Vintage Rock 'n' Roll & Rockabilly - New Releases: July 2010 -> March 2011 - Various Artists -> The Ventures
( Advanced Search )  


 

 

New Releases: July 2010 -> March 2011
Vintage Rock 'n' Roll & Rockabilly
Various Artists  -> The Ventures
 

 
 

NEW COMPACT DISCS
 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCH2 1202 Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan ● CD $27.98
2 CD, 50 tracks, highly recommended
Sirius/XM satellite radio is the home of many music shows hosted by famous artists, some, like Willie Nelson and Little Steven, even curate their own channels. One of the first to tackle this format and still probably the best is Bob Dylan, with his "Theme Time Radio Hour," a fantastic program that has different themes every week, so each show will have all songs on themes like "Money" or "Hard Times," etc. with the songs covering the history of popular music. You might get a show that will feature songs from Louis Armstrong to Lou Reed, Paul Whitehead Orchestra to The White Stripes, and all points in between, mainly focusing on music from the 1930s - 1960s. I have yet to hear one of Dylan's shows that I didn't love; occasionally there might be a song about every 5 shows that I didn't like, but his show is easily the most consistently great show on the satellite waves. These CD collections feature the best of the music from each season. While you won't get Dylan and others verbally riffing on the themes--you'll hear the actual shows for that--this first volume features themes ranging from school, food, sleep, death, and taxes (among others) and features such great cuts as Eat That Chicken by Charles Mingus, and Shortnin' Bread by Paul Chaplain & His Emeralds, Tears a Go Go by Charlie Rich, and Rich Woman by Li'l Millet & His Creoles, Devil In His Heart by The Donays, and Don't' Take Everybody To Be Your Friend by Sister Rosetta Tharpe with Sam Price Trio plus tracks from James Carr, The Hurricanes, Bobby Darin, Berna Dean, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Santiago Jimenez, Lonnie "The Cat", Jimmy Patton, Otis Rush, The Valentines, The Yayhoose, etc.. So you get an idea of the great variety here, two full CDs worth on each set. Each of these volumes come with extensive booklets with a host of writers covering that material and all kinds of great reproductions of original ads, programs and other paraphernalia and photos. Honestly, each of these CDs booklets could easily be put on your bedside for many a nightly reading. All in all, some of the best compilations available out there. (JM)
BERNA DEAN: I Walk In My Sleep/ JERRY BUTLER: He Will Break Your Heart/ JAMES CARR: Pouring Water On A Drowning Man/ LEROY CARR AND SCRAPPER BLACKWELL: Papa's On The Housetop/ THE CATS AND THE FIDDLE: I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water/ ERNIE CHAFFIN: Laughin' & Jokin'/ PAUL CHAPLAIN & HIS EMERALDS: Shortnin' Bread/ THE CLASH: Tommy Gun/ BOBBY DARIN: Black Coffee/ AL DEXTER & HIS TROOPERS: Pistol Packin' Mama/ BO DIDDLEY: Mona/ THE DONAYS: Devil In His Heart/ ALTON ELLIS & THE FLAMES: Cry Tough/ ARETHA FRANKLIN: Chain Of Fools/ SLIM GAILLARD: How High The Moon/ MARY GAUTHIER: I Drink/ MERLE HAGGARD & THE STRANGERS: Mama Tried (The Ballad From Killers Three)/ BILLIE HOLIDAY: Good Morning Heartache/ PATRICE HOLLOWAY: Those Dj Shows/ THE HURRICANES: Pistol Packin' Mama/ SANTIAGO JIMENEZ: Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio/ BETTY HALL JONES: Buddy, Stay Off The Wine/ GRANDPA JONES: Turn Your Radio On/ GEORGE JONES & MELBA MONTGOMERY: Let's Invite Them Over/ LOUIS JORDAN: If You're So Smart, How Come You Ain't Rich?/ LI'L MILLET & HIS CREOLES: Rich Woman/ LONNIE "THE CAT": I Ain't Drunk/ MEMPHIS MINNIE & LITTLE SON JOE: Me And My Chauffeur Blues/ MEMPHIS SLIM: Mother Earth/ CHARLES MINGUS: Eat That Chicken/ THE MODERN LOVERS: Roadrunner (Twice)/ ROY MONTRELL: (Everytime I Hear) That Mellow Saxophone/ JIMMY NELSON: I Sat And Cried/ EDDIE NOACK: Take It Away Lucky/ JIMMY PATTON: Okie's In The Pokie/ BOBBY PETERSON QUINTET: Mama, Get Your Hammer/ PATSY RAYE & THE BEATNIKS: Beatnik's Wish/ CHARLIE RICH: Tears A Go-Go/ OTIS RUSH: Homework/ THE SONS OF THE PIONEERS: Cool Water/ JOE SOUTH & THE BELIEVERS: Walk A Mile In My Shoes/ THE STANLEY BROTHERS: If I Lose/ JACK TEAGARDEN'S CHICAGOANS: Stars Fell On Alabama/ SISTER ROSETTA THARPE WITH THE SAM PRICE TRIO: Don't Take Ev'rybody To Be Your Friend/ THE VALENTINES: Gun Fever (Blam Blam Fever)/ DINAH WASHINGTON: Big Long Slidin' Thing/ GERAINT WATKINS: Only A Rose/ THE WHITE STRIPES: Seven Nation Army/ THE YAYHOOS: Bottle And A Bible/ GEORGE ZIMMERMAN & THE THRILLS WITH THE BUBBER: Ain't Got The Money To Pay For This Drink

 
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

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDTOP 1264 You Baby - Words & Music by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, 62 mins, highly recommended
If you listened to Top 40 radio in the mid-60s, chances are you heard a song penned by this team of West Coast-based songwriters. Although they only wrote together for four years - the two singer/songwriters (before the term was coined) who brought together by producer/businessman Lou Adler in 1963-produced gems of lasting quality in those few years, some of which have been compiled here by Ace Records in their quest to document the great songwriters-for-hire of the 60's. Sloan and Barri could knock out a song in any genre, but they are most identified with Folk Rock through their pioneering hits for Barry McGuire (the towering Eve of Destruction, just as relevant now as it was then), the Turtles (You Baby, represented here in a version by the Mamas and the Papas, and Let Me Be), and the Grass Roots (Where Were You When I Needed You). Whether writing surfing and hot rod songs for Jan and Dean, proto-Folk Rock for the Searchers, perfect pop for Herman's Hermits and the 5th Dimension, girl group confections (Ramona King), or R&B (Betty Everett and Yvonne Carroll), Phil Sloan and Steve Barri gave it their all and usually came up aces. Among the more interesting rarities: two of duo's own recordings using aliases, the Chad & Jeremy-esque Meet Me Tonight Little Girl (as Phillip and Stephan) and the surf-centric Tell 'Em I'm Surfin' (as the Fantastic Baggys); as well as a demo of Another Day, Another Heartache sung by Sloan which is actually better than the version cut by the 5th Dimension. And for comedy relief, nothing beats Mel Torme's version of Secret Agent Man (written for the TV show "Secret Agent," and originally sung by Johnny Rivers). Hell, Barri and Sloan are so good they make Ann-Margret sound credible on You Sure Know How To Hurt Someone. Take it from me, if you haven't experienced the songwriting genius of Phil and Steve, then this is a pretty great place to start. (GMC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCHD 1268 A Rocket In My Pocket ● CD $18.98
28 tracks, highly recommended
Although there's no shortage of rockabilly compilations this new Ace release is a bit special since it is meant as a complement to the recently published British book of the same title by Max Decharne which we're working on getting copies of. Decharne compiled this compilation and alongside acknowledged classics of the genre such as Put Your Cat Clothes On by Carl Perkins and Mystery Train by Elvis, there are rare rockin' one-offs such as the frantic bass-slapping Don't Be Gone Long by Bob Doss or the remarkable Wash Machine Boogie by the Echo Valley Boys - the world's finest rockin' hymn to the romantic joys of household appliances. The CD covers the whole rockabilly spectrum, with tracks from prime rockin' labels such as Sun, Starday, Meteor and Columbia, plus tiny imprints such as Lilac, Moon & Fascination. This is the first time on CD for some of these tracks, many of them favorites at rockin' clubs around the world. The CD's title comes from Jimmy Lloyd's 1958 classic I Got A Rocket In My Pocket, included here alongside frantic movers such as The Raging Sea by Gene Maltais or the gutbucket hill-country sounds Rocky Bill Ford's Mad Dog In Town. There's a previously unissued song - the hot Rock To The Boogie by Roy Burk & The Bell Bottoms and a previously unissued alternate take of Rockin' In The Graveyard by Jackie Morningstar. An ideal introduction for anyone new to genre, but with enough rare tracks to please the long-term, hardcore rockabilly fan. Superb sound and 20 page illustrated booklet with detailed notes on each track. (FS)
ROY BURK & BELL BOTTOMS: Rock To The Boogie/ JOHNNY BURNETTE & ROCK'N'ROLL TRIO: Train Kept A-Rollin'/ JIMMY CARROLL: Big Green Car/ RIC CARTEY: Scratching On My Screen/ DON COLE: Snake Eyed Mama/ BOB DOSS: Don't Be Gone Long/ THE ECHO VALLEY BOYS (W BILL BROWNING): Wash Machine Boogie/ CHARLIE FEATHERS WITH JODY & JERRY: Get With It/ SONNY FISHER: Pink And Black/ ROCKY BILL FORD: Mad Dog In Town/ FREDDIE FRANKS: Everybody's Trying To Be Baby/ HAL HARRIS: Jitterbop Baby/ RAY HARRIS: Come On Little Mama/ BENNY INGRAM: Jello Sal/ WANDA JACKSON: Mean Mean Man/ JIMMY & JOHNNY: I Can't Find The Doorknob/ JIMMY LLOYD: I Got A Rocket In My Pocket/ GENE MALTAIS: The Raging Sea/ JACKIE MORNINGSTAR: Rockin' In The Graveyard/ ALLEN PAGE: She's The One That's Got It/ CARL PERKINS: Put Your Cat Clothes On/ ELVIS PRESLEY: Mystery Train/ THE RHYTHM ROCKERS: The Slide/ MEL ROBBINS: Save It/ RONNIE SELF: Bop-A-Lena/ JUNIOR THOMPSON WITH THE METEORS: Mama's Little Baby/ DALE VAUGHN: How Can You Be Mean To Me/ DON WILLIS: Boppin' High School Baby

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCH2 1270 Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan, Season 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

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCHD 1276 Red Bluejeans & Checkerboard Socks ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, 53 mins, highly recommended
Occasionally, U.K. Ace Records puts together thematic compilations of songs from a certain genre or songs that contain the same or similar subject matter; these type of collections are usually lots of fun, and this one is no exception. The subject this time is the clothing styles worn by the fashionable teens of the 1950's; but really, this CD seems more like an excuse to bring together a sprightly sampling of mid to late 50's rockabilly and R&B, much in the vein of Buffalo Bop's series of rock 'n' roll discs. From skirts (Gene Summers' Straight Skirt) to pants, both male (Eddie Cochran's Pink Peg Slacks) and female (Jody Reynolds' Tight Capris) to socks and shoes (Joe Bennett's Penny Loafers and Bobby Socks) to sun glasses (Sun Glasses by the Shades, natch), no wearable object is left unexplored. Even how the clothes are cleaned (Wash Machine Boogie from the Echo Valley Boys) is tackled; talk about being thorough! Let's not forget clothes shopping with Boogaloo & His Gallant Crew's great Clothes Line (Wrap It Up) from 1956 which Leiber & Stoller reworked as Shopping For Clothes which was a hit for The Coasters in 1960. Don't come to this CD expecting anything profound or of national importance; just dig some groovy, funky, and very "stylish" rock 'n' roll. And, really, how can anyone go wrong with The Clovers gliding through Blue Velvet? (GMC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCHD 1277 Califia - The Songs Of Lee Hazlewood ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, 62 mins, highly recommended
Although Lee Hazlewood is best known for his ahead-of-their-time 60's duets with Nancy Sinatra, he was also a songwriter and producer of some renown. This collection salutes the late cult legend's work, spanning the years 1956 to 1970. Mixing fan favorites and rarities, Ace's compilers give an accurate picture of Hazlewood's versatility as a writer. There's something for nearly everyone here: pop (two tracks from teen dreams Dino, Desi & Billy), R&B (The Sharps), rockabilly (Sanford Clark), and psychedelia (Ann-Margret!). All of these tracks feature Lee's two trademarks: his echo-laden, atmospheric production style and his fantasy drenched, impressionistic lyrics. Highlights include: Need All the Help I Can Get from Suzi Jane Hokom (the best record Nancy Sinatra never made); (Got the) Teen-Age Blues by Al Casey & The Bats, Don't Look Now, But I've Got the Blues as interpreted by B.B. King; the extremely rare recording of Dusty Springfield's theme song for the 1967 movie "The Sweet Ride"; and Lee's collaboration with Duane Eddy, The Girl On Death Row. Although Hazlewood's career is eternally linked with those of Nancy Sinatra, Duane Eddy, and Al Casey, this collection goes a long way toward showing that Lee Hazlewood had so much more going on during the halcyon days of the 50's and 60's. (GMC)
ANN-MARGRET: You Turned My Head Around/ THE BARKER BROTHERS: You Can't Stay Here/ HAL BLAINE & THE YOUNG COUGARS: The Dip/ AL CASEY & THE BATS: (Got The) Teen-Age Blues/ AL CASEY WITH THE K-C-ETTES: Guitars, Guitars, Guitars/ SANFORD CLARK: Houston/ The Fool/ DON COLE: Snake Eyed Mama/ THE DARLENES: (I'm Afraid) You'll Hurt Me/ DINO, DESI & BILLY: Not The Lovin' Kind/ The Rebel Kind/ DUANE & MIRIAM EDDY: Guitar On My Mind/ DUANE EDDY & THE REBELETTES: My Baby Plays That Same Old Song On His Guitar All Night Long/ LEE HAZLEWOOD & SUZI JANE HOKOM: Califia (Stone Rider)/ LEE HAZLEWOOD WITH DUANE EDDY: The Girl On Death Row/ SUZI JANE HOKOM: Need All The Help I Can Get/ THE HONDAS: Twelve Feet High/ B.B. KING: Don't Look Now, But I've Got The Blues/ PEGGY MARCH: Das Ist Zauberei/ ROSE & THE HEAVENLY TONES: These Boots Are Made For Walkin'/ THE SHACKLEFORDS: The City Never Sleeps At Night/ THE SHARPS: Have Love, Will Travel/ NANCY SINATRA & LEE HAZLEWOOD: Lady Bird/ DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: Sweet Ride/ THE WILDCATS: What Are We Gonna Do In '64?

 
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.

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCHD 1282 Hey, Beach Girls - Female Surf 'n' Drag, 1961-1966 ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, 57 mins, highly recommended
Are you ready for the summer? The women on this CD were ready for the summer 24-7! Whenever you get a musical movement as huge as Surf was, there are bound to be a whole bunch of offshoots, and nothing goes better with surfer boys than surfer girls. Although The Beach Girls are one of the groups featured here with their fine He's My Surfin' Guy, The Honeys were the real match for The Beach Boys, with Brian Wilson producing and Brian's future wife Marilynn Rovel singing for the group. Its not surprise then that with Wilson's production job, their two tracks Pray For Surf and Shoot The Curl are amongst the best tracks here. The Honeys weren't the only good girl-surf group by far, though, and you get plenty of great tracks by the likes of The Angels, The Fleetwoods, The Orlons, The Qwestwoods, and so on, not to mention quality solo acts like Donna Loren (a front runner for Queen of the Surf if there ever was one), Carol Conners, Andrea Carroll, etc. Even a couple of established R&B acts jumped into the mix: here's Dee Dee Sharp doing Riding The Waves, and no less than The Supremes with the Holland/Dozier/Holland-penned Surfer Boy. If all that wasn't enough, you even get the great Duane Eddy lending his custom twang to The Rebelettes, Hal Blaine pounding the skins behind The Young Cougars, and The Wailers backing up The Marshans with that Washington state Surf classic We're Goin' Surfin'(they must have had a bit of a trip in front of them.) And that is just covering the Surf songs; I don't have the space to write about all the groovy drag tunes on this compilation. Superb production, liner notes etc. from Ace, make for the complete package. (JM)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Acrobat 3068 The Crooners Rock! ● CD $18.98
2CD, 50 tracks, recommended
The mid-to-late 50's were a time of change in the music biz on both sides of the Atlantic; pop artists were desperate to keep up the "fad" known as rock 'n' roll, and so tried their hand at becoming the next Elvis Presley. The results are here to behold on this double disc set; if you wondered what Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra sounded like singing rock 'n' roll, well here's your chance to find out. Some of these songs rarely get out of novelty territory, and some are credible performances; notably, Sammy Davis, Jr. on Jacques d'Iraque, Billy Eckstine on Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll, Bobby Darin on Bull Moose (the B-Side of Dream Lover), Guy Mitchell on Rock-a-Billy, and, believe it or not, Eartha Kitt on Honolulu Rock and Roll. There's also some interesting failures from Nat 'King' Cole, Johnnie Ray, Doris Day, and Georgia Gibbs. And that's just the American half of this collection; the British half is another matter entirely. Generally speaking, the Brits seem to have gotten into the spirit of the thing more easily than their U.S. counterparts; there's an enthusiasm on the British tracks that's for the most part missing from the American cuts. Whether it's Jimmy Young tackling Walkin' After Midnight, Paul Rich taking a spin through Oh Boy or Petula Clark kicking up her heels on Fibbin' (six years before her "British Invasion" hit Downtown,) nearly everyone on disc two seemed to have a good time. That doesn't mean that there aren't some misfires: Frances Day aka Gale Warning makes a real mess of Heartbreak Hotel and Denny Dennis is way too twee on Bye Bye Love. Still, this CD represents a fascinating era with tracks that have rarely been heard-for good reason or not is entirely up to you! (GMC)
BILLIE ANTHONY: Everybody's Buddy/ LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND GARY CROSBY: Ko Ko Mo/ SHIRLEY BASSEY: There's Never Been A Night/ TONY BENNETT: Close Your Eyes/ THE BEVERLEY SISTERS: Old Enough To Know/ EVE BOSWELL: Where In The World Is Billy/ TONY BRENT: Hearts Of Stone/ TERESA BREWER: Just A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl/ SAM BROWNE: Dungaree Doll/ PEARL CARR: I Want You To Be My Baby/ PETULA CLARK: Fibbin'/ ALMA COGAN: I'm In Love Again/ NAT KING COLE: Send For Me/ PERRY COMO: Kewpie Doll/ DON CORNELL: Teenage Meeting/ VIC DAMONE: The Only Man On The Island/ BOBBY DARIN: Bull Moose/ SAMMY DAVIS JR.: Jacques D'iraque/ DORIS DAY: Whad'ja Put In That Kiss?/ JILL DAY: I Hear You Knocking/ FRANCES DAY AS GALE WARNING: Heartbreak Hotel/ DIANA DECKER: Rock A Boogie Baby/ DENNY DENNIS: Bye Bye Love/ BILLY ECKSTINE: Tennessee Rock n' Roll/ GEORGIA GIBBS: Great Balls Of Fire/ EARTHA KITT: Honolulu Rock A Roll A/ FRANKIE LAINE: Lovin' Up A Storm/ LEE LAWRENCE: Don't Nobody Move/ PEGGY LEE: Baby, Baby, Wait For Me/ VERA LYNN: Ein Bisschen Gluck (it Isn't Right)/ DEAN MARTIN: Just Kiss Me/ GUY MITCHELL: Rock -a-billy/ MATT MONRO: Have Guitar Will Travel/ VAUGHN MONROE: Rock And Roll Express/ PATTI PAGE: My First Formal Gown/ DONALD PEERS: Start Movin'/ JOHNNIE RAY: Flip, Flop And Fly/ JOAN REGAN: Love Me To Pieces/ PAUL RICH: Oh Boy/ LITA ROZA: I Need Somebody/ ANNE SHELTON: Seven Days/ FRANK SINATRA: Two Hearts, Two Kisses/ DOROTHY SQUIRES: Precious Love/ JO STAFFORD: I Got A Sweetie/ KAY STARR: Rock And Roll Waltz/ DICKIE VALENTINE: A Teenager In Love/ FRANKIE VAUGHAN: Rock-a-chicka/ SARAH VAUGHAN: Broken-hearted Melody/ ANDY WILLIAMS: Butterfly/ JIMMY YOUNG: Walkin' After Midnight

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Acrobat ACQCD 7030 Britain's Number Ones Of The 50s ● CD $28.98
Four CD set with 105 tracks. Well, it looks like the Acrobat label is back (for how long who can say) because this collection was released in 2010. It seems odd that the label's rebirth should be kicked off with yet another compilation of British chart hits from the 50's, but there you go. Similar to an earlier Acrobat set called "Melodies, Mambos, and Waltzes" (Acrobat 9005) which collected all the British number ones from 1950 to 1957, this set goes one better by giving the listener the hits all the way up to 1959; which means that we get later gems from Buddy Holly (It Doesn't Matter Anymore), The Platters (Smoke Gets in Your Eyes), The Everly Brothers (Bird Dog/ Claudette), Elvis (All Shook Up/ Party/ I Need Your Love Tonight< etc), and more. Of course, we also get the first hits from Cliff Richard (Living Doll/ Dynamite) and Adam Faith, two huge U.K. stars that could have been big in the States if anyone had cared enough. Alongside all the American hitmakers there's a whole lot of British pop favorites like Lita Roza, Mantovani, David Whitfield/ Vera Lynn, Anne Shelton and many more. All in all, a decent insight into popular music in Britain in the 1950s.
PAUL ANKA: Diana/ WINIFRED ATWELL: Let's Have Another Party/ The Poor People Of Paris/ SHIRLEY BASSEY: As I Love You/ HARRY BELAFONTE: Mary's Boy Child/ TONY BENNETT: Stranger In Paradise/ PAT BOONE: I'll Be Home/ EDDIE CALVERT: Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)/ Oh! My Pa-pa (o Mein Papa)/ ROSEMARY CLOONEY: Mambo Italiano/ This Ole House/ ALMA COGAN: Dreamboat/ PERRY COMO: Catch A Falling Star/ Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes/ Magic Moments/ RUSS CONWAY: Roulette/ Side Saddle/ DON CORNELL: Hold My Hand/ THE CRICKETS: That'll Be The Day/ VIC DAMONE: On The Street Where You Live/ BOBBY DARIN: Dream Lover/ Mack The Knife/ DORIS DAY: Que Sera Sera/ Secret Love/ LONNIE DONEGAN: Cumberland Gap/ Gamblin' Man/ Putting On The Style/ CRAIG DOUGLAS: Only Sixteen/ THE DREAMWEAVERS: It's Almost Tomorrow/ TOMMY EDWARDS: It's All In The Game/ THE EVERLY BROTHERS: All I Have To Do I Dream/ Bird Dog/ Claudette/ ADAM FAITH: What Do You Want/ EDDIE FISHER: I'm Walking Behind You/ Outside Of Heaven/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD: Give Me Your Word/ Sixteen Tons/ EMILE FORD & THE CHECKMATES: What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For/ CONNIE FRANCIS: Carolina Moon/ Stupid Cupid/ Who's Sorry Now/ BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS: Rock Around The Clock/ RONNIE HILTON: No Other Love/ MICHAEL HOLLIDAY: The Story Of My Life/ BUDDY HOLLY: It Doesn't Matter Anymore/ TAB HUNTER: Young Love/ THE JOHNSTON BROTHERS: Hernando's Hideaway/ THE KALIN TWINS: When/ KITTY KALLEN: Little Things Mean A Lot/ JERRY KELLER: Here Comes Summer/ FRANKIE LAINE: A Woman In Love/ Answer Me/ Hey Joe/ I Believe/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: Great Balls Of Fire/ LORD ROCKINGHAM'S XI: Hoots Mon/ FRANKIE LYMON & THE TEENAGERS: Why Do Fools Fall In Love/ VERA LYNN: My Son My Son/ MANTOVANI: Moulin Rouge/ DEAN MARTIN: Memories Are Made Of This/ Naughty Lady Of Shady Lane/ AL MARTINO: Here In My Heart/ GUY MITCHELL: Look At That Girl/ Rock-a-billy/ She Wears Red Feathers/ Singin' The Blues/ JANE MORGAN: The Day The Rains Came/ RUBY MURRAY: Softly Softly/ JOHNNY OTIS SHOW: Ma He's Making Eyes At Me/ THE PLATTERS: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/ PREZ PRADO: Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)/ ELVIS PRESLEY: A Fool Such As I/ All Shook Up/ I Got Stung/ I Need Your Love Tonight/ Jailhouse Rock/ One Night/ Party/ MARVIN RAINWATER: Whole Lotta Woman/ JOHNNIE RAY: Just Walkin' In The Rain/ Such A Night/ Yes Tonight Josephine/ CLIFF RICHARD: Dynamite/ Living Doll/ Travellin' Light/ LITA ROZA: How Much Is That Doggie In The Window/ ANNE SHELTON: Lay Down Your Arms/ FRANK SINATRA: Three Coins In The Fountain/ JO STAFFORD: You Belong To Me/ THE STARGAZERS: Broken Wings/ I See The Moon/ KAY STARR: Comes Along A-love/ Rock And Roll Waltz/ TOMMY STEELE: Singin' The Blues/ CONWAY TWITTY: It's Only Make Believe/ DICKIE VALENTINE: Finger Of Suspicion/ The Christmas Alphabet/ FRANKIE VAUGHAN: Garden Of Eden/ DAVID WHITFIELD: Answer Me/ Cara Mia/ SLIM WHITMAN: Rose Marie/ ANDY WILLIAMS: Butterfly/ JIMMY YOUNG: The Man From Laramie/ Unchained Melody

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Acrobat ACFCD 7501 America's Number One Of The 50s ● CD $28.98
A simple concept but a very useful release. This five CD with 124 tracks features every song that topped the Billboard Best Seller's from Gene Autry with Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer on January 7, 1950 to Why by Frankie Avalan. There's lots of intriguing facts to be learned from the selection. The first rock 'n' roll record to top the charts was Bill Haley's Rock Around The Clock in July 1955 and although it spent eight weeks at the top it wasn't until Elvis reached Number One with Heartbreak Hotel in April of 1956 that rock' 'n roll records started making regular appearances in that coveted position. Along the way from Autry to Avalon we hear The Ames Brothers, Anton Karas, Patti Page, Leroy Anderson, Johnny Standley (his unlikely hit It's In The Book, Parts 1 & 2), Perry Como, Stan Freberg, The Chordettes, The McGuire Sisters, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Les Baxter, Guy Mitchell, Buddy Knox, Jimmie Rodgers, Pat Boone, Sheb Wooley, Domenico Modugno, The Kingston Trio, Wilbert Harrison, Guy Mitchell and many, many more. Set comes with a handsome 52 page booklet with details on every song on the set including date it topped charts and number of weeks at the top and many illustrations.
JIMMI RODGERS: Honeycomb/ THE AMES BROTHERS: Rag Mop/ LEROY ANDERSON: Blue Tango/ THE ANDREWS SISTERS: I Can Dream, Can't I?/ PAUL ANKA: Diana/ Lonely Boy/ GENE AUTRY: Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer/ FRANKIE AVALON: Venus/ Why/ EILEEN BARTON: If I Knew You Were Comin' (i'd've Baked A Cake)/ LES BAXTER: The Poor People Of Paris/ TONY BENNETT: Because Of You/ Cold, Cold Heart/ Rags To Riches/ PAT BOONE: April Love/ Don't Forbid Me/ I Almost Lost My Mind/ Love Letters In The Sand/ JIMMY BOYD: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus/ TERESA BREWER: Music! Music! Music!/ Till I Waltz Again With You/ THE BROWNS: The Three Bells/ THE CHAMPS: Tequila/ THE CHIPMUNKS WITH DAVID SEVILLE: The Chipmunk Song (christmas Don't Be Late)/ THE CHORDETTES: Mr. Sandman/ ROSEMARY CLOONEY: Come On-a My House/ Hey There/ This Ole House/ THE COASTERS: Yakety Yak/ NAT KING COLE: Mona Lisa/ Too Young/ PERRY COMO: Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes/ If/ Round And Round/ Wanted/ SAM COOKE: You Send Me/ DAVE "BABY" CORTEZ: The Happy Organ/ THE CREW-CUTS: Sh-boom/ THE CRICKETS: That'll Be The Day/ DANNY & THE JUNIORS: At The Hop/ BOBBY DARIN: Mack The Knife/ DORIS DAY: Secret Love/ TOMMY EDWARDS: It's All In The Game/ THE ELEGANTS: Little Star/ THE EVERLY BROTHERS: All I Have To Do Is Dream/ Wake Up Little Susie/ PERCY FAITH: Delicado/ The Song From Moulin Rouge (where Is Your Heart)/ EDDIE FISHER: I Need You Now/ I'm Walking Behind You/ Oh! My Pa-pa (o Mein Papa)/ THE FLEETWOODS: Come Softly To Me/ Mr. Blue/ RED FOLEY: Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy/ THE FONTANE SISTERS: Hearts Of Stone/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD: Sixteen Tons/ THE FOUR ACES: Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing/ STAN FREBERG: St. George And The Dragonet/ GOGI GRANT: The Wayward Wind/ BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS: Rock Around The Clock/ PHIL HARRIS: The Thing/ WILBERT HARRISON: Kansas City/ BILL HAYES: The Ballad Of Davy Crockett/ JOHNNY HORTON: The Battle Of New Orleans/ EDDY HOWARD: (it's No) Sin/ TAB HUNTER: Young Love/ JONI JAMES: Why Don't You Believe Me?/ GORDON JENKINS AND THE WEAVERS: Goodnight, Irene/ KITTY KALLEN: Little Things Mean A Lot/ ANTON KARAS: Theme From 'the Third Man'/ SAMMY KAYE: Harbour Lights/ THE KINGSTON TRIO: Tom Dooley/ BUDDY KNOX WITH THE RHYTHM ORCHIDS: Party Doll/ MARIO LANZA: Be My Love/ JIM LOWE: Green Door/ VERA LYNN: Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart/ DEAN MARTIN: Memories Are Made Of This/ AL MARTINO: Here In My Heart/ THE MCGUIRE SISTERS: Sincerely/ MITCH MILLER: The Yellow Rose Of Texas/ GUY MITCHELL: Heartaches By The Number/ Singing The Blues/ DOMENICO MODUGNO: Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (volare)/ RICKY NELSON: Poor Little Fool/ PATTI PAGE: I Went To Your Wedding/ The Doggie In The Window/ The Tennessee Waltz/ LES PAUL AND MARY FORD: How High The Moon/ Vaya Con Dios (may God Be With You)/ THE PLATTERS: My Prayer/ Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/ The Great Pretender/ Twilight Time/ PREZ PRADO: Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)/ Patricia/ ELVIS PRESLEY: A Big Hunk O' Love/ All Shook Up/ Don't/ Don't Be Cruel/ Hard Headed Woman/ Heartbreak Hotel/ I Want You, I Need You, I Love You/ Jailhouse Rock/ Love Me Tender/ Teddy Bear/ Too Much/ LLOYD PRICE: Stagger Lee/ JOHNNIE RAY AND THE FOUR LADS: Cry/ DEBBIE REYNOLDS: Tammy/ NELSON RIDDLE: Lisbon Antigua/ SANTO & JOHNNY: Sleep Walk/ DAVID SEVILLE: Witch Doctor/ THE SILHOUETTES: Get A Job/ JO STAFFORD: Make Love To Me/ You Belong To Me/ JOHNNY STANDLEY: It's In The Book (parts 1 & 2)/ KAY STARR: Rock And Roll Waltz/ Wheel Of Fortune/ THE TEDDY BEARS: To Know Him Is To Love Him/ CONWAY TWITTY: It's Only Make Believe/ JOAN WEBER: Let Me Go, Lover/ ANDY WILLIAMS: Butterfly/ ROGER WILLIAMS: Autumn Leaves/ SHEB WOOLEY: The Purple People Eater

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Bear Family BCD 16070 Next Stop Is Vietnam ● CD $259.98
Another incredible music magnum opus that could only come from Bear Family. The most comprehensive anthology of music inspired by the Vietnam War ever released. Presented on 13 CDs with a 304-page hard cover book illustrated with numerous archival photographs, this collection examines the war in a powerful and unprecedented way. 334 music and spoken word tracks take the listener through a guided tour of this epochal period of modern history. From America's first, naive impressions of a country called Vietnam through the spirited musical debate over the morality of the war to the healing meditations on the conflict's lengthy aftermath, this set captures it all and more. All genres of music are featured including folk, rock, country, R&B, blues and more. Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Joan Baez, J.B. Lenoir, Merle Haggard, William Bell, Pete Seeger, Skeeter Bonn, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Ochs, Steppenwolf, Johnny Cash, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Yoko Ono, Jimmie Holiday, John Lennon, Donovan, The Doors, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Country Joe McDonald and hundreds of other artists including two CDs worth of rare recordings by Vietnam veterans. These are the tour guides through this enlightening and entertaining journey. The full-color book that accompanies the music is packed with information on the songs and the artists who recorded them by music scholar Hugo A. Keesing; a history of the war by Vietnam historian Lois T. Vietri; and an oral history of the tunes that 'incountry' vets loved best by authors Doug Bradley and Craig Werner. The introduction to this remarkable tome is written by the legendary Country Joe McDonald. The complete track listing can be found on our web site or e-mail us for the listing. Packaged in a massive LP sized box this is equivalent to 24 CDs for shipping.
 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Bear Family BCD 16838 That'll Flat Git It, Vol. 27 - Sage & Sand ● CD $21.98
Yay - a new release in Bear Family's great series of label oriented rockabilly and rock 'n' roll reissues. This is devoted to the West Coast Sage and Sand labels with 34 tracks including rockabilly classics by Whitey Pullen, Lonnie Barron, Jimmy Patton, Rusty York, and many more, plus the FIRST EVER recording by guitar wizard Lonnie Mack accompanying Harley Gabbard & Aubrey Holt! Many songs on CD for the first time! Includes 60 page booklet with notes by Colin Escott and many previously unseen photos!
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

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Bear Family BCD 17213 Sun Ballads, 1953-1962 ● CD $68.98
Just arrived. Three CD set with 78 tracks. The first-ever in-depth look at the ballad side of the Sun Records legacy. Surveys a 10-year period from the earliest blues and hillbilly days to the Golden Age of rockabilly and into the early 1960s. Contains 78 tracks featuring Sun's best-known artists, as well as obscure & rarely reissued artists and titles. Although Sun is best known for rockers and rockin' music, it turns out that even rockers had their mellow moments. Sun managed to record a surprising number of them and built a very effective library of ballads as well. Artists include Rufus Thomas, Bonnie Turner, The FIve Tinos, Warren Smith, Carl Perkisn, Barbara Pittman, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Billy Riley, Ray Smith, Mikki Wilcox, Carl Mann and many more. This side of Sun's legacy has never been examined in depth - until now. Contains in-depth historical material and detailed track-by-track commentary by Sun historian Hank Davis.
RAYBURN ANTHONY: How Well I Know/ BOBBIE & THE BOYS: To Tell The Truth/ BOBBIE JEAN: Cheaters Never Win/ PERKINS BROTHERS BAND: Sure To Fall/ EDWIN BRUCE: More Than Yesterday/ Part Of My Life/ SONNY BURGESS: Restless/ Sweet Misery/ JOHNNY CASH: Don't Make Me Go/ Give My Love To Rose/ I Walk The Line/ My Treasure/ Port Of Lonely Hearts/ ERNIE CHAFFIN: I'm Lonesome/ Please Don't Ever Leave Me/ KEN COOK: I Was A Fool/ JACK EARLS: A Fool For Loving You/ BILLY EMERSON: No Greater Love/ No Teasin' Around/ LITTLE HANNAH FAY: The Miracle Of You/ CHARLIE FEATHERS: I've Been Deceived/ Wedding Gown Of White/ THE FIVE TINOS: Sitting By My Window/ JEANIE GREENE AKA MARY JOHNSON: River Of No Return/ Your Cheating Heart/ JIMMY HAGGETT: No More/ RAY HARRIS: Foolish Heart/ GLENN HONEYCUTT: I'll Wait Forever/ HAROLD JENKINS AKA CONWAY TWITTY: Just In Time/ JIMMY & WALTER: Before Long/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: Fools Like Me/ How's My Ex Treating You?/ I'll Make It All Up To You/ It All Depends (On Who Will Buy The Wine) (overdub version)/ You Win Again/ LITTLE MILTON: Beggin' My Baby/ CARL MANN: I Can't Forget You (undubbed version)/ I'm Bluer Than Anyone Can Be/ THE MILLER SISTERS: It Only Hurts For A Little While/ WILLIE NIX: Seems Like A Million Years/ ROY ORBISON: Fool's Hall Of Fame/ Trying To Get To You/ TRACY PENDARVIS: Is It Too Late?/ CARL PERKINS: Forever Yours/ Only You/ Turn Around/ BARBARA PITTMAN: I'm Getting Better All The Time (demo)/ No Matter Who's To Blame/ Two Young Fools In Love/ ELVIS PRESLEY: I Forgot To Remember To Forget/ THE PRISONAIRES: Just Walking In The Rain/ There Is Love In You/ SLIM RHODES BAND (VOCAL BRAD SUGGS): Bad Girl/ SLIM RHODES BAND (VOCAL DOT, DUSTY & BRAD): The House Of Sin/ SLIM RHODES BAND (VOCAL: SANDY BROOKS): Take & Give/ CHARLIE RICH: Ain't It A Shame/ Apple Blossom Time (undubbed)/ Stay (alternate)/ Who Will The Next Fool Be/ BILLY RILEY: One More Time/ MACK SELF: Easy To Love/ MILLER SISTERS: You Can Tell Me/ THE MILLER SISTERS: Finders Keepers/ RAY SMITH: Sail Away/ Why Why Why/ WARREN SMITH: Goodbye Mr. Love/ I Fell In Love/ I'd Rather Be Safe Than Sorry/ THE SUNRAYS: Love Is A Stranger/ VERNON TAYLOR: Breeze/ RUFUS THOMAS: Walking In The Rain/ BONNIE TURNER: Old Brother Jack/ THOMAS WAYNE: The Quiet Look/ MIKKI WILCOX: Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues/ I Know What It Means/ JIMMY WILLIAMS: That Depends On You/ MAGGIE SUE WIMBERLY: Daydreams Come True/ ANITA WOOD: I'll Wait Forever

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Buffalo Bop 55199 Do The Bop ● CD $19.98
28 tracks, 63 mins, highly recommended
If you don't own Friar's Twist by Dale and the Uniques, Nicotine by Paul Chaplain, Do The Ba Ba Bop by Maynard Horlick, or Big Louise by the Outer Limits, then your collection of outre Rock 'n' Roll is far from complete. This CD collection has all those and so much more to offer: high-octane Hillbilly unknowns pouring everything they got into two-minute performances found on obscure record labels like Teen's Choice, Klondike, and Mill-Mont. These Buffalo Bop comps are usually a solid bet, and this particular installment is one of the best they have put out in the last few years. Cha Cha Chu by Jerry Hawkins, Chill Bumps by Jackie Cannon, Take A Bath by Charles Sims, I Feel So Good by Marveluss Mickey, The frantic I Wanna Do It by Robin and The Three Hoods, come on, what more do you want. If you only buy one compilation of wild, unknown Rock 'n' Rollers from the golden era of the '50s and '60s (Mostly early to mid '60s) this month, than this has to be the one. Do you really want to have a friend ask you if you have "Baby Sitter Rock" by Jimmy James & The Candy Canes, and have to tell them no? (JM)
MEL ALBERT: Before You Change Your Mind/ BLUE ANGELS: Quick Sand/ JACKIE CANNON: Chill Bumps/ PAUL CHAPLAIN: Caldonia/ Nicotine/ Shortnin' Bread/ Swingtime In The Rockies/ EDDY CLERMONT: Love By Numbers/ THE COLE BROTHERS: Betty, Betty, Betty/ DALE & THE UNIQUES: Friar's Twist/ JAY GALLEGHER: Crazy Legs/ DEWEY GUY: Rock A While/ JERRY HAWKINS: Cha Cha Chu/ COUSIN HERBERT HENSON: Lose My Mind/ MAYNARD HORLICK: Do The Ba Ba Bop/ JACK & THE JUMPING JACKS: More More/ JIMMY JAMES: Baby Sitter Rock/ MARVELUSS MICKEY: I Feel So Good/ HANK MOORE & ORCHESTRA: Knock Kneed Rooster/ JIM MORRISON: Ready To Rock/ RON OUDERKIRK: My Kind Of Woman/ THE RHYTHM ROCKERS: Giving Everything Away/ ROBIN & THREE HOUNDS: I Wanna Do It/ CHARLES SIMS: Take A Bath/ HOMER SMITH & THE OUTER LIMITS: Big Louise/ THE TABLE TOPPERS: Talk To Me Baby/ TINY TIM & THE TORNADOS: I've Gotta Find Someone/ JIMMY TROTTER: Hungry And Thirsty (For Your Love)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Buffalo Bop 55200 Rockabilly Action ● CD $19.98
28 tracks, 67 mins, highly recommended
Here's another wild Rockin' collection of vintage recordings of obscure-as-hell artists. These moldy oldies never made it to the malt shop, and Dick Clark probably does not Rock, Roll & Remember them, but for pure enthusiasm and un-hinged musical effort, the tracks here are hard to beat. You get cool tracks like the vicious I Got Some News For You by Bobby Lee, the rowdy Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down by the Carl Martin Trio, and the bluesy Makin' Up My Mind by Rick Johnson. Of course the influence of the big time Rockabilly cats is heard throughout; A Little Bit Lonesome shows that Charles Ross & His Boys From Paris, knew their Carl Perkins records inside out, and Johnny Huskey and His King Bee's who's Red Dress is featured here, definitely loved their Rock and Roll Trio records. Then there are also songs like Last Goodbye by Art Ontario and Hillbilly Fever by Lonesome Willie Evans which I wouldn't really consider Rockabilly as much as they are just solid Country tunes, but these collections usually have a few of these nowadays. There is one out and out screw up on this, though: track 13 is listed as Tommy Moreland doing Playin' Hide Go Seek when it is actually Tennessee Blues which I think is also by Moreland, but I'm not quite sure. Oh well, close enough for Rock 'n' Roll, right? Shorty Frog, Bill Zekie Browning, Lonnie Irvin, Wibby Lee, Bill Blevins, etc. are hardly household names, but for brief moments in time they all were Rock 'n' Roll kings and this collections captures those moments for all to enjoy. (JM)
JIMMY BANKSTON: I Come From Lousiana/ BILL BLEVINS: Baby I Win't Keep Waitin'/ BILL ZEKIE BROWNING: I'll Pay You Back/ MIKE CLAY: It's Money/ THE EMANONS: Emanons Rock/ LONESOME WILLIE EVANS: Hillbilly Fever/ SHORTY FROG & HIS SPACE CATS: Sheddin' Texas Over You/ CURLEY GRIFFIN: Rock Bottom Blues/ JOHNNY HUSKEY & LONG BEES: Red Dress/ LONNIE IRVING: I Got The Blues On My Mind/ BOB JAMES & CREATIONS: As My Heart Is To You/ RICK JOHNSON: Makin' Up My Mind/ BOBBY LEE: I Got Some News For You/ WIBBY LEE & PAUL ALLEN: I'm Talking Not Walking The Blues/ CARL MARTIN TRIO: Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down/ TOMMY MORELAND: The Tennessee Blues/ ART ONTARIO: Last Goodbye/ JOHN POOLE: Shakin' Ana Twisting/ BO RATLIFF & COUNTRY KINFOLK: Hey, Hey, Don't Tease Me/ CHARLES ROSS: Little Bit Lonesome/ WALTER SCOTT: I'm Walking Out/ JIMMY SIMPSON: Blue As I Can Be/ RUSSELL SPEARS: Beggin' Time/ DUDE STANDPHILL: Out Honky Tonkin' Again/ CLEVE WARNOCK: Boy And A Guitar/ JIMMY WELCH: Searight Blues/ BILL WHITTLEY: Fool Fool Fool/ LEROY WILKERSON: Backfired

 
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 Presleys Sergeant/ EDDIE COCHRAN WITH THE HOLLY TWINS: I Want Elvis For Christmas/ PETER DEBREE AND THE WANDERERS: Hey Mister Presley/ THE FABULOUS MCCLAVERTYS: Dont 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: Dont Knock Elvis/ JULIE LANG: Elvis/ VIRGINIA LOWE: Im 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

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Chrome Dreams 5047 The Rarest Rockabilly Album In The World Ever! ● CD $21.98
Two CDs, 50 tracks, 109 mins, recommended
With a title like that you'd think this would be full of tracks that were making their first appearance on CD! No such luck! Apart from a couple of sides all the rest have been reissued before - some on more than one compilation, and if you have an extensive collection of Buffalo Bop releases then you probably have 2/3 of the tracks here. Nevertheless, if you don't have much of the more obscure rockabilly titles this is a fine selection at a very reasonable price with cuts from Al Epp & The Pharaohs, Max Alexander & Hank Harral, Jimmie John (the fine Solid Rock with rockabilly banjo!), The Chavis Brothers, Jimmy Lloyd, Jay B. LOyd, Al Urban, Glenn Bond, Curtis Long, Wally Willette and many more. Excellent sound and 16 page booklet with notes by Alan Clayson and nicely packaged in a slipcase. (FS)
MAX ALEXANDER: Little Rome/ BILL ALLEN: Please Give Me Something/ GLENN BOND: When My Baby Passes By/ GENE BROWN: Big Door/ WALTER BROWN: Alley Cat/ BUDDY BURKE: That Big Old Moon/ RIC CARTEY: Scratching On My Screen/ JOEY CASTLE: That Ain't Nothin' But Right/ THE CHAVIS BROTHERS: So Tired/ LEE COLE: Cool Baby/ NAT COUTY: Woodpecker Rock/ RILEY CRABTREE: She Loves Me Better/ ROCKY DAVIS: Hot Rod Baby/ BOB DEWITT: Annie Mae/ ELROY DIETZEL: Teenage Ball/ LARRY DOWD: Blue Swinging Mama/ JOHNNY EDWARDS: Rock 'n' Roll Saddles/ AL EPP & THE PHAROAHS: Breaking My Heart/ DON FEGER: Date On The Corner/ BILL FLAGG: Go Cat Go/ DINKY HARRIS & THE SPADES: She Left Me Cryin'/ BOB HICKS: Rock Baby Rock/ GLEN HONEYCUTT: Rock All Night/ WALLY HUGHES: Convertible Car/ MAYLON HUMPHRIES: Worried About You Baby/ BENNY INGRAM: Jello Sal/ JIMMIE JOHN: Solid Rock/ F DEE JOHNSON: Be My Baby/ BENNY JOY: Little Red Book/ TOMMY LAM: Speed Limit/ JIMMY LLOYD: You're Gone Baby/ CURTIS LONG: Going Out On The Town/ JAY B. LOYD: I'll Be Alright/ CARL MANN: Gonna Rock 'n' Roll Tonight/ RAY MCCOY: I Need It/ LUKE MCDANIEL: My Baby Don't Rock/ JIM OERTLING: Old Moss Back/ CLYDE OWENS: Swing It Little Katy/ KENNY OWENS: I Got The Bug/ JIMMY PATTON: Oakies In The Pokie/ Yeah I'm Movin'/ MARVIN RAINWATER: Hot And Cold/ BOBBY ROBERTS: Big Sandy/ CHARLES SENNS: Gee Whiz Liz/ AL URBAN: Won't You Tell Me Her Name/ DENNIS VOLK: You're The One/ MIKE WAGGONER: Coming Up/ WALLY WILLETTE: Pink Elephants/ DON WILLIS: Boppin' High School Baby/ DON WOODY: Barking Up The Wrong Tree

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Chrome Dreams 5058 Music To Die For ● CD $21.98
Two CD set with 52 "death" songs in a variety of genres ranging from 1912 to 1960 including Death Of An Angel by Donald Woods & The Vel-Aires, Message FRom James Dean by Bill Hayes, Goin' Down Slow by St Louis Jimmy, Don't Go Down The Mine Dad by Frank Miller, Gloomy Sunday by Artie Shaw, La Mort by Jacques Brel, Tell Laura I Love Her By Ray Peterson, Tell Tommy I Miss Him by Marilyn Michaels, Take A Message To Mary by The Everly Brothers and many more to liven up your party!
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

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS CSP 1029 Pure Swamp Pop Gold, Vol. 2 ● CD $16.98
20 tracks, 64 mins, highly recommended
It's nice to know that even in the 21st century, that South Louisiana mixture of rock 'n' roll, R&B, soul, country and cajun music blended together with heartfelt vocals that is known as "swamp pop" is still alive and well. Apart from more polished arrangements and slicker production values the music has changed little from the 50s. This 2002 release features sides from the 1990s and early 2000s. There are five sides from the superb Van Broussard who has been around since the early 60s including the swamp pop favorites Red, Red Wine/ I'm A Fool To Care and Hello Willpower. Crosscut do a lovely blue eyed soul rendition of Irma Thomas's Zero Willpower and there are fine sides by Bits & Pieces, Kane Glaze, Wayne Foret, Mike Broussard and Kane Glaze. Although most of the songs are covers it doesn't matter because these versions are all stamped with that trademark "swamp pop" sound. Good stuff. (FS)
 
VARIOUS ARTISTS FabFour 233328 Girls, Girls, Girls ● CD $14.98
4 CDs, 100 tracks, 239 mins, highly recommended
It's no surprise that a whole lot of the greatest songs of the Rock & Roll era were written for women and with woman's names in the title. Here are 100 tracks, many of them songs most music fans will know instantly. Wake Up Little Susie by The Everly Brothers, Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly, Lawdy Miss Clawdy by Lloyd Price, Maybellene by Chuck Berry, Diana by Paul Anka, Good Golly Miss Molly/ Lucille/ Long Tall Sally, and Jenny Jenny by Little Richard. All of those big hits are here and many more by the likes of Bo Diddley, Larry Williams, Eddie Cochrane, Fats Domino, Jack Scott, Bobby Darin, Huey "Piano" Smith, Hank Ballard, Smiley Lewis, Jimmy Bowen, Louis Prima, and so on as well. Then there is a whole mess of great tunes collected here that maybe aren't so famous, or so often compiled. For instance Susie's House, by John D. Loudermilk, Pearly Lee by Billy Lee Riley, Bop A Lena by Ronnie Self, Patricia by Perez Prado, Mary Little Mary by H-Bomb Ferguson, etc., etc. So many songs, what's a girl to do? Well, if that girl has taste, she'll pick up this instant jukebox collection and play the hell out of it; the guys should too. 100 songs and at least 95 of them pure dynamite! (JM)
PAUL ANKA: Diana/ FRANKIE AVALON: Blue Betty/ De De Dinah/ HANK BALLARD & THE MIDNIGHTERS: Annie Had A Baby/ Annie's Aunt Fanny/ Work With Me Annie/ HARRY BELAFONTE: Mathilda/ CHUCK BERRY: Beautiful Delilah/ Carol/ Maybellene/ THE BLUE DIAMONDS: Ramona/ PAT BOONE: Bernadine/ JIMMY BOWEN: Raggedy Ann/ BUSTER BROWN: Fannie Mae/ FREDDIE CANNON: Tallahassie Lassie/ EDDIE COCHRAN: Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie/ BUDDY COVELLE: Lorraine/ BOBBY DARIN: Clementine/ I Ain't Sharin' Sharon/ Plain Jane/ JIMMY DEE: Henrietta/ You're Late Miss Kate/ BO DIDDLEY: Mona/ FATS DOMINO: I Can't Go On (Rosalie)/ Ida Jane/ Margie/ My Girl Josephine/ Rose Mary/ DON & DEWEY: Justine/ Little Sally Walker/ LONNIE DONEGAN: Darling Corey/ BIG AL DOWING: Miss Lucy/ THE EVERLY BROTHERS: Cathy's Clown/ Claudette/ Lucille/ Poor Jenny/ Wake Up Little Susie/ FABIAN: Lou/ NARVEL FELTS: Genavee/ H-BOMB FERGUSON: Mary Little Mary/ FRANKIE FORD: Roberta/ BOBBY FREEMAN: Betty Lou Got A New Pair Of Shoes/ Shame On You Miss Johnson/ THE GAYLORDS: Ma Ma Marie/ TERRY GILKYSON & THE EASY RIDERS: Marianne/ ROCCO GRANATA: Marina/ BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS: Corrine Corrina/ Lean Jean/ Skinny Minnie/ Whoa Mabel/ RONNIE HAWKINS: Mary Lou/ Ruby Baby/ MICKEY HAWKS: Screamin' Miimi Jeanie/ BUDDY HOLLY: Peggy Sue/ Peggy Sue Got Married/ WANDA JACKSON: Long Tall Sally/ SONNY JAMES: Kathaleen/ JAN & ARNIE: Jennie Lee/ FRANKIE LAINE: Jezebel/ SMILEY LEWIS: Little Mae/ LITTLE RICHARD: Good Golly Miss Molly/ Jenny Jenny/ Long Tall Sally/ Lucille/ JOHN D. LOUDERMILK: Susie's House/ ROBIN LUKE: Susie Darlin'/ CARL MANN: Mona Lisa/ JOHNNY OTIS: Mumblin' Mosie/ BOBBY PEDRICK: Betty Blue Eyes/ RAY PETERSON: Corrine Corrina/ Tell Laura I Love Her/ BOBBY POE & THE POE-CATS: Piano Nellie/ PEREZ PRADO: Patricia/ ELVIS PRESLEY: Lawdy Miss Cawdy/ LLOYD PRICE: Lawdy Miss Clawdy/ LOUIS PRIMA: Angelina - Zooma Zooma/ Oh Marie/ JOHNNIE RAY: Yes Tonight Josephine/ TEDDY REDELL: Judy/ BILLY LEE RILEY: Pearly Lee/ MARK ROBINSON (LEE HAZELWOOD): Pretty Jane/ CHAN ROMERO: My Little Ruby/ TOMMY SANDS: Hey Miss Fannie/ JACK SCOTT: Geraldine/ NEIL SEDAKA: Oh Carol/ RONNIE SELF: Bop A Lena/ RAY SHARPE: Linda Lou/ HUEY "PIANO" SMITH: Piano"/ WARREN SMITH: Rock'n'roll Ruby/ AL TERRY: Good Deal Lucille/ HANK THOMPSON: Wake Up Irene/ BIG JOE TURNER: Corrine Corrina/ CONWAY TWITTY: Hey Little Lucy/ RITCHIE VALENS: Donna/ That's My Little Susie/ GENE VINCENT: She She Little Sheila/ THE WEAVERS: Goodnight Irene/ LARRY WILLIAMS: Bony Maronie/ Dizzy Miss Lizzy/ Short Fat Fannie

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Fantastic Voyage 093 Feel Like Rockin' - Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll ● CD $19.98
2CDs, 60 tracks, highly recommended
The fine folks at Fantastic Voyage-who previously brought us the "Let Me Tell You About." series of R&B/Blues CDs-have just started a new series of discs saluting key U.S. regions in the history of rock 'n' roll. The series kicks off with a two disc set paying tribute to Tennessee-one of the more seminal regions to the rock 'n' roll story thanks largely to Sam Phillips and Elvis. This being a U.K. created collection, the usual suspects-Elvis himself, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis-are gonna rub shoulders with cult figures-Billy Riley, Sonny Burgess-Country-identified artists-Janis Martin, Red Sovine, Charlie Feathers, Webb Pierce, Marty Robbins, Charlie Rich-and also-rans like Maggie Sue Wimberly, Glenn Honeycutt, Jim Williams, Jimmy Haggett, and Dick Penner. In fact, many of these songs didn't see release until well into the 70's and '80. As always with Fantastic Voyage, the compilation is beautifully packaged with excellent liner notes and great sound. There's nothing really profound here, just a fun, rollicking collection of rockabilly rock 'n' roll so just slap it on, sit back and let it rock! (GMC)
BARBARA ALLEN: Sweet Willie/ RONNIE ALLEN: Juvenile Delinquent/ ALTON & JIMMY: No More Crying The Blues/ ANDY ANDERSON: Johnny Valentine/ TOMMY BELL: Midnight Dreams/ EDDIE BOND: Rockin' Daddy/ SONNY BURGESS: Red Headed Woman/ JOHNNY BURNETTE: Eager Beaver Baby/ AUBREY CAGLE: Come Along Little Girl/ JOHNNY CARROLL: Hot Rock/ KIMBALL COBURN: Please, Please/ JACK EARLS: Let's Bop/ CHARLIE FEATHERS WITH JODY & JERRY: Tongue-Tied Jill/ NARVEL FELTS: My Babe/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD: Smokey Mountain Boogie/ CLIFF GLEAVES: Love Is My Business/ CURLEY GRIFFIN: You Gotta Play Fair/ MARLON GRISHAM: Ain't That A Dilly/ JIMMY HAGGETT: Rabbit Action/ ROY HALL: Diggin' The Boogie/ RAY HARRIS: Where'd You Stay Last Nite/ BOBBY HELMS: Tennessee Rock N' Roll/ GLENN HONEYCUTT: Rock All Night/ JIMMY & JOHNNY: Sweet Love On My Mind/ HOYT JOHNSON: Eenie Meanie Minie Mo/ BENNY JOY: Spin The Bottle/ BRENDA LEE: Bigelow 6-200 (Alt. Take)/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: Little Queenie/ DICK LORY: Ball Room Baby/ MAC & JAKE WITH THE ESQUIRE TRIO: Yakety Yak/ WARNER MACK: Roc-A-Chicka/ GENE MALTAIS: Crazy Baby/ CARL MANN: Baby I Don't Care/ JANIS MARTIN: Hard Times Ahead/ JERRY MCGILL: Lovestruck/ CARL MCVOY: Tootsie/ JIMMY NEWMAN: Carry On/ ROY ORBISON: Domino/ KENNY PARCHMAN: I Feel Like Rockin'/ TRACY PENDARVIS: Is It Me/ DICK PENNER: Fine Little Baby/ CARL PERKINS: Tennessee/ WEBB PIERCE: Teenage Boogie (Alt. Take)/ ELVIS PRESLEY: That's All Right/ CHARLIE RICH: Rebound/ BILLY RILEY: Pearly Lee/ MARTY ROBBINS: Tennessee Toddy/ RAY SCOTT: Bopping Wig Wam Willie/ MACK SELF: Mad At You/ GENE SIMMONS: Juicy Fruit/ RAY SMITH: You Made A Hit/ WARREN SMITH: Sweet, Sweet Girl/ RED SOVINE: Juke Joint Johnny/ N.A. STEPHENSON: Boogie Woogie Country Girl/ CLIFF THOMAS, ED & BARBARA: Treat Me Right/ JUNIOR THOMPSON: Raw Deal/ THE TUNESMITHS: Baby, I'm Ready/ JIM WILLIAMS: Fire Engine Red/ DON WILLIS: Boppin' High School Baby/ MAGGIE SUE WIMBERLY: Rock 'N' Roll Cinnamon Tree

 
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: Aint 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

 
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)

 
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)
 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Lesley 7B Brunswick Rock 'n' Roll Party, Vol. 2 ● CD $15.98
30 tracks, 68 mins, highly recommended
Another fine collection of mid/ late 50s sides from the Brunswick label including the great I'll Be Back Home by Don Webb - the flip of Little Ditty Baby on the first volume. It was recorded at Norman Petty's studios and has a strong Buddy Holly flavor - what a shame he didn't record any more. Another Holly connection comes in the person of Don Guess who played bass with Buddy in his early days and is featured on two fine sides. Other artists include Billy Harlan, Johnny Parker, Peanuts Wilson (the frequently reissued but always great Cast Iron Arm), Chuck & Bill (the catchy country flavored I Wanna Move A Little Closer), Veline Hackert, Mickey & Shonnie Lane (the truly infectious Daddy's Little Baby), Bobby Jackson (a fine version of the traditional blues Deep Elm Blues), Billy Lee Riley (one of his more obscure sides - the fine Is That All To The Ball, Mr. Hall), Terry Noland (another Buddy Holly associate recorded at Petty's studios), Johnny Bell (a great rockabilly version of Big Joe Turner's Flip, Flop & Fly with hot guitar) and more.
MELROSE BAGBY: Sighin'/ CARL BELEW: Twenty-Four Hour Night/ JOHNNY BELL: Flip Flop & Fly/ The Third Degree/ THE CASUAL-AIRES: Thunderbird/ CHUCK & BILL: I Wanna Move a Little Closer/ RUSTY EVANS: Shine Its Lights on Me/ When I'm Alone With You/ DON GUESS: Just a Little Lovin' Baby/ Shir-Lee/ VELINE HACKERT: Billy Boy/ BILLY HARLAN: I Wanna Bop/ School House Rock/ THE HI-LITES: Friday Night, Go Go/ BOBBY JACKSON: Deep Elm Blues/ Dinah's Party/ MICKEY & SHONNIE LANE: Daddy's Little Baby/ Toasted Love/ BOB MCFADDEN: The Best Generation/ TERRY NOLAND: Come Marry Me/ Look At Me/ JOHNNY PARKER: (We've Got) a Lot in Common/ I Must Be in Love/ BILL RILEY: Is That All To The Ball (Mr. Hall)/ JANICE SMITH: Kiss Kiss Crazy/ TONY & PAUL: Oh, Oh, Lolita/ JIMMY WATSON: Daisy/ DON WEBB: I'll Be Back Home/ PEANUTS WILSON: Cast Iron Arm/ You've Got Love

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Lesley 9 Decca Rock & Roll Party, Vol. 2 ● CD $15.98
30 tracks, 69 mins, highly recommended
Another fine collection of 50s rockers recorded for Decca. I think this is qa bit stronger than the first volume thanks to such fine tracks as the hard driving opening number Cheat On Me Baby by The Rockin' Saints with tough vocals and fine guitar work, the fine rockabilly number Just As Long by Rudy Hansen, a storming instrumental version of When My Dreamboat Comes Home by legendary session guitarist Grady Martin featuring ferocious guitar work, the tough R&B number Rough Lover by Annisteen Allen, a couple of hot instrumentals from Virg, Murf & Prof plus sides by The Jumpin' Jaguars, Joey Biscoe, The Sparks, Jimmy Daley, Tex Williams (veteran western singer with Let's Go Rockabilly which isn't), Eddie Fontaine (a fine growling cover of Johnny Horton's Honky Tonk Man), Frankie Sal, Ray Doggett (fine rockabilly), The Tyrones, Pat Shannon (two songs including a fine cover of The Coasters' The Snake & The Bookworm) and more. The label says "sample copy, not for sale" but that's just part of the graphics -they're all like that! (FS)
ANNISTEEN ALLEN: Rough Lover/ JOEY BISCOE: You Lovin' Doll/ CHUCK BOWERS: Till My Baby Comes Home/ CHUCK & BETTY: Come Back Little Girl/ Walking In My Dreams/ JIMMY DALEY: Bongo Rock (vocal-Kip Tyler)/ Hole in the Wall (vocal-Kip Tyler)/ Rock, Pretty Baby (vocal-Alan Copeland)/ RAY DOGGETT: It Hurts the One Who Loves You/ EDDIE FONTAINE: Honky Tonk Man/ DAVE GARDNER: Hop Along Rock/ RUDY HANSEN: Just as Long/ THE JUMPIN' JAGUARS: Knock-Kneed Nellie From Knoxville/ GRADY MARTIN: When My Dream Boat Comes Home/ THE PERRY SISTERS: Willie Boy/ ANDY QUINN: Can'tcha See/ DODIE RANDLE: I Fell in Love Again/ GLENN REEVES: Tarzan/ THE ROCKIN' SAINTS: Cheat On Me Baby/ FRANKIE SAL: Fabulous Cure/ PAT SHANNON: Maybelle/ The Snake & the Bookworm/ THE SPARKS: Mary, Mary Lou/ THE TEEN TONES: Yes You May/ THE TYRONES: Broke Down Baby/ Giggles/ VIRG, MURF & PROF: Buggin'/ Way Out/ THE WILBURN BROTHERS: Oo Bop Sha Boom/ TEX WILLIAMS: Let's Go Rockabilly

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Lesley 11 Epic Rock & Roll Party ● CD $15.98
32 tracks, 74 mins, highly recommended
Here's a fantastic collection 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

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Lesley 12 United Artists Rock & Roll Party ● CD $15.98
32 tracks, 70 mins, recommended
A fine and varied collection of sides recorded for the United Artists and Unart label in the late 50s encompassing, rockabilly, rock 'n' roll, teen-rockers and rockin' doo-wop. Includes sides by Chuck Wiley (a nice cover of Johnny Burnette's Tear It Up), The Four J's (bland vocals and song rescued by hot guitar solo), The Five Delight, Davey Holt (Elvis imitator), Sammy Gowans (hot rockabilly with tough guitar), Sal Mure, Del Knights, Russ Marlo, The Delicates, Warren Miller (fine piano based rocker in Jerry Lee style), Billy Eldridge (his rockabilly classic Let's Go Baby), Wendell Smith (the fine bluesy Nashville, Tennessee) and others. Fine sound. (FS)
LEE ANDREWS: Nobody's Home/ RONNIE BRENT: My Sweet Verlene/ WES BRYAN: Freeze/ Tiny Spaceman/ THE CHARADES: Bright Red Skinny Pants/ THE DEL KNIGHTS: Compensation/ Everything/ THE DELACARDOS: Mr. Dillon/ THE DELICATES: Black & White Thunderbird/ BILLY ELDRIDGE: Let's Go Baby/ THE FANTASTICS: I Told You Once/ BRIEN FISHER: Double Datin'/ It's Up To You/ THE FIVE DELIGHTS: Okey Dokey Mama/ THE FOUR JS: Be Nice Don't Fight/ Rock & Roll Age/ SAMMY GOWANS: Kissin' At The Drive In/ Rockin' By Myself/ DAVEY HOLT: Pittery Pat/ You Move Me/ THE JAYE SISTERS: G-3/ BERNIE LAWRENCE: Collecting Girls/ RUSS MARLO: Tom Cattin'/ WARREN MILLER: Everybody's Got A Baby But Me/ SAL MURE: Desire/ Morse Code/ WENDELL SMITH: Nashville Tennessee/ HUNT STEVENS: I Feel It For You/ If You Don't Know/ Johnny On The Spot/ CHUCK WILEY: Shake Up The Dance/ Tear It Up

 
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: Im 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: Whats Gwyne On?/ JOHNNY SPAIN & THE FAMOUS FLAMES: Family Rules/ Im In Love/ ANDY WILSON: Too Much Of Not Enough

 
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 Smith & Co. 2435 Great Rock 'n' Roll - Red Hot - Just About As Good As ● CD $18.98
2CD, 64 tracks, highly recommended
The "Just About as Good as it Gets" series of CDs from Smith & Co. have been long popular with our customers, featuring as they do comprehensive, modestly priced, collections of different genres of popular music from the last century-ranging from Rockabilly to Skiffle to Rock 'n' Roll instrumentals to British Jazz and Rock 'n' Roll. On this newest edition, the emphasis is on American Rock 'n' Roll from the years 1953 to 1960, with the term "Rock 'n' Roll" being used as much as a catch-all for R&B and Rockabilly as for the genuine article. On these discs, the big names and the one-hit-wonders have equal prominence in the eyes of the compilers; in this universe, Little Richard, Lloyd Price, Big Joe Turner, Eddie Cochran, and Gene Vincent are just important as Big T. Tyler, Mad Man Taylor, Big Danny Oliver, Jesse James, and Rusty York. While it's true many of these tracks can be found other collections, it's the scope and variety of these mostly up tempo cuts that make the CD compelling listening. One thing the Smith & Co. guys know how to do is to make fun, interesting, and highly listenable collections, and this one is no exception. (GMC)
BIG BOB: Your Line Was Busy/ THE BLONDE BOMBER: Strollie Bun/ BILLY BROWN: Flip Out/ ROY BROWN: Saturday Night/ JERRY BYRNE: Carry On/ Lights Out/ FREDDIE CANNON: Tallahassee Lassie/ BILLY CARROLL: Big Green Car/ PAUL CHAPLAIN AND HIS EMERALDS: Shortnin' Bread/ DEE CLARK: Oh Little Girl/ ROY CLARK: Please Mr. Mayor/ EDDIE COCHRAN: Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie/ Pretty Girl/ BUDDY COVELLE: Lorraine/ G.L. CROCKETT: Look Out Mabel/ JIMMY DEE & THE OFFBEATS: You're Late, Miss Kate/ DON AND DEWEY: Bim Bam/ Justine/ BIG AL DOWNING: Down On The Farm/ ESQUERITA: Rockin' The Joint/ EDDIE FONTAINE: Nothin' Shaking/ BOBBY FREEMAN: Betty Lou Got A New Pair OF Shoes/ Little Girl Don't You Understand/ LOU GRAHAM: Wee Willie Brown/ RUDY GREENE: Wild Life/ THURSTON HARRIS: Do What You Did/ DALE HAWKINS: Susie-Q/ Wild Wild World/ MICKEY HAWKS: Big Bop Boom/ IVAN: Real Wild Child/ WANDA JACKSON AND THE PARTYTIMERS: Let's Have A Party/ Mean Mean Man/ JESSE JAMES: Red Hot Rockin' Blues/ MARIE KNIGHT: I Thought I Told You Not To Tell Them/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: High School Confidential/ LITTLE IKE: She Can Rock/ LITTLE RICHARD: Lucille/ Ready Teddy/ LONG TALL MARVIN: Have Mercy, Miss Percy/ JANIS MARTIN: All Right Baby/ SCOTTY MCKAY: Evenin' Time/ AMOS MILBURN: Chicken Shack Boogie/ SCREAMING' JOE NEAL: Rock 'n' Roll Deacon/ BIG DANNY OLIVER: Sapphire/ RONNIE PEASON: I Dig That Girl The Most/ PIANO SLIM: Lot OF Shakin', Lot Of Jivin'/ ELVIS PRESLEY: A Big Hunk O' Love/ LLOYD PRICE: Where You At/ BILLY RILEY AND THE LITTLE GREEN MEN: Flying Saucer Rock 'n' Roll/ RONNIE SELF: Bop A Lena/ MAD MAN TAYLOR: Rumble Tumble/ JOE TEX: You Little Baby Faced Thing/ BA BA THOMAS: Miss Shake It/ BIG JOE TURNER: Lipstick Powder & Paint/ JESSE LEE TURNER: Shake Baby Shake/ BIG T. TYLER: King Kong/ Sadie Green/ GENE VINCENT AND THE BLUECAPS: Git It/ Lotta Lovin'/ CHUCK WILEY: Tear It Up/ LARRY WILLIAMS: Dizzy Miss Lizzy/ Slow Down/ RUSTY YORK: Sugaree/ YOUNG JESSIE: Hit Git And Split

 
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 Spin It 703 Bip Bop Bip, Vol. 2 - Hoppin' In Hollywood ● CD $16.98
22 tracks, 49 mins, highly recommended
Here's a lively mix of R&B, Rock 'N' Roll, Doo-Wop and Novelty songs that most of you will probably dig. With no less than three tracks being of the monster variety You might also want to pick this up for your next Halloween party,; Which Witch Doctor by The Vogues, plus Monster Movie Ball, and (I Was A) Teenage Brain Surgeon, both by Spike Jones and his Sicknicks. On top of those sickos, you also get such wild & wooly numbers as I'm An Eskimo Too by Gene Nash, The Breather by The Magnificent Monta-gue, Lone Ranger Gonna Get Married by Jimmy Johnson & His Band, etc. Then there's I'm On My Way by Bobby Sanders (off of the Kaybo label); if there was a track that was so killer that it almost made a compilation worth the price of admission all by itself, I'm On My Way might be one. The Spin-it label ain't much in the way of liner notes and all, but you get enough real gone and fantastic stuff on here to more that make up for it. (JM)
SEPH ACRE & THE PETS: Rock & Roll Cha Cha/ THE BEAVERS WITH JACK MARSHALL ORCH.: Sack Dress/ CANDY & THE SUGAR TONES: I-Ay-Ov-Lay-Oo-Yay/ THE CONTENDERS: Tequila Song/ BILLY DOLTON: Girls/ GAIL & SANDRA: Bill/ I Mean, You Know/ RONNIE GOODE WITH BOBBY GROSS ORCH.: Crazy Bait/ HEDLEY & LEE: Little Miss Treater/ JIMMY JOHNSON & HIS BAND: Lone Ranger Gonna Get Married/ SPIKE JONES & HIS SICKNICKS: (I Was A) Teenage Brain Surgeon/ Monster Movie Ball/ BUDDY LOWE: Sherry Lee/ AL LUCAS: Sweet Tooth For My Baby Ruth/ MAGNIFICENT MONTA-GUE: The Breather/ PRENTICE MORELAND: Limbo Party/ GENE NASH: I'm An Eskimo Too/ BOBBY SANDERS: I'm On My Way/ JOHNNY SARDO: Late, Late To School/ THE STEREOS: Sole Mio Rock/ THE VOGUES WITH AL KAVELIN ORCH.: Which Witch Doctor/ BOB WILSON: Imogene

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Spin It 705 My Boy Lollypop - Super-Tough 50s Females Jivers Vol. 3 ● CD $16.98
24 tracks, 57 mins, recommended
Following on the heels of "Pepper Hot Baby" (Spin It 701) and "Ice Cream Baby" (Spin It 704), comes the third volume in this series of obscure female artists from the 50s. Like the first two collections, this one is a mixed bag of songs with an R&B slant and faux-rock 'n' roll courtesy of labels like Coral, Capital, King, Columbia, Decca, Chess, Mercury, Kapp, MGM, and Josie. There's a few hold-overs from Volume one (Lillian Briggs, Betty Jean Morris), but for the most part this is a new crop of would-be red hot mammas. Highlights include Betty Clooney (Rosemary's sister) tearing up Sin In Satin, Mamie Van Doren's surprisingly good Salamander, Rosalind Paige's Late Date, Lillian Briggs' Diddy Boppers, Betty Jean Morris' I Ain't Gonna Mambo, Cathy Ryan's 24 Hours a Day (365 a Year), and Barbie Gaye's original 1956 version of My Boy Lollypop (covered by Millie Small in 1964). All in all, this is a pretty fun disc and if you own the first two volumes, then this one is a must. (GMC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Spin-It 706 Boy Crazy - Super Dreamy Female Rockaballad, Vol. 1 ● CD $16.98
24 tracks, 62 mins, recommended
The gang at Spin-It is back with another collection of tracks from obscure female singers like Lillian Briggs, The Perry Sisters, Lee Kane, and Carol Hughes; this time, however, the gals are lamenting about their man troubles on ballads of varying quality. If you've already heard any of the other Spin It titles - "Pepper Hot Baby" (Spin It 701), "Ice Cream Daddy" (Spin It 704) or "My Boy Lollypop" (Spin It 705)-then you know what to expect from this CD: some early 50's pop, a smattering of R&B, and some watered down Country. Highlights include: Casual Look by Lorry Raine, Baby, We're Through by Jean Dinning, and It Would Mean So Much to Me by Dorisetta Clark. With titles (and lyrics to match) like Dear Mom and Dad/ Graduation Night/ I'm Old Enough/ A Teenager Sings the Blues, and My Big Brother's Friend, it's safe to assume that the powers that be were aiming their artists squarely at the bourgeoning female teenager market that was making a major impact during the 50s, and it's to the compilers' credit that they're giving us examples of the musical exploitation style of the time. A rare moment of sophistication comes in the form of Helene Dixon (backed by the Quincy Jones Orchestra) on the understated and subtle Heaven Came Down to Earth. Future star alert: hear a young Leslie Uggams acquit herself quite well on I'm Old Enough. Labels represented include Epic, Essex, Mercury, Swan, Dot, Crown, Demon, Arrow, and others. Verdict: this is a quite enjoyable collection for fans of the earlier Spin-It compilations.
BABETTE BAIN WITH RENE HALL ORCH.: Graduation Night/ LILLIAN BRIGGS: Eddie, My Love/ KAY BROWN WITH VAN ALEXANDER ORCH.: Love Me/ LILLYANN CAROL & THE JAN RAYE QUARTET: So Used To You/ DORISETTA CLARK: It Would Mean So Much To Me/ GLORIA DE MARCO: I Forgive/ JEAN DINNING: Baby, We're Through/ HELENE DIXON WITH HOWARD BIGGS ORCH.: A Teenager Sings The Blues/ HELENE DIXON WITH QUINCY JONES ORCH.: Heaven Came Down To Earth/ DOTTIE FERGUSON: You And Me And Love/ GLORIA GREY: Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me/ KELLY HART: Dear Mom And Dad/ CAROL HUGHES WITH HAL MOONEY ORCH.: My Big Brother's Friend/ CAROL JARVIS: Boy Crazy/ LEE KANE: Need You/ ANGELE MCNEIL: Can You Tell Me Why/ SANDEE MOORE: The Autograph/ THE PERRY SISTERS: Fabian/ LORRY RAINE: Casual Look/ JOYCE ROMERO: Play It Fair/ LU ANN SIMMS: I Might Drop Around In Your Dreams/ MARY SWAN WITH DAVE APPELL ORCH.: I'll Wait For You/ LESLIE UGGAMS WITH HUGO PERETTI ORCH.: I'm Old Enough/ VICKI YOUNG & THE JORDANAIRES: Sixty Lonely Seconds

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Stomper Time 25 Skiffle Showcase ● CD $18.98
32 tracks, 80 min., recommended
During the skiffle craze of the mid-1950s in England, not many outfits could boast a hit record on both sides of the Atlantic, but Chas McDevitt and company, who represent the bulk of this release, could. Their Freight Train, featuring Nancy Whiskey on vocals, made it to the top ten. This collection, which included nearly every skiffle-related side released by the Oriole and Embassy labels, devotes the majority of its tracks to the Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group, and that doesn't count the four cuts by The Cranes, who were the CMSG renamed. In fact, in one of the more bizarre record industry marketing moments, McDevitt's group was enlisted to record covers of popular skiffle songs using the alias The Cranes. That part is common. What's odd is that the company that hired them to record was their own label who had them cut songs as The Cranes on an affiliated label, including their own hit Freight Train. So they were their own cut-rate competition, and the same label owned both releases. Impressively mad. Also included here are the Coffee Bar Skifflers, who go unidentified to this day; the The Hallelujah Skiffle Group, featuring Cliford Ford; Nancy Whiskey & Her Skifflers; and a lone side by skiffle king Lonnie Donegan (The Passing Stranger). Even though McDevitt's version of the classic House Of New Orleans is devoid of any trace of liquor or whorehouse, they make it work as an upbeat skiffle song. Other tracks include Hank Williams' I Saw The Light, Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O (as The Cranes), Sporting Life, Worried Man, Greenback Dollar and more. Nancy Whiskey's few sides are all worth a listen. And although rock and roll and folk music would effectively put an end to skiffle's popularity, it's easy to see why the Beatles would credit skiffle as an influence. Its combination of country, folk, jazz, and blues influences is easy to like--at least in small doses. (JC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS T-Bird 005 The Soundalike Kings Present Cover Hits & Misses ● CD $24.98
2 CDs, 124 min., all but recommended
The guys behind Spar Records spent the 1950's and 1960's selling cheap (39 cents per or 3 for a buck) 45 rpms that looked and sounded like the hit records people wanted but weren't. They were available in supermarkets and dime stores and thus available everywhere in America. Why would anyone want a 2-disc collection of pretend hits? Easy, Spar was located in Nashville, and the session musicians they used were often top flight, including Charlie McCoy, David Briggs, Boots Randolph, Wayne Moss, Bill Pursell, Norbert Putnam, Mac Gayden, Henry Strzelecki, Jimmy Wilkerson, Bob Moore and many others. These session musicians were sometimes the very same performers who cut the actual hit for Elvis or whomever. And some of the singers were first rate talents who hadn't been discovered. Add to that the fact that sometimes famous folks would make appearances on soundalike versions. Ray Stevens, for example, shows up on the Spar version of the culturally insensitive Speedy Gonzales as the voice of Speedy, or so say the liner notes. The dozens of singers listed are apparently just a few people recording under different names. Herbert Hunter is one of the best. And yet, sometimes the sound-alike doesn't earn the name. The New Generation's Where Did Our Love Go is a plodding, ugly affair that no one at Motown would have ever given the green light to. And then there's the fact that sometimes a certain take of a certain song is just magically better than the rest. No way to duplicate that. An interesting collection for someone looking for something out of the ordinary. (JC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Trailer-Park 5 Twisted Tales From The Vinyl Wastelands, Vol. 5 ● CD $15.98
31 tracks + 2 spoken segments, 79 mins, highly recommended (I think)
Those whackos at Trailer-Park are back with another thematic collection subtitled "Last Kiss Of The Drunken Driver" it's a collection of 50s/ early 60s songs about suicide, drunks, car wrecks, dead teenagers and funerals. Two of the most popular songs in the genre were Last Kiss and Endless Sleep and those two songs are here but in cover versions by Wayne Cochran and Lee Kram respectively. And if you think those are grim wait until you hear Susie Forgive Me by Kenny Karen - a delightful tale about a boy who injures his girl friend in a car accident and then gets shot by the cops while robbing a store to get money for her surgery. More delights include Two Hour Honeymoon by Paul Hampton, Jimmy Cross's truly sick I Want My Baby Back, The Grave by Tony Casanova and more from Honey May, Cliff Gleaves, Benny Joy, Don Bailey, Terry Tyler and others. About the only familiar track is Buddy Knox's great I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself - he sounds so cheerful at the prospect. Get out your handkerchiefs before listening to this one. (FS)
KENNY ANCEL: Teenage Honeymoon/ BILL ANDERSON: Three A.M./ DON BAILEY: Fourteen Stories Down/ TONY CASANOVA: The Grave/ WAYNE COCHRAN: Last Kiss/ JIMMY CROSS: I Want My Baby Back/ TOMMY DEE: Ballad Of Drag Race/ MARK DINNING: The Pickup/ MORT (DOC) DOWNEY JR: Ballad Of Billy Brown/ CLIFF GLEAVES: Long Black Hearse/ PAUL HAMPTON: Two Hour Honeymoon/ BILLY HUNT: Welcome Touch Of Death/ FERLIN HUSKEY: The Drunken Driver/ LOUIE INNIS: Suicide/ INTRO: Signal 30/ BENNY JOY: Dark Angel/ KENNY KAREN: Susie Forgive Me/ STANLEY KIMBALL: No Return/ BUDDY KNOX: I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself/ LEE KRAM: Endless Sleep/ RONNIE LAYNE: Freeway U.S.A./ BOBBY LEEDS: Suicide/ JAMES MASK: I Miss My Teen Angel/ HONEY MAY: Suicide/ THE MYSTICS: Star Crossed Lovers/ JODY REYNOLDS: A Tear For Jesse/ DEE ROBB: The Prom/ RONNIE & LYNDA: He's A Good Boy/ JULIAN ROSE: The Rumor/ SKIT: The Bottle & The Throttle/ BOBBY SWANSON: Angel/ TERRY TYLER: A Thousand Feet Below/ CAL VEALE: Paralyzed

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Trailer-Park 7 Twisted Tales From The Vinyl Wastelands, Vol. 7 ● CD $15.98
32 tracks, 77 mins, highly recommended
Just when you thought it was safe to re-enter the trailer park here comes another wild and crazy collection - mostly with a rock 'n' roll flavor. Songs deal with subjects like 500 pound canaries, stealing hubcaps, fugitives, aftershave, auctioneers, cockroaches, smoking in bed and more. Artists include Jules Blattner, Bob Lee (a Screamin' Jay Hawkins influenced performer), Bill Royal, The Facets, Junior Jordan, Jerry Foster, Bill Peyton, Hong Kong White Sox (a tasteless version of Alley Oop sung in mock Chinese accent as Cholly Oop), Zip & The Zippers, Dudley (a parody of El Paso called El Pizza), Henry Thome, Senator Bobby & Senator McKinley (Bobby Kennedy and Everett McKinley imitators sing (?) Mellow Yellow) and others. (FS)
THE ARISTOKATZ: Next Time/ JULES BLATTNER: 500 Pound Canary/ DAVEY DAVE: Motor Cycle Mike/ JOHNNY DIO: Back Crack Twist/ DUDLEY: El Pizza/ THE FACETS: Auctioneer/ JERRY FOSTER: I Ain't No Beatle/ GROOVY G-MAN: Groovy Grub Worm/ AL HENDRIX: Wait'll You Get a Wiff of My Aftershave Lotion/ HONG KONG WHITE SOX: Cholley Oop/ JERRY & BRAD: The People Hater/ JUNIOR JODAN: Down Boy! Down Boy!/ SPIKE JONES: Japanese Skokiaan/ DANNY LAMEGO: Chickenfeed/ JACK LARSON: Roaches/ BILLY LEDBETTER: Stealing Hubcaps/ BOB LEE: Wanted for Questioning/ KENNY LEE MARTIN: One Night Stand/ LAMAR MORRIS: The Fugitive/ BILL PEYTON: Don't Smoke in Bed/ PLEASANT VALLEY TUNE JAMMERS: Big Foots/ Ugly/ WENDY POWERS: Auctioneer Lover/ MISTER ROMAN: Elvis Reese's Peanut Butter Creme/ GENE ROSS: Rockin' China Doll/ BILL ROYAL: Caffeine-Nicotine-And-Gasoline/ JOHNNY ROYAL: Lover Boy/ SENATOR BOBBY & SENATOR MCKINLEY: Mellow Yellow/ HENRY THOME: Wolf Bait/ THE WARNER BROTHERS: Please Mr. Sullivan/ JOEY WARREN: Goatee/ ZIP & THE ZIPPERS: Gig

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Viper 056 The Ultimate 50s Rockin' Sci-Fi Disc ● CD $18.98
20 tracks, 46 mins, highly recommended
Yogi Bera said it best: "the future just ain't what it used to be." This attractive little package is full of all sorts of space ships, aliens (little green men and other varieties), sputniks, muttnics and even a case of the Satellite Fever Asiatic Flu. Billie Lee Riley's Flying Saucer Rock 'n' Roll is on here -- no surprise -- but the rest of this collection digs a little deeper, (or should I say, goes a little farther out.) Rockabilly/ Country takes up the biggest portion of the platter, but there are also great tracks like Ella Fitzgerald's Two Little Men In A Flying Machine, to mix it up some. Get ready to bop to the stars with Hank Snow and his Honeymoon On A Rocket Ship, Al Jaobson and his Sputnik, and blast off with Joe Montgomery on his Planetary Run. Then get ready for Satellite Rock by The Rebelairs featuring Sammy Smith, and then by Jimmy Copeland and the J-Teens; then there's Satellite Rock by Joe Tate and The Hi-Fives, but that one's totally different, far out man! There are a couple of tracks here that are pretty easily found elsewhere, but in general this is some way out there stuff that the record collectors will flip for. In the astute words of Ray Anderson (and the Home Folks): "They're so ironic, are they atomic?" Atomic indeed, and totally infectious! (JM)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Viper 066 Rockin' In The Jungle ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, highly recommended
Another great thematic collection from the Viper label - this time devoted to songs with a jungle theme - mostly rock 'n' roll along with some R&B and country - all from the 1950s. It includes Hank Mizell's all time classic Jungle Rock plus Jungle Hop from Kip Tyler, The Monkey by Dave Bartholomew (an important record in the development of reggae), Tarzan by Glenn Reeves, Baboon Boogie by Jimmy Murphy, Rockin' In The Congo by Hank Thomspon, Nervous Norvus with his amazing Ape Call plus more from Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Playboys, The Big Bopper, Bo Diddley, The Cadets, Guitar Gable and others. A great collection of music with superb sound, informative notes and terrific cover art. (FS)
DAVE BARTHOLOMEW: The Monkey/ THE BIG BOPPER: Monkey Song (You made a Monkey out of me)/ THE CADETS: Stranded in the Jungle/ BO DIDDLEY: Jungle/ THE ETERNALS: Rockin in the Jungle/ CHARLIE FEATHERS: Jungle Fever/ GUITAR GABLE: Congo Mambo/ BILL HALEY: Birth of The Boogie/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: Ubangi Stomp/ HANK MIZELL: Jungle Rock/ JIMMY MURPHY: Baboon Boogie/ NERVOUS NORVUS: Ape Call/ HOT LIPS PAGE: Jungle King/ THE PLAYBOYS: Jungle Fever/ GLEN REEVES & HIS ROCK-BILLYS: Tarzan/ EDDY SEACRIST AND HIS ROLLIN ROCKETS: Able One/ RAY SHARPE: Monkeys Uncle/ SMOKEY JOE WITH THE CLYDE LEOPPARD BAND: Signifying Monkey/ RUFUS THOMAS: Tiger Man (King of the Jungle)/ HANK THOMPSON: Rockin in the Congo/ BIG T TYLER: King Kong/ KIP TYLER: Jungle Hop/ THE VELVET ANGELS: Jungle Fever/ HOP WILSON: Rockin in the Coconut Top

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Wanda 1007 Love At First Bite ● CD $17.98
25 tracks, 62 mins, recommended
Just in time for Halloween, 2011 we get the "Love At First Bite, Vampires Have No Life!" collection. 25 horrific tunes from diverse musical styles ranging from Pop, like Merv Griffin Screemin' Meemies) and Rosemary Clooney (The Wobblin' Goblin), to the classic Jamaican Ska of Desmond Dekker (Dracula) and hot Rhythm and Blues like Jupiter Jones (The Spook Spoke), and Bill Doggett (Monster Party). As is the case with most of the fantastical collections, the bulk of the material is in the wild Rock 'n' Roll or twisted Country music mode. Culprits like Buck Owens with Monster's Holiday, and his Hee-Haw partner Roy Clark in more of a Rock 'n' Roll mode with Spooky Movies, represent the Country end of things whilst artists like The Hollywood Argyles doing Bugeyed Man and Jeckyl and Hyde with Frankenstein Meets The Beatles represent the R&R angle. About 25-30% of the tracks here are pretty easily found elsewhere, another 30% or so are hard to find desirables, while the remaining 30% or so are hard to want throwaways. So, overall, fanatics like me will need this, the casual fan might be a bit squeamish, though. (JM)

 
BOBBY VEE EMI 907 206-2 Rarities ● CD $11.98
2 CDs, 2 hours 31 min., recommended
What prevents this from being a model of a reissue, what with the great sound from the master tapes and the detailed booklet notes and rare photos, is just this: most of the music is second rate. Nearly the entire first CD features mediocre material awash in strings and marred with the kind of backing vocals that make the Anita Kerr singers seem wild. It is as if Vee's producers are ashamed of rock and roll and want to keep it as far away as possible. So, Vee himself can be forgiven the Buddy Holly hiccup on White Silver Sands or the nod to Elvis here and there in the face of such overproduced and bloodless sound. The result is neutered music fit for department store elevators. The brightest moments are the generally pleasing You Won't Forget Me and Mr. Moonlight, which stands alone with its spare production (no strings, no backing vocals) as an aural oasis in a desert of dreck. The 45 rpm version of Hickory Dick and Doc, despite a title that sounds like it might be the punchline to a blue joke, also manages to be interesting. On the second CD, life improves mightily. Whereas in the typical case for releases of this era the material tends to get weaker as it moves away from the 1950s, Rarities gets stronger as it moves through the mid 1960s and 1970s. Many of the later sides eliminate the hokey string arrangements or at least dampen them down to the point where they do not get in the way much. Actual guitars can be heard on the bridges, occasionally, and Vee's vocals sound less trained and more emotive, as if the songs might mean something. One of the best songs, Take Away is from 1970, of all things. Go figure. Of course the real fans will want it all and will no doubt rejoice in the sea of rare songs, some of which are previously unreleased, some in stereo for the first time, one (I Can Hear You) previously released on 8-track tape only! For the rest of the world, the 30 tracks on Disc 2 hold the most enjoyment. (JC)

 
THE VENTURES/ THE STRING-A-LONGS Ace CDLUX 004 Exotic Guitars From The Clovis Vaults ● CD $24.98
30 tracks, 74 mins, highly recommended
The fourth volume in Ace Records' Limited Edition CD series takes a slightly different tack from the ones so far issued; the spotlight is on New Mexico band the Fireballs and the assorted names that producer Norman Petty had them record as. While the previous Limited Editions all contained songs with vocals, this is the first all-instrumental edition. Although as much a tribute to Petty's production skills and business acumen as to the Fireball's playing prowess, this collection has the least mainstream appeal of the Limited batch of CDs. But lovers of classic 50's and 60's instrumental rock guitar will eat this stuff up, and collectors will salivate over the first-time-ever on CD release of the complete 1968 album "Wide World Hits" by the String-A-Longs. The band does themselves proud on everything from covers of well-known songs like Stormy and Hold Me Tight to originals like Drugstore Cowboy and Holiday Love, and even though they became a mostly vocal act after the success of Sugar Shack in 1963 the music here proves that they never lost the knack of knocking out tasty instrumentals. And make no mistake, this is wonderful music that has its place in rock 'n' roll history and deserves to be preserved and heard. As always with this series, the worldwide pressing is limited to 1,500, so, if you're interested, get it while you can. (GMC)

 
Back To New Release Index

 Back To Home Page


Roots & Rhythm
P.O. Box 837
El Cerrito, CA 94530 USA
Toll Free Order Line : 888-ROOTS-66, Fax : 510-526-9001

© 2012 Roots & Rhythm. No part of this site may be reproduced without written permission