A Fishin’ Pole in Red Hook: Hannibalism tonight!
by Jonathan
If there ever was a reason to spend a Friday night in Red Hook, this is it… Not in the least because one of the more interesting figures in late-20th Century music, the one and only mighty Mighty Hannibal, is blazing back into town. A seasoned performer and consummate entertainer who’s still very much got it, and regularly appearing in our fair town thanks to his relationship with the stellar Norton Records, Hannibal’s gonna make you dance, laugh, scream, and shout with a hodge-podge of outstanding hits from across his career. He’ll be joined by local vocal trio the Dansettes, who backed him and performed as Archie Bell’s Drells last year at the McCarren Park Pool gig.
Despite years of absence and erratic output due to an edgy lifestyle that included no shortage of heroin addiction and pimping, Mighty Hannibal managed to knock out some of the finer 45s of the 1960s. Born James T. Shaw, the turbaned vocalist inaugurated his career in doo-wop in the mid-1950s in groups like The Overalls with other Atlanta greats like future Pips Edward Patton and Merald Knight, The Corvettes with Arthur Conley, and L.B. Williams and the Blue Dots. He loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly, or at least LA, in 1958 – where he scored his first minor hit, a novelty number entitled “Big Chief Hug-Um An’ Kiss-Um” and did a stint as Johnny Otis’ lead vocalist. He recorded singles under the moniker Hannibal in 1959, before moving over to perhaps the best place on earth in 1962, Syd Nathan’s King Records, where he threw down an R&B biggie “Baby, Please Change Your Mind.” But it wasn’t until 1965, when he was picked up by Shurfine, that he became the Mighty Hannibal that we know and love. Moving into hard soul dance territory, he threw down blunt metaphor jams I still play practically every week like the raw and bouncy “Jerkin’ the Dog,” the somber “Hymn Number 5,” and, of course, the immortal room rocker “Fishin’ Pole.” After disappearing for a spell Shaw returned as King Hannibal in the 1970s – focusing more on socially conscious songs in the tradition of “Hymn Number 5” at the expense of bawdy backroom stomps. But that was a long time ago - not to worry kids, since his comeback works blue once more. I’d also like to take this opportunity to recommend Norton’s Hannibalism! compilation as an excellent place to start on the man and his music.
Also, tonight’s headliner, Young Jessie, who rarely performs around these parts, is a west coast legend who distinguished himself in the formative years of doo wop under his own name (“Mary Lou,” “Margie”), under the pseudonym Lynn Paul (“Hit, Git, and Split” and “Oochie Coochie”), in the Flairs (“She Wants to Rock”), and, most famously, in the Coasters (on “Searching,” “Young Blood,” etc.).
Finally, W. Lee along with WFMU’s Dave the Spazz, El Guapo, and Mr. Fine Wine are gonna be rotating the choice wax all night long for your dancing pleasure.
What’s not to like?
