TRINI LOPEZ – The Rhythm & Blues Album - (Reprise) - 1965, Go-Go, Latin, Mexican, Texan, Texas, Guitar, Gibson

Trini's ninth album and only three years since his first.

When you are on a good thing milk it.

You have to pay the bills.

Check my other comments out for biographical details of the vastly underrated Trini Lopez.

Trini's go-go guitar sound which was part rock n roll, part pop, and all California was still the rage still in 1965. His audience wanted to dance to songs they knew but with a beat that didn't require them to change their dance moves.

It's all about the beat.

And here he serves up some solid R&B hits from years, but not distant years, past.

A good idea it was as in the immediate preceding two years Trini had served up similar themed albums all cashing in on his go-go beat … "The Latin Album" (1964), "The Folk Album" and "The Love Album" (both 1965).

The only odd thing is that Trini stays away, largely, from the heavy R&B and plays it safe with the more pop oriented tracks. There is nothing wrong with that but the thought of Trini tackling heavy R&B and pop-i-fying them is perhaps more interesting than tackling R&B material which already leans to pop.

But as it stands this is an album for parties and would sound great as background at a dinner gathering ..one where any number of Screwdriver cocktails have been consumed whilst nibbling on Spicy Cheese Balls or dipping into a Clam or Guacamole Dip. The sit down menu would start off with a Shrimp Cocktail, followed by Zesty Pork Chops and Pork with Sauerkraut Pinwheels, and then for desert a Strawberry Shortcake Baked Alaska or any fruit in gelatin.

Fuck it … that sound's a lot better than a generic Domino's pizza.

Of course there is every chance that your guests would be dancing … especially if they had enough Screwdrivers.

The album was apparently "recorded live" … maybe it was but I suspect its was recorded in the studio with added on chatter and claps.

Producer Don Costa "discovered" Trini Lopez but is best known for his work with Frank Sinatra (whose label, "Reprise", Trini is on).

Originals

Wee Wee Hours – (Chuck Berry) – an old Chuck Berry tune dating back to 1955. A favourite one of Chuck's though not often covered. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wee_Wee_Hours
Ooh Poo Pah Doo – (Jessie Hill) – Hills hit from 1960 (#5 R&B US, #30 Pop)
Hurtin' Inside – (Brook Benton/Cirino Colacrai/Clyde Otis/Teddy Randazzo) – First release by Brook Benton (January 1959) (#23 R&B US, #78 Pop)
Double Trouble – (Jack Greenback/Mel Larson/Jerry Marcellino) – perhaps an original?
Watermelon Man – (Herbie Hancock-Hendricks) – Herbie Hancock famous tune from his debut album, "Takin' Off" (1962).Jazz lyricist Jon Hendricks added words to the song and recorded it on "Jon Hendricks Recorded in Person at the Trident" (1963). Manfred Mann also released a well known version on their album "The Five Faces of Manfred Mann"(1965). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon_Man_(composition)
Don't Let Go – (Jesse Stone) – The magnificent song by the magnificent Roy Hamilton first done in 1958 (#2R&B, #12 Pop). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_Let_Go_(Jesse_Stone_song)
I Got A Woman – (Ray Charles) – The great Ray Charles song from 1954. Done by everybody most notably by Elvis on his debut album from 1956, "Elvis Presley" and many times since. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Got_a_Woman
So Fine – (Teddy Randazzo/Bobby Weinstein) –
She's About A Mover – (Doug Sahm) – The 1965 hit song by Sir Douglas Quintet. (#13 1965 US). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She's_About_a_Mover
Little Miss Happiness – (Jack Greenback/Melvin Larson/Jerry Marcellino) – another original?
Let The Four Winds Blow – (Dave Bartholomew – Fats Domino) – A hit for Fats Domino (#2R&B, #15 Pop).
Shout – (O'Kelly Isley/Ronald Isley/Rudolph Isley) – "Shout" from 1959 by The Isley Brothers only went to #47 but has been covered by everyone including Johnny O'Keefe in Australia (1959), Dion (1962), The Shangri-Las (1964), The Kingsmen (1965), Tommy James and The Shondells (1967),? and the Mysterians (1967), Joan Jett (1980),Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1986), Garth Brooks (2013). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shout_(The_Isley_Brothers_song)

Tracks (best in italics)

Wee Wee Hours – Trini captures the delicate sensuality of this Chuck Blues. Trini would play live with Chuck on the Hullabaloo TV show later in 1965 (Doing Memphis Tennessee)
Ooh Poo Pah Doo – this one moves nicely and has "party" written all over it and has some nice guitar work.
Hurtin' Inside – slight and quite 1950s but it moves.
Double Trouble – I think it's an original but it's a throwback to the early 60s but it's quite catchy.
Watermelon Man – sly and sexual. Quite a treat
Don't Let Go – The audience (?) really comes to the front on this one. This song moves. Not as good as Roy Hamilton's original but great nonetheless.
I Got A Woman – Ray Charles great song taken casually
So Fine – a pretty good mid-tempo MOR song. Quite catchy.
She's About A Mover – maybe Trini can relate to Doug Sahm's Texas background. He nails this. Go-go it is but it works.
Little Miss Happiness – shades of a gentler "La Bamba".
Let The Four Winds Blow – hmmmmm, quite good but Fats Domino's original is better.
Shout – Trini does a strictly MOR version of this stomper. It's such a good song but this is pretty clean. I can see people dancing to it, on Sunset Strip circa 1965, though.