Cripple Clarence Lofton

[Admin]

Cripple Clarence Lofton, born Albert Clemens in Kingsport, Tennessee, was a noted boogie-woogie pianist and singer. Wikipedia

Born: March 28, 1887, Kingsport, TN

Died: January 9, 1957, Chicago, IL

Rcord labels: Vocalion Records, Document Records



(Following discography from Rooster)

OK...and away we go...I'm only going to concentrate on the 78 RPM releases here, for numerous reasons. The LPs are for the most part reissues of the 78's and unreleased material.


I am having fun with this stuff and I want thank Alan for getting me started on it.


For the sake of correctness, I called the Parent company, the American Recording Company in an earlier post. It's actually the "American Recording Corporation". There was an "American Recording Company" (sometimes called "ARC" or "ARCo" by record collectors) that released records between 1904 and 1906 but that company has no connection to the company described herein.





1935

Vocalion 02951

Strut That Thing/Monkey Man Blues

Criple Clarence Lofton



1935

Melotone 6-11-66; Perfect 6-11-66; Romeo 6-11-66

You Done Tore Your Playhouse Down/Brown Skin Girls

Cripple Clarence Lofton



Note: The three labels listed were all owned by The American Recording Corporation. This company owned many labels and sold them sometimes to specific retail outlets. as in this case:



Melotone: Melotone had general retail distribution but was mostly known as a juke box label

Perfect: Perfect was mainly a general purpose label and so had regular distribution.

Romeo: The Romeo label was sold exclusively at Kress department stores.





Note: This coupling was also re-released on the Biltmore label and Jazz Classics label



194x

Biltmore 1042

You Done Tore Your Playhouse Down/Brown Skin Girls

Cripple Clarence Lofton



194x

Jazz Classics 256

You Done Tore Your Playhouse Down/Brown Skin Girls

Cripple Clarence Lofton



Note: "You Tore Your Playhouse Down" was also released on the Conqueror label with the flipside by a different artist. the Conqueror label was also owned by the American Recording Corporation and was sold exclusively by the Sears & Roebuck chain.



(Probably)1935

Conqueror 8758

You Tore Your Playhouse Down/Let's Get Drunk And Truck

Cripple Clarence Lofton/The Blue Chips



1935

Bluebird 5930

Policy Blues/Providence Help The Poor People

Albert Clemens/Joe Williams



Note: This Albert Clemens side is reportedly by Cripple Clarence Lofton under a pseudonym.



1939

Solo Art 12003

Streamline Train/Had A Dream

Cripple Clarence Lofton



1939

Solo Art 12009

I Don't Know/Pine Top's Boogie Woogie

Cripple Clarence Lofton



Note: It appears some of the unreleased Solo Art recordings were later released on the Riverside label LP



1944

Session 10-002

The Fives/Deep End Boogie

Cripple Clarence Lofton



1944

Session 10-005

I Don't Know No. 2/Streamlined Train

Cripple Clarence Lofton



1944

Session 10-006

In De Mornin'/Early Blues

Cripple Clarence Lofton



1946

Session 10-014

Policy Blues/I Don't Know

Cripple Clarence Lofton



Note: The Session label was initially run out of the Session Record Shop in Chicago, Ill. It was a very small label that was really producing records for specialty Jazz collectors market. The company specialized in re-issues of earlier recordings produced by other labels and later, new material recorded by themselves.



So, there you have it. Comments/Corrections/etc. always welcome.

[profhijinx]

Cripple Clarence, like Big Bill, predated his birth by a decade, and gave a false birthplace. I don't know why, but suspect that the birthdate was intended to give him some kudos as having been earlier than some others, and the birthplace may have been intended to protect his family from rabid church members. See BARE for correct birth details.

[Admin]

Jun 8, 2015 2:12:40 GMT profhijinx said:

Cripple Clarence, like Big Bill, predated his birth by a decade, and gave a false birthplace. I don't know why, but suspect that the birthdate was intended to give him some kudos as having been earlier than some others, and the birthplace may have been intended to protect his family from rabid church members. See BARE for correct birth details.

Precisely the purpose of this site. Get the correct information down for posterity.. Now remind us- BARE??

Blues: A Regional Experience. BARE gives 1897 for year of birth, and Burns, TN as his birttplace.

[alanbalfour]

Maybe it should be noted that Bob Eagle has been tracking down the birth and deaths data of blues artists and correcting/supplying much up to date information for decades. The problem is that so much of what's on the internet is based on forty year old received wisdoms which just get repeated ad nauseam. The Lofton is a prime example. C'est la vie.

[stefanwirz]

Illustrated Cripple Clarence Lofton discography

[profhijinx]

Looking at Stefan's discography reminds me that Albert Clemons (listed as Elbert at times) is Lofton's (half-)brother, and the question arises whether the track credited to Clemons is in fact by Clarence using his brother's name as a pseudonym, or is by Albert himself.

[stefanwirz]

Jun 8, 2015 6:42:38 GMT alanbalfour said:

Maybe it should be noted that Bob Eagle has been tracking down the birth and deaths data of blues artists and correcting/supplying much up to date information for decades. The problem is that so much of what's on the internet is based on forty year old received wisdoms which just get repeated ad nauseam. The Lofton is a prime example. C'est la vie.

"Die Wissenschaft, sie ist und bleibt, was Einer ab vom Andern schreibt." (Eugen Roth)