The blues grasp from Dunleith, Mississippi, Jimmy Reed, was once at it once more as the brand new 12 months of 1959 dawned. Now elderly 33, Reed had part a dozen Most sensible 10 R&B hits to his title – together with two together with his most up-to-date releases “Truthful I Do” and “I’m Gonna Get You Baby” – when he made a brand new appearing on Billboard’s Scorching R&B Facets chart for January 5 with “I Told You Baby.”

Over at Brunswick Information, Jackie Wilson was once proceeding his reign on that countdown with the seminal “Lonely Teardrops,” which might rule the roost for seven weeks. Reed, in his heyday on the Vee-Jay label, entered the chart along Fat Domino’s “Coquette” and Baby Washington’s “The Time.” There have been additionally entries, which may now appear somewhat incongruous, by means of artists whose core target market was once in pop, now not R&B, reminiscent of Ricky Nelson with a re-entry for “Lonesome The city” and Connie Francis with “My Happiness.” Even Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra have been on that first survey of the brand new 12 months with “Tea For Two Cha Cha.”

The simple swagger of “I Told You Baby,” illustrated as so frequently by means of Reed’s lyrical harmonica taking part in, reduce an infectious groove that light virtually sooner than it had began, on a unmarried with a length of exactly 2’19”. He wrote it together with his spouse Mary, often referred to as Mama, who additionally sang uncredited backing vocals on lots of Jimmy’s recordings. Despite the fact that this new 45 was once in all probability a bit of too slight to turn into considered one of his greatest hits, it climbed to No.19, sponsored by means of the catchy instrumental “Ends & Odds.”

A fascinating viewpoint at the status of Reed and his fellow blues notables on the time got here from Vee-Jay president Ewart Abner. In an April 1959 interview with Billboard, during which he was once oddly named Abner Ewart, he was once described as “the person who makes the ones nice data with such remarkable rhythm and blues artists as Jimmy Reed.”

Abner’s R&B viewpoint

Abner talked concerning the R&B marketplace of the day, during which despite the fact that he may just promote “75,000 to 100,000 copies of a Jimmy Reed report,” there have been frustrations. “You’ve were given a gaggle of best names on this box who’re all the time going to promote, folks like B. B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Little Junior Parker, Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed,” he mentioned.

“You lose out, on the other hand, as it’s almost not possible to get a brand new artist began within the box anymore. Why? Merely since the report corporations and the unbiased vendors pump out such a lot of data nowadays which might be designed for the large quantity marketplace, that anything else with any more or less restricted possible first of all doesn’t have a possibility.”

Pay attention to the Blues Classics playlist.

Because it became out, long term Rock and Roll Corridor of Repute inductee Reed had just one extra Most sensible 10 R&B unmarried in him, together with his 1961 trademark “Shiny Lighting, Large Town.” However “I Told You Baby” was once any other component in a catalog that will affect blues and rock audiences, and fellow artists, proper as much as the existing day.

Purchase or flow “I Told You Baby” on Mr. Good fortune: The Entire Vee-Jay Singles.

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