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Stax - Respect Yourself/ Stax Volt Revue
Live In Norway
● DVD $19.98
$10.98
2 DVD set, 3 hours 8 minutes, essential
There can be
little doubt that Stax/Volt was one of the greatest labels in the
history of rock and soul music. The talent nurtured by the behind the
scenes staff was second to none: Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Sam & Dave,
Booker T. & the MGs, and Eddie Floyd to name but a few. This double
feature DVD contains two films that had been previously released
individually in 2007, now combined into a reasonably priced package.
"Respect Yourself" tells the bittersweet story of the label's rise and
fall; a place where Black and White worked together with love, harmony,
and an innocence that was lost irreparably when Martin Luther King was
killed (at the same motel where the label's office staff, session
musicians, and artists often partied in the off-hours, ironically). The
tales of ego, greed, jealousy, and organized crime punctuated the
label's fall are not unique to them, but special chemistry that the
house band (Booker T. and the MGs, plus the Mar-Keys horn section) had
with the singers was a rare occurrence and to have that wasted is a
shame. And it's that chemistry that is demonstrated in spades in the
Live in Norway film; from the opening clutch of instrumentals from BT &
the MGs (later joined by the Mar-Keys) to the electrifying performances
from Sam & Dave (particularly on When Something is Wrong With My Baby
and Hold On I'm Coming) and Otis Redding (who brings the house
down with Try a Little Tenderness), the interplay between artist
and band is amazing with its spontaneous precision. Both these films are
mandatory viewing for lovers of Memphis Soul, which makes this DVD an
essential purchas. (GMC)
25 tracks, highly recommended
Another welcome release in
Specialty's Legends Of Gospel series, Rainbow In The Sky collects
24 riveting Bradford performances (and one studio conversation) between
1954-58. All but three of the selections - Steal Away/ It All Belongs
To Him/ What Makes A Man Turn His Back On God? - are previously
unreleased, including alternate takes of Bradford classics, many of
which run longer than the originals. And initiates who have never heard,
for example, the masterpiece Too Close To Heaven, may rest
assured that in this case "alternate take" does not imply inferiority.
Highlights include a duet with Bessie Griffin called Great
Consolation/ Take The Lord Along With You/ I've Found Someone/ Captain
Jesus and two sides with the Stone Temple Chorale. The demo of
See If I Care provides a rare glimpse into Bradford's pop longings.
Notes by The Gospel Sound author Anthony Heilbut. Recommended.
(JC)
Two CD set in book format featuring Big Bill recorded
live at two concerts held in Amsterdam in February, 1953. The recordings
were made by sound engineer and later film director Louis Van Gasteren
and the quality is very good for a live recordings. Bill is in fine
form, chatting with audience and playing some of his most well known
pieces including Going Down the Road Feeling Bad? house Rent Stomp/
Black, Brown & White/ Down By the Riverside/ Glory Of Love/ back-Water
Blues/ Trouble In MinD, etc. Includes 48 page booklet with notes by
blues scholar Guido Van Rijn and touching reminiscences by van Gasteren
and is copiously illustrated with rare photos including many previously
unpublished photos taken in The Netherlands.
24 tracks, 64 mins, very highly recommended
Don't look
now, but here are yet more goodies from Kent's quest to bring us the
great artists that recorded for the Fame label (or at Fame studios); now
stepping up to the plate is the brilliant Clarence Carter, singer/
songwriter/ guitarist and hit maker. Kicking off with his label debut,
his original version of Etta James' Tell Mama (with its original
title Tell Daddy), the disc covers a heap of ground from sweeping
ballads like I Stayed Away Too Long or I Can't See Myself
(Crying About You) to playful hipshakers like She Ain't Gonna Do
Right or Funky Fever. Of course let's not forget the hits:
the mighty Slip Away, its gorgeous follow-up Too Weak to Fight,
and the finger-popping Snatching it Back. There's something very
warm and fuzzy about Carter's voice, and the arrangements definitely
bring out the best in him; even the B sides sizzle, witness Making
Love (At the Dark End of the Street), You Can't Miss What You
Can't Measure (B side of the amazing The Feeling is Right),
and "The Few Troubles I've Had". Carter's talent speaks volumes and this
first installment of his most fertile years is a must have. (GMC)
25 tracks, 74 mins, highly recommended
The third
collection of recordings from this early accordion maestro features 25
delightful and dazzling solo performances recorded between 1918 and
1922. It includes light classical (Musetta's Waltz Song/ Vesti La
Giubba, etc.), jazz tunes (Jazz Band Ball/ Ostrich Walk,
etc.), popular songs of the day (My Little China Doll/ I'll Keep On
Loving You, etc) and a whole heap of fine original compositions (Lola
One-Step/ Kismet/ Neapolitan Polka, etc.) Superb sound and extensive
documentation are included. (FS)
28 tracks, 63 min., very highly recommended
Remembered
by some as the East Coast Sons of the Pioneers, not as much is known
about the Down Homers as one might wish. Their talent though is
undeniable. Apparently the boys could switch instruments and vocal
duties on any song and not miss a beat. The group came together in the
1930s around Everett "Shorty" Cook and Guy Campbell and recorded largely
for King and Vogue Records. The material featured on volume 2 is "from
transcriptions for M.M. Cole in the 1940s." Tracks include Born To
The Saddle, Nothing Matters Now, How Can I Ever Smile
Again, The West Ain't What It Used To Be, and the charming
I Want A Pardon For Daddy, among others. And while they aren't the
Sons of the Pioneers, they offer many of the same pleasures. A discovery
worth making. (JC) THE DOWN HOMERS: Blazin' A New Trail Tonight/ Born To
The Saddle/ Darlin' Big Brown Eyes/ Darling The Trial To San Antone/
Down Hoosier Way/ End Of My Round Up Days/ End Of The Trail/ How Can I
Ever Smile Again/ I Guess I'll Never Make You Understand/ I Hate To Say
Goodbye To The Prairie/ I Want A Pardon For Daddy/ I'm Learning How To
Forget/ I'm Lonely Too/ It's Hard To Love Someone Who Won't Love Me/
Juanita My Darling/ Little Ranch House On The Old Circle B/ Nothing
Matters Now/ Old Fashioned Saddle/ On A Covered Wagon Trail/ Out Where
The West Winds Blows/ The West Ain't What It Used To Be/ There Ain't
Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone/ Timber Winds/ Tot'n A Load/
Vagabond/ When It's Tune Wrangling Time In Texas/ Who's Gonna Kiss You
When I'm Gone
25 tracks, highly recommended
A great collection of
blues, R&B and swamp pop by two of Excello's lesser known artists
recorded by Jay Miller in Crowley between 1956 and 1960. Guitar Gable
was superb guitar player who, in addition to recordings issued under his
own name, was also a sideman on many Miller sessions. There are 13
tracks by Gable. Vocalist on many of the Gable tracks is King Karl who
does classic swamp pop performances including the original version of
this Should Go On Forever that was a big hit for Rod Bernard and
Irene which became a swmp pop standad. There are also rocking R&B
songs along with some fine instrumentals by Gable & his group. Leroy
Washinton was more a straight ahead down home blues performer. He was an
excellent singer and a dynamic and imaginative guitar player.
Accompanied by such stalwart Miller session musicians as Guitar Gable,
Clarence "Jockey" Etienne, Lionel Torrance, Katie Webster and others he
performs a mix of great up tempo rockers like My True Life/ Don't
Blame It One Me Mama and Wild Cherry (a local hit), tough
slow blues like Hello Stranger and I've Been In This Prison
(a song also recorded by Lonesome Sundown as My Home Is A Prison)
as well as swampy blues ballads like Gimme Rights (When I'm Not
Wrong). A superb selection with excellent sound. There are no notes
but booklet does have discographical info. (FS)
12 tracks, 61 mins, very highly recommended
Remastered
and expanded edition of one the best early 70s albums from the master of
the Flying V. The original CD reissue back in the 1990s added one track
- the wonderful R&B hit Angel Of Mercy and this new release adds
four more including two previously unissued alternate takes and two
previously unissued songs. The CD includes three R&B hits - in addition
to the aforementioned Mercy, the blues ballad title song, which
became Albert's theme song, and a powerful rendition of the minor key
Breaking Up Somebody's Home, first recorded by fellow Memphis artist
Ann Peebles. Albert's version not only reached #35 in the R&B charts but
also squeaked into the pop charts. Other great songs from this session
include High Cost Of Loving/ Answer To Laundromat Blues and
Don't Burn Down The Bridge. Albert is in top form with great singing
and guitar playing and is given outstanding support by a rhythm section
of The Bar-Kays and The Movement and the stellar horn work of The
Memphis Horns. The bonus alternates include a longer version of the
title song and a stripped down version of Bridge without the
horns. The unissued tunes are the hard driving I Need A Love and
the tough instrumental Albert's Stomp which are as good as the
issued titles. Sound is superb and booklet includes the original notes
by Tom Wheeler and new notes from Bill Dahl. (FS)
Delightful collection of very rare white jazz/ dance
band music from two obscure groups that were recorded in Europe between
1926 and 1928. 16 of the tracks are by The New Yorkers recorded in
Berlin in 1927 and 1928 for the Homocord and Tri-Ergon labels in 1927
and 1928. The New Yorkers were a seven piece group including Evelyn
Bazell/ tpt, Danny Polo/ cl & as, Tony Morello / gtr & bjo and one of
their tracks includes a previously unknown appearance by popular British
dance band vocalist Al Bowlly. Frank Guarente's World Known Georgians
are featured on the remaining 8 sides recorded in Geneva in 1926. They
were an eight piece band led by King Oliver influenced trumpeter Frank
Guarente. The 44 page booklet includes incredibly detailed notes by
Rainer LOtz who is probably the leading authority on early jazz and
Europe and includes label shots, advertisements and great photos of
members of The New Yorkers in Europe.
28 tracks, recommended
Collection of honky tonk country
recorded between 1958 and 1962 by Louisiana born Jimmy C. Newman.
His Cajun roots are most evident in his French version of Jole Blon
but it's a shame the performance is marred by totally inappropriate
banjo. Jimmy also takes a stab at swamp pop with a version of Clarence
Garlow's Please Accept My Love. Includes a number of his hits
from this period - You're Making A Fool Out Of Me/ Lonely Girl/
Walkin' Down The Road/ I Miss You Already/ Wanting You With Me Tonight
and others. Other songs include Jambalaya (also with that
horrible banjo)/To The Moon In A Rocket/ Crying Over You/ End Of The
Line/ What About Me, etc. (FS) JIMMY C. NEWMAN: A Lovely Work Of Art/ Angel's Cryin'/
Ballad Of Baby Doe/ Crazy Old Heart/ Crying Over You/ End Of The Line/
Everybody's Dyin' For Love/ Family/ Give Me Heaven/ Grin And Bear It/ I
Miss You Already/ I'd Just Be Fool Enough/ Jambalaya/ Jole Blon/ Just
One More Night With You/ Lonely Girl/ Making Believe/ Now That You're
Gone/ Of All The Things You Left/ Outside Your Door/ Please Accept My
Love/ So Soon/ To The Moon In A Rocket/ Waiting You With Mine Tonight/
Walkin' Down The Road/ What About Me/ Whatcha Gonna Do/ You're Making A
Fool Out Of Me
We'll Never Forget You - The Imperial
Years, 1963-66
● CD $18.98
28 tracks, 71 mins, very highly recommended
When the O'Jays are thought of, if at all, it's their Gamble/Huff produced 70's
classics that come to mind (Back Stabbers/ I Love Music/ For the Love
of Money). But the group had been performing for a decade before
world-wide fame and fortune came a knockin', and their entire vinyl
output recorded for Imperial Records has been presented on CD (not for
the first time, but it's the first time all of it has been in one
collection). From the sweet soul of Lonely Drifter to the upbeat
R&B of That's Enough, the quintet (later a quartet) don't put a
foot wrong vocally, while leaders Eddie Levert and Walter Williams show
off their songwriting chops on these as well as Stand Tall and
Stand in For Love. I, for one, never knew that the O'Jays had a
recorded history before they hooked up with Gamble and Huff, but these
recordings are truly a revelation-they do a beautiful job on Jack
Nitzsche's The Storm is Over and Randy Newman's Friday Night
- and are a treat for R&B and soul fans alike. And don't miss their
sublime take on Allen Toussaint's Lipstick Traces (not to mention
its 'B' side Think it Over, Baby); it's worth the price of
admission all by itself! (GMC)
Western Movies And Private Eyes - The
Singles,1958-1961
● CD $14.98
32 tracks, highly recommended
Excellent collection
including all the early sidesby this fine rockin' R&B novelty group
featuring the great raspy lead vocals of Walter Ward. It opens with the
group's earliest single for Melatone in 1958 as by Walter Ward & The
Wanderers. They then switched to Demon and hit it big with their first
single - the classic Western Movies. It includes all their
singles through to 1961's Cool Short and rounds out the CD with
half a dozen tracks drawn from their LPs. Though they never matched the
success of Movies they had minor success with the very similar
Private Eye as well as (Baby) Hully Gully (whose tune was
stolen by The Marathons for their 1961 hit Peanut Butter), Big
Boy Pete/ Shimmy Like My Sister Kate (this update of a 1920s pop hit
is one of my favorites by them)/ Dance By The Light Of The Moon/
Little Pedro and Dooley. Most of the rest of their sides are
up tempo novelty and dance songs (Mash Them Taters/ The Twist/ Pony
Time, etc). Excellent sound and informative notes by Bob Fisher.
(FS)
Two CDs, 56 tracks, highly recommended
The Doc Pomus
story is truly inspiring. Born Jerome Felder in 1925 into a middle class
Jewish family he was crippled as a child by polio. In his teens he
became enamored with Black jazz and blues and taught himself to sing
blues in the style of his idol Joe Turner. He changed his name to the
hipper sounding Doc Pomus and in the mid 40s he started singing in black
clubs - a short, stout, white Jewish guy on crutches backed by some of
the great Black musicians of the day including Lester Young, Baby Dodds,
the Duke Ellington Orch and others. In the 50s he started concentrating
on songwriting first for R&B artists like Ray Charles & Big Joe Turner
and later, in collaboration with the volatile and eccentric Mort
Schumann where they turned to more pop oriented material and became one
of the most succesful songwriting teams from the mid 50s through mid
60s. The first disc here features 20 of the recordings Doc made between
1947 and 1955 along with four live club recordings. While he was
certainly not in the top rung of vocalists in the genre he turned in
fine performances of mostly original songs like Doc's Boogie/ My New
Chick/ Fruity Woman Blues/ My Good Pott/ Traveling Doc/ Blues For Sale/
Too Much Boogie/ Heartlessly and others. You would certainly never
know that he was not an African-American performer. He was accompanied
by top musicians such as Tab Smith, Leonard Feather, Bill Moore, Rex
Stewart, Pete Brown, King Curtis, Mickey Baker & others. These tracks
were also reissued a few years ago on the Rev-Ola label. The second disc
features Doc as songwriter - first writing on his own with songs for Big
Joe Turner, LaVern Baker and Ray Charles and then teaming up with
Schumann and most of this disc features their collaborations with songs
by Clyde McPhatter, Bobby Darin, Fabian, Bobby Rydell, The Drifters, Joe
Brown (yes the English rocker!), Dion, Elvis, Ben E. King and others -
many of them hits. Sound quality is excellent and there are informative
notes by Bob Fisher. (FS) FRANKIE AVALON: Two Fools/ LAVERN BAKER: My Happiness
Forever/ You're Teasing Me/ JOE BROWN: Comes The Day/ People Gotta Talk/
RAY CHARLES: Carryin' The Load/ Lonely Avenue/ You Be My Baby/ THE
COASTERS: Young Blood/ BOBBY DARIN: Plain Jane/ DION: Havin' Fun/ A
Teenager In Love/ RAL DONNER: So Close To Heaven/ THE DRIFTERS: Save The
Last Dance For Me/ Sweets For My Sweet/ This Magic Moment/ FABIAN: Hound
Dog Man/ I'm A Man/ Turn Me Loose/ BEN E. KING: Ecstasy/ First Taste Of
Love/ Here Comes The Night/ Souvenir Of Mexico/ LITTLE TONY AND HIS
BROTHERS: Too Good/ CLYDE MCPHATTER: My Island Of Dreams/ MICKEY AND
SYLVIA: Say The Word/ GATEMOUTH MOORE: ove Doctor Blues/ DOC POMUS:
Alley Alley Blues/ Blues For Sale/ Blues In The Red/ Blues Without
Booze/ Doc's Boogie/ Fruity Woman Blues/ Give It Up/ Here Comes The
Blues (Live)/ Jelly Jelly (Live)/ Joe Turner Medley (Live)/ Kiss My
Wrist/ My Good Pott/ My New Chick/ Naggin' Wife Blues/ No Home Blues/
Pomus Blues (Live)/ Pool Playin' Baby/ Send For The Doctor/ Too Much
Boogie/ Travelling Doc/ Bye Baby Bye/ Heartlessly/ The Last Blues/ Work
Little Carrie/ ELVIS PRESLEY: A Mess Of Blues/ His Latest Flame (Marie's
The Name)/ Surrender/ BOBBY RYDELL: I Dig Girls/ BIG JOE TURNER: Boogie
Woogie Country Girl
24 tracks, 58 mins, highly recommended
Fourth volume in
the original vinyl album series has the original sixteen tracks
augmented with eight bonus tracks; although many of these cuts have been
on CD before, for this collection the compilers have gone back to the
original sources whenever they could, consequently the sound is much
improved from what has been heard previously. The extra cuts are indeed
top notch, with Earl King's Those Lonely, Lonely Nights, Bobby
Marchan's You Can't Stop Her, and Al Collins' I Got the Blues
For You especially great. As for the rest, there's a hot
instrumental from Alvin "Red" Tyler (Walk On), Huey and the
Clowns in top form (Free, Single and Disengaged), Joe Tex in goof
mode (Charlie Brown Get Expelled/ Yum, Yum, Yum), a sweet ballad
from Joe & Ann (Wherever You May Be), and Eddie Bo's pleading
I'll Keep On Trying. The singles cover the years 1954 to 1962, and
judging by the material it doesn't look like Ace UK has scraped the
bottom of the barrel just yet. This is the penultimate volume and it's
just as good as the other three; completists take note. (GMC) JESSE ALLEN: Goodbye Blues/ JOHNNY ANGEL: Teenage
Wedding/ EDDIE BO: I'll Keep On Trying/ FLOYD BROWN: Can I Have A Word/
BAT CARROLL: Aw! Who?/ AL COLLINS & ORCHESTRA: I Got The Blues For You/
ROLAND COOK: I Wanna Know Why/ HUEY AND JERRY: I Think You're Jivin' Me/
JOE AND ANN: Wherever You May Be/ EARL KING (FEATURING FATS ON PIANO):
Those Lonely, Lonely Nights/ EARL KING WITH HUEY "PIANO" SMITH AND HIS
ORC: Well-O,-Well-O, Well-O-Baby/ BOBBY MARCHAN: You Can't Stop Her/
SAMMY MYERS: My Love Is Here To Stay/ ALBERT SCOTT: Can't Let You Go. I
Love You So/ FRANKIE LEE SIMS: Walking With Frankie/ HUEY SMITH: Scald
Dog/ HUEY "PIANO" SMITH AND HIS CLOWNS: Don't You Know Yockomo/ Free,
Single And Disengaged/ JOE TEX: Mother's Advice/ Yum, Yum, Yum/ Charlie
Brown Got Expelled/ ALVIN "RED" TYLER AND THE GYROS: Happy Sax A.K.A.
Stinky/ ALVIN RED TYLER AND THE GYROS: Walk On/ DICKY WILLIAMS:
Tee-Na-Na
30 tracks, 72 min., highly recommended
Here's a
well-deserved look at the country side of the Tops label that
specialized in budget records. Tops releases usually featured hit songs
by people no one had ever heard of. Frequently the performances were
mere sound-alikes, but sometimes a greater level of ability was at work.
In fact, many of the musicians who worked at Tops also worked for major
labels. Sometimes the same musicians who cut the hit would moonlight at
Tops and cut the "knock off," or so the stories go. The name Hank Smith
seemed to be used generically at Tops for multiple artists, such that a
4-song EP might feature multiple songs by multiple Hank Smiths. The most
famous case, thankfully included here, is the knock off of Elvis
Presley's Heartbreak Hotel recorded for Tops by Hank Smith, who
was better knows as George Jones. Leon Payne cut Perkins' Blue Suede
Shoes as Hank Smith too. How can anyone stay away from fun like
that? (JC) BOB ANDY & THE RHYTHM RANGERS: Satisfaction
Guaranteed/ TEX ARNOLD WITH THE BAR-X BOYS: Mama Come Get Your Baby Boy/
CORKY CARPENTER & THE RHYTHM RANGERS: I'll Go On Alone/ CORKY CARPENTER
WITH THE BILLY BOYS: The Gal Who Invented Kissin'/ DEL GILLMAN AND THE
BAR-X BOYS: I Want To Be With You Always/ RUSTY HOWARD & THE RHYTHM
RANGERS: Folsom Prison Blues/ Kaw-Liga/ Shake A Hand/ RUSTY HOWARD AND
THE BAR-X BOYS: Blackberry Boogie/ CLIFF JOHNSON WITH THE HARMONY BOYS:
If You Don't Somebody Else Will/ Whatcha Gonna Do Now/ OUTPOST SCOTTY
AND THE BAR-X BOYS: Moanin' The Blues/ The Golden Rocket/ The Shot Gun
Boogie/ PAT PATTERSON & GLENDA SMITH: Are You Mine/ PAT PATTERSON WITH
THE TEXAS WRANGLERS: In The Jailhouse Now/ Making Believe/ BOB SANDY: I
Forgot To Remember To Forget/ Cry Cry Cry/ I Don't Believe You've Met My
Baby/ I Don't Care/ Let Me Be The One/ Trouble In Mind/ Why Baby Why/
Trademark/ HANK SMITH & THE NASHVILLE PLAYBOYS: Blue Suede Shoes/
Heartbreak Hotel/ DICK TURLEY AND THE BAR-X BOYS: Back Street Affair
Plug It In,Turn It Up-Electric Blues:
Part 1, 1939-1954
● CD $49.98
Four three CD sets tracing the
development of electric blues from 1939 through 2005. Compiled by
researcher Bill Dahl each 3-CD set comes with a 160-page booklet
including biographies, illustrations, original release info, and rare
photos! Although everything has been out before the sets are
cross-licensed from every significant blues record company to provide as
comprehensive picture as possible and knowing Bear Family, the sound
quality is sure to be superior to previous reissues.
This first volume
features 77 tracks ranging from the early jazz inspired offerings of
Andy Kirk's Orch with Floyd Smith and T-Bone Walker through to the tough
Chicago blues sounds of Muddy Waters, Little Walter and J.B. Hutto,
taking in along the way the Texas sounds of Lightnin' Hopkins, Goree
Carter, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and others, the West Coast stylings
of Johnny Moore's Three Blazes, Gene Phillips, CharlesBrown, etc. The
deep south sounds of Howlin' Wolf, Boyd Gilmore, Sunny Blair, etc. the
New York sounds of Champion Jack Dupree, Stick McGhee and others. BABY FACE LEROY TRIO: Rollin' And Tumblin' Part 1/
SUNNY BLAIR: Please Send My Baby Back/ EDDIE BOYD: Five Long Years/
JACKIE BRENSTON AND HIS DELTA CATS: Rocket '88'/ JOHN BRIM: Ice Cream
Man/ BIG BILL BROONZY: Ramblin' Bill/ CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN: Dirty
Work At The Crossroad/ Mary Is Fine/ JAMES "WIDE MOUTH" BROWN: Boogie
Woogie Nighthawk/ CHARLES BROWN AND HIS BAND: Black Night/ ROY BROWN AND
HIS MIGHTY MIGHTY MEN: Love Don't Love Nobody/ GOREE CARTER AND HIS
HEPCATS: Rock Awhile/ RAY CHARLES: Losing Hand/ PEE WEE CRAYTON: Blues
After Hours/ ARTHUR "BIG BOY" CRUDUP: That's All Right/ FLOYD DIXON:
Baby Let's Go Down To The Woods/ FATS DOMINO: Trust In Me/ CHAMPION JACK
DUPREE: Shim Sham Shimmy/ LOWELL FULSON: Every Day I Have The Blues
(Lonely Heart Blues)/ Reconsider Baby/ CECIL GANT: Rock Little Baby/
CLARENCE GARLOW: Bon Ton Roula/ BOYD GILMORE: Ramblin' On My Mind/
GUITAR SLIM AND HIS BAND: The Things That I Used To Do/ PAT HARE: I'm
Gonna Murder My Baby/ WYNONIE HARRIS: Shake That Thing/ JOHN LEE HOOKER:
Boogie Chillen/ I'm In The Mood/ LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Let Me Play With
Your Poodle/ HOWLIN' WOLF: How Many More Years?/ J.B. HUTTO AND HIS
HAWKS: Pet Cream Man/ LIL' SON JACKSON: Piggly Wiggly/ ELMORE JAMES:
Dust My Broom/ LONNIE JOHNSON: Why Should I Cry?/ LOUIS JORDAN AND HIS
TYMPANY FIVE: Ain't That Just Like A Woman/ B.B. KING AND HIS ORCHESTRA:
Please Love Me/ Woke Up This Morning (My Baby She Was Gone)/ ANDY KIRK
AND HIS TWELVE CLOUDS OF JOY FEATUR: Floyd's Guitar Blues/ PETE "GUITAR"
LEWIS: Chocolate Pork Chop Man/ PAPA LIGHTFOOT: Wine, Women, Whiskey/
LITTLE JUNIOR'S BLUE FLAMES: Feelin' Good/ LITTLE WALTER AND HIS JUKES:
Blues With A Feeling/ LITTLE WILLIE LITTLEFIELD: Hit The Road/ JOE HILL
LOUIS: Hydramatic Woman/ JIMMY MCCRACKLIN AND HIS BLUES BLASTERS:
Rockin' All Day (Aka Rockin' And Reelin')/ STICK MCGHEE AND HIS BUDDIES:
Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee/ MEMPHIS MINNIE WITH LITTLE JOE & HIS BAN:
Me And My Chauffeur Blues/ AMOS MILBURN AND HIS ALADDIN CHICKENSHACKERS:
One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer/ JOHNNY MOORE'S THREE BLAZERS:
Drifting Blues/ ROBERT NIGHTHAWK AND HIS NIGHTHAWKS BAND: Kansas City
Blues/ THE NIGHTHAWKS (ROBERT NIGHTHAWK): Black Angel Blues (Sweet Black
Angel)/ CHUCK NORRIS: Messin' Up/ DANNY OVERBEA: Forty Cups Of Coffee/
GENE PHILLIPS WITH JACK MCVEA ORCH.: Slippin' And Slidin'/ SNOOKY PRYOR
AND HIS TRIO: Cryin' Shame/ JIMMY REED AND HIS TRIO: You Don't Have To
Go/ JIMMY ROGERS AND HIS ROCKING FOUR: Sloppy Drunk/ JIMMY ROGERS AND
HIS TRIO: That's All Right/ DR. ROSS: The Boogie Disease/ JOHNNY SHINES:
Evening Sun/ TAMPA RED: Midnight Boogie/ SISTER ROSETTA THARPE: Strange
Things Happening Every Day/ LAFAYETTE THOMAS: Don't Have To Worry
(Jumpin' In The Heart Of Town)/ RUFUS THOMAS, JR.: Tiger Man (King Of
The Jungle)/ WILLIE MAE "BIG MAMA" THORNTON: Hound Dog/ JOE TURNER AND
HIS BLUES KINGS: T.V. Mama/ EDDIE "CLEANHEAD" VINSON: Lonesome Train/
T-BONE WALKER: Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)/ Cold
Cold Feeling/ Mean Old World/ LITTLE WALTER: Juke/ BABY BOY WARREN: My
Special Friend Blues/ MUDDY WATERS: I Can't Be Satisfied/ I'm Your
Hoochie Coochie Man/ SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON: Better Cut That Out/ Pontiac
Blues/ JIMMY WITHERSPOON: Who's Been Jivin' You
Plug It In,Turn It Up-Electric Blues:
Part 2, 1954-1967
● CD $49.98
This volume covers the period 1954 through 1967 with
tough sounds of Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars coming to the
fore and imaginative use made of heavily amplified harmonica. Among the
many artists featured are B.B. King, Big Walter Horton, L.C. McKinley,
Chuck Berry, Little George Smith, Billy Gayles, Bo Diddley, JImmy
Rogers, Bobby Bland, Otis Rush, Little Milton, Jimmy Reed, Elmore James,
Clarence :Gatemouth" Brown, Guitar Gable, Cal Green, Royal Earl, Johnny
Jones and others. MICKEY BAKER: Shake Walkin'/ HANK BALLARD & THE
MIDNIGHTERS: Look At Little Sister/ CHUCK BERRY: Guitar Boogie/ Wee Wee
Hours/ BIG WALTER AND HIS COMBO: Hart-Hearted Woman/ BILLY BOY: I Wish
You Would/ BOBBY BLAND: Farther Up The Road/ JACKIE BRENSTON: Gonna Wait
For My Chance/ BUSTER BROWN: Fannie Mae/ CLARENCE BROWN: Okie Dokie
Stomp/ Rock My Blues Away/ ALBERT COLLINS: Frosty/ PEE WEE CRAYTON:
Texas Hop/ You Know - Yeah!/ LARRY DAVIS: Texas Flood/ BO DIDDLEY: I'm A
Man/ Who Do You Love/ BILL DOGGETT: Honky Tonk/ BILLY GAYLES: I'm Tore
Up/ CAL GREEN: The Big Push/ CLARENCE GREEN: Red Light/ TINY GRIMES
QUINTET: Tiny's Boogie/ GUITAR GABLE: Congo Mambo/ GUITAR JR.: Family
Rules/ GUITAR SLIM: Quicksand/ SLIM HARPO: I'm A King Bee/ WILBERT
HARRISON: Kansas City/ JOHNNY HEARTSMAN: Johnny's House Party/ EARL
HOOKER: The Huckle-Buck/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: Dimples/ LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS:
Hopkins' Sky Hop/ IKE & TINA'S KING OF RHYTHM: Prancing/ ELMORE JAMES:
Hawaiian Boogie/ The Sky Is Crying/ BILL JENNINGS QUINTET: Big Boy/
JIMMY & WALTER: Easy/ LITTLE WILLY JOHN: Need Your Love So Bad/ JOHNNY
JONES: Finger Lickin'/ FREDDIE KING: Remington Ride/ EARL KING AND HIS
BAND: A Mother's Love/ B.B. KING AND HIS ORCHESTRA: You Upset Me Baby/
LAZY LESTER: Sugar Coated Love/ J. B. LENOIR: Mamma Talk To Your
Daughter/ LIGHTNIN' SLIM: Roosters Blues/ LITTLE MILTON: That Will Never
Do/ LITTLE WALTER: Back Track/ My Babe/ ROBERT JR. LOCKWOOD AND HIS
COMBO: Aw Aw Baby/ LONESOME SUNDOWN: My Home Is A Prison/ LONNIE MACK:
Wham!/ MAGIC SAM: All Your Love/ Looking Good/ JERRY MCCAIN: My Next
Door Neighbour/ BROWNIE MCGHEE: Living With The Blues/ L.C. MCKINLEY:
She's Five Feet Three/ MEMPHIS SLIM: Steppin' Out/ ROY MILTON: Junior
Jives/ JIMMY NOLEN: Strollin' With Nolen/ LITTLE JUNIOR PARKER: Next
Time You See Me/ JIMMY REED: Ain't That Lovin' You Baby/ Baby What You
Want Me To Do/ FENTON ROBINSON: As The Years Go By/ JIMMY ROGERS:
Walking By Myself/ ROYAL EARL: Royal Earl Shuffle/ OTIS RUSH: All Your
Love (I Miss Loving)/ I Can't Quit You Baby/ FRANKIE LEE SIMS: Walking
With Frankie/ MEMPHIS SLIM: Messin' Around/ LITTLE GEORGE SMITH: Rockin/
WILD JIMMY SPRUILL: Hard Grind/ EDDIE TAYLOR: Bad Boy/ T-BONE WALKER:
Strollin' With Bones/ MUDDY WATERS: Got My Mojo Working/ I'm Ready/
JOHNNY WATSON: Three Hours After Midnight/ YOUNG JOHN WATSON: Space
Guitar/ JODY WILLIAMS: Lucky Lou/ SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON: Don't Start Me
Talkin'/ HOWLIN' WOLF: Smoke Stack Lightning
Plug It In,Turn It Up-Electric Blues:
Part 3, 1960-1969
● CD $49.98
This volume covers the period 1960 through 1969 and
includes performances from some of the American and British white groups
that were beginning to play the blues - The Yardbirds, John Mayall's
Blues Breakers, Spencer Davis Group, Canned Heat and others as well as
lots of great African-American artists like Otis Rush, Freddie King, Kid
Thomas, Willie Perryman, Ricky Allen, Sonny Boy Williamson, James Davis,
Timmy Shaw, Junior Wells, Johnnie Taylor, Lowell Fulsom, Buddy Guy and
others. RICKY ALLEN: Cut You A-Loose/ THE ANIMALS: The House
Of The Rising Sun/ THE JEFF BECK GROUP: I Ain't Superstitious/ BIG
BROTHER & THE HOLDING COMPANY: Ball And Chain/ BOBBY BLAND: I Pity The
Fool/ MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD: Going Down Slow/ PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND:
Born In Chicago/ CANNED HEAT: On the Road Again/ CLARENCE CARTER: Slip
Away/ WILLIE COBBS: You Don't Love Me/ JAMES DAVIS: Blue Monday/ TYRONE
DAVIS: A Woman Needs To Be Loved/ THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP: Stevie's
Blues/ SUGAR PIE DESANTO: Use What You Got/ BO DIDDLEY: You Can't Judge
A Book By Looking At It's Cover/ FLEETWOOD MAC: Black Magic Woman/ JESSE
FORTUNE: Too Many Cooks/ ARETHA FRANKLIN: Dr. Feelgood/ FRANK FROST:
Jelly Roll King/ LOWELL FULSOM: Tramp/ BUDDY GUY: Mary Had A Little
Lamb/ Time I Met The Blues/ JOHN HAMMOND: I Can Tell/ SLIM HARPO: Baby
Scratch My Back/ RONNIE HAWKINS: Who Do You Love/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: Boom
Boom/ HOWLIN WOLF: Hidden Charms/ HOWLIN' WOLF: Killing Floor/ BETTY
JAMES: I'm A Little Mixed Up/ ELMORE JAMES: Shake Your Moneymaker/ ETTA
JAMES: I'd Rather Go Blind/ MABLE JOHN: You're Taking Up Another Man's
Place/ ALBERT KING: Crosscut Saw/ B.B. KING: Rock Me Baby/ EARL KING:
Come On/ FREDDIE KING: Have You Ever Loved A Woman/ Hide Away/ ALBERT
KING BORN: Under A Bad Sign/ CHRISTINE KITTRELL: I'm A Woman/ CALVIN
LEAVY: Cummins Prison/ LITTLE FRANKIE LEE & THE SAXTONS: Full Time
Lover/ LITTLE MILTON: Feel So Bad/ LONNIE MACK: Baby What's Wrong/ MAGIC
SAM: What Have I Done Wrong/ TAJ MAHAL: She Caught The Katy/ MANFRED
MANN: Bring It To Jerome/ JOHN MAYALL'S BLUES BREAKERS: Have You Heard/
CHARLEY MUSSELWHITE'S SOUTH SIDE BAND: Baby Will You Please Help Me/
BOBBY PARKER: Watch Your Step/ JUNIOR PARKER: Driving Wheel/ WILLIE
PERRYMAN: Doctor Feel-Good/ WILSON PICKETT: Mustang Sally/ THE PRETTY
THINGS: Judgement Day/ JIMMY REED: Big Boss Man/ SONNY RHODES: One Of
These Days/ OTIS RUSH: So Many Roads/ SAVOY BROWN: Shake 'Em On Down/
TIMMY SHAW: Gonna Send You Back To Georgia/ JOHNNIE TAYLOR: Little
Bluebird/ KOKO TAYLOR: Wang Dang Doodle/ LITTLE JOHNNY TAYLOR: Part Time
Love/ TEN YEARS AFTER: I Want To Know/ KID THOMAS: Rockin This Joint
To-nite/ RUFUS THOMAS: All Night Worker/ TOMMY TUCKER: Hi-Heel Sneakers/
JUNIOR WELLS: Messin With The Kid/ Snatch It Back And Hold It/ SONNY BOY
WILLIAMSON: Help Me/ JOHNNY WINTER: Gangster Of Love/ THE YARDBIRDS: I
Ain't Got You
Plug It In,Turn It Up-Electric Blues:
Part 3, 1970-2005
● CD $49.98
The last volume covers 1970 through 2005 - a period with
lots of changes. The African American audiences were listening to the
sounds of soul blues and white blues audiences were being given more
high energy electric blues and blues rock and among the many artists on
this set are Ted Taylor, ZZ Hill, Joe Simon, Albert KIng, B.B. King, Syl
JOhnson, Johnny Winter, Hound Dog Taylor, Son Seals, ZZ Top, Bonnie
Raitt, Hollywood Fats, George Thorogood And The Desroyers, Stevie Ray
Vaughan ^& Double Trouble, Rober Cray, Snooks Eaglin, Luther Allison and
much much more. ARTHUR ADAMS: Backup Man/ LUTHER ALLISON: Bad Love/
Luther's Blues/ THE ELVIN BISHOP GROUP: Stealin' Watermelons/ BOBBY
BLAND: I Wouldn't Treat A Dog (The Way You Treated Me)/ LONNIE BROOKS:
Don't Take Advantage Of Me/ CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN: Dollar Got The
Blues/ ROY BUCHANAN: After Hours/ R.L. BURNSIDE: Old Black Mattie/ EDDY
CLEARWATER: Bad Dream/ BILL CODAY: Get Your Lie Straight/ ALBERT
COLLINS: Brick/ JOHNNY COPELAND: Claim Jumper/ THE JAMES COTTON BAND:
Boogie Thing/ ROBERT CRAY: Smoking Gun/ TYRONE DAVIS: Turning Point/
SNOOKS EAGLIN: Red Beans/ RONNIE EARL & THE BROADCASTERS: Robert
Nighthawk Stomp (live)/ THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS: Tuff Enuff/ RORY
GALLAGHER: Should've Learnt My Lesson/ J. GEILS BAND: Homework/ AL
GREEN: I Can't Get Next To You/ BUDDY GUY: Damn Right, I've Got The
Blues/ Z.Z. HILL: Don't Make Me Pay For His Mistakes/ Down Home Blues/
HOLLYWOOD FATS BAND: Rock This House/ SYL JOHNSON: Take Me To The River/
JUNIOR KIMBROUGH & THE SOUL BLUES BOYS: All Night Long/ ALBERT KING:
I'll Play The Blues For You/ B. B. KING: The Thrill Is Gone/ To Know You
Is To Love You/ FREDDIE KING: Going Down/ DENISE LASALLE: Man Sized Job/
LATIMORE: Let's Straighten It Out/ BETTY LAVETTE: Your Turn To Cry/
LITTLE BEAVER: Joey/ LITTLE MILTON: That's What Love Will Make You Do/
LITTLE SONNY: It's Hard Going Up (But Twice As Hard Coming Down)/
DELBERT MCCLINTON: Before You Accuse Me/ NICK MOSS & THE FLIP TOPS:
Check My Pulse/ ANN PEEBLES: Breaking Up Somebody's Home/ BONNIE RAITT:
Runaway/ FENTON ROBINSON: Somebody Loan Me A Dime/ ROOMFUL OF BLUES:
Duke's Blues/ BOBBY RUSH: Chicken Heads/ OTIS RUSH: Right Place, Wrong
Time/ SON SEALS: Your Love Is Like A Cancer/ JOE SIMON: Drowning In The
Sea Of Love/ HOUND DOG TAYLOR: Give Me Back My Wig/ JOHNNIE TAYLOR:
Cheaper To Keep Her/ KOKO TAYLOR: Hey Bartender/ LITTLE JOHNNY TAYLOR:
Everybody Knows About My Good Thing, Pt. 1/ TED TAYLOR: Something
Strange Is Goin' On In My House/ GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS: Bad
To The Bone/ ISRAEL "POPPER STOPPER" TOLBERT: Big Leg Woman (With A
Short Short Mini Skirt)/ STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN & DOUBLE TROUBLE: Pride And
Joy/ JOE LOUIS WALKER: Cold Is The NIght/ ROBERT WARD: Your Love Is
Real/ JOHNNY "GUITAR" WATSON: Ain't That A Bitch/ JUNIOR WELLS: The
Train I Ride/ CHICK WILLIS: Stoop Down Baby/ JOHNNY WINTER: Memory Pain/
O.V. WRIGHT: A Nickel And A Nail/ ZZ TOP: La Grange
26 tracks, recommended
Enjoyable collection of teen
oriented uptempo rock 'n' roll from the 50s - about50% new to CD.
Although some of the vocals are rather tepid and some of the songs are
pretty dumb there are some enjoyable performances, often with good band,
and some feature hot guitar solos - most notably Party Crashin'
by Davy Douglas and When Ya Comin' Home by Roy Fury plus some
others. Other artists include Eddie Quinteros, Eddie Thomas, Big Jack
Horner, Frankie Tyler, Jimmy Isle, Johnny Cooper, Jimmy Case, The
Teardrops, etc. Excellent sound but no notes. (FS) JAN AMBER: The Little Martian/ GENE BUA: Blue-Eyed
Darlin'/ JIMMY CASE: High School Hall Of Fame/ COLLAY & THE SATELLITES:
Little Girl Next Door/ JOHNNY COOPER: Dumb Dumb Bunny/ DANNY CURRY:
Happy Feelin'/ NANCY DAY: Teen Age Hop/ DAVY DOUGLAS: Party Crashin'/
RON FURY: When Ya' Comin' Home/ BIG JACK HORNER: If I Can/ JIMMY ISLE:
Stay By My Side/ THE KEY BROTHERS: Sherry Ann/ GERRY LANGFORD: Tell Me/
ARTIE LEWIS: Alone, All Alone/ EDDIE QUINTEROS: Come On Little Girl/
JIMMY ROCK: The Drag/ ROCKIN' RONALD & THE REBELS: Cuttin' Out/ THE
SENIORS: Baby, Say The Word/ THE TEARDOPS (TONY & PAUL): Jellyfish/
EDDIE THOMAS: Frankenstein Rock/ THE THREETEENS: Doowaddie/ BOBBY
TOWERS: Gone, Gone, Gone Dreams/ FRANKIE TYLER: I Go Ape/ BUDDY WHITE:
Unlucky Man/ SONNY WILLIAMS: Lucky Linda/ RAY WILLIS: Whatta You Do
Available again at a lower price. Four CD set in book
format with 100 tracks of small and big band boogie numbers. A mix of
familiar and lesser known titles - Johnny Otis & His Orch., Bill
Johnson, Marvin Johnson, Joe Turner, Willie Johnson, Bob Gaddy, Doc
Pomus, Crown Prince Waterford, Mabel Scott, Tiny Bradshaw, Jay McShann,
Cab caloway, Joe Lutcher and many more. Decent sound and 32 page
illustrated booklet with notes in English and German. DAVE BARTHOLOMEW: Good Jax Boogie/ TINY BRADSHAW:
Bradshaw Boogie/ Bride And Groom Boogie/ CLARENCE 'GATEMOUTH' BROWN:
Pale Dry Boogie (part I)/ Pale Dry Boogie (part Ii)/ LEE BROWN: Bobbie
Town Boogie/ ROY BROWN: Boogie At Midnight/ Roy Brown Boogie/ SAX MAN
BROWN FEATURING ELMORE JAMES: Sax-ony Boogie/ PEP BROWN ORCHESTRA
FEATURING ELMORE JAMES: Round House Boogie/ HAROLD BURRAGE: Way Down
Boogie/ CAB CALLOWAY: Roomin' House Boogie/ DICK DAVIS: Screamin'
Boogie/ SARAH "FATWOMAN" DEAN: I Got Your Boogie/ TINA DIXON: Parrot Bar
Boogie/ BIG BOB DOUGHERTY & THE KAMPUS KATS, THE: Big Bob's Boogie/
TOMMY DOUGLAS: Douglas Boogie/ CHAMPION JACK DUPREE: Rub-a-little
Boogie/ T. J. FOWLER: Fowler's Boogie/ T. J. Boogie/ BOB GADDY: Little
Girl's Boogie/ SLIM GAILLARD: Slim Gaillard's Boogie/ CECIL GANT:
Shotgun Boogie/ STEVE GIBSON'S RED CAPS: Boogie Woogie On A Saturday
Night/ JOHNNY GRIFFIN: Chuck-a-boogie/ LALO GUERRERO: Marihuana Boogie/
ACE HARRIS: M.f.t. Boogie/ WYNONIE HARRIS: Dig This Boogie/ Waynonie's
Boogie/ BIG BERTHA HENDERSON: Rock Bertha, Rock/ DUKE HENDERSON: Leona's
Boogie/ LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Moving On Out Boogie/ IVORY JOE HUNTER: All
States Boogie/ Boogin' In The Rain/ BULLMOOSE JACKSON: Chrokee Boogie/
GEORGE JENKINS: Shufflin' Boogie/ BILL JOHNSON: Elevator Boogie/ MARVIN
JOHNSON: Save Me A Boogie/ WILLIE JOHNSON: Got The Boogie Woogie Blues/
LOUIS JORDAN: Barnyard Boogie/ Blue Light Boogie/ Caladonia Blues/ Choo
Choo Ch' Boogie/ Pine Top's Boogie/ KITTY KAYE: Fishtruck Boogie/ B.B.
KING: B. B. Boogie/ Boogie Woogie Woman/ MORRIS LANE: Bobby's Boogie/
SMILEY LEWIS: Bee's Boogie/ JIMMY LIGGINS: Cadillac Boogie/ Nite Life
Boogie/ JOE LIGGINS: Dripper's Boogie/ LITTLE RICHARD: Little Richard's
Boogie/ JOE LUTCHER: Lucky Lindy Boogie/ Rockin' Boogie/ EDDIE MACK:
Shotgun Boogie/ JIMMIE MADDIN: Boogie Boo/ STICK MCGHEE: Housewarmin'
Boogie/ BIG JAY MCNEELY: Roadhouse Boogie/ JAY MCSHANN: Crown Prince
Boogie/ JACK MCVEA: Frantic Boogie/ AMOS MILBURN: Chicken Shack Boogie/
My Baby's Booging/ Roomin' House Boogie/ Square Dance Boogie/ TAPS
MILLER: Manneken Piss Boogie/ GEORGE MILLER AND HIS MID DRIFFS: Boogie's
The Thing/ ROY MILTON: Milton's Boogie/ FREDDIE MITCHELL: Doby's Boogie/
Mr. Freddie's Boogie/ BUMPS MYERS & THE KING PORTER ORCHESTRA: Bump's
Boogie/ JOHNNY OTIS: Alimony Boogie/ Good Boogie Googie/ Lover's Lane
Boogie/ DOC POMUS: Too Much Boogie/ PROFESSOR LONGHAIR: Boogie Woogie/
TOMMY RIDGLEY: Boogie Woogie Mama/ Early Dawn Boogie/ SUGAR CHILE
ROBINSON: Bouncing Ball Boogie/ Numbers Boogie/ SPOOKUM RUSSELL: Jukebox
Boogie Woogie Chick/ CLARENCE SAMUELS: Boogie Woogie Blues/ MABEL SCOTT:
Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train/ Boogie Woogie Santa Claus/ HAL SINGER:
Disc Jockey Boogie/ ROOSEVELT SYKES: Blues 'n' Boogie/ Walkin' The
Boogie/ JOEY THOMAS: Cherokee Boogie/ BIG MAMA THORNTON: Mischievious
Boogie/ JOE TURNER: Boogie Woogie Baby/ Mardi Gras Boogie/ T-BONE
WALKER: T-bone Boogie/ CROWN PRINCE WATERFORD: Kissin' Bug Boogie/
Strange Woman's Boogie/ JOHNNY WICKS: Jackey Jack Boogie/ MILTON WILLIS:
Little Joe's Boogie/ BILLY WRIGHT: Billy's Boogie Blues/ Married Woman's
Boogie/ JIM WYNN: Cold Blooded Boogie/ Rock Boogie
2 CD, 50 tracks, highly recommended
The title says it
all: 25 songs of doing the crime, and 25 songs of doing the time.
Naturally, the Blues plays a large role here with guys and gals alike
lamenting their sins and the consequences: Sippie Wallace's Murder's
Gonna Be My Crime epitomizes the former, while Lightnin' Hopkins'
Jailhouse Blues sums up the latter, but neither has the last words
on the subjects; John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson, Victoria Spivey,
and Lead Belly, among others, have plenty to add to the conversation.
Country and folk music also have their share of misery, witness the
likes of Johnny Cash (Don't Take Your Guns to Town), Odetta (The
Gallows Pole), Ernest Stoneman (Kenny Wagner's Surrender),
The Everly Brothers (Down in the Willow Garden), and the Louvin
Brothers (Knoxville Girl). The bottom line is, if your thing is
the grimmer sides of humanity then this is the CD for you. (GMC) 22 AND GROUP: It Makes a Long Time Man Feel Bad/ Old
Dollar Mamie/ 22, LITTLE RED, TANGLE EYE AND HARD HAIR: Early in the
Mornin/ BAMA: How I Got in the Penitentiary/ THE BLUE SKY BOYS: Down On
the Banks of the Ohio/ THE CAROLINA BUDDIES: The Murder of the Lawson
Family/ LEROY CARR: Prison Bound Blues/ JOHNNY CASH: Don t Take Your
Guns to Town/ THE CRICKETS: I Fought the Law/ ARTHUR "BIG BOY" CRUDUP:
Star Bootlegger/ THE EVERLY BROTHERS: Down in the Willow Garden/ WOODY
GUTHRIE: Slip Knot/ PAT HARE: I'm Gonna Murder My Baby/ HOMER HARRIS: I
m Gonna Cut Your Head Mama/ BILLIE HOLIDAY: Strange Fruit/ JOHN LEE
HOOKER: I m Gonna Kill That Woman/ LIGHTNIN HOPKINS: Jail House Blues/
CISCO HOUSTON: The Killer/ PEG LEG HOWELL AND JIM HILL: Ball and Chain
Blues/ HURRICANE HARRY: The Last Meal/ MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT: Frankie/
FRANK HUTCHISON: Stackalee/ BLIND LEMON JEFFERSON: Prison Cell Blues/
BLIND WILLIE JOHNSON: Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground/ DICK
JUSTICE: Henry Lee/ LEAD BELLY: John Hardy/ LILLIE MAE: Buggy Jail House
Blues/ THE LOUVIN BROTHERS: Knoxville Girl/ MACON ED AND TAMPA JOE:
Worrying Blues/ FRED MCMULLEN: DeKalb Chain Gang/ BLIND WILLIE MCTELL:
Dying Crapshooter's Blues/ THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND: He's in the Jailhouse
Now/ THE NEW LOST CITY RAMBLERS: Tom Dooley/ HAMBONE WILLIE NEWBERN:
Shelby County Workhouse Blues/ ODETTA: The Gallows Pole/ CHARLEY PATTON:
High Sheriff Blues/ JIMMIE PATTON: Okie s in the Pokie/ PAUL ROBESON:
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child/ VICTORIA SPIVEY: Murder in the
First Degree/ ERNEST STONEMAN: Kenny Wagner's Surrender/ TANGLE EYE:
Tangle Eye Blues/ TEXAS ALEXANDER: Penitentiary Moan Blues/ MATTIE MAY
THOMAS: Big Mac from Macamere/ Workhouse Blues/ DAVE VAN RONK: Duncan
and Brady/ SIPPIE WALLACE: Murder s Gonna Be My Crime/ PEETIE
WHEATSTRAW: Gangster's Blues/ BUKKA WHITE: Parchman Farm Blues/ JOSH
WHITE: Lord Randall, My Son/ SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON: Your Funeral and My
Trial
Texas Tornados - Rock 'n' Roll FRom The
Lone Star State
● CD $19.98
2 CD's, 1 hour 43 min., 50 tracks, highly recommended
Full of red-blooded rock and roll from the early days, when amplified
guitars roamed the earth searching for teenagers, this atmospherically
disturbing collection does everything right. Some of the tracks are by
well knowns such as Roy Orbison (You're My Baby), The Crickets (I'm
Lookin' For Someone To Love), but the compilers shy away from
most-often reissued cuts. Some of the selections are by lesser knows or
regionally knowns, including Doug Bragg (If I Find My Dream Girl),
Dave Edge (Wham Bam!), Tom Tall (Stack-A-Records), and more.
Record labels represented include Sarge, D, Starday,Lin, Sun, Major,
Crest, Imperial, TNT, Dixie, Kliff, Westport, and many others.
Performances range from guys trying to sound like Johnny Cash to guys
just this side of out of control, with nearly everything very good or
better. All this and the kind of booklet notes a collector can
appreciate, full of information about each act and song with pictures of
each 45 rpm label. Nice. With so many cool rock and roll acts, it's a
wonder that the state of Texas only received one star. (JC) CHARLIE ADAMS: Cattin' Around/ MILTON ALLEN: Don't Bug
Me Baby/ BIG BOPPER: White Lightning/ HARMON BOAZEMAN: No Love In You/
DOUG BRAGG: If I Find My Dream Girl/ RAY CAMPI: Catapillar/ JOHNNY
CARROLL: Wild Wild Women/ THE CRICKETS: I'm Lookin' For Someone To Love/
Rock Me My Baby/ MAC CURTIS: Grandaddy's Rockin'/ If I Had Me A Woman/
LINK DAVIS: Cockroach/ RONNIE DAWSON: Rockin' Bones/ JIMMY DEE:
Rock-Tick-Tock/ EDDY DUGOSH: Strange Kinda Feeling/ DAVE EDGE: Wham Bam/
SONNY FISHER: Rockin' Daddy/ LEFTY FRIZZELL: You're Humbuggin' Me/ BILLY
GRAY: Tennessee Toddy/ BENNIE HESS: Wild Hog Hop/ BASH HOFNER: Rockin'
And A-Bopin'/ JOHNNY HORTON: I'm Coming Home/ JIMMIE & JOHNNY: I Can't
Find The Door Knob/ THUMPER JONES: How Come It/ SID KING & THE FIVE
STRINGS: Purr, Kitty, Purr/ Sag, Drag And Fall/ SLEEPY LABEFF: I'm
Through/ TRINI LOPEZ: Yes You Do/ BOB LUMAN: Stranger Than Fiction/
Whenever You're Ready/ BILL MACK: Play My Boogie/ BUDDY MILLER: Teen
Twist/ CECIL MOORE: (I Lost My) Little Baby/ MOON MULLICAN: Moon's Rock/
ROY ORBISON: You're My Baby/ JOE POOVEY: Move Around/ ROYCE PORTER:
Lookin'/ Yes I Do/ JETT POWERS: Go, Girl, Go/ VERN PULLENS: Mama Don't
Allow No Boppin'/ DAVID RAY: Jitterbugging Baby/ JAPE RICHARDSON: Crazy
Blues/ DOUG SAHM: Crazy Daisy/ DONALD SIMPSON: Save Me Your Love/ ANDY
STARR: Rockin', Rollin' Stone/ THE STRIKES: If You Can't Rock Me/ GENE
SUMMERS: Straight Skirt/ TOM TALL: Stack-A-Records/ ALVIS WAYNE: Sleep,
Rock-A-Roll Rock-A-Baby/ LEW WILLIAMS: Centipede
Two CDs, 50 tracks, recommended
A great collection of
Louisiana music recorded between 1953 and 1960 - mostly R&B, blues and
that uniquely Louisiana sound "swamp pop" along with some zydeco,
country and rock 'n' roll but, alas, no Cajun music (Sugar Bee by
Cleveland Crochet doesn't count since although it's a Cajun band they
are doing a R&B song in English!). Tracks are presented
chronologically
and includes lots of great charts hits like Things I Used To Do
by Guitar Slim, Those Lonely Lonely NIghts by Earl KIng,
Mathilda by Cookie & The Cupcakes, Just A Dream by Jimmy
Clanton, Rainin' In My Heart by Slim Harpo plus hits from Smiley
Lewis, Lloyd Price, Frankie Ford, Huey Piano Smith & The Clowns, Phil
Phillips, Fats Domino, Joe Barry and others as well as great non hits
from Clarence Garlow, Clifton Chenier, The Hawketts, Bobby Charles,
Lightnin' Slim, Warren Storm, Rod Bernard, Big Boy Myles and others.
It's all been out before but this makes for a nice introductory
collection. (FS) JOE BARRY: I'm A Fool To Care/ ROD BERNARD: Pardon
Mr.Gordon/ This Should Go On Forever/ BIG BOPPER: Chantilly Lace/ BOBBY
CHARLES: See You Later Alligator/ Take It Easy Greasy/ BOOZOO CHAVIS:
Paper In My Shoe/ CLIFTON CHENIER: Country Bred/ Louisiana Stomp/ JIMMY
CLANTON: A Letter To An Angel/ Another Sleepless Night/ Just A Dream/
COOKIE AND THE CUPCAKES: Mathilda/ Until Then/ SUGARBOY CRAWFORD: Jock A
Mo/ CLEVELAND CROCHET: Sugar Bee/ FATS DOMINO: Walking To New Orleans/
AL FERRIER: Hey Baby/ FRANKIE FORD: Sea Cruise/ JOHN FRED: Shirley/
CLARENCE GARLOW: New Bon Ton Roulay/ GUITAR SLIM: The Things That I Used
To Do/ SLIM HARPO: Got Love If You Want It/ I'm A King Bee/ Rainin' In
My Heart/ THE HAWKETTS: Mardi Gras Mambo/ CLARENCE "FROGMAN" HENRY: (I
Don't Know Why I Love You) But I Do/ I Ain't Got No Home/ JIVIN' GENE &
THE JOKERS: Breakin' Up Is Hard To Do/ JOE JONES: You Talk Too Much/
EARL KING: Those Lonely Lonely Nights/ LAZY LESTER: I'm A Lover Not A
Fighter/ Sugar Coated Love/ SMILEY LEWIS: I Hear You Knocking/ LIGHTNIN
SLIM: Rooster Blues/ LIGHTNIN' SLIM: It's Mighty Crazy/ My Starter Won't
Start/ BIG BOY MYLES: New Orleans/ JIMMY NEWMAN: A Fallen Star/ PHIL
PHILLIPS & THE TWILIGHTS: Sea Of Love/ JOHNNY PRESTON: Cradle Of Love/
Running Bear/ LLOYD PRICE: Just Because/ RUSTY AND DOUG: Louisiana Man/
CHARLES SHEFFIELD: It's Your Voodoo Working/ HUEY "PIANO" SMITH: Don't
You Just Know It/ Rockin' New Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu Pt 1/
WARREN STORM: Mama, Mama Look What Your Little Boy's Done/ Prisoner's
Song/ AL TERRY: Watchdog
27 tracks, highly recommended
Another fine selection of
obscure rocking blues and R&B along with some soul, doo-wop and swamp
pop. It opens in great style with the hot instrumental Turnip Greens
by Jimmy Gox featuring tough guitar and continues with the fine blues
Hello Baby by Lee "Shot" Williams - a reworking of B.B. King's
I've Got Papers On You Baby with fine guitar from FReddy Robinson.
Other highlights includes the great New Orleans rocker I Don't Know
by Bonnie Fussell& The Dixie Crystals, the intense soul ballad Is It
All Over by Jimmy "Tender" Hart, the hard driving The Chase
by Davey Jones, more fine New Orleans sounds from Big Boy Myles and the
great soulful doo-wop ballad I Got The Monkey Off The Back by The
King Pins. Other artists includes Eddie Allen, Johnny Winter, Buck
Rogers, Emmitt Davis, Dot & The Velveletts (great rockin' girl group
sound), Lord Tennyson, L.C. Cook (doing a fine impersonation of his
brother Sam on Please Think Of Me), Claud & The HIghtones (a fine
instrumental) and others. (FS) EDDIE ALLEN: All About My Baby/ ELTON ANDERSON: I Love
You/ HAL CLARK & THE BLENDERS: Come On Over To My House/ CLAUD & THE
HIGH TONES: Bucket Head/ L.C. COOK: Please Think Of Me/ EMMITT DAVIS:
You're Walking Out On Me/ DOT & THE VELVELETTS WITH EUGENE NEAL &:
Searching For My Man/ JIMMY FOX: Turnip Greens/ BONNIE FUSSELL & THE
DIXIE CRYSTALS: I Don't Know/ JIMMY GRESHAM & THE GIBSON KINGS: Take Me
Too/ JIMMY (TENDER) HART: I Dare You Baby/ THE IMPELLAS: Continental
Whip/ REUBEN (TUTTI) JACKSON: (I Can Say) Baby/ DAVEY JONES: The Chase/
THE KING PINS: I Got The Monkey Off My Back/ CURTIS KNIGHT: Little
Doe-Doe/ LIL (PREACHER) ROY: Listen To Me/ LORD TENNYSON: The Dance/
BILLY MAC: Don't Tell Me No Lies/ BIG BOY MYLES: She's So Fine/ THE
PERSIANS: Gee What A Girl/ BUCK ROGERS: I Can't Live Alone/ THE
TOWNSMEN: Is It All Over?/ JUNIOR WELLS: Can't Live Without You, Baby/
LEE (SHOT) WILLIAMS: Hello Baby/ JOHNNY WINTER: Voodoo Twist/ RENA
WRIGHT: I'm Just Your Fool
27 tracks, highly recommended
Another great collection
of rocking blues, R&B plus some soul and doo-wop. Like other volumes in
this series the disc opens and closes with a rocking instrumental - this
time two hot guitar based instros from the obscure group The Egyptian
and in the middle of the disc we have another great guitar instrumental
Mudd from New Orleans session man Roy Montrell. There's more fine
New Orleans with two cuts from Shirley (Goodman) & Jessie (Hill) and the
obscure but fine Don't Make No Noise from Chris Kenner. There are
a few familiar names here with excellent cuts - Lowell Fulson, Jimmy
McCracklin, Wilbert Harrison (his Broke is sung to the same tune
as his hit Kansas City complete with the same exclamations but a
different instrumental arrangement) and Richard Berry . Plus a host of
obscure performers like Lil (Preacher) Roy, Bessie Watson (her superb
Wake Up Crying sounds like another New Orleans production), Leon
Peterson & The Del Fi's, Sticks Herman & The Marcelle Dagas Combo, Hal
Davis, Dotty McCullum (very soulful doowop), The 3 Stooges (no not
them), Louise Brown (her great answer to Ernie K. Doe - Son In Law)
and others. (FS) THE 3 STOOGES: You Are My Girl/ KIP ANDERSON: I'll Get
Along/ CLASSIE BALLOU: Crazy Mambo/ RICHARD BERRY: Give It Up/ LOUISE
BROWN: Son In Law/ HAL DAVIS: I Need Someone/ THE EGYPTIANS: Inkster
Boogie/ The Party Stomp/ BOB FISHER & THE BONNEVILLES: Cherokee Twist/
LOWELL FULSON: Love Grows Cold/ WILBERT HARRISON & HIS KANSAS CITY
PLAYBOYS: Broke/ STICKS HERMAN WITH MARCELLE DUGAS COMBO: Long Gone
Baby/ HERB JOHNSON: Remember Me/ CHRIS KENNER: Don't Make No Noise/
CURTIS KNIGHT: You're Gonna Be Sorry/ LIL (PREACHER) ROY: Wontcha Be My
Girl/ JIMMY MCCRACKLIN: No No/ DOTTY MCCULLUM WITH EUGENE NEAL & THE
ROCKING: For As Long As You Want Me/ ROY MONTRELL: Mudd/ LEON PETERSON &
THE DEL FI'S: Together Just We Two/ THE ROCKAFELLAS: Strike It Rich
(Zoom To The Top Of The World)/ SHIRLEY & JESSIE: Oh Baby (We Got A Good
Thing Going)/ Too Much Too Soon/ SALLY STANLEY: I'm Packing Up/ TITUS
TURNER: Stop The Pain/ VAN WALKER: Think It Over Baby/ BESSIE WATSON:
Wake Up Crying
10 CDs, 200 tracks, almost 7.5 hours, very highly
recommended
Instrumentals have been a building block of Rock 'n' Roll
since the beginning, and this collection-from the same line that brought
us the "Made Famous By Elvis" (Membran 233367, $24.98) and "Rock 'n'
Roll Girls" (Membran 233209, $24.98) compilations-doesn't disappoint, as
it presents just about all the instrumentals that matter and then some.
All the gods of instrumental rock are here: Johnny & the Hurricanes, the
Fireballs, Duane Eddy, the Shadows, the Ventures, The Champs, Link Wray,
Bill Haley & The Comets, and The Kingsmen all put in multiple
appearances as befits their stature in the pantheon. And of course they
are represented by their best known tracks (Apache for the
Shadows; Walk Don't Run for the Ventures; Tequila for The
Champs, Rumble for Link Wray etc.) right along side memorable
one-shots like Boots Randolph's Yakety Sax, Bill Justice's
Raunchy, Sandy Nelson's Teen Beat, Preston Epps' Bongo
Rock, and The Piltdown Men with Brontosaurus Stomp. The
artists range from guys normally more associated with their vocal
performances (Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Ritchie Valens)
to producers and studio creatures (early Phil Spector working under the
alias Phil Harvey, Willie Mitchell, Owen Bradley, Scotty Moore Trio) to
relatively unsung guys like Jimmy Cavello & His House Rockers, Sil
Austin, and Lee Allen and total obscurities like The Big Four, The
Impacts, The Reviliers and Al Hendrix. There are even a handful of
European & British groups (The Flee-Rekkers, Lord Rockingham's XI, etc).
The only complaint I have with this set is the lack of Dick Dale; if the
Ventures can be represented represent, then why not Dale? Otherwise, at
200 songs, this is the (almost) ultimate collection for lovers of
50's/early 60's word-less rock and roll. (GMC) BILLY ADKINSON: Rock A Mo/ LEE ALLEN: Jim Jam/ Walkin’
With Mister Lee/ ANDY ANDERSON: Deep In The Heart Of Texas/ ANDY & THE
LIVE WIRES: Maggie/ THE ATMOSPHERES: Telegraph/ The Fickle Chicken/ SIL
AUSTIN: Birthday Party/ Slow Walk/ CHUCK BERRY: Mad Lad/ RED BERRY & THE
BEL RAVES: Hot Rod/ THE BIG FOUR: Outa Tune/ BILL BLACK’S COMBO: Don’t
Be Cruel/ THE BLAZERS: Walk On/ THE BLUE NOTES: Rigor Mortis/ OWEN
BRADLEY: Big Guitar/ BOOTS BROWN & THE BLOCKBUSTERS: Jim Twangy/ RUSTY
BRYANT: The Honeydripper/ JOHN BUCK & THE BLAZERS: Forbidden City/ DICK
BURDO & THE SMILING RANCH COWBOYS: Brushfire/ SONNY BURGESS: Itchy/
Thunderbird/ CECIL CAMPBELL: The Rocking Guitar/ ACE CANNON: 38 Specia/
Big Shot/ AL CASEY: Ramrod/ JIMMY CAVALLO & HIS HOUSE ROCKERS:
Footstompin’/ THE CHAMPS: Bandido/ Beatnik/ Caramba/ Chariot Rock/ El
Rancho Rock/ Midnighter/ Red Eye/ Sky High/ Tequila/ Too Much Tequila/
Train To Nowhere/ What’s Up Buttercup/ THE CHAPPARALS: Leapin’ Guitars/
CONNY & THE BELL HOPS: Shot Rod/ FLOYD CRAMER: Flip, Flop And Bop/ B. B.
CUNNINGHAM: Electrode/ Scratchin´/ THE CYCLONES: Bullwhip Rock/ DANNY &
THE GALAXIES: Ad Lib/ THE DAWNBEATS: Midnight Express/ ANDY DOLL:
Stockade Rock/ FATS DOMINO: Second Line Jump/ Swanee River Hop/ JIMMY
DORSEY ORCHESTRA: Jay-Dee’s Boogie Woogie/ THE DOWNBEATS: Craig’s Crazy
Boogie/ DUANE EDDY: Because They’re Young/ Bonnie Came Back/ Cannonball/
Detour/ Forty Miles Of Bad Road/ Movin’ And Groovin’/ Peter Gunn/
Ramrod/ Rebel Rouser/ Shazam/ Some Kinda Earthquake/ Yep/ PRESTON EPPS:
Bongo’ Rock/ ERNIE FIELDS: Chattanooga Choo Choo/ In The Mood/ THE
FIREBALLS: Bulldog/ Fireball/ Foot Patter/ Torquay/ Vaquero/ THE
FLEE-REKKERS: Green Jeans/ THE FRANTICS: The Whip/ ERNIE FREEMAN:
Raunchy/ WAYNE FUCKLER: Green Front Boogie/ JIMMY GANZBERG & THE CROWNS:
Rebel Yell/ PAUL GAYTEN: Nervous Boogie/ JOHNNY GREEN COMBO: Lonesome
Road/ BILL HALEY & THE COMETS: Blue Comet Blues/ Goofin’ Around/ Rudy’s
Rock/ MICKEY HAWKS & THE NIGHT RAIDERS: Cotton Pickin’/ AL HENDRIX: Go
Daddy Rock/ DEAN HIGHTOWER: Plunkin’ Party/ “FAT™ DADDY HOLMES: Chicken
Rock/ Where Yo Is/ JOHNNY HOUSTON: Rockin´ On The Range/ THE IMPACTS:
Zot/ THE IMPS: Uh Oh/ THE JETTONES: Jet Tone Boogie/ Twangy/ JOHNNY &
THE HURRICANES: Beatnik Fly/ Buckeye/ Bye Bye Blackbird/ Catnip/
Crossfire/ Down Yonder/ Red River Rock/ Reveille Rock/ Rocking Goose/
Rockin’ “T”/ Sand Storm/ Storm Warning/ The “Hep” Canary/ Time Bomb/ You
Are My Sunshine/ THE JOKERS: Dogfight/ BILL JUSTIS: College Man/
Paradiddle/ Raunchy/ KID KING’S COMBO: Skip’s Boogie/ KING ROCK & THE
KNIGHTS: Scandal/ THE KINGS HENCHMEN: Night Flight/ THE KINGSMEN: Better
Believe It/ The Cat Walk/ Week End/ LAWSON-HAGGART ROCKIN’ BAND:
Dumplings/ VINNY LEE & THE RIDERS: Gambler´s Guitar/ Mule Train/ BILLY
LEE &THE RAMBLERS: Trav’lin/ LENNY & THE THUNDERTONES: Thunder Express/
JERRY LEE LEWIS: In The Mood/ MERL LINDSAY: Rockin´ Water Baby/ LORD
ROCKINGHAM’S XI: Fried Onions/ Hoots Mon/ Wee Tom/ JOE MAPHIS: Guitar
Rock ’N’ Roll/ JIMMY MCCONVILLE: Scorpion/ WILLIE MITCHELL: Bongo Beat/
MERRILL MOORE: Nola Boogie/ SCOTTY MOORE TRIO: Have Guitar Will Travel/
SANDY NELSON: Big Jump/ Linda Lou/ Teen Beat/ KENNY PARCHMAN: Satellite
Hop/ PIANO SLIM & HIS ROCKING FOUR: Key Jammer/ THE PILTDOWN MEN:
Brontosaurus Stomp/ Bubbles In The Tar/ McDonald´s Cave/ Piltdown Rides
Again/ DICK POULTON TRIO: Capital City Bounce/ RED PRYSOCK: Rock `N`
Roll/ BOOTS RANDOLPH: The Battle Of New Orleans/ Yakety Sax/ THE REBEL
ROUSERS: Night Surfing/ THE RENEGADES: Charge/ THE REVELIERS: Hanging
Five/ Patch/ THE REVELS: Good Grief/ THE RIP TIDES: Machine Gun/ THE
ROCK-A-TEENS: Whoo Hoo/ THE ROCKIN’ R’S: Mustang/ RODNEY & THE BLAZERS:
Summertime Rock/ THE ROYAL NOTES: Spitfire/ THE ROYAL TEENS: Royal Blue/
THE ROYALTONES: Poor Boy/ TED RUSSELL & HIS RHYTHM ROCKERS: Brang/ THE
SABRES: Rising Mercury Twist/ THE SAVOYS: Slappin’ Rods And Leaky Oil/
Bandstand Stomp/ THE SHADOWS: Apache/ Bongo Blues/ Driftin’/ Man Of
Mystery/ Quartermaster’s Store/ The Stranger/ ARTHUR SMITH & HIS
CRACKER-JACKS: Guitar Boogie/ Hard Boiled Boogie/ EDDIE SMITH & THE
HORNETS: Upturn/ THE SOUNDS: Bedlam/ PHIL SPECTOR: Bumbershoot/ Willy
Boy/ THE SPOTNICKS: Ghost Riders In The Sky/ Old Spinning Wheel/ Orange
Blossom Special/ THE STARLIGHTERS: Hot Licks/ RHET STOLLER: Chariot/ THE
STORMS: Thunder/ BRAD SUGGS: 706 Union/ BIG JOHN TAYLOR: Money Money/
BOB TAYLOR & THE COUNTS: Taylor’s Rock/ THE TEEN BEATS: Califf Boogie/
The Slop Beat/ TENNESSEE: Intercity/ Tennessee/ Vagabond/ THE TRASHERS:
Sledgehammer/ THE TUNE ROCKERS: Green Mosquito/ THE TWISTERS: Bandstand
Rocket/ RITCHIE VALENS: Fast Freight/ THE VENTURES: Perfidia/ Walk Don’t
Run/ LYNN VERNON: Moon Rocket/ THE VIRTUES: Guitar Boogie Shuffle/ THE
WAILERS: Wailin’/ NOBLE WATTS: Hard Times/ WORTHAM WATTS: Lonesome/ LINK
WRAY: Raw-Hide/ Rumble
2 CDs, 40 tracks, recommended
Not sure why this set was
titled "roots of Northern Soul" since the term is merely a catch-all for
obscure R&B singles that certain DJs liked to play in British clubs
during the late 60's and early 70's, but it would seem that these songs
appear to fit that criteria. No real surprises (with the exception of
the original version of Someday We'll Be Together by JOhnny &
Jacky, hit covered by Diana Ross & the Supremes), but a decent cross
selection of Motown artists peddling lesser known work (Jimmy Ruffin,
Barrett Strong, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Mary
Wells, and Marv Johnson) and other well known R&B stars from the late
50's/early 60's (Jerry Butler, Fats Domino, Etta James, the Chantels,
Joe Simon, Dee Clark, Little Willie John). Tracks of note: Charles
Sheffield's It's Your Voodoo Workin', The Pentagons' I Wonder
(if Your Love Will Ever Belong to Me), Ronnie Love's Chills &
Fever, and Betty O'Brian's "She'll Be Gone". Upshot: this is a
typical Northern Soul collection and, if you don't already have the
tracks, is worth your time. (GMC) THE BARONS: While The Cat's Away/ RICHARD BERRY & THE
PHARAOHS: Have Love Will Travel/ BOBBY BLAND: Turn On Your Love Light/
JERRY BUTLER: I'm A Telling You/ RUSSEL BYRD: You Better Come Home/ THE
CHANTELS: Well, I Told You/ DEE CLARK: Hold On/ MITTY COLLIER: I Gotta
Get Away From It All/ VAN DELLOS: I Need You/ SUGAR PIE DESANTO: I Want
To Know/ THE DESTINATIONS: Come On Let Me Love You/ FATS DOMINO: It
Keeps Rainin'/ THE FABULOUS PLAYBOYS: Honky Tonk Woman/ FREDDIE GORMAN:
The Day Will Come/ THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Respectable/ CHUCK JACKSON: I
Don't Want To Cry/ ETTA JAMES: Seven Day Fool/ LITTLE WILLIE JOHN: I'm
Shakin'/ JOHNNY & JACKEY: Someday We'll Be Together/ MARV JOHNSON: All
The Love I've Got/ Come To Me/ THE KNOCKOUTS: Fever/ CARL LESTER & THE
SHOWSTOPPERS: When You See Me Hurt/ RONNIE LOVE: Chills & Fever/ RICK
LOVEJOY: Don't Leave Me Behind/ THE MARVELETTES: Way Over There/ DON
MCKENZIE: Whose Heart (Are You Gonna Break Now)/ BETTY O' BRIAN: She'll
Be Gone/ MIKE PEDICIN: Burnt Toast And Black Coffee/ THE PENTAGONS: I
Wonder (If Your Love Will Ever Belong To Me)/ SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE
MIRACLES: Determination/ JIMMY RUFFIN: Don't Feel Sorry For Me/ CHARLES
SHEFFIELD: It's Your Voodoo Workin'/ JOE SIMON: I See Your Face/ BARRETT
STRONG: Misery/ TED TAYLOR: I Lost The Best Things I Ever Had/ THE
TEMPTATIONS: Check Yourself/ TINY TOPSY: Just A Little Bit/ MARY WELLS:
Bye Bye Baby/ Come To Me
Remember Me Baby - Cameo Parkway Vocal
Groups, Vol. 1
● CD $15.98
Previously available on the now defunct Collectors
Choice label here's another chance to get this excellent collection.
This one's a real treat for doo-wop collectors featuring 24 vocal group
tracks recorded for Cameo and Parkway between 1959 and 1965 - most
making their first appearance on a legitimate CD and mostly drawn from
the original master tapes including previously unissued songs by The
Dovells and The Tymes. Also includes sides by Rick & The Masters, The
Sequins, The Defenders, The Turbans, Impacs, Anglos, Pookie Hudson & The
Spaniels, Lee Andrews, The Rays and others. Booklet has detailed notes
by Ed Osborne. Now that Real Gone is mining the Cameo Parkway vaults
maybe we'll finally see a Volume 2! LEE ANDREWS: Gee, But I m Lonesome/ THE ANGLOS:
Raining Teardrops/ BILLY AND THE ESSENTIALS: Remember Me Baby/ THE
DEFENDERS: I Laughed So Hard/ THE DOVELLS: Short On Bread/ THE
EXCEPTIONS: Down By The Ocean/ THE EXPRESSIONS: To Cry/ THE GAINORS: You
Must Be An Angel/ THE GLEEMS: Sandra Baby/ POOKIE HUDSON AND THE
SPANIELS: Turn Out The Lights/ THE IMPACS: Tears In My Heart/ THE
LYDELLS: There Goes The Boy/ THE RAYS: Triangle/ RICK AND THE MASTERS:
Flame Of Love/ I Don t Want Your Love/ Let It Please Be You/ THE
ROOMMATES: A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening/ Sunday Kind Of Love/ THE
SEQUINS: The Mountains/ THE SKYLINERS: Everyone But You/ Three Coins In
The Fountain/ THE TURBANS: Golden Rings/ When You Dance/ THE TYMES: Did
You Ever Get My Letter?
Treasure Isle Presents Rock Steady - 40
Ground-Breaking
● CD $17.98
Two CDS, 40 tracks, highly recommended
Complementing
Spectrum 2080 (Treasure Isle Presents Ska) this superb two CD set
presents the next chapter in the story of the development of reggae with
40 rock steady tracks produced by legendary record producer Duke Reid in
1967 and '68 for his Treasure Isle label. Ska emerge in the early 60s
out a merging of Jamaican mento and American R&B and doo-wop along with
a repetitive chunky guitar rhythm. Around 1966 the music began to change
- the tempo slowed down and the music acquired more sophisticated
arrangements and a strong overlay of American soul music resulting in
the incredibly sensuous music that became known as rock steady. Duke
Reid was one of the leading purveyors of rock steady with artists like
Alton Ellis, Justin Hinds, The Paragons, The Melodians and others
accompanied by superb bands - often featuring such great studio musicians
as saxophonist Tommy McCook and guitarist Lyn Taitt. Most of the songs
are originals by the artists along with a few covers of American soul
songs made famous by Curtis Mayfield and The Temptations and a wonderful
version of the Merrilee Rush hit Angel Of The Morning by Joya
Landis. Anoutstanding collection. (FS) PHYLLIS DILLON: Don't Stay Away/ Perfidia/ DOBBY
DOBSON: I'm A Loving Pauper/ ALTON ELLIS: Willow Tree/ Ain't That Loving
You?/ All My Tears/ Why Birds Follow Spring/ Cry Tough/ Girl I've Got A
Date/ Ooh Wee Baby/ Rock Steady/ JUSTIN HINDS & DOMINOES: Here I Stand/
JUSTIN HINDS & THE DOMINOES: Once A Man/ Save A Bread/ THE JAMAICANS:
Baba Boom (Festival '67)/ Things You Say You Love/ JOHN & JOYA: I'll Be
Lonely/ JOYA LANDIS: Angel Of The Morning/ TOMMY MCCOOK & THE
SUPERSONICS: Soul Serenade/ FREDDIE MCKAY: Love Is A Treasure/ THE
MELODIANS: Come On Little Girl/ I Will Get Along With You/ Last Train To
Expo '67/ You Don't Need Me/ You Have Caught Me/ THE PARAGONS: Happy Go
Lucky Girl/ On The Beach/ Only A Smile/ The Same Song/ The Tide Is High/
Wear You To The Ball/ THE SILVERTONES: In The Midnight Hour/ LESTER
STERLING & TOMMY MCCOOK: Inez/ VIC TAYLOR: Heartaches/ THE TECHNIQUES: I
Wish It Would Rain/ Queen Majesty/ Travelling Man/ You Don't Care/ THE
THREE TOPS: Do It Right/ It's Raining
25 tracks, excellent
With a solid handful of previously
unissued cuts present, this follow-up is a remarkable companion to last
year's compilation. Earl Hooker's Razorback and Boyd Gilmore's
Believe I'll Settle Down both dish out slashing guitar and there's
plenty more of that, plus piano boogies, harp shuffles, and horn-led R&B
to please a number of fans. Frank Ballard's Trouble Down The Road is a
brilliant look at how the music was changing and become more modern.
Fully remastered sound makes for brilliant sonics and Bill Dahl's liner
notes are rewarding and informative. (CR) FRANK BALLARD: Trouble Down The Road/ KENNETH BANKS:
High/ CHARLIE BOOKER: Walked All Night/ JAMES COTTON: Hold Me In Your
Arms/ My Baby/ BILLY (THE KID) EMERSON: Move Baby Move/ Satisfied/ FRANK
FROST: Everything's Alright/ BOYD GILMORE: Believe I'll Settle Down/
EARL HOOKER: Razorback/ WALTER HORTON: Off The Wall, (talkin')/ SAMMY
LEWIS & WILLIE JOHNSON: So Long Baby Goodbye/ LITTLE JUNIOR'S BLUE
FLAMES: Fussin' And Fightin' Blues/ Sittin' At The Bar/ JOE HILL LOUIS:
She May Be Yours (but She Comes To See Me Sometime)/ BILLY "RED" LOVE:
Gee I Wish/ HOT SHOT LOVE: Harmonica Jam/ WILLIE NIX: Seems Like A
Million Years/ DOCTOR ROSS: Chicago Breakdown/ Juke Box Boogie/ EDDIE
SNOW: Bring Your Love Back Home/ HOUSTON STOKES: Baby's Gone And Left
Me/ RUFUS THOMAS JR.: Save That Money/ Walking In The Rain/ MOSE VINSON:
My Love Has Gone