"Baby Let's Play House" with Bill Black in 1963!

[Juan Luis]

In my opinion, very interesting and refreshing take on "Baby Let's Play House", especially at that time.

Vince Everett (Marvin Benefield) was the upbeat Elvis imitator while Ral Donner the slower ballads. While doing some Felton Jarvis research I stumbled upon this. The reason I am sharing is because this may well be one of Bill Black's last recordings. He would take ill later that year (1963), and stopped performing with his Bill Black Combo. This is about as close (or far) as Elvis working with Bill and Scotty again in the early 1960's, and with The Jordanaires to boot!

"A third ABC session followed on May 29, 1963, at the Sun studio in Nashville, resulting in the excellent single "Baby Let's Play House"/"Livin' High". The top deck stayed close to the Presley version of 1955, with Scotty Moore recreating his original guitar licks while Bill Black slapped an acoustic bass. Again, this was a pretty groovy record for 1963, completely out of sync with what was happening at the time." http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/vince_everett.htm

Marvin Benefield in 2009 recalls: "I was then given the opportunity to record on ABC Paramount records in 1962, 1963, and 1964, by a fellow I had met on the Georgia Jubilee by the name of Felton Jarvis. Felton chose the name Vince Everett as my stage name, which was the name of Elvis’s character in “Jailhouse Rock”. “Such A Night” was the most popular recording that we made. On the Paramount recordings, I had the opportunity to work with some of the best talent in the music industry, such as Floyd Cramer, Boots Randolph, Jerry Reed, Ray Stevens and the Jordanaires. These experiences are among some of my fondest memories." http://russellhigh1959.org/bio/benefield_marvin.htm


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[StefanKock1]

Thank you for this post Jean Luis. I didn't know this and the recording sounds great.

[MikeFromHolland]

.

New to me too. Nice informative topic. Thanks!

.

[Juan Luis]

Thank you gents! I was hesitant to post this, BUT Bill Black's participation made it essential to do so for me. Must have been bittersweet for Bill recreating what he had done almost a decade before.

[StefanKock1]

Thank you gents! I was hesitant to post it BUT Bill Black's participation made it essential to do so for me. Must have been bittersweet for Bill recreating what he had done almost a decade before.

Not bittersweet per sé as Bill could have chosen to keep recording with Presley like Scotty did and it must have actually been fun for him to recreate that sound. I admire Bill for going his own way when Presley went into the army and bittersweet only comes to mind when thinking about how shortly Bill would live after this

[Hobbes]

I liked this very much. Thanks for sharing.

[elmonstro]

I wonder if Bill Black and Elvis ever had any meaningful contact with each other after Bill left??

[drjohncarpenter]

Thanks for the post.

This Vince Everett cover is OK, but certainly wasn't going to light up the charts in 1963. For better or worse it was "Almost Elvis," as author Craig Morrison called it.

630824_ABC-Paramount 10472.jpg

Although not mentioned, quite interesting is the single's B-side, a song called "Livin' High," written by Fred Wise, Ben Weisman and Dolores Fuller. All were from the Presley songwriting stable, and that trio helped give the world "Rock-A-Hula Baby" in 1961. Could "Livin' High" have been a rejected Elvis session or soundtrack tune?

One listen provides the answer, right down to the blues vamp ending:



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Vince Everett "Livin' High" (ABC-Paramount 10472, August 24, 1963)
B-side of "Baby Let's Play House"


"Baby Let's Play House" was not the first time a slavish Elvis re-do was unleashed by Benefield.

"Such A Night" 45 --> produced by Fel-Tone!
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=88071

Although the web page cited in the OP regarding Bill Black is unsourced, perhaps it is based on something credible. I'm not familiar with "the Sun studio in Nashville." That's kind of a red flag.

More great info on Bill Black is here:
http://www.scottymoore.net/billblackscombo.html


R.I.P. Bill.

570500_Bill Black.jpg

I wonder if Bill Black and Elvis ever had any meaningful contact with each other after Bill left??

After March 1960, sadly, no.

[Juan Luis]

You're welcome.

Update:
"Black devoted most of his energies to the studio until he became sick in the early months of 1965. He began to get bad headaches and suffered from memory loss. He underwent an operation on June 10 and another six weeks later to remove a massive brain tumour. A third operation was necessary but would have left him a vegetable. Black reconciled himself to a tragically early death. He arranged for Bob Tucker to take over the name 'Bill Black Combo' (the group continued well into the 1970s) and for Larry Rogers to take over the studio. Bill Black died on October 21, 1965, only 39 years of age.

The title of a 1963 LP by Bill sums it all up neatly, 'The Untouchable Sound Of The Bill Black Combo' - indeed a sound that went around the world."
http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/bill_black.htm

"Vince Everett" was one of those very talented rockers that didn't find great success. Nevertheless, they served their purpose in rock n' roll music history, and many are featured inside the editions of "Now Dig This" magazine, including Vince.

From the blog I quoted in the OP: "That Vince never had a hit is not surprising. His energetic rock n roll sound had become an anachronism in the 1960s and he hardly promoted his records on the road, preferring to maintain his full-time job as an electrical products assembler. But we should be grateful for his legacy, some first-rate old time rock n roll."

And the blog sources/acknowledges among others: Tony Wilkinson, Trevor Cajiao (interview with Vince, Now Dig This, issue 183, June 1998), Colin Escott, Michel Ruppli & Bill Daniels (ABC- Paramount CD-ROM).

[drjohncarpenter]

Again, there is nothing on the blog which indicates how they know Bill Black played on the 1963 single, and I've never heard of "the Sun studio in Nashville."

[emjel]

Certainly good to hear this. It doesn't quite have the edge of Elvis' version but there is certainly nothing wrong with it. And the other track is also interesting. Enjoyable listen. Were these tracks available just on a single or can they be found on a CD comp or something. Quality seems very good.

[emjel]

Just found an album so have downloaded it as I have loads of iTunes vouchers to get through. Thanks for the introduction Juan.

[Juan Luis]

Again, there is nothing on the blog which indicates how they know Bill Black played on the 1963 single, and I've never heard of "the Sun studio in Nashville."

Wikipedia-"This Memphis studio was originally a division of a larger corporation, Sam Phillips Recording Service, Inc., which also briefly included under its umbrella a Nashville studio, where famed CBS Records producer Billy Sherrill* got his start, and a studio in Tupelo, Mississippi for demos. The Nashville and Tupelo studios were short-lived.
Sun Records' many artists recorded there until 1969, when the label was sold to Mercury Records producer Shelby Singleton of Nashville. Phillips Recording continued operating, and hosted recordings by a newer generation of rock-and-roll groups like the Cramps, starting in 1979, drawn in part by the mystique of Sam Phillips."


* "In 1962, Sherrill moved to Nashville, where he was initially hired by Sam Phillips to manage the Nashville studios of Sun Records." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Sherrill

There is an ABC Paramount CD-ROM listed as source on the blog and listed by the OP on post before this. Makes sense the information would come from there.

[Chris Roberts]

Thanks very much Juan for this most interesting topic.

[Juan Luis]

Thanks very much Juan for this most interesting topic.

Very glad you found it interesting.

[drjohncarpenter]

Doing some more research, I went back to my copy of Escott and Hawkins' Good Rockin' Tonight, to see if I could find more information. It seems Sam Phillips did open the Sam Phillips Recording Studio of Nashville, Inc. on 317 Seventh Avenue North in January 1961, shortly after his new Sun studio on Madison Avenue in Memphis became operational the previous September. Billboard reported on it as well.

https://books.google.com/books?id=LiEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53

The studio would operate until February 1964, when Sam sold it to Fred Foster of Monument Records. It became Fred Foster Sound Studio, and engineer Bill Porter, who'd left RCA Nashville in September 1963 for Columbia Records, was hired to take over. This was also covered in Billboard.

https://books.google.com/books?id=M0UEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1

So, there was never a "Sun studio in Nashville" and unfortunately there's still nothing concrete to confirm Bill Black's presence on the 1963 single.

[Juan Luis]

Doing some more research, I went back to my copy of Escott and Hawkins' Good Rockin' Tonight, to see if I could find more information. It seems Sam Phillips did open the Sam Phillips Recording Studio of Nashville, Inc. on 317 Seventh Avenue North in January 1961, shortly after his new Sun studio on Madison Avenue in Memphis became operational the previous September. Billboard reported on it as well.

https://books.google.com/books?id=LiEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53

The studio would operate until February 1964, when Sam sold it to Fred Foster of Monument Records. It became Fred Foster Sound Studio, and engineer Bill Porter, who'd left RCA Nashville in September 1963 for Columbia Records, was hired to take over. This was also covered in Billboard.

https://books.google.com/books?id=M0UEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1

So, there was never a "Sun studio in Nashville" and unfortunately there's still nothing concrete to confirm Bill Black's presence on the 1963 single.

Going with semantics to argue a point that never needed questioning. With that settled, why don't we go with ears when listening to Black's inimitable acoustic bass playing?...apart from the very accurate blog that list sources for information given.

[drjohncarpenter]

Doing some more research, I went back to my copy of Escott and Hawkins' Good Rockin' Tonight, to see if I could find more information. It seems Sam Phillips did open the Sam Phillips Recording Studio of Nashville, Inc. on 317 Seventh Avenue North in January 1961, shortly after his new Sun studio on Madison Avenue in Memphis became operational the previous September. Billboard reported on it as well.

https://books.google.com/books?id=LiEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53

The studio would operate until February 1964, when Sam sold it to Fred Foster of Monument Records. It became Fred Foster Sound Studio, and engineer Bill Porter, who'd left RCA Nashville in September 1963 for Columbia Records, was hired to take over. This was also covered in Billboard.

https://books.google.com/books?id=M0UEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1

So, there was never a "Sun studio in Nashville" and unfortunately there's still nothing concrete to confirm Bill Black's presence on the 1963 single.

Going with semantics to argue a point that never needed questioning. With that settled, why don't we go with ears when listening to Black's inimitable acoustic bass playing?...apart from the very accurate blog that list sources for information given.

The only reason I contribute to these topics for is the benefit of the good members of this forum. They deserve to read someone who cares about the facts.

It's not "semantics." Sun Studios is a legendary name, it was never used in Nashville, as I proved in my previous post. That the blog refers to the place as "Sun studio in Nashville" is a red flag, and immediately caught my attention. It would be terrific to know Bill Black is playing on this remake. But we do not know this. His going from Memphis to Nashville for a session should have been remembered by someone.

[Juan Luis]

Semantics just as saying Elvis recorded his first demo for the Memphis Recording Service. Stating Sun Studio or even Sun records would be understood by any reader with common sense what was meant. In this case in Billy Sherril's Wikipedia, the magic word "Sun" is mentioned. Interchangeable or whatever. And you aren't alone in caring about the facts.

[Juan Luis]

..
Self penned B-side of "Such A Night" by Marvin Benefield. This cat was good!

[drjohncarpenter]

Does anyone know whether the B-side of this 1963 single by Vince Everett, "Livin' High," was indeed originally an Elvis session song, as I suggested in my original reply? It sounds like something straight out of "Kid Galahad" or "Blue Hawaii."

[Marko]

Does anyone know whether the B-side of this 1963 single by Vince Everett, "Livin' High," was indeed originally an Elvis session song, as I suggested in my original reply? It sounds like something straight out of "Kid Galahad" or "Blue Hawaii."

Indeed it does sound like it was written for some early 60's films and rejected with parts of recycled for other compositions.

To me it's reminicent of I Got Lucky, This Is Living and Beyond The Bend and of course the ending is from Rock-A-Hula Baby

[Juan Luis]

This has been brought up before by KiwiAlan in 2008. http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35393#p455676

[drjohncarpenter]

Does anyone know whether the B-side of this 1963 single by Vince Everett, "Livin' High," was indeed originally an Elvis session song, as I suggested in my original reply? It sounds like something straight out of "Kid Galahad" or "Blue Hawaii."

Indeed it does sound like it was written for some early 60's films and rejected with parts of recycled for other compositions.

To me it's reminicent of I Got Lucky, This Is Living and Beyond The Bend and of course the ending is from Rock-A-Hula Baby

Hmm. So maybe it was a reject from "Kid Galahad" or "It Happened At The World's Fair." Anyone have any more info?

[Juan Luis]

I ordered from ebay Now Dig This, issue 183, June 1998 which will be a keeper for me anyway. If anyone has this issue, and finds anything of interest to post here. Please don't hesitate. I will for sure. Thanks!