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NEWSLETTER #129
Vintage Rock 'n' Roll & Rockabilly
Art Adams -> The Youngbloods
| ART ADAMS |
Collector 4477 |
Rock Crazy Baby |
● CD $16.98 |
30 tracks,59 mins, highly recommended
Art Adams is best
known for his two classic singles on the Cherry label which are rockabilly
of the highest order and have been reissued many times. Indefatigable
rockabilly researcher Cees Klop of Collector has turned up tapes of Art and
his band the Rhythm Knights rehearsing at Art's home in the 50s and as a
result has added 22 more tracks to Adams' slim discography! The tracks on
the rehearsal tapes are mostly rock 'n' roll favorites (Good Rockin'
Tonight/ Mystery Train/ Blue Suede Shoes/ Let's Have A Party/ Whole Lotta
Shakin' Goin' On, etc) and some good Adams originals (Teeange Bum/
Down In Tennessee/ She's From Tennessee, etc). The rehearsal
performances are, not surprisingly, pretty unpolished with occasional flubs,
lyric mixups, etc. but rock like crazy with some fine guitar work from Eddie
Weil and are a lot better than issued material by some other artists.
Considering the circumstances of the recording the sound quality is
excellent. There are also some alternate takes of his issued songs and a
radio interview with Art & the band from 1959. The 16 page booklet includes
informative notes, much of it in Art's own words and includes some great
vintage photos. (FS)
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| JOE BARRY |
Night Train 7140 |
Been Down That Muddy Road |
● CD $16.98 |
15 new recordings by this fine and veteran Louisiana swamp
pop singer. Joe was very sick at the time of these recordings and his voice
sounds weak though he still has that warm Louisiana drawl. Mostly new songs
by Joe plus two versions of Sting's Every Breath I Take - one in
French.
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| WANDA JACKSON |
DCN 1013 |
The Wanda Jackson Show - Live & Still
Kicking |
● CD $13.98 |
17 songs, 62 mins, highly recommended
Long live the queen of
rockabilly! Wanda may have been 65 when she did this live show in New York
in 1992 but she sounds like someone one-third that age. She can still belt
out a rocker with that vibrant melodic voice with it's distinctive rasp or
can mellow out for a soulful country song. Accompanied by the solid New York
Party Timers she performs some of her most popular rockers and country
numbers including the first song she ever learned - Jimmie Rodgers' Blue
Yodel #6, the first song she wrote Mean Mean Man, her most well
known song Let's Have A Party, her number one hit in Japan
Fujiyama Mama and one of her most succesful country songs Right Or
Wrong which Wanda originally wrote for Brenda Lee. Other songs include
Rock-A-Bill Fever/ I Gotta Know/ Wild Side Of Life/ Hot Dog! That Made
Him Mad/ Riot In Cell Block #9/ I Saw The Light and others, Between the
songs Wanda gives us a delightful autobiography full of wry humor and
fascinating anecdotes. When she started into Mean Mean Man I had to
check and make sure it wasn't the original 1958 Capitol recording playing. A
delight! (FS)
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| GLORIA MANN |
Sound 1001 |
Don't Call Me Barry - The Best Of Gloria
Mann |
● CD $17.98 |
26 tracks by mid 50s pop rock singer who had some modest
success with the song Teenage Prayer and covers of R&B hits like
Why Do Fools Fall In Love/ Earth Angel and Goodnight, Sweetheart.
Other songs include You Can't Be Mine/ My Secret Sin/ I Can Tell/
Friendship Ring/ Pretty Eyes/ I'me Living My Life For You/ The Waltz You
Saved For Me, etc.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCH2 885 |
The Complete Meteor Rockabilly & Hillbilly
Recordings |
● CD $23.98 |
Two CDs, 42 tracks, highly recommended
Some years Ace rushed
out a budget compilation of rockabilly from Lester Bihari's Memphis based
Meteor label to compete with a bootleg reissue going the rounds. Now they
have upgraded the project with a double CD featuring every hillbilly and
rockabilly track recorded for the label between 1954 and 1957 including four
not originally issued. The Meteor label was part of the original Memphis
constellation. Started in 1952 by the Bihari brothers to record blues, they
soon branched out into C&W and rockabilly and although the label was short
lived (gone in 1957) they made their mark. The recordings are presented in
chronological order and most of the first disc is devoted to fine hillbilly
by Bud Deckleman (his classic and much covered Daydreamin'), "Red"
Hadley's Wranglers, Haward Swords with The Blue Light Boys, Mac & Jake with
The Esquire Trio, Barney Burcam, Buddy Bain, Lendon Smith and Mason Dixon.
In the midst of the country there is one fine stab at rockabilly with two
bluesy cuts from Jess Hooper and the disc ends with the two sided rockabilly
classic bu Junior Thompson - Mama's Little Baby/ Raw Deal. The second
disc opens up with Meteor's most famous rockabilly tune - Charlie Feathers'
masterpiece get With It/ Tongue Tied Jill and it's mostly rockabilly
all the way there on with tracks from Bill Bowen, Brad Suggs, Brad Suggs,
Wayne McGinnis, Mary Edwards, Jimmy Haggett, The Velvatones, Jimmy Lamerth,
and Steve Carl (including four tracks by Carl originally unreleased). All
tracks have been newly remastered and set comes with a 40 page booklet with
extensive notes by Memphis researcher Martin Hawkins and lots of photos and
label shots. (FS)
BUDDY BAIN, KAY WAYNE, MERLE "RED" TAYLOR WITH: Can We Live It Down?/
Daydreams, Come True/ BILL BOWEN WITH THE ROCKETS: Don't Shoot Me Baby (i'm
Not Ready To Die)/ Have Myself A Ball/ BARNEY BURCHAM WITH THE DAYDREAMERS:
Can't Steal My Way Around/ Much Too Young For Love/ STEVE CARL WITH THE
JAGS: 18 Year Old Blues/ Blacksmith Blues/ Curfew/ Lonely Road/ Stone Cold
Mama/ You're For Me/ BUD DECKELMAN WITH THE DAYDREAMERS: Daydreamin'/ Let's
Not Pretend/ MASON DIXON WITH THE REDSKINS: Don't Worry ’bout Nuthin'/ I'll
Never Fall Out Of Love With You/ MARY EDWARDS WITH THE SAXONS: Chilly Willy/
Oh! Oh! Mama/ CHARLIE FEATHERS WITH JODY & JERRY: Get With It/ Tongue Tied
Jill/ 'RED' HADLEY'S WRANGLERS: Brother, That's All/ Ring Out Those Bells/
JIMMY HAGGETT WITH THE DAYDREAMERS: Gonna Shut You Off Baby/ Tell Her True/
JESS HOOPER WITH THE DAYDREAMERS: All Messed Up/ Sleepy Time Blues/ JIMMY
LAMBERTH WITH THE SAXONS: I'll Pretend/ Latch On To Your Baby/ MAC & JAKE
WITH THE ESQUIRE TRIO: Yakety Yak/ MAC SALES WITH THE ESQUIRE TRIO: A Gal
Named Joe/ WAYNE MCGINNIS WITH THE SWINGSTERS: Lonesome Rhythm Blues/ Rock,
Roll And Rhythm/ LENDON SMITH WITH THE JESTERS: Lost Love/ Women/ BRAD SUGGS
WITH THE SWINGSTERS: Bop, Baby, Bop/ Charcoal Suit/ HAWARD SWORDS WITH THE
BLUE LIGHT BOYS: I'm As Lonely As I Can Be/ You Will Have To Pay/ JUNIOR
THOMPSON WITH THE METEORS: Mama's Little Baby/ Raw Deal/ THE VELVATONES WITH
MEMPHIS RHYTHM BOYS: Feeling Kinda Lonely/ Real Gone Baby
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Buffalo Bop 55157 |
Trading Kisses |
● CD $18.98 |
The latest from this label features 30 rarities from eddie
Cash, The Sundowners, Jackie Terrell, Jesse Lee King, Max Uballez, Matt
Lucas, Don Ellis, Bobby Stringo, Doug Warr, Guy Spitale, The Delatones, Dean
Beard, Harold Casner, The Patey Brothers, Arnie Ginsburg and others.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Buffalo Bop 55158 |
Schoolday Blues |
● CD $18.98 |
30 more rarities from The Love Brothers, The Jades, Frank
Evans & The Topnotchers, Jack & The Knights, Billy Love, The Morris Brothers
Band, Danny & The Nitro Tones, Bob & The Bandits, John Sowell, The Lancers,
Jackie Cannon, Arbis Hanyel, Aubrey Cagle, Pierre Simoncini, Joey Rand and
others.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Buffalo Bop 55159 |
Rock-A-Billy Boy |
● CD $18.98 |
30 tracks from Aubrey Cagle, Jack Smedley & The Melody
Makers, Gordon Sizemore, L.C. Smith, Bob And Jerry, Ted Creekmore, Buddy
Phillips, Fred Thompson, Denver Bill & His Ranch Hands, James Dotson, Gene
Henslee, Jay Earls, Doug Amerson, Wareen Robbe, Walter "Arkie" Bittle, etc.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Crazy Chicken 5200 |
Dig That Crazy Chick |
● CD $16.98 |
A collection 22 tracks from the 50s featuring what might be
called "night club rock 'n' roll" - polished performances often with a big
band accompaniments. Some performances are more convincing than others.
Includes Ralph Marterie, Louis Prima, The Delta Rhythm Boys, Larry Ragon,
Jimmy Brown & The Four Bells (a nice version of Shake, Rattle & Roll),
The Jive Bombers (one of the hotter groups here), The Nite Riders, The
Do-Ray-Mi Trio, Scatman Crothers, The Commodores, The Ink Spots, The Lancers
and others.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Flesh Den 6901 |
Rock'n'Roll Orgy |
● CD $17.98 |
20 tracks, 45 minutes, essential
Finally, available again.
This 20 tune collection might just be the hottest rockabilly CD of all! Even
if you have most of these already on LP or other CDs you'll appreciate the convenience of having a solid lineup of rockers at your fingertips. There are
lots of favorites like the Van Brothers masterpiece Servant Of Love
featuring amazing guitar work, the manic-paced Rock-Ola Ruby by Sonny
West, Terry Daley's raging Mark waxing You Don't Bug Me No More ,
Vern Pullens' classic Bop Crazy Baby , Tommy Lam's great Speed
Limit , Jimmy Patton's outa control Oakie's In The Pokie , Don
Willis' perfect Satellite 45 Boppin' High School Baby and on and on.
Put this baby in a time capsule so future generations will remember what
rockin' was all about. (AE)
GRAHAM B.: Rock And Roll Fever/ GENE BROWN: Big Door/ EDDIE CASH: Doing All
Right/ TERRY DALY: You Don't Bug Me/ JUNIOR DEAN: Chick Chick/ DERRELL
FELTS: Playmates/ TOMMY LAM: Speed Limit/ CURTIS LONG: Hootchey Cootchey/
DALE MCBRIDE: Prissy Missy/ GENE NORMAN: Snaggle Tooth Ann/ WEYMAN PARHAM:
Hang Loose/ JIMMY PATTON: Okie's In The Pokie/ VERN PULLENS: Bop Crazy Baby/
DARRELL RHODES: Four O'Clock Baby/ THE ROCK-A-TONES: One More Chance/ THE
VAN BROTHERS: Servant Of Love/ DON WADE: Oh Love/ WAYNE WALKER: All I Can Do
Is Cry/ SONNY WEST: Rock-Ola Ruby/ DON WILLIS: Boppin' High School Baby
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Monsieur 1001 |
Wildsville! |
● CD $17.98 |
More rock 'n' roll from the 50s and early 60s of the wild
and wacky variety to complement "Wosville" listed last time. Includes sides
by The Gamma Goochee Himself (doing The Gamma Goochee, of course),
The Hollywood Hurricanes (with a title like Beavershot, thank
goodness it's an instrumental), Ron & Joe & The Crew (a hot version of
Riot In Cell Block, No. 9), The Opposite Six, Johnny Amelio (a dance
song with the improbable title Jugue), Drits & Dravy (the two part
Talk That Talk from this early Mac Rebennac group), Bobby Lee Trammell
(the pretend live New Dance In France where he is introduced as "the
very first American Beatle"!), The Triads, Kai Rayand others.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Monsieur 1002 |
Wowsville! |
● CD $17.98 |
20 tracks, 47 mins, recommended. If you like the wacky end of
rock 'n roll in the vein of "Wavy Gravy" or "Las Vegas Grind" this
collection of rare rockers from the late 50s and early 60s will be right up
your twisted alley! Among the artists here are Trig Richards, The Dave S.
Trio (the rocking instrumental Devil's Daughter with piano accordion
lead), The Spinners, The Viscounts, Tommy Blake (the crazy $F...olding
Money$), Jan Davis, Johnny Donn with The Jazzrockers (a tribute to the
air in Los Angeles called Smog), Kip Tyler & His Flips, Bobby Dean,
The Shades, Bobby Warren & The Rebelettes (what can you say about a song
called Motor Cycle Maniac) and others. Most of these titles are making
their first CD appearance. Includes 8 page booklet with notes and vintage
lingerie ads! (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Monsieur 1003 |
Weirdsville! |
● CD $17.98 |
More wild, wacky, weird and wonderful sides from Bob Vidone,
The Zanies, Randy Luck, The Social Outcasts, The Tremolos, The Rockbusters,
D.D.T & The REpellents, Jimmie Heap & His Orchestra, The Exports, The
Rockin' Rebels, etc.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Night Train 7141 |
Legendary Labels Of Louisiana - Chase
Records, Vol. 1 |
● CD $16.98 |
27 tracks of rock, soul and R&B covering the years 1963-1966
- Mike Ancona & The Jokers, The Aubry Twins, Chris Miller & The Soul
Brothers, Dow Jones (!), The Pirates and others.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Night Train 7142 |
Legendary Labels Of Louisiana - Chase
Records, Vol. 2 |
● CD $16.98 |
24 more tracks from 1965-1970 - Deacon John, The Singing
Bodies, The Aubry Twins, Paul Varisco and The Chitlins.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Shimmy Records 101 |
Rockabilly Boy |
● CD $17.98 |
Excellent collection of rare but great rockabilly from the
50s. Most of these titles have been out on Ace, Buffalo Bop, Collector and
other labels but this is a particularly well chosen collection and some
tracks are not readily available. Includes the Aubry Cagle (the title song
and the super hot Bop & Stroll), Parker Cunningham, Burri Manso, Gray
Montgomery, Hank davis, Jim Wilson, Buddy Miller, The Sabres, Ray Pate & the
Rhythm Rockers, The Boppers, Rusty York (a great rockabilly version of
The Girl Can't Help It), Huelyn Duvall and others. 25 hot tracks in all.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Stardust 1163 |
Rock 'n' Roll & Rock-A-Billy Inferno |
● CD $11.98 |
33 tracks, 67 mins, highly recommended
Great collection at a
bargain price featuring some really hot rock 'n' roll and rockabilly tracks
along with some intriguing audio memorabilia. The artists are a mix of the
familiar and the obscure - most of the obscure ones have been out before on
Buffalo Bop but they're all good. It includes sides by The Nighthawks (with
Buddy Holly on guitar!), Elvis (his great version of Maybelline from
the Louisiana Hayride), Little Richard (a fine remake of Lucille),
Gene Vincent, Bill Haley & The Comets, Jimmy Apostle, Tommy Palm, Kenny &
The Be-Bops, Lloyd Arnold, Mel McGonnigle, Conway Twitty, Lafayette
Yarborough and others. Interspersed are 10 spoken word pices including 50s
commercials (including a truly scary one for a "Nuclear Survival Course
Album"), an interview with Elvis and his band from 1955, an outrageous
debate over the meaning of rock 'n' roll from 1958, Eddie Cochran plugging a
radio station and more. Great music, excellent sound, brief notes - a whole
lot of fun. (FS)
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| THE VISCOUNTS |
Vulture 3001 |
Harlem Nocturne |
● CD $17.98 |
30 tracks, 69 mins, highly recommended
Back in stock after
being unavailable for a long while. The Viscounts were a New Jersey combo
that hit it big in 1960 with their atmospheric version of Harlem Nocturne
(it actually charted again in 1965!) Harry Haller's sax was raunchy and
moody but what set them apart was the dirge of Larry Vecchio's organ coupled
with the weird, tremolo heavy meandering of Bobby Spievak's guitar playing.
They put the "Harlem Nocturne" touch on Summertime/ September Song/
Sophisticated Lady and and others just to show it was no fluke. Of
course they could rock too proving it on Viscount Rock/ Dig/ Night Train/
When The Saints Go Marching In, and others. This great collection has 12
tracks in stereo including Nocturne. A must for instrumental
collectors. (AE/FS)
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| SONNY WEST |
Rollercoaster RCCD 3050 |
Sweet Rockin' Rock-Ola Ruby |
● CD $19.98 |
24 tracks, recommended
24 tracks recorded between 1956 and
2002 by this rocker from New Mexico who is probably best known for have
co-composed Oh Boy and Rave On which were big hits for Buddy
Holly and The Crickets. This CD includes West original demo for Oh Boy
(originally called All My Love) and his original Atlantic recording
of Rave On. Itit also includes his classic rockabilly single Sweet
Rockin' Baby/ Rock-Ola Ruby. The rest of the tracks are unissued sides
recorded in various studios over the years and ranging from fine rockabilly
to bland pop. There are seven tracks from 2002 with Sonny doing vocals and
playing all the instruments which is better than some of the earlier sides.
Includes 16 page booklet with extensive notes, photos and full discography.
(FS)
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| THE YOUNGBLOODS |
Sundazed 6181 |
Rock Festival |
● CD $12.98 |
11 tracks, 39 min, recommended
For such a great band, the
Youngbloods have been poorly served on reissue. Their 3 RCA classic LPs have
been haphazardly reissued by BMG, the early tracks on Mercury are hidden on
an Australian anthology & until now, their Raccoon/ Warners material has been
non-existent. Fortunately, Sundazed has remedied the situation by putting
out the 4 group LPs on the label they owned in the early 70s. And as a
favor, their entire career is told throughout the 4 discs. This was the 1st,
originally Raccoon 1878 from 1970. The band is heard live as a very loose
trio, with Lowell "Banana" Levinger switching between guitar & electric
piano, Jesse Colin Young on vocals & bass, & Joe Bauer on drums. Their
manger Richard Anderson AKA Earthquake, makes his 1st of many appearances on
harp. This set is taken from a few California shows including The Family Dog
SF, Provo Park Berkeley & U of Santa Cruz. Includes one of my all-time fave
Y'bloods tunes, the electric-piano based instrumental On Beautiful Lake
Spenard as well as such other faves as Josianne & It's A
Lovely Day. (GM)
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| THE YOUNGBLOODS |
Sundazed 6180 |
Ride The Wind |
● CD $12.98 |
6 tracks, 37 min, highly recommended
Perhaps their best
late-period album, originally Raccoon 2561 from '71. This has the trio in a
performance from the Fillmore East in 11/70. All the tunes are lengthy,
jazzy workouts with the only new thing being a cover of Fred Neil's The
Dolphin. The rest are reworked versions of Sugar Babe/ Get Together/
Sunlight/ Beautiful & the title tune. (GM)
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| THE YOUNGBLOODS |
Sundazed 6182 |
High On A Ridgetop |
● CD $12.98 |
10 tunes, 41 minutes, recommended
Reissue of Raccoon 2653
from '72. The Youngbloods go out in a whimper. A very pleasant whimper, but
a whimper nonetheless. There's only one new original here, Jesse Colin
Young's Dreamboat. The rest are laid-back version of mostly oldies,
with a few interesting ideas, like Running Bear & Speedo, &
with a few nice but done-to-death or not necessary covers including She
Caught The Katy & Left Me A Mule To Ride which had just been done by Taj
Mahal, Dylan's I Shall Be Released, even the Ritchie Valens double-sider
La Bamba/ Donna and The Beatles' She Came In Through The Bathroom
Window. (GM)
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| THE YOUNGBLOODS |
Sundazed 6183 |
Good & Dusty |
● CD $12.98 |
11 tracks, 44 min, recommended
Reissue of Raccoon 2566 from
'71. The Y'bloods are now back to quartet with the addition of Michael Kane
on bass, which allows Jesse Colin Young to go back on guitar as well as
tenor sax! And there's also honorary 5th member Earthquake on harp. These
are mostly low-key covers of blues & R&B, though it does have the 1st
appearance of the classic Young tune Light Shine as well as Banana's
Hippie From Olema.
Includes some nice versions of That's How Strong My
Love Is/ Willie & The Hand Jive/ Stagger Lee/ Let The Good Times Roll. (GM)
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