In the 1950s, particularly between 1954 and 1960, the American pop charts were dominated by what came to be known as doo-wopp music. This early form of rhythm and blues became the soundtrack for love struck teenagers at high school dances, neighborhood diners and parked automobiles all over the country. One of those songs, Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight has endured the test of time and is today one of the most recognizable songs of the doo-wopp era. However, not many people born after 1960 can name the group who originally recorded that song. Featured in the 1973 George Lucas classic, Ameican Graffitti, (and later in 'Three Men and a Baby' circa 1987) Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight was written and performed by The Spaniels, a quintet out of Gary Indiana, and the first group to be signed onto the independent Vee Jay records, the first (and successful) Black-owned record company. Lead singer James Pookie Hudson wrote the song over a period of several nights as he would return home from his sweetheart after taking her out on a date.
The University of California at Santa Barbara invited Spaniels' member Don Porter to give a lecture on doo-wopp during Black History Month this February and I was able to catch up with him for an interesting interview. Anyone familiar with the musical legacy that doo-wopp has left on not only R&B music, but popular music in general can understand the significance of talking to this man in person. He personally knows Little Richard, went on tour with the Dells, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and the Platters just to name a few. Needless to say, I was quite nervous but felt extremely lucky to sit face to face with Mr. Porter. Now onto the interview...
Q: When you were with the Spaniels, did you ever you ever think that you were making History?
A: No absolutely not. As a matter of fact, when I first started listening to gospel and spiritual music (the foundation of doo-wopp & other forms of R&B) I had no idea I was embarking on a professional career. It was a just a pastime it was just something to do. There was never the intent or the thought that this was going to ultimately turn into a career.
Q: What role do you feel doo-wopp has in the creation of Rock & Roll?
A: Well, very frankly speaking, there would be no rock & roll without rhythm and blues. Doo-wopp is not a music in and of itself. Doo-wopp is a colloquial term that was coined to describe a facet of rhythm and blues music. Its all rhythm and blues.
Q: Given that, where do you draw the distinction between Rhythm and Blues and Rock & Roll?
A:The music that came to be known as rock & roll is actually just another form of rhythm and blues. Little Richards music for example, was in release long before the term, rock & roll to describe music, became commonplace. Along with Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, Little Richard pioneered this style of up tempo rhythm and blues, and this music was not labeled rock & roll until you had White artists imitating the style. Up tempo rhythm and blues was labeled rock and roll when it was duplicated and then repackaged to be sold to mainstream America. Examples of this include the slew of cover tunes recorded by Pat Boone and Peggy Lee, or the well documented fact that Elvis Presley relied heavily on Black gospel and rhythm and blues to fuel his sound. This is why most people see the real pioneers of uptempo rhythm and blues as mere participants in the creation of this music, not the important founders that they truly were.
Q: Speaking of up tempo music, I read somewhere that The Spaniels were actually given an opportunity to record The Twist. Is this true?
A: Thats true. I dont know where you read that, but we had an opportunity to record "The Twist", before Chubby Checker recorded it [and ]before Hank Ballard recorded it. It was given to us by a spiritual group of singers called the Davis Sisters. They just thought that we might want to do the song. The reason we didnt do the song is we were spiritually oriented, and the song was not right for us at the time.
Q: Were the lyrics changed when the song was released by Chubby Checker or were they the same?
A: Ill be honest with you I dont know whether the lyrics were changed a lot or not because I dont remember what the original lyrics were actually. I do remember we had the opportunity to do that song. We regretted making that decision not to do it, I can tell you that much.
Q: Going down memory lane, whats your favorite memory with the group?
A: Favorite memory? There are many. Some of the memorable times are the tours that we did. Touring the entire United States with all of the other big acts of the time. There would be two busloads the band would be on one bus, and then the acts would be on the other bus and we would play all over the whole United States. Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Sam Cooke, The Drifters, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and The Spaniels all on one show. Other artists we toured with were Roy Hamilton, Ruth Brown, Fats Domino and Laverne Baker those were memorable times.
Q: So there was a comraderie between acts?
A: Oh yes. We were all on the same buses together, we stayed in the same places together, we ate together