King Pleasure (born Clarence Beeks; March 24, 1922 – March 21, 1981)[1][2] was an American jazz vocalist and an early master of vocalese, where a singer sings words to a well-known instrumental solo.
Biography
Born as Clarence Beeks in Oakdale, Tennessee,[3] he moved to New York City in the mid-1940s working as a bartender and became a fan of bebop music. 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".[3] 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.[4] 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.
10-inch shellac (78 rpm) and 7-inch vinyl (45 rpm) releases
1952: "Moody Mood For Love" // "Exclamation Blues" (Prestige 924) – Merrill Stepter (trumpet); Lem Davis (alto sax); Ray Abrams (tenor sax); Cecil Payne (baritone sax); Teacho Wiltshire (piano); Leonard Gaskin (bass); Teddy Lee (drums); King Pleasure (vocals); Blossom Dearie (vocals) – NYC, February 19
1952: "Red Top" // "Jumpin' With Symphony Sid" (Prestige 821) – Ed Lewis (trumpet); Charlie Ferguson (tenor sax); Ed Swanston (piano); Peck Morrison (bass); Herbie Lovelle (drums); King Pleasure (vocals); Betty Carter (vocals) – NYC, December 12
1953: "Parker's Mood" // "What Can I Say Dear (After I Say I'm Sorry)" (Prestige 880) – John Lewis (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums); King Pleasure (vocals) – NYC, December 24
1954: "Don't Get Scared" // "Funk Junction" (Prestige 913) – J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding (trombone); Lucky Thompson (tenor sax); Danny Bank (baritone sax); 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 7
1956: "D.B. Blues" // "Blues I Like To Hear" (Aladdin 3343) – (unknown personnel)
1956: "At Your Beck And Call" // "I'm In The Mood For Love" (Aladdin 3352) – (unknown personnel)
1958: "Red Top" // "Don't Get Scared" (Prestige 45-124) — reissues of Prestige 821A and 913A.
1960: "Jumpin' With Symphony Sid" // "Parker's Mood" (Prestige 45-182) — reissues of Prestige 821B and 880A.
1960: "Golden Days" // "All Of Me" (HiFi Jazz 5004; from Golden Days album)
1962: "Mean To Me" // "This Is Always" (United Artists 527; from Mr. Jazz album)
1963: "Don't Get Scared" // "I'm In The Mood For Love" (United Artists 636; from Mr. Jazz album)
1968: "I'm In The Mood For Love" // "Red Top" (Prestige 45-744) — reissues of Prestige 924A and 821A.
1972: "That Old Black Magic" // "I'm In The Mood For Love" (United Artists 50940; from Moody's Mood For Love album)
7-inch EP
1957: King Pleasure Sings, Prestige #PREP-1338, (four tracks recorded 1952–53 include the singles: Prestige 821A&B, 860A&B).
10-inch LP
1955: King Pleasure Sings, Prestige #LP-208, (eight tracks recorded 1952–54 include the singles: Prestige 821A&B, 860A&B, 880A&B, 908A, and 913A).
12-inch LPs
1957: King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings, Prestige #PRLP-7128 — reissue: 1986, 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.
1960: Golden Days, HiFi Jazz #J-425 — reissue: 1991, Original Jazz Classics #OJC-1772) – King Pleasure (vocals); Matthew Gee (trombone); Teddy Edwards, Harold Land (tenor sax); Gerald Wiggins (piano); Wilfred Middlebrooks (bass); Earl Palmer (drums).
1962: Mr. Jazz, United Artists #UAJ-14012/UAS-15012; 1968, Solid State #SS-18021 – (unknown personnel).
1968: Original Moody's Mood, Prestige #PR-7586. (this is a collection/compilation with all twelve recordings made for the Prestige label).
1972: The Source, Prestige #PR-24017. (2-LP set/reissue of Golden Days and Original Moody's Mood albums).
1972: Moody's Mood For Love, United Artists #UAS-5634; — CD reissue: 1992, Blue Note #84463. (reissue of Mr. Jazz album). NOTE: the CD also includes the two Jubilee and the four Aladdin tracks, plus three previously unreleased recordings as a bonus.
References
12"Obituary". The Los Angeles Times. 1981-03-30. p.18. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
12"Obituary 2". The San Francisco Examiner. 1981-03-30. p.23. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
