Billy Guy - "Whip It On Me Baby" (Double L)

This here 45 is easily one of favorite discoveries of the year. I have Todd to thank for turning me on to this record. It's been making frequent return trips to my turntable. Plus, WFMU's Dave The Spazz recently featured it on his show "Music To Spazz By," so it comes with some pretty strong credentials.

Billy Guy was best known as a member of The Coasters and sang lead on many of their hits including "Searchin'," "Wait A Minute," "Run Red Run" and "Little Egypt." He was a favorite of Leiber and Stoller, the songwriting team who wrote a great percentage of The Coasters' material, because of his "clowning" abilities. Guy was originally a part of a duo called Bip and Bop and recorded a single for Aladdin before he was asked to join The Coasters in 1955, which he would remain with until roughly 1961. After he left the group, he recorded solo sides for ABC-Paramount. Then, in 1963, he recorded some solo cuts for Lloyd Price's Double L label, of which this is one.

Throughout the rest of the sixties and the seventies, Guy would record singles and albums for various labels including Chalco, Sew City, Verve and Platinum. He would also record comedy albums and produce other artists including several spoken word albums. He passed away in the mid 90s sometime (1995, I think).

So, how do you describe this? Let me think for a minute....I think I'll call it soulish pop. Naah, that's too weak. What I can say for sure is that this is a hot tune in which Guy does a call-and-response with a vocal chorus. Example: Guy: When. I. Say "Give me money." The chorus: "Whip it on me baby, whip it on me baby." Guy also pitches his voice at shrieking high intervals when he goes, "Yeah.....Yeah....YEAH, BABY, YEAH, BABY, YEAH!!!!!" and shoots the whole thing into the stratosphere. To be honest, the song starts up poppy and upbeat and stays that way throughout. But somehow I feel this record isn't quite of this world. Anyway, I love it and I hope you do, too.