Georgia Gibbs

See how things get screwed up. We saw Georgia Gibbs as early as 1955. And here we are in 1958.

Well Ok. I just got this. See? A recent acquisition. Nothing I can do. I found it at the library, downtown. It’s a collection called The Complete Original Hits. It’s impressive, but it’s not complete. I guess, though, the ones that count are here, if that’s a fair thing to say, which I doubt.

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Georgia Gibbs:

• Kiss Of Fire – A song of dangerous attraction, with a “Gypsy” feel. This is from 1952.
• Ballin’ The Jack – A song about dancing, get your mind out of the gutter. From 1946.
• (If I Knew You Were Comin’) I’d Have Baked A Cake – Indeed. Wikipedia says that this is from 1970, but I think it means 1950.
• Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower) – Roll With Me Henry, it was originally, but it was cleaned up in this version, though the line about everyone else “balling” is still there. The original was by Etta James. This is from the fall of 1955. It was an answer record to Hank Ballard’s Work With Me Annie, and this version went to number 1.
• Tweedle Dee – The LaVerne Baker hit, which was an attempt to cuten up LaVerne, and here was Georgia whitening it up. Baker’s version was number 14, Gibbs’ was number 2.
• Seven Lonely Days – From 1952. We learn that she’s been crying and crying.
• I Want You To Be My Baby – This is a take on Rag Mop. I (I), I want (I want) etc. By the time she gets through, he has no choice in the matter. From the fall of 1955.
• I Still Feel The Same About You – They’ve broken up, but hey… From 1951.
• Cry – Her take on the Johnny Ray hit. Missing the melodrama, but that may be a good thing. From 1951.
• So Madly In Love – This is straight MOR. Not surprising, really, but so many of her hits were jazz / R & B based. From 1952.
• While You Danced, Danced, Danced – I had a date like this once. From 1951.
• Happiness Street – Why am I happy, asks Georgia, why am I gay? How the language changes. From the fall of 1956. Perhaps this was an answer song to Heartbreak Hotel, (take a walk down Lonely Avenue…)
• Tom’s Tune – Who’s Tom? We had Sam’s Tune, that was by Bing Crosby. This is from 1951.
• My Favorite Song – Any song we’re dancing to. Cute. From 1952.
• Good Morning Mr. Echo – Silly. From 1951.
• Play A Simple Melody – From 1950. Someone sings with her but I don’t know who.
• Sweet And Gentle – A song about the cha cha. From the summer of 1955.
• Somebody Bad Stole de Wedding Bell (Who's Got de Ding Dong) – Very very silly. It was only a small step from this to Who Stole The Kishka. From 1954.
• Kiss Me Another – She must be singing this while dancing around the room with a flower in her teeth. From the spring of 1956.
• Tra La La – Sort of a Tweedle Dee reprise, for both LaVerne Baker and Georgia. From the winter of 1956 / 1957.
• The Hula Hoop Song – I hear it was all the rage, the hula hoop. I don’t remember, having been about a year old at the time. From the fall of 1958.
• Rock Right – Going through the every things of life, and rockin’ right the whole time. From the spring of 1956.
• Great Balls Of Fire – Georgia’s take on Jerry Lee’s hit. She gives it her best, but alas…