The Spotlight Series explores Manhattan, New York-bred Sylvester Bradford's contribution to popular music. Sylvester Bradford was a vocalist, pianist, and songwriter who crafted several million-selling hit titles. The partially sighted Bradford wrote twenty-six of the songs, and on the remaining four songs he is a backing vocalist and pianist. Bradford's musical legacy inaugurates in 1955 and culminates in 1963, although he stopped performing in music in 1957 due to his eyesight worsening, and from 1957 he decided to concentrate on writing. Through the albums eight years timespan, you will hear doo-wop, rhythm & blues, and rock 'n' roll artists performing his compositions. The sleeve notes from Dee Jay Mark Armstrong provide the biographical story of Bradford's involvement with vocal groups, the recordings he wrote, and his role as a musician.
Koko Mojo Records endeavours to use some lesser-known and for some, perhaps more obscure titles and adds something unexpected to every album. The album is ideal for Dee Jays to fill the dance floor with, and for home listening or while cruising around. You are listening to music from the past and preserving the future! Koko Mojo Records “often imitated, never duplicated.”
All that remains is to say, “Crank up the volume and dig these musical gems.
Dee Jay Mark Armstrong Bühl, Germany
Spotlight On Sylvester Bradford – IFIC (Koko Mojo)
Koko Mojo’s Spotlight series continues with a new compilation album featuring a selection of works from musician and composer Sylvester Bradford. A name not often heard of but one who made a significant contribution from the mid-fifties and into the early sixties, Sylvester Bradford was a singer, pianist and songwriter born in Manhattan, New York. Launching with the song ‘Little Boy Blue’ in 1955 and presented here with The Bradford Boys, the album Spotlight On Sylvester Bradford – IFIC more or less runs chronologically from the already mentioned year of 1955, right through until 1963, with the only exception being 1960 with no song present. A prolific songwriter, therefore, considering that twenty-six out of the thirty songs represented here were written or co-written by Sylvester Bradford, and all the more remarkable given that the American musician and composer was visually impaired but this did not hinder his progress considering the level of consistency of the songwriting and certainly level of success. With rhythm and blues, doo wop, and rock ‘n’ roll artists stepping forward to perform the songs of Sylvester Bradford, there’s variety to be heard during the compilation IFIC. Additionally, there are a few big hitters present with, for example, Fats Domino (‘I’m Ready’), Bill Haley and His Comets (‘Spanish Twist’), and Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps providing two songs with ‘Walkin’ Home From School’ and ‘Right Now’. The massive hit record ‘Tears On My Pillow’ (1961) is represented here by Chuck Jackson, and another established number, ‘Got My Mo-Jo Working’ is performed by Ann Cole and The Suburbans. Elsewhere, Lucy Rivera is given the honour of the album’s track title ‘IFIC’, and sandwiched somewhere in the middle of all this great quality are two songs - ‘I Like Girls’ and ‘I Live Just To Love You’ - performed by Sylvester Bradford himself. Spotlight On Sylvester Bradford – IFIC highlights a remarkable talent in the form of Sylvester Bradford, who may not be a household name, despite his productive and often successful output during a short period of time, but hopefully this fascinating collection of songs will bring others to the attention of his work.
Nathan Olsen-Haines (Koko Mojo)
01 The Bradford Boys Little Boy Blue (Bradford) Rainbow 1955
02 The Ivories and Steve Pulliam's Orchestra Alone (Bradford) Jaguar 1955
03 The Ivories and Steve Pulliam's Orchestra Baby Send A Letter (Bradford) Jaguar 1955
04 The Suburbans I Remember (Bradford) Baton 1956
05 The Suburbans Leave My Gal Alone (Bradford) Baton 1956
06 Ann Cole and The Suburbans Each Day (Winley, Clowney, Kornegay) Baton 1956
07 Jimmy Ricks and The Suburbans Bad Man Of Missouri (Singleton, Dixon) Baton 1957
08 Ann Cole and The Suburbans Got My Mo-Jo Working (Foster) Baton 1957
09 Ann Cole and The Suburbans I've Got A Little Boy (Cole) Baton 1957
10 Mickey Toliver and The Capitols Rose-Marie (Bradford) Cindy 1957
11 Sonny James Uh-Huh--mm (Bradford, Lewis) Capitol 1957
12 The El Tones Lovin' With A Beat (Lewis, Bradford) Cub 1958
13 Sylvester Bradford I Like Girls (Bradford, Lewis) Atco 1958
14 Sylvester Bradford I Live Just To Love You (Bradford, Lewis) Atco 1958
15 Ersel Hickey You Never Can Tell (Bradford, Lewis) Epic 1958
16 Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps Walkin' Home From School (Bradford, Lewis) Capitol 1958
17 The Golden Highlights Vodka (Bradford, Lewis) Hanover 1958
18 Fats Domino I'm Ready (Lewis, Bradford, Domino) London 1959
19 Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps Right Now (Bradford, Lewis) Capitol 1959
20 Jack Larson with Luther's Orchestra Roaches (Bradford, Lewis) Fraternity 1959
21 Jerry Dorn Rockin' Chair Rock (Bradford, Lewis) Fling 1959
22 Lucy Rivera Ific (Bradford, Lewis) End 1959
23 Bill Haley Spanish-Twist (Bradford) Gone 1961
24 Little Anthony & The Imperials Wishful Thinking (Bradford, Lewis) End 1959
25 Chuck Jackson Tears On My Pillow (Bradford, Lewis) Wand LP 1961
26 Chantels IFIC (Bradford, Lewis) End LP 1961
27 Mike Rios Con Los Relampagos Spanish-Twist (Valdés, Bradford) Philips EP 1962
28 Les Chaussettes Noires Le Temps Est Lent(Lewis, Bradford) Barclay EP 1962
29 The Cookies I Want A Boy For My Birthday (Bradford) Dimension 1963
30 The Permanents Oh Dear, What Can The Matter Be (Bradford) Chairman 1963
