Sir Lattimore Brown - Shake And Vibrate (SS7 2575)

Shake And Vibrate



Here's the positively smokin' dance number Sir Lattimore cut with Bob Wilson at Bradley's Barn in 1966, the flip of It's Such A Sad, Sad World. As a member of his band in those days, Bob was a first-hand witness to some incredible performances. Lattimore, he said, just brought the house down wherever they went...

"When I first moved to Nashville, my band came down too and hung out, trying to get in, and while I was very successful in the session end, they were not so much... through me, they got in with Lattimore and Sam and Roscoe and toured with them, my Bass player and Drummer. So, I could hang out with all these people anytime I wanted and join the show... They just thought it was too cool that they had these white brothers from Dee-troit, that could play funky soul music.

"He had these twins, dark skinned 6 footers, with knock out bodies, in scant, red bikinis and white go-go boots that came dancin' on stage with him when the MC brought him out on the chitlin circuit clubs. It was too much, men went beserk.These girls could Do It!!! Pumpin those pelvis', Mercy!! The horns blaring, the drums kicking and the bass pumpin, and the MC saying "and now" here's Laaaaaaaattaaaamore Brown and then he comes dancing out with these two beauties prancin (doing the Watusi? or maybe the Pony?) then they go to the right and left side of the stage, still gyrating and Lattimore grabs the mic stand and lays it down sideways, ala James Brown and starts screaming in the mic, very much like Otis did. The men in the audience went BeZZZZerk. Men would storm the stage and try to climb up there, waving handfuls of hundred dollar bills... Lattimore had these dudes standing by that would walk up and literally throw these dudes back off the stage and my drummer would never miss a beat. The show just kept on kickin...

"The dancers were an actual act and occasionally toured with others, but, mostly, they toured with Lattimore's revue (Lattimore, Sam Baker, Roscoe Shelton, Big Marion, etc.). They were called 'The Twirlers'. I think, maybe Lattimore was the only one that could really handle them. They were out of this world sexy, I kid you not... He put on a hell of a show back then, really worked the crowd into a frenzy.

"...the whole show used to live at Big Marion's house, white brothers in the band and all, when they were in town."

The Twirlers, Sir Lattimore told me, were indeed twins and were named Shirley and Derris Ellis.

That must have been some show, huh? Shake and Vib-a-rate, baby!