Joe Houston Biography by Bill Dahl
Joe Houston, a honking R&B saxman of wallpaper-peeling potency, recorded for virtually every major independent R&B label in Los Angeles during the 1950s. When the jump blues tradition faded, he segued right into rock & roll, even cutting budget Twist and surf albums for Crown that didn't sound very different from what he was doing a decade before. Houston played around Houston, Texas with the bands of Amos Milburn and Joe Turner during the late '40s. It was Turner who got the young saxist his first deal with Freedom Records in 1949. Houston found his way to the West Coast in 1952 and commenced recording for labels big and small: Modern, RPM, Lucky, Imperial, Dootone, Recorded in Hollywood, Cash, and Money (as well as the considerably better-financed Mercury, where he scored his only national R&B hit, "Worry, Worry, Worry," in 1952). Houston's formula was simple and savagely direct -- he'd honk and wail as hard as he could, from any conceivable position: on his knees, lying on his back, walking the bar, etc. His output for the Bihari Brothers' Crown label (where he was billed as "Wild Man of the Tenor Sax") is positively exhilarating: "All Nite Long," "Blow Joe Blow," and "Joe's Gone" are herculean examples of single-minded sax blasting. Joe Houston remained active musically into the 2000s, emphasizing his blues vocal talent more than previously, until suffering a stroke in 2005. He re-emerged and began playing again for a period of time thereafter, but then retreated from the public and to the company of family and friends. Joe Houston retired from performing in 2012, and he died in Long Beach, California on December 28, 2015; he was 89 years old.
Joe Houston – Surf Rockin'
Joe Houston - Surf Rockin' album cover
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Label: Crown Records (2) – CLP 5313
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1963
Genre: Rock
Style: Rock & Roll
A1 Wipe Out
A2 Gremmie
A3 Night Lamp
A4 Dig
A5 Ho Dads
B1 Haleiwa
B2 Surf Rockin'
B3 Maile
B4 Hooked
B5 Pupukia
Title (Format) Label
GOLDMINE GRADING
MINT ---- It should appear to be perfect. No scuffs or scratches, blotches or stains, labels or writing, tears or splits. Mint means perfect.
NEAR MINT ---- Otherwise mint but has one or two tiny inconsequential flaws that do not affect play. Covers should be close to perfect with minor signs of wear or age just becoming evident: slight ring-wear, minor denting to a corner, or writing on the cover should all be noted properly.
VERY GOOD PLUS ---- The record has been handled and played infrequently or very carefully. Not too far from perfect. On a disc, there may be light paper scuffs from sliding in and out of a sleeve or the vinyl or some of the original luster may be lost. A slight scratch that did not affect play would be acceptably VG+ for most collectors.
VERY GOOD ---- Record displays visible signs of handling and playing, such as loss of vinyl luster, light surface scratches, groove wear and spindle trails. Some audible surface noise, but should not overwhelm the musical experience. Usually a cover is VG when one or two of these problems are evident: ring wear, seam splits, bent corners, loss of gloss, stains, etc.
GOOD ---- Well played with little luster and significant surface noise. Despite defects, record should still play all the way through without skipping. Several cover flaws will be apparent, but should not obliterate the artwork.
POOR ---- Any record or cover that does not qualify for the above "Good" grading should be seen as Poor. Several cover flaws.