Tvmama

2 Comments Written by Atila on July 15, 2008 – 3:22 pm

Many people have asked us where we came up with the name for TVMama.com. Once we began discussing this site we went through a series of more sober names: PCTV Report, PCTV Digest, etc… Perhaps some of those might even have been better for SEO. At least one person has told me he thinks TVMama could refer to a p*rn site. So, maybe it isn’t the most “on point” name.

But one day I was listening to an old song by blues great Big Joe Turner, and the title – and the lyrics – just jumped out at me. Eureka! I cried (or something like that).

Turner recorded the song. “TV Mama,” with guitar legend Elmore James in 1953, and the lyrics put him more than 50 years ahead of his time:

“I was in my bed a’sleepin’, oh-boy, what a dream
I was in my bed sleepin’, oh-boy, what a dream
I was dreamin’ ’bout my TV Mama, the one with the big, wide screen
She got great big eyes and little bitty feet and in the waist, she’s so nice and neat
She’s my TV Mama, one with the big, wide screen

Every time she loves me, man, she makes me scream
She just taste like candy, boys, I really go for sweets,
I love her from her head down to her little bitty feet
Yeah, she’s my TV Mama, one with the big, wide screen

Every time she loves me, oh yes, I’m bound to scream
I’m just kind-a rollin’, tumblin’, talkin’ all out of my head
Well just I’m rollin’ and tumblin’, man, I’m talkin’ all out of my head
And when my baby shook me, man, I fell right out of bed.”

Listen to a snippet from the song.

An obscure rockabilly group from Miami called the Frantics Four released a single in 1960 also titled “T.V. Mama,” on Gulfstream Records, a small Florida label, which is clearly derivative of Turner’s tune, but set to a hot rockabilly beat.

Later in the 1960s, a singer in James Brown’s backup band, James Brown“>Elsie Mae, was nicknamed “T.V. Mama,” although she never recorded the song. She was described as “a lady of ample proportions (who) preceded the sexy soul sistas of the ‘70s by being a sassy soul diva of the ‘60s.”
She recorded only two blues numbers under her own name. Listen here

Blues great Johnny Winter wrote his own “TV Mama.” It’s an acoustic solo, in which Winter, a legendary guitarist, accompanies himself on Dobro slide guitar. The lyrics are just as lewd as Turner’s:

Well I laid down last night and I turned my T.V. on
You know I laid down last night I turned my T.V. on
You know as I get old, people but I believe my tube is wrong

Well my baby she was cryin’ want me to get my tv fixed
Oh, she was cryin’, wanna get my t v fixed
She said a T.V. service and she need it mighty quick by the way

Now well I called the T.V. doctor he came over right away
He said he’ll see what he can do here to haul my set away
I told no damn well I’ll never do, man if you don’t get the picture

I’m gonna do some work on you work a while go ahead now, got my T.V. working
My old tube is like brand new and now I got my T.V. workin’
My old tube is like brand new, yes, come over baby and I show my tube to you haha
How do you like my tune?”

In the 1970s, underrated soul singer Leon Haywood recorded a smooth danceable tune with the same title of “TV Mama,” with lyrics that included this line: “She’s got the prettiest screen I’ve ever seen. She’s a TV Mama, and she’s dressed so clean.” Listen.

TV Mama disappeared from the world of music for years, until Portland, Oregon, musician and filmmaker Mike “Dr. Normal,” videotaped a smoking version of Turner’s “TV Mama” by Portland blue guitarist John Borroz in a small studio in 1989 (See video above).

Mike told me by email that he could not find online references to Borroz, and he lost touch with him years ago.

There is a fair amount of material featuring Big Joe on YouTube, but none of him singing “TV Mama.” I have seen reference online to Van Morrison singing a version of it in concert, but haven’t found that online or on record, either. Any help in tracking down additional “TV Mama” recordings or videos, online or offline, is much appreciated.