For Medicinal Uses Only


Oh Boy. Sorry about that.

No, really.

Final day of vice, so I thought I'd dig back a bit. Again.

"Featuring twin brothers Cliff and Claude Trenier, the Treniers helped link swing music to rock & roll with their brand of hot jump blues in the late '40s and early '50s. To the latter-day listener, their early-'50s singles can sound closer to swing than rock; indeed, Cliff and Claude had once sung with the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra. The group did anticipate some crucial elements of rock & roll, though, with their solid, thumping beats, their squealing saxophone solos, and their song titles, such as "Rocking on Sunday Night," "Rockin' Is Our Business," and "It Rocks! It Rolls! It Swings!" The Treniers' brand of swing-cum-R&B was undoubtedly an influence on Bill Haley, who saw them when both acts were playing summer shows at Wildwood, NJ. Their best work was recorded for OKeh in the early '50s; by the middle of the decade, their sound was more R&B-oriented. Like many early R&B pioneers, they were unable to find success in the rock & roll era, though they appeared in a few of the first rock & roll films, such as Don't Knock the Rock, The Girl Can't Help It, and Calypso Heat Wave."

What the above quote, which can be found at this here link ,doesn't say is just how blue The Treniers could get. This was before whitey was paying much attention to so-called race records, and artists were freer to use insinuating and outright obvious language and expression that Pat Boone and his ilk couldn't/wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. An interesting discussion, of course, how censorship and lack thereof has created a unique vernacular in pre-rock'n'roll music. I'm sure many words have already been spilled on the subject. Won't waste yr time here.

Read more about The Treniers here.

I have no idea if they and Andre Williams ever met. If not, someone needs to introduce them.

Fatback, grease, and a little snake oil.

The Treniers: Poon-Tang! (mp3)

The Treniers: Sure Had a Wonderful Time Last Night (mp3)

The Treniers: Hadacol(That's All) (mp3)

(yousendit files...click on target...download from site)

Have a swell weekend. Go dancing. Come back Monday for a little revival.