Miss Frankie

Miss Frankie was an American classic female blues singer. She recorded eight sides in 1926 and 1927.

Miss Frankie
Also known asJane Howard, Lizzie Miles
GenresClassic female blues
Occupation(s)Singer
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1920s
LabelsGrey Gull, Banner, Domino, Regal, Victor, Conqueror

Speculation still persists as to the real identity of the recording artist. Nothing is known of her life outside of the recording studio.

Career

The first four songs known to have been recorded, billed as by Miss Frankie,[1] were "I Need a Good Man Bad", "I Can't Be Worried Long", recorded in December 1926; plus "You Can't Guess How Good It Is ('Till You Try It for Yourself)", and "Those Creeping Sneaking Blues", which had been recorded in May that year.[1][2][3] It has been suggested that "I Need a Good Man Bad" and "I Can't Be Worried Long", are two tracks that the pianist Eubie Blake probably played accompaniment on.[4] "I Need a Good Man Bad" b/w "I Can't Be Worried Long" was issued in 1927 on the Boston-based Grey Gull Records (7021).[5][6] It is this output that is referred to in the publication, All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues.[7]

They were all included on the compilation album Female Blues Singers Vol 6 E/F/G 1922 - 1928, issued by Document Records originally in 1997, and later on CD in March 2009 (DOC5510).[8][9][10] Three of the tracks (excluding "Those Creeping Sneaking Blues") were also included on the various artists album, The Roots of Billie Holiday - Ladies Sing the Blues of The 1920s (2008).[11]

It is thought, although not proven, that the recordings were probably by Jane Howard.[12][13] One publication suggested that 'Miss Frankie' was a pseudonym used by Jane Howard on recordings for Banner, Domino[14] and Regal record labels.[15] AllMusic stated "Jane Howard probably being the same person as Miss Frankie".[16] Another source proffered that the later accompanist to Miss Frankie [Jane Howard] was Happy Holmes, with Banner issuing three titles and Victor Records another two.[17] It is important to note that it was not unusual at that time for songs to appear on more than one record label.[18][19]

She recorded three sides; "Kissin' Mule Blues", "Peepin' Jim Blues" and "Hard Hearted Papa" in New York in September 1927.[20][21] "Mean Old Bedbug Blues" was recorded in October that year.[22] A single was released of "Peepin' Jim Blues" b/w "When You Get Tired of Your New Sweetie" by Banner Records, with both sides credited to 'Miss Frankie'.[23]

"Peepin' Jim Blues" and "Hard Hearted Papa" both appeared on another compilation album Female Blues Singers, Vol. 10, H/I/J (1923-1929) issued by Document Records (March 1997).[24]

Confusion

There is further uncertainty in that some sources suggest that several of the 'Miss Frankie' recordings were the work of Lizzie Miles.[25] This particularly applies to the tracks "When You Get Tired of Your New Sweetie",[26] and "Shooting Star Blues", issued on Conqueror Records (January 1928).[27]

Discography
  • "You Can't Guess How Good It Is ('Till You Try It for Yourself)" (May 1926)
  • "Those Creeping Sneaking Blues" (May 1926)
  • "I Need a Good Man Bad" (December 1926)
  • "I Can't Be Worried Long" (December 1926)
  • "Peepin' Jim Blues" (September 1927)
  • "Kissin' Mule Blues" (September 1927)
  • "Hard Hearted Papa" (September 1927)
  • "Mean Old Bedbug Blues" (October 1927)[2][20]

See also

References
  1. "Female Blues Singers, Vol. 6: E/F/G (1922-1928) - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  2. "Miss Frankie - Songs - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  3. "Frankie and her Jazz Devils". Redhotjazz.com. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  4. Black Recording Artists, 1877–1926: An Annotated Discography. McFarland. 12 December 2012. p. 376. ISBN 9781476600857. Retrieved 1 June 2018 – via Google Books.
  5. Scott Musil (18 November 2017). "I Need a Good Man Bad - Miss Frankie". YouTube. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  6. Scott Musil (18 November 2017). "I Can't Be Worried Long - Miss Frankie". YouTube. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  7. Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2003). All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues. San Francisco, California, United States: Backbeat Books. p. 655. ISBN 0-87930-736-6.
  8. "Search Document Records Blues and Jazz artists". Document-records.com. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  9. "Female Blues Singers, Vol. 6: E/F/G". Amazon.co.uk. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  10. "Various Artists – Female Blues Singers Vol. 6 DOC5510". Downhomemusic.com. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  11. "The Roots Of Billie Holiday - Ladies Sing The Blues Of The 1920s". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  12. Ford, Robert (31 March 2008). A Blues Bibliography. Routledge. p. 358. ISBN 9781135865085. Retrieved 1 June 2018 – via Google Books.
  13. "FOOR-ROBINSON CAROLINA CLUB ORCHESTRA - Brian rust jazz records, 1917–1934 / Free Personal-Use Edition Not for sale;..." Dentisty.org. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  14. "DOMINO 4000-4500 78rpm numerical listing discography". 78discography.com. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  15. Rust, Brian (1 June 2018). Jazz and Ragtime Records (1897-1942): L-Z, index. Mainspring Press. p. 1174. ISBN 9780967181929. Retrieved 1 June 2018 – via Google Books.
  16. "Female Blues Singers, Vol. 10: H/I/J (1923-1929) - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  17. "Storyville 2002-2003 0073 - National Jazz Archive". Archive.nationaljazzarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  18. "Labelliste von "Regal", USA (Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika) (1926-1930)". Musiktiteldb.de. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  19. "Labelliste von "Domino", USA (Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika) (1927-1931)". Musiktiteldb.de. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  20. Laird, Ross (1 June 1996). Moanin' Low: A Discography of Female Popular Vocal Recordings, 1920-1933. Westport, Connecticut, United States: Greenwood Press. p. 270. ISBN 0-313-29241-8. Retrieved 1 June 2018 – via Internet Archive. Jane Howard. miss frankie blues.
  21. "Miss Frankie ( Jane Howard ) : A Discography". Honkingduck.com. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  22. "Conqueror 78rpm numerical listing discography: 7000 - 7499". 78discography.com. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  23. "Jane Howard -- Peepin' Jim Blues / When You Get Tired Of Your New Sweetie". Vmauctions.com. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  24. "Female Blues Singers, Vol. 10, H/I/J (1923-1929) by Various Artists". Blinddogradio.blogspot.com. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  25. "Miss Frankie ( Lizzy Miles ) : A Discography". Honkingduck.com. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  26. "Full text of "Talking Machine World (Jan-Jun 1928)"" (TXT). Archive.org. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  27. "Miss Frankie ( . Lmiles ) : A Discography". Honkingduck.com. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
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