Customer Reviews

Fats Is Back

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It was his first studio album in years [ABC-Paramount issued four albums 1963 to 1966, including one for Holland only; Mercury apparently withdrew a '66 album]. Added to this lack of product on the long-play side, his last chart entry for major trade publications was early in '65. So by 1968, it was time for a "Comeback". Unlike many such efforts, this one had a first-class producer, Richard Perry, who got together excellent tunes and a strong backup. There were many hitworthy tracks, especially James Booker's jaunty "One For The Highway", and a nice 4/4 "Make Me Belong To You". A real throwback to New Orleans was "Honest Papas Love Their Mamas Better". Also included were two remakes, the '59 smash "I'm Ready" and a little known B-side ballad from Broadmoor in '67, "Wait Till It Happens To You", much better on Warner Bros. Interestingly enough, Fats' minor hit from the session(s), the Beatles' "Lady Madonna" is not really the most impressive cut; also another Beatles' composition "Lovely Rita" should have been issued on a B-side only - the great Randy Newman tune "Have You Seen My Baby?" [presumed to have been cut at this session(s)] was 45rpm only for Fats and would have elevated this already strong album. A small criticism would be the overly "Beatle-esque" production values for a pionner who inspired 'em. Still, this is a very long overdue re-release. Historians please note that Fats' follow-up album (called "Fats") for Warner Bros. came in early '71 for international issue only. It reportedly contains mainly c. '66-'67 material, including "Wait Till It Happens To You". That album is surely one of the most sought after Domino releases.

It's a toss-up between Fats' first and last ABC-Paramount albums ("Here Comes Fats Domino" and "The Best Of Fats Domino", respectively) but this 1968 effort produced by Richard Perry, despite some wrongheaded overproduction and the inclusion of a weak Beatles' cover of "Lovely Rita", had "Grammy" written all over it. "Honest Papas..." and "One For The Highway" are two of his greatest cuts; "Make Me Belong To You" is a mid-tempo sentimental classic, released on 45rpm and sadly ignored.
"Wait Till It Happens To You" is a recut of an earlier recording for Broadmoor and this is another excellent example of New Orleans-based triplet arranging.
Above I mentioned ABC-Paramount and that's the label that originally issued Fats' "There Goes My Heart Again", most recently issued on CD as "The Paramount Years". Good luck, contributor from Donabate!

Fats in good shape with famous musicians like James Booker a.o. singing some new(1968) song and some old ones(I'm Ready) Paul McCartney wrote Lady Madonna thinking Fats should record it and he did on this album. It was his first album to record in his career: the others where compilations. So get this very rare album, which is no longer available on LP.

At least with Fats Domino you know what you're getting. Indeed it is the predicability of his Creole rhythms, New Orl'n accent, bluesy intonation and narrow range of lyrics (almost always about losing his girl) that endears him to most of his avid followers. And I am one - having bought 'Ain't That a Shame' when I was 12 and stuck obsessively ever since. This cd is a 1968 session made when he was in the doldrums, so much so he told the producer he didn't want to play piano on the tracks - and he only plays on the excellent 'I'm Ready' (track 2)- James Booker of Lloyd Price fame plays on the others! He plays two Beatles hits, 'Lady Madonna' the lyrics of which mystified him but is a cracking, driving number very much extracted by the Beatles from a Domino format, and the best forgotten 'Lovely Rita' which is the worst track on the cd. The other tracks are full of losing his girl but there is a cunning note-for-note replay of the piano break on 'The Fat Man' in the middle of 'Honest Papas Loves Their Mamas Best' - very post modernist and reflective and also very much about the best of Fats Domino's oeuvre; the only thing though it ain't Fats playing the piano! Mores the pity. We needed more tracks (only 30 minutes here) which makes the final track 'One More Song For You' rather ironic - we could have done with another dozen at least; but that was the way they made their LPs in those days. Some Fats tracks barely pushed 2 minutes on the original Imperial releases. A good cd and essential to those Domino afficionadoes who simply can't get enough!

I am looking for a recording of "There Goes My Heart" and it goes something like this There Goes My Heart, There goes the one I love, there goes the girl I am not worthy of, there goes my everthing it couldn't be, there goes somebody else instead of me. Good bye romance - I knew it could'nt last......etc....

I think it was recorded by Fats Domino. Any further information would help. Many thanks