THE BLAZERS RARE 1958 FONTANA FRENCH EP THE STROLL ROCK AND ROLL

	€		21
	$		25

The stroll / For your love // Stroll me / Wishing for your love 462 069 TE Fontana 1958 biem T BON ETAT TEXTE POCHETTE BORIS VIAN That record produced by a strong French record label bring us a tribute to François Postif and Kurt Mohr, two great men who helped greatly to promote rock and roll and rhythm and blues music in France in the 50’s. If those guys had strong roots in jazz and rhythm and blues, they don’t get along the usual stupid talk about rock and roll. When those Blazers sides were issued in France in 1958, nobody knew who was behind the horns, piano or guitar. You can’t judge by the name, the color or the picture of the band … François Postif found those recordings sent by US Columbia worthy enough to be issued on two 10 inches LPs and Rock Paradise with the help of Rock and Roll Revue is glad to make them available again to a large crowd. In the 50’s, François Postif had worked for CID some releases by Lionel Hampton, Louis Armstrong, Bill Haley Roy Hall, Johnny Carroll and for Brunswick stuff by Brenda Lee, Bobby Helms or The Kalin Twins. He later worked for Polydor handling record issues by Ricky Nelson, Ritchie Valens, Fats Domino and Kathy Zee. His next move was to Barclay (that handled Mercury distribution in France) with some EPs by The Big Bopper, The Blockbuster and The Flairs. Among its releases are some of the rarest records issued in France in the 50’s. In 1958 when a reel to reel tape was sent by Columbia to Boris Vian, A & R man for “Fontana”, any indication were given about the group members, except Frankie Tucker’s name, or the location. Those recordings were already issued in USA on Harmony, early March 1958, on “Harmony”, a budget label trying to attract young shoppers as well as adult with a cool price of $ 1.98 for a LP. Those sides may have been produced by Bob Prince, A & R man for that record label. The US LP Harmony HL 7103 was titled “Rock and Roll – Ten Big Hits in Hi-Fidelity” and carried any info or picture just like another budget label, “Somerset”. Boris Vian made the choice to make those recordings available in France on a ten inches LP titled “The Blazers – Stroll” (Fontana 662.023). A dancing couple drawing was put on the front cover to work out something even without info. It was a common practice then on “London” or “CID” products. Later a second LP Harmony HL 7126 was issued in USA under the title of “Rock and Roll Vol 2” and the reel to reel was sent in France. “Fontana” made again the choice to make it available under the same format to French customers under the banner “The Blazers – Witch Doctor” (Fontana 662.028). Still any info and a cartoon cover with a dancing couple designed by Maurice Apelbaum. Several EPs and a single were also issued in France while part of those recordings were made available in England, Mexico and Argentina (under the name of Los Harmony Blazers – Orfeon 40 004). But if all those songs had found them ways on them original version in the trade magazine charts, what about those mysterious Blazers? Nothing was know until some infos came in light in the 70’s, in France, after a meeting between Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Kurt Mohr, François Postif and Big Joe. While listening those recordings, Screamin’ Jay was straight about the work of “Doc” Bagsby, Mickey Baker and himself on the “Tequila” vocal part. A long talk between those musical wise ears brings in light the probable participation of Margie Day (vcl), Everett Barksdale (gtr), Buddy Lucas (sax), Sam “The Man” Taylor (sax), Milt Hilton (bs), Curley Hammer (dms) and Panama Francis (dms). One thing is sure, now we got here recordings coming from at last two different professional sessions and nothing coming from a jam during a session break. The songs were carefully selected from the early 1958 Billboard charts and worked out to sell. Before moving to the recordings, it may worth to share some infos about those musicians. Curley Hammer was himself a singer and played with Lionel Hampton in 1953 before joining Josephine Baker in Paris in 1960. Everett Barksdale recorded with Cliff Jackson’s Village Cat for “Black and White” in 1945 before playing bass for The Erroll Garner trio in 1952. Buddy Lucas recorded under his name for Jubilee (1952), Savoy (1956) and Ember (1959) and can play a dozen of instruments. Milton Hilton played bass for The Emmett Berry Five in National (1944). Margie Day was one time member of the Griffin Brother Orchestra and recorded for Atco, DeLuxe and Cat. Panama Francis and Mickey Baker don’t need any presentation being the backbone of many rock and roll recordings done in the 50’s.

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