Search - Ruth Brown :: Rockin' in Rhythm: The Best of Ruth Brown

The Queen Of Rock and Roll

L. E STOTTLEMEYER | KCMO | 06/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If Rock and Roll would've stayed on the same course as the late Alan Freed envisioned, this lady would be called the Queen of Rock and Roll today. You see, Freed's original Rock and Roll didn't include the likes of Elvis and teen idols like Paul Anka and Frankie Avalon or Bobby Rydell. Instead it included artists who were the innovators of pure uncommercialized Rock and Roll. The Moonglows,Wynonie Harris,Little Richard,Hank Ballard and The Midnighters,Little Willie John, Louis Jordan,Johnny Ace,The Dominoes,Laverne Baker,Big Joe Turner,Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters,Roy Brown,and this lady Ruth Brown. One of the reviewers on this post says that this cd contains only 2 minor hits that Ruth had in her career.That is the most untrue statement I have ever heard concerning an artist.In fact, her 2 pop charters are the smallest hits she ever had and are 2 of the most unrecognizable amongst true Rock and Roll fans.Let's now get to and correct the facts. Between 1950 and 1955 Ruth scored 5 #1 hits on Billboards R&B charts. Yes I said R&B charts,they were just as important and significant back then as they are today. Although not labeled as such,these 5 #1 smashes were probably all million sellers for Ruth and Atlantic records. In fact Atlantic records used to be referred to as "The House That Ruth Built". Her biggest hit period-pop or r&b-or (otherwise) came in 1950 with "Teardrops From My Eyes". I have no doubt that this was probably a million selling 78. It was #1 for 11 weeks on Billboards R&B chart and stayed on the charts for 25 weeks total. Simply a massive-massive hit that year. Her second #1 hit is a registered million seller that came in April of 1952, the hit "5-10-15 Hours" was #1 for a full 7 weeks . The next #1 for Ruth came in February of 1953 and easily is her most recognized and trademark song,the classic "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean" was #1 for 5 weeks. In August of 1954 came another #1 classic,the great ballad written by Chuck Willis for Ruth called "Oh What A Dream".The song was #1 for 8 weeks and in all likelihood sold a million discs. Keep in mind I'm just naming her #1's during these years,Ruth had many top 10's also during these years.Ruth Weston hit #1 again in October of 1954 with "Mambo Baby".It was #1 for 1 week and was on the charts for 3 months. Now to the small potatoes-Ruth's 2 pop charters are not-I repeat-are not her biggest hits or most recognizable hits. The songs 'Lucky Lips" and "This little Girl's Gone Rockin"were her only top 40 pop charters in her career and made it to #24 and #25 respectively on the pop charts in 1957 and 1958 but are a million miles away from being her biggest sellers or hits or even her most recognizable hits. I am so sorry so many people were not exposed to her massive hits and best work she recorded between 1950 and 1955,but such were the times. After the 50's came to a close,Ruth never scored another hit on the R&B charts during the soulful 60'S except for "Don't Deceive Me" at the beginning of the decade. But she did honor us with 2 top 10 classics before the 60's hastily ushered it's way in and that was 1959's #5 hit and classic "I Don't Know" and 1960's #10 classic "Don't Deceive Me". "I Don't Know" is her best late 50's song. So now I feel so much better now that I've corrected a few people. Ruth is the Queen of Rock and Roll and Wynonie Harris is The King of Rock and Roll and this cd needs to be in your collection especially if you dig Rock the way the late Alan Freed envisioned it.I'm venturing off now into amazon land to correct other folks. Keep Rockin and a Rollin'"

Good 50's R&B

L. E STOTTLEMEYER | 04/18/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD contains 20 of the 24 R&B charted hits by Ruth Brown on Atlantic between 1949 and 1960. Atlantic supplied her with excellent session players and varied material to make her their most popular recording artist of the 50's and the third most popular R&B performer of the decade. The best tracks are the uptempo R&B "Teardrops From My Eyes" from 1950 and "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean" from 1953, the bluesy ballad "Oh What A Dream" from 1954 and the Rock and Roll "Lucky Lips" from 1957. Just about every track on this CD is good R&B. However the final 2 tracks are live recordings from a concert with so-so acoustics and "Love Has Joined Us Together" is a forced duet with Clyde McPhatter which is not done in her style at all. The liner notes contain good historical data about her, but there is no discography."

Great Music! Bad remaster!

Jakeymon | San Francisco, CA United States | 03/16/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love Ruth Brown. She's the original strong woman of popular music. (Well, her and Big Momma Thorton, maybe.) She sings very frankly about what she wants, what he did, what she wishes he'd do, and what things will be like when he does it. On this disc, more often that not she's got a nice phat sound, with a rollicking band next to her. Just about every song makes me wanna bounce.Ruth Brown's songs are just great, and will definitely get you where you're going when you're working or driving or just cleaning the house - your favorite uses may vary. The only issue I have with this disc is that the remaster isn't up to where I think it should be. I would have liked a crisper sound than what I'm hearing on it. I recognize and respect the allure of the crackle-ee acoustic sound, but that's not why I purchase CDs. It's not a big issue; but it does keep me from giving out the fifth star.It shouldn't keep you from getting this fantibulous CD though! The world today needs more Ruth Brown... if only to remind us that being plain spoken is better!"