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NEWSLETTER #14 8
Vintage Rock 'n' Roll & Rockabilly
Eddie Cochran ->
Gene Vincent + DVD
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Voiceprint TPDVDBOX 1 |
All You Need Is Love |
● DVD $84.98 |
Amazing five DVD set featuring all 17 episodes of the
acclaimed television documentary on the history of popular music directed
by Tony Palmer and shown world wide on TV between 1976 and 1980 and never
before available in any video format. Stretching to almost 15 hours the
series encompassed ragtime, blues, jazz, vaudeville, the musical, folk,
swing, country and western and beyond. It includes interviews and/ or
musical performances from Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington,
Ginger Baker, Eubie Blake, Rudi Blesh, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker,
B.B. King, Leadbelly, Charles Aznavour, Harry Lauder, Al Jolson, Hoagy
Carmichael, Bob Fosse, Richard Rodgers, Artie Shaw, Frank Sinatra, Bo
Diddley, Stevie Wonder, Bill Anderson, Webb Pierce, Arlo Guthrie, Leonard
Cohen, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Brian Epstein, John Lennon, Bill
Graham, Mick Jagger, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Kiss, Black Oak Arkansas,
Joy Of Cooking and many, many more. I can't wait to check this out when I
have 15 hours to spare!
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| BOBBY DARIN |
Bear Family BCD 16310 |
Bobby Rocks |
● CD $24.98 |
The "Beyond the Sea" balladeer gets the Bear Family
treatment in this typically stylish package with 36 tracks that documents
his most rockin' Atco recordings along with tracks from Brunswick, Decca
and Capitol. It contains all his early hits like Splish Splash/ Plain
Jane/ Queen Of The Hop/ Dream Lover and more including several
previously unissued alternate takes. In digipack with 48 page booklet
chock full of rare photos plus extensive notes and full discography.
BOBBY DARIN: All The Way Home/ Brand New House/
Bullmoose (LP version)/ Bullmoose (original 45 version)/ Clementine/ Don't
Call My Name/ Dream Lover/ Early In The Morning/ Hush, Somebody's Calling
My Name/ I Ain't Sharin' Sharon/ I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five
And Ten Cent Store)/ I Want You With Me/ Judy, Don't Be Moody/ Keep A
Walkin'/ Mighty Mighty Man/ Multiplication/ Now We're One/ Oo-Ee Train/
Pity Miss Kitty/ Plain Jane/ Plain Jane (alternate take)/ Pretty Betty/
Queen Of The Hop/ Queen Of The Hop (alternate take)/ Rock Island Line/
Ruby Baby/ She's Tanfastic/ Silly Willie/ Since You've Been Gone/ So Mean/
Sorrow Tomorrow/ Splish Splash/ Splish Splash (alternate take)/ Wear My
Ring/ You Know How/ You're Mine
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| BOBBY DARIN |
El Toro 1018 |
Early Bobby Darin |
● CD $18.98 |
17 tracks recorded for Decca and Atco in 1956 and '57
including a couple of unissued alternate takes - Silly Willy/ Rock
Island Line/ (I Found A) Million Dollar Baby/ Don't Call My name (two
takes)/ Pretty Betty (two takes)/ Hear Them Bells/ Dealer In
Dreams/ Blue Eyed Mermaid, etc.
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| THE FLYING
BURRITO BROTHERS |
Raven 271 |
The Flying Burrito Brothers/ Last Of The
Red Hot Burrito s |
● CD $19.98 |
23 tracks, 78 mins, highly recommended
This collection
features the third and forth F.B.B. records from 1971 and 1972,
respectively. While post-Gram Parsons, they are still quite good and they
mark the last period with the multi-talented Chris Hillman at the helm.
"Last Of." is a fantastic live set with the then-current line-up augmented
by Roger Bush on Bass, Kenny Wertz on Acoustic guitar and banjo, and Byron
Berline on fiddle, which vastly expanded the Bluegrass numbers in the set.
The coup de gras for Burritos and Country Rock fans may be the inclusion
of the fantastic single version of Gene Clark's "Tried So Hard" with Clark
when he was toying with becoming a full-time member (we can only dream).
All in all, this collection represents the last of the best studio and
live versions of the band and is essential for fans. (JM)
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| LEVON HELM |
Raven 272 |
Levon Helm & The RCO All Stars/ American
Son |
● CD $19.98 |
20 tracks, 76 mins, recommended
This is a re-issue of two
LPs from 1977 and 1980, respectively. Both feature the fantastic and
hugely underrated Fred Carter Jr., whom Levon Helm played with in the
early versions of Ronnie Hawkins' Hawks. Carter provides guitar work
primarily, but also other instrumentation and composition on both LPs.
Carter being an example of the back-home approach of both these records
esp. the RCO all-Stars, which intentionally focused on players from along
the great Mississippi river. Dr. John, Booker T, Steve Cropper, Donald
"Duck" Dunn, Tom "Bones" Malone, etc, along with the ripping chops of Paul
Butterfield (is Chicago on the Miss? I really need to get a map in this
office.) The RCO All-Stars album has a loose, funky jam feeling to it.
It's not a great album, but it's a good album; it's fun and certainly big
fans of the Band will need to own it. "American Son" strips away all of
the big name players and delivers a much earthier record that shows off
his Country roots more and in general stands up better over the years than
the RCO record. Helm's most recent album "Dirt Farmer" is actually much
better than either of these, but fans will definitely want to own this
collection for the complete story. (JM)
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| BAKER KNIGHT |
America 5001 |
The Baker Knight Story |
● CD $17.98 |
30 tracks, 72 min., recommended
Better known as a
songwriter than as a performer, Knight recorded a rockabilly single (Bop
Boogie To The Blues--not here) in 1956 as by The Knightmares. The
flip, Bring My Cadillac Back made some noise regionally and was
licensed by Decca. Further success as a performer eluded Baker in the
fifties, despite a friendship with Eddie Cochran, who plays guitar on
Just Relax. His songs, however, were recorded by Elvis Presley (The
Wonder Of You), Ricky Nelson (Lonesome Town, They'll Never
Be Anyone Else But You, Sweeter Than You, and 18 others),
Mickey Gilley (Don't The Girls All Get Prettier...), Jerry Lee
Lewis. Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams, Jr., and others. Baker
cut his earliest tracks for the Kit label, moved to Coral by 1959, and
ended up waxing singles at RCA, Chess, Challenger, Jubilee, and Everest,
among other labels. This generous collection offers a nice sampling of
Baker's mid-1950s and 1960s material. (By the 1970s, he had turned his pen
toward the country market.) No booklet notes with this one. (JC)
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| FRED NEIL |
Fallout 2091 |
Trav'lin Man - The Early Singles |
● CD $17.98 |
12 tracks, 28 min., recommended
The folks from the
radioactively named Fallout label have done Neil fans a valuable service
by gathering his first six, obscure 45 rpms released between 1957-61, when
he was better known as a songwriter--Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison recorded
his songs--instead of a singer-songwriter who influenced Bob Dylan and
everyone else. He waxed three singles for Epic, and one each for
ABC-Paramount, Brunswick, and the lesser-known Look Records label. The
songs range from rockabilly (You Ain't Treatin' Me Right/ Listen Kitten)
to country-pop (Don't Put The Blame On Me), to pop (Rainbow And
A Rose). As often as not, the songs are graced with female backing
vocals of an unhip kind. Neil wrote seven of the songs, and on the
Brunswick 45 the artist credit reads, "Freddie Neil And Friend." Label
pictures but no booklet notes with this one. Nice to have these sides
collected, but how many CDs dare to clock in at under 29 minutes these
days? (JC)
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| THE PARIS SISTERS |
Marginal MAR 087 |
Their Greatest Hits & More |
● CD $19.98 |
27 tracks, highly recommended
Back in stock in limited
quantities. 27 tracks from this fine San Francisco girl group who were
active in late 50s and early 60s other best known for their giant hit I
Love How You Love Me, included here, featuring the distinctive
ethereal lead vocals of Priscilla Paris. Includes songs written by Paris
and some from Brill Building songwriters like Gerry Goffin, Carole King,
Doc Pomus and Phil Spector. Spector produced their big hit as well as
several others here. Also has some fine covers of hits like Dream
Lover/ Sincerely/ It's My Party and others plus a remake of Love
and a couple of Priscilla Paris solo cuts. (FS)
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| ELVIS PRESLEY |
Proper BOX 137 |
The Tupelo Mississippi Flash |
● CD $26.98 |
4 CDs, 115 tracks, 274 mins, essential
Proper records
boldly presents this fantastic four CD set comprised of Sun and Early RCA
recordings as well as one full disk of live recordings by the King in his
prime. The live disk starts out the box and is definitely the big selling
point to the collection, with rare performances starting off with
That's All Right (Mama) and Blue Moon Of Kentucky played by
Elvis, Scotty and Bill at the Louisiana Hayride on October 16th 1954,
which sound crisp, clear and fantastic. Then you get a couple from the
Hayride on Jan 15, 1955 that are a lot scratchier and clearly not done on
pro equipment--still great to hear though. Up next are six songs from yet
another Louisiana Hayride, this time a week later then the last tracks and
a bit better-recorded quality. Songs in this set include Tweedlee Dee/
Money Honey, among others. Next up we travel over to Houston Texas for
a March 19th 1955 date at the Eagles hall with great takes on There's
Good Rockin' Tonight/Baby Let's Play House, yet another Blue Moon
of Kentucky/ I Got A Woman, and That's All Right. You can tell
the big E is really gaining confidence, bantering with the audience and
swaggering through the set. You then get three more Hayride shows from '55
and then ending up with a full fledged star Elvis live at the Robinson
Auditorium in Little Rock Arkansas April 16th 1956 and then two famous
live songs on The Steve Allen show July 1st 1956; after that, everyone
would know him. Disk two features the majority of his Sun records
recordings and starts into his first RCA sessions, and disks three and
four fill out the rest of his RCA recordings up until September of 1957.
Basically you get all of the formative years of Elvis Presley that trace
him from an unknown hanging around Sun studios all the way through to
superstardom and the peak of his Rock n' Rolls years. This is beyond
essential, but I would think that most of you out there are going to have
all of the regular tracks; even so, it is great to have them all here in
one package and with all of the rare live tracks it makes it pretty hard
to resist (I already bought a copy and I'm thinking about buying more for
friends!) (JM)
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| JACK SCOTT |
Bear Family BCD 16847 |
The Ballads Of Jack Scott |
● CD $23.98 |
25 tracks, highly recommended
Jack Scott was one of the
greatest rock 'n' roll ballad singers and since he wrote much of his own
material who was able to perfectly tailor his songs for his expressive
warm baritone voice. The songs are simple, direct and sincere with
beautiful melodies and usually sung at an extremely slow tempo. Songs like
What In The World's Come Over You/ My True Love and With Your
Love are among the finest rock ballads ever. And then there's the
wonderful Bella - a song that sounds like an Italian folk song
(Jack's real name is Giovanni Scafone) complete with Dave Rohillier's
inspired guitar solo sounding like a mandolin. Accompanying Jack are the
superb backing vocals of The Chantones and, with all due respect to The
Jordanaires, I think they were the best in the business. The songs here
cover the period through 1958 through 1965 with recordings from all the
labels he recorded for during that period. Comes with fine notes by Dekee
Dickerson and full discographical info. (FS)
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| HAYDEN THOMPSON |
Bear Family BCD 16131 |
Rock-A-Billy Gal - The Sun Years, Plus |
● CD $21.98 |
35 tracks, highly recommended
Exhaustive collection from
this lesser-known, but fantastic Rockabilly cat. Features all of his Sun
tracks that the tapes still exist for plus obscurities from all kinds of
smaller labels. Extensive liner notes tell Hayden's long and rocky life
story that still finds him playing to throngs of adoring fans. (JM)
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| THE TOKENS |
Collectables 7883 |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight/ The Tokens Again |
● CD $15.98 |
This CD reissues two RCA L Ps from 1961 and 1961 by this
pop.doo-wop/folk group from New York. The first includes their #1 hit - a
revamped version of the South African Zulu song Mbube for which the
original writer Solomon Linda received practically nothing. The rest of
that LP also features folk oriented material including Michael/
Shenandoah/ Big Boat/ Jamaica Farewell, etc. The latter LP includes
their 1964 minor hit Hear The Bells plus other recent compositions
along with covers of doo-wop favorites like Earth Angel/ A Thousand
Miles Away/ Gee, etc.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1015 |
Teenage Crush, Volume 4 |
● CD $18.98 |
Ace's fourth collection of "clean-cut pop rockers and teen
ballads from the late 50s and early 60s" features 28 cuts that made the
U.S. charts between 1956 and 1963 - 16 of them in the top 20. Some of the
tracks are a bit meatier than the subtitle of the collection might lead
you to believe. Includes sides by Dickey Lee, Bobby Darin,
The Statues, Clyde McPhatter,Tommy Dee, Dean Christie, Ray Peterson, Clyde
Stacy and others. As always for Ace, sound is superb and there is a 24
page booklet with detailed notes and rare photos.
FRANKIE AVALON: Why/ PAT BOONE: Love Letters in the
Sand/ TOMMY BOYCE: I'll Remember Carol/ JOHNNY BURNETTE: Dreamin'/ DEAN
CHRISTIE: Heart Breaker/ LOU CHRISTIE: Two Faces Have I/ DALE & GRACE:
Stop and Think It Over/ BOBBY DARIN: Queen of the Hop/ JAMES DARREN:
Goodbye Cruel World/ TOMMY DEE: Three Stars/ HUELYN DUVALL: Little Boy
Blue/ THE FLEETWOODS: Mr. Blue/ GEORGE HAMILTON IV: Why Don't They
Understand/ CHICO HOLIDAY: Young Ideas/ T.K. HULIN: I'm Not a Fool
Anymore/ KRIS JENSEN: Torture/ DICKEY LEE: I Saw Linda Yesterday/ THE
LETTERMEN: When I Fall in Love/ CLYDE MCPHATTER: Treasure of Love/ RICK
NELSON: Never Be Anyone Else But You/ RAY PETERSON: Wonder of You/ FRANK
PIZANI: Angry/ DENNY REED: Teenager Feels It Too/ ANDY ROSE: Just Young/
CLYDE STACY: So Young/ THE STATUES: Blue Velvet/ BOBBY VEE: Take Good Care
of My Baby/ DALE WRIGHT: She's Neat
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1168 |
Feline Groovy - 24 Purrfect Tracks For
Kool Kats |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 57 mins, recommended
Here's one for all you cat
lovers out there (I'm one!): a collection of songs from the mid 50's to
the mid 60's with a cat theme. From this rather arbitrary premise come
some very varied tracks, ranging from the slinky R&B of The Coasters (Three
Cool Cats) and the Latin Jazz of Mongo Santamaria (El Pussy Cat)
to a cover of The Siamese Cat Song from Disney's Lady and the
Tramp, the Jazz chops of Dave "Baby" Cortez and Jimmy Smith, and the Folk
stylings of The Rooftop Singers. My faves: Little Willie John's Leave
My Kitten Alone, Peggy Lee's sultry Sneakin' Up on You, Tom
Jones' What's New Pussycat (I've always been a sucker for his
voice!), Sonny James' swingin' The Cat Came Back, and Lee Dorsey's
The Kitty Kat Song. There's nothing deep or meaningful about these
songs, and how could one not love an album that closes with the theme to
immortal 60's cartoon Top Cat. Beautifully packaged and annotated, this
one's a keeper. I'm sure your cat will approve! (GMC)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1172 |
Rock On |
● CD $18.98 |
28 tracks, highly r ecommended
This is a great eclectic
collection of music that spotlights the legendary English record store
Rock On founded by Ted Carroll in 1969. For 25 years it was one of
London's leading collector record shops and in 1975 it spawned Ace Records
and the rest, as they say ... From Slim Harpo to Roky Erickson, Joe Tex to
the Belfast Gypsies, Charlie Feathers to Peter Holsapple and this CD has
just a plethora of styles that somehow all fall under one category: Good
Music! Detailed booklet tells the whole story. (JM/ FS)
THE BELFAST GYPSIES: Gloria's Dream/ JERRY BYRNE: Lights
Out/ DON COVAY: It's Better To Have (and Don't Need)/ LINK DAVIS: Slipping
And Sliding Sometimes/ FATS DOMINO: Honest Papas Love Their Mamas Better/
DR. FEELGOOD: Back In The Night/ DYKE & THE BLAZERS: So Sharp/ ROKY
ERICKSON: Two Headed Dog/ CHARLIE FEATHERS: Bottle To The Baby/ THE
FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Slow Death/ SLIM HARPO: Shake Your Hips/ RON HOLDEN: My
Babe/ PETER HOLSAPPLE: Big Black Truck/ THE IKETTES: Camel Walk/ WAYLON
JENNINGS: Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way/ MERCY BABY: Marked Deck/
AMOS MILBURN: Chicken Shack Boogie/ AUSTIN PITRE & THE EVANGELINE
PLAYBOYS: Flumes D'enfer/ BILLY LEE RILEY: Red Hot/ THE SHANGRI-LAS: Give
Him A Great Big Kiss/ RAY SHARPE: Linda Lu/ HUEY "PIANO" SMITH & THE
CLOWNS: Don't You Just Know It/ KOKO TAYLOR: What Came First - The Egg Or
The Hen?/ VINCE TAYLOR: Brand New Cadillac/ JOE TEX: You Little Baby Faced
Thing/ JOE WEAVER & THE DON JUANS: Baby, I Love You So/ PEANUTS WILSON:
Cast Iron Arm/ LINK WRAY: I'm So Glad, I'm So Proud
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1181 |
Early Girls, Vol. 5 |
● CD $18.98 |
28 tracks, 70 mins, highly recommended
At first glance
this looks like another nostalgia-filled batch of lesser tracks from the
golden age of Rock 'N' Roll. Once I listened to it a bit, I found that
there are all kinds of great songs on here that I didn't really know
before, so the sum of its parts makes for a great collection. Here are
some stand-out tracks and why: teenage tearjerkers like It Hurts To Be
Sixteen by Andrea Carroll, Don't Mention My Name by The
Shepherd Sisters, and Lonely Sixteen by Janie Black, to name just a
few. Then there are a couple of great songs on here that were actually big
hits: Don't Just Stand There by Patty Duke, Broken Hearted
Melody uncharacteristically by Sarah Vaughn, and also Navy Blue,
the highest charting single here at #6 pop in 1963 by Diane Renay. Then
there are the ones that didn't do nearly as well as you'd think:
Tonight's The Night by The Chiffons and, especially, Just One Look
by Doris Troy - a number one hit if I ever heard one, but it only cracked
the top ten. The real beauty of this collection is the more oddball
numbers like The Rag Dolls doing Dusty in song and style everyway
they were the female Four Seasons (doesn't hurt that they were produced by
Bob Crewe,) amazingly the lead singer of this group can't quite hit some
of the high notes that Frankie Valli could. There is a whole lot of magic
to be found here if you just give it a chance. As usual Ace does a
fantastic job on sound and extensive liner notes. I guess I need to go
pick up the first four volumes of this that I ignored. (JM)
ANITA & THE SO AND SO'S: Joey Baby/ BABY JANE & THE
ROCKABYES: All I Want To Do Is Run/ THE BERMUDAS: Donnie/ JANIE BLACK:
Lonely Sixteen/ JO ANN CAMPBELL: Kookie Little Paradise/ ANDREA CARROLL:
It Hurts To Be Sixteen/ CATH CARROLL: Poor Little Puppet/ THE CHANTELS:
Eternally/ THE CHIFFONS: Tonight's The Night/ THE CINDERELLAS: Baby Baby
(I Still Love You)/ GLORIA DENNIS: Richie/ PATTY DUKE: Don't Just Stand
There/ THE FOUR COQUETTES: Sparkle And Shine/ MAUREEN GRAY: Dancin' The
Strand/ WENDY HILL: Without Your Love/ PATTY LACE & THE PETTICOATS: Sneaky
Sue/ THE RAG DOLLS: Dusty/ DIANE RENAY: Navy Blue/ TINA ROBIN: Play It
Again/ THE ROYALETTES: Blue Summer/ CAROL SHAW: Jimmy Boy/ THE SHEPHERD
SISTERS: Don't Mention My Name/ PARIS SISTERS: Be My Boy/ THE STARLETS: PS
I Love You/ SUE THOMPSON: Paper Tiger/ DORIS TROY: Just One Look/ SARAH
VAUGHAN: Broken Hearted Melody/ THE VICTORIANS: What Makes Little Girls
Cry
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1186 |
On Vine Street - The Early Songs Of Randy
Newman |
● CD $18.98 |
26 tracks, 69 mins, recommended
I'm sure like me, most of
you out in Roots and Rhythm land are huge Randy Newman fans, right? Well
maybe not, but maybe, like me, you will be impressed at how many really
goods songs he did write for artists as diverse as Fats Domino, Dusty
Springfield, Rick Nelson, The O'Jays, Van Dyke Parks, The Beau Brummels,
Scott Walker, and Irma Thomas, just to name a few. Spanning 1962 - 1970,
this is an interesting, diverse and entertaining collection fits well in
among Ace's other Producer and Songwriter collections. (JM)
THE BEAU BRUMMELS: Old Kentucky Home/ BEVERLEY: Happy
New Year/ CILLA BLACK: I've Been Wrong Before/ ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS:
Mama Told Me Not To Come/ VIC DANA: Looking For Me/ JACKIE DESHANNON: Take
Me Away/ FATS DOMINO: Have You Seen My Baby/ LORRAINE ELLISON: I'll Be
Home/ THE FLEETWOODS: They Tell Me It's Summer/ ERMA FRANKLIN: Love Is
Blind/ CALVIN GRAYSON: Big Brother/ TAMMY GRIMES: I Can't Remember Ever
Loving You/ HARPERS BIZARRE: The Biggest Night Of Her Life/ FRANKIE LAINE:
Take Her/ GENE MCDANIELS: Somebody's Waiting/ RICK NELSON: Love Story/
NILSSON: So Long Dad/ THE O'JAYS: Friday Night/ VAN DYKE PARKS: Vine
Street (Intro: Black Jack David)/ GENE PITNEY: Nobody Needs Your Love/ THE
ALAN PRICE SET: Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear/ DUSTY
SPRINGFIELD: I Think It's Going To Rain Today/ BILLY STORM: Baby, Don't
Look Down/ IRMA THOMAS: While The City Sleeps/ THE TOKENS: Just One Smile/
SCOTT WALKER (FIRST ISSUED AS BY THE WALKER BR: I Don't Want To Hear It
Anymore
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16608 |
The Drugstore's Rockin', Vol. 3 |
● CD $24.98 |
26 tracks, 57 mins, lightly recommended
If you were in a
Malt Shop where the most popular flavor was vanilla and everything came
with white bread and crackers, than this is probably what the juke-box
might have sounded like. There are a few rockin' tracks on this, like the
female Elvis (totally not) Janis Martin's Drugstore Rock 'n' Roll,
Louis Prima's great, but not exactly R&R Buona Sera, plus a couple
good tracks each by The Crickets and Bonnie Guitar. Most of the rest is
less interesting and tame stuff by such artists Kenny Loran, Ronny Toth,
Barry De Vorzan and the esteemed Dwayne Hickman, with his opus, School
Dance. Personally I would have preferred a little less Dobie Gillis
and a little more Maynard G. Krebs (don't forget, the G. stands for
Walter). (JM)
THE CRICKETS: Playboy/ Right Or Wrong/ BARRY DEVORZON:
Across The Street From Your House/ Hey Little Darlin'/ JOE DOWELL: Bridge
Of Love/ BOBBY EDWARDS: Here's My Heart/ Someone New/ JOHNNY FALLIN: If I
Could Write A Love Song/ NICK GREENE: My Lovin' Baby/ BONNIE GUITAR: Half
Your Heart/ Love Is Over, Love Is Done/ JUDD HAMILTON: Dream/ DWAYNE
HICKMAN: School Dance/ KENNY LORAN: One More Record Please/ Sugar In A
Kiss/ JANIS MARTIN: Drugstore Rock 'n' Roll/ NED MILLER: Do What You Do,
Do Well/ Just Before Dawn/ LOUIS PRIMA: Buona Sera/ MARV & PATTY
RAINWATER: Two Fools In Love/ JOHNNY ROSE: The Last One To Know/ With A
Kiss/ HOKE SIMPSON: I Finally Found You/ EARL SINKS: House Of Blue Lights/
Maggie/ RONNY TOTH: Someone Like You
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Big Beat 274 |
A-Square (Of Course) |
● CD $18.98 |
25 tracks, 73 mins, highly recommended
This collection
basically tells the story of Michigan (based out of Ann Arbor) music
impresario Jeep Holland and his A-Square record label and talent agency.
Chronicling the mid-late 1960's rock scene in the area with such notables
as The Scot Richard Case, The Thyme, The Apostles, The Bossmen, and The
Up, who were the hot young local bands of the day. There are also seeds of
the greats to come with one MC5 single, Looking at You b/w
Borderline, released on Jeep's label then also his work with an young
Iggy Pop in the Prime Movers and Dick Wagner & The Frost, who would sell a
lot more records as just The Frost. Tons of fantastic high octane Rock 'N'
Roll, with a large chunk of (12 tracks) making its release debut on this
CD. All tracks were recorded around 1967 -69. Fantastic, dense liner notes
tell the whole story. Included are a lot of great original tracks mixed
with some rather adventurous covers of then-current hit songs, all are
highly listenable except for The Apostles version of Stranded In The
Jungle, which I would recommend skipping. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Buffalo Bop 55185 |
Problem Child |
● CD $18.98 |
30 Tracks, 65 Mins, highly recommended
A new newsletter
and a new Buffalo Bop collection and--what do you know--this one has a
teenage delinquency theme and is full of wild obscure rockabilly! Blasting
off with Curley Jim and The Billey Rocks primitive anthem Rock and Roll
Itch, it's off to the races from there with 30 tracks of Dixie-fried
rockabilly madness. Great rare tracks: Butter Ball by Maximillian,
The Cat Bug Bit'
by Ramsey Kearney, Chick-A-Lou by Johnny Mann And The
Tornados, and Sloppy, Sloppy Suzie also by Curley Jim and The Billey
Rocks, which leads me to declare, I'll have whatever they're drinking!
Lots of great tracks throughout, this one's chock full of nuts and sure to
satisfy. All tracks digitally remastered from the original 45s, includes
booklet with original release info, photos of artists and reproductions of
all original labels. (JM)
IRA ALLEN: Nursery Rock/ MARV BLIHOVDE AND THE
VANGUARDS: Been Away Too Long/ THE BLUE NOTES: I Love Her So/ RONNIE
BRENT: My Sweet Verlene/ JOHNNY BUSH: Your Kind Of Love/ CURLEY JIM: Rock
And Roll Itch/ Sloppy Sloppy Suzie/ MICKEY DECKER & THE GALAXIES: Jenny
Jenny/ EDDIE FERRELL: Teach Me How To Rock/ FREDDIE FLYNN AND THE FLASHES:
Green Stamps/ THE FOUR REBELS: Boogie Woogie Sally/ BILL FRIEL: Teenager/
K.C GRAND AND THE SHADES: Lookie-Lookie-Lookie/ BILLY HALL AND HIS RHYTHM
BOYS: Move Over Rover/ WAYNE HANDY: Say Yeah/ I'll Never Be The Same/
Problem Child/ DAVEY HOLT AND THE HUBCAPS: Pittery Pat/ JOHNNY KAY:
Starvation/ RAMSEY KEARNEY: Don't Tease/ The Cat Bug Bit/ KING IVORY LEE:
Rockin In The Cocanut Top/ WALLY LEE WITH THE STORMS: Eeny Meeny/ JOHNNY
MANN AND THE TORNADOS: Chick-A-Lou/ MAXIMILIAN: Butter Ball/ DICKIE "BIRD"
NEWLAND: Don't Be Funny Honey/ MARVIN PAUL: None Of Your Business/ FRANKY
PRESTON AND THE BEACH COMBERS: I Want To Do It/ JOE RAMIREZ AND HIS
JUMPING JACKS: Run You Down/ DANNY ROSS: Look At You Go
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Buffalo Bop 55186 |
Rockabilly Wildfire |
● CD $18.98 |
30 tracks, 68 mins, highly recommended
Rockabilly Wildfire
indeed, this collection is scorchin' hot! You know what to expect at this
point, a potent batch of wild and obscure Rockabilly. Booklet has lots of
record reproductions and promotional photos. (JM)
RED BAILEY: Take Off Like A Bird/ THE BRIDGE BROTHERS:
Sticka-By-You/ BUCK (TRAIL) & TOMMY: Lady Friend/ SAMMIE COLE: I'm Sorry
About That/ HAROLD CROSBY: Bright Lights/ MOREY DUBOIS: If You Can Spare
The Time/ ARLIE DUFF: Mama You've Had Your Day/ BILLY FRIZZEL: Out Of A
Clear Blue Sky/ DAVID GREGG: Baby I Don't Care/ BILL HALL: I Need Some
Lovin/ BOBBY HANKINS: Honkey Tonk Queen/ JIM HARDIN: High Stepping Woman/
LOYD HOWELL: Little Froggy Went A Courtin/ They Don't Know/ HARVEY HURT:
Stayed Away Too Long/ EDDIE JACKSON: Rock And Roll Baby/ JACK KING:
Wildfire/ JOHNNY LAURY: Honky Tonk Man/ HENRY MCPEAK: I Feel Like Yelling/
JUNNE MILLER: How Bad Can Bad Luck Be/ ROD MORRIS: Alabama Jail House/
VERN PULLENS: Mama Don't Allow No Boppin/ You Don't Mean To Make Me Cry/
THE RAINDROPS: I Don't Want A Sweetheart/ CURLEY REEVES: Yep It Must Be
Love/ WAYNE (BOB) ROBERTS: Japaneese Rhumba/ BUCK TRAIL: The Blues Keep
Knocking/ EARNEY VANDAGRIFF: You Can't Come In/ IRVING VERGE AND THE
COMMANDERS: Nancy/ PAUL WHEATLEY: Teenage Jive
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Buffalo Bop 55190 |
Strictly Instrumental, Vol. 10 |
● CD $18.98 |
30 tracks, 63 mins, highly recommended
Digging ever deeper
into Rock 'n Roll minutia, Buffalo Bop provides us another winner with
this, its tenth foray into the "Strictly Instrumental." The usual
assortment of Clearasil Casanovas, strummin' mental on their Fenders and
Sears Roebuck specials fill up the bulk of this fine collection. In most
cases the rare 45's represented have both the A side and the flip if its
worthy. Included is The Handclappers' nice and twisted take on Three
Blind Mice - Three Gassed Rats -- no B-side for that one
though, the band having apparently exhausted their novelty ideas. Other
highlights like Dion and the Galaxiex Avalanche & Sundown,
The Tempos with the fantastic Sham-Rock & It's Tough, as
well as great outings by The Tremelos, The Crown T's, The Twiters, The
Raiders etc. Not to mention probably my fav on this volume, the sax and
reverb driven Weird by Bob Vidone and the Rhythm Rockers. Crisp
sounding mix, with every twang ringing loud & clear. This has Buffalo
Bop's usual lack of liner notes, but a booklet full of label repros and
rare snapshots. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Chrome Dreams 5017 |
Van Morrison's Jukebox |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks, 72 mins, recommended
A few years back there was
a show on T.V. that was about John Lennon's actual jukebox, which was
stilled filled with the records that he had stocked it with. They devoted
a whole hour-long show, as I recall, to all of the key records in there
and what they must have meant to Lennon. Ever since that show, collections
like this have been popping up. Subtitled "The Songs That Inspired The
Man," this collection tries to plot out the musical roadmap that got Van
"The Man" where he is today. I have heard (and reviewed) these type of CDs
about Elvis and Johnny Cash among others and at their best, they are a
great collection of songs and at their worst they are a confused mish-mash
of songs that the artist may or may not have actually cared about. Certain
tracks on this are obvious in their influence on Morrison, Baby Please
Don't Go by Big Joe Williams and Ain't That Lovin' You Baby by
Jimmy Reed for example, but where is Jackie Wilson? Focusing largely on
Blues and Rhythm & Blues, you get fine tracks from the likes of T-Bone
Walker, Stormy Weather; Jimmy Witherspoon, Times Getting Tougher
Than Tough; Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, "Sittin' On Top Of The
World"; etc. There are also sprinklings of Country, Jazz and Skiffle and a
cool spoken word with Jazz accompaniment of Jack Kerouac doing a bit from
On The Road. Overall a fine collection, full of a not-too-obscure
music selection that really probably only scratches the surface of what
Van Morrison's jukebox would actually hold. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collector 4520 |
Rock & Roll With Piano, Vol. 14 |
● CD $16.98 |
30 tracks, recommended
Another fine entry in this long
running series with an excellent selection of rockers from the 50s and
early 60s. As is frequently the case in this the piano is not always that
prominent but if you enjoy obscure rockers you'll enjoy this collection
which features tracks mostly new to CD - about half of them instrumentals.
Among the artists are Bobby Baker, Roy Young & The Millermen, The Ramblers
(a fine instrumental rendition of At the Hop with hot sax and
guitar - and a bit of piano), The Combonaires, The Passengers, Les
Cunningham, Art Gunn and & His Titans, Larry Dallas (two fine country
flavored sides including a nice cover of I Forgot To Remember To Forget),
Lawrence "Piano Roll" Cook (veteran black piano player who started his
career producing piano rolls in the 1920s), Tim Whitsett, Johnny Brown,
Johnny Swendel, etc. Usual high quality sound we've come to expect from
Collector and booklet with artist photos and label shots. (FS)
MITCH ADAMS & COUNTRY ECHOES: Slipping & Sliding/ BOBBY
BAKER: Oh! What a Date/ Wow-Ee Ginger/ JOHNNY BROWN: Shakey
(Instrumental)/ THE COMBONAIRES: Topaz (Instrumental)/ LAWRENCE "PIANO
ROLL" COOK: Cook'n the Boogie (Instrumental)/ Mason-Dixon Boogie
(Instrumental)/ LES CUNNINGHAM: Honky Tonk Song/ THE DADDY-O'S: Dancing
Elephants (Instrumental)/ LARRY DALLAS: I Forgot to Remember to Forget/
Two Step/ JAN DAVIS: Boss Machine (Instrumental)/ THE DING DONG DADDIES:
Shortnin' Bread/ THE GO-CARTS: Rockin' Liza (Instrumental)/ ART GUNN & HIS
TITANS: Walkin' in New Shoes/ HAROLD LOWRY: Me and the Blues/ JERRY MOTT:
Come with Me/ THE ORBIT ROCKERS: In the Area (Instrumental)/ THE
PASSENGERS: Night Coach (Instrumental)/ Sand in Your Eye (Instrumental)/
THE PRINCETONS FIVE: Deadman (Instrumental)/ MIKE PRITCHETT: Turtle Neck
(Instrumental)/ THE RAMBLERS: Hoppin' at the Hop (Instrumental)/ THE
ROYALE MONARCHS: Great Balls of Fire/ AL SAXON & THE MILLERMAN: Linda Lu/
THE SURFRIDERS: Radiation (Instrumental)/ JOHNNY SWENDEL: You Drove Me to
Konky Tonks/ TIM WHITSETT: Scalywag (Instrumental)/ THE WILLIAMS BROTHERS:
Walking a Lonely Street/ ROY YOUNG & THE MILLERMEN: Big Fat Mama
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collector 4522 |
Here Comes Rock And Roll |
● CD $16.98 |
30 tracks, recommended
Another fine collection of totally
obscure rock 'n' roll - mostly from the 50s and early 60s and most making
their first appearance on CD. Nothing truly outstanding but a lot of fine
solid rockers though the less said about Mickey Mouse Party by The
Blue Angeles, the better. Includes Bo Ratliff & Country Kinfolk, Marty
Gino (the fine That Feelin' with tough guitar), Jim Bing & The
Valients, The Tradewinds (the hot instrumental Congo Beat with
tough guitar), The McMillin Brothers (the Buddy Holly inspired
Satisfied), Wayne Moore (the irrissistibly titled Shaggin'
Volkswagen), The Rav-Ons, Kenny Tibbetts, James Bruce & The Del-Catos,
Rollie Webber, Dennis Wayne & The Col-Lee-Jets, The Crusader (his We
Need Wallace from around 1967 is a rock 'n' roll song about George
Wallace's 1968 presidential run), Del Saint (two fine instrumentals - one
previously unissued), Eugene & The Cyclones, DEnnis Drul, Johnny Cardell
(the bizarre Rock-A-Billy Yodler) and more. Excellent sound quality
and booklet has rare label shots and artist photos. I think it's a real
shame that artists don't dress like Del Saint or Dennis Drul anymore! (FS)
JOE BARONE: Yodelin Boogie/ PHIL BEASLEY: Itchin' To
Love You/ JIM BING: Mutha/ THE BLUE ANGELS: Mickey Mouse Party/ JAMES
BRUCE: Brand New Baby/ JOHNNY CARDELL: Rock-A-Billy Yodler/ THE CROWNS:
Bring Back/ THE CRUSADER: We Need Wallace/ DENNIS DRUL: Interlake Rock,
The/ EUGENE & THE CYCLONES: You Are My Sunshine/ FLOYD FLETCHER: You're A
Great Big Pumpkin Charlie Brown/ MARTY GINO: That Feelin'/ FRANK GONZALES
& THE PALISADES: Dance To The Palisades/ PETE MANN: So Help My Heart/ THE
MCMILLIN BROS.: Satisfied/ WAYNE MOORE: Shaggin' Volkswagen/ BO RATCLIFF:
Hey, Hey Don't Tease Me/ THE RAV-ONS: Hop/ JACK ROGERS: Take Me Back/ DEL
SAINT: Jabado/ Tangy/ BILLY SHARPE & HIS SHARPTONES: Hippity Hop/ JIMMY
STARR: Till The Cows Come Home/ LARRY THORNTON: Honky Tonk Queen/ KENNY
TIBBETTS: Mama Loocie/ THE TRADEWINDS: Congo Beat/ WALLACE WATERS: Walkin
And A Thinkin'/ DENNIS WAYNE: Blind Date/ ROLLIE WEBER: Klickety Klack/
DANNY ZELLAS & THE YOUNGSTERS: Zebra
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collector 4524 |
Rock & Roll With Piano, Vol. 15 |
● CD $16.98 |
30 obscure rockers from the 50s and 60s featuring piano,
even if it isn't always in a dominant role. Most tracks are making their
first appearance on CD and the set includes 13 instrumentals and a couple
of previously unissued demos. Artists include Judy Sword, The Slough Boys, Chuck Hix & the
Count Downs, Sonny Cole & The Rhythm Roamers, Don & Neal, etc.
Includes booklet with artist photos and label shots.
LONNIE BARRON: Lost John/ SONNY COLE & THE RHYTHM
ROAMERS: I Need A Lotta Lovin’/ JIMMY COY: Red River Stomp/ JAN DAVIS:
Boss Machine/ AL DEAN & HIS ALLSTARS: Verge Of The Blues/ DON & NEAL:
Listen,Then Twist/ CHUCK FAYNE & THE HOLLYWOOD FAVITITES: Tokyo Stomp/ THE
FERRELL FAMILY: Chris Ann/ DELL GRAHAM WITH QUE MARTIN BAND: Work With It/
JOE HARDLE & THE ORCHIDS: Confusion/ Happy/ CHUCK HIX & COUNT DOWNS:
Cookie Duster/ CHUCK HIX & THE COUNT DOWNS: Loretta/ HOOTEN HOLLER:
Buffalo Twister/ THE INTRIGUES: Road Race/ SUGAR BOB KIRKLAND & FRANKIE
PECORA ORCH: I’m Looking For A Girl/ JIMMY LEE & THE MARKEES: It Must Be
Love/ GRADY LEWIS: I’ve Got A Feelin’/ THE LOCOMOTIONS: Let’s Do The Duck/
SHORTY LONG: I Got Nine Little Kisses/ SLILEY MONROE & SKYLITE JOE’S
PLAYMEN: Happy Happy Birtday/ Paul Bunyon Love/ THE PROPHETS: Come
Back,Baby,Come Back/ ANDY RUSSELL TRIO: Moving Out/ THE SLOUGH BOYS:
Surfin On Cedar Lake/ THE STARFIRES: Everywhere I Go/ Something Else/ JUDY
SWORD: Please Don’t Squeeze My Jimmy/ TOMMY THE TWISTER: Boogie Woogie
Twist/ UNKNOWN BAND: Linda’s Choice
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Jasmine 465 |
Alan Freed Rock 'N' Roll Dance Party |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks, 62 mins, recommended
This is a re-issue of two
LPs from the height of Alan Freed's popularity. Sort of cash in records
with the popular songs of the day played by informal groups of great New
York session players and vocalist with some renown on their own, but were
better known for playing with others. On the first LPs worth of tracks you
have the Modernairs singing and Big Al Sears and Sam The Man Taylor
playing, knocking out solid, if tame renditions of hits like Only You,
Rock Around The Clock, etc.. The second LPs worth has the same
formula but with Jimmy Cavello & His House Rockers handling the lion's
share of work. Freed M.C.s throughout, so his fan's will definitely get a
kick out of this. Musically not amazing, but certainly an interesting
historical piece. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Proper BOX 143 |
Rockin' Memphis |
● CD $26.98 |
4 CDs, 118 tracks, highly recommended
Just arrived. This
set tells the story (or at least some of it) of Memphis music from 1950 -
1957 with an emphasis on up tempo blues, rockin' country and rockabilly.
Just look at the fantastic track list and also know that there are very
extensive liner notes in a 56 page booklet and also incredible sound
throughout this varied batch of material. I'll get a full review for you
next time, once I have had time to digest it all.
(JM)
JOHNNY ACE: Follow The Rule/ Burley Cutie/ TOMMY BLAKE:
Flat Foot Sam/ EDDIE BOND & THE STOMPERS: Baby Baby Baby (What Am I Gonna
Do)/ Flip Flop Mama/ I've Got A Woman/ JACKIE BRENSTON: Juiced/ My Real
Gone Rocket/ Rocket 88/ EDWIN BRUCE: Rock Boppin' Baby/ BARNEY BURCHAM
WITH THE MOON BEAMS: I Fell/ SONNY BURGESS: Red Headed Woman/ DORSEY
BURNETTE: Let's Fall In Love/ The Devil's Queen/ JOHNNY BURNETTE TRIO:
Blues Stay Away From Me/ Eager Beaver Baby/ Rockabilly Boogie/ Train Kept
A Rollin'/ You're Undecided/ FREDDIE BURNS: I'm Just A Pore Unlucky Dog/
Two Piano Boogie/ STEVE CARL & THE JAGS: Curfew/ LEE CARZLE WITH BOBBY
MIZZEL & LE-BOW'S: I'm Asking But I'm Not Getting/ JOHNNY CASH: I Walk The
Line/ Get Rhythm/ EDDIE COLLINS: Can't Face Life Alone/ Patience Baby/
MASON DIXON: Don't Worry 'Bout Nothin'/ JACK EARLS & THE JIMBOS: Slow
Down/ BILLY "THE KID" EMERSON: Move Baby Move/ Red Hot/ CHARLIE FEATHERS:
Defrost Your Heart/ Get With It/ EARL FOREST & BEALE STREET RUNNERS:
Pretty Bessie/ Rock The Bottle/ CLIFF GLEAVES: Love Is My Business/ ROSCO
GORDON: Booted (Chess version)/ Do The Chicken (Dance With You)/ CURLEY
GRIFFIN: Got Rockin' On My Mind/ LEN GRIFFIN & HIS BOYS: Spanish
Rock-A-Rolla/ JIMMY HAGGETT WITH THE DAYDREAMERS: Gonna Shut You Off Baby/
HARMONICA FRANK: Step It Up And Go/ RAY HARRIS: Where'd You Stay Last
Night/ BILLIE HIGH & THE FOUR RECORDERS: Wondering If You Still Care/
HOWLIN' WOLF: Howlin Wolf Boogie/ LOST JOHN HUNTER: Cool Down Mama/ HOYT
JOHNSON & FOUR RECORDERS: Eenie Meenie Minie Mo/ B.B. KING: B.B. Boogie/
She's Dynamite/ DICKEY LEE & THE COLLEGIATES: Good Lovin'/ Stay True Baby/
JERRY LEE LEWIS: Crazy Arms/ End Of The Road/ LITTLE JUNIOR'S BLUE FAMES:
Feelin' Good/ LITTLE JUNIOR'S BLUE FLAMES: Love My Baby/ Mystery Train/
LITTLE MILTON: Beggin' My Baby/ If You Love Me Baby/ JOE HILL LOUIS:
Boogie In The Park/ When I'm Gone (She Treats Me Mean And Evil)/ BILLY
LOVE: Drop Top/ CARL MANN & THE KOOL KATS: Gonna Rock'n'Roll Tonight/
JIMMIE MARTIN COMBO: Red Bobby Sox/ Rock The Bop/ RAMON MAUPIN: Love Gone/
No Chance/ LLOYD MCCULLOUGH: 'Cause I Love You/ Gonna Love My Baby/ Oh
Darling/ Until I Love Again/ WAYNE MCGINNIS WITH THE SWING TEENS: Lonesome
Rhythm Blues/ CARL MCVOY: Tootsie/ THE MILLER SISTERS: Finders Keepers/
WILLIE NIX: Bakershop Boogie/ ROY ORBISON: Go Go Go/ ALLEN PAGE:
Honeysuckle/ KENNIE PARCHMAN: Treat Me Right/ DICK PENNER: Cindy Lou/ CARL
PERKINS: Dixie Fried/ EARL PETERSON: Boogie Blues/ BARBARA PITTMAN: I Need
A Man/ DOUG POINDEXTER & STARLITE RAMBLERS: Now She Cares No More For Me/
ELVIS PRESLEY: Mystery Train/ SLIM RHODES: Bad Girl/ Gonna Romp And Stomp
Tonight/ Hot Foot Rag/ Memphis Bounce/ Ozark Boogie/ Skunk Hollow Boogie/
BILLY RILEY & HIS LITTLE GREEN MEN: Flyin' Saucers Rock'n'Roll/ BILLY
RILEY & THE LITTLE GREEN MEN: Red Hot/ Rock With Me Baby/ LOU SARGENT:
Ridin' The Boogie/ RAY SCOTT & THE FOUR RECORDERS: Boppin' Wigwam Willie/
MACK SELF: Easy To Love/ Everyday/ MILLER SISTERS: Ten Cats Down/ WALTER
"TANG" SMITH: Hi-Tone Mama/ WARREN SMITH: Black Jack David/ Got Love If
You Want It/ So Long I'm Gone/ Ubangi Stomp/ LENDON SMITH & THE JESTERS:
Woman/ BRAD SUGGS: Charcoal Suit/ HANK SWATLEY: Oakie Boogie/ JOHNNY TATE:
Bop With Me Baby/ RUFUS THOMAS: Bear Cat/ Decorate The Counter/ Tiger Man
(King Of The Jungle)/ HAYDEN THOMPSON: Love My Baby/ One Broken Heart/
JUNIOR THOMPSON: Raw Deal/ CARVIS TURNEY: Honky Tonk Ways/ THE VELVETONES
WITH MEMPHIS RHYTHM BOYS: Real Gone Baby/ WADE & DICK & THE COLLEGE BOYS:
Bop Bop Baby/ MALCOLM YELVINGTON & STAR RHYTHM BOYS: Drinkin' Wine
Spo-Dee-O-Dee/ Just Rollin' Along
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Redita 930701 |
Let's All Go Wild - The Best Of Sage And
Sand Records |
● CD $17.98 |
30 tracks, 61 min, highly recommended
Back in print on a
new label- a fine collection of sides from the vaults of Sage & Sand, a
small Los Angeles-based label that specialized in top-notch country bop
and swing into rockabilly and rock 'n'
roll. This reissue is primarily made
up of single sides but also includes album tracks, acetates, and unissued
masters. Though their roster wasn't made up of household names, S & S had
their share of fine artists and great tracks. Featured here is Dwight
"Whitey" Pullen (of Sunglasses After Dark fame) with his great
Let's All Go Wild Tonight as well as Tuscalloosa Lucy/Walk My Way
Back Home/Crazy In Love/Drinkin' Wine. Jimmy Patton was another of the
label's featured rockers who sadly cut only four tunes for S & S (his
amazing Okie's In The Pokie was cut for Sims), Yah! I'm
Movin'/Love, Come Back To Me can be found here. Songwriter Jackie
DeShannon also cut some early sides for the label, with her fine Lies
featured here, and Bob Newman & The Georgia Crackers redid their classic
Hangover Boogie for S & S. In more of a country vein there're
Lonnie Barron's moaner You're Not The First Girl, Tex Atchison's
jumpin' Mail Man, Whitey Knight's lament Another Brew Bartender,
and the Rovers' fine instrumental Passport To Summer. Other artists
include Bud Titus, Goldie Fields, Donny Bowser, and Okie Jones. Sound
quality is excellent and booklet has notes covering the better known names
here. (GDR/ FS)
TEX ATCHISON: Mail Man/ LONNIE BARRON: You're Not the
First Girl/ DONNIE BOWSER: Got the Best of Me/ I Love You Baby/ JACKIE
DESHANNON: Lies/ GOLDIE FIELDS: Mr. Sun/ No Time For Love/ Old Jealous
Moon/ OKIE JONES: Could You, Would You/ THE KELLY'S: The Great Foggie
Mountain/ JOANNIE KING: History/ WHITEY KNIGHT: Another Brew Bartender/
BOBBY LILE: Don't You Believe It/ AL MUNIZ: Sparklin' Fine/ BOB NEWMAN &
GEORGIA CRACKERS: Hangover Boogie/ DOYE O'DELL: Everybody Likes a Little
Lovin'/ JIMMY PATTON: Love, Come Back to Me/ Yah! I'm Movin'/ WHITEY
PULLEN: Crazy in Love/ Drinkin' Wine/ Let Your Left Hand Know/ Let's All
Go Wild Tonight/ Tuscalloosa Lucy/ Walk My Way Back Home/ THE ROVERS:
Passport to Summer/ HERB SMITH: So Wild/ BUD TITUS: Hocus Pocus/ WALLY &
DON: Never No More/ WAYNE WEST: Like the Dickens I Do/ CHARLEY WILLIAMS:
Cotton Pickin' Ball
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Sha-Boom 102 |
The Girl Group Sound, Vol. 2 |
● CD $15.98 |
22 tracks, 51 mins, recommended
Girls groups made some of
the purest music of the early 60's, and that point is well made on this
collection from Sha-Boom. Highlights include Randy by Earl-Jean
(she recorded the original version of I'm Into Something Good),
One Wonderful Night by The Honey Bees, When the Boys Are Happy
by The 4 Pennies, and He's Mine by The Swans. The compilation does
put a big focus on solo artists who worked in the style: Connie Stevens,
Marcie Blane, Skeeter Davis, Sue Winford and more, but that's not a bad
thing exactly because some great results are to had from Noreen Corcoran (Love
Kitten, which sounds A LOT like Take Good Care of My Baby) and
Tracy Dey (Teenage Cleopatra). The sound quality is decent, no
liner notes, and at least one track sounds like it was re-recorded (The
Paris Sisters' I Love How You Love Me), but overall this is a fun
collection of a sound born from equal parts fun and heartache. (GMC)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Smith & Co. 1146 |
Great British Rock 'n' Roll - Just About A
Good As It Gets |
● CD $15.98 |
Second two CD set from Smith & Co. devoted to the early
years of British rock 'n' roll features 66 tracks recorded between 1954 by
the likes of Marty Wilde, Tommy Steele & The Steelmen, Rikki Henderson,
Wee Willie Harris, Ricky James, Joey Castell, The Saints Jazz Band, Jim
Dale, Larry Page, Terry Wayne, Tony Crombie & His Rockets, Shorty Mitchell
with The Ken Jones Rock 'n' Rollers, The John Barry Seven, Victor
Sylvester & His Rock 'n' Roll Rhythm (Victor Sylvester!?), Don Lang & His
Frantic Five, Art Baxter & His Rock 'n' Roll Sinners and others.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Spade 3013 |
The Best Of Spade Records |
● CD $17.98 |
31 tracks, 74 mins, recommended
Previously issued as Spade
199955. Spade was a small Texas label run by hustler supreme Bennie Hess
in the 50s and this collection features recordings issued on Spade as well
as other Hess labels like Pearl, Show Land, TAP and Major. Hess himself
contributes 11 tracks ranging from the fine rockers Bennie Hess Boogie
and Boppin' The Rock to four acoustic blues songs featuring some
mediocre guitar playing. He also does a nice Jimmy Rodgers style blues
(Hess supposedly knew Rodgers) and a couple of straight country items.
Vern Pullens is the most exciting artist here with six hot rockabilly
numbers including the all time classic Bop Crazy Baby and a nice
country performance. Royce Porter has a couple of nice songs and a couple
of duds and the set is rounded out by some enjoyable sides from Donald
Simpson, Ray Doggett, Meredith Neal, Carl Gillion and Carl Greene. The
liner notes tell us a bit about Hess's life and business practices that is
covered in length in the notes to Hydra 27129 Bennie Hess - Wild Hog
Hop..!!! ($21.98) which also includes most of the Hess sides here. Most
worthwhile. (FS)
RAY DOGGETT: Go Go Heart/ It Hurts The One Who Loves
You/ No Doubt About It/ CARL GILLION: Do Right Daddy/ Do Right Daddy
(alt.)/ CARL GREENE: Nashville Boogie/ BENNIE HESS: Blue Monday Night/
Boppin' The Rock/ Gone Mama Blues/ Jungleland Rock/ Milk Cow Blues/
Non-pertinent Bennie Hess Boogie/ Side Track Blues/ Tennessee Mama Blues/
Wild Hog Hop/ You Called Me Honey/ You're Gonna Need Me/ MEREDITH NEAL:
Gertrude/ ROYCE PORTER: A Woman Can Make You Blue/ A Woman Can Make You
Blue (alt.)/ I End Up Crying/ Love Is Made Of This/ VERN PULLENS: Bop
Crazy Baby/ It's My Life/ Long Gone/ Mama Don't Allow No Boppin' Tonight/
Rock On Mabel/ Would You Be Happy/ You Don't Mean To Make Me Cry/ DONALD
SIMPSON: Save Me Your Love/ Woe Oh Baby
|
| GENE VINCENT |
Rev-Ola 242 |
A Million Shades Of Blue |
● CD $15.98 |
21 tracks, recommended
Here we have a loving re-issue of
the great Gene Vincent's much-maligned last two full-length records. The
voice is raspy, but still compelling, the music is still rock & Roll, but
much more in the vein of artists of the time like Credence Clearwater
Revival, Sir Douglas Quintet, etc. and not surprisingly it has a few of
the members of the S.D.Q. backing him on tracks and a couple of tunes
penned by Augie Meyers. I'm a huge Gene Vincent fan, so this is a keeper
for me, although some might not appreciate it. I think the trick is to not
compare this to Vincent's early records; compare it to what was going on
at the time and it holds up real well. This is much like fellow Rockabilly
Dale Hawkins's "L.A., Memphis & Tyler TX." record and almost as good. (JM)
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