René Joseph Hall (September 26, 1912 – February 11, 1988) was an American guitarist and arranger. He was among the most important behind-the-scenes figures in early rock and roll, but his career spanned the period from the late 1920s to the late 1980s, and encompassed multiple musical styles.

Biography Born in Morgan City, Louisiana, René Hall first recorded in 1933 as a banjo player with Joseph Robichaux in New Orleans. He then worked around the country as a member of the Ernie Fields Orchestra, with whom he made his earliest recordings. In the group he was known by the nickname Lightnin' . Later he joined Earl Hines as musical arranger. During the 1940s he built up a considerable reputation as a session musician in New York City. In the late 1940s, he formed his own sextet which recorded for various labels including Jubilee, Decca, and RCA. He also worked as a talent scout for King Records, discovering such acts as Billy Ward and the Dominoes.

In the mid-1950s, Hall moved to Los Angeles, California, and began doing session work with saxophone player, Plas Johnson, and drummer, Earl Palmer. The trio recorded for many of the emerging rock and roll and R&B artists on such labels as Aladdin, Rendezvous, and Specialty Records. In 1958, he pioneered the usage of a Danelectro 6-string bass guitar as a supplement to standup bass on recording sessions with Ritchie Valens and others. This approach was widely imitated by arrangers all over the world.

Hall was a virtual one-man dynasty on the West Coast from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s, organizing such studio concoctions as B. Bumble & The Stingers hit "Nut Rocker", surf-rock group The Marketts ("Surfer's Stomp"), and The Routers of "Let's Go" fame. All featured Hall, Palmer and Johnson, but were then promoted by young white groups who performed the songs on tour. He gave his former employer Ernie Fields an unlikely rock hit with a version of the big band standard, "In The Mood", which reached #4 in Billboard during 1959. When Hall, Palmer, and Johnson did not want to issue it under their own names and tour behind it, they gave it to Fields, who then did join them in the studio for a follow-up hit.

Hall arranged Ike & Tina Turner's 1963 album Don't Play Me Cheap. He also arranged some of Sam Cooke's best-known recordings including the 1964 song, "A Change Is Gonna Come", in which Hall devised a dramatic arrangement with a symphonic overture for strings, kettledrum, and French horn. He prepared arrangements for many successful artists including The Impressions and Marvin Gaye. He also played guitar on Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" and did a lot of work for Bobby Womack.

René Hall died of heart disease in Los Angeles, California at the age of 75.

Discography

Singles

1952: René Hall – "Let's Turn The Lights Down Low" / "Must I" (RCA Victor 4881) 1953: René Hall Orchestra – "Don't Take Me For A Fool"/"Two Guitar Boogie" (RCA Victor 20-5407) 1957: René Hall's Orchestra Featuring Willie Joe / René Hall's Orchestra – "Twitchy" / "Flippin'" (Specialty 618) 1958: René Hall's Orchestra – "Saints Go Marchin' In" / "Thunderbird" (Specialty 629) 1958: René Hall's Orchestra – "Frankie And Johnny" / "Cleo" (Specialty 641) 1959: René Hall – "Smitty's Toy Piano" / "South Gate" (Arvee A 580) 1959: René Hall And His Guitars – "Moritat" / "Adalene" (Rendezvous No. 107) 1959: The Skunks And Rene Hall / Rene Hall – "Smitty's Xmas Toy Piano" / "Smitty's Toy Piano" (Arvee A 585) 1960: René Hall Orchestra – "La Cubalibra" / "The Untouchables" (Del-Fi 4135) René Hall Orchestra – "Night Fright" / "Turf" (Castil 101)

Work with other artists Artist Date Song title Peak chart position Hall's roleThe DominoesTalevski, Nick, Knocking On Heaven's Door, Omnibus Press, London. 2006 1951Sixty Minute Man #17, #1 R&B chart Guitar, arrangerDon and DeweyDon & Dewey: Jungle Hop, Legends of Speciality Records, Speciality Records 1991 liner notes 1957 Sweet Talk"Farmer John" (take 1) Just a Little Lovin'The Letter Leader, guitarLarry WilliamsLarry Williams: Bad Boy The Legends of Specialty Records, Speciality Records 1989, liner notes 1957Short Fat Fannie #5 Guitar Larry Williams 1957Bony Moronie #14 GuitarSam Cooke 1957You Send Meb-side, Summertime #1 #81 Conductor, arranger Larry Williams 1957, 1958Iko IkoLawdy Miss Clawdy, Slow Down, Dizzy Miss Lizzy, Bad Boy GuitarRitchie Valens 1958La Bamba #22Danelectro, arranger Ritchie Valens 1958Donna #2 Lead guitar & solo, arranger Ritchie Valens 1958Come On, Let's Go Guitar, arrangerChan RomeroRitchie Valens, "Ritchie Valens in Come On. Let's Go" Del-Fi Records, liner notes 1959Hippy Hippy ShakeDanelectro bass guitar Sam Cooke 1957(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons #17 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1957 Desire Me #47 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1957You Were Made For Me #39 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1958 "Win You Love For Me" #22 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1959Only Sixteen #28 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1959Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha #31 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1959God Bless The Child Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1959Let's Call The Whole Thing Off Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1959Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1961Cupid #17 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1962Twistin' the Night Away #9 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1962Bring It On Home To Me #13 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1962Having A Party #17 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1962 "Nothing Can Change This Love" #12 Arranger, guitarThe ValentinosThe Valentinos, Lookin' For a Love; The complete SAR recordings, CD, ABKCO Music & Records, Inc., 2014, liner notes 1962 Darling, Come Back HomeI'll Make It Alright I've Got a Girl "Session leader" Sam Cooke 1963Another Saturday Night #10 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1963Little Red Rooster #11 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1964Tennessee Waltz #35 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1964A Change Is Gonna Come Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1964That's Where It's At #93 Arranger, guitar Sam Cooke 1964Shake Arranger, guitarMarvin Gaye 1973Let's Get It On #1 Arranger and conductor Marvin Gaye 1973 Please Stay (Once You Go Away) Arranger and conductor Marvin Gaye 1973 If I Should Die Tonight Arranger and conductor Marvin Gaye 1973 Keep Gettin' It On Arranger and conductor

Collaborations Rockin' With Robbin - Bobby Day (Class, 1959) Twistin' the Night Away - Sam Cooke (RCA Victor, 1962) Black and Blue - Lou Rawls (Capitol, 1963) Night Beat - Sam Cooke (RCA Victor, 1963) Tobacco Road - Lou Rawls (Capitol, 1964) All I Really Want to Do - Cher (Imperial, 1965) Venice Blue - Bobby Darin (Capitol, 1965) Together Again - Ray Charles (ABC, 1965) Crying Time - Ray Charles (ABC, 1966) Ray Charles Invites You to Listen - Ray Charles (ABC, 1967)

References

External links