The Silver King Rhythm Band Live In Norway - Rockabilly, Jazz, & Blues

The Silver King Band Live In Norway 

The Silver King Band had three fully-functional front-persons in Flo Mingo, St. Petey Twig, & Rock Bottom.

Their set lists were packed with rockabilly long before The Stray Cats reignited interest in the genre, and like Brian & The Boys, they wore only the most stylish vintage clothing, & were more popular in Europe than in the States.  But they accomplished it without a guitarist!  

Their billing often changed from The Silver King Band to The Silver King Rhythm Band, but their line-up was consistent.  Piano pounder St. Petey Twig was the ringmaster & generally introduced the songs.  Lead vocals were evenly distributed between him, the washboard playing Flo Mingo, and harmonica player Rock Bottom.   

Rock’s blues pedigree is pure—his brother-in-law was the blues singer Roy Book Binder, and blues legend Eddie Kirkland played on The Silver King Band’s live album Live At The Dive.  He often filled the spaces a lead guitarist would.  Rock continued to release albums after the band broke up.  Flo Mingo retired, & St. Petey Twig became a solo act in The Florida Keys as Barry Cuda.

Live was the way to experience them, & I’ve seen them at least 30 times.  While they often played dives, & beach bars in the U.S. (where our paths intersected), overseas they played festivals & were regularly on TV.  This live set was recorded for a television broadcast in Norway.  

Here, they almost exclusively cover rockabilly & blues standards (except for a sprinkling of The Entertainer from The Sting that Twig pretends to stumble through to the delight of the audience).  The blues numbers include Rock Bottom’s own inspired composition Boogie Woogie U.F.O. & Twig’s My Balls Are Blue From Loving You.  But they also cover Keep Your Big Mouth Shut, Don't You Feel My Leg, & Who Was That A While Ago? 

The rockabilly standards usually fell to Flo Mingo during this performance she steps into the spotlight for; Oo-Ba-La Baby, Hop, Skip & Jump, and Black Slacks.   St. Petey Twig takes the lead on a few; Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee, & Sea Cruise—he generally sang lead on the tracks that originated in New Orleans like Working In A Coal Mine & I’m Walkin’.

They were all the master of their instrument, but they had an amazing chemistry onstage, & formed a deeply intuitive unit.  Each member slavishly serves the song, and doesn't distract from whoever is singing lead.  And although the strangely sexy Flo Mingo has a bell and a bicycle horn attached to her washboard, she uses them with restraint and focuses on supplying rhythm.  She so consistently serves up only what serves the song, it could be said that she's the band's Flo RINGO.  

Flo was tall and slender, with dark eyes and tight curls, and she drew men to her organically--not because of her style of dress, or her behavior,  Offstage, she was quiet and politely poised and seemed to transform back into a mere mortal.  But the spell was cast, and guys swarmed around her & I was not immune.  It was as if she was the living embodiment of Curtis Mayfield's Gypsy Woman.  (If I had to guess, that's one reason her long-term relationship with St. Petey Twig didn't last).

But enough describing them to you--here's the video that the audio for this post is taken from (59 minutes in) and you get all of Twig's stage patter as well: Silver King Rhythm Band.

There’s a ringing in the mix if you turn it up too loud, but being primarily a touring live act, examples of their brilliance on record are rare.  I believe all three members have passed, so uncovering a forgotten set, like this one, is all we can hope for. I have a lot more of their stuff to share with you, so please check back.