Number One's Greatest Hits

"R&B Sociology" from October 2004:

If sociologists or visitors from outer space wanted to study American life in the 1950s they could learn a lot from listening to The Coasters back catalogue. Their songs were like little comic operas about the trials and tribulations of life at the time, tackling subjects like the generation gap ('Yakety-Yak') and sex ('Young Blood') to the justice system ('Framed') and prison life ('Riot in Cell Block #9'). But they weren't just some novelty act, they were also one of the greatest R&B vocals acts of all-time and their songs were written by the classic team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller who showed an eye for the details of black urban life that's pretty sharp for two Jewish guys.

"Shoppin' For Clothes" is a real oddball record even by their standards. It's a spoken-word sketch brilliantly acted out by vocalists Billy Guy (the shopper) and Dub Jones (the salesman) with a shuffling, smoky jazz backing featuring the honking horn of King Curtis who played on nearly all the Coaster's records (along with a young guitarist by the name of Phil Spector). Clothes sound almost like objects of sexual desire in this, Guy swoons over a suit as if it was a woman ("pure, pure herringbone") It's a funny song but the humour is really dark, the twist at the end is that he can't buy anything because of his poor credit rating (sorry, I gave the ending away) but he doesn't understand why because, as he says when the song fades out, "I got a good job sweeping up..." Leiber and Stoller might have pooh-poohed any serious intent ("People have said 'these are protest songs.' Bullshit. These were cartoons" - Mike Stoller), but behind the witty jive talking there's a subtext about the rotten economic position of black men and the status-symbol power of fancy clothes to people denied status in other ways. So who cares what Mike Stoller says, I've got a theory and I'm going to use it. But I promise I will try not to use the word "subtext" in future.

Rhino Records' Very Best of the Coasters is probably the nicest package of hits but for some reason it doesn't have the brilliant "Framed" on it. That's included on Ultimate Coasters which might be worth getting instead if you don't mind the hideous sleeve. Alternatively you could hunt down a copy of the 2-disc 50 Coastin' Classics. While you're at it check out this huge Coasters fan site Those Hoodlum Friends and this very informative page at the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

[Download]
Shoppin' For Clothes - The Coasters