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Chanteur Rhythm 'n' Blues US né Overton Amos Lemons
le 5 Juillet 1913 à DeQuincy (Louisiane). Smiley Lewis a débuté en 1947 et a acquis une réputation nationale en 1955 grâce à "I Hear You Knockin'". Par la suite il ne parviendra plus à revenir à ce niveau.
Smiley Lewis est décédé le 7 Octobre 1966 à New Orleans (Louisiane)
Dave
Bartholomew has often been quoted to the effect that Smiley Lewis was a "bad
luck singer," because he never sold more than 100,000 copies of his Imperial
singles. In retrospect, Lewis was a lucky man in many respects -- he enjoyed
stellar support from New Orleans' ace sessioneers at Cosimo's, benefited from
top-flight material and production (by Bartholomew), and left behind a legacy of
marvelous Crescent City R&B.
Born with the unwieldy handle of Overton Lemons, Lewis hit the Big Easy in his
mid-teens, armed with a big, booming voice and some guitar skills. He played
clubs in the French Quarter, often with pianist Tuts Washington (and sometimes
billed as "Smiling" Lewis). By 1947, his following was strong enough to merit a
session for DeLuxe Records, which issued his debut 78, "Here Comes Smiley."
Nothing happened with that platter, but when Lewis signed with Imperial in 1950
(debuting with "Tee-Nah-Nah") things began to move.
As the New Orleans R&B sound developed rapidly during the early '50s, so did
Lewis, as he rocked ever harder on "Lillie Mae," "Ain't Gonna Do It," and "Big
Mamou." He scored his first national hit in 1952 with "The Bells Are Ringing,"
but enjoyed his biggest sales in 1955 with the exultant "I Hear You Knocking" (its
immortal piano solo courtesy of Huey Smith).
Here's where that alleged bad luck rears its head -- pop chanteuse Gale Storm
swiped his thunder for any pop crossover possibilities with her ludicrous
whitewashed cover of the plaintive ballad.
But Storm wouldn't dare come near its roaring flip, the
Joe Turner-ish rocker "Bumpity Bump," or some of Smiley Lewis' other classic
mid-'50s jumpers ("Down the Road," "Lost Weekend," "Real Gone Lover," "She's Got
Me Hook, Line and Sinker," "Rootin' and Tootin'"). In front of the Crescent
City's hottest players (saxists Lee Allen, Clarence Hall, and Herb Hardesty
usually worked his dates), Lewis roared like a lion.
Strangely, Fats Domino fared better with
some of Smiley Lewis' tunes than Lewis did ("Blue Monday" in particular).
Similarly,
Elvis Presley cleaned up the naughty "One Night" and hit big with it, but
Lewis' original had already done well in 1956 (as had his melodic "Please Listen
to Me"). His blistering "Shame, Shame, Shame" found its way onto the soundtrack
of the steamy Hollywood potboiler Baby Doll in 1957, but failed to find entry to
the R&B charts.
After a long and at least semi-profitable run at Imperial, Lewis moved over to
OKeh in 1961 for one single, stopped at Dot in 1964 just long enough to make a
solitary 45 (produced by Nashville deejay Bill "Hoss" Allen), and bowed out with
an Allen Toussaint-produced remake of "The Bells Are Ringing" for Loma in 1965.
By then, stomach cancer was eating the once-stout singer up. He died in the
autumn of 1966, all but forgotten outside his New Orleans home base.
The ensuing decades have rectified that miscarriage of justice, however. Smiley
Lewis' place as one of the greatest New Orleans R&B artists of the '50s is
certainly assured.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiley_Lewis
Talents : Vocals, Guitar
Style musical : Rhythm 'n' Blues, Rock 'n' Roll
BLUE MONDAY
(1954)
I HEAR
YOU KNOCKIN' (1955)
ONE
NIGHT
(1956)
DOWN YONDER WE GO BALLIN' (1956)
SHAME
SHAME SHAME (1956)
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Years in activity :
| 1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 | 10 | 20 |
DISCOGRAPHY
78 t. & Singles
| 1947 | 78 t. DELUXE 1099 (US) | . | Smiling Lewis - Turn On Your Volume, Baby / Here Comes Smiley |
| 1949 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5067 (US) | . | Smiley Lewis & His Sextet - Low Down / Tee Nah Nah |
| 1949 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5067 (US) | . | Low Down / Tee Nah Nah |
| 1950 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5072 (US) | . | Slide Me Down / Growing Old |
| 1950 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5072 (US) | . | Slide Me Down / Growing Old |
| 1950 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5102 (US) | . | Dirty People / If You Ever Loved A Woman |
| 1950 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5102 (US) | . | Dirty People / If You Ever Loved A Woman |
| 1951 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5124 (US) | . | My Baby Was Right / Bee's Boogie |
| 1951 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5124 (US) | . | My Baby Was Right / Bee's Boogie |
| 1951 | 78 t. COLONY C106 (US) | . |
Sad Life / Don't Jive Me |
| 1951 | 78 t. COLONY C110 (US) | . |
My Baby Was Right / Where Were You |
| 1952 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5194 (US) | . | The Bells are Ringing / Lillie Mae |
| 1952 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5194 (US) | . | The Bells are Ringing / Lillie Mae |
| 1952 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5208 (US) | . | Gumbo Blues / It's So Peaceful In The Country |
| 1952 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5208 (US) | . | Gumbo Blues / It's So Peaceful In The Country |
| 1953 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5224 (US) | . | Gypsy Blues / You're Not The One |
| 1953 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5224 (US) | . | Gypsy Blues / You're Not The One |
| 1953 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5234 (US) | . | Playgirl / Big Mamou |
| 1953 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5234 (US) | . | Playgirl / Big Mamou |
| 1953 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5241 (US) | . | Caledonia's Party / Oh Baby |
| 1953 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5241 (US) | . | Caledonia's Party / Oh Baby |
| 1953 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5252 (US) | . | Little Fernandez / It's Music |
| 1953 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5252 (US) | . | Little Fernandez / It's Music |
| 01/1954 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5268 (US) | . |
Blue Monday
/ Down The Road |
| 01/1954 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5268 (US) | . |
Blue Monday
/ Down The Road |
| 1954 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5279 (US) | . | The Rocks / Sentimental Reasons |
| 1954 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5279 (US) | . | The Rocks / Sentimental Reasons |
| 1954 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5296 (US) | . | Can't Stop Loving You / That Certain Door |
| 1954 | SP IMPERIAL 45-5296 (US) | . | Can't Stop Loving You / That Certain Door |
| 10/1954 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5316 (US) | . | Too Many Drivers / Ooh La La |
| 10/1954 | SP IMPERIAL X5316 (US) | . | Too Many Drivers / Ooh La La |
| 01/1955 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5325 (US) | . | Jailbird / Farewell |
| 01/1955 | SP IMPERIAL X5325 (US) | . | Jailbird / Farewell |
| 1955 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5331 (US) | . | Lil Liza Jane / ? |
| 1955 | SP IMPERIAL X5331 (US) | . | Lil Liza Jane / ? |
| 05/1955 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5349 (US) | . | Real Gone Lover / Nobody Knows |
| 05/1955 | SP IMPERIAL X5349 (US) | . | Real Gone Lover / Nobody Knows |
| 07/1955 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5356 (US) | . |
I Hear You Knockin'
/ Bumpity Bump |
| 07/1955 | SP IMPERIAL X5356 (US) | . |
I Hear You Knockin'
/ Bumpity Bump |
| 12/1955 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5372 (US) | . | Come On / Queen Of Hearts |
| 12/1955 | SP IMPERIAL X5372 (US) | . | Come On / Queen Of Hearts |
| 02/1956 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5380 (US) | . |
One Night
/ Ain't Gonna Do It |
| 02/1956 | SP IMPERIAL X5380 (US) | . |
One Night
/ Ain't Gonna Do It |
| 04/1956 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5389 (US) | . | She's Got Me Hook Line And Sinker / Please Listen To Me |
| 04/1956 | SP IMPERIAL X5389 (US) | . | She's Got Me Hook Line And Sinker / Please Listen To Me |
| 08/1956 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5404 (US) | . |
Down Yonder We Go Ballin'
/ Someday You'll Want
Me |
| 08/1956 | SP IMPERIAL X5404 (US) | . |
Down Yonder We Go Ballin'
/ Someday You'll Want
Me |
| 11/1956 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5418 (US) | . |
Shame Shame Shame
/ No No |
| 11/1956 | SP IMPERIAL X5418 (US) | . |
Shame Shame Shame
/ No No |
| 03/1957 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5431 (US) | . | You Are My Sunshine / Sweeter Words Have Never Been Spoken |
| 03/1957 | SP IMPERIAL X5431 (US) | . | You Are My Sunshine / Sweeter Words Have Never Been Spoken |
| 07/1957 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5450 (US) | . | Go On Fool / Goin' To Jump And Shout |
| 07/1957 | SP IMPERIAL X5450 (US) | . | Go On Fool / Goin' To Jump And Shout |
| 1957 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5470 (US) | . | Rootin' And Tootin' / I Can't Believe |
| 1957 | SP IMPERIAL X5470 (US) | . | Rootin' And Tootin' / I Can't Believe |
| 11/1957 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5478 (US) | . | Bad Luck Blues / School Days Are Back Again |
| 11/1957 | SP IMPERIAL X5478 (US) | . | Bad Luck Blues / School Days Are Back Again |
| 1958 | 78 t. IMPERIAL 5531(US) | . | Lil' Liza Jane / My Love is Gone |
| 07/1958 | SP IMPERIAL X5531 (US) | . | Lil' Liza Jane / My Love is Gone |
| 1959 | SP KNIGHT X2011 (US) | . | By The Water / Lost Week End |
| 04/1960 | SP IMPERIAL X5662 (US) | . | Oh Red! / I Want To Be With Her |
| 07/1960 | SP IMPERIAL X5676 (US) | . | Last Night / Ain't Goin' There No More |
| 01/1961 | SP IMPERIAL X5719 (US) | . | Stormy Monday Blues / Tell Me Who |
| 03/1962 | SP IMPERIAL X5820 (US) | . | Gumbo Blues / Tee Nah Nah |
| 03/1962 | SP OKEH 4-7146 (US) | . | Tore Up / I´m Coming Down With The Blues |
| 1964 | SP DOT 45-16674 (US) | . | I Wonder / Lookin' For My Woman |
| 12/1965 | SP LOMA 2024 (US) | . | The Smiley Lewis Band - The Bells Are Ringing / Walkin´ The Girl |
| 1966 | SP WARNER BROS. 103 (F) | . | Walkin' The Girl / ? |
| 1970 | SP LIBERTY 5C 006-92195 (NL) |
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I Hear You Knockin'
/
One Night
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| 19?? | SP GIGI 561 (US) | . |
I Hear You Knockin'
/ Bumpity Bump |
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Albums
| 1956 | LP 12" IMPERIAL LP 9141 (US) |
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I Hear You Knocking - The Bells Are Ringing / Standing On The Corner / Blue Monday / Down The Road / Last Week / Real Gone Lover / Bumpity Bump / I Hear You Knocking / I Can't Believe It / Hey Girl / One Night / Nothing But The Blues | ||||
| 1970 | LP 12" LIBERTY LBS 83308 (US) |
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Shame Shame Shame - Shame Shame Shame / No No / Queen Of Hearts / Gypsy Blues / Lillie Mae / That Certain Door / Playgirl / One Night / I Hear You Knocking / Bumpity Bump / Caldonia's Party / Big Mamou / If You Ever Loved A Woman / Real Gone Lover / Dirty People / Down The Road | ||||
| 1978 | LP 12" UNITED ARTISTS UAS 30167 (US) |
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THE SMILEY LEWIS STORY - I HEAR YOU KNOCKING - Down The Road / The Rocks / Real Gone Lover / Lost Weekend / Bumpity Bump / I Here You Knocking / Queen Of Hearts / Come On / Rootin’ And Tootin’ / One Night / Shame Shame Shame / Please Listen To Me / Down Yonder We Go Ballin’ / Go On Fool / Bad Luck Blues / Stormy Monday Blues | ||||
| 1978 | LP 12" UNITED ARTISTS UA 30186 (US) |
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The Smiley Lewis Story Vol. 1 - The Bells Are Ringing - My Baby Was Right / Growing Old / Lowdown / Where Were You / Dirty People / Sad Life / Bee's Boogie / The Bells Are Ringing / Gumbo Blues / Ain't Gonna Do It / You're Not The One / Big Mamou / Caldonia's Party / Oh Baby / Playgirl / Blue Monday | ||||
| 1984 | LP 12" K.C. K.C. 102 (UK) |
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Hook Line And Sinker - Lillie Mae / Gypsy Blues / My Baby Was Right (alt.) / That Certain Door / It's Music / Jailbird / Nobody Knows / Oh Red / Can't Stop Lovin' You / No No / Hook Line & Sinker / If You Ever Used A Woman / Standing On The Corner / It's So Peaceful / Slide Me Down (alt.) / Don't Jive Me | ||||
| 1984 | LP 12" K.C. K.C. 103 (UK) |
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Caldonia's Party - My Baby Was Right / Growing Old / Lowdown / Where Were You / Dirty People / Sad Life / Bee's Boogie / The Bells Are Ringing / Gumbo Blues / Ain't Gonna Do It / You're Not The One / Big Mamou / Caldonia's Party / Oh Baby / Play Girl / Blue Monday | ||||
| 1984 | LP 12" K.C. K.C. 104 (UK) |
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Down Yonder - Down The Road / The Rocks / Real Gone Lover / Lost Weekend / Bumpity Bump / I Hear You Knocking / Queen Of Hearts / Come On / Rootin' And Tootin' / One Night / Shame, Shame, Shame / Please Listen To Me / Down Yonder We Go Ballin' / Go On Fool / Bad Luck Blues / Stormy Monday Blues | ||||
| 1984 | LP 12" Pathé Marconi EMI 1561391 (F) |
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Ooh La La - How Long / Ooh La La / Goin' To Jump And Shout / Schooldays Are Back Again / Ain't Goin' There No More / Last Night / I Want To Be With Her / Tee-Nah-Nah / You're Gonna Miss Me / Lonesome Highway / I Love You For Sentimental Reasons / Lying Woman / No Letter Today / Mama Don't Like | ||||
| 1986 | LP 12" IMPERIAL 1566321 (F) |
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No No - My Baby Was Right / Can't Stop Loving You / Farewell / I Can't Believe It / Hey Girl / Nothing But The Blues / No No / Someday You'll Want Me / When Did You Leave Heaven / I Wake Up Screaming / Crazy / Tell Me Who / These Bones / Goin' Down The Road | ||||
| 1986 | LP 12" EMI AMERICA SQ 17236 (UK) |
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I HEAR YOU KNOCKING - I Hear You Knocking / One Night / Down The Road / Shame, Shame, Shame / She's Got Me Hook / Tee Nah-Nah / Down Yonder / Big Mamou / Caldonia's Party / The Bells Are Ringing / Someday / Jailbird / Real Gone Lover / Little Fernandez | ||||
| 198? | LP 12" JUGOTON GP-5000 (YOU) |
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Lonesome Road Blues - Lowdown / My Baby / Sad Life / Lonesome Road Blues / Mistreatin' Baby / Be Good To Me, Mama / Queen Of Hearts / No, No / Shame, Shame, Shame / Stormy Monday / If You Ever Loved A Woman / Dirty People / Little Mae / Caldonia's Party / Big Mamou / Play Girl / Down The Road / Real Gone Lover / Bumpty Bump / I Hear You Knockin' | ||||
| 1993 | 4 CD BEAR FAMILY BCD 15745 DI (GER) |
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Shame, Shame, Shame :
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| 1995 | CD COLLECTABLES COL-5630 (US) |
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The Best Of Smiley Lewis - I Hear You Knocking - Tee Nah Nah / Dirty People / Bee's Boogie / The Bells Are Ringing / Lillie Mae / Gumbo Blues / Ain't Gonna Do It / Caldonia's Party / Big Mamou / Down The Road / Blue Monday / Jailbird / Real Gone Lover / I Hear You Knocking / Bumpity Bump / Queen Of Hearts / Come On / Nothing But The Blues / One Night / She's Got Me Hook, Line & Sinker / Please Listen To Me / Rootin' And Tootin' / Down Yonder (We Go Ballin') / Shame, Shame, Shame | ||||
| 03/2004 | CD Proper 2039 (UK) |
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A Proper Introduction to Smiley Lewis - Gumbo Blues - Tee-Nah-Nah / Lowdown / Slide Me Down / Growing Old / If You Ever Loved A Woman / Dirty People / Where Were You / My Baby / Sad Life / Bee's Boogie / Don't Jive Me / My Baby Was Right / The Bells Are Ringing / Lillie Mae / Gypsy Blues / You're Not The One / Gumbo Blues / It's So Peaceful / Caldonia's Party / Oh Baby / Big Mamou / Playgirl / Little Fernandez / It's Magic | ||||
| 02/2006 | CD Classics CLASSICS 5166 (US) |
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THE CHRONOLOGICAL SMILEY LEWIS 1947-1952 - Turn On Your Volume Baby / Here Comes Smiley / Tee Nah Nah / Low Down / Slide Me Down / Growing Old / If You Ever Loved A Woman / Dirty People / Where Were You / My Baby / Sad Life / Bee's Boogie / Don't Jive Me / My Baby Was Right / The Bells Are Ringin' / Lillie Mae / You're Gonna Miss Me / Gypsy Blues / You're Not The One / Gumbo Blues / Ain't Gonna Do It / It's So Peaceful | ||||
| 09/2007 | CD Rev-Ola CRBAND 24 (UK) |
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Mama Don't Like It! 1950-1956 - Shame, Shame, Shame / I Hear You Knocking / The Bells Are Ringing / One Night / Please Listen To Me / Tee Nah Nah / Growind Old / Dirty People / Bee's Boogie / Lillie Mae / My Baby Was Right / Gumbo Blues / I Ain't Gonna Do It / Caldonia's Party / Big Mamou / Playgirl / Lying Woman / Blue Monday / Down The Road / Can't Stop Loving You / Ooh La La / Jailbird / Real Gone Lover / Bumpity Bump / I Can't Believe It / Queen Of Hearts / Nothing But The Blues / She's Got Me Hook, Line And Sinker / Rootin' And Tootin' / Down Yonder We Go Ballin' / No Letter Today / Mama Don't Like It / Shame, Shame, Shame | ||||
| 03/2010 | CD BEAR FAMILY BCD 16676 (GER) |
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ROCKS - Shame, Shame, Shame / Big Mamou / Ain't Gonna Do It / Down The Road / The Bells Are Ringing / Can't Stop Loving You / Ooh La La / My Baby Was Right / Blue Monday / Dirty People / Jailbird / Where Were You / Real Gone Lover / Bumpity Bump / I Hear You Knocking / Sad Life / Come On / Bee's Boogie / Queen Of Hearts / Lillie Mae / One Night / Caldonia's Party / Nothing But The Blues / She's Got Me Hook, Line & Sinker / Rootin' And Tootin' / Please Listen To Me / Down Yonder We Go Ballin' / No Letter Today / Mama Don't Like / Play Girl / Go On Fool / Goin' To Jump And Shout / Bad Luck Blues / School Days Are Back Again / Lil Liza Jane / Shame, Shame, Shame! | ||||
| 05/2016 | 2 CD ACROBAT ADDCD 3157 (UK) |
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THE SMILEY LEWIS COLLECTION -
1947-1961 :
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| 12/2016 | 4 CD Real Gone RGMCD251 (EUR) |
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I Hear You Knocking 1947 - 1962 :
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| 08/2018 | 2 CD Jasmine JASMCD 3097 (UK) |
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Rootin' & Tootin' - The New Orleans R&B Of Smiley Lewis - The Complete Imperial Singles A'S B's - 1950-1961 :
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© Rocky Productions 14/03/2021
