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VINTAGE
ROCK 'N' ROLL & ROCKABILLY
Fabian ->
The Fireballs
| FABIAN |
Ace CDCHD 321 |
This Is Fabian! |
● CD $18.98 |
Hey, wait a minute, Fabian wasn't a total wimp! Listen to
the hard rockin' Tiger, and the desperate Jr. Elvis gyrations of Turn
Me Loose/ I'm A Man/ Come On And Get Me. These tracks, taken from the
turn of the 60's vaults of Chancellor Records, feature some blazing guitar
atop sharp rockabilly-styled backing, skillfully disguising the obvious
fact that the Fab one couldn't sing his way out of a wet paper bag. Ace
wisely put the best material first, filling out the last two-thirds of the
disc with teen schlock like Steady Date/ Stop Thief!/ Shivers etc.
(MB)
FABIAN: A Girl Like You/ About This Thing Called Love/ Come On And Get Me/
Gonna Get You/ Got The Feeling/ Grapevine/ Hound Dog Man/ Hypnotized/ I'm
A Man/ I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter/ King Of Love/
Kissin' And Twistin'/ Lilly Lou/ Long Before/ Love That I'm Giving To You/
Mighty Cold (to A Warm Heart)/ Shivers/ Steady Date/ Stop Thief!/ String
Along/ This Friendly World/ Tiger/ Tomorrow/ Tongue Tied/ Turn Me Loose/
Wild Party
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| THE FABULOUS WAILERS |
Ace CDCHD 675 |
The Original Golden Crest Masters |
● CD $18.98 |
Collection of tracks from late 50s/ early 60 by Seattle
based instrumental group best known for their great Tall Cool One
which is featured here along with the wild vocal cut Dirty Robber
and others like Mau-Mau/ Shanghied/Driftwood/ Scartchin'/ High Wall/
Why Did It Happen To Me, etc
THE FABULOUS WAILERS: Beat Guitar/ Beat Guitar #2/ Dirty Robber/
Driftwood/ Driftwood #2/ Gunnin' For Peter/ High Wall/ Long Gone/ Lucille/
Mau-mau/ Road Runner/ Scratchin'/ Shanghied/ Snake Pit/ Swing Shift/ Tall
Cool One/ Tough Bounce/ Wailin'/ Why Did It Happen To Me
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| WERLY FAIRBURN |
Bear Family BCD 15578 |
Everybody's Rockin' |
● CD $21.98 |
29 tracks, 73 min., recommended
Despite his few strong
rockabilly sides (I'm Jealous, All The Time, Everybody's Rockin'),
Werly Fairburn was more upbeat hillbilly than rocker, more at home with a
steel guitar and a fiddle behind him than he was with maniacal drumming
and strumming. He was good, though. And this disc collects all of his
efforts between 1953-59 for Trumpet, Capitol, Columbia, Savoy, Sand
Milestone (his own label), save a few lost masters. His best known
song is probably I Guess I'm Crazy, a posthumous hit for Jim
Reeves, but there are plenty of pleasers here, including Telephone
Baby, Speak To Me Baby, That Sweet Love Of Mine, and My
Heart's On Fire. Four previously unissued cuts, good booklet notes,
and a detailed discography. (JC)
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| THE FANTASTIC BAGGYS |
Sundazed 11084 |
AnyWhere The Girls Are - The Best Of .. |
● CD $17.98 |
Their 1964 "Tell 'Em I'm Surfin'" LP was a bomb,
except in surf-crazed South Africa, so it hasn't been so easy to get a
copy. Too bad, 'cause it's big fun in the sun. The Baggys, who didn't
surf, were Phil (P.F.) Sloan and Steve Barri - they also sang and wrote
for Jan & Dean and had hits writing for The Turtles, Johnny Rivers,
The Grass Roots and others. And while it's hard to believe, it is true
that Sloan wrote A Surfer Boy's Dream Come True as well as Eve
Of Destruction. This disc reissues the FB's LP, and adds 17 bonus
tracks including rare singles, unissued tracks and alternate takes.
Includes extensive notes based on interviews with Sloan and Barri and rare
vintage photos. (JC/FS)
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| CHARLIE FEATHERS |
Bear Family BCD 16309 |
Rock-A-Billy |
● CD $21.98 |
Previously on Zu-Zazz. Charlie Feathers was the founder of
rockabilly and everyone else copied his style according to Charlie. Maybe
Feathers gets carried away with his place in rock'n'roll history but no
one can deny that he was right up there with the very top talents of the
era. His style was more country than the other big names but when he cut
loose on a pure rockabilly tune he was astounding. The 26 tunes on this CD
collects the various rare and unissued tunes recorded from 1954 to 1973.
Bob Jones did the mastering so you know the sound is great. Bottle To
The Baby/ One Hand Loose/ I Can't Hardly Stand It/ I'm Walking The Dog/
Wild Wild Party/ Long Time Ago/ Gone! Gone! Gone! and many more.
There's a lot of duplication with the Revenant two CD set issued a while
back but since that issue has become mighty elusive of late you might want
to check this out. (AE/FS)
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| CHARLIE FEATHERS |
Eagle 90129 |
That Little Show |
● CD $18.98 |
23 track collection of osbcure recordings from the 50s
through the 70s - some previouslyy unissued. It includes live recordings
from the 70s with son Bubba on guitar, demos and alternate takes from the
50s and 60s and tracks of undetermined origin - Stutterin' Cindy/ We're
Getting Closer To being Apart/ Tongue Tied Jill/ Gone Gone Gone/ I Forgot
To Remember To Forget/ The Man In Love/ That certain Female/ Let's Live A
Little Now/ Don't Let Me cRoss Over, etc.
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| CHARLIE FEATHERS |
Kamaric 001 |
"Live" In London |
● CD $14.98 |
The late great rockabilly legend recorded live in London in
1990 during his last overseas tour. Although Charlie was sick he sounds in
fine form and is accompanied by his son Bubba on guitar and an
undistiguished British bass player and drummer. He performs some his own
classic songs (Peeping Eyes/ One Hand Loose/ Tongue Tied Jill, etc)
along with versions of Folsom Prison Blues/ Tear It Up/ Will The Circle
Be Unbroken and others. A short set (only 9 songs) but a nice memory
of a fine and much missed performer.
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| CHARLIE FEATHERS |
King KMCD 6110 |
His Complete King Recordings |
● CD $10.98 |
Both sides of Charlie's four classic King 45s - alternate
takes exist but are not included here.
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| CHARLIE FEATHERS |
Norton CED 225 |
Uh Huh Honey |
● CD $14.98 |
A hiccup-packed set of Feathers' rockabilly dementia from
1968, compiled from various sources. Charlie has never been one to cater
to the changing tastes of rock 'n' roll, so regardless of date these sound
like they could have been done back in '56, with a few minor sonic
improvements. There's plenty of patented backwoods craziness on She
Knows How To Rock Me/ Uh Huh Honey/ Rain/ That Certain Female/ She Set Me
Free as well as untarnished remakes of We're Getting Closer To
Being Apart/ Gone Gone Gone/ Get With It/ Tongue Tied Jill/ Stutterin'
Cindy. He also gives up some pure country on Wild Side Of Life/
There Will Be Three/ I'm Movin' On and more. Duplicates tracks with
other compilations, but with 28
songs this takes the cake. (MB)
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| CHARLIE FEATHERS |
Norton CED 246 |
Tip Top Daddy |
● CD $14.98 |
A collection of home recordings and demos - mostly just
Charlie & his guitar with occasional additional guitar. There are also
a couple of live tracks. Most of the material is country and ranges from
the good to the not so good.
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| CHARLIE FEATHERS |
Norton CED 332 |
Wild Side Of Life - Rare & Unissued,
Volume 1 |
● CD $14.98 |
18 tracks, 53 mins, highly recommended
Willie Dixon would
famously say "I Am The Blues"; the far less-famous Charlie Feathers could
easily and rightly proclaim "I am Rockabilly!" for if there was ever any
truer Rockabilly cat, I ain't heard 'em yet. Sam Phillips thought that
Charlie Feathers should be a straight Country singer, but Charlie wouldn't
have any of that idea and soon enough these two mighty personalities would
(unfortunately for the rest of us) end their fledgling work together.
Norton has done a mighty job here collecting all sorts of rare and
unreleased material, from original 1950's singles released on Sun, Meteor
and many more obscure labels, to live and home recordings spanning about
four decades.
Disk 1 covers Feather's early country and rockabilly
recordings and even some blues with Junior Kimbrough. All in all,
fantastic stuff. One thing that is frustrating about this series is that
even though there are great liner notes, there is no recording info and
while I know that this material was recorded over four different decades,
it would be great to have the actual specifics. Each CD in this series
ends with a chunk of a rare interview, in which the interviewer seems to
want to talk more about Elvis than Feathers, but is certainly interesting
for fans of both. Oddly enough each CD also features a version of
Folsom Prison Blues; I guess that was a favorite of Charlie's. (JM)
CHARLIE FEATHERS: (*= previously unissued) Am I That
Easy To Forget*/ Charlie Feathers Interview Part One/ Cockroach/ Dig
Myself A Hole*/ Folsom Prison Blues/ Frankie And Johnny*/ I Forgot To
Remember To Forget/ I Want To Love You*/ Man In Love/ Mound Of Clay/ One
More Time*/ Pardon Me Mister*/ Release Me (with Junior Kimbrough)/ Wedding
Gown Of White (1973 version)/ We’re Getting Closer To Being Apart*/ Why
Pretend*/ Wild Side Of Life*/ ’Cause I Love You*
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| CHARLIE FEATHERS |
Norton CED 333 |
Honky Tonk Kind - Rare & Unissued, Volume
2 |
● CD $14.98 |
17 tracks, 56 mins, highly recommended
Disk 2 continues in
the same vein as #1, this time with a pretty even split between originals
and covers. Strong Feathers tunes like Honky Tonk Kind/ I Can't Seem To
Remember To Forget/ I Lose My Mind, and We're Getting Closer To
Being Apart. Great covers of Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On/
Cold Cold Heart, and Arthur Cruddup's Dig Myself a Hole. Then
there is also another cool track recorded with Junior Kimbrough: Feel
Good Again. (JM)
CHARLIE FEATHERS: (*=previously unissued) Charlie
Feathers Interview Part Two/ Cold Cold Heart*/ Dig Myself A Hole/ Dinky
John/ Feel Good Again (with Junior Kimbrough)/ Folsom Prison Blues*/ Give
Back All The Love You Gave*/ Honky Tonk Kind*/ I Can’t Seem To Remember To
Forget*/ I Lose My Mind*/ I Want To Love You*/ If You Were Mine To Lose/
One Good Gal/ Send Me The Pillow You Dream On/ Two To Choose/ We’re
Getting Closer To Being Apart*/ You Believe Everyone But Me
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| CHARLIE FEATHERS |
Norton CED 334 |
Long Time Ago - Rare & Unissued, Volume 3 |
● CD $14.98 |
18 tracks, 58 mins, highly recommended
This third volume
in the series is also the most rockin'. Featuring the unique, haunting
number Jungle Fever in both its original '50s glory and in a 1970s
version that is a bit of an oddball--but interesting--update. There is
also Feathers' rollicking versions of Frankie and Johnny, Arthur
"Big Boy" Crudup's That's All Right, and Hank Williams' Lonesome
Whistle. Other stand out original's on hand like She's Gone/ I Lose
My Mind/ I Want To Love You, and We're Getting Closer To Being
Apart. Then there is his downright spooky, swampy version of
Knoxville Girl. For the uninitiated, this might be the Feathers CD to
start with, so much of what made Feathers special is here in full effect.
(JM)
CHARLIE FEATHERS: (*=unissued) Charlie Feathers
Interview Part Three/ Folsom Prison Blues/ Frankie And Johnny*/ I Lose My
Mind*/ I Want To Love You*/ It’s Just That Song/ Jungle Fever/ Jungle
Fever/ Knoxville Girl/ Lonesome Whistle/ Long Time Ago*/ Mound Of Clay/
She’s Gone*/ South Of Chicago/ That’s All Right/ We’re Getting Closer To
Being Apart*/ Why Don’t You/ Will You Be Satisfied That Way*
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| NARVEL FELTS |
Bear Family BCD 15515 |
Memphis Days |
● CD $21.98 |
26 tracks recorded for Roland Janes between 1962 and '65 -
some were originally issued on the Renay, Southern Sound and ARA labels
but 15 have never been issued before. Has 16 page booklet with notes,
photos and discographical information.
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| NARVEL FELTS |
Bear Family BCD 16220 |
Did You Tell Me? |
● CD $21.98 |
34 tracks covering the period 1957-1976 from Sun, Mercury
& MGM
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| NARVEL FELTS
& JERRY MERCER |
Rockstar RSRCD 012 |
More Radio Rockabillies |
● CD $21.98 |
Reissue of Rockstar LP 1016 with 11 additional cuts
featuring radio broadcasts from 1956 featuring the duo with their group
performing, mostly, covers of rockabilly favorites of the day - Lawdy
Miss Clawdy/ Gone, Gone, Gone/ Blue Sude Shoes/ My Baby Left Me/ Al Mama's
Children/ Heartbreak Hotel/ Maybelline/ Dixie Fried, etc.
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| FREDDY FENDER |
Arhoolie 9038 |
Rock 'n Roll |
● CD $9.98 |
Reissue of early 60s album recorded for the Ideal label
featuring Freddy doing 50s style rock 'n' roll with a small band. The album
was originally issued under the Eddie Con Los Shades since he was under
contract to Falcon under his Spanish name Baldemar Huerta. Most of the songs
are originals.
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| FREDDY FENDER |
Arhoolie 9039 |
Interpreta El Rock! |
● CD $9.98 |
More early 60s rock 'n roll from Freddy including some
Spanish covers of R&B hits like What'd I Say (Vamos A Bailar),
Si Si Rider, I Know (Ya No) and others.
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| THE FENDERMEN |
Dee-Jay Jamboree 55020 |
The Fendermen |
● CD $17.98 |
A very welcome re-ish of these guitar-blasters essential
stuff, from the same label who brought us the Hasil Adkins collection last
year. Basically a two-guitar duo with no bass (occasionally adding a
drummer), The Fendermen had a uniquely raw, minimalist sound; they
actually made the Top 10 in '59 with their version of Jimmie Rodgers' Mule
Skinner Blues. This was followed by two more singles and an album for
Soma, which balanced vocal numbers like Heartbreakin' Special and Don't
You Just Know It with hot instrumentals like Torture and Beach
Party. You'll find all of it here, plus six bonus tracks, including
the rare Dorsey Burnette-penned B-side Can't You Wait, and the
original take of Don't You Just Know It with mixed-up verses.
Essential early rock 'n' roll. (GDR)
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| THE FIREBALLS |
Ace CDCHD 418 |
The Original Norman Petty Masters |
● CD $18.98 |
Cut in Norman Petty's studio between 1958-64, these 25
streamlined pieces qualify as rambunctious guitar-picking treats...in
moderation, of course. Their biggest non-Jimmy Gilmer hits are here - Torquay/
Bulldog/ Quite A Party - along with a nice mix of Tex-Mex and other
infectious instrumentals. The bluesy Blacksmith Blues takes the
boys off the beated path, as do the worthwhile Long Long Ponytail/ Cry
Baby, the only vocal tracks. Ace has picked the best releases where
there was a mono and stereo choice, so Tuff-A-Nuff/ Really Big Time,
for example, are in the latter, while Dumbo and others have been
left in mono. Coherent notes make the frequent label and band member
changes seem almost, well, coherent. (JC)
THE FIREBALLS: Blacksmith Blues/ Bulldog/ Chief Whoopin' Koff/ Cry Baby/
Daytona Drag/ Dumbo/ El Ringo/ Find Me A Golden Street/ Fireball/ Foot
Patter/ Gunshot/ Kissin'/ Long Long Ponytail/ Nearly Sunrise/ Panic
Button/ Peg Leg/ Quite A Party/ Really Big Time/ Rik-a-tik/ The Carioca/
Torquay/ Torquay Two/ Tuff-A-Nuff/ Vaquero/ Yacky Doo
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| THE FIREBALLS |
Ace CDCHD 447 |
The Fireballs/ Vaquero |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 55 minutes, good
Nice pairing of the first two
Fireballs LP's originally issued by Top Rank in 1960. These 2 dozen Norman
Petty productions include the only 3 hits they had for Top Rank - Torquay/
Bulldog/ Vaquero . The first LP also included 5 Jimmy Gilmore vocals,
a sharp contrast to the tough George Tomsco-driven instrumentals, although
in all fairness a couple aren't too bad. Apparently Gilmore couldn't sing
in Spanish so Vaquero is all instrumental, however the trade off is
that the tunes are sometimes a bit sappy. Panic Button/ Long Long
Ponytail/ Tequila/ El Rancho Grande/ La Raspa , etc. (AE)
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| THE FIREBALLS |
Ace CDCHD 452 |
Torquay/ Campusology |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 53 min, good
The digital reissue of the two Dot
Records LPs named above, from 1963 and 1966 respectively. Both feature
peppy pop instrumentals very much in the more polite early 60's rock and
roll mode. Highlights, in addition to the title tunes, include versions of
Last Date/ Wheels/ Rawhide, and In the Mood,
plus original
numbers like Tuff-a-Nuff/ Quite a Party,
and Daytona Drag.
The most famous
Fireball, Jimmy Gilmer of Sugar Shack infamy, does no singing at all here.
Sound quality is fine, and cover art and liner notes are original. (DH)
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| THE FIREBALLS |
Ace CDCHD 468 |
The Best Of Jimmy Gilmer & Fireballs
Vocals |
● CD $18.98 |
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THE FIREBALLS: Ain't Gonna Tell Anybody/ Almost Eighteen/ Bottle Of Wine/
Bullmoose/ Call In The Sheriff/ Can't You See I'm Trying/ Come On React/
Cry Baby/ Daisy Petal Pickin'/ Do You Think/ Don't Stop/ Everyday/ Good
Good Lovin'/ I Wonder Why/ I'll Send For You/ Indian Giver/ It's So Easy/
Little Baby/ Lonesome Tears/ Look At Me/ Maybe Baby/ Pretend/ Red Cadillac
And A Black Mustache/ Sugar Shack/ The One Who Lives Inside Of Me/ True
Love Ways/ What Kinda Love/ When My Tears Have Dried/ Wishing/ Won't Be
Long
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| THE FIREBALLS |
Ace CDCHD 472 |
Blue Fire/ Rarities |
● CD $18.98 |
31 tracks, 70 minutes, recommended
This should be very
exciting to Fireballs fans and instrumental buffs - an entire album from
1960 that was never released. The Fireballs recorded (
Blue Fire) for Top Rank Records at Norman Petty Studios but Top Rank went
bust so it's stayed in the can until now. Petty gave them the idea to put
together an LP's worth of "blues" tunes but as you can guess it
comes closer to top 40 instrumental music than a Chess jam session. Tomsco
and crew pick their way through such classics as St. Louis Blues/ Blues
In The Night/ Basin Street Blues/ Birth Of the Blues as well as their
own bluesy compositions. The CD is rounded out with an additional 19
"rare" tunes, many previously unissued or alternate takes, from
the Fireballs' golden age. Wicked/ Rik-A-Tik/ Vaquero/ Tuff-A-Nuff/
Torquay/ Gunshot/ Spotnick, etc. Great 12 page booklet too (AE)
THE FIREBALLS: Almost Paradise/ Basin Street Blues/ Big Daddy Blues/
Blacksmith Blues/ Blue Fire/ Blue Tinted Blues/ Blues In The Night/
Bluesday/ Bye Bye Blues/ Clink Clink Classic/ Don't Lie To Me/ Dooop/
Gunshot/ I Doubt It/ Joshi/ Power Packed/ Rik-a-tik/ Sneakers/ Spotnick/
St Louis Blues/ Sweet Talk/ Teekee/ The Birth Of The Blues/ The Wang Wang
Blues/ Torquay/ Tuff-a-nuff/ Vaquero/ Vaquero (Latino)/ Wabash Blues/
Wicked/ Yacky Doo
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| THE FIREBALLS |
Ace CDCHD 677 |
Bottle Of Wine/ Come On React |
● CD $18.98 |
This 2-on-1 offers both albums recorded for Atco, remastered
from Norman Petty's original master tapes.
THE FIREBALLS: A Girl As Perfect As You/ Ain't That Rain/ Baby, Listen To
Me/ Barbara White/ Bottle Of Wine/ Chicken Little/ Cod'ine/ Come On,
React!/ Get Out Of My Life, Woman/ Goin' Away/ Good Lovin's So Hard To
Find/ Groovy Motions/ Hurry, Hurry/ I Don't Have The Right/ It's Easy For
Me/ Light In The Window/ Litty Bitty Bucket/ Lonely Too Long/ Louie, Go
Home/ Mason Street/ Mr Reeves/ Three Minutes Time/ Where Can Tomorrow Be
Found?/ Woman Help Me
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| THE FIREBALLS |
Ace CDCHD 828 |
The Best Of The Rest |
● CD $18.98 |
30 tracks, mostly drawn from the B-sides of singles and most
of them making their first appearance on CD. Includes Jimmy Gilmer's first
single from 1959 before he joined The Fireballs.
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