LET'S GET HIGH TOGETHER - HAPPY JOE LEWIS (1952) on Modern Records 78 RPM - rare promo copy

Before this 1952 release of Let's Get High Together, Happy Joe Lewis had recorded for 4-Star Records in 1950, releasing the song 'Party Line'. The label print noted that the song Party Line was 'not recommended for radio broadcast' as did the advertising for the song in Billboard Magazine issues that year. The flip side of that release, He's A Mean Mean Man, featured Little Mickey on vocals, being accompanied with Happy Joe Lewis and His Band. Another precursor occurred in 1948 when Happy Joe Lewis was featured as the vocalist on the Johnny Creach Quintet single, Rockin' Jenny Jones. Creach, a fiddle player of jazz, blues and R&B, is best known as his stage name, Papa John Creach, playing in later years with the band Hot Tuna and with Jefferson Starship. There is little information readily available about Happy Joe Lewis, his musical endeavors, career, recordings, or his personal life. References to this Modern Record release, Let's Get High Together, is equally as sparse. Reviewing the catalog listing for Modern Records releases spanning from 1946 to 1957, this title, and the flip side, Weeping Willow, are the only entries for Happy Joe Lewis releases on the label. Let’s Get High Together is an up-beat jump blues tune about courting the idea of embarking on a long overdue date to have some fun drinking together. Lyrics, Let’s get high together, Let’s get high together, Let’s get high together, Been a long time, Baby, since we had a ball. Been so long, Honey, since we had a date. Let’s go out early and stay out late. Find a little joint open all night long, And we’ll drink ‘til the break of dawn. Let’s get high together, Let’s get high together, Let’s get high together, Been a long time, Baby, since we had a ball. (saxophone solo) Now, we would get a fifth and some paper cups, A pint of ginger ale for a little set-up. Take a little sip just once or twice, And we’ll forget all about the ice. Let’s get high together, Let’s get high together, Let’s get high together, Been a long time, Baby, since we had a ball. (saxophone solo) Now, do you wanna go out around about nine, And pick up some juice of the ol’ grape vine? Ride around sippin’ ‘til it gets dark Then find a good spot and park! Let’s get high together, Let’s get high together, Let’s get high together, Been a long time, Baby, since we had a ball.