Tuesday, December 07, 2004  

Our man Mohair Slim, a Rosco Gordon expert from Down Under, wrote in to say that the original photo I posted is "not Rosco with Elvis, though I believed the same thing for a long time due to an error on a Charly comp. I think its actually Little Junior Parker. There are no photos of Rosco with Elvis, though I'm sure he met him at Sun."

Rosco Gordon
"No Dark in America"
No Dark in America
(Dualtone, 2004)

Rosco Gordon
"No More Doggin'"
Just a Little Bit: The Best of Rosco Gordon
(Collectables, 2001; rec. 1952)

Rosco Gordon's distinctive loping rhythm, especially as heard on "No More Doggin'," is often credited as being one the earliest inspirations for ska. "No More Doggin'" is R&B royalty, and the links below will tell you more, but more surprising is the other song I've posted.

Gordon was pretty much forgotten about since the early 1960s, but a couple of guys who go by the collective name of Hoobellatoo found him, encouraged him, and recorded him. The album No Dark in America was recorded in bits and pieces over a long period, with many of the backing tracks added later to Gordon's piano and voice. (In fact, the record took so long to finish that Rosco had time to make a CD for Stony Plain, 2000's Memphis, Tennessee. Also, I'd love to hear the album Gordon made with Clement Dodd in 1996; it seems to be out of print/stock, though Studio One might suddenly find a stack under some old boxes.)

"No Dark in America," penned after 9/11, is the first song Rosco wrote in many years, and it's amazing that the ol' fella still had it in him to deliver such a great tune.

Gordon died in 2002 at age 74. This is a sweet swan song, and props to Hoobellatoo (and Dualtone) for making it happen.
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Liner notes to No Dark in America.
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Liner notes to Just a Little Bit.
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The Hoobellatoo Boys hang with Rosco Gordon & his rotten dog. Here you'll also find Real Audio versions of
"Night in Rio" and "You Don't Care About Nothing."
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Mohair Slim interviews Rosco Gordon in 2001.
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Rosco discography.
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Buy Just a Little Bit from Oldies.com.
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Preorder No Dark in America from Amazon; the CD drops Jan. 25, 2005.

Posted by CP | Link |

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