King Pleasure was a jazz vocalist and an early master of vocalese, where a singer sings words to a famous instrumental solo.
Biography
Born as Clarence Beeks in Oakdale, Tennessee, he moved to New York City in the mid-1940s working as a bartender and became a fan of bebop music. King Pleasure first achieved popularity by singing the Eddie Jefferson vocalese classic "Moody's Mood For Love", based on a 1949 James Moody saxophone solo to "I'm In The Mood For Love". Pleasure's 1952 recording, his first after signing a contract with the Prestige label, is considered a jazz classic; the female vocalist featured is Blossom Dearie. He and Betty Carter also recorded a famous vocalese version of "Red Top", a jazz classic penned by Kansas Citian Ben Kynard and recorded by Gene Ammons and others. Other notable recordings include a presciently elegiac version of "Parker's Mood", the year before Charlie Parker died in 1955, and Pleasure's take on Ammons's "Hittin' The Jug", retitled as "Swan Blues" in 1962. Pleasure has been cited as a significant influence by Van Morrison, especially on his album Astral Weeks. Genya Ravan, drawing big inspiration for her singing from King Pleasure, recorded "Moody's Mood For Love" with James Moody on her 1972 CBS album Genya Ravan. Pleasure died on March 21, 1982, 3 days before his 60th birthday.
1954: "Don't Get Scared" // "Funk Junction" – J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding ; Lucky Thompson ; Danny Bank ; Jimmy Jones ; Paul Chambers ; Joe Harris ; King Pleasure ; Jon Hendricks, Eddie Jefferson, The Three Riffs ; Quincy Jones – Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, December 7
1955: "Diaper Pin" // "Evening Blues" –
1956: "D.B. Blues" // "Blues I Like To Hear" –
1956: "At Your Beck And Call" // "I'm In The Mood For Love" –
1958: "Red Top" // "Don't Get Scared" — reissues of Prestige 821A and 913A.
1960: "Jumpin' With Symphony Sid" // "Parker's Mood" — reissues of Prestige 821B and 880A.
1960: "Golden Days" // "All Of Me"
1962: "Mean To Me" // "This Is Always"
1963: "Don't Get Scared" // "I'm In The Mood For Love"
1968: "I'm In The Mood For Love" // "Red Top" — reissues of Prestige 924A and 821A.
1972: "That Old Black Magic" // "I'm In The Mood For Love"
7" EP
1957: King Pleasure Sings, Prestige #PREP-1338,.
10" LP
1955: King Pleasure Sings, Prestige #LP-208,.
12" LPs
1957: King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings, Prestige #PRLP-7128 — reissue: 1986, Original Jazz Classics #OJC-217. NOTE: the CD reissue has all twelve King Pleasure recordings plus the four Annie Ross tracks.
1972: Moody's Mood For Love, United Artists #UAS-5634; — CD reissue: 1992, Blue Note #84463.. NOTE: the CD also includes the two Jubilee and the four Aladdin tracks, plus three previously unreleased recordings as a bonus.
