Source material for Elvis geeks like me

 Those of you who saw us play the 2012 Art Fein Elvis Birthday Bash at the Echo might remember we did "I, John" (with guest bass singer Jesse Merlin and guest baritone George Wendt). Many of us best remember this one from his backstage version in Elvis On Tour, where he killed it.  Elvis was no weekend warrior as a gospel fan.  He knew the music very well, and it is a cinch that he was a fan of the Trumpeteers (a/k/a the CBS Trumpeteers), because he cut a great version of their signature 1947 hit "Milky White Way", a record that went far beyond being just a hit -- it was a stylistic cornerstone of quartet gospel.

Their lead singer, Joseph Johnson, had previously sung with the Golden Gate Quartet.  In the Trumpeteers, he brought about something a little more rhythmically aggressive.  Their "Leave That Liar Alone" is the obviously template for Ray Charles' "Leave My Woman Alone", too.  The stuff they cut for Score and King is always worth checking out.  I read someplace they made seventeen 78's for Score.  I have five, and they're all great.

This clip, taken from an (unnamed) sixties TV show gives us a glimpse into how great they were, up until Joseph Johnson died in '84.  I think -- along with Julius Cheeks of the Sensational Nightengales and Sam Cooke -- he's one of the real guys.  No wonder Elvis dug him.