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NEWSLETTER #141
Vintage Rock 'n' Roll & Rockabilly
Chuck Berry -> Various Artists

 

 

 

NEW DVDS

 
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)

 

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.

 
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.

 
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.

 
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)

 
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)

 

NEW COMPACT DISCS

 
 
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.

 
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.

 
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)

 
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)

 
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.

 
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

 
SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET New West 6095 Live From Austin, Texas ● CD $16.98
See under DVD.

 
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

 
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)

 
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

 
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

 
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

 
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.)

 
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

 
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)

 
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.

 
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)

 
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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