SIDE 1 1. Gambler's Guitar / 2. Jilted / 3. Unchained Melody / 4. I'll Get By
SIDE 2 1. Hey Joe / 2. Such A Night / 3. Learnin' The Blues / 4. Minnie The Moocher
Minnie The Moocher was effervescent bandleader Cab
Calloway's signature theme for more than half a century.
He first waxed the ditty in 1931, and his sparkling reprise
in the 1980 film 'The Blues Brothers' was one of its indelible
highlights.
Arthur Shimkin's BELL RECORDS was no doubt delighted to
bring Cab aboard in 1954. The New York-based label specialized
in soundalike versions of current hits at bargain list prices,
but no way would Cab's leonine roar ever be mistaken for that
of anyone else. The eight songs Calloway waxed for BELL constitute
this 10-inch LP, and there are some real surprises: Cab
dives into Carl Smith's country romp Hey Joe and Teresa
Brewer's perky Jilted as though they were conceived for him
(ditto Jim Lowe's dramatic Gambler's Guitar and the majestic
Unchained Melody). Even Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters'
steamy R&B smash Such A Night and Frank Sinatra's suave
Learnin' The Blues were fair game for Calloway's singular pipes
and he served up a fresh, invigorating version of Minnie The
Moocher for BELL's fast-growing catalog. With Jimmy Carroll
leading the orchestra and The Four Bells adding occasional
backing vocals, Calloway's brief but memorable 1954-55 stint
at BELL is commemorated with this delightful collection.
