As a certain kind of record creep, YES MASTER! IS just exactly the kind of record you hope to come across as you travel the spaceways. It's got the songwriting pedigree from cave living, cross country walking exotica king Eden Ahbez, it's on an obscure Hawaiian rock and roll label, and the sounds carved into the wax are equally delicious and hilarious.
My favourite things about this record:
- The pulsing bass line
- The super hi fi reverby sound of the woman summoning double claps
- the way the "master" sounds so weedy and short and bald
- the perky, breathy way the slave girls ham up their delivery of "yes master!"
- the way they wave out the word "hour" in the line "...or does the master feel like love - this very hour"
The b side is pretty damn cute too, in a Gilligans Island sort of way...
So far as i can tell, Bertram International was a Hawaiian label that put out records like "Hula Rock and Roll" and "A Christmas Aloha for You" from about 1958 to 1960, a few more in 1964, and a compilation of earlier singles and unreleased cuts in 1979 called "Rockabilly 1958".
Bob Bertram himself released some numbers as an artist and co-wrote todays selection with Eden Ahbez, who it seems wrote a bunch of things for the label. Was he living in Hawaii for a time? Anybody know?
I'd love to hear some more stuff on this label if anybody has some too...
Don Carson & the Casuals - Yes Master!
Don Carson & the Casuals - Jungle Bungalow
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WOMAN! Soo good!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
Rhonda Rocket
pleasure x
ReplyDeleteYes although not born in Hawaii Bob Bertram moved to Hawaii in the mid 50's. There he lived and recorded local Hawaiian Talent in the late 50's - early mid 60's with his main music focus on the Rock n Roll/Country sounds that were popular at the time. He moved to California in the late 60's. His most famous star/recording is by: Robin Luke - "Susie Darlin" which was first released in Hawaii (w/ picture sleeve only available in Hawaii) on International Records, which then changed to Bertram International Records, before selling the rights to Dot records. Robin Luke went on to record a few more records on Dot and Bertram. Other notable acts include Bill Lawrence "Hey Baby" a very sought after RockaBilly 45, The Lawrence Bros, The Flames, Dave Edwards, Ken & Carol Craig. You can bet if it's on Bertram International Records it is going to be a winner.
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