Cat. No. 2787: CLARENCE "FROGMAN" HENRY ~ GREATEST HITS. FUEL 302 061 933 2. (MPORT).
CLARENCE “FROGMAN” HENRY WAS BORN MARCH 19, 1937, IN NEW ORLEANS. HE LATER MOVED WITH HIS FAMILY TO SUBURBAN ALGIERS WHEN HE WAS 11. HIS EARLY MUSIC HEROES WERE PROFESSOR LONGHAIR AND FATS DOMINO. HENRY BEGAN GIGGING WITH A CLASSMATE AT L. B. LANDRY HIGH SCHOOL BEHIND BOBBY MITCHELL. HENRY WAS PLAYING TROMBONE AND PIANO AND WHEN BOBBY DIDN’T SHOW HE WOULD SING. HE LATER OBTAINED GIGS AT THE JOY LOUNGE IN GRETNA WHERE HE WAS PAIRED WITH SAXIST EDDIE SMITH WORKING FOUR NIGHTS A WEEK. ONE SUNDAY NIGHT ON THE JOY BANDSTAND THEY HAD DONE ABOUT SIX OR EIGHT HOURS AND HE WAS GETTING TIRED SO HE MADE UP A SONG CALLED “AIN’T GOT NO HOME”. HE WAS TRYING TO TELL THE PEOPLE TO GO HOME! THE IMPROVISED DITTY INCLUDED PLAYFUL IMITATIONS OF A HIGH-PITCHED FEMALE VOICE AND A CROAKING FROG. THE CROWD ATE IT UP.
PIANIST PAUL GAYTEN WAS NEW ORLEANS A&R MAN FOR CHESS RECORDS. PAUL HEARD THE SONG AND SENT IT TO LEONARD CHESS IN CHICAGO. “LEONARD CAME DOWN AND I PLAYED THE SONG FOR HIM. SO, LEONARD TOLD PAUL TO BRING ME INTO THE STUDIO AND RECORD IT”. THE SESSION WAS HELD IN SEPTEMBER ’56 AND THE SONG WAS RELEASED ON THE CHESS SUBSIDIARY ARGO LABEL. THE SONG WENT TO #3 ON THE R&B CHARTS AND #20 ON POP IN EARLY 1957. HENRY RECORDED OVER SEVERAL YEARS FOR DIFFERENT LABELS AND IN THE EARLY 1970s HE FOUND HIMSELF WORKING WITH TEXAS PRODUCER HUEY P. MEAUX ON THE SIDES COMPRISING THIS SET. THEY WERE DONE IN HOUSTON AND PASADENA, TEXAS. THE TRACKS ALL LEAN A LITTLE TOWARDS THE FUNKY SIDE AND LACK A LITTLE VITALITY OF HENRY’S EARLY RECORDINGS. CLARENCE “FROGMAN” HENRY IS STILL PERFORMING AS AT THIS TIME. GOOD ***
TRACK LISTING: Sea Cruise / It Went To Her Head / Cheatin’ Traces / Lovin’ Cajun Style / You Can Have Her / Mathilda / I Can’t Take Another Heartache / In The Jailhouse Now / Rock Down In My Shoe / We’ll Take Our Last Walk Tonight / Socka-Diddley, Alabama / A Certain Girl / Ain’t Got No Home (1970).
CD NEW
