J E S S E B E L V I N

DISCOGRAPHY

By Jim Dawson, with help from Steve Propes, Billy Vera and Gaynel Hodge.

Singles

1. Imperial 5115   All That Wine Is Gone / Don’t Cry, Baby   Feb. 1951

As by Jay McNeeley [sic] and His Orchestra; Vocal by: Jesse Belvin and Three Dots & A Dash. Available on both 78 and 45. A mint 78 is worth perhaps $20; a mint 45 is worth $500+.

2. Imperial 5130   Sad Story / (not on flipside)   1951

As by Big Jay McNeely: Jesse Belvin and Three Dots & A Dash. As with the earlier single, the 45 is extremely rare and worth much more than the 78.

3. Specialty 435   Baby Don’t Go / Confusin’ Blues   June 1952

4. Specialty 447   Dream Girl / Daddy Loves Baby ³   Nov. 1952

As by Jesse & Marvin.

5. Recorded in Hollywood 412 Daddy Loves Baby / My Love Comes Tumbling Down   1952

This single was slotted for release, but may never have been more than a demo or deejay copy.

6. Recorded in Hollywood 120 Hang Your Tears Out To Dry / Dream Girl   Dec. 1952

Arr. by Red Callender, Music by Que Martin. Though "Dream Girl" is the same song Jesse recorded on Specialty with Marvin Phillips, the composer is listed as "Jacques" — one of label owner John Dolphin’s pseudonyms. Specialty’s "Dream Girl" is by Belvin-Phillips.

7. King 4607   Hang Your Tears Out To Dry / Dream Girl   Feb. 1953

Same recordings as Recorded in Hollywood 120.

8. Swing Time 346   Go Get Some More / (not on flipside)   Feb. 1954

As by The ? Marks (Jesse backed probably by The Hollywood Flames).

9. Modern 949   Ko Ko Mo / (not on flipside)   Jan. 1955

As by Marvin & Johnny (with Marvin Phillips).

10. Modern 952   I Love You, Yes I Do / (not on flipside)   Feb. 1955

As by Marvin & Johnny (with Marvin Phillips).

CLICK RECORD TO SEE LARGER IMAGE

11. Money 208   I’m Only A Fool / Trouble & Misery   Feb. 1955   (above)

With Jackson Brothers Orchestra.

12. Specialty 550   One Little Blessing / Gone   Apr. 1955

As by Jesse Belvin The Blues Balladeer And His Band. Bobby Relf & The Laurels, though uncredited, provided background vocals.

13. Modern 959   Sugar Mama / (not on flipside)   May 1955

As by Marvin & Johnny (with Marvin Phillips).

14. Federal 12231   My Angel / (not on flipside)   June 1955

As by The Californians (Belvin sings lead only on the bridge).

15. Federal 12237   So Fine / Sentimental Heart   Aug. 1955

As by The Sheiks.

16. Specialty 559   Love Love Of My Life / Where’s My Girl   Sep. 1955

With the "Bumps" Blackwell Band. Bobby Relf & The Laurels, though uncredited, provided background vocals.

17. Hollywood 1059   Betty My Darling / Dear Heart   Apr. 1956

Bobby Relf & The Laurels, though uncredited, provided background vocals.

18. Cash 1035   Hum-De-Dum ¹⁵ / (sang background on flipside)   June 1956

As by The Gassers (George Parker, Howard Watson, Willie Henderson and Haydell Mitchell).

19. Modern 987   Girl Of My Dreams / I Wanna Know Why   Mar. 1956

As by The Cliques (duets with Eugene Church).

20. Modern 995   My Desire / I’m In Love (With A Girl)   Aug. 1956

As by The Cliques (duets with Eugene Church).

21. Modern 1005   Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams) / I Want You With Me Christmas   Oct 1956

Probably recorded with The Don Ralke Singers, including Ricki Page, wife of producer George Motola.

22. Modern 1005   Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams) / Let Me Love You Tonight   Dec. 1957

A-side is the same recording. Label credit on the new B-side is: Orchestra conducted by Maxwell Davis.

23. Modern 1013   I Need You So / Senorita   Feb. 1957

Arranged and Conducted by Maxwell Davis.

24. Modern 1015   Don’t Close The Door / By My Side   Mar. 1957

Arranged and Conducted by Maxwell Davis.

25. Modern 1020   I’m Not Free / Sad & Lonesome (Blues)   May 1957

26. Modern 1025   You Send Me / Summertime   Aug. 1957

27. Cash 1056   Beware / Dry Your Tears   Nov. 1957

"Dry Your Tears" is the same recording as "Hang Your Tears Out To Dry" (Recorded in Hwd 120).

28. Modern 1027   Just To Say Hello / My Satellite   Dec. 1957

"Just to Say Hello" as by Jesse Belvin and Group; "My Satellite" as by Jesse Belvin & The Space Riders (Tommy "Buster" Williams, Alex Hodge, Will "Dub" Jones).

29. Aladdin 3431   Sugar Doll / Let Me Dream   July 1958

As by The Sharptones With Jesse Belvin (actually a duet with Buster Williams).

30. RCA 47-7310   Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu) / Ever Since We Met   July 1958

"Volare" With Orchestra Conducted by Dennis Farnon. Flipside: With Shorty Rogers and his Orchestra and Chorus. Producer: Dick Peirce (as on all of Belvin’s RCA singles).

31. RCA 47-7387   Funny / Pledging My Love   Oct. 1958

Shorty Rogers Orchestra and Chorus.

32. Tender 518   Beware / (not on flipside)   Nov. 1958

As by The Capris; "Beware" is the same recording as on Cash 1056.

33. RCA 47-7469   Guess Who / My Girl Is Just Enough Woman For Me   Feb. 1959

"Guess Who" With Shorty Rogers and his Orchestra and Chorus. "My Girl Is Just Enough For Me" (from the Broadway musical Redhead) With Dennis Farnon and his Orchestra and Chorus.

CLICK RECORD TO SEE LARGER IMAGE

34. Knight 2012   Deacon Dan Tucker / Little Darling   1959   (above)

35. Federal 12355   So Fine / Sentimental Heart   1959

This was a reissue of Federal 12237.

36. RCA 47-7543   Here’s A Heart / It Could’ve Been Worse   1959

With Shorty Rogers and his Orchestra and Chorus.

37. RCA 47-7596   Give Me Love / I’ll Never Be Lonely Again   1959

"Give Me Love" With Shorty Rogers and his Orchestra and Chorus. Flipside: Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Ray Martin.

38. Jamie 1145   Goodnight My Love / My Desire   1959

Same recordings as released earlier on Modern. (Pleasant Dreams) dropped from A-side title.

39. RCA 47-7675   The Door Is Always Open / Something Happens to Me   1960

Shorty Rogers’ Orchestra and Chorus. The single version of "Something Happens to Me" is not the same recording (with Marty Paich’s orchestra) that’s on the album Mr. Easy.

40. Class 267   I’m Confessin’ / Deep In My Heart   1960

Jessie [sic] Belvin. "I’m Confessin’" With Ricki Page (the wife of producer George Motola; her vocals were also present on the background of "Goodnight My Love").

41. Impact 23   Looking For Love / Tonight My Love   1961

These were demos later overdubbed for release.

42. Candlelight 427   Love Song / (not on flipside)

The Late Jessie [sic] Belvin With the Five Keys (but the group was actually Bobby Relf & The Laurels); most likely this cut came from the "Dear One"/"Betty My Darling" session from 1956.

43. Kent 326   Sentimental Reasons / Senorita   1960

Don Ralke Vocal Group. Same recordings as released earlier on Modern.

44. Hi Oldies 408   I’m Confessin’ / Deep In My Heart 1960s

A reissue of Class 267.

45. Modern Oldies xx   Goodnight My Love / ?

Same recordings as released earlier on Modern.

46. Collectables 3937   Goodnight My Love / Girl of My Dreams   1980s

Same recordings as released earlier on Modern. The B-side is credited to Jesse Belvin & Cliques.

Albums

(excluding the countless anthologies that include only one of Belvin’s Specialty or Modern sides)

RCA LPM 2089   Just Jesse Belvin ¹   1959

RCA NL 89458 (British)   Just Jesse Belvin ¹   1959

Crown 5145   Casual Jesse Belvin   1960

RCA LPM 2105   Mr. Easy   1960

Crown 5145   Jesse Belvin Sings ²   1960

Crown 5187   The Unforgettable Jesse Belvin   1961

Custom xxx   Gone But Not Forgotten ²   19xx

Crown 5350   Brook Benton and Jessie [sic] Belvin ³   1963

RCA Camden CAL-960   Jesse Belvin’s Best (mono)   1966

RCA Camden CAL-960   Jesse Belvin’s Best (stereo)   1966

United Superior 7720   But Not Forgotten ² (fake stereo)   19xx

RCA NL-45664 (Spanish)   Mr. Easy   1972

RCA APL-1-0966   Jesse Belvin Yesterdays   1975

Pathe Marconi 154 6691 (French)   Deacon Rides Again ⁴   1983

Ace CH 96 (British)   Jesse Belvin Memorial Album   1984

Kent KLP 2007   But Not Forgotten ²   1985

RCA NL-89458 (Germany)   Just Jesse Belvin ¹   1985

Earth Angel JD 900 (Swedish)   Hang Your Tears Out To Dry   1986

Specialty 1517 (Japanese)   Specialty R& Story Vol. 2 ⁵   1980s

Specialty SP 7003   Jesse Belvin: The Blues Balladeer   1990

CDs

Specialty SPCD 7003   Jesse Belvin: The Blues Balladeer ⁶   1990

Ace CHCHD 305 (British)   Jesse Belvin: The Blues Balladeer ⁶   1990

Ace CDCHD 336 (British)   Goodnight My Love ⁷   1991

Flair/Virgin 86301   Goodnight My Love (same as Ace CD)   1991

Specialty SPCD-2173-2   DooWop From Dophin’s of Hollywood, Vol 1 ⁸   1991

Ace CDCHD 509   Marvin & Johnny: Cherry Pie ⁹   1994

RCA xxxx (Spanish)   Just Jesse Belvin   19xx

RCA 74402 (Spanish)   Mr. Easy   19xx

Night Train NTCD 7097   So Fine: The Swingtime & Shorty Rogers Demos ¹⁰   1997

RCA xxx   Unreleased album ¹¹

Collectables 2701 (DRC1-1432) ¹²   Golden Classics   1997

Ace CDCH2 1020 ¹³   Guess Who: The RCA Victor Recordings   2004

NOTES:

LPs

—1 This was the only Jesse Belvin album released during his lifetime.

—2 Albums are same as Casual Jesse Belvin, with changes in cover art. Jesse Belvin Sings retained Casual’s same Crown number.

—3 LP contains five songs by each artist.

—4 Artist is Big Jay McNeely; Jesse Belvin’s first three songs (Imperial) are included.

—5 Double LP contains four of Jesse’s Specialty songs: "Confusin’ Blues," "Gone," "Love, Love of My Life" and Jesse & Marvin’s "Daddy Loves Baby."

CDs

—6 Contains Belvin’s six Recorded in Hollywood sides, his first Jesse & Marvin single on Specialty, his 6 Specialty sides, plus an alternate take of "Dream Girl," a demo of "Confusin’ Blues," and 10 unreleased songs, including 2 Jesse & Marvin tracks, an early version of Eugene Church’s "Open Up Your Heart" and a demo for "Love of My Life," which Belvin had planned to record for RCA when he returned from his ill-fated trip.

—7 Contains all of the Jesse Belvin and The Cliques singles on Modern, plus alternate takes of "Goodnight My Love" and "Beware," 3 album-only sides and two previously unissued songs.

—8 Contains "Hum-De-Dum," complete with studio talk and false take, which Jesse recorded with The Gassers on Cash Records.

—9 Contains the 4 songs Belvin and Marvin Phillips recorded as Marvin & Johnny with the Maxwell Davis Orchestra; three were released on singles, a fourth only on a Marvin & Johnny album.

—10 Contains a 6-song demo tape including early versions of "Where’s My Girl," "Gone," The Sheiks’ "So Fine" and Eugene Church’s "Taboo Man"; and various early RCA recordings, including acappella tracks by The Chargers and several unreleased Belvin demos.

—11 When Billy Vera was putting together several R&B CDs from RCA’s vaults several years ago, he assembled a Jesse Belvin album containing his entire sessions with orchestrator Marty Paich. It amounted to the complete Mr. Easy album augmented with the best tracks from Just Jesse Belvin and at least one unreleased song. But Vera claims RCA canceled the CD at the last moment, following a change in company management.

—12 Contains the 24 songs from RCA’s Just Jesse Belvin and Mr. Easy albums, plus two Modern Records songs, "Girl of My Dreams" and "Goodnight My Love."

—13 Contains all RCA singles and the 24 tracks from Just Jesse and Mr. Easy, except for the 45 version of "Something Happens to Me." The LP version is included, but listed under the single's catalog number.

Belvin is also present on these singles:

Modern 818   Richard Lewis & The Barons ¹   Forever/Believe In Me   1950

Cash 1035   The Gassers   Tell Me ² / Hum-De-Dum (sang lead)   June 1956

Empire 106   Ricky ³   Baby Please Come home / Tender Love   1956

Empire 109   The Youngsters   Dreamy Eyes ² / (not on flipside)   1956

Caddy 111   The Dots ⁴   Good Luck to You ² / Heartache   1956

Specialty 604   Eugene Church   Open Up Your Heart / How Long   1957

Bally 1017   The Turks ⁵   This Heart of Mine / Why Did You   1958

Keen 4016   The Turks ⁵   Fathertime / Okay   1958

Tender 513   The Shields ⁶   You Cheated ² / That’s The Way It’s Gonna Be   1958

Dot 15805   The Shields ⁶   You Cheated ² / That’s The Way It’s Gonna Be   1958

Contender 1313   The Saxons ⁷   Is It True / Rock ’N’ Roll Show   1958

Aladdin 3411   The Four Palms   Jeanie, Joanie, Shirley, Toni / Consideration   1958

RCA 47-7417   The Chargers ⁸   Here in My Heart ² / The Counterfeiter   Dec. 1958

RCA 47-7301   The Chargers ⁸   Dandilyon ⁹ / Old MacDonald   1958

Dot xxxxx   The Centennials ¹⁰   My Dear One /

Ebb 153 The Hollywood Flames I’ll Be Seeing You / Just For You   1959

NOTES:

—1 This was the first recording session Jesse Belvin participated in. The Barons were Richard Lewis (who sang lead on "Believe in Me," Marvin Phillips (lead on "Forever"), Jesse Belvin and ?

—2 Jesse Belvin sings falsetto-tenor in the background; he wrote all of the Chargers songs..

—3 Ricky was Richard Berry.

—4 The Dots’ lead singer was Jeanette Baker.

—5 The Turks were Gaynel Hodge (lead), Alex Hodge, Buster Williams and Jesse Belvin.

—6 The Shields was a studio group: Frankie Ervin sang lead, Mel Williams and Buster Williams sang background tenor, Johnny Watson sang bass, and Belvin supplied the song’s distinctive falsetto-tenor. Dot Records picked the record up from George Motola’s tiny Tender label and made it a #13 pop hit.

—7 The Saxons were: Buster Williams (lead), Jesse Belvin (2nd tenor), Eugene Church (baritone), Gaynel Hodge (vocals, piano) and Johnny Watson (vocal bass, guitar). Belvin wrote "Is It True" and Church wrote the flipside.

—8 The Chargers were Bennie Louis Easley (lead), Jimmy Norman, brothers Dunbar and Johnny White, and bass singer Mitchell Alexander.
Norman (nee Jimmy N. Scott) claims that Jesse sang on all four sides.

—9 A Jesse Belvin composition; "dandilyon" was his term for marijuana.

—10 There is a possible Jesse Belvin involvement. His producer George Motola produced the record and the lead singer closely imitates Belvin, suggesting that it could be Buster Williams.

— The Hollywood Flames were David Ford, Earl Nelson, Curtis Williams (bass), Jesse Belvin (?)

Film/video

Jesse Belvin "What Is Love" & "Guess Who" - posted on YouTube by Jesse Belvin Jr.

Jesse Belvin appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand on April 21, 1958, singing "Guess Who?" The availability of a film or audio of the appearance is presently unknown.

He also appeared on an earlier American Bandstand and on The Ed Sullivan Show, but nothing is known to have survived.

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