New York City - The Blues Yesterday Vol.3

01. I’ve got to know
02. Cuddle up

Guitar Crusher (Sidney Selby) - vocals, guiyar
B. Brown – harmonica
Clyde Sykes – piano
Willie Blair – basss,  drums
New York City, 1962


03. I feel the pain
04. Itch with me
05. The monkey
06. I once loved you baby

Guitar Crusher – vocals, guitar; band 
New York City, 21 august 1962

07. I can’t help it
08. Better days ahead
09. Why oh why
10. Weak for your love

Guitar Crusher – vocals, guitar; band 
Cincinnati, Oh. 8 may 1963


11. I’ll catch your tears
12. Goin’ down slow

Guitar Crusher – vocals, guitar; band 
New York City, 12 january 1967


13. Since my baby hit the numbers
14. Hambone blues
15. What about me?

Guitar Crusher – vocals
Jimmy Spruill - guitar 
Alvin Lee - guitar 
Terry Noonan – trumpet
Bud Parks – trumpet
Alan Skidmore – tenor saxophone 
Les Wigfield – tenor saxophone 
Dave Willis -  baritone saxophone 
Chick Churchill – piano
Leo Lyons – bass
Ric Lee – drums
New York City, 6 august  1968


16. Need your love
17. Yes I will

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone 
Jimmy Spruill - guitar 
Horace Cooper – piano, bass, drums
vocal group
New York City, july 1957


18. Believe me darling
19. Come on little boy

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone,  guitar,  bass 
Bernard Purdie – drums
New York City, 1960


20. What ya gonna do?

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone,  vocals 
Billy Butler – guitar, bass
Bernard Purdie – drums
New York City, 1962


21. I don't wanta
    I still love him

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone,  vocals 
Band
New York City, april 1963


22. Georgia mule
    Mama I love him so

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone
Paul Williams – baritone saxophone
Band
New York City, September  1963


23. Go away Mr blues (Everlast 45)
24. Possum belly overalls (Everlast 45)

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone
Jimmy Spruill – guitar
B. Brown - harmonica
Royal Hamilton – piano, bass
Willie Jenkins – drums
New York City 1964


25. Possum belly overalls (Shaw 45)
26. Go away Mr blues (Shaw 45)

June Bateman - vocals 
Noble Watts – tenor saxophone
Band
New York City 1965


27. Queen Bee
You made me do it

Bee Bee Queen – vocals
Teacho Wilshire – piano
Band
New York City, 1956


28. I Wanna be loved
29. Yes Sir’ee

Bee Bee Queen – vocals
Teacho Wilshire – piano
Band
New York City, 1957

And there it is the third volume of our New York City blues Yesterday series.

Guitar Crusher was born Sidney Selby in Hyde County (North Carolina) on July 28th 1931. He started to sing at an early age in the Baptist Church of his mother and followed her to New York around 1950. Very fond of the R&B bands of Harlem, he started to lead his own group, The Midnight Rockers with whom he played in the clubs. His moniker (Guitar Crusher) seems to come from the consequence of a brawl in a bar and not because he anticipated the histrionics stage acts of Jimi Hendrix! Anyway, Guitar Crusher enjoyed some success during the 60's when he recorded a string of nice 45s and toured with such names as the Drifters, the Isley Brothers or Ben E. King. The 70's were nevertheless lean years for him and he then drifted into obscurity, making a living outside of music. But some of his 45 having been reissued on British LP's, he was rediscovered by European blues buffs during the late 80's and persuaded to resume his musical career. He even settled in Germany where he recorded several CD's. He is still sporadically singing on stage in Europe. We have here gathered all his New York 45's.

June Bateman (born Marian June Batemon on November 17th 1939 at Schulenburg, Tx) has came with her parents at an early age to New York, living in Brooklyn. Still a teenager, she started to sing with local groups like The Marquis. But this is only when she met (and quickly married) the famous sax player Noble Watts - see the article on him in this blog - that she embarked in a fully musical professional career. As the featured singer of her husband's orchestra, she recorded a string of excellent 45s between blues, R&B and Rock'n'roll, some of them (Possum belly overalls) having even become "classics". She gave up her musical career during the late 60's to take care of her family, holding a steady job for the State of New York. In 1984, she followed Noble Watts to his native DeLand (Florida) where she is still living and playing an active part for the local and annual Noble "Thin Man" Watts festival.

At last, the so-called Bee Bee Queen is still a shadowy figure. She recorded two 45's in 1956-57. Any info about her would be welcome. Thanks a lot to Jack D., John Weill and the ever-reliable Gyro 1966 for their help when making this anthology. Two June Bateman titles (I still love him/ Mama I love him so) and one Bee Bee Queen (You made me do it) are still missing. Thanks by advance to anybody willing to share them. --- Gérard Herzhaft, jukegh.blogspot.com

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