Frank "Springback" James

Last updated
Frank "Springback" James
Genres Blues, boogie-woogie
Occupation(s)Pianist, singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Piano, vocals
Years active1932–1938
Labels Champion, Decca, Victor, Vocalion

Frank "Springback" James was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist, singer, and songwriter. He recorded eighteen tracks released by four record labels between 1934 and 1938, [1] as well as possibly providing accompaniment to several other blues musicians. Details of his life are sketchy, and some of his recording activity has been subject to historical guesswork, rather than hard evidence.

Contents

His playing style showed measures of both St. Louis and Chicago blues, and the influence of others, particularly Leroy Carr. His recordings gave him a musical connection with blues musicians including Jimmie Gordon, Walter Davis, Curtis Jones, Walter Roland, Jean Shepard, Little Brother Montgomery, and Bumble Bee Slim. [2] James wrote strong, emotional lyrics, but in his earlier recordings seemed monotonous. His best efforts were reserved for the erotic, "Snake Hip Blues", and the perhaps autobiographically inspired twosome of " Poor Coal Loader" and "Will my Bad Luck Ever Change?" [3]

Career

One blues historian suggested there is some evidence that Frank James may have been born in Alabama, but learned his music in St. Louis, Missouri. The same source thought that his birth name could have been James Hairston, largely based upon the credits on record labels of his work. [2] However, there are no definitive birth nor death details available from any reliable authority.

What is more clear is that James first recorded for Gennett Records in 1932, with the intention that his earliest work would be released on their budget subsidiary label, Champion Records. However these recordings were not released and all trace of their existence has now seemingly disappeared. [4] In 1934, under the name of Frank James he had four sides released by Champion, [4] and seemingly on Varsity Records, the latter of which was owned by Eli Oberstein. [5] The sides were "Frank's Lonesome Blues", "Forsaken Blues", "Mistreated Blues", and "Snake Hip Blues". They were recorded in Richmond, Indiana, in August 1934, with only "Snake Hip Blues" offering some relief from the others dealing with feeling lonesome, forsaken, or mistreated. [4] Potential sales were badly hit by the effects of Great Depression. [3] "Snake Hip Blues" foresaw something of a transformation as the following year, James recorded six more cuts for Decca Records under the moniker of Frank "Springback" James. "Springback" was a nickname hinting at the owner's tireless sexual prowess. [2] [4] One of those six tracks was his raunchiest, "Springback Papa", a stamina-filled, mid-tempo, boogie-woogie outing. [2] They were all waxed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1935. [4] Another of that sextet was "Rusty Can Blues", recorded on May 15, 1935, in the key of C. [6] Despite the seeming change in approach, one published source later noted, "While there is no really definitive information available, there appears to be no doubt aurally that [...] recordings by Springback James are in fact by Frank James. It should be noted, however, that all the composers credits on the Bluebird issues [...] are to one James Hairston. It is thus suggested either that this artist's full name was Springback James Hairston or that Frank James's real name was James Hairston. Whatever the true explanation, the two artists definitely sound the same." [7]

In 1936, James recorded again, this time for Victor Records, who streamlined his name to Springback James. Whereas before he had recorded solo with just his piano playing as accompaniment to his singing, these later waxings used a fuller sound by adding a guitarist, Willie Bee James. [2] James technique had improved with experience and the twosome laid down six sides in December 1936. [4] One of those was "Poor Coal Passer", recorded on December 21 that year, in the key of G. [6] A further two sides were recorded by Vocalion Records in June 1937, with Fred Williams playing drums. James subsequently recorded on November 2, 1938, when he played piano backing for the vocalist George Curry, and where James was augmented by guitarist Hobson "Hop" Johnson and an unknown upright bassist. [4]

His recordings from between 1934 and 1938, including his work backing Curry, were issued on compact disc in 1994 by Document Records. [2]

Other recording work

It seems possible that James played piano backing for Lucille Bogan on a couple of tracks, possibly "Black Angel Blues" and "Tricks Ain't Walking No More". [8]

He conceivably supplied piano or even guitar backing, to a Bumble Bee Slim track or two in c. 1937. [9]

James probably played the piano for Bob Robinson and his Bob-Cats on four tracks. [10]

He also probably played piano for Lil Johnson on four tracks ("Snake Man Blues", "Evil Man Blues", [11] "Get 'Em from the Peanut Man (Hot Nuts)" and "Anybody Here Want To Buy My Cabbage?"). [12]

Discography

Singles

YearTitleRecord labelCredited to
1934"Frank's Lonesome Blues" / "Forsaken Blues" Champion Records / Varsity RecordsFrank James
1934"Mistreated Blues" / "Snake Hip Blues"Champion Records / Varsity RecordsFrank James
1935"Rusty Can Blues" / "Texas Heifer Papa" Decca Records Frank "Springback" James
1935"Stingaree Mama Blues" / "Springback Papa"Decca RecordsFrank "Springback" James
1935"Poor Coal Loader" / "Lonesome Love Blues"Decca RecordsFrank "Springback" James
1936"See for Yourself" / "New Red Cross Blues" Victor Records Springback James
1936"I'm on My Way" / "Unkindness Blues"Victor RecordsSpringback James
1936"Will my Bad Luck Ever Change?" / "Poor Coal Passer"Victor RecordsSpringback James
1937"Hard Drivin' Mama" / "Hellish Way" Vocalion Records Springback James
1938"You're Forever on My Mind" / "Back in My Cell Again"Vocalion Records (unreleased)George Curry
1938"My Last Five Dollars"Vocalion Records (unreleased)George Curry

Compilation albums

YearTitleRecord label
1988Frank "Springback" James (1934–1937) Document Records
1994Frank "Springback" James & George Curry 1934–1938Document Records

[13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucille Bogan</span> American blues singer (1897–1948)

Lucille Bogan was an American classic female blues singer and songwriter, among the first to be recorded. She also recorded under the pseudonym Bessie Jackson. Music critic Ernest Borneman noted that Bogan was one of "the big three of the blues", along with Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. Many of Bogan's songs have been recorded by later blues and jazz musicians.

James "Kokomo" Arnold was an American blues musician. A left-handed slide guitarist, his intense style of playing and rapid-fire vocal delivery set him apart from his contemporaries. He got his nickname in 1934 after releasing "Old Original Kokomo Blues" for Decca Records, a cover version of Scrapper Blackwell's blues song about the city of Kokomo, Indiana.

Roots 'N Blues: The Retrospective 1925-1950 is a four-CD box set released on Columbia Records in June 1992. The collection features about five hours of early blues, folk/country and gospel recordings from a variety of American artists. Many of these recordings had never previously been issued in any medium. The liner notes were written by Lawrence Cohn and Pete Welding.

Classic female blues was an early form of blues music, popular in the 1920s. An amalgam of traditional folk blues and urban theater music, the style is also known as vaudeville blues. Classic blues were performed by female singers accompanied by pianists or small jazz ensembles and were the first blues to be recorded. Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, and the other singers in this genre were instrumental in spreading the popularity of the blues.

<i>Sweet Black Angel</i> (Pinetop Perkins album) 1998 studio album by Pinetop Perkins

Sweet Black Angel is an album recorded by blues pianist Pinetop Perkins and released in 1998. The title track is a cover of Robert Nighthawk's 1949 "Black Angel Blues ". That track was based on Lucille Bogan's, "Black Angel Blues" from 1930 B. B. King later covered "Sweet Black Angel" as, "Sweet Little Angel", in 1956.

Charlie Segar was an American blues pianist and occasional singer, who is best known for being the first to record the blues standard, "Key to the Highway" (1940). Originally from Pensacola, Florida, Segar has been dubbed the "Keyboard Wizard Supreme". He relocated to Chicago, where he made recordings with other blues artists, such as Bumble Bee Slim and Memphis Minnie, as well as being the featured artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Angel Blues</span> Blues standard first recorded by Lucille Bogan

"Black Angel Blues", also known as "Sweet Black Angel" or "Sweet Little Angel", is a blues standard that has been recorded by numerous blues and other artists. The song was first recorded in 1930 by Lucille Bogan, one of the classic female blues singers. Bogan recorded it as a mid-tempo, twelve-bar blues, featuring her vocal with piano accompaniment.

Joseph E. Pullum was an American blues singer and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Lawdy Mama</span> Blues song first recorded by Buddy Moss in 1934

"Hey Lawdy Mama" is a Piedmont blues song recorded by Buddy Moss in 1934. The song became popular among jazz musicians with early recordings by Count Basie and Louis Armstrong. In 1943, a version recorded by Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy, with vocals by June Richmond, was a hit, reaching number four on the Billboard R&B chart.

Walter Roland was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist, guitarist and singer, noted for his association with Lucille Bogan, Josh White and Sonny Scott. The music journalist Gérard Herzhaft stated that Roland was "a great piano player... as comfortable in boogie-woogies as in slow blues," adding that "Roland – with his manner of playing and his singing – was direct and rural."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Martin (musician)</span> Musical artist

Carl Martin was an American Piedmont blues musician and vocalist who was proficient at playing several instruments and performed in various musical styles.

"Shave 'Em Dry" is a dirty blues song, first recorded by Ma Rainey in August 1924 in Chicago. It was released on Paramount Records on September 6, 1924. Rainey was accompanied on the recording by two unknown guitarists. The record was advertised in The Chicago Defender on the same date as the record's release.

Leroy Roscoe Garnett, known professionally as Blind Leroy Garnett was an American boogie-woogie and ragtime pianist and songwriter. His two solo recorded compositions were "Louisiana Glide" and "Chain 'Em Down", although scant details of his life and career are known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Bogan</span> American singer

Theodore R. Bogan was an American country blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his work with Howard Armstrong and Carl Martin. His career spanned over 50 years. His finger-picking guitar style was much admired. He played in various string bands for most of his career, including Martin, Bogan & Armstrong.

"Georgia Grind" is a jazz and dirty blues tune, written by Spencer Williams and copyrighted by him in 1926. The lyrics were added by Bud Allen. A recording was released by Louis Armstrong with his Hot Five by Okeh Records on a 78 rpm, mono 10" shellac single record in April 1926. The melody was the same as used in the song, "Shake That Thing", written in 1925 by Papa Charlie Jackson.

Black Boy Shine, born Harold Holiday, was an American Texas blues pianist, singer and songwriter. Little is known of his life outside of his recording career. He was part of the Santa Fe Group, a loose ensemble of black blues pianists who played in the many juke joints abutting the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Black Boy Shine recorded almost twenty tracks between 1936 and 1937 for Vocalion and Melotone Records. Two of his tracks, "Hobo Blues" and "Ice Pick and Pistol Woman Blues", depicted the more lurid and potentially violent lives of Shine and his listeners.

<i>Sounds Like Searchers</i> Album by The Searchers

Sounds Like Searchers is the fourth studio album by the English rock band The Searchers and the group's first LP featuring singer and bass player Frank Allen. Album features title track of the band's UK No.1 EP "Bumble Bee" as well as cover versions of some well known tracks written or co-written by Burt Bacharach, John Barry or Jackie DeShannon. The album has reached the Top 10 in the UK album chart.

Robert Cooper was an American Texas blues pianist and songwriter. He was part of the "Santa Fe Group", a loose ensemble of black blues pianists who played in the many juke joints abutting the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. In 1934, he was the first of that Santa Fe Group to record, and is best known as one of Joe Pullum's piano accompanists. Cooper played on a number of tracks between 1934 and 1936, for recordings issued by Bluebird and Victor.

"Get 'Em from the Peanut Man (Hot Nuts)" is a dirty blues and hokum song, written and initially recorded by Lil Johnson. The 10-inch shellac disc 78rpm single was released by Champion Records in August 1935.

Charles Avery was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist. Although he only recorded one commercially released track under his own name, he accompanied a number of high-profile blues musicians in the 1920s and 1930s. Little is known of his life outside the recording studio.

References

  1. ↑ D'Souza, Ajay. "clarksdale | Big Road Blues". Sundayblues.org. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Frank "Springback" James | Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Blues (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 197. ISBN   0-85112-673-1.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order (1934-38) - Frank "Springback" James | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Persons behind the 'American Music' scene". Wirz.de. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Frank "Springback" James Lyrics". Weeniecampbell.com. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  7. ↑ Robert M. W. Dixon, ed. (1997). Blues and Gospel Records 1890-1943. Oxford University Press. p. 435. ISBN   978-0198162391.
  8. ↑ "Lucille Bogan (1923-1935) - Lucille Bogan | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 8: (1937-1951) - Bumble Bee Slim | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  10. ↑ "The Complete Hokum Boys & Bob Robinson 1935-1937 in Chronological Order Album". Mahlzeit.it. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  11. ↑ "Lil Johnson – (1935-1937) (1990, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. 1990. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  12. ↑ "78 RPM Record : Lil Johnson". 45worlds.com. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Springback James - Discography of American Historical Recordings". Adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Illustrated Document Records discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  15. ↑ "FRANK "SPRINGBACK" JAMES (1934-37) DOCUMENT 538 LP". Downhomemusic.com. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Frank "Springback" James & George Curry 1934-1938 by Frank "Springback" James & George Curry". Music.apple.com. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Frank "Springback" James | Songs". AllMusic . Retrieved April 1, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.