On 25 June 1940, the band held their last studio recording date on the
West Coast, an extraordinarily long session on which Charlie Christian
played rhythm guitar on four recorded tunes with multiple takes.
Charles only got to solo on an eight-bar break on the second and third
takes of Lil Boy Love. The first take does not contain the guitar-solo
break; nor does a false start between the second and third. Charles actually
gets a bit less than the eight-bar break for his solo the band comes in
before the last measure of the bridge.
On the middle chorus the talented Helen Forrest charmingly sings the
lyrics directed at a cherubic naked little amorino with a bow and arrow.
WCO 26982 C (first take)
No guitar solo on this take.
WCO 26982 B (second take)
Charles immediately establishes the mood of his solo with an absolutely
beautiful A♭6/9 opening phrase and continues with a suitably creative solo.
WCO 26982 A (third take) master
The lovely initial phrase is used again by Charles on this master take. This
solo follows the same basic pattern as the first and is just about as perfect.
nb: Lil Boy Love was released
on a
single six weeks after it was recorded, backed with another tune from the
session. The four tunes recorded on this date were not reissued until their release as part of a 1977 LP from a
small, Pittsburgh label. Surprisingly Lil Boy Love remained under the radar of CC discographers for
many years after that. The alternate B take of
Lil Boy Love would remain under wraps unreservedly until 2002.
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