Bobby Marchan (April 30, 1930 – December 5, 1999) was an American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, recording artist, bandleader, MC, and female impersonator.
Marchan was born Oscar James Gibson in Youngstown, Ohio and grew up with adolescent loves of blues
music and men in drag. By 1953, he was working in a troupe of female
impersonators known as the Powder Box Revue, who came to New Orleans to perform
at
the Dew Drop Inn. He liked the city's liberal attitude and decided to stay. Marchan became the MC at the Tiajuana Club, where he discussed make-up with Little Richard.
the Dew Drop Inn. He liked the city's liberal attitude and decided to stay. Marchan became the MC at the Tiajuana Club, where he discussed make-up with Little Richard.
He made two records in 1954 ("Just A Little Walk"
for Aladdin and "You Made A Fool Out Of Me" for Dot), but they made
little impact. The New Orleans pianist Huey Smith took Johnny Vincent of Ace
Records to see Marchan at the Tiajuana. Vincent gave him $200 and a record
contract, thinking that he had signed a female vocalist.
In 1956, Marchan's recording of Smith's novelty song
"Little Chickee Wah-Wah" sold reasonably well and he appeared at the
Apollo Club in Harlem and at the Brooklyn Paramount. He and Smith decided to
work together by forming a group, Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns.
Smith would write, arrange, record and play piano while Marchan would sing.
From 1957, Marchan also toured with the Clowns, the band led
by Huey "Piano" Smith, sometimes performing as lead singer and
bandleader in place of Smith, who reputedly would stay in New Orleans to write
and record while his band played clubs and toured. The touring band included
James Booker on piano. Marchan also recorded with the band, singing on Huey
Smith and the Clowns' hit records "Rockin'
Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu," "Don't You Just Know It," and the original version of "Sea Cruise" (later recorded by Frankie Ford), among others.
Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu," "Don't You Just Know It," and the original version of "Sea Cruise" (later recorded by Frankie Ford), among others.
In 1958 Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns released
one of the greatest double-sided singles in rock'n'roll - "High Blood
Pressure" and "Don't You Just Know It". The latter, with its
call and response chorus, was written around a phrase used by their coach
driver. The single climbed to No 9 in the US charts. Their album, Having A Good
Time, shows that Smith knew how to write for Marchan's soaring high-pitched
vocals, but Marchan was not happy at seeing only Smith's face on the cover.
In 1959, he left the Clowns and resumed his solo career, on
Bobby Robinson's Fire record label. He had a number one hit on the national
R&B chart in 1960 with "There's Something on Your Mind", a cover
of a song written and first performed by Big Jay McNeely, but with Marchan
adding lengthy spoken word passages.
A series of Fire singles followed in rapid succession, among them "Booty Green," "All in My Mind," "What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You," and "Yes, It's Written All Over Your Face," but none earned much attention on the national charts.
A series of Fire singles followed in rapid succession, among them "Booty Green," "All in My Mind," "What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You," and "Yes, It's Written All Over Your Face," but none earned much attention on the national charts.
In 1964 Marchan toured with Otis Redding, who recommended
him to Stax, where he cut two singles, "What Can I Do" and
"Mary's Little Lamb". He moved from label to label and recorded the
original version of what later became Slade's first hit, "Get Down and Get
With It" for Dial records in 1965. The song was covered by Little Richard,
and then reworked in 1971 by British glam rock band Slade as "Get Down and
Get with It", giving the band their first chart hit.
After moving to Cameo-Parkway Records he had some success
with "There's Something About You, Baby", and then his second solo
R&B chart hit in 1966 with "Shake Your Tambourine." Subsequent
efforts, including 1967's "Meet Me in Church" and "You Better
Hold On," received scant attention, however, and after 1968's "(Ain't
No Reason) For Girls to Be Lonely" -- a one-shot for Gamble -- Marchan
spent nearly a decade without a record deal, returning to his drag roots yet
again also regularly performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
By 1977 he was installed as the MC at New Orleans' Club
Alhambra, resurfacing that same year on Mercury with "I Wanna Bump With
the Big Fat Woman," soon followed by another novelty effort, "Disco
Rabbit." Around 1983 Marchan founded his own production company, Manicure,
to scout and promote up-and-coming hip-hop acts including Take Fo' Records
bounce music artist DJ Jubilee. In 1987 Marchan recorded his final single, an
updated version of "There Is Something on Your Mind," and later
helped found the Cash Money label.
In recent years, Marchan developed cancer and had a kidney
removed. He worked when he could and Westside Records had rush- released a
Bobby Marchan CD, Clown Jewels - the Masters 1956-75, so that he could see it
before he died in Gretna, Louisiana on December 5, 1999, aged 69.
Marchan was proud of his music, saying "I thought we
made records that were different from everyone else in the 1950s." (Edited from Wikipedia, The Independent &
AllMusic)
1 comment:
For “Bobby Marchan – Get Down With It: The Soul Sides 1963-1967” go here:
https://mega.nz/file/8vwGyYoY#eQMTnLUtVBn2ZKiKq_H2wLSlaN1q1ZJR0015GjROxTM
1 Meet Me In Church
2 Funny Style
3 There's Something About My Baby
4 Just To Hold My Hand
5 Just Be Yourself
6 You Won't Do Right
7 Everything A Poor Man Needs
8 What Can I Do (Pt 1)
9 What Can I Do (Pt 2)
10 Hooked
11 That's the Way It Goes
12 I Gotta Sit Down And Cry
13 Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogaloo Flu
14 Half A Mind
15 Shake Your Tambourine
16 Someone To Take Your Place
17 Sad Sack
18 I Feel It Coming
19 Help Yourself
20 Just A Little Bit
21 Hello Happiness
22 I Just Want What Belongs To Me
23 Too Late For Our Love
24 I've Got A Thing Going On
25 You Better Hold On
26 Gimme Your Love
27 Don't Worry About Tomorrow
28 Get Down With It
A big thank you to Groovy Gumbo for the mp3’s.
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For “Bobby Marchan – There Is Something On My Mind” go here:
https://mega.nz/file/ovgSgaAC#4KiXIePrpvOyvb9x0iL8L7oXRs_Yn-WdvpIX4KLRHOg
01 There Is Something On Your Mind (part 1)
02 There Is Something On Your Mind (part 2)
03 Snoopin' And Accusin'
04 It's Written All Over Your Face
05 Hurts Me To My Heart
06 The Things I Used To Do (part 1)
07 The Things I Used To Do (part 2)
08 The Booty Green
09 I Need Someone (I Need You)
10 I Miss You So
11 You're Still My Baby (part 1)
12 You're Still My Baby (part 2)
13 This Is The Life
14 Look At My Heart
15 All In My Mind
16 It's Written All Over Your Face(part 1)(unrel
17 It's Written All Over Your Face(part 2)(unrel
18 What You Don't Know Don't Hurt You
Released by Relic Records in 1994 as “The Booty Green” and also “Something On Your Mind.”
Also released by Fuel Records as “Get Down With It” in 2014.
Confusingly the same playlist has also released under other various different titles.
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