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Lee Dorsey -Ya Ya

“Some Of The 60s Happiest Hits” Lee Dorsey -Ya Ya

By AvidOldiesCollector

This review: Wheelin’ and Dealin': The Definitive Collection

Lee Dorsey -Ya Ya

In addition to being a mechanic, Irving Lee Dorsey (born on Christmas Eve in 1924 in New Orleans) also did a bit of boxing and served a stint with the Marines before launching his singing career with the obscure Rex Records in 1959 when he was almost 35 years old! Neither side of Rock/Lonely Evening made any dents in the national charts on Rex 1005 (and later Ace 640), nor did Lottie Mo b/w Lover Of Love in 1961 on Joe Banashak’s Valiant 1001 (later Instant) and a 1961 re-release of Lottie Mo b/w Lover Of Love on the much larger ABC-Paramount 10192 that year. None of those sides are in this release.

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Lee Dorsey -Ya Ya

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But things changed dramatically in late summer 1961 when, now with Bobby Robinson’s Fury Records, the happy Ya Ya exploded to a # 1 R&B and # 7 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in September-October b/w Give Me You on Fury 1053. And early in 1962, the follow-up Do-Re-Mi made it to # 22 R&B/# 27 Hot 100 in February-March on Fury 1056 b/w People Gonna Talk. Neither B-side is here, nor does this include his other three Fury singles into 1963: Eenie Meenie Mini Mo b/w Behind The Eight Ball on Fury 1061, and You Are My Sunshine b/w Give Me Your Love on Fury 1066, both in 1962, and Hoodlum Joe b/w When I Met My Baby on Fury 1074 in 1963. Also omitted are any of the side from his 1963/64 releases as Smash (Hello Good Looking b/w Someday on Smash 1842 in 1963), and in 1964, Organ Grinder’s Swing b/w I Gotta Find A New Love on Constellation 115, and You’re Breaking Me Up b/w Messed Around And Fell In Love on Constellation 135.

But in 1965, and now 41 years of age, his career received a boost when he came under the guidance of Allen Toussaint and Marshall Schorn at the Bell subsidiary Amy, with his initial release, Ride Your Pony, topping out at # 7 R&B/# 28 Hot 100 in July-August b/w The Kitty Cat Song on Amy 927. That was followed in January-February 1966 with the # 5 R&B/# 44 Hot 100 Get Out Of My Life, Woman on Amy 945 b/w So Long, and in August-September with the # 5 R&B/# 8 Hot 100 Working In The Coal Mine on Amy 958 b/w Mexico. Three months, in November-December, the comical Holy Cow topped out at # 10 R&B/# 23 Hot 100 on Amy 965 b/w Operation Heartache. In May 1967, My Old Car just made the Hot 100, settling in at # 97 on Amy 987 b/w Why Wait Until Tomorrow?, and that November, Go-Go Girl hit # 31 R&B/# 62 Hot 100 on Amy 998 b/w I Can Hear You Callin’.

The well then dried up for over a year before he found another hit, the title of which indicated a new musical direction – Everything I Do Gohn Be Funky (From Now On) – which levelled off at # 33 R&B and # 95 Hot 100 in July 1969 on Amy 11,055 b/w There Should Be A Book. The following year he turned up at Polydor where he cut a concept 1970 LP titled Yes We Can, which was also, like his hits with Amy, produced by Toussaint. From that album Yes We Can – Part 1 made it to # 46 on the R&B charts in November on Polydor 14038 b/w, not Part 2 as might be expected, but rather O-Me-O, My-O.

Neither of those sides are in this compilation, nor are the two sides of his final charting single which came eight years later in 1978. Now 54, and with ABC, Dorsey’s Night People struggled to # 93 R&B b/w Can I Be The One? on ABC 12326. Those omissions, along with every B-side from his Fury and Amy charting singles (except Operation Heartbreak which is included) makes this more attractive to those seeking just his major hit sides, but it leaves completist hits collectors cold. And forget about ever finding any of his other singles released into 1978 in a quality CD (these are also listed in the Comments below in the event you’re interested). Tracks 4 and 5 are from his 1966 LP “Ride Your Pony – Get Out Of My Life Woman” (Amy 8010). While track 7 comes from his 1966 LP “The New Lee Dorsey – Workin’ In The Coal Mine – Holy Cow” (Amy 8011).

A lifetime smoker, Dorsey died of emphysema one month before his 66th birthday on December 1, 1986.

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Lee Dorsey -Ya Ya was originally published on RocknRoll-Goulash

#Fury Records #Lee Dorsey #New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival #Working In a Coal Mine #Ya Ya #YaYa