"The Coasters were one of the few artists in rock history to successfully straddle the line between music and comedy. Their undeniably funny lyrics and on-stage antics might have suggested a simple troupe of clowns, but Coasters records were no mere novelties -- their material, supplied by the legendary team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, was too witty, their arrangements too well-crafted, and the group itself too musically proficient. That engaging and infectious combination made them one of the most popular early R&B/rock & roll acts, as well as one of the most consistently entertaining doo wop/vocal groups of all time.
The Coasters grew out of a successful Los Angeles doo wop group called the Robins, which had been recording since 1949 and working with Leiber & Stoller since 1953. Atlantic Records acquired the Robins in 1955, when the Leiber & Stoller composition "Smokey Joe's Cafe" was becoming too big a hit for their small Spark label to handle; its success scored the duo an independent contract with Atlantic as producers and composers. Amid uncertainties over their new major-label arrangement, the Robins split up that fall; lead tenor Carl Gardner (a more recent addition) and bass Bobby Nunn formed a new group, the Coasters (named for their West Coast base), which maintained the Leiber & Stoller association -- an extremely wise move. The initial Coasters lineup was completed by baritone Billy Guy (a gifted comic vocalist) and second tenor Leon Hughes, with guitarist Adolph Jacobs figuring prominently on their recordings through 1959. Their first single, "Down in Mexico," became a Top Ten R&B hit in 1956, epitomizing the sort of humorous story-song Leiber & Stoller were perfecting. The Coasters hit again in 1957 with the double-sided smash "Young Blood"/"Searchin'," both sides of which reached the pop Top Ten. The follow-ups weren't as successful, and it was decided that both the group and Leiber & Stoller would move their operations to New York, where Atlantic was based. As a result, Nunn and Hughes left the group in late 1957, to be replaced respectively by bass Will "Dub" Jones (ex-Cadets, of "Stranded in the Jungle" fame) and second tenor Obie Jessie (for a very short period), then Cornell Gunter (ex-Flairs)."
Discover more about the Coasters HERE.
The Coasters - Keep On Rollin'
The Coasters - Stewball
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5 comments:
' zing went the strings of my heart ' maybe one of the best recordings ever . also little jerry williams singing ' i'm the lover man ' .
so this blogger thing has a lot of possibilities that i have not even looked at .
rock and roll ,
jesse
I must admit having a soft spot for doo-wop and especially the novelty doo-wop/r & b that the Robins and the Coasters did so well. Mainly down to those great songs that Leiber & Stoller wrote for them.
do wop does have that amazing sound and also, as i said previously on a comment here, an equaly amazing ability to be used in a satirical way. both zappa, and i believe viv stanshall, used its incredible sound mixed with a wicked sense of humor to great effect.
love the coasters.
I used to have the Reuben and the Jets LP I think? Or did I imagine it? Maybe I borrowed it once? Anyway, I can see why Zappa was so taken by all that stuff and used it so well.
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