Little Willie Littlefield: 1 Career
Little Willie Littlefield: 1 Career
Little Willie Littlefield: 1 Career
Willie Littlefield, Jr.,[2] billed as Little Willie Little- 1.2 Success at Modern records
field (September 16, 1931 – June 23, 2013),[3] was an
American R&B and boogie-woogie pianist and singer[4] Back at Modern Records, he recorded “It’s Midnight”,
whose early recordings “formed a vital link between which became a national hit, reaching number three on
boogie-woogie and rock and roll".[4] Littlefield was re- the Billboard R&B chart, and its follow-up, “Farewell”,
garded as a teenage wonder and overnight sensation when which reached number five.[7] He became a major night-
in 1949, at the age of 18, he popularized the triplet club attraction and recorded with West Coast musicians
piano style on his Modern Records debut single “It’s such as Maxwell Davis. Don Wilkerson, Littlefield’s
Midnight”.[5] He also recorded the first version of the schoolmate and the leading saxman in his band, also
song "Kansas City" (originally issued as “K. C. Lovin'"), travelled to Los Angeles, but Milburn promptly per-
in 1952. suaded him to lead his own new band, the Aladdin
Chickenshackers.[6]
Modern Records booked Littlefield for three recording
sessions in October 1949, followed by more sessions over
the next two months at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.
1 Career During these three months alone, over 22 sides were cut –
an unusual output compared to that of most other artists,
who averaged only two sessions a year. Other musicians
1.1 Early career at these sessions included the saxophonists Maxwell Davis
and Buddy Floyd, the guitarists Chuck Norris and Johnny
Littlefield was born in El Campo, Texas, and grew up in Moore, and the drummers Al Wichard and Jessie Price.[6]
Houston with his mother. By 1947, at the age of sixteen, One of his 1950 recordings, “Happy Pay Day”, a song
he was already a local attraction in many of the clubs on written by Jack Holmes, was later rewritten by Holmes
Dowling Street in Houston and was recording for Eddie with entirely different lyrics as "The Blacksmith Blues",
Henry, a local record shop proprietor who ran his own which became a hit for Ella Mae Morse.[8]
label, Eddie’s Records.[6] He formed his first band with In 1951, his duet with Little Lora Wiggins, “I've Been
the saxophonist Don Wilkerson, a friend from school.[4] Lost”, reached number 10 on the R&B chart.[7]
Littlefield was strongly influenced by the boogie-woogie In 1952 he moved to the Federal subsidiary of King
pianist Albert Ammons. A particular favourite of his Records. His first session for Federal produced “K. C.
was Ammons’s “Swanee River Boogie”, which he later Loving”, written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and
recorded for Eddie’s Records.[6] Other major influences later re-recorded by Wilbert Harrison as "Kansas City".
on Littlefield’s style were the Texas musicians Charles
Brown and Amos Milburn.[3] Littlefield learned most of By 1957 Littlefield had moved to northern California and
their “chops” and soon developed his own distinctive continued to record for Don Barksdale’s Rhythm label
triplet style, which was widely copied by R&B musicians in San [6] Francisco, where he produced the single “Ruby,
in the early 1950s, particularly Fats Domino, who incor- Ruby”. Littlefield’s recording and his subsequent re-
porated it into his New Orleans rhythm and blues. [6] leases were not successful, but he remained a popular per-
former in clubs in the San Francisco area.
His first recording, “Little Willie’s Boogie”, was a hit in
Texas in 1949 and brought him to the attention of Jules In the late 1970s he toured Europe successfully, settling in
Bihari, of Modern Records in Los Angeles, who was the Netherlands and releasing a number of albums from
searching for a performer to rival the success of Amos 1982 into the late 1990s [9]
for the Oldie Blues label from
[4]
Milburn. Bihari flew to Houston in July 1949 to inves- Martin van Olderen.
tigate the city’s black entertainment venues and heard of
a “teenage wonder boy pianist” who was causing a stir at
the Eldorado Ballroom. Bihari went to hear Littlefield 1.3 Retirement and comeback
and soon arranged for an audition at a local studio. The
session was captured on acetate disc, with Bihari, clearly After touring for more than 50 years, Littlefield stopped
audible in the background, calling for Littlefield to play in 2000. After five years of retirement in his adopted
popular R&B tunes of the day.[6] home country, the Netherlands, he decided to play again,
1
2 2 SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
• 1948 (late): “Medley Boogie”, Eddie’s (unreleased) • 1953: “Rock a Bye Baby” / “Miss K. C.'s Fine”,
Federal 12148 (shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”)
• 1949 (early): “What’s the Use” / “Chicago Bound”,
• 1/54: “Please Don't Go-o-o-o-oh” / “Don't Take
Eddie’s 1205 (shellac, 10”)
My Heart Little Girl”, Federal 12163 (shellac, 10";
• c. 3/49: “Littlefield Boogie” (flip side, “Sweet Ole vinyl, 7”)
Woman’s Blues” by Goree Carter), Freedom 1502 • 1954: “Falling Tears” / “Goofy Dust Blues” Federal
(shellac, 10”) 12174 (shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”)
• 1949: “Boogie Woogie Playgirl” / “Swanee River” • 1955: “Jim Wilson’s Boogie” / “Sitting on the Curb-
(piano solo), Eddie’s 1212 (shellac, 10”) stone”, Federal 12221 (shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”)
2.3 Selected compilation albums 3
• 8/57: “Mistreated” / “Baby Shame”, Rhythm 107 • 1997: The Red One, Oldie Blues OLCD 7005
(shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”) (recorded June 1997)
• 12/57: “Ruby-Ruby”, with the Mondellos (vocal • 2006: Little Willie Littlefield Live, Schubert Records
group) / “Easy Go” (instrumental), Rhythm 108 SCH-205 (recorded live in Germany, April 20,
(vinyl, 7”) 2006)
• 1958: “Theresa”, with female vocal group / “The • 2008: Old Time Feeling, Stormy Monday 81242[14]
Day the Rains Came” (instrumental), Rhythm 124
(vinyl, 7”)
2.3 Selected compilation albums
• 1958: “Ruby-Ruby”, with the Mondellos (vocal
group) / “Easy Go” (instrumental), Bullseye 1005 • 1977: K.C. Loving, K.C. 101 (LP)
(shellac, 10"; vinyl, 7”)
• 1980: Volume 1, Ace 10 CH 24 (10” 8-track album)
• 1958: “I Need a Payday” / “I Want a Little Girl”,
• 1981: Volume 2, Ace 10 CH 34 (10” 8-track album)
Rhythm 115 (vinyl, 7”)
• 1984: Jump with Little Willie Littlefield, Ace CHD
• c. 4/59: “Kansas City” ["K. C. Loving"] / “The Mid-
114
night Hour Was Shining”, Federal 12351 (vinyl, 7”)
• 1993: I'm in the Mood, Oldie Blues OLCD 7002
• 1959: “Goodbye Baby” / “I Wanna Love You”,
(recorded 1982, 1983)
Rhythm 130 (vinyl, 7”)
• 1995: Going Back to Kay Cee, Ace CDCHD 503
• 1960: “Ruby-Ruby”, with the Mondellos (vocal
group) / “Easy Go” (instrumental), Argyle 1013 • 1999: Kat on the Keys, Ace CDCHD 736
(vinyl, 7”)
• 2005: Boogie, Blues and Bounce: The Modern
• 1975: “Mac’s Old House” / “San Jose Express”, Recordings Volume 2, Ace CDCHD 1056
Blues Connoisseur 1008 (vinyl, 7”)
[5] Topping, Ray, Kat On The Keys, liner notes, CDCHD 736
(1999)
5 External links
• Biography at Allmusic
• Little Willie Littlefield discography compiled by
Pete Hoppula
• Little Willie Littlefield discography at Discogs
6.2 Images
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SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?