Bad Penny Blues
Encyclopedia
"Bad Penny Blues" is a trad jazz
piece written by Humphrey Lyttelton
and recorded with his band in London on April 20, 1956.
ER 4184 and became a hit record in Britain at the time.
It was the first British jazz record to get into the Top Twenty
, and stayed there for six weeks. Its success was very much due to the very catchy piano riff, played by Johnny Parker
and brought to the front by producer Joe Meek
.
The official producer of the record was Denis Preston
, who employed Meek as engineer. George Martin
was head A&R
man of Parlophone at that time, but was not involved in the actual recording.
"Bad Penny Blues" was featured in Mike Figgis
' film Red, White & Blues and is on the soundtrack CD of that film.
Trad jazz
Trad jazz - short for "traditional jazz" - refers to the Dixieland and Ragtime jazz styles of the early 20th century in contrast to any more modern style....
piece written by Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
and recorded with his band in London on April 20, 1956.
Popular success
It was originally released as ParlophoneParlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
ER 4184 and became a hit record in Britain at the time.
It was the first British jazz record to get into the Top Twenty
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and stayed there for six weeks. Its success was very much due to the very catchy piano riff, played by Johnny Parker
Johnny Parker (jazz pianist)
Johnny Parker was a British jazz pianist.- Early life :Parker was born in Beckenham, Kent. In 1940, his family moved to Wiltshire where Parker was exposed to American Forces Network broadcasts, and first heard boogie-woogie piano at a US Air Force base...
and brought to the front by producer Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
.
The official producer of the record was Denis Preston
Denis Preston
Sydney Denis Preston was a British record producer and music critic. He has been described as "Europe's first independent record producer".- Biography :...
, who employed Meek as engineer. George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
was head A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man of Parlophone at that time, but was not involved in the actual recording.
"Bad Penny Blues" was featured in Mike Figgis
Mike Figgis
Michael "Mike" Figgis is an English film director, writer, and composer.-Personal life:Figgis was born in Carlisle, England and grew up in Africa. Figgis for several years had a relationship with the actress Saffron Burrows and cast her in several films...
' film Red, White & Blues and is on the soundtrack CD of that film.
Personnel
- Humphrey Lyttelton (trumpet, leader)
- Johnny ParkerJohnny Parker (jazz pianist)Johnny Parker was a British jazz pianist.- Early life :Parker was born in Beckenham, Kent. In 1940, his family moved to Wiltshire where Parker was exposed to American Forces Network broadcasts, and first heard boogie-woogie piano at a US Air Force base...
(piano) - Jim Bray (bass)
- Stan GreigStan GreigStanley Mackay Greig is a Scottish pianist, drummer, and bandleader.Greig's father was a drummer and piano tuner. Greig played with Sandy Brown while still in high school in 1945, then played piano and drums with him from 1948 to 1954...
(drums)