Jimmie Rodgers w/ Joe Reisman's Orch. & Chorus - "T.L.C. (Tender Love and Care)" (Roulette 1959)
w Herbert Clarke, Stanley Lebovsky, John Lehmman; Single, Roulette – R-4218
Not to be confused with early Country performer Jimmie (C.) Rodgers, Jimmie Frederick Rodgers had his greatest success with the poppy-rock hit “Honeycomb” in 1957 (Jimmy C. died in 1933, the year Jimmie F. was born). Here’s a clip of him performing the song on the Ed Sullivan Show:
“T.L.C.” (reproduced here by Rhino Records in 1990) has got much a similar sound, as does Jimmie’s other stuff I’ve heard: cavernous vocals, backup singers, and prominent percussion providing the beat; some nice flavor on top of a more typical ‘50s pop sound.
Jimmie’s record label Roulette was known for unfair treatment of its recording artists (i.e. not paying them), and its owner Morris Levy was alleged to be in with the New York mob. Tommy James of Tommy James and the Shandells (“Mony Mony”, “I Think We’re Alone Now”, “Crimson and Clover”), who recorded for Roulette in the ‘60s, later claimed Levy and the Mafia were behind a 1967 incident in which Jimmie was supposedly assaulted by an LAPD officer (fracturing Jimmie’s skull and nearly killing him; the City of LA settled for $200,000, and in the ‘90s Levy was fined $250,000 on top of a 10-year jail sentence for extorting a record wholesaler).
The world could do with a little more tender love and care…
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