The Robins - I Must Be Dreamin’ - The Robins on RCA, Crown and Spark, 1953-55 (review)
The Robins - I Must Be Dreamin’ - The Robins on RCA, Crown and Spark, 1953-55 (El Toro R&B 111)
reviewed by Michael Macomber
I Must Be Dreamin’, El Toro’s extensive collection of Robins singles, goes a long way toward dispelling the popular myth that The Robins were merely a footnote in the history of The Coasters. Robins gems such as “Empty Bottles” and “Ten Days In Jail” cement the group’s place as one of the finest rhythm and blues vocal acts of the 1950s.
“Ten Days In Jail” forms one corner of a triangle of law and order themed Robins releases, which also includes “Riot In Cell Block #9″ and “Framed.” The tale of police harassment and courtroom injustice told in “Framed” no doubt paralleled the experience of many African Americans in the ’50s, a time when racism was even more widespread in the justice system than it is today.
These tunes would also serve to define the group’s working relationship with the powerhouse songwriting duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. While The Robins had recorded an earlier Leiber and Stoller number in 1950, it was actually the September 1953 “Ten Days In Jail” session at RCA, with Leiber and Stoller as producers, which brought everyone face to face in the studio for the first time. “Jail” is catchy beyond description, with fabulous “bow wow wow wow” backups and an infectious chorus. Tight harmonies are offset by the rowdy, almost chaotic charm of these five amazing young performers. Bobby Nunn, Ty Terrell Leonard, Grady Chapman, and brothers Billy and Roy Richard are in perfect synch with each other, breaking into an electrifying series of screams and hollers during the bridge.
RCA sessions led by Shorty Rogers and Maxwell Davis produced equally impressive results. The soaring ballad “A Fool Such As I” finds high tenor Grady Chapman sharing lead vocals with bass Bobby Nunn, resulting in a dramatic and captivating contrast. “All Night Long” is a driving blues masterpiece with a pulsing beat. “Oh Why” is another fabulous ballad, again employing the dual lead strategy that was so effective on “A Fool Such As I.”
Two of the finest tracks from these sessions, “I’ll Do It” and “My Baby Done Told Me,” comprise a single that was unfortunately withdrawn from release by RCA, when the label discovered “My Baby Done Told Me” was a recut of the group’s 1949 debut on Excelsior. This is a true tragedy, as these recordings are clearly potential chart busters. Chapman is a formidable force on “I’ll Do It,” tearing every line right up out of the depths of his soul. “My Baby Done Told Me” swings and bops furiously, a ready made dance floor classic.
After leaving RCA in late 1953, The Robins enjoyed a brief but productive stint at the Crown label. All four Crown sides included here are true jewels. The head-shakin’ blues number “All I Do Is Rock,” the wailing romantic ballad “I Made A Vow,” and two more fantastic dance numbers, “Double Crossin’ Baby” and “Key To My Heart,” further demonstrate the group’s boundless talent and versatility.
Come 1954, The Robins were reunited with their old pals Leiber and Stoller, who had started their own label, Spark. A stream of fabulous recordings followed, including the abovementioned “Riot in Cell Block #9″ and “Framed,” as well as the devilishly suggestive “Hatchet Man,” the delightfully playful “Loop De Loop Mambo,” the deeply romantic “If Teardrops Were Kisses,” and an ingeniously raucous rendition of Cole Porter’s “I Love Paris.”
The Robins’ final single for Spark, “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” featured new member Carl Gardner on lead. In many ways the ultimate Robins recording, this Leiber and Stoller composition is given the perfect treatment. Humor and pathos meet rhythm and blues in a melodramatic tale of romance and mayhem.
Ironically, it was the very brilliance of this recording that would lead to the end of The Robins. When “Smokey Joe’s” was released in 1955, it caught the attention of Nesuhi Ertegun of Atlantic Records, and before long, a deal was struck to bring Leiber and Stoller, their label, and The Robins into the Atlantic fold. Robins founder Ty Terrell Leonard, who owned the group’s name, was not so hot on this idea. He opted instead to take the name — and two thirds of The Robins — over to Whippet Records. The two remaining Robins, Carl Gardner and Bobby Nunn, would form the nucleus of Atlantic’s new novelty group, The Coasters.
The Robins continued to record and perform into the 1960s, and although they never again enjoyed a “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” level of success, the group’s amazing output on RCA, Crown, and Spark will stand for all time as some of the most engaging and entertaining rhythm and blues ever committed to vinyl. El Toro’s I Must Be Dreamin’ is a tribute to the far reaching impact on and contribution to the vocal group form made by the immensely talented Robins.
