[Dixielandjazz] "Bad Boy" by Lil Armstrong

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Harry,
Here it all is from:
   http://www.colorradio.com/jivebombers.htm
"You have to go back to 1936 for the origins of the Jive Bombers  
biggest selling record. Lillian (Lil) Armstrong wrote and recorded it  
as Brown Gal, with her swing orchestra. It was issued on Decca 1092  
backed with "Or Leave Me Alone". She was the second wife of Louis  
Armstrong, and was accomplished in her own right. It was recorded by  
Deek Watson and the Ink Spots in 1938, and again by Deek in 1954. But,  
the Jive Bombers actually recorded in for the Citation label, only as  
a 78. The Jive Bombers go back to the 30's with Clarence Palmer as the  
lead, known as the Palmer Brothers, who were based out of Rhode  
Island. Palmer along with members of the group Sonny Austin and the  
Jive  Bombers, recorded Brown Boy, now as Al Sears and the Sparrows on  
Coral in 1949. In 1952 the group name was the Jive Bombers and they  
recorded it again for the Detroit based Citation records. In late  
1956, the title was changed to Bad Boy, and the   big hit version was  
waxed for Savoy. The Jive Bombers recorded four more discs for Savoy,   
and one for the Middle Tone label in 1964. The lineup was constantly  
changing, but lead  vocalist Clarence Palmer, Earl Johnson, plus Al  
and William Tinney, made up the group on   Savoy. The unique vocal  
styling's of Palmer created a great hit and several unique follow up  
recordings. They continued to sing for quite some time, just on the  
strength of "Bad Boy"."

No wonder I recognised it, as I have had the Lil recording of "Brown  
Gal" for years.
And no, Louis never recorded it.
"Brown Gal" is credited to (Armstrong-Avon) on the Decca disc and Avon  
appears to be Avon Long.
Now. Who was Avon Long?
ASCAP provides the following compositions to his credit, but he is not  
mentioned in my copy (1952) of the ASCAP Biographical Dictionary.
Bad Boy [with Lil Armstrong], Breathless, Let's Get Happy Together [a  
Lil tune], Topsy (I Ain't Gonna Be No), When I Went Back Home [with  
Lil Armstrong].
He also gets credit with Lil for a few other songs from 1936-40 and  
Lil Armstrong's period as a staff person at Decca.
That's all for now.
As your Governator said in that movie "I'll be back."
Kind regards,
Bill.
________________________________
Here are the Lil Armstrong 1936 lyrics:
"Brown Gal" (Armstrong - Avon)

Now I'm mighty like a rose, all dressed up in fancy clothes;
I'm just another brown gal that's all full of vim;
Well, here's the fix that I'm left in:

Now, I'm a brown gal,
Brown gal,
Makin' my life just a bubble,
Not even takin' the trouble to even blow the bubbles away.

Hmmm, brown gal,
Chocolate gal,
Got good intentions, but I break all conventions,
And I'm changing all my nights into days.

Hmmm, baby, now, the hot blazin' sun,
Has tanned my skin,
Too dark for trouble to find a way in,
Now, lordy, I can see,
Folks just laughin' at me;
But I was just naturally-born lazy!

Brown gal,
Chocolate gal,
Makin' my life just a bubble,
Not even takin' the trouble to even blow bubbles away.

Ooh, brown gal,
Chocolate gal,
Makin' my life just a bubble,
Not even takin' the trouble to even blow bubbles away.
__________________________________________
Here are the Jive Bomber lyrics.
"Bad Boy"
The Jive Bombers
(Avon Long and Lillian Hardin Armstrong)
Peaked at # 36 in 1957.
The only charted single for Earl Johnson, Clarence Palmer, Al Tinney,  
and Willia "Pee Wee" Tinney
I'm just a bad boy, (boy)
All dressed up in fancy clothes
I'm takin' the trouble
To blow my bubbles away

Bad boy (boy)
Life is just a bowl of cherries
I'm takin' the trouble
To turn my nights into days

The hot, blazin' sun (doo-doo, doo-doo)
Won't hurt my head (doo-doo, doo-doo)
`cause you'll always find me (doo-doo, doo-doo)
Right there in the shade (doo-doo, doo-doo)
I can see all the folks (doo-doo, doo-doo)
They're laughin' at me (doo-doo, doo-doo)
`cause I'm just naturally crazy

Bad boy (boy)
All dressed up in fancy clothes
I'm takin' the trouble
To blow my bubbles away

The hot, blazin' sun (doo-doo, doo-doo)
Won't hurt my head (doo-doo, doo-doo)
`cause you'll always find me (doo-doo, doo-doo)
Right there in the shade (doo-doo, doo-doo)
I can see all the folks (doo-doo, doo-doo)
They're laughin' at me (doo-doo, doo-doo)
`cause I'm just naturally lazy

Bad boy (ahh)
All dressed up in fancy clothes
I'm takin' the trouble
To blow my bubbles away
(BAD BOY!)