Customer Reviews

Walk That Mess

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Of the Tiny Bradshaw compilations available, this offers the most complete collection of his R&B hit singles from 1950 to 1953.

Born Myron Bradshaw on September 23, 1905 in Youngstown, Ohio, this drummer/pianist-cum-singer was a fixture on the King label, working with Lucky Millinder and Roy Brown, among others, while fronting his own band on some of the most popular singles of the day.

His first hit was Well Oh Well, # 2 R&B in the summer of 1950 and a chart presence for 21 weeks (the flip I Hate You is not included), and later that fall he took I'm Going To Have Myself A Ball b/w Butterfly to # 5. Almost a year would pass before he had another hit, this time a # 10 position for Walkin' The Chalk Line b/w Bradshaw Boogie.

After zeros in 1952, he roared back in early 1953 with what I consider to be his best, the not-so-soft Soft, which, featuring Red Prysock and his growling tenor sax, peaked at # 3 and stayed around for 14 weeks. Later, in 1957, this would be a # 35 Billboard Top 100 hit for Bill Doggett (again the flip, Strange, is omitted).

His final charter, also featuring Prysock, was the rollicking Heavy Juice b/w The Blues Came Pouring Down, which topped out at # 9 in August 1953.

Bradshaw, an inspiration for many subsequent artists like the Burnette Brothers (The Train Kept A-Rollin') and the great Buddy Holly, passed away on November 26, 1958 after suffering two crippling strokes.

No better example of a hugely popular R&B dance band exists for my money.