Golden Hits Of The 60s”
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SHORTY LONG
“HERE COMES THE JUDGE”
(Billie Jean Brown, Suzanne DePasse,
Frederick “SHORTY LONG”)
Soul 35044
No. 8 July 6, 1968
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Shorty was born Frederick Earl Long in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 20, 1940. As a teenager, he
listened attentively to the mellow JOHNNY ACE and the wails of Little Willie John, sang at the
Birmingham Baptist Church, was tutored by Alvin “Shine” Robinson and the “Father of the Blues,”
W. C. Handy–he could play piano, organ, drums, guitar, trumpet, harmonica. Before moving to
Detroit in 1959, Shorty–so named due to his height, or lack there of; he was 5′ 1–worked as a local
DJ, toured for nearly two years with the Ink Spots, and played keyboards at a club called the Old
Stable. Some now-collectible sides were issued on the Valley, Tri-Phil, Harvey, and Anna labels.
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When Berry Gordy acquired the Tri-Phil/Harvey/Anna family of labels, he also picked up Shorty’s
contract. “Devil With the Blue Dress On,” a self-penned piano boogie complete with a bluesy guitar
break, was Shorty’s first single for the Motown organization and the debut disk for Gordy’s Soul label.
This “Devil” did not chart, though years later it proved to be a monster hit for Mitch Ryder & The Detroit
Wheels (#4, 1966). “Function at the Junction” (#97, 1966) and “Night Fo’ Last” (#75, 1968) did stir up
some action before Shorty scored with “Here Comes the Judge,” a novelty tune based on a PIGMEAT
MARKHAM comedy skit.
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After two unsuccessful follow-up 45s–and only two albums–Shorty Long and his friend Oscar Williams
drowned on June 29, 1969, during a mishap in Ontario, Canada, when a freighter flooded their fishing
boat. Shorty’s funeral held on July 2 was attended by Stevie Wonder, who after the service laid his har-
monica on Long’s coffin.