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Fats Domino Songs: Listen to 12 Essential Tracks Fats Domino Songs: Listen to 12 Essential Tracks
(about 4 hours later)
It was boogie-woogie. It was R&B. Then it was rock ’n’ roll. Then it was pop. And it was all Fats Domino, the New Orleans musician whose easygoing image cheerfully concealed the boldness and subtlety of his music. Domino, who died in Louisiana at 89, both embodied and extended the New Orleans piano heritage of styles that are at once unswervingly propulsive and floridly improvisational; he also gave early rock ’n’ roll an infusion of New Orleans syncopations. His songs, most of them written with his longtime producer and bandleader Dave Bartholomew, were often concise sketches of romantic strife involving heartbreak, betrayal, loneliness and spite. But he sang them with such sly good humor in his voice and his timing that they sounded like a good time. Here are 12 songs from Domino’s prime years, just a small taste of his hundreds of tracks. It was boogie-woogie. It was R&B. Then it was rock ’n’ roll. Then it was pop. And it was all Fats Domino, the New Orleans musician whose easygoing image cheerfully concealed the boldness and subtlety of his music. Domino, who died in Louisiana at 89, both embodied and extended the New Orleans piano heritage of styles that are at once unswervingly propulsive and floridly improvisational; he also infused early rock ’n’ roll with New Orleans syncopations. His songs, most written with his producer and bandleader Dave Bartholomew, were often concise sketches of romantic strife. But he sang them with such sly good humor in his voice and his timing that they sounded like a good time. Here are 12 from his prime years.
Fats Domino announced himself to the world with this single: a two-fisted boogie-woogie piano intro with tremolo flourishes, verses that establish his 200-pound physique and his New Orleans locale, a falsetto vocal like a trumpet solo and more splashy piano. Mr. Bartholomew thought at first that the piano was recorded too loud. Fats Domino announced himself with this single: a two-fisted boogie-woogie piano intro with tremolo flourishes, verses that establish his 200-pound physique and his New Orleans locale and a falsetto vocal like a trumpet solo. Mr. Bartholomew thought at first that the piano was recorded too loud.
Now indelibly associated with Domino, “Blueberry Hill” had been around since 1940, recorded by Gene Autry, Glenn Miller and Louis Armstrong, among others. But it took Domino’s utterly satiated vocal, atop a New Orleans backbeat and his trademark piano triplets, to make the “thrill” so thoroughly lusty.Now indelibly associated with Domino, “Blueberry Hill” had been around since 1940, recorded by Gene Autry, Glenn Miller and Louis Armstrong, among others. But it took Domino’s utterly satiated vocal, atop a New Orleans backbeat and his trademark piano triplets, to make the “thrill” so thoroughly lusty.
Handclaps and a breezy, bluesy guitar riff conceal yet another tale of romantic woe coupled with resentment. Sure, he wants her back, but once he has her, he might just “say bye-bye” himself. Handclaps and a breezy, bluesy guitar riff conceal still another story of romantic woe, this time coupled with resentment. Sure, he wants her back, but once he has her, he might just “say bye-bye” himself.
Heartbreak has rarely sounded as survivable as it does on “Ain’t It a Shame,” from the terse stop-time beginnings of its verses — “You made/Me cry/When you said/Goodbye” — to its joshing saxophone solo. Domino sings about tears, but he’s vehement when he insists, “You’re the one to blame.” Pat Boone’s opportunistic cover version remains a disgrace.Heartbreak has rarely sounded as survivable as it does on “Ain’t It a Shame,” from the terse stop-time beginnings of its verses — “You made/Me cry/When you said/Goodbye” — to its joshing saxophone solo. Domino sings about tears, but he’s vehement when he insists, “You’re the one to blame.” Pat Boone’s opportunistic cover version remains a disgrace.
Saturday’s good times make up for the rest of the week’s hard work and hangover in this song by Mr. Bartholomew, as Domino’s piano triplets become a pile driver.Saturday’s good times make up for the rest of the week’s hard work and hangover in this song by Mr. Bartholomew, as Domino’s piano triplets become a pile driver.
A string section eased Domino into formal 1960s pop for “Walkin’ to New Orleans,” but it’s easy to hear the twinkle in his eye. A string section eased Domino into formal 1960s pop for “Walkin’ to New Orleans,” but it isn’t hard to hear the twinkle in his eye as he hails his native city.
Domino’s piano sits out for this almost-rockabilly song; instead, his voice glides above a brisk rhythm guitar, gloating over the prospect of career success as romantic revenge.Domino’s piano sits out for this almost-rockabilly song; instead, his voice glides above a brisk rhythm guitar, gloating over the prospect of career success as romantic revenge.
Flamboyant boogie-woogie piano romps through “She’s My Baby,” spurring a rambunctious vocal that breaks into falsetto as Little Richard would a few years later.Flamboyant boogie-woogie piano romps through “She’s My Baby,” spurring a rambunctious vocal that breaks into falsetto as Little Richard would a few years later.
Stephen Foster gets a frantic makeover in this instrumental showpiece, one of Domino’s own favorites and a direct link to boogie-woogie forebears like Albert Ammons, whose “Swanee River Boogie” clearly sparked this version.Stephen Foster gets a frantic makeover in this instrumental showpiece, one of Domino’s own favorites and a direct link to boogie-woogie forebears like Albert Ammons, whose “Swanee River Boogie” clearly sparked this version.
Recorded in 1958 but not released until 1991, “Darktown Strutters Ball” is a 1917 song that was among of the earliest jazz recordings (by the Original Dixieland Jass Band). Domino’s version makes “Darktown” sound like “downtown” and gives it a second-line strut; mixed in stereo instead of 1950s mono, it clarifies the swagger of Domino’s band. Recorded in 1958 but not released until 1991, this 1917 song was among the earliest jazz recordings (by the Original Dixieland Jass Band). Domino’s version makes “Darktown” sound like “downtown” and gives it a second-line strut; mixed in stereo instead of 1950s mono, it clarifies the swagger of Domino’s band.
Reminiscences of a vexed relationship from long ago — “You used to laugh at me and holler ‘Hoo hoo hoo’” — are set to a New Orleans carnival beat: a little fond, a little barbed.Reminiscences of a vexed relationship from long ago — “You used to laugh at me and holler ‘Hoo hoo hoo’” — are set to a New Orleans carnival beat: a little fond, a little barbed.
This lighthearted come-on is a two-minute slice of loose, piano-pounding rock ‘n’ roll with the tempo fluctuations of a real-time performance.This lighthearted come-on is a two-minute slice of loose, piano-pounding rock ‘n’ roll with the tempo fluctuations of a real-time performance.