Future Congressman Salvatore ‘Sonny’ Bono

Listen/Download Cookie Jackson – Uptown Jerk

Listen/Download BJ and the Profits – It’s Gonna Rain Outside

Greetings all

I thought we’d start the new week with something very groovy, and a little bit unusual.

If you follow Funky16Corners, you probably wouldn’t expect to see the name Sonny Bono pop up, but then again, to paraphrase an old Monty Python bit, ‘No one expects Sonny Bono!’

The cause for this appearance is – however – 100% soul 45 related, so rest easy.

The story starts many years ago when I fell in love with what is still my favorite New Orleans soul instrumental, Gentleman June Gardner’s ‘It’s Gonna Rain’.

If you’re not familiar, take a peek in the Funky16Corners mix and Radio Show archives, since it pops up in both more than once.

It is a swinging bit of dance floor heat, and for tha reason, sweated hard in 45 form by DJ types.

Though I can’t recall the exact interval, it was a little while before I discovered that the song was in fact a cover of a Sonny and Cher tune (?!?), which had appeared on the B-side of their hit ‘I Got You Babe’.

The groovy thing is, the Sonny and Cher OG is a KILLER record, working kind of a garage/soul-a-go-go thing.

The song became a fave of mine, so much so that when I saw that it had been covered by a group called BJ and the Profits, I snapped it up post haste.

What I discovered when I finally got my hands on it, was that it was produced by Mr. Bono (no slouch in that department) and, when I heard it, that ole Salvatore actually sings on it too!

As you’ll hear when you pull down the ones and zeros, the BJ and the Profits version is very cool indeed.

Using a new backing track, with what sounds like either a sitar or fuzz guitar, the lead vocal is taken by ‘BJ’, who unfortunately remains a mystery.

Despite the fact that Sonny was involved, and the record pops up in S&C discographies, I haven’t been able to track down the identity of the singer.

The flipside, ‘I Lost All Faith In You’ is a hard-edged number with a rolling New Orleans rhythm.

The second record we have today – also credited to York-Pala Productions, in fact Sonny & Cher’s managers Charlie Green and Brian Stone) is Cookie Jackson’s ‘Uptown Jerk’.

The very first record released on Capitol Records Uptown subsidiary (both of these records are from 1965), ‘Uptown Jerk’, is an upbeat dancer that has its fair share of fans on the Northern scene.

Lorraine ‘Cookie’ Jackson is a much better known performer, having recorded 10 45s between 1961 and 1970 for labels like Press, Uptown, Okeh and Kris.

The flipside, ‘(I’m Gonna) Go Shout It On the Mountain’ is a thinly disguised reworking of the old gospel tune ‘Go Tell It On the Mountain’.

As far as I can tell, though Sonny Bono did a fair amount of outside songwriting and production (he was an acolyte of Phil Spector’s) these are the only soul 45s he had anything to do with. They were released months apart in 1965 (the first and sixth singles in the Uptown catalog).

They are both cool, and worth picking up when you see them.

I hope you dig the sounds, and I’ll see you on Wednesday.

Keep the faith

Larry

 

 

 

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Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived! The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock. They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US). Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

 

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.