Roburt Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Just about the most famous black nightclub in Atlantic City was the Club Harlem. The house band at the club was run for many years by a guy who took a few similar stage names ...... ...... all of these being derivations of Chris(topher) Columbus (Columbo). Anyway, first an introduction to the club .......... Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 A few shots outside & inside the club ....... Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) More info on a bad night at the club ............ Edited March 29, 2012 by Roburt Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 The club was relaunched around 1979, but its 'new' life was to be short ......... Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 An old card from the club + an early shot of the house band ................. (then called Christopher Columbus & His Swing Crew) PLUS a copy of the 45 made by Chris Columbus & the Swingin' Gaites. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) Chris Columbo / Christopher Columbus also did some touring & made other recordings. In the mid 50's, after he was in Bill Doggett's band (their drummer), he went out on his own & started a group. It was only natural that Doggett's record label (King) would also sign up 'Chris' (real name: Joseph Morris). So a 45 came out on King -- "Oh Yeah" credited to Chris Columbo & His Swinging Gentlemen. Members of Chris' group included Gil Askey and keyboard player Johhny 'Hammond' Smith. When Johnny Smith quit, Chris hired a replacement organ player, Earl Van Dyke !!! Edited March 29, 2012 by Roburt Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 An earlier relaunch of the club (in 1971) ..... Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 A lady who came to prominence after a 10 day stint at the club ........ Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 Virgie Till wasn't her real name. She took the name from her 'mentor, the Orioles Sonny Til. She was born in Miami but brought up in Baltimore (where Sonny Til was from). Sonny was born in 1928, so by 1959 he was 31 years old & he had been married for a while. Virgie was born in 1941, so she was 18 in 1959 when she 'teamed up' with Sonny. Sonny was going through a bad divorce case in 1959, so Virgie became his 'sister' ........ and they toured / lived together (platonicilly of course) for around 4 years. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 Sonny Til, back in 1959. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 A 1960 show in Baltimore they both performed on ........... Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 It used to be Virgie Till's "I Didn't Steal Your Dog" that got the plays ........ now it seems to the the other side of her Glover 45 that gets the action ............. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Steve G Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Fascinating stuff.... Chris Columbus and Tighten up.....well popular with the funky masses. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 ......... Crazy Chris Columbo -- in later life. He passed away in 2002 at the ripe old age of 100. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 I've come across more info on when Virgie Till teamed up with Sonny Til. Seems that Sonny & the Orioles secured long tenure bookings in Miami in the summers of 1957 & 1958. On both occasions, the group were booked (for up to 24 weeks) to appear on Cab Calloway's Cotton Club Revue at a Miami Beach hotel. On at least one of these occasions, Virgie accompanied Sonny on the trip (well, she was born in Miami though both her parents had passed by then). If they first 'got together' in 1957, that would have made her just 16 years old !!!! No wonder, Sonny wanted people to think that she was his sister. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 3, 2012 Author Share Posted April 3, 2012 Another derivation on Chris Columus / Columbo's stage name ....... He toured up & down the east coast as Krazy Kris Kolumbo in the early 60's ..... Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 (edited) An old card from the club + an early shot of the house band ................. (then called Christopher Columbus & His Swing Crew) PLUS a copy of the 45 made by Chris Columbus & the Swingin' Gaites. Great info Roburt thanks,i have a copy of the "Chris Columbus & the Swingin' Gaites" 45, the flip side is a strange one,it`s called "Do you remember" by "Lawanda Braggs & the Swingin' Gaites", this has the backing track to "B Acklin-Am i the same girl",but with completly different lyrics, do you know anything about this side?,i wonder if these 45s were giving away or sold at the club, as both sides of this 45 are cover versions.. Dave f.... Edited April 6, 2012 by Dave Fleming Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 3, 2012 Author Share Posted April 3, 2012 (edited) Dave, as the 45 seems to be a private press (no label name, address or distribution info), I guess it was just sold at gigs by Chris Columbus. His band opened the show every night at the club, before they backed up the main live act. Most of the evening (by 1970), I'm sure records provided the musical background tracks in the place. In earlier years (1940's / 50's / early 60's), Chris & his band would no doubt have played all night (with comfort / drink breaks). I would surmise that these were 2 tunes that the band played in the club at that time (1970) that proved popular with the punters, so he turned them into tracks & sold the 45 at the club (by 1970 I believe he had quit the road & just played gigs in Atlantic City; after all he was 68 by then!!!). Edited April 5, 2012 by Roburt 1 Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 ..... MORE ON THE CLUB ........... Club Harlem, located at 32 N. Kentucky Avenue, between Artic and Atlantic Avenues, was the premier nightclub for black tourists visiting Atlantic City back in the 1940's / 50's / 60's. Many of the most famous black entertainers of those times showed up and played there including Dick Gregory, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, Billy Eckstein, Johnny Ray, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Diana Ross, James Brown, Gladys Knight and Teddy Pendegrass. Crazy Chris Columbo led the orchestra there, and Larry Steele's high-kicking chorus line was also a constant for many years. Numerous black musicians developed their skills at the club including trumpeter Hot Lips Page and organist Wild Bill Davis. Jazz musician Lonnie Smith recorded his album "Move Your Hand" there. Club Harlem had matinees, night-time shows, late night shows and breakfast shows featuring some of the best singers / musicians in the country (many top stars just 'sitting in' on a jam session in the small hours). During the hectic summer months, the club was open all hours. On Saturday nights, the club had four shows -- 10p.m., 12 midnight, 2:30a.m. and the "breakfast" show at 6:00a.m. (but very little if any food was served at this show). In those days there were numerous hotels, bars and clubs in various sections of Atlantic City. Although blacks would be hired as 'entertainers' they wouldn't be allowed to eat / drink in public parts of these hotels before / after they performed (they were treated in much the same way back in the 50's in Miami Beach hotels). When those clubs closed for the night, some of their employees and performers would show up for the Harlem Club's breakfast show. The 'entertainers' from the city's top hotels would also head across to the place after performing. Sammy Davis Jr. would sometimes bring his rat pack friends back to the club. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Steve G Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Great info Roburt thanks,i have a copy of the "Chris Columbus & the Swingin' Gaites" 45, the flip side is a strange one,it`s called "Do you remember" by "Lawanda & the Swingin' Gaites", this has the backing track to "B Acklin-Am i the same girl",but with completly different lyrics, do you know anything about this side?,i wonder if these 45s were giving away or sold at the club, as both sides of this 45 are cover versions.. Dave f.... Interesting also that Lawanda Braggs was the A side...... Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 (edited) BTW, 'Ohio Soul Recordings' has the 45 down as a release on Mus-I-Col out of Columbus Ohio.......... ... though the Chris Columbus 45 makes no mention of Mus-I-Col & the 45's number does not seem to fit in perfectly with that label's system. Edited April 5, 2012 by Roburt Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 There is a 2007 CD album release out of California (I think) by Wandee & The Wannabeez. A lot of the songs on that album ('Aphrodisiac') were written by a Lawanda Braggs. The music is described as easy listening R&B .... .... perhaps this outfit are a SanFran bar band playing MOR-ish music & Lawanda is a member. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 All of the Wandee & the Wannabeez cuts on the above album feature a female lead singer (who has to be 'Wandee') However, Lawanda Braggs had a hand in writing every song on the album so she has to be connected to the group (a member's mother I guess if this is the same Lawanda as back with Chris Columbus in 1970). One cut off the album, "Dancing & Romancing" ain't too bad (if you like jazzy MS that is). ........ https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002IXURD2/ref=dm_sp_alb Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 Back to Chris Columbus ........... ...... In 1952 he was in a jazz trio that were playing the Apollo (& cutting for Okeh) .... ... by 1953, that jazz trio, the Bill Davis Trio, had a residency at the Club Harlem !! Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 Youtube tribute to Chris Columbo / Columbus .... Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 (edited) Anuda youtube entry for Chris .......... this time its his 1962 Battle cut "You Can't Sit Down". Earl Van Dyke was his keyboard guy till around 1962 (when EVD split to go join Motown in Detroit) ... is this EVD on hammond ?? ... .... Edited April 5, 2012 by Roburt Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 (edited) Chris Columbo / Columbus on drums on 'The Beat' TV show in the mid 60's. ....... check the close up shot 2 minutes in ........ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9RWl7zRT9Y&feature=relmfu Edited April 5, 2012 by Roburt Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 Chris Columbo (Columbus) backing up Louis Jordan on 'the Beat' TV show ........ Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 I'm in dispute now with the Ohio Soul crew ..... they insist that the "Tighten Up 70" 45 was recorded and pressed at Musicol (Mus-I-Col) in Columbus. All the band members (I'm told) were from that area. One of the Ohio crew insists that he's seen the paperwork from the studio. He also says that the Hammond organ used on the 45 was the house organ in the studio, & that there's no mistaking the sound of it. Just about all Hammond B-3 organs have the same sound to me (providing they're not ailing coz the valves in em had been bounced around too much). Hammond B-3's were the keyboard of choice for just about every jazz guy from the late 50's thru the early70's coz of their distinctive sound (often played through a Leslie speaker). By the mid 60's they were also extensively used on blues, soul & rock tracks. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 I asked a musicologist and Motown fan who he thought was playing the Hammond on Chris's 1962 Battle cut "You Can't Sit Down". He stated it sounded just like EVD to him -- coz the keys player on the track is playing foot pedal bass as well as the keyboard itself. The giveaway to him is the the sustained note with gradually added harmonies toward the end of the track. .......... I believe he knows what he's talking about !! If you have a copy of this Battle 45 ........ I guess it just went up in value a bit !!! Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 (edited) It seems that THE Chris Columbus who cut the "Tighten Up 70" 45 was from Columbus (he was Chris from Columbus; hence his recording name). He obviously didn't know that there was already a famous (in jazz / soul circles) drummer by that (stage) name. The 2 sides of that 45 were recorded (and maybe pressed) at Musicol (Mus-I-Col) in Columbus. At present, I haven't managed to make contact with anyone who remembers Lawanda Braggs. I'm hoping for more info soon. Edited April 7, 2012 by Roburt Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 It seems that THE Chris Columbus who cut the "Tighten Up 70" 45 was from Columbus (he was Chris from Columbus; hence his recording name). He obviously didn't know that there was already a famous (in jazz / soul circles) drummer by that (stage) name. The 2 sides of that 45 were recorded (and maybe pressed) at Musicol (Mus-I-Col) in Columbus. At present, I haven't managed to make contact with anyone who remembers Lawanda Braggs. I'm hoping for more info soon. Roburt, I`ve just checked out the run out details on the C Columbus 45, and infact it does have Musicol scratched in the dead wax.. Dave f.... Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Roburt Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 Thanx for that Dave. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
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