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Chanteur, compositeur et pianiste US né le 15 décembre 1932 à San Antonio (Texas). Jesse Belvin débuta en 1951 comme pianiste du groupe de Big Jay Mc Neeley. Puis il enregistra au sein de groupes comme les
"Cliques", les "Sharptones", les "Three Dots", les "Sheiks" et en solo. Il a enregistré pour Specialty, Recorded In Hollywood,
Modern, Candelight, Knight, Kent, Cash, Class, Jamie, Aladdin, Crown, Tender, Money, et RCA Records. Jesse Belvin est mort dans un accident de voiture le 6 janvier 1960
à Fairhope (Arkansas).
While not
nearly as well remembered by the general public as either
Sam Cooke or Otis Redding, singer Jesse
Belvin was in many regards a performer of equal stature whose career was also
cut far too short by tragedy. At the time of his death, Belvin was moving in the
much the same direction as Cooke (he was
even on the same record label, although signed earlier), and was scoring and
writing hits long before Redding ever cut a record.
Jesse Lorenzo Belvin was born in San Antonio, TX, in 1932. When he was five, his
family relocated to Los Angeles, and by age seven he was singing in church. He
discovered R&B in his early teens, and in 1950 joined jazz saxophonist Big Jay
McNeely's backing vocal quartet Three Dots and a Dash. Belvin's falsetto was
placed up front in his debut release, 1950's "All the Wine Is Gone"; the
response was so strong that on the group's next record, his name was placed
directly under McNeely's on the B-side, "Sad Story." In 1952, Belvin and
bandmate Marvin Phillips signed to Specialty. They cut four singles: the first
three — "Baby Don't Go," "One Little Blessing," and "Love of My Life" — were
credited to Jesse Belvin, and all failed to chart. The last, "Dream Girl," which
featured Belvin on piano and vocals with Phillips on saxophone, was credited to
Jesse & Marvin, and got to number two on the R&B charts in 1953.
Unfortunately, just as it looked like Belvin's career was going to take off, he
was drafted. While home on leave, he wrote a song called "Earth Angel," inspired
by a young white woman who lived near him. The song was subsequently recorded by
a semi-professional doo wop quartet called
the Penguins and became one of the first R&B singles to cross over onto the
pop charts, selling a million copies between late 1954 and early 1955. (A
lawsuit later erupted over the authorship and origins of the song, which took
almost two years to settle; Belvin was awarded one-third credit for the song,
alongside the Penguins' Curtis
Williams and a third singer who had a claim to writing it.)
Belvin was a prolific songwriter, but his business approach was rather cavalier.
In a period in which millions of dollars were sometimes earned on a carefully
protected copyright, Belvin wrote songs as a way of raising quick cash and often
sold them outright to others for as little as 100 dollars. The result was dozens
upon dozens of songs that Belvin was responsible for as writer and singer on the
demo or guide track, few of which he actually received credit for. In 1956, he
signed a long-term contract with Modern Records, and also continued to sing for
other labels under assumed names, working in the background with other artists.
Some of the Modern releases were credited to
the Cliques, which was really Jesse Belvin and Eugene Church, but most were
credited to Belvin alone.
It was with Modern that he cut his most enduring record. "Goodnight My Love" had
been written by producer George Mottola ten years earlier, but he had never been
able to finish it; Belvin provided the lines for the bridge that completed the
song, but asked for 400 dollars in lieu of co-authorship credit. Mottola didn't
have it, but a colleague, John Marascalco, did, and put up the money, receiving
co-authorship credit in the bargain. The song reached number seven on the R&B
charts in 1956; curiously, the pianist on the recording was an 11-year-old
session player making his recording debut named Barry White, who would emerge as
a giant in his own right about two decades later. More important at the time, "Goodnight
My Love" became the outro theme to Alan Freed's rock & roll radio show, heard by
millions of young listeners every night.
Belvin cut ten singles for Modern, of which "Goodnight My Love" was far and away
the most successful. In 1958, he was again on the move, recording for Knight,
Class, and Jamie Records under his own name, as well as for the Aladdin label in
association with the Sharptones. His biggest success that year, however, came
through a group called the Shields, which had been formed by George Mottola to
record on his own Tender label. Adding his voice to the mix, Belvin joined the
group, which also included Frankie Ervin on lead and
Johnny "Guitar" Watson on guitar. The
Shields' only record with Belvin was "You Cheated," which had already been cut
by a white group called the Slades; the Shields' version was the more successful,
reaching number 15 on the pop charts in the summer of 1958.
Around this time, Belvin's career took a decided upswing, in part with help from
his wife Jo Anne, a fine songwriter in her own right who became his manager and
took charge of his career. One of the first results was getting him signed to
RCA Records; his first big success for the new label came in April of 1959 with
the Top 40 hit "Guess Who." He finished his first album, Just Jesse Belvin,
later in the year, developing a more mature studio sound and a somewhat more
sophisticated singing style as well. Like Sam
Cooke, who would follow him on to RCA with similar goals a short time later,
Belvin began to realize that he had the potential to cross over to adult white
audiences while keeping his original fans as well. For its part, RCA saw in
Belvin the potential for another Nat 'King Cole or Billy Eckstine: a powerful
and charismatic performer; he had acquired the nickname "Mr. Easy" for his way
with the ballads that increasingly made up his live sets.
In late 1959, with the encouragement of his wife and the support of producer
Dick Pierce and arranger/conductor Marty Paich, Belvin went into the studio for
three recording dates that yielded a dozen songs, among them intensely soulful
covers of standards like "Blues in the Night," "In the Still of the Night," and
"Makin' Whoopee." The band included Art Pepper on the sax and clarinet and Jack
Sheldon on the trumpet, and the playing was extraordinary all the way around.
Alas, Belvin never heard the finished album, Mr. Easy; on February 6,
1960, shortly after finishing a performance in Little Rock, AR, on a bill with
Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and Marv
Johnson, Belvin and his wife were killed in a head-on auto collision. Mr.
Easy was released later in 1960, his final testament and an enduring legacy.
http://electricearl.com/dws/belvin.html
Talents : Singer
Style musical : Doo Wop, Rock 'n' Roll, Rhythm 'n' Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAiq6UyJ7R4
DREAM GIRL
(1952)
 (Jesse &
Marvin)
GOODNIGHT MY LOVE (1956)
WELL ALRIGHT, OKAY, YOU WIN (1959)
GUESS WHO (1959)
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Années en activité :
| 1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 |
DISCOGRAPHY
Singles
| 06/1952 | SP SPECIALTY 435 (US) | JESSE & MARVIN - Baby Don't Go / Confusin' Blues |
| 11/1952 | SP SPECIALTY 447 (US) | JESSE & MARVIN -
Dream Girl
/ Daddy Loves Baby |
| 1952 | SP RECORDED IN HOLLYWOOD 412 (US) | Daddy Loves Baby / My Love Comes Tumbling Down |
| 12/1952 | SP RECORDED IN HOLLYWOOD 120 (US) | Hang Your Tears out To Dry / Dream Girl |
| 02/1953 | SP KING 4607 (US) | Hang Your Tears out To Dry / Dream Girl |
| 02/1955 | SP MONEY 208 (US) | I'm Only A Fool / Trouble & Misery |
| 04/1955 | SP SPECIALTY 550 (US) | One Little Blessing / Gone |
| 1955 | SP SPECIALTY 559 (US) | Love Love Of My Life / Where's My Girl |
| 10/1956 | SP MODERN 1005 (US) |
Goodnight My Love
/ I Want You With Me
Christmas |
| 02/1957 | SP MODERN 1013 (US) | I Need You So / Senorita |
| 03/1957 | SP MODERN 1015 (US) | Don't Close The Door / By My Side |
| 05/1957 | SP MODERN 1020 (US) | I'm Not Free / Sad & Lonesome |
| 09/1957 | SP MODERN 1025 (US) | Summertime / You Send Me |
| 11/1957 | SP CASH 1056 (US) | Beware / Dry Your Tears |
| 12/1957 | SP MODERN 1027 (US) | Just To Say Hello / My Satellite |
| 07/1958 | SP RCA VICTOR 47-7310 (US) | Volare / Ever Since We Met |
| 10/1958 | SP RCA VICTOR 47-7387 (US) | Funny / Pledging My Love |
| 02/1959 | SP RCA VICTOR 47-7469 (US) |
Guess Who
/ My Girl Is Just Enough Woman For Me |
| 1959 | SP KNIGHT 2012 (US) | Deacon Dan Tucker / Little Darling |
| 1959 | SP RCA VICTOR 47-7543 (US) | Here's A Heart / It Could've Been Worse |
| 1959 | SP RCA VICTOR 47-7596 (US) | Give Me Love / I'll Never Be Lonely Again |
| 1959 | SP JAMIE 1145 (US) |
Goodnight My Love
/ My Desire |
| 1960 | SP RCA VICTOR 47-7675 (US) | The Door Is Always Open / Something Happens To Me |
| 1960 | SP CLASS 267 (US) | Jessie BELVIN - I'm Confessin' / Deep In My Heart |
| 1960 | SP KENT 326 (US) | Sentimental Reasons / Senorita |
| 1961 | SP IMPACT 23 (US) | Looking For Love / Tonight My Love |
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Albums
| 1959 | LP 12" RCA VICTOR LPM 2089 (mono) / LSP 2089 (stereo) (US) |
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JUST JESSE BELVIN - Secret Love / Love Is Here To Stay / Ol' Man River / Now You Know / Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart / Guess Who? / Witchcraft / Funny / Take Me Back To The Island / The Masquerade Is Over / My Funny Valentine / Alright, Okay, You Win | ||
| 1959 | LP 12" CROWN CLP-5145 (US) |
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THE CASUAL JESSE BELVIN - Goodnight My Love / (I Love You For) Sentimental Reasons / I'll Mess You Up / Once Upon A Time / I'm In Love / Girl Of My Dreams / My Desire / Don't Close The Door / Senorita / I Want To Know Why | ||
| 1960 | LP 12" RCA VICTOR 2105 (US) |
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MR. EASY - It's All Right With Me / Something Happens To Me / What's New / In The Still Of The Night / Blues In The Night / Let There Be Love / Imagination / The Best Is Yet To Come / Makin' Whoopee! / Angel Eyes / I'll Buy You A Star / The Very Thought Of You | ||
| 1961 | LP 12" CROWN CLP-5187 (US) |
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THE UNFORGETTABLE JESSE BELVIN - Let Me Love You Tonight / I Need You So / Satellite / Just Say Hello / Lonesome Blues / Dream House / I'm Not Free / You Send Me / By My Side / Let's Make Up | ||
| 1963 | LP 12" CROWN CLP-5350 (US) |
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BROOK BENTON AND JESSIE BELVIN - Brook BENTON / Jessie BELVIN - Love's That Way / No One Like Her Love / Steppin' Out Tonight / Girl Of My Dreams / By My Side / Want Cha Gone / Only Your Love / My Desire / Dream House / Senorita | ||
| 1964 | LP 12" CROWN CLP-5402 (mono) / CST402 (stereo) (US) |
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THE GREAT BROOK BENTON & JESSIE BELVIN - Brook BENTON / Jesse BELVIN - The Girl I Love (Brook BENTON) / A New Love (Brook BENTON) / Dreams On Dreams (Brook BENTON) / Goodnight My Love / Once Upon A Time - I'm In Love / I'll Mess You Up / I Want To Know Why / Don't Close The Door / Just Say Hello | ||
| 1966 | LP 12" CAMDEN CAL 960 (US) |
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JESSE BELVIN'S BEST | ||
| 1967 | LP 12" CUSTOM CM-2058 (mono) / CS-1058 (stereo) (US) |
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...BUT NOT FORGOTTEN - Goodnight My Love / (I Love You For) Sentimental Reasons / I'll Mess You Up / Once Upon A Time / I'm In Love / Girl Of My Dreams / My Desire / Don't Close The Door / Senorita / I Want To Know Why | ||
| 1971 | LP 12" UNITED SUPERIOR US-7720 (US) |
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..BUT NOT FORGOTTEN - Goodnight My Love / (I Love You For) Sentimental Reasons / I'll Mess You Up / Once Upon A Time / I'm In Love / Girl Of My Dreams / My Desire / Don't Close The Door / Senorita / I Want To Know Why | ||
| 1975 | LP 12" RCA 0966 (US) |
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YESTERDAYS | ||
| 1984 | LP 12" KENT ? (UK) |
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..BUT NOT FORGOTTEN - Goodnight My Love / (I Love You For) Sentimental Reasons / I'll Mess You Up / Once Upon A Time / I'm In Love / Girl Of My Dreams / My Desire / Don't Close The Door / Senorita / I Want To Know Why | ||
| 1984 | LP 12" ACE CH 96 (UK) |
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MEMORIAL ALBUM - Goodnight My Love / You Send Me / Let Me Love You Tonight / Senorita / I'm In Love (With A Girl) / Girl Of My Dreams / My Desire / (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons / Dream House / Just To Say Hello / I Wanna Know Why / Sad And Lonesome / I Need You So / I'll Mess You Up | ||
| 08/1990 | CD SPECIALTY 7003 (US) |
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THE BLUES BALLADEER - Gone / Dream Girl (Alternate Take) / Don't Stop (Pretty Baby) (demo version) / Confusin' Blues / Love, Love Of My Life / Daddy Loves Baby / Puddin' 'n' Tane / Open up Your Heart (demo version) / One Little Blessing / Baby Don't Go / Ding Dong Baby (demo version) / Where's My Girl / Love Me (demo Version) / Love Of My Life (demo version) / Daddy Loves Baby / Love Comes Tumbling Down / Dream Girl / Confusin' Blues (Aka Jesse's Blues (demo)) / Blues Has Got Me / Hang Your Tears Out to Dry (AkA Dry Your Tears) / What's the Matter (demo version) / Let's Try Romance / Come Back | ||
| 03/1997 | CD ACE 336 (UK) |
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GOODNIGHT MY LOVE - Goodnight My Love / (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons / I'll Mess You Up / Once Upon A Time / I'm In Love (With A Girl) / Girl In My Dreams / My Desire / Don't Close The Door / Senorita / I Wanna Know Why / Let Me Love You Tonight / I Need You So / My Satellite / Just To Say Hello / Dream House / I'm Not Free / You Send Me / By My Side / Let's Make Up / Summertime / I Want You With Me At Christmas / Goodnight My Love (Alternate Take) / Sad And Lonesome / Beware / What Can I Do (Without You) / I'll Make A Bet | ||
| 04/1997 | CD COLLECTABLES 2701 (US) |
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GOLDEN CLASSICS - Secret Love / Love Is Here To Stay / Ol' Man River / Now You Know / Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart / Guess Who? / Witchcraft / My Funny Valentine / Funny / Take Me Back To The Island / (I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over / Alright, Okay, You Win / It's All Right With Me / Something Happens To Me / What's New? / In The Still Of The Night / Blues In The Night / Let There Be Love / Imagination / Best Is Yet To Come / Makin' Whoopee / Angel Eyes / I'll Buy You A Star / Very Thought Of You / Girl In My Dreams / Goodnight My Love | ||
| 11/2004 | 2 CD ACE 1020 (UK) |
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GUESS WHO : | ||
| 07/2006 | CD NIGHT TRAIN 7097 (US) |
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SO FINE - Confessing / Deep In My Heart / Black Stockings / Rock 'n' Roll Cowboy / Tarzan / What Have You Done To My Heart / I Need Your Love / Dollar And A Quarter / Wondering / Dandelion / Old McDonald / This Heart Of Mine / Don't Worry About That Girl / Trudy My Love / Black Stockings / Father Time / It's Mighty Funny / You're So Divine / Dear Heart / I Love Her So / Where's My Girl / Taboo Man [takes 1 & 2] / So Fine / Counterfeiter / Who Baby Who / Here In My Heart / Shotgun Wedding / Country Boy / The Time Is Coming Close To Christmas | ||
| 09/2008 | CD ALFA 1001 (?) |
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THE UNFORGETTABLE JESSE BELVIN - FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS - Goodnight My Love / Dream House / Let Me Love You Tonight / I Wanna Know Why / I Need You So / For Sentimental Reasons / Just Say Hello / Once Upon A Time / Sad And Lonesome / I'm In Love / Girl Of My Dreams / My Desire / My Satellite / Senorita / I'll Mess You Up / You Send Me / Lonesome Blues / I'm Not Free / Don't Close The Door / By My Side / Let's Make Up | ||
| 02/2010 | CD MAX CAT ? (US) |
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HANG YOUR TEARS OUT TO DRY - Dream Girl / Hang Your Tears Out To Dry / I'm Only A Fool / Betty My Darling / Trouble And Misery / Hum De Dum / Dear Heart / Little Darling / This Is My Love Song / My Satellite / Baby Don't Go / Let Me Dream / Where's My Girl / Deacon Dan Tucker / Beware / One Little Blessing / Sugar Doll |
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| 12/2010 | CD HALLMARK ? (UK) |
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JUST JESSE BELVIN - Secret Love / Love Is Here To Stay / Ol' Man River / Now You Know / Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart / Guess Who? / Witchcraft / Funny / Take Me Back To The Island / The Masquerade Is Over / My Funny Valentine / Alright, Okay, You Win | ||
| 02/2011 | CD MARGATE ? (US) |
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DREAM GIRL - Dream Girl / Hang Your Tears Out To Dry / I'm Only A Fool / Betty My Darling / Trouble And Misery / Hum De Dum / Dear Heart / Little Darling / (This Is My) Love Song / My Satellite / Baby Don't Go / Let Me Dream / Where's My Girl / Deacon Dan Tucker / Beware / One Little Blessing / Sugar Doll | ||
| 02/2011 | 2 CD JASMINE 156 (UK) |
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THE UNFORGETTABLE MR. EASY :
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© Rocky Productions 2/03/2011
