I'm Laughing at You

Song: I'm Laughing At You
Artist: Gardenias
Written: Gardenias ?
Year : 1957
Album/Single: Hi-Q # 5005

Cobra's Version
Song: Laughing at You
Released: May 1, 2001
Album: Life, Love and Leaving



Today's selection is going to be short and sweet.
If you thought I had nothing on Bobbie Smith and the Dreamgirls you ain't seen nothing yet.

Here's what we have been able to determine:
The song was release in 1957 on Hi-Q Records # 5005 back with "Houdini".

The only album I have been able to find it on is "Ultra Rare Rockin' & Boppin', Vol. 1", a compilation disc out of the Netherlands.

Dave the Spazz played it on October 25th, 2005 and June 8th, 2006 on his WFMU radio show

Marist College has a copy of the single in box 29 which should be a relief to Steve Palopoli's concern that it wasn't "available in its original form from anyone, anywhere."

Again - I suspect they were a Detroit based group. Hi-Q was a subsidary of Fortune Records. Fortune was a very influential and powerful label in Detroit in the late 50's / early sixties (we'll cover Fortune in more detail on a later post). In looking over some of the other acts on the Hi-Q discography I recognize some other Detroit acts - John Lee Hooker, Eddie Kirk, Dell Vaughn. Then again, there are plenty of other acts that probably did not come from Detroit - Cherokee Chief and his Oaklahoma Rockers, Ralph Davis and the Western Rhythm Boys & Shorty Frog and his Space Cats. So I could be wrong . . .

Lyrics:
Uhh Ohh Baby
Uhh Ohh Baby
You starting laughing
when I told you I love you

Uhh Ohh Baby
Uhh Ohh Baby
You said your love was true
But I'm laughing at you
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh (yeah)
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh

Uhh Ohh Baby
Uhh Ohh Baby
You had your winning spree
and now you say you want me

Uhh Ohh Baby
Uhh Ohh Baby
You said your love was true
But I'm laughing at you
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh (yeah)
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh

I know that when you go
You'll come and let me know
That you were tired of being a fool

Uhh Ohh Baby
Uhh Ohh Baby
You said your love was true
But I'm laughing at you
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh (yeah)
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh

Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh (yeah)
Uhh Ohh Ohh Ohh

While the original is a fast paced (for 1957) piano based R&B, the Cobra's is an even faster guitar based rocker, replacing the original's sax solo with a tasty guitar solo (by Maribel ?), shaving 15% off the total time (1:52 vs 1:35). Which is probably why they shaved the "I'm" from the title when they renamed it "Laughing At You"

Download it now:
Gardenias - I'm Laughing At You - 1957 - Hi-Q # 5005
Available on "Ultra Rare Rockin' & Boppin', Vol. 1" if you can find it . . .
Buy "Life, Love and Leaving" by the Detroit Cobras

If 529 words (is "Uhh" a word?) is short and sweet, watch out when I actually have something to say

Now He's Gone

Song: Now He's Gone
Artist: Bobbie Smith & The Dreamgirls
Written: King/Mack/McKenzie
Year: 1962
Album/Single: Big Top # 3129

Cobra's Version
Song: Now Your Gone
Released: Jan 18, 2005
Album: Baby



Who were Bobbie Smith & The Dreamgirls ?
Damn fine question. No idea.
Can't find out squat about them.

Here's what we do know:
They released 4 singles for Big Top Records
# 3085 - Wanted / Mr. Fine - 1961
# 3100 - Dutchess Of Earl / Mine All Mine - 1962
# 3111 - Here Comes Baby / I Got A Feeling My Love - 1962
# 3129 - Your Lovely Dovely Ways / Now He's Gone - 1962

I have found 2 releases being credited to just the "Dreamgirls"
Twirl # 1002 - Oh This is Why / Break My Heart - 1959 (?)
Big Top # 3059 - Don't Break My Heart / I Could Write A Book - 1960.

I have come across another release credited to just "Bobbie Smith"
American Arts # 2 - "Walk On Into My Heart" - 1967.

I have to believe that Bobbie Smith and the Dream Girls were from Michigan, if not Detroit. That is due to the songwriters for today's selection - Ira Mack, Tom King & Maron McKenzie.\

Maron McKenzie, who was a staff writer for Big Top, is listed as a co-writer of some of Del Shannon (who was also on Big Top) releases, including one of his biggest - "Little Town Flirt".

Ira Mack & Tom King are an even more interesting story. Mainly because that wasn't their real names. Their real names were Irving Micahnik & Harry Balk. They were white Detroit businessmen. Harry Balk owned movie theaters in black neighborhoods in Detroit. On slow nights he would hold amateur nights. After winning multiple times, Harry Balk had Little Willie John signed to a record deal. In 1958 he started EmBee Productions with Irving Micahnik (a former furier). After finding the Orbits from Toledo and renaming them "Johnny & The Hurricanes" and not being able to find a record company to release their recording "Crossfire" they started their own label - Twirl. They would end up claiming songwriting credits for a lot of the Johnny & The Hurricane's releases. In 1961 Balk & Micahnik hit the jackpot - that's when they signed Del Shannon on the recommendation of Ann Arbor disc jockey Ollie McLaughlin. (A lot of this information came from "Grit, Noise and Revolution: The Birth of Detroit Rock 'N' Roll" by David A. Carson, a terrific book for anyone interested in the workings and dealings of the early days of rock n roll, not just the Detroit scene)

I think it's safe to say that Balk & Micahnik did not contribute a whole lot to writing today's selection. We'll make the assumption that Marom McKenzie is most responsible for the following lyrics:

Gone is your love
and all the times
when you were mine
to have and to hold
I was yours
You were mine
But now you're gone
(Now you're gone)
But now you're gone
(Now you're gone)

Gone is your arms
filled with tenderness
Your sweet caress
I'll never forget
I'd like to know
where did you go?
You brought me delight
when you held me so tight
But now you're gone
(Now you're gone)
But now you're gone
(Now you're gone)

Gone is the love
that seemed perfect
I remember we
were sitting under the tree
You leaned over
and kissed me so sweetly
and then you vowed
you know you vowed
our would always be

Gone is your love
and all the times
when you were mine
to have and to hold
I was yours
You were mine
But now you're gone
(Now you're gone)
But now you're gone
(Now you're gone)

Rachel and the Cobras follow the above lyrics, with a few minor changes, to a tee. They did drop the chorus refrains (Now you're gone).
Again we have a discrepancy between the titles of the original release versus the name of the Cobra's release - "Now He's Gone" v. "Now Your Gone". In the Cobra's defense, however, the phrase "now you're gone" is very prominent in the lyrics whereas "now he's gone" is not. Still, it makes it hard to do any research when they don't match.

The Cobra's version is slightly faster than the original, nor do they have the xylophone the original had. You just can find good xylophone players these days.

Download it now:
Bobbie Smith & The Dreamgirls - Now He's Gone - 1962 - Big Top # 3129
Available on "Big Top Soul Cellar"
Buy "Baby" by the Detroit Cobras

Shout Bamalama

Song: Shout Bamalama
Artist: Otis Redding & The Pinetoppers
Written: Otis Redding
Year : 1960
Album/Single: Orbit 135

Cobra's Version
Song: Shout Bama Lama
Released: May 1, 2001
Album: Life, Love and Leaving



I thought I would begin where it began for me. I bought a spindle of CDR's & they came with 100 free mp3's from emusic.com. To say emusic's selection is limited would be kind (however, if you are a music freak such as myself, it is a cheap and legal way to explore different genres). I believe I did a search for "Detroit " on a whim & came across an album called "Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit". Pull it up and see the White Stripes listed - OK, I've heard of them. The rest of the bands listed, however, I had never heard of (and I live in Detroit!). The Come Ons, The Hentchmen, Bantam Rooster, The Detroit Cobras . . . ? What the hell, I have 100 mp3's to download I might as well take a flyer on one or two. So I downloaded some of the songs. Burned them to a disc (along with so other stuff I downloaded - Warren Zevon, Brownie & Sonnie, Pretenders . . . ).

I have a 45 minute drive home - about the 40 minute mark I came across "Shout Bama Lama".

WHOA - What the fuck was that?
So I played it again. WOW!

By this point I am home in my driveway, listening for the 5th time before one of my sons come out to leave - spots me in my truck - I invite him in to have a listen with me - he tells me its great (to appease me) and leaves. Kids don't know shit about about music anyways.

Anyways, that was my introduction to the power that is the Detroit Cobras

On with the show . . .

Today's selection was recorded by Otis Redding & the Pinetoppers in 1960. Or was it Otis & The Shooters? Anyways, it was Otis's first record. Or, at worst, his second. The Pinetoppers were a Macon, Georgia band lead by Johnny Jenkins. Johnny saw Otis playing at The Douglass Theater and offered to 'play behind him.' At some point Otis recorded "Shout Bama Lama" with the band and had relative success with the song.

2 years later, Otis drove (yeah - he was also their driver!) the band to Memphis so Johnny Jenkins & the Pinetoppers could lay some tracks down at the Stax studios. By all accounts the sessions did not go well and since there was time left at the end, it was offered to Otis to record a song. "These Arms of Mine" was laid down with Johnny Jenkins on piano and Steve Cropper on guitar. The rest, to turn a cliche, is history.

"Shout Bamalama" starts with some shouts and screams as if they are at a party (very reminiscent of the Temptations "I Can't Get Next to You" or "Psychedelic Shack" - whether "Shout Bama Lama" was the inspiration for this or not, I do not know). Then the up tempo horn & guitar driven riff kicks in at a frantic pace. Being that Little Richard was also from Macon, Georgia, the song is often liken to a Little Richard screamer. Rightfully so.

The Lyrics:
(As best as I can transcribe them . . . )

"He's down in Alabama
I shouting Bamalama
Way down in Louisiana
Well, well, nobody gone set him down

Lord have mercy on my soul
How many chickens have I stole
One last night and the night before
I'm going back to try and get 10, 11 more
(unintelligible)
I love the chicken baby
Shouting Bamalama
Well, well, nobody gone set him down

?? Nine Feet & Ten Feet were going towards the feild ??
?? Nine Feet stepped on Ten Feet's heel ??
?? Ten Feet swung around and knocked Nine Feet's grin ??
He teeth fell out and his tongue stayed in
His captain said so
He got chicken baby
Shouting Bamalama
Well, well, nobody gone set him down

Leo the Monkey told the lion one day
'A bad little gorilla coming down your way'
They way he talk about your family is a crying shame
He say your mother is working on the chain gang
She busting bricks now
(unintelligible)
Shouting Bamalama
Well, well, nobody gone set him down

The preacher and the deacon were praying one day
Along come a bear coming down their way
The preacher told the deacon to say a prayer
He said "lord, a prayer? I want to kill this bear"
I got to make it baby
Shout Bamalama
I've got to run for it
Well, well, nobody gone set him down"

If anyone can fill in the blanks for me - even if it a guess (which is all I have done here) please do not hesitate to share them with us.

I tried following Rachel & company's version to see if I could pickup on any of the mystery lyrics but I am convinced that they don't have a very good handle on the lyrics either. Rachel did tweak the lyrics a bit (reversing the deacon and preacher for one) but pretty much stays on track. By all accounts it was recorded by Jack White (yeah, that Jack White) in his home studio.

It also is a prime example of how the Cobra's take liberties with the names of the songs they cover. The name of the original : "Shout Bamalama". The Cobra's version : "Shout Bama Lama". Minor difference ? Perhaps, unless you are trying to research the song, that is.

So if you are not familiar with the Cobra's version, please buy it (you won't be disappointed). And it goes without saying, if this is first Otis in your library, it won't be the last.

Download it:
Otis Redding - Shout Bamalama - 1960 - Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding

(BTW, I'd kill (not really) to get a copy of the flip side - "Fat Gal")