NEWSLETTER #127
Vintage Rock 'n' Roll & Rockabilly
Dean Carter -> Various Artists
| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Bear Family BCD 16443 | Sentimental Journey, Vol. 3 - Last Train To San Fernando | ● CD $21.98 |
| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Bop 002 | Saturday Night On Bop Street, Vol. 2 | ● CD $17.98 |
| Another excellent collection of rockabilly and rock 'n' roll
from the 50s. Most of the tracks have been reissued on CD before but this
collection is solid from beginning to end featuring artists like The Jive
Kings, Tommy Bell, Wynn Stewart (the great Come On - one of the few
rockabilly sides by this great country artists), Darrell Rhodes, Red (Hot)
Russell, Hal Goodsen & The Raiders, Danny Mela, Dick Dale, Joe South, Jerry
Dallman & The Knightcaps, Dwight Pullen, Charlie Feathers, Jericho Jones,
Johnny Knight, Steve Carl & The Jags and others. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Bop 003 | Saturday Night On Bop Street, Vol. 3 | ● CD $17.98 |
| 30 more rockabilly rarities from the 50s. About half these
tracks are available elsewhere but like the others in this series just about
every track is a winner including sides by Jimmy Kirkland, Joe LOmbardie,
Billy Carroll, Don Head, Joey Michaels, Sleepy LaBeef, Rod Willis (his very
strange The Cat), Skip Cody, Mel Robbins, Jim Murphy, Donald Simpson,
Cecil McCullough, Jerry Arnold, Stand Johnson, Vern Pullens and more. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Collector 4476 | Slow ... Boogie ... Rockin', Vol. 3 | ● CD $16.98 |
| 32 tracks, recommended. The third collection in this series
is another enjoyable collection of 32 tracks concentrating on "medium tempo
boppers" from the 50s and early 60s which means a lot of hillbilly flavored
material with a strong blues flavor. There are several hard driving
instrumentals including Rock Guitar Rock by Bernie Moore & The
Rockets, Panic by The Palais Royals, The Growl by Alan Pierce
& The Tonekings and others. Johnny Guidry does a nice swampy cover of Larry
Williams' High School Dance and The Fabulous Jokers cover Gene
Vincent's Wear My Ring. I also really like Luke Askew's blues
Bells. Other artists include Eldon Bryson, Tony Senn, George Garrish &
The J.B. Combo, Johnny & The Shadows, The Sharps, John Kreischer (a chaotic
version of the Lefty Frizzell favorite Smoking Cigarettes & Drinking
Coffee Blues), Billy Taylor, The D&S Wildcats, Billy Nettles & His Dixie
Blue Boys, Art Gunn & The Playboys, Kenny Dale, Noel Stookey & His Corsairs
(could this be Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul & Mary?), Tommy Collins (a
nice version of Heartbreak Hotel - I don't think this is the
Bakersfield singer), Vince Warner & The PIke County, and others. (FS) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Collector 7755 | Early Rock & Roll from New Zealand, Vol. 5 & 6 | ● CD $16.98 |
| Two CD set 53 tracks recorded for the Wellington based His
Masters Voice label between 1955 and 1963 including a few previously
unissued. The tunes are about 50% covers of American and 50% originals.
Artists includes Johnny Cooper, Max Merritt, The Embassy Six, Teddy Bennett
& The Blockbusters, The Maori Hi Five and others. Includes 20 page booklet
with extensive notes and lots of photos. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Dee-Jay Jamboree 55113 | Teen Scene | ● CD $18.98 |
| A collection of 35 tracks featuring teen oriented rock 'n'
roll and doo-wop recorded in the late 50s and early 60s for Long Island's
Golden Crest and Shelley labels. Mostly pretty obscure artists including
Tommy Biener with Wendy & The School Girls, Paul Griffin, The Melodeers,
Ralph De Marco, Gino, Danny Winchell, Augie Rios, The Montells, Jan Tober,
The Chessmen, Ricky Shaw, Curt Jensen, Roni Powers, Gino & The Dells,
Charles Dell, Ricky & Robby and Robby and other cute girl and clean cut
young men. Has 20 page booklet with extensive notes, artist photos, label
shots and recording information. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Hop 777 | Hillbilly Hop, Vol. 2 | ● CD $17.98 |
| The second collection of rockin' country and country
flavored rock 'n' roll (with a lower issue number!) features 28 fine sides,
mostly from the 50s, from the likes of The Wilburn Brothers, Judy & Joyce,
Joe D. Johnson (his classic Rattlesnake Daddy), The Nettles Sisters,
Willie Swanson (the odd Arson Carson), Bob Wills, Ted Self (excellent
Buddy Holly flavored Come Rock Me Tow Sleep), Werly Fairburn, Moon
Mullican (the odly titled Cush Cush Ky-Yay), Hank Swatley (a great
rocking version of Jack Guthrie's Oakie Boogie), The Rhythm
Harmoneers, Bobby Bernell, Darnell Miller, Mike Page, Sheb Wooly and others.
Some duplication with other available reissues. Generally excellent sound.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Memphis Records 7033 | They Thought They Were Elvis - Vocal Clones, Vol. 1 | ● CD $17.98 |
| 25 tracks, 62 mins, recommended. Available again. The
subtitle "25 Rare Elvis Imitators" is a little uncharitable as many of these
artists are simply covering Elvis hits or were inspired by Elvis rather than
imitating him. Some like Dick Banks, Orion, Rodney Scott and Douglas Ray are
a little more obviously influenced by Elvis than others! This set includes a
fine version of One Night by Roy Head, Billy Barrix's hot Cool Off
Baby (a thinly disguised reworking of Baby, Let's Play House with
great guitar), Jody Reynolds' fine Blue Moon Of Kentucky, Vince
Everett's bluesy I Ain't Gonna Be Your Lonesome Dog No More and
tracks by Sleepy Labeef, Boyd Bennett, Johnny Powers, Jimmy Lee, Conway
Twitty, Tommy Hand, etc. Most of the tracks are from the 50s and 60s which
is all to the good. The less said about David Kaye's posthumous tribute
which ends the set the better. (FS) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Mr. D.J. 101 | Cruisin' Classics, Vol. 1 - Lost Rock 'n' Roll Treasures | ● CD $17.98 |
| 30 tracks, 67 mins, highly recommended. Available again. A
very hot collection of black and white rock 'n roll from the 50s.
Intriguingly it includes a track from 1954 called Oh Maria which is
supposed to be by the Cubans featuring Chuck Berry before he signed to
Chess! Is it? Could be - it is a calypso flavored number not unlike some of
those Chuck recorded for Chess but no guitar - so.... Among the rockin' gems
here are Buck Rogers & His Jets doing Rose Marie, The Satans cover
Lazy Lester's rockin' blues Sugar Coated Love, Sleepy LaBeef outrasps
Hank Ballad on his version of Tore Up, T.V. Slim tells what happened
when Flatfoot Sam Met Jim Dandy, Clyde Stacy does one of those great
clanging guitar instrumentals, the previously unissued Tranquilizer
which is anything but tranquil and Terry Clement & His True Tones treat us
to a great Cajun instrumental with accordion French Blues.. Lots more
from Big Al Downing, Claude Robinson & Group, the wonderful Five Chavis
Brothers, Floyd Dakil Combo, Paul Peek, James Carter & The Sentimentals,
Dick Holler, Rod Bernard (about the only slow number here!), Lee Diamond &
The Upsetters and many others. Some duplication with other reissues. (FS) T.V. SLIM : Flat Foot Sam Meets Jim Dandy/ ROD BERNARD: These Were Our Songs/ CHUCK BERRY: Oh Maria/ THE BLONDE BOMBER: You Can Run But Can't Hide/ JAMES CARTER: Hey Baby Hey/ THE CHAVIS BROTHERS: Old Time Rock And Roll/ EDDIE CLEARWATER: Hey Bernadine/ TERRY CLEMENT: French's Blues (instr.)/ THE CYCLONES: Bullwhip Rock (instr.)/ FLOYD DAKIL: Dance Franny Dance/ LEE DIAMOND: Mama Loochie/ BIG AL DOWNING: Miss Lucy/ RONNIE HAIG: Rocking With The Rhythm And Blues/ STACY HENRY: Jimmy Plays A Horn/ THE HIGHLIGHTS: Studio Blues(instr.)/ DICK HOLLER: Double Shot/ DUSTY KEITH: Hold Me Baby/ SLEEPY LABEEF: Tore Up/ BILL LITTLE: Bye Bye Baby/ FRANKIE LOWERY: Kansas City Train/ MARLON "MADMAN" MITCHELL: Ice Cold Baby/ PAUL PEEK: Sweet Skinny Jenny/ BIG WALTER PRICE: Ain't No Use You Lyin'/ CLAUDE ROBINSON: Cotton Pickin' Mama/ BUCK ROGERS: Rose Marie/ THE SATANS: Sugar Coated Love/ CLYDE STACY: Tranquilizer (instr.)/ GENE TERRY: Cinderella Cinderella/ KID THOMAS: Rockin' This Joint Tonight/ DANNY ZELLA: Sapphire |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Norton CED 291 | Kicksville, Vol. 2 - Raw Rockabilly Acetates | ● CD $14.98 |
| Great collection of crude and wild rockabilly taken from
one-off acetates recorded in the 50s. Apart from Hasil Adkins recorded in
Detroit in 1957 the rest of the artists are complete obscurities - The Crew,
Eddie McCall & The Three Shades, Morty Shann & The Morticians, Joe, Ron &
George, Jimmy Sysum & The Rockin' Three, Ferris Coffey and others including
a couple of unknown artists. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Official 5005 | More Wild & Frantic | ● CD $18.98 |
| 26 tracks, highly recommended. Another exciting collection of
hot black rock 'n' roll and R&B showing the influence of the great Little
Richard. There are some familiar items here along with whole lot of obscure
items - there is also some duplication with Mr. Maestro 300. There is even a
cut by the man himself featuring his fabulous 1959 recording of Fats
Domino's I'm In Love Again which was issued under the name of his
backing group The Upsetters as Richard had supposedly given up rock 'n roll
for religion at the time! Among the gravel voiced rockers here are Vinni
Vincent, Joe McCoy & His Real McCoys, The Royal Jokers, Kid Thomas (his
classic though frequently reissued Rockin' This Joint Tonite), Otis
Redding (one of his first recordings from 1961), Billy La Mont, Baby Cortez,
Don Covay, Jimmy Breedlove, Pretty Boy, Bunker Hill (with a vocal that make
Richard seem tame!), Andy Wilson, Johnny "Rockhouse" Green, Mr.P.T. & The
Party Timers and more. Excellent sound and booklet has artist photos and
label shots. (FS) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Pink 'n Black 00000 | Cat'n Around | ● CD $15.98 |
| 17 tracks, 47 min, excellent. Early sampler from this British
rockabilly label best known for The Dance Hall Crashers, who aren't here.
What we do have is some fine 90s Britabilly by such find bands as Number
Nine, who open up with a blistering Lonesome Train, The Go Getters
who check in with a nice version of You Don't Love Me by the true
king of Rock'n'Roll, Bo Diddley, & The Blue Devils do a hot I Wish You
Would. Many of the tunes are originals by such bands as Cat'n Around,
The Nick Gilroy Combo, & my fave, the gorgeous Irish singer Imelda Clabby
(great name!) Also tracks by Carlos & The Bandidos, The Infernos. (GM) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Robomonk 1001 | A Tribute To The Four Seasons & Their Sounds, Vol. 1 | ● CD $18.98 |
| 27 track collection featuring groups influenced by the
immensely popular Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. ADRIAN BAKER: Candy Baby/ THE BLISTERS: 50 Miles In Twenty Hours/ THE CYCLONE III: You've Got A Bomb/ PAUL DA VINCI: Your Baby Ain't Your Baby Anymore/ THE DEMOTRONS: Sleep Sleep Sleep/ THE DEVONS: Come On/ THE ECCENTRICS: Share Me/ THE EXPRESSIONS: One Plus One/ THE FACES: I'll Walk Alone/ MICKEY FARRELL & THE DYNAMICS: Baby Mine/ THE FRATERNITY BROTHERS: Big Town/ LARRY & LEGENDS: Don't Pick On My Baby/ THE MADISONS: Cheryl Anne/ SCOTT OBERLE: Cupids Poison Dart/ PLAYGROUND: Playgirl/ Valerie/ THE PROPHETS: Rag Doll Boy/ RUDY: Last Time (i'll Cry Over You)/ TONY SARA: Love Sick Begger/ THE SHOESTRINGS: Candy Andy/ THE SKUNKS: Little Angel/ SOCIETY'S CHILDREN: A Tribute To The Four Seasons/ STEPHEN CRANE VILLAGE FEAT BOBBY VALLI: Hey Summer/ THE STOWAWAYS: Where Are You When I'm Lonely/ TAM & THE TURN-ONS: Cheryl Ann/ Wait A Minute/ TIM TAM & THE TURN-ONS: Kimberly |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Rock 'n' Roll 500 | Let's Go Rock And Roll | ● CD $21.98 |
| 30 tracks, 70 mins, highly recommended. Entertaining
collection of rock 'n' roll from the late 50s and early 60s mixing familiar
tracks with obscurities. Although quite a bit of it is teen oriented, with a
few exceptions, it rocks pretty hard. Joe Bennett & the Sparkletones are
featured on seven songs including their big hit Black Slacks - most
of their other tracks are very worthwhile too with some excellent guitar
work. There is also fine guitar work on the five tracks by the Bell Notes,
including, of course their hit I've Had It. The Castle Kings do a
fine job on their three songs including a rocking version of Loch Lomond
that probably won't win them any friends in Scotland. The Dell Vikings are
featured on their two best songs Come Go With Me and Whispering
Bells There's one cut each by The Marcels, Del Chords, Sharptones, Caps,
Mark IV, Rebelaires, Spades, Nite Rockers, Temptations (not the Motown
group) and Al McGee. The only duds are the three cocktail lounge rockers
from The Fabulous Four. Good sound throughout. (FS) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Stomper Time 15 | Memphis Rockabillies, Hillbillies & Honky Tonk, Vol. 2 | ● CD $17.98 |
| Fine collection of rockabilly and rockin' country from
Memphis recorded for Marshall Ellis's Erwin and associated labels. 38 tracks
from artists like Hoyt Johnson, Jimmy Evans, Ray Scott, Jerry Dion, Retus
Blair, Jimmy Roby, Harmonica Frank Floyd, Monarchs IV, Lee Carzle, Eddie
Bond and others. Includes a couple of previously unissued demos by Hoyt
Johnson. Includes 12 page booklet with detailed notes, photos, label shots
and discographical info. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Teenie Weenie FR 1005 | Teen-Age Dreams, Vol. 4 | ● CD $18.98 |
| 30 tracks, 70 min., recommended Available again. Volume four
in this appropriately-titled series once again offers a generous collection
of early to mid-60's soft rock rarities, among them the first efforts of
some well known names. Highlights include Your Big Brown Eyes by
Bobby Comstock, You'll Never Forget by Bobby Vinton, When I Get
Through With You by Lee Sellars, My Girl by Eddy & the Centuries,
What Can I Do by Johnny Dawn & the Passions, Young Lovers After
Midnight by Dale Ward, I Met a Girl by Johnny David, Always
Always by Johnny Cymbal, Picture of Love by the Laurels, and
Taste of the Blues by Buddy Holly's boyhood friend Bob Montgomery. Sound
quality is surprisingly good given the rarity of the material; the notes are
thorough and informative, and the cover art is a caricature pin-up of
Barbie-like proportions. What more could a one-time teenager ask for? (DH)
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