Back in the pre-internet days, there was no Google, no Wikipedia, and not enough music related books or magazines to fill in the gaps. Liner notes on album covers were essential. It was, with the people I knew, mandatory. You had to connect the dots. If not all the dots, as many as possible. That's how Big Joe Turner led me to Pete Johnson.
Johnson was Turner's piano player, and he all but owned Big Joe's boogie. I heard his playing, saw his name, and sought out his shit. The first was a compilation. If I would have been at all hesitant when selecting it (I wasn't), one song title alone would have sold me. "Death Ray Boogie". Is there a cooler name for a song? Really, when I was DJing I used to play it in the middle of a set of disparate music, just hoping someone would ask what the hell I was playing (they did). I just wanted to say "Death Ray Boogie".
Johnson was Turner's piano player, and he all but owned Big Joe's boogie. I heard his playing, saw his name, and sought out his shit. The first was a compilation. If I would have been at all hesitant when selecting it (I wasn't), one song title alone would have sold me. "Death Ray Boogie". Is there a cooler name for a song? Really, when I was DJing I used to play it in the middle of a set of disparate music, just hoping someone would ask what the hell I was playing (they did). I just wanted to say "Death Ray Boogie".
~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Pete Johnson - Death Ray Boogie mp3 at AMRF
Pete Johnson and Big Joe Turner - Roll 'em Pete mp3 at AMRF
Pete Johnson - Foot Pedal Boogie mp3 at Internet Archive
Big Joe Turner with Pete Johnson - Honey Hush mp3 at Rockn Dog With both Lee Allen and Alvin "Red" Bryant on sax
Pete Johnson - Death Ray Boogie mp3 at AMRF
Pete Johnson and Big Joe Turner - Roll 'em Pete mp3 at AMRF
Pete Johnson - Foot Pedal Boogie mp3 at Internet Archive
Big Joe Turner with Pete Johnson - Honey Hush mp3 at Rockn Dog With both Lee Allen and Alvin "Red" Bryant on sax
1 comment:
Good stuff - especially Death Ray Boogie. Thanks for posting it! I too was an inveterate reader of liner notes. And I remember those pre-internet days well - no Wikipedia, no music blogs, no lyrics sites. But I spent many happy hours in record stores, and miss them badly. I also miss the DJs who gave me so much of my musical education.
Well, I'll stop here before I start muttering about damn kids.
Marc
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