Artist: Nat Kendrick & The Swans
Author: Dessie Rozier
Label: Dade
Year: 1960
Lead vocal: Miami DJ Carlton 'King' Coleman. Nat Kendrick was the drummer. In fact Nat Kendrick & The Swans is an alias for producer, pianist, backing yeller, dance routine inventor and author James Brown and his own new roadband, a folly not supported by his regular (King) labelboss Syd Nathan. So this came out on Dade, Henry Stone's label. He suggested to camouflage the demo (with James singing) by using that Miami top-DJ and nickname instead. Dessie Rozier is probably an alias for Brown/Stone. Decades later Stone also released that demo unmasked.
Covers:
Dartells [hit US as Hot Pastrami]
Joey Dee & The Starliters [as Hot Pastrami With Mashed Potatoes]
Steve Alaimo [as Mashed Potatoes]
Searchers [as Mashed Potatoes]
Kingsmen [idem]
Undertakers [with Jackie Lomax]
James Brown [for King with unidentified lead vocals; Brown cut a Mashed Potatoes USA in '62, right in the middle of the dance craze he launched]
Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs [hit in Australia as Mashed Potato]
Hep Stars [with Benny Andersson pre ABBA]
Tommy Conwell [all as Mashed Potatoes]
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)