Corey Stevens “I’ll Play the Blues for You” released on Blue Drops of Rain

I’ll Play the Blues for You Corey Stevens

Writer(s): Jerry Beach (see lyrics here) Released: April 22, 1995 (album) First Charted: -- Peak: 1 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 0.08 video, 0.21 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: With just five albums in seven years, singer and guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan established himself as one of the most important artists in blues history. As a white artist, he opened a door for audiences to what had traditionally been a black music genre. His life was tragically cut short in a helicopter accident in 1990 when he was just 35. While no one could take his place there were several artists in the ‘90s who gave it their best shot. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, and Corey Stevens all found some airplay on album rock stations, but none reached the same level of success as Vaughan. Stevens’ aim at the throne was the most obvious. The two were both born in 1954, just two months apart. On Stevens’ debut album, Blue Drops of Rain, he even looked like Stevie Ray, complete with a soul patch and large-brimmed hat. The lead track, “Gone Too Long,” sounded like Vaughan and Stevens even covered “Lenny,” a song written by Vaughan. However, Stevens also displayed an affinity for Albert King, covering “Crosscut Saw,” a song which King took to #34 on the R&B chart in 1967. Stevens also did “I’ll Play the Blues for You,” a song from King’s 1972 album of the same name. It reached #31 on the R&B chart. The song was written by Jerry Beach, who released it as a single just a couple of months before King’s version. SH However, it was first recorded in 1969 was by a Texas-born soul singer named Geater Davis. That version was unreleased. SH Others who’ve recorded the song include Gary Moore and Joe Bonamassa. SH While King’s version has a slow groove, Stevens gave the song a more driving rock beat which gives it such a slinky, sultry sound it’s a wonder it hasn’t become a go-to song for strippers. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Corey Stevens SH Second Hand Songs First posted 12/23/2022.

50 years ago: Carousel opened on Broadway

Carousel Richard Rodgers (music), Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics)

Cast Album

Stage Debut: April 19, 1945 Recorded: May 11-21, 1945 Charted: July 21, 1945 Peak: 16 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Soundtrack

Charted: February 25, 1956 Peak: 2 US, 16 UK Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Genre: show tunes

Songs on Cast Album: Song Title (Performers) Waltz Suite: Carousel (CAROUSEL ORCHESTRA) You’re a Queer One, Julie Jordan/ Mister Snow (JEAN DARLING/ JAN CLAYTON) If I Loved You (JAN CLAYTON/ JOHN RAITT) June Is Bustin’ Out All Over When the Children Are Asleep Blow High, Blow Low (MURVYN VYE) Soliloquy A Real Nice Clambake There’s Nothin’ So Bad for a Woman c What’s the Use of Won’rin’ (MURVYN VYE/ CONNIE BAXTER/ JAN CLAYTON) The Highest Judge of All c/ You’ll Never Walk Alone Songs only on cast album. Songs on Soundtrack: Song Title (Performers) Carousel Waltz (ORCHESTRA) You’re a Queer One, Julie Jordan (BARBARA RUICK/ SHIRLEY JONES) Mister Snow (BARBARA RUICK) If I Loved You (SHIRLEY JONES/ GORDON MacRAE) June Is Bustin’ Out All Over (CLARAMAE TURNER/ BARBARA RUICK/ MIXED CHORUS) Soliloquy (GORDON MacRAE) Blow High, Blow Low (CAMERON MITCHELL/ MEN’S CHORUS) When the Children Are Asleep (ROBERT ROUNSEVILLE/ BARBARA RUICK) A Real Nice Clambake (BARBARA RUICK/ CLARAMAE TURNER/ MIXED CHORUS) Stonecutters Cut It on Stone (CAMERON MITCHELL/ MIXED CHORUS) s What’s the Use of Won’rin’ (SHIRLEY JONES/ MIXED CHORUS) You’ll Never Walk Alone (CLARAMAE TURNER) If I Loved You (Reprise) (GORDON MacRAE) s You’ll Never Walk Alone (Finale) (SHIRLEY JONES/ MIXED CHORUS) s s Songs only on soundtrack. Singles/Hit Songs: As was common in the pre-rock era, songs from musicals were often recorded by artists not associated with the musical and released as singles. Here are some of the most notable hit singles resulting from the show: ”If I Loved You” – Perry Como (#3, 1945), Frank Sinatra (#7, 1945), Bing Crosby (#8, 1945), Harry James (#8, 1945), Roy Hamilton (#26, 1954) ”You’ll Never Walk Alone” – Frank Sinatra (#9, 1945), Judy Garland (#21, 1946), Roy Hamilton (#21, 1954) ”June Is Bustin’ Out All Over” – Hildegarde with Guy Lombardo (#11, 1945)

Rating: 4.503 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings for cast album and soundtrack combined) Awards (Cast Album and Soundtrack): (Click on award to learn more).

About the Show: “Decca Records scored a significant commercial success with its album of songs from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s first musical, Oklahoma!, performed by members of the original cast. So, the label was interested in releasing a similar recording of the songwriters’ next musical, Carousel.” WR “The new show was a darker effort than Oklahoma!, based on the tragic play Liliom, even though Hammerstein had the two leads marry and considerably softened the ending. One element he did retain was the story’s lustiness, especially evident in one of the score’s hit songs, June Is Bustin’ out All Over.” WR “Rodgers’ music was characteristically tuneful, and the cast, led by John Raitt in his Broadway debut, was excellent. The score produced standards in the hits If I Loved You and You’ll Never Walk Alone, as well as the epic Soliloquy, a revolutionary recitative in which Raitt, as Billy Bigelow, undergoes a character transformation as he anticipates the birth of his child.” WR “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s stature, and the show’s outstanding music, helped it to a Broadway run of 890 performances after it opened in New York in 1945. The cast recording shared in this success; it topped the recently instituted album charts, and Decca (later succeeded by MCA) kept it in print through a series of reissues over the years.” WR The soundtrack “benefits from Gordon MacRae’s powerful performance in the lead role of Billy Bigelow. MacRae was cast in the role when director Henry King’s first choice, Frank Sinatra, fell through, and is clearly the highlight of the recording.” EC “Not every cast member is as reliable. Shirley Jones as Bigelow’s wife has a tendency to overact her songs in a way that is more grating on record than in the film. The same mugging plagues the performance of the chorus on the classic song ‘June Is Bustin’ out All Over.’” EC “The other major chorus numbers don’t require overacting to be grating. Some critics complained that the film was missing some of the best songs from the Broadway version of Carousel. The problem may not have been that songs were cut, but that they cut the wrong songs. The tedious ‘Soliloquy’ is probably necessary to advance the action, but it’s certainly not as tuneful as the absent Blow High, Blow Low. And surely the show would hold up without the dopey A Real Nice Clambake. No doubt most fans would happily exchange it for a few more reprises of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone.’” EC Notes: A reissue of the cast album added alternate versions of “You’re a Queer One, Julie Jordan/ Mister Snow,” “There’s Nothin’ So Bad for a Woman/ What’s the Use of Won’rin’,” and “Waltz Suite: Carousel.”

Resources and Related Links: EC Evan Cater, All Music Guide s WR William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide c Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 12/1/2009; last updated 12/21/2021.