this group ever made. Maybe it was the way Robert Boswell's percussion simulated the sound of a mattress being repeatedly compressed, or the singers' urgent depiction of young people desperate to get their rocks off. Something made this record irresistible and Hank Ballard & the Midnighters were hot stuff for a little while. The inevitable sequels followed suit, most blatantly the knockup classic "Annie Had a Baby," but this group's heyday was relatively short-lived. In some ways their best material is chronologically presented on this compilation. ~arwulf arwulf

The Chronological Hank Ballard, The Royals 1952-1954

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Various - Roc-King Up A Storm

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:03
Size: 130.6 MB
Styles: Jump blues, Soul, R&B
Year: 1999/2005
Art: Front

[2:34] 1. The Lamplighters - Ride Jockey Ride
[2:31] 2. Five Jets - Please Love Me Baby
[2:32] 3. Big Jay McNeely - Nervous Man Nervous
[2:00] 4. Roy Byrd - Rockin' With Fes
[2:44] 5. The Midnighters - Rock, Granny, Roll
[2:19] 6. Joe Tex - She's Mine
[2:13] 7. Big John Greer - Come Back Uncle John
[2:29] 8. Rudy Moore - Set It Up And Go
[2:06] 9. Billy Gayles - Do Right Baby
[2:26] 10. Jackie Brenston - Much Later
[2:30] 11. Tiny Topsy - You Shocked Me
[2:48] 12. Big Daddy - Bacon Fat
[2:40] 13. Little Willie John - Spasms
[2:10] 14. Cecil McNabb Jr - Clock Tickin' Rhythm
[2:27] 15. Boyd Bennett - Move
[2:44] 16. Hank Ballard - Broadway
[2:05] 17. Tiny Topsy - Miss You So
[1:53] 18. Ronnie Molleen - Rockyn Up
[2:00] 19. Otis Redding - Fat Gal
[2:43] 20. Hank Ballard - Nothing But Good
[1:42] 21. Ba Ba Thomas - Miss Shake It
[2:19] 22. Eddie Clearwater - A Real Good Time
[1:52] 23. Ba Ba Thomas - Why Don't You Leave It Alone
[3:05] 24. Little Willie John - You Hurt Me

Fantastic swingin' and groovin' compilation! Red Hot Flamin' Rhythm & Blues and Rock'n'Roll for Bright Pink Suit Swingers and Real Gone Hep Cats!

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Various - Risque Blues Vols. 1 & 2

A blues collection designed for the over 18s only! Here for your listening pleasure are fifty examples of what were once known as "party" records. Since the dawn of the cylinder, semi pornographic songs were an integral part of the pleasure to be derived from the audio experience. It's parental guidance all the way! There's lots of euphemisms and metaphors on display so it doesn't take much imagination to figure them out. Whichever way you cut it this dirty blues pie is chock full of double entendre with a side order of just plain bad language. Great stuff!

Album: Risque Blues Vol. 1
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:25
Size: 149.8 MB
Styles: R&B, Soul
Year: 1975/1998
Art: Front

[2:10] 1. Bull Moose Jackson - Big Ten Inch Record
[2:58] 2. Roy Brown - Cadillac Baby
[2:52] 3. Fluffy Hunter - The Walkin' Blues
[2:40] 4. Wynonie Harris - I Like My Baby's Pudding
[2:34] 5. The Swallows - It Ain't The Meat
[2:46] 6. Hank Ballard & The Midnighters - Work With Me Annie
[2:31] 7. Billy Ward & The Dominoes - Sixty Minute Man
[2:12] 8. Dave Bartholomew - My Ding-A-Ling
[2:50] 9. Pete 'guitar' Lewis - Chocolate Pork Chop Man
[2:35] 10. Lucky Millinder - Silent George
[2:36] 11. Esther Phillips - Saturday Night Daddy
[2:38] 12. Wynonie Harris - Sittin' On It All The Time
[2:45] 13. The Four Jacks - Sure Cure For The Blues
[2:37] 14. Roy Brown - Shake 'em Up Baby
[2:44] 15. Todd Rhodes - Rocket 69
[2:36] 16. The Lamplighters - Salty Dog
[2:11] 17. Drivers - Smooth, Slow And Easy
[2:31] 18. Hank Ballard & The Midnighters - Sexy Ways
[2:52] 19. Wynonie Harris - Keep On Churnin'
[2:47] 20. Lil Greenwood - Grandpa Can Boogie Too
[2:32] 21. Billy Ward & The Dominoes - Pedal Pushin' Papa
[2:49] 22. Roy Brown - Boogie At Midnight
[2:47] 23. Wynonie Harris - Lolly Pop Mama
[2:33] 24. Tiny Bradshaw - I'm A Hi-Ballin' Daddy
[2:07] 25. Orville Fats Noel - Ride, Daddy, Ride

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Album: Risque Blues Vol. 2
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:43
Size: 148.2 MB
Styles: R&B, Soul
Year: 1975/1998
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. Dorothy Ellis - Drill, Daddy, Drill
[2:33] 2. The Swallows - Bicycle Tillie
[3:04] 3. Wynonie Harris - I Want My Fanny Brown
[2:31] 4. Billy Ward & The Dominoes - Can't Do Sixty No More
[2:47] 5. Bull Moose Jackson - I Want A Bowlegged Woman
[2:25] 6. Roy Brown - Butcher Pete Pt. 1
[2:38] 7. Hank Ballard & The Midnighters - Annie Had A Baby
[2:51] 8. Esther Phillips - Ring-A-Ding Doo
[2:37] 9. Todd Rhodes - Your Daddy's Doggin' Around
[2:26] 10. Wynonie Harris - Wasn't That Good
[2:44] 11. Fluffy Hunter - My Natch'l Man
[2:33] 12. Little Willie John - Leave My Kitten Alone
[2:37] 13. The Four Jacks - The Last Of The Good Rocking Men
[2:43] 14. Wynonie Harris - Triflin' Woman
[2:38] 15. Lonnie Johnson - Jelly Roll Baker
[2:46] 16. The Swallows - Roll, Roll, Pretty Baby
[2:40] 17. Roy Brown - Rockin' At Midnight
[2:43] 18. The Sharps & Flats - I Knew He Would
[2:24] 19. Wynonie Harris - Lovin' Machine
[2:37] 20. Hank Ballard - The Coffee Grind
[2:18] 21. Little Esther And Little Willie Littlefield - Turn The Lamps Down Low
[2:38] 22. Eddie Lockjaw Davis - Mountain Oysters
[1:57] 23. Billy Ward & The Dominoes - You Can't Keep A Good Man Down
[2:14] 24. Wynonie Harris - Shake That Thing
[2:10] 25. The 5 Royales - You Didn't Learn It At Home

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Various - R&B Hipshakers: Teach Me To Monkey

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:14
Size: 121.9 MB
Styles: R&B, Contemporary blues
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:00] 1. Willie Wright - Gibble Gobble
[3:12] 2. Hank Ballard - Broadway
[2:04] 3. Lula Reed - What Makes You So Cold
[2:30] 4. Little Willie John - My Nerves
[2:44] 5. Lloyd Nolan - I Don't Know About You
[2:15] 6. The 5 Royales - The Slummer The Slum
[1:59] 7. Little Mummy - Where You At Jack
[2:49] 8. The Valentines - That's It Man
[2:43] 9. Eugene Church - Mind Your Own Business
[2:50] 10. Charles Brown - Regardless
[2:31] 11. El Pauling - Here It 'Tis, Right Here
[2:41] 12. Roy Milton - One Zippy Zam
[2:23] 13. Freddie King - Texas Oil
[3:10] 14. Drivers - Mr. Astronaut
[2:22] 15. Carol Ford - Your Well Ran Dry
[2:38] 16. Little Bobby Moore - Do The Ginger Snap
[3:04] 17. Little Emmet Sutton - Mom, Won't You Teach Me To Monkey
[3:13] 18. Willie Dixon - Uncle Willie's Got A Thing Going On
[2:39] 19. Johnny 'Guitar' Watson - Posin'
[2:17] 20. Eddie Kirk - Hog Killin' Time

Vampi Soul's R&B Hipshakers, Vol. 1: Teach Me to Monkey is compiled by WFMU DJ Mr. Fine Wine and features an array of late-'50s to early-'60s R&B, some jump blues stragglers, and a bit of proto-rock & roll -- punctuated by honking saxes, shouting vocals, and tempos guaranteed to have you doing exactly what the title says. This set features rare tracks from Hank Ballard, Little Willie John, and many more. Roll back the rugs and grab a partner; this stuff will get you in a dancing mood real quick. ~Tim Sendra

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Hank Ballard & The Midnighters - Best Of The Best

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:29
Size: 58.4 MB
Styles: R&B
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[1:48] 1. Finger Poppin' Time
[2:43] 2. Work With Me Annie
[2:38] 3. Annie Had A Baby
[2:41] 4. Teardrops On Your Letter
[2:50] 5. It's Love Baby (24 Hours A Day)
[2:24] 6. Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go
[2:28] 7. Sexy Ways
[2:32] 8. The Hoochi Coochi Coo
[2:33] 9. The Twist
[2:48] 10. Annie's Aunt Fannie

John Kendricks, 18 November 1936, Detroit, Michigan, USA, d. 2 March 2003, Los Angeles, California, USA. His date of birth is disputed, and varies between 1927 and 1936. Ballard’s truck-driving father died when he was seven years old and he was sent to Bessemer, Alabama, to live with relations. The strict religious and gospel upbringing caused him to run away, and by the age of 15, Ballard was working on an assembly line at Ford Motors in Detroit. His cousin, Florence Ballard, became a member of the Detroit girl group the Supremes. Hank Ballard’s singing voice was heard by Sonny Woods of the Royals, who was amused by his mixture of Jimmy Rushing and Gene Autry. He was asked to replace frontman Lawson Smith during the latter’s army service. The Royals, who also included Henry Booth and Charles Sutton, had been recommended to King Records by Johnny Otis and had previously recorded ‘Every Beat Of My Heart’, later an R&B hit for Gladys Knight And The Pips.

In 1953, Ballard’s first session with the Royals led to their first US R&B Top 10 entry, ‘Get It’, which he also wrote. Ballard composed the newly renamed Midnighters’ 1954 R&B chart-topper, ‘Work With Me Annie’, although its sexual innuendoes were too strong for some radio stations to broadcast. Its popularity spawned sequels (‘Annie Had A Baby’, ‘Annie’s Aunt Fannie’) as well as answer records (the Platters’ ‘Annie Doesn’t Work Here Anymore’). Etta James’ ‘Roll With Me, Henry’ was modified by Georgia Gibbs to ‘Dance With Me, Henry’, while Hank himself responded with ‘Henry’s Got Flat Feet (Can’t Dance No More)’! The group also had success with ‘Sexy Ways’, ‘Don’t Change Your Pretty Ways’, ‘Open Up Your Back Door’ and ‘Tore Up Over You’. In 1955, the Drifters had converted a gospel song into ‘What’cha Gonna Do?’ and, in 1957, Hank Ballard And The Midnighters (as the group was now known) used the same melody for ‘Is Your Love For Real?’. They then modified the arrangement and changed the lyrics to ‘The Twist’. Not realizing the song’s potential, it was released as the b-side of ‘Teardrops On Your Letter’, a number 4 US R&B hit. Shortly afterwards, ‘The Twist’ was covered by Chubby Checker, who embellished Ballard’s dance steps and thus created a new craze. As a result of ‘The Twist’, Hank Ballard And The Midnighters received exposure on pop radio stations and made the US pop charts with such dance hits as ‘Finger Poppin’ Time’ (number 7), ‘Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go’ (number 6), ‘The Hoochi Coochi Coo’ (number 23), ‘Let’s Go Again (Where We Went Last Night)’ (number 39), ‘The Continental Walk’ (number 33) and ‘The Switch-A-Roo’ (number 26). On the strength of Chubby Checker’s success, their original version of ‘The Twist’ made number 28 on the US pop charts.

In the mid-60s Hank Ballard split with the other members, but he retained the group’s title, which enabled him to work with numerous musicians using the Midnighters name. For some years he worked with James Brown, who has paid tribute to him on record. In the late 80s, Ballard recorded a double album at the Hammersmith Palais in London. In 1990, he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The best of his later recordings is 1998’s From Love To Tears, which features the excellent ‘Two Bad Boys’. Ballard died from throat cancer in March 2002. ~Colin Larkin

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