06 Tab Smith - Because Of You
TAB SMITH - His Fabulous Alto and Orchestra
United Records - 1951
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Tab Smith
Bass – Vernon King, Wilfred Middlebrook*
Drums – Walter Johnson
Organ – Sam Malone
Piano – Laverne Dillon, Teddy Brannon
Tenor Saxophone – Charlie Wright (5), Leon Washington
Trumpet – Irving Woods, Sonny Cohn
Recorded By – Bill Putnam
Supervised By – Leonard Allen, Lew Simpkins*
While Tony Bennett’s million-seller recording was still riding high, this instrumental version also entered the charts. Jazz alto saxophonist Smith had previously played with the Mills Blue Rhythm Band (1936-38), Count Basie (1940-42), and Lucky Millinder (1942-44).
R&B Chart Peaks: 1 (sales), 9 (juke box play) - Pop Chart Peaks: 20 (juke box), 25 (sales)
The original single was issued on United 104 - Because Of You (Hammerstein-Wilkinson) by Tab Smith, His Fabulous Alto and Orchestra
HAMMERSTEIN ARTHUR
WILKINSON DUDLEY
Talmadge "Tab" Smith (January 11, 1909 – August 17, 1971)[1] was an American swing and rhythm and blues alto saxophonist. He is best remembered for the tracks "Because of You" and "Pretend". He worked with Count Basie, the Mills Rhythm Boys and Lucky Millinder.[1]
Biography
Smith was born in Kinston, North Carolina, United States.[1] He joined his first professional band, the Carolina Stompers, in 1929. In the 1930s and 1940s, he spent several years in the bands of Lucky Millinder and Count Basie,[2] as well as spending long periods freelancing both as a player and as an arranger. In 1944, he participated in a recording date led by Coleman Hawkins, for which he also arranged the material.[3] After the Second World War, he led his own groups, which concentrated on rhythm and blues.
His biggest R&B hit was "Because of You" (1940), which reached number 1 on the US Billboard R&B chart, and number 20 on the pop chart, in 1951. "Because of You" was recorded for United Records, a label for which Smith was a prolific artist until it closed in 1957.[4] Tab Smith cut 24 singles and a 10-inch album for the label. On his United sides, Smith sometimes played tenor saxophone.
During the 1950s, Smith was a significant rival to alto saxophone-playing bandleader Earl Bostic, who recorded for King. He was also in competition with his own formative influence, Johnny Hodges, until Hodges returned to the Duke Ellington band in 1955.
His career never recovered from the closure of United Records. After brief stays at Checker and King, Smith retired from the music business in the early 1960s. He sold real estate and played piano part-time in a steakhouse.
He died in St. Louis, Missouri, in August 1971, aged 62.[1]