ALBUM: Billy Ward and His Dominoes, ‘The Complete Federal/King Singles’
Everybody has their own idea of what ’50s music was all about, and honestly, I think the decade has a less-definable musical identity than any other. Look, for example, at the Top 10 artists of the ’50s based on Billboard Pop Chart performance. In order, they were Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Perry Como, Fats Domino, Ricky Nelson, the Platters, Nat King Cole, the Everly Brothers, Frank Sinatra, the McGuire Sisters, and Bill Haley and the Comets. The next set of 10 is peopled with the likes of Patti Page, Paul Anka, Jimmie Rodgers, Eddie Fisher, Teresa Brewer, Andy Williams, and so on.
Of that whole group, I’d say just Elvis and Bill Haley were what we might even remotely classify as rock artists now (though the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame clearly has a hard time defining this term itself), and then Ricky Nelson, the Platters, Fats Domino, and the Everly Brothers are more pop/rock. The rest? Now relegated mainly to easy listening or something like it. What’s even more evident is the lack of black artists. Domino, Cole, and the Platters — that’s it.
Part of this is because many black artists weren’t played on “white” radio for a long time, and this is especially true of the early ’50s acts. This leads to a misrepresentation of what a true list of the most successful acts of the decade would look like, because it’s based on pop-chart success, and that doesn’t incorporate the R&B or “black” music charts. Therefore, because some people today aren’t as aware of some of the early R&B artists, they may not have been exposed to and don’t have an appreciation for their music.
That brings us to Billy Ward and His Dominoes, unquestionably one of the most successful of all the early 1950s R&B groups, and a group that actually managed to cross over onto the popular charts a few times. Outside of their hits, people who know their music today are also aware that two of their lead singers went on to be two of the most accomplished singles artists in popular music: Clyde McPhatter and Jackie Wilson. The contributions of both of those frontmen are quite evident on Real Gone Music‘s excellent new release, Billy Ward and His Dominoes: The Complete Federal/King Singles, and their distinctive voices carry the lead on many of these selections. Overall, the collection contains 58 tracks from the years the group was on the Federal label (from 1950-1955) and then King (1955-1965). It would of course be impossible for me to go into all of those selections here, and you really need to hear it for yourself to truly appreciate this remarkable collection. That being said, let me at least touch on a few of the highlights.
“Sixty Minute Man” (1951)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpQuNY3XFI0
No Dominoes collection would be complete without their biggest hit, the iconic “Sixty Minute Man,” a song I included in the first article I ever wrote for REBEAT. Bass singer Bill Brown handles the chores as Lovin’ Dan, the 60-minute man whose “15 minutes of teasin’, 15 minutes of squeezin’, and 15 minutes of blowing [his] top” satisfies all the women. The song was so popular that it not only hit #1 on the R&B charts, but also crossed over to the “white” pop charts and rose all the way to #17. It was also the top selling R&B record of the year in 1951, and overall, “Sixty Minute Man” has sold more than 1.5 million copies. A truly remarkable achievement, especially for an R&B recording made in the early ’50s.
“Have Mercy Baby” (1952)
Another Dominoes release that hit #1 on the R&B charts is 1955’s “Have Mercy Baby,” and this is Clyde McPhatter at his Dominoes best. This song topped the R&B charts for 10 weeks, and it’s easy to hear why. It sounds like the guys are having a good time doing it, and it’s infectious. Some people have noted the song has an almost gospel-like undercurrent, and I wouldn’t argue with that. It’s a great song.
“Can’t Do Sixty No More”(1955)
Answer songs were big in the ’50s, and “Sixty Minute Man” was so popular that the Lovin’ Dan character would reappear on “Don’t Stop Dan” by the Checkers in 1954 (the females tell Dan, “Don’t stop, Dan, you have 59 minutes to go!”) and the Dominoes’ “Can’t Do Sixty No More” in 1955. Cliff Givens fills in for the departed Bill Brown (who by this time had joined the Checkers, and actually sang lead on their answer record!) and appears as the exhausted Lovin’ Dan. While it somewhat lacks the energy of the original upon which it was based, it’s still a good track.
“Give Me You”(1955)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi2WXdiqqwU
I think the best song of Jackie Wilson’s tenure as lead singer of the Dominoes was “Give Me You,” a rollicking number that was recorded on King but didn’t make the charts. Wilson really wails on this number, to such an extent that it would be easy (as many have done) to credit this as a Jackie Wilson solo effort, and not a Dominoes release. Here he exhibits the vocal range and power that would lead to his stardom a few years later as a solo artist, and his ultimate enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
I’ve only touched on a few of the very excellent tracks included in this collection, and as a fan of the Dominoes music for a long, long time, I can promise you that this is the best collection of their music ever assembled. Every important track is here, and a lot of rarities as well. Real Gone Music has, yet again, released an unparalleled collection and in the process made available the music of one of the greatest rhythm and blues groups of the 1950s and early ’60s. Highly recommended.
To get your copy of Billy Ward and His Dominoes’ The Complete Federal/King Singles, visit the Real Gone Music online shop!
