Song of the Day: “Ba Da” by Bobby Page and the Riff-Raffs featuring Roy “Boogie Boy” Perkins
August 9th, 2011
Swamp-pop pioneer Ernie Suarez, otherwise known as Roy “Boogie Boy” Perkins, makes a triumphant return to the 2011 Ponderosa Stomp after several years’ absence. No doubt he won’t get away without rendering his Meladee-label tear-jerking dirge, “You’re on My Mind,” one of the earliest swamp-pop records.
But as today’s Song of the Day – “Ba Da” – attests, Perkins could do a lot more than just cry in his beer. As a bass player with Bobby Page and the Riff-Raffs, Perkins and gang, which also featured sax players Jimmy “Scatman” Patin and Harry Simoneaux, recorded for Mira Smith’s Shreveport-based Ram label under various aliases. The stellar reissue of this material on the UK’s Ace label allows the modern-day listener to enjoy pounding rockers like “Red Beans & Rice,” “Hippy-Ti-Yo,” and “Drop Top” (the latter of which recently surfaced in the background of a Yoplait yogurt commercial), as well as swampy ballads like “Just Another Lie” and “That’s What the Mailman Had to Say,” which evoke Perkins’”You’re On My Mind.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EkUy-SFhgs
Perkins retired from music in the 1970s until the Mystic Knights of the Mau-Mau dug him out of obscurity in 2001 for a Circle Bar musical showcase. The Ponderosa Stomp is pleased to announce this seminal rock ‘n’ roller’s return to the stage this year. See his full Stomp bio for more information on his fascinating career. And by the way: Bobby “Boogas” Page is still at it, singing and playing trombone with Bobby and the Rockers at south Louisiana venues like Pat’s Atchafalaya Club in Henderson.
Categories: R&B, Rock 'n Roll, Song of the Day, Swamp Pop | Tags: Bobby and the Rockers, Bobby Page, Cajun music, Cajun rock 'n' roll, Ernie Suarez, Henry Simoneaux, Louisiana swamp pop, Meladee Records, Mira Smith, Myra Smith, Ram Records, Roy Perkins, Scatman Patin, Shreveport, Swamp Pop | 5 Comments
