BIOGRAPHY AND DISCOGRAPHY

 

One of the first self-contained (vocal and instrumental) groups in rock enjoyed decent commercial success and were among a handful of early rock acts deemed suitable for potential crossover appeal by the major labels. Ironically that blend of pop and rock is what likely did them in over time, as pop audiences had no interest in artists of their background while rock fans increasingly resisted the compromised intent of their records. As such they’ve been largely overlooked, or at least cast aside by historians who tend to view them as more of a hybrid act belonging to no specific genre.

Formed in Newark, New Jersey by Harry Lester, who changed his stage name to Lester Harris, singing lead and playing drums for the group, he was joined by bassist Flap McQueen, Joe Crump on piano and Chink Kinney on sax. In late 1948 they signed to a local label, Coleman, which was run by The Coleman Brothers gospel group, and cut a revised treatment of the mild pop standard “I’ll Always Be In Love With You”, adding some modernity to it by virtue of its arrangement and Harris’s laconic soulful vocal. He was the only voice heard on their records which took them out of the growing rock vocal group milieu in the process robbing them of a vital context that would’ve helped their long-term reputation. Though after his departure the others did sing leads they never attempted any vocal harmony styles.

Further hurting their standing from the very beginning was Coleman’s inexperience with the secular market, as they somehow allowed rival Newark record company Savoy, a much bigger and sharper organization, to hear the still un-pressed master for their debut song, “I’ll Always Be In Love With You”. Savoy’s Herman Lubinsky recognized a hit when he heard it and quickly organized a session comprised of an all-star instrumental lineup to back singer Tippy Larkin and rush-released their version before The Ray-O-Vacs record hit the streets. When The X-Rays (as he named the fictitious group) record started drawing raves Coleman hastily issued The Ray-O-Vacs in response but they couldn’t quite make up the ground lost by the delay. Both versions hit the Top Ten on Billboard’s national Race Charts, but The X-Rays was slightly more successful.

A few more releases followed on Coleman before the major labels came calling. First Decca, whom they recorded for over a two year period (1950-1951) and scored a double-sided hit in “Besame Mucho” and “You Gotta Love Me Baby Too”, but then Harris left the group and went to another major label in RCA recording solo before his sudden early death at age 32 in February 1953. The group had continued without him on Jubilee Records where despite some fine recordings – both with vocal sides and instrumentals – they scored no further hits with them or in brief stints on other solid independent labels – Atlantic and Chess.

The group’s reputation however was strong to the end, enjoying a decade as reliable draws on the club circuit where their versatility wasn’t a hindrance to their appeal as it might’ve been on the recording front, as they were fine musicians capable of playing smooth and classy for the uptown clubs or down and dirty for the joints across the tracks. More than just an afterthought in rock’s lineage, yet never truly stars even at their most popular, The Ray-O-Vacs nevertheless helped broaden the reach of rock in its formative years and left behind a diverse catalog of material.
 
 
THE RAY-O-VACS DISCOGRAPHY (Records Reviewed To Date On Spontaneous Lunacy):
 
 
I’LL ALWAYS BE IN LOVE WITH YOU
(Coleman 100; December, 1948)
Strong debut that got beaten off the line by The X-Rays cover version, yet became a hit anyway. Theirs has slightly more subdued instrumental support which while not as exciting is more appropriate for the theme, while lead signer Lester Harris delivers a more soulful vocal making this the slightly better overall record. (7)

GROOVIN’ LOW
(Coleman 100; December, 1948)
Though they have the right idea by using a sax led instrumental to give audiences a different impression of them for the flip of their debut the problem is it’s a lethargic one with some wheezy blowing at times, a supper club piano and no rhythm, all of which called their credentials as rockers into question. (2)

HAPPY AM I
(Coleman 105; April, 1949)
Modest intentions carried off reasonably well, as the group and this song both stick to the middle of the road at safe speeds which makes for a pleasant enough drive but one that doesn’t get you very far. (4)

WHY DID YOU BREAK MY HEART
(Coleman 105; April, 1949)
The group’s tepid response to a break-up not only forms the basis for the song itself but also explains why their position in rock would always be tenuous, they simply didn’t embody the attitude of the younger artists who were now setting the rules. (2)

I’M THE BABY NOW
(Coleman 112; July, 1949)
A pleasant sounding record with a decent story conveyed with sly vocals and a good sax solo to boot, all of which makes it enjoyable but not essential in the big scheme of things. (5)

HOT DOG
(Coleman 112; July, 1949)
A dreadful novelty with far too much pop blandness thrown in the mix for good measure, making this one dish you should skip at all costs. (1)

SENTIMENTAL ME
(Decca 48141; March, 1950)
Though it’s hardly surprising that for their major label debut they’d record a cover of a current pop hit, but what is surprising is that they don’t pander to its pop qualities but instead inject some soulfulness to it which sets it apart somewhat from its origins. (4)

ONCE UPON A TIME
(Decca 48141; March, 1950)
A dreadful start, both vocally and melodically, gradually improves in both areas, the highlight being Chink Kinney’s understated sax solo, but the passive lyrical perspective never relents making this an uneven misfire at best. (3)

BÉSAME MUCHO
(Decca 48162; June, 1950)
An inventive update of a recent Mexican standard which emphasizes the exotic feel of the bolero rhythm while adding a slightly menacing vibe vocally topped off by the languid smoky saxophone which makes it an atmospheric minor gem. (7)

YOU GOTTA LOVE ME BABY TOO
(Decca 48162; June, 1950)
Sort of a prototype song for the group where everything fits nicely – lyrics, pace, vocals and music – giving you an enjoyably pleasant record that works its way into your consciousness with repeated spins. (6)

GOT TWO ARMS (WAITING FOR ME)
(Decca 48181; November, 1950)
Taking a boastful composition about not having any concern about a sailor’s girlfriend being unfaithful while he’s gone, the band adds an ominous lurking dread to the proceedings casting doubt on Lester Harris’s confidence that gives this additional layers to consider. (6)

A KISS IN THE DARK
(Decca 48181; November, 1950)
A mild song about overreacting to polite affection that doesn’t explore the consequences of this conflict as it should, but Lester Harris sings it well and the band all hit their marks with Chink Kinney turning in a wonderfully evocative sax solo to win you over. (5)

TAKE ME BACK TO MY BOOTS AND SADDLE
(Decca 48197; January, 1951)
Not much can save such a poor choice of material for the group who deliver the song with no sense of irony and use the same type of languid delivery they always do which is completely inappropriate for this. (3)

GOODNIGHT MY LOVE
(Decca 48197; January, 1951)
The nadir of the group’s approach in that they’ve stuck to the same style, structure and delivery so long that it no longer comes off as unique and with Harris’s somber reading of the song it has no emotional pull either. (2)

IF YOU EVER SHOULD LEAVE ME
(Decca 48211; May, 1951)
Nothing new here of course, but the early sax work of Chink Kinney is nice and Lester Harris somehow manages to sell his subservience to a woman who is leaving him as a noble act and so it goes down easier than it probably should. (3)

MY BABY’S GONE
(Decca 48221; July, 1951)
A good idea to break out of their rut by covering B.B. King’s rhumba-blues but as usual the group refuses to stray far from their usual club arrangements and deliveries making this a missed opportunity despite it’s appeal in the Jamaican sound system culture. (3)

LET’S
(Decca 48221; July, 1951)
You know you’re in trouble when taking things just a half step quicker counts as a radical departure for rock’s most somnolent group as this will still make your drowsy even with a little more energy to start with. (3)

WHAT’S MINE IS MINE
(Decca 48234; September, 1951)
More of the same from the group who seem to have trouble just staying awake as they deliver another ponderous performance wherein every element is capably executed but poorly conceived with no deep story, interesting musical twists or vocal enthusiasm. (3)

I STILL LOVE YOU, BABY
(Decca 48234; September, 1951)
A self-penned song by bassist Flap McQueen attempts to break out of their creative rut by inserting two livelier sections, one a vocal bridge by Lester Harris in his final performance with the group, and a grittier sax solo by Chink Kinney that improve things, but not quite enough. (4)

HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE
(Decca 48260; November, 1951)
A new lead singer Herb Milliner produces the same stylistic results as his intentional similarities to Lester Harris makes for another sleepy performance with just a few hints at soulfulness in his vocals to keep this dull standard from complete irrelevance. (3)

CHARMAINE
(Decca 48260; November, 1951)
Another poor choice of songs for rock acceptance – a 25 year old tune currently being done by every pop act in the land – the group barely sets theirs apart with some misplaced intensity by Herbert Milliner and a faint heartbeat in the sax solo, but otherwise they toe the pop line. (3)

WHEN THE SWALLOWS COME BACK TO CAPISTRANO
(Decca 48274; January, 1952)
Another good song drearily rendered by the most repetitive band in music with particularly unsuitable playing by Joe Crump on piano until nothing can save this legendary composition, not even an all-too brief show of emotion by Herb Millinder’s vocals. (3)

SHE’S A REAL LOVIN’ BABY
(Decca 48274; January, 1952)
A welcome surprise finds Herb Millinder contributing a solid original composition and delivering it in a much more impressive fashion than their usual tedious approach and if the music struggles to catch up, we get a good sax solo and a sign that these guys might not be done just yet. (5)

START LOVIN’ ME
(Jubilee 5098; October, 1952)
Another self-penned song by the group starts off in the same dull fashion before Chink Kinney contributes a shockingly aggressive sax solo which turns the record around and even inspires Herb Milinder to start testifying in the fade. (6)