Lucinda Slim

On the 14th day of july 1952, one month before her 24th birthday Lucinda Slim quietly walked up to the door of the Metropolis police recruiting office to enlist as a trainee. The city should have been glad of her offer of service in an age when the city needed all the help it could muster to stem the tide of criminal cartels, megalomaniacs, evil sex fiends, and petty felons. She had been running her own detective agency off her father's inheritance for three years. Most of the clients had been suspicious wives wanting her to set the honey trap for their men, but the cops didn't know that. However Lucinda did not have the look of your normal would be cadet. The desk sergeant after wiping the coffee he had self sprayed his chest with quipped "Baby they ain't gonna take on a doll like you, this game's about concentration, ain't no good if the boys are concentrating on your ass." A brief exchange of insults and our heroine was on her way in a somewhat disgruntled fashion. ... Her looks had been a problem since her teenage years. There was her uncle Silas, now serving time in Sing Sing. Most of her male classmates, and teachers, and Frankie the Face, somewhat of a big shot amongst the local low lives. Nobody knows how he got his scar, but the goon that suggested his father had set his face on fire and put it out with a shovel is now helping support the new Black Lagoon water treatment plant. So a rejected Lucinda made her way to the solace of one of the city's juke joints. All but deserted now since the Daily Bugle uncovered arch criminal The Curator's master plan to enslave the populous by replacing all the old tunes with new ones concealing trance inducing tones and frequencies. She sat alone pondering her next step, and sipping a coconut mambo. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted another figure to her rear. A tall handsome looking fellow sporting what looked like a demob suit, and a similar sad air about him as her own. "Hey Tommy (the barman) you got a rush on tonight" she joked. "forget him Lucy" came the reply "he's got a bad ticker, shell shock from Iwo Jima". "Come on Tommy, the poor guy did his bit for us, and I'm gonna thank him" She pulled up a stool beside the ex G.I. and began, "Hey wadda ya know wadda ya say ?" he looked up with a friendly honest smile that made her heart skip. Like I told you most guys look at Lucinda and the drooling starts. Not this one though, he seemed to rise above his base instincts. Two hours later "Lucy !! I'm closing up now, you two lovebirds take it elsewhere now will ya" And so Lucinda and the GI (whose name we still don't know) wound up back at her apartment. Now Lucinda should have paid heed to Tommy's words. She was as hot in bed as a firecracker in hell, and the GI's ticker just gave out with all the excitement. "The first decent Joe I meet and I do him to death, not my lucky year. I'd best get to the office and see if I can find a name in the army files" Not her lucky year indeed. Half way to the office and a G man cuffs her for suspected murder. "that was a bit too fast, what's the game here" she thought. Now uncle Silas, and Frankie the Face had taught Lucinda a trick or two whilst they were trying to charm her pants off. In fact she had learned many a trick from her paw, "Major Bill Slim", and all manner of suitors during her formative years. The G man was soon given the slip and Lucinda arrived at the forced lock of her office door. In she strode, Browning automatic drawn, only to find her files decorating the floor, then quick as a flash "BAM" She came round strapped to her own chair with a large figure in a long thick wool coat wiping a few drips of blood from her mouth with his handkerchief. She couldn't rightly see his face for the thick brim on his hat. "You play pretty rough with the girls don't you big boy" she leaned forward as far as the straps would let her to get a glimpse of his eyes. "My apologies mam, but I'd heard how slippery you can be" Back he pulled hat brim still hiding his looks as he began to question her about the John Doe in her apartment. "Who you working for handsome" "Nobody miss Slim, me and my buddies got back from overseas service to find Metropolis going down the pan. We sorta teamed up to help put things straight" He gently untied her straps, and sat beside her on the desk where she could get a full view of her assailant. "I reckon I believe you mam, you got somethin in your eyes that says you ain't lying". Now Lucinda had developed a soft spot for ex servicemen, specially good looking ones that were polite. Into the room came two more "Morning mam" came in unison. "Sorry if Bosco ruffed you up a little, we hope you understand" "my name is Sugarman, and this here is the Duke. Together we go under the name of The Lawmen", Bosco continued "yeah the army did some sort of fancy "cyborg" experiments on us, least that's what it said on door of the lab they took us into. The Duke there, he got some new fangled steal running through where his bones should be. Sugarman, well he ain't like sugar, he don't melt no matter how hot it gets. Back in Okinawa I was pumping this jap foxhole with my thrower and in jumps Sugar' while things are still cookin. Me, well I guess you found out, I move faster than a free meal ticket in the Bronx. There's a few more of us back at the hideout" "If you'll pardon the expression mam, are you a private dick ?" asked the Duke. "I'm trying to be" she replied with a smile, "trouble is with my looks folks don't think I got what it takes" "Well you sure gave that fed lieutenant McCormock the slip, and he's the best they've got. Seems to me that you got what it takes" "In that case would you "Lawmen" mind a woman teaming up with you ? I'd like to help, and I could do with a bit of action in my life" "I reckon there's places a girl like you could go without raising suspicion like we would, welcome aboard Lucinda Slim,,, hey !!! got a nice ring to that "Lucinda Slim and the Lawmen" ...boys, we got ourselves a new dame and a new name. And there our story begins. You can keep track of Lucinda's adventures through music and song. Just keep an eye on this page. Lucinda Slim's Bio was written by the legendary Keb Darge aka 'The Curator') Influences: Ruth Brown, Etta James, Ann Sexton, Barbary Lynn, The Supremes, Harpo Slim, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf, Jackie Wilson, Willie Mitchell, Ann Peebles, Betty Davis, Big Mama Thornton, Muddy Waters, J Lee Hooker, Bettye La Vette, Big Joe Turner, Bobby Bland, Brenda Holloway, Carl Carlton, Edwin Starr, Ike and Tina, The Impressions (Curtis Mayfield), James Brown, Lightnin' Hopkins, Lorraine Chandler, Lynn Collins, Vickie Anderson, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Marva Whitney, Minnie Ripperton, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Sugar Pie de Santo, Theresa Lindsey, Towanda Barnes ...and many many more unknown talented artists Sounds like: Singer/songwriter/DJ. Part of the Zap Mama band since the '7' album (touring and recording) 'All this Time' collaboration with 'The Lone Stars' is out on MPM music (new tracks in the making). I am recording and performing with The Haggis Horns for their new album (this is a new collaboration and its great fun!!!) and its been a pleasure working on a new tracks with the Dap Kings (Daptone Records) for my Lucinda Slim and the Lawmen solo stuf and I occasionally tour and sing backing vocals for the Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings live show. So much is happening right now so keep an eye/ear out on my page for updates (www.facebook.com/lucindaslim) xxx