BULLETIN -
February
2009
Vintage Rock 'n' Roll & Rockabilly
The Diamonds
->
Beverly Warren + Book + DVD
| HALFWAY TO PARADISE
THE BIRTH OF OF
BRITISH ROCK Photographs by Harry Hammond, Text by
Alwyn Turner |
● BOOK $44.95 |
240 pages, large format hardbound, counts as 14 CDs for
shipping
In this coffee table book, the work of Harry Hammond--for nearly
two decades, Britain's leading celebrity photographer--and writer Alwyn W.
Turner is on prominent display. Starting in the late 1940's, Hammond
captured definitive images of virtually every leading British musician, as
well as the many American stars who played in Britain. Drawing on an
archive housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Turner tells
the story of Britain's embrace of rock 'n' roll; however, it's the images
themselves that are the star here. What makes the book great is we don't
just get pictures of the usual rock n roll stars: Little Richard, Bill
Haley, Buddy Holly, the Beatles etc.; we also get crisp evocative images
of Skiffle kings and princes (Lonnie Donegan, Chas McDevitt Skiffle
Groupand others), Trad Jazzers (Mr. Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen,
etc. ), gospel shouters (Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Deep River Boys), proto
rockers (Johnnie Ray), R&B groups (the Platters, Frankie Lymon & the
Teenagers), rockabilly gods (Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, etc.) and, of
course Brit rockers (Billy Fury, Tommy Steele, Johnny Kidd, Cliff Richard,
etc.) and much, much more - 250 in all - many previously unpublished.
These photos are gold and whether you dig U.S. rock or the U.K. variety,
you find something here to savor.
|
| RICKY NELSON |
Quantum Leap 6894 |
Ricky Nelson Greatest Hits |
● DVD $12.98 |
26 tracks, 90 mins, highly recommended
Some time ago there
was a DVD featuring some of Ricky's performances from the Ozzie & Harriet
Show though some of the performances were edited. This collection features
26 performances in their entirety from the late 50s/ early 60s including
clips from Ozzie & Harriet plus other T.V. appearances. Some performances
are obviously live and some obviously lip synched but a lot of them I'm
not sure about - they look live but are uncannily close to the record
though I haven't tried to do a side by side check. That being said there
are some great performances including several that feature some of James
Burton's spectacular guitar picking that will have guitar players drooling
and several ballads with Ricky accompanying himself with some tasty
acoustic guitar work. Includes Hello Mary Lou/ I'm Walkin'/ I Got A
Feelin'/ Believe What You Say/ It's Late/ My Bucket's Got A Hole In It/
You Tear Me Up/ Everlovin'/ Tryin' To Get To You (a lovely slow solo
acoustic version)/ One Of These Mornings/ Just A Little Too Much/
String Along/ Say You Love Me. The final two cuts are in color the
rest are in black & white. The back of the DVD lists 28 tracks but Be
Bop Baby and A Teenager's Romance are not there. This is a must
for fans of Ricky Nelson or early rock 'n' roll guitar. (FS)
|
| THE DIAMONDS |
Evergreen 2691756 |
Greatest Hits |
● CD $17.98 |
Not a new release but not listed before. A 31 track
collection of collection of sides by this Canadian group who first found
fame with a cover version of the Teenagers' Why Do Fools Fall in Love.
They naturally enough continued on that path and follow-up covers included
slick versions of the Willows' Church Bells May Ring, the G-Clefs'
Ka-Ding-Dong and the Rays' Silhouettes. Most famous and
successful of all, of course, was their cover version of the Gladiolas'
Little Darlin' which just missed topping the pop charts. They also has
hits with songs specifically written for them like The Stroll and
She Say (Oom Dooby Doom). Other tracks include Black Denim
Trousers And Motorcycle Boots/ Love, Love, Love/ Daddy Cool/ HIgh Sign/
Happy Years and a version of Words Of Love that doesn't do Buddy
Holly any favors. 5 of the tracks on this collection are in stereo.
THE DIAMONDS: A Thousand Miles Away/ Batman Wolfman
Frankenstein or Dracula/ Believe Me/ Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle
Boots/ Chick Lets/ Chimes In My Heart/ Church Bells May Ring/ Cool Baby
Cool/ Daddy Cool/ Dance With Me/ Don't Say Goodbye/ Every Minute of The
Day/ Faithful and True/ From the Bottom of My Heart/ High Sign/ Ka Ding
Dong/ Kathy-O/ Little Darlin/ Little Girl of Mine/ Love Love Love/ Oh
Carol/ One Summer Night/ She Say (Oom Dooby Doom)/ Silhouettes/ Sneaky
Alligator/ Soft Summer Breeze/ Straight Skirt/ The Stroll/ Walking Along/
Walking the Stroll/ Why Do Fools Fall In Love/ Words of Love/ You Baby
You/ Zip Zip
|
| JERRY FULLER |
Ace CDCHD 1209 |
A Double Life: The Challenge Recordings,
1959-1966 |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 59 mins, highly recommended
The name Jerry
Fuller may not mean much as a recording artist, but as a songwriter and/or
producer he's responsible for hits by Rick Nelson, Gary Puckett & the
Union Gap, and Al Wilson, as well as assorted tracks for O.C. Smith, Andy
Williams, and Johnny Mathis. This Ace CD is the first comprehensive
collection of Fuller's recordings for Challenge Records as a solo artist
in the early and mid-60's. Imagine a less angelic Bobby Hatfield or a less
booming Bill Medley, and that would sum up Fuller's vocal ability; he can
storm through a stomper like Double Life or caress a pretty melody
like What Happened to the Music with equal finesse. While his
singles went unnoticed in the States, he has quite a reputation on the
Northern Soul circuit and it's obvious why, with one listen to aching
ballad Turn to Me. Fuller also tried his hand at Folk-Rock-as
evidenced on The Master Plan and The Man in Black - but
these are mild diversions compared to the sublime blue-eyed-soul of I
Get Carried Away. A Double Life is the definitive collection of one
the great lost white soul singers of the 60's. (GMC)
|
| PAUL HAMPTON |
Car 116 |
Rockin' Doll |
● CD $21.98 |
24 tracks from the late 50s through early 60s by jivey
rocker. Includes Rockin' Doll/ Live A Life Of Love/ Please Love Me/ I'm
In Love With A Bunny/ Nothing's Impossible/ Etiquette/ When Will Your
Heart Change Its Ways/ I Can Tell the Way You Say Hello, etc.
|
| THE LANE BROTHERS |
Hydra 27137 |
Boppin' In A Sack |
● CD $21.98 |
29 tracks, good
A collection of cocktail lounge style rock
'n' roll plus straight pop from Boston based group consisting of Pete, Art
& Frank Luconto or as they became professionally known - The Lane
Brothers. The group featured smooth harmonies a la The Hilltoppers and
recorded a varied selection of material for RCA and Leader between 1957
and 1960. The album title song became something of a cult favorite in the
late 70s and is probably their most interesting performance. They also did
interesting covers of Wake Up Little Suzie and Lotta LOvin
and were usually accompanied by bands led by Joe Reisman or Leroy Kirkland.
Four of their RCA cuts are featured in both mono and stereo versions.
There are also a couple of solo cuts from 1953 by Pete Lane and some folk/
rock/ country titles from 1969 and 1981 - the former issued as by The
Luconto Boys. The most impressive thing about this collection is the 32
page booklet with extensive notes, rare photos and full discographical
info - too bad the music doesn't really deserve it. (FS)
|
| THE SHANGRI-LAS |
Golden Stars 5491 |
Remembered |
● CD $19.98 |
3 CDs, 36 tracks, 91 mins, recommended
Of all the late
50's/early 60's "girl groups" the Shangri-La's were the "toughest"; with
their hip hugging pants, leather boots, and attitude to spare, these were
not the girls next door like the Chantels, Shirelles, and Crystals. No
these girls, might have sang songs of heartbreak, but the guy who broke
their heart was more likely to look like Marlon Brando or James Dean
rather than James Darren or Fabian. And parents were just as likely to
complicate matters as the wrong guy in question. With mysterious producer
Shadow Morton and the husband-wife songwriting team of Jeff Barry and
Ellie Greenwich providing the mini-melodramas that cut straight to the
heart, lead singer Mary Weiss never failed to convey the right amount of
vulnerability and resilience. This collection contains the A and B-sides
of all the girls' seminal singles: Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)/
Leader of the Pack/ Give Him a Great Big Kiss/ I Can Never Go Home
Anymore/ Past, Present and Future, and Give Us Your Blessings.
Perhaps not surprisingly (given that Shadow Morton was something of a mad
genius, in much the same way Phil Spector was), the B-sides do manage to
hold up rather well-even the covers of well-worn tracks like Twist and
Shout and Shout, aren't embarrassing-with songs like The
Boy/ Dressed in Black/ Love You More Than Yesterday, and Paradise
standing out ahead of the pack. Disc Three rounds up assorted LP cuts,
early singles the girls cut before Morton came into the picture, and a
couple of novelty "answer" songs to Leader of the Pack and I Can
Never Go Home Anymore (Leader of the Laundromat and I Can
Never Eat Home Anymore, respectively)by The Detergents. The LP tracks
are better than average (even when they sing a "typical" girl group
throwaway like The Dum Dum Ditty, they still sound more cynical
than the Ronettes ever could), the early singles are interesting hints of
greatness to come, and The Detergents tracks are one-joke ponies. In sum,
this collection is useful for anyone who wants to get beyond the usual hit
singles by this wonderful group; in fact, this set would rate higher
except that there are no liner notes of any kind, which is shameful and
unfortunate especially since few groups are as mysterious and
undocumented. Still, if only the music matters, then this set is for you.
(GMC)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1208 |
Break-A-Way - The Songs Of Jackie
DeShannon, 1961-67 |
● CD $18.98 |
27 tracks, 66 mins, highly recommended
Before Jackie DeShannon had hits with What the World Needs Now and Put a
Little Love in Your Heart, she was one of the top song writers on the
West Coast. This excellent compilation pulls together many of her finest
songwriting endeavors cut by some of the cream of 60's Pop and R&B: The
Searchers (When You Walk in the Room), Cher (Come and Stay With
Me, originally a hit for Marianne Faithfull in the U.K.), Irma Thomas
(Break-A-Way, later an 80's hit for comedienne Tracey Ullman),
Brenda Lee (So Deep), Dobie Gray (the amazing Blue Ribbons),
Rick Nelson (Thank You Darlin'), and The Byrds (Don't Doubt
Yourself, Babe). Whether written alone or with songwriting partner
Sharon Sheeley, Jackie's songs prove extremely adaptable to different
types of music and interpretation, a point that this collection makes
extremely well. And yet, it's the two songs Jackie wrote with Jimmy Page
(yes, THAT Jimmy Page) in England that will make the collectors and
completists sit up and drool: the breezy Stop That Girl (the only
recording of which was by Barbara "Hello Stranger" Lewis) and In My
Time of Sorrow recorded by British TV personality Gay Shingleton, and
produced by Page. There are other known songs written by DeShannon/Page
and hopefully we will get to hear the recorded versions-if they
exist-someday; in the meantime, we have these two goodies to groove to.
The CD closes out with a previously unissued Jackie demo from 1967,
Only You Can Free My Mind; a fitting ending to a grand glance at a
talented and relatively unheralded songwriter. (GMC)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Acrobat ACQCD 7017 |
Ponytails, Hopped Skirts & Bobbysox:
American Gals Of T |
● CD $26.98 |
4 Discs, 120 tracks, recommended
In the spirit of
fairness, it makes sense for Acrobat to release a collection of American
Female singers from the 50's, since they've already done likewise for
British Female singers of the same decade ("Lipstick, Nylons, Petticoats &
Stilettos: Brit Girls of the 50s, Acrobat 7012). And every female hitmaker
from the Pop old school of the early to mid 50's is represented: Teresa
Brewer, The Chordettes, Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day, The Fontaine Sisters,
Georgia Gibbs, Joni James, The McGuire Sisters, Patti Page, Jo Stafford,
Kay Starr, and Gale Storm. There were Jazz-oriented singers who were also
popular during this time--the late Eartha Kitt, Peggy Lee, Kitty Kallen,
and Ella Mae Morse--who were joined by newcomers on the scene, the great
Julie London, Eydie Gorme, the amazing Keely Smith, and Brenda Lee. The
set offers a generous sampling of what made these ladies the tops at their
respective games, and many definitive performances are present: Patti
Page (Tennessee Waltz), Julie London (Cry Me a River), Doris Day,
(Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)/ Love Me Or Leave Me, and Secret
Love) Rosemary Clooney (Come On-A My House), Keely Smith {with Louis
Prima} (The Lip) and Teresa Brewer (Let Me Go Lover). There's also a few
token Country crossover (yes, they had them even in those days) from Kitty
Wells (It Wasn't God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels) and Patsy Cline (Walkin'
After Midnight), and the usual white-washed (pun intended) R&B covers from
Gale Storm (I Hear You Knocking), Brewer (You Send Me), and Georgia Gibbs
(Tweedle Dee). Your tolerance for these aforementioned tracks will depend
upon your sense of humor and charity. But like it or not, this is a part
of history and must be acknowledged as such, and 120 tracks there is
something for everyone: be it Eartha Kitt's romantic purr on Under the
Bridges of Paris or Brenda Lee's powerhouse belting on Dynamite. For
anyone who wants to hear what the pre-Rock 'n' Roll era was like, it's all
here and it's not all bad. (GMC)
TONI ARDEN: Kiss Of Fire/ Too Young/ TERESA BREWER:
Banjo's Back In Town/ Bell Bottom Blues/ Empty Arms/ Jilted/ Let Me Go
Lover/ Music Music Music/ Ricochet/ Sweet Oldfashioned Girl/ Tear Fell/
Till I Waltz Again With You/ You Send Me/ CATHY CARR: Ivory Tower/ MINDY
CARSON: Tell Me You're Mine/ Wake The Town And Tell The People/ THE
CHORDETTES: Born To Be With You/ Mr Sandman/ PATSY CLINE: Walkin' After
Midnight/ ROSEMARY CLOONEY: Botchame/ Close Your Eyes (brahms Lullaby)/
Come Ona My House/ Half As Much/ Hey There/ Mangos/ This Ole House/
Sisters/ Man (uh Huh)/ Too Old To Cut The Mustard/ JILL COREY: I Love My
Baby/ Let It Be Me/ Love Me To Pieces/ DORIS DAY: Black Hills Of Dakota/
I'm Ready Willing And Able/ If I Give My Heart To You/ Love Me Or Leave
Me/ Secret Love/ Whatever Will Be Will Be/ THE DECASTRO SISTERS: Teach Me
Tonight/ THE FONTANE SISTERS: Cold Cold Heart/ Daddyo/ Eddie My Love/
Happy Days And Lonely Nights/ Hearts Of Stone/ Rock Love/ Rollin' Stone/
Seventeen/ Voices/ GEORGIA GIBBS: Dance With Me Henry/ Great Balls Of
Fire/ Happiness Street/ I Want You To Be My Baby/ Kiss Me Another/ Kiss Of
Fire/ Moth And A Flame/ Seven Lonely Days/ Tra La La/ Tweedle Dee/ EYDIE
GORME: Love Me Forever/ Mama Teach Me To Dance/ GOGI GRANT: Wayward Wind/
JUNE HUTTON: Say You're Mine Again/ JONI JAMES: Have You Heard/ How
Important Can It Be/ Why Don't You Believe Me/ You Are My Love/ KITTY
KALLEN: Little Things Mean A Lot/ PEGGY KING: Make Yourself Comfortable/
EARTHA KITT: Heel/ Under The Bridges Of Paris/ BRENDA LEE: Ain't That
Love/ Dynamite/ Love You Till I Die/ One Step At A Time/ PEGGY LEE: Mr
Wonderful/ JULIE LONDON: Cry Me A River/ BONNIE LOU: Tennessee Wig Walk/
GISELE MACKENZIE: Seven Lonely Days/ THE MCGUIRE SISTERS: Goodnight My
Love Pleasant Dreams/ Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight/ He/ No More/
Sincerely/ Something's Gotta Give/ ELLA MAE MORSE: Blacksmith Blues/ Oakie
Boogie/ PATTI PAGE: (how Much Is) That Doggie In The Window/ Allegheny
Moon/ Changing Partners/ Croce Di Oro/ Cross Over The Bridge/ Go On With
The Wedding/ I Went To Your Wedding/ Tennessee Waltz/ You Belong To Me/
PATIENCE & PRUDENCE: Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now/ Tonight You Belong To
Me/ DEBBIE REYNOLDS: Tammy/ THE SHEPHERD SISTERS: Alone/ MCGUIRE SISTERS:
Sugartime/ KEELY SMITH: Autumn Leaves/ Lip/ JERI SOUTHERN: Fire Down
Below/ JO STAFFORD: Fool Such As I/ It's Almost Tomorrow/ Make Love To Me/
Suddenly There's A Valley/ Teach Me Tonight/ You Belong To Me/ KAY STARR:
Comes Along Alove/ Rock And Roll Waltz/ Wheel Of Fortune/ GALE STORM: Hold
On/ I Hear You Knocking/ I'll Hold You In My Heart/ Memories Are Made Of
This/ Teen Age Prayer/ JOAN WEBER: Let Me Go Lover/ KITTY WELLS: Hey Joe/
It Wasn't God Who Made Honkytonk Angels
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Castle PBXCD 355 |
Rock Baby Rock It! Record Hop Rock 'n'
Roll |
● CD $19.98 |
Back in print. Three CD set with 54 tracks of rockabilly,
rock 'n' roll and rocking R&B. An enjoyable mixture of the familiar and
the obscure including tracks by Johnny Carroll, Glen Garrison & The Note
KIngs, The Four Teens, Buster Brown, Sonny West, Bobby & Terry Caraway,
Earl Wade, The Four Dots, Eddie Cochran, The Gorman Sisters, Gregg Madden,
Chuck Fayne, Ernie Maresca, Les Cooper & The Soul Rockers, Ray Smith,
Rosco Gordon, Dean Beard, Elroy Pearce and others. Sound quality is
excellent and the set comes with a six page booklet with notes by Stuart
Coleman.
JEWEL AKENS: Wee Bit More Of Your Lovin'/ Doing The
Hully Gully/ HANK BALLARD & THE MIDNIGHTERS: The Twist/ PHIL BAUGH: Bumble
Twist/ DEAN BEARD: Shiverin' And Shakin'/ BUSTER BROWN: Sugar Babe/ BOBBY
& TERRY CARAWAY & THE ROCKATS: Ballin' Keen/ JOHNNY CARROLL: Rock Baby,
Rock It/ DEE CLARK: Oh Little Girl/ EDDIE COCHRAN: Jelly Bean/ One Minute
To One/ Skinny Jim/ LES COOPER & THE SOUL ROCKERS: Wiggle Wobble/ EDDIE
DANIELS: I Wanna Know/ BO DAVIS: Let's Coast Awhile/ HAROLD DORMAN: Uncle
Jonah's Place/ HUELYN DUVALL: Three Months To Kill/ CHUCK FAYNE: Tokyo
Stomp/ THE FOUR DOTS: Hide And Go Seek/ THE FOUR TEENS: Go Little Go Cat/
Spark Plug/ FRANK & ERNIE: Spot Light/ GLENN GARRISON & THE NOTE KINGS:
Lovin' Lorene/ THE GEE CEES: Buzz Saw/ ROSCO GORDON: Just A Little Bit/
THE GORMAN SISTERS: Sock Hop/ CHARLIE GRACIE: Night And Day Usa/ RUDY
GRAYZELL: Judy/ EARL HOOKER: The Hucklebuck/ THE JODIMARS: Story Tellin'
Baby/ BILL JOHNSON: You Better Dig It/ KAROL KELLY: Slow Dance/ MICKEY LEE
LANE: Senior Class (they're All In The)/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: I've Been
Twistin'/ GREG MADDEN: The King/ ERNIE MARESCA: Shout! Shout! (knock
Yourself Out)/ SCOTTY MCKAY: Little Lump Of Sugar/ BOBBY MILANO: Life
Begins At Four O‘clock/ ROY ORBISON: Mean Little Mama/ ELROY PEACE & THE
BOW RIBBONS: Quick Like/ GENE SIMMONS: I Done Told You/ BILL SKIDMORE III:
Date Bait/ RAY SMITH: Shake Around/ WARREN SMITH: Miss Froggie/ WILD JIMMY
SPRUILL: Kansas City March/ WYNN STEWART: Come On/ TOM TALL & THE TOM
CATS: Stack-a-records/ TARHEEL SLIM: No.9 Train/ UNKNOWN ARTIST (PROBABLY
MARLON GRISHAM): What A Beat/ EARL WADE: I Dig Rock 'n' Roll/ Let Me Miss
You/ DARRY WEAVER: Itty Bitty Betty/ SONNY WEST: Rock-ola Ruby/ LINK WRAY
& THE RAYMEN: Run, Chicken, Run
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collector 4533 |
Rock & Roll With Piano, Vol. 17 |
● CD $16.98 |
30 tracks, 66 mins, highly recommended
An excellent
collection of rockers from the 50s and early 60s which includes piano in
them - about half of them instrumentals. All the artists are obscure and
most tracks are making their first appearance on CD and includes Wayne
Hammond & The Starfires (the Buddy Hollyish Can't See Why), L:anier
Smith, Dave Osborn (Twistin' With You is a lot hotter than the
title suggests), Dumpy "Piano" Rice, Shorty & The Fireblazers, Dick Caruso
(the great instrumental with hot guitar), Jimmie Helms & The Country
Cousins, The Challengers (the hot surf instrumental Tidal Wave),
The Headliners, Jimmie Zack & The Blues Rockers (fine bluesy acoustic
country), Harmonica/ Piano Bill (fine harmonica & piano instrumental),
Jack & Sammy Stone & The Drifting PLayboys, Ralph "Hippo" Hipp and more.
There are a few duds along the way but most of the tracks here are
excellent. (FS)
MARVIN BELL & HIS BELLTONES: It Takes Two/ BIG MAMA JO:
Kansas City/ THE BOB-CHORDS: Hi-Voltage/ DICK CARUSO: Rockin' With
Richard/ THE CHALLENGERS: Tidal Wave/ THE CONTINENTALS: Cool Penguin/
WAYNE HAMMOND & THE STARFIRES: Can't See Why/ HARMONICA/PIANO BILL: Wing
Ding/ THE HEADLINERS: Sorry About That/ JIMMIE HELMS & THE COUNTRY
COUSINS: Git-Cha/ THE HI-FI'S: Pushin'/ RALPH "HIPPO" HIPP: Hippo's
Boogie/ CHARLES HOAGLAND & THE HODARA'S: Come On Over, Here,Baby/ DOC
HOLIDAY: Your Not The One/ CURLY HOWARD: Georgia Redheaded Girl/ KOOKIE
JONES: Yearning/ MIKE "KEYS" MARTINEZ & THE IMPRESSIONS: Sugar Baby/ DAVE
OSBORN: Twistin With You/ DUMPY "PIANO" RICE: Cross Country Drive/ SHORTY
& THE FIREBLAZERS: Ferdinand Rock/ Juke Box Baby/ LANIER SMITH: Blues Mean
Old Blues/ Verbena/ COLONEL SPLENDID & THE COMMANDO'S: Emperor Hudson/ THE
STAR KNIGHTS: Midnight Express/ JACK & SAMMY STONE & THE DRIFTING
PLAYBOYS: Love,Love,Love/ BILL TODD TRIO: Rock-N-Nova/ ROBERT & GENE
WILSON: Jamboree Rock/ JIMMIE ZACK & THE BLUES ROCKERS: Evil Ways/ I Can't
Do Without You
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collector 4536 |
Slow Boogie Rockin', Vol. 8 |
● CD $16.98 |
30 tracks, 76 mins, recommended
Another in that fine
Collector series featuring slow to mid-tempo rockers - often with a bluesy
flavor. Although not quite as strong as some previous volumes there's
enough really good titles to make it worthwhile including the opening
track Ain't Got A Nickel by Max Lowe which is a mix of blues and
bluegrass, Glenn Reffuse's Lover' Blues with it's tough blues
guitar solo, Red Horn's updating of Jimmie Rodgers' Let Me Be Your
Sidetrack as Let Me Be Your Teddy Baby and several fine
instrumentals including The Traveler's great guitar treatment of Floyd
Cramer's Last Date and the Melody Buccaneers with Buccaneer
Boogie. Other artists includw Paul McDowell & The Country Ramblers,
Martha Lou, Randy & The Rockets, Vernon Derrick and more. As usual most
tracks are on CD for the first time, sound quality is excellent and
booklet has artist photos and label shots. (FS)
JIMMY BARBEE: Don't Love Me No More/ PAT BECKER: Baby
I'm Lonesome/ RONNY BOWDEN & THE LYRICS: Morning Blues/ THE CHEERFUL
EARFULS: The Drag Part Two/ JIMMY DEMPSEY & THE DOWNBEATS: Corner Drug
Store/ VERNON DERRICK: Seven Come Eleven/ RED HORN WITH GENE HIGGINS & THE
CHALLENGERS: A Night In Old Mexico/ Let Me Be Your Teddy Baby/ BUTCH
KRIEGER: How Do I Stand/ JOHN LAVAN & THE TWILIGHTS: I Need Your Sweet
Love Baby/ JIMMY LEE: Sad And Lonely/ TOMMY LEE & THE ORBITS: Darlin'/
LENNY & THE THUNDERTONES: The Moon Of Manakoora/ MARTHA LOU: Dream Land/
MAX LOWE: Ain't Got A Nickel/ RUDY LYLE: Missing And Kissing/ PAUL
MCDOWELL & THE COUNTRY RAMBLERS: Give My Rose To Rose/ THE MELODY
BUCCANEERS: Buccaneer Boogie/ THE METEORS: Blue Harmonica/ ROBERT OWENS &
THE NITE TWISTERS: Wrapped Around Your Finger/ RANDY & THE ROCKETS: Crazy
Notion/ Is It True/ GLENN REFFUSE & THE REFUGEES: Lover's Blues/ LONNY
ROBERTS & THE FUTURAS: Don't You Know/ One More Try/ RONNIE & MARLENE (THE
FABULOUS BERRYS): Marlene/ BILLY SNOW: Gonna Look And Find/ BILL
STRICKLAND: Money Honey/ THE TRAVELERS: Last Date/ CURTIS WAYNE: I'll Be
Around
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collector 4550 |
41 Years Collector Records (40 Was Not
Enough) |
● CD $16.98 |
31 tracks, 70 mins, highly recommended
Oh that Cees Klop
and his crazy album titles! Dutch collector and researcher Cees Klp
started reissuing vintage rockabilly and rock 'n' roll in 1967 and over
the past 41 years has issued hundreds of LPs and CDs drawn from records he
has collected along with tapes and acetates acquired from artists and
independent record labels. He has reissued many recordings that have
eluded many of the other reissue labels on the market and has really
performed a service for fans of real rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. This
new release is chock full of rare recordings and unissued demos including
one previously unissued track from Ricky Nelson & Bobby Mizzell from
fairly late in Ricky's life though it sounds like it could have been
recorded much earlier. It also includes demos of Roll And Rhythm
and Lonesome Rhythm Blues by Wayne McGinnis recorded several years
before his acclaimed Meteor recordings of these songs. There are half a
dozen instrumental tracks - all of them pretty hot - mostly guitar
oriented though Cyril Scutt's Powerhouse Boogie Woogie is a
powerhouse piano boogie. Other artists include Monty Olive & His Piano,
Van Walker (a cover of Guitar Jr's The Crawl), Ricky Morvan & The
Fensd, Eddie Taylor The Les Petty Trio, Jr. Thompson (an alternative take
of Jungle Girl), Tony Senn (the fine The King's Coming Home
about you know who), Gene Wyatt & His Guitar and others. Usual excellent
sound quality and a 28 page booklet with notes on the history of Collector
Records, comments on the songs and artist photos. (FS)
AVERY & THE COUNTRY BOYS: Grandpa's Twist/ THE CUBS: Ram
Charger/ JOHNNY DAYE & GUITAR JEFF & THE CREOLES: Wait A Minute Baby/ THE
DIXIE REBELS: Five Sticks Of Dynamite/ JOYCE GREEN: Black Cadillac/ AL
HENDRIX WITH JOLLY JODY & HIS GO DADDIES: Ethalene/ JOHN J.: Shotgun
Weddin'/ WIBBY LEE & PAUL ALLEN BAND: Inflation Blues/ BOBBY LOLLAR & PETE
BEAVERICS: Bad Bad Boy/ WAYNE MCGINNIS,VOCAL WITH GUITAR: Lonesome Rhythm
Blues/ Rock, Roll And Rhythm/ ROCKY MORGAN & THE ROCKIN': Wolf Whistle
Baby/ RICKY MORVAN & THE FENS: Bey Bey Baby/ Little Woman/ RICKY NELSON &
BOBBY MIZZELL: You Got Me Gone/ FRED NETHERTON & THE WILDWOOD PLAYBOYS: I
Can't Get It Off My Mind/ MONTY OLIVE & HIS PIANO: Old Black Joe/ Sitting
On Top Of The World/ MISS LOIS POWELL: Woo-Ee-Baby/ WALT PRATER & THE
PRATERS: Flat River Mail Train/ DIXIE REBELS: Evacuation/ DUSTRY RIVERS &
THE RANGERS: Wheelwright Boogie/ CYRIL SCUTT: Powerhouse Boogie Woogie/
TONY SENN: The King's Comin' Home/ EDDIE TAYLOR & THE LES PETTY TRIO:
Gonna Be Long Gone/ JR. THOMPSON: Jungle Girl/ UNKNOWN SINGER/BAND: Shimmy
Shake/ VAN WALKER: The Crawl/ ROGER WILBANKS & THE BLUE MOON BOYS: She's
Got Another Ride/ GENE WYATT & HIS GUITAR: Little Girl/ RUFINO ZAPATA &
LOS TEJANITOS: Baby I Go Crazy
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
DMG 1000014 |
100 Hits: Rock 'n' Roll |
● CD $24.98 |
5 CDs, 100 tracks, recommended
Do you need another rock
'n' roll compilation? Well here it is: exactly what the title says, 100
hits from the 50's and 60's (heavier on the 50's) from both sides of the
Atlantic. It is truly a mixed bag: R&B, Pop, Rockabilly, Rock 'n' Roll,
Doo-Wop, and Skiffle are all represented, and the artists range from the
famous (Elvis, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis) to the semi-obscure (Buddy
Knox, Dale Hawkins) and everything in between. As befitting a British
compilation, there's the British rockers that us Yanks may or may not be
familiar with (Billy Fury, Tommy Steele, Lonnie Donegan, Mike Berry), and
the American artists that the Brits revere (Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent,
Gene Pitney, The Everly Brothers). As a cross section of what one was most
likely to hear on the radio in the years (roughly) 1955 to 1962 (with a
few exceptions), this collection is fairly accurate (if one was living in
England, that is) and actually lots of fun. So, if you haven't got these
songs in any other fashion or just like a ready-made party CD (for a
multi-CD player), then this is the collection for you.(GMC)
PAUL ANKA: Diana/ FRANKIE AVALON: Don't Throw Away All
Of Those Dreams/ Venus/ Why/ FREDDIE BELL & THE BELL BOYS: Giddy Up A Ding
Dong/ CHUCK BERRY: Maybellene/ Rock `n' Roll Music/ School Days/ MIKE
BERRY: Tribute To Buddy Holly/ EDDIE BO: I Love To Rock `n' Roll/ PAT
BOONE: Chains Of Love/ Long Tall Sally/ Love Letters In The Sand/ B.
BUMBLE & THE STINGERS: Nut Rocker/ JOHNNY CASH: Get Rhythm/ THE CHAMPS:
Tequila/ BRUCE CHANNEL: Hey Baby/ THE CHORDETTES: Mr. Sandman/ JIMMY
CLANTON: Just A Dream/ Venus In Blue Jeans/ EDDIE COCHRAN: Sittin' In The
Balcony/ Twenty Flight Rock/ THE CREW CUTS: Earth Angel/ THE CRICKETS: Oh
Boy!/ That'll Be The Day/ DANNY & THE JUNIORS: At The Hop/ THE
DEL-VIKINGS: Come Go With Me/ THE DIAMONDS: Little Darlin'/ Silhouettes/
BO DIDDLEY: Bo Diddley/ I'm A Man/ BILL DOGGETT: Honky Tonk(part 2)/ FATS
DOMINO: Ain't That A Shame/ Blueberry Hill/ I'm In Love Again/ LONNIE
DONEGAN: Cumberland Gap/ THE DUPREES: You Belong To Me/ THE EVERLY
BROTHERS: Bye Bye Love/ Claudette/ FABIAN: Hound Dog Man/ Tiger/ FRANKIE
FORD: Sea Cruise/ BILLY FURY: Halfway To Paradise/ Wondrous Place/ CHARLIE
GRACIE: Butterfly/ BILL HALEY AND HIS COMETS: Rip It Up/ Rock Around The
Clo/ See You Later Alligator/ THURSTON HARRIS: Little Bitty Pretty One/
DALE HAWKINS: Suzie Q/ HEINZ: Just Like Eddie/ BOBBY HELMS: My Special
Angel/ CLARENCE 'FROGMAN' HENRY: Ain'tgot No Home/ BUDDY HOLLY: Peggy Sue/
Maybe Baby/ JOHNNY & THE HURRICANES: Red River Rock/ EARL KING: (come On)
Let The Good Times Roll/ BUDDY KNOX: Hula Love/ Party Doll/ BRENDA LEE:
Dynamite/ CURTIS LEE: Pretty Little Angel Eyes/ Under The Moon Of Love/
JERRY LEE LEWIS: Great Balls Of Fire/ Whole Lotta Shaking Going On/ LITTLE
RICHARD: Lucille/ The Girl Can't Help It/ Tutti Frutti/ JIM LOWE: The
Green Door/ FRANKIE LYMON & THE TEENAGERS: I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent/
Why Do Ools Fall In L/ SCOTTY MCKAY: Cry Me A River/ CHRIS MONTEZ: Let's
Dance/ ROY ORBISON: Oobydooby/ Trying To Get To You/ CARL PERKINS: Blue
Suede Shoes/ Roll Over Beethoven/ GENE PITNEY: 24 Hours From Tulsa/ Town
Without Pity/ THE PLATTER: Only You/ The Great Pretender/ ELVIS PRESLEY:
All Shook Up/ Hound Dog/ Shake, Rattle & Roll/ TOMMY SANDS: Goin' Steady/
DEL SHANNON: Hey Little Girl/ Runaroundsue/ Runaway/ THE SHIRELLES: Will
You Love Me Tomorrow/ SHIRLEY & LEE: Let The Good Times Roll/ SIR DOUGLAS
QUINTET: Bacon Fat/ HUEY "PIANO" SMITH: Don't You Just Know It/ Rockin'
Pneumonia/ TOMMY STEELE: Rock With The Caveman/ Water Water/ JOHNNY
TILLOTSON: Poetry In Motion/ GENE VINCENT: Be Bop A Lula/ Blue Jean Bop/
Dance To The Bop/ YOUNG JOHN WATSON: Space Guitar/ LINK WRAY & HIS RAY
MEN: Rumble
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Saga Blues 530 193-6 |
Elvis Pays Tribute To The Blues |
● CD $13.98 |
24 tracks, 62 mins, highly recommended
If you ever wanted
to contrast Elvis Presley's versions of R&B and Blues classics with the
originals, well now here's your chance: this CD is conveniently divided
into two parts, with the first half devoted to the original tracks and the
second half to Elvis' cover versions. For Blues novices like me, it's
great to have seminal tracks like Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's That' All
Right and My Baby Left Me, Roy Brown's Good Rocking Tonight,
Junior Parker's Mystery Train, and "Kokomo Arnold's Milk Cow
Blues in one place; for music historians and junkies, it's great to be
able to see close up and personal how the Blues and early R&B helped make
Elvis into the powerhouse he became is extremely educational and
illuminating. Or to quote the liner notes: "This record has one
modest
ambition: to show an Elvis fan where most of the singer's style came from
by letting him judge for himself after listening to the originals. And,
contrariwise, to show diehard Black-music fans that Presley wasn't
rubbish." Well, I'd say that the compilers of this CD have succeeded, by
making a good case for Presley's greatness, and while showing that
greatness rarely springs from a vacuum. (GMC)
|
| BEVERLY WARREN |
Cat King Cole 1006 |
The Secret's Out - She's The Kind Of Girl
You Can't For |
● CD $17.98 |
31 track collection featuring doo-wop/ girl group singer
Beverly Warren with recordings from the late 50s through the 70s including
sides with The Chiffons, The Tokens, Vince Vance & The Valiants,
Blend-Airs, Teenchords, Revivals and Trecels as well as tracks under her
own name. 10 tracks are previously unreleased and four tracks are live
performances and there is a commercial for Dodge. Includes The Kinda
Boy You Can't Forget/ Baby Baby Hullabaloo/ A Few Casual Words/ Papa Bill
Is Home/ Would You Believe/ Please Mr. D.J. (Play Me A Sad Song)/ Gee
Whiz/ Not Too Young To Fall In Love/ No No No/ Dickie Dew, etc.
|
Back To New Release Index
Back
To Home Page
Roots & Rhythm
P.O. Box 837
El Cerrito, CA 94530 USA
Toll Free Order Line : 888-ROOTS-66, Fax : 510-526-9001
© 2012 Roots & Rhythm. No part of this site may be reproduced without written permission
|
