Born in South Carolina, he moved to New York City after serving in the Army during World War II, where he opened a record shop in Harlem. Branching out into record production, he worked with Ahmet Ertegun for a time at Atlantic Records before he began to establish a series of his own independent labels, which would go on to include Red Robin Records (established in 1952), Whirlin’ Disc Records (1956), Fury Records (1957), Everlast Records (1957), Fire Records (1959), and Enjoy Records (1962), and later he worked as an early hip-hop producer in New York in the 1970s and 1980s. This expansive four-disc box set collects some of the early sides Robinson produced and released through his various labels between 1951 and 1960, and it’s quite an archival treasure trove of blues, R&B, and doo wop.
cd A (01:10:00)
01. Morris Lane / Bobby's Boogie
02. Morris Lane / Ghost Town
03. Charlie Singleton Orchestra / Earthquake
04. Red Prysock / Wiggles
05. Red Prysock / Crying My Heart Out
06. Champion Jack Dupree / Stumbling Block Blues
07. Champion Jack Dupree / Number Nine Blues
08. Sonny Terry / Harmonica Hop
09. Sonny Terry / Doggin' My Heart Around
10. Brownie McGhee / Don't Dog Your Woman
11. Brownie McGhee / Daisy
12. Champion Jack Dupree / Highway Blues
13. Champion Jack Dupree / Shake Baby Shake
14. Red Prysock / Hard Rock
15. Red Prysock / Jump For George
16. Tiny Grimes / Second Floor Rear
17. Tiny Grimes / Juicy Fruit
18. Allen Bunn / Too Much Competition
19. Allen Bunn / My Kinda Woman
20. Champion Jack Dupree / Shim Sham Simmy
21. Champion Jack Dupree / Drunk Again
22. Junior Lewis / Your Heart Must Be Made Of Stone
23. Junior Lewis / Lost Everything
24. Red Prysock / The Hammer
25. Red Prysock / Jackpot
cd B (01:07:44)
01. Hal Paige & The Wailers / Pour The Corn
02. Tarheel Slim / Wildcat Tamer
03. Tarheel Slim / Number Nine Train
04. Wilbert Harrison / Kansas City
05. Wilbert Harrison / Listen My Darling
06. Hal Paige & The Wailers / Going Back To My Home Town
07. Hal Paige & The Wailers / After Hours Blues
08. Wilbert Harrision / Cheating Baby
09. Wilbert Harrision / Don't Wreck My Life
10. Wilbert Harrision / 1960
11. Wilbert Harrision / Goodbye Kansas City
12. June Bateman / Believe Me Darling
13. Wilbert Harrision / C.C. Rider
14. Wilbert Harrision / Why Did You Leave
15. Junior Lewis / Half A Heart
16. Junior Lewis / Cupid's Little Helper
17. Sam Meyers / You Don't Have To Go
18. Sam Meyers / Sad Sad Lonesome Day
19. Wilbert Harrision / Little Schoolgirl
20. Wilbert Harrision / Since I Fell For You
21. Junior Lewis / Come On Back Where You Belong
22. Junior Lewis / (You're Just My Speed) And That's All I Need
23. Junior Lewis / Can She Give Me Fever
24. Junior Lewis / Your Heart Must Be Made Of Stone
25. Tarheel Slim & Little Ann / It's Too Late
26. Tarheel Slim & Little Ann / Don't Ever Leave Me
cd C (01:07:18)
01. Mary Ann Fisher / Put On My Shoes
02. Mary Ann Fisher / Wild As You Can Be
03. Willis Jackson / Good To The Bone
04. Willis Jackson / Makin' It
05. Wild Jimmy Spruill / Hard Grind
06. Wild Jimmy Spruill / Kansas City March
07. Rockin' Bradley / Lookout
08. Buster Brown / Fannie Mae
09. Buster Brown / Lost In A Dream
10. Tarheel Slim & Little Ann / Much Too Late
11. Tarheel Slim & Little Ann / Lock Me In Your Heart
12. Elmore James / Bobby's Rock
13. Elmore James / Make My Dreams Come True
14. Bobby Marchan / Snoopin' And Accusin'
15. Bobby Marchan / This Is The Life
16. Johnny Acey / Why
17. Johnny Acey / Please Don't Go (Back To Baltimore)
18. Elmore James / The Sky Is Crying
19. Elmore James / Held My Baby Last Night
20. Tarheel Slim & Little Ann / Can't Stay Away Pt. 1
21. Tarheel Slim & Little Ann / Can't Stay Away Pt. 2
22. Paul Perryman / Look At My Baby
23. Paul Perryman / Keep A Callin'
24. Riff Ruffin / Gravy Train
25. Riff Ruffin / All My Life
26. Buster Brown / John Henry
27. Buster Brown / The Madison Shuffle
cd D (01:10:44)
01. Tarheel Slim & Little Ann / Forever I'll Be Yours
02. Tarheel Slim & Little Ann / Anything for You
03. Bobby Marchan / There Is Something On Your Mind Pt. 1
04. Bobby Marchan / There Is Something On Your Mind Pt. 2
05. Buster Brown / Don't Dog Your Woman
06. Buster Brown / Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby
07. Buster Brown / St. Louis Blues
08. Buster Brown / When Things Go Wrong
09. Buster Brown / Blueberry Hill
10. Buster Brown / Sincerely
11. Buster Brown / I'm Going But I'll Be Back
12. Elmore James / Rollin' And Tumblin'
13. Elmore James / I'm Worried
14. Billy Lewis / Heart Trouble
15. Bobby Marchan / Booty Green
16. Bobby Marchan / It Hurts Me To My Heart
17. Bobby Marchan / You're Still My Baby Pt. 1
18. Bobby Marchan / You're Still My Baby Pt. 2
19. The Upsetters / Jay Walkin'
20. Elmore James / Done Somebody Wrong
21. Elmore James / Fine Little Mama
22. Lightnin' Hopkins / Mojo Hand
23. B. Brown / Fannie Mae Is Back
24. B. Brown / Candied Yams
25. Jimmy Spruill / Scratch 'N' Twist
26. Jimmy Spruill / Slow Draggin'
