THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,561) The Blue Rondos — “Little Baby”
I’ve played the B-side (see #351), here is the “utterly magical” (Joe M’Geek, https://www.45cat.com/record/7n15734) A-side by the Blue Rondos, “[a] classic gem which never got the credit deserved”. (Joemeeksyoungestfan, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQw9BnDKrs8) “The melody is buoyant and you can hear all those Roy Orbison comparisons in the vocals, but its those little dark intervals that sets this song apart and keeps its burrowing in my ears!” (The Listening Post Blog, https://thelisteningpostblog.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/song-of-the-day-blue-rondos-little-baby/) “[I]f this turned up now . . . found in an attic as an unpublished early Roy Orbison we would all be fooled – absolutely no question” (michaelwhittaker5432, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srZ6pzmAJmM) It would have fooled me!
The song was produced by Joe Meek. Who was Joe Meek? Little Steven says “Who was the craziest record producer of all time? Joe Meek was his name . . . .” (https://www.undergroundgarage.com/shows-699-690/show-693-joe-meek). See the movie (yes, there was a movie). David Wells tells us that:
[G]roup member Roger Hall . . . recalls that they approached Joe with a demo of their best song, the moody “Little Baby”, penned by their lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and harmonica player Mickey Stubbs. Meek was so impressed that he became the group’s manager, and the song was rerecorded as their first release. “We couldn’t believe [it[ when Joe played it back to us”, admits Hall. “We never sounded remotely that tight live! Joe was convinced it’d be a hit . . . but it never quite took off.”
liner notes to the CD comp Joe Meek Freakbeat: You’re Holding Me Down: 30 Freakbeat, Mod & R&B Nuggets
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