Kent Harris
Encyclopedia
Biography
Kent Levaughn Harris was born in 1930 in Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. He is best known as being the writer of novelty tunes
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
such as "Shoppin' For Clothes" (a hit for The Coasters
The Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
) and "Cops And Robbers" (a hit for Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
).
Harris first recorded in 1954 as Ducky Drake for Trend Records, singing the B-side of his sister Dimples Harris' record "Hey Mr. Jelly." The B-side was called "1992." He would then change his stage name to Boogaloo. Harris originally recorded "Shoppin' For Clothes" for Crest Records as "Clothesline." It was released in 1956 as by Boogaloo and His Gallant Crew. The Coasters' hit version was released in 1960. The B-side of this record, "Cops And Robbers," later became a hit for Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
in 1957. His previous release for the label in 1955 was "Big Fat Lie" b/w "Talk About A Party."
His sisters Marcene, Beverly, and Betty Harris recorded together as The Harris Sisters. Marcene "Dimples" Harris also had a single released in 1956 on Crest Records called "This I Do Believe" b/w "If You'll Be True" (Crest #1030) under the name Dimples Harris. Dimples also recorded for Savoy Records
Savoy Records
Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
in 1951 as the Dimples Harris Trio. One record "Che Bongo Blues" b/w "Call Me Daddy" was released on Regent #1045. Two other recordings "I Do Believe" and "Good Timing Papa" were not released. Dimples also released some records as Marcene Harris such as "A Song To You" b/w "I Know How It Feels" (Romark #118), "Work It Out" b/w "Children Of Georgia" (Romark), "Hang On To What You Got" (Octave #8270), and "I Just Don't Understand" b/w "Guess Who" (Valiant #727, released in 1965). Dimples married Harold "Hack" Jackson. Betty was married to comedian Redd Foxx
Redd Foxx
John Elroy Sanford , better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American comedian and actor, best known for his starring role on the sitcom Sanford and Son.-Early life:...
. Beverly also filled in for Zola Taylor
Zola Taylor
Zola Taylor, born Zoletta Lynn Taylor was an American singer. She was the original female member of The Platters from 1954 to 1962, when the group produced most of their popular singles....
singing with The Platters
The Platters
The Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
. Dimples died in 1976.
Harris produced records for several artists in the 1960s and 1970s. He produced "Stick Shift" b/w "Cruising" by The Duals in 1961 and "So Far Away" b/w "Monkey Hips And Rice" by Hank Jacobs in 1963, both records were released on Sue Records
Sue Records
Sue Records was founded in 1957 by Henry 'Juggy' Murray in New York City.Also within the group was Symbol Records and Sue also financed and distributed A.F.O.Records owned by Harold Battiste in New Orleans....
. Harris also wrote "Monkey Hips And Rice." He also produced records for Adolph Jacobs
Adolph Jacobs
Adolph Jacobs is an American guitar player, best known as an original member of The Coasters.-Biography:Born Adolf Jacobs in Pineland, Sabine County, Texas, he played guitar with Vernon Green and The Medallions in 1955. He also wrote one of their songs, "I Know," in 1955. He became a member of...
, Jimmy Ellis, and The Mighty Hannibal
The Mighty Hannibal
The Mighty Hannibal is an American R&B, soul and funk singer, songwriter and record producer. Known for his showmanship, and outlandish costumes often incorporating a pink turban, several of his songs carried social or political themes...
on his own label, Romark Records. He produced some jazz recordings for Adolph Jacobs
Adolph Jacobs
Adolph Jacobs is an American guitar player, best known as an original member of The Coasters.-Biography:Born Adolf Jacobs in Pineland, Sabine County, Texas, he played guitar with Vernon Green and The Medallions in 1955. He also wrote one of their songs, "I Know," in 1955. He became a member of...
in the 1970s. Jacobs was a former member of The Coasters
The Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
in the 1950s. Harris co-produced a record with Obie Jessie (better known as Young Jessie
Young Jessie
Obediah Donnell "Obie" Jessie , is an African American R&B and jazz singer and songwriter. He recorded as Young Jessie in the 1950s and 1960s, and was known for his solo career, work with The Flairs and a brief stint in The Coasters...
) in 1972 on Stone Dogg Records called "Who's The Blame" b/w "Beautiful Day My Brother" by Obe Jessie and The Seeds Of Freedom.
Other songs written by Harris include "Fat Sally" by The Sevilles (from 1961), "Lover Supreme" by Prentice Moreland
Prentice Moreland
Prentice Moreland was an R&B and doo wop singer of the 1950s and early 1960s.-Biography:He was born on March 4, 1925 in East St...
, "I'll Come Back To You" by Dorothy Berry, "Tell Her For Me" by Jimmy Norman, "Oh! My Aching Back" by H. B. Barnum
H. B. Barnum
H. B. Barnum is an American pianist, arranger, record producer, songwriter, and former child actor....
(all from 1962), and "The Big Rip Off" by The Coasters
The Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
(from 1976).
Harris managed soul singer Ty Karim and produced many of her records. Ty Karim died in 1983 from breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. Their daughter Karime Harris is also a singer with the funk group the Killer Meters. UK's Kent Records (a subsidiary of Ace Records
Ace Records (UK)
Ace Records Ltd. was started in 1978. Initially the company only gained permission from the label based in Mississippi to use the name in the UK, but eventually also acquired the rights to publish their recordings. When Chiswick's pop side was licensed to EMI in 1984, Ace switched to more licensing...
) released Ty Karim's complete known recordings entitled "The Complete Ty Karim: Los Angeles' Soul Goddess" in 2008.
Harris most recent work was when he produced and co-wrote several songs for the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Norbit
Norbit
Norbit is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Brian Robbins and starring Eddie Murphy and Thandie Newton. Produced by Davis Entertainment and Tollin/Robbins Productions, the film also stars Terry Crews, Clifton Powell, Lester "Rasta" Speight, Eddie Griffin, Katt Williams, Marlon Wayans, and...
.
Singles
- "Hey Mr. Jelly" / "1992" (Trend #2500) (1954) (Side AA-side and B-sideA-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
is by Dimples Harris) (Side B is by Harris as Ducky Drake) - "Saint Or Sinner" / "Long Lean Lanky Juke Box" (Trend #2501) (Side AA-side and B-sideA-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
is by Harris as Ducky Drake - matrix #45-T-141-5) (Side B is by Dimples Harris - matrix #45-T-142-6) - "Big Fat Lie" / "Talk About A Party" (Crest #1014) (1955) (as Boogaloo and His Gallant Crew)
- "Clothesline" / "Cops And Robbers" (Crest #1030) (1956) (as Boogaloo and His Gallant Crew)
Various artists compilations
- Talk About A Party: Crest Records Story (Rockstar) (2004)
- The Best Of Crest Records (Crest #1000)