(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean

Ruth Brown (1953). Excerpt from "The 50 Songs that Gave Birth to Rock and Roll"

Atlantic Records—the leading brand name in R&B during its most fruitful decades—is sometimes referred to as “the house that Ruth built.”

Portsmouth, Virginia-born Ruth Brown is the inspiration for this attribution. Also revered as the “Queen of R&B,” Brown fronted a series of bold, brassy, uptown rhythm & blues tunes during the 50s, dominating the charts before, during, and after rock and roll’s initial explosion into popular consciousness.

With a blues belter’s voice and an affinity for Dinah Washington, Brown’s music helped to take the female R&B singer into the next era. Brown’s material moved increasingly toward a slick, tight, uptempo sound that is perhaps best captured by “(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean.”

The song strolls along with a honking hucklebuck sax, tightly coiled electric guitar licks and lazy, loping horn charts. In reality though, it is Brown’s soulful squeal that distinguishes “Mama.” Brown exhibits a light touch on a nonetheless impassioned delivery that would make this her third consecutive #1 on the R&B charts. By this early stage in her career, Brown’s music was absolutely omnipresent throughout the South, helping to mold countless future soul sisters like Aretha Franklin, Tina Tuner, and Mavis Staples.

Brown’s popularity would fade in the 60s, but she would enjoy a resurgence starting in the mid-70s, eventually earning a Tony for her work on stage and a Grammy for her musical contributions in the same medium.

Brown lived to the age of 78, passing on in 2006.

See the full list of 50 Songs that Gave Birth to Rock and Roll