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VINTAGE ROCK 'N' ROLL & ROCKABILLY

Eddie Cochran -> The Cyrkle


EDDIE COCHRAN Ace CDCH 237 The Early Years ● CD $18.98
Early rarities by The Cochrane Bros., Jerry Capehart, Albert Stone, Darry Weaver and of course Eddie himself in the spotlight. 20 cuts of collectable Cochran.

 
EDDIE COCHRAN Bear Family DVD 20002 At Town Hall Party ● CD $27.98
DVD Black & white, 8 songs, 30 mins, highly recommended
Thanks to companies like Bear Family we are now able to hear some more great and long forgotton moments in rock 'n roll history. This set features rock 'n' roll pioneer Eddie Cochran live on the legendary Southern California based TV show "Town Hall Party" in February 1959. Best known as an outlet for country performers the show, on the air from 1953 and 1960, also featured many great rock 'n' roll and rockabilly performers. Fortunately kinescopes of a number of the original shows are preserved at the Country Music Foundation which is the source of these priceless recording. Eddie is accompanied by the excellent Dick D'Agostin & The Swingers. He does eight songs including his most recent hit C'Mon Everybody (twice!), Summertime Blues and several covers including great versions of Fats Domino's Don't Blame It On Me and Chuck Berry's School Days both of which he had not recorded elsewhere. Lots of great singing and guitar playing from Eddie. There is also and interesting interview of Eddie by Johnny Bond which is several cuts above most interviews of rock 'n roll performers. (FS)

 
EDDIE COCHRAN Primo 6075 Forever Eddie ● CD $10.98
2 discs, 42 tracks, 92 mins, recommended
Eddie Cochran needs no introduction to die-hard fans of rock 'n' roll; a great singer, crafty songwriter, and master guitarist, his early death in 1960 was a tragic loss to the world. The first disc collects tracks he cut for a British TV show, "Boy Meets Girl"--in January 1960 while he was on that fateful tour of England-and an interview he did with Freeman Hoover in November 1957. The second disc contains material from his earlier years, including his work with Hank Cochran as the Cochran Brothers, various instrumentals, and some of Eddie's session work. All of this material has been issued before, but the package is attractively priced and the sound quality is good. Basically, if you don't already have this stuff, here is a chance to obtain it at a bargain price. (GMC)

 
EDDIE COCHRAN Rockstar 001 Rock'n'Roll Legend ● CD $21.98
20 tracks, 44 mins, recommended. The first decent & legal Cochran CD, 20 non-Liberty tracks, including most of the tunes (and a few demos) done for Ekko with Hank Cochran as The Cochran Brothers. This has 4 alternates not available on the vinyl version - a version of Guybo without final guitar overdub, take 5 (and false start 4) of Jellybean, an alternate of Take My Hand by The Four Dots with Eddie on guitar, and a finished alternate, with hand claps, of Don't Bye Bye Baby Me, plus the usual great Cochran collectables like Pink Pegged Pants/ Skinny Jim/ Latch On/ Let's Coast Awhile/ Chicken Shot Blues, etc Excellent sound courtesy of Boppin' Bob Jones, detailed notes by Adam Komorowski and a couple of cool rare photos. (GM)

 
EDDIE COHRAN & FRIENDS Rockstar 009 Vol. 1 - Cruisin' The Drive In ● CD $21.98
30 tracks, 70 min., good Don't let the above rating fool you. All production standards here are very high indeed. The sound quality is solid; the liner notes are scrupulously thorough, and the vintage photos are great. The reason that I rate the disc as less than "recommended" is because, for me at least, it marks one more attempt to scrape the bottom of the Eddie Cochran barrel for just a few more marketable numbers. There is, according to the liner notes, one previously unreleased vocal by Cochran here, the title tune, an uncertain run-through of an undistinguished lyric. But the vast majority of the program features the nominal star of this set only as an accompanying musician. The featured vocalists are actually Bob Denton, Ray Stanley, Lynn Marshall, Jack Lewis, Jerry Capehart (who is awful!), Jewel Akens, and Gary Williams (from a home tape recording). Good stuff, I presume, for L. A. music scene archeologists or folks seeking their Eddie Cochran PhD's. (DH)

 
EDDIE COHRAN & FRIENDS Rockstar 010 One Minute To One ● CD $21.98
28 Tracks, 62 min., good In the CD booklet, Rob Finnis indicates that the bulk of the Rockstar labels' catalogue is now comprised of Eddie Cochrane related material. Unless you are an Eddie Cochrane completist, there isn't a whole lot here that would be of great interest. There are 11 songs by Cochrane (four of them instrumentals) and the other cuts are performed by people such as Jerry Capehart (Cochrane's manager and songwriting partner), June Cochrane (his sister-in-law), the Kelly Four and others. The cuts themselves range from demos of songs Cochrane recorded to songs (some of them demos) that he played guitar on. The CD booklet is very informative, but there is just too much filler material found here. (RS)

 
EDDIE COCHRAN Rockstar  011 Rockin' It - Country Style ● CD $21.98
26 tracks, 48 mins, very good Those persistent folks at Rockstar come up with more unissued Eddie Cochran recordings - this time 26 previously unissued cuts made at the home of Chuck Foreman between 1953-55. It's all straight country material, often with an upbeat flavor and features Eddie on guitar and Foreman, who is usually in the lead role playing steel guitar. The emphasis is on jazzy instrumentals in the Speedy West/ Jimmy Bryant mould though there are a number of vocals by a very young and uncertain sounding Eddie Cochran. Lavishly documented in great detail with amazing photos in the 16 page booklet. This will be of most interest to Eddie Cochran fans and music historians as the country music here is very ordinary and there is no real rock 'n roll for the rock'n roll collector. Pleasant though. (FS)

 
EDDIE COCHRAN Rockstar 014 Don't Forget Me ● CD $21.98
Those fanatics at Rockstar are at it again with another Eddie Cochran collection mixing material that has been out before with a few unissued cuts including the hot instrumental String fever and the eminently forgettable acoustic guitar instrumental Rain. There are also some alternate takes of previously reissued tracks and a number of accompaniments where Eddie's guitar work outshines the often lame vocals. There are also a couple of live cuts from 1957 (Alan Freed show, I think). The instrumental work throughout shows just what a fine and varied guitarist he was - on one cut he even sounds like Les Paul!

 
EDDIE COCHRAN Rockstar RSRCD 026 Portrait Of A Legend ● CD $21.98
35 tracks, 79 mins, highly recommended
Continuing Rockstar's preservation of the legacy of pioneer rocker Eddie Cochran comes this CD which is an expanded version of their 16 track LP of the same name from 1984 with 19 additional sides all drawn from the Liberty vaults including several items that have never been unearthed before though no new songs. Among the highlights are 12 tracks in stereo including a fabulous version of Cut Across Shorty with a more country feel. It also includes the master of this song (one of his best) at the original tempo (it was speeded up for single release). It includes the great bluesy instrumental Jam Sand-Witch, the British single version of Summertime Blues lacking added reverb and with the ending intact and the version of Somethin' Else is also minus the fade out. The disc also includes the undubbed version of Eddie's fine version of Ray Charles' Hallelujah, I Love Her So along with the stereo version of the version with string overdubs. Cochran helped spread the word about Ray on his European tours. The disc also includes the never before reissued backing tracks for My Way and Rock 'n' Roll Blues which are interesting but a bit redundant. As always with Eddie there are a few drab ballads (ballads were not his strong suit) but the majority of the set is fine and worthwhile even if you're not a Cochran fanatic. Sound is superb and the 8 page booklet includes detailed notes by Stu Coleman and some great photos including a priceless one of Eddie with Gene Vincent. For more on this great artist be sure to check out www.eddiecochran.info (FS)

 
JACKIE LEE COCHRAN Hydra 27102 Jack The Cat ● CD $21.98
29 tracks, 74 min., recommended This is a much enlarged reissue of Hydra's 1985 LP dedicated to the recordings of this New Orleans-based artist whose 50's recordings are hot items among rockabilly collectors. Not being such a collector myself, I guess it's fair to admit that I much prefer his 70's recordings for Rollin' Rock Records. But, fear not, fans of either decade should be pleased here, since this lengthy set includes most of his early cuts, plus a healthy sampling of his later, more clearly country, numbers. Highlights include Hip Shakin' Mama/ Ruby Pearl/ Buy a Car/ Georgia Lee Brown/ Endless Love/ Bop Town, and Rockabilly Music. A nicely-produced package from start to finish, with excellent sound quality, an appropriate vintage cover photo of the artist, and an enthusiastic 32 page booklet. (DH)

   
JERRY COLE Ace CDCHD 1122 Hot Rod Twangin' - The 1960s Crown Recordings ● CD $18.98
24 rockin' guitar instrumentals recorded under a variety of pseudonyms for the Biharis Crown label in the 60s by Jerry Cole who played on hundreds of L.A. sessions in the 60s (including virtually all of Phil Spector's sessions as well as the "Pet Sounds" album). When he wasn't in the studio Cole was touring with The Champs or a member of the house band at Hollywood's famed Palomino Club. The music here covers a range of styles but all of it rocks.

 
THE COLLINS KIDS Bear Family BCD 15537 Hop, Skip & Jump ● CD $65.98
There are 59 tunes on 2 CD's plus a beautiful photo packed 20 page LP sized booklet. All but 16 have been issued on the 3 Collins Kids LP's by Bear (BFX 15074, 15106 & 15108). If you don't know, the Collins Kids were a brother and sister rockabilly act, originally from Oklahoma, who found a degree of fame and fortune after moving to the LA area and landing a big spot on Tex Ritter's TV show Town Hall Party. Unlike most rockabilly artists, the Kids were warmly received there and on many other national shows. Even though they had no hit records they hung on until the early 60's (when Larry's voice changed and Lorrie got married) because they were so exciting to teens and cute to adults. And they could be cutsie at times like on I Wish and Soda Poppin' Around but the great rock'n'roll tunes are very plentiful - Beetle-Bug-Bop/ I'm In My Teens/ Hop Skip & Jump/ Hoy Hoy/ Hot Rod , etc. Now let's see what's new. There's a session from 1961 with Lorrie singing 4 wonderful country tunes - Ain't You Ever/ What'cha Gonna Do Now/ Waitin' And Watchin'/ Home Of The Blues . With Larry on lead guitar and Ralph Mooney on steel, the backing band sounds a lot like The Buckaroos. There are a couple of instros by Larry - Fire Ball Mail and Spur Of The Moment with Harold Bradley's famous Nashville studio band. Three more tunes from Larry's solo country sessions (early 60's) are included. And a trio of Lorrie's tunes, done in a red hot mama vein, show a surprising maturity - Blues In The Night/ Another Man Done Gone/ There'll Be Some Changes Made . It's a shame she didn't continue in country because I think she would've given Wanda Jackson a run for the money. (AE)

 
THE COLLINS KIDS Bear Family BCD 16250 The Rockin'est ● CD $21.98
22 tracks, 47 mins, recommended
If the Bear Family box set is too much here's a chance to pick the best of the rockers this perky teen duo cut for Columbia between 1955 and 1959. The Collins Kids were a brother and sister rockabilly act, who found a degree of fame after landing big spot on Tex Ritter's TV show Town Hall Party. Unlike most rockabilly artists, the Kids were warmly recieved there and on many other national shows. Though they could be cutsie at times this disc is all rockin' with such numbers as Hop Skip & Jump/ Just Because/ Move A Little Closer/ Go Away Don't Bother Me/ The Cuckoo Rock/ The'yre Still In Love/ Heartbeat, etc. And, if at time, their squeaky voices get to be a bit much Larry will usually rescue the proceedings with a hot guitar solo on his double necked Mos-Rite guitar. Usual high quality Bear Family production with 16 page booklet with informative notes, rare photos and full discographical information. (FS)

 
THE COMETS Collectables 620 Mercry, Mercy ● CD $11.98
12 sides from mid 60s young teen band from Winston-Salem, North Carolina (ages 10 through 14!). Mostly R&B covers - Mercy, Mercy/ The Lats Time/ Johnny B. Good/ Mr. Pitiful/ Memphis/ I Got You (I Feel Good), etc.

 
COMMANDER CODY MCA MCAD 659 Live From Deep In The Heart Of Texas ● CD $10.98
Live recording from Austin Texas, 1973. 13 songs, including such staples as Down To Seeds And Stems/Crying Time/Riot In Cell Block #9/Too Much Fun.

 
COMMANDER CODY MCA MCAD 10092 Too Much Fun - The Best Of Commander Cody ● CD $13.98
Hits compilation with Lost In The Ozone/ Hot Rod Lincoln/ 20 Flight Rock/ Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar/ Truck Drivin' Man/ Mama Hated Diesels/ Smoke Smoke Smoke That Cigarette/ Everybody's Doin' It plus live versions of Down To Seeds And Stems Again/ Diggy Liggy Lo/ Too Much Fun and more from California's grungiest cowpoke rockers. Great stuff, man.

 
COMMANDER CODY MCA MCAD 31185 Lost In the Ozone ● CD $10.98

 
THE COUNT FIVE Collectables 6039 Psychotic Reaction - The Very Best Of ● CD $13.98
Reissue of classic 1966 album with 6 bonus non-LP cuts. High powered maximum R & B from 5 San Jose kids (they were 18 & 19 at the time), mostly originals including the title hit that out-Yardbirded the Yardbirds, and covers of 2 early Who tunes, My Generation & Out In The Street (GM)

 
BILLY "CRASH" CRADDOCK Bear Family BCD 15610 Boom Boom Baby ● CD $21.98
This disc collects Craddock's 21 earliest efforts, recorded between 1958-60, including several like Ah, Poor Little Baby/ Little Ole You on which he sounds a lot like Elvis Whatsisname. And despite frequent diversions into teen town (School Day Dreams/ Report Card Of Love), the album manages a surprising number of credible rock'n'roll and rockabilly performances, including the straightforward I Want That/ Am I To Be The One/ Sweetie Pie/ Treat Me Like You Do/ Heavenly Love and the title track. Session talent like guitarist Grady Martin and pianist Floyd Cramer add authority to the proceedings. Notes from Jimmy Guterman, discography from Richard Weize. (JC)

 
THE CRICKETS Bear Family BCD 15599 Still In Style ● CD $21.98
Perhaps you, like me, wondered who the singer was among those guys pictured on the cover of the old Coral LP that The Crickets put out after Buddy Holly's death. Bear Family's informative notes have the answer: It was usually none of those three guys; it was usually Earl Sinks, and they've also got a picture of him. Unfortunately, even with that mystery solved, the music that The Crickets produced after Holly was gone is still rather uncharismatic. Even their much earlier version of member Sonny Curtis's I Fought The Law only makes me thankful that Bobby Fuller sang it later with more conviction. The 23 tracks here feature a mix of original material and covers of other rock n' roll standards: Deborah/ When You Ask About Love/ Great Balls of Fire/ So You're in Love/ Rockin' Pneumonia and The Boogie Woogie Flu. Production values are up to Bear Family's usual high standards. (DH)

 
THE CRICKETS Rockstar 002 Ravin' On From California To Clovis ● CD $21.98
The Crickets tenure with Liberty Records in the early 60s produced some pretty dull pop offerings. This collection features 24 tracks from that same period, many of them previously unissued - with good reason - they were even more dreary than the issued titles. It's a little baffling to me that the Crickets after Buddy Holly's death have such status since most of their recordings are bland as can be and their version of the Holly hit Rave On here is little more than a parody - one wonders what they were thinking. John Ingman's extensive notes discusses the sessions in great depth though it would have been clearer if it had been presented in standard discographical format. All is not completely lost - the disc ends with the full 8 minute interview between Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison and disc jockey Freeman Hover in Denver, Colorado in November 1957 and also includes a photo from that interview. (FS)

 
THE CRICKETS Rollercoaster RCCD 3006 Double Exposure ● CD $21.98
THE CRICKETS: Baby my heart/ Brown-eyed handsome man/ Don't ever change/ Everyday/ I fought the law/ It doesn't matter anymore/ It's so easy/ La bamba/ Love's made a fool of you/ Maybe baby/ More than I can say/ My little girl/ Oh boy/ Peggy Sue/ Rave on/ Teardrops fall like rain/ Tell me how/ That'll be the day/ Think it over/ True love ways/ Well...all right/ When you ask about love

 
PAT CUPP & THE FLYING SAUCERS El Toro 1019 Long Gone Daddy ● CD $17.98
18 tracks, 48 mins, highly recommended
Gathering up this Rockabilly Hell-cat's recordings from the 1950's. A few of these tracks would be released by RPM in the '50s, then some on Crown in the '60s and Rolling Rock in the '70s. As well as a few rare early demo tracks, that appear to be making their first appearance here. The Bihari brothers knew a lot about making hit records, but didn't necessarily know how to make Rockabilly hit records. It would appear that with better management, Cupp could have been a star from the start; he had the talent. Unfortunately it wouldn't be until the Rockabilly revival of the '70s and the releases of some fine 45s on Rolling Rock that Pat Cupp would become well known, at least to genre fans. This is a fine collection of hot Rockabilly, that any self respecting (or even self loathing, for that matter) fan would want to have in their collection. Features both the R&B tinged single version of Baby Come Back, as well as the hot Rockin' earlier version, that would eventually be released on the Crown album from the '60s. (JM)

 
WADE CURTISS & THE RHYTHM ROCKERS Norton ED 258 Bright Lights ● CD $13.98
Rare and unissued sides from obscure wild 50s/60s rocker.

 
THE CYRKLE Columbia CK 47717 Red Rubber Ball ● CD $12.98
The Cyrkle were 3 (later 4) enterprising young men who captured the hearts and imaginations of the folk-pop world for a brief moment in 1966. During that time they exhibited a fierce commitment and zest for living the Young Life. Not as gutsy as the Critters; not as nasty and macho as the Association nor as raunchy as the 5th Dimension, the Cyrkle nonetheless carved a tiny niche with their successive hits Red Rubber Ball and Turn Down Day (both included here) before fading in early '68 to write ad jingles (sadly not included here). All the trappings of the period are on this 18-track collection: sitars, quavering flutes, swirly organ, harpsichord, wimpy but confident 3-part harmonies. Red Chair Fade Away/ Cloudy/ Straighten Out My Messed Up Life. 2 cuts previously unreleased. (RS)

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