Percy Mayfield, HIS TANGERINE AND ATLANTIC SIDES

[Joe]

Long-awaited... Get it while you can...

A blues and R&B legend, Percy Mayfield is known both as a singer and as a songwriter for other artists, most notably Ray Charles. His singing career took off in the late '40s, when he tried to get Jimmy Witherspoon to record some of his material. Spoon's Supreme Records signed Mayfield as an artist instead, releasing "Two Years Of Torture" b/w "You're Still A Square," songs that were recorded years later by Brother Ray and B.B. King, respectively.

The hits began to flow, including his signature 1950 #1 for Specialty Records, "Please Send Me Someone To Love." Then, in 1952, Mayfield was involved in a horrible car accident, leaving his famously handsome face disfigured. He struggled through the '50s, releasing unsuccessful singles for Chess, Cash, Imperial, and 7 Arts before leaving Los Angeles for his Louisiana home. During this time Mayfield wrote one of Ray Charles signature songs, "Hit The Road Jack," and the two reconnected.

Ray had broken big with "Sticks And Stones," "Georgia On My Mind," and "One Mint Julep," and his success brought him his own label, Tangerine. Mayfield found his way onto its roster, along with other Charles favorites like Jimmy Scott, Louis Jordan, and Lula Reed. He wrote custom material for his legendary label boss ("Hide Nor Hair," "The Danger Zone," "My Baby Don't Dig Me") and also recorded the songs on this release, considered some of his finest.

Among the gems on this collection are "River's Invitation" (1963), whose funked-up Gerald Wilson arrangement helped Mayfield back onto the R&B charts at #25. "Stranger In My Own Home Town" (1964) was subsequently recorded by both Elvis and Mose Allison. The harrowing "My Bottle Is My Companion" (1968) chronicles the artist's bouts with alcoholism in the period following his accident. "Ha Ha In The Daytime" (1968) was his last Tangerine side, a remake of a previously unreleased 1962 number also included here.

His Tangerine & Atlantic Sides is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 2,500 copies.

TRACK LISTING

HA HA IN THE DAYTIME (???)

NEVER NO MORE (2:05)

I REACHED FOR A TEAR (2:28)

MEMORY PAIN (2:24)

NEVER SAY NAW (2:52)

LIFE IS SUICIDE (2:16)

BABY PLEASE (LOST LOVE) (2:59)

RIVER'S INVITATION (2:18)

COOKIN' IN STYLE (1:57)

THE HUNT IS ON (1:57)

YOU DON'T EXIST NO MORE (2:42)

MY JUG AND I (2:58)

STRANGER IN MY OWN HOME TOWN (2:38)

WAY DOWN HOME ON THE FARM ()

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF LOVE (3:20)

STAND BY (2:13)

FADING LOVE (2:18)

GIVE ME TIME TO EXPLAIN (1:44)

MY BOTTLE IS MY COMPANION (2:47)

IT'S TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE (2:40)

WE BOTH MUST CRY (2:38)

MY LOVE (2:06)

DON'T START LYING TO ME (3:09)

LONG AS YOU'RE MINE (2:52)

HA HA IN THE DAYTIME (2:56)

PRETTY-EYED BABY (2:41)

I DON'T WANT TO BE PRESIDENT (3:19)

NOTHIN' STAYS THE SAME FOREVER (4:32)

http://www.rhinohandmade.com/browse/Produc...sso?Number=7828

[ghost of miles]

Yeah, just got an e-mail about this. With the Television re-issues already on my Christmas list, looks like some Rhino product will be dropping through my chimney come Dec. 25.

[J.A.W.]

Finally! I've been waiting for years for these recordings to be reissued. I had both Mayfield Tangerine LPs and they were wonderful. Can't wait to hear them again!

[Adam]

Can't you be quiet about this?; I don't want it to sell out before I can get it.

Hey, have any of you obtained a Rhino Handmade edition yet? Are they worth the cost. ($20 for one CD).

[J.A.W.]

Can't you be quiet about this?; I don't want it to sell out before I can get it.

Hey, have any of you obtained a Rhino Handmade edition yet?  Are they worth the cost.  ($20 for one CD).

I picked up the Mance Lipscomb, Jackie DeShannon, and Loudon Wainwright III Handmades. They're all excellent, but, although they made these recordings available again for the first time since the original LPs appeared, the price seems a little high.

Edited November 18, 2003 by J.A.W.

[JSngry]

I bought the Jimmy Scott Tangerine Handmade, and ordered the Mayfield just this morning. Agreed, the cost is a bit high, but given the limited quantities made available (based no doubt on very realistic sales projections), I'm willing to believe that the math was done fairly, and that this is the price that this quantity of product needs to sell at in order for everybody to get what they need out of the deal.

[J.A.W.]

I bought the Jimmy Scott Tangerine Handmade, and ordered the Mayfield just this morning. Agreed, the cost is a bit high, but given the limited quantities made available (based no doubt on very realistic sales projections), I'm willing to believe that the math was done fairly, and that this is the price that this quantity of product needs to sell at in order for everybody to get what they need out of the deal.

You're probably right. Anyway, I would have paid more to get this Mayfield material, so I shouldn't complain...

[JohnJ]

I have the CD 'Poet of the Blues' which I really like. I would appreciate it if anyone could advise how the Tangerine and Atlantic sides compare with that material. Thanks.

[JSngry]

'twas in the mailbox this afternoon.

[J.A.W.]

I got the CD today and just played it - it's great, with lots of tracks backed by Ray Charles in a quartet setting or with his band, with Hank Crawford, Teddy Edwards, David Newman, Marcus Belgrave, Howard Roberts and others. Highly recommended!

[John L]

Thanks for the heads up. I wouldn't have know about this without you guys!

[kulu se mama]

i just purchased this from rhino handmade and received my copy today.

unfortunately it has the wrong cover (some latin group that i've never heard of).

i called rhino customer service, and they said i have to pay to mail it back to them, they will send my a new one, and then i can call them for shipping reimbursement on my credit card.

i am not anticipating a problem, but has anyone else had to send anything back to rhino?

if so, did it go okay?

also, has anyone else received the wrong cover on the percy mayfield?

thanks for the input.

bob

[jazzbo]

I know that Ghost of Miles received a wrong cd and mailed it back. . . hopefully he'll chime in on how the experience was/is coming along.

This is a great great cd!

[kulu se mama]

thanks for the input lon.

i was totally bummed.

i couldn't wait to crack it open, but now i have to send it back without opening it.

[ghost of miles]

I know that Ghost of Miles received a wrong cd and mailed it back. . . hopefully he'll chime in on how the experience was/is coming along.

This is a great great cd!

Actually, I haven't mailed it back yet... still sitting on my desk, but I'm sending it out Monday. Kulu, I got the very same wrong cover, so there must have been a bad run... I e-mailed Rhino and got the same response, too. I may burn a copy of the CD itself before I mail it, just in case anything wacky happens, as the total Mayfield run was for only 2500 copies. I wish Rhino would just send me the correct cover/liner notes instead.

[ghost of miles]

All right, frustration continues. I got the replacement CD, with the correct jacket/liners, and immediately put it in my player. Soundin' great, yeah, yeah, I recycled the cardboard and tore up the return label.... Later I discover that track #5, which is supposed to be "Never Say Naw," appears to be an alternate take of track #7, "Baby Please." Has anybody else experienced this problem with this CD? Does anybody have a correct copy that they'd be willing to CD-R in exchange for a copy of my "rarity," with this mysterious alternate take?

I have the utmost respect for the Handmade series, but right now it's living up to its name in a different manner of speaking.

[kulu se mama]

i just got an email stating that my replacement copy is in the mail.

ghost - did your original cd have this problem? have yoiu contacted rhino to see if they even know about this problem? keep us posted.

btw - the live television cd is almost sold out. get this one while you have a chance.

[ghost of miles]

Kulu,

I didn't even listen to the first CD--never opened it because it had the wrong jacket/liners, so I don't know. I thought perhaps "Never Say Naw" was simply an earlier version of "Baby Please," but a quick glance at the original album notes in the back of the booklet seems to confirm that they are indeed two separate songs. I'm still trying to decide whether to even contact Rhino about it, since I've already thrown out the return label (surely lightning wouldn't strike twice, etc.--I'll never do that again). I probably will, but I'm very frustrated with them right now.

[kulu se mama]

what number is your new cd?

you might try contacting the ice newsletter.

their cd watchdog column tracks down problems like this.

i bet rhino does not even know it's a problem.

[ghost of miles]

what number is your new cd?

you might try contacting the ice newsletter.

their cd watchdog column tracks down problems like this.

i bet rhino does not even know it's a problem.

I think it's #1959. Good suggestion about the ICE--I used to read that column all the time. Thanks.

[J.A.W.]

Kulu,

I didn't even listen to the first CD--never opened it because it had the wrong jacket/liners, so I don't know. I thought perhaps "Never Say Naw" was simply an earlier version of "Baby Please," but a quick glance at the original album notes in the back of the booklet seems to confirm that they are indeed two separate songs. I'm still trying to decide whether to even contact Rhino about it, since I've already thrown out the return label (surely lightning wouldn't strike twice, etc.--I'll never do that again). I probably will, but I'm very frustrated with them right now.

My copy (#1430) has the same problem. I've just e-mailed Rhino and ICE magazine's Watchdog about it.

[ghost of miles]

They pressed only 2500 copies--wonder how many of them have this problem? Say they all do. Does that mean Rhino has to re-do the whole run?

[J.A.W.]

They pressed only 2500 copies--wonder how many of them have this problem? Say they all do. Does that mean Rhino has to re-do the whole run?

Probably - either that or give every buyer a refund.

[J.A.W.]

I wonder if there are more posters whose copies have the same problem.

[ghost of miles]

I wonder if there are more posters whose copies have the same problem.

Judging from this thread, I'd say Lon, Joe, and Jim have all got it, so I'll be curious to find out if their copies have the same defect.