Billy Brown, "Did We Have a Party?" and "It's Love"

Did We Have a Party?  

It's Love 

https://youtu.be/6zxgH4qGCXM

(Cozens, 1958)

Billy Brown was an important figure in the Country, Rock and Roll, and Rock-a-Billy musical world that you never heard of.  He was described by Bear Family Records as the "hard-luck guy"  and "one of the best but least celebrated country and rock & roll singers!"  He spent most of his life in the music business, usually just under the radar.  He wrote so many songs, and he was attached to the right labels, but he never caught a good break.  Yet, he left a legacy of enjoyable music that I find fascinating  (Bear Family Records, nd).

Knowing about Billy Brown's music in the 1950s and 60s "fills a gap" by a singer who "never had quite the right break.  Turns out, he was not just a singer, he was a rodeo performer, country gospel evangelist, and a "mainstay of the central Florida music scene"  (Bear Family Records, nd).

(Discogs, 2023)

Vital Statistics:

His full name was William George Brown, and he was born in July 1929 in Princeton, West Virginia.   His father, George Brown started out as a miner, then became a railroad man, later moving his little family to New Smyrna Beach when little Billy was about 8 years old.   According to Billy's widow, "Everybody knew the Browns in Smyrna."  He served in the infantry during the Korean War.  He died in January 2009 in Florida (Discogs, 2023) (Bear Family Records, nd).  

(Bear Family Records, nd)

Musical Career:

He bought his first guitar at the tender age of eight years old  (Discogs, 2023).  Billy said, in a newspaper article, that he "sold twelve boxes of Cloverine lip salve on the streets in order to make enough money."  He said he saw an advertisement in a comic book touting it as "good for anything and everything" (Bear Family Records, nd).  

In the Eleventh grade, Ms Dilzer caught him in study hall writing the lyrics to the song "Trusting Heart."  "She came up and was standing over me and said, 'Mr. Brown, what are you doing? and I said I was writing some songs I hoped to record someday.  She said 'Frankly I don't think you are good enough.'"  He explains that he left school that day  (Bear Family Records, nd). 

His favourite singers as a teenager were Gene Autry, Eddy Arnold and Elton Britt.  He told a story about the time he earned $18, brought the money to his dad and told him "you can retire, now."  He sang at rodeos with a group known as the Indian River Boys, became proficient at twirling guns (Bear Family Records, nd). 

When he got out of the Army, he landed a gig at the Anchorage club in Atlanta Georgia (Discogs, 2023).    

(Bear Family Records, nd)

Before Columbia:  

Before he signed for Columbia, he recorded a single for the Stars label in Atlanta, "Did We Have A Party?"  (Stars 552), which was called a "wild rocker" according to the Bear Family website  (Discogs, 2023).  He signed first with Decca, and then to Stars Inc.  His single "Did We Have a Party?" was "a full-fledged answer to "Party" which Elvis promoted in his new film "Loving You" (Francho, nd).

He was invited to play in some of the nightclubs in central Florida.  In 1950, he signed a contract with the Grand Ole Opry "and [I] was headed for Nashville when the Korean War broke out."     Billy Brown later said "the night they drafted me I went to see Mrs Ivey, the head of the draft board, and asked if she would defer me until the records came out, but she wouldn't do it."    His Nashville connection came when two brothers heard him singing in a night club and arranged an audition.  Billy was "singing like Eddy Arnold and yodeling like Elton Britt" (Bear Family Records, nd).  

(Francho, nd)

Columbia:  

He was signed to Columbia Records on 20 October 1957, and was living in Daytona Beach Florida while he recorded for them.  The song "Did We Have a Party?" was then reissued by Columbia Records (41029) in November 1957.  His other Columbia Recordings included "Meet Me in the Alley, Sally" (Columbia 4110, 1958) and "Flip Out" (Columbia 41297 1958).   As great as these songs are today, the sales were dismal, with absolutely no European sales, by all accounts.  Columbia decided to not renew Billy Brown's contract  (Discogs, 2023).

According to Bear Family Records, Billy signed onto Columbia Records in September 1950 (Billy Brown; Did We Have a Party -- Honky Tonk Heroes, nd).  

The Columbia label thought Billy Brown was a good answer to RCAs Elvis.  They produced some good publicity, leading to Billy appearing on American Bandstand (Francho, nd).

(Discogs, 2023)

After Columbia:

Republic Label:

Billy Brown then joined Gene Autry's Republic label, releasing two singles in 1960 and 1961:  "Out of Reach" (Republic c20078).  It was this version which inspired Solomon Burke to record the song in December 1960  (Discogs, 2023).

Francho writes that his three singles were not as successful as they should have been because they did not get the promotion they deserved (Billy Brown -- His Rockin'est, nd).

Chart Action label:

Brown then appeared on a minor Nashville label, Chart Action, and while there, recorded another version of "He'll Have to Go"  (Discogs, 2023).

(Francho, nd)

Misc.

There were so many other Billy Browns on other labels, and it seems researchers have a difficult time ascertaining if those men are THIS Billy Brown.  There may even have been a different Billy Brown signed to Columbia in the early 1950s  (Discogs, 2023).

Jim Reeves recorded Billy's song "He'll Have to Go"  (Bear Family Records, nd).

1958

Their Billy Rocked to Fame on Guitar

(Cozens, 1958

The rock n; roll crowd of this city has reason to be jumping about a fan club they are forming for Columbia Recording Star Rock-A-Billy Brown. 

The 28-year-old singer-guitarist is on tour with the Everly Brothers in a 16-act show also featuring Jimmy Rogers of “Honeycomb” fame and Paul Anker who wrote “Diane.” 

A columnist wrote:  “Not since the days of Johnny Ray has Cleveland seen such reaction to a new comer recording star as Billy Brown.  The impact and reception to Brown has been a near frenzy and Cleveland’s response to a new artist has left standing-room-only for  the entire engagement.”

 Dick Link, manager of Andy Griffin, has cited Brown for the role of Hank Williams in the story of the singing star.    Link says:  “Billy is a complex of uninhibited performance, combined with great rhythmic guitarism and a flexible, singing voice.”

 Billy is the son of Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Brown of this city.  A younger brother, Tommy, Also a musician, plans to join his brother on tour.  Tommy, also a musician, plans to join his brother on tour.  Tommy, just released from the Army, toured Europe with a special services outfit, entertaining troops.  Neither of the boys had music lessons. 

 Billy Brown is married and the father of two sons – Billy and Tommy.

 

 

1968

1968 Billy Brown New Act at Benefit

(Allen, 1968)

Benefit including Lee Caron and the Sharpshooters, Johnny Bolan Sextet, Norm Schooping Trio, Mark Wayne Quartet, Steve Gibbs Trio, Johnny Ramon, Vince Caporale and the Royals, Bede Best, Mary Jane and Gene Day, Joe Harrison, Paul Brown, and Johnny Kilmer. 

New acts appearing this weekend are both in the C and W vein, Billy Brown, late from the Imperial Towers at Titusville instigates the twanging guitar sound at the Continental.  According to his advance notices he’s appeared with some of the big ‘uns.  Eddie Arnold, Tony Bennet, Gene Autry and on Dick Clark’s American Band Stand.  ***find this proof***

 

(Brown, It's Love, about 1956)

Purchase your copy

A German company called Bear Family Records has released at least one album with Billy Brown's songs, entitled "Did We Have A Party -- Honky Tonk Heroes, which you can purchase.  It includes a 60-page booklet which provides "the first ever retrospective of the remarkable career and amazing life of Billy Brown, based on new interviews, and many unpublished photographs" (Bear Family Records, nd).  This album "reproduces Billy Brown's most rocking songs, all from his period between 1957 and 1961 at Columbia and Republic, authentic rock'n'roll and pop gems that until now have not been recovered in a complete album dedicated to this artist (Francho, nd).   https://www.bear-family.com/brown-billy-his-rockin-est-lp-10inch.html

Disclaimer --- I have no affiliation with Bear Family Records, and I receive NO recompense nor money.  If you like an artist, you will want to have his songs in your home.

(Brown, Did We Have a Party, about 1956)

Lyrics (Brown, nd).

Did we have a party? Did we have a party?
Did we have a party? We partied all night long

Well I went on a big big party last night
Everything we did we was doin' alright
All of the cats and the kittens were there
Rockin' and a rollin', not a worry, not a care
Did we have a party? Did we have a party?
Did we have a party? We partied all night long

Well now we danced on the ceilin', we danced on the wall
Everybody there was a havin' a ball
I looked at the clock and I screamed out loud
I couldn't get over the noise of the crowd
Did we have a party? Did we have a party?

Did we have a party? We partied all night long

Did we have a party? Did we have a party?
Ooh ohh we had a party, yeah we had party
Ooh we had a party, we partied all night long
All the people were laughin', everybody was gay
I looked through the blinds, it was breakin' day
I grabbed my baby, headed for the door
I cried lordy lordy, can't stand anymore
Did we have a party? Did we have a party?
Did we have a party? We partied all night long

Did we have a party? Did we have a party?
Ooh ohh we had a party, yeah we had party
Ooh we had a party, we partied all night long

 

https://www.flashlyrics.com/lyrics/billy-brown/did-we-have-a-party-89

 

 

Resources

Allen, G. (1968, June 7). 1968 Billy Brown New Act at Benefit. Retrieved May 15, 2023, from The Evening Tribune (Cocoa, Florida) page 2: www.newspapers.com

Bear Family Records. (nd). Billy Brown; Did We Have a Party ... Honky Tonk Heroes. Retrieved May 11, 2023, from Bear Family Records: https://www.bear-family.com/brown-billy-did-we-have-a-party-honky-tonk-heroes.html

Bear Family Records, His Rockin'est. (nd). Billy Brown -- His Rockin'est. Retrieved May 12, 2023, from Bear Family Records: https://www.bear-family.com/brown-billy-his-rockin-est-lp-10inch.html

Brown, B. (nd). Did We Have A Party Lyrics. Retrieved May 11, 2023, from FlashLyrics: https://www.flashlyrics.com/lyrics/billy-brown/did-we-have-a-party-89

Brown, B. (about 1956). Did We Have a Party. [45 RPM vinyl]. USA: Columbia 45 RPM. Retrieved May 2023

Brown, B. (about 1956). It's Love . [45 RPM vinyl]. USA: Columbia 45 RPM. Retrieved May 2023

Cozens, E. (1958, January 22). Their Billy Rocked to Fame on a Guitar. Retrieved May 2023, from The Miami Herald page 3: Newspapers.com

Discogs. (2023). Billy Brown (8). Retrieved May 11, 2023, from Discogs:   https://www.discogs.com/artist/1025885-Billy-Brown-8

Francho, D. (nd). Billy Brown -- His Rockin'est. Retrieved May 12, 2023, from Bear Family Records: https://www.bear-family.com/brown-billy-his-rockin-est-lp-10inch.html