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For
fans of New Orleans R&B and Soul, the name Alvin Robinson looms large.
Though his hit-making period lasted but a few short years in the mid-60's, the
records he made of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's Tiger / Blue Cat / Red Bird
family of labels are legendary.
Alvin Robinson was born in 1937. By the late 50's he was working as a session
guitarist in New Orleans, even serving for a time as guitar teacher to Shorty
Long of 'Here Comes The Judge' fame.
In 1964, the legendary Leiber and Stoller started the Tiger and Daisy record
labels. These would evolve into Blue Cat, and Red Bird which would be home to a
large number of R&B and soul hits, among them classics by The
Shangri-Las, The Dixie Cups, Evie Sands, the Ad-Libs and Bessie Banks.
Alvin Robinson was one of the first artists recorded for Tiger, and his first
45, a cover of Chris Kenner's 'Something You Got' and the Coasters' 'Searchin'
made it to #8 R&B and #52 pop in June of 1964. 'Something You Got' was a
slightly slower take on Kenner's tune, that featured Robinson's fantastically
bluesy growl. The fact that such a memorable singer wasn't able to record more
prolifically is a disappointment. He certainly had plenty of role models in New
Orleans (especially Kenner who's sound is echoed heavily in Robinson's), but was
also a distinctive stylist. His rocking take on 'Searchin' was also quite good.
Tiger (and it's counterpart Daisy) soon evolved into Blue Cat and Red Bird (with
the 'Something You Got' 45 reappearing as BC104), and Robinson would record
three more singles for these labels. Two of them were bona fide classics.
The first was September 1964's 'Down Home Girl' b/w 'Fever' (Red Bird 010, his
only disc for that particular label). 'Down Home Girl' (previously recorded by
The Coasters) is Robinson's masterpiece. Not only are the lyrics amazing ('Lawd
I swear the perfume you wear is made out of turnip greens, and every time I kiss
your lips it tastes like pork and beans"), but Robinson's delivery makes it into
a genuine soul classic. The way he stretches out the words 'Downnnnnnnn hooooome
girrrrrrrrlllllllll' is brilliant example of phrasing, and the heavy back beat
pushes the record into the realm of proto-funk. Robinson's version was soon
covered by the Rolling Stones, and much later by Nazareth. The flip-side is a
gritty take on the Little Willie John classic 'Fever'.
Next up was 'How Can I Get Over You' b/w 'I'm Gonna Put Some Hurt On You'
(BC108) in March of 1965. While a nice showcase for Robinson's voice, 'How
Can I Get Over You' is perhaps the weakest tune in his catalogue. 'I'm Gonna Put
Some Hurt On You' is a cover of the New Orleans classic originally written and
recorded by Raymond Lewis on Instant.
His last 45 with the Leiber & Stoller associated labels, was "Let The
Good Times Roll' b/w 'Bottom of My Soul' (BC113). Let The Good Times Roll'
is better know as 'Come On Pt1' which was written and recorded by Earl King
(born Earl Johnson, thus the writing credit). 'Let The Good Times Roll' is
a hard charging, raunchy blues, highlighted by Robinson's powerful vocal and
distorted guitar. It was recorded in New Orleans, with Wardell Quezerque
arranging (and co-writing the b-side). 'Bottom Of My Soul' works the soul side
of the street, and is a great mid-tempo number that should have made a dent in
the charts.
After Leiber and Stoller lost control of their labels in 1966, Robinson returned
to studio work, recording the odd single here and there.
Among those were sessions fo Joe Jones records, Atco and Pulsar.
The Atco sides include a smoking version of Marvin Gaye's 'Baby Don't You
Do It'.
In 1969 he made his way
to Los Angeles, hooking up with New Orleans expatriate (and big-time producer)
Harold Battiste. He would record a number of bluesy singles for Batiste's
re-incarnated A.F.O. label, and Pulsar. The Pulsar sides (Pulsar was an
LA Based label with heavy involvement by Harold Battiste), where he is billed as
'Al' Robinson include the funky 'Sho' Bout To Drive Me Wild', a veritable
all-star New Orleans session co-written by Harold Battiste, Dr. John, King Floyd
and Jesse Hill.
Robinnson spent much of the 70's and 80's working in the
studios on albums like Dr. John's 'Gumbo', Carly Simon's 'Playing Possum' and
Ringo Starr's 'Goodnight Vienna'.
He returned to New Orleans in 1985, and passed away in 1989.
Much of his best work can be found on compilations of New Orleans R&B.
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