Showing posts with label Peppermint Harris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peppermint Harris. Show all posts

Friday, April 10, 2026

Peppermint Harris - Lonesome As I Can Be: The Jewel Recordings

Album: Lonesome As I Can Be
Size: 134,5 MB
Time: 57:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Blues/R&B
Art: Full

1. True Love (2:23)
2. Marking Time (2:39)
3. Bad Bad Woman (2:39)
4. Mama Mama (1:58)
5. Anything You Can Do (2:36)
6. Raining In My Heart (3:27)
7. My Time After Awhile (3:00)
8. Unlucky (2:25)
9. True Confession (2:41)
10. Tell Me I Can Come Home (2:19)
11. Anytime Is The Right Time (2:38)
12. Wait Until It Happens To You (2:09)
13. Bad Bad Whiskey (2:16)
14. Lonesome As I Can Be (2:26)
15. Little Girl (2:02)
16. 24 Hours (2:39)
17. My Woman (4:17)
18. Nighty Night (3:00)
19. I'm Leaving (2:59)
20. Key To The Highway (3:13)
21. Raining In My Heart (Alternate Take) (3:24)

Texas R&B singer Peppermint Harris is best known for two early-'50s hits, the classic "Rainin' in My Heart" and "I Get Loaded," a drunken boast that led to a slew of other drinking songs from Harris, typecasting him as the man with a bottle in his hand, a mixed blessing at best. With an easy baritone that came across as a sort of late-night version of Sam Cooke on too many whiskey shots, Harris arguably did his best work with Jewel Records, a Louisiana label owned and run by Stan "The Record Man" Lewis. While he didn't have any huge hits between 1965 and 1971, the length of his stay at Jewel, Harris nonetheless produced some solid material, as this anthology shows.

He reprises his self-penned "Rainin' in My Heart" twice here, and turns in a fine version of Big Bill Broonzy's "Key to the Highway," as well, and working with a large band, he shows a real talent for songwriting, vocal phrasing, and arrangement. There aren't a lot of Peppermint Harris CDs on the market, and while the 1950s Aladdin sides are more famous, this one, given its consistent tone and excellent sound, makes for probably a better introduction to Harris' unique version of Texas R&B. /Steve Leggett, AllMusic

Lonesome As I Can Be: The Jewel Recordings mc
Lonesome As I Can Be: The Jewel Recordings gofile

Monday, August 12, 2024

Peppermint Harris - Houston Can't Be Heaven (Feat. Albert Collins)

Source: Vinyl
Size: 94.3 MB
Time: 39:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1989
Styles: Texas Blues
Art: Front

A1. I Got To Go (1:58)
A2. Smiles (3:53)
A3. Let's Go To The Chicken Shack (1:46)
A4. Houston Can't Be Heaven (2:28)
A5. Married Woman (2:35)
A6. I Don't Care (2:40)
A7. Love At First Sight (2:52)
A8. Foot Loose (2:08)
B1. Bye Bye Fare Thee Well (2:19)
B2. Blackcat Bone (2:13)
B3. Married Woman (Alt Take) (2:40)
B4. All For You (2:44)
B5. I'll Wipe Away Your Tears (2:33)
B6. Lonesome (2:21)
B7. I Had A Dream (1:29)
B8. Twenty Four Hours (2:47)

The contemporary blues boom resuscitated the career of many a veteran blues artist who had been silent for ages. Take guitarist Peppermint Harris, who in 1951 topped the R&B charts with his classic booze ode "I Got Loaded." Nobody expected a new Peppermint Harris CD in 1995, but Home Cooking producer Roy C. Ames coaxed one out of old Pep for Collectables nonetheless. Texas on My Mind may not be as enthralling as Harris' early-'50s output, but it was nice to have him back in circulation. By the time he was in his early twenties, Harrison Nelson, Jr. was lucky enough to have found a mentor and friend on the Houston blues front: Lightnin' Hopkins took an interest in the young man's musical development. When Harris was deemed ready, Lightnin' accompanied him to Houston's Gold Star Records. Nothing came of that jaunt, but Harris eventually recorded his debut 78 for the company in 1948 (as Peppermint Nelson).

Bob Shad's Sittin' in With label was the vehicle that supplied Harris' early work to the masses -- especially his first major hit, "Raining in My Heart," in 1950. These weren't exactly formal sessions; one legend has it one took place in a Houston bordello. Nor was Shad too cognizant of Pep's surname; when he couldn't recall it, he simply renamed our man Harris.

Harris moved over to Eddie Mesner's Aladdin Records in 1951, cutting far tighter sides for the firm in Los Angeles (often with the ubiquitous Maxwell Davis serving as bandleader and saxist). After "I Got Loaded" lit up the charts in 1951, Harris indulged in one booze ode after another: "Have Another Drink and Talk to Me," "Right Back on It," "Three Sheets in the Wind." But try as they might, the bottle let Harris down as a lyrical launching pad after that.

He drifted from Money and Cash to RCA's short-lived subsidiary "X" and Don Robey's Duke logo (where he allegedly penned "As the Years Go Passing By" for Fenton Robinson) after that, but it wasn't until a long-lasting association with Stan Lewis' Shreveport, Louisiana-based Jewel Records commenced in 1965 that Harris landed for longer than a solitary single. Later, Harris worked various day jobs around Houston, including one at a record pressing plant, before moving to Sacramento, California, and then to New Jersey to be with his daughter. ~Bill Dahl

Houston Can't Be Heaven (Feat. Albert Collins) MP3
Houston Can't Be Heaven (Feat. Albert Collins) FLAC

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Peppermint Harris - The Peppermint Harris Collection 1948-60

Size: 312 MB
Time: 132:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2021
Styles: Blues, R&B, Rock
Art: Front

CD1:
01. Peppermint Boogie (Peppermint Nelson) (2:20)
02. Houston Blues (Peppermint Nelson) (2:38)
03. Raining In My Heart (2:33)
04. My Blues Have Rolled Away (2:06)
05. This Is Goodbye Baby (2:25)
06. Mabel, Mabel (2:40)
07. Texarkana Bound (2:55)
08. Fat Girl Boogie (2:29)
09. Gimme Gimme Gimme (2:00)
10. Hey Sweet Thing (3:02)
11. Reckless Lover (2:54)
12. Oo Wee Baby (2:34)
13. I'm Telling You People (2:30)
14. How Long Must I Suffer? (3:06)
15. The Blues Pick On Me (2:04)
16. Let's Ride (2:15)
17. I Always End Up Blue (2:39)
18. I Screamed And I Cried (I Have Often Wondered) (3:13)
19. She's My Baby (2:10)
20. I Wake Up Screaming (2:55)
21. Please Let Me Come Home (3:00)
22. I'm Going Crazy Baby (2:39)
23. Got A Big Fine Baby (1:56)
24. I Will Always Think Of You (3:04)
25. I Got Loaded (With Maxwell Davis & His All-Stars) (2:26)
26. It's You (With Maxwell Davis & His All-Stars) (2:51)

CD 2:
01. Middle Of Winter (With Maxwell Davis All-Stars) (3:05)
02. Have Another Drink And Talk With Me (With Maxwell Davis All-Stars) (2:39)
03. Let The Back Door Hit You (With Maxwell Davis & His All-Stars) (2:36)
04. Right Back On It (With Maxwell Davis & His All-Stars) (2:24)
05. P. H. Blues (With Maxwell Davis & His All-Stars) (2:27)
06. Maggie's Boogie (With Maxwell Davis & His All-Stars) (2:31)
07. There's A Dead Cat On The Line (With Maxwell Davis & His All-Stars) (2:07)
08. I Cry For My Baby (With Maxwell Davis & His All-Stars) (1:55)
09. I Sure Do Miss My Baby (3:14)
10. Hey Little Schoolgirl (2:11)
11. Wasted Love (3:00)
12. Goodbye Blues (2:42)
13. I Never Get Enough Out Of You (2:18)
14. Three Sheets In The Wind (2:44)
15. Black Cat Bone (2:20)
16. Bye, Bye, Fare Thee Well (2:24)
17. Treat Me Like I Treat You (2:58)
18. Cadillac Funeral (1:53)
19. Need Your Lovin' (2:46)
20. Just You And Me (1:54)
21. Love At First Sight (2:53)
22. I Don't Care (2:43)
23. Messin' Around With The Blues (1:55)
24. You Got Me Wonderin' (2:46)
25. Ain't No Business (2:27)
26. Angel Child (2:00)

Born Harrison Nelson, in Texarcana, Texas, in 1925, Peppermint Harris was a jump blues and R&B singer and guitarist, who originally recorded in Houston in 1948 as Peppermint Nelson, but acquired his new name by accident when Bob Shad of Sittin’ In With Records, forgot his name when releasing his first record and got it wrong on the label – the record was a hit and the die was cast. Over subsequent years he recorded for a variety of labels, registering his big career hit in 1951 for the Modern label with the R&B No. 1 “I Got Loaded”. This 52-track 2-CD set comprises most of his A & B sides on the Gold Star, Sittin' In With, Aladdin, Modern, Cash, X, Combo, Dart and Duke labels from this era, including performances as Peppermint Nelson, Peppermint Harris and Peppermint Harris With The Maxwell Davis All-Stars. It features his R &B No. 1 hit “I Gor Loaded” and his No. 4 hit “Raining In My Heart”. His music ranges across the spectrum of the typical electric blues of these years, with a significant proportion of his material reflecting the advent of rock ‘n’ roll in the pop charts during this time. It represents a pretty thorough cross-section of his releases from what was the primary decade and more of his career.

The Peppermint Harris Collection 1948-60 MP3
The Peppermint Harris Collection 1948-60 FLAC

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

VA - Lone Star Guitar Attack: Albert Collins & The Kings Of Texas Blues Guitar

Size: 185,2 MB
Time: 78:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Texas Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front & Back

01. Jesse Thomas - Let’s Have Some Fun (2:59)
02. Clarence Garlow - In A Boogie Mood (2:50)
03. Goree Carter & His Hepcats - Rock Awhile (2:43)
04. Goree Carter & His Hepcats - My Love Is Coming Down (2:52)
05. Rocky Thompson - Bullcorn Blues (2:43)
06. Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown - Gate Walks To Board (2:36)
07. Cal Green - Blue Memories (3:08)
08. Cal Green - Love Me Pretty Baby (2:33)
09. Cal Green - All Alone (3:24)
10. Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown - Okie Dokie Stomp (2:33)
11. Peppermint Harris - I Got To Go (2:04)
12. Peppermint Harris - Smiles (3:59)
13. Peppermint Harris - Houston Can’t Be Heaven (2:33)
14. Albert Collins - Collins Shuffle (2:22)
15. Albert Collins - Freeze (2:20)
16. Ray Sharpe - Oh, My Baby’s Gone (2:09)
17. Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown - Swingin’ The Gate (2:49)
18. Royal Earl & The Swingin' Kools - Royal Earl Shuffle (2:21)
19. Royal Earl & The Swingin’ Kools - Talking Guitar, Pt. 2 (2:12)
20. Cal Valentine & The Texas Rockers - The Boogie Twist, Pt. 2 (2:50)
21. Long John Hunter - El Paso Rock (2:34)
22. Long John Hunter - Midnight Stroll (2:35)
23. Long John Hunter - Strange Feeling (2:14)
24. Long John Hunter - Grandma (2:05)
25. The Daylighters - Something Is Wrong (2:33)
26. Ray Sharpe - Dallas (2:41)
27. Clarence Green - Crazy Strings (2:10)
28. Albert Collins - Defrost (2:28)
29. Albert Collins - Albert’s Alley (2:37)
30. Clarence Green - Red Light (2:10)

A stunning mixture of classics and rarities, 'Lone Star Guitar Attack' encompasses 30 cuts of blistering Texas guitar from the 1950s and early '60s. Features major stars, Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, Long John Hunter and of course 'The Ice Man' the one and only, Albert Collins. Also herein are many outstanding tracks by lesser known artists such as Peppermint Harris and Goree Carter whose track "Rock Awhile" is one of many singles cited as 'the first rock and roll record' and is also often cited as an influence over Chuck Berry. Also of particular note are the great tracks by Cal Green and his brother Clarence Green whose song "Red Light" ends this fantastic collection.

Lone Star Guitar Attack

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Peppermint Harris - I Got Loaded: The Very Best Of 1948-1959

Size: 170,5+178,1 MB
Time: 71:59+75:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Blues, R&B
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. Peppermint Boogie (2:20)
02. Houston Blues (2:39)
03. Raining In My Heart (2:33)
04. My Blues Have Rolled Away (2:02)
05. This Is Goodbye Baby (2:25)
06. Mabel, Mabel (2:38)
07. Texarkana Bound (2:55)
08. Fat Girl Boogie (2:30)
09. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (2:00)
10. Hey Sweet Thing (3:02)
11. Oo-Wee Baby (2:33)
12. Reckless Lover (2:54)
13. I’m Telling You People (Times Are Getting Hard) (2:30)
14. How Long Must I Suffer (For The One Mistake I Made) (3:05)
15. Let’s Ride (2:15)
16. The Blues Pick On Me (2:04)
17. I Always End Up Blue (2:39)
18. I Screamed And I Cried (3:12)
19. She’s My Baby (2:10)
20. I Wake Up Screaming (2:56)
21. Got A Big Fine Baby (1:55)
22. I Will Always Think Of You (3:05)
23. These Are My Blues (3:05)
24. Evil Woman Blues (3:12)
25. Too Late To Worry (3:11)
26. Oh, I Got The Blues (2:57)
27. Please Tell Me Baby (2:58)

CD 2:
01. Gonna End My Worries (2:56)
02. I Want To See You Baby (3:00)
03. I’m Writing You Baby (3:15)
04. It’s You, Yes, It’s You (2:52)
05. I Got Loaded (2:26)
06. Wasted Love (3:01)
07. I Sure Do Miss My Baby (3:13)
08. I Never Get Enough Out Of You (2:18)
09. Have Another Drink And Talk To Me (2:39)
10. Middle Of Winter (3:04)
11. P. H. Blues (2:27)
12. Let The Back Door Hit You (2:36)
13. I Cry For My Baby (1:55)
14. Hey, Little Schoolgirl (2:10)
15. There’s A Dead Cat On The Line (2:07)
16. Right Back On It (2:24)
17. Maggie’s Boogie (2:31)
18. Goodbye Blues (2:43)
19. Three Sheets In The Wind (2:45)
20. Bye, Bye, Fare Thee Well (2:24)
21. Black Cat Bone (2:20)
22. Treat Me Like I Treat You (2:56)
23. Cadillac Funeral (1:53)
24. Need Your Lovin’ (2:46)
25. Just Me And You (1:55)
26. I Don’t Care (2:42)
27. Love At First Sight (2:54)
28. Messing Around With The Blues (1:55)
29. You Got Me Wonderin’ (2:46)

Peppermint Harris was a true original with a brilliant way with words, which made him a superlative songwriter. Many of his compositions recorded by top blues artists such as B. B. King and Bobby Bland.

This collection is a must for blues fans. Across the 56 tracks there are many superb tracks as well as his two hits, "Raining in My Heart" which reached #4 in 1950 R&B chart and more importantly the classic drinking song, "I Got Loaded" which hit the #1 spot for two weeks in 1951.

Although this excellent 2CD set is by no means the complete it does present the most comprehensive exploration of his work between 1948 and 1959 yet released in the CD era.

I Got Loaded CD 1
I Got Loaded CD 2

Friday, February 23, 2018

Various - The Most Underrated Blues Players Ever! (2-Disc Set)

Album: The Most Underrated Blues Players Ever! (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 141:48
Size: 324.6 MB
Styles: R&B/Soul, Assorted blues styles
Year: 2012

[2:52] 1. Juke Boy Bonner - Rock With Me, Baby
[2:59] 2. Sleepy John Estes - The Girl I Love
[5:25] 3. Baby Face Leroy Foster - Rollin' And Tumblin'
[2:28] 4. Johnny Alston - Weary Blues
[2:43] 5. Carl Campbell - Goin' Down To Nashville
[3:06] 6. Robert Lockwood, Jr. - Little Boy Blue
[2:04] 7. Peppermint Harris - Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie
[3:04] 8. K.C. Douglas - Lonely Boy Blues
[3:29] 9. Madelyn James - Stinging Snake Blues
[2:40] 10. Long Cleve Reed - Original Stack O'lee Blues
[2:52] 11. Robert Wilkins - That's No Way To Get Along
[2:53] 12. Mississippi Mud Steppers - Alma Waltz
[2:34] 13. The Five Keys - I'm So High
[3:03] 14. Carl Rafferty - Mr. Carl's Blues
[2:50] 15. Walter Vincent - Your Friends Gonna Use It Too
[2:47] 16. Chatman Brothers - Stir It Now
[2:39] 17. I.H. Smalley - Smalley's Jump
[2:55] 18. Sherman Blues Johnson - Blues Jumped A Rabbit
[3:07] 19. Olie Jackson - You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone
[2:12] 20. Conrad Johnson - Fisherman's Blues
[3:19] 21. Texas Alexander - Seen Better Days
[2:47] 22. Calvin Frazier - She's A Double-Crossin' Woman
[1:52] 23. Marvin & Johnny - Smack Smack
[2:43] 24. Clarence Samuels - Hey Joe
[2:57] 25. Ramblin' Thomas - Sawmill Moan
[3:21] 26. Charlie McCoy - You Gonna Need Me
[3:00] 27. Ed Bell - Bad Boy
[2:50] 28. Lavarda Durst - I Cried
[2:57] 29. Eddie Lang - Add A Little Wiggle
[3:26] 30. David Honeyboy Edwards - Sweet Home Chicago
[2:03] 31. Blind Will Dukes - Hoodoo Man
[3:06] 32. Freeman Stowers - Railroad Blues
[3:05] 33. Birmingham Jug Band - Getting Ready For Trial
[2:45] 34. Charley Jordan - Charley Jordan - Keep It Clean
[3:05] 35. Joe Papoose Fritz - Better Wake Up, Baby
[3:24] 36. Texas Alexander - Frost Texas Tornado Blues
[2:01] 37. West Side Trio - West Side Jump
[3:22] 38. J.D. Short - Snake Doctor Blues
[2:44] 39. Little T-Bone - Christmas Blues
[2:46] 40. Funny Papa Smith - Good Coffee Blues
[2:08] 41. Belvin Jesse - Sugar Doll
[2:33] 42. The Sharps - Our Love Is Here To Stay
[2:48] 43. Crying Sam Collins - Jail House Blues
[2:36] 44. James Reed - You Better Hold Me
[2:18] 45. Walter Sandman Howard - Willow Tree Blues
[2:43] 46. Bonnie Evans - Good Luck To You
[2:50] 47. Violet Hall - (All Alone) I Sit And Cry
[2:43] 48. Charlie McCoy - It's Hot Like That
[1:44] 49. Blind Will Dukes - Mistreated So Long
[2:44] 50. Sheri Washington - I Got Plenty

The Most Underrated Blues Players Ever! (Disc 1) mc
The Most Underrated Blues Players Ever! (Disc 1) zippy

Album: The Most Underrated Blues Players Ever! (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 152:11
Size: 348.4 MB
Styles: R&B/Soul, Assorted blues styles
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[2:59] 1. Banjo Joe - Madison Street Stomp
[2:49] 2. Funny Papa Smith - Howling Wolf Blues
[2:29] 3. Margie Hendricks - Everytime
[3:00] 4. Sleepy John Estes - 222 Milk Cow Blues
[3:11] 5. Emery Franklin - Lonesome Blues
[2:53] 6. Sylvester Scott - Going Home Blues
[2:58] 7. Walter Jacobs - Mississippi Low Down
[2:13] 8. The Lovers - Let's Elope
[3:11] 9. Frank Stokes - 'tain't Nobody's Business If I Do
[2:59] 10. L. C. Williams - Louisiana Boogie
[6:15] 11. The Paramount All Stars - Home Town Skiffle
[2:56] 12. Elmore Nixon - Married Woman Blues
[2:57] 13. Cannon's Jug Stompers - Walk Right In
[2:24] 14. Shirley & Lee - Let The Good Times Roll
[5:20] 15. Johnny Shines - Moanin' And Groanin' The Blues
[2:36] 16. Baby Boy Warren - Stop Breaking Down
[2:50] 17. Funny Papa Smith - County Jail Blues
[3:11] 18. Jackson Blue Boys - Sweet Alberta
[2:49] 19. Chatman Brothers - Wake Me Just Before Day
[4:00] 20. Calvin Frazier - Lilly Mae No. 1
[2:55] 21. Ashley & Foster - Bay Rum Blues
[3:06] 22. Kokomo Arnold - Milk Cow Blues
[2:54] 23. Blip Thompkins - Got A Feelin' You're Foolin'
[3:05] 24. Cal Lucas - Left With The Blues
[2:51] 25. The Carols - My Search Is Over
[3:12] 26. Chatman Brothers - If You Don't Want Me, Please Don't Dog Me Around
[3:05] 27. Peetie Wheatstraw - Police Station Blues
[2:53] 28. Little Willie Littlefield - Little Willie's Boogie
[3:04] 29. Johnny Temple - Lead Pencil Blues
[2:57] 30. Mississippi Blacksnakes - Grind So Fine
[2:52] 31. Frank Palmes - Ain't Gonna Lay My 'ligion Down
[3:02] 32. Little Caesar - Big Eyes
[2:26] 33. Homesick James - Long Lonesome Day
[2:43] 34. The Mello Felows - My Friend Charlie
[2:24] 35. Dirty Red - Mother Fuyer
[2:53] 36. Mercy Dee Walton - The Main Event
[3:00] 37. Chicken Wilson - House Snake Blues
[2:52] 38. Blind Roosevelt Graves - Guitar Boogie
[2:58] 39. Charlie McCoy - Blue Heaven Blues
[3:15] 40. Ben Curry - The Laffing Rag
[3:03] 41. Peg Leg Howell - Coal Man Blues
[3:01] 42. Georgia Cotton Pickers - Diddle-Da-Diddle
[2:54] 43. Lee Brown - My Driving Wheel
[3:12] 44. Rubberlegs Williams - That's The Stuff You Gotta Watch
[2:52] 45. Lonnie Lyons - Down In The Groovy
[2:57] 46. Chuck Darling - Blowin' The Blues
[2:40] 47. Little T-Bone - Love's A Gamble
[2:54] 48. Funny Papa Smith - Hoppin' Toad Frog
[2:57] 49. Mississippi Blacksnakes - It Still Ain't No Good
[2:48] 50. Furry Lewis - Big Chief Blues

The Most Underrated Blues Players Ever! (Disc 2) mc
The Most Underrated Blues Players Ever! (Disc 2) zippy

Friday, September 23, 2016

Peppermint Harris - Ain't No Business

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:27
Size: 108.6 MB
Styles: Texas blues
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:38] 1. Ain't No Business We Can Do
[5:00] 2. Always On The Go
[2:46] 3. Baby Don't Tear My Clothes
[4:17] 4. Black Widow Spider
[9:02] 5. Genuine Canine
[5:51] 6. Had To Take A Chance On You
[5:06] 7. I'm Doin' Bad
[5:01] 8. Penthouse In The Ghetto
[4:43] 9. Texas On My Mind

The contemporary blues boom resuscitated the career of many a veteran blues artist who had been silent for ages. Take guitarist Peppermint Harris, who in 1951 topped the R&B charts with his classic booze ode "I Got Loaded." Nobody expected a new Peppermint Harris CD in 1995, but Home Cooking producer Roy C. Ames coaxed one out of old Pep for Collectables nonetheless. Texas on My Mind may not be as enthralling as Harris' early-'50s output, but it was nice to have him back in circulation. By the time he was in his early twenties, Harrison Nelson, Jr. was lucky enough to have found a mentor and friend on the Houston blues front: Lightnin' Hopkins took an interest in the young man's musical development. When Harris was deemed ready, Lightnin' accompanied him to Houston's Gold Star Records. Nothing came of that jaunt, but Harris eventually recorded his debut 78 for the company in 1948 (as Peppermint Nelson). Bob Shad's Sittin' in With label was the vehicle that supplied Harris' early work to the masses -- especially his first major hit, "Raining in My Heart," in 1950. These weren't exactly formal sessions; one legend has it one took place in a Houston bordello. Nor was Shad too cognizant of Pep's surname; when he couldn't recall it, he simply renamed our man Harris. Harris moved over to Eddie Mesner's Aladdin Records in 1951, cutting far tighter sides for the firm in Los Angeles (often with the ubiquitous Maxwell Davis serving as bandleader and saxist). After "I Got Loaded" lit up the charts in 1951, Harris indulged in one booze ode after another: "Have Another Drink and Talk to Me," "Right Back on It," "Three Sheets in the Wind." But try as they might, the bottle let Harris down as a lyrical launching pad after that. He drifted from Money and Cash to RCA's short-lived subsidiary "X" and Don Robey's Duke logo (where he allegedly penned "As the Years Go Passing By" for Fenton Robinson) after that, but it wasn't until a long-lasting association with Stan Lewis' Shreveport, Louisiana-based Jewel Records commenced in 1965 that Harris landed for longer than a solitary single. Later, Harris worked various day jobs around Houston, including one at a record pressing plant, before moving to Sacramento, California, and then to New Jersey to be with his daughter. ~ bio by Bill Dahl

Ain't No Business mc
Ain't No Business zippy

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Peppermint Harris - Sittin' In With Peppermint Harris

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:14
Size: 92.1 MB
Styles: Texas blues, Jump blues
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[3:13] 1. I Screamed And I Cried (I Have Often Wondered)
[3:11] 2. Blues Don't Make Me Cry
[2:16] 3. Come On Let's Ride
[2:10] 4. She's My Baby
[2:56] 5. Gonna End My Worries
[2:57] 6. Oh I Got The Blues
[1:55] 7. Got A Big Fine Baby
[2:58] 8. Please Tell Me Baby
[2:00] 9. Gimmie, Gimmie
[2:39] 10. Mabel Mabel
[3:15] 11. I'm Writing You Baby
[2:57] 12. I Want To See You Baby
[2:34] 13. Raining In My Heart
[2:02] 14. My Blues Have Rolled Away
[3:06] 15. Sweet Happy Home

Fifteen well-chosen 1950-1951 masters from Bob Shad's Sittin' in With label by Houston bluesman Peppermint Harris, including his hit "Rainin' in My Heart." Rowdy little bands behind the powerful singer sometimes included Goree Carter on guitar. ~Bill Dahl

Sittin' In With Peppermint Harris mc
Sittin' In With Peppermint Harris zippy

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Various - Jump Blue: Rockin' The Jukes

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 66:30
Size: 152.3 MB
Styles: Jump blues, R&B, Early rock n roll
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[2:19] 1. Dave Bartholomew - Jump Children
[2:00] 2. Big T. Tyler - King Kong
[2:19] 3. The Five Keys - Hucklebuck With Jimmy
[2:46] 4. Illinois Jacquet - Flying Home (Part 1)
[2:44] 5. Big Jay Mcneely - Deacon Rides Again
[2:20] 6. Calvin Boze - Safronia B
[2:39] 7. Louis Jordan - Messy Bessy
[2:23] 8. Jimmy Liggins - I Ain't Drunk
[2:53] 9. Nellie Lutcher - Fine Brown Frame
[2:50] 10. Pigmeat Markham - See See Rider
[2:55] 11. Helen Humes - He May Be Your Man
[2:11] 12. The Clovers - Yes It's You
[2:39] 13. Pee Wee Crayton - Daybreak
[3:11] 14. Maxwell Davis - When I'm In My Tea
[2:25] 15. Peppermint Harris - I Got Loaded
[2:49] 16. Ike & Tina Turner - A Fool In Love
[2:49] 17. Amos Milburn - Sax Shack Boogie
[2:41] 18. Cleo Brown - Cleo's Boogie
[2:29] 19. Archibald - Great Big Eyes (Those Little Reds)
[2:00] 20. Roy Brown - Let The Four Winds Blow
[1:59] 21. T-Bone Walker - Teenage Baby
[2:57] 22. Lowell Fulson - Don't Leave Me Baby
[2:41] 23. Floyd Dixon - Wine, Wine, Wine
[2:22] 24. Shirley & Lee - Let The Good Times Roll
[2:38] 25. Jack The Bear Parker - I Need You, I Want You
[2:20] 26. Big Joe Turner - Jumpin' Tonight (Midnight Rockin')

Actually I was very surprised... jump blues on Blue Note? Well, not quite... Most (but not all) of the selections on this album come from the Imperial and Alladin labels... only one single is an actual Blue Note reissue... that said, many of the sides until recently were quite rare, nearly forgotten and hard to find... liberated from the vaults, this selection of hard swinging and grooving jump blues spanning the late 40's until 1960 will disappoint few fans of classic Rock and Roll/R&B, though it might be pointed out that there's a similar 2 CD collection that's even higher on my list, the now out of print Capital JUMPIN' LIKE MAD compilation.

Still, while some tracks are duplicates, others are rarities that I don't think are available anywhere else... and personally speaking, even though tunes like Safronia B, I Ain't Drunk and Fine Brown Frame can be found else where, I have no complaints about sitting through them again and again and again anyhow... I love Jump Blues and this CD has 26 tracks of it at its best... no complaints. ~Eddie Lansberg/amazon

Jump Blue: Rockin' The Jukes mc
Jump Blue: Rockin' The Jukes zippy

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

VA - Houston Might Be Heaven

This interesting box set packages 103 sides of vintage Texas blues, jazz, and early R&B recorded in Houston studios immediately after WWII between 1947 and 1951, a boom time when clubs and independent labels were flourishing in the city, and it ends up being both a musical snapshot of a particular place at a particular time and a fun and varied playlist to listen to -- the box set version of a hat trick. Full of rare sides of boogie piano, uptown blues, and swinging little jazz-blues orchestras, Houston Might Be Heaven has some delightful gems, Carl Campbell's swirling, clarinet-led “Goin’ Down to Nashville,” L.C. Williams' blues piano ballad “Louise,” Smokey Hogg's reckless, loose, and yet somehow endearingly lovely “She’s Always on My Mind,” and Peppermint Harris' sparse and stately take on “Rainin’ in My Heart” among them, all of which show what a fine and bright music scene Houston had going in the postwar period. There’s a nice groove to this whole set. ~Review by Steve Leggett

Album: CD A: 1947-1950
Size: 161,0 MB
Time: 67:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Texas Blues, Jump Blues, Piano Blues, Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. Little Willie Littlefield - Little Willie's Boogie (2:53)
02. Little Willie Littlefield - My Best Wishes (3:34)
03. Blip Thompkins - Got A Feelin' You're Foolin' (2:54)
04. Blip Thompkins - Everything's Been Done Before (2:17)
05. Lavarda Durst - Hattie Green (2:37)
06. Lavarda Durst - I Cried (2:46)
07. L.C. Williams - Jelly Roll (2:45)
08. L.C. Williams - Louisiana Boogie (2:58)
09. Carl Campbell - Goin' Down To Nashville (2:43)
10. Carl Campbell - Oo Wee Baby (2:33)
11. Clarence Garlow - In A Boogie Mood (2:52)
12. Clarence Garlow - She's So Fine (2:55)
13. Joe Houston - Jumpin' The Blues (2:46)
14. Joe Houston - Your Little Girl Is Gone (2:44)
15. Little T-Bone - Love's A Gamble (2:40)
16. Little T-Bone - Christmas Blues (2:44)
17. Lonnie Lyons Combo - Far Away Blues (2:57)
18. Lonnie Lyons Combo - Fly Chick Bounce (2:05)
19. Conrad Johnson - Fisherman's Blues (2:11)
20. Conrad Johnson - Howling On Dowling (2:03)
21. I.H. Smalley - Smalley's Jump (2:39)
22. I.H. Smalley - Young Women's Advice (2:45)
23. Willie Holiday - My Woman Put Me Down (2:36)
24. Willie Holiday - I've Played This Town (2:51)
25. Robert Smith - Freeway Blues (2:26)

CD A: 1947-1950

Album: CD B: 1950-1951
Size: 167,8 MB
Time: 70:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Texas Blues, Jump Blues, Piano Blues, Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. Peppermint Harris - Rainin' In My Heart (2:33)
02. Peppermint Harris - My Blues Have Rolled Away (2:02)
03. Peppermint Harris - Texarkana Bound (3:01)
04. Peppermint Harris - The Blues Pick On Me (2:01)
05. Peppermint Harris - Reckless Lover (2:54)
06. Peppermint Harris - Mabel Mabel (2:38)
07. Peppermint Harris - Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie (2:01)
08. Peppermint Harris - Come On Let's Ride (2:15)
09. Peppermint Harris - I Always End Up Blue (2:39)
10. Peppermint Harris - I Screamed And I Cired (I Have Often Wondered) (3:12)
11. Peppermint Harris - Blues Don't Make Me Cry (3:11)
12. Peppermint Harris - Sweet Happy Home (3:04)
13. Peppermint Harris - Oh I Got The Blues (2:57)
14. Peppermint Harris - Gonna End My Worries (2:56)
15. Peppermint Harris - I'm Writing You Baby (3:19)
16. Peppermint Harris - I Want To See You Baby (2:56)
17. Peppermint Harris - Fat Girl Boogie (2:30)
18. Peppermint Harris - Oo Wee Baby (3:14)
19. Peppermint Harris - She's My Baby (2:10)
20. Peppermint Harris - I Wake Up Screaming (2:57)
21. Peppermint Harris - I'm Telling You People (2:33)
22. Peppermint Harris - How Long Must I Suffer (3:05)
23. Peppermint Harris - Got A Big Fine Baby (1:55)
24. Peppermint Harris - Please Tell Me Baby (2:58)
25. Peppermint Harris - Lord Have Mercy (3:17)
26. Peppermint Harris - Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie (2:01)

CD B: 1950-1951

Album: CD C: 1949-1951
Size: 167,8 MB
Time: 70:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Texas Blues, Jump Blues, Piano Blues, Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. Lonnie Lyons - Helpless (3:00)
02. Lonnie Lyons - Down In The Groovy (2:52)
03. Little Willie Littlefield - Boogie Woogie Playgirl (2:45)
04. Little Willie Littlefield - Swanee River (2:30)
05. Joe 'Papoose' Fritz - Better Wake Up Baby (3:05)
06. Joe 'Papoose' Fritz - Real Fine Girl (2:20)
07. Bill Hayes - My Baby Loves Me So (2:25)
08. Bill Hayes - I'm Just Another Fool (2:07)
09. Big Mama Thornton - Bad Luck Got My Man (3:05)
10. Big Mama Thornton - All Right Baby (2:25)
11. Hubert Robinson - Bad Luck And Trouble (2:56)
12. Hubert Robinson - Room And Board Boogie (2:31)
13. Clarence Samuels - Hey Joe (2:43)
14. Clarence Samuels - Somebody Gotta Go (2:59)
15. John Hogg - Gotta Mean Woman (2:44)
16. John Hogg - Why Did You Leave Me (2:49)
17. L.C. Williams - I Don't Want No Woman (3:12)
18. L.C. Williams - Louise (3:04)
19. Lee Graves - Cloudy Weather Blues (2:58)
20. Lee Graves - I'm From Texas (1:59)
21. Violet Hall - (All Alone) I Sit And Cry (2:49)
22. Violet Hall - Six Foot Papa (2:27)
23. Elmore Nixon - Married Woman Blues (2:52)
24. Elmore Nixon - Playboy Blues (2:47)
25. Willie Johnson - Sampson Street Boogie (2:36)
26. Willie Johnson - Got The Boogie Woogie Blues (2:17)

CD C: 1949-1951

Album: CD D: 1948-1951
Size: 160,7 MB
Time: 67:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Texas Blues, Jump Blues, Piano Blues, Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. Smokey Hogg - Hard Times (2:34)
02. Smokey Hogg - Goin' Back Home (2:46)
03. Smokey Hogg - Change Your Ways (2:44)
04. Smokey Hogg - Misery Blues (2:38)
05. Smokey Hogg - Worried Blues (3:09)
06. Smokey Hogg - You Gotta Go (2:22)
07. Smokey Hogg - Leaving You Baby (2:56)
08. Smokey Hogg - I'm In Love With You (3:00)
09. Smokey Hogg - Saved All My Money (2:57)
10. Smokey Hogg - I'm Leavin' (2:33)
11. Smokey Hogg - You Won't Stay Home (2:24)
12. Smokey Hogg - Why Should I Worry (2:43)
13. Smokey Hogg - I'm So Lonely (2:45)
14. Smokey Hogg - Let's Go Back To The Country (2:28)
15. Smokey Hogg - That's My Baby (2:33)
16. Smokey Hogg - Hello Baby (2:27)
17. Smokey Hogg - I Love You Baby (Part 1) (2:17)
18. Smokey Hogg - I Love You Baby (Part 2) (2:34)
19. Smokey Hogg - What You Gonna Do (2:30)
20. Smokey Hogg - What In The World Am I Gonna Do (1:59)
21. Smokey Hogg - Shake A Leg (2:58)
22. Smokey Hogg - I Often Wonder (2:32)
23. Smokey Hogg - Miss Georgia (2:58)
24. Smokey Hogg - She's Always On My Mind (2:38)
25. Smokey Hogg - Dirty Mistreater (2:35)
26. Smokey Hogg - I'm Looking For My Baby (1:18)

CD D: 1948-1951