LP THE MIDNIGHTERS Greatest Hits on Federal 541

$

104

THE MIDNIGHTERS Their Greatest Hits on Federal 541. Original 1956 release. The record is in VG condition which is hard to find in these old R&B recordings. Still plays well with just a small amount of sporatic surface noise. The cover shows considerable overall edge wear with scotch tape in some areas. The album was reissued in the 1950s on the King label showing Hank Ballard with a lady and a jukebox on the cover. In the 1960s, it was again reissued, this time with a cover with only Hank Ballard on it. In the world of early rhythm & blues and doo wop, Hank Ballard was the very definition of earthiness. Though influenced by high-energy gospel vocal groups, Ballard's music with the Midnighters couldn't have been more diametrically opposed in terms of subject matter: his lyrics were filled with raunchy double-entendres that left little to the imagination, pushing the envelope of what was considered acceptable in the '50s. His songs were sometimes banned on the radio, but that only made him an even bigger jukebox favorite among black audiences. Ballard's hard-driving, rhythmic style was also an underappreciated influence on the rawer side of R&B, particularly on a young James Brown; plus, his composition "The Twist" — recorded for a hit by Chubby Checker — became one of the biggest hits in rock & roll history. Hank Ballard was born November 18, 1927 (according to his birth records) in Detroit, but moved to Bessemer, AL, as a young child following his father's death. There he began singing in church and when he returned to Detroit at age 15, he set about forming a doo wop group while working on the Ford assembly line. Around the same time, singers Henry Booth and Charles Sutton were organizing a doo wop outfit called the Royals, which reputedly at one time also featured Jackie Wilson and future Four Top Levi Stubbs; it eventually grew to include vocalists Lawson Smith and Sonny Woods, plus gritty guitarist Alonzo Tucker. Initially copying the smooth style of Sonny Til & the Orioles, the Royals were discovered by Johnny Otis in 1952 and signed with Federal Records. However, when Hank Ballard replaced Smith in 1953, they adopted a rougher, more hepped-up sound in keeping with Ballard's numerous original compositions and Clyde McPhatter influence. Ballard's first recording with the group was 1953's "Get It," which hit the Top Ten on the R&B charts, but it was the following year's ribald "Work With Me Annie" that really broke the group (they changed their name to the Midnighters around this time, to avoid confusion with the Five Royales). "Work With Me Annie" topped the R&B charts and nearly reached the pop Top 20, despite a number of radio stations refusing to air the song. It inspired a number of answer records and the Midnighters themselves entered the fray with the sequels "Annie Had a Baby" (another R&B chart-topper) and "Annie's Aunt Fannie." They also scored another major smash with the Ballard-penned "Sexy Ways," which solidified their reputation as R&B's most risqué act. However, after the momentum of "Work With Me Annie" slowed, the Midnighters seemed at a loss as to how to recapture it. They went nearly three and a half years without another big hit, and with the decline in their fortunes came numerous personnel shifts. Lawson Smith returned to the fold to replace Sutton, Norman Thrasher replaced Sonny Woods, and Tucker's guitar post was taken first by Arthur Porter, then Cal Green. Ballard attempted to take his 1958 composition "The Twist" to Vee-Jay, which declined to release the version they recorded; King, Federal's parent label, issued it as the B-side of the Midnighters' R&B comeback ballad hit "Teardrops on Your Letter" in 1959. Still, "The Twist" gained some notice and found a fan in American Bandstand host Dick Clark, who brought the song to Chubby Checker's attention; the rest was history, as "The Twist" became the first song to hit number one during two completely separate chart runs. Ballard and the Midnighters benefited from the exposure, scoring their first Top Ten pop singles in 1960 with "Finger Poppin' Time" and "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go." A few more R&B hits followed, generally dance-oriented songs in the vein of "The Twist," before the well dried up for a second time. The Midnighters gradually disintegrated and Ballard became a solo act; by the end of the '60s, he was working with longtime fan James Brown, who produced several singles for Ballard during the late '60s and early '70s. After a lengthy absence from music, Ballard re-formed the Midnighters during the mid-'80s, first as a female group, then male, and began touring once again. In 1990, Ballard received his due as an R&B innovator with his election into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. After suffering for several years with throat cancer, Ballard died quietly at his Los Angeles home in March of 2003. I have up for auction a lot more collectable vinyl and do not mind combining auctions to save on freight (+ 1.00 each for additional LP, 45 rpm, 78 rpm for domestic bidders only). You can check out my other items by clicking on the link below. FULLY INSURED domestic shipping is 4.80. For payment I like to use Paypal. If you wish to send check or money order please make your payment payable to Gerald Swiff. Please mail it to: Gerald Swiff, 4803 Denver Drive, Galveston, TX 77551 With your payment please indicate the specific merchandise the payment is for and your legible shipping information.

• STILL SEALED - Still sealed in shrink wrap.
• NEAR MINT - Shows no signs of wear, probably only played a couple of times.
• EXECELLENT - Very clean, shows only minimal wear.
• VERY GOOD PLUS - Not quite execellent but better than very good.
• VERY GOOD - Shows average wear, scratches, some tracks will experience surface noise. The cover or label might have a name ID label or markings and there might be some cover edge splitting or ring impression wear.
• GOOD - The cover or record shows considerable wear. Some tracks might have loud surface noise and a possibility of a skip or a hang up.

International Rates:(1st Disc) Air(4-7days) Surface(4-6weeks) These rates are for Letter Post where insurance is not offered. Insurance is available on Parcel Post Parcels (rates upon request)

• CANADA Air - $ 6.00
• CANADA Surface - $ 5.00
• CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA Air - $ 11.50
• CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA Surface - $ 6.00
• EUROPE Air - $ 11.50
• EUROPE Surface - $ 6.00
• JAPAN/AUSTRALIA Air - $ 12.50
• JAPAN/AUSTRALIA Surface - $ 6.00
• HK/KOREA/PHILIPPINES/SING Air - $ 12.50
• HK/KOREA/PHILIPPINES/SING Surface - $ 7.00
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On May-21-05 at 09:46:16 PDT, seller added the following information:

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