Harold Battiste (wrecking crew info)

[Mark H.]

In the thread posted a few weeks ago analyzing the the session for WIBN there was a photo of Carole Kaye and Barney Kessel.  Also in the photo was a young african american gentleman whom I did not recognize.   It has come to my attention that this is Harold Battiste.  See linky....anybody heard of him in association with the LA music scene of the 1960s?  This is tangentially related to the Beach Boys, if only marginally.

Thanks

http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography.asp?bioindex=349

[Third Coast]

What little I know comes from a few of his records like "You Talk Too Much" by Joe Jones and "I Know" by Barbara George, and what I've read about him in the great book, "Walking to New Orleans" by John Broven. Have you read that? Great documentation of the N.O. R&B scene. Aside from Sonny & Cher and his various A&R involvement with Sonny before that, the book doesn't say much about his Los Angeles days, except it was in L.A. that he and Mac Rebennack developed the whole Dr. John thing for Mac.  I think the first "Dr John, the Night Tripper" album came out in '67 or '68, so the time period fits.

He musta been a good PR guy. The book quotes him as recalling that he sent a copy of "You Talk too Much" to Castro at the time (1960), which was when Fidel was getting lots of attention with his long-winded speeches.  Castro's people sent a reply, which got press interest and good publicity for the record.