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176 pages, perfect bound, essential
Counts as five CDs
for shipping. Here's the brand spankin' new issue of the best music
magazine currently in print. This may also be their best issue yet. You
get a cover story on the great Love featuring a massive, in-depth
interview with guitarist Johnny Echols--someone who has never done such
an extensive interview before--and the results are magic. On top of that
you get Cyril Jordan from the Flamin' Groovies' new ongoing column on
the San Francisco scene, which includes rare photos and Jordan's own fab
illustrations. Other artists featured are Ed Saunders from The Fugs and
so much more, the awesome Wimple Winch, Group 1850, and others. Lots of
great ongoing columns and as usual, the best bunch of CD, DVD and Book
reviews outside of, well, Roots and Rhythm, make for what I consider
essential indeed. (JM)
Hardback, 455 pages, counts as eight CDs for shipping
This is the definitive biography of James Brown, the Godfather of Soul,
as it charts his extraordinary life as entrepreneur, civil rights
activist, and a musical innovator. This highly influential genius, who
all but created funk and dominated R&B and pop in the second half of the
20th century, was born into abject poverty in South Carolina and raised
in rural Georgia amid violent racial tensions. He grew up in a brothel
owned by his aunt, landed in a juvenile prison at age 16, and upon his
release met his first bandmates, who would later become the Famous
Flames. Brown's music, defined by a concept he referred to as "the One",
ruled R&B from the Chitlin' Circuit to the Apollo Theater: he amassed 44
Billboard Top 40 hit singles, played up to 350 shows a year at his peak,
and was a superior showman. This book is a meticulously researched story
that delves into the complexities of Brown as an artist, and explores
his role in the Black Power movement, his high profile friendships, his
complicated personal life, and his loss and gain of several fortunes.
The music world has been waiting a long time for a thorough look into
this giant of R&B, and here it is.
46 performances, 145 minutes, essential
Now available as
a U.S. release at a much lower price. Incredible DVD featuring almost 2
1/2 hours of live performances of traditional Irish music from the
archives of RTE - the Irish national broadcasting service. Drawn from
broadcasts made between the 60s and the 80s it features traditional
performers as well as younger artists who took the music in new
directions. The performances are in settings that include inside and oustside peoples homes, on stage, in pubs and other informal settings.
Among the artists featured are (are you ready?) - The Bothy Band, Darach
O Cathain, Liam O'Flynn, Ann Byrne & Jesse Owens, Clannad, Ceoltoiri
Laighean, Paul Brady (his unaccompanied Shamrock Shore sung in a
pub is worth the price alone), Sean Keane, Knocknagree Set Dances, De
Danann, Tommy Peoples, Julia Clifford & Denis Murphy with Paddy Moloney,
Joe Cooley, Pat Kearney, Planxty, Paddy Moloney & Sean Potts, Stockton's
Wing, The Dubliners, Tommy Makem, Frank Harte, Al O'Donnell (a wonderful
and little known singer and guitarist) and many more. There are also
ceili dancers, a brief mummers play and more. Audio and video quality is
excellent and since this is drawn from hundreds of hours of performances
we can only hope that there are more volumes to come. (FS)
120 mins, recommended
Its possibly that you, like me,
caught PBS's special on Folk music that aired a little while back, and
it's possible that you, like me, liked it, but wished there was a little
more to it. Well, here is the version that much deeper. The crux of the
documentary is on the 1960s Folk scene in and around Greenwich Village
and the music's journey up the Pop charts and around the country. This
features some common and some pretty rare performances, with most of the
songs preformed in their entirety (though unfortunately, they talk
through half of Mississippi John Hurt's You've Got To Walk That
Lonesome Valley, probably the rarest of the footage here). You get
Newport Festival performances from Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, and various
T.V. show performances from most of the rest, with the main exception
being The Mamas and Papas, who were filmed at the Monterey Pop Festival.
From Phil Ochs to Neil Diamond, The New Lost City Ramblers to Simon &
Garfunkel, you get a pretty good overview of the 1960's biggest and most
influential Folkies. The best thing about this release may well be the
bonus footage. The bonus is about an extra hour of the principle
interviewees that participated in the documentary, going deeper into the
stories of their careers, the Folk scene in the village in general,
politics, hangouts, etc. So, you get some pretty fantastic footage of
people like Don McLean, Peter Yarrow, John Cohen (from the Ramblers,)
Maria Muldaur, etc. telling great stories and playing impromptu old Folk
songs. Also features a menu where you can go through and pull up
individual performances, which is nice. (JM)
16 tracks, essential
The first disc from the double CD Chess 9391
originally issued in 1958 featuring all the recordings made for Chess or
acquired by Chess from other sources in the 1950s. Most of the tracks
feature John at his best accompanied only by his dynamic electric guitar
with occasional second guitar by his friend Eddie Kirkland. The first
two cuts - the ferocious Mad Man Blues and Hey Boogie were
recorded for Joe Von Battle and originally issued on the Gone label and
with Joe's rather primitive recording facilities are the roughest
sounding titles here. The rest of this disc features tracks recorded for
Chess in April 1951 and April 1952 and includes several tracks not
originally issued on 78s and features such great sides as Louise/
Union Station Blues/ Ground Hog Blues/ Dreamin' Blues/ Walkin' The
Boogie (the original undubbed version)/ Please Don't Go/ Bluebird
and others. If you don't already have these recordings on other reissues
they utterly indispensible. (FS)
15 tracks, highly recommended
More fine and varied
Hooker material. The first track was a fascinating experiment by Chess to
try and make Hooker's sound slightly more commercial - they took his
original recording of Walkin' The Boogie double tracked it, added
loud stamping feet and a speeded up guitar part - the end result is
fascinating and effective and the technical tricks seems quite
sophisticated for 1951 but was not repeated. The next six tracks are
superb sides from the April 1952 session by just John and his guitar.
This is followed by the bizarre You Have Two Hearts that first
appeared on the Chess
double - a Lonnie Johnson style ballad with John Lee just strummin' accompanied by a celeste. There are four more tracks from a
1952 session originally recorded for Fortune with John Lee accompanied
by the rather anemic piano of Bob Thurman and the rest of the disc is
also Fortune recordings from 1953 and 1954 - four with Thurman and Eddie
Kirkland on second guitar and four with a small band with trumpet and
tenor sax that are raggedy but fun. (FS)
16 tracks, 46 mins, very highly recommended
Up until now Charly's SNAXCD series of R&B artist collections have been two CDs sets
chock full of hard-to-find and/or previously unavailable treasures from
legends like Allen Toussaint, Aaron Neville, Ernie K. Doe, Irma Thomas,
and the Meters. This one for Bettye LaVette, however, is only one disc
which is disappointing only from the standpoint of expecting more.
Nevertheless, this set is advertised as a "complete" collection of the
lady's Memphis recordings from the late 60's and early 70's made for
Silver Fox (Lelan Rogers label) and SSS International (Shelby
Singleton's label) (as well as two bonus tracks from 1978). The first
four tracks-He Made a Woman Out of Me/ Nearer to You/ Do Your Duty,
and Love's Made a Fool Out Of Me - were the A and B sides to the
only hits Bettye had with Silver Fox, while further singles featuring
Joe South's Games People Play, Erma Franklin's Piece of My
Heart, and a duet with Hank Ballard, Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go
all stiffed. The rest of the songs here remained in the vaults until
Charly released them for the first time in 1985. Although this CD is
short, there's not a duff track in the bunch as Bettye sings the hell
out of My Train's Coming In, At the Mercy of a Man, and
I'm in Love. If you're a fan of Bettye LaVette, this CD is mandatory;
and if you're a fan of great R&B and soul, then you can't miss with this
one. (GMC)
16 audio tracks, 2 video tracks, 45 mins, essential
The
sticker on the front of this CD proudly trumpets that this album was
"#50 on Rolling Stone's top 500 albums of all time." Now, while I
certainly have no problem singing the praises of this record -- I am
about to do plenty of that -- my problem is, that I can't think of 4
albums that are better than this Little Richard album, let alone 49;
that's just an outrage! This album, Little Richard's debut full length
from 1957 that features some of his great 1956 singles, is one of the
absolute cornerstones of Rock & Roll. You could easily argue that at
least half of those top 500 records might not have even existed if it
wasn't for Little Richard. This album features Tutti Frutti/ Ready
Teddy/ Slippin' an Slidin'/ Long Tall Sally/ Rip It Up/ Jenny Jenny/
She's Got It, plus another handful of great tracks that weren't hits
but were just about as good. This CD re-issue has all of those, sounding
perfect, plus bonus demo tracks of Baby and All Night Long,
plus an audio interview with Art Rupe of Specialty records and on top of
all that video's of screen test performances of Tutti Frutti and
Long Tall Sally. If that's not enough, you even get a fold out
small poster reproduction of the album's iconic cover. I have owned this
record in some form since I was a teenager and I plan for this CD
reissue to go straight into my collection as soon as I get my next
paycheck. I might even get two, so I can have one at home and one in my
car; I don't ever want this album not easily within reach from me. (JM)
16 tracks, 49 mins, recommended
Collection of recordings
made between 1960 and 1984 by this Alabama singer and brilliant
harmonica player drawing on recordings made for Jerry's long time
producer Gary Sizemore and issued on various singles and LPs. It opens
with his classic Rex sides from 1960 of the much covered She's Tough
and one of the all time great blues harmonica instrumentals Steady.
From the same session but not released until 1977 were the almost as
good What About You and Rough Stuff. After that it's a bit
of a mixed bag with fine blues and harmonica playing interspersed with
silly novelty songs (including the controversial Welfare Cadillac
Blues) and not always successful attempts at soul. The disc ends with
the rock 'n roll novelty Pussycat A-Go-Go by The Shindigs, who
were actually Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs - a dumb song rescued by a
fine harp solo from Jerry. (FS)
12 tracks, 40 mins, highly recommended
Christy Moore's
second solo album from 1972 is, in many respects, the prototype Planxty
album since Christy is accompanied by Donal Lunny, Liam Og O'Flynn and
Andy Irvine along with Clive Collins, Dave Bland and Kevin Conneff. By
the time of the first Planxty album a year later their sound had matured
as can be heard by comparing the two versions of Raggle Taggle
Gypsies/ Tabhair Dom Do Lamh on this album and on the Planxty album.
Nevertheless this is a splendid collection of mostly traditional songs
including Dark Eyed Sailor/ Lock Hospital/ The Hackler From Grouse
Hall/ Spancillhill/ Rambling Robin and others. Christy and Andy are
big fans of Woody Guthrie and this disc includes Christy's version of
Bob Dylan's tribute Tribute To Woody as well as Woody's powerful
Ludlow Massacre. An excellent collection of early recordings from
this important performer. (FS)
Five CDs, 162 tracks, approx six hours, essential for
Carl Perkins fans - worth consideration by other rock 'n' roll fans
Elvis, notwithstanding, Carl Perkins was probably the most creative
artist to record for Sun - a magnificent singer, dazzling guitarist and
fine songwriter. Back in 1999 Bear Family issued a five CD set (Bear
Family BCD 15494 - $99.98) featuring all of Carl's Sun recordings
including some alternate takes plus his early Columbia recordings. Now
Bear Family has gone one step further and gathered together every
originally unissued song and alternate take that exists in the Sun
vaults along with some home recordings for this impressive collection.
About 1/3 of these tracks were also on Bear Family 15494 and some of the
other tracks have appeared on albums over the years but here they are
all together in one place - many making their first appearance on CD. In
addition to the music there are also some fun fragments of studio
chatter - while working on Dixie Fried, Carl gets frustrated at
how it's going and blurts out "If I mess up again I'm gonna bust this
guitar - and it costs too much money!". And how well does this intense
dose of Carl doing the same song again and again work? Mostly very well.
Carl was not a slick studio musician but an extremely talented country
boy who was bristling with creative energy and could rarely do the same
song twice. In many cases even a casual listener will notice how
different takes of the same song can be - lyrics are changed, verses are
added, removed or shuffled around and guitar solos are different
sometimes dramatically so and reveal what an incredibly inventive player
Carl was. It's not likely that even the most devoted Perkins fan (like
myself) will listen to all 18 takes of Put Your Cat Clothes On
(from two different sessions) at one time but it's the kind of situation
where you will return again and again to investigate the differences and
wonder at the creativity of the man. Needless to say, being Bear Family,
the sound quality is sensational and the 134 page booklet has a detailed
discussion of every song by Hank Davis and Scott Parker, rare photos
(some previously unpublished) and a complete discography of Carl's Sun
recordings. One minor complaint is I wished they had also included the
issued versions - it would have meant an extra CD but would provide a
complete picture. We must be eternally grateful that Sam Phillips had
the foresight to save everything. (FS) CARL PERKINS: All Mama's Children (alt 1)/ All Mama's
Children (alt 2)/ All Mama's Children (alt 3)/ All Mama's Children (alt
4)/ All Mama's Children (alt 5)/ All Mama's Children (alt 6)/ All Mama's
Children (fs 1)/ Be Honest With Me (alt 1)/ Be Honest With Me (alt 2)/
Be Honest With Me (alt 3)/ Blue Suede Shoes (alt 1)/ Blue Suede Shoes
(alt 2)/ Boppin' The Blues (alt 1)/ Boppin' The Blues (fragment 1)/
Boppin' The Blues (fs 1)/ Caldonia (alt 1)/ Caldonia (alt 2)/ Dixie
Bop/Perkins Wiggle (alt 1)/ Dixie Bop/Perkins Wiggle (alt 2)/ Dixie
Bop/Perkins Wiggle (alt 3)/ Dixie Fried (alt 1)/ Dixie Fried (alt 2)/
Dixie Fried (alt 3)/ Dixie Fried (alt 4)/ Dixie Fried (alt 5)/ Dixie
Fried (fragment 1)/ Drink Up And Go Home (alt 1)/ Everybody's Trying To
Be My Baby (alt 1)/ Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby (alt 2)/
Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby (alt 3)/ Everybody's Trying To Be My
Baby (alt 4)/ Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby (alt 5)/ Everybody's
Trying To Be My Baby (fragment 1)/ Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby (fs
1)/ Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby (fs 2)/ Everybody's Trying To Be My
Baby (fs 3)/ Forever Yours (alt 1)/ Forever Yours (alt 2)/ Gone Gone
Gone (alt 1)/ Gone Gone Gone (alt 2)/ Gone Gone Gone (alt 3)/ Her Love
Rubbed Off (alt 1)/ Her Love Rubbed Off (alt 2)/ Her Love Rubbed Off
(alt 3)/ Her Love Rubbed Off (alt 4)/ Her Love Rubbed Off (alt 5)/ Honey
Don't (alt 1)/ Honey Don't (alt 2)/ Honky Tonk Gal-Babe (alt 1)/ Honky
Tonk Gal-Babe (alt 2)/ Honky Tonk Gal-Babe (alt 3)/ Honky Tonk Gal-Babe
(alt 4)/ Honky Tonk Gal-Babe (alt 5)/ I Care (alt 1)/ I Care (alt 2)/
I'm Sorry I'm Not Sorry (alt 1)/ I'm Sorry I'm Not Sorry (alt 2)/ I'm
Sorry I'm Not Sorry (alt 4)/ I'm Sorry I'm Not Sorry (fs 1)/ I'm Sorry
I'm Not Sorry (fs 2)/ I'm Sorry I'm Not Sorry (fs 3 + fs 4 + fs 5 + alt
3)/ Keeper Of The Key (alt 1)/ Lend Me Your Comb (alt 1)/ Lend Me Your
Comb (alt 2)/ Lend Me Your Comb (alt 3)/ Lend Me Your Comb (fs 1)/ Let
The Jukebox Keep On Playing (alt 1)/ Listen To The Mokkingbird (alt 1)/
Lonely Street (alt 1)/ Lonely Street (alt 2)/ Lonely Street (alt 3)/
Lonely Street (alt 4)/ Look At That Moon (alt 1)/ Look At That Moon (alt
2)/ Matchbox (alt 1)/ Movie Magg (alt 1)/ Pink Pedal Pushers (alt 1)/
Pink Pedal Pushers (alt 2)/ Pink Pedal Pushers (alt 3)/ Pink Pedal
Pushers (alt 4)/ Pink Pedal Pushers (alt 5)/ Pink Pedal Pushers (alt 6)/
Pink Pedal Pushers (fragment 1)/ Put Your Cat Clothes On (alt 1)/ Put
Your Cat Clothes On (alt 10)/ Put Your Cat Clothes On (alt 11)/ Put Your
Cat Clothes On (alt 13)/ Put Your Cat Clothes On (alt 14)/ Put Your Cat
Clothes On (alt 15)/ Put Your Cat Clothes On (alt 16)/ Put Your Cat
Clothes On (alt 18)/ Put Your Cat Clothes On (alt 2)/ Put Your Cat
Clothes On (alt 3)/ Put Your Cat Clothes On (alt 4)/ Put Your Cat
Clothes On (alt 5)/ Put Your Cat Clothes On (alt 6)/ Put Your Cat
Clothes On (alt 7)/ Put Your Cat Clothes On (alt 8)/ Put Your Cat
Clothes On (alt 9)/ Put Your Cat Clothes On (fs 1 + alt 12)/ Put Your
Cat Clothes On (fs 2 + alt 17)/ Roll Over Beethoven (alt 1)/ Silver Bell
(alt 1)/ Somebody Tell Me (alt 1)/ Sure To Fall (alt 1)/ Sure To Fall
(alt 2)/ Sure To Fall (alt 3)/ Sweethearts Or Strangers (alt 1)/
Sweethearts Or Strangers (alt 2)/ Sweethearts Or Strangers (alt 3)/ Take
Back My Love (alt 1)/ Tennessee (fragment 1)/ That Don't Move Me (alt
1)/ That Don't Move Me (alt 2)/ That Don't Move Me (alt 3)/ That Don't
Move Me (alt 4)/ That Don't Move Me (alt 5)/ That Don't Move Me (fs 1)/
That's Right (alt 1)/ That's Right (alt 2)/ That's Right (alt 3)/ That's
Right (alt 4)/ The Old Spinning Wheel (alt 1)/ The Poor People Of Paris
(alt 1)/ The Way That You're Living (alt 1)/ Try My Heart Out (alt 1)/
Try My Heart Out (alt 2)/ Turn Around (alt 1)/ Turn Around (fragment 1)/
Turn Around (fragment 2)/ What You Doing When You're Crying (alt 1)/
What You Doing When You're Crying (alt 2)/ Y-O-U (alt 1)/ Y-O-U (alt 2)/
Y-O-U (alt 3)/ You Can Do No Wrong (alt 1)/ You Can Do No Wrong (alt 2)/
You Can Do No Wrong (alt 3)/ You Can Do No Wrong (alt 4)/ You Can Do No
Wrong (alt 5)/ You Can't Make Love To Somebody (alt 1)/ You Can't Make
Love To Somebody (alt 3)/ You Can't Make Love To Somebody (alt 4)/ You
Can't Make Love To Somebody (alt 5)/ You Can't Make Love To Somebody (fs
1 + alt 2)/ Your True Love (alt 1)/ Your True Love (alt 2)/ Your True
Love (alt 3)/ Your True Love (alt 4)/ Your True Love (alt 5)/ Your True
Love (fragment 1)/ Your True Love (fs 1)
10 tracks, essential
Joyful, sweeping, brilliantly
conceived and performed, this is Planxty at their best--the first and
greatest Irish neo-traditional super group. The camaraderie and musical
passion expressed by these five masters when they played together on
this 1979 recording has never been eclipsed. Christie Moore and Andy
Irvine share vocal honors, while Liam O'Flynn, Donal Lunny, and Matt
Molloy construct their intricate instrumental latticeworks of flute,
pipes, bouzoukis, guitars, and more. The emotions are rich throughout,
from Irvine's cocky, politically incorrect Rambling Si£ler to the
dark, eerie, and inexorable Farmer Michael Hayes sung by Moore.
The finish is a riotous Bulgarian dance that leaves the listener
breathless. This is a classic--not to be missed! (DC)
8 tracks, 45 mins, essential
At last! A chance to wax elegaic about one of the most remarkable Irish albums ever made. This
monumental, emotional work by Christy Moore, Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny,
Liam O'Flynn, and Matt Molloy is easily the most romantic recording
Planxty ever produced. It reflects the confidence and maturity the band
had achieved as it wound down its glory days in 1980. Consider this a
companion to "After the Break," recorded the previous year, and which was
painted with bolder and darker emotional brushstrokes. The Woman I Loved
So Well is delicious and unique in its dream quality. It's hard to
recommend any one cut in particular, but the final ballad, Moore's
11-minute Little Musgrave, is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Enjoy this album with someone you love. (DC)
26 tracks, 62 mins, recommended
Fine collection of songs
from singer/ songwriter Margie Singleton who had a modest amount of
success in the late 50s and 60s including duets with George Jones and Faron Young. Margie was from Louisiana and was married to the legendary
Shelby Singleton and although her voice doesn't particularly have a
country twang she was a powerful and emotional vocalist and her earliest
sides for Starday & D (1957-1959) feature fine honky tonk backings and
includes her first chart hits Nothing But True Love and Eyes
Of Love as well as other fine songs including the gospel song On
The Cross and the Buddy Holly flavored My Special Dream. In
1960 she moved to Mercury and half a dozen of the tracks here were
recorded for that label and are quite a mix including an answer to Leroy
Van Dyke's Walk On By, the rocker Teddy with some hot
rockabilly guitar and a fine cover of Jerry Butler's He Will Break
Your Heart which gives this CD its name. Most of the songs were
written by Margie and Shelby and the disc ends with two tracks from the
obscure Empire label - one with Margie harmonizing behind Harry Hanson.
Very nice. (FS) MARGIE SINGLETON: Angel Hands/ Beautiful Dawn/
Destination Love/ Eyes Of Love/ For The Love Of Jim/ Golden Anniversary/
Her Image Keeps Getting In The Way/ I Want To Be Where You're Gonna Be/
I'll Just Walk On By/ It's Better To Know/ Just Remember/ Love Is A
Treasure/ My Picture Of You/ My Special Dream/ Not What He's Got/
Nothing But True Love/ Oe Ee You're The One For Me/ On The Cross/ One
Step Nearer To You/ Shattered Kingdom/ She Will Break Your Heart/ Take
Time Out For Love/ Teddy/ Toss A Pebble/ Voices Of Love/ Your Old Love
Letters
14 tracks, recommended
Reissue of the first full length
album recorded by this great West Coast harmonica player for the World
Pacific label in 1968 with three bonus cuts. Most of the disc consists
of George singing or playing some of the best sides recorded by the
great Little Walter who had died shortly before these recordings. On
this session he is accompanied by members of the Muddy Waters band who
were touring the West Coast at the time with Muddy & Luther Johnson o
guitars, Little Sonny Wimberly on bass and S.P. Leary on drums. Although
George's performance are splendid they are close enough to the originals
that one can't but help making comparisons with the originals and these
performances come off second. In spite of the lineup the backup seems a
bit stodgy - probably the result of too little rehearsal. The best track
here is the only non Walter song West Helena Blues - a song that
George had been performing for a number of years. The bonus cuts include
two more Walter songs and a version of Love With A Feeling sung
by Lucille at the same sessions but without George on harp. Not a bad
album but not as good as it looks at first glance. (FS)
10 tracks, 45 mins, highly recommended
Uilleann
piper/whistler Spillane has performed and recorded with the greats of
Irish modern-trad musical explorations. "Pipedreams" shows clearly that
he's learned a thing or two. Here's some hot Irish jazz-rock that sounds
like what Moving Hearts might have done if they'd toured with Pat
Metheny. A very rich studio sound, with enough electric guitar to scare
away the hard-core folky, though it's a perfect complement to Spillane's
playing. The low whistle on Shorelines is utterly haunting. Lest
you conclude that this is an MOR album, Call Across the Canyon
will never get airplay on easy-listening radio. Pipes wail over
didgeridoo, bass, guitar, heavily layered percussion and wordless female
vocals off in the distance. Pretty far out. Spillane is an amazingly
controlled player, with great phrasing and pure tone. Check it out. (DC)
Two CDs, 45 tracks, essential
This features all the
pre-Specialty recordings of one of the greatest of all post war gospel
groups. Originally formed as the Four Harmony Kings by the superb high
tenor Claude Jeter in 1938 the group had changed it's name The Swan Silvertone Singers by the time they recorded their first session in July
1946 where Jeter was joined by baritones Solomon Womack (uncle of Bobby
Womack) and John Myles with bass singer William Johnson. This first
session of eight songs is in the traditional jubilee style pioneered by
The Golden Gate Quartet but by the second session they adopted a looser
and harder gospel style with Jeter and Womack trading off leads and by
their June, 1950 session they ascend into the stratosphere with the
addition of the ferocious baritone Rev. Percell Perkins (formerly with
the Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi) whose declamatory preaching style
puts him in the same league as the great Silas Steele. This is post war
gospel at its very finest with excellent sound and informed notes by
Opal Louis Nations in the 12 page booklet as wellas full discographical
info. A must! (FS) THE SWAN SILVERTONES: All Aboard/ All Alone/ All Night
All Day/ Backslider's Plea/ Careless Soul/ Depending On Jesus/ Down On
My Knees/ Every Day Seems Like Sunday/ Father Alone/ Go Ahead/ Grant It
Lord/ He's My All/ I Believe/ I Cried Holy/ I Done Made It Up In My
Mind/ I Got A Mother Done Gone/ I Got A Witness/ I Must Tell Jesus/ I
Want My Crown/ I Want To Dig A Little Deeper/ I Want To Rest/ I'll
Search Heaven/ I'm Gonna Wait/ I'm Tired/ I've Tried/ In That Upper
Room/ Jesus Is God's Atomic Bomb/ Jesus Met The Woman At The Well/ Jesus
Never Fails/ Live So God Can Use You/ Long Ago/ Mother's Cry/ My God's
Getting Us Ready/ My Lord Done What He Said/ My Time Done Come/ No Not A
One/ Over Yonder/ Standing In The Safety Zone/ These Bones Gwine Rise
Again/ Toll The Bell/ Use Me Lord/ What Could I Do/ Will The Circle Be
Unbroken/ Working On A Building
10 tracks, 54 min., recommended
Mr. Dragger and Mr. Corritore first met in 1976 at a tribute concert for Holwin' Wolf the
day after that blues legend died, and from the sound of this album, they
share not just a similar blues sensibility but also a conviction to hold
nothing back on every performance. So if you are afraid of
whiskey-soaked, fire-singed Chicago blues, you may want to take a pass.
Otherwise, this is granite solid and filled with blues harp in just the
right amounts at just the right times. Corritore seems to have an
instinct for making the blues burn hotter without shining the light
directly on himself. (JC)
Four CDs, 100 tracks, over 5 hours, essential
Another
fabulous and important old time country group documented in depth by JSP
- this time the wonderful Georgia string band Gid Tanner and The Skillet
Lickers. The group had unique sound using three and sometimes four
fiddle players (Tanner, Clayton McMIchen, Lowe Stokes and Bert Layne)
with Fate Norris on banjo and Riley Puckett on guitar plus various other
musicians with most of the members contributing vocals solo or together
in various combinations. They were the most succesful string band of
their era and many of the songs they recorded have become staples of old
time country music and bluegrass like Down Yonder/ Alabama Jubilee/
Four Cent Cotton/ Old Joe Clark/ Leather Breeches/ Bonaparte's Retreat/
Ya Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dog Around/ Johnson's Old Gray Mule/ Watermelon
On The VIne and others. They may not have orginated all these songs
but it was their version that most later musicians were familiar with.
While not complete this set covers a good portion of the group's entire
output including several of their amusing two part sketches like A
Corn Likker Still In Georgia and A Night In A Blind Tiger.
Sound quality is superb and there are informative notes by Pat Harrison
who compiled the set. (FS) MCMICHEN, PUCKETT, STOKES, NORRIS, LAYNE: A Night In A
Blind Tiger - 1/ A Night In A Blind Tiger - 2/ MCMICHEN, PUCKETT,
TANNER, STOKES, NORRI: A Corn Licker Still In Georgia - 1/ A Corn Licker
Still In Georgia - 2/ MCMICHEN, TANNER, PUCKETT, NICHOLS, NORR: A
Fiddler's Convention In Georgia - 1/ A Fiddler's Convention In Georgia -
2/ GID TANNER & FATE NORRIS: Goodbye Booze/ Where Did You Get That Hat/
GID TANNER & HIS SKILLET LICKERS: A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight/
Alabama Jubilee/ Back Up And Push/ Big Ball In Town/ Bile Them Cabbage
Down/ Black Eyed Susie/ Bonaparte's Retreat/ Buckin' Mule/ Bully Of The
Town/ Cacklin' Hen And Rooster Too/ Cotton Baggin'/ Cotton Patch/
Cotton-Eyed Joe/ Cripple Creek/ Cumberland Gap/ Cumberland Gap On A
Buckin' Mule/ Dance All Night With A Bottle In Your Hand/ Devilish Mary/
Dixie/ Don't You Hear Jerusalem Moan/ Down Yonder/ Drink 'Er Down/
Flatwoods/ Flop-Eared Mule/ Four Cent Cotton/ Georgia Waggoner/ Georgia
Wagner/ Git Along/ Going On Down Town/ Hand Me Down My Walking Cane/
Hawkins Rag/ Hell's Broke Loose In Georgia/ Hen Cackle/
Hinkey-DInkey-Dee/ I Don't Love Nobody/ I Got Mine/ It Ain't Gonna Rain
No More/ It's A Long Way To Tipperary/ John Henry (The Steel Drivin'
Man)/ Johnson's Old Gray Mule/ Keep Your Gal At Home/ Leather Breeches/
Liberty/ McMichen's Breakdown/ Miss Mccleod's Reel/ Mississippi Sawyer/
Mississippi Sawyer/ Molly Put The Kettle On/ Nancy Rollin'/ Never Seen
The Likes/ New Arkansas Traveller/ Old Dan Tucker/ Old Joe Clark/ Old
McDonald Had A Farm/ Pass Around The Bottle And We'll All Take A Drink/
Polly Wolly Doo/ Prettiest Little Girl In The County/ Rickett's
Hornpipe/ Ride Old Buck To Water/ Rock That Cradle Lucy/ Rocky Pallet/
Rufus/ Sal Let me Chaw Your Rosin/ Sal's Gone To The Cider Mill/ Settin'
In The Chimney Jamb/ She'll Be Coming ‘Round The Mountain/ Shortening
Bread/ Show Me The Way To Go Home/ Skillet Licker Breakdown/ Sleeping
Lulu/ Slow Buck/ Soldier Will You Marry Me/ Soldier's Joy/ Soldiers Joy/
Sugar In The Gourd/ The Darktown Strutter's Ball/ The Girl I Left Behind
Me/ The Old Gray Mare/ The Rovin' Gambler/ Tra-Le-La-La/ Turkey In The
Straw/ Uncle Bud/ Watermelon On The Vine/ Whistlin' Rufus/ Whoa, Mule,
Whoa/ Ya Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dog Around/ GID TANNER & RILEY PUCKETT:
I'm Satisfied/ On Tanner's Farm/ Tanner's Boarding House/ Three Nights
Drunk/ TANNER, MCMICHEN, PUCKETT, STOKES & NORR: Possum Hunt On Stump
House Mountain - 1/ Possum Hunt On Stump House Mountain - 2
Two CDs 59 tracks, 148 mins, highly recommended
The
fourth and final invaluable volume reissuing titles from "HIT OF THE
WEEK" series - a series of very cheap (15 cents) 78rpm records issued on
a flexible material (durium-coated cardboard) that could be sold at
news-stands. This two CD set features all the records issued between
January 7, 1932 and June 23, 1932 when the company devoted all its
attention to the other part of their business - making recorded
advertisements and this collection features several fascinating examples
of adverting messages for Frigidaire, The Brown Shoe Company, Good Year
tires and others. The set includes some big names like Rudy Vallee with
His Connecticutt Yankees, Nick Lucas and His Troubadours and The Mills
Brothers as well as recordings by the prolific Phil Spitalny's Music,
Morton Downey and The Camel Orchestra, The Hit Of The Week Orchestra and
others including several unknown performers. A fine selection of high
quality dance band music - some of it pretty hot. In addition to the
advertising recordings this set also includes the 4-inch square disc
issued that year featuring Amelia Earhart talking about her experience
as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from an international
broadcast that was originally included free with a copy of her book "The
Fun Of It." In spite of the fragility of the original records the sound
quality is outstanding and there are extensive notes, illustrations and
full discographical data in the 24 page booklet. (FS)
Street Corner Symphony - Complete Story
Of Doo-Wop, Vol. 1:
1939-1949
● CD $24.98
30 tracks, 87 mins, essential
Bear Family does it again!
After documenting the key R&B recordings in their "Blowing The Fuse"
series and the key country records in their "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke &
Country Music" they now turn their attention to doo wop with the first 5
of 15 volumes to document the development of the music from 1939 through
1963. This first volume is devoted to the roots of doo-wop with
recordings made by black vocal groups between 1939 and 1949. It opens
with the classic If I Didn't Care by The Ink Spots featuring the
quavering lead of Bill Kenney and the group's approach would be followed
by many groups in the ensuing years. Other important early sides like
Till Then by The Mills Brothers (1944), I Sold My Heart To The
JunkmanP.S. I Love You by The Four Vagabonds (1947) are included and the
late 40s saw the emergence of groups who would have profound impact on
the sounds emerging in the 50s like Sonny Til & The Orioles, The Ravens,
The Four Tunes and The Robins. Lots of other fine groups are included
like The Cats And The Fiddle, Dusty Brooks & His Four Tones, Melody
Masters, Five Bars, Scamps, Syncopators, etc. Sound quality is superb
though a few tracks are from very rare and noisy 78s and the package is
rounded out with an 82 page booklet with detailed notes on every
performance by Bill Dahl and photos of every group. Another class
production all the way from Bear Family. (FS) THE 5 RED CAPS: I Learned A Lesson I'll Never Forget/
THE BASIN STREET BOYS: I Sold My Heart To The Junkman/ THE BIG THREE
TRIO: After Awhile/ DUSTY BROOKS AND HIS FOUR TONES: Play Jackpot/ THE
CATS 'N' JAMMER THREE: I Cover The Water-Front/ THE CATS AND THE FIDDLE:
I Miss You So/ THE CHARIOTEERS: A Kiss And A Rose/ THE DEEP RIVER BOYS:
Recess In Heaven/ THE DELTA RHYTHM BOYS: Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'/
THE DIXIEAIRES: Go Long/ THE FIVE BARS: I'm All Dressed Up With A Broken
Heart/ THE FOUR ACES: I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder, Part 2/ THE FOUR
BLUES: It Takes A Long Tall Brown Skinned Gal/ THE FOUR KNIGHTS: Wrapped
Up In A Dream/ THE FOUR ROCKETS: Loch Lomond/ THE FOUR TUNES: You're
Heartless/ THE FOUR VAGABONDS: P.S. I Love You/ THE GOLDEN GATE QUARTET:
Atom And Evil/ THE INK SPOTS: If I Didn't Care/ BILL JOHNSON AND HIS
MUSICAL NOTES: Don't You Think I Oughta Know/ THE JUBALAIRES WITH ANDY
KIRK AND HIS ORCH.: I Know/ THE MELODY MASTERS: My Baby/ THE MILLS
BROTHERS: Till Then/ THE ORIOLES: It's Too Soon To Know/ THE RAVENS: Ol'
Man River/ THE ROBINS: If It's So Baby/ THE SCAMPS: Solitude/ THE
SHADOWS: I've Been A Fool/ THE SYNCOPATORS: River Stay Away From My
Door/ DEEK WATSON AND HIS BROWN DOTS: Sentimental Reasons
Street Corner Symphony - Complete Story
Of Doo-Wop, Vol. 2:
1950
● CD $24.98
30 tracks, 80 mins, essential
This disc is devoted to
the year 1950 - a transitional year - the pioneering groups like The
Delta Rhythm Boys, The Cats And The Fiddle and The Mills Brothers were
still active but waning in popularity, the groups with newer stylings
like The Ravens, Orioles, Robins and Steve Gibson & The Redcaps were
consolidating their popularity and important new groups who would modernise the style like The Dominos with the incredibly influential
lead of Clyde McPhatter, The Clovers and The Five Larks (born out of the
gospel group The Selah Jubilee Singers). All these are here with seminal
recordings along with great sides by lesser known groups like The
Beavers, Three Riffs, Four Buddies, Blenders, The Flames (later to
become The Hollywood Flames) and others. Another spectacular collection
including soulful ballads and rocking numbers with magnificent sound and
80 pages of notes and photos. (FS) THE 5 LARKS: My Heart Cries For You/ THE BEAVERS: I'd
Rather Be Wrong Than Blue/ THE BLENDERS: Gone (My Baby's Gone)/ THE
CAP-TANS: Chief, Turn The Hose On Me/ THE CAROLS: Please Believe In Me/
THE CATS AND THE FIDDLE: Do You Love Me/ THE CLOVERS: When You Come Back
To Me/ THE COLEMANS: I Don't Mind Being All Alone/ THE DELTA RHYTHM
BOYS: If You See The Tears In My Eyes/ THE DOMINOES: Do Something For
Me/ THE DOZIER BOYS: She's Gone/ THE FLAMES: Young Girl/ THE FOUR ACES:
Who Was There To Blame/ THE FOUR BLUES: As Long As I Live/ THE FOUR
BUDDIES: I Will Wait/ THE FOUR TUNES: Old Fashioned Love/ STEVE GIBSON
AND THE RED CAPS: I'll Never Love Anyone Else/ THE JUBALAIRES: A Dream
Is A Wish Your Heart Makes/ THE MASTERKEYS: Mr. Blues/ THE MILLS
BROTHERS: Nevertheless/ THE KING ODOM FOUR: Lover Come Back To Me/ THE
ORIOLES: At Night/ THE JOHNNY OTIS ORCHESTRA WITH THE ROBINS: Turkey
Hop, Part 1/ THE RAVENS: Count Every Star/ I Don't Have To Ride No More/
THE RIVALS: Rival Blues/ THE SHADOWS: I'll Never, Never Let You Go/ THE
STRIDERS: Cool Saturday Night/ THE THREE RIFFS: Jumping Jack/ THE
WHISPERS: I've Got No Time
Street Corner Symphony - Complete Story
Of Doo-Wop, Vol. 3:
1951
● CD $24.98
32 tracks, 89 mins, essential
1951 was the year that the
hard edged rhythm & blues sound began to dominate the vocal group sound
and the familiar sound that we call doo-wop emerged and would be a
significant contributor to rhythm & blues for the next 10 years. The new
doo-wop sound was immensely and four of the top ten R&B records for 1951
were doo-wop. This disc opens with one of the great iconic uptempo
doo-wop songs with the Dominoes paean to sexual prowess in Sixty
Minute Man featuring the bass vocals of Bill Brown which topped the
charts and was the first million selling doo-wop title. This is followed
by an iconic doo-wop ballad with the Five Keys and their debut - a
gorgeous rendition of the Tin Pan Alley standard. The Clovers who
debuted the previous year (see Bear Family 17280) on the small Rainbow
label signed with Atlantic and topped the charts twice that year with
Don't You Know I LOve You and Fool Fool Fool. Some artists
who debuted in 1951 with great success were The Swallows and The
Cardinals. Older groups like The Orioles and The Ravens were still going
strong though without chart success - the former's version of the blues
standard Baby, Please Don't Go is a real treat. Other great
artists on this set include The Four Buddies, Larks, Mello-Moods, Billy
Bunn And The BUddies, The Heartbreakers, Blenders, 4 Deep Tones,
Drifters (not the Atlantic group who didn't make their debut for another
two years), The Four Tunes and others. Another sensational collection
and important contribution to music history. (FS) THE 4 DEEP TONES: Just In Case You Change Your Mind/
THE BLENDERS: Little Small Town Girl (With The Big Town Dreams)/ BILLY
BUNN AND HIS BUDDIES: I'm Afraid/ THE CAP-TANS: Asking/ THE CARDINALS:
Shouldn't I Know?/ THE CLOVERS: Don't You Know I Love You/ Fool, Fool,
Fool/ THE DOMINOES: 32. I Am With You/ Sixty-Minute Man/ THE DRIFTERS:
Honey Chile/ THE FALCONS FEATURING GOLDIE BOOTS: How Blind Can You Be/
THE FIVE KEYS: The Glory Of Love/ THE FOUR BUDDIES: Sweet Slumber/ THE
FOUR DOTS: My Dear/ THE FOUR KNIGHTS: Walkin' And Whistlin' Blues/ THE
FOUR TUNES: May That Day Never Come/ STEVE GIBSON AND THE ORIGINAL RED
CAPS: Would I Mind/ THE HEARTBREAKERS: Heartbreaker/ HOLLYWOOD'S FOUR
FLAMES: Wine/ THE KING ODOM FOUR: Rain Is The Teardrops Of Angels/ THE
LARKS: My Reverie/ THE MARSHALL BROTHERS: Who'll Be The Fool From Now
On/ THE MELLO-MOODS: Where Are You (Now That I Neeed You)/ BOBBY NUNN
WITH THE ROBBINS: That's What The Good Book Says/ THE ORIOLES: Baby
Please Don't Go/ THE RAVENS: Gotta Find My Baby/ THE RHYTHM KINGS: I
Gotta Go Now/ THE ROYALS: Give Me One More Chance/ THE SULTANS: Lemon
Squeezing Daddy/ THE SWALLOWS: Will You Be Mine/ THE VARIETEERS: I'll
Try To Forget I Loved You/ THE VICTORIANS: I Guess You're Satisfied
Street Corner Symphony - Complete Story
Of Doo-Wop, Vol: 4:
1952
● CD $24.98
31 great doo-wop tracks from 1952 including such hits
like Have Mercy Baby by The Dominoes, Wheel Of Fortune by
The Cardinals, Baby Don't Do It by The 5 Royales and others along
with lesser known gems from Billy Bunn & The Buddies, The Serenaders,
The Larks, The Four Jacks and more. Full details next time. THE '5' ROYALES WITH CHARLIE FERGUSON: Baby Don't Do
It/ BILLY BUNN AND HIS BUDDIES: That's When Your Heartaches Begin/ THE
CARDINALS: The Wheel Of Fortune/ THE CHECKERS: Flame In My Heart/ THE
CLOVERS: One Mint Julep/ Ting-A-Ling/ THE DIAMONDS: A Beggar For Your
Kisses/ THE DOMINOES: Have Mercy Baby/ That's What You're Doing To Me/
THE DU-DROPPERS: Can't Do Sixty No More/ THE ENCHANTERS: I've Lost/ THE
FIVE CROWNS: You're My Inspiration/ THE FIVE KEYS: Serve Another Round/
THE FIVE SHARPS: Stormy Weather/ THE FOUR BLAZES: Rug Cutter/ THE FOUR
BUDDIES: You're Part Of Me/ THE FOUR FLAMES: Later/ THE FOUR JACKS: The
Last Of The Good Rocking Men/ THE FOUR KNIGHTS: That's The Way It's
Gonna Be/ THE FOUR TUNES: Let's Give Love Another Chance/ THE
HEARTBREAKERS: Rockin' Daddy-O/ THE LARKS FEATURING EUGENE MUMFORD: Hold
Me/ THE MARYLANDERS WITH BUDDY LUCAS: Make Me Thrill Again/ THE
MEL-O-DOTS FEATURING RICKY WELLS: One More Time/ THE ORIOLES WITH BUDDY
LUCAS ORCHESTRA: Don't Cry Baby/ THE RAVENS: Rock Me All Night Long/ THE
ROYALS: Every Beat Of My Heart/ THE SERENADERS: But I Forgive You/ THE
SULTANS: Don't Be Angry/ THE SWALLOWS: Beside You/ THE VOCALEERS: Be
True
Street Corner Symphony - Complete Story
Of Doo-Wop, Vol. 5:
1953
● CD $24.98
32 great sides from 1953 - Clyde McPhatter & The
Drifters, The Checkers, Crows, 5 Royales, Clovers, Four Tunes, Du
Droppers, Royals, Five Keys and others. More next time. THE '5' ROYALES: Too Much Lovin' (Much Too Much)/ THE
BUCCANEERS WITH THE JOE WHALEN TRIO: Dear Ruth/ THE CARDINALS: Lovie
Darling/ THE CASTELLES: My Girl Awaits Me/ THE CHECKERS: White Cliffs Of
Dover/ THE CLOVERS: Good Lovin'/ THE CORONETS: Nadine/ THE CRICKETS:
You're Mine/ THE CROWS: Gee/ THE DU DROPPERS: I Wanna Know/ THE FIVE
ECHOES WITH FATS COLE'S BAND: Baby, Come Back To Me/ THE FIVE KEYS: My
Saddest Hour/ THE FLAIRS: I Had A Love/ THE FLAMINGOS WITH RED
HOLLOWAY'S ORCH.: Golden Teardrops/ THE FOUR TUNES WITH SID BASS ORCH.:
Marie/ THE HARP-TONES: A Sunday Kind Of Love/ THE HORNETS: I Can't
Believe/ CLYDE MCPHATTER AND THE DRIFTERS: Money Honey/ THE MOONGLOWS
WITH RED HOLLOWAY ORCH.: Baby Please/ THE ORIOLES: Crying In The Chapel/
THE PLATTERS: Hey Now/ THE PRISONAIRES: Just Walkin' In The Rain/ THE
ROBINS: (Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I/ THE ROYALS: Get It/ THE
SPANIELS: Baby, It's You/ THE SPIDERS: You're The One/ THE SWALLOWS:
Nobody's Lovin' Me/ THE VELVETS: I/ THE VOCALEERS: Is It A Dream/ VANN
WALLS AND THE ROCKETS: Big Leg Mama/ THE WANDERERS: We Could Find
Happiness/ BILLY WARD AND HIS DOMINOES: These Foolish Things Remind Of
You THE '5' ROYALES: Too Much Lovin' (Much Too Much)/ THE BUCCANEERS
WITH THE JOE WHALEN TRIO: Dear Ruth/ THE CARDINALS: Lovie Darling/ THE
CASTELLES: My Girl Awaits Me/ THE CHECKERS: White Cliffs Of Dover/ THE
CLOVERS: Good Lovin'/ THE CORONETS: Nadine/ THE CRICKETS: You're Mine/
THE CROWS: Gee/ THE DU DROPPERS: I Wanna Know/ THE FIVE ECHOES WITH FATS
COLE'S BAND: Baby, Come Back To Me/ THE FIVE KEYS: My Saddest Hour/ THE
FLAIRS: I Had A Love/ THE FLAMINGOS WITH RED HOLLOWAY'S ORCH.: Golden
Teardrops/ THE FOUR TUNES WITH SID BASS ORCH.: Marie/ THE HARP-TONES: A
Sunday Kind Of Love/ THE HORNETS: I Can't Believe/ CLYDE MCPHATTER AND
THE DRIFTERS: Money Honey/ THE MOONGLOWS WITH RED HOLLOWAY ORCH.: Baby
Please/ THE ORIOLES: Crying In The Chapel/ THE PLATTERS: Hey Now/ THE
PRISONAIRES: Just Walkin' In The Rain/ THE ROBINS: (Now And Then
There's) A Fool Such As I/ THE ROYALS: Get It/ THE SPANIELS: Baby, It's
You/ THE SPIDERS: You're The One/ THE SWALLOWS: Nobody's Lovin' Me/ THE
VELVETS: I/ THE VOCALEERS: Is It A Dream/ VANN WALLS AND THE ROCKETS:
Big Leg Mama/ THE WANDERERS: We Could Find Happiness/ BILLY WARD AND HIS
DOMINOES: These Foolish Things Remind Of You
Four CDS, 87 tracks, essential
Another fantastic
collection (the seventh) from JSP of Greek rembetika music compiled by
Charles Howard - this time devoted exclusively to the recordings of
female singers. Rembetika is often thought of as the Greek equivalent of
the blues - a creation of the underclass and dealing with the realities
of their life - smoking hash, thieving, jail, addiction, desire and
betrayal sung with incredible soul and feeling. The music is thought to
have originated with Greeks who had to leave Asia Minor at the beginning
of the 20th Century. The earliest form is the Smyrnaic style (after
Smyrna in Turkey) where the musicians first played the style and had a
strong Turkish flavor to it with strong use of vocal ornamentation. The
usual accompaniment included violin, santouri/ cimbalom (hammered
dulcimer), lyra, guitar and oud. The first two discs feature recordings
in this style. The recordings are presented chronologically starting in
1908 with a lovely side recorded by Gulistan Hanim and Arab Mehmet
feature a female duet with zourna (a Turkish reed pipe) and drum
accompaniment. The first two discs features such wonderful singers as Ka
Koula, Marika Papagika, Roza Eskenazi, Rita Abadzi and others including
the amazing Marika Politiossa who might just be the most soulful of them
all. In the early 30s a new style of rembetica began to appear in the
port city of Piraeus with a less ornamented style of singing and the
extensive use of the bouzouki and its smaller cousin the baglama. Discs
3 and 4 presents recordings in this style made between 1934 and 1947.
The fabulous Rita Abadzi and Ruth Eskenazi conituned to perform adopting
this newer style as well as performing in the older style and were
joined by younger singers like Anna Pagana, Sophia Karivell (sister of
Rita Abadzi), Nota Kellei, Daizy Stavropoulou and others. Sound quality
from remastering engineer Ted Kendall is superb - some tracks are from
very rare and worn 78s and exhibit some noise but these are in the
minority. The scanty booklets have brief notes on the artists and the
songs. If you've enjoyed JSP's previous rembetika reissues or have been
exposed to this fabulous music this is indispensible. (FS)
24 tracks, 61 mins, good
This volume in the series of
recordings from the Groove label is the weakest yet with quite a few
pedestrian performances and several downright awful tracks (The Students
ridiculous Hot Rotten Soda Pop), Darling Is It True by the
Two Sweethearts which is really bad pop and the dire Christmas song
Rock Around The Christmas Tree by The Gypsies which makes Pat Boone
sound like a wild man). There are some splendid tracks here here, mostly
from familiar artists like Roy Gaines, Champion Jack Dupree, Peppermint
Harris and Big John Greer plus the less well known Vikki Nelson (the
hard driving You Can't Get Away From Me) but most of the rest is
unlikely to get the pulses racing including sides by Frank Brunson, The
Deep River Boys, The Sycamores, Oscar Black, Annie Alford, Lil McKenzie,
etc. It seems like they are reaching the boittom of the Groove barrel.
(FS) THE 4 STUDENTS: Hot Rotten Soda Pop (Oh, My Toe)/ So
Near And Yet So Far/ ANNIE ALFORD: Give Up And Tell/ Temporarily Blue/
OSCAR BLACK: If I Cry Tomorrow/ Be My Baby/ BOBBY & MELVIN: Forever And
A Day (Woo-Woo, Baby)/ FRANK BRUNSON: Charmaine/ THE DEEP RIVER BOYS
FEAT. HARRY DOUGLAS: Whole Wide World/ THE DEEP RIVER BOYS WITH HOWARD
BIGGS ORCH.: (Home) How Dear Can It Be/ CHAMPION JACK DUPREE: Lollipop
Baby/ Dirty Woman/ Just Like A Woman/ Old Time Rock And Roll/ ROY 'MR.
GUITAR' GAINES: All My Life/ Worried 'Bout You Baby/ BIG JOHN GREER:
I'll Never Stop Loving You/ THE GYPSIES: Rock Around The Christmas Tree/
PEPPERMINT HARRIS: Just Me And You/ LIL MCKENZIE & THE FOUR STUDENTS:
The Others I Like/ VIKKI NELSON: You Can't Get Away From Me/ JAN
STRICKLAND WITH HOWARD BIGGS ORCH.: All The Time/ THE SYCAMORES: Darling
Is It True?/ THE TWO SWEETHEARTS: If You Asked Me
Another fine two CD set with 40 tracks of rockabilly,
rock 'n' roll and rocking country froma a major label - this time it's
Columbia's turn with sides from Billy Brown, Ronnie Self (5 great songs
including the original version of Big Blon' Baby later covered by
Jerry Lee Lewis), Billy "Crash" Craddock, Sid KIng & The Five Strings,
Carl Perkins (not as good as his Sun sides but still fine), Johnny
Horton, Jaycee Hill, Little Jimmy Dickens, Marty Robbins, EDdie Zack,
Bobby Lord and others. BILLY BROWN: Did We Have A Party/ Flip Out/ BILLY
'CRASH' CRADDOCK: Boom Boom Baby/ LITTLE JIMMY DICKENS: (I Got) A Hole
In My Pocket/ LEFTY FRIZZELL: You're Humbuggin' Me/ FREDDIE HART: Dig
Boy Dig/ ERSEL HICKEY: Goin' Down That Road/ JAYCEE HILL: Bump!/ Romp
Stompin' Boogie/ JOHNNY HORTON: Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor/ I'm Coming
Home/ The Woman I Need/ CLIFF JOHNSON: Go 'Way Hound Dog/ SID KING & THE
FIVE STRINGS: Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight/ Good Rockin Baby/ Ooby
Dooby/ Purr Kitty Purr/ Sag Drag & Fall/ When My Baby Left Me/ BOBBY
LORD: Everybody's Rockin' But Me/ No More, No More, No More/ THE MADDOX
BROTHERS: Ugly & Slouchy/ CHUCK MURPHY: Rhythm Hall/ JIMMY MURPHY:
Baboon Boogie/ Grandpaw's A Cat/ My Gal Dottie/ Sixteen Tons Of Rock 'N'
Roll/ CARL PERKINS: Pink Peddle Pushers/ That's All Right/ MARTY
ROBBINS: Long Tall Sally/ Mean Mama Blues/ Tennessee Toddy/ RONNIE SELF:
Big Blon' Baby/ Big Fool/ Bop-A-Lena/ Date Bait/ Petrified/ WAYNE
WALKER: Bo-Bo Ska Diddle Daddle/ ONIE WHEELER: A Booger Gonna Getcha/
EDDIE ZACK: I'm Gonna Roll And Rock
10 CDs, 250 tracks, highly recommended How can you go
wrong - 250 classic rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, R&B and doo-wop songs
recorded between 1956 and 1960 - most of them chart hits. They're all
here in this little box combining five double CDs - one for each year.
You get Chuck Berry, The Teen Queens, Bill Doggett, Gene Vincent, Dale
Hawkins, Buddy Holly, Elvis, The Diamonds, Everly Brothers, Danny & The
Juniors, Little Richard, The Big Bopper, The Drifters, The Olympics,
Santo & Johnny, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Joe Jones, Duane Eddy,
Eddie Cochran, Clarence "Frogman" Henry and many many many more.
Excellent sound, attractively packaged using artwork from the original
"Cruisin'" LP series and brief notes in each set. A non stop rock 'n'
roll party in one box. (FS) PAUL ANKA: Puppy Love/ Put Your Head On My Shoulder/
LAVERN BAKER: Jim Dandy/ HANK BALLARD &
THE MIDNIGHTERS: Finger Poppin' Time/ FREDDIE BELL & THE BELLBOYS: Giddy
Up a Ding Dong/ JESSE BELVIN: Goodnight My Love/ BROOK BENTON: It's Just
a Matter Of Time/ A Rockin' Good Way/ Baby, You Got What It Takes/ CHUCK
BERRY: Almost Grown/ Bye Bye Johnny/ Johnny B. Goode/ Let It Rock/
Little Queenie/ Memphis Tennessee/ No Money Down/ Reelin' And Rockin'/
Rock And Roll Music/ Roll Over Beethoven/ Sweet little Sixteen/ JOHNNY
BOND: Hot Rod Lincoln/ GARY US BONDS: New Orleans/ BIG BOPPER: Chantilly
Lace/ BUSTER BROWN: Fannie Mae/ JOHNNY BURNETTE: Dreamin'/ You're Sixteen/ THE CADETS: Stranded In the Jungle/ THE CADILLACS:
Speedo/ THE CAPRIS: There's a Moon Out Tonight/ JOHNNY CASH: Get Rhythm/
I Walk The Line/ THE CHAMPS: Tequila/ RAY CHARLES: Georgia On My Mind/
Hallelujah I Love Her So/ CHUBBY CHECKER: The Twist/ THE CHORDETTES:
Lollipop/ DEE CLARK: Hey Little Girl/ THE CLEFTONES: Little Girl Of
Mine/ THE CLOVERS: Devil Or Angel/ Love Potion No 9/ THE COASTERS:
Poison Ivy/ EDDIE COCHRAN: C'mon Everybody/ Somethin' Else/ Summertime
Blues/ Three Steps To Heaven/ THE COLLINS KIDS:
Rock Boppin' Baby/ SAM COOKE: Chain Gang/ Only Sixteen/
Wonderful World/ You Send Me/ DAVE "BABY" CORTEZ: The Happy Organ/ THE
CRESTS: Sixteen Candles/ THE CRICKETS: I Fought The
Law/ It's So Easy/ MAC CURTIS: That Ain't Nothin' But Right/ DANNY & THE
JUNIORS: At The Hop/ BOBBY DARIN: Dream Lover/ Mack The
Knife/ BOBBY DAY: Rockin' Robin/ THE DEL VIKINGS: Come Go With Me/ THE
DELLS: Oh What A Night/ THE DIAMONDS: Little Darlin'/ BO DIDDLEY: Say
Man/ Who Do You Love?/ DION & THE BELMONTS: A Teenager In Love/ BILL
DOGGETT: Honky Tonk (Part 1)/ FATS DOMINO: I Want To Walk You Home/
Walkin' To New Orleans/ When My Dreamboat Comes Home/ LONNIE DONEGAN:
Putting On The Style/ THE DRIFTERS: Drip Drop/ I Count The Tears/ Save
The Last Dance For Me/ There Goes My Baby/ DUANE EDDY: Because They're
Young/ Forty Miles Of Bad Road/ Rebel Rouser/ THE EDSELS: Rama Lama Ding
Dong/ TOMMY EDWARDS: It's All In The Game/ THE EVERLY BROTHERS: All I
Have To Do Is Dream/ Cathy's Clown/ ADAM FAITH: What Do
You Want?/ CHARLIE FEATHERS: Bottle To The Baby/ One Hand Loose/ THE FENDERMEN: Mule Skinner Blues/ TONI FISHER: The Big Hurt/ THE FIVE
DISCS: I Remember/ THE FIVE KEYS: Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind/ THE FIVE
SATINS: In The Still Of The Night/ THE FLAMINGOS: I Only have Eyes For
You/ THE FLEETWOODS: Come Softly To Me/ CONNIE FRANCIS: Carolina Moon/
Lipstick On Your Collar/ Robot Man/ Stupid Cupid/ BOBBY FREEMAN: Do You
Wanna Dance/ BILLY FURY: Colette/ That's Love/ GEORGIA
GIBBS: Tra La La/ BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS: Corrine, Corrina/ Rip It Up/ Rock A Beatin' Boogie/ WILBERT HARRISON: Kansas
City/ HARVEY & THE MOONGLOWS: Ten Commandments Of Love/ THE HEARTBEATS:
A Thousand Miles Away/ CLARENCE "FROGMAN" HENRY: (I Don't Know Why) But
I Do/ BUDDY HOLLY: Blue Days, Black Nights/ It Doesn't Matter
Anymore/ Moondreams/ Peggy
Sue Got Married/ Rave On/ True Love Ways/ THE HOLLYWOOD ARGYLES: Alley
Oop/ JOHNNY HORTON: The Battle Of New Orleans/ WANDA JACKSON: Let's Have
A Party/ JAN & ARNIE: Jennie Lee/ LITTLE WILLIE JOHN: Fever/ JOHNNY &
THE HURRICANES: Red River Rock/ MARV JOHNSON: You Got What It Takes/
JIMMY JONES: Good Timin'/ Handy Man/ JOE JONES: You Talk
Too Much/ JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES: Shakin' All Over/ BEN E. KING: Spanish Harlem/ THE KODAKS:
Oh Gee, Oh Gosh/ BRENDA LEE: I Want To Be Wanted/
I'm Sorry/ Ring-A-My-Phone/ Sweet Nothin's/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: Crazy Arms/
Great Balls Of Fire/ LITTLE ANTHONY & IMPERIALS: Shimmy, Shimmy,
Ko-Ko-Bop/ LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS: Tears On My Pillow/ LITTLE
RICHARD: Baby Face/ Good Golly Miss Molly/ The Girl Can't Help It/ Tutti
Frutti/ BOB LUMAN: Let's Think About Living/ FRANKIE LYMON & THE
TEENAGERS: The ABC's of Love/ Why Do Fools Fall In Love/ I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent/ THE MAGNIFICENTS: Up
On The Mountain/ DEAN MARTIN: Memories Are Made Of This/ JANIS MARTIN:
Cracker Jack/ BIG JAY MCNEELY: There is Something On Your Mind/ THE
MELLO KINGS: Tonite Tonite/ THE MIRACLES: Shop Around/ GUY MITCHELL:
Heartaches By The Number/ HANK MIZELL: Jungle Rock/ THE MONOTONES: Book
Of Love/ THE MOONGLOWS: See Saw/ RICKY NELSON: It's Late/ Just A Little
Too Much/ Never Be Anyone Else But You/ Poor Little Fool/ SANDY NELSON: Teen Beat/ THE OLYMPICS: Hully Gully/
Western Movies/ ROY ORBISON: Blue Angel/ Only The Lonely/ Ooby Dooby/
CARL PERKINS: Blue Suede Shoes/ Boppin'
The Blues/ PHIL PHILLIPS: Sea Of Love/ THE PLATTERS: My Prayer/ Smoke
Gets In Your Eyes/ The Great Pretender/ Twilight
Time/ Twilight Time/ ELVIS PRESLEY: A Big Hunk O' Love/ A Fool Such As
I/ Don't Be Cruel/ Hound Dog/ I Need Your Love Tonight/ It's Now Or Never (O Sole Mio)/ One Night/ Stuck On You/ Such A
Night/ The Girl Of My Best Friend/ Wear My Ring Around Your Neck/ JOHNNY
PRESTON: Running Bear/ LLOYD PRICE:
Personality/ MARVIN RAINWATER: Whole Lotta Woman/ JODY REYNOLDS: Endless
Sleep/ CHARLIE RICH: Lonely Weekends/ CLIFF RICHARD: Livin' Doll/ Nine
Times Out Of Ten/ Please Don't Tease/ Move It/
MARTY ROBBINS: El Paso/ THE ROCK-A-TEENS: Woo Hoo/ JIMMIE RODGERS:
Kisses Sweeter Than Wine/ THE ROYAL TEENS: Short Shorts/ CHARLIE RYAN:
Hot Rod Lincoln/ BOBBY RYDELL: Volare/ SANTO & JOHNNY: Sleep Walk/ JACK SCOTT: What In The World's Come Over You/
NEIL SEDAKA: Calendar Girl/ THE SHIRELLES: Dedicated To The One I Love/
Will You Love Me Tomorrow/THE SILHOUETTES:
Get A Job/ THE SKYLINERS: Since I Don't Have You/ WARREN SMITH: Ubangi Stomp/ HUEY "PIANO" SMITH & THE CLOWNS: High
Blood Pressure/ THE SPANIELS: Stormy Weather/ THE TEDDY BEARS: To Know
Him Is To Love Him/ THE TEEN QUEENS: Eddie My Love/ THE TEMPOS: See You
In September/ JOHNNY TILLOTSON: Poetry In Motion/ JOE
TURNER: Corrine Corrina/ CONWAY TWITTY: It's Only Make Believe/ RITCHIE VALENS: Come On, Let's Go/ BOBBY VEE: Rubber
Ball/ THE VENTURES: Walk Don't Run/ GENE VINCENT: Pistol Packin' Mama/
Woman Love/ Be-Bop-A-Lula/ THE VIRTUES: Guitar Boogie Shuffle/ DINAH
WASHINGTON: What A Difference A Day Makes/ LEW WILLIAMS: Bop Bop Ba Doo
Bop/ MAURICE WILLIAMS & THE ZODIACS: Stay/ CHUCK WILLIS: It's Too Late/
JACKIE WILSON: Doggin' Around/ KATHY YOUNG & THE INNOCENTS: A Thousand
stars
The Story Of Blue Beat - The Best In
Ska, 1961 - Part 1
● CD $19.98
2 CDs, 50 tracks, 144 mins, highly recommended
This
ambitious collection (the second in the series so far,) features the
first half of the groundbreaking year in Jamaican music that was 1961 in
two CDS drawn from the legendary English Blue Beat label :CD one - the A
sides, and CD two - the B sides, both of which are crammed full of all
kinds of fantastic music. You can't quite call a lot of this Ska just
yet, this is more the evolution of Ska. You get the melting pot of Jump
Blues, New Orleans Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, and Memphis Rock & Roll, mixed
with Calypso and other Island music, boiling over into something new and
definitely exciting. Great tracks by artists that would become big names
and by artists that would barely be heard from again like: Errol Dixon &
The Blue Notes, Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, The Wiggans, Girl Satchmo &
The Swingin' Mashers, Titus Turner, Derrick Morgan, The Charmers with
Hersan & His City Slickers, Bobby Kingdom & His Blue Beats, and much,
much more. That, plus some pretty deep notes, makes for a hell of a
compilation. I certainly hope this series covers all of the 1960's; they
are certainly off to a fantastic start. (JM) LAURAL AITKEN & THE BLUE BEATS: Bar Tender/ Mash Potato Boogie/ THEOPHILUS BECKFORD WITH CLUE
J. & HIS CITY SLICKER: Jack And Jill Shuffle/ Little Lady/ THE BLUES
BUSTERS WITH LUTHER "WEE WILLIE" W: I Need Some Loving/ THE BLUES
BUSTERS WITH LUTHER 'WEE WILLIE' W: Pleading For Mercy/ THE CHARMERS
WITH HERSAN & HIS CITY SLICKERS: I'm Going Back Home/ Lonely Boy/ CHUCK
& DOBBY WITH AUBREY ADAMS & HIS DU: Do Du Wap/ I Love My Teacher/ ERROL
DIXON & THE BACK BEATS: Mama Shut Your Door/ Too Much Whisky/ ERROL
DIXON & THE BLUE BEATS: Anytime Anywhere/ Midnight Track/ CLANCY ECCLES
WITH HERSAN & HIS CITY SLICKERS: I Live & I Love/ River Jordan/ NEVILLE
ESSON WITH CLUE J & HIS BLUES BLASTERS: Lover's Jive/ Wicked & Dreadful/
THE FOLKS BROTHERS & COUNT OSSIE AFRO COMBO: Carolina/ THE FOLKS
BROTHERS & COUNT OSSIE AFRO-COMBO: I Met A Man/ GIRL SATCHMO & THE
SWINGING MASHERS: Darling/ Satchmo's Mash Potato/ OWEN GRAY & HERSAN &
HIS CITY SLICKERS: Get Down/ OWEN GRAY WITH HERSAN & HIS CIEY SLICKERS:
Sinner's Weep/ THE JIVING JUNIORS WITH HERSAN & HIS CITY SL: Over The
Limit/ THE JIVING JUNIORS WI\TH HERSAN & HIS CITY S: Hip Rub/ BOBBY
KINGDOM & THE BLUE BEATS: Honey Please/ That's My Girl/ AZIE LAWRENCE &
THE CARIB SERENADERS: Want To Be In Love/ You Didn't Want To Know/ BYRON
LEE & THE DRAGONAIRES: Mash! Mr. Lee/ KEITH LYN WITH BYRON LEE & THE
DRAGONAIRES: Help Me Forget/ HANK MARR: Hob-Nobbin/ Tonk Game/ MARTIN &
DERRICK & SIR CAVALIERS COMBO: I Love You Baby/ Times Are Going/ THE
MELLOW LARKS WITH CLUE J & BLUES BLASTER: Lite Of My Life/ No More
Wedding/ DERRICK MORGAN & ERIC MORRIS: Now We Know (With Trenton Spence
& His Orchestra)/ DERRICK MORGAN WITH CLUE J. & HIS BLUES BUSTERS: Leave
Earth/ Wigger Wee Shuffle/ DERRICK MORGAN WITH TRENTON SPENCE & HIS
ORCHEST: Ni\ghts Are Lonely/ LASCELLES PERKING WITH CLUE J & HIS BLUES
BLASTERS: Lonely Robin/ LASCELLES PERKINS WITH CLUE J & HIS BLUES
BLASTERS: Creation/ JIMMY SINCLAIR & THE TRENTON SPENCE ORCHESTRA: To
Prove My Love/ Verona/ TITUS TURNER: Miss Rubberneck Jones/ Way Down
Yonder/ THE WIGGANS: Let's Sign The Blues/ Rock Baby
Two CDs, 23 tracks, 113 mins, highly recommended
Afghanistan has been in a state of conflict for so long it's nice to
know that through all the turmoil it has hosted a vibrant musical
culture even though limits were put on it during the reign of the
mujahedeen and completely banned when the Taliban was in power from 1996
through 2001. After the invasion that unseated the Taliban the music
making began again and several performers that had emigrated to escape
persecution returned to their homeland. The music here, recorded both
before and after the Taliban's dominance, is beautiful and varied
ranging from solo rubab (a three string lute with sympathetic strings)
and sarinda (three string traditional fiddle) to heavy rock influenced
material and all points in between including small groups playing a
variety of traditional instruments. Female vocalist Setara Hussainzada
who opens the first disc with a western influenced title that is
reminiscent of Algerian rai music apparently won the Afghan equivalent
of American Idol! The first disc ends with a performance by the Ahmad
Sham Sufi Qawwali Group featuring Sham on vocal and harmonium with second
vocals, flute, second harmonium and percussion and the second disc is
devoted entirely to this group featuring 8 songs - the combination of
moaning vocals and droning harmonium is truly spine chilling. The
booklet has notes giving a brief survey of Afghanistan and its music
history along with profiles of all the artists on the discs by Simon
Broughton who apparently has made a video about music in Afghanistan.