Ask “Mr. Music”
Jerry Osborne



FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 6, 2013

DEAR JERRY: Last year about this time, you mentioned that Adele topped both of Billboard's most prestigious year-end polls: Pop Song of the Year (“Rolling in the Deep”) and Pop Album of the Year (“21”).

You didn't say how uncommon this is, so please tell us how many have accomplished this feat?
—Arnold Morrison, Minneapolis

DEAR ARNOLD: The quick reply is seven (each below with an asterisk), but let's answer your question in greater detail, in anticipation of others you will surely inspire.

With only seven decades to consider, we can review all who won in two or more of the six possible categories:

Song of the Year and Album of the Year, both for Pop, R&B, and Country.

In Pop, 1956 was the first year to honor both songs and albums. Country followed suit in 1965, and R&B in '66.

Here are the stars who ranked No. 1 at least twice in the same year:

1957 Elvis Presley: Pop Song (“All Shook Up”) and R&B Song (“Jailhouse Rock”)
1959 Johnny Horton: Pop and Country Song (“The Battle of New Orleans”)
1961 Bobby Lewis: Pop and R&B Song (“Tossin' and Turnin'”)
1967 Jack Greene: Country Song (“All the Time”) and Album (“There Goes My Everything”)
*1970 Simon & Garfunkel: Pop Song and Album (“Bridge Over Troubled Water”)
1974 Charlie Rich: Country Song (“There Won't Be Anymore”) and Album (“Behind Closed Doors”)
1977 Waylon Jennings: Country Song (“Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love”) and Album (“Ol' Waylon”)
1978 Earth, Wind & Fire: R&B Song (“Serpentine Fire”) and Album (“All 'N All”)
1978 Willie Nelson: Country Song (“Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”) (duet with Waylon Jennings) and Album (“Stardust”)
1979 Chic: R&B Song (“Good Times”) and Album (“C'est Chic”)
1982 Willie Nelson: Country Song and Album (“Always on My Mind”)
1983 Michael Jackson: Pop and R&B Album (“Thriller”)
1984 Prince: Pop and R&B Song (“When Doves Cry”)
1986 Whitney Houston: Pop and R&B Album (“Whitney Houston”)
*1988 George Michael: Pop Song and Album (“Faith”)
1988 Keith Sweat: R&B Song (“I Want Her”) and Album (“Make It Last Forever”)
1990 Janet Jackson: Pop and R&B Album (“Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation”)
1990 Clint Black: Country Song (“Nobody's Home”) and Album (“Killin' Time”)
*1993 Whitney Houston Pop and R&B Song (“I Will Always Love You”) and Pop and R&B Album (“The Bodyguard” Soundtrack)
*1994 Ace of Base: Pop Song and Album (“The Sign”)
1998 Next: Pop and R&B Song (“Too Close”)
2001 R Kelly: R&B Song (“Fiesta”) and Album (TP2.com”)
2002 Eminem: Pop and R&B Album (“The Eminem Show”)
*2003 50 Cent: Pop and R&B Song (“In da Club”) and Pop and R&B Album (“Get Rich Or Die Tryin'”)
*2004 Usher: Pop Song (“Yeah!”) (with Lil Jon and Ludacris) and Pop and R&B Album (“Confessions”)
2005 50 Cent: Pop and R&B Album (“The Massacre”)
2006 Carrie Underwood: Pop and Country Album (“Some Hearts”)
2006 Mary J. Blige: R&B Song (“Be Without You”) and Album (“The Breakthrough”)
2008 Alicia Keys: Pop and R&B Song (“As I Am”) and R&B Album (“Like You'll Never See Me Again”)
2009 Taylor Swift: Pop and Country Album (“Fearless”)
*2011 Adele: Pop Song (“Rolling in the Deep”) and Album (“21”)

Notes and observations:

Elvis is the only artist with two Song of the Year winners in the same year (1957) that are two completely different singles. Neither he nor the Beatles had an Album of the Year in the 20th century, though the choices do not always reflect actual sales.

Not until 1967 did anything even resembling rock or teen-oriented music win Album of the Year, that being “More of the Monkees.”

For nine consecutive years (1957 through 1965), the Album of the year was either of the original cast or soundtrack genre.

DEAR JERRY: Your column about songs banned by radio stations took me back to my childhood, in the early 1960s, and a comedy record my parents used to play when they thought I was sleeping.

Though somewhat off-color, it was not even close to being X-rated.

I especially remember it being recorded at a nearby bar, which provides a clue. We lived on Crenshaw near Artesia Blvd, in Torrance, Calif.

The only other clue is a parody of “Secret Love” the comedian sang, that has been in my memory for about 50 years.

His version began like this:

“Once I had a secret love
She wore a flimsy negligee
Last night we were on Channel 4
My secret love's no secret anymore”

One day I'd like to hear this obscure album again. Do you have any helpful details?
—Gilles Marchand, Rolling Hills, Calif.

DEAR GILLES: Obscure is right. This LP was originally only available at the club you vaguely recall, then named the Roaring '20s Lounge.

In Torrance at 166th and Crenshaw, less than a mile from Artesia Blvd., their primary entertainer was club owner Charles David Thomas, who performed as Bub Thomas.

His privately pressed album, recorded live in 1960 at the Roaring '20s, is “Smoker Stories” (BT 1000), and it should be available online for under $25.





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