NEWSLETTER #141
Vintage Rock 'n' Roll & Rockabilly
Chuck Berry ->
Various Artists
CHUCK BERRY |
Image Entertainment 3156 |
Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll |
● DVD $49.98 |
Deluxe 4 DVD set, approx 8 1/2 hours, color, highly
recommended
Wow, this is a massive edition, gorgeously packaged with some
awe-inspiring bonus goodies. It is essential to own this movie in some
format or another, but it is a real treat to pick this one up. Well worth
the investment, this is easily one of the best--if not THE best-- movie on
Rock 'N' Roll ever made, with this edition having all of the bells and
whistles. Disc one features a new anamorphic widescreen transfer of the
film with DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, original Dolby Stereo
theatrical mix, theatrical trailer, and a new introduction by director
Taylor Hackford, who is clearly an absolute Rock 'N' Roll fanatic still in
love with Chuck Berry, the music and the man. Disc two has almost an hour
of rehearsals with Berry as well as Kieth Richards, Etta James, Eric
Clapton etc. Disk three has "Witness To History part 1" which is Chuck
Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddley telling stories and talking about the
golden days. Also featured are "Chuckisms" a collection of classic Chuck
Berry remarks and Chuck and Robbie Robertson going over Chuck's collection
of memories and memorabilia. Disk four is the knock out punch. While the
director had all of these musical legends around to talk about Berry, he
had the great foresight to have them sit down and tell a lot of their own
histories. So you get three and a half hours of stories and commentary by
Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, The Everly Brothers, Willie Dixon, Roy
Orbison, Sam Phillips & Ahmet Ertegun, a staggering offering that had a
Rock 'N' Roll nut like me frothing at the mouth with delight as I soaked
it all in. Outstanding. (JM)
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CHUCK BERRY |
Image Entertainment 3080 |
Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll |
● DVD $29.98 |
If you can't afford or don't want the
whole enchilada, this two DVD set features the first two DVDs from the above
four DVD set.
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SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET |
New West 8023 |
Live From Austin, Texas |
● DVD $17.98 |
Sir Doug is joined by Alvin Crow, Augie Meyers, John Perez
and others on this live 1981 set of 17 songs including Mendocino/ Rains
Came/ It Was Fun While It Lasted/ Groover's Paradise/ Who Were You
Thinkin'?/ Tonite, Tonite/ At The Crossroads/ Chicano/ She's About A Mover
and more.
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Legacy Entertainment 5009 |
Hits From The 50s and 60s |
● DVD $9.98 |
21 video clips from the late 50s and 60s drawn from TV
shows and early video jukeboxes. About 1/3 of the performances are live
and the rest are lip synched. Includes performances by The Platters (3
songs), Connie Francis, Brenda Lee, The Diamond (2 too many), Ivory Joe
Hunter, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, The Champs, Conway Twitty, Bobby
Darin, The Del Vikings, Little Anthony & The IMperials (three performances
which are probably the highlights here), The Drifters, Paul Anka, The
Exciters (2 songs) and Dion. Video quality is mostly fairly mediocre.
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Passport Video 1632 |
One For The Money - The Birth Of Rock 'n'
Roll |
● DVD $9.98 |
73 mins, color/b&w, very good
A 58 minute documentary on
the early days of rock 'n' roll which covers the black influences, the
early pioneers (Bill Haley, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee, etc), the
reaction to the growth of the music, the ascent of the bland teen idols in
the late 50s, etc. It includes comments from Jim Dawson, Michael Ochs, Bo
Diddley, Sam Phillips and others and is liberally sprinkled very brief
excerpts of musical clips from rock 'n' roll movies and T.V. appearances.
In attempting to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time a lot of
important material is left out but time is wasted with repeated shots of
couples jiving, girls screaming and unnecessary graphics. The 15 bonus
minutes includes full length performances that are glimpsed briefly in the
main documentary including The Treniers, Bill Haley In The Comets, Little
Richard, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers and Ricky Nelson. (FS)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Stomper Time DVD 2 |
Rock Baby Rock It |
● DVD $27.98 |
70 minutes, good
This obscure cult film is chock-full of
great performances and not burdened down much with a story line that can
mess up a lot of these early rock n' roll films. You get performances by
the wild Johnny Carrol, the heroic Rosco Gordon, sanctimonious Preacher
Smith & The Deacons, red-hot Don Coats & The Bon Aires, the amazing Five
Stars, exciting Cell-Block Seven and the somewhat disturbing Belew Twins
and Kay Wheeler. What acting and storyline there is is lousy but
entertaining; most of the actors in this make Tor Johnson look like a
master thespian. Worth it for the music and the kitsch, though. (JM)
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THE CREW CUTS |
Jasmine JASCD 432 |
Sh-Boom (Where Swing Met Doo-Wop & Rock
'n' Roll) |
● CD $15.98 |
The Crew Cuts started off as The Four Tones, which split
in half - two formed The Crew Cuts, the other two formed The Four Lads.
Though Canadian, they had to go to Cleveland to be discovered. They
initially caused a stir with their original song Crazy 'Bout Ya Baby
but didn't hit it big until they started covering black doo-wop songs with
bland whiebread versions with big band arrangements. Critics have argued
as to whether the group hurt or helped the cause of the music. This two CD
set with 51 tracks includes their hit covers like Sh-Boom/ Earth Angel/
Ko Ko Mo and others as well as straight ahead pop songs like In A
Little Spanish Town/ Unchained Melody/ A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley
Square and a bunch of college songs We're Working Our Way Through
College/ The Halls Of Ivy/ Betty Co-Ed, etc. If you like the Crew Cuts
this is the most comprehensive collection yet. Whether that's a good or
bad thing I'll leave you to decide.
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BOBBY DARIN |
Disky 902614 |
This Is Gold |
● CD $13.98 |
Three CD set with 54 tracks drawn from Bobby's mid 60s
Atlantic recordings - The Shadow Of Your Smile/ Don't Rain On My
Parade/ Ballad Of cat Ballou/ Feeling Good/ The Other Half Of Me/ What's
New Pussycat/ About You/ I'll Only Miss her When I Think Of Her/ The Lady
Came From Baltimore/ When I Look In Your Eyes/ Misty Roses/ After Today/
Fabulous Places/ Sittin' here Lovin' You, etc.
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JONATHAN EDWARDS |
Collector's Choice 526 |
Have A Good Time For Me |
● CD $12.98 |
11 tracks. 35 minutes, very good
Jonathan Edwards is most
known for his AM radio hit Sunshine from 1971, a breezy folk-pop
song that got him a lot of mileage with the major labels, although they
seemed a bit puzzled as to just what exactly to do with his career.
Edwards' aspirations weren't for the pop charts; he was quoted as saying
that he only wanted to "make good music and play with my friends." Presto!
wish granted: the rest of the '70s found him making good, earthy records,
surrounded by friends and achieving little or no chart success and
dwindling album sales (although he did eventually have some mainstream
country success in the late 1980s). This is a re-issue of his third LP
originally released in 1973 on Atco records, and is comprised solely of
covers of other artists, mostly friends from the Boston music scene and
other contemporaries, with a cover of Jimmie Rodgers' Travelin' Blues
and the standard When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder. Jonathan
Edwards is the kind of country artist that seems more at home at the wheel
of a Chevy van than at the reins of an Appaloosa, but he does have a
certain appeal. The brave souls who picked up the "Soft Sounds For Gentle
People" comps from our most recent catalog might dig on this release as
well. (JM)
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ROY HEAD |
Fuel 2000 61580 |
An Introduction To Roy Head |
● CD $10.98 |
16 tracks, 44 min., recommended
The sticker on the case
says, "The Best Of The Best!" Perhaps, but his biggest hit Treat Her
Right from 1965 (on Back Beat) is missing. In fact, this is a
repackaging of Head's Crazy Cajun LP from the 1970s called Same People
with three non-LP tracks added. And since Head is one of the finest white
soul shouters ever, it's a pleasure to have these recordings available.
It's horn-driven and intense all the way through. But if you already own
the out-of-print Roy Head CD in the Edsel series of the Crazy Cajun
catalogue, skip this because the Edsel release offers 8 more tracks. If
not, this is a good way to get it; includes notes by Bill Dahl. (JC)
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BRENDA LEE |
Ace CDCHD 1083 |
Brenda That's All/ All Alone Am I |
● CD $16.98 |
Two Decca albums from 1962 and '63. Apart from her 1962
hit ballads Fool #1 and All Alone Am I most of the rest are
Brenda's interpretations of pop, country and rock 'n' roll favorites
including I'm Sitting On Top Of The World/ White Silver Sands/ Gonna
Find Me A Bluebird/ Valley of Tears/ (I left My Heart) In san Francisco/
My Prayer/ What Kind Of Fool Am I, etc. As always excellent vocals
from this classy singer with somewhat schlocky arrangements.
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DOUG SAHM |
AIM 1308 |
In The Beginning |
● CD $14.98 |
14 tracks, very good
Half of these tracks were already
represented on the far superior collection on Norton - Norton 274 (also
available from us)--you would want to use that one as a jumping off point
for the early recordings of the mighty Doug Sahm. If you already have
that, this is still worth picking up for the remaining tracks, especially
cuts like the great Mexican barn burner Peanuts (originally by Luis
Guerro), Travis Wommack's Scratchy with house rockin' piano and
wailing sax, ditto on La Cucaracha. Possibly my fave in this batch
is the gut wrenching cover of Lloyd Price's Just Because
(incorrectly credited on this CD as one of Sahm's compositions). (JM)
DOUG SAHM: Baby Tell Me/ Crazy Daisy/ I Can't Believe
You Want To Leave Me/ Just A Moment/ Just Because/ La Cucaracha/ More And
More/ Peanuts/ Sapphire/ Scratchy/ Slow Down/ Two Hearts In Love/
Whirlaway/ Why, Why, Why
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1111 |
The Golden Age Of American Popular Music |
● CD $16.98 |
Complementing Ace's great series of "The Golden Age Of
American Rock 'n' Roll" featuring rock 'n' roll hits from the 50s and
early 60s this collection features more mainstream popular music that were
hits in the same period. A number of these tracks certainly reflect the
influence of rock 'n' roll, doo-wop and R&B on the pop music scene.
BOB BECKHAM: Just As Much As Ever/ DORSEY BURNETTE:
(there Was A) Tall Oak Tree/ VIC DANA: Red Roses For A Blue Lady/ BOBBY
DARIN: Things/ THE DOLPHINS: Hey-da-da-dow/ DICKY DOO & THE DON'TS: Leave
Me Alone (let Me Cry)/ THE DUPREES: My Own True Love/ THE FOUR PREPS: 26
Miles (santa Catalina)/ DOUG FRANKLIN WITH THE BLUENOTES: My Lucky Love/
BILLY GRAMMER: Gotta Travel On/ EARL GRANT: The End/ THE HIGHLIGHTS
FEATURING FRANK PIZANI: City Of Angels/ THE LITTLE DIPPERS: Forever/
JOHNNY MATHIS: It's Not For Me To Say/ GENE MCDANIELS: Tower Of Strength/
TONY ORLANDO: Bless You/ TONY PERKINS: Moon-light Swim/ PAUL PETERSEN: My
Dad/ THE PLAYMATES: What Is Love?/ THE QUAKER CITY BOYS: Teasin'/ THE
RIVIERAS: Moonlight Serenade/ THE ROVER BOYS FEATURING BILLY ALBERT:
Graduation Day/ THE TECHNIQUES: Hey! Little Girl/ THE TEMPOS: See You In
September/ THE UPBEATS: Just Like In The Movies/ THE VOXPOPPERS: Wishing
For Your Love/ ADAM WADE: As If I Didn't Know/ JERRY WALLACE: In The Misty
Moonlight
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1113 |
Garagemental - The Cuca Records Story,
Vol. 2 |
● CD $16.98 |
26 tracks, 67 min., recommended
Cuca's first and biggest
tangle with fame and potential fortune came when they released the
original version of The Fendermen's classic Muleskinner Blues. But
then Soma Records had the boys do an exact re-recording of the song for
them because, well, the record industry has always been about integrity.
Volume 2 of the Cuca story features groups that typically formed in high
school and generally saw no commercial success beyond their Cuca release(s).
The most heavily represented are Joey Gee & The Come Ons (4 cuts), The
Wanderer's Rest (5 cuts), and The Trodden Path (4 cuts). Count Joey Gee's
Till The End OF Time, The Henchmen VI's Is Love Real, and
The Trodden Path's Don't Follow Me among the best here, although
the quality is consistently pretty good, assuming you like late-1960s
garage bands from Wisconsin. Included are 6 previously unreleased cuts.
Ace does its usual nice job, of course. (JC)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Buffalo Bop 55179 |
Got Troubles |
● CD $18.98 |
30 tracks, 65 minutes, highly recommended
Buffalo Bop is
one of my favorite labels. A lot of labels put out compilations with no
imagination and seemingly little effort, just slapping a bunch of obscure
tracks together all willy-nilly, but not Buffalo Bop. As many of you will
already know, these are quality comps, with great sound and artwork and
they always have a meaty track listing. My favorite part is that they
always have a theme (albeit sometimes a rather loose one) in this case
"troubles." You get 30 tracks of the obscurest of the obscure rockabilly,
rock n' roll and wild country all with heartache and trouble on their
mind. Great tunes like Chuck Goddard's Living Myself To Death, The
Electras' Mary Mary, Alan Riddle's The Moon is Crying, Tony
Cosmo's Pony Tail Annie & Crew Cut Joe and I Got Troubles by
Bill Watkins, which has the distinction of being the only Rockabilly tune
I can think of with a banjo solo. All in all a great assortment of tunes
that will have you rockin' your heartaches away and boppin' your blues to
the moon. (JM)
PHIL BARCLAY AND THE SLIDERS: Young Long John/ ROY
BIGGS: I Want To Rock With You/ JIM BURGETT: Pick-up-a-coupl‘a-records/
Live It Up/ THE CAPS: Daddy Dean/ TONY COSMO: Pony Tail Annie & Crew Cut
Joe/ THE DENHAMS: Cry, Baby Cry/ THE DROPOUTS: I‘m Leaving/ THE ELECTRAS:
Mary Mary/ BRIEN FISHER: It‘s Up To You/ CHUCK GODDARD: Living Myself To
Death/ RONNIE HAIG: Rocking With Rhythm & Blues/ THE JUMPIN’ JACKS: Let
There Be Rockin/ PAUL KIRK: Ready Little Steady/ LOUIE AND THE
AMBASSADORS: Talk That Talk/ ORLIE AND THE SAINTS: Twist And Freeze –
U.s.a./ RAND PARKER AND THE STROLERS: Big Mary‘s House/ DARRELL RHODES:
Four O‘clock Baby/ ALAN RIDDLE: The Moon Is Crying/ RICH ROMAN: Ooh, Ooh,
Ooh/ T. T. B. (truly, Truly Baby)/ BUDDY STARR: Blues Around My Head/ THE
UNTIMATES: Lost Romance/ BILL WATKINS: I Got Troubles/ JOHNNY WILSON:
Little Miss Fortune/ Twi-light-zone/ DON WOODY: Not I/ Red Blooded
American Boy/ BENN JOE ZEPPA: Shame On You, Miss Lindy/ Terry Lou
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Buffalo Bop 55180 |
Set Me Free |
● CD $18.98 |
30 tracks, 67 mins, highly recommended
In this volume the
theme seems to be troubled relationships, exhibited in songs like
Private War (complete with H-bomb sound effects) by the combative Al
Barkle, Do What I Do by the domineering Slim Rhodes, Hypnotized
by the dazed and confused Don Jordon and Bye, Bye Baby by the
heartbroken Joey Venuti. This comp has a few real gone gassers that burn
up the second half of the CD, Buzzin by Tommy Wilson is slightly
disturbed, but by the time you get to Cabbage Head by The Sterling
Brothers, (I Want To Be A) TV Cowboy by Chick Carlton & The
Majestics and Johnny Bom Bonny by the mighty Link Wray, you're so
far off the charts that you will want to pinch yourself to see if you are
awake or in the middle of some twisted hillbilly daydream. What a winner,
not for the faint of heart. (JM)
AL BARKLE WITH DAVE ROSAS BAND: Private War/ THE BEE
BOPS: If You Love Me/ Wandering Blue/ CHICK CARLTON & THE MAJESTICS: (i
Want To Be A) Tv Cowboy/ BILL CARTER: Cool Tom Cat/ MARC CAVELL: School
Day Romance/ CONNY AND THE BELLHOPS: Fafine/ ROCKY DAVIS: Save A Little
Love For Me/ Your A Doll/ ROBERT GILL AND THE GILL-O-TEENS: I‘m Happy/
RONNIE HAIG: Don‘t You Hear Me Calling, Baby/ MIKE HARRIS: Just A Memory/
DON JORDAN: Hypnotized/ THE JUMPIN’ JACKS: Mop-top/ CURLEY LANGLEY: Linda
Lou/ Rockin‘an‘ A Rollin‘/ GEORGE MACK: I Want To Be With You Baby/ CHUCK
MANN: Little Miss Muffet/ BILL MORRISON: Baby Be Good/ Set Me Free/ SLIM
RHODES: Do What I Do/ THE SABRES: Rock-a-baby/ THE STERLING BROTHERS:
Cabbage Head/ JOEY VENUTI: Bye, Bye Baby/ Where‘s That Love/ RON WILLIAMS
AND THE CUSTOMS: Sue Sue Baby/ TOMMY WILSON: Buzzin/ LINK WRAY: I Sez
Baby/ Johnny Bom Bonny/ RUSTY YORK: Shake ’em Up Baby
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collector 4497 |
Rockin' Your Way |
● CD $16.98 |
31 track collection of rock 'n' roll rarities from the 50s
and early 60s - about two thirds of the tracks are new to CD. Quite a few
of the tracks are fairly pedestrian but there are some worthwhile cuts
from Jim Stevens & Sue Patrick, Calvin Boles & Gang (their Gonna Get
Rich In "66" has some fascinating lyrics and a nice loping country
feel) and a few others including a couple of nice instrumentals from the
Astronauts and The Impacts. It also has my favorite "bad" songs - Jackie
Walker's Only Teenagers Allowed which has lousy lyrics and vocals
and a fantastic guitar solo (probably James Burton). Also includes sides
by Ed Thompson & the Rovin Ramblers, Eddie Lloyd, Nick
Venet, Roy templin
& the Credit Cards (the cute Charge It), Freeda Boxx & the Rockin'
Aces, The Upsetters, The Crew, Larry Dallas, The Zeke Jackson Show and
more.
THE ASTRONAUTS: Blues Beat/ PETE BEAVERS & THE
WESTERNAIRS: Jailhouse/ CALVIN BOLES & GANG: Gonna Get Rich In”66”/ TEDDY
BEAR BOND & THE BONDSMEN: Skale Up/ FREEDA BOXX & THE ROCKIN'ACES: Havin'a
Ball/ JACK BRIERTON & THE CHORDSMEN: Easy Pickin's/ THE CREW: Hot Wire/
The Big Junk/ Crewnecks And Khakis/ LARRY DALLAS: Cheating Woman/ LAFAY
HAWKINS: I Never Had A Girl/ THE IMPACTS: Manara/ EDDIE JACKSON BLUES: I
Can't Hide/ THE ZEKE JACKSON SHOW: Red Rose Tea/ DWIGHT JAMES & THE
ROCKIN'KNIGHTS: Walkin'out/ LITTLE HANK & THE RHYTHM KINGS: Christene/
EDDIE LLOYD: Walk It Off/ JIM MOORE & THE ELIMINATORS: Move Out Lotus/ MY
NAME IS JOHNNY: Strange Kisses/ Take My Love/ GENE PRICE & THE CHORDSMEN:
Sold Out/ DUKE RA-TRAY: Just Walk Right In/ BOB SHIPPELL & THE ROYALS: The
Chicken & The Bop/ JIM STEVENS & SUE PATRICK: I'm Gonna Rock Away My
Worries/ Waitin'at The Station/ ROY TEMPLIN & THE CREDIT CARDS: Charge It/
ED THOMPSON & THE ROVIN'RAMBLERS: That Girl Needed Kissin'/ THE UPSETTERS:
Loco/ Room 207/ NICK VENET: Stop/ JACKIE WALKER: Only Teenagers Allowed
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collector 4499 |
Slow Boogie Rockin', Vol. 6 |
● CD $16.98 |
Another Collection of slow and mid-tempo rockers - often
with a bluesy edge. 30 tracks, two of them previously unissued. A mix of
some very good tracks, some lousy tracks and a lot in between. Includes
The Rockin' Hi Lows, Hank & The Electras, Ronnie Summers, Roy Buchanan
(his first solo recording - a fine version of the instrumental After
Hours), Scotty Decker & The Moods (a fine version of Larry Williams'
High School Dance with a swampy Jimmy Clanton feel), Don West, The
Bel-Airs, Bobby Nolan, Troyce Key (one of the better white blues
performers with the fine She's Sumpin' Else), The Wilder Brothers,
Gene Dunlap & The Jokers, Bill Costa & The Fabulous Rockets, Cecil Moore &
The Diamondbacks (the fine instrumental Stuff), Bob Shippell & The
Royals (a mediocre version of the Drifters' Ruby BabY with Shippell
taking composer credit), Curley Cook & The Versitones and more. Excellent
sound and booklet with artist photos and label shots.
DICK ARMSTRONG WITH ROLLINS ORCH.: Teen Age Heart/ ROD
BARTON: Rock And Roll Blues/ Skeleton Blues/ THE BEL-AIRS: Vampire(inst.)/
BILLY BENSON: Baby/ ROY BUCHANAN: After Hours(inst.)/ JIMMY CONTENTA & THE
WEEPERS: Picture Album Blues/ CURLEY COOK & THE VERSITONES: Long Road To
Nowhere/ BILL COSTA & THE FABULOUS ROCKETS: Cheatin'baby/ SCOTTY DECKER &
THE MOODS: High School Dance/ GENE DUNLAP & THE JOKERS: What Do I Want/
KAREN FELLOWS: Searchin/ GINGER – MAE: Chicken Litte/ DICK GLASSER: Rock
And Roll Blues/ HANK & THE ELECTRAS: Get Lost Baby/ BENNIE HATFIELD:
Forgetting The Blues/ JULIUS & THE ORIGINALS: Brand New Man/ TROYCE KEY:
She's Sumpin'else/ FRANK LA HAYE: This Life I Live/ RON LEE & THE LOW
NOTES: Come A Little Closer/ BILLY LEWIS: Stool Pigeon Baby/ CECIL MOORE &
THE DIAMONDBACKS: Stuff(inst.)/ LONNIE MULLINS: Since You've Gone/ BOBBY
NOLAN: Lord I'm Lonesome/ THE ROCKIN' HI LOWS: I Need Your Love/ BOB
SHIPPELL & THE ROYALS: Ruby Be Mine/ DAN SMITH: The Cut-up Walk(inst.)/
RONNIE SUMMERS: Freeze/ DON WEST: Lovers Lane/ THE WILDER BROTHERS:
Monaco(inst.)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Documents 223506 |
Rock Around The Clock |
● CD $19.98 |
Like their previous collection "Rock 'n Roll" (Documents
223506) this low priced 10 cd set presents 200 tracks from the dawn of
rock 'n' roll - mostly recorded between 1953 and 1956 with a few earlier
and featuring a mix of up tempo country, rockabilly, a little bit of
rocking R&B and some of the recordings that helped launch the rock 'n roll
boom of the 50s. Strangely there is very little doo-wop but this is a fun
collection - the artist selection is much narrower than that first.No
notes but fine sound - just put this on your CD changer and rock!
LAVERN BAKER: Bop-ting-a-ling/ Good Daddy/ How Long/ I
Want To Rock/ Jim Dandy/ Lost Child/ That‘s All I Need/ Tweedlee Dee/ DAVE
BARTHOLOMEW: Another Mule/ Cat Music/ Country Boy/ Messy Bessy/ My Ding A
Ling/ Night Train/ The Ice Man/ The Monkey/ CHARLEY BOOKER: Charley‘s
Boogie Woogie/ JACKIE BRENSTON: My Real Gone Rocket/ Rocket 88/ ROY BROWN:
Ain‘t No Rocking No More/ Beautician Blues/ Big Town/ Cadillac Baby/
Laughing But Crying/ Mighty Mighty Man/ Money Can‘t Buy Love/ Rockin‘at
Midnight/ RUTH BROWN: 5–10–15 Hours/ Ever Since My Baby‘s Gone/ I Would If
I Could/ I‘ll Wait For You/ Mam He Treats Your Daughter Mean/ Sentimental
Journey/ Shine On Bright Moon/ The Tears Keep Tumbling Down/ To Many Men/
BO DIDDLEY: Bo Diddley/ Cops And Robbers/ Diddley Daddy/ Diddy Wah Diddy/
Down Home Special/ I‘m A Man/ I‘m Looking For A Woman/ Pretty Thing/ You
Don‘t Love Me/ FATS DOMINO: Blue Monday/ Blueberry Hill/ My Blue Heaven/
Reeling And Rocking/ Rockin‘ Chair/ Rosemary/ The Fat Man/ THE DRIFTERS:
Bip Bam/ Everyone‘s Laughing/ Honey Love/ If I Didn‘t Love You Like I Do/
Lucille/ Money Honey/ Ruby Baby/ Such A Night/ There You Go/ Warm Your
Heart/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD: Country Junction/ Sixteen Tons/ Tennessee
Border/ The Shot Gun Boogie/ Tailor Made Woman/ I‘ll Never Be Free/ Rock
City Boogie/ BILL HALEY: Abc Boogie/ Green Tree Boogie/ Mambo Rock/ Razzle
Dazzle/ Rock Around The Clock/ Rock-a-beatin‘ Boogie/ R–o–c–k/ See You
Later Alligator/ Shake, Rattle And Roll/ Ten Little Indians/ WYNONIE
HARRIS: All She Wants To Do Is Rock/ Bite Again, Bite Again/ Confessin‘
The Blues/ Feel That Old Age Coming On/ Good Rockin‘ Tonight/ Mister Blues
Is Coming To Town/ Oh Babe/ Put It Back/ Wynonie‘s Boogie/ BUDDY HOLLY:
Blue Suede Shoes/ Don‘t Come Back Knocking/ Honky Tonk/ Keep A Knockin‘/
Love Me/ Rip It Up/ Rock Around With Ollie Vee/ Rock-a-bye-rock/ Shake,
Rattle And Roll/ You And I Are Through/ You Are My One Desire/ B. B. KING:
Shake It Up And Go/ You Know I Love You/ LITTLE RICHARD: Ain‘t That Good
News/ All Around The World/ Get Rich Quick/ I Love My Baby/ I‘m Just A
Lonely Guy/ Little Richard‘s Boogie/ Long Tall Sally/ Ready Teddy/
Slippin‘ And Slidin‘/ The Girl Can‘t Help It/ Tutti Frutti/ JOHNNY OTIS:
Ain‘t Nothin‘ Shakin‘/ Boogie Guitar/ Double Crossing Blues/ Head Hunter/
If I Didn‘t Love You So/ Lover‘s Lane Boogie/ New Orleans Shuffle/ Our
Romance Is Gone/ THE PLATTERS: Beer Barrel Boogie/ I‘ll Cry When You‘re
Gone/ Love All Night/ Maggie Doesn‘t Work Here Anymore/ Only You (federal
Version)/ Red Sails In The Sunset/ Sentimental Journey/ Shake It Up Mambo/
You Made Me Cry/ ELVIS PRESLEY: Blue Moon/ Blue Moon Of Kentucky/ Blue
Suede Shoes/ Don‘t Be Cruel/ Good Rockin‘ Tonight/ Heartbreak Hotel/ Hound
Dog/ Love Me Tender/ Milkcow Blues Boogie/ Money Honey/ That‘s All Right/
When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again/ You‘re A Heartbreaker/ LLOYD PRICE:
All Alone/ Baby Please Come Home/ Carry Me Home/ Froglegs/ I‘m Glad, Glad/
Lawdy Miss Clawdy/ Lord, Lord Amen/ Night And Day Blues/ Rock ’n‘ Roll
Dance/ PROFESSOR LONGHAIR: Boogie Woogie/ In The Night/ Longhair Stomp/
Mardi Gras In New Orleans/ Walk Your Blues Away/ Willie Mae/ LITTLE
RICHARD: Heeby Jeebies/ BIG MAMA THORNTON: All Right Baby/ Cotton Picking
Blues/ Hard Times/ Hound Dog/ Just Can‘t Help Myself/ Nightmare/ No Jody
For Me/ Rockabye Baby/ They Call Me Big Mama/ Willie Mae‘s Blues/ BIG JOE
TURNER: Boogie Woogie Country Girl/ Chains Of Love/ Flip, Flop And Fly/
Low Down Dog/ Midnight Cannonball/ Morning Glories/ Rock A While/ Shake,
Rattle And Roll/ Sweet Sixteen/ Well All Right/ IKE TURNER: Lookin‘ For My
Baby/ Troubles And Heartaches/ You‘re Driving Me Insane/ GENE VINCENT:
Be-bop-a-lula/ Bluejean Bop/ Bop Street/ Jezebel/ Peg O‘ My Heart/ Race
With The Devil/ Up A Lazy River/ Wedding Bells/ You Told A Fib/ CHUCK
WILLIS: Caldonia/ Going To The River/ I Can Tell/ I Feel So Bad/ If I Had
A Million/ I‘ve Been Treated Wrong Too Long/ Keep A Knockin‘/ Lawdy Miss
Mary/ Let‘s Jump Tonight/ Ring Ding Doo
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
El Toro 1010 |
Real Cool Cats - Texas Rockabilly, 1955 |
● CD $18.98 |
35 tracks (!), 77 min., highly recommended
Because rock
and roll was still in its swaddling clothes in 1955 (and suddenly
profitable, thanks to Elvis and a few others), just about every song here
repeats the word "rock" as often as is humanly possible. Which is fine,
charming even. And while normally a scope as narrow as Texas rockabilly
during one particular year would be so limiting as to be problematic,
Texas is so damn big and 1955 was such a productive year, everything works
out all right. So what we have here is rockabilly in varying degrees of
wildness and sophistication recorded by labels with varying financial
resources and artistic integrity. It's rockabilly (or "cat music" as it
was apparently known in Eastern Texas), but in this nascent form it's
possible to hear the various influences (swing, country, r&b, blues, even doo wop). A lot of these guys must have had a big stack of Joe Turner 78s
at home. Most heavily represented are Johnny Carroll and Sonny Fisher with
seven cuts apiece, and not far behind is Bob Luman with five. Other treats
include a pair from Sid King & The Five Strings (Sag, Drag & Fall,
Purr, Kitty, Purr), two by the shaky-voiced Jimmy Heap (Sebbin'
Come Elebbin', Go Ahead On), What'll I Do
by Mac Curtis, and
the classic A Real Cool Cat by Sonny Burns, which, although no doubt
heresy to say so, sounds more like country than rockabilly, the cool
vocabulary notwithstanding. Six pages of informative booklet notes by Dave
Penny. Sound quality is generally quite good, especially considering that
some (but not all) of the source material is vinyl. (JC)
DEAN BEARD: Sing, Sing, Sing/ Time Is Hangin' Heavy on
My Hands/ CHARLIE BROWN: Don't Put the Blame on Me/ Have You Heard the
Gossip/ SONNY BURNS: A Real Cool Cat/ JOHNNY CARROLL: Crazy Little Mama/
Cut Out/ Hearts of Stone/ Sexy Ways/ Stingy Thing/ Why Cry/ You Two-Timed
Me One Time Too Often/ MAC CURTIS: What'll I Do/ LINK DAVIS: Grasshopper/
SONNY FISHER: Hey Mama/ Hold Me Baby/ I Can't Lose/ Rockin' & A-Rollin'/
Rockin' Daddy/ Rockin' Daddy (alternate)/ Sneaky Pete/ BEN HALL: Move
Mama/ JIMMY HEAP: Go Ahead On/ Sebbin' Come Elebbin'/ SID KING & THE FIVE
STRINGS: Purr, Kitty, Purr/ Sag, Drag & Fall/ BOB LUMAN: Hello Baby/ In
the Deep Dark Jungle/ Stranger Than Fiction/ That's All Right/ You Were
the Cause of It All/ FRANK STARR: Dig Them Squeaky Shoes/ The Dirty Bird
Song/ WAYNE WALKER: Love Me/ Love Me (alternate)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Flesh Den 6907 |
Rock 'n' Roll Orgy, Vol. 7 |
● CD $16.98 |
Another fine entry in the popular series of hot 50s
rockabilly. Like most previous issues most of the tracks here have been
out on CD before but the standard is uniformly hot. Includes sides
Marlon "Madman" Mitchell, Darrell Rhodes, Danny Dell (a rocked up version
of Froggy (Went A Courtin'), The Vibes, Larry O'Keefe (his unissued
Hot Rockin' Mama is one of the few cuts here not available
elsewhere), Ray Gentry, Danny Darren (a great rockabilly rendition of Hank
Williams' Fool About You), Little Mac, Three Aces & A Joker, Bobby
Sisco, Herbie Duncan, Tony & Jackie Lamie, Bobby Wayne, Walter Brown and
others. Excellent sound and booklet with rare label shots.
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Stomper Time 21 |
Memphis Rockabillies, Hillibillies & Honky
Tonkers Vol5 |
● CD $16.98 |
36 tracks, 74 mins, recommended
Stomper Time comes up with
another fine collection of rockabilly, rock 'n' roll and up tempo honky
tonk recorded for a small Memphis label. This one focuses on Bill Glore's
Glo-Lite and affiliated labels and although most of these tracks were
recorded in the 60s and 70s most of it is very much in the spirit of the
50s. The most familiar name here is Malcolm Yelvington with two country
sides from 1974 accopmpanied by a band including Bubba Feathers on lead
guitar and bassist Marcus Van Story. Van Story is also featured on a fine
vocal rendition of Charlie Feathers' Get With It with Bubba
Feathers on lead guitar and Charlie on rhythm. Other artists include Roy
Alden (the hot Crazy Memories), Bill Scott Davis, Jimmy Evans, Jay
Hadley, Thomas jernigan, Lannie-Lee, Paul Little, Jim Waldrop and others.
36 tracks in all with excellent sound and informative notes by Dave Travis
plus full discographical info. (FS)
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VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Varese 66742 |
Summer Beach Party - Songs From The
Classic Beach Movie |
● CD $13.98 |
19 tracks, 41 minutes, recommended
It's a beach party in
your stereo and everybody's invited! The swingin'est surfers will all be
there. All of the guys are named either Bobby of Frankie and of course
Annette's "got the hits!" All in all, this is a great compilation, albeit
one chock full of tracks that are fairly easy to come by. Varese does a
wonderful job on this, with fun packaging with extensive liner notes,
photos and movie poster reproductions plus a great track list ranging from
the atomic surf instrumentals to the goofy, totally goofy tracks like the
indispensable "Dr. Goldfoot & The Bikini Machine" by The Beas. All songs
are from beach party movies of the 1960's and most of them are great,
especially if you don't mind a little kitsch. (JM)
ANNETTE: Pajama Party/ THE ASTRONAUTS: Surf Party/
FRANKIE AVALON: Beach Party/ Don't Stop Now/ THE BEACH BOYS: Girls On The
Beach/ THE BEAS: Dr. Goldfoot & The Bikini Machine/ CAST: Bikini Beach/
DICK DALE: Secret Surfin' Spot/ Surfin' And A-Swingin'/ THE EXCITERS:
Gotcha Where I Want You/ JAN & DEAN: Ride The Wild Surf/ THE KINGSMEN: How
To Stuff A Wild Bikini/ DONNA LOREN: It Only Hurts When I Cry/ Love's A
Secret Weapon/ Muscle Bustle/ THE PYRAMIDS: Bikini Drag/ Record Run/ THE
RIP CHORDS: Hot Rod Roadster/ NANCY SINATRA: Geronimo
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