New Releases: March -> October, 2011
Vintage Rock 'n' Roll & Rockabilly
Various Artists
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCH2 1225 |
Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan, Seaso 2 |
● CD $27.98 |
2 CD, 50 tracks, highly
recommended
Gathering up the best songs from the second season
of this fabulous satellite radio show, this is yet
another collection of Rock & Roll, Country, Jazz,
Blues, Folk, R&B, and Soul. Killer Kuts like
Sam Stone by Swamp Dogg, The Cold Hard
Facts Of Life by Porter Wagoner, Jump Into
The Fire by Nilsson, Rocket Nine Takes Off
From Planet Venus by Sun Ra & His Solar
Arkestra, First I Look At The Purse by The
Contours, Make Us One by Miriam Makeba & The
Skylarks, and about 44 more great tracks. B.B.
King, Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band, Mose
Allison, The Georgia Crackers, Charlie Feathers,
Adam Hebert & The Country Playboys, The Gaylads,
Mississippi John Hurt, Red INgle & The Natural
Seven, The Velvetones, Jo-El Sonnier, Lucina
Williams, Edith Piaf, and many, many more. Trust
me, there is plenty to love here. (JM)
JACQUELINE AIEB: 7 Heures Du
Matin/ THE ALLEN BROTHERS: Jake Walk Blues/ MOSE
ALLISON: Young Man's Blues Or A Young Man?/
ARCHIBALD: She's Scattered Everywhere/ CAPTAIN
BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND: Ice Cream For Crow/
JAMES BROWN: Three Hearts In A Tangle/ THE
CONTOURS: First I Look At The Purse/ BLOSSOM
DEARIE: Rhode Island Is Famous For You/ DESMOND
DEKKER: 007 (Shanty Town)/ THE DIRTBOMBS: Your
Love Belongs Under A Rock/ CHARLIE FEATHERS: One
Hand Loose/ THE GAYLADS: There's A Fire/ BILLY
GAYLES: Just One More Time/ THE GEORGIA CRACKERS:
Diamond Joe/ ADAM HEBERT & THE COUNTRY PLAYBOYS:
Ouvre Cette Porte (Open This Door)/ BILLIE
HOLIDAY: Gloomy Sunday/ JOLIE HOLLAND: Goodbye
California/ THE HONEY BEARS: One Bad Stud/
MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT: The Chicken/ RED INGLE &
THE NATURAL SEVEN: Cigareetes, Whuskey And Wild
Wild Women/ WANDA JACKSON: Let's Have A Party/
BUDDY JOHNSON & HIS ORCHESTRA: A Pretty Girl (A
Cadillac And Some Money)/ RILO KILEY: With Arms
Outstretched/ B.B. KING: Walking Dr Bill/ LAURA
LEE: Separation Line/ BARON LEE & THE MILLS BLUE
RHYTHM BAND: Reefer Man/ LITTLE ESTHER
(PHILLIPS): Aged And Mellow (Blues)/ LOS LOBOS:
One Time, One Night/ LORETTA LYNN: Fist City/
MIRIAM MAKEBA: Make Us One/ JOE MAPHIS & ROSE LEE:
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud Loud Music)/ THE
MILLS BROTHERS WITH LOUIS ARMSTRONG: My Walking
Stick/ BOBBY MOORE'S RHYTHM ACES FEATURING CHICO:
Go Ahead And Burn/ HARRY NILSSON: Jump Into The
Fire/ EDITH PIAF: Sous Le Ciel De Paris/ CHRIS
POWELL & THE FIVE BLUE FLAMES: I Come From
Jamaica/ SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA:
Rocket Nine Takes Off For The Planet Venus/
FRANKIE LEE SIMS: Walkin' With Frankie/ HUEY
"PIANO" SMITH: Would You Believe It (I Have A
Cold)/ REV. UTAH SMITH: I Want Two Wings/ JO-EL
SONNIER: Tear-Stained Letter/ HAL SWAIN & HIS
BAND: Hunting Tigers Out In India (Yah)/ SWAMP
DOGG: Sam Stone/ DON TOSTI Y SU CONJUNTO: Mambo
Del Pachuco/ THE VELVETONES: The Glory Of Love/
PORTER WAGONER: The Cold Hard Facts Of Life/ MERCY
DEE WALTON: Danger Zone Aka Crepe On Your Door/
DIONNE WARWICK: Do You Know The Way To San Jose/
LUCINDA WILLIAMS: Changed The Locks/ SHERMAN
WILLIAMS ORCHESTRA: Hello
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCH2 1270 |
Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan, Seaso 3 |
● CD $27.98 |
2 CD, 50 tracks, 156 mins, highly
recommended
The newest in this outstanding series, this volume
came out around November and has (much to my
delight!) inspired us to get caught up on the
whole series. This set features such themes as
"Family Circle" - Bring It On Home To
Grandma by Cliff Bruner & His Texas Wanderers,
Little Sister by Elvis, and Brother
John by The Wild Tchoupitoulas, "Blood" -
Bucket Of Blood by Big Boy Groves, Lust
Of The Blood by Jerry Lee Lewis (based on
Othello, of course), The Blood by The Zion
Travelers; "Fruit" - W-P-L-J by The 4 Deuces
(that stands for white port wine and lemon juice,)
Where The Sweet Old Oranges Grow by Sam
Montgomery, "Noah's Ark" - The Monkey Speaks
His Mind by Dave Bartholomew, and Baby
Mine by Bonnie Raitt & Was (Not Was); "Madness"
- I'm Nuts About Screwy Music by Jimmie
Lunceford & His Orchestra, and Twisted by
Annie Ross and so on. There are also contributions
from Oscar Aleman, Sanford Clark, Toots & The
Maytals, The Crickets, The Latin Playboys (Los
Lobos), The Mighty Sparrow and so on.This one's
possibly the best of the series so far and my
favorite compilation of the last year or so. (JM)
THE 4 DEUCES: W-P-L-J/ OSCAR
ALEMAN: Bye Bye Blues/ CLARENCE ASHLEY: Little
Sadie/ FRED ASTAIRE (WITH OSCAR PETERSON GROUP):
The Way You Look Tonight/ BESSIE BANKS: Go Now/
DAVE BARTHOLOMEW: The Monkey (Speaks His Mind)/
MEL BLANC: Money/ BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND: 36-22-36/
ERIC BOGLE: And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda/
CLIFF BRUNER & HIS TEXAS WANDERERS: Bring It On
Home To Grandma/ BILLY BUTLER & THE ENCHANTERS: I
Can't Work No Longer/ LAURA CANTRELL: 14th Street/
JUNE CHRISTY: Something Cool/ SANFORD CLARK: It's
Nothing To Me/ ELVIS COSTELLO: So Like Candy/
ELIZABETH COTTEN & BRENDA EVANS: Shake Sugaree/
THE CRICKETS: I Fought The Law/ MARLENE DIETRICH:
No Love, No Nothin'/ FATS DOMINO: Don't You Lie To
Me/ IAN DURY & THE BLOCKHEADS: Sweet Gene Vincent/
BIG BOY GROVES: Bucket O Blood/ WOODY GUTHRIE: So
Long, It's Been Good To Know Yuh (Dusty Old Dust)/
BUDDY GUY: This Is The End/ THE LATIN PLAYBOYS
(LOS LOBOS): Forever Night Shade Mary/ JERRY LEE
LEWIS: Lust Of The Blood/ CRIPPLE CLARENCE LOFTON:
Strut That Thing/ JIMMIE LUNCEFORD & HIS
ORCHESTRA: I'm Nuts About Screwy Music/ JERRY
MCCAIN (& HIS UPSTARTS): That's What They Want/
THE MIGHTY SPARROW: Jack Palance/ THE MISSISSIPPI
SHEIKS: I've Got Blood In My Eyes For You/ SAM
MONTGOMERY: Where The Sweet Old Oranges Grow/ JOE
MOONEY QUARTET: A Man With One Million Dollars/
WILLIE NELSON: Night Life/ NIRVANA: Francis
Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle/ JOHNNY
PAYCHECK: (Like Me) You'll Recover In Time/ ELVIS
PRESLEY: Little Sister/ LLOYD PRICE: Where You
At?/ PROFESSOR LONGHAIR: In The Night/ BONNIE
RAITT & WAS (NOT WAS): Baby Mine/ WELDON ROGERS &
THE TEEN KINGS: So Long, Good Luck And Goodbye/
ANNIE ROSS: Twisted/ LOS SOCIOS DE SAN ANTONIO: La
Muerte De Fred Gomez Carrasco/ TOOTS & THE
MAYTALS: 54-46 That's My Number/ SARAH VAUGHAN
(WITH MILES DAVIS): Nice Work If You Can Get It/
MARVA WHITNEY & THE J.B.'S: You Got To Have A Job
(If You Don't Work, You Can't Eat)/ THE WILD
TCHOUPITOULAS: Brother John/ JESSE WINCHESTER:
Payday/ ROY ROGERS & DALE EVANS WITH FRANK WORTH &
HIS ORCHESTRA: Happy Trails/ O.V. WRIGHT: A Nickel
And A Nail/ THE ZION TRAVELERS: The
Blood
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1280 |
The Golden Age Of American Rock 'n' Roll, Vol. 12 |
● CD $18.98 |
| 12th volume in this long running
series contains 30 hits from the years 1954 to
1963, and features the usual mixture of the
familiar and the obscure - all of them making
Billboard's top 100 charts. Artists include Bo
Diddley, Jimmy Jones, Slim Harpo, Larry Williams,
the Righteous Brothers, Conway Twitty, the
Marvelettes, Roy Brown, Marvin Rainwater, Dick
Dale, Jerry Butler, John Lee Hooker, Arthur
Alexander, the Crystals, the "5" Royals, the
Velaires, the 3 Friends, and more. The set also
includes a fully-illustrated booklet that gives
details on each song.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDTOP 1293 |
The Dore Story - Postcards From Los Angeles, 1958-1964 |
● CD $26.98 |
| 28 tracks, 62 mins, highly
recommended
Dore Records started life in 1958 as an off-shoot
of Era Records; its' purpose was to release the
untried rock 'n' roll material that owners Lew
Bedell and Herbert Newman didn't want to issue on
the parent label. In 1959, Bedell and Newman
split, with the former taking over Dore and the
latter running Era. Bedell ran the label mostly by
purchasing masters from independent producers or
by signing artists looking to get recorded. It's
this approach that accounts for the scrappy
simplicity of the label's recordings; epitomized
by their biggest hit The Teddy Bears' To Know
Him is To Love Him (here represented by The
Darlings' version from 1963) created by a young
Phil Spector. Another career launched by Dore was
that of Jan & Dean, whose 1959 side Baby
Talk is here. Some other noteworthy sides on
Dore: Deane Hawley's Look For a Star (1960),
The Premiers' True Deep Love (1960), Little
Ray's There's Something On Your Mind (1961),
and Freddie Willis' I Love You, I Do (1959).
As with Ace's other label anthologies, this gives
music fans a fascinating look (through the
fantastic liner notes in a separate 44 page
booklet) and listen into the world of late
50's/early 60's rock 'n' roll. (GMC)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1308 |
The Downey Story - Landlocked |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 58 mins, recommended
In the early days of rock 'n' roll, independent
labels were the lifeblood of the industry; here is
the story one such label: Downey Records of
Downey, California. Many Southern California
independents stuck to one style of music-R&B/Blues
or Surf music - but Downey (and its' offshoots)
released many different styles, although their
hits came from the Surf/Garage Rock stylings of
The Chantays and The Rumblers. But the label racks
up points for giving Barry White his first leg up
in the biz-he appears here under the alias Lee
Barry with the breezy I Don't Need It.
Otherwise there's an assortment of genres to
savor: teen pop (Jimmie Hombs' Ask the
Stars), nods to various dance crazes (Jerk
Baby Jerk by Carl Burnett & the Hustlers), R&B
(Jessie Hill's TV Guide; Pat Powdrill's
Do It), folk rock (Craig & Michael's That
Kind of Girl), and girl group pop (Margaret
Williams' My Love). And, of course, lots of
Surf instrumentals, including Ed Burkey's
Penetration and The Revels Comanche
(which, by the way, is featured in a key scene in
the movie "Pulp Fiction"). Although this
collection is not for everyone, fans of obscure
independent labels should find much here to enjoy.
(GMC)
LEE BARRY (AKA BARRY WHITE):
I Don't Need It/ BUD & KATHY: Hang It Out To Dry/
ED BURKEY: Penetration/ CARL BURNETT & THE
HUSTLERS: Jerk Baby Jerk/ THE CHANTAYS: Pipeline/
CRAIG & MICHAEL: That Kind Of Girl/ THE
DEBONAIRES: Dorothy/ E.S.P. LIMITED: In My Heart/
JESSIE HILL: T.V. Guide/ JIMMIE HOMBS WITH THE
TWINKLE TONES & THE HOLLY: Ask The Stars/ THE
INVICTAS: Nellie/ THE KICKS: Tell Me Why/ THE LAST
WORD: Freeway/ THE NYLONS: Maid 'N Japan/ THE
PASTEL SIX: Cinnamon Cinder (It's A Very Nice
Dance)/ SONNY PATTERSON: Troubles (Tk 23)/ PAT
POWDRILL: Do It/ THE REVELS: Comanche/ THE
RIVIARES: The Bug/ THE RUMBLERS: I Don't Need You
No More/ THE SLIPPED DISCS: Smokey Places/ THE
SUNDAY GROUP: Edge Of Nowhere/ LITTLE JOHNNY
TAYLOR: I've Got News For You/ MARGARET WILLIAMS:
My Love
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1316 |
Rock Your Baby - 24 Red Hot Rompers For Children Of All |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 58 mins,recommended
Are you tired of your children listening to those
tired Raffi CDs and want something a little hipper
to soothe their ears and expand their musical
horizons, then this is the CD for you: twenty four
songs chosen by BBC DJ and comedian Mark Lamarr
that the discerning child (in all of us) will not
be able to resist. Kicking off with Louis Jordan's
rollicking Barnyard Boogie, this collection
takes the listener on a journey wanders through
everything from Wayne Cochran's Monkey Monkey
(You Do It Like This), The Kingsmen's Jolly
Green Giant, and Johnny Cash's Nasty Dan
to The Carlisles' Knock Knock (You Can't Come
In), and classics Clarence "Frogman" Henry's
Ain't Got No Home, Shirley Ellis' The
Name Game and The Newbeats' Bread and
Butter. There's nothing really profound on this
disc, just good clean fun for all ages. (GMC)
BLIND BLAKE & THE ROYAL
VICTORIA HOTEL CALYPSO: Foolish Frog/ CAB
CALLOWAY: Everybody Eats When They Come To My
House/ THE CARLISLES: Knock Knock/ WAYNE CARSON: I
Couldn't Spell !!*@!/ JOHNNY CASH: Nasty Dan/
WAYNE COCHRAN: Monkey Monkey (You Do It Like
This)/ KING COLEMAN: The Boo Boo Song/ SONNY DAY &
THE RARE BREED: Tarzan/ SHIRLEY ELLIS: The Name
Game/ CLARENCE "FROGMAN" HENRY: Ain't Got No Home/
LOUIS JORDAN: Barnyard Boogie/ THE KINGSMEN: Jolly
Green Giant/ SIDNEY JO(E) LEWIS (AKA HARDROCK
GUNTER): Boppin To Grandfather's Clock/ LORD
FLEA: Naughty Little Flea/ BOB MCFADDEN & DOR: The
Mummy/ THE MIXTURES: Olive Oyl/ THE NEWBEATS:
Bread And Butter/ THE PEELS: Scrooey Mooey/ KING
PERRY: The Animal Song/ ROCHEE & THE SARNOS: Mexi
Love Song/ SAM THE SHAM: Oh That's Good, No
That's Bad/ CLIFFIE STONE: Jump Rope Boogie/ ANDRE
WILLIAMS: The Greasy Chicken/ SHEB WOOLEY: Monkey
Jive
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family 16748 |
Diddy Wah Diddy ... Ain't A Town, Ain't A City |
● CD $24.98 |
| 30 tracks, 67 mins, highly
recommended
Here's a real rarity: a whole CD compilation of
Rockabilly/ Rock & Roll/ Country from the '50s and
early '60s that is full of great recordings, all
of which are making their CD debut; in fact, most
of them have never been released in any format.
These tracks were recorded at the Delta Recording
Service in Jackson, Mississippi from 1956 - 1964
and feature mostly unknown, or at least
little-known, artists like Sonny Hodges, Red
Counts, Wendell 'Cool Cat' Cannon, Rick
Richardson, Alton Lott, and a few others who had
that Rockabilly heart, but barely made it out of
the Magnolia State. Warner Mack is on here with
his version of Ubangi Stomp, but other than
him, I don't think there is anyone on here that
got any radio play, let alone a whiff of the
record charts. There are hot covers of the greats
like Baby, Lets Play House/ Red Hot, and
Little Richard's Rip It Up, which Andy
Anderson does here as Gonna Rip It Up,
(Anderson's best track here has got to be the
rip-roaring Elvis - like I Got Me A Woman.)
What's fantastic is, that although there are a
handful of good cover versions, most of these
tunes are originals, and good originals at that.
I'm not sure which track is more fascinating: The
Insiders, a prison band complete with promo photo
in their prison stripes and their track Drivin"
Me Wild With Your Style, or Magnolia Quartet's
political discourse in song of the Civil Rights
bill in HR 7152. Both have to be
experienced to be believed. This is easily one of
the coolest Rockabilly/ Country sets to come out
in quite a while. Don't worry if you haven't heard
a single person on this, because most will rock
your socks off. Includes 64 page booklet with
extensive notes from Martin Hawkins. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16838 |
That'll Flat Git It, Vol. 27 - Sage & Sand |
● CD $21.98 |
34 tracks, 74 mins, highly
recommended
Certainly one of the best series of rare
Rockabilly & Rock and Roll ever made. You would
think that Bear Family might be running out of
steam a bit, now that we are up to volume #27, but
they manage to still unearth enough of the good
stuff to fill up another hour-plus compilation.
For this installment, they raid the vaults of Sage
& Sand records out of Southern California, for
some raw and wild Rockabilly and righteous Rock &
Roll tracks, most of which I bet you haven't heard
before. The label was actually threefold, putting
out releases as Sage, Sand, and Sage & Sand, and
although they were based in Southern California,
the label had scouts around the country rounding
up talent for them. This features Rockin' cuts
from Jimmy Patton: Yah! I'm Movin/ Let Me
Slide/ Love, Come Back To Me, Whitey Pullen:
Tuscaloosa Lucy/ Walk My Baby Back Home/ Lets
All Go Wild Tonight/ Drinkin' Wine, and more,
Goldie Fields: Climbing This Mountain/
Chatterbox, and Old Jealous Moon, among
some of their more prolific acts. There's also a
few acts that only make one appearance here, but
make a singular impression: Patsy Clark Watcha
Do To Me a gutsy rocker in the Wanda Jackson
mode, Rusty York with the barnstorming Sadie
Mae, and sophisticated Bobby Lile with I'm
Knockin' My Head (Against A Cold Stone Wall.)
plus the first ever recording by guitar wizard
Lonnie Mack accompanying Harley Gabbard & Aubrey
Holt! Includes 60 page booklet with notes by Colin
Escott with discography and many previously unseen
photos! This is simply one great cut after
another, like I say with the majority of the
"That'll Flat Get It!" CDs, this is a stone cold
recommendation for all you crazy cats and cool
kittens out there! (JM)
TEX ATCHISON: Tennessee
Hound Dog/ LONNIE BARRON: Teenage Queen/ DONNIE
BOWSER: Got The Best Of Me/ PATSY CLARK: Watcha Do
To Me/ CASEY CLARK & THE LAZY RANCH BOYS: Lost
John/ DON DEAL: So What/ EDDIE DEAN & JOANNIE
HALL: Open Up The Door/ GOLDIE FIELDS: Chatterbox/
Climbing This Mountain/ Old Jealous Moon/ HARLEY
GABBARD & AUBREY HOLT: Hey Baby/ EVELYN HARLENE: I
Wanta Be Free/ CHUCK HOWARD: Crazy, Crazy Baby/
JOANNIE KING: History/ O. K. Doll, It's A Deal/
BOBBY LILE: Knockin' My Head (Against A Cold Stone
Wall)/ JACK MORRIS: Four Wheel Bugalow/ White
Line/ JIMMY PATTON: Let Me Slide/ Love, Come Back
To Me/ Yah! I'm Movin'/ WHITEY PULLEN: Drinkin"
Wine/ Everybody's Rockin'/ Let's All Go Wild
Tonight/ Moonshine Liquor/ Tuscaloosa Lucy/ Walk
My Way Back Home/ HERBIE SMITH: So Wild Over You/
LARRY THORNTON: Honky Tonk Queen/ WALLY & DON:
Never No More/ Please Don't/ CHARLIE WILLIAMS:
Cotton Pickin' Ball/ Playing Guitar And Missing
You/ RUSTY YORK: Sadie Mae
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Chrome Dreams 5041 |
Elvis Presley - A Song For The King |
● CD $15.98 |
A collection of 29 Elvis tribute
songs. Subtitled "29 obscure Elvis tributes" most
of them are indeed obscure though some like Janis
Martin's My Boy Elvis have been reissued
numerous times. It also includes Elvis Perez
by Lalo Guerrero, The Elvis Presley Blues by
Ivan Gregory & The Blue Notes, Don't BLame It
On Elvis by The Fabulous Mcclavertys, the two
part Elvis And The Space Looters by The Fans
and many more.
BILLY ADAMS
AND HIS ROCK-A-TEERS: Return Of The All American
Boy/ AUDREY: Dear Elvis (Part 1)/ Dear Elvis
(Part 2)/ THE BOBOLINKS: (I Wanna Be) Elvis
Presley’s Sergeant/ EDDIE COCHRAN WITH THE HOLLY
TWINS: I Want Elvis For Christmas/ PETER DEBREE
AND THE WANDERERS: Hey Mister Presley/ THE
FABULOUS MCCLAVERTYS: Don’t Blame It On Elvis/ THE
FANS: Elvis And The Space Looters (Part 1)/ Elvis
And The Space Looters (Part 2)/ THE GREATS:
Marching Elvis/ IVAN GREGORY AND THE BLUE NOTES:
The Elvis Presley Blues/ LALO GUERRERO: Elvis
Perez/ REED HARPER AND THE THREE NOTES: Oh Elvis!/
DON HART: Presley On Her Mind/ THE HUNT SISTERS:
Elvis Is Rockin’ Again/ FELTON JARVIS: Don’t Knock
Elvis/ JULIE LANG: Elvis/ VIRGINIA LOWE: I’m In
Love With Elvis Presley/ MAD MILO: Elvis For
Christmas/ JANIS MARTIN: My Boy Elvis/ ROBERT
MITCHUM: What Is This Generation Coming To?/ LOU
MONTE: Elvis Presley For President/ MARLENE PAULA:
I Wanna Spend Christmas With Elvis/ LITTLE LAMBSIE
PENN: I Want To Spend Christmas With Elvis/ ANITA
RAY AND THE NATURE BOYS: The Elvis Presley Blues/
THE THREE TEENS: Dear/ LEE TULLY WITH MILT MOSS:
Around The World With Elwood Pretzel (Part 1)/
Around The World With Elwood Pretzel (Part 2)/
JAYBEE WASDEN: Elvis In The Army
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Chrome Dreams 5058 |
Music To Die For |
● CD $21.98 |
2 CDs, 52 tracks, 152 mins, highly
recommended
This one is a gasser! It's also a suicidal killer,
murderer, and a reckless driver. Here we have some
of the finest (and also easily the most dangerous)
wild, and downright morbid songs from early
Country music to the first five years of the Rock
& Roll era plus a few offshoots in several
different musical directions. Big hits ranging
from The Louvin Brothers' Knoxville Girl, to
Lloyd Price's Stagger Lee, to Ray Peterson's
Tell Laura I Love Her. Novelty songs like
Wild Dogs Of Kentucky by Nervous Norvus,
Ballad Of Thunder Road by Robert Mitchum,
Music To Be Murdered By from Alfred
Hitchcock, and Message From James Dean by
Bill Hayes. Johnny Cash, The Everly Brothers,
George Jones, Gene Vincent, Jacques Brel, Lena
Horne, Ferlin Husky, and many more diverse talents
take you on a perilous journey, but don't worry;
it's only a record.right? This is certainly a
compilation to kill for and the folks at Chrome
Dreams have provided excellent sound, plus lots of
notes and photos etc. (JM)
LOUIS ARMSTRONG: St. James
Infirmary/ RALPH BOWMAN: The Tragedy of School Bus
27/ JACQUES BREL: La Mort/ THE CADETS: Car Crash/
TONY CASANOVA: The Grave/ JOHNNY CASH: Don't Take
Your Guns To Town/ THE CHEERS: Black Denim
Trousers and Motorcycle Boots/ Chicken/ KEN
COLYER'S SKIFFLE GROUP: Down Bound Train/ JOHNNY
CYMBAL: Water Was Red, The/ VERNON DALHART: Wreck
of the Old '97/ MATTIE DELANEY: Tallahatchie River
Blues/ MARK DINNING: Teen Angel/ DORSEY DIXON:
Wreck On the Highway (I Didn't Hear Nobody Pray)/
EDDY DUCHIN (FEATURING PATRICIA NORMAN): Ol' Man
Mose/ THE EVERLY BROTHERS: Down In the Willow
Garden/ Take a Message To Mary/ RED FOLEY: Old
Shep/ THE FOUR FRESHMEN: Their Hearts Were Full of
Spring/ EUGENE FOX: Sinner's Dream/ PAUL HAMPTON:
Two Hour Honeymoon/ BILL HAYES: Message From James
Dean/ ALFRED HITCHCOCK: Music To Be Murdered By/
STANLEY HOLLOWAY: Sweeney Todd the Barber/ LENA
HORNE: Frankie and Johnny/ ROBERT HORTON: Sail
Ho!/ FERLIN HUSKEY: Drunken Driver, The/ GEORGE
JONES: Who Shot Sam?/ LEADBELLY: Black Girl/ TOM
LEHRER: I Hold Your Hand In Mine/ LORD EXECUTOR:
We Mourn the Loss of Sir Murchison Fletcher/ THE
LOUVIN BROTHERS: Knoxville Girl/ MARILYN MICHAELS:
Tell Tommy I Miss Him/ FRANK MILLER: Don't Go Down
the Mine Dad/ ROBERT MITCHUM: Ballad of Thunder
Road/ VAUGHN MONROE: Riders In the Sky/ NERVOUS
NORVUS: Wild Dogs of Kentucky/ ST. LOUIS JIMMY
ODEN: Goin' Down Slow/ JIMMIE OSBORNE: The Death
of Little Kathy Fiscus/ RAY PETERSON: Tell Laura I
Love Her/ ERNEST PIKE & WALTER MILLER: Excelsior!/
JOHNNY PRESTON: Running Bear/ LLOYD PRICE: Stagger
Lee/ JODY REYNOLDS: Endless Sleep/ PETER SELLERS:
Grandpa's Grave/ ARTIE SHAW (FEATURING PAULINE
BYRNE): Gloomy Sunday/ THE STANLEY BROTHERS: No
School Bus In Heaven/ CREED TAYLOR: Wreck of the
Old '97/ GENE VINCENT: Blue Eyes Crying In the
Rain/ ETHEL WATERS: Miss Otis Regrets/ DONALD
WOODS & THE VEL-AIRES: Death of an Angel/ RUBY
WRIGHT: Three Stars
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Chrome Dreams 5059 |
Killer Rhythms & Red Hot Beats |
● CD $21.98 |
2 CDs, 70 tracks, 155 mins, highly
recommended
This Chrome Dreams label out of the U.K. is really
tearing it up lately, releasing one red-hot
collection after another. These are small, medium
and giant instrumental hits by known and not-so
known Rock & Roll groups of the '50s and early
'60s. This collection is over two and half hours
of nothing but the coolest cuts including lots of
obscurities: The Noblemen, Royaltones, Hornets,
Blue Tones, Piltdown Men, Tempos's, Rockin' R's,
and so, so, so much more to love. (JM)
BILLY ADKINSON: Rock-A-Mo
Part 1/ ANDY & THE LIVE WIRES: Maggie/ THE
ATMOSPHERES: The Fickle Chicken/ GENE BIANCO:
Alarm Clock Rock/ THE BIG FOUR: Outta Tune/ THE
BLUE NOTES: Rigor Mortis/ DICK BURDO & THE SMILING
RANCH COWBOYS: Brushfire/ THE CARAVANS: Mondo
Caravan/ CONNY & THE BELLHOPS: Bop Sticks/ B B
CUNNINGHAM: Pagan Rock/ DANNY & THE GALAXIES: Ad
Lib/ THE DARTS: Rocking/ THE DAWNBEATS: Midnight
Express/ THE DAWNBREAKERS: Deep In The Heart Of
Texas Rock/ THE DELLTONES: Heads Up/ ANDY DOLL:
Stockade Rock/ DON & THE GALAXIES: Avalanche/ THE
DOWNBEATS: Craig's Crazy Boogie/ THE FRANTICS: The
Whip/ THE GAMBLERS: Moon Dawg/ JIMMY GANZBERG &
THE CROWNS: Rebel Yell (Dixie)/ THE GIGOLOS: Night
Creature/ HANK HANKINS: (My Old) Kentucky Home
Rock/ PHIL HARVEY (SPECTOR): Willy Boy/ THE
HI-TOMBS: Weeping Willow Rock/ THE JET TONES:
Twangy/ JOHNNY & THE HURRICANES: Sandstorm/
KEETIE & THE KATS: Move Part 1/ LORD DENT & HIS
INVADERS: Wolf Call/ LORD ROCKINGHAM’S XI: Fried
Onions/ JIMMY MCCONVILLE: Scorpion/ BOBBY MIZZELL
& HIS ROCKIN’ PIANO: Knockout/ BERNIE MOORE: Rock
Guitar, Rock/ SANDY NELSON: Chop Chop/ CARL
NEWMAN: Tom-Tom/ THE NIGHTCAPS: Nightcap Rock/ THE
NOBLEMEN: Dirty Robber/ Dragon Walk/ THE ORBIT
ROCKERS: Rock It/ THE PILTDOWN MEN: Brontosaurus
Stomp/ THE PREMIERS: Firewater/ REX QUAL:
Tranquilizer Boogie/ THE RAIDERS: Downbeat/ RONNIE
RAY’S PLAYBOYS: The Vulture/ THE RENEGADES:
Charge/ THE RHYTHM ROCKERS: Madness/ KING ROCK &
THE KNIGHTS: Scandal/ THE ROCKIN’ RS: Mustang/ THE
ROCKTONES: High Time Rock/ RODNEY & THE BLAZERS:
Summertime Rock/ THE ROLLETTES: Venus Rock/ THE
ROYAL JOKERS: Vibrations/ THE ROYAL NOTES:
Spitfire/ THE ROYALTONES: See-Saw/ TED RUSSELL &
HIS RHYTHM ROCKERS: Brang/ THE SCARLETS: Stampede/
EDDIE SMITH & THE HORNETS: Border Beat/ LEON SMITH
AND THE ORBIT ROCKERS: Windfall/ THE SOUNDS:
Bedlam/ RHET STOLLER: Chariot/ THE STORMS:
Thunder/ BOB TAYLOR & THE COUNTS: Taylors Rock/
THE TEEN ROCKERS: Teen Rock/ THE TEEN’S MEN: Spin
Out/ THE TEMPOS: Sham-Rock/ THE TREE TOPS: Tinkle
Bones/ THE TWISTERS: Bandstand Rocket/ GARY VALLET
& THE VALLETS: Guitar Bass Boogie/ BOB VIDONE &
THE RHYTHM ROCKERS: Weird/ JOEY WELZ: Shore
Party
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Chrome Dreams 5065 |
Underground Rockabilly |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks, 54 mins, recommended
Complementing their collection "The Rarest
Rockabilly Album In The World Ever" here is
another fine collection of mostly rare rockabilly.
The notes claim that these tracks "have never seen
the light of day on CD" but most have been
reissued before and the great opening cut
Lonesome Baby Blues by David Ray has been
reissued on CD at least seven times! Most of the
other tracks are not as common and includes some
great sides including Norman Bullock's rocking
treatment of Hank Williams' Moaning The
Blues, Aubrey Cagle's fabulous Bop n"
Stroll, Buddy Miller's hot I Got Me A
Woman plus tracks from Tooter Boatman, Gray
Montgomery, Carl Trantham, Bobby Hardin, Rusty
York, Lloyd McCullough and others.
(FS)
DELBERT BARKER: No Good
Robin Hood/ TOOTER BOATMAN: Life Begins At 4
O'clock/ THE BOPPERS: Itty Bitty Rockabilly/
NORMAN BULLOCK: Moaning the Blues/ AUBREY CAGLE:
Bop N' Stroll/ Rockabilly Boy/ JACKIE LEE COCHRAN:
Pity Me/ PARKER CUNNINGHAM: Dry Run/ HANK DAVIS:
One Way/ HUELYN DUVALL: Let's Make A Block/ BOBBY
HARDIN: Dreamer Boy/ BURRI MANSO: My Woman/ LLOYD
MCCOLLOUGH: Hang Out/ BUDDY MILLER: I Got Me A
Woman/ GRAY MONTGOMERY: Right Now/ THE ORBITS: My
Rosa Lee/ RAY PATE & THE RHYTHM ROCKETS: My
Shadow/ DAVID RAY: Lonesome Baby Blues/ THE
SABRES: Little Miss Ivey/ KENNY SMITH: I'm So
Lonesome Baby/ LAVERNE STOVALL: Left Behind/ CARL
TRANTHAM: Where There's A Will (There's A Way)/
HAROLD WHITE: You're Not Mine/ JIM WILSON: Have A
Tear on Me/ RUSTY YORK: The Girl Can't Help
It
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collector 4540 |
Wild Rockin' With Vocal Backing, Vol. 3 |
● CD $16.98 |
26 tracks, highly recommended
Another fine collection of rare rockers from the
late 50s and early 60s which in keeping with the
title all feature a backup vocal chorus. Perhaps
because of the vocal groups the performances here
aren't as raw as on some Collector items but
there's plenty of fine rockers here including a
number of interesting covers. Dave Baucom's
version of That'll Be The Day is pretty
close to the original but The Pace-Setters turn
Jesse Hill's New Orleans R&B classic
Ooh-Poo-Pah-Doo into a wild rock 'n' roll
song with hot guitar. Other highlights include the
Diddleyesque Sassy by S&H Scamps, Barbara
Green's rollicking version of Long Tall
Sally which was mistakenly listed on the
original acetate as Slippin' & Slidin' and
The Fairviews version of Twinkee Lee (aka
Dorsey Burnette's Bertha Lou). Also includes
sides by Phil Oris & The Little Kings, Terry Gale,
Tony & Ray & The Margilators , Carlo & The Cupids
and more. (FS)
DAVE BAUCOM: That'll Be The
Day/ THE BEAU-JIVES: Here We Go/ JOE CAP & THE
STARFIRES: Go Chattanooga/ CARLO & THE CUPIDS:
Crazy Rock/ THE FAIRVIEWS: Twinkee Lee/ TERRY
GALE: Betty Jean/ Think It Over/ BARBARA GREEN:
Slippin' & Slidin'/ JIMMY & MIKE & THE EMJAYS:
Waitin'/ JOHNNY KEY & THE LOCKSMITHS: She's Mine/
PAUL KOSTY: Don't Rock Let's Roll/ CAL LINLEY &
THE NEWPORTS: Mess Around/ SHERWIN LINTON: White
Lightning/ PHIL ORSI & THE LITTLE KINGS: Come On
Everybody/ THE PACE-SETTERS: Ooh-Poo-Pah-Doo/ TONY
RICE: I Thank You Baby/ GEORGE ROSS & THE RED
TOPS: Weirdsville/ BOB ROUBAIN: Rocket To The
Moon/ S & H SCAMPS: Sassy/ BOBBY SHARP & THE
IMPRESSIONS: Southern Georgia/ THE TELSTARS:
Confidential Mash/ THE THESE AND THOSE: Come On
A-Long N' Rock/ TOBY & RAY & THE MARGILATORS: Bom
Do Wa/ DONNY TYRELL & THE CLEECHAYS: Let's Walk
Let's Talk/ VINNI VINCENT: Hey Cobella/ Wailin' &
Scalin'
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collector 4544 |
Early Rockin' Gold |
● CD $16.98 |
35 tracks, 76 mins, highly
recommended
Another collection of rockabilly, rock 'n' roll
and rocking hillbilly sides from the 50s and early
60s unearthed by Cees Klop. Not only have most of
these not appeared on CD or LP before many are not
even listed anywhere! Judging from the label shots
a number of the tracks were recorded as studio
demos and recording quality on a number of tracks
is pretty funky but the excitement and enthusiasm
comes through. Although there are a number of duds
there are more than enough excellent to please the
serious rock 'n' roll collector including the
opening The Maid by The Ron-De-Voo's
featuring tough guitar, the two primitive cuts
from Nothing & The No Names (really!), the hot
country boogie Childhood Boogie by Linn
Billingsly, the splendid Davey, I'm Glad It
Rained by girl group Bonnie & Treasures, the
romping Hot Dog by Lee Curtin and others. 10
of the cuts are instrumentals - almost all of them
excellent including the sax led rocker Rockin"
It Out by The Unknowns which also boasts a hot
guitar solo, the storming guitar rockers Monkey
Tree by The Atantics and Vampire by The
Plaids and others. Good stuff. (FS)
THE ANGELS: Buck Shot/ THE ASTROS: Wipe
Out/ THE ATLANTICS: Monkey Tree/ HUBERT BARNARD:
Boy She Has Gone/ BUDDY BEVERLY & THE SPARKLES:
Inn Gear/ LINN BILLINGSLEY & JOHNNY CUVIELLO ORCH:
Childhood Boogie/ BONNIE & THE TREASURES: Davey,
I'm So Glad It Rained/ LEE CURTIN: Hot Dog/ FRANK
DURBIN: Big Deal/ THE ELECTRAS: High Voltage/ AL
EPP & THE PHARAOHS: Breaking My Heart/ CHARLIE
GORE: Sock Hop/ LEO GOSNELL & THE SMOKEY MOUNTAIN
DRIFTERS: Juke Joint Honey/ CASEY GRAMS: Count
Down/ THOMAS GREEN WITH TENN. TOM & HIS RHYTHM
BOYS: I'd Rather Make Love/ CHUCK GUTIERREZ:
Tonight's The Night/ JIMMY HAYES & COMEY RIDGE
RAMBLERS: Tom Cat Boogie/ WILLIAM MICHEAL: Sweet
Sweet Love/ THE MONARCHS: L.B.J/ JACK NEWBOURN:
Tell Me/ ROCKY NIGHT & SINGING NIGHT CATS: Teen
Age Bop/ NOTHING & THE NO NAMES: Bearsville Rock/
Cute Little Sweety/ THE PLAIDS: Vampire/ BOB
POPOTNIK & THE RAIDERS: Miss You Baby/ JERRY
RAINES: Hello Sweetie Pie/ THE RHYTHM RANGERS:
Hillbilly Rock/ Rendezvous Stomp/ THE
RON-DE-VOO'S: Pipeline/ The Maid/ RONNIE & THE
GAMBLE: Party Doll/ THE SHADES: Shady Lady/ THE
UNKNOWNS: Rockin' It Out/ J.W. WARDEN & THE
JOKERS: Sidewalk Rock & Roll/ THE ZIRCONS: Frog In
The Fog
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
El Toro 1028 |
El Mexican Rock And Roll, Vol. 1 |
● CD $17.98 |
25 tracks, recommended
Back in stock. An entertaining selection of
performances by Mexican bands playing the new
fangled rock 'n' roll between 1955 and 1957.
Unlike in the USA where the music was mostly the
provenance of teenagers many of the early Mexican
purveyors of rock 'n' roll were well established
bands who were conversant in a range of styles
including traditional Mexican mariachi, cha cha
cha, mambo, jazz and rhythm & blues. The result
when applied to rock 'n' roll is distinguished by
superb musicianship rather than energy and
excitement. Most of the songs are original songs
sung in Spanish though the songs by Los Supersecos
are Spanish covers of Jailhouse Rock/ I Want
You, I Need You, I Love You and Tutti
Frutti and La Orquesta Royale Y Sus Cantest do
a fine English language rendition of Chuck
Willis's What Am I Living For. Most of the
artist are unknown nortbof the border with the
exception of Juan Garcia Esquival Y Su Orquesta
who under the shortened name of Esquivel became a
leading figure in the USA with his lounge pop
recordings. Excellent sound quality and booklet
has note son most of the performers and a number
of artist photos. Lots of fun. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
El Toro 1039 |
Infamous Instro-Monsters Of Rock 'n' Roll |
● CD $17.98 |
22 tracks, 48 mins, highly
recommended
This is one of those cool comps that is full of
great tunes, but great tunes that have popped up
on a lot of cool comps over the years. Killer
tunes like Slinky by the mighty Link Wray,
the one string wonder piece Twitchy by Rene
Hall Orchestra Featuring Willie Joe, and The
Green Mosquito by The Tune Rockers are all
songs that you need to have in your collection,
just double check to make sure that they aren't
already there. All of the tracks here are great,
but standouts would have to be: Space Guitar
by Young John Watson (Johnny "Guitar" Watson,)
Fast Freight by Arvee Allens (aka Ritchie
Valens,) The Fugitive by The Fugitives, and
Blue Jean Shuffle by none other than Plas
Johnson. The Champs, The Kingsmen, The Gamblers,
Grady Martin & The Slew Foot Five, Santo & Johnny,
and many more await you. (JM)
THE ADMIRAL TONES:
Rocksville/ ARVEE ALLENS (AKA RITCHIE VALENS):
Fast Freight/ SONNY BURGESS & THE PACERS: Itchy/
THE CHAMPS: Twenty Thousand Leages/ DUANE EDDY AND
THE REBELS: Ramrod/ THE ELRONDOS: Cool Breeze
(Part 1)/ THE FUGITIVES: The Fugitive/ THE
GAMBLERS: Moon Dawg!/ RENE HALL ORCHESTRA
FEATURING WILLIE JOE: Twitchy/ THE INTRUDERS:
Jeffrey´S Rock/ JEWEL & EDDIE: Strollin´ Guitar/
PLAS JOHNSON: Blue Jean Shuffle/ THE KINGSMEN:
Week End/ GRADY MARTIN & THE SLEW FOOT FIVE: When
My Dreamboat Comes Home/ THE ROCKIN´ RS: Nameless/
SANTO & JOHNNY: Caravan/ THE STRANGERS: Rockin´
Rebel/ THE TUNE ROCKERS: The Green Mosquito/ THE
VENTURES: The Mc Coy/ THE VIRTUES: Flippin´ In/
YOUNG JOHN WATSON: Space Guitar/ LINK WRAY:
Slinky
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Fantastic Voyage 098 |
Sassy Sugar |
● CD $21.98 |
3CD, 75 tracks, highly recommended
Can you handle yet another collection of Nashville
rock & roll? If so, then here's another one
covering, roughly, the years 1955 to 1960 and
divided into three thematic categories: "Boppin"
Guitars", "Juke Box Men", and "All Grown Up".
Although there's a song on it called Boppin"
Guitar (by Ray Melton), the first disc lives up
to its title by sporting some hot licks in tracks
from Frankie Miller, Billy Grammer, The Everly
Brothers, Buddy Holly, Red Foley, and the Wilburn
Brothers to name a few. Second disc, I can only
assume, groups together popular and semi-popular
male singers from the era: Johnny Cash, Carl
Perkins, Mel Tillis, Eddy Arnold, George Jones,
Marvin Rainwater, Webb Pierce, James O'Gwynn,
Ronnie Self, Don Gibson, and of course, Elvis. And
on that level, the batch of songs are a nice cross
section of men from nearly the entire Nashville
country spectrum. And coincidentally, Tillis
contributes a song called Juke Box Men (just
as there's a song called All Grown Up from
Johnny Horton on disc three), which makes me think
these disc headers might be more of a convenient
catch-all as opposed to real thematic thinking on
the part of the compilers. At any rate, disc
three's concept seems vague to me: songs dealing
with heartache and girls in general, maybe?
Anyway, I can't resist Bobby Darin (pre - Mack
the Knife!) on Million Dollar Baby, Gene
Vincent on Gonna Back Up Baby, Patsy Cline's
Walking Dream, Al Terry's Good Deal,
Lucille, and Lloyd Copas (minus the "Cowboy")
on (Won't You Ride in) My Little Red Wagon.
The rarities are interesting, the cuts from the
famous names are well chosen, and the liner notes
are informative; in short, another highly
entertaining compilation from the gang at
Fantastic Voyage. (GMC)
ANDY ANDERSON & THE ROLLING
STONES: Johnny Valentine/ EDDY ARNOLD: Tennessee
Stud/ CARL BELEW: Cool Gator Shoes/ CHUCK BOWERS:
Till My Baby Comes Home/ DONNIE BOWSER: I Love You
Baby/ BILLY BROWN: Lost Weekend/ THE BROWNS: Ain’t
No Way In This World/ JOHNNY CASH: Loading Coal/
PATSY CLINE: Walking Dream/ LLOYD COPAS: (Won't
You Ride In) My Little Red Wagon/ BILLY "CRASH"
CRADDOCK: Don't Destroy Me/ BOBBY DARIN: Million
Dollar Baby/ CARL DOBKINS JR.: My Pledge To You/
JIMMY DONLEY: Radio, Jukebox And TV/ HUELYN
DUVALL: Comin' Or Goin'/ LEE EMERSON: What A
Night/ MELVIN ENDSLEY: I Like Your Kind Of Love/
THE EVERLY BROTHERS: Keep A Knockin'/ NARVEL
FELTS: Rocket Ride/ RED FOLEY: Strike While The
Iron Is Hot/ EDDIE FONTAINE: Fun Lovin'/ JOE
FULLER: You Made A Hit/ DON GIBSON: Sweet, Sweet
Girl/ DICK GLASSER: Heartaches Over You/ BILLY
GRAMMER: Bonaparte's Retreat/ BILLY GRAVES: Mount
Fujiyama/ JOE GRIFFITH & HIS TEEN AGE REBELS:
Annabelle Lee/ BERNARD HARDISON: Too Much/ BOBBY
HELMS: Love My Lady/ AL HENDERSON: Mary Jane/
BUDDY HOLLY: Ting-A-Ling/ JOHNNY HORTON: All Grown
Up/ JIMMY ISLE: Billy Boy/ JOHNNY JAY: I'm Gonna
Keep It/ Sugar Doll/ GEORGE JONES: Maybe Little
Baby/ BENNY JOY: Ittie Bittie Everything/ BRENDA
LEE: (If I'm Dreamin') Just Let Me Dream/ BOB
LUMAN: I Love You Because/ WARNER MACK: Is It
Wrong (For Loving You)/ KENNY LEE MARTIN: The
Shape I'm In/ JOE MELSON: Barbara/ RAY MELTON:
Boppin' Guitar/ FRANKIE MILLER: Rain Rain/ ROGER
MILLER: Jason Fleming/ RAY MITH: Makes Me Feel
Good/ TERRY NOLAND: There Was A Fungus Among Us/
JAMES O'GWYNN: Easy Money/ MACK OWEN: Walkin' And
Talkin'/ CARL PERKINS: L-O-V-E-V-I-L-L-E/ BOB
PERRY: Weary Blues, Goodbye/ WEBB PIERCE: Who
Wouldn't Love You/ ELVIS PRESLEY: It Feels So
Right/ JOHNNY PRESTON: Chief Heartbreak/ MARVIN
RAINWATER: So You Think You've Got Troubles/ BOOTS
RANDOLPH: Red Light/ GLENN REEVES: Tarzan/ FREDDY
ROBINSON: Not Like Now/ RUSTY & DOUG: Dream
Queen/ SAMMY SALVO: Afraid/ RONNIE SELF: Black
Night Blues/ JOHNNIE STRICKLAND: You've Got What
It Takes/ BIG JOHN TAYLOR: Money Money/ VERNON
TAYLOR: I've Got The Blues/ AL TERRY: Good Deal,
Lucille/ MEL TILLIS: Juke Box Man/ JOHNNY
TILLOTSON: Princess, Princess/ JUSTIN TUBB: Sugar
Lips/ CONWAY TWITTY: What Am I Living For/ GENE
VINCENT & HIS BLUE CAPS: Gonna Back Up Baby/ WAYNE
WALKER: I'm Finally Free/ THE WILBURN BROTHERS: Oo
Bop Sha Boom/ CHUCK WILEY: Door To Door/ DANNY
WOLFE: Pucker Paint/ FARON YOUNG: I Hear You
Talkin’
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Fantastic Voyage 112 |
The Grill Can't Help It - A Summer Smorgasbord Of 50s Rock
'n' Roll |
● CD $19.98 |
2CD, 50 tracks, highly
recommended
Once again the gang at Fantastic Voyage has
presented us with a collection of songs tied
loosely together by a particular theme; this time,
the theme is ".the way the rock & roll generation
elected to eat, drink and be merry during the
summer months." Consequently, we are given
everything from The Jamies' Summertime,
Summertime (possibly the only 50s rock 'n' roll
song with harpsichord!)to Tennessee Ernie Ford's
Sunday Barbecue to Thurston Harris' One
Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer. All the bases
are covered: summer past-times (Mickey & Sylvia,
Let's Have a Picnic), food (Amos Milburn,
French Fried Potatoes and Ketchup; Freddie
Cannon, Blue Plate Special), drink (Tommy
Sands' Soda Pop Pop; Jerry Lee's Drinkin"
Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee; Glenn Barber's Ice
Water), and summer in general (Gene Vincent's
take on Gershwin's Summertime). Although
there are some songs that don't really address the
subjects at hand, other than through the song
title, it's hard to knock the song selection and
range of genres covered; with blues, rockabilly,
R&B, rock 'n' roll, pop, checking in, there's
something for everyone! If you're looking for a
fun CD to play at your next outdoor party, then
look no further. (GMC)
GLENN
BARBER: Ice Water/ RICHARD BARRETT WITH THE
CHANTELS:: Summer's Love/ JOHNNY BURNETTE: Gumbo/
JO-ANN CAMPBELL: Beachcomber/ FREDDY CANNON: Blue
Plate Special/ LENNY CAPELLO & THE DOTS: Cotton
Candy/ BOBBY CHARLES: Take It Easy Greasy/ JOE
CLAY: Duck Tail/ THE COASTERS: Turtle Dovin'/
JAMIE COE: Summertime Symphony/ THE DANDERLIERS:
Chop Chop Boom/ THE DANLEERS: One Summer Night/
THE DEL VIKINGS: Cool Shake/ VARETTA DILLARD: Good
Gravy Baby/ DUDLEY: El Pizza/ FELIX & HIS
GUITAR: Chilli Beans/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD:
Catfish Boogie/ Sunday Barbecue/ DICK GLASSER:
Jeannie's Bikini/ PHIL GRAY & HIS GO BOYS: Pepper
Hot Baby/ THURSTON HARRIS: One Scotch, One
Bourbon, One Beer/ WYNONIE HARRIS: Git With The
Grits/ DALE HAWKINS: Hot Dog/ RONNIE HAWKINS:
Jambalaya (On The Bayou)/ THE JAMIES: Summertime,
Summertime/ JERRY JAYE: Sugar Dumplin'/ KAY CEE
JONES: Short'nin' Bread Rock/ LOUIS JORDAN: Salt
Pork, West Virginia/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: Drinkin"
Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee/ LITTLE JOE & THE THRILLERS:
Peanuts/ THE LOCKETTES: Puddin' Pie/ MARVIN &
JOHNNY: Cherry Pie/ MICKEY & SYLVIA: Let's Have A
Picnic/ AMOS MILBURN: French Fried Potatoes And
Ketchup/ CHUCK MILLER: Saturday Night Fish Fry/
ELVIS PRESLEY: Crawfish/ LLOYD PRICE: Three Little
Pigs/ LOUIS PRIMA: Closest To The Bone/ JIMMY
REED: The Sun Is Shining/ DAVE RICH: Chicken
House/ LORD ROCKINGHAM'S XI: Fried Onions/ TOMMY
SANDS: Soda Pop Pop/ RED SAUNDERS: Hambone/ THE
SHADES: Sun Glasses/ CHUCK SIMS: Little Pigeon/
THE SPUTNIKS: Johnny's Little Lamb/ DOC STARKES &
HIS NITE RIDERS: Apple Cider/ THE SWALLOWS: It
Ain't The Meat/ GENE VINCENT: Summertime/ ANDRE
WILLIAMS: Bacon Fat
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Fuel 61888 |
The Profile Records Story |
● CD $12.98 |
20 tracks, recommended
Fine and varied collection of material recorded
for Mel London's Profile label between 1958 and
1961. The label only issued 15 singles and this is
a selecttion of the best of them. Blues is
represented by the great Chicago singer and
harmonica player Junior Wells with five songs
accompanied by a superb band with Earl Hooker on
guitar. His sides include the label's only hit
Little By Little as well as the stunning
Prison Bars All Around Me. There is some
great rock 'n' roll courtesy of Mickey Hawks and
his outstanding band The Night Raiders. Hawks was
a great gravel voiced rocker and his Bip Bop
Boom, while not a hit, is an acknowledged
classic and his other tracks here are not too far
behind. His band included tough sax from Moon
Mullins and hot guitar from the very young Bill
Ballard - there is also one fine instrumental cut
from the group. The Noblemen are another fine
instrumental rock 'n' roll band with their
Dirty Robber (not The Wailers song). The set
is rounded out with a selection of good, if not
exceptional, doo-wop from Jessie & The Sequins,
THe Foster Brothers and Lil' June & The Januarys.
(FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Hydra 27138 |
... Like What We Wrote, Vol. 3 |
● CD $21.98 |
26 tracks, recommended
Another fine collection of sides featuring songs
written by the talented Johnny and/or Dorsey Burnette. As with previous volumes pride of place
goes to Ricky Nelson who is featured on two of his
classic sides Believe What You Say (single
version) and Just A Little Too Much along
with some fine lesser known songs including the
excellent Lonely Corner from a 1964 Decca
session. Ricky is backed by the great guitar of
James Burton who is also featured accompanying
Myron Lee on the hot Schools Out and Bob
Luman. There are two cuts from Canadian duo Bob &
Lucille - Lucille's country flavored Sit Down
And Write A Letter To Me is particularly nice.
JOhnny Fair does a fine rendition of Dorsey's odd
Bertha Lou and Alan Clark does Twinky
Lee which is the same song with different
lyrics! Also included - Gene Vincent, Jody
REynolds, The Hillbilly 5 (a Swedish group), Jack
Nitsche, Nick Adams, Margie Rayburn (with Eddie
Cochran on guitar) and others. There's a fair
amount of teen pop but enough rockin' sides to
make it worthwhile. Superb sound and 24 page
booklet is crammed with information. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Jasmine 511 |
Raunchy! The Rise Of Instrumental Rock |
● CD $13.98 |
25 tracks, 60 mins, highly
recommended
Here is a fantastic collection of some of the best
Rock & Roll instrumentals of the '50s and early
'60s. If you dig wailin' Sax and twangy guitars
and don't give a dang about no Rock & Roll singer,
then you will surely dig this CD. Bill Doggett
fires things up with his huge hit(s) Honky Tonk
(Parts 1 & 2) and then returns a couple tracks
later with the equally cool Ram Bunk Shush.
Bill Justis provides the swinging titular track
and is joined by the likes of The Champs, Gone All
Stars, The Tune Rockers, Cozy Cole, Lee Allen, and
many more. There are two of my favorites that
dominate this set though, Duane Eddy hits us with
no less than seven tracks, including such stunners
as Rebel Rouser/ Ramrod/ Stalkin', and
Detour. Then the mighty Link Wray destroys
with his two biggest hits Rumble, and
Raw-Hide. Nice to have all these great
instros in one place and Jasmine does a great job
on sound and presentation, so you won't be
disappointed. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Jasmine 569 |
Philadelphia Pop |
● CD $15.98 |
2 CDs, 44 tracks, 104 mins,
recommended
Here's a whole smorgasbord of pop, from the heyday
of the teenager. Sub-titled "Rockin' and Croonin"
on Bandstand 1957-1959." So basically you get
Dick Clark's jukebox, just with less Chubby
Checker. This starts out the Philly Pop timeline
with Charlie Gracie and his big hit
Butterfly, plus a few much smaller hits.
From there you get ample servings of Danny and The
Juniors -- At The Hop/ Rock and Roll Is Here To
Stay -- Frankie Avalon -- De De Dinah/ You
Excite Me/ What Little Girl --plus many more:
Fabian -- I'm A Man/ Turn Me Loose/ Tiger,
etc. -- Freddy Cannon, Bobby Rydell, Dicky Doo and
The Don'ts, The Applejacks, and even Zacherle, all
make appearances. Two full CDs worth of golden
oldies. (JM)
THE APPLEJACKS: Mexican Hat
Rock/ Rocka Conga/ FRANKIE AVALON: A Boy Without A
Girl/ Bobby Sox To Stockings/ De De Dinah/
Gingerbread/ I'll Wait For You/ Just Ask Your
Heart/ Two Fools/ Venus/ What Little Girl/ Why/
You Excite Me/ BILLY AND LILLIE: Lah Dee Dah/
Lucky Ladybug/ FREDDY CANNON: Okefenokee/
Tallahassee Lassie/ Way Down Yonder In New
Orleans/ CHUBBY CHECKER: The Class/ DANNY AND THE
JUNIORS: At The Hop/ Dottie/ Rock And Roll Is Here
To Stay/ DICKIE DOO & THE DON'TS: Leave Me Alone/
DICKY DOO AND THE DON'TS: Click Clack/ Nee Nee Na
Na Na Na Nu Nu/ FABIAN: Come On And Get Me/ Hound
Dog Man/ I'm A Man/ This Friendly World/ Tiger/
Turn Me Loose/ CHARLIE GRACIE: Butterfly/ Cool
Baby/ Fabulous/ Love You So Much It Hurts/
Wanderin' Eyes/ BOBBY RYDELL: All I Want Is You/ I
Dig Girls/ Kissin' Time/ Little Bitty Girl/ Please
Don't Be Mad/ We Got Love/ THE SILHOUETTES: Get A
Job/ JOHN ZACHERLE (THE COOL GHOUL): Dinner With
Drac
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Jasmine 588 |
Raunchy, Vol. 2 - Rockin' Into The Sixties |
● CD $15.98 |
Complementing the single CD Jasmine
511 (Raunchy - $13.98) this double CD with 51
tracks features another great selection of mostly
rock 'n' roll and R&B instrumentals along with a
couple of pop tunes. Almost all the tracks made
the U.S. top 100 and many of them were hits in the
U.K. and this set includes several instrumentals
by British groups including Apache by Cliff
Richard's backing group The Shadows which topped
the British charts but failed to register at all
in the USA. We have here tracks from Ernie
Freeman, The Kingsmen (actually Bill Haley's
Comets with their great instrumental
Weekend), Pat & The Satellites, The Wailers,
The Hot Toddy's (their wonderful Rockin"
Crickets), The Fireballs, Duane Eddy (seven
tracks!), Paul Gayten, Santo & Johnny, Johnny &
The Hurricanes, The Frantics, The Ventures, Bill
Black's Combo, Lawrence Welk (!?), The Fleerekkers
and many more.
LEE ALLEN AND
HIS BAND: Tic Toc/ Walking With Mr. Lee/ CHET
ATKINS: Teensville/ SIL AUSTIN: Slow Walk/ DOC
BAGBY: Dumplin's/ BILL BLACKS COMBO: Don't Be
Cruel/ Smokie Pt 2/ JAMES BOOKER: Gonzo/ OWEN
BRADLEY QUINTET: Big Guitar/ BOOTS BROWN AND HIS
BLOCKBUSTERS: Cerveca/ RAY BRYANT COMBO: The
Madison Time/ AL CAIOLA: The Magnificent Seven/
THE CHAMPS: El Rancho Rock/ Tequila/ Too Much
Tequila/ COZY COLE: Topsy/ Turvy Ii/ DAVE BABY
CORTEZ: The Happy Organ/ BILL DOGGETT: Honky Tonk
(Part 1)/ Honky Tonk (Part 2)/ Ram Bunk Shush/ THE
DRIFTERS (SHADOWS): Jet Black/ DUANE EDDY: 'Yep!'/
40 Miles Of Bad Road/ Because They're Young/
Bonnie Came Back/ Kommotion/ Peter Gunn/ Shazam/
Some Kinda Earthquake/ Cannonball/ Detour/ Moovin"
And Groovin'/ Ramrod/ Rebel Rouser/ Stalkin'/ The
Lonely One/ PRESTON EPPS: Bongo Rock/ PERCY FAITH
ORCHESTRA: Theme From A Summer Place/ THE
FIREBALLS: Bulldog/ Torquay/ THE FLEEREKKERS:
Sunday Date/ THE FRANTICS: Werewolf/ ERNIE
FREEMAN: Raunchy/ PAUL GAYTEN: The Hunch/ THE GONE
ALL STARS: 7-11 (Mambo No.5)/ PHIL HARVEY:
Bumbershoot/ THE HOT TODDYS: Rockin' Crickets/ THE
HUNTERS: Teen Scene/ THE ISLANDERS: The Enchanted
Sea/ JOHNNY AND THE HURRICANES: Beatnik Fly/ BILL
JUSTIS: Raunchy/ THE KINGSMEN: Weekend/ SANDY
NELSON: Teen Beat/ REG OWEN ORCHESTRA: Manhattan
Spiritual/ PAT AND THE SATELLITES: Jupiter C/ THE
PILTDOWN MEN: Brontosaurus Stomp/ THE RAMRODS:
Ghost Riders In The Sky/ THE ROCK-A-TEENS: Woo
Hoo/ THE ROYALTONES: Poorboy/ SANTO AND JOHNNY:
Sleepwalk/ Teardrop/ THE SHADOWS: Apache/ Man Of
Mystery/ The Stranger/ THE SPACEMEN: The Clouds/
THE TUNE ROCKERS: Green Mosquito/ THE VENTURES:
Perfidia/ Walk, Don't Run/ THE VIRTUES: Guitar
Boogie Shuffle/ THE WAILERS: Mau Mau/ Tall Cool
One/ NOBLE "THIN MAN" WATTS: Hard Times/ LAWRENCE
WELK: Calcutta/ LINK WRAY: Raw-Hide/
Rumble
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Legacy/ Philles 27822 |
Phil Spector Presents The Philles Album Collection |
● CD $79.98 |
Seven Discs, 88 tracks, essential
Following up to their excellent compilations of
the Crystals, the Ronettes, and Darlene Love from
earlier this year, Legacy brings out the ultimate
item for collectors and die-hard Spectorites: this
seven CD box set containing the first six albums
issued by Spector's Philles label and a seventh
disc of B-sides. Spector was always primarily
concerned with singles - albums were merely
vehicles for showcasing 45s-and the fact that of
the three Crystals LP here, nine tracks are
duplicated over at least two of the albums
certainly proves the point. But having said that,
the albums don't come across as shoddy product and
these albums are being presented on CD for the
first time, in their original mono sound, and
housed in sleeves that are duplications of the
original LP jackets. In addition to the first two
Crystals albums - "Twist Uptown" (1962) and "He's
a Rebel" (1963) - and an odd collection "The
Crystals Sing the Greatest Hits, Vol. 1" (1963)
which also contains four Ronettes tracks, also
featured are the lone LPs by Bob B. Soxx and the
Blue Jeans - "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" (1963) - and the
Ronettes, 1964 album "Presenting the Fabulous
Ronettes Featuring Veronica." Rounding out the set
are a best of collection, "Philles Records
Presents Today's Hits" (1963) and a bonus disc
called "The Phil Spector Wall of Sound Orchestra:
Phil's Flipsides," which contains the instrumental
B-sides of various singles. The value for fans and
collectors are: the sound and mastering are much
better than the 1991 "Back to Mono" box set; the
original albums are presented in all their glory,
with the long elusive Ronettes LP being
particularly welcome, not to mention a beautiful
Pomus/Spector song from the Crystals Another
Country/Another World; and we get to hear early
recordings of On Broadway (the Crystals) and
Chapel of Love (the Ronettes) before their
subsequent hit versions. Although their might be
some quibbles from the serious collectors - not
enough rarities, no stereo mixes - this is a
beautifully realized package that also comes with
a lavishly illustrated booklet that contains
track, album and artist information, and examines
Spector's curious tendency to hold back certain
tracks from release. Bottom line: no true fan can
do without this set and rumor has it that it's a
limited edition, so better get 'em while the
getting's good. (GMC)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Legacy/ Spector 61294 |
Phil Spector, 1961-1966 |
● CD $11.98 |
19 tracks, 54 mins, essential
If there was a dictionary definition of crazy
genius, I think we all know whose picture should
be next to it. No matter what you might think of
the man personally, his musical achievements in
his heyday of the 1960s certainly stand on their
own. I would give almost anything for Pop music to
be as good again, but I strongly doubt it ever
will be. The Grammy award winning, four CD box
set; "Phil Spector, Back To Mono" that came out
back in the late 1980s was an absolutely essential
collection and widely considered one of the best
box sets ever. This single CD collection is the
distillation of that fabulous box set with 19 of
Spector's greatest productions, so needless to
say, it would take some real screwing up to make
this anything but essential as well and thankfully
it is exactly as it should be. Remastered from the
original tapes, these recordings sound fantastic.
This collection seems to focus on the acts that
Spector had the most control and influence on, so
you get six tracks from The Crystals featuring
He's A Rebel/ Da Doo Ron Ron/ Then He Kissed
Me, etc., five from The Ronettes Be My Baby/
Baby I Love You/ Walking In The Rain, etc., and
three from Darlene Love (Today I Met) The Boy
I'm Gonna Marry/ Wait Til' My Bobby Gets Home,
and A Fine, Fine Boy. On top of those, you
get a few great Bob B. Sox and The Blue Jeans
numbers and then the massive hits You've Lost
That Lovin' Feeling by The Righteous Brothers,
and River Deep, Mountain High by Ike & Tina.
So certainly not a collection of rarities at all,
these are songs we all know, having them all in
one place, with new liner notes and full recording
information, sounding so good is a must though.
(JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Legacy/ Philles 86422 |
The Essential Phil Spector |
● CD $16.98 |
2 CDs, 35 tracks, 101 mins,
essential
The title says essential and I am going to have to
agree. Phil Spector's "Back To Mono" box set was a
landmark release for the record industry; an
essential four CD collection that set the standard
for how box sets should be done. This two CD set
is essentially that wonderful box set distilled
down to two CDs; well, more like 3/4ths of that
set distilled down, since this doesn't have any of
the tracks from "A Christmas Gift." which is a
release that stands on its own. The track listing
goes in pretty much the same order as they were on
the box set, only with certain songs taken out.
You get all the highest highs of Spector's career
starting with To Know Him Is To Love Him by
The Teddy Bears, to Black Pearl by Sonny
Charles and The Checkmates, Ltd., with a whole lot
of great songs by The Crystals, Ben E. King,
Darlene Love, Curtis Lee, The Righteous Brothers,
The Ronettes, Ike & Tina, etc. You know 35 of the
greatest pop songs of the 1960s, sounding as great
as ever! (JM)
THE ALLEY CATS:
Puddin N Tain/ SONNY CHARLES AND THE CHECKMATES
LTD: Black Pearl/ 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/
BEN E. KING: Spanish Harlem/ CURTIS LEE: Pretty
Little Angel Eyes/ DARLENE LOVE: (Today I Met) The
Boy I'm Gonna Marry/ A Fine, Fine Boy/ Stumble And
Fall/ Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home/ THE MODERN FOLK
QUARTET: This Could Be The Night/ THE PARIS
SISTERS: I Love How You Love Me/ RAY PETERSON:
Corrine, Corrina/ GENE PITNEY: Every Breath I
Take/ THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS: Ebb Tide/ Unchained
Melody/ You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling/ THE
RONETTES: (The Best Part Of) Breakin Up/ Baby, I
Love You/ Be My Baby/ Do I Love You?/ Paradise/
Walking In The Rain/ When I Saw You/ BOB B. SOXX
AND THE BLUE JEANS: Not Too Young To Get Married/
Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Heart?/
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah/ THE TEDDY BEARS: To Know Him Is
to Love Him/ THE TREASURES FEATURING PETE ANDERS:
Hold Me Tight/ IKE & TINA TURNER: River Deep,
Mountain High
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Lesley 11 |
Epic Rock & Roll Party |
● CD $15.98 |
32 tracks, 74 mins, highly
recommended
Here's a fantastic disc of early Rock 'n' Roll
recordings done for the Epic label. This comp has
very little filler, pretty much one killer cut
after another, and would have been close to
essential if it had any notes or anything beyond
the basic track list. You get a couple primal
blasters from Link Wray -- Ain't That Lovin"
You Babe, and Hand Clapper -- and even
Doug Wray with the silly, but still cool, Goose
Bumps. Jaycee Hill delivers a couple of hot
sides; Bump! is the sound that his baby
makes when she hits him upside the head with the
new frying pan that he just bought her
(Bump! also features some red hot guitar
pickin'), then the vicious Crash Out a moody
number about getting' out of San Quinton the hard
way. You get a couple of all-time raunchy
instrumental tracks in The Big Bad Train by
Lee Castle, and Drive In by The Jaguars. Not
all of this is in the juvenile delinquent vein;
you also get songs like Roy Hamilton's sublime hit
Don't Let Go, and the sweet It's A
Wonderful Feeling by Jim Robinson. British
rocker Marty Wilde delivers a couple of fantastic
melodramatic cuts, as does Ersel Hickey, as does
Jimmy Gavin, and so on. Then the cherry on the top
must be the stony instrumental Stone Age
Rock by Fred Flintstone. I didn't know that you
could play such hot sax with only three fingers!
All tracks are dubbed from original vinyl records,
but there is little or no surface noise detectable
on most tracks. (JM)
LILLIAN
BRIGGS: Boogie Blues/ I/ LEE CASTLE: The Big Bad
Train/ HELENE DIXON: Piddily Patter Patter/ SONNY
FLAHARTY: Heartbreak Station/ FRED FLINTSTONE:
Stone Age Rock/ JIMMY GAVIN: Hitchhiking Man/ The
Ballad Of Jesse James/ ROY HAMILTON: Don't Let Go/
DOLORES HAWKINS: Growin' Up/ ERSEL HICKEY: Goin"
Down That road/ You Never Can Tell/ You Threw A
Dart/ JAYCEE HILL: Bump!/ Crash Out/ THE JAGUARS:
Drive In/ Exit 6/ JESSE & JAMES: G.I. Rock/
Number Please/ LEE KANE: It's All Your Fault/ JIM
ROBINSON: A Whole Lot Of Lovin'/ It's A Wonderful
Feeling/ THE SKEE BROTHERS: Big Deal/ While I'm
Away/ BOB SPENCER: Rock & Roll Lullaby/ Roll, Hot
Rod, Roll/ MARTY WILDE: Angry/ Misery's Child/ My
Baby Is Gone (Stop This World)/ DOUG WRAY: Goose
Bumps/ LINK WRAY: Ain't That Lovin' You Babe/ Hand
Clapper
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Lesley 13 |
Gone Records Rock & Roll Party |
● CD $15.98 |
24 tracks, 79 mins, highly
recommended
Spotlighting the best of what the great Gone
record label released in the late '50s/ early
'60s. From the heavy-sax driven instrumental hit
7-11 by Gone All Stars, to the primal Rock
& Roll of Ral Donner on She's My Baby, and
Richie Robin's Branded, to the desperate
teenage plunder of Darryl Johnson's All Danced
Out, Gone records definitely knew what was
cool. Also features rare early tracks by The Isley
Brothers and Johnny Rivers. Gone, but thankfully
not forgotten. (JM)
JO-ANN CAMPBELL: You're
Driving Me Mad/ THE CARTER RAYS: Ding Dong
Darling/ CONNIE & LEE: Cool Cool Baby/ GARY DALE:
Love Is Dynamite/ Pretty Baby/ JACKIE DEE: I'll Be
True/ ANDY DIO: Daisy Belle/ RAL DONNER: I Didn't
Figure On Him/ She's My Baby/ DON ELLIOT: Long
Black Automobile/ THE GONE ALL STARS: 7-11/ Gee
Gee Walk/ SAM HAWKINS: The Whatchamacallit/ THE
INSPIRATIONS: Stool Pigeon/ THE ISLEY BROTHERS:
Everybody's Gonna Rock & Roll/ DARRYL JENSON: All
Danced Out/ THE KINGS: Don't Go/ THE KO KO MO'S:
Mama's Boy/ TONY MIDDLETON & THE WILLOWS: Let's
Fall In Love/ Say Yeah/ NICKY & THE NOBLES:
School Bells/ JOHNNY RIVERS: Baby Come Back/ Long
Long Walk/ One Man Woman/ That's Rock & Roll/
RICHIE ROBIN: Branded/ THE SHELLS: Pretty Little
Girl/ FAYE SIMMONS: Rock & Rollin' & A-Strollin'/
JIMMY STONE: Found/ THE TUNEDROPS: Rosie Lee/ MACK
VICKERY: Goin' Back To St. Louis/ Lovers Plea/
WILD BILL & THE BLUE DENIMS: Mona My Love/ The
Chase
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Lesley 14 |
Backbeat Records Rock & Roll Party |
● CD $15.98 |
31 tracks, very highly recommended
Exceptionally high quality collection of
rockabilly, rock 'n' roll and some doo-wop
recorded in the mid late 50s for the Backbeat
label which was formed by Duke owner Don Robey to
capture the youth market. The endeavor was not a
success and the label eventually became an outlet
for R&B and soul but the selection here shows that
Robey had the same great ear for rock 'n' talent
as he did for blues and R&B. The set opens up with
one of the all time classic rockabilly songs
Action Packed by Ronnie Dee (aka Ronnie
Dawson) and includes great sides by obscure but
fine artists like Dave Atkins & The Offbeats, The
Casuals (four songs including one of the label's
few hits - the great So Tough), Lee Scott &
The Windsors (fine up tempo doo-wop), Lorin Dean
(great bluesy rocker or is it rockin' blues?),
Norman Fox & Rob Roys (outstanding West Coast
doo-wop), Doug & Josie, Jerry Foster, The La
Salles (the odd and politically incorrect
Chopsticks), Bill Bodaford & The Rockets,
The Catalinas, Johnny Spain & The Famous Flames (a
fine swamp pop version of Guitar Junior's
Family Rules) and others. One of the best
volumes in this series with very few duds. (FS)
DAVE ATKINS & THE OFFBEATS:
Let's Have A Good Time/ Shake-Kum-Down/ BILL
BODAFORD & THE ROCKETS: Little Girl/ Teardrops/
THE CASUALS: I Love My Darling/ So Tough/ THE
CATALINAS: Flying Formation With You/ Speechless/
LORIN DEAN: Fi Fo Fum/ Lonely Avenue/ RONNIE DEE:
Action Packed/ I Make The Love/ DOUG & JOSIE:
Wine Dine & Dance/ BOBBY DOYLE: Hot Seat/ Pauline/
JERRY FOSTER: I’m Here To Tell You/ What Would I
Do/ NORMAN FOX & THE ROB ROYS: Dance Girl, Dance/
Tell Me Why/ THE LA SALLES: Chopsticks/ Yum Yum/
MORTY MARKER & THE IMPALAS: Tear Down The House/
Tell Me You Love Me/ THE ORIGINAL CASUALS:
Ju-Judy/ Three Kisses Past Midnight/ THE ROB ROYS:
Audry/ LEE SCOTT & THE WINDSORS: My Gloria/ TONY
SPADE: What’s Gwyne On?/ JOHNNY SPAIN & THE FAMOUS
FLAMES: Family Rules/ I’m In Love/ ANDY WILSON:
Too Much Of Not Enough
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Lesley 15 |
ABC Paramount Rock & Roll Party |
● CD $15.98 |
31 tracks, 70 mins, recommended
A collection of tracks from the mid to late 50's
from the label that later evolved in ABC Records
(home of Steely Dan), and had massive success with
post-Atlantic Ray Charles during the 60's. Apart
from a couple of name artists - Paul Anka, Cliff
Richard (yes, that Cliff Richard), and Danny & the
Juniors, Joe Bennett & the Sparkletones - most of
the people here are obscurities that fall into
three camps: Bill Haley-style r 'n' r (Bob
Savage), Elvis imitators (Vince Everett), and mild
R&B (Vibes, Marvels). But mostly what we get is
generic rock 'n' roll aimed at the "kids",
because, as the first major record label formed at
the start of the rock 'n' roll era, it's evident
that the powers-that-be sought to cash in on the
"teenage" market. On the whole, this is a decent
addition to Lesley's assortment of CD devoted to
particular labels from the rock 'n' roll era.
(GMC)
PAUL ANKA: Late Last Night/
JOE BENNETT & THE SPARKLETONES: Little Turtle/
We've Had It/ GENE BUA: Well Honey/ RUSS CARLYLE:
Beach Party/ THE COOL BREEZES: You Know I Go For
You/ THE CORVETS: String Band Hop/ DANNY & THE
JUNIORS: Dottie/ THE DUBS: Joogie Boogie/ THE
EMANONS: We Teenagers (Know What We Want)/ VINCE
EVERETT: Don't Go/ Livin' High/ THE FLAIRS: She
Loves To Rock/ Steppin' Out/ THE FOUR TEMPTATIONS:
Rock & Roll Baby/ RONNIE HAIG: Don't You Hear Me
Calling, Baby/ THE LARKTONES: Rockin' Swingin"
Man/ THE LIFEGUARDS: Everybody Out'ta The Pool/
JAY B. LOYD: Cross My Heart/ You're Just My Kind/
THE MARVELS: Jump Rock & Roll/ CLINT MILLER:
Teenage Dance/ GLEN PACE: Tell Me/ CLIFF RICHARD:
Choppin' ‘N' Changin'/ THE ROVER BOYS: 16 Teens/
FRANKIE SARDO: Class Room/ BOB SAVAGE: Rock Around
The World/ SCOTT STEVENS & THE CAVALIERS: I Like
Girls/ JON THOMAS: Flip Flop & Fly/ THE V-EIGHTS:
Papa's Yellow Tie/ THE VIBES: Come Back
Baby
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Lesley 16 |
Jay-Gee Rock 'n' Roll Party |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks, 58 mins, highly
recommended
Here's a great compilation of vintage Rock & Roll
and Rhythm & Blues culled from original 45s and
78s released on the Josie & Jubilee label groups,
many making their CD debut. There's a lot of great
stuff on this, here are some of the standouts: a
wickedly cool romp through the jungle with Head
Hunter by The Goofers, the spastic delight of
Red Light-Green Light by the Coney Island
Kids, Diana Cole's tawdry lament about the other
night when she had So Much Rockin' To Do,
the Ebbtones' lo-fi instrumental beauty Rum
Inductions, The Cadillacs with their
rip-roaring Sugar Sugar, and equally rockin"
Shack-A-Doo, Sticks & Bricks' R&B smoker
Kiss The Pretty Girl Twice, and so on. There
is a warning about possible surface noise on this
due to the source material, but I have listened to
this a couple times through now and I didn't
notice much of any concern. There are a couple of
clunkers on this collection, but the killer cuts
far outweigh the not-so-killer! (JM)
EDDIE BANKS & FIVE DREAMERS:
Sugar Diabetes/ THE CADILLACS: Shock-A-Doo/ Sugar
Sugar/ HAL CASE & THE DARTS: Long Gone/ The Cola
Song/ BIRDIE CASTLE & THE STARDUSTERS: Crazy Beat/
Rocking With The D.J.’S/ DIANA COLE: So Much
Rockin’ To Do/ THE CONEY ISLAND KIDS: Red
Light-Green Light/ THE EBBTONES: Ram Induction/
THE FIVE CHANCELLORS: There Goes My Girl/ THE
GOOFERS: The Head Hunter/ MEL JACKSON: Move It
Over Baby/ PAT KELLY & THE SHAMROCKS: Cloud 13/
Hey Doll Baby/ GENE LEWIS: Too Young To Settle
Down/ MIKE & JIM: Baby Don’t Knock/ Dungaree
Cutie/ BILLY MITCHELL: You Know I Do/ JOHNNY
OLIVER: Sweet Sugar/ MURRAY SCHAFF & THE
ARISTOCRATS: The Unfinished Rock/ STICKS &
BRICKS: Kiss The Pretty Girl Twice/ ERNEST TUCKER:
Cowboy Hop/ Have Mercy, Uncle Sam/ PAUL WILLIAMS
ORCH: Suggie, Duggie, Boogie Baby
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Lesley 17 |
Jay-Gee Records Rock & Roll Party, Vol. 2 |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks, 57 mins, highly
recommended
The first volume in this series was a home run and
this next volume is just about as good. You get a
whole lot of rare sides recorded for the Jubilee,
Josie, and Port record label group in the late
'50s to early '60s. The haunting Broken
Heart by The Moonlighters, the Louis
Prima-esque Mirror-Mirror by Ernest Tucker,
the swingin' Three Little Chickens by the
Four Tunes, the all-time unhinged Rhythm & Blues
classic Rubber Biscuit by The Chips, and
that's all just in the first six tracks! As a
matter of fact, I think this is better than the
last volume, a damn near essential collection and
I probably would have listed it as that if the
presentation and packaging were just a little
better. As it is, there is certainly plenty of
essential material here. Great cuts by Piney
Brown, The Cadillacs, Bobby Freeman, Gene Nash,
The Cookies, Rocky Storm, All and Jet, etc. What
are you waitin' for? (JM)
AL and JET: C'mon Baby/
PINEY BROWN: You Bring Out The Wolf In Me/ BUZZ
and AL: A Little Bit Of Lovin'/ THE CADILLACS:
Cool It, Fool/ Holy Smoke Baby/ EDDIE CARSON: My
Woman Turned/ THE CHIPS: Rubber Biscuit/ THE
COOKIES: Hippy, Dippy/ THE FASCINATES: Pizza
Train/ BILLY FORD COMBO: Stop Lyin' On Me/ THE
FOUR TUNES: Three Little Chickens/ DOLORES
FREDERICKS: Jack Pot/ BOBBY FREEMAN: Big Fat
Woman/ CHUCK HOWARD: Crazy Crazy Baby/ HEY JACKSON
QUINTET: Rock N Roll March/ KENNY & MOSE: Tell Me
That Your Love Is Real/ FREDDIE KOHLMAN: Hole In
The Ground/ THE MOONLIGHTERS: Broken Heart/ GENE
NASH: Beeline/ The Spider/ THE ROYALTONES: Wail/
MURRAY SCHAFF: Ooh How I Love You/ ROCKY STORM: My
Baby Left Me Swinging/ ERNEST TUCKER: Mirror,
Mirror/ What's The Matter Claudy
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Lesley 18 |
The Great Lost Story Of The Rock-A-Ballad, Vol. 4 |
● CD $15.98 |
30 tracks, 75 mins, recommended
The fourth collection from Lesley devoted to the
rock-a-ballad - not pop ballads but 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. This is another fine selection of
obscure and mostly unreissued sides. Among the
highlights are The Gypsy by Everett Pauley,
Steve Schulte's bluesy Too Blue To Cry, The
Neutrons with the intense minor key Sorrow At
Sunset and the powerful Touch Of
Perfection by Brock Williams but almost all
tracks are worthwhile. Other artists include Sonny
Flaherty, Mac Curtis, Burrie Manso, Jimmy Crain,
Johnny Guidry, Ersel Hickey, Dennis Roberts and
many more. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Lesley 19 |
Jay-Gee Records Rock & Roll Party, Vol.3 |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks, 59 mins, highly
recommended
I reviewed and loved both of the first two volumes
in this series. So the big question here would
have to be: does this third volume have the same
magic, or are they scraping the bottom of the
barrel? Well, thankfully, for the most part this
collection is spot on with a whole mess of killer
rhythm & Blues, dynamic Doo-Wop, and fiery early
Rock & Roll. There are a couple of clunkers, but
they are easily outflanked by the better tunes.
This one comes roaring out of the gate with Jimmy
Oliver & The Rockers Slim Jim Part 1 a
Rocker indeed, then right after that you get the
red-hot jump blues of Hey Jackson Quintet's
Sixteen Teens, followed by the magnificent
Speedo & The Pearls Who You Gonna Kiss, a
hell of an opening triple play. Other killer cuts
include Casanova Jr.'s They Call Me Casanova
(which borrows a bit from Fats Domino's The Fat
Man,), Mel Jackson's She Took The Whole
Shebang, Go-Go Joes No Dough Blues, and
many more, not to mention Slim Jim Part 2 as
well as another great one from Speedo and the
Pearls: the Coasters inspired Naggity Nag.
All tracks are taken off of original vinyl 45's,
but rarely is the sound any less than excellent.
So, this is not the best of the three volumes, but
way better than most collections out there. (JM)
THE BLUE NOTES: There Is
Something In Your Eyes, Eloise/ EDDIE CARSON:
Jailbird Blues/ CASANOVA JR: Sally Mae/ They Call
Me Casanova/ DIANA COLE: The Yodelin' Blues/ THE
CONEY ISLAND KIDS: I Love It/ LEE CRAIG: IFIC Is
The Word/ Please Louise/ DAY, DAWN & DUSK: Who
Are You Kissing/ THE EBBTONES: Rockin' On The
Range/ THE EBONIERS: Shut Your Mouth/ THE FIVE
CHANCELLORS: There Goes My Girl/ THE FIVE
DREAMERS: Beverly/ THE GO-GO JOES: No Dough Blues/
MEL JACKSON: She Took The Whole Shebang/ HEY
JACKSON QUINTET: Sixteen Teens/ SAX KARI & THE
QUAILTONES: Roxanna/ DANNY LAMEGO: No No/ The
Other Man/ GENE LEWIS: Close/ JIMMY OLIVER & THE
ROCKERS: Slim Jim Part 1/ Slim Jim Part 2/ SPEEDO
& THE PEARLS: Naggity Nag/ Who Ya Gonna Kiss/
ROCKY STORM: Should I
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Lesley 20 |
Jay-Gee Rock & Roll Party, Vol. 4 |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks, 56 mins, recommended
Yet another installment in this fine series of
obscure tracks from releases on the Josie/ Jubilee
record label family. More killer tracks from the
likes of The Cadillacs - Copy Cat &
Speedo Is Back, Cookies - Hippy Dippy
Daddy, Royaltones Poor Boy,, The
Gallahads The Fool, and many more. This is
probably the least volume in the series, volume
four might be the place for them to stop, but the
good tracks still outweigh the bad by far. Also
features rare tracks from Jimmy Boyd, the roughly
named Emanons, Lafayette & The LaSabres, Baker
Knight, The Storm Trion, etc. (JM)
JIMMY BOYD: Don't Tempt Me/
THE CADILLACS: Copy Cat/ Speedo Is Back/ BOBBY
COMSTOCK: Bony Moronie/ Do That Little Thing/ THE
CONEY ISLAND KIDS: Not You Pie Face/ THE COOKIES:
Hippy Dippy Daddy/ DAY & KNIGHT: Two Party Line/
THE DEL-TONES: Bow Legged Annie/ JEANIE DELL: Hey
Willy/ THE EMANONS: Blue Moon/ THE FASCINATES:
Southern Flashback/ BOBBY FREEMAN: Shame On You
Miss Johnson/ THE GALLAHADS: The Fool/ GRANGER
HUNT & THE BELIEVERS: Motor Mouth/ PAT KELLY:
Patsy/ BAKER KNIGHT: Ain't Nothin' But Love/ I
Never Get To Kiss You Anymore/ LAFAYETTE & THE
LASABRES: Free Way/ THE LIMELIGHTERS: Cabin
Hideaway/ THE MAJORS: String Along/ THE PEEWEE'S:
Blue Jean Cinderella/ THE ROYALTONES: Poor Boy/
THE RUNABOUTS: Train/ THE STORM TRIO: Ma Ma Rock &
Roll
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
One Day DAY2CD 134 |
Essential Rockabilly - The Decca Story |
● CD $11.98 |
Two CDs, 50 tracks, highly
recommended
Another new budget label from England with a new
series featuring two CDs of rockabilly organized
on a label basis. This volume features sides
recorded for the American Decca label and
subsidiaries in the 1950s. Many of the Decca
releases had a big, distinctive and dynamic sound
due to the friendly confines of Bradley Studios in
Nashville and the fantastic session cats led by
guitarist Grady Martin. Three of the best known of
the rockabilly artists on the labels are Johnny Burnette, Johnny Burnette and Buddy Holly but
since these have had their recordings reissued
many time there are only one or two tracks by each
of them. The rest is devoted to more obscure
artists like Gene Maltais, Jimmy & Johnny , The
Rockin' Saints, Lou Graham, Charlie Phillips
(recorded in Lubbock with Buddy Holly on guitar),
Peanuts Wilson (the fabulous Cast Iron Arm),
Donny Young, Ronnie Smith, Vernon Claud and
others. There are also several country stars
trying their hand at rock 'n' roll and generally
doing a superb job including Roy Hall, Wayne
Raney, The York Brothers, Justin Tubb (the
terrific Rock It On Down To My House Baby),
Webb Pierce an dothers. Sound quality is superb
and there are brief notes by Nigel Cross. About
half these tracks previously appeared on the two
volumes of Decca rockabilly in Bear Family's
"That'll Flat Git It Series" (15623 & 15733 -
$21.98 each) but at this price it's worth getting
this for the rest! (FS)
REX ALLEN: Knock Knock
Rattle/ JOHNNY BELL: Flip Flop And Fly/ JOHNNY
BURNETTE: Lonesome Train (On A Lonesome Track)/
Sweet Love On My Mind/ Tear It Up/ JOHNNY CAROLL:
Hot Rock/ Tryin' To Get To You/ JOHNNY CARROLL:
Crazy, Crazy Lovin/ Wild Wild Women/ VERNON CLAUD:
Baby's Gone/ PATSY CLINE: I Got A Lot Of Rhythm In
My Soul/ JACKIE LEE COCHRAN: Mama Don't You Think
I Know/ Ruby Pearl/ AL COKER: Don't Go Baby/ BUDDY
COVELLE: Lorraine/ RAY DOGGETT: It Hurts The One
Who Loves You/ EDDIE FONTAINE: Cool It Baby/ One
And Only/ LOU GRAHAM: Wee Willy Brown/ BILLY GRAY:
Tennessee Toddy/ BILLY GUITAR: Here Comes The
Night/ ROY HALL: Blue Suede Shoes/ See You Later
Alligator/ BILLY HARLAN: I Wanna Bop/ Schoolhouse
Rock/ BUDDY HOLLY: Love Me/ AUTRY INMAN: Be Bop
Baby/ JIMMY & JOHNNY: Sweet Love On My Mind/
JERRY KENNEDY: Teenage Love Is Misery/ BRENDA LEE:
Bigelow 6-2000/ WARNER MACK: Roc-A-Chicka/ GENE
MALTAIS: Crazy Baby/ MOON MULLICAN: Moons Rock/
TERRY NOLAND: Come Marry Me/ ARTHUR OSBOURNE: Hey
Ruby/ CHARLIE PHILLIPS: Be My Bride/ Sugartime/
WEBB PIERCE: Bye Bye Love/ WAYNE RANEY: Shake Baby
Shake/ BILLY LEE RILEY: Is That All To The Ball/
Rockin' On The Moon/ THE ROCKIN SAINTS: Cheat On
Me Baby/ CHESTER SMITH: You Gotta Move/ RONNIE
SMITH: Lookie Lookie Lookie/ JOE THERRIEN & HIS
ROCKETS: Hey Baby Let's Go Downtown/ JOE THERRIEN
JR & HIS ROCKETS: Come Back To Me Darling/ JUSTIN
TUBB: Rock It On Down To My House Baby/ PEANUTS
WILSON: Cast Iron Arm/ THE YORK BROTHERS:
Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby/ DONNY YOUNG:
Shaking The Blues
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Righteous PSALM 23:50 |
Spirit Of The Cramps - Selections From The Vinyl Stack |
● CD $16.98 |
26 tracks, 57 mins, highly
recommended
There is a veritable cottage industry of putting
out collections based on the Cramps musical tastes
and record collection. Starting with the "Born
Bad" LP comps that came out in the 1980s, to
Munster records fantastic double LP release of
Lux's legendary "Purple Knif" radio show, to the
essential "Songs The Cramps Taught Us" volumes one
through three that came out a few years ago, they
have proved to be a fertile inspiration for cool
collections chock full of weird and wonderful Rock
& Roll, R&B and Rockabilly music. If you haven't
already got any of those collections, they are
mostly out of print and hard to come by at this
time, then this is something that you definitely
should pick up. With such delights awaiting you as
She's My Witch by Kip Taylor,
Shombolar by Sheriff and the Revels, and
Zindy Lou by The Chimes. If you already have
all or most of the earlier comps, then you will
already have about half of the tracks on this one.
That still leaves you with about a dozen or so
rare and wild cuts that are cool enough to merit
inclusion into my CD collection even though I have
most of the earlier comps. Killer kutz like
Savage Girl by Felix and his Fabulous Cats,
Record Hop Blues by The Quarter Notes, and
the downright demonic sounding Jibba Jab by
Tic & Toc. This is the second volume of Cramps
inspired songs that this label has put out, the
earlier "Bad Music For Bad People, Songs The
Cramps Taught us" (Righteous Psalm 23.20) is also
recommended and has a lower ratio of redundant
tracks. Both feature fun and informative liner
notes. (JM)
THE CARNATIONS: Scorpion/
THE CHIMES: Zindy Lou/ THE COLLINS KIDS: Beetle
Bug Bop/ RONNIE DAWSON: Rockin' Bones/ FELIX AND
HIS FABULOUS CATS: Savage Girl/ THE FIVE BLOBS:
From The Top Of Your Guggle (To The Bottom Of Your
Zooch)/ ERSAL HICKEY: Bluebirds Over The Mountain/
WES HOLLY: Shufflin Shoes/ JOHNNY & THE
HURRICANES: Bam-Boo/ THE JOHNSON BROTHERS: Casting
My Spell/ KOOKIE KAT: Neow, Not Neow/ GENE
MALTAIS: Crazy Baby/ BOB MCFADDEN AND DOR: The
Mummy/ NERVOUS NORVOUS: Transfusion/ ALLEN PAGE:
She's The One That's Got It/ THE QUARTER NOTES:
Record Hop Blues/ THE RAVENS: A Simple Prayer/
SHERIFF AND THE REVELS: Shombolar/ HANK THOMPSON:
Rockin In The Congo/ TIC & TOC: Jibba Jab/ THE
TRENIERS: Poontang/ KIP TYLER: She's My Witch/ THE
VERSATONES: Tight Skirt Tight Sweater/ THE VIDEOS:
Trickle Trickle/ BILLY WARD AND THE DOMINOES:
Jennie Lee/ NOBLE WATTS: Mashed Potatoes/ JIMMY
WITTER AND THE SHADOWS: Aaahhh
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Smith & Co. 2440 |
Great Rockabilly -Just About As Good As It Gets, Vol. 5 |
● CD $15.98 |
Two CDs, 70 tracks, highly
recommended
Another set of rockabilly aimed at those who would
like to build up a collection of great
performances at a bargain price. This two CD set
has another 70 winners including big names (Elvis,
Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Wanda Jackson, etc.),
cult favorites (Alvis Wayne, Gene Sisco, Ray
Campi, Lattie Moore, etc.) and totally obscure
performers (Benny Cliff, Lee Denson, Cliff
Blakly, Tiny Time & His Tornadoes, etc.) along
with some rocking hillbilly (Bill Browning, Gordon
Terry, George Hamilton IV, etc.). Just about all
the tracks are great, sound is excellent, booklet
has informative notes by Dave Travis and the price
can't be beat. (FS)
ART ADAMS AND THE RHYTHM
KINGS: Dancing Doll/ THE AMOS COMO: Hole In The
Wall/ CECIL AMPBELL: Rock 'N' Roll Fever/ DWAIN
BELL: Rock 'N' Roll On A Saturday Night/ RED BERRY
AND THE BEL RAVES: What A Dolly/ CLIFF BLAKLEY:
Get Off My Toe/ BILL BROWNING: Don't Push, Don't
Shove/ JOHNNY BURNETTE & THE ROCK 'N' ROLL TRIO:
All By Myself/ Sweet Love On My Mind/ RAY CAMPI:
Caterpillar/ Play It Cool/ JOHNNY CARROLL AND THE
HOT ROCKS: Rock 'N' Roll Ruby/ EDDIE CASH: Doin"
All Right/ THE CHAVIS BROTHERS: So Tired/ BENNY
CLIFF AND THE BENNY CLIFF TRIO: Shake 'Em Up Rock/
EDDIE COCHRAN: Am I Blue/ Sweetie Pie/ LES COLE
AND THE ECHOES: Be-Boppin' Baby/ BILLY COX WITH
THE COVERED WAGON BOYS: I Can't Wait 'Till
Saturday Night/ THE CRICKETS: I'm Lookin' For
Someone To Love/ TERRY DALY AND THE NU TONES: You
Don't Bug Me/ DICKIE DAMRON: Gonna Have A Party/
DEACON AND THE ROCK 'N' ROLLERS: Rock On The Moon/
LEE DENSON: New Shoes/ JACK EARLS AND THE JIMBOS:
Let's Bop/ THE FARMER BOYS: Cool Down Mama/
CHARLIE FEATHERS WITH JODY & JERRY: Get With It/
Tongue Tied Jill/ BUBBA FORD: Linda Lou/ TRUITT
FORSE: Chicken Bop/ JIMMY GRUBBS AND HIS MUSIC
MAKERS: Let's Rock Tonight/ JIMMY HAGGETT: Rabbit
Action/ ROY HALL: Three Alley Cats/ GEORGE
HAMILTON IV: Everybody's Body/ WANDA JACKSON: Baby
Loves Him/ Money Honey/ F.D. JOHNSON: Be My Baby/
BOB LUMAN WITH THE MAC CURTIS BAND: Hello Baby/
Stranger Than Fiction/ BILL MACK: Cat Just Got
Back In Town/ CARL MANN: Baby I Don't Care/ JANIS
MARTIN: Bang Bang/ Two Long Years/ RAY MELTON:
Boppin' Guitar/ LATTIE MOORE: Too Hot To Handle/
TURNERN MOORE WITH CHARLEY MOORE & THE CRYSTALS:
I'll Be Leaving You/ RICKY NELSON: One Of These
Mornings/ You Tear Me Up/ KENNY PARCHMAN: Love
Crazy Baby/ TRACY PENDARVIS: A Thousand Guitars/
CARL PERKINS: Her Love Rubbed Off/ That Don't Move
Me/ ELVIS PRESLEY WITH SCOTTY & BILL: I Don't Care
If The Sun Don't Shine/ Milkcow Blues Boogie/
MARVIN RAINWATER: Baby Don't Go/ Why Did You Have
To Go And Leave Me/ DAVID RAY: Lonesome Baby
Blues/ GENE SIMMONS: Juicy Fruit/ GENE SISCO:
Grandma's Rock 'N' Roll/ SPECK AND DOYLE: Music
To My Ear/ WYNN STEWART: Come On/ GORDON TERRY: It
Ain't Right/ TINY TIM AND HIS TORNADOES: I've
Gotta Find Someone/ THE VAN BROTHERS: Servant Of
Love/ GENE VINCENT AND THE BLUE CAPS: Hold Me, Hug
Me , Rock Me/ Jump Back Honey Jump Back/ JIMMY
WAGES: Mad Man/ ALVIS WAYNE: Sleep Rock A Roll,
Rock A Baby/ Swing Bop Boogie/ AVIS WAYNE: Don't
Mean Maybe Baby
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Smith & Co. 2443 |
Great British Rock 'n' Roll Instrumentals, Vol. 2 |
● CD $16.98 |
Two CD set with 60 tracks recorded
between 1952 and 1961 by British groups doing rock
'n' roll instrumentals. The most well known (and
best) group here is Cliff Richard's Shadows
featuring the superb guitar work of Hank Marvin.
They are featured on half a dozen songs including
some of their biggest hits - Apache/ Man Of
Mystery/ F.B.I., etc. Other artists include The
Outlaws, Krew Kats, Bert Weedon, The Scorpions,
John Barry Seven, The Barons, Rhet Stoller, The
Planets, Richard Harding, Jim Gunner & The Echoes,
Nero & The Gladiators, etc.
BUD ASHTON: Theme From Dixie/ THE BARONS:
Cossack/ Whirlwind/ THE JOHN BARRY SEVEN: Hit And
Miss/ I'm Movin' On/ Rockin' Already/ Walk Don't
Run/ JOE BROWN AND THE BRUVVERS: Swagger/ The
Switch/ THE CANNONS: I Didn't Know The Gun Was
Loaded/ THE CLUB QUINTET: Backstreet Boogie/ TURK
ELLIS: On The Rebound/ THE FLEE REKKERS: Bitter
Rice/ Blue Tango/ Green Jeans/ Shiftless Sam/
Sunday Date/ You Are My Sunshine/ JIM GUNNER AND
THE ECHOES: Footloose/ Hoolee Jump/ RICHARD
HARDING: Jezebel/ Temptation/ JOE HENDERSON:
Coffee Bar Jive/ THE HUNTERS: Golden Earings/ Teen
Scene/ THE KREW KATS: Peak Hour/ Samovar/
Trambone/ LITTLE TONY AND HIS BROTHERS: The Beat/
GERRY MOORE: Baker Street Boogie/ NERO AND THE
GLADIATORS: Boots/ Entry Of The Gladiators/ THE
OUTLAWS: Ambush/ Spring Is Near/ Swingin' Low/ THE
PACKABEATS: Gypsey Beat/ JOHNNY PARKER'S WASHBOARD
BAND: The Fox's Tail/ JACK PARNELL AND HIS MUSIC
MAKERS: Night Train/ THE PLANETS: Chunky/ THE
SCORPIONS: Riders In The Sky/ Rockin' At The
Phil(Harmonic)/ Scorpio/ Torquay/ THE SHADOWS:
Apache/ Back Home/ F.B.I./ Man Of Mystery/
Quatermaster's Stores/ The Frightened City/ The
Stranger/ STEVE STANNARD: Mcdonald's Cave/ TOMMY
STEELE WITH JOE BROWN: Drunken Guitar/ RHET
STOLLER: All Rhet/ Chariot/ THE SUNSETS: Manhunt/
BERT WEEDON: Eclipse/ Mr. Guitar/ Teenage Guitar/
The Creep/ The Prowler
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Smith & Co. 2444 |
Great Rock 'n' Roll Instrumentals, Vol. 3 - Just About |
● CD $16.98 |
Two CDs, 68 tracks, highly
recommended
Complementing Smith & Co. 1173 & 1189 this is
another great and modestly priced jam packed
collection of rock 'n' roll instrumentals along
with some rocking R&B and country. When I first
looked at the cover and say the dates 1929-1960 I
thought it was a typo but it's because it includes
the incredible twin guitar instrumental Hot
Fingers by Eddie Lang and Lonnie Johnson which
may not be rock 'n' roll as we generally consider
but rocks as hard as anything else here. Like
previous volumes the material is a mix of big hits
by well known artists (Johnny & The Hurricanes,
Duane Eddy, Bill Black's Combo, The Ventures,
Sandy Nelson, The Fireballs, The Champs, etc) as
well as great tracks by lesser known performers
(The Teen Beats, Dick Poulton Trio, Eddie Smith &
The Hornets, Andy & The Live Wires, Merl Lindsay,
The Atmospheres, etc.). We also have upbeat
country instrumentals from Arthur "Guitar Boogie"
Smith, Chet Atkins, Cecil Campbell and others) and
R&b from King Curtis with the Sam Price Group, Roy
Milton & His Solid Senders, Sil Austin and others.
Another splendid collection with excellent sound
and informative notes by Dave Travis. (FS)
LEE ALLEN AND HIS BAND: Jim
Jam/ ANDY AND THE LIVE WIRES: Maggie/ IRVING
ASHBY: Guitar Rock/ CHET ATKINS: Teensville/ THE
ATMOSPHERES: Telegraph/ SIL AUSTIN: Birthday
Party/ CHUCK BERRY: Mad Lad/ Rockin' At The
Philharmonic/ RED BERRY AND THE BEL RAVES: Hot
Rod/ BILL BLACK'S COMBO: Don't Be Cruel/ BOOTS
BROWN AND THE BLOCKBUSTERS: Jet Train/ Jim Twangy/
CECIL CAMPBELL: The Rocking Guitar/ THE CHAMPS:
Red Eye/ THE CHAPPARALS: Leapin' Guitars/ FLOYD
CRAMER: On The Rebound/ KING CURTIS WITH THE SAM
PRICE QUINTET: Back Room Rock/ Bar-B-Q Sauce/ KING
CURTIS WITH THE SAM PRICE SEXTET: Chicken Out/ THE
CYCLONES: Bullwhip Rock/ DUANE EDDY AND THE
REBELS: Bonnie Come Back/ Shazam/ Tiger Love And
Turnip Greens/ THE FIREBALLS: Bulldog/ PAUL
GAYTEN: Nervous Boogie/ JOHNNY GREEN COMBO:
Lonesome Road/ PHIL HARVEY (PHIL SPECTOR):
Bumbleshoot/ THE HAWK (JERRY LEE LEWIS): In The
Mood/ MICKEY HAWKS AND THE NIGHT RAIDERS: Cotton
Pickin'/ AL HENDRIX: Go Daddy Rock/ CHUCK HIGGINS:
Wet Back Hop/ DEAN HIGHTOWER: Sweet Georgia Brown/
TOMMY HUDSON AND THE SAVOYS: Bandstand Stomp/ THE
IMPACS: Zot/ JOHNNY AND THE HURRICANES: Beatnik
Fly/ Down Yonder/ Rocking Goose/ THE JOKERS:
Dogfight/ BILL JUSTIS: Paradiddle/ THE KINGS
HENCHMEN: Night Flight/ THE KINGSMEN: The Cat
Walk/ EDDIE LANG AND LONNIE JOHNSON: Hot Fingers/
MERL LINDSAY: Rockin' Water Baby/ ROY MILTON AND
HIS SOLID SENDERS: Junior Jives/ T-Town Twist/
SANDY NELSON: Big Jump/ LES PAUL: Guitar Boogie/
THE PILTDOWN MEN: Brontosaurus Stomp/ MacDonald's
Cave/ THE DICK POULTON TRIO: Capital City Bounce/
Susie/ THE REBEL ROUSERS: Night Surfing/ THE
RHYTHM ROCKERS FEAT. CHET ATKINS: Tricky/ THE RIP
TIDES: Machine Gun/ LE SABRES: Rising Mercury
Twist/ THE SAVOYS: Slappin' Rods And Leakin' Oil/
THE SHUTDOWNS: Four On The Floor/ ARTHUR 'GUITAR
BOOGIE' SMITH AND HIS CRACKERJACKS: Hard Boiled
Boogie/ EDDIE SMITH AND THE HORNETS: Upturn/ THE
STARLIGHTERS: Hot Licks/ JESSE STONE: Runaway/ THE
STORMS: Thunder/ THE TEEN BEATS FEAT. DON RIVERS
AND THE CALI: Califf Boogie/ The Slop Beat/ THE
THRASHERS: Sledgehammer/ THE VENTURES: Perfida/
Walk Don't Run/ WORTHAM WATTS: Lonesome
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Yellow Label 309012 |
Nashville Rockabilly, 1957-1987 |
● CD $13.98 |
22 tracks, 55 min., recommended
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 1950s and early 1960s
cuts generally outshine the later material. Chuck Harrod & The Anteaters' They Wanna Fight and
Crawdad Song, released originally on the
Champion Records subsidiary Cherokee are a little
wild and raw, just the way they should be, as is
Baker Knight's Bring My Cadillac, issued
originally on Kit Records, another
Champion-related label. Baker's other track, I
Cried is a ballad with a sax solo, and raises
the question Is this rockabilly? Whitey Pullen's
only track (apparently his first recording)
Broke Waitin' For A Break, despite its cool
title, has more in common with western swing than
it does rockabilly, not that that's a slight.
Other winners include Tennessee's own Big C & The
Galaxies Then You'll Know, released on
Sur-Speed in the early 1960s, and Jan Smith's
It'd Surprise You. Moon Mullican's
re-recording of Pipeliner Blues is good
without being necessary, as are the 4 cuts from
longtime Elvis impersonator Jimmy Ellis (a.k.a.
Orion) and most of the '80s sides, which tend to
be covers of classic rock and roll songs. The last
track (1987), Big Black Cadillac by Freddie
and the Screamers (actually by booklet noter Fred
James), would be at home on a blues album. (JC)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Yellow Label 309322 |
The Spar Records Story - The Singles Collection |
● CD $16.98 |
3CD, 60 tracks, highly
recommended
Spar Records was a Nashville indie label that
started in 1961 and made its fortune recording
sound-a-like versions of the hit 45s of the day,
and selling them in rural areas of the country
that the major labels didn't cater to. Since this
business was so lucrative, the company didn't
bother to promote the original material its"
artists recorded; consequently, much of the
label's output went largely unheard except for the
occasional regional hit. Spar's original output
leaned toward R&B and Country which had the best
session musicians in town playing behind unsung
singers like Levert Allison (Gene's brother),
Herbert Hunter (aka, Leroy Jones), Thomas Henry,
and Jimmy Tig. These three discs also contain the
early works of later major players Bobby Russell,
Bergen White, and Benny Lattimore; indeed,
Russell's handiwork dominates the second disc with
its focus on frisky pop (Dee & Robert, Gail
Majors), surf music (Bobby & the Beagles, Bobby &
Bergen, and country (Tracy Harlow). With the
range of music on display here-R&B, country, pop,
surf-there is truly nearly something for everyone
to listen for. Fans of obscure record labels,
good songwriting, and well crafted music need look
no further than this fine set. (GMC)
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