Clarence Smith was born 11th June. 1904 in Troy, Alabama and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. In the 1920’s he moved to Pittsburgh, where he worked as an entertainer, singing as well as playing the piano. BY the mid 1920’s Cow Cow Davenport recommended him to Vocalion Records, so he moved to Chicago to record. For a time he lived in the same house as Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis.
December 29th, 1928 saw him record his most famous song, ‘Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie’. It was one of the first boogie woogie recordings to be a hit, an d the first to have the words ‘boogie woogie’ in the title. Its unusual to listen to today in a sense, as Pinetop talks over the song in places, instructing you how he wants you to dance, which reminds you that this was the dance music of the time. He had said that the number had originated from playing at a rent house party in St. Louis, Missouri. Pinetop Smith was scheduled for more recording for Vocalion in 1929, but he died from a gunshot wound in a dance-hall fight in Chicago the day before, it seems unclear as to if he was the intended target.
Pinetop Smith sadly never lived long enough to make that many recordings, but he was a large influence for sure. Pianists like Ammons and Johnson acknowledged as much and Joe Willie Perkins took the name as ‘Pinetop Perkins’ because of his song ‘Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie’ and other version of the song were also very successful.
Ray Charles is said to have adapted ‘Pinetops Boogie Woogie’ for his song ‘Mess Around’ and in 1975, the ‘Bob Thiele Orchestra’ recorded a jazz album called ‘I Saw Pinetop Spit Blood’, which included a version of his famous song as well.
| Pinetop Smith (Single Title) | Date |
| Pinetop’s Blues Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie Big Boy They Can’t Do That Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out I’m Sober Now I Got More Sense Than That Jump Steady Blues Now I Ain’t Got Nothing At All | 1928 1928 1929 1929 1929 1929 1929 1929 |