Take a Break – Louis Prima and Keely Smith Live: “Old Black Magic” – IOTW Report

Take a Break – Louis Prima and Keely Smith Live: “Old Black Magic”

Monday, 13 May 2019, 19:40 BFH Uncategorized 20

Can’t beat this-

On 07/11/1910… that 7/11 thing… one of my all time favorite musician/trumpeter/singer/songwriter/performers/actors all rolled into one, was born in New Orleans to a musical family.

One of the most enthusiastic performers ever, Louis was also proud of his Italian heritage and incorporated it into much of his music. I spent my younger years living in a predominately Italian neighborhood in the burbs of Philly. On the summer days you could walk, or as in us younger kids cases, run down the street and hear Louis’ music coming from the open windows of lot of the homes on that row house block.

Louis was brought up not far from the famous ‘Storyville’ section of New Orleans and spent his younger years listening and learning from the likes of King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. He dropped out of High School to play in local clubs and eventually worked his way up to fronting his own bands.

In 1934, Big Band leader Guy Lombardo heard him and urged him to move to New York City. It proved to be an excellent idea. He became hugely popular in the New York dance club circuit. He then penned and recorded “Sing, Sing, Sing” that was picked up by Benny Goodman and quickly became Benny’s signature song. (Especially when Gene Krupa played drums on it.) It was also featured in a movie or two.

Speaking of movies, Louie was the voice of the orangutan ‘King Louie’ in Disney’s ‘The Jungle Book’ and worked on a few other Disney soundtracks. While in New York he also worked with Bing Crosby and singer/comedian Martha Raye. In 1952 he married singer Keeley Smith who also played a great straight person to his insane act.

His big break came in 1954 when fellow Italian ‘amicos’ offered him and Keeley a two week gig at the Sahara in Vegas. He jumped right on the gig but didn’t have a band to back them up. He made a frantic call to his old friend Sam Buttera in New Orleans and told him he needed a band in Vegas pronto. Sam made a few calls around town and assembled a small group of crack N. O. musicians. They hopped in a station wagon and literally drove straight to Vegas to perform in just a few nights. They were an instant success and at the end of their first set Louie asked Sam what the name of his band was. He realized they didn’t ever pick one and he blurted out ‘The Witnesses’. Thus Louie, Keeley and Sam Buttera And The Witnesses were an instant Vegas success. Matter of fact, Louie became the highest paid performer in Vegas history, raking in three million dollars for twelve weeks of gigs at The Sands. I’m no authority but I believe this record was finally broken by George Carlin.

Musician/performer and former Van Halen front man David Lee Roth had a hit with “Just A Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody” (#12 in 1985) that is literally a note for note cover of Louis’ 1956 version. In 1961 Prima appeared in a duet with Frank Sinatra at President John F. Kennedy’s Inauguration Ball.

That same year Keeley Smith filed for divorce and his father died. A little later his mother passed. He tried to recall his glory days with other female vocalists but none worked out like Ms Smith. In 1967 he landed the gigs with Disney.

In 1975 he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and went into a coma that he never recovered from. He died in 1978 in New Orleans. Whenever I get to wax nostalgic I just listen to anything by Louie and I find myself playing outside on Kent Rd., listening to Louie’s voice floating through the air without a care in the world. Particularly “Angelina” and “Please No Squeezea Da The Banana”… which I sing almost daily to one of our cats. And yeah… she rolls up in a ball and purrs. Yep, she likes it. Proving everyone digs him!

Love ‘ya Louie. RIP

More Old B.S. Later
Badco

 

20 Comments on Take a Break – Louis Prima and Keely Smith Live: “Old Black Magic”

  4. They always tried to surprise one another.
    Thy also seemed to play a game where they would do an action, like scratch their nose, and the other one would copy it.

    3

  7. Damn – – I used to have that same exact dress! Not really, Billy! 😉 But it works for her!

    They were having so much fun, I just couldn’t help myself. Found I was grinning all the way through it.

    Think I’ll watch it again.

    4

  9. Great choice!!! Hope this is OK here… something I penned a few years ago for a local El Paso, TX Facebook page…

    On this date (07/11/1910)… that 7/11 thing… one of my all time favorite musician/trumpeter/singer/songwriter/performers/actors all rolled into one, was born in New Orleans to a musical family.

    One of the most enthusiastic performers ever Louis was also proud of his Italian heritage and incorporated it into much of his music. I spent my younger years living in a predominately Italian neighborhood in the burbs of Philly. On the summer days you could walk, or as in us younger kids cases, run down the street and hear Louis’ music coming from the open windows of lot of the homes on that row house block.

    Louis was brought up not far from the famous ‘Storyville’ section of New Orleans and spent his younger years listening and learning from the likes of King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. He dropped out of High School to play in local clubs and eventually worked his way up to fronting his own bands. In 1934 Big Band leader Guy Lombardo heard him and urged him to move to New York City. It proved to be an excellent idea. He became hugely popular in the New York dance club circuit. He then penned and recorded “Sing, Sing, Sing” that was picked up by Benny Goodman and quickly became Benny’s signature song. Especially when Gene Krupa played drums on it. It was also featured in a movie or two. Speaking of movies, Louie was the voice of the orangutan ‘King Louie’ in Disney’s ‘The Jungle Book’ and worked on a few other Disney soundtracks. While in New York he also worked with Bing Crosby and singer/comidianne Martha Raye. In 1952 he married singer Keeley Smith who also played a great straight person to his insane act.

    His big break came in 1954 when fellow Italian ‘amicos’ offered him and Keeley a two week gig at the Sahara in Vegas. He jumped right on the gig but didn’t have a band to back them up. He made a frantic call to his old friend Sam Buttera in New Orleans and told him he needed a band in Vegas pronto. Sam made a few calls around town and assembled a small group of crack N. O. musicians. They hopped in a station wagon and literally drove straight to Vegas to perform in just a few nights. They were an instant success and at the end of their first set Louie asked Sam what the name of his band was. He realized they didn’t ever pick one and he blurted out ‘The Witnesses’. Thus Louie, Keeley and Sam Buttera And The Witnesses were an instant Vegas success. Matter of fact Louie became the highest paid performer in Vegas history raking in three million dollars for twelve weeks of gigs at The Sands. I’m no authority but I believe this record was finally broken by George Carlin.

    Fellow abstract(?) musician/performer and former Van Halen front man David Lee Roth had a hit with “Just A Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody” (#12 in 1985) that is literally a note for note cover of Louis’ 1956 version. In 1961 Prima appeared in a duet with Frank Sinatra at President John F. Kennedy’s Inauguration Ball.

    That same year Keeley Smith filed for divorce and his father died. A little later his mother passed. He tried to recall his glory days with other female vocalists but none worked out like Ms Smith. In 1967 he landed the gigs with Disney.

    In 1975 he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and went into a coma that he never recovered from. He died in 1978 in New Orleans. Whenever I get the to wax nostalgic I just listen to anything by Louie and I find myself playing outside on Kent Rd., listening to Louie’s voice floating through the air without a care in the world. Particularly “Angelina” and “Please No Squeezea Da The Banana”… which I sing almost daily to one of our cats. And yeah… she rolls up in a ball and purrs. Yep, she likes it. Proving everyone digs him!

    Love ‘ya Louie. RIP

    More Old B.S. Later
    Badco

    5

  15. I play a ’66 Ludwig drum kit with an oyster black pearl wrap (finish). They’re three ply maple shells and sound deeper and finer than any of the multi plied kits today. These are the same in appearance as the kit Ringo played the first time the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan’s show back in Feb. of ’64.

    I still play them at certain gigs… casinos or theaters that have a stage where no one can get near them. I wouldn’t dare take them to a club/bar etc. I got a vintage Rogers kit for that.

    I’ve had some righteous offers for them but plan on keeping them until the end… then let the relatives fight over them.

    5

  18. Meerkat….

    I’m in El Paso, TX and don’t have plans to leave any time soon. We will be going to Dallas in September to attend Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival at the American Airlines Center. WOO HOO !!!!!!!!!!!!

    2

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