the wild magnolia shires

In a curve of the Mississippi river lies the city of New Orleans, the cradle of jazz and raw funk. As a river-portit has been open to music coming from the Caribbean, South America and Europe ever since its foundationin 1718, absorbing all kinds of aromas, vibrations and influences over the centuries. The African polyrhythm of Congo Square (formerly “Place des Nègres”)—provided by drums carvedfrom tree trunks, castanets made from mules' jawbones and bracelets hung with bells—was progressivelytransformed into syncopated rhythms that formed the foundations of American popular music. And in a citywhere eccentricity is not an idle word, nothing has ever shown more expressiveness than the multicolouredIndian parades featured during Mardi Gras. Dressed in incredible suits that reflect up to a year's passionatecare in their making, the black Indians belong to the vernacular legend of a city where each day is a spectacle.The origins of the parade tradition date from the first celebrations of the feast of Mardi Gras, a legacy ofthe Catholic colonists from France and Spain; at the end of the 19th century the inhabitants of a few blackquarters took the names of fictitious Indian tribes when they began to dance and organize parades insidetheir communities.

Before African slaves became commonplace, it was the Indians who were the first to be reduced to slaveryon the plantations. Men were often deported—crushing any tendency to revolt—and replaced by black slaveswho were then married to Indian women. Blacks have always recognized their historical past in the tragedyof slavery. On their own plantations, the French and Spanish treated Indians and Blacks separately, whereasAnglo-Saxons never made any distinction between “coloured” people, and so made assimilation of the twocultures that much easier. Fleeing from their owners into the depths of the forests and swamps of Louisiana,many “maroons” or runaways found refuge amongst the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes, who were rarelyreduced into slavery themselves. According to writer and musician Gérard Herzhaft, Indian cultural practicesin the region between the Delta—incorporated into Mississippi in 1886—and New Orleans often had resoundingechoes amongst both Whites and Blacks, “The Indian contribution to Southern culture was enormous in oraltraditions, place-names, language, cuisine, dancing and music.”*

Uptown Dwelling, New Orleans, January 1936.(Walker Evans, The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA)

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* Gérard Herzhaft, Americana, Fayard, Paris, 2005.

Mardi Gras panoramas, New Orleans, 1910. (A. L. Barnett, The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA)

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After the Civil War, hopes of a better condition for black culture were raised when morals rapidly becamemore liberal, but racist atavism in the South quickly regained the upper hand and any political and socialprogress that had been achieved made those hopes quite remote. After years of deception and reconstruction,this relegation to the bottom of the social ladder merely accentuated southern Blacks' desire to create theirown methods of expression. The itinerant Wild West Shows in particular, featuring Cowboys and Indians,left a deep impression on the southern Black subconscious and aroused numerous vocations. In the early1880's, for example, the “Creole Wild West” became the first Indian tribe. Their founder-leader BecateBatiste was the first Black to officially wear an Indian headdress and assume the “Big Chief” title correspondingto the social hierarchy proper to each tribe. Indian suits and headdresses were instantly adopted by othercommunities. The Wild Magnolias were established in 1889 and, like each of the tribes, their differencelay in their elaborate suits and parades. Anchored in the Catholic tradition of Mardi Gras, a feast day onwhich the social order was reversed, these parades developed over the decades. Each Indian costume waspainstakingly created by the chief with the aid of his whole family, and each suit bore a personal, decorativemotif handed down from previous generations.

The costumes often demanded great financial sacrifice for a result that was both striking and totally unselfish;it was a kind of potlatch* that was all the more remarkable given the impoverished state in which manyblack families in New Orleans found themselves. The Indian tribes organized themselves along the urbangridlines of a city divided into wards; each quarter had its own Indian tribe and its own street band, andthey all took part in a single, vast, municipal polyrhythm where Uptown melted into Downtown. But notonly that: the Indian gangs were an expression of independence and popular identity, an illustration of theunderlying violence that existed, especially with regard to authority. Until the mid-Fifties, parades wereevents in which battles, even murders, were practically the norm. Savage breasts were soothed over theyears however, and the competitive spirit reduced to costumes, dancing and singing as the Mardi Gras andSaint Joseph's Day parades saw the culmination of months of preparation.

Chief Red Shirt. Ogilasa, also known as Red Shirt (Lakota), 1904. (H49579 U.S. Copyright Office)

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* A ritual, notably practised by indigenous North American tribes, in which clans or clan-chiefs rivalled in prodigality by either destroying anadversary's belongings, or making gifts to a rival so as to oblige him to make another, even more generous gift in return.

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a. Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World, a Congress of American IndiansCircus poster showing American Indians leading attack against pioneers in covered wagons, chromolithograph, 1899.(The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA)

b. Death of CusterDramatic portrayal of Native American man stabbing “Custer,” with dead Native Americans lying on ground, in scene byPawnee Bill's Wild West Show performers, 1905. (Copyright by Siegel, Cooper & Co.)

c. Yonder Lay TrailDakota Indians, possibly members of Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show, 1908. (H116235 U.S. Copyright Office)

d. WenonaWenona, a Native American woman Wild West Show performer, 1904. (H48855 U.S. Copyright Office)

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a. Mardi Gras Indians Jam: Wild Magnolias, Golden Eagles & Friends, 1st New Orleans Jazz Fest, April 1970. (Michael P. Smith)

b. The Magnolia barber shop in central city New Orleans, 1979. (Michael P. Smith)

c. 'Bo' Dollis, Big Chief of the Wild Magnolias at Hercules funeral parade, 1979. (Hercules was a tribe member). (Michael P. Smith)

d. 'Bo' Dollis carries the Wild Magnolias gang flag, Hercules' Funeral, 1979. (Michael P. Smith)

Indian celebrations are free and open to all, without any form of approval sought from Whites, unlike theZulu King parade inaugurated in 1910, in which Blacks asked the white community to financially subsidizetheir ceremonies. In one sense, the Zulu parade was a replica of the arrival of the white carnival-king Rex,an imitation marking a form of implicit gratitude within the black community, like the Memphis CottonCarnival. Indian parades may have adopted the Mardi Gras spirit, but they didn't try to become a large scalewhite Mardi Gras with ready-to-wear disguises; it was a fundamental difference when you consider theextraordinary care taken over each individual Indian suit. The costumes not only reflect the beauty andexuberance of black New Orleans street culture; they also show their wearers' respect for creativity and thequest for excellence. Often rebellious in the face of authority, the Mardi Gras Indians have always been thereflection of working-class black people anxious to maintain freedom of movement within their city, people witha desire to make their voices heard loud and strong, usually with scarcely contained jubilation. Historically,the Indians have always been associated with black emancipation through these dances and street bands,and through social clubs like the “Zulu Aid and Pleasure Club.” Driven by the strength that comes withnumbers, the Indians escape their daily grind for the length of a parade; the brilliance of their dress andtheir vivacious polyrhythm reflect the grandeur of their city. Parades, jazz funerals, clubs, churches andMardi Gras Indians form the basis of New Orleans music, whose definition lies not only in diversity, butalso in its perseverance and the commitment of musicians confronted by multiple musical styles as diverseas the local cuisine. New Orleans jazz musicians are capable of playing funk, blues or gospel; each street-corner, each crossroads, tells the musical story of a city where sound is King, and the slightest anecdote orartifact is transformed into a musical opportunity.

The Zulu King on his royal float on Mardi Gras day, 1975. (Michael P. Smith) 'Alligator June' sewing a patch for his Mardi Gras Indian suit, 1978. (Michael P. Smith)

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Before Katrina, Willie Tee used to live in Gentilly. He comes from a line of musicians who wrote history in acity that had always oscillated between the elegance of jazz and the rough rhythms of R'n'B and funk. Heremembers his musical debuts: “When I was three my father got a piano from a guy who had a bar onSaratoga and Terpsichore, where Professor Longhair lived. And Louis Armstrong used to go out with a girlfrom my neighbourhood. The smallest detail has cultural importance in New Orleans; everything is intimatelytied. My father convinced this guy to let him paint the front of his place so he could get that piano. I'vedone nothing but make music ever since.” Even if he doesn't implicitly recognize the influence of Professor'Fess' Longhair as the father of that funky music marrying piano blues and rumba rhythms, Willie Tee'swords illustrate the importance of Fess on the New Orleans music-map. More than either Louis Armstrongor Fats Domino, Professor Longhair was the last New Orleans musical hero. For several decades he remainedtotally unknown outside the black clubs from which he emerged at the end of the Forties. Encouraged byDallas producer Jesse Erikson he recorded four pieces for the latter's Star Talent label, including an exultantversion of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. That title appeared in 1949 under the name of Professor Longhair& His Shuffling Hungarians, but it didn't generate wide interest. It was in an improvised studio on Canal Streetthat Longhair did his second session—this time for Mercury, thanks to William Allen's savoir faire—andthe result, Baldhead, was a summer hit in 1950, but the partnership was again unfruitful. Atlantic foundersAhmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson made his acquaintance after that ephemeral success, however, and gavehim several opportunities to record. In 1953, with Tipitina, Fess invented a funk aesthetic from which the cityof New Orleans never fully recovered.

According to his most elegant heir, Allen Toussaint: “Nobody knew what to do with his music; it was sowild and untouchable. Here in New Orleans we'll always love his music because it suits us so much. Buthis genius never caught on outside the city. He was just a local boy who would stay local forever.” In 1964,his marvellous Big Chief symbolised the transformation from rhythm'n'blues to funk. Nicknamed variouslythe “grandfather of funk” by Dr. John, the “Picasso of the piano” by Jerry Wexler and the “Bach ofrock'n'roll” by Allen Toussaint, Longhair was the spiritual father of Mardi Gras music, if only because ofhis eternal anthem, Ron Records’ Go to the Mardi Gras (1959), to be also found on the “Mardi Gras inNew Orleans” album compiled by Philippe Rault in 1976.

Big Chief shows obvious allegiance to the popular mystique of the Mardi Gras Indians. To begin with, you'dthink six pairs of hands were playing piano, and the whistling from composer Earl King, plus WardellQuezergue's brass arrangements and the second-line wrapped drumming, makes this piece the first flash oflightning from New Orleans funk. The syncopation is accentuated and carries straight to the heart of themain rhythm as only New Orleans drummers know how, in this case the genius Smokey Johnson. Accordingto Quint Davis—he and Allison Miner were the artisans behind the renaissance of Fess in the Seventies—the ties between Longhair and the Wild Magnolias were very real: “Both were mixed together in the sensethat the Indians rehearsed at Fess' house at 1517 South Rampart Street. Ironically, it was a Longhair song,Big Chief, which became a Mardi Gras hymn. For a long time nobody knew that it was a song about theIndians with its whistling and that implacable rhythm. But there's still an implicit link between the two.”

Willie Tee (keyboard) with brother Earl Turbinton (soprano sax), Julius Farmer (bass) and Larry Panna (drums) on stageat the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 1973. (Michael P. Smith)

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As a boy Willie Tee was fascinated by the Indian tribe from his ward that rehearsed every year beforeMardi Gras. “When my family moved to the Calliope Project, there were these guys in headdresses doingIndian dances. I used to watch these big hunks sewing their suits all year long. I wanted to walk, talk anddance like they did.” The Project was one of the poorest in the city, a ward where the black communitywas cut off from its street-roots to be parked and aligned in cramped buildings with no soul. Music oftenremained their only escape; it was the sole form of expression open to them. Accompanied by his brotherEarl Turbinton on tenor saxophone, young Willie Tee began playing piano with the Seminoles; the namewas premonitory. Willie logically incorporated elements of the rhythm he'd heard in the Indians' music;they were content with the brilliance of their costumes over a simple tambourine, slaps from the solidpalms of their hands, and a long stick with which they hit the ground to mark time. Thanks to his teacher,the legendary Harold Battiste, the jazz talents of Willie Tee had always been encouraged and he had a naturalinclination towards bebop. In the early Sixties, Battiste founded A.F.O., “All For One” (“and one for all”),a collective group that would briefly incarnate an alternative to New Orleans jazz. As the first Afro-American label in the city, A.F.O. was always a vehicle for the (daring) political and economic implicationsof a music industry whose black entrepreneurs had been banned at the beginning of the Sixties. The labelillustrated a stubborn, proud line of musical conduct where all profits were equitably shared, but whoseprospects remained flimsy outside the city.

Like Harold Battiste or trumpeter Melvin Lastie, Willie Tee recorded rhythm'n'blues for money and famewhile continuing to play jazz for art's sake, and also because it was a passion. He had nothing but praisefor his mentors: “Horace Silver is one of my favourite pianists because his jazz piano puts the accent onthe rhythm. Before jazz, I listened to the first recordings of Little Richard and Eddie Bo. I don't likeeverything he did, but Eddie is still one of my favourite singers. I was also very good friends with AaronNeville; we both lived in the Calliope Project. I played on the original version of Tell it Like it Is, whichwas co-written with guitarist George Davis. My name was changed from Little Will to Willie Tee after my

Professor Longhair (Henry Roeland Byrd) on stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 1977. (Michael P. Smith)

"Mardi Gras in New Orleans" a compilation LP of all the great Carnival rhythm and blues songs as issued on Mardi GrasRecords in 1976 by Philippe Rault and Warren Hildebrand. Cover design by Jean Vern.

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manager suggested I choose between “Claybell,” “Glow Worm” or “Willie Tee.” My father was a jazztrombonist. He stopped playing after my brother was born, but we always bathed in a jazz environment.I used to hang around under the windows of the strip-clubs when I was just a kid, and the music they playedbetween two strip-numbers was just incredible. Ed Blackwell, Charles 'Hungry' Williams and all thosepioneers used to play such raw funk; it was jazzy and hip at the same time.”

In 1965 Willie Tee had a solid hit with the exquisite Teasin' You written by Earl King, a piece that kept himin business for months. Three years later he recorded I'm Only a Man for David Axelrod. There was nocommercial fall-out from that Capitol album; its soft, elegant songs were anachronisms for the period. Thesoul music of the mid-Sixties had transformed into funk and, in New Orleans like everywhere else inAmerica, musicians had to adapt to the new music trends that became a vogue in black neighbourhoods.Willie Tee took up with the Gaturs and added some muscle. Torrid funk jams often took place at the JazzWorkshop on Decatur Street in the heart of the French Quarter, a venue owned by philanthropist, film makerand photographer Jules Cahn. It was a gathering place for adventurous free spirits who could bridge the gapsbetween tradition and innovation. Thanks to an invitation from Cahn, and on Allison Miner's recommendation,Quint Davis was there during an Indian parade performed by the White Eagles. “When I was a teenager Ihad this dream in which I could see tambourines and alligator-shoes on a street corner. When I discoveredthe Mardi Gras Indians I understood that it hadn't been a dream." His alter ego Allison was also a studentat Tulane University, and she had some solid contacts among the musicians of New Orleans. Together withNew Yorker George Wein, the organizer of the Newport Festival, the three of them launched the NewOrleans Jazz Fest in 1970. As an amateur, Cahn would document the first editions of the festival on film.

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Crowd shots, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 1976. (Michael P. Smith)

'Monk' Boudreaux, Big Chief of the Golden Eagles and 'Bo' Dollis, Big Chief of the Wild Magnolias, performing at theNew Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 1976. Larry Panna (drums) in background. (Michael P. Smith)

Quint Davis always considered the Magnolias to be his most important discovery: “It was thanks to thestreet parades that I discovered the Indians in the middle of the Sixties. Jules Cahn had started filming thejazz funerals and I often went with him. Along with Allison, we were the only Whites there. He knew allabout the Indian rituals and took me to a White Eagles rehearsal. Thanks to Jules, a whole new world openedup for me and I began recording them on tape. When I listened to those tapes, I couldn't believe my earswhen I heard the powerful voice of Bo Dollis! So I started to book performances by the Indians. I was presidentof one of the student fraternities and one day they came to play at Tulane. Willie Tee and his Gaturs alsocame along. Willie sat down at the piano and jammed with them, and I recorded it. When I listened to it later,I found a new sound had been born. So I convinced them all to continue in this “Mardi Gras Rhythm 'n' Blues”direction. Culturally it was important because the Indians' rehearsals often took place in bars like thefamous H&R, on 2nd Street and Dryades. Those bars always had a juke-box, but when the Indians wereready to rehearse they'd just unplug it. I wanted to fill the vacuum between their rituals and the modernmusic you could hear on the juke-box. I just wanted the Indians to be on the juke-box too, alongside ArethaFranklin and all the other R'n'B stars of the period."

'Bo' Dollis, Big Chief, Wild Magnolias, 1973. (Michael P. Smith)

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Davis made the first decision to record the Wild Magnolias under modern conditions. He knew he waswitnessing a phenomenon that was unique, a fascinating expression of local culture—raw and feverish, fastand wild. Like the other Mardi Gras Indians, the Magnolias were keeping their distances with the city's historyof blues, gospel and jazz, and they sang with primitive simplicity, accompanying themselves on mono-chrome tambourines with hypnotic hand-claps. In 1956, musicologist Samuel Charters had already recordedseveral Indian groups from New Orleans, but had done so from an ethnological standpoint rather than outof any commercial consideration. Davis talked to Theodore Emile 'Bo' Dollis, the leader of the WildMagnolias since 1964, and offered to record a 45rpm single with them. The rituals of Uptown and the NinthWard's black working-class citizens suddenly found an echo in this marriage between Indian traditions andamplified instruments. Allison and Quint Davis founded Crescent City Records, a label whose only referencewas the staggering Handa Wanda, a traditional Wild Magnolias song with modern musical arrangements.Gérard Herzhaft perfectly summarized the music practice of the black Mardi Gras Indians: “The vocal styleof the people in the Mississippi Valley puts the accent on the middle and bass registers. The verse oftenends with a cry, and rapid vibratos at the end of each stanza. Most songs from this region consist of ono-matopoeias and syllables with no lexical meaning, which are then mixed with elaborate texts. The singerdoesn't compose as such; he catches verses floating in the air, and he has to put them together in such a waythat they engender peace and harmony. Most of the songs demonstrate an antiphonic system of call andresponse. The singer throws out a short phrase to which the other participants respond.”

A genuine war cry, Handa Wanda was recorded in two parts, like the other singles from that period. Rough-edged, the title resembles a funk war chant; it is carried by the bass of George French and the drummingof the Meters' 'Zigaboo' Modeliste, giving it fabulous syncopation. Davis considers this piece recorded inBaton Rouge to be one of the genre's definitive titles: “Handa Wanda was written by Bo Dollis when he usedto drive a delivery-truck on Magnolia Avenue. I got Zigaboo from the Meters together with Willie Tee andhis musicians, and in a single take we had our tune. The way it worked was red hot, and that singlecreated the music of the Mardi Gras Indians. But it also drew attention to the ties uniting Afro-Americans,Caribbean people and the Indians. Before that, whenever people saw Indians in the street they'd stay homeand lock the doors! The fact that you could now hear them over the radio brought new interest. It gavepeople the chance to discover the local Black Indian culture. Even the Louisiana State Museum bought oneof Bo Dollis' suits, which would have been unthinkable earlier! The white community was totallyunaware of these costumes; sometimes they saw splashes of colour in the streets, but that was it. The JazzFest was the first place to welcome the Indians outside of their own wards, beginning with the WildMagnolias; then they were joined by the Golden Eagles of Monk Boudreaux. Before that, Indian rituals wererarely peaceful. When Bo Dollis led a parade from Canal Street down to Congo Square in 1970, it was thefirst time they'd appeared in a place where people paid to see them!”

'Bo' Dollis, Big Chief, Wild Magnolias, on the streets at Carnival, 1989. (Michael P. Smith)

Golden Eagle practice with Chief 'Monk' Boudreaux (vocals), Larry Boudreaux (conga), H&R bar on 2nd Street andDryades, Uptown New Orleans, 1980. (Michael P. Smith)

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'Bo' Dollis, Chief of the Wild Magnolias, and his Queen, 1982. (Michael P. Smith) 'Bo' Dollis, Chief of the Wild Magnolias, 1978. (Michael P. Smith)

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'Monk' Boudreaux, Chief of the Golden Eagles, 1980. (Michael P. Smith)

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'Bo' Dollis, Chief of the Wild Magnolias, 1989. (Michael P. Smith)

'Monk' Boudreaux, Chief of the Golden Eagles, Carnival 1989. (Michael P. Smith)Wild Magnolias Mardi Gras Indians, 1974. (Michael P. Smith)

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French producer-journalist Philippe Rault was a great admirer of the music of the American South, andHanda Wanda, together with his first experience of the jubilant performances of the Magnolias, stoppedhim in his tracks. In November 1972 he met the Wild Magnolias and returned to Paris with a copy of their singleand a few photographs taken by Michael P. Smith. He didn't have any trouble convincing Eddie Barclay.After several months of discussion with Quint Davis and George Wein they negotiated a contract. At thebeginning of 1973 a memorable evening in London marked the Indians' first encounter with the world outside.After their incredible reception, Willie Tee began marshalling his troops under the New Orleans Projectbanner, a name they owed to Quint Davis. Willie didn't much care for the name; it recalled bad memoriesof the housing “project” of his childhood. He brought in his brother Earl, drummer Larry Panna and bassistJulius Farmer, a protégé of Alvin Batiste trained at Southern University in Baton Rouge. Veteran Alfred“Uganda” Roberts, for years one of Professor Longhair's faithful sidemen, joined the Wild Magnolias on congasand added an Afro-Cuban flavour to their funky brew. In December 1973, Philippe Rault took them all intothe rural Studio In The Country in Bogalusa, Professor Longhair's hometown. Rault remembers a “permanentcelebration” ambiance reigning over their ten days on that ranch in Louisiana, with Indians getting lost inthe pine-forest a few miles outside town where they'd gone fishing and hunting turtles… Alchemy weavedits spell and each of the tracks were recorded in a few takes, mostly. Engineer Steve Hodge recorded therhythm tracks with Willie Tee and the Gaturs, sometimes overdubbing the Indians as on SmokeMy PeacePipe (Smoke It Right) or Corey Died On The Battlefield, sometimes recording them live with the backupband as in Two Way Pak E Way or Meet The Boys. Sound treatment was added later at mixing time.

'Bo' Dollis, Chief of the Wild Magnolias on Carnival Day, 1980. (Michael P. Smith)

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Quite spontaneously, Willie, the New Orleans Project and the Magnolias became one; it was an explosive,gleeful mixture like a parade without end. Chief 'Bo' Dollis chanted with Chief 'Monk' Boudreaux of theGolden Eagles tribe. The other Indians, 'Gator June' Johnson, Jr., 'Gate' Johnson, James Smothers, 'Bubba'Scott, 'Quarter Moon' Tobias and 'Crip' Adams shared choruses and tambourines with triangles, bells, whistlesand a myriad of little percussion instruments. You can hear traditional African polyrhythm on the albumtogether with instant pop melodies mixed with deep Amerindian culture and the breathing of New Orleans,all of it sustained by syncopated drums that disclose the suffering of the blues, like that of Willie Tee:“Corey Died on The Battlefield recalls the painful era of slavery. I was trying to find a universal way ofexpressing what happened in New Orleans.” Two Way Pak E Way, made popular that same year by theMeters under the title Hey Pocky Way, is one of the Indians' most popular songs. It's an Americanizedvariant of the Creole “t'ouwais bas q'ouwais”, the French phrase sung by pioneer Jelly Roll Morton at theend of the Thirties in his piece Two Way Pocky Way, a highly popular tune in the streets of New Orleans.The informal hero of these sessions was guitar genius Snooks Eaglin, recruited thanks to Allison Miner.The eventful manoeuvres needed to get him on the album resembled the intricate plot of an AlexandreDumas novel, particularly when his guitars had to be recovered from a pawnshop. Willie Tee makes it allseem so simple: “Nobody understands the genius of Snooks Eaglin even today. Snooks played a whole lotmore than you could hear. Just listen. I used to hear Snooks play on the street when I was a boy. You canhear the same simplicity in his chords; they're amazingly efficient. I think that everyone was good on thatfirst organic album. Julius Farmer obtained a scholarship to study with Stanley Clarke, and we went to NewYork to open for Freddie Hubbard at Carnegie Hall. Julius only had one lesson with Stanley Clarke…because it was Stanley who asked him to show him some of his tricks!”

In the Spring of 1974 Rault went to Memphis for a meeting with Stax Records' Al Bell, who'd also expressedan interest. Nothing came of it however, and American distribution of the Barclay recording was finallypicked up by Polydor U.S. after Rault went to New York; president Jerry Schoenbaum agreed to take onthe project and the first album by the Wild Magnolias was released in April in the U.S.

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a. Wild Magnolias and Golden Eagles Indian practice with 'Crip' Adams (left) and 'Alligator June' (with tambourine).b. From left to right: Alfred 'Uganda' Roberts (congas), 'Monk' Boudreaux, 'Bo' Dollis, 'Alligator June', 'Bubba' Scottand friends at Indian practice. H&R Bar, Uptown New Orleans, 1974. (Michael P. Smith)

a. First Wild Magnolias LP, Barclay 80 529.b. Second Wild Magnolias LP, Barclay 90 033.

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It was a spring bouquet of tropical flowers with dizzy tribal refrains that nobody had ever heardbefore. It was festive music from beginning to end, with a terrific dance feel thanks to irresistible melodieslike the incendiary (Somebody Got) Soul Soul, Soul, a variant of the Indian "couture" hymn chanted in the1930's by the Wild Squatoolas under the title (Somebody Got to) Sew, Sew, Sew. In late Spring 1974, SmokeMy Peace Pipe (Smoke It Right), an ode to marijuana, an essential component of the Mardi Gras Indianculture advocating tribal harmony, reached #74 on the Billboard charts and stayed for six weeks. It gaverise to a whirlwind of incantations and ceremonial feathers riding high over Indian war songs, dementedtambourines, beaded moccasins and multicoloured pearls from the stage of Carnegie Hall in New Yorkto the Capitol Center in Washington. The public was dumbfounded, fascinated by their technicolorparade. Back in the wings, the first signs of dissension began to appear between musicians and Indians,an awesome bunch like a kind of New Orleans Family Stone...

Along with their tribes, chiefs 'Bo' Dollis and 'Monk' Boudreaux were now celebrating what Rault tastilycalled “the rhythm of seduction,” the raw material of funk. In February 1975, Rault produced sessions fora second album, “They Call Us Wild,” which was released in France, Spain and Canada the following May.In a laid-back atmosphere, the opus illustrated the musical hedonism and funk that typified New Orleans.Continual changes at the head of the U.S. division of Polydor indefinitely postponed an American release.Most of its nine tracks were written by Willie Tee. On their first album, Willie had been at the service ofthe Wild Magnolias as an accompanist, but the second Magnolias record was actually a Willie Tee album,and he expressed himself to the full, incidentally showing the direction he would take on his first soloalbum “Anticipation,” which was released the following year.

A Mardi Gras classic, New Suit related the way the Indians could spend a whole year working on their newcostumes. Anchored palpably in the Indians' everyday existence, this title appeared in America as a singleon New Orleans Treehouse Records, the label run by Warren Hildebrand, one of the two heirs to All South,the largest independent distributor in this part of the Deep South. It was a record by a collective, with morejazz influences and less funk and individualism, and “They Call Us Wild” caused a surprise due to itsmodern sound. Willie Tee noted: “On the second album I tried to find a way to write pieces about Indianrituals, and also songs allowing the Magnolias to be something more than just a one-off phenomenon.I wanted to bring about a kind of fusion between organic and modern. On “They Call Us Wild” we werealready doing what's popular today. Unfortunately, many songs didn't find an echo. When we were kids,my grandfather used to sing Ah Anka Ting Tang Boo Shanka Boo to give us a scare. I had the chance to usethat incantation again, which evokes voodoo mysticism. Jumalaka Boom Boom also belongs to the noveltysong characteristics of the city. But the spirit of that record quickly evaporated.”

Philippe Rault left Barclay at the end of April 1975 after making a large contribution to the music of theSouth he loves so much. Three decades later, these two albums by the Wild Magnolias remain vibranttestimonials to the soul of New Orleans, a city that has always faced up to adversity. It's a Black-Creole-Indian city where the scent of magnolias and the impetuosity of Mardi Gras funk will always express incredibleresistance in the face of not only natural and social catastrophes, but also simplistic musical categorization.Without a doubt, Handa Wanda and all those hymns with eternal vibrations will ring out forever in theskies of New Orleans: “Injuns, here we come back!”

Florent MazzoleniEnglish translation by Martin Davies.

Selected bibiliography

John Broven, Walking To New Orleans. Blues Unlimited, Bexhill-on-Sea, England, 1974.

Robert and Mason Florence, New Orleans Cemeteries: Life in the Cities of the Dead. Batture Press, New Orleans, 1997.

Jeff Hannusch, I Hear You Knockin'. Swallow Publications, Inc., Ville Plate, LA. 1985.

Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) and Jack Rummel, Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of Dr. John the Night TripperSt. Martin's Press, New York, 1994.

Art, Aaron, Charles, Cyril Neville and David Ritz, The Brothers. Da Capo Press, Cambridge, MA., 2001.

Joseph Roach, Cities of the Dead: Circum Atlantic Performance. Columbia University Press, New York, 1996.

Michael P. Smith, Mardi Gras Indians. Pelican Publishing Company, Gretna, LA, 1994.

Florent Mazzoleni, James Brown, l’Amérique noire, la soul et le funk. Hors Collection, Paris, France, 2005.

From left to right: 'Monk' Boudreaux, 'Bo' Dollis, 'Quarter Moon' Tobias on stage at the New Orleans Jazz & HeritageFestival, 1976. In the background: Alfred 'Uganda' Roberts (percussion), 'Guitar' June (guitar). (Michael P. Smith)

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'Quarter Moon' Tobias, H&R Bar, Uptown New Orleans, 1974. (Michael P. Smith)

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a. 'Quarter Moon' Tobias, 'Alligator' June and friend, H&R Bar, 1974. (Michael P. Smith)

b. Indian practice at the H&R bar on 2nd Street and Dryades, 1978. (Michael P. Smith)

Black Eagles Indian practice at First Base Lounge, New Orleans, 1980. (Michael P. Smith)

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“Drag it up from wherever your memory hides those things,” they said. So I did. They were compiling theliner notes for this album, and someone let slip that I'd had first-hand experience of this bunch. It was quite true.

My first road-trip as a minder for American musicians had all the bells and whistles—literally and figuratively—that one usually associates with eight large, black, tourist-looking-but-otherwise-normal people from NewOrleans, (i.e. sandals, flowery shirts, straw hats), plus the six guys from the band that travelled with them.These were also normal, tourist-looking musicians and, as if to prove it, they wore a few cameras dottedaround the same flowery shirts. Saying I was their “minder” is a euphemism; actually I worked for the labelthat had signed them. I was the most recent, and therefore the most humble, addition to the Barclay Recordspromotion department, which meant that I also had to “mind” a certain Bob Hart from “The Sun” (a UKtabloid known less for its devotion to popular music than for the large breasts it featured on page three)and, definitely devoted to music, Ray Coleman, then the editor of 'Melody Maker'. His presence, I felt, wasowed more to the fact that I'd traded him two seats for McCoy Tyner's set (in exchange for several column-inches in his paper) than to the fact that nobody in England had heard of The Wild Magnolias. Or even thefact that Chris MacGregor's Brotherhood of Breath was on the same bill at the 1975 Antibes Juan-les-PinsJazz Festival. Ray was very happy with that; it was an unforeseen bonus that put him in a very good mood.We all had dinner Sunday night in the gardens of Le Provençal, the hotel closest to the stage, and ChrisMacGregor was, well, loud. The trip was turning out fine, but our arrival hadn't gone smoothly from theword go: “to Antibes, young man!”. In fact, there had been a little incident on the way through Nice airporton the Saturday morning. You might call it a test of initiative, but it felt more like cardiac arrest.

'Bo' Dollis, Chief of the Wild Magnolias on stage, New Orleans, 1973. (Michael P. Smith)

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still technically in no man's land, on the wrong side of the terminal. Beneath the iridescent feathers layslick, white, turquoise, pink, orange and blue suits of velvet and lace embroidered with emeralds, diamonds,rubies, opals and sapphires. Or so it was thought. I'd seen the photographs, and they were only rhinestones,sequins and glass beads, but they sure looked real to me.

“They're only rhinestones”, I stammered. “Rhine-what?”“Rhinestones. Costume stuff. Glass beads. They're dummies.”“They look genuine to me, sir.”“No, really? I thought real stones always looked a bit dull. These sparkle too much to be the real thing,wouldn't you say?”“They'll have to be impounded, all the same. You can't bring them into the country just like that. There'sthe import duty to start with…”“But these are costumes. Fancy dress. These guys are going to wear them onstage tomorrow. They're goingoff to London on Monday.”“Who are they, then?”“Well, this one's Joseph Pierre Boudreaux. Calls himself 'Monk'. Passport number C2733604. And thatone's Theodore Emile Dollis. 'Bo' to his friends. In fact, these are the Wild Magnolias.”“I see. You're saying this is a temporary importation? That these goods are not staying in France? Theyshould have been declared at Orly.”“Absolutely temporary. No way they're staying here. This is just another job for these guys. They're pluggingan album.”“Then that's a different matter altogether. Happens all the time during the Festival.”“OK, fine. Just show me which form to fill in.”“Here you are, sir. There'll be a 64.000 francs deposit as a guarantee.”“Say again?”“64.000 francs. The deposit. As a guarantee.”“What… guarantee, exactly?”“Just to make sure the merchandise leaves the country on Monday, sir. Otherwise the suits stay here.” Hegave me a look.“Ah.”

I was trying to calculate how many years I'd have to promote eight Mardi Gras Indians for the Barclay labelin order to pay back the deposit, should anything happen to Monk Boudreaux's rhinestones in the next 24hours. It would take a thousand years… They'd kill me if the Magnolias did the gig in their shorts. Therewas a bus waiting outside; the office in Paris was closed; mobile phones hadn't been invented; and it wasJuly, one of the two months when French businesses are dormant. Especially on Saturdays on the Riviera,and especially French banks anywhere. So I wrote a personal cheque for 64.000 francs, and then lookedfor a prayer-mat. I'd try and call the label's accountant from the hotel; maybe he could square this with mybank.

'Crip' Adams gave me a heart-massage in the bus. “It's OK, man, we got away.” Yes, we did. The rest wasa blur. When the band piled out of the bus in front of Le Provençal we got a standing ovation from the bell-hop,the keys from the concierge, and several flunkeys to carry bags, bells and whistles to various suites.

The Golden Eagles from left to right: 'Quarter Moon' Tobias, Chief 'Monk' Boudreaux, 'Alligator June', 1978. (Michael P. Smith)

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“One second, please. What's in those bags?”

I'd had no idea, but I was soon to find out. I was still idly wondering if the band had brought “substances”all the way from Louisiana, or maybe just Paris “substances” acquired during their stopover, when theCustoms gentlemen in blue suits began heaving huge piles of ostrich feathers onto the counter. We were

“So, what's been going on, then?” said Ray Coleman.“Long story. You can do me a favour and get me a whisky.” I tried to explain, hoping it would work wondersfor the mileage I was expecting from his paper, but Ray had other things on his mind.“It's OK for McCoy Tyner, is it? And another thing - I bumped into Cecil Taylor while you were gone, andwe're going to have lunch with him up in the hills.” He jerked a thumb skywards behind him.“Wonderful. So, your paper's paying for the taxi then.”

The sun was high. While Cecil Taylor was explaining the merits of grilled shrimp to the Melody Maker'seditor sitting in the shade, the Wild Magnolias were getting serious back at Le Provençal. Someone, maybethe band's manager Quint Davis, but probably 'Bo' Dollis, a man who still sings his songs in the same keyafter thirty years, had figured that what sleepy, summertime Antibes needed before the show was a genuine,down-home, New Orleans-style parade. With rhinestones. The Magnolias excelled at this ritual, evenduring rehearsals up and down the stairs of Le Provençal, which was the largest open space available forthem to work on their motivation. When we came back down the hill after Cecil Taylor's rather esotericshrimp-monologue, there was a press conference; what the French journalists most wanted to know seemedto have more to do with ethnology than musicology, but at least they could pronounce 'Boudreaux'. What,for example, did they think about “Cajun” being a corruption of the French word “Acadien?” Could theMagnolias' visit somehow be interpreted as a “return home,” perhaps? All such intellectual questions werepolitely fielded and tossed aside with rhythm. Their English journalist-comrades, on the other hand, hadlittle difficulty pronouncing “Bordeaux” until they'd had too much of it, and then they opened fire. Wasplaying in France a dream? Where did Crip's nickname come from? (Because he walked with a limp.) Hadthey had enough time to recover from their jet-lag? What time were they due in London? Did they enjoythe sun and the wine? Probably.

Sunday dawned, although nobody saw it, and throughout the afternoon we just hung around waiting forsunset. Dusk came, and with it the business. Sound-check. Chanting is hardly the word to describe thesounds that came moaning out of that five-star hotel. Nobody had ever heard that kind of rhythm inAntibes, not even Sidney Bechet. Willie Tee and his brother Earl Turbinton were hand-clapping, and doingit like they played piano and alto (Earl had recently collaborated with Joe Zawinul on In A Silent Way.Willie had his own band at the time). Out came the Magnolias in full regalia, waving tambourines, cow-bells,triangles and whistles, and shaking congas and the odd bongo; they sashayed down the front steps, second-lined their way around the gardens, and then swayed up the street before circling back down towards thestage. They were working on the theory that nothing was too outrageous, although they probably drew theline at coming onstage with a snake down their throats. The feathers were quite enough. With every stepthey gathered a crowd, and soon the Festival grounds were jammed with both ticket-holders and locals whohadn't bothered to buy any. That's how irresistible the Magnolias were before they even got near a stage.When they finally came on, Willie & Earl, plus Larry Panna & Co., had already taken up position with aD6 clavinet, a Fender suitcase piano, four huge amplifiers, an alto clarinet, alto and soprano saxes, percussion,bass and drums. Together they were blowing their souls straight back to Rampart and Decatur Streets.As for the Magnolias as soon as they hit They Call Us Wild most of the people in Juan-les-Pins went nuts.

Post Scriptum. Quint Davis was a student at Tulane University and part-time shepherd for the Wild Magnolias when notbusy being Music Director for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. It was Quint, I believe, who recoveredmy cheque on the way home. None of which has anything to do with these marvellous tracks recorded inBogalusa, except for the rhinestones.

Martin Davies Mardi Gras Indian, Wild Magnolias Tribe, 1974. (Michael P. Smith)

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I guess it all started because of Fird 'Snooks' Eaglin, the very soulful blind guitar player/singer from NewOrleans, Louisiana. In 1968, I was working for the international department of Disques Barclay in Parisand my then boss and friend, Bernard de Bosson, shared with me a fascination for Snooks' music. Back in1962, when Bernard worked for the French division of Polydor Records, he had released with unboundedenthusiasm an Imperial EP featuring Snooks under the promising banner Le Nouveau Génie. That's Geniusas in Ray Charles. Coincidentally, Snooks had also been dubbed Little Ray Charles in the U.S.Malheureusement, nothing much had happened with that particular disc (I'm Slipping, Going to the River),despite the airplay granted by Uncle Dan (Filipacchi) on the most popular teenage radio show of the dayin France, the famous “Salut Les Copains” on Europe Nº 1.

On my end, as a student exploring the record bins of the Latin Quarter music stores around 1966, I had fallenfor an LP by Snooks on Storyville Records, entitled “Portrait in Blues” (Vol.1). It included such gems asBottle Up & Go, Alberta and an outstanding version of Malagueña, Snooks' very unique bluesy take onthe Spanish flamenco classic. Bernard's and my combined interests in his style and very diverse repertoireled us into enthusiastic conversations that would routinely end by where is Snooks now? Is he still playingmusic? Can we ever find him? Being far away from Louisiana at the time, and with no easy access to informationabout the current New Orleans music scene, those questions were always impossible to answer.

Fird 'Snooks' Eaglin on stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 1977. (Michael P. Smith)

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had pawned his guitar to buy a refrigerator, but they had been able to retrieve the instrument and had teamedhim up with Professor Longhair at the 1971, second edition of the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Roy Byrd,a.k.a. Professor Longhair, one of the most outstanding piano players from the Crescent City, was finallybeing rediscovered after years in total career obscurity. Would I want to meet him and did I know aboutthe black Mardi Gras tradition and the Wild Magnolias Indians? They were having a practice that afternoonat Longhair's house on Rampart Street, would I be interested into coming along? It sounded like an opportunitynot to be missed, and in fact this is how I was first introduced to Theodore Emile 'Bo' Dollis, chief of theWild Magnolias, to Joseph Pierre 'Monk' Boudreaux, chief of the Golden Eagles, and their crew, in theliving room of Professor Longhair's narrow shotgun house. This was surely a once-in-a-lifetime momentfor me. Hearing for the first time at close range those Afro-Caribbean rhythms mixed with the New Orleansstreet call and response vocals, turned out to be a formidable revelation.

I was familiar with Big Chief, as Fess had performed that New Orleans standard with Earl King on his 1964Watch Records single. Now, I was face to face with the Big Chief, in person. Bo Dollis' outstanding vocalsand charismatic presence, his gang's drive and unflinching support, turned out to be an irresistible artisticexperience! Quint and Allison showed me photos of the fantastic homemade Mardi Gras Indians costumesthat the Wild Magnolias donned for Carnival Day and on St. Joseph Day. The strong visual harking back tothe American native people took this powerful first musical experience to an even higher consciousness.After a few hours of going through a large variety of Mardi Gras songs, the Wild Magnolias party proceededto the H&R bar, a short distance away, on the corner of 2nd Street and Dryades, their official headquarters,where Indian practice continued late into the night.

Before leaving New Orleans a few days later, Quint and Allison handed me the 45 r.p.m. recording of oneof the Wild Magnolias main rallying songs that had been recently produced by Quint for his Crescent Citylabel imprint in a Baton Rouge studio, Handa Wanda (Part 1 & 2). This single blended the black Indiansstreet music with the New Orleans funk and jazz of a talented local keyboardist and singer, WilsonTurbinton a.k.a. Willie Tee. Willie Tee covered a lot of musical ground, from modern jazz with his brother,saxophonist Earl Turbinton, an alumni of the Cannonball Adderley band, to funk and soul, where he haddistinguished himself with a R'n'B charting single Teasing You on Atlantic in 1965. The end result of thestylistic gumbo on the Handa Wanda 45 single was like a keg of musical dynamite, spearheaded by 'Bo'Dollis' raucous and abandoned vocal, a mighty testimony to the power of New Orleans funk and Africanroots. On first hearing, I knew I had to get Disques Barclay involved with this new and unique sound. Thiswas going to be my next mission: to have these awesome singers and musicians signed up and recorded.Armed with only the Handa Wanda single and a series of powerful photos by Michael P. Smith of 'Bo'Dollis and the Wild Magnolias, I returned to Paris ready to convince the “powers that be” to sign up theproject to the label.

Success in that particular endeavour took a while, nearly a whole year to be exact. After effectively convincingEddie Barclay of the potential of this act, for the following ten months, international negociations wentback and forth between Quint, the Wild Magnolias, George Wein, Quint and Allison's principal partner andmain associate in the New Orleans Jazz Festival, their lawyers, Disques Barclay's lawyers in New YorkCity, Paul Marshall and Stewart Silfen, and various boosters for the Wild Magnolias at the Paris Barclayoffice such as Cyril Brillant, the head of the export department. Don't forget that in those days: no internet,no emails, no fax even, just slow international snail mail and telex machines. Finally, twelve months later,in December 1973, I was headed back to New Orleans to produce the first Wild Magnolias album.

Quint Davis and Professor Longhair. on stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 1977. (Michael P. Smith)

As it turned out, in 1971, I produced for Barclay several blues albums among which, one by piano player andsinger Roosevelt Sykes, then a resident of New Orleans 9th Ward.When I headed for the Crescent City thefollowing year, the unanswered questions about Snooks came back into focus. Roosevelt being one of my fewcontacts in town, I immediately visited him upon my arrival and after a warm welcome Louisiana style—red beans and rice and a six-pack of Dixie beer—I put to him the where is Snooks Eaglin quiz. Hepromptly indicated that if anybody knew of his whereabouts, it would have to be the two young people whohad recently booked him into the local, new and fledging New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival,QuintDavis and Allison Miner. My time in town was limited, so I arranged to meet with Quint and Allison thevery next day, at their home on the corner of Chartres and Frenchmen streets, in the Faubourg Marigny.That's where the ball really got rolling in many different directions and way beyond my original quest.Snooks, well, yes of course, he was alive and well in St. Rose, Louisiana. He was on disability and his wife

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You may ask, what had happened to my quest for Snooks Eaglin in the meantime? Well, when it came timeto choose the musicians who would accompany the Wild Magnolias on their first album recording adventure,we knew, of course, that Willie Tee would lead on all the assorted keyboards and arrange. From his ownregular group, the Gaturs, Larry Panna was picked as the drummer. Willie's brother, Earl Turbinton, Jr. wouldbe a featured soloist on alto and soprano saxophone and even on bass clarinet. Earl and Willie had worked withan outstanding young Southern University student, a protégé of music master Alvin Batiste, Julius Farmer on thebass, and they both recommended him. To reinforce the percussion side of the band, Alfred “Uganda” Roberts,a permanent sideman to Professor Longhair, was also hired without hesitation. Alfred knew the Mardi Gras Indiansscene very well and used to join their practices at the H&R bar, so he was very familiar with their musical idiom.He fitted right in. That left the lead guitar seat to be filled,and guess who was the musician heading thelist? Snooks, of course. He would bring all the funk and fire that was required by the material of the WildMagnolias and an unmatched adaptability to the different grooves that Willie Tee was going to create forthe rhythm tracks. Snooks was the man, as much for his rock steady rhythm parts as for his burning leadguitar work. Our search for Fird Eaglin had come to its conclusion and the cycle was finally completed.

The studio we picked for the recording was a brand new facility, not in New Orleans as one could haveexpected, but 60 miles to the north of the city, across Lake Ponchartrain's 25 mile-long bridge, the famousCauseway, and into the flat pine forest region that blankets this part of the Deep South. Bogalusa, the BlackCreek in Choctaw Indian, a blue-collar redneck paper mill town along the road leading to the Pearl River,the official stateline between Louisiana and Mississippi. It featured one short piece of a main street with acouple of eateries along the way, and a notable stench of rotten cabbage—yes! the Crown-Zellerbach papermill—that one would try to avoid, according to the direction of the wind. Most of the time in vain. Besidesbeing the birthplace of Professor Longhair, a fact that seemed lost on most locals, it also held the infamousreputation of having been a hotbed of K.K.K. activities up to a very recent past. Not a thing that the localChamber of Commerce would promote in its brochure, but a real hard fact nevertheless in the post-civilrights movement days of 1973. It turned out that Bill Blue Evans, a local kid with a brief Hollywood recordingengineer experience and a wealthy dad, had just built outside of town in the middle of the pine forest onOld Varnado Highway, a million dollar recording facility, the likes of which certainly could not be found inNew Orleans. It even very seriously competed with other top studios in Nashville, the closest music businesscenter, 600 miles away. The celebrated Tom Headley, founder of Westlake Audio in Los Angeles and theultimate studio designer of the decade, had personally supervised the coming together of Studio In TheCountry. But, as far as choosing our place of work for the Wild Magnolias project, the clinching factor wasmostly the meeting with the in-house recording engineer, Stephen Hodge. A former engineer at MGM studiosin Los Angeles, with a serious pedigree to boot—Val Valentin was his uncle and had tutored him and entrustedhim with some major U.S. and Latin artists recordings—Steve immediately displayed the type of confidenceand sense of sonic adventure that I was looking for. If anything, I wanted some serious sound experimentationto compliment the unorthodox musical gumbo that Willie Tee and his band were going to bring to the table.This was not going to be some Smithsonian traditional folk fare destine for the Library of Congressdocumenting the ethnic proclivities of black New Orleans street music. Quint Davis said he wanted the WildMagnolias to compete with the latest R'n'B bands on the juke box at the H&R bar and I fully concurredwith him on that artistic direction. I wished to be even more adventurous and bring the most contemporarysound elements techniques of rock as I had experienced them with some of the more creative English recordingengineers such as George Chkiantz and Keith Harwood at Olympic Sounds Studio in London. StephenHodge immediately appeared to be the right person for this purpose and we decided to choose Studio InThe Country, mostly for that reason, certainly not for the social setting of the city of Bogalusa.

The Wild Magnolias Mardi Gras Indians (in full regalia) had officially crossed Canal Street from theirUptown headquarters for the first time only in 1970, and this in order to perform at the original edition ofthe New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in Congo Square. Besides a very quick one-nighter in Londonfor some rich banker friends of Ahmet Ertegun, the head of Atlantic Records, they had never set foot outsideof the U.S. and very rarely outside of New Orleans. In retrospect, it seems that bringing 15 black NewOrleanians to Bogalusa, a remote and potentially inhospitable part of Louisiana, was a bit of a stretch.I remember Willie Tee evoking a few horror stories about gigs in clubs in this redneck-heavy Eastern partof the State. Professor Longhair did not seem to harbor too many good memories about his birthplaceeither. Whether the Indians themselves knew much about “living country,” was doubtful. But the gods wereon our side and with the gracious help of Bill Evans, Jim Bateman, the studio manager in its early days,and the full cooperation of the house staff, we all set sails to Bogalusa across the great Lake Ponchartrain thatDecember of 1973, to produce the first Wild Magnolias album. For a couple of weeks we settled into a longlow-lying woodhouse half a mile down the road from Studio In The Country. “The Ranch,” as it had beennicknamed by the folks at studio, became our home away from New Orleans for a couple of weeks. It turnedinto a crowded refuge from the center of creative activities a short distance away. Constant cooking seem to takeplace 24/7 under the wary eye of Mamie Tillman, who had quite a task keeping this bunch well-fed and happy.

Mardi Gras Indian Practice, November 1970. Courtesy of the Jules Cahn Collection from the Historic New Orleans CollectionFrom left to right: 'Monk' Boudreaux, 'Gate' Johnson, 'Alligator June' and Quint Davis.

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Unfazed, we nevertheless prepared ourselves for the production of album number two, “They Call Us Wild,”which we recorded in February 1975, also at Studio In the Country. The approach this time was focusedon the style of songs that seemed to have attracted the most attention on the first album, namely the originalsongs that Willie Tee had written in 1973 for the Wild Magnolias, Corey Died and Smoke My Peace Pipe.In fact, aside of Fire Water, Injuns Here We Come and Ho Na Nae, which was a track leftover from the1973 recordings, all the songs on the 1975 second album were Willie Tee's. Stylistically, it seems thereforecorrect to say, as Florent Mazzoleni indicates in his liner notes, that this was a Willie Tee album much moreso than the first Wild Magnolias album. But there was never any fuss about that new direction from theMagnolias' point of view, as everyone was very happy to utilize Willie's strong songwriting contribution toits utmost. Outside of 'Bo' Dollis, 'Monk' Boudreaux & the Wild Magnolias themselves, he understood betterthan anyone what the Indians were all about, and was able to translate that state of mind and that attitudeinto material that they could entirely relate to. So much so that he gave them, in the batch of tunes he wrotefor this second album, an instant Mardi Gras Carnival season classic, New Suit. That song, since its initialU.S. release in 1976 on Warren Hildebrand's local New Orleans Treehouse label—later to become MardiGras Records—has been for 30 years now a stalwart Mardi Gras tune on par with Professor Longhair'sGo To The Mardi Gras, The Hawketts' Mardi Gras Mambo, Al Johnson's Carnival Time and a few others:“Every year for Carnival Time, we make a New Suit…”

On the first night in the studio, in order to establish the balance set-up for the Indians and for Willie Tee's band,we had everyone jamming together on Two Way Pak E Way. I shall always remember Bill Evans, the studioowner, walking into the control-room while we were still adjusting the vocals and the instruments. He stoodthere flabbergasted by the musical funk & fire burning on the other side of the glass. With his jaw droppinghe said: Man! you're crazy, you ain't never gonna be able to do a record with these guys. Well, Bill, I shouldhave been a betting man! Though as an outsider walking in on this situation, I can totally understand hisreaction. The track on the album recorded that night pretty much reflects the wildness of the moment.

The eight Indians plus a number of friends and associates who had trailed along all the way from the hoodwere being fast and furious. Lots of Mad Dog 20/20 had been consumed and the song that Willie Tee wroteabout Smoke My Peace Pipe, Smoke It Right had not been lost on anyone. But in due time during the nextseveral days, a method to the madness was put in place and we did cut rhythm tracks with just a guidevocal, 'Bo' or Willie, and used overdubs to record the final lead vocals and the Indians vocals. Willie alsoadded several layers of keyboards and Earl Turbinton laid down some horn overdubs, especially the bass clarinet on Saints. Willie had some very specific ideas of arrangements that we helped him build andconcretize. All the talk-box effects in Smoke My Peace Pipe and Corey Died were also overdubs, naturally. Wedefinitely wanted the spontaneity of the live rhythm section but we also used all the techniques available tocome up with a current contemporary sound. Loops, backward recordings, phasing effects and so forth.This is where Stephen Hodge's part was crucial. He understood and knew how to do all this and still keep therawness and spontaneity of the music of the New Orleans street. We were lucky to have him as a recordingengineer, as he proved to be an enthusiastically creative soundman and a great collaborator to the project.

How was Snooks doing in the middle of all this? Well, he was having a ball and everyone of his guitarsolos on the first Wild Magnolias album is the original take. His soulfulness and virtuosity were so out-standing, how could you possibly improve on such definitive and inspired playing?

A few days before Christmas 1973, we wrapped up the mixing sessions and very excitedly headed back totown for a well deserved holiday break, during which Willie initiated me to the joys of eggnog and YuletideNew Orleans style. We knew we had something special in hand and could not wait to test the album on theunprepared A&R offices of American record companies. By March 1974, Peter Siegel and JerrySchoenbaum had won the auction and Polydor Records U.S. became the designated record label licensingthe album Stateside. A couple of months later Smoke My Peace Pipe, took off on the national R'n'B charts,albeit in a censored abridged version. It looked like the American airwaves were not ready, even in 1974,for lyrics such as:“Ain't nothing like a real good high ; Just take a few hits, put some smoke on your mind”and further:“Columbian, Acapulco Gold, Can't compare to what I hold.”

The first Wild Magnolias album received unanimous critical success. Unfortunately, it did not translate intobig album sales, even if the single Smoke My Peace Pipe had a promising good run for a few months.Polydor U.S. was plagued at the time by serious corporate growing pains and, following a pattern repeatedat that company over most of the 70s, president Jerry Schoenbaum left the label in 1975 after only a shorttenure. A new president and a new administration then entered the picture, with projects of their own, andaccording to an often repeated scenario in the music industry, it was out with the old and in with the new,even if untested. As the commercial achievement of the first Wild Magnolias album had been lukewarm,the licensing contract for the act in the U.S. was basically dropped for the next album due in 1975. Hey! La Bas: welcome to the music business, cher!

Official photo of the Wild Magnolias for the U.S. release of their first LP on Polydor Records. Top row, from left to right:'Monk' Boudreaux, Chief of the Golden Eagles, Theodore Emile 'Bo' Dollis, Chief of the Wild Magnolias. Bottom row:'Bubba' Scott, James Smothers, 'Crip' Adams, 'Gate' Johnson, 'Alligator June', 'Quarter Moon' Tobias. 1974. (Michael P. Smith)

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'Bo' Dollis and the Wild Magnolias reappeared on the recording scene finally in 1990 on Rounder Recordsthanks to the dedicated work of Allison Miner after she took over the management of the band. Under thetitle “I'm Back at Carnival Time,” that album explored a number of Carnival mainstay songs, revisitedIko, Iko and Golden Crown and even took on the Zydeco classic by Clarence Garlow, Bon Ton Roulet andProfessor Longhair's Tipitina.

In 1993, I had a chance to work again with 'Bo', 'Monk' Boudreaux and Gitchie Johnson, but in a totallydifferent setting this time, as the producer for the FNAC Music label of a Willy DeVille live album beingrecorded at the Bottom Line in New York City. Willy DeVille had become a French Quarter resident since1990 and acquired a great respect and admiration for the Wild Magnolias and the Mardi Gras Indianstradition. So we brought the two chiefs and Gitchie to the Big Apple to perform Iko, Iko and Meet The BoysOn The Battlefront with him on the stage of the famous Village club. These tracks appear on Willy's “BigEasy Fantasy” album which also features Allen Toussaint, Eddie Bo, Dr. John and the Meters and is stillavailable nowadays on the French label Wagram Music.

Finally in 1994, Polygram Records released for the first time in the U.S. “They Call Us Wild,” simultaneously with the 1st Wild Magnolias album rerelease. It had taken 19 years for the 2nd Barclay recording to comeout officially in the band's homeland! Since then, a few more CDs by 'Bo' Dollis and the Wild Magnoliashave appeared in record stores, “1313 Hoodoo Street” on Australia's Aim Records in 1996, “Life Is a Carnival”in 1999 on the Blue Note label, another album on Aim Records in 2002 entitled “30 Years and Still Wild.”Meanwhile, 'Monk' Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles also had their own album, “Lightning and Thunder,”out on Rounder Records/Select.

As I write these lines, one year after the devastation of Katrina, three of the eight Wild Magnolias bandmembers remain alive and still active with their music in New Orleans. The two big chiefs, TheodoreEmile 'Bo' Dollis, chief of the Wild Magnolias, Joseph Pierre 'Monk' Boudreaux, chief of the GoldenEagles, and Lawrence 'Crip' Adams. We want to salute them here as well as their companions whohave passed away, Leonard 'Gate' Johnson, James Smothers, Washington 'Bubba' Scott, James 'GatorJune' Johnson, Jr. and, last but not least, the fearless Johnnie 'Quarter Moon' Tobias. Our thoughtsalso go to a number of other participants of those two albums who have also passed away in themeantime: Julius Farmer and Erving Charles who helped create the musical foundation of theWild Magnolias album tracks; Jules Cahn, the initial connection with the Wild Magnolias, ProfessorLonghair, and a very special salute to Allison Miner who tirelessly continued working with the WildMagnolias for many years in the 1980s and 90s, until she left us in December 1995.

Quint Davis has remained the director of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival ever since itsfirst edition in 1970, and Willie Tee is currently an artist-in-residence at Princeton University,following the unfortunate consequences of hurricane Katrina. Parker Dinkins, who had worked withQuint and Allison on the first stages of the Wild Magnolias career, operates his record masteringcompany, MasterDigital in Covington, Louisiana. And let's not forget my original source of inspiration,Fird 'Snooks' Eaglin, still the mightiest guitar man in all of Louisiana! They all contributed with enormoussoul power and tremendous dedication to these recordings and to a great New Orleans heritage andmusical tradition.

Philippe RaultLos Angeles, August 2006.

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a. From left to right: George Davis (guitar), Johnny Vidacovich (drums), Earl Turbinton (soprano sax) Julius Farmer (bass)at Lu & Charlie's club on Rampart Street, 1973. (Michael P. Smith)

b. The Turbinton Brothers, Earl (soprano saxophone) and Wilson a.k.a Willie Tee (keyboards) on stage at the NewOrleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 1975. (Michael P. Smith)

The band on “They Call Us Wild” varied slightly from the first album in order to fit the new direction of atighter, more compact funk section. Julius Farmer had moved by then to Milano, Italy, to pursue his jazzcareer and was replaced by Erving Charles, a solid as a rock, no frills bassman who later in the 70s wouldbecome Fats Domino's bass player until he passed away in 2003. Willie also brought along Guitar June,whose rhythmic funk style would send some sharp as a knife killer riffs throughout the tracks. There wasdefinitely less soloing going on the new project and the new focus gave up some of the looseness and jamfeeling in favor of a more tightly packaged, song-oriented approach. Without losing a definitive sense ofhumour as in Jumalaka Boom Boom where 'Quarter Moon' Tobias is featured in a killer deadpan recitation.

To our great regret, this second album, outside of New Suit and Fire Water which would appear in the“Mardi Gras In New Orleans” album released in 1976 on the Mardi Gras Records label, was never releasedin the U.S. at the time. Shortly after the recording sessions for “They Call Us Wild,” in the summer of 1975, I left Disques Barclay and France and moved from Paris to…New Orleans! Consequently, the new albumwas left in a lurch in France and the rest of Europe. Meanwhile, in 1976, Marshall Sehorn finally realizedwhat a great New Orleans cultural treasure had gone untapped by his Sansu Enterprises, Inc. Under the finemusical guidance of his partner Allen Toussaint, he put together the Wild Tchoupitoulas album around BigChief Jolly, his direct relatives, the Neville Brothers, and the other three members of the Meters. IslandRecords released the album that year. The LP borrowed from the Wild Magnolias first album Hey Pak EWay, Meet The Boys On The Battlefront and Golden Crown and from the second album Injuns, Here TheyCome. With a number of rearrangements of the lyrics of course, in order to suit these new versions by theWild Tchoupitoulas. The common well of Mardi Gras Indians songs was fair game as it looked like the bigbuzz about the Wild Magnolias a few years earlier had somehow fizzled away. In the decades that followed,several other New Orleans Uptown tribes had their own recording projects released. If not for the hugeinternational success that had been hoped for, the Wild Magnolias albums had nevertheless created anongoing trend in the pantheon of musical traditions of the Crescent City. We are all grateful and proud tothis day for having participated in the making of those records.

57

The Wild Magnolias are:Theodore Emile 'Bo' Dollis: lead vocals, background vocals, tambourine. Joseph Pierre 'Monk' Boudreaux: lead vocal on Shoo Fly, backgroundvocals, congas. James 'Gator June' Johnson, Jr.: background vocals, tambourine. Lawrence 'Crip' Adams: background vocals, cow bells, tambourine.Johnnie 'Quarter Moon' Tobias: background vocals, tambourine, whistle. Leonard 'Gate' Johnson: background vocals, tambourine.Washington 'Bubba' Scott: background vocals, triangle, tambourine. James Smothers: background vocals, bongos, congas.

With special guest: Norwood 'Gitchie' Johnson: bass drum.

'Bo' Dollis is Chief of the Wild Magnolias tribe. 'Monk' Boudreaux is Chief of the Golden Eagles tribe.

The New Orleans Project is:Willie Tee: keyboards, percussion, background vocals. Earl Turbinton, Jr.: alto and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet.Julius Farmer: bass. Fird 'Snooks' Eaglin: guitar. Larry Panna: drums. Alfred 'Uganda' Roberts: congas.

Produced by Philippe Rault. All arrangements by Willie Tee except as noted. Recorded at Studio in the Country, Bogalusa, Louisiana, 1973.Engineered and mixed by Steve Hodge.

Tracks # 1 and 6 originally released on Barclay LP 80 529. P 1974 Universal Music France.Tracks # 7, 8, 9 and 10 originally released on Polydor U.S. 519 418-2. P 1993 Universal Music France.Track # 8 appeared in a shortened version on Barclay LP 90 033. Tracks # 11 and 12 released on Barclay single 62 076. P 1974 Universal Music France.

01. Handa Wanda 4'43

(The Wild Magnolias)

02. Smoke My Peace Pipe (Smoke It Right) 6'58

(Wilson Turbinton)

03. Two Way Pak E Way 7'51

(Traditional. arr. by The Wild Magnolias)

04. Corey Died on the Battlefield 5'00

(Wilson Turbinton)

05. (Somebody Got) Soul, Soul, Soul 6'13

(The Wild Magnolias)

06. Oh! When the Saints 8'47


07. Meet the Boys (on the Battlefront) 2'25


08. Ho Na Nae 5'02

(The Wild Magnolias / Wilson Turbinton)

09. (My Big Chief Has a) Golden Crown 6'23


10. Shoo Fly (Don’t Bother Me) 8'50


11. Iko, Iko 3'21


12. Smoke My Peace Pipe (Smoke It Right) single edit 2'39

(Wilson Turbinton)

56

CD 1The Wild Magnolias

58 59

The New Orleans Project for the "They Call Us Wild" album (2nd Wild Magnolias LP), from left to right: Alfred 'Uganda' Roberts (percussion), 'Guitar June' (guitar), Wilson Turbinton a.k.a.Willie Tee (keyboards, arranger and bandleader), Larry Panna (drums) and Earl Turbinton (saxophones). (Dennis Wile)

The Wild Magnolias are:Theodore Emile 'Bo' Dollis: lead vocals, tambourine. Joseph Pierre 'Monk' Boudreaux: background vocals, congas. James 'Gator June'Johnson, Jr.: background vocals, tambourine. Lawrence 'Crip' Adams: background vocals, cow bells, tambourine. Johnnie 'Quarter Moon'Tobias: background vocals and rap on Jumalaka Boom Boom, tambourine, whistle. Leonard 'Gate' Johnson: background vocals, tambourine.Washington 'Bubba' Scott: background vocals, triangle, tambourine. James Smothers: background vocals, bongos, congas.

'Bo' Dollis is Chief of the Wild Magnolias tribe. 'Monk' Boudreaux is Chief of the Golden Eagle tribe.

The New Orleans Project is: Willie Tee: keyboards, Arp synthesizer. Earl Turbinton, Jr.: alto and soprano saxophones. 'Guitar June': guitar. Erving Charles: bass. Larry Panna: drums. Alfred 'Uganda' Roberts: congas.

Produced by Philippe Rault. Recorded at Studio in the Country, Bogalusa, Louisiana, 1975.Engineered and mixed by Steve Hodge.All tracks released as Barclay LP 90 033. P 1975 Universal Music France.

01. They Call Us Wild 3'14

(Wilson Turbinton)

02. New Suit 3'06

(Wilson Turbinton)

03. Ah Anka Ting Tang Boo Shanka Boo 4'28

(Wilson Turbinton)

04. Fire Water 3'45


05. Injuns, Here We Come 5'22


06. New Kinda Groove 4'01

(Wilson Turbinton)

07. Jumalaka Boom Boom 5'14

(Wilson Turbinton)

08. We're Gonna Party 3'07

(Wilson Turbinton)

09. Ho Na Nae 4'38


CD 2

They Call Us Wild

60 61

02. Smoke My Peace Pipe (Smoke it Right)

Smoke my peace pipe, smoke it right (x4)I'm a Big Chief, I do the best for my tribeSmoke my peace pipe, smoke it right!I do what I can to keep them satisfiedSmoke my peace pipe, smoke it right!Smoke my peace pipe, smoke it right (x2)Now in my pipe is some super bad herbsGuaranteed to soothe your nervesAin't nothing like a real good highJust take a few hits, put some smoke on your mindSmoke my peace pipe, smoke it right (x2)Whenever you're down and feeling uptightCome to my tent, I'll make you feel alrightColumbian, Acapulco goldCan't compare to what I holdJust a few tokes to blow your mindGet it together, just take your timeSmoke my peace pipe, smoke it right!

Author / Composer: Wilson Turbinton Turbine Music/ GoPam (BMI)

01. Handa Wanda

Indians!!!Indian from Han Douah Make Lou Ah!!Said uptown rulers and downtown too,Said Wild Magnolias got Injun blue!Hey boy we ready, ya'll we rightHanda Wanda, Oh Mama!We're the prettiest in the city on Mardi GrasHanda Wanda, Oh MamaOh! Keddie-Fay-Hacko-Ma-Ho-Na-NaeHanda Wanda, Oh Mama!Oh tell me boy what the Indians sayHanda Wanda, Oh Mama!Oh little bitty boy and little bitty girlHanda Wanda, Oh Mama!On Mardi Gras morning they won't go wrongHey come here boy won't you stand by me?I'm the prettiest Big Chief you ever did see!Hey Wanda Handa Han Dan DeySay ring them drums on a holidayOh Mardi Gras morning, it won't be longWell them Indian rulers gonna sing their songOh run get your Mama, Papa tooThem Indian boys got Injun blueDon't deny your name, you got your gangDon't deny your name, you got your fameNow Handa Wanda Na Ha Na NeyHey watch them boys in a Mardi Gras dayOh! the prettiest in the city on a holidayHey Mardi Gras morning we don't give a damnOh! run get your mama, papa too,Oh them Injuns comin they got Injun blue!Oh tell me boys what them Indians saySaid Handa Wanda Ha Na NeyHey! prettiest in the city on a holidayHey! Rex is the ruler Mardi Gras morn'Now the Indian ruler gonna carry onHey Spy Boy jumping up and downOh! Spy Boy said we're goin' downtownOh! Jak E Ma Fino put hole in the groundPut a hole in the ground and dance all aroundOh! Jak E Ma Fino Ma Ho Na RayOh! Jak E Ma Fino on a holidaySay Mardi Gras morning and here they comeOh them Indian boys gonna have their funHan-Die Kil-A-Way (x2)Oh! do like you wanna on a Mardi Gras day!Oh! ya'll we ready, ya'll we rightWe the prettiest in the city on Mardi GrasHey come here boy, won't you stand by me?I'm the prettiest Big Chief you ever did see

Han Die, Kil A Way (x2)Oh Jak E Mo Fino on a HolidayOh boy we ready, ya'll we right

Author / Composer: The Wild Magnolias Gregory Davis Music (ASCAP)

We all got togetherHey Jak A Ma Fin ARemember them Indian (bis)Oh! boy we leavin'Holler ya'll we leavin'Well I'm going home ya'll (bis)I've had my fun nowI've had my fun ya'llSo tell your mamaOh tell your mamaThat you had your fun nowOh! you had your fun now'Cause you jumped up and downOh you jumped up and downOh you turned all aroundHoller Ha Ko Mi Lindo (x2)With them old time InjoHey La Hey LaHad my fun nowDo what you wanna'Cause them Injuns leavin'

Traditional arranged by The Wild MagnoliasGregory Davis Music (ASCAP)

He's an old time Flag BoyEarly in the morningOh run get your mamaRun get your papaTell 'em Injuns hollerin'Tell Injuns comin'Oh they comin' in the mornin'Gonna have our fun ya'llEarly in the morningHey Pak E Way Make an alligator crawl the wall Hey Pak E Way (x3)Hey Pak E Way Let 'em come, let 'em comeHey Pak E Way Here they come!Hey Pak E Way ChawaHey Pak E Way Make no Houmbah!Hey Pak E WayHey Pak E Way Flag Boy make Chawa!Hey Pak E Way Make no Houmbah!Hey Pak E Way I'm in the Flag Boy for the Wild MagnoliasHey Pak E Way Make Chawa!What I say ya'll ?What I know now ?Injuns is readyHey people is ya ready?Let's all have fun now (x2)Let's do what we wannaLet's do what we oughtaLet's jump up and downGolden CrownOh that's my gang ya'll (x2)We hollerin' in the morningGonna holler in the eveningGonna holler that day ya'll!Oh Wild MagnoliaLet's all get together (bis)Do what you wanna (bis)Let 'em go ya'llHey Pak E WayHey Pak E Way Early that morning, early that dayHey Pak E Way I'm a run all the wayHey Pak E Way Make no Houmbah!Hey Pak E Way Make ChawaHey Pak E Way Wild Man, Wild ManHey Pak E Way Here they come, here they comeHey Pak E Way Flag Boy for Golden Eagles make ChawaHey Pak E Way Chawa with Wild MagnoliasHey Pak E Way Thirty two inches across my chestHey Pak E Way Don't bother nobody but the Lord and deathHey Pak E Way Run through graveyardHey Pak E Way Kick over tombstoneHey Pak E Way Turn over gravesHey Pak E Way Leave a bloody trailHey Pak E Way That wake up the deadHey Pak E Way Alligator crawl, snake jump the wallHey Pak E Way Lou a boom boom, got a gun - nobody runHey Pak E Way Lou a boom boom - everybody got a gunHey Pak E Way Flag Boy walk a nellaHey Pak E Way Make Two Way Pak E WayHavin' fun nowDo what you wannaGet what you oughtaOh boy, we readyHoller ya'll we readyHoller Injuns a leavin' (x2)Yeah, we had our fun ya'llOh! we had our fun ya'llOh! we do what we oughtaOh! we did what we oughta

03. Two Way Pak E Way

Hey Pak E Way (x3)What I say now?Hey Pak E WayOh, ya'll is you ready?Hey Pak E WayGonna do like you wannaHey Pak E WayGonna do what we oughta!Gonna have our fun ya'llGonna holler in the mornin'Jak A Ma FinaOh boy we readyEarly in the morningGonna strike without a warningHa Kai MelindaOh them old time InjunsHe's an old time Wild man

04. Corey Died on the Battlefield

Way back, in the days of slaveryWas this cat they call Corey BrownEven then brothers would sneak to their tentsTo hear Corey get on downHe often drew crowds by his out of sight rapSeemed everyone can dig what he saidBut by some trick of fateA dude who knew only hateSlipped by, and took Corey's lifeCorey died on the battlefield (x3)A lot of folks will miss CoreyAnd they won't forget about his dreamBecause love is the key, for both you and meHis dream will live endlesslyCorey was a brotherWho was aware of his inner manAnd at the direction of the cosmicHe lived to reach the promised landCorey died on the battlefieldIn search of is destinyAnd it's no different for you or meYou must die for what you believe

Author / Composer: Wilson Turbinton Turbine Music / GoPam (BMI)

05. (Somebody got) Soul, Soul, Soul

I sewed, sewed, all night long,Somebody got soul, soul, soulI sewed that morning 'till the break of dawnSomebody got soul, soul, soulSaid Mardi Gras morning gonna bring me homeOh do like you wanna, do like you knowHey Jak E Ma Fino anywhere you goOh, take me down, downtownSay, take me down, downtownSaid Mardi Gras morning gonna have my funOh don't ya'll worry and don't ya'll run

CD 1The Wild Magnolias

62 63

07. Meet the Boys (on the Battlefront)

Meet the Boys on the Battlefront (x3)The Wild Magnolias' gonna bust a rump!Hey La Hey boy, what 'I say ?I'm a Big Chief on a holidayComin' down on Mardi Gras morn'Look at me, I got a great big CrownMeet the Boys on the Battlefront (x3)The Wild Magnolias' gonna bust a rump!Sing my song boy, I sing it wellMardi Gras ya'll, I'll raise some sandJak A Ma Fino, make Ho Tan Ta AyeWhat I say on a Mardi Gras Day!Cajuns hollerin', boy, let'em comeLet'em come on Mardi GrasIf they come boy on a Mardi Gras DayI'm a Big Chief, make Kill Out The Way !Told my mama 'fore I left homeGonna mask that morning, then I'm coming homeSon, don't you worry, son, don't you runYou's a Big Chief on a Mardi Gras !Jak A Ma Fino, put a hole in the groundHole in the ground, they dance all aroundWhen they holler, Boy, when they runThey're the Injuns on Mardi Gras!


06. Oh! When the Saints

Oh! when the Saints, go marchin' inOh! when the Saints go on marchin' on inOh! now Lord, I wanna be in that numberOh! when the Saints go marchin'on in…Oh! when the stars refuse to shineOh! when the stars up above refuse to shineWell, I wanna be, gotta be, I wanna be in that number, yeah!Oh! when the saints go marchin' on in…Oh! when the Saints, go marchin' on byOh! when the Saints go on marchin' on inOh! I wanna be in the numberOh! when the Saints go marchin'on in…Oh! when the sun, refuse to shineOh! when the sun, yeah! refuse to shineWell, I wanna be in the numberOh! when the saints go marchin' on in…


Just do what you wanna on Mardi GrasPipa Lunie Ma Duke Cree Aye LustilleI wear my feathers with a heart of steelI won't bow down I don't know howSay I won't bow down on the dirty groundHey Jak E Ma Fino Ma Ho Tan DeyOh tell me boy what them Injun sayHa Die, Kill A Way (x2)Ha Kiddie Fay Hako Ma Ho Na NaeSay early in the morning sun don't shineOh! the Wild Magnolia gonna be on timeOh! they running up and they running downGonna run that gang all other townOh meet everybody on hundred and oneSaid a hundred and two gonna meet 'em too!So take me down, downtownTake me down, downtownSay Mardi Gras ya'll wanna have my funCree Aye La Jon, La Du Cree AyeOh! them Injuns hollerin' on Mardi GrasOh, take me down, downtownSay, take me down, downtownHey early in the morning gon' have my funSaid do like you oughta, do like you knowSaid meet them boys anywhere you goSomebodySomebody gotSomebody got soulSomebody got soul, soul, soul! (x3)Said Jak E Ma Fino Ma Ho Tan DeyI'm an Injun boy on a holidayOh! don't ya'll worry, boy don't ya runSaid meet everybody on Mardi GrasSay come to New Orleans on Mardi GrasSaid ask anybody where the IndiansOh! they're from uptown, won't bow downOh! they're from uptown, they don't know howThey gonna meet everybody on Mardi GrasMagnolias gonna sew all nightOh now don't you worry boy, don't you runSomebody got soul, soul, soul!

Author / Composer: The Wild Magnolias Gregory Davis Music (ASCAP)

08. Ho Na Nae

Ho Na Nae (x4)Do like we oughtaHave your fun nowHave your fun boyInjuns is runnin'Spy Boy Hollerin'Holler loud ya'll (x2)Ho Na Nae (x4)Let'em know nowInjuns is ready (x2)Sing in the morningHoller in the eveningHere they come boyWild MagnoliasMorning GloryHo Na Nae (x4)Flag boy comin'Oh! people he readyPeople he readyLet's have some fun nowAll have fun nowLet's do like we oughtaDo like we oughta

Author: The Wild Magnolias / Composer: Wilson Turbinton Gregory Davis Music (ASCAP)

Oh! the Golden Crown, they goin' roundBig Chief got a Golden CrownOh! sing everybody, let's all have funMy Big Chief's got a Golden CrownOh! the tambourines ring, they beat them drumsBig Chief got a Golden CrownOh! the Golden Crown, the Golden CrownThe Golden Crown, he won't bow downHoller “Jak E Ma Fino Ma Ho Tan Day!”Oh! my Spy boy got lowdown waysI'm from Uptown and I won't bow downOn Second & Dryades, I don't know howHoller “Jak E Ma Fino Ma Ho Tan Day!”Oh! do like you wanna on a holiday.Hey, come to New Orleans on A Mardi Gras morn,Oh! ask anybody where the Indian,On Second & Dryades when Indian liveOh! my Spy boy gonna ask'em pleaseNow don't get worried and don't get scaredCos them Indian boys gonna let ya passWell take me down, Downtown (x2)Oh! I won't bow down, I don't know howI'm goin' Downtown on the overpassJak E Ma Fino, jump up and downOh! Spy boy won't you tell them whyWhy the Big Chief holler with a Golden CrownWhen they dance all around on a Mardi GrasOh! Jak E Ma Fino Ma Ho Tan Te RayOh! Mardi Gras ya'll the Indian RedOh! the Big Chief got a Golden CrownOh! the Big Chief ya'll he won't bow downKutchie Fay No Say, don't tell no lieOh! them Injun boys on a Mardi GrasOh! Mardi Gras morning it won't be longOh! my Spy boy gonna sing a songOh! Jak E Ma Fino put a hole in the groundOh! Them Injuns ya'll gonna show them howOh! do like you wanna, do like you knowYou wear them feathers anywhere you goOh! you wear your feathers and your maribouHey Jak E Ma Fino Ma Ho Tan DouOh! them Injuns ya'll got Injun blueOh! my Spy boy gonna let them throughOh! Spy don't worry, Flag don't runOnly thing you do let a Indian comeOh! ya'll they jumpin' up and downOn Mardi Gras morning my gang gonna clownOh! Spy boy let'em knowNow let'em know anywhere you goYou got your name and you got your gangYeah! on Mardi Gras morning ya'll you got your nameOh! the Big Chief a comin', He from UptownLet's all have fun before we go homeOh! them Injuns are leaving, here they goOh! that Spy boy let'em knowLet'em know where they're from on a Mardi GrasYou a Wild Magnolia on a holidayWell now you don't hurry, boy, you don't runOnly thing you do let a Indian comeWell now Flag boy what I say ?Oh! Spy boy what he say ?Well now here we come, here we comeWell now here we come on Mardi GrasOh! we wear our feathers and maribouWhen we jump up and down, better let us throughDon't borrow no trouble, don't borrow no fightOnly thing I ask, act a Indian rightWell the Big Chief got a Golden Crown

09. (My Big Chief Has a) Golden Crown

Indian!!!Indian from Han Dou Ah make Lou AhMake Boom Boom, make no HoumbahOh! the Golden Crown, the Golden CrownMy big Chief got a Golden Crown

Oh! the Big Chief got a Golden CrownGot a Golden Crown and he won't bow downWon't dirty his crown on a Mardi GrasOh! he got a Flag and he got a SpyGot a Wild Man hollerin' on a Mardi GrasSo people get ready for the Mardi Gras dayAnd you do what you wanna when they kneel and prayDon't hurt my Flag, don't hurt my SpyDon't borrow no trouble on a Mardi GrasWhen you jump up and down, you turn all around.


10. Shoo Fly (Don't Bother Me!)

Shoo fly, don't bother me (x4)Said early that morning, about a quarter to five,That dirty old judge he gave me five!I was a little bitty boy and I did not careI wanted to leave New Orleans and go somewhere,Well way in the valley, down so low,You had to cut that cane row by row,I said early that morning nobody knowsHey! boy get ready everywhere he goI said early that morning won't you cryI said early that morning I could not fightSaid down on the walk, and don't you know ?I'm gonna shoot them flies everywhere I goWell I met that captain on a big white horse,I didn't know his name but I called him boss,Well I asked my mother and my little bitty wifeI'll be home this summer if it costs my lifeI said down by the river where the water go downIf you jump overboard you gotta go down,I said I didn't know but I didn't careI wanted to leave New Orleans and go somewhereI said Ace, Tray, a Duce and a Jack,I been to Angola but I won't go backI said down by the river where the water go longThat's the same ol'river gonna take me homeI said down on my knees and don't you seeDon't mess with you, I won't mess with him,I said the only thing that made me madThe captain in the mornin' gonna kick your ass,Said I don't know but I've been toldIt don't rain in Angola and it don't get cold,I'm a little bitty boy better treat me rightI was goin' on the walk with a ten inch knife,I said early in the morning I didn't knowThey would chop that cane row by row,I said Mother dear won't you pray for me !I said the captain boy is awful meanI said only thing and it wasn't too kicksSaid early in the morning got a great big stick,I said Ace, Tray, Duce and a JackI went to Angola but I made it back,Early in the morning 'bout a quarter to nineI made it from Angola right on timeI'm a little bitty boy with a feather in my headI said Mardi Gras morning gotta Kill A WayI said little bitty boy come stand by meI'm the prettiest thing that you ever seen,I said early in the morning on Second & DryadesThey'll be jumpin' and shoutin' and they won't Houmbah!Hey Flag boy runnin' on MelpomeneHey Spy make fire when the Wild Man scream!Said Mardi Gras comin' and it won't be long

64 65

11. Iko, Iko.

On Mardi Gras,boy, when you kneel and prayIko, Iko One DayWell you's a Big Chief on a Mardi Gras dayIko, Iko One DayWell, Machine Gun Kelly and Al CaponeIko, Iko One DayWell, all them boys they dead and they goneWell they talkin' aboutIko, IkoIko, Iko One DayIko, IkoIko, Iko One DayWell, you jump up and down, you turn all aroundOh! you's a Spy boy on a Mardi GrasGot a Spy named Israel, got a Flag named TomSaid on Mardi Gras morning they won't go wrongSo we singing about…You do like you wanna, you do like you know,You an Indian ruler anyway you goOh! Spy Pipa Louna, put a hole in the groundPut a hole in the ground, gonna dance aroundCause we singing about….Holler “Jak E Ma Feno Ma Ho Tan De Ray!”Oh! little bitty boy called Indian RedOh! now he don't worry ya'll, he don't run,He's a Wild Magnolia on a Mardi Gras!Let's talk about…


Said Mardi Gras morning gonna carry onI'm a little bitty boy, better treat me rightMy Flag boy running got a great big knifeI say early in the morning and nobody knowI shot my pistol in the jailhouse doorI said I didn't worry, I didn't mindI left Angola 'bout a quarter to nineI'm a Big Chief runnin', get the hell out the way!I'm gonna meet them boys for the holidayHey Flag boy jumpin' up and downHey Flag boy singin' for Golden CrownHey Downtown Mardi Gras low down waySaid early in the morning gonna Kill A WayHey Flag boy leading from way UptownGonna meet me that morning and he won't Houmbah!Said Jack A Mo Fino Ma Ho Tan Dey If you meet that boy get the hell out of the wayI'm a little bitty boy when the trouble comeI've got a great big stick and a Gatlin gunI said trouble come and don't you runSaid Mardi Gras morning gonna have some funHa Dan Pipa Lunie Mardi Gras daySaid little bitty boy gotta Kill A WayHey Flag boy jumpin' and don't you knowHey Flag boy Mardi Gras sew sew sewSay Mardi Gras comin' you'd better be rightI bore no trouble don't start no fightI said early in the morning I got the gunSaid Mardi Gras morning have some funI say tell my mother, don't you cry!I leave in the morning 'bout a quarter to fiveHey Spy boy jumpin' with low down waysCome Mardi Gras Indians get the hell out da wayI said Mardi Gras morning it won't be longThey'll be jumpin' and shoutin' and carryin' onI said early in the morning, boy you're right!Hey Flag boy runnin' with butcher's knifeHey I've got the gun and I've got the gangSay Jack A Ma Fino gonna rip some sandI said take me down on the battlefieldHey Flag boy runnin' got a wagon wheel Hey Spy boy runnin' from way UptownHey Flag boy hollerin' done took a crownThey brought in two Spies but I didn't want itHey Flag boy holler they got in frontMy Wild Man jumpin' goin'up and downWe're gonna start a little fight on burnin'that crown Say Wild Man holler what you say ?I'm a little bitty boy with a Kill A WayOh! Shoo fly don't bother me!I say Shoo fly don't bother me!Say early in the morning, boy I got the gunYou better join us brother and have some funSay Mardi Gras morning, nobody knowWe gonna do the ball everywhere we goHey Mardi Gras morning it won't be longSay little bitty boy gonna sing my songThey jumpin' and shoutin' Mardi Gras dayHey Mardi Gras comin' get the hell out the wayI'm a little bitty boy and I do not fightSay early that morning I might take your lifeHey Flag boy jumpin' from way UptownMy Spy boy comin' and won't Houmbah!I say trouble comin', don't you runHere come my Spy with a great big gunHey Shoo fly don't bother me (x2)So I don't need no companyYeah! you're right.


CD 2

They Call Us Wild

01. They Call Us Wild

They call us wildBut we got soulAnd when we do our thingWe lose controlWe shake our tambourineAnd sing and singOur music's so badGuaranteed to upset your brainWe dig our musicAnd you'll dig it tooWe'll have you acting wild Before we're throughBut we're not wildNot by a long shotBut we always give it, give itAll we've gotThey call us wildBut we've got soulAnd when we do our thingWe lose controlWe can't help but groove youIn the wildest way we canSo come on InjunsAnd clap your handsWe've been into the CarnivalEver since a childGo ahead if you want toAnd call us wild

Author / Composer: Wilson Turbinton Turbinton Music (BMI)

02. New Suit

Every year for Carnival timeWe make a new suitRed, yellow, green, purple or blueWe make a new suitWe all try to make themAs hip as we couldSo when we're out on CarnivalWe'll be looking goodEvery year for Carnival timeWe make a new suitRed, yellow, green, purple or blueWe make a new suitWe've got rhinestones on our suitsThat shine like diamonds and starsGot to be sure that we're together

Cause we are the soul of Mardi GrasEvery year for Carnival timeWe make a new suitRed, yellow, green, purple or blueWe make a new suitWe got feathers on our crownsThat stand about eight feet highIn every colour of the rainbowWe're beautiful, I ain't lyingEvery year for Carnival timeWe make a new suitRed, yellow, green, purple or blueWe make a new suit


03. Ah Anka Ting Tang Boo Shanka Boo

I'm mixing up a brew of voodoo spiceTo control anything that's not acting rightThe brew that I'm making is some dynamite stuffIf you don't believe me dig the ingredientsHe got some bat wings and rat brains and bumble bee tonguesSpider webs and membranes from the eyes of a frogIf you don't think that this is enoughJust wait till you get close and smell this stuffAh Anka Ting Tang Boo Shanka BooThese are the words I'm gonna say over youI've got some snake eggs and turtle legs and scorpionsFingernails and lizard tails and slimy snailsAh Anka Ting Tang Boo Shanka BooThen I'll swing a glass of my brew on you


04. Fire Water

Hey La Hey La Hey Hey La Hey (x2)Big Chief don't want no shuckSay the Big Chief wants some pluckHey La Hey La Hey Hey La Hey, oh! ya'llBig Chief like plenty of fire waterPut up your nickels and dimesSay the Big Chief wants some wineHey La Hey La Hey Hey La HeyBig Chief like plenty of fire water)Coo Che Fe No Say La HeyTold you do like the Big Chief say

05. Injuns, Here We Come

Injuns here they comeThey’ll be coming down on Mardi Gras morn’Hey Jak E Ma Fino anywhere they runSay I told my mama ‘fore I left homeI’m maskin’ that mornin’ and then I’m comin’ homeSay, son don’t you worry, son don’t you runSay you’re the Big Chief on Mardi GrasSo now here we come, here we comeSo now here they come, let’em runSay they’re runnin’ down on Mardi GrasOh! Jak E Ma Fino now what I sayOh! them Injuns have ‘em low down waysCoo Chee Fe No Say, don’t tell no liesDo you wanna have fun on Mardi GrasSay come to New Orleans on Mardi Gras daySay ask anybody where the IndiansSay Second and Dryades and Hundred and OneTell the Mardi Gras ya’ll where the Injuns areSo now here they come, let’em runOh! now here they come, let’em runOh! they’re running wild on Mardi GrasJak E Ma Fina put a hole in the groundSay the Flag Boy say we’re going downSaid I’m going down, downtown (x2)On Mardi Gras morning gonna have my funOh! here I come, let’em runOh! they’re running wild on Mardi GrasSo don’t hurt my Flag, don’t hurt my SpyDon’t cause no trouble on Mardi GrasSay trouble come, now nobody runOh! Jak E Ma Fino with a Gatlin gunCoo Chee Fe No Say, I tell no lieDon’t hurt my Queen on Mardi GrasSay Mardi Gras ya’ll might think I’ll dieWell I don’t mind dyin’ on Mardi GrasOh! now let’em come, let’em come (x2)Oh! they’comin that morning on Mardi GrasSay Jak E Ma Fin A when you kneel and praySay Mardi Gras mornin’ it won’t be longSay we all get together, we all have funSay I’m going down, downtown (x2)Say I’m going downtown on Mardi GrasOh! Jak E Ma Fino Ma Ho Tan Dey…

Words by The Wild Magnolias, Music by Wilson TurbintonGregory Davis Music (ASCAP)

Hey La Hey La Hey Hey La Hey, oh! ya'll, ya'llBig Chief like plenty of fire waterDo like the Big Chief orderGet that fire water Hey La Hey La Hey Hey La HeyBig Chief like plenty of fire water (x2)Jak E Ma Fina HeyOh! you do like the Big Chief sayHey La Hey La Hey Hey La HeyBig Chief like plenty of fire waterBig Chief he got his squadGonna ball till the morning comeHey La Hey La Hey Hey La HeyBig Chief like plenty of fire water (x2)

Author: The Wild Magnolias/ Composer: Wilson Turbinton Gregory Davis Music (ASCAP)

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06. New Kinda Groove

Everybody, lend me your earsWe've got something that'll good for the next thousand yearsIt's not jazz, it's better than rock'n'rollIt's good when you first hear itGets better when the music reach your soulGot a New Kinda Groove, ya'llGot a New Kinda Groove!They say that jazz was born, down in New OrleansAnd that's where we're from, If you know what I meanIt doesn't take long to find out what I'm talking aboutJust come to the Crescent and start looking aroundGot a New Kinda Groove, ya'llGot a New Kinda Groove!Got a brand new groove, ya'llGot a New Kinda Groove, ya'll!If you check it all outMost of the music starts sounding the same,But if you get deep down into usWe're a whole other thing,It doesn't take long to find out what I'm talking aboutJust come to the Crescent and start looking aroundGot a New Kinda Groove, ya'llGot a New Kinda Groove!Got a brand new groove, ya'll Got a New Kinda Groove


In a fury like a tornadoHe stomped them all till they yelled for helpHe waited for the whole alligator familyAnd made them into a belt!Hum! What I say!There's only one thing that I am toldTo calm this brother downYou see he has a weakness for the jungle plantThat's known throughout the worldYou get you a batch and set it on fireAnd let the smoke blow on his noseOnce this brother get a whiff of this stuffHe's gentle as a lambHe's been known to hug gorillasBaboons just for a laughSo if you're thinking 'bout taking a tripJust to check this brother outBe sure you get the right kind of plantIf you're thinking about staying longSinging Ju Ma La Ka BoomJu Ma La Ka Boom Boom Boom


07. Jumalaka Boom Boom

Ju Ma La Ka Boom Boom Boom (x2)Deep in the heart of the jungleThere's a story going aroundBrother Lion has to give up his throneTo a dude who can tie lightning downSinging Ju Ma La Ka BoomJu Ma La Ka Boom Boom BoomJu Ma La Ka Boom Boom Boom (x2)The brother that I'm talking 'boutStands about eight feet tallRaces cheetahs for exerciseCracking coconuts with his jawsSinging Ju Ma La Ka BoomJu Ma La Ka Boom Boom BoomEverything in the jungleTries its best to stay on this brother's sideI mean once anybody bugs this dudeBoy! Look it's hell for everyone Hum! Yeah!Once a rhinoceros made the mistakeOf charging in this brother's pathHe grabbed brother rhino by his hornAnd spun him for a day and a halfSinging Ju Ma La Ka BoomJu Ma La Ka Boom Boom BoomAnother incident I'll never forgetHappened two or three weeks agoIn a lagoon, near the cave where my man livedWas a commotion, that made the whole jungle scaredSeems two alligators tried to start a nest Next to my man's fenceAnd when he found out what they had doneHe just couldn't help his self

08. We're Gonna Party

We are the Wild MagnoliasWe came to sing you a songSo give us your attentionAnd try to groove alongThe song we're about to singIs a thing we do at homeGet some wine and some ladiesStart acting kinda crazyAnd party all night longCome on and partyParty all night long!We're gonna partyParty all night long!You see down in New OrleansWe party 'til the morning comeSo everywhere that we goWe try to get it onJak A Ma Fina Han Tan DeyWe like to party anytime of the dayHa Kai Malinda and Ho Na NaeDo you want to partyHear what I sayWe're gonna party, party all night long (x2)Let your hair down and have some funWe're gonna keep on jammin' until the morning comeJak A Ma Fina Han Tan DeyWe like to party anytime of the dayHa Kai Malinda and Ho Na NaeDo you want to partyHear what I sayWe're gonna party, party all night long (x4)


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Mastered for reissue by Gavin Lurssen, The Mastering Lab, Hollywood, CaliforniaSupervision: Daniel RichardCoordination: François Lê Xuân and Philippe Rault for Bastille Productions, Inc.Art Direction: Antoine Carlier

Special thanks: Michael P. Smith & Karen Snyder, Dennis Wile, Willie Tee, Quint Davis, Steve Hodge,Anna Zagorski, Jonathan & Rashi Kaslow, Parker Dinkins, Mary Len Costa

Sitting, left to right: Allison Miner-Kaslow, Professor Longhair, 'Big' Will Harvey Jr. New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, late Seventies. (Courtesy of the Allison Miner Collection, Hogan Jazz Archive, Tulane University).

This reissue is dedicated to the memory of Allison Miner-Kaslow.

the wild magnolia shires

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