BULLETIN -
January/ December
2010
Vintage Rock 'n' Roll & Rockabilly
Eddie Cochran
->
Various Artists + Books
| JERRY LEE LEWIS Lost And Found |
|
by Joe Bonomo |
● BOOK $19.98 |
Hardbound, 208 pages, counts as three CDS for
shipping
Author Joe Bonomo has written a different take on the
career of Jerry Lee Lewis: rather than emphasizing his scandalous
life-beginning with Lewis' 1958 marriage to 13-year old second
cousin Myra-Bonomo has chosen to exhaustively examine 1964's
landmark album, "Live" at the Star-Club in order to illustrate the
Killer's enduring legacy in the rock 'n' roll pantheon. In
documenting the events that led up to the album's recording in
Hamburg on April 5, 1964-as well as what came afterward-Bonomo seeks
to focus on the sincerity in the best of Lewis' work, while bringing
the man to life in new and fascinating ways.
|
| LITTLE RICHARD The Birth Of Rock |
|
by David Kirby |
● BOOK $19.98 |
Hardback, 218 pages, counts as 3 CDs for shipping
David Kirby has an agenda: he wrote this book because he felt that
Little Richard hasn't gotten his due as a rock 'n' roll pioneer, and
that Tutti Frutti has not been rightfully acknowledged by the
rock critic elite (except, notably, in England) as the fulcrum of
rock 'n' roll. The book begins by grounding the reader in the
fertile soil from which Little Richard's music sprang. In Macon,
Georgia, Kirby interviews relatives and local characters who knew
Little Richard way back when, citing church and family as his true
inspiration. Kirby sees Little Richard as a "foxy warrior", fighting
with skill and cunning to take his place among the greats. He makes
the creation of Tutti Frutti the centerpiece of the book,
thereby forever cementing that song's-and Little Richard's-place in
music history.
|
| UGLY THINGS #29 |
|
|
● BOOK $8.95 |
Magazine, 224 pages, highly recommended, counts as
four CDs for shipping
Always an exciting day for me when U.T. shows
up on my doorstep and this issue (Their biggest yet!) didn't
disappoint, encased in a beautiful orange cover and chock full of
rare and wonderful Rock 'n' Roll from days of old. On top of the
dozens of pages of excellent reviews, you get extensive features on
Sky Saxon (R.I.P.,) Nico, The Shadows of Knight, Easybeats, San
Francisco's Wildflowers, The Nomads, Pretty Things (plus pre-Pretty
Things outfit The Fenmen,), and (main cover story) Australia's The
Masters Apprentices. Now I know most of those artists aren't exactly
household names. No worries: their stories are great and you get
some of the best music writers in the world telling their tales.
Overflowing with '60s Pop, Psyche, Folk, Punk, Beat, and everything
else cool and retro. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best music
mag available. If this issue only had its reviews section and it's
ads, it would still be a better read than about 90% of the music
magazines on the shelves today. If you are familiar with Ugly
Things, than you won't be disappointed; if you aren't, you should
be. (JM)
|
| EDDIE COCHRAN |
Rockstar 031 |
String Fever |
● CD $22.98 |
32 tracks, 78 mins, highly recommended
The title of
this CD means exactly what it says: it is a collection of Cochran's
finest guitar-led work that satisfies the need to explore his guitar
mastery on one tribute CD. This compilation looks at the
instrumentals he cut from the beginning of his solo career, just at
the end of his tenure as one half of The Cochran Brothers in 1956,
right up to his fascination with the Blues at the end of his
recording career in late 1959. In between, there's oddities,
novelties, prototype surf, funk (sort-of), a stab at classical
guitar, and out-and-out rockers. Most of these tracks were not
issued during Eddie's lifetime and a few are appearing here for the
very first time. The music speaks for its self, and with thorough
liner notes, this CD is a must for Cochran fans or fans of no-frills
guitar mastery. (GMC)
|
| BUDDY HOLLY |
Hip-O Select 12875-02 |
Not Fade Away - The Complete Studio
REcordings Plus |
● CD $119.98 |
Six CDs, 203 tracks, essential
I make no secret of
the fact that Buddy Holly is my favorite 50s rocker - I love Elvis,
Carl, Little Richard and the others but Buddy is the one that
affects me the most. I can still remember saving money when I was 14
years old to buy That'll Be The Day which I'd been hearing on
the radio and when I finally got it I played it time after time and
then when I turned it over I found that the flip I'm Looking For
Someone To Love was almost as good and it had not one, but two
guitar solos. When Peggy Sue appeared a few months later it
rapidly became my favorite record of the year and when I got to see
Buddy perform the following year at the Gaumont in Hammersmith with
the Crickets he was even better than I had hoped for. Then a year
later he was dead, and I was crushed.
Now finally 50 years after his
premature death we finally get a collection of all his extant
recordings. Well, almost all - it doesn't include the handful of
live recordings that exist, his interviews or his accompaniments to
other artists but it does include everything else including undubbed
versions of demos and home recordings that were overdubbed by Norman
Petty after Buddy's death as well as undubbed versions of songs that
appeared originally on singles sweetened by vocal backup by The
Picks. Sure, most of this material has appeared on "unauthorized"
issues over the years but this does feature several undubbed
versions of songs appearing for the first time and having access to
the original tapes and discs and state of the art remastering means
that the sound quality is vastly superior to previous issues. The
first four discs and part of the fifth present all his recordings
(undubbed versions where they exist) in chronological order from his
first tentative version of Hank Snow's My Two Timin' Woman
recorded when he was only 13 years old to the final recordings made
in his and Maria Elena's apartment in December 1958 and January
1959 where he performed some new original compositions as well as
versions of some of his favorite R&B, rock 'n' roll and pop songs.
Throughout we hear an artist who loved and was dedicated to his
music who excelled as a singer, as a songwriter and as a guitarist
and while it's useless to speculate what direction his music would
have taken if he had lived I'm pretty convinced that his impact
would have been significant. Those who have not kept up with the
unauthorized reissues are in some real treats like the undubbed and
more exciting version of Oh Boy, the alternate take of
Peggy Sue with it's subtly different guitar break and a 10
minute session at Norman Petty's studio sometime in 1957 where he
and Jerry Allison work on the Bo Diddley song Mona which
would have been a killer if it had been completed. The balance of
disc five and disc six feature the overdubbed versions of songs that
were overdubbed after his death - mostly by The Fireballs under the
direction of Norman Petty. Curiously the only appearance of the song
Wishing is here. The undubbed version could not be found but
it would have made more sense to include one of the overdubbed
versions in the chronological sequence.
Considering the importance
of the music here it's a shame that the documentation couldn't be
better - Billy Altman's appreciation is brief but fine but Bill
Dahl's discussion of the music is pretty redundant. A more in depth
look at Buddy's life and music would have been appropriate. The set
is packaged in a handsome yearbook type book with 80 pages which
includes the notes and a selection of rare and common photos and the
CDs slip into slots in pages in the back. In spite of my minor
reservations this is an utterly indispensable collection -
particularly for the Buddy Holly fan but will appeal to everyone who
loves 50s rock 'n' roll. (FS) Note: because of the size of the book
this counts as eight CDs for shipping purposes.
(FS)
|
| ELVIS PRESLEY |
Memphis Recording Service 26956 |
Tupelo Welcomes Elvis Presley |
● CD $28.98 |
24 tracks, 62 mins, highly recommended
Another
special edition from the folks at Memphis Recording Service, this
time the package includes a CD containing two homecoming concerts
recorded on September 26th 1956 in Tupelo, Mississippi, and a 40
page book of rare photographs and informative text. For his
appearance at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show
Fairgrounds, Elvis gave afternoon and evening performances which are
both contained here. The afternoon performance has more songs, but
the evening one has better sound quality (less annoying screaming
from the tons of girls present, although neither is exactly state of
the art) and Elvis' passionate vocals and the consummate backing of
the Jordanaires is more easily heard. Also included are radio
interviews with Elvis, and his parents Vernon and Gladys (who sound
overwhelmed by the attention being paid to them), but the most
telling moments of the recording come when Elvis attempts (in both
shows) to get the audience to sit down (to allow people behind to
see) and not crowd the front (so little kids don't get crushed); if
nothing else, these instances prove that little has changed in 50
plus years of concert going. Although I highly recommend this
package, I have to emphasize that it's not for the casual fan; only
the Presley die-hards need apply here. (GMC)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Abkco (UK) 15591 |
Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound
Retrospective |
● CD $16.98 |
22 tracks, 62 mins, essential
Regardless of how one
feels about Phil Spector the man (a man who will probably spend the
rest of his life behind bars), it cannot be denied that as a
producer he has been the architect of many memorable music moments.
This CD collects 21 (the last track is a fascinating solo
performance of Spanish Harlem by the man himself) of
Spector's greatest pop productions, from the Ronettes, the Crystals,
Darlene Love (occasional lead singer of the Crystals), the Righteous
Brothers, and Ike & Tina Turner. People of certain age remember the
first time these mini-symphonies blasted out of their radios, and
how they sounded like nothing else of their era. As music, there's
no doubting the greatness of Da Doo Ron Ron/ Be My Baby/ You've
Lost That Lovin' Feeling or He's a Rebel, but these same
tracks have influenced many an artist down through the years (Bruce
Springsteen has spent an entire career trying to capture the Spector
magic in his recordings). This set omits Spector's first hit (the
Teddy Bears' To Know Him is to Love Him), but the focus here
is on the years 1961 to 1966, arguably his peak period. Presented in
glorious mono, this material is currently unavailable in the U.S.,
so this import (complete with detailed information regarding the
recording, chart performance, personnel etc. of the songs) is the
best way to obtain these priceless tunes. (GMC)
THE CRYSTALS: Da Doo Ron Ron/ He's A Rebel/ He's
Sure The Boy I Love/ Then He Kissed Me/ There's No Other Like My
Baby/ Uptown/ DARLENE LOVE: Fine Fine Boy/ Today I Met The Boy I'm
Gonna Marry/ Wait Till My Bobby Gets Home/ THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS:
Unchained Melody/ You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling/ THE RONETTES:
Baby I Love You/ Be My Baby/ Best Part Of Breakin' Up/ Born To Be
Together/ Do I Love You/ Walking In The Rain/ BOB B. SOXX & THE BLUE
JEANS: Not Too Young To Get Married/ Why Do Lovers Break Each Others
Hearts/ Zip A Dee Doo Dah/ PHIL SPECTOR: Spanish Harlem/ IKE & TINA
TURNER: River Deep Mountain High
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1171 |
Radio Gold, Vol. 5 |
● CD $18.98 |
30 tracks, 73 mins, highly recommended
Not a new
release but not listed before. Another volume in a series of CDs
documenting the records that fired the imaginations of UK youth
during the 50's and early 60's. While early volumes concentrated on
records that played on Europe's Radio Luxembourg or the BBC's Light Programme (a show that only made token attempts to play real rock
'n' roll), this volume spotlights tunes that were hits on U.S. radio
during the same era (but were also hits in the U.K. too). As
sampling of the diversity of U.S. radio during the years 1956-1962,
this comp does a very good job of illustrating that in those days
songs that were more Country leaning (the Everly Brothers Walk
Right Back; Jimmie Rodgers' Kisses Sweeter Than Wine)
could rub shoulders with Pop (Doris Day, Bobby Vee, Perry Como),
Folk (The Tarriers, John D. Loudermilk), R&B (the Drifters, the
Coasters), rock 'n' roll (Jerry Lee Lewis, Eddie Cochran), and
everything in between. There are well known songs here (Poison
Ivy/ Baby it's You/ C'mon Everybody), but there's enough lesser
known material by certain artists (like Bobby Darin rockin' out on
If a Man Answers, for example) to make the compilation
interesting from a historical perspective and fun listening to boot.
(GMC)
RUTH BROWN: Lucky Lips/ JOHNNY BURNETTE: Little
Boy Sad/ THE CHORDETTES: Born To Be With You/ JIMMY CLANTON: Another
Sleepless Night/ THE COASTERS: Poison Ivy/ EDDIE COCHRAN: C'mon
Everybody/ PERRY COMO: Kewpie Doll/ BOBBY DARIN: If A Man Answers/
FATS DOMINO: Be My Guest/ THE DRIFTERS: When My Little Girl Is
Smiling/ THE EVERLY BROTHERS: Walk Right Back/ THE FOUR PREPS: Got A
Girl/ DON GIBSON: Sea Of Heartbreak/ CLARENCE "FROGMAN" HENRY: You
Always Hurt The One You Love/ JIMMY JONES: Good Timin'/ FRANKIE
LAINE: Moonlight Gambler/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: High School Confidential/
JOHN D. LOUDERMILK: Language Of Love/ GARRY MILLS: Look For A Star/
GUY MITCHELL: Heartaches By The Number/ ROY ORBISON: Dream Baby/
JOHNNY PRESTON: Cradle Of Love/ JIMMIE RODGERS: Kisses Sweeter Than
Wine/ JACK SCOTT: Burning Bridges/ NEIL SEDAKA: Next Door To An
Angel/ THE SHIRELLES: Baby It's You/ THE TARRIERS: Banana Boat Song/
JOHNNY TILLOTSON: It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'/ BOBBY VEE: Run To Him
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Big Beat CDWIKD 288 |
Nippon Girls - Japanese Pop, Beat &
Bossa Nova 1966-70 |
● CD $18.98 |
25 tracks, 70 mins, highly recommended
Anyone who
thinks that Japanese pop/rock begins and ends with Shonen Knife and
the Pizzicato Five, is in for a big surprise with this latest groovy
compilation from Big Beat. Based on this evidence, the creators of
this music relied heavily on Burt Bacharach, Tony Hatch, Hollywood
pop, and 60's lounge and film music for their inspiration. And some
of these tracks are truly inspired: sometimes two or three different
songs can be heard in one track (such as Peacock Baby/ Suki Sa
Suki Sa Suki Sa, and the simply amazing Nagisa No Tenshi).
Although the fuzz guitar or Motown beat can be detected, it would
seem that neither R&B nor Psychedelic Rock loomed very large in the
Japanese pop world. And that's ok with me because this music is
exactly what it appears to be: frothy fun to be enjoyed not
endlessly analyzed and dissected for hidden significance, like so
much of late 60's pop/rock. This CD makes a great companion to the
Chartbusters USA Special Edition: Sunshine Pop (Ace 1228); both
together tackle two different, yet similar, takes on cheery 60's
pop. (GMC)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Born Bad 022 |
Rock Rock Rock - French Rock 'n'
Roll, 1956-1959 |
● CD $23.98 |
16 tracks, 41 mins, highly recommended
In case
anyone wondered whether the influence of Richard Brooks' film
"Blackboard Jungle" - and it's blistering theme song Rock Around
the Clock by Bill Haley and His Comets - was limited only to the
U.S. and Britain, here is a CD to definitely answer the question in
the negative. This is a collection of pure Bill Haley-style rock 'n'
roll made by and for the French. I would love to be able to tell you
more about the artists and the movement, but the included liner
notes are in French! But one doesn't need a translator to appreciate
the excitement and fun that these songs promise and deliver in
spades. The one cover tune-Presley's Hound Dog - is sung in
English (although I would have been interested to hear a French
language treatment!) in a version that gives good menace, while the
rest is great fun whether it's Taps Miller's Ferme La Bouche
or Emile Lambert's Le Hula Bop. If you're looking for
something different, this is it! (GMC)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
El Toro 1024 |
Rollin' The Rock - Texas Rockabilly,
Vol. 2 |
● CD $18.98 |
33 tracks, 77 mins, highly recommended
Complementing
El Toro 1010 this is a second collection of hot rockabilly recorded
by Texas artists in the mid 50s. This one is devoted to five superb
artists - Johnny Carroll & His Hot Rocks, Alvis Waybe, Ray Campi &
The Snappers, Mac Curtis and Sid King & The Five Strings. Apart from
the fact that all these artists are from Texas and all were great,
all five artists recorded for Ronnie Weiser's Rollin' Rock label in
the 70s and Ronnie pens a tribute to them in the notes. This is all
rockabilly at it's best with soulful vocals and hard driving bands
with lots of fine guitar work. It's hard to pick favorites as it's
all good and if you don't already have this material on other
compilations it's a must. Superb sound and informative notes by Dave
Penny. (FS)
RAY CAMPI & THE SNAPPERS: Give That Love To Me/
Give That Love To Me/ I Didn't Mean To Be Mean/ I Didn't Mean To Be
Mean/ It Ain't Me/ It Ain't Me/ The Crossing/ The Crossing/ You
Can't Catch Me/ You Can't Catch Me/ RAY CAMPI WITH JOHN & HENRY:
Catapillar/ Catapillar/ Play It Cool/ Play It Cool/ JOHNNY CARROLL &
HIS HOT ROCKS: Corrine, Corrina/ Corrine, Corrina/ Crazy, Crazy
Lovin' (from "Rock, Baby, Rock It!")/ Crazy, Crazy Lovin' (from
"Rock, Baby, Rock It!")/ Hot Rock/ Hot Rock )/ Rock 'n' Roll Ruby/
Rock 'n' Roll Ruby/ Tryin' To Get To You/ Tryin' To Get To You/
Wild, Wild Women (from "Rock, Baby, Rock It!")/ Wild, Wild Women
(from "Rock, Baby, Rock It!")/ MAC CURTIS: Goosebumps/ Goosebumps/
Grandaddy's Rockin'/ Grandaddy's Rockin'/ Half Hearted Love/ Half
Hearted Love/ If I Had Me A Woman/ If I Had Me A Woman/ Just So You
Call Me/ Just So You Call Me/ That Ain't Nothin' But Right/ That
Ain't Nothin' But Right/ You Ain't Treatin' Me Right/ You Ain't
Treatin' Me Right/ SID KING & THE FIVE STRINGS: Booger Red/ Booger
Red/ Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight/ Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight/
Good Rockin' Baby/ Good Rockin' Baby/ I've Got The Blues/ I've Got
The Blues/ It's True, I'm Blue/ It's True, I'm Blue/ Let 'Er Roll/
Let 'Er Roll/ When My Baby Left Me/ When My Baby Left Me/ ALVIS
WAYNE: Don't Mean Maybe, Baby/ Don't Mean Maybe, Baby/ I Gottum/ I
Gottum/ I'd Rather Be With You/ I'd Rather Be With You/ Lay Your
Head On My Shoulder/ Lay Your Head On My Shoulder/ Sleep Rock-A-Roll
Rock-A-Baby/ Sleep Rock-A-Roll Rock-A-Baby/ Swing Bop Boogie/ Swing
Bop Boogie
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
EMI Gold 65401-2 |
Rock 'n' Roll - 132 Original Hits |
● CD $24.98 |
Six CD set with 132 tracks of rock 'n' roll from the
50s and early 60s mostly drawn from the various labels owned by EMI
(Liberty, Imperial, U.K. Columbia, Gee, etc.). Being an English
release it also features a fair number of hits by English artists.
Among the many artists featured are Eddie Cochran, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Tony Crombie
& The Rockets, Johnny Burnette, The Chordettes, The Mudlarks, Fats
Domino, Adam Faith and many others. I'm
not quite sure what the Kinsgton Trio are doing on a rock 'n' roll
compilation though their M.T.A. was a hit. And there's one
rather silly faux pas - Blue Suede Shoes by Carl perkins is
listed as licensed from Sun but it's not the Sun recording - I'm not
sure where it's from but it is pretty good. An entertaining set.
BOBBY ANGELO & THE TUXEDOS: Baby Sittin'/ Skinny
Lizzie/ BILLIE ANTHONY: Rock A Billy/ This Ole House/ FRANKIE
AVALON: Gingerbread/ THE AVONS: Rubber Ball/ Seven Little Girls
Sitting In The Back Seat/ THE BEACH BOYS: Fun Fun Fun/ I Get Around/
JIMMY BOWEN: I'm Sticking With You/ ROY BROWN: Let The Four Winds
Blow/ TOMMY BRUCE & THE BRUISERS: Ain't Misbehavin'/ JOHNNY
BURNETTE: Cincinnati Fireball/ Dream Lover/ Dreamin'/ You're
Sixteen/ THE CHANTELS: Maybe/ THE CHIFFONS: One Fine Day/ THE
CHORDETTES: Mr Sandman/ THE CLOVERS: Love Potion No. 9/ EDDIE
COCHRAN: C'mon Everybody/ Somethin' Else/ Summertime Blues/ THE
COUGARS: Saturday Nite At The Duck Pond/ THE CRICKETS: Don't Ever
Change/ They Call Her La Bamba/ TONY CROMBIE & HIS ROCKETS: Rock 'n'
Roller Coaster/ Shortnin' Bread Rock/ THE DAKOTAS: Cruel Sea/ DION:
Runaround Sue/ The Wanderer/ A Teenager In Love/ ERNIE K. DOE:
Mother In Law/ FATS DOMINO: Ain't That A Shame/ I Want To Walk You
Home/ Margie/ Whole Lotta Loving/ RAL DONNER: Girl Of My Best
Friend/ CRAIG DOUGLAS: Only Sixteen/ When My Little Girl Is Smiling/
THE DUBS: Don't Ask Me (To Be Lonely)/ THE ELIGIBLES: Car Trouble/
RAY ELLINGTON: Giddy Up A Ding Dong/ THE ESSEX: A Walkin' Miracle/
THE EVERLY BROTHERS: All I Have To Do Is Dream/ Claudette/ Wake Up
Little Susie/ THE EXCITERS: Tell Him/ ADAM FAITH: High School
Confidential/ Poor Me/ What Do You Want/ SHANE & THE FENTONES
FENTON: I'm A Moody Guy/ SHANE FENTON & THE FENTONES: Five Foot Two
Eyes Of Blue/ Hey Miss Ruby/ It's All Over Now/ THE FLAMINGOS: I
Only Have Eyes For You/ THE FOURMOST: A Little Loving/ BOBBY
FREEMAN: Do You Wanna Dance/ ERNIE FREEMAN: Raunchy/ THURSTON HARRIS
& THE SHARPS: Little Bitty Pretty One/ RONNIE HAWKINS: Forty Days
(To Come Back Home)/ THE HONEYCOMBS: Have I The Right/ FERLIN HUSKY:
A Fallen Star/ WANDA JACKSON: Hard Headed Woman/ Let's Have A Party/
Yakety Yak/ SONNY JAMES: Young Love/ TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS:
Hanky Panky/ Mony Mony/ JAN & DEAN: Surf City/ Tallahassee Lassie/
Who Put The Bop (In The Bomp Bomp Bomp)/ MARV JOHNSON: You Got What
It Takes/ THE JORDANAIRES: Don't Be Cruel/ JOHNNY KIDD & THE
PIRATES: I'll Never Get Over You/ Please Don't Touch/ THE KINGSTON
TRIO: MTA/ BUDDY KNOX: Hula Love/ Party Doll/ Rock Your Little Baby
To Sleep/ She's Gone/ DON LANG: Six Five Special/ Big Beat/ JERRY
LEE LEWIS: Great Balls Of Fire/ Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On/ LITTLE
ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS: A Prayer And A Juke Box/ Shimmy Shimmy Ko
Ko Bop/ Tears On My Pillow/ LITTLE EVA: Locomotion/ FRANKIE LYMON &
THE TEENAGERS: Baby Baby (Rock Rock Rock)/ Goody Goody/ Why Do Fools
Fall In Love/ THE MARCELS: Blue Moon/ ROBERT MITCHUM: Ballad Of
Thunder Road/ THE MUDLARKS: Book Of Love/ Lollipop/ SANDY NELSON:
Bony Moronie/ Shake Rattle And Roll/ JOHNNY OTIS SHOW: Ma (He's
Makin' Eyes at Me)/ Willie And The Hand Jive/ LARRY PAGE: That'll Be
The Day/ THE PARAMOUNTS: Poison Ivy/ CARL PERKINS: Blue Suede Shoes/
THE PILTDOWN MEN: Piltdown Rides Again/ CLIFF RICHARD: High Class
Baby/ THE ROCK-A-TEENS: Woo Hoo/ JIMMIE RODGERS: Honeycomb/ Kisses
Sweeter Than Wine/ Oh Oh I'm Falling In Love Again/ THE RONETTES:
Silhouettes/ TOMMY SANDS: Goin' Steady/ Maybelline/ THE SHADOWS:
Apache/ Kon Tiki/ HELEN SHAPIRO: Lipstick On Your Collar/ Walkin'
Back To Happiness/ THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS: Hippy Hippy Shake/
Shakin' All Over/ Tutti Frutti/ VINCE TAYLOR & PLAYBOYS: Brand New
Cadillac/ RICKY VALANCE: Tell Laura I Love Her/ BOBBY VEE: Take Good
Care Of My Baby/ Bo Diddley/ Peggy Sue/ Suzie Baby/ THE VENTURES:
Perfidia/ Walk Don't Run/ GENE VINCENT: Be Bop A Lula/ Pistol
Packin' Mama/ Bluejean Bop/ Good Golly Miss Molly/ THE VIPERS
SKIFFLE GROUP: Cumberland Gap
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Lesley 01 |
The Great Lost Story Of The
Rock-A-Ballad |
● CD $15.98 |
31 tracks, recommended
This was a pleasant surprise
- I was expecting another one of those collections of schmaltzy teen
pop but this is a different animal altogether. Basically slowed down
rock 'n' roll - ballads, sure - teenage love, sometimes - but much
of it with a hard edge. The sort of thing that Elvis and Gene
Vincent used to do so well. While there's nothing here up to that
standard there's lot of fine and worthwhile music here from the mid/
late 50s including sides by Clyde Stacy, Joe South (one of his
earliest sides - the tough It's Only You), Carl Cherry (the
great Baby Doll with fine jangling guitar), The Phantom,
Johnny Garmon (the bluesy Since I Found You), Jimmy Reagan
(the terrific Lonely, Lonely Heart with superb bluesy guitar
and Elvis influenced vocal), Jody Reynolds (Fire Of Love -
his followup to Endless Sleep with the same bass guitar sound
and similar tune), Frank Evans, Allen Page, Derrell Felts, Edwin
Bruce, Artie Dillon, Bobby Edwards, Chuck Sims and others. Sound
quality on some cuts is a bit muffled but is generally pretty good.
(FS)
EDWIN BRUCE: Part of My Life/ JODY CHASTAIN: I've
Waited Too Long/ CARL CHERRY: Baby Doll/ SANFORD CLARK: Still as the
Night/ BUDDY COVELLE: I'll Go on Loving You/ BOBBY CROWN: Your
Conscience/ ARTIE DILLON: Blue/ LARRY DOWD & THE ROCK-A-TONES:
Forbidden Love/ BOBBY EDWARDS: Stranger to Me/ BILLY ELDRIDGE: My
Blue Tears/ FRANK EVANS: I'd Like to Start Again/ DERRELL FELTS: The
Weeper/ JOHNNY GARMON: Since I Found You/ JOHNNY GARNER: Little
Starry Eyes/ ALLEN PAGE: I Wish You Were Wishing/ THE PHANTOM:
Whisper Your Love/ ROYCE PORTER: I End Up Crying/ Our Perfect
Romance/ JIMMY REAGAN: Lonely, Lonely Heart/ JODY REYNOLDS: The Fire
of Love/ RODNEY SCOTT: Bitter Tears/ CHUCK SIMS: Life Isn't Long
Enough/ JOE SOUTH: It's Only You/ My Fondest Memories/ CLYDE STACY:
So Young/ BOBBY SWANSON: The Ballad of Angel/ BRUCE TURNER: The
Ideal Girl/ DARRYL VINCENT: Because I Love You/ GENE WATSON: Life's
Valley/ ALVIS WAYNE: I'd Rather Be with You/ BOBBY WILLIAMS: If
Dreams Could Come True
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Lesley 02 |
Imperial Rock & Roll Party |
● CD $15.98 |
30 tracks, highly recommended
An excellent
collection of rockers recorded for Imperial - mostly in the mid 50s.
There are af few familiar tracks from the likes of Roy Brown, Bobby
Mitchell and The Burnette but most of the material is fairly obscure
with many tracks making their first appearance on CD and most of
them are very good including several hot instrumentals. Artists
include Jimmie Haskell, JImmie Maddin (an excellent cover of Eddie
Cochran's Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie with fine guitar), Art
Roberts (a couple of hot instrumentals including the bizareely
titled Give Her The Ax, Max), Bobby Jay, Freddie Fender (his
1959 bluesy rocker Mean Woman), Simon Scott, Merle Kilgore,
Jimmie Craig (the Buddy Hollyish Oh! Little Girl!), Buddy
Lowe (the great bluesy and intense It Happened To Me with
tough guitar), Bobby Charles (a fine cover of fellow New Orleanian
Fats Domino's Let The Four Winds Blow), Jackie Walker (two
songs including a fine cover of Peggy Sue with some superb
guitar work - James Burton?) and more. A most worthwhile set with
excellent sound but no notes. (FS)
SONNY ANDERSON: Lonely Lonely Train/ Yes, I’m
Gonna Love You/ JAY BLUE: The Coolest/ ROY BROWN: Hip Shakin’ Baby/
THE BURNETTE BROTHERS: My Honey/ BOBBY CHARLES: Four Winds/ JIMMY
CRAIG: Oh! Little Girl!/ RONNIE DIAMOND: Life Begins At 4 O’clock/
FREDDIE FENDER: Holy One/ Mean Woman/ JOHNNY GARNER: Fool/ JIMMIE
HASKELL: Astrosonic/ Rockin’ In The Orbit (Space Satellite)/ BOBBY
JAY: So Lonely/ Sweet Little Stranger/ MERLE KILGORE: Hang Doll/
Start All Over Again/ TOMMY LOMONTE: I’m Leaving/ Yeah, Yeah Yeah/
BUDDY LOWE: It Happened To Me/ JIMMIE MADDIN: Jeannie, Jeannie,
Jeannie/ BOBBY MITCHELL: I’m Gonna Be A Wheel Someday/ SANDY NELSON:
All Night Long/ ART ROBERTS: Giver Her The Ax, Max/ Terrible Ivan/
SIMON SCOTT: Move It Baby/ What Kind Of Woman/ SLICK SLAVIN: Speed
Crazy/ RONNY SMITH: I Started Out Walkin’/ Long Time No Love/ JACKIE
WALKER: Good, Good Feelin’/ Peggy Sue
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Smith & Co. 1188 |
Great British Rock 'n' Roll
Instrumentals |
● CD $15.98 |
Two CD with 61 tracks from the mid/ late 50s of rock
'n' roll instrumentals by various British groups. Material is a mix
of covers of American songs and originals and artists include The
Sleepwalkers, The Shadows/ Drifters
(Cliff Richard's backup band that were originally known as The
Drifters and was changed to The Shadows after they realized that
there was an American group with the same name), Keith Bird & The Birdies, Bert Weedon, Bob Cort Skiffle Group, etc.
BUD ASHTON: 40 Miles Of Bad Road/ Some Kind-a
Earthquake/ WINIFRED ATWELL: Five Finger Boogie/ Vine Street Boogie/
CHRIS BARBER'S JAZZ BAND: Bearcat Crawl/ THE JOHN BARRY SEVEN:
Little John/ Mab Mab/ Rebel Rouser/ ART BAXTER & HIS ROCK 'N' ROLL
SINNERS: Art's Theme/ Bax To The Wall/ KEITH BIRD & THE BIRDIES:
Peter Gunn/ KEN COLYER'S SKIFFLE GROUP: House Rent Stomp/ BOB CORT
SKIFFLE GROUP FEATURING KEN SYKORA: Bouncing Around/ TONY CROMBIE &
HIS ROCKETS: Rex Rocks/ THE DRIFTERS: Chinchilla/ Driftin'/ Jet
Black/ RAY ELLINGTON QUARTET: Strip The Camshaft/ JOHNNY (THE GASH)
GRAY: Big Guitar/ STAN GREIG'S JAZZ BAND: Skinnie Minnie/ WEE WILLIE
HARRIS: Got A Match/ THE JETSTREAMS: Bongo Rock/ THUNDERCLAP JONES:
Sound Barrier Boogie/ DON LANG & HIS FRANTIC FIVE: Hand Jive Boogie/
Riverside Rock/ Tequila/ The Climb/ LORD ROCKINGHAM'S XI: Hoots Mon/
KEN MACKINTOSH: Mojo/ Raunchy/ Squatty/ The Swivel/ JOHNNY PARKER'S
BARRELHOUSE GROUP: Hold That Thing/ JOHNNY PARKER'S BARRELHOUSE
FOUR: Mr. Freddy Blues/ JOHNNY PARKER'S WASHBOARD BAND: Canine
Stomp/ No. 69/ Up There/ JACK PARNELL: The Golden Striker/ RED
PRICE: Weekend/ THE ROCK 'N' ROLLERS: Applejack/ THE SAINTS JAZZ
BAND: Boogie Woogie Stomp/ HERBERT SEITER WITH HIS RHYTHM GROUP:
Crazy Fingers/ Eccentric Boogie/ RAY SENDIT & HIS ROCKEY TEAM:
Spike's Rock/ THE SHADOWS: Bongo Blues/ ERNIE SHEAR & THE LEW
RANDALL BAND: Cannonball/ VICTOR SILVESTER & HIS ROCK 'N' ROLL
RHYTHM: Rockin' Rhythm Roll/ Society Rock/ THE SLEEPWALKERS: Golden
Mile/ Sleepwalk/ STEVE STANNARD & HIS SEXTET: Reveille Rock/ THE TED
TAYLOR FOUR: Son Of Honky Tonk/ THE VAMPIRES: Clap Trap/ OZZIE
WARLOCK & THE WIZARDS: Juke Box Fury/ Wow/ BERT WEEDON: Big Beat
Boogie/ Guitar Boogie Shuffle/ Lonely Guitar/ Nashville Boogie/ D.r.
Rock/ Honky Tonk
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Spectrum (UK) 531 585-5 |
British Rock 'n' Roll Anthology |
● CD $27.98 |
5 CDs, highly recommended We've reviewed other
British Rock 'n' Roll compilations before, but this is the first one
to give a really good overview of the seminal period during which
British music was finding its feet. With songs representing
everything from Skiffle to Beat Boom, this set functions very well
as a music history lesson. In addition to hearing important songs
from influential people like Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, and Tommy
Steele, we get early numbers from later stars Joe Cocker, Steve
Marriott, Rod Stewart, the Who (when they were still called the High
Numbers), Tom Jones, and Lulu. Sure, there's quite a few covers of
U.S. rock 'n' roll and R&B, but nothing disgraceful; unlike American
white-washer Pat Boone, the Brits respected the original recordings
and tried to do them justice. Anyone interested in a definitive
collection of pre-British Invasion British music would do best by
starting here. (GMC)
THE ANIMALS: Baby Let Me Take You Home/ THE
BEATLES: Ain't She Sweet/ CLIFF BENNETT & THE REBEL ROUSERS: You've
Got What I Like/ DAVE BERRY: My Baby Left Me/ THE BIG THREE: Some
Other Guy/ THE BROOK BROTHERS: Warpaint/ JOE BROWN & THE BRUVVERS: A
Picture Of You/ Darktown Strutters Ball/ I'm Henry The Eighth I Am/
TOMMY BRUCE & THE BRUISERS: Ain't Misbehavin'/ JOEY CASTELL: I'm
Left, You're Right, She's Gone/ PETULA CLARK: Baby Lover/ JOE
COCKER: I'll Cry Instead/ LOUISE CORDET: I'm Just A Baby/ LYN
CORNELL: I Sold My Heart To The Junkman/ TONY CROMBIE & THE ROCKETS:
Teach You To Rock/ JIM DALE: Be My Girl/ CYRIL DAVIES: Country Line
Special/ THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP: Dimples/ TERRY DENE: Baby She's
Gone/ Pretty Little Pearly/ Start Movin (In My Direction)/ THE
DENNISONS: Walking The Dog/ LEE DIAMOND & THE CHEROKEES: I'll Step
Down/ LONNIE DONEGAN: Cumberland Gap/ Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O/
Have A Drink On Me/ Rock Island Line/ CRAIG DOUGLAS: Nothin'
Shakin'/ VINCE EAGER & THE VAGABONDS: Yea Yea/ BERN ELLIOT & THE
FENMEN: Money/ ADAM FAITH: Poor Me/ GEORGIE FAME: Do The Dog/ CHRIS
FARLOWE: Air Travel/ WAYNE FONTANA & THE MINDBENDERS: Hello
Josephine/ THE FOUR JONES BOYS: Tutti Frutti/ BILLY FURY: Maybe
Tomorrow/ Wondrous Place/ That's Love/ THE GOONS: Bloodnok's Rock
'N' Roll Call/ JET HARRIS: Besame Mucho (Kiss Me)/ Man With The
Golden Arm/ WEE WILLIE HARRIS: Love Bug Crawl/ Rockin At The Two
I's/ JET HARRIS & TONY MEEHAN: Diamonds/ TED HEATH & HIS MUSIC:
Tequila/ COLIN HICKS: Wild Eyes And Tender Lips/ THE HIGH NUMBERS:
I'm The Face/ CASEY HOWIE & THE SENIORS: True Fine Mama/ PETER JAY &
THE JAYWALKERS: Can Can 62/ THE JETSTREAMS: Bongo Rock/ DAVY JONES:
Amapola/ TOM JONES: Chills And Fever/ JIMMY JUSTICE: Bloodshot Eyes/
EDEN KANE: Get Lost (In My Arms)/ Well I Ask You/ SALLY KELLY:
Little Cutie/ JOHNNY KIDD: Shakin' All Over/ LULU & THE LUVVERS:
Shout/ THE MARAUDERS: That's What I Want/ STEVE MARRIOTT: Give Her
My Regards/ THE MOJOS: Everything's Alright/ THE MOST BROTHERS:
Whole Lotta Woman/ NERO & THE GLADIATORS: Entry Of The Gladiators/
ANTHONY NEWLEY: Idle On Parade/ JIMMY POWELL: Sugar Babe (Part 2)/
LORD ROCKINGHAM'S XI: Hoots Mon!/ Wee Tom/ MARION RYAN: Why Do Fools
Fall In Love/ THE SHADOWS: Wonderful Land/ HELEN SHAPIRO: Don't
Treat Me Like A Child/ MORT SHUMAN: Turn Me Loose/ THE SOUTHLANDERS:
The Mole In The Hole/ TOMMY STEELE & THE STEELMEN: Come On, Let's
Go/ Rock With The Caveman/ Singing The Blues/ Tallahassee Lassie/
ROD STEWART: Good Morning Little Schoolgirl/ RHET STOLLER: Chariot/
VINCE TAYLOR & THE PLAYBOYS: Brand New Cadillac/ THE TORNADOS:
Telstar/ THE UNDERTAKERS: Just A Little Bit/ FRANKIE VAUGHAN: Green
Door/ Seventeen/ These Dangerous Years/ THE VISCOUNTS: Rockin'
Little Angel/ Shortnin' Bread/ Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp Bomp
Bomp)/ MARTY WILDE: A Teenager In Love/ Bad Boy/ Endless Sleep/
Honeycomb
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Spectrum (UK) 531 645-9 |
The Rock Collection - The Rock 'n'
Roll Years |
● CD $24.98 |
Four CD set with 95 tracks of 50s rock 'n' roll
(plus some blues) drawn from Universal's extensive catalog of labels
(Decca, Brunswick, Chess, MGM, Mercury, etc) and being a British
release it includes British rockers as well as American ones. Among
the many artists featured are Bill Haley & The Comets, Buddy Holly, Pat Boone, The Diamonds,
Danny & The Juniors, Billy Fury,
Howlin' Wolf, Phil Phillips, Big
Bopper, Bo Diddley, Sanford Clark, Johnny Preston, The Fontane Sisters,
Gale Storm, Terry Dene, Joe Brown & The Bruvvers and many more. No
surprises but an entertaining and varied selection of tracks.
FREDDIE BELL & THE BELLBOYS: Giddy Up A Ding Dong/
JOE BENNETT & THE SPARKLETONES: Black Slacks/ ROD BERNARD: This
Should Go On Forever/ CHUCK BERRY: Johnny B. Goode/ Maybellene/ Rock
And Roll Music/ School Day (Ring Ring Goes The Bell)/ THE BIG
BOPPER: Big Bopper's Wedding/ Chantilly Lace/ PAT BOONE: Ain't That
A Shame/ Don't Forbid Me/ Long Tall Sally/ Why Baby Why/ BRENDA LEE,
OWEN BRADLEY: Dum Dum/ JOE BROWN & THE BRUVVERS: The Darktown
Strutters' Ball/ SANFORD CLARK: The Fool/ THE CREW CUTS: Sh-Boom/
THE CRICKETS: Maybe Baby/ Oh, Boy!/ That'll Be The Day/ DANNY & THE
JUNIORS: Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay/ DANNY AND THE JUNIORS: At
The Hop/ THE DEL-VIKINGS: Come Along With Me/ TERRY DENE: A White
Sport Coat/ Start Movin (In My Direction)/ THE DIAMONDS: Little
Darlin'/ Why Do Fools Fall In Love/ BO DIDDLEY: Bo Diddley/
Roadrunner/ LONNIE DONEGAN: Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O/ Rock Island
Line/ JIMMY EDWARDS: Love Bug Crawl/ THE ELEGANTS: Little Star/
EDDIE FONTAINE: Nothin' Shakin' (But The Leaves On The Trees)/ THE
FONTANE SISTERS: Eddie My Love/ CONNIE FRANCIS: Lipstick On Your
Collar/ Plenty Good Lovin/ Robot Man/ Stupid Cupid/ BILLY FURY:
Collette/ Maybe Tomorrow/ That's Love/ BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS:
(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock/ Rock A-Beatin' Boogie/ Shake,
Rattle And Roll/ The Saints Rock 'N Roll/ DALE HAWKINS: Susie-Q/
CLARENCE "FROGMAN" HENRY: Ain't Got No Home/ BUDDY HOLLY: Midnight
Shift/ Peggy Sue/ Rave On/ HOWLIN' WOLF: Smokestack Lightnin'/ TAB
HUNTER: Ninety-Nine Ways/ THE IMPALAS: Sorry (I Ran All The Way
Home)/ JIMMY JONES: Good Timing/ Handy Man/ THE KALIN TWINS: When/
BRENDA LEE: Let's Jump The Broomstick/ That's All You Gotta Do/
JERRY LEE LEWIS: Blue Suede Shoes/ Breathless/ High School
Confidential/ What'd I Say/ LITTLE WALTER: My Babe/ JIM LOWE: The
Green Door/ JIMMY MCCRACKLIN: The Walk/ THE MONOTONES: Book Of Love/
NERVOUS NORVUS: Transfusion/ PHIL PHILLIPS & THE TWILIGHTS: Sea Of
Love/ THE PLATTERS: Only You (And You Alone)/ The Great Pretender/
JOHNNY PRESTON: Charming Billy/ Cradle Of Love/ Running Bear/ LLOYD
PRICE: Personality/ Stagger Lee/ Where Were You (On Our Wedding
Day?)/ MARVIN RAINWATER: I Dig You Baby/ Whole Lotta Woman/ LORD
ROCKINGHAM'S XI: Hoots Mon!/ Wee Tom/ THE ROYAL TEENS: Short Shorts/
TOMMY STEELE: Come On, Let's Go/ Give! Give! Give!/ Tallahassee
Lassie/ Rock With The Caveman/ GALE STORM: I Hear You Knocking/
CONWAY TWITTY: Danny Boy/ It's Only Make Believe/ Mona Lisa/ The
Story Of My Love/ MUDDY WATERS: Mannish Boy/ MARTY WILDE: Endless
Sleep/ SHEB WOOLEY: The Purple People Eater/ RUSTY YORK: Sugaree
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Sublime Frequencies 051 |
Singapore A-Go-Go |
● CD $16.98 |
22 tracks, 59 mins, highly recommended
Although
similar in concept to Big Beat's "Nippon Girls" (Big Beat 288 -
$18.98), Singapore A-G0-Go comes off as much less polished and more
earthy than the former collection. The goal of this collection is to
document the music made during the years 1963 to 1975, a mix of Peranakan ("Straits Chinese"), Malay, Tamil, and Western culture
that came to be known as "a-go-go" or "off-beat cha-cha", that came
out of Singapore. The groups that recorded this music were known as
"guitar bands" and there were only a handful of bands that dominated
the scene: The Silvertones, Tony and the Polar Bears, The Travelers,
The Melodians, and The Stylers. These groups backed singers Grace
Lee, Chew Yan, Lim Ling, Lene Lim, and Linda Yong, while recording
instrumentals of their own. This music might not be quite as
polished as the music coming out of Japan, but in its own way it has
charm and it was revered in non-Communist China in its time. In
short: this is a fascinating document of a style of music that owed
a lot to Western rock and roll, and yet has a groove and style all
its own. (GMC)
|
| THE VENTURES |
Micro Werks 54 |
Anthology |
● CD $18.98 |
Two Cds, 28 tracks, 60 mins, highly recommended Rock
and Roll Hall of Famers The Ventures' recorded output has been
released on CD in numerous collections, but this one offers superb
sound quality, and, perhaps more importantly, no "filler". From the
breakthrough hit Walk, Don't Run to their last charted single
Hawaii Five-O, this has every one of their 25 charted hits
and more, with a special nod to the Peter Lorre impersonation on
Wild Thing. Plenty of reverb with just enough fuzz guitar to
please any fan of vintage Surf/Instrumental rock. (BC)
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