GEORGIE FAME-RHYTHM & BLUES AT FLAMINGO-V.RARE ORIG.UK 1st PRESS MONO LP-1964

	£		25
	$		33

GEORGIE FAME - RHYTHM & BLUES AT THE FLAMINGO - VERY RARE ORIGINAL UK 1st PRESS MONO LP - 1964

Georgie Fame’s 1st Album

Very Rare Original 1st Press

“Georgie Fame – Rhythm and Blues at the Flamingo”

MONO

Released on the Black/Silver/Blue Columbia Label

E.M.I. Records

MADE IN GT. BRITAIN

Recording first published 1964

33SX 1599

Matrix:

XAX 2575 – 1N

XAX 2576 – 1N

“This LP record title was one which excited everybody concerned with the soulful singing of Georgie Fame.  And now, after a hectic three weeks in getting the project under way, it was really happening.

The scene was the Flamingo Club, Wardour Street, London, W.1, on the evening of Wednesday 25th September, 1963.  The atmosphere was electric!  The stage was set for what must be one of the swinging-est sounds ever to have been recorded in Britain.  Georgie Fame, born Clive Powell in Leigh, Lancashire, twenty years ago, took the stand with his group, The Blue Flames.  Drummer Red Reece brought in Night Train and as I announced over the rhythm section, I had the gratifying knowledge that the LP was under way at last.

The idea of recording Georgie live at the Flamingo came about when top song writer Ian Samwell visited the Club during an all-night session while Georgie was working.  During his visit he conversed with Georgie’s manager and co-owner of the Flamingo Club, Rik Gunnell, who told Ian that he had been negotiating for a Georgie Fame single to be released late in December, 1963.  However, after listening to Georgie for a couple of numbers, Ian rushed back to Rik.  “Cancel the single and we’ll record him live, here at the Club”, he cried.  Rik leapt at this idea since this was Georgie’s home ground where his singing had been so greatly influenced by playing opposite some of Britain’s top modern jazz personalities.  Ian in turn hot-footed round to one of the greatest sound technicians in the business.  Glyn Johns, also a No. 1 fan of Georgie’s to ask him whether he would be interested in the venture.  To see Glyn packed into a space four feet by seven feet, surrounded on all sides by heavy speakers, trasformers and all the usual recording paraphernalia, I knew we had a most dedicated guy doing his utmost for us.

The scene was set.

After swinging through Night Train with solos by all the guys by way of an introduction, the hard-driving sounds continued with Let The Good Times Roll, belted out by Georgie who, you will notice, inserts his own “Mr. Fame’s in Town”.

By this time the audience was wailin’ with Georgie and when he burst into Do The Dog, an American hit by Rufas Thomas and, incidentally, a number which typifies the hip audience at The Flamingo, the crowd became hysterically ecstatic, baying “Nice, nice, nice” which, for the uninitiated, is an appreciation of Flamingo/Fame, hipwise.  To Do The Dog involves distinctly sensuous body movements and even the most coolly suburban members of the audience could not fail to be moved to an almost jungle-like frenzy.

From The Dog into a short, sharp and profoundly professional rendition of Esa Beso and to close Side One Georgie displays his inexhaustible talent on Work Song.  We all took a break.  Ian Samwell, working so hard to produce this LP looked at recording engineer Glyn Johns and said, “Marvellous”.  Glyn replied, “Get me a Scotch, PLEASE”.

Parchman Farm, a number recently featured by Mose Allison, and an all-time favourite of Georgie’s, opens Side Two.  A soulful tale of prison life in the Southern States of America.  Nice work here from guitarist Big Jim Sullivan.  Then comes Georgie belting out what must be almost an organ standard, You Can’t Sit Down.

One now for the Flamingo devotees, Georgie’s West Indian speciality Humpty Dumpty.  Listen to this one and you will dig Mr. Fame’s abounding “coloured” humour.  After working like the slaves portrayed on the earlier tracks, Work Song and Parchman Farm, Georgie and The Blue Flames continue to make this a memorable LP with Shop Around and, if one listens carefully, the live “yep” audience can be heard knocking themselves out.  Finally, a fitting finale to this tremendous session, Baby, Please Don’t Go.  This was Georgie Fame’s personal choice as the closing number.

In digging this LP I sincerely hope that the listener, whether or not a previous devotee of Georgie Fame, will realise and appreciate that we in Britain have al last got someone to compare with the giants of soul and blues in the United States.”

JOHNNY GUNNELL

The Track List is as follows:

SIDE ONE

                                                                                           1.    NIGHT TRAIN (Forrest-Washington-Simpkins)

                                                                                           2.    LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL (Theard-Moore)

                                                                                           3.    DO THE DOG (Thomas)

                                                                                           4.    ESO BESO (J. & N. Sherman)

                                                                                           5.    WORK SONG (Allison)

SIDE TWO

                                                                                           1.    PARCHMAN FARM (Allison)

                                                                                           2.    YOU CAN’T SIT DOWN (Clark-Upchurch-Muldrow)

                                                                                           3.    HUMPTY DUMPTY (Morris)

                                                                                           4.    SHOP AROUND (Gordy-Robinson)

                                                                                           5.    BABY, PLEASE DON’T GO (Sonny Boy Williamson)

Produced by Ian Samwell

Personnel:

GEORGIE FAME, vocals and Hammond Organ

JOHNNY MARSHALL, baritone saxophone

MICHAEL EVE, tenor saxophone

BIT JIM SULLIVAN, electric guitar

BOOTS SLADE, bass guitar

RED REECE, drums

TOMMY THOMAS, conga drums

The LP is in Very Good Condition with some surface marks and surface scratches

It plays well

The Sleeve is in Very Good Condition with only a touch of scuffing and laminate creasing, and on the back “32/-“ is pencilled in the top left hand corner and there is a small sticker “The Disc Shop” stuck centre top

It has been kept in a plastic cover

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