Acetates & J-B - www.706unionavenue.nl

- ACETATES & J-B RECORDS -

CONTAINS

Walter Horton - ''Little Walter's Instrumental''

B.B. King - ''Questionnaire Blues'' / ''A New Way Of Driving''

B.B. King - ''B.B. Blues''

Howlin' Wolf - ''How Many More Years''

Dreamy Joe - AP 101-A-B

Various Artist - 4-Star NRS 1-A-B

Brother R. Russell & The Jones Brothers - ''I'm Sealed''

The Jones Brothers - ''Every Night''

Handy Jackson - ''(Have You Ever Had) Trouble'' (Master)

Handy Jackson - ''(Have You Ever Had) Trouble'' (Alternate)

Walter Tang Smith - J-B B 606-A-B

Lloyd Arnold McCollough - Oh, If I Had You''

Lloyd Arnold McCollough - ''You Win Again''

Lloyd Arnold McCollough - ''The Worlds Lonely With You''

Lloyd Arnold McCollough - ''Gonna Win Your Love Again''

For Biographies of Artists (See: The Sun Biographies)
Most RPM tracks can be heard on the playlists from 706 Union Avenue Sessions on YouTube < click

Walter Horton

''LITTLE WALTER'S INSTRUMENTAL'' - B.M.I. - 2:53

Composer: - Unknown

Publisher: - Copyright Control

Matrix number: - Acetate - Not Originally Issued

Recorded: - Probably January 1951

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - 1986

First appearance: - Charly Records (LP) 33rpm SUNBOX 105 mono

SUN RECORDS - THE BLUES YEARS 1950 - 1956

Reissued: - March 8, 2013 Bear Family Records (CD) 500/200rpm BCD 17310 JK-2-12 mono digital

THE SUN BLUES BOX 1950 - 1958

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)

Walter Horton - Harmonica

Billy Love - Piano

Joe Willie Wilkins - Guitar

Unknown - Drums

It's widely assumed that this tour de force is Walter Horton's first known recording as a featured artist, although the acetate is undated and the recording isn't noted in Marion Keisker's logs. It first appeared in the early 1970s on the grammatically challenged Memphis Blues at Sunshine LP. Was it really recorded in January 1951? Who are the guys behind him? On both counts, we're unsure. The other side of the acetate held a white female singing Mitt Addington's ''Without Him Blues''. Addington first saw his name on Sun in 1953 when he co-write both sides of Big Memphis Marainey's record, but he was a pal of Keisker's and could have demo'd songs earlier than 1953. All we know for sure is that Walter Horton wasn't known as Little Walter after Walter Jacobs appropriated the name in September 1952. so this tune probably predates the fall of 1952. Adding a further layer of confusion, another ''Walter's Instrumental'' was issued on Bear Family's Joe Hill Louis CD. The questions surrounding provenance and the marginal quality of the acetate notwithstanding, this recording pretty much defines what Walter Horton could do with a harmonica. You get the sense that he could have carried on awhile without running short of ideas. If this indeed the dates to early 1951, it's easy to see why the Biharis accepted two complete sessions of Horton's material after hearing this test. Mention, too, must be made of the guitar playing which echoes the harp in places and acts as a counterpoint in others. (CE)

B.B. King

''QUESTIONAIRE BLUES'' - B.M.I. - 2:57

Composer: - Riley B. King-Joe Josea

Publisher: - BMG Music Publishing Limited

Matrix number: - MM 1488 - Take 1 - Acetate - Not Originally Issued

Recorded: - January 8, 1951

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - 2002

First appearance: - Ace Records (CD) 500/200rpm CDCHM2 835-1-14 mono digital

B.B. KING - THE MODERN RECORDINGS 1950 - 1951

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)

B.B. King - Vocal and guitar

Solomon Hardy - Sax

Ford Nelson - Piano

James "Shinny" Walker - Bass

E.A. Kemp – Drums

B.B. King

"A NEW WAY OF DRIVING" - B.M.I. - 1:55

Composer: - Riley B. King-Sam Ling

Publisher: - BMG Music Publishing Limited

Matrix number: - MM 1490 - Take 2 - Acetate - Not Originally Issued

Recorded: - January 8, 1951

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - 2002

First appearance: - Ace Records (CD) 500/200rpm CDCHM2 835-2-1 mono digital

B.B. KING - THE MODERN RECORDINGS 1950 - 1951

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)

B.B. King - Vocal and guitar

Solomon Hardy - Sax

Ford Nelson - Piano

James "Shinny" Walker - Bass

E.A. Kemp – Drums

King is a true visionary of blues. He was among the first to take blues out on the long highway and to see, on a grand scale, the connection between extensive touring and the sales of records. While King has been working to sell blues to the public, he has also been busy innovating and adding to the music. In his early days, King fused powerful, gospel-inflected vocals and stately, intricate, Texas-flavored blues guitar with the raw guts of Mississippi Delta blues, thus creating and perfecting a hybrid that has been an inspiration to rural and urban musicians alike. His use of a large band with a powerful horn section, elaborate musical arrangements and even strings, also made him popular and influential in the blues world. Today he continues to build on the music, incorporating elements of jazz, funk, pop and soul. And few blues guitarists can match King's clean power and dexterity. (CE)(MH)

B.B. King

''B.B. BLUES'' - B.M.I. - 2:29

Composer: - Riley B. King-Jules Taub

Publisher: - BMH Music Publishing Limited

Matrix number: - MM 1489 - Take 1 - Acetate - Not Originally Issued

Recorded: - January 8, 1951

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - 2002

First appearance: - Ace Records (CD) 500/200rpm CDCHM2 835-1-16 mono digital

B.B. KING - THE MODERN RECORDINGS 1950 - 1951

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)

B.B. King - Vocal and guitar

Solomon Hardy - Sax

Ford Nelson - Piano

James "Shinny" Walker - Bass

E.A. Kemp – Drums

Solomon Hardy's squealing tenor sax wails throughout the mid-tempo ''B.B. Blues'', King shouting the blues full-throttle. The patriotic Korean War epic ''Questionaire Blues'' and the double-entendre boogie ''A New Way Of Driving'' stem from the same session as ''B.B. Blues'' but had to wait a couple of decades to see light of day on that same historic Kent LP. Rounding out the session was the easy-swinging ''Fine Lookin' Woman'', issued as RPM 348 with Hardy squawking up a storm and is also on offer here in an alternate rendition.

B.B. King had recorded for Bullet Records at the WDIA radio studio in 1949 before recording three singles for RPM at Sam Phillips' studio. This was the fourth. Phillips'willingness to court the unusual betrayed itself on ''B.B. Blues'', recorded on this session and pulled for release six months later. Solomon Hardy's wailing sax punctuated B.B's vocal to striking effect. While B.B. seemed quietly resigned to his misery, Hardy screamed in anguish. Pianist Ford Nelson was one of B.B.'s fellow disc jockeys on WDIA and performed with him as an on-air duo. (CE)(MH)

Howlin' Wolf

''HOW MANY MORE YEARS''

Composer: - Chester Burnett

Publisher: - Unpublished

Matrix number: - None - Presto 78rpm Acetate

Recorded: - July 1951

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - November 1973

First appearance: - Redita Records (LP) 33rpm RLP-105 mono

MEMPHIS BLUES AT SUNRISE

Reissued: - 1989 Bear Family Records (CD) 500/200rpm BCD 15460 AH-20 mono digital

MEMPHIS DAYS - THE DEFINITIVE EDITION - VOLUME 1

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)

Howlin' Wolf - Vocal and Harmonica

Willie Johnson - Guitar

Willie Steele - Drums

James Cotton - Harmonica

"It was Ike Turner got us recording", said James Cotton. "He played piano and was acting as some kind of talent scout for the Sun label. They was paying him to find people to record, so we went in there and recorded "Moanin' At Midnight" and "How Many More Years". It was a little old room, we just played how we felt and Sam Phillips kept himself busy getting the microphones right. We didn't think we were making a new sound or anything, we were just playing the way we played. Sam Phillips got real excited, he was real friendly and far as I was concerned he was a real nice person... Then Wolf decided he was gonna go up to Chicago, so he left Willie Johnson behind and took Hubert Sumlin along with him". (CE)(MH)

Dreamy Joe

''HOLSUM BOOGIE''

Composer: - Unknown

Publisher: - Unpublished

Matrix number: - Acetate

Recorded: - Probably 1953

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - 1953

First appearance: - Action Products (S) 78rpm AP 101-A mono

HOLSUM BOOGIE / YOU'VE DONE ME WRONG

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)

Gene Steele - Vocal and Guitar

and/of

Joe Manuel - Vocal and Guitar

Unknown - Guitar

Unknown – Bass

Rare custom pressing for Holsum Bread radio commercials. Sources suggest either Joe Manuel or Gene Steele as the artist. Similar records for other breads were made, for example: Daisy Bread, Hardin Bread and Sweetheart Bread.

Dreamy Joe

''YOU'VE DONE ME WRONG''

Composer: - Unknown

Publisher: - Unpublished

Matrix number: - Acetate

Recorded: - Probably 1953

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - 1953

First appearance: - Action Products (S) 78rpm AP 101-B mono

YOU'VE DONE ME WRONG / HOLSUM BOOGIE

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)

Gene Steele - Vocal and Guitar

and/of

Joe Manuel - Vocal and Guitar

Unknown - Guitar

Unknown – Bass

4-Star NRS 1 Various Artists

Ultra-rare promotional 10" inch 78 RPM sampler with locked grooves including both sides of Lost John Hunter's upcoming release in 1950.

Brother R. Russell & The Jones Brothers

''I'M SEALED'' - B.M.I. - 2:32

Composer: - Unknown

Publisher: - Copyright Control

Matrix number: - Acetate - Not Originally Issued

Recorded: - Probably 1953

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - March 8, 2013

First appearance: - Bear Family Records (CD) 500/200rpm BCD 17310 JK-8-29 mono digital

THE SUN BLUES BOX 1950 - 1958

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)

Brother R. Russell - Vocal

The Jones Brothers consisting of:

William Gresham - Vocal / Jake McIntosh - Vocal

Charles Jones - Vocal / Eddie Hollins - Vocal

Johnny Prye - Vocal / James Rayford - Vocal

Charles Bishop – Guitar

Note: On ''I'm Sealed'' the Jones Brothers not heard.

The identity of Brother R. Russel is unknown. His music turned up on the flipside of a 1953 acetate made at the Memphis Recording Service. Despite the label credit on the acetate, ''I'm Sealed'' is a vocal solo with piano and guitar accompaniment in a style that has almost no bearing on quartet singing. The extent of the connection between Russell and the Jones Brothers may be social, although it is possible that he ''borrowed'' their guitarist, Charles Bishop for the recording. It is also entirely possible that they went into the Memphis Recording Service together to split the cost of a vanity session. In any case, this track ''I'm Sealed'', is an oddity whose connection with either Sun records or the Jones Brothers quartet is indirect, at best. It informs the bigger picture of the range of black gospel music being performed in Memphis, circa 1953. If we can speculate, this is a style that would have turned up, not frequently, in the vanity recordings made by Phillips. it is highly unlikely he would have given it a second thought as far as being a candidate for commercial release. (HD)

The Jones Brothers

''EVERY NIGHT'' - 2 - B.M.I. - 2:21

Composer: - Jake McIntosh

Publisher: - Hi-Lo Music Incorporated

Matrix number: - Acetate - Not Originally Issued

Recorded: - January 28, 1954

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - March 8, 2013

First appearance: - Bear Family Records (CD) 500/200rpm BCD 17310 JK-8-30 mono digital

THE SUN BLUES BOX 1950 - 1958

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments )

The Jones Brothers consisting of:

William Gresham - Vocal / Jake McIntosh - Vocal

Charles Jones - Vocal / Eddie Hollins - Vocal

Johnny Prye - Vocal / James Rayford - Vocal

Charles Bishop – Guitar

A newly discovered version of one of the Jones' Brothers issued songs, this preliminary take of ''Every Night'' is inferior in every way. It's possible that this version stems from the same January 28, 1954 session that yielded the single release, but the only evidence for that is the tuning of the guitar. It is in tune only with itself (key of A) but flat to the outside world. It was also in that slightly flat tuning when the group recorded the subsequent version of the song that was issued on Sun. But there is a much stronger possibility that the quartet went in to the Memphis Recording Service some time in 1953 to cut this acetate for their own use. As noted above, they might have gone in with Brother Russell, but that is of little consequence. Sam Phillips might have been intrigued by what he heard of the quartet and said, ''You fellas bring me something original for the flipside and I'll do a session on you''. This account actually makes sense because it is odd that an acetate would have been cut that included this inferior version of a released song.

It is far more likely that the group took this one home with them before they worked up a second song for their session. It also accounts for why no trace of this take appears in the Sun logs pr tape files. It was truly a one-off event, kept among Johnny Prye's possessions until his death. In any case, this newly discovered alternative is much more subdued than the issued version and has a slightly different arrangement as well (an unlikely thing to change on the fly in the studio). Notice that the version of Sun features what amounts to a duet between the lead singer and the ''basser'' until the song arrives at its call and response section, during which the title phrase is repeated over and over. The second difference, and this has a major impact on the song, is that the group's vocal renderings of the title phrase on this version are odd enough to sound wrong. They are not simply 1-3-5-8 or 1-3-5-flatted 7 harmonies and they have an unsettling effect as they are repeated over and over again. Fortunately the problem was rectified before the issued take was recorded. The timings of the two versions, by the way, are virtually identical at around 2:24 so nothing fundamental about the song changed between this and the single. (HD)

Handy Jackson

''(IF YOU'VE EVER HAD) TROUBLE'' - B.M.I. - 2:32

Composer: - Handy Jackson

Publisher: - Copyright Control

Matrix number: - Acetate - Not Originally Issued

Recorded: - Unknown Date January 1953

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - March 8, 2013

First appearance: - Bear Family Records (CD) 500/200rpm BCD 17310 JK-9-1 mono digital

THE SUN BLUES BOX 1950 - 1958

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)

Handy Jackson - Vocal

Gay Garth - Piano

Willie Wilkins or Johnny London - Saxophone

Possibly - Robert Carter - Guitar

Possibly William Cooper - Drums

Handy Jackson

''(HAVE YOU EVER HAD) TROUBLE'' - B.M.I. - 2:32

Composer: - Handy Jackson

Publisher: - Copyright Control

Matrix number: - Acetate - Alternate Take - Not Originally Issued

Recorded: - Unknown Date January 1953

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - March 8, 2013

First appearance: - Bear Family Records (CD) 500/200rpm BCD 17310 JK-9-1 mono digital

THE SUN BLUES BOX 1950 - 1958

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)

Handy Jackson - Vocal

Gay Garth - Piano

Willie Wilkins or Johnny London - Saxophone

Possibly - Robert Carter - Guitar

Possibly William Cooper - Drums

There are several subtle differences between this newly-discovered alternate take of ''Trouble'', and its issued counterpart. The guitar is up in the mix on the issued version but almost inaudible here. After the sax break, Jackson changes his phrasing on ''getting late in the evening...''. On this version he adopts the sly insinuation of Percy Mayfield; he's more full-throated on the record. But we're still as much in the dark about who Handy Jackson was and how he happened to be at Sun in 1953. It certainly sounds like Johnny London on the screaming alto sax but London swears it's not him, as did Gaylord Garth, who played piano on the song. If the grave marked Handy Jackson that Jim O'Neal discovered in Leflore County, Mississippi holds our man, it holds the story of this recording, too. (CE)

Walter ''Tang'' Smith

''HIGH TONE MAMA'' - B.M.I. - 2:45

Composer: - Walter "Tang" Smith

Publisher: - Delta Music

Matrix number: - Nash 15

Recorded: - October 27, 1952

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - 1953

First appearance: - J-B Records (S) 78rpm J-B 606-A mono

HIGH TONE MAMA / EVERY MONDAY MORNING

Reissued: - 1996 Charly Records (CD) 500/200rpm CDSUNBOX 7-3-24 mono

SUN RECORDS - THE BLUES YEARS 1950 - 1958

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)

Walter "Tang" Smith - Vocal

Unknown - Trumpet

Jewell Briscoe - Tenor Saxophone

James Luper - Tenor Saxophone

Charles ''Chas'' Chinn - Saxophone

Harry Gibson - Piano

Unknown - Bass

L.T. Lewis – Drums

This track first appeared on Jim Bullet's label out of Nashville. Bulleit and Sam Phillips were in the process of consummating a deal in which Bulleit would invest in the Sun re-launch of January 1953. As part of the deal, Bulleit would also acquire some masters from Phillips. There must have been very little room to breathe at 706 Union when they recorded this agreeable track in October, 1952. It features a rolling piano and full horn section riffing behind Smith's vocal. There is a double length instrumental break led by a very aggressive Jewell Briscoe on tenor sax. Briscoe unleashes his arsenal of honks and double honks during the second instrumental chorus. For the uninitiated, Walter Smith's middle name, ''Tang'' is a short of Poontang, which is, in turn, a colloquialism for pussy. (MH)(CE)(HD)

Walter ''Tang'' Smith

''EVERY MONDAY MORNING'' - B.M.I. - 3:08

Composer: - Walter "Tang" Smith

Publisher: - Delta Music

Matrix number: - Nash 14

Recorded: - October 27, 1952

Memphis Recording Service

706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: - 1953

First appearance: - J-B Records (S) 78rpm J-B 606-B mono

EVERY MONDAY MORNING / HIGH TONE MAMA

Reissued: - 1996 Charly Records (CD) 500/200rpm CDSUNBOX 7-3-25 mono

SUN RECORDS - THE BLUES YEARS 1950 - 1958

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)

Walter "Tang" Smith - Vocal

Unknown - Trumpet

Jewell Briscoe - Tenor Saxophone

James Luper - Tenor Saxophone

Charles ''Chas'' Chinn - Saxophone

Harry Gibson - Piano

Unknown - Bass

L.T. Lewis – Drums

This too was issued in late 1952 on Jim Bullet's J-B label. This side presents a fuller, more sophisticated sound than virtually anything in the Sun blues catalog, not to mention the sides Sam Phillips recorded for release on other labels. We actually have a band chart here (likely composed by sax man Jewell Briscoe). Pianist Harry Gibson switches to shuffle rhythm during the tenor sax solo to good effect, and Smith's shouted encouragement adds energy. One ofthose saxmen (there are three of them listed on the session personnel) should have considered investing in a new reed for the session. (HD)

Lloyd Arnold McCollough

''OH, IF I HAD YOU'' – B.M.I.

Composer: - Lloyd McCollough

Publisher: - Hi Lo Music Incorporated

Matrix number: - None - Acetate

Recorded: February 24, 1953

Released: - Sun Unissued

During 1953 and 1954 Lloyd and his band recorded several demos and acetates at the newly opened Memphis Recording Service at 706 Union Avenue. During the nineties thirteen of these acetates were relocated by re-searcher Jim Cole, employed by the University of Memphis.

During those fun filled days, Lloyd and the Drifting Hillbillies had a great time performing at such places as ''The Old Dominion Barn Dance'', ''The Renfro Valley Barn Dance'', ''Red Foley’s Ozark Jubilee'' and the ''Louisiana Hayride''. In January of 1955 they performed at the ''Hillbilly Festival'' for WRBL-TV in Columbus, Georgia. In February and March they were in Little Rock, Arkansas at the ''Barnyard Frolic'' and in December they played ''The Big D Jamboree'' in Dallas, Texas. That same year he hosted another weekly radio program, for WBIP in Booneville, Mississippi.

Name (Or. No. of Instruments)

Lloyd Arnold McCollough – Vocal and Guitar

The Drifting Hillbillies consisted of

Curley Rainey – Fiddle

Geneva McCollough – Vocal and Guitar

Jim McCollough – Upright Bass

Grady – Steel Guitar

Lloyd Arnold McCollough

03 – ''YOU WIN AGAIN'' – B.M.I.

Composer: - Hank Williams

Publisher: - Hi Lo Music Incorporated

Matrix number: - None - Acetate

Recorded: February 24, 1953

Released: - Sun Unissued

Name (Or. No. of Instruments)

Lloyd Arnold McCollough – Vocal and Guitar

The Drifting Hillbillies consisted of

Curley Rainey – Fiddle

Geneva McCollough – Vocal and Guitar

Jim McCollough – Upright Bass

Grady – Steel Guitar

Lloyd Arnold McCollough

''THE WORLD'S LONELY WITH YOU'' – B.M.I.

Composer: - Lloyd McCollough

Publisher: - Hi Lo Music Incorporated

Matrix number: - None - Acetate

Recorded: March 4, 1953

Released: - Sun Unissued

Name (Or. No. of Instruments)

Lloyd Arnold McCollough – Vocal and Guitar

The Drifting Hillbillies consisted of

Curley Rainey – Fiddle

Geneva McCollough – Vocal and Guitar

Jim McCollough – Upright Bass

Grady – Steel Guitar

Lloyd Arnold McCollough

''GONNA WIN YOUR LOVE AGAIN'' – B.M.I.

Composer: - Lloyd McCollough

Publisher: - Hi Lo Music Incorporated

Matrix number: - None - Acetate

Recorded: March 4, 1953

Released: - Sun Unissued

Name (Or. No. of Instruments)

Lloyd Arnold McCollough – Vocal and Guitar

The Drifting Hillbillies consisted of

Curley Rainey – Fiddle

Geneva McCollough – Vocal and Guitar

Jim McCollough – Upright Bass

Grady – Steel Guitar

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