Where I'd Like To Have Spent Christmas Forty-Seven Years Ago

The Imperial Hotel at 355 Peachtree Street in Atlanta was home to a succession of nightclubs in the old days, and my fellow Ichiban stalwart Greg G has shared many great ads for them in the past, both here and at his invaluable Atlanta Time Machine site. But to the best of my knowledge, he doesn't have this particular one!

Chinky Grimes & Jimmy Rushing come to Brooklyn, 1955

Jimmy Rushing  -  Lotsa Poppa  (2:35)

Photo via the Jet magazine archives.

Esquerita Awareness Month: Little Richard - "Dew Drop Inn"

Little Richard - "Dew Drop Inn"

     Today's tune, released in Spring 1970 by Little Richard and co-written by "Esqrita," was the first single off of The Rill Thing, his first new album in three years and was the flip side of "Freedom Blues", also co-written by Mr. Reeder, . It was Richard's biggest hit in the post-Specialty era, charting in Billboard at #47, and in Cashbox at #62, which I suppose makes it the best-selling disk that Esquerita was ever involved in.

     While the song is a tribute to the famous New Orleans night spot (located at 2836 LaSalle Street), it also serves as something of a eulogy, since it was at about this same point that the club breathed it's last gasp.  Jeff Hannusch has a good article about it's history at the Iko Iko website that I recommend.

     Esquerita's own version of this tune was recorded in the '60s. but not released until 1991 by the good folks at Norton Records. It can be had either as a 7'' or as a bonus on the CD version of Vintage Voola. Maybe you should just get both, to be safe!

Little Richard - "Dew Drop Inn"