Joe Boot & The Fabulous Winds (Seattle, Washington)
Personnel :
Joe Boot (Lead)
Robert Ayers
Rogers Wright
Discography :
1958 - Rock And Roll Radio / That's Tough (Celestial 111)
Biography :
Originally
formed in the early 1950s as the Southwinds, this 5-man vocal group
began by performing strictly gospel-oriented music. Strictly, that is,
until they crossed paths with a red-hot fireball of a rockin’ rhythm and
blues singer named Joe Boot. From that point on, group members would
ever be torn between spirituals and R&B. A compromise was struck and
they added Boot, renamed themselves the Fabulous Winds, and proceeded
to work up a mixed repertoire of tunes. While retaining some of their
devout members, the Winds worked out vocal arrangements for pop
standards and eventually some of Boot’s originals.
Floyd Standifer Orchestra
By
1957 the Winds found themselves at one of Seattle’s pioneering
recording studios, Dimensional Sound. Numerous sessions were held there
with instrumental backing by the Floyd Standifer Orchestra. Boot seemed
to know all of the top African-American stars who passed through town
and on one occasion in the fall of ’57 none other than Little Richard
Penniman stopped by a session at Dimensional and announced that he had
just given up rock ‘n’ roll and returned to religion. Furthermore,
having just abandoned his international rock tour, Penniman said that he
as going to appear down the street at the Moore Theater to spread the
Good Word at a revival show. After a quick prayer with Penniman, the Winds agreed to appear at
that show. But, unlike his sold-out dates in previous visits to Seattle –
including a blistering matinee show at the Eagles Auditorium that very
summer – Penniman’s Moore show was, reportedly, very poorly attended.
Joe Boot and the Fabulous Winds, however, went on to cut what was most
probably the very first rock ‘n’ roll record ever produced in the
Pacific Northwest. Issued by Dimensional’s in-house label, Celestial
Records, “Rock and Roll Radio” b/w “That’s Tough,” remains an
ultra-rare, but remains an ultra-rare, but essential, regional classic.
Songs :
Rock And Roll Radio / That's Tough