Lyr Req: Flamin' Mamie

Subject: Flamin' Mamie
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 06:20 AM

I said in my thread yesterday: "On Saturday I was sitting in the pouring rain in my waterproofs at Basildon Park listening to the West Jesmond Rhythm Kings ( a proper jazz band- souzaphone, drummer doubling washboard, reeds player doubling second banjo!) who specialise in Clarence Williams and neglected 20s numbers. One number they did which, I think was called Red Hot Rita, was obviously an attempt to cash in on the success of Hard Hearted Hannah. It isn't on any of my Clarence Williams or WJRK records and Google came up empty for once. Anyone know this obscure classic?"
BUT it's Flamin;' Mamie NOT Red hot Rita (my CRS is getting worse!). It begins:"She's Flamin' Mamie a sure fire vamp, the hottest baby in town.
When it comes to lovin' she's a human oven, she really burns them down

"Of all those damper turnin' mamas not one compares --
She carries fire insurance on every thing she wears!"
...
"She's the hottest thing since the Chicago fire" ...
"She ate a box of matches at the age of nine" ...
So.. does anyone know the rest?
RtS (Nurse, the screens!)

Subject: Lyr Add: FLAMIN' MAMIE (Willie Dixon/Patti Page)
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 06:34 AM

OK, search over, stop now folks, Stewie! I said STOP!.
I found it on Harry's Blues Lyrics under Willie Dixon. More Vaudeville than blues but here it is for anyone who shares my taste for the bizarre:

Flamin' Mamie

by Willie Dixon / Patti Page recording of 1984
from Mighty Earthquake and Hurricane (Pausa Records PR 7157, Chase Music MTD-6002), copyright notice

They call her Flamin' Mamie
She's the hottest thing in town
When it comes to loving
She's a human oven
She can really mow 'um down
Every time she shimmy
Every time the poor girl shake
Mamie do more damage
Than the San Francisco quake

Mamie loved the fireman
The fireman had to retire
Said he tried the rest
But she's the best
She's hotter than Chicago's fire

Mamie told guitar red
She could love a man
Till he falls dead
She told Cruda Crall, John and Jack
She would love them all
Till she breaks their backs

Mamie loved her way to hell
She loved the devil
And she loved him well
Little devil running up and down the wall
Saying do something daddy
She's gonna love us all

There, I bet you're all glad of that! On the WJRK CD Jazz Lips if you want the tune: no I don't do the dots or chords!
RtS (now I can take a half day to collect Aged P without this hanging over me!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flamin' Mamie
From: Wolfgang
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 07:03 AM

I'm researching errors of memory and for me the search now begins. Why 'red hot Rita', what was the association that led to this particular wrong memory? I have no clue yet.

You owe that little effort to me, Roger, for it took me yesterday nearly half an hour to find the song from which the line 'und es war die Rote Rita' ('and it was the Red Rita') comes. And you made me think of that line with your request. I only found sleep when the song title (P.T.) and the whole story (a happy and successful desertion from the US-Army in 1966) had been reconstructed in my head.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flamin' Mamie
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 07:20 AM

Goodness knows how my mind works, Wolfgang! I had only heard the song once, didn't take any notes at the time, had had the fair part of a bottle of wine, was soaked to the skin...
I find it harder to remember things I've just learned, yet songs I haven't thought about for years suddenly come back to me ...isn't it a familiar sign of ageing? My dad has detailed recall of his war service but not more recent events (but he's nearly 30 years older than me!)
Sorry for wasting your time, I value the information you turn up here.
Best wishes/
RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flamin' Mamie
From: Wolfgang
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 07:36 AM

I'm not sure my time was 'wasted' with a long forgotten song. Fond memories of bygone days.

Yes, people usually have more difficulties with more recent memories when ageing. On my deathbed, I'll still be able to name you the eleven men winning the football world championship for Germany in 1954. I'll be able to name more than half of the team doing the same in 1974. As for the team of 1990, I might recollect the coach, Beckenbauer, but the players...?

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flamin' Mamie
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 07:43 AM

Wolfgang,my wife's grandfather was over 90 when he died and could still name the Wolverhampton Wanderers team that won the FA cup in, I think, 1909 when he was a schoolboy!
I may take after my late mother who was what we called "scatterbrained".
For example, she got cross I couldn't identify a song she said was by Percy Faith. After some probing it proved to be by Georgie Fame: the line of reasoning went:Percy Faith>Adam Faith>Alan Price>Georgie Fame.
I do know a Rita, knew it was something to do with heat, thought Red hot (as in red hot momma) and probably chose the first 'R' name that came into my head.
Time to check into the NYCFTTS I think!
RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flamin' Mamie
From:
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 07:27 PM

I've been looking for this song on 78 for some time now. I also only heard this song once. I went over a friend’s house for dinner early in my childhood and somehow we got to talking about the antique Victrola they had. I asked if it worked and my friend’s mom got up and gave it a good crank. She told me this song was called "Flamin' Mamie.” It was sung by a female vocalist, which I later learned is rare, as every other version I have heard of was a male's voice. Nearly 15 years later I can still remember the wonderful sound that came out of that Victrola that night. Now that I own my own Victrola, I have been looking for that song precisely. Any help, will pay good money for that one. Surely a vamp song. It would really make my day just to hear that song played on an old gramophone again. Mike, age 21.

Changed from all caps. --JoeClone, 11-Jan-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flamin' Mamie
From: WyoWoman
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 08:58 PM

I heard an old blues recording of this years ago. I'm thinking it was Sippie Wallace, or one of her contemporaries. Dang. The woman's name is on the tip of my tongue.

I'd love to know the chords to this, if anyone has 'em.

And RtS, why would you be apologetic about this? This is a cool old song and I'd completely forgotten about it.

Could it be that Etta James also did a version?

Now I'm going to go crazy trying to remember the name of the artist I'm thinkin of. Wait, wait, don't tell me... Umph... Maybe it was KoKo Taylor, though she's not really a contemporary of Sippie Wallace ...

Yup. I think KoKo Taylor recorded it. I'll go see what I can find. Meanwhile, if anyone knows the chords ...

ww

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flamin' Mamie
From: reggie miles
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 10:13 PM

I found a copy of this on a 78 rpm disc years ago and neither of the versions posted above were exactly as the one I have. I don't have access to my disc, it's buried somewhere around here but I started performing this one years ago and still pull it out of my bag of obscurity when I can. My version goes like this-

They call her Flamin' Mamie.
She'll fry your baby.
She's the hottest gal in town.

She's a scorcher.
She sure loves torture.
She's the gal that burns'em down.

All the flappers are yearnin',
Because no one compares.
She's just like a furnace.
She carries fire insurance,
On everything she wears.

Talk about lovin',
She's a human oven.
It's so hard to understand.
It may sound funny,
But baby money burns,
Right in her hand.

A fireman so old that he had to retire.
He said that she's the hottest thing since the Chicago fire.

Flamin' Mamie,
She'll fry your baby.
She's the hottest gal in town.
She's the hottest gal around.

Line Breaks <br> added. Reggie Miles? Where have you been all this time, Reggie? Welcome back!
-Joe Offer-