Last night we were out to dinner at our favourite restaurant, and they had their satellite radio set to a 50s rock and roll station. One of my favourite songs of all time came on: Brenda Lee’s, Sweet Nothin’s.
Sweet Nothin’s, like so many songs of the time, featured a strong sax presence. The sax lines were woven in and around the vocals, and the song also featured a sax solo. According to The Independent, the sax player on that hit song was Boots Randolph.
In Randolph’s obituary of July 5, 2007, The Independent wrote:
Randolph’s first successes came with the teenage singer Brenda Lee. She loved the interplay between her voice and his saxophone, which is especially apparent on “Sweet Nuthin’s”, “Let’s Jump the Broomstick”, “That’s All You Gotta Do” and “Dum Dum”. Many artists have covered Lee’s seasonal hit “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (1962) and they invariably copy Randolph’s contribution note for note.
I found this video of Lee performing Sweet Nothin’s on YouTube. It would most likely have been broadcast in late ’59 or early ’60.
According to Brenda Lee’s official website, this was her first Top 10 Song.
On August 13, 1959, Brenda recorded “Sweet Nothin’s.” The song was released on September 29, 1959. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts in late April 1960. This single became the first of many top 10 songs for Brenda. “Sweet Nothin’s” was Brenda’s first chart success in England climbing to #4 and the first chart success in Germany, peaking at # 34.
Source: Brenda Lee’s Biography Page
While Boots Randolph may be better known for his later re-release of Yakety Sax, his work with Brenda Lee is just another example of how his studio work has left an indelible mark on the world of rock and roll saxophone.
If you haven’t checked out the Boots Randolph biography on his website, you should do so. He really was the quintessential “have sax will travel” kind of guy.
