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VINTAGE
ROCK 'N' ROLL & ROCKABILLY
The Wailers
-> The Zombies
| THE WAILERS |
Collectables 573 |
Tall Cool One - Golden Classics |
● CD $11.98 |
12 tracks, 26 min., recommended Not, as I had hoped, the
digital reissue of this Seattle-based group's rare Gold Crest label lp
from 1959, but instead a later mix of prototype garage band instrumentals
and vocals recorded in the early to mid-60's for the Etiquette label,
including a version of their one bona fide hit, the title tune here. Other
numbers include Frenzy/ Party Time U.S.A./ Tough Walk/ Doin' the
Seaside/ We're Going Surfin' and the ubiquitous Louie Louie.
Sadly, Collectables does not offer a photo of the group this time out, but
some apparently original liner notes by Seattle disc jockey Pat O'Day are
here, and the sound quality is just fine. (DH)
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| TRAVIS WAMMACK |
Bear Family BCD 15415 |
That Scratchy Guitar From Memphis |
● CD $21.98 |
CD-only release of essential Wammack instrumentals recorded
between 1961 and 1967, plus some not-so-special vocal numbers. If you like
wacked-out whammy-bar garage grunge you have no choice but to pick this
one up, even if you have to sell a few Link Wray records to do it. You
won't miss 'em.
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| BILL WATKINS |
Gee-Dee 270104 |
That Rockin' Country Man |
● CD $21.98 |
17 tracks, 44 min., good. Well, the cover photo here of a
young man with his Guild guitar coupled with the album title suggest 50's
rockabilly, but my reading of the very brief liner notes coupled with the
back cover photo suggests that what we really have here is a set off
upbeat country tunes recorded in 1989. The artist, we are told, did in
fact record at least one song in 1957, but that song is not included here.
The music that is here isn't bad, but it's pretty tame stuff. The mostly
self-penned numbers include Red Cadillac, All About the Fifties,
Memphis Number One, Rock and Roll Blues, God Is Love
Sweet Love, Cowboy, and Daddy of Them All. Nostalgic
numbers, by and large, for those who look back to their youth with a
yearning country heart. (DH)
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| BOBBY WAYNE |
Wildfire 1 |
Go Rockabilly |
● CD $15.98 |
10 cuts recorded 1955 and '56.
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| BILLY WILLIAMS |
Coral 57184 |
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself
A Letter |
● CD $18.98 |
29 tracks, recommended
Former member of The Charioteers
formed The Billy Williams Quartet in the early 50s & became regulars
on the famed Sid Caesar TV series "Your Show Of Shows". Williams
had a long run on Coral throughout the 50s, both solo & with the
quartet, with the title tune going to #3 in '57. This set has a cross
section of Coral sides including solo & quartet sides in a style
somewhere between R&B & pop. One of my faves is his version of Begin
The Beguine, which starts out like The Raven's Old Man River,
& a fine rockin version of Roy Hamilton's Don't Let Go. 6 of
the tunes are here in stereo, including his hits Nola & Goodnight
Irene. (GM)
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| LEW WILLIAMS |
Bear Family BCD 16347 |
Cat Talk |
● CD $21.98 |
29 tracks by fine rockabilly singer recorded for Imperial
between 1953 and 1958
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| WILMER & THE DUKES |
Forevermore 5000 |
Wilmer & The Dukes |
● CD $16.98 |
12 tracks, 39 min., recommended. The digital reissue of
Aphrodisiac 6001 from 1969 with the addition of two bonus tracks - Gettin'
Over You and But It's Alright - solid danceable late 60's rock
'n'soul music. The group was composed of singer Wilmer Alexander, who is
black, and his white, four-member back up band. They played the college
and frat party circuit in the Northeast and specialized in gritty cover
versions of songs originally done by white rock and rollers. Highlights
here include the group's one hit Give Me One More Chance, plus Living
in the U.S.A., Get Out of My Life Woman, I Do Love You, Heavy
Time, and I'm Free. Solid sound quality, appreciative notes by
Tom Kohn, and several vintage photos of the group. (DH)
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| LINK WRAY |
Ace CDCHD 770 |
Barbed Wire |
● CD $18.98 |
Recordings from the 90s
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| LINK WRAY |
Ace CDCH 924 |
The Original Rumble |
● CD $18.98 |
23 track, hour-long CD compilation of early instrumental
classics like Rumble/Ace Of Spades/Jack The Ripper/Run Chicken
Run/Deuces Wild/That'll Be The Day/Rawhide along with recent
recordings. Great if you don't have the early Ace LP's (Early Recordings
& Good Rockin' Tonight), otherwise there is quite a bit of
duplication. No unreleased cuts, as far as I can tell, just a lot of
gritty gonzo guitar from the master. (MB)
LINK WRAY: Ace Of Spades/ Aces Wild/ Batman/ Blueberry Hill/ Bull Dawg/
Copenhagen Boogie/ Deuces Wild/ Draggin'/ Fat Back/ Hound Dog/ I'm
Branded/ Jack The Ripper/ Mustang/ Rawhide/ Rumble/ Run Boy Run/ Run
Chicken Run/ That'll Be The Day/ The Fuzz/ The Rumble Man/ The Swag/ The
Sweeper/ Turnpike U.s.a.
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| LINK WRAY |
Ace CDCH 931 |
Apache/ Wild Side Of The City Lights |
● CD $18.98 |
Link sounds as good as ever on these two LP's of 80s
recordings,
collected together on one CD. The 21 tracks feature a modern, well
recorded sound but Link's guitar really roars on the upbeat numbers and
howls like a lonely wolf on the slower tunes. Recommended. The Wild
One/ The Joker/ Green Hornet/ Raunchy/ The Flying Wedge (Drag Race)/ Viva
Zapata , etc.
(AE)
LINK WRAY: American Sunset/ Apache/ As Long As I Have You/ Beautiful Brown
Eyes/ Big Boss Man/ Dallas Blues/ Dick Tracy Private Eye/ Don't Leave Me/
Green Hornet/ Hotel Loneliness/ Little Sister/ Love Me Tender/ Raunchy/
Shawnee/ Stars And Stripes Forever/ Street Beat/ The Flying Wedge (drag
Race)/ The Joker/ The Wild One/ Viva Zapata/ Wild Side Of The City Lights
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| LINK WRAY |
Big Beat CDWIK 972 |
Live In '85/ Growling Guitar |
● CD $18.98 |
Two Ace LPs on one CD. Live In '85 is a collection of
raw live recordings, featuring Link's power trio. The fare is sort of a
tribute to Elvis set, with a few Wray standards thrown in. Growling
Guitar is more to our liking, comprised of mid to late 60's sides that
are some of the man's finest. In keeping with the times, there is some
delightfully over-the-top psychedelia, done as only the Linkster could.
(MB)
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| LINK WRAY |
Forevermore 5002 |
Jack The Ripper |
● CD $15.98 |
20 tracks, 45 min., recommended This digital reissue of Swan
LP 510, plus eight original 45 rpm sides from the same label, traces the
musical career of the ominous and evocative Link Wray and his guitar
between 1963 and 1966. The program includes the original take of Jack
the Ripper, and a slowed down and very effective version of his first
hit, Rumble. Other selections include solid instrumentals like Deacon
Jones, Fat Back, and Turnpike U.S.A.; plus formulaic numbers like Mashed
Potato Party and the Batman Theme, and even a few vocals towards the end.
All in all, a fine single disc review of the work of this important and
influential instrumentalist. (DH)
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| LINK WRAY |
Norton CED 210 |
Hillbilly Wolf - Missing Links Vol. 1 |
● CD $13.98 |
21 tracks, 46 mins, highly recommended Reissue of 1990 LP
with 5 additional cuts. Incredibly cool collection of guitar king Link
Wray's early recordings including 5 previously unissued! Link's brother
Lucky kicks things off with the great Teenage Cutie (Starday 608)
with Link on growlin' guitar. Link does the rockin' I Sez Baby and
the silly Johnny Bom Bonny, plus the unissued Flirty Baby #1.
Lucky's Cameo release, Danger One Way Love Ahead, done as Ray
Vernon, is up next and man is it hot. Link shifts into overdrive on this
one with the third brother Doug hammering mightily on drums. Link's Hillbilly
Wolf and Lucky's Got Another Baby and Countin' On You
close out the side. The rest is just as great with Link's unissued homage
to Elvis, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry Over You/ Lawdy Miss Clawdy
incredibly raunchy Vendetta some of the highlights. Link also lends
some distinctive guitar links to Marvin Rainwater's bizarre Boo Hoo
(AE/FS)
LINK WRAY: Baby I'm Countin' On You/ Boo Hoo/ Danger One Way Love Ahead/
Flirty Baby/ Got Another/ Gotta Go Get My Baby/ Hillbilly Wolf/ I Sez
Baby/ I'm Gonna Sit Right And Cry Over You/ It's Music She Says/ Johnny
Bom Bonnie/ Lawdy Miss Clawdy/ Pancho Villa/ Roughshod/ Sleep Tight/
Teenage Cutie/ The Stranger/ Turn Me Loose/ Tv Baby/ Vendetta
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| LINK WRAY |
Norton ED 211 |
Big City After Dark - Missing Links Vol. 2 |
● CD $13.98 |
22 tracks, 56 mins, highly recommended. Volume two moves
past the rockabilly roots into a sonic pressure cooker, with Link
exploring the outermost reaches of electric guitar blasting. The Wraymen
must have been impossible to ignore in even the rowdiest DC clubs of the
early 60's! 12 tracks were never originally issued and six tracks are on
the CD that were not featured on the LP version. A number of cuts are from
live gigs from various locations in the early 60s. Tracks include the
incredibly raunchy title tune plus some Elvis covers (I Want You I Need
You I Love You/ The Thrill Of Your Love), Jimmy Reeds' Baby What
You Want Me To Do plus The Bad And The Good/ Rawhide '63/ Rumble
Rock/ Link's Boogie/ Lucille/ Slow Drag, etc.
LINK WRAY: Baby What You Want Me To Do/ Big City After Dark/ Big City
Stomp/ Dance Contest/ Hard Headed Woman/ Hold It/ I Want You I Need You I
Love You/ I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry/ Link's Boogie/ Lucille/ Night Life/
Raw-hide '63/ Roughshod/ Rumble Rock/ Slow Drag/ Street Fighter/ The Bad
& The Good/ The Outlaw/ The Stranger (live)/ The Thrill Of Your Love/
Walkin' Down The Street Called Love/ Walkin' Down The Street Called Love
#2
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| LINK WRAY |
Norton ED 212 |
Some Kinda Nut - Missing Links Vol. 3 |
● CD $13.98 |
21 tracks, 54 mins, recommended Volume 3 collects the
mid-60's monsters that Link and the bros were churning out to deaf ears
during the Brit invasion. Both sides of the 1964 Vermillion 45rpm are
included here, done as The Fender Benders - Drag Strip/ XKE. Baby
Doll, Please Please Me and the never before isued And I Love
Her)
(the latter two tough instrumental versions) are ripping Beatle rip
offs. A couple of Bunker Hill tunes are included because Link & The
Wraymen were his backing band. Prime raunch like Genocide, Growling
Guts,
The Earth Is Crying and the previously unissued, and appropriately titled
Mindblower round out a killer of a disc. (AE/FS)
LINK WRAY: And I Love Her/ Baby Doll/ Blue Eyes (don't Run Away)/ Drag
Strip/ Four Gray Walls/ Genocide/ Giovana/ Growling Guts/ Hungry Child/
Mindblower/ Other Side Of The Moon/ Please Please Me/ Red Riding Hood
& The Wolf/ Remember The Twist/ Rumble '69/ Run Boy Run/ Some Kinda
Nut/ The Earth Is Crying/ The Girl Can't Dance/ Xke/ You're My Baby
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| LINK WRAY |
Norton CED 242 |
Mr. Rumble - Original Swan Recordings |
● CD $29.98 |
2 CD's, 63 tracks, 144 min, essential It's no secret that
the majority of Link's post-Rumble rumblin' was done for Swan. It
was here that Link found a happy home where his crunching sound could
continue unabated, and the results were adventurous and often devastating,
as anyone who's ever spun Ace Of Spades/ Jack The Ripper/ Run Chicken
Run/ Deuces Wild/ The Shadow Knows/ Branded/ Fat Back/ Hidden Charms
back-to-back can attest. Besides these milestones, this set includes a
mountain of lesser-known Link, including a whopping 25 tracks making their
US debut! Thrill to Link bashing through the standards Bo Diddley/
Heartbreak Hotel/ That'll Be The Day, while Zip Code/ The
Fuzz/Mustang should rank with his best, and Steel Trap/ Return Of
The Birdland/ The Sweeper ain't far behind. There's also a handful of
alternate takes/versions, like the hot rave-up version of Ace Of Spades,
complete with tremelo mouth-harp, and two later versions of Rumble.
Comes with a 27-page book detailing Link's 7-year stint on Swan, with some
choice pics and notes by Billy Miller, and a Link Wray/Norton Records
guitar pick so you can play along. You can hardly afford to miss this one.
(GDR)
LINK WRAY: Ace Of Spades/ Ace Of Spades/ Ace Of Spades/ Alone/ Autumn
Leaves/ Batman Theme/ Begin The Beguine/ Big Ben/ Blue Eyes (don't Run
Away)/ Blueberry Hill/ Bo Diddley/ Branded/ Chicago Bird/ Cross Ties/
Deacon Jones/ Deuces Wild/ Dinosaur/ Fat Back/ Five And Ten/ Frenchy/ Girl
From The North Country/ Good Rockin' Tonight/ Hang On/ Heartbreak Hotel/
Hidden Charms/ Honky Tonk/ Hound Dog/ I Still Love You/ I'll Do Anything
For You/ Jack The Ripper/ Law Of The Jungle/ Let The Good Times Roll/
Mashed Potato Party/ Mr. Guitar/ Mustang/ My Alberta/ My Beth/ Peggy Sue/
Return Of Birdland/ Ruby Baby/ Rumble/ Rumble/ Run Boy Run/ Run Chicken
Run/ Run Chicken Run/ Scatter/ So Young/ Sorrento/ Soul Train/ Steel Trap/
Stop And Listen To Me/ Summer Dream/ Tammy/ That'll Be The Day/ The Black
Widow/ The Fuzz/ The Shadow Knows/ The Sweeper/ Turnpike Usa/ Week End/
What A Price/ You Hurt Me So/ Zip Code
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| LINK WRAY |
Norton ED 253 |
Streets Of Chicago - Missing Links Vol. 4 |
● CD $13.98 |
17 tracks, 44 mins, recommended An all new compilation of 17
cuts - only one that has ever been issued before in any form. Link rumbles
along on the previously only rumored Streets Of Chicago, covers Be-Bop-A-Lula
from 1964 Spiders session with a so-so vocals from Link & Chuck Bennet
but a fret melting guitar solo, shows a gentle side on the instrumental
ballad Lillian dedicated to his mom, does a nice vocal on the Chuck
Wilis blues ballad It's Too Late and storms through 5 poorly
recorded live cuts from a 1964 gig at the 1023 club. All 4 volumes have
snazzy full color photos on front and back, informative booklets from
Norton head honcho Billy Miller with more great vintage photos, even
pictures on the labels. A class production all the way. And I don't have
to tell ya' - you NEED these babies. (FS/AE)
LINK WRAY: Ace Of Spades/ Be-bop-a-lula/ Bluebeard/ Drown In My Own Tears/
Friday Night Dance/ Friday Night Dance Party/ I'm Counting On You/ It's
Too Late/ Lawdy Miss Clawdy/ Lillian/ Lowdown/ Party Part Two/ Rumble/
Soul Train/ Street Fighter/ Streets Of Chicago/ Stuck On You/ Tattoo
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| LINK WRAY |
Rhino 71222 |
The Best Of Link Wray |
● CD $16.98 |
20 tracks, 52 minutes, essential. Great collection of
vintage Link Wray guitar strangling. What else would you open a Link
collection with but his 1958 signature tune, Rumble . And why not
throw in the flip, The Swag , as well. His follow-up, Raw-Hide
, is next and from then on it's off to the races, with one stringbuster
after another including such earthshakin' tunes as Jack The Ripper/ Ace
Of Spades/ The Black Widow/ Run Chicken Run and Batman Theme .
A couple of 70's tunes prove that Link was still rumbling - Switchblade
from his solo LP and Jack The Ripper from a '76 live LP. Comes with
a nifty booklet too, making this the best introduction to one of
rock'n'roll's founding fathers....
AE
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| LINK WRAY |
Rollercoaster RCCD 3011 |
The Swan Singles Collection |
● CD $19.98 |
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LINK WRAY: Ace of spades/ Ace of spades/ Alone/ Batman theme/ Branded/
Deuces wild/ Girl from the north country/ Good rockin' tonight/ Hang on/
Hidden charms/ I'll do anything for you/ Jack the Ripper/ Let the good
times roll/ My Alberta/ Please, please me/ Rumble '65/ Run, chicken, run/
Soul train/ Summer dream/ The black widow/ The fuzz/ The shadow knows/
Turnpike USA~ The sweeper/ Week-end/ You hurt me so
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| DALE WRIGHT |
Ace CDCHD 402 |
She's Neat - The Fraternity Sides |
● CD $18.98 |
Dale Wright was a pop rocker from Ohio, who found a bit of
chart action in the late 50's with his Fraternity Records waxings She's
Neat and Please Don't Do It . His tune That's Show Biz
is a nice novelty item with a funny lead-in where innocent Dale is shown
the door by a hard-nosed record exec. Two of the best tunes on this 20
tracker were never originally released. I Hate To Go To School and She's
A Killer probably were felt to be bad for Dale's clean teen image but
they are decent rockers. Dance With Me/ You're The Answer/ I'm The
Lovin' Type/ Walk With Me , etc. (AE)
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| MALCOLM YELVINGTON |
Collector CLCD 4403 |
A Tennessee Saturday Night Fever |
● CD $16.98 |
Malcolm Yelvington, one of the original Sun label rockabilly
artists, is heard doing a fine live set in Holland from 1988. He's backed
by a topnotch English band led by ace guitarist Dave Travis, and given an
appropriate country flavor by the addition of Terry Keating on steel
guitar. Malcolm croaks his way through a mixture of his old rockabilly
favorites like Drinkin' Wine Spo Dee O Dee , Gonna Have Myself A
Ball and Yakety Yak and country crowd pleasers like Hey Good
Lookin' and Mr. Blue (AE)
MALCOLM YELVINGTON: A Gal Named Joe/ Disappointed/ Drinkin' Wine Spo Dee O
Dee/ Gonna Have Myself A Ball/ Goodbye Marie/ Hey Good Lookin'/ I'll Fly
Away (with Teddy Reddell)/ It's Me Baby/ Move It On Over/ Mr Blues/
Tennessee Saturday Night/ Trumpet/ Yakety Yak
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| RUSTY YORK |
Gee-Dee 270103 |
The Cincinatti Fireball |
● CD $18.98 |
25 tracks, 57 min., good Rusty York scored one miner success
in 1959 with the song Sugaree, which reached number 77 on the national
charts. This disc includes that number, plus the rest of York's
country-flavored output recorded between the years 1959 and 1964. His
covers include versions of Peggy Sue, Bring It On Home to Me,
Love Me, Great Balls of Fire, Summertime Blues, Slippin'
and Slidin', Baby What You Want Me to Do, and This Should Go
on Forever. York's versions are credible, nonetheless it's certainly
fair to say that against competition like Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke, Elvis
Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis, he doesn't come out on top. On the other
hand, in his more original material here - Goodnight Cincinnati, Good
Morning Tennessee; Margaret Ann;
and Sadie Mae - he sounds pretty darn
good. Unfortunately there are a lot more covers on the program than there
are originals. (DH)
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| THE ZOMBIES |
Big Beat BIGB 200 |
The Singles Collection |
● CD $18.98 |
Features all 14 singles issued under the Zombies name from
1964-69. All tracks appear in mono as they were originally released and
for many tracks this is the first time they have appeared in mono on CD
and in addition there is a hidden bonus track. Booklet includes rare
photos and other memorabilia.
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