King Pleasure (born Clarence Beeks; March 24, 1922 – March 21, 1981) was an American jazz vocalist and an early master of vocalese, a style in which lyrics are set to an instrumental composition or solo.
Biography Born Clarence Beeks, in Oakdale, Tennessee, he moved to New York City in the mid-1940s, working as a bartender, where he became a fan of bebop. King Pleasure first gained attention by singing the Eddie Jefferson vocalese classic "Moody's Mood for Love", based on a 1949 James Moody saxophone solo to "I'm in the Mood for Love". Pleasure's 1952 recording, his first after signing a contract with the Prestige label, is considered a jazz classic; the female vocalist featured is Blossom Dearie. He and Betty Carter also recorded a famous vocalese version of "Red Top", a jazz classic penned by Kansas Citian Ben Kynard and recorded by Gene Ammons and others. Other notable recordings include a presciently elegiac version of "Parker's Mood", the year before Charlie Parker died in 1955, and Pleasure's take on Ammons's "Hittin' the Jug", retitled as "Swan Blues" in 1962.
Pleasure has been cited as a significant influence by Van Morrison, especially on his album Astral Weeks. Genya Ravan, drawing inspiration for her singing from King Pleasure, recorded "Moody's Mood for Love" with James Moody on her 1972 CBS album Genya Ravan.
Pleasure died on March 21, 1981, aged 58.
Discography
10-inch shellac (78 rpm) and 7-inch vinyl (45 rpm) releases +Release yearA-side / B-sideLabel, catalog Personnel / Notes1952"Moody Mood for Love" / "Exclamation Blues"Prestige 924Merrill Stepter (trumpet); Lem Davis (alto saxophone); Ray Abrams (tenor saxophone); Cecil Payne (baritone saxophone); Teacho Wiltshire (piano); Leonard Gaskin (bass); Teddy Lee (drums); King Pleasure (vocals); Blossom Dearie (vocals) – NYC, February 191952"Red Top" / "Jumpin' with Symphony Sid"Prestige 821Ed Lewis (trumpet); Charlie Ferguson (tenor saxophone); Ed Swanston (piano); Peck Morrison (bass); Herbie Lovelle (drums); King Pleasure (vocals); Betty Carter (vocals) – NYC, December 121953"Sometimes I'm Happy" / "This Is Always"Prestige 860John Lewis (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums); King Pleasure (vocals); Dave Lambert Singers (vocal trio) – NYC, September 291953"Parker's Mood" / "What Can I Say Dear (After I Say I'm Sorry)"Prestige 880John Lewis (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums); King Pleasure (vocals) – NYC, December 241954"I'm Gone" / "You're Crying"Prestige 908J. J. Johnson, Kai Winding (trombone); Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone); Danny Bank (baritone saxophone); Jimmy Jones (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Joe Harris (drums); King Pleasure (vocals); Jon Hendricks, Eddie Jefferson, The Three Riffs (chorus); Quincy Jones (arranger, director) – Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, December 71954"Don't Get Scared" / "Funk Junction"Prestige 913J. J. Johnson, Kai Winding (trombone); Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone); Danny Bank (baritone saxophone); Jimmy Jones (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Joe Harris (drums); King Pleasure (vocals); Jon Hendricks, Eddie Jefferson, The Three Riffs (chorus); Quincy Jones (arranger, director) – Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, December 71955"Diaper Pin" / "Evening Blues"Jubilee 5226Unknown personnel1956"D. B. Blues" // "Blues I Like to Hear"Aladdin 3343Unknown personnel1956"At Your Beck and Call" / "I'm in the Mood for Love"Aladdin 3352Unknown personnel1958"Red Top" / "Don't Get Scared"Prestige 45-124Reissues of Prestige 821A and 913A1960"Jumpin' with Symphony Sid" / "Parker's Mood"Prestige 45-182Reissues of Prestige 821B and 880A1960"Golden Days" / "All of Me"HiFi Jazz 5004From Golden Days album1962"Mean to Me" / "This Is Always"United Artists 527From Mr. Jazz album1963"Don't Get Scared" / "I'm in the Mood for Love"United Artists 636From Mr. Jazz album1968"I'm in the Mood for Love" / "Red Top"Prestige 45-744Reissues of Prestige 924A and 821A1972"That Old Black Magic" / "I'm in the Mood for Love"United Artists 50940From Moody's Mood For Love album
7-inch EPs
1957: King Pleasure Sings (Prestige #PREP-1338) – four tracks recorded 1952–53; includes the singles: Prestige 821A&B and 860A&B
10-inch LPs
1955: King Pleasure Sings (Prestige #LP-208) – eight tracks recorded 1952–54; includes the singles: Prestige 821A&B, 860A&B, 880A&B, 908A, and 913A
12-inch LPs +Release yearA-side / B-sideLabel, catalog Personnel / Notes1957King Pleasure Sings / Annie Ross SingsPrestige #PRLP-7128Reissued in 1986 by Original Jazz Classics (#OJC-217) with four Annie Ross tracks added; these are from Annie Ross Sings, Prestige #PREP-1301). Note: the CD reissue has all twelve King Pleasure recordings plus the four Annie Ross tracks.1960Golden DaysHiFi Jazz #J-425King Pleasure (vocals); Matthew Gee (trombone); Teddy Edwards, Harold Land (tenor saxophone); Gerald Wiggins (piano); Wilfred Middlebrooks (bass); Earl Palmer (drums). Reissued in 1991 by Original Jazz Classics (#OJC-1772)1962Mr. JazzUnited Artists #UAJ-14012/UAS-15012Unknown personnel. Reissued in 1968 by Solid State (#SS-18021)1968Original Moody's MoodPrestige #PR-7586Compilation with all twelve recordings made for the Prestige label1972The SourcePrestige #PR-240172-LP set/reissue of Golden Days and Original Moody's Mood albums1972Moody's Mood For LoveUnited Artists #UAS-5634CD reissue in 1992 by Blue Note (#84463) of material from Mr. Jazz. Note: the CD also includes the two Jubilee and the four Aladdin tracks, plus three previously unreleased recordings as a bonus.
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