Title: The Cool Gent: The Nine Lives of Radio Legend Herb Kent
Author: Herb Kent and David Smallwood
Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books
ISBN: 978-1-55652-774-6
Date: February 2009
We’re happy to promote this new autobiography by pioneering radio deejay Herb Kent “the Cool Gent,” a.k.a. the Black Dick Clark. Beginning his career in 1944 at the age of sixteen, Kent was a fixture on Chicago radio for several decades, most notably on WVON-AM, the most powerful black station in the country. Though perhaps better known for spinning older R&B records on his “dusty” shows, he is also legendary for creating the first “Punk Out” show on black radio in the early ‘80s. As Kent tells it,
“I remember being at a club , and they were playing “Whip It” by Devo. The black teens there were just jumping up and down and going nuts over it. I said, “Hmmm, let me play that on the show.” I did, and it turned out to be one of my hottest shows. So I started playing a lot of white New Wave and rock artists- Pat Benatar, the B-52’s, Depeche Mode, the Vapors, the Tubes – and there was the black group, the BusBoys.” On the air I called this Punk Out music, and, man, it was as hot as any show I’ve ever had anywhere.”
Regrettably, the Punk Out show is only mentioned in passing, but no doubt it was extremely influential in terms of exposing Kent’s African American audience to the punk rock scene, and may have even inspired some young musicians to play rock.
Overall, the book presents a fine overview of Kent’s career as well as the history of black radio and the music industry, told in a manner one would expect from the Cool Gent. There is even a forward from Da Mayor himself, Richard M. Daley, citing Kents many accolades, from the “Mayor of Bronzeville” to his induction into the Radio Hall of Fame (the first African American deejay to receive this honor). Kent’s story makes for a good read and, since its one of the few books chronicling black radio, should certainly be considered by both university and public libraries.
Title: I Want to Take You Higher: The Life and Times of Sly & the Family Stone
Author: Jeff Kaliss
Publisher: Backbeat
ISBN: 0879309849
Date: Revised edition; October 2009
Sly & the Family Stone was one of the first fully integrated funk/rock/R&B groups—with black, white, male and female band members playing an equal role. Kaliss’ book makes for enjoyable reading and highlights a number of areas of Sly’s career that I was not previously aware of, such as his time spent hosting a radio show (if anyone has airchecks, please drop me a line!). Originally published last year, there is already a revised second edition of I Want to Take You Higher. According to the author, the new edition updates the story in “A Year in the Life” format, following Sly and various band members, among others, from the time of the last interview for the first edition (February 2008) up to the most recent interview with Sly this past February. In addition, several mistakes in the main part of the text have been corrected. If you haven’t already picked up a copy of the original, I highly recommend adding this new paperback edition to your book list.
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
October 30, 2009
Title: Rufus Thomas: His R&B Recordings, 1949-1956
Artist: Rufus Thomas
Label: Bear Family
Catalog No.: BCD 16695AH
Date: 2008
Rufus Thomas is best known as the Memphis soul singer who, along with daughter Carla Thomas, helped the fledgling Stax label rise to fame in the ‘60s and ‘70s. His biggest hits-”Do the Funky Chicken” and “Walking the Dog“–not only became his signature songs, but established Thomas as a consummate entertainer. Not surprisingly, he first honed these skills as a vaudeville performer and emcee for shows down on Beale Street. Thomas also had a long career at WDIA in Memphis, the nation’s first all-Black format radio station, where he spun rhythm and blues records that caught the attention of many a white teenager, including a young Elvis Presley. Since his fellow WDIA deejay was none other than B.B. King, it should come as no surprise that Thomas decided to take a stab at recording. “I just wanted to be on record. I never thought of getting rich. I just wanted to be known, be a recording artist.”
From 1949 to 1956 Thomas recorded 28 sides for various labels, though a number were unissued and have since been lost (all extant recordings have been included in this compilation). His first sessions in Memphis were for the Star Talent label (based in Dallas) and featured several of his own songs, including the bluesy “I’m So Worried,” the somewhat derivative “I’ll Be Good Boy,” and the previously unreleased “Who’s That Chick” and “Double Trouble” (the latter in rather poor sound). These were followed by two sides for Bullet-the rockin’ party song “Beer Bottle Boogie” and another of Thomas’ own compositions, “Gonna Bring My Baby Back,” a swinging jazz number backed by members of Lionel Hampton’s band let by saxophonist Bobby Platter.
The following year Thomas stopped in at Memphis Recording Service–soon to be renamed Sun Studios–and convinced Sam Phillips to record several songs which were released on the Chess label, including “Night Workin’ Blues,” his own cryin’ blues tune “Why Did You Deegee,” the uptempo boogie woogie “Crazy About You Baby” featuring Billy Love on piano, and “No More Dogging Around.” Additional sessions followed in 1952 producing the notable song “Decorate the Counter”–this had originally been recorded by Rosco Gordon, but only Thomas’ version was released by Chess (both versions are included on the CD for comparison). Two additional songs were recorded at the same session but were never released: “Married Woman” included here with two alternate takes; and “I’m Off Of That Stuff” which is a bit stiff, not to mention somewhat truncated.
Thomas’ big break came in 1953 when he recorded “Bear Cat” for the new Sun label. An answer song to Big Mama Thornton’s bluesy “Hound Dog” that had topped the charts a few weeks earlier (also included on the CD), “Bear Cat” was a huge hit, signaling the shift towards rock ‘n’ roll and no doubt making an impression on Elvis Presley, whose cover of “Hound Dog” catapulted both him and Sun Records to fame three years later. Thomas cut several more sides for Sun, including “Tiger Man (King of the Jungle)” complete with Tarzan yells, and the straight-ahead blues song “Save That Money.” His early recording career concluded at Meteor, a short-lived Memphis label, which released “The Easy Living Plan” and “I’m Steady Holdin’ On,” both penned by Rufus Thomas and Joe Bihar.
Rufus Thomas: His R&B Recordings, 1949-1956 is a great tribute to this legendary artist who passed away in 2001. Interestingly, two other compilations including much of the same material have also been released in 2008 by Document Records and Important Artists. However, the Bear Family set is far superior in terms of remastering and production. The wonderfully illustrated 67 page booklet (bound into the package) features a complete 1950s discography and an overview of Thomas’ pre-Stax career by Martin Hawkins, including lengthy discussions about the role of WDIA and Black radio.
The other thing that really sets this CD apart are the bonus features and alternate takes previously mentioned, as well as airchecks from Thomas’s WDAI radio show and a ten minute interview from the Daddy Cool Show. With a total of 29 tracks, this is indeed the definitive compilation of Thomas’s early recordings. Anyone interested in Memphis soul, the roots of rock ‘n’ roll, and the story of Black radio will want to purchase this set–it would also be perfect for classroom use. Rufus Thomas: His R&B Recordings, 1949-1956 is absolutely the best single CD historical reissue that I’ve come across in 2008.
Posted by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
September 5, 2008
