Atlantic R&B Box Set No.1: Frank "Floorshow" Culley.

A shadow figure in the history of r&b, brought his big fat tenor sax to Atlantic on january 17, 1949 and just happened  to start a trend of hard-honking tenor sax solas that would dominate whole decades of rock 'n' roll.

The tune that did it was COLE SLAW, written in 1942 (original title "Sorghum Switch" by Jesse Stone, arranger and musical director of Atlantic. Culley had benn playing around the New York clubs and recorded behind Wynonie Harris before he came to Atlantic.

Culley's strictly instrumental version hit the charts on May 14, 1949 and made it up to #12 on the "Best Sellers In Stores" and #11 on the "Juke Box" lists. Competition from vocal versions by Louis Jordan, the perennial top favorite black artist, and Jesse Stone's own version on RCA-Victor was tough. Atlantic's entry was helped along by being "dedicated to Max Cole", an r&b disc jockey on WOV in New York. Culley became a house musician at Atlantic, and his raucus instrumentals were consistent sellers. He traded his nickname "Floorshow" for Cole Slaw", and he was frecuently teamed with Atlantic's unique piano man, Harry Van Walls. After leaving Atlantic, he recordad for Baton and Chess (unissued) but nothing has been heard about Frank Culley as a performer since late '50's.