Percy Mayfield

[Stereojack]

A couple of years ago, Rhino Handmade released a CD of Percy Mayfield's rare Tangerine recordings. I didn't buy it, already owning both LP's (although I recently learned that the CD has 7 additional tracks from singles). It's now out of print.

I can live without the 7 tracks for now, but I wonder if the CD may have given discographical info, and if anyone who bought the CD can shed some light on the personnel. The original LP's offer no information, and the blues discographies show dates, no names.

The sessions are produced by Ray Charles, and it's unquestionably Ray at the keyboards, presumably with his band.

Any info would be appreciated.

Edited March 4, 2007 by Stereojack

[J.A.W.]

A couple of years ago, Rhino Handmade released a CD of Percy Mayfield's rare Tangerine recordings. I didn't buy it, already owning both LP's (although I recently learned that the CD has 7 additional tracks from singles). It's now out of print.

I can live without the 7 tracks for now, but I wonder if the CD may have given discographical info, and if anyone who bought the CD can shed some light on the personnel. The original LP's offer no information, and the blues discographies show dates, no names.

The sessions are produced by Ray Charles, and it's unquestionably Ray at the keyboards, presumably with his band.

Any info would be appreciated.

The CD you are referring to is Percy Mayfield - His Tangerine and Atlantic Sides on Rhino Handmade RHM2 7828.

The tracks:

1. Ha Ha in the Daytime

2. Never No More

3. I Reached for a Tear

4. Memory Pain

5. Never Say Naw

6. Life Is Suicide

7. Baby Please (Lost Love)

8. River's Invitation

9. Cookin' in Style

10. The Hunt Is On

11. You Don't Exist No More

12. My Jug and I

13. Stranger in My Own Home Town

14. Way Down Home on the Farm

15. Maybe It's Because of Love

16. Stand By

17. Fading Love

18. Give Me Time to Explain

19. My Bottle Is My Companion

20. It's Time to Make a Change

21. We Both Must Cry

22. My Love

23. Don't Start Lying to Me

24. Long As You're Mine

25. Ha Ha in the Daytime

26. Pretty-Eyed Baby

27. I Don't Want to Be President

28. Nothin' Stays the Same Forever

Track 1 and 14 were previously unreleased

Tracks 2-13 and 15-26 were recorded for Tangerine

Tracks 27-28 were recorded for Atlantic

Tracks 1-3 recorded in NYC, March 23, 1962

Tracks 4-7 recorded in LA, 1962

Tracks 8-11 recorded in LA, February 21, 1963

Tracks 12-15 recorded in LA, January 20, 1964

Tracks 16-18 recorded in LA, circa 1964

Tracks 19-22 recorded in LA, February 21, 1963

Tracks 23-26 recorded in LA, circa Spring 1967

Tracks 27-28 recorded in LA, 1974

[Dan Gould]

You'll have to consult AMG for the track listings for what tunes go with what personnel, but you may be a bit surprised, at least by some of the early personnel:

Tracks 1-3:

March 23, 1962, NYC

Hank Crawford, alto

Teddy Edwards, tenor

Ray, piano

Chuck Norris (?) guitar (question mark is in the booklet)

Tracks 4-7

1962, LA

Crawford, alto

Fathead, tenor

Ray, piano

Sonny Forriest, guitar

Tracks 8-11:

February 21, 1963, LA

Marcus Belgrave. trumpet

Crawford, alto

Ray, piano

Howard Roberts, guitar

Edgar Willis (track 8) bass guitar

Al McKibbon (9-11) bass guitar

Milt Turner, drums

Gerald Wilson arranger

Tracks 12-15

January 20, 1964, LA

Ray, Edgar Willis, others unknown

Tracks 16-18

circa 1964, LA

personnel unknown

Tracks 19-22

February 21. 1963, LA

Mike Akopoff (?)

Billy Preston (?) organ

others unknown

Tracks 23-26

Spring 1967, LA

personnel unknown

Tracks 27-28

1974, LA

Johnny "Guitar" Watson, guitar

others unknown

Tracks 3-8, 12-13,, 15, 17-18

From My Jug and I

Tracks 2-3, 8, 11, 17, 18, 21, 24-26

From Bought Blues

All produced by Ray Charles except tracks 27-28

[Dan Gould]

Looks like Hans was posting at the same time, and between the two of us, you've got all the info you need.

Great disc, by the way.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I missed that Rhino too, to my great regret. It's going on Amazon UK for £133 ($266) and upwards !!!!

Love Percy.

MG

[Stereojack]

Thanks a lot, guys. This really helps.

[Harold_Z]

Don't overlook the Specialty cds. They're pretty good too, although I love the Rhino.

[mikeweil]

Wasn't this issued anywhere else? Why in all the world did they make only such a limited pressing?

[jazzbo]

Just wait a short spell for the Lone Gambit Sounds Factory version.

[JSngry]

Count me as a fan of Percy as well.

Anybody know if Rhino Handmade has the lock on the Tangerine catalog? I found an Al Grey side on the label that's pretty sweet, but I can't imagine them doing something that low-profile. Also have heard some Raelettes 45s on the label that are totally badass. Seems to me that a comprehensive box of the entire label's output would be a good thing, but RH doesn't do that kind of thing. If Mosaic has an in, that would be a good thing, I think.

[Stereojack]

Count me as a fan of Percy as well.

Anybody know if Rhino Handmade has the lock on the Tangerine catalog? I found an Al Grey side on the label that's pretty sweet, but I can't imagine them doing something that low-profile. Also have heard some Raelettes 45s on the label that are totally badass. Seems to me that a comprehensive box of the entire label's output would be a good thing, but RH doesn't do that kind of thing. If Mosaic has an in, that would be a good thing, I think.

There's a tremendous amount of great stuff on Tangerine. I guess once Ray formed his own label, he recorded many of his heroes like Percy Mayfield, Louis Jordan, Jimmy Scott, Jimmy Lewis, et al, and who knows what else that only came out on singles.

Don't know if Rhino has a lock - years ago the story was that nobody was willing to pay Ray's price to license his stuff, which was why none of it was reissued. Ray entered into a deal with Rhino for a greatest hits package that apparently sold quite well, and that must have opened the door for these other projects.

As to why these are limited editions - these are sold retail on line only, which eliminates wholesalers and distributors. Every piece sold generates 20 bucks for Rhino, making it possible to release things in relatively small quantites and still turn a profit. I guess the limited status works as an incentive for sales.

[kh1958]

There's a nice Percy Mayfield collection on the Classics Blues and Rhythm series, 1947-51.

[jlhoots]

I have the Rhino Handmade & really enjoy it, but $266!?!.

As i recall, it did sell out quickly.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I have the Rhino Handmade & really enjoy it, but $266!?!.

As i recall, it did sell out quickly.

Indeed it did! I tried to get it a few months after release, but it was gone, at least as far as British distribution was concerned. Didn't realise that in the US Rhino were distributing solely on line, or I'd have tried that.

One of the faults of the Jazzmatazz listings was that they didn't make it clear that some were limited releases; if that had been clear, I'd have waited about five seconds.

MG

[JSngry]

AFAIK, all Rhino Handmades are limited editions, and all can be purchased direct. You can also sign up for email notifications of new releases, which allows for preordering and/or immediate ordering. It's a good way to carpe diem on those "essential items".

[Dan Gould]

Count me as a fan of Percy as well.

Anybody know if Rhino Handmade has the lock on the Tangerine catalog? I found an Al Grey side on the label that's pretty sweet, but I can't imagine them doing something that low-profile.

That Al Grey is definitely a nice one. Unfortunately, the only other really decent Tangerine release I know is John Anderson, Time Will Tell, a big band recording with Sweets Edison, Bobby Bryant, Teddy Edwards, Harold Land, Jack Wilson among other west coast guys.

Back to Percy. Anyone familiar with this 1992 CD? Its culled from shows between 1981-83:

I only became aware of it because I stumbled upon a DVD on the same label titled Mark Naftalin's Blue Monday Party Volumes 1 & 2. Naftalin played piano backing touring blues acts at this club in the Bay area and put out these recordings on his Winner label (the "Blue Monday" program actually won local Emmy's, I believe). The DVD is pretty cool, with one show featuring Lowell Fulson solo for 15 minutes, Lowell backing Percy, and then the second show features John Lee Hooker. What's really cool (at least the first time) is that one of the Hooker tracks allows you to use your remote to pick different camera angles. Would be really cool if you could be the director for the whole show!

So anyway, I'm thinking about this late-period Percy document. Ought to be good, I just haven't pulled the trigger.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

AFAIK, all Rhino Handmades are limited editions, and all can be purchased direct. You can also sign up for email notifications of new releases, which allows for preordering and/or immediate ordering. It's a good way to carpe diem on those "essential items".

I'll try that for the future. Thanks Jim.

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Count me as a fan of Percy as well.

Anybody know if Rhino Handmade has the lock on the Tangerine catalog? I found an Al Grey side on the label that's pretty sweet, but I can't imagine them doing something that low-profile.

That Al Grey is definitely a nice one. Unfortunately, the only other really decent Tangerine release I know is John Anderson, Time Will Tell, a big band recording with Sweets Edison, Bobby Bryant, Teddy Edwards, Harold Land, Jack Wilson among other west coast guys.

Back to Percy. Anyone familiar with this 1992 CD? Its culled from shows between 1981-83:

I only became aware of it because I stumbled upon a DVD on the same label titled Mark Naftalin's Blue Monday Party Volumes 1 & 2. Naftalin played piano backing touring blues acts at this club in the Bay area and put out these recordings on his Winner label (the "Blue Monday" program actually won local Emmy's, I believe). The DVD is pretty cool, with one show featuring Lowell Fulson solo for 15 minutes, Lowell backing Percy, and then the second show features John Lee Hooker. What's really cool (at least the first time) is that one of the Hooker tracks allows you to use your remote to pick different camera angles. Would be really cool if you could be the director for the whole show!

So anyway, I'm thinking about this late-period Percy document. Ought to be good, I just haven't pulled the trigger.

It's good, very good. (Of course, I'm a fan.) Band's good, too.

MG

[J.A.W.]

Rhino Handmade catalog

[mikeweil]

Like MG I was late on the Mayfield, but AFAIR they didn't ship to Europe for some reason, or was that the Jimmy Scott?

[J.A.W.]

Like MG I was late on the Mayfield, but AFAIR they didn't ship to Europe for some reason, or was that the Jimmy Scott?

Rhino Handmade did ship the Mayfield to Europe, I got it directly from them.

[mikeweil]

So it was the Scott they wouldn't ship as this was manufactured by Warner Europe as well.

Too bad I missed that Mayfield - his voice has something, especially after becoming lower due to his severe accident.

[Teasing the Korean]

I have some early Percy Mayfield stuff on LP and I really like it.

Not to change the subject, but has the Jimmy Scott Tangerine album ever been released, and if so, what is the title?

[J.A.W.]

I have some early Percy Mayfield stuff on LP and I really like it.

Not to change the subject, but has the Jimmy Scott Tangerine album ever been released, and if so, what is the title?

Jimmy Scott Handmade (OOP), also listed here:

Rhino Handmade catalog (see also my post #19 above)

[paul secor]

I have the Tangerine LP issue of River's Invitation, and grabbed the Rhino Handmade when it was issued. (Glad I did - couldn't afford it now, and wouldn't pay that much even if I could afford it.)

The two Specialty reissues, Poet of the Blues and Memory Pain, contain classic early Percy Mayfield sides, plus his demo of "Hit the Road Jack"- and they won't set you back $266. Two more for interested parties to latch onto before Concord deletes them.