Ya Ess Goony Gress

The boys picked up the phrase from a Brooklyn street squabble. They turned it over in their minds a bit, then, with piano, guitar and bass, tooled up a tune. By nightfall, "Nicholas, don't be so ridic'lus" was a song:

Nicholas, don't be so ridic'lus You're so suave, so debonair Full of verve and savoir faire But I'm inclined to think that You're a square--so there!...

Last week, the Three Flames--Pianist Roy Testamark, Guitarist George ("Tiger") Haynes and Bull Fiddler Averill ("Bill") Pollard--who seem to create their special brand of jived-up patter and song by spontaneous combustion, were cooking on all burners in a Manhattan basement nightclub, the Village Vanguard. Backed by some solid piano and rhythm, the Flames ("How hot can you get?") are now setting a newsstand to music ("I read Esquire for fashion, Police Gazette for passion"). In two hours they turned out a tune that New York City's Department of Health used as a singing commercial during last spring's smallpox scare:

Look out, Jack, dontcha be no jerk go get yours 'fore you go to work Smallpox'll get you if you hesitate So don't wait, Gate--Vaccinate

He puts on the stuff, then he takes a pin Applies some pressure till the jive sinks in The people are nice, and they treat you great So don't wait, Gate--Vaccinate!...

Two of the Flames, Testamark and Pollard, had once played alongside a glum guitarist who stared lifelessly into the innards of his guitar. A woman in the audience asked him, "What you got in there--dirty pictures?" After that, the Flames started looking for a new third. Two years ago, they found a bearded West Indian named Tiger Haynes ("he's a frantic guy"), and stole him from a trio called Plink, Plank and Plunk.

With Tiger, the Flames started burning brighter. Haynes jots down phrases that he says come to him in his dreams. His latest, already made into a song: Ya Ess Goony Gress. On stage, the Flames seem to be amusing each other, and don't seem to mind if the audience listens in.

The first time they showed up at Columbia Records, they were all set to spin some doggerel of their own, but Columbia wanted them to do Open the Door, Richard instead. They had 15 minutes to work out an arrangement. It sold 650,000 copies. The Three Flames have now been signed to a five-year recording contract with Columbia. They are making plans to let Paris in on the act next February.

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