The mellifluous vocal tones of
Chuck Carbo was a principal ingredient in the success of the Spiders, the premier R&B vocal group around New Orleans during the 1950s. He subsequently mounted a strong comeback bid as a smooth solo artist, cutting albums for Rounder in the '90s including 1993's
Drawers Trouble and 1996's
The Barber Blues.
The gospel-steeped
Carbo (whose actual first name is
Hayward) and his brother Chick (real first name: Leonard) shared frontman duties for the Spiders, whose hits for Imperial included the two-sided smash "I Didn't Want to Do It"/"You're the One," a ribald "I'm Slippin' In" in 1954, and "Witchcraft" (later covered by
Elvis Presley) the next year. Imperial's main man in the Crescent City,
Dave Bartholomew, produced the quintet's 1954-1956 output, as well as writing many of their best numbers (notably a risqué "The Real Thing").
Carbo cut a few 45s under his own name for Imperial, Rex, and Ace after going solo; Chick waxed 45s of his own for Atlantic, Vee-Jay, and Instant.
Chuck Carbo never stopped performing entirely, although he made his living as a lumber truck driver when gigs got scarce. In 1989, he scored a local hit with his cover of
Jeannie & Jimmy Cheatham's "Meet Me with Your Black Drawers On." It was reprised on
Drawers Trouble, a comeback set reuniting
Carbo with pianists
Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack and
Edward Frank.
The Barber's Blues ensured
Carbo's return to the spotlight with two more
Cheatham copyrights and a second-line "Hey, Mardi Gras! (Here I Am)." ~ Bill Dahl