prissy, 1842 (?)

[Wilson Gray]

On Oct 22, 2004, at 1:51 AM, Sam Clements wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Sam Clements <SClements at NEO.RR.COM>
> Subject:      Re: prissy, 1842 (?)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Wilson Gray" <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 12:37 AM
> Subject: Re: prissy, 1842 (?)
>
>
>> BTW, you may recall that Abrahams mentions that his informants could
>> sing. That is an understatement. Those men constituted two
>> nationally-known - among blacks, that is - singing groups. As the
>> "Gladiolas," they recorded the original version of "Little Darling."
>> As
>> "Otis Williams and the Charms," they recorded the original version of
>> "Stay," if there's anyone else old enough to remember.
>>
>> -Wilson Gray
>>
>  I'm old enough, and from Virginia/Carolina.
>
> Otis Williams was distinct from Maurice Williams.

So distinct that I should have googled the name before I pulled it out
of ass.

>
>  http://home.att.net/~uncamarvy/Charms/charms.html
>
> Otis was NOT Maurice.
>
>
> "Stay" was written and recorded by Maurice Williams.  If  you need
> refreshed
> about their origins, read
>
> http://www.tsimon.com/zodiac.htm
>
> http://www.clarendontoday.com/Pages/011702/Clarendonlife/zodiacs.html
>
> They were originally the "Royal Charms," but I can understand how time
> can
> alter a memory.  My mom corrects me all the time about what I
> "remember."
>
> I'm also old enough to remember "Annie had a baby/ can't work no more"
> by
> Hank Ballard  and "Sixty Minute Man." By Billy Ward and the Dominoes.
>
> Neat stuff
>
> Sam Clements
>

You are, of course, correct, sir. At the time that I sent my post, I
knew that there were problems with it. But, I figured. what the hell?
Who;s going to care? Damn, Sam! If you'd really wanted to be helpful,
you would have posted the correct information while it was still
possible for me to get my post right! I do but jest, of course.

Hank Ballard originally called his group "The Royals." Under this name,
they released their first hit, "Get it." But there was already a group
that called itself "The Five Royales." They pronounced "royales" the
same as "royals." Their label's lawyers forced Ballard to give up the
original name and his group became "The Midnighters," who released
"Work With Me, Annie," followed by "Sexy Ways," followed by "Annie Had
A Baby." They also recorded and released the original version of "The
Twist," which Ballard wrote. Their popularity was so great that "work"
acquired the slang meaning, "(to engage in) sexual intercourse,"
"bedroom" became "workshop," and "bed" became "workbench." In fact, the
use of "work" in any context became double-entendre.

Back in the day, Downbeat magazine reviewed all black music and not
just jazz. It downed "Get It" and predicted that the flip side, whose
title I've forgotten, would be the hot seller. It was wrong.

-Wilson Gray