Ella Mae Morse

Ella Mae Morse (September 12, 1924 – October 16, 1999)<ref name="amg">Template:Cite web</ref> was an American singer of popular music whose 1940s and 1950s recordings mixing jazz, blues, and country styles influenced the development of rock and roll. Her 1942 recording of "Cow-Cow Boogie" with Freddie Slack and His Orchestra gave Capitol Records its first gold record. In 1943, her single "Get On Board, Little Chillun", also with Slack, charted in what would soon become the R&B charts, making her one of the first white singers to do so. Morse stopped recording in 1957 but continued to perform and tour into the 1990s. In 1960, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.<ref name=WalkOfFame>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Morse was born in Mansfield, Texas. She was hired by Jimmy Dorsey when she was 14 years old.<ref name="amg"/> In 1942, at the age of 17, she joined Freddie Slack's band, with whom, that same year she recorded "Cow-Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)", the first gold record released by Capitol Records.<ref name="amg"/><ref name=pc1a>Template:Pop Chronicles 40s</ref> "Mr. Five by Five" was also recorded by Morse with Slack,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and became a hit record in 1942 (Capitol 115). She also originated the wartime hit "Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which was later popularized by Nancy Walker in the 1944 film Broadway Rhythm.

In 1943, Morse began to record solo. She reached #1 in the R&B chart with "Shoo-Shoo Baby"Template:Sfn in December for two weeks. In the same year she performed "Cow Cow Boogie" in the film Reveille with Beverly and co-starred in Universal's South of Dixie, Ghost Catchers with Olsen and Johnson, and How Do You Dooo?, a vehicle for radio's "Mad Russian", Bert Gordon. She sang in a wide variety of styles, and she had hits on both the U.S. pop and rhythm and blues charts. However, she never received the popularity of a major star.<ref name="amg"/>

The song "Love Me or Leave Me" as recorded by Morse was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 1922,<ref>Abrams, Steven; Settlemier, Tyrone Capitol Records in the 1500 to 1999 series Online Discographical Project. Retrieved October 28, 2011</ref> with the flip side "Blacksmith Blues", which became her biggest hit.

In 1946, "House of Blue Lights" by Freddie Slack and Morse, (written by Slack and Don Raye) saw them perform what was one of many of Raye's songs picked up by black R&B artists.<ref name=Tosches>Nick Tosches, The Unsung Heroes of Rock 'N' Roll:The Birth of Rock in the Wild Years before Elvis, 1991, Template:ISBN</ref><ref name=DawsonPropes>Jim Dawson and Steve Propes, What Was The First Rock 'N' Roll Record, 1992, Template:ISBN</ref> Her biggest solo success was "Blacksmith Blues" in 1952, which sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">Template:Cite book</ref> The same year her version of "Down the Road a Piece" appeared on Capitol with Slack again on piano accompaniment. Morse also recorded a version of "Oakie Boogie" for Capitol which reached #23 in 1952.<ref>Lonergan, Hit Records, 1950-1975, p. 163,</ref> Her version was one of the first songs arranged by Nelson Riddle.<ref>Levinson, September in the Rain, p. 104: "... he contacted Nelson [Riddle] to write for Ella Mae Morse. Their first endeavor together was "Oakie Boogie," which turned out to be a minor hit."</ref>

Morse ceased recording in 1957, but continued performing until the early 1990s, under the new management of Alan Eichler,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> performing at such clubs as Michael's Pub in New York,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ye Little Club in Beverly Hills, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel's Cinegrill and the Vine St. Bar and Grill. She appeared regularly at Disneyland for several years with the Ray McKinley Orchestra, and did a successful tour of Australia shortly before her final illness.

Her music career was profiled in Nick Tosches' 1984 book, The Unsung Heroes of Rock 'N' Roll: The Birth of Rock in the Wild Years Before Elvis. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street.<ref name=WalkOfFame />

Her entire recorded body of work was issued in a deluxe box set by Bear Family Records and a rare live performance, "Ella Mae Morse On Broadway", was released in 2011.

Musical style

As Morse's musical style blended jazz, blues, and country, she has sometimes been called the first rock 'n' roll singer. A good example is her 1942 recording of the song "Get On Board, Little Chillun", which, with strong gospel, blues, boogie, and jive sounds, was a genuine precursor to the later rockabilly/rock 'n roll songs.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Her records sold well to both Caucasian and African-American audiences. As she was not well known at the time of her first solo hits, many people assumed she was African-American because of her 'hip' vocal style and choice of material.<ref name=vera>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

Personal life

In 1999, Morse died of respiratory failure in Bullhead City, Arizona, at age 75.<ref name="amg"/> She had six children from four marriages,<ref>Coffey, Kevin (1997). Ella Mae Morse booklet, Bear Family box set BCD 16117 EI</ref> several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a sister, Flo Handy, who was also a singer.

Discography

Albums as a leader

• Dynamite Texas Diva Live (1940s live recordings, released by Collectors Choice, 2003)
• Barrelhouse, Boogie and the Blues with Big Dave and his orchestra (Capitol Records, 1957)
• Morse Code (Capitol, 1957)

compilations:

• Morse Code Collection (Jasmine Records, 2005) (2 discs)
• Singles Collection, 1942-57 (Acrobat Records, 2018) (3 discs)
• Barrelhouse, Boogie and the Blues (Bear Family Records, 2006) (Complete recordings, 5 discs)
• Rocks (Bear Family Records, 2010)
• Very Best Of (Collectables, 1998)
• Two Classic Albums Plus Singles (Real Tyme Music, 2014) (4 discs)
• Ella Mae Morse, Collectors Series (Capitol, 2007
• Razzle Dazzle--In the 50's (Rev-ola Bandstand, 2007

Hit singles

Year	Single	US Chart position	Label	Catalogue No.
1942	"Cow-Cow Boogie"	9<ref name=vera />	Capitol	102 <ref name=ODP1>Abrams, Steven and Settlemier, Tyrone. Capitol100.htm " Capitol 100 - 499". Online Discographical Project. Retrieved November 1, 2011</ref>
	"Mr. Five by Five"	10<ref name=vera />	Capitol	115<ref name=ODP1 />
1943	"Get On Board Little Chillun"	17 (R&B)<ref name=vera />	Capitol	133<ref name=ODP1 />
	"Shoo Shoo Baby"	4<ref name=pm>Pop Memories 1890-1954. Joel Whitburn. 1986. Record Research Inc. p. 325. Template:ISBN</ref>	Capitol	143<ref name=ODP1 />
1944	"No Love, No Nothin’"	4<ref name=pm />	Capitol	143<ref name=ODP1 />
	"Tess' Torch Song"	11<ref name=pm />	Capitol	151<ref name=ODP1 />
	"Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet"	7<ref name=pm />	Capitol	151<ref name=ODP1 />
	"The Patty Cake Man"	10<ref name=pm />	Capitol	163<ref name=ODP1 />
1945	"Captain Kidd"	17<ref name=pm />	Capitol	193<ref name=ODP1 />
1946	"Buzz Me"	15<ref name=pm />	Capitol	226<ref name=ODP1 />
	"The House of Blue Lights"	8 (R&B) <ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>	Capitol	251<ref name=ODP1 />
1952	"The Blacksmith Blues"	3<ref name=pm />	Capitol	1922<ref>Abrams, Steven and Settlemier, Tyrone. Capitol1500.htm "Capitol 1500 - 2000". Online Discographical Project. Retrieved November 1, 2011</ref>
	"Oakie Boogie"	23<ref name=pm />	Capitol	2072<ref>Abrams, Steven and Settlemier, Tyrone. Capitol2000.htm "Capitol 2000 - 2500". Online Discographical Project. Retrieved November 1, 2011</ref>
1953	"40 Cups of Coffee"	26<ref name=pm />	Capitol	2539<ref>Abrams, Steven and Settlemier, Tyrone. Capitol2500.htm "Capitol 2500 - 3000". Online Discographical Project. Retrieved November 1, 2011</ref>

As a collaborator or side performer

• Ella Mae Morse and Freddie Slack, The Hits of Ella Mae Morse and Freddie Slack (Capitol, 1962)
• Herbie Mann, Ella Mae Morse, Jimmy Giuffre, Sessions, Live (Calliope, 1976)
• Red Norvo Quintet, With Guest Vocalists Mavis Rivers And Ella Mae Morse (United, 1962; released by Studio West, 1990)

See also

• List of jump blues musicians
• List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart
• First rock and roll record

External links

• Template:IMDb name
• Prescottlink.com
• Ella Mae Morse Interview NAMM Oral History Library (1995)