Eddie Bo was perhaps the most prolific of all New Orleans R&B artists—surely rivaling Fats Domino—despite the claims made by the funksters and hip-hoppers. For my money the pinnacle of his career was his tenure with Ric Records. Here’s the proof. Bo was already a veteran recording artist when he crossed paths with Ric prexy Joe Ruffino in 1959.
The late 1950s and early 1960s were the heyday for New Orleans R&B, and while the national charts weren’t reached, Bo’s nine Ric singles were very much top-notch and never samey. The two-sider “Hey There Baby” and” I Need Someone” provide a somewhat tame introduction, as the fireworks really start with “Tell It Like It Is” (not the later Aaron Neville hit). One of the most furious second-line R&B titles of all time, the song conjures as many New Orleans stereotypes as the imagination can produce.
Its original flip side, “Every Dog Got His Day,” likewise has that second-line spark. As the title might indicate, “You Got Your Mojo Working” is a rare (and great) straight New Orleans blues from an era otherwise dominated by R&B and rock ’n’ roll. Always one to keep up with the Joneses—or in this case the Dominos—Ruffino/Bo began experimenting with strings by 1961. The orchestral overdubs accentuate the ballad “It Must Be Love” but likewise turn “What a Fool I’ve Been” into ignorable pop music. Closer to Bo’s kitchen are the straight R&B numbers “Ain’t It the Truth Now,” the telling “Dinky Doo”—admittedly with strings—and the mischievous “Roamin-Titis.”
One of Bo’s most popular Ric singles was the clever “Check Mr. Popeye,” with flip side “Now Let’s Popeye,” perhaps the best of the flurry of New Orleans Popeye dance records which fueled the dance that was locals’ answer to the Twist. Although Bo’s Ric tenure ended in 1962, there was no keeping him out of the studio for the better part of two more decades.
Trends changed, but these recordings stand out when compared to Bo’s pre-and-post Ric recordings. Great classic New Orleans R&B from one of the masters—this one’s as close to being a must-have CD as there is.
