Harlem Hamfats
The Harlem Hamfats was a Chicago jazz band formed in 1936. Initially, they mainly provided backup music for jazz and blues singers, such as Johnny Temple, Rosetta Howard, and Frankie Jaxon, for Decca Records. Their first record, "Oh! Red", became a hit, securing them a Decca contract for fifty titles, and they launched a successful recording career performing danceable music. The group's inclusion in the dirty blues genre is due to such songs as "Gimme Some of that Yum Yum" and "Let's Get Drunk and Truck". |
Birth and Death Data: Died Ceased 1938
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1936 - 1939
Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 116 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | WC2518 | 10-in. | 3/31/1939 | You've had your last good time with me | Harlem Hamfats ; Alberta Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2519 | 10-in. | 3/31/1939 | What was you doing | Harlem Hamfats ; Alberta Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2520 | 10-in. | 3/31/1939 | Something wrong with my mind | Harlem Hamfats ; Alberta Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2521 | 10-in. | 3/31/1939 | Way down that lonely road | Harlem Hamfats ; Alberta Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2522 | 10-in. | 3/31/1939 | Whan the sun goes down in Harlem | Hamfoot Ham [Joe McCoy] ; Harlem Hamfats | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2523 | 10-in. | 3/31/1939 | That's going to ruin your beauty spot | Hamfoot Ham [Joe McCoy] ; Harlem Hamfats | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2524 | 10-in. | 3/31/1939 | Bartender's blues | Hamfoot Ham [Joe McCoy] ; Harlem Hamfats | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2525 | 10-in. | 3/31/1939 | Ready for the river | Hamfoot Ham [Joe McCoy] ; Harlem Hamfats | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2720 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | Rockin' myself to sleep | Harlem Hamfats ; Alberta Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2721 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | Business is gone away | Harlem Hamfats ; Alberta Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2722 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | You done turned salty on me | Harlem Hamfats ; Alberta Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2723 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | You brought me everything but love | Harlem Hamfats ; Alberta Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2724 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | Oh babe, has your money come? | Hamfoot Ham [Joe McCoy] ; Harlem Hamfats | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2725 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | Take me in your alley | Hamfoot Ham [Joe McCoy] ; Harlem Hamfats | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2726 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | You can't win in here | Hamfoot Ham [Joe McCoy] ; Harlem Hamfats ; Alberta Smith | Vocal duet, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Columbia | WC2727 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | When my love has come down | Hamfoot Ham [Joe McCoy] ; Harlem Hamfats | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | Musical group | |
| Decca | 62425 | 10-in. | 7/20/1937 | No need knockin' on the blind | Frankie Half Pint Jaxon | Musical group | ||
| Decca | 62428 | 10-in. | 7/20/1937 | Chocolate to the bone | Frankie Half Pint Jaxon | Musical group | ||
| Decca | 62643 | 10-in. | 10/5/1937 | Let your linen hang low-1 | Rosetta Howard | Musical group | ||
| Decca | 62644 | 10-in. | 10/5/1937 | If you're a viper | Rosetta Howard | Musical group | ||
| Decca | 62645 | 10-in. | 10/5/1937 | Rosetta blues | Rosetta Howard | Musical group | ||
| Decca | 62646 | 10-in. | 10/5/1937 | It's your turn | Rosetta Howard | Musical group | ||
| Decca | 62647 | 10-in. | 10/5/1937 | Let's fall in love again-1 | Rosetta Howard | Musical group | ||
| Decca | 62648 | 10-in. | 10/5/1937 | Worried mind blues | Rosetta Howard | Musical group | ||
| Decca | 62653 | 10-in. | 10/6/1937 | Gimme some of that yum yum yum | Johnnie Temple | Musical group |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Harlem Hamfats," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/320007.
Harlem Hamfats. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/320007.
"Harlem Hamfats." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Harlem Hamfats (Musical group) - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n87805101
Wikidata: The Harlem Hamfats - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1138220
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/143209483
MusicBrainz: The Harlem Hamfats - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/dc4bd323-3e4f-488b-9255-206f9a51ec69
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