Bobby Charles hits the big time with Fats Domino

Bobby Charles builds on his songwriting success from See You Later Alligator but finds the rewards elusive

Continued from Bobby Walkin to New Orleans Charles dies at 71

By Stephen Pate – Bobby Charles Guidry (February 21, 1938 – January 14, 2010) was a Cajun singer and songwriter who scored an early success with Bill Haley’s hit of his song “See You Later Alligator” and a recording contract with Chess Records. Chess Records was almost exclusively a “race records” company and had little success with Charles. They dropped him from the label in 1957

Fats Domino and another hit for Bobby Charles

Without a record label, songwriter Bobby Charles was drifting. There was no such thing as an indie artist in 1957.

By luck, Fats Domino who had many #1 hits on Imperial Records like Blueberry Hill and My Blue Heaven was in a slump. Bobby Charles was writing songs so fast his friend drummer Warren Storm would take a portable tape recorder when he was with Charles since he could compose songs on the spot.

Bobby Charles

“Walking to New Orleans is a 1960 song by Bobby Charles, written for and recorded by Fats Domino. Domino was a hero of Charles. Domino had previously recorded the Charles tune “Before I Grow Too Old”.

When Domino stopped on tour in Lafayette, Louisiana he invited Charles into his dressing room, and regretted he didn’t have a copy of his new record to give to Charles, but invited Charles to come visit him in Domino’s home of New Orleans. Charles replied, “I don’t have a car. If I’d go, I’d have to walk.” Afterwards, the thought remained on Charles’s mind, and he said he wrote the song for Domino in some 15 minutes.

After he got to New Orleans to accept Domino’s invitation, Charles sang “Walking to New Orleans” for Domino. Domino was enthusiastic about the number and made a few modifications to it, including adding a quote from his earlier hit, “Ain’t That A Shame“. Dave Bartholomew made an orchestration for the backup band, and Domino with Bartholomew and band recorded it in Cosimo Matassa‘s studio on Rampart Street.

After the recording was made, Bartholomew decided to overdub a string section from the New Orleans Symphony. Use of classical strings was unusual for early rock and roll. Domino was at first somewhat surprised when Bartholomew played back the new version with strings, but warmed to the distinctive sweet melancholy sound it added. The record was a hit, released on Imperial Records, reaching #6 on the pop chart and #2 on the R&B chart. Wikipedia from Blue Monday Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock ‘N’ Roll, by Rick Coleman, Da Cappo, 2006.

The song is just a blues but the arrangement made the difference. “By adding strings, I think the song firmly established Fats as a pop figure to be reckoned with and not just an R&B artist. It was a real breakthrough for him,” said Bobby. Bobby Charles Blues ArtStudio

Bobby Charles didn’t get rich, despite the popularity of the song. Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew inserted their names on the copyright registration. Bobby Charles got cheated again. That was the practice in the music business to cheat the songwriter. It still is.

After Walking to New Orleans, Bobby Charles wrote another hit for Fats Domino It Keeps Raining.

Bobby Charles and Clarence the Frogman Henry

Bobby Charles’ songs are both of the 50s era and have a timeless quality. Clarence Frogman Henry, another New Orleans singer made a hit of Bobby Charles (I Don’t Know Why) But I Do. The song was # 4 on the charts in 1961.

Clarence Frogman Henry was a novelty blues singer: he growled, he croaked and sang falsetto. He was a toned down version of stride pianist Fats Waller, with vaudevillian sometimes bawdy song delivery. By 1961 his lack of song material was killing his career so they turned to Bobby Charles who wrote I Don’t Know Why I Love You) But I Do which became a # 4 hit.

“They must have realized that they had something special because they sure rolled out the best people that New Orleans could muster,” said Bobby Charles of the session that included the famous Allen Toussaint among others. “For all his labors, Bobby was only being rewarded a relative pittance. “They would change a word or two and that was it. I guess I should be grateful that I received anything at all. But people like Dave Bartholomew can be really intimidating at times,” said Bobby.”Bobby Charles Blues ArtStudio

The song has a great jazzy arrangement and Frogman Henry drops his comedic delivery for a more serious plaintiff love song.

Bobby Charles gave up most of his royalty rights to A&R man Paul Gayten and the arranger Ben Kendall. The song was a big hit but Bobby Charles got a pittance for his efforts. (The song was recorded as “I Don’t Know Why I Love You” but copyrighted as “But I Do”.)

When But I Do was used in the soundtrack for Forrest Gump it should have been a bonanza for Bobby Charles. His inexperience and lack of power in the cut-throat music business cost him plenty once again.

Movie producers know they can set mood with golden oldies that the middle age audience remember. Obscure almost forgotten songs get a new life, and royalties for their composers.

The 2001 Tom Cruise movie Vanilla Sky used Bob Dylan’s almost forgotten 4th Time Around from Blonde On Blonde. The song was more of Dylan’s least popular songs that is mainly remember for being a parody of The Beatles Norwegian Wood.

The comeback of 4th Time Around was a bonus for me when I started performing in 2004 since I had been practicing the finger-picking for decades. Unlike Charles, Bob Dylan watches his copyrights carefully. I read a few years ago his song catalog generates more than $10 million annually.

The 60’s recordings

While Bobby Charles recorded sporadically during the 60’s for Imperial, Hub City, Jewel and Paula records. He had more success writing songs than singing.  The market’s confusion of him as a black artists killed his chances for success. He worked on several record projects but none of them sold well.

Soured from being cheated of his royalties he tried going it alone which didn’t work out. He even tried his own record label but without access to distribution things petered out.

He is said to have drifted away from music until moving to Woodstock NY. In reality he was hiding out from the law after being busted for drug possession in Nashville, TN. He was looking for a hideout in the obscure mountains near Woodstock NY.

Next – Bobby Charles ends up in Woodstock with Bob Dylan and The Band

SP – Thanks to all the quoted sources but especially to especially to Larry Benicewicz, blues historian,of BluesArt Journal for his detailed history of Bobby Charles

Follow me on Twitter at @sdpate or on Facebook at NJN Network, OyeTimes and IMA News Buzz. You can also subscribe and automatically receive notifications of new stories by email. We do not share your email with advertisers. The subscription form is on this page in the left and right columns.