BOOT and the FABULOUS WINDS, JOE

Robert Ayers, Charles Thompson, James Foster (electric guitar), Deacon Brown, and Rogers Wright [d. 2012].

"JOE BOOT and the FABULOUS WINDS" 

Originally formed in the early 1950s as the Southwinds, this 5-man vocal group began by performing strictly gospel-oriented music. Strictly, that is, until they crossed paths with a red-hot fireball of a rockin’ rhythm and blues singer named Joe "Boot" Thomas.* From that point on, group members -- including Robert Ayers, Rogers Wright and Jim Foster (electric guitar) -- would ever be torn between spirituals and R&B. A compromise was struck and they added Boot, renamed themselves the Fabulous Winds, and proceeded to work up a mixed repertoire of tunes. While retaining some of their devout members, the Winds worked out vocal arrangements for pop standards and eventually some of Boot’s originals. By 1957 the Winds found themselves at one of Seattle’s pioneering recording studios, Dimensional Sound. Numerous sessions were held there with instrumental backing by the Floyd Standifer Orchestra. Boot seemed to know all of the top African-American stars who passed through town and on one occasion in the fall of ’57 none other than Little Richard Penniman stopped by a session at Dimensional and announced that he had just given up rock ‘n’ roll and returned to religion. Furthermore, having just abandoned his international rock tour, Penniman said that he as going to appear down the street at the Moore Theater to spread the Good Word at a revival show.  After a quick prayer with Penniman, the Winds agreed to appear at that show. But, unlike his sold-out dates in previous visits to Seattle – including a blistering matinee show at the Eagles Auditorium that very summer – Penniman’s Moore show was, reportedly, very poorly attended. Joe Boot and the Fabulous Winds, however, went on to cut what was most probably the very first rock ‘n’ roll record ever produced in the Pacific Northwest. Issued by Dimensional’s in-house label, Celestial Records, “Rock and Roll Radio” / “That’s Tough,” remains an ultra-rare, but essential, regional classic.

* "Thomas - who later owned the Music Menu record shop - earned his nickname of "Joe Boot" due to a bulky orthopedic heel on one shoe."
Stomp & Shout  R & B and the Origins of Northwest Rock and Roll. Pg. 36.
Peter Blecha. University of Washington Press. 2023

[NOTE:  The article above is an extract from the essay, "That's Tough," by Pete Blecha. It was  originally published in the “Pacific Northwest Music Explosion” issue of DISCoveries magazine in April, 1990.]

SEE ALSO:
1.) WINDS, The

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