12 Mar 2010, Comments (0)

Sonny Ace & the Twisters – Stand By Love (Cobra) 1964

Author: michael selman
kenny and the kasuals

San Antonio has been known for it’s wide array of musical tones, some have come to know this genre as The West Side Sound. This sound has an amazing conglomerate of influences ranging from blues, rock ‘n’ roll, conjunto, country, polka and rhythm and blues. All of these genres have been braided into a tangible sound, which has captured the attention of fans around the globe. The West Side Sound’s first bid with notoriety came with Sunny Ozuna’s 1963 hit “Talk With Me,” then in 1965 with Sir Douglas Quintet’s hit “She’s About A Mover.” The West Side Sound brings to mind the Chicano soul groups of the late fifties and sixties of San Antonio, Sunny & the Sunglows/Sunliners, Rudy & the Reno Bobs, Charlie & the Jives and Rene and Rene. One, which stands out in San Antonio musical lore is Sonny Ace & the Twisters.

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Beginning his career in the early fifties, Sonny Ace (Domingo Solis) was a defining faction of The West Side Sound; some even say, if not the pioneer, then one of the pioneers of this tone. Recording under a few different band names, Sonny’s name was always out in front: Sonny & the Rhythm Rockers, Sonny & the Monticlairs, Sonny & the Dell-Sharps. As the Twisters his band consisted of: Sonny Ace (Domingo Solis) (vocals), Martin Linan (tenor sax), Mike Rodriguez (tenor sax), David Spiller (alto sax), Gene Noriega (drums), Tony Villarreal (guitar) and Lil Ralph Mendez (bass). His regional hits included covers of Louis Prima’s tunes “Just A Gigolo,” and “Oh Marie.” Ace’s own material included “Take My Love,” “You’ll Tear Our Dreams Apart,” some notoriety seemed to have followed his cover of Sam the Sham’s (as Ace titled it) “Wooleh Booleh,” a Spanish speaking version of the national hit. Today’s Sonny Ace selection “Stand By Love,” comes to us on Abe Epstein’s Cobra label. Epstein is actually given the writers credit for this tune. Originally this track stood out to me for it’s loungy almost, tittie shaker quality, with a soft repeated, T Bone Walker or Buddy Guy, guitar tone. The horns at the top of the track immediately let any listener know this is San Antonio screeching’ in your face, however with the tacked on blues guitar riff, this track exemplifies the cross-pollinated sound of Alamo City.

impact scan Shown above: Sonny Ace, Charlie Alvarado (Charlie & the Jives)

Sonny Ace – Discography
Dell-Sharps
TNT
153 If My Teardrops Could Talk / Swinging Stroll (1958)
140 I Love Her So / Darling Of Mine (1958)
Twisters
Atlantic
2364 Wooleh Booleh / Chilli Pepper (1965)
Cobra
006 When Your Smiling / Gypsy (1963)
011 Devil Or Angel / Fever (1963)
214 Amor Que Malo Eres / La Tradidora (1963)
1112 Cuatro Copas / Cuatro Vidas (1963)
1113 Anymore / Stand By Love (1964)
1133 Little Girl / Little Spark (1964)
2224 Wooleh Booleh / Chilli Pepper (1965)
4444 You’ll Tear Our Dreams Apart / Oh Marie (1965)
Jox
028 Gotta See My Baby Tonight / Lucille (1963)
Rival
01 Tamales / Take My Love (1959)
02 So Lonely / Oh Little Girl (1959)
06 Just A Gigolo-Ain’t Got Nobody / Really (1960)
Sunglow
107 Easy Rocking / Dreamer Boy (1963)

I was able to pull most of this information from Chicano Soul, Ruben Molina’s book. Get your self a copy, NOW.

LISTEN: Sonny Ace – Stand By Love

12 Mar 2010, Comments (0)

The Famous Caravans-Mercy Lord (Gospel 1960)

Author: alex larotta
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Thought I might put up some spiritual sounds from New Jersey’s own The Famous Caravans with their ditty, “Mercy Lord”. Featuring a brooding church organ and haunting moans and wails from the Caravans, “Mercy Lord” has an eerily dark overtone commonplace in gospel roots music. Recorded in 1960, The Famous Caravans cut a few singles for the Gospel record label (a Savoy subsidiary), and apparently went on to record under various Savoy related groups. There’s scant information on this group, so I’ll keep it unusually short and poignant, but please feel free to forward any information you might have! Nevertheless, hope you enjoy The Famous Caravan’s celestial soul music, it’s downright divine.

LISTEN: The Famous Caravans-Mercy Lord
5 Mar 2010, Comments (3)

Big Walter-Get To Gitten’ (Tear Drop 1966)

Author: alex larotta
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In line with the great array of fine Houston bluesmen, Big Walter Price (aka The Thunderbird) was a popular figure in Houston’s dynamic blues music scene in the 50s and 60s. Recording with most of the major Houston record outlets from Duke/Peacock to Goldband to Tear Drop and even San Antonio’s TNT label, Big Walter had minor success on the national airwaves though enjoyed relative popularity in local radio play and juke joints around Houston. Get To Gitten’ is a gritty uptempo jump-blues stomper with elements of early rock and roll a la Little Richard or Geno Washington stylings. According to an online source, Big Walter received little, if any, fair compensation for his work and lost most royalty income for his recordings. Big Walter continues playing to this day throughout the Gulf Coast and independently released 4 CDs of his most recent material. Not too much information out there on his career, but I know that Roger Wood and James Fraher’s voluminous Down in Houston book devotes some detail to his recording career in the Bayou City. Though not a ‘quick read’ by any means, it’s definitely highly recommended from us over here at I’m Shakin for it’s great detailing and exposure of Houston blues culture and recording industry. Nevertheless, hope you enjoy today’s Gulf Coast flavored jumpin blues!

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LISTEN/DOWNLOAD: Big Walter-Get To Gitten
4 Mar 2010, Comments (0)

The Elite – One Potato (Charay) 1966

Author: michael selman
kenny and the kasuals

Today’s selection is a two part unhinged, proto-punk number from Ft. Worth, Texas. The Elite were a four piece, headed up by Rodger Brownlee on guitar and vocals, Eddie Deaton on lead guitar and Bob Barnes on bass, I was not able to dig up the name of the drummer as of yet. The groups recording of “My Confusion,” put them on the map in the Ft. Worth scene, along side the heavier acts of the day, Larry and The Bluenotes, The Cynics etc.

“One Potato/Two Potato,” a Texas take by the Paschal High School based group, borrowed from the “PAPA OOM MOW-MOW” theme from the Minneapolis group the Trashmen’s “Surfin’ Bird.” This track by no means is a cover, however borrows considerably from “Surfin’ Bird.”

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The Elite were known for the their unusual stage antics including opening up for themselves, under a band alias, decked out in biker gear with Nazi helmets and sunglasses. They would stage a fight in front of their audience in which the other three members would rip off Bob Barnes clothes. They were also known for smashing their instruments and equipment, on stage, in the manner, The Who would have been doing in the same time period.

This disc is one of my favorites, with the trashmen take and then the instrumental on the flip with it’s top layer of thick, slow, greasy guitar work. These cuts pop up on the Ft. Worth Teen Scene comps. These guys are still around and in 2009 played the Ponderosa Stomp Showcase at The Continental Club, with The Excels. Dig it.


The footage above is from a short documentary that Norton Records put out in conjunction with their Ft. Worth Teen Scene in 2008. Teen-A-Go Go

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The photo above came to me via Doug Hanners

LISTEN: The Elite – One Potato

LISTEN: The Elite – Two Potato

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