IMPORTANT NOTE: We
currently do not have a shopping cart. The company who handled our
cart has gone out of business. However we are still handling orders
and are keeping our web site up to date with new releases. You may
place your orders by email (roots@toast.net),
phone (toll free in USA 1-888-ROOTS-66, Elsewhere: 510-965-9503) or
by mail P.O. Box 837, El Cerrito, CA 94530, USA
Due in a few days. This looks to be a killer - the
complete recordings of one of the most soulful and influential R&B
groups led by the incredibly talented Lowman Pauling who wrote many of
their songs, sang bass and played some tough guitar. It includes their
earliest recordings as the gospel group The Royal Sons Quartet in the
early 50s, all their classic sides for Apollo and King in the 1950s and
their later recordings for a range of labels in the early and mid 60s.
All their great hits are here - Baby Don't Do It/ Help Me Somebody/
Crazy, Crazy, Crazy/ Too Much Lovn'/ I Do/ Tears Of Joy and Think
(subsequently a hit for James Brown along with unissued songs and
alternate takes. 141 tracks on five CDs housed in a 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" box
with a 124 page booklet with detailed notes by R&B experts Bill Dahl and
Tom McCullough. THE 5 ROYALES: (I'm) Gonna Spend My Money/ (Something
Moves Me) Within My Heart/ 1 Don't Be Ashamed/ All Righty!/ Baby Don't
Do It/ Baby, Don't Do It/ Baby, Don't Do It/ Bedside of a Neighbor/
Behave Yourself/ Can't Stand Losing You/ Catch That Teardrop/ Come On
Let's Have A Good Time/ Come Over Here/ Come on and Save Me/ Come on and
Save Me (alternate 1)/ Come on and Save Me (alternate 2)/ Courage to
Love/ Crazy, Crazy, Crazy/ Cry Some More/ Dedicated To The One I Love/
Dedicated To The One I Love/ Devil With the Rest/ Didn't We Fool Them/
Do Unto You/ Do the Cha Cha Cherry/ Doin' Everything/ Don't Give Me More
Than You Can Take/ Don't Let It Be In Vain/ Don't Let It Be In Vain
(alternate)/ Double or Nothing/ Every Dog Has His Day/ Everybody Knows/
Faith/ Feeling Is Real/ Get Something Out of It/ Get Something Out of It
(alternate 1)/ Get Something Out of It (alternate 2)/ Give Me One More
Chance/ Good Things/ Goof Ball/ Help Me Somebody/ Help Me Somebody/ Help
Yourself/ Here It 'Tis Right Here/ How I Wonder/ I Ain't Getting Caught/
I Am thinking/ I Could Love You/ I Do/ I Got To Know/ I Know It's Hard
But It's Fair/ I Like It Like That/ I Like It Like That/ I Need Your
Lovin' Baby/ I Wanna Rest/ I Want It Like That/ I Want To Thank You/ I'd
Better Make a Move/ I'm Gonna Run It Down/ I'm Gonna Tell Them/ I'm Not
Ashamed/ I'm On the Right Road Now/ I'm Standing in the Shadows/ I'm
With You/ I'm a Cool Teenager/ I'm a Cool Teenager (alternate)/ If You
Don't Need Me/ It Hurts Inside/ It Won't Be Long/ Jail Bird/ Journey's
End/ Just Can't Do Me This Way/ Just as I Am/ Just as I Am (alternate)/
Laundromat Blues/ Let Me Come Back Home/ Let Nothing Seperate Me/
Messin' Up/ Mine Forevermore/ Miracle Of Love/ Mohawk Squaw/ Monkey Hips
and Rice/ Mr. Moon Man/ Mr. Moon Man, Pt. 1 & 2/ Much In Need/ My Sugar
Sugar/ My Wants for Love/ Never Turn Your Back/ Not Going To Cry/ Now
Baby Don't Do It/ One Mistake/ Please, Please, Be Mine/ Please, Please,
Please/ Pumpkin Pie/ Raindrops Keep A-Fallin'/ Real Thing/ Real Thing
(alternate)/ Right Around The Corner/ Roll With the Punch/ Royal J.
Abbit Interview/ Say It/ School Girl/ See, Hear and Know Nothing/ Send
Me Somebody/ She Did Me Wrong/ Show Me/ Six O'Clock in the Morning/
Slummer The Slum, AKA Stompenin' Stomp/ Slummer the Slum/ So God Can Use
Me/ Solid Rock/ Someone Made You For Me/ Take All Of Me/ Take Me With
You Baby/ Talk About My Woman/ Talk About My Women Pt. 2/ Tears of Joy/
Tell Me You Care/ Tell The Truth/ There's Somebody Over There/ They
Don't Know/ Think/ Think/ Thirty Second Lover/ Time For Everything/ Too
Much Lovin'/ Too Much of a Little Bit/ Washboard Take 1./ What's That/
What's in the Heart/ When I Get Like This/ When You Walked In Through
The Door/ Why/ With All Your Heart/ With All Your Heart (alternate)/
Women About to Make Me Go Crazy/ Wonder Where Your Love Has Gone/ You
Didn't Learn It at Home/ You Know I Know/ Your Only Love/ Your Only Love
(alternate)
Very limited quantities on this Japanese release. CD
reissue of Chess LP 1473 from 1962. Cortez was a versatile
instrumentalist mostly known for his R&B organ playing but on this set
also plays piano and harmonica. It includes the title tune which was a
big R&B and pop hit along with Skins And Sound/ Jammin, Parts 1 & 2/
Mr. Gee/ Lost Love, etc. Only 11 tracks but enjoyable. There is some
tough sax and guitar work behind Dave on several cuts but there is no
discographical information on who they are but it sounds like it might
be King Curtis and Jimmy Spruill.
The Dominoes were one of the finest and most successful
vocal groups of the 1950s. This three CD set with 88 tracks features
both sides of all their singles recorded for Federal, King, Decca and
Liberty. Led by Billy Ward the group was blessed with exceptional lead
vocalists - first Clyde McPhatter who was with the group from 1950 to
'53 to be followed by Jackie Wilson who left in 1956 with subsequent
leads be taken by several vocalists including Ward himself. All their
classic sides are here - Do Something For Me/ Sixty Minute Man/
That's What They're Doing To Me/ Mercy Mercy Baby/ The Bells (with
its insane sobbing from Clyde)/ These Foolish Things Remind Me Of
You/ Rags To Riches and more as well as many great non-hits. Most of
the group's King & Federal recordings featured small R&B groups but once
the group joined Decca in mid 1956, Ward moved in a more pop direction,
with most tracks accompanied by orchestra and strings or, in some cases,
by a big band. During their Decca and Liberty tenure King continued to
release previously unissued songs through the early 60s and these are
all featured here. Includes 28 page illustrated booklet with detailed
notes by doo-wop expert Marv Goldberg. THE DOMINOES: A Little Lie/ Above Jacob's Ladder/
Behave Hula Girl/ Bobby Sox Baby/ Can't Do Sixty No More/ Cave Man/
Chicken Blues/ Christmas In Heaven/ Come On Snake Let's Crawl/ Come To
Me Baby/ Deep Purple/ Deep Sea Blues/ Do It Again/ Do Something For Me/
Don't Leave Me This Way/ Don't Thank Me/ Gimme Gimme Gimme/ Give Me You/
Handwriting On The Wall/ Harbor Lights/ Have Mercy Baby/ Heart To Heart
(With Little Esther)/ Home Is Where You Hang Your Heart/ How Long, How
Long Blues/ I Am With You/ I Can't Escape From You/ I Don't Stand A
Ghost Of A Chance/ I Really Don't Want To Know/ I'd Be Satisfied/ I'm
Lonely/ If I Never Get To Heaven/ Jennie Lee/ Lay It On The Line/
Learnin' The Blues/ Little Black Train/ Little Things Mean A Lot/
Lonesome Road/ Looking For A Man To Satisfy My Soul (Little Esther)/
Love Me Now Or Let Me Go/ Love, Love, Love/ Lucinda/ May I Never Love
Again/ Move To The Outskirts Of Town/ Music Maestro Please/ My Baby's
3-D/ My Proudest Possession/ No Room/ No, Says My Heart/ One Moment With
You/ Other Lips, Other Arms (Little Esther)/ Over The Rainbow/ Pedal
Pushin' Papa/ Rags To Riches/ Ringin In A Brand New Year/ Rock Plymouth
Rock/ September Song/ Sixty Minute Man/ Solitude/ Someone Greater Than
I/ St Therese Of The Roses/ St. Louis Blues/ Star Dust/ Take Me Back To
Heaven/ Tenderly/ That's How You Know You're Growing Old/ That's What
You're Doing To Me/ The Bells/ The Deacon Moves In (With Little Esther)/
These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You/ Three Coins In The Fountain/ To
Each His Own/ Tootsie Roll/ Until The Real Thing Comes Along/ Weeping
Willow Blues/ When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano/ Where Now
Little Heart/ Will You Remember/ Yours Forever
Something To Shout About ... From The
Golden Age Of Gospel
● CD $18.98 $13.98
23 tracks, 66 mins, essential
Very limited stock at sale
price. Two classic albums ("Precious Memories" - Peacock 102 and "Father
I Stretch My Hands To Thee" - Peacock 113) by one of the greatest of all
gospel groups combined on this CD. "Precious Memories" was issued in
1959 as tribute to the group's recently deceased lead singer Archie
Brownlee. Brownlee was one of the greatest if not THE greatest hard
gospel quartet singer - an utterly superb vocalist with a high, emotion
drenched style who could wail to bring the church down but whose
versatile pipes could articulate the whole range of human emotions. The
four tracks from the January 1959 sessions, Brownlee's last for Peacock,
have such an intensity that it's likely to leave you drained by the time
you finish listened. After Brownlee's death the group underwent some
personal changes and lead roles were handled by Henry Johnson, a superb
tenor singer - not in Brownlee's league but certainly the equal of many
of the other quartet leaders out there. Their 1964 session here featured
11 fine performances with the standouts being Time Is Winding Up/ Oh
Why and, particularly, Father I Stretch My hands To Thee with
Johnson switching between preaching and singing with an intensity that
rivals Brownlee. Includes 12 page booklet. (FS)
Stonewall Jackson was one of the great honky tonk
singers of the 1960s and this collection features 24 of his biggest hits
from Life To Go in 1958 to Torn From The Pages Of Life in
1972. His two #1 hits are here Waterloo (which reached #4 in the
pop charts) and B.J. The D.J. along with other great sides like
Smoke Along The Track/ Wy I'm Walking/ A Wound Time Can't ERase/ I
Washed My Hands In Muddy Water and more. STONEWALL JACKSON: A Little Guy Named Joe/ A Wound
Time Can't Erase/ Angry Words/ B.J. the D.J./ Blues Plus Booze (Means I
Lose)/ Can't Hang Up the Phone/ Don't Be Angry/ Help Stamp Out
Loneliness/ I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water/ Leona/ Life of a Poor Boy/
Mary Don't You Weep/ Me and You and a Dog Named Boo/ Old Showboat (Live
at the Grand Ole Opry)/ One Look at Heaven/ Promises and Hearts (Were
Made to Break)/ Smoke Along the Track/ The Minute Men (Are Turning in
Their Graves)/ Torn from the Pages of Life/ Waterloo/ Why I'm Walkin'/
Wild Wild Wind
26 tracks, highly recommended
Complementing B.A.C.M. 206
this is another fine collection of sides by this
excellent performer this time featuring some of his
earlier recordings made for King between 1947 and 1952. Grandpa Jones
(Louis Marshall Jones) was an excellent and distinctive performer from
Kentucky with a voice that sounded 20 years older than his real age and a frailing banjo style that owed a lot to his influence Uncle Dave Macon.
Accompaniments range from old timey to mainstream country with mandolin,
steel guitar, electric guitar, fiddle, etc. Accompanying musicians
include Merle Travis, Dave's wife Ramona, Jethro Burns, Jerry Byrd,
Tommy Jackson and others. The music is a mix of traditional, Jones
originals (including the much covered I'm My Own Grandpa), superb
original covers of hits like The Golden Rocket and Dark As A
Dungeon and other songs. Fine singing and playing throughout and
better than usual sound for B.A.C.M. (FS) GRANDPA JONES: Are There Tears Behind Your Smiles/
Bald Headed End Of The Broom/ Call Me Darling Once Again/ Dark As A
Dungeon/ Darling Won't You Love Me Now/ Going Down The Country/
Grandpa's Getting Married Again/ How Many Biscuits Can You Eat/ I Ain't
Got Much To Lose/ I'll Never Lose That Loneliness For You/ I'm Hog Wild
Crazy Over You/ I'm My Own Grandpa/ I've Been All Around This World/
Jenny Get Your Hoe Cakes Done/ Jesse James/ Jonah And The Whale/
Melinda/ Mountain Maw/ My Old Red River Home/ Old Rattler's Treed Again/
Our Worlds Are Not The Same/ She's Gone And Left Another Broken Heart/
That Memphis Train/ The Golden Rocket/ Time, Time, Time/ You'll Be
Lonesome Too
28 tracks, highly recommended
Superb collection of sides
by this outstanding Canadian country singer who is little known on this
side of the border but deserves to be. Although exact dates aren't give
I believe these sides range from the early 40s to late 50s. The earliest
sides find Hank singing alone with just his guitar but the rest find him
with small honky tonk country groups with fine fiddle and steel guitar.
Most of the songs are originals and look at life from a Canadian point
of view. Included is his Canadian hit Maple Sugar Sweetheart
based on the fiddle tune Maple Sugar written by Ward Allen and
which has subsequently been recorded by several American bluegrass
artists. On several tracks Hank does some fine yodeling. Very appealing
music. (FS) HANK LARIVIERE: Arreter Regarder Ecouter/ Ballad Of
Rodger Young/ Banjo Sam/ Barnyard Twist/ Big Chief Buffalo Nickle
'Desert Blues'/ Blue Yodeler/ Gangster's Warning/ Goodbye Mary Dear/
Hank's Traveling Blues/ Harbour Of Regret/ Henry's Lonesome Blues/ Hobo
Bill/ How My Yodeling Days Began/ Hurrah For Camp Borden/ Little
Johnny's Last Ride/ Longing For Old Alberta/ Maple Sugar Sweetheart/
Patrick Murphy/ Ranger Speaks/ Rose From The Garden Of Prayer/ Singing
Wheels/ Soldier's Farewell/ Stop, Look And Listen/ Talk About Hawaii
'Everybody Does It In Hawaii'/ The Train's Late Tonight/ Uncle Sammy
Don't Bite The Hand That's Feeding You/ Where The St Lawrence River
Flows/ Your Turn To Cry
Complementing JSP 7764 this is another fine and varied
selection by this master songster and 12 string guitarist. The material
ranges from 1934 field recordings made when he was a prisoner in Angola
to recordings made at a house party in Minneapolis in 1948. The material
is drawn from other field recordings made in the 1930s as well as from a
number of different commercial labels that Lead Belly recorded during
his life and includes 24 sides making their first appearance on CD.
Inexpensive introduction to this talented and versatile
performer. A two CD set with 40 tracks - Disc 2 features his earliest
recordings for Sun cut between 1956 and 1958, including several tracks
not originally issued, showing him to be an outstanding rockabilly
performer who played some mean guitar. The first disc is mostly devoted
to his early years at Monument where he became a master balladeer and
had a slew of hits with his dramatic and distinctive approach. This disk
includes such classics as Only The Lonely/ Crying/ Running Scared
and others. Between Sun and Monument he had a short stint at RCA and
disc one includes several cuts from those sessions.
29 tracks, recommended
Johnny Tillotson was one of the
better of the teen pop singers with a fine voice and the ability to
write some good songs - both ballads and some nice rockers. He started
recording fr Cadence in 1958 and over the next few years had a string of
minor hits culminating in the catchy Poetry In Motion in 1960.
The following year he wrote the country song It Keeps Right On A
Hurting which became a pop hit and crossed over into country. This
was featured by an album of all country songs of which several songs
became pop and country hits. The country songs were performed in the
then fashionable "countrypolitan" style with Johnny's vocal awash with
strings and vocal choruses. This set features his early singles and the
whole country LP. (FS) JOHNNY TILLOTSON: Cutie Pie/ Dreamy Eyes/ Earth Angel/
Fool No. 1/ Four Walls/ Funny How Time Slips Away/ Hello Walls/ His True
Love Said Goodbye/ I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)/ I
Fall To Pieces/ I'm Never Gonna Kiss Yo/ I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry/ It
Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'/ Jimmy's Girl/ Lonely Street/ Love Is Blind/
Much Beyond Compare/ Never Let Me Go/ Pledging My Love/ Poetry In
Motion/ Princess, Princess/ Send Me The Pillow You Dream On/ She Gave
Sweet Love To Me/ Take Good Care Of Her/ True True Happiness/ Well I'm
Your Man/ What'll I Do/ Why Do I Love You So/ Without You
Six CDs, 159 tracks, highly recommended
An irresistible
compilation featuring every record that topped the Billboard R&B charts
from I Almost Lost My Mind by Ivory Joe Hunter at the beginning
of 1950 to The Clouds by The Spacemen at the end of 1959. Along
the way we hear one classic after another from the likes of Percy
Mayfield, John Lee Hooker, Tab Smith & His Orch., Johnny Ace, The
Orioles, Al Hibbler, Bo Didley, Fats Domino, Little Richard, The
Platters, The Coasters, Brook Benton and many others. Since the charts
were based on sales to an African-American market rather than muscal
genre we also see artists like Elvis, The Everly Brothers and even David
Seville at the top. Sound quality is fine and the 40 page booklet has
brief notes on each title along with date it topped the charts and the
number of weeks at the top. (FS) JOHNNY ACE: My Song/ Pledging My Love/ The Clock/ FAYE
ADAMS: I'll Be True/ It Hurts Me to My Heart/ Shake a Hand/ PAUL ANKA:
Diana/ LAVERN BAKER: Jim Dandy/ BROOK BENTON: It's Just a Matter of
Time/ So Many Ways/ Thank You Pretty Baby/ CHUCK BERRY: Maybellene/
School Day/ Sweet Little Sixteen/ BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND: Further Up the
Road/ THE BOBBETTES: Mr. Lee/ EARL BOSTIC AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Flamingo/
EDDIE BOYD: Five Long Years/ JACKIE BRENSTON AND HIS DELTA CATS: Rocket
88/ CHARLES BROWN: Black Night/ JAMES BROWN: Try Me/ ROY BROWN: Hard
Luck Blues/ RUTH BROWN: (Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean/ 5-10-15
Hours/ Mambo Baby/ Oh What a Dream/ Teardrops from My Eyes/ THE CHAMPS:
Tequila/ RAY CHARLES: A Fool for You/ Drown in My Own Tears/ I Got a
Woman/ What'd I Say (Part 1)/ THE CHARMS: Hearts of Stone/ JIMMY
CLANTON: Just a Dream/ THE CLOVERS: Don't You Know I Love You/ Fool Fool
Fool/ Ting-a-Ling/ THE COASTERS: Poison Ivy/ Searchin'/ Yakety Yak/
Young Blood/ COZY COLE: Topsy Part 2/ NAT "KING" COLE: Mona Lisa/ Send
For Me/ SAM COOKE: I'll Come Running Back to You/ You Send Me/ DANNY &
THE JUNIORS: At the Hop/ BOBBY DARIN: Splish Splash/ BOBBY DAY: Rock-In
Robin/ BO DIDDLEY: Bo Diddley/ BILL DOGGETT: Honky Tonk (Parts 1 & 2)/
FATS DOMINO: Ain't That a Shame/ All by Myself/ Blue Monday/ Blueberry
Hill/ Goin' Home/ I Want to Walk You Home/ I'm Walkin'/ I'm in Love
Again/ Poor Me/ THE DOMINOES: Have Mercy Baby/ Sixty Minute Man/ THE
DRIFTERS: Adorable/ There Goes My Baby/ Honey Love/ TOMMY EDWARDS: It's
All in the Game/ THE EL DORADOS: At My Front Door/ THE ELEGANTS: Little
Star/ THE EVERLY BROTHERS: All I Have to Do Is Dream/ Wake Up Little
Susie/ THE FIVE KEYS: The Glory of Love/ THE FIVE ROYALES: Baby Don't Do
It/ Help Me Somebody/ JIMMY FORREST: Night Train/ THE FOUR BLAZES: Mary
Jo/ ERNIE FREEMAN: Raunchy/ LOWELL FULSON: Blue Shadows/ LLOYD GLENN:
Chica Boo/ ROSCOE GORDON: Booted/ THE GRIFFIN BROTHERS ORCHESTRA:
Weepin' & Cryin'/ GUITAR SLIM: The Things That I Used to Do/ ROY
HAMILTON: Unchained Melody/ You'll Never Walk Alone/ PEPPERMINT HARRIS:
I Got Loaded/ WILBERT HARRISON: Kansas City/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: I'm in the
Mood/ IVORY JOE HUNTER: I Almost Lost My Mind/ I Need You So/ Since I
Met You Baby/ ETTA JAMES: The Wallflower/ LITTLE WILLIE JOHN: Fever/
LOUIS JORDAN & HIS TYMPANY FIVE: Blue Light Boogie (Parts 1 & 2)/ THE
KALIN TWINS: When/ B.B. KING: 3 o'Clock Blues/ Please Love Me/ You Know
I Love You/ You Upset Me Baby/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: Whole Lot Of Shakin'
Going On/ JOE LIGGINS AND HIS HONEYDRIPPERS: Pink Champagne/ LITTLE
ESTHER WITH MEL WALKER AND THE JO: Mistrusting Blues/ LITTLE RICHARD:
Long Tall Sally/ Rip It Up/ LITTLE WALTER: Juke/ My Babe/ FRANKIE LYMON
AND THE TEENAGERS: Why Do Fools Fall in Love/ WILLIE MABON AND HIS
COMBO: I Don't Know/ I'm Mad/ PERCY MAYFIELD: Please Send Me Someone to
Love/ CLYDE MCPHATTER: A Lover's Question/ Long Lonely Nights/ Treasure
of Love/ Money Honey/ JAY MCSHANN AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Hands Off/ MICKEY
AND SYLVIA: Love Is Strange/ THE MIDNIGHTERS: Annie Had a Baby/ Work
With Me Annie/ AMOS MILBURN: Bad Bad Whiskey/ THE MOONGLOWS: Sincerely/
JOE MORRIS ORCHESTRA: Anytime Anyplace Anywhere/ JIMMIE NELSON AND THE
PETER RABBIT TRIO: T' 99 Blues/ THE ORIOLES: Crying in the Chapel/
JOHNNY OTIS ORCHESTRA LITTLE ESTHER AND MEL WAL: Cupid Boogie/ JOHNNY
OTIS QUINTETTE, THE ROBINS AND LITTLE ES: Double Crossing Blues/ THE
PENGUINS: Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)/ PHIL PHILLIPS: Sea of Love/
THE PLATTERS: My Prayer/ Only You (and You Alone)/ The Great Pretender/
Twilight Time/ PEREZ PRADO AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Patricia/ ELVIS PRESLEY:
(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear/ All Shook Up/ Don't Be Cruel/ Hound Dog/
Jailhouse Rock/ Wear My Ring Around Your Neck/ LLOYD PRICE: I'm Gonna
Get Married/ Lawdy Miss Clawdy/ Personality/ Stagger Lee/ JOHNNIE RAY
AND THE FOUR LADS: Cry/ DELLA REESE: Don't You Know?/ LITTLE RICHARD:
Lucille/ JIMMIE RODGERS: Honeycomb/ DAVID SEVILLE: Witch Doctor/ SHIRLEY
& LEE: Let the Good Times Roll/ THE SILHOUETTES: Get a Job/ TAB SMITH
AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Because of You/ THE SPACEMEN: The Clouds/ WILLIE MAE
"BIG MAMA" THORNTON": Hound Dog/ BIG JOE TURNER: Honey Hush/ Shake
Rattle and Roll/ LARRY WILLIAMS: Short Fat Fannie/ CHUCK WILLIS: C.C.
Rider/ What Am I Living For/ JACKIE WILSON: Lonely Teardrops/ You Better
Know It
Collection of country and bluegrass recorded between
1947 and 1950 for John Bava's Cozy label in Davis, West Virginia. Apart
from the superb bluegrass group The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, most of the
other artists are very obscure. It includes more fine bluegrass from
Cousin Bob Nicholson & The Lonely River Boys and Red Belcher & The
Kentucky Ridge Runners and others. Most of the rest is more mainstream
country including sides by Jack Swenson, Harry Wellman, Bob Mason's
Western Swingbillies, Dorse Lewis & The Shadow Mountain Boys (the
fascinating talking blues Scared Coal Miner), Old Brother Charlie
& Daisy Mae and others. MASON AYERS & HIS WEST VIRGINIANS: Diddie Wah Diddie/
I'm Not The Fool I Used To Be/ LEE BAILEY: Lonesome And Blue/ RED
BELCHER & THE KENTUCKY RIDGE RUNNERS: I Ain't Gonna Let Old Satan Turn
Me Round/ I'm Moving On/ THE DRIFTING PIONEERS V. DICK WESTON: Please
Don't Go/ THE DRIFTING PIONEERS V. TEX FERGUSON: Two Broken Hearts/ HANK
THE COWHAND: Cowhand Stomp (Instr.)/ When You Walked Out Of My Life
Yesterday/ DORSE LEWIS "THE SCARED COAL MINER" & SHADOW M: Scared Coal
Miner/ THE LONESOME PINE FIDDLERS: Lonesome Sad And Blue/ Pain In My
Heart/ BOB MASON'S WESTERN SWINGBILLIES V. LLOYD CO: Honey, You're
Letting Me Down/ BOB MASON'S WESTERN SWINGBILLIES: Just A Hand Full Of
Mem'ries/ Move On Gal/ Three Little Words/ COUSIN BOB NICHOLSON & LONELY
RIVER BOYS: I Know You'll Never Be My Own/ I Want To Be Wanted By
Someone/ OLD BROTHER CHARLIE & DAISY MAE: Our U.S. Volunteers/ Our
United Nations Flag/ DUSTY SHAVER: My Name Is Ticklish Rubin/ JACK
SWANSON: Arizona Here I Come/ HARRY WELLMAN: You Can't Take My Memories
From Me/ THE WESTERN SWINGBILLIES WITH LLOYD CORNELL: A Heart Once
Broken/ THE WESTERN SWINGBILLIES FEAT. LLOYD CORNELL: Tear Drops And
Empty Arms/ THE WHISPERING STRINGS BAND V. RUTLEDGE SIST: If I'd
Listened To My Mother
20 tracks, strongly recommended
An excellent collection
of rare (mostly Southern) soul - much of it new to CD. The blurb on the
front reads "20 songs and performances that bridge the gap between the
two styles" which is pretty meaningless since, while there are a few
songs that are covers of country songs most of it sounds like regular
Southern soul which is fine by me. Includes tracks by Marvin Sims (a
great version of Chuck Willis's It's Too Late), Carl Hall, Laura
Lee (a fine cover of Jerry Butler's He Will Break Your Heart with
the sexes changed), Maxine Weldon, The Staple Singers (Mavis brings her
sultry tones to the country song Old Flames Can't Hold A Candle To
You), Jackie Moor4e, Arthur Alexander (his great Elvis tribute
<>Hound Dog Man's Gone Home) and more. Fine sound and liner notes that
are as meaningless as the cover blurb! (FS) ARTHUR ALEXANDER: Hound Dog Man's Gone Home/ LARRY
DALE: What Your Love Means To Me/ JIMMY DOTSON: Baby Turn Your Head (I
Don't Want You To See Me Cry)/ JAMES DUNCAN: I'm Gonna Leave You Alone/
PHIL FLOWERS: I Just Walked By/ BOBBY FOSTER: This Time I'm Really
Leaving/ LOUISE FREEMAN: How Can I Forget/ CARL HALL: Got You On My
Mind/ CLARENCE FROGMAN HENRY: That's When I Guessed/ LAURA LEE: She Will
Break Your Heart/ MARIAN LOVE: One Woman's Trash (Is Another Woman's
Treasure)/ GEORGE MCCURN: How's The World Treating You/ JACKIE MOORE:
Inside Out/ JOE ODOM: If You Knew Her Like I Do/ GWEN OWENS: Keep On
Living/ MARVIN SIMS: It's Too Late/ PERCY SLEDGE: Bring Your Lovin' To
Me/ THE STAPLE SINGERS: Old Flames Can't Hold A Candle to You/ MAXINE
WELDON: Nobobody Wins/ TIMI YURO: Gotta Travel On
A delightful collection of 23 jazz and blues songs about
the ever popular subject of marijuana and the effects of smoking it (all
positive here!). Tracks were recorded between 1927 and 1947 and includes
Reefer Men by Harlan Lattimore & Connie's Inn Orch., Here Come
The Man With The Jive by Stuff Smith & His Onyx Club, Sweet
Marijuana Brown by Barney Bigard Sextet, Dope Head Blues by
Victoria Spivey as well as tracks by Andy Kirk & His 12 Clouds Of Joy,
Bea Foote, Cootie Williams & His Rug Cutters, Trixie Smith, Julia Lee
and others including, of course, Cab Calloway's all time classic
Kickin' The Gong Around. If you have a number of CDs on this subject
you will probably find that you have most of the tracks here but, if
not, this is an excellent one to start with. BUSTER BALLEY'S RHYTHM BUSTERS: Light Up/ SIDNEY
BECHET: Viper Mad/ BARNEY BIGARD SEXTET: Sweet Marijuana Brown/ CAB
CALLOWAY & HIS COTTON CLUB ORCHESTRA: Kickin' the Gong Around/ The Man
From Harlem/ THE CATS & THE FIDDLE: Killin' Jive/ BEA FOOTE: Weed/ BENNY
GOODMAN & HIS ORCHESTRA: Texas Tea Party/ LIL GREEN: Knockin' Myself
Out/ HELEN HUMES: They Raided the Joint/ CEE PEE JOHNSON: "G" Man Got
The "T" Man/ LIL JOHNSON: Mellow Stuff/ ANDY KIRK & HIS TWELVE CLOUDS OF
JOY: All the Jive is Gone/ GENE KRUPA & HIS ORCHESTRA: I'm Feeling High
and Happy/ HARLAN LATTIMORE & HIS CONNIE'S INN ORCHESTRA: Reefer Man/
TRIXIE SMITH: Jack, I'm Mellow/ STUFF SMITH & HIS ONYX CLUB BOYS: Here
Comes the Man With the Jive/ You'se a Viper/ VICTORIA SPIVEY: Dope Head
Blues/ BUCK WASHINGTON: Save the Roach for Me/ GEORGIA WHITE: The Stuff
is Here/ COOTIE WILLIAMS & HIS RUG CUTTERS: Ol' Man River (Smoke a
Little Tea)
Another great collection of 24 soul gems from the vaults
of Fame Records including 22 previously unissued tracks! Recordings were
made between 1965 and 1970 and among the artists included are Billy &
Clyde, Ben & Spence, Clarence Carter, Roy Lee Johnson, Billy Young, Otis
Clay and others.
Three CDs, 60 tracks, highly recommended
The Bluesville
label was founded by the long standing jazz label Prestige in 1960 to
issue blues recordings. Over the next five years it issued some 88 LPs
featuring established blues artists along with newly discovered artists.
Many of these LPs were reissued on CD in the 1990s and early 2000s but
now most of these CDs are deleted so this is a welcome sampler of the
first three years of the label. The label's most prolific artist was the
great Texas country bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins who is featured here on
three excellent cuts - two solo and one with accompaniment from
harmonica player Billy Bizor and drummer Spider Kilpatrick. One of my
favorite releases on the label was "Mr. SCrapper's Blues" by Leroy
Carr's former partnet Scrapper Blackwell - the album featured soulful
vocals from Scrapper along with some gorgeous guitar playing and this
collection features three tracks from that album. Other artists featured
include Blind Willie McTell (from an unissued 1956 session recorded by
an Atlanta record shop owner and unearthed by Larry Cohn), Sonny Terry &
Brownie McGhee, Mildred Anderson, Furry Lewis, Shakey Jake (a fine
instrumental with stunning guitar from Bill Jennings), Robert Pete
Williams (two tracks from his fantastic "Free Again" album - his first
after being released from prison), Memphis Willie B., Willie Dixon,
Alberta Hunter (superb sides with Sidney DeParis, J.C. Higginbotham and
others), Sunnyland Slim (with fine sax from King Curtis and unnecesary
organ from Robert Banks), Lonnie Johnson, Rev. Gary Davis, Memphis Slim,
Mercy Dee Walton, Blind Snooks Eaglin, Little Brother Montgomerys, Pink
Anderson, Tampa Red and more. Excellent sound and usual brief notes.
(FS) MILDRED ANDERSON: Everybody's Got Somebody But Me/
PINK ANDERSON: Baby I'm Going Away/ Greasy Greens/ MILDRED ANDERSON &
EDDIE DAVIS QUARTET: I'm Gettin' Long Alright (Connections)/ SCRAPPER
BLACKWELL: Blues Before Sunrise/ Goin' Where The Monon Crosses The
Yellow Dog/ Little Boy Blue/ REV. GARY DAVIS: Death Don't Have No Mercy/
REVEREND GARY DAVIS: Lost Boy In The Wilderness/ WILLIE DIXON: Go Easy/
Sittin' And Cryin' The Blues/ K.C. DOUGLAS: Big Road Blues/ Bottle Up
And Go/ BLIND SNOOKS EAGLIN: Alberta/ Brown Skinned Woman/ LUCILLE
HEGAMIN: St. Louis Blues/ LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Catfish Blues/ Coffee
Blues/ Walkin' This Road By Myself/ ALBERTA HUNTER: Chirpin' The Blues/
You Gotta Reap What You Sow/ LONNIE JOHNSON: No Love For Sale/ Haunted
House/ Idle Hours/ CURTIS JONES: Suicide Blues/ FURRY LEWIS: Done
Changed My Mind/ Shake 'Em On Down/ SIDNEY MAIDEN: Me And My Chauffeur/
Sidney's Fox Chase/ BROWNIE MCGHEE: The Killin' Floor/ Custard Pie
Blues/ That's Why I'm Walking/ BLIND WILLIE MCTELL: Broke Down Engine
Blues/ The Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues/ MEMPHIS SLIM: Frankie And Johnny
Boogie/ Grinder Man Blues/ MEMPHIS WILLIE B.: Wine Drinking Women/
Worried Man Blues/ LITTLE BROTHER MONTGOMERY: Santa Fe/ Vicksburg Blues/
SHAKEY JAKE: Jake's Cha Cha/ AL SMITH: Goin' To Alabama/ I've Got The
Right Kind Of Lovin'/ VICTORIA SPIVEY: I Got Men All Over This Tow/ I
Got Men All Over This Town/ I'm A Red Hot Mama/ SUNNYLAND SLIM: I'm
Prison Bound/ The Devil Is A Busy Man/ ROOSEVELT SYKES: Hangover/ Miss
Ida B./ TAMPA RED: Don't Jive Me/ You Better Let My Gal Alone/ SONNY
TERRY: Four O'clock Blues/ HENRY TOWNSEND: Tired Of Being Mistreated/
MERCY DEE WALTON: Have You Ever Been Out In The Country/ One Room
Country Shack/ BIG JOE WILLIAMS: Meet Me At The Bottom/ Pallet On The
Floor/ ROBERT PETE WILLIAMS: Free Again/ I've Grown So Ugly
Two CD set with 40 tracks from the early years of the
Monument label founded by veteran record man Fred Foster in 1958 and
became a successful label that lasted until 1983. This set covers the
first four years of the label from 1958 through 1962. The label's first
release Gotta Travel On by Billy Grammar was a big hit but when
they signed Roy Orbison a year later their future was certain with 17
chart hits over the next five years. This set includes some of the
earliest of those Running Scared/ Uptown and Only The Lonely.
It also includes the novelty instrumental hit Mexico by Bob Moore
and the superb R&B vocal group The Velvets with their lovely Tonight
Could Be The Night. The rest is a mix of pop, rock & roll and
country featuring artists like Curtis & Del, Kathy Linden, Jack Eubanks,
Boots Randolph, Morris Wilson, Stan Robinson, Jerry Byrd and others. BOBBY BRINKLEY: (I'm Just) The Guy With The Car/
Tobacco Road/ JERRY BYRD: Theme From Adventures In Paradise/ Indian Love
Call/ PAUL CLAYTON: Last Cigarette/ Who's Gonna Buy You Ribbons (When
I'm Gone)/ CURTIS & DEL: Cherry Berry Lips/ I Went A Walkin'/ LEONA
DOUGLAS: Too Many Chicks/ JACK EUBANKS: Chiricahua/ What'd I Say/ DICK
FLOOD: It's My Way/ The Three Bells (The Jimmy Brown Story)/ BILLY
GRAMMER: Bonaparte's Retreat/ Gotta Travel On/ It Takes You/ BILLY
GRAVES: Midnight Bus/ The Shag (Is Totally Cool)/ GRANDPA JONES AND HIS
GRANDCHILDREN: The Thing/ KATHY LINDEN: Allentown Jail/ So In Love With
You/ BOB MOORE: (Theme From) My Three Sons/ Mexico/ ROY ORBISON: Blue
Angel/ Crying/ Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)/ Only The Lonely/
Running Scared/ Uptown/ BOOTS RANDOLPH: Hey! Daddy, Daddy/ Fancy Dan/
STAN ROBINSON: N-U-T-H-I-N-G/ THE VELVETS: Lana/ That Lucky Old Sun/
Tonight (Could Be the Night)/ JANICE WARD: Double Crossin' Sweetie Pie/
NORRIS WILSON: For A Little While/ Ma Baker's Island/ ROBIN WILSON:
Close To Me/ The Nervous Auctioneer
Two CDs, 34 tracks, almost highly recommended
Mel London's Chief Records label was one of the feisty Chicago independents
that worked in the shadow of Chess and Vee-Jay but managed to put out
some superb releases. This fine release features some of them but why
only 34 tracks? There are at least half a dozen more worthwhile tracks
that could be added. Still what is here is superb and at the price is
still a great deal. Star of the show is the great guitarist Earl Hooker
who is featured on some fine instrumentals under his own name as well as
providing accompaniments to Lillian Offitt and Junior Wells. There are
five tracks by the magnificent Elmore James including his stupendous
Coming Home which was the first Elmore track I heard and still one of my
favorites. Magic Sam is featured on five tracks which, though not as
exciting as his Cobra recordings, are superb -
particularly You Don't Have To
Work, his version of Fats Domino's Every Night About This Time
and Do The Camel Walk which is variation on the tune Freddie King
called Hide-A-Way both based on a Hound Dog Taylor tune. It's
also nice to hear some fine tracks from lesser known Chief artists like
Melvin Simpson, Bobby & Lucy and Frank Butler. (FS)
Riders In The Sky - The Amy Records
Story, 1960-1962
● CD $11.98
Two CD set with 50 tracks from this label formed in 1960
as a subsidiary of Bell Records. In the first few years of its existence
featured here the label heavily concentrated on instrumentals, dance
crazes and novelty songs having hits with (Ghost) Riders In The Sky
by The Ramrods and The Madison by Al Brown's Tunetoppers. It also
includes a couple of tracks by Jerry Landis who later became better
known as Paul Simon showing that he had quite a way to go. Landis/ Simon
also wrote one of the songs here by vocal group Tico & The Triumphs.
Other artists includes Gabriel & The Angel, Mabel King, Johnny Beeman,
Chuck Jackson, Dougie The Dude, The Romeos (an answer song to The
Lion Sleeps Tonight - really!), The Star Steppers, The Sheiks, The
Four Jonkers and more. JOHNNY ALLEN: Silly Game Called Love/ THE ALTAIRS:
Groovy Time/ If You Love Me/ JOHNNY BEEMAN: Laffin' Beatnik/ Rockin'
Beatnik/ AL BROWN'S TUNETOPPERS: Take Me Back/ The Madison/ THE
CARIBBEANS: Wonderful Girl/ THE CASLONS: For All We Know/ Settle Me
Down/ THE CHESSMEN: Stormy Dreams/ THE COMPANIONS: How Could You/ No
Fool Am I/ DOUGIE THE DUDE: Lifetime/ THE FOUR JOKERS: Uggaboo/ GABRIEL
& THE ANGELS: Chumba/ Zing (Went The Strings Of My Heart)/ MARTY GINO:
Slip Away/ HENRY & MAMIE: Two Big Feet/ CHUCK JACKSON: Hula Lula/ Ooh
Baby/ THE JESTERS: The Buffalo/ MABEL KING: Go Back Home Young Fella/
When We Get The Word/ JERRY LANDIS: Lisa/ The Lone Teen Ranger/ LITTLE
BESSIE: Broken Hearted/ For Your Love (I Shed A Million Tears)/ BILLY
LYNN: Little Pony Tail/ Only One For Me/ THE RAMRODS: Ghost Riders In
The Sky/ Loch Lomond Rock/ STAN ROBINSON: Can She Give You Fever/
Rhinoceros/ THE ROMEOS: The Tiger's Wide Awake (The Lion Sleeps
Tonight)/ THE RONDELS: Back Beat No. 1/ Satan's Theme/ THE SHEIKS: Come
On Back/ Please Don't Take Away The Girl I Love/ THE STAR STEPPERS: The
First Signs Of Love/ TY STEWART & THE JOKERS: Young Girl/ TICO & THE
TRIUMPHS: Motorcycle/ Wild Flower/ THE VARIOS: Operator, Operator,
Operator/ The Wash/ RUSS VESTEE: A Touch Of Venus/ Well Alright/ JAY
WALKER & THE PEDESTRIANS: Hey Now/ Never Happen/ LORI WOOD: But That Was
Long Ago
Another fine collection of unissued tunes and alternate
takes. This one includes jazz and hot dance bands including Lloyd Finlay
& His Orchestra (seven tracks including one with a Jew's harp!), Fatty
Martin's Orchestra, Tony Parenti & His Famous Melody Boys, Seger Ellis
(four fine piano solos), Kay Kyser & His Orch., Snooks & His Memphis
Ramblers and Roane's Pennsylvanians.
Another great selection of what was hot in Jamaica -
this time it's the year 1962 - the year Jamaica achieved independence
from Great Britain and this disc is full of joyful Ska sounds from that
year. The obvious influence of American R&B and doo wop is pretty much
left behind with the exception of Laurel Aitken's cover of Amos
Milburn's Hey Bartender. Other artists featured here include
Derrick Morgan, Eric "Monty" Morris, Alton & Eddy, Lloyd & Cecil, Lord
Creator, Roland Alphonso, JImmy James, The Blues Busters, Don Drummond,
Prince Buster and others. Several would go on to become stars of Reggae
that was to appear a few years later. BOBBY AITKEN & BUSTERS GROUP: Never Never (aka South
Virginia)/ Never Never (aka South Virginia)/ LAUREL AITKEN & THE BLUE
BEATS: Bartender/ Bartender/ ROLAND ALPHONSO & THE CITY SLICKERS: Back
Beat/ Back Beat/ ALTON & EDDY WITH THE ALL STARS: My Love Divine/ My
Love Divine/ THE BLUES BUSTERS: Tell Me Why/ Tell Me Why/ DAVID BROWN:
Jump And Shout/ Jump And Shout/ PRINCE BUSTER & HIS TORCH LIGHTERS: They
Got To Go/ JIMMY CLIFF & THE BEVERLEY'S ALL STARS: Hurricane Hattie/
Hurricane Hattie/ THE CONTINENTALS: Give Me All Your Love/ Give Me All
Your Love/ LORD CREATOR: Independent Jamaica/ DANNY & THE ECHOES WITH
THE SONNY BRADSH: Darling You're So Fine/ Darling You're So Fine/ THE
ECHOES & THE CELESTIALS: Are You Mine/ Are You Mine/ GIRL SATCHMO & THE
SWINGING BROTHERS: Darling (Together)/ Darling (Together)/ OWEN GRAY &
BEVERLEY'S ALL STARS: Darling Patricia/ Darling Patricia/ OWEN GRAY &
THE SONNY BRADSHAW QUARTET: My One Desire/ My One Desire/ OWEN GRAY WITH
PRINCE BUSTER & THE VOICE OF T: Millie Girl/ Millie Girl/ JIMMY JAMES
WITH HERSANG & HIS COMBO: Bewildered and Blue/ Bewildered and Blue/ THE
JIVING JUNIORS: Sugar Dandy/ Sugar Dandy/ LLOYD & CECIL WITH DEE'S
GROUP: Dee's Special/ Dee's Special/ LORD CREATOR: Independent Jamaica/
DERRICK MORGAN: In My Heart/ In My Heart/ Be Still/ Be Still/ Leave Her
Alone/ Leave Her Alone/ Teach Me Baby/ Teach Me Baby/ Travel On/ Travel
On/ Meekly Wait/ Meekly Wait/ ERIC "MONTY" MORRIS: Money Can't Buy Life/
Money Can't Buy Life/ PRINCE BUSTER & HIS TORCH LIGHTERS: They Got To
Go/ LLOYD ROBINSON & THE BEVERLEY'S ALL STARS: You Said You Loved Me/
You Said You Loved Me/ ROY & MILLIE WITH THE CITY SLICKERS: We'll Meet/
We'll Meet
24 tracks, essential
I was going to rate this "very
highly recommended" but then I heard the divine vocals of 17 year old Candi Staton leading The Jewel Gospel Trio on the sublime Sin Is To
Blame and immediately moved it into the "essential" column. A little
while back Tompkins Square put out a four CD set exploring some of the
treasures of the great gospel label Nashboro drawing from throughout the
whole lifespan of the label. This is the first in what I hope will be an
extensive series featuring Nashboro from the "golden age" of gospel. It
starts out with one of the first recordings on the label by The
Silvertone Jubilee Singers - not be confused with the Swan Silvertones this was
a superb group that had a lengthy career. This early cut finds them
performing in the older jubilee style with a touch of the newer "hard"
approach that was becoming popular. Pretty soon they dropped the Jubilee
part of their name and concentrated on the harder approach on the other
tracks by them here. There are also several cuts by the outstanding
Chosen Gospel Singers who had previously recorded for Specialty and
featured the talents of future soul stars Lou Rawls and Joe Hinton.
Other quartets here include the great all female group The Angelic
Gospel Singers plus male quartets The Golden Trumpets, Sons Of Jehova,
Spiritual Five and others. There are also solo sides featuring the awe
inspiring singing of Morgan Babb as well as Prof. Harold Boggs and Edna
Gallmon Cooke. Some truly wonderful music in excellent sound. There are
no notes but the booklet includes part 1 of a selected listing of
releases on the label. (FS) THE ANGELIC GOSPEL SINGERS: Every Day/ MORGAN BABB &
PHILCO SINGERS: Cold Cold Ground/ THE BRIGHT STARS: Jesus Will Help You/
THE CHOSEN GOSPEL SINGERS: Do Thy Will/ Trouble Of This World Condition/
EDNA GALLMON COOKE: My Joy/ THE GOLDEN TRUMPETS: Standing On His Word/
THE GOSPEL FIVE SINGERS: Jesus Is With Me All The Way/ This Is My
Testimony/ PROF. HAROLD BOGGS: Help Me Jesus/ THE JEWEL GOSPEL TRIO: Sin
Is To Blame/ THE KINDLY SHEPHERD GOSPEL SINGERS: Left In The Hands Of
The Lord/ THE KINDLY SHEPHERDS: Lay Me Down To Sleep/ So Many Years/ THE
SILVERTONE JUBILEE SINGERS: I Met My Mother This Morning/ THE SILVERTONE
SINGERS: It's A Wonder What My Lord Can Do/ The Sun Will Rise To The
East/ THE SONS OF JEHOVAH: Keep Me And Teach Me/ THE SONS OF THE SOUTH:
I Know It Was The Blood/ THE SOUTHERN ECHOES: Be Ready When He Comes/
THE SPIRITUAL FIVE: Walk Around/ THE TRAVELING ECHOES: For God I Live/
THE TRUMPETEERS: Seven Angels/ THE TRUMPETS OF JOY: Last Mile Of The Way
24 tracks, essential
Another fantastic collection of, mostly,
quartet gospel from the Nashboro catalog from the golden age of gospel.
Most of the great artists return from the first volume like The Jewel
Gospel Trio featuring the incredibly soulful lead of a teenage Candi
Staton. The wonderful singer Edna Gallmon Cooke is also here with two
superb tracks where she is accompanied by the fabulous Radio Four. One
of the founders of The Radio Four was Morgan Babb who is featured here
with his later group The Philco Singers and it's a beauty.
It also includes The Golden Trumpets,
Southern Echoes, Spiritual Five, Sons Of Jehova and more. Truly
classic material and since these are limited editions - don't delay!
(FS) THE ANGELIC GOSPEL SINGERS: I've Weathered The Storm/
MORGAN BABB & PHILCO SINGERS: Take Me By The Hand/ PROF. HAROLD BOGGS:
When The Spirit Of The Lord Comes/ THE BRIGHT STARS: Found The Saviour/
EDNA GALLMON COOKE: Nobody But You Lord/ Walk Thru The Valley/ THE
GOLDEN TRUMPETS: Down At The Cross/ Just Like Jesus Did/ The Blood Of
Jesus/ THE JEWEL GOSPEL TRIO: Praying Time/ THE KINDLY SHEPHERD GOSPEL
SINGERS: The Upper Garden/ THE SILVERTONE JUBILEE SINGERS: I'm Looking
For My Jesus/ THE SONS OF JEHOVAH: The Holy Bible/ THE SONS OF THE
SOUTH: Surely It Was God/ THE SOUTHERN ECHOES: Higher Up The Mountain/
On My Way To See Jesus/ When Jesus Says: Come Home/ THE SPIRITUAL FIVE:
Everyday Will Be The Same/ Heavenly Father/ I've Been Born Again/ Lord,
I'm In Your Care/ THE TRAVELING ECHOES: Looking For A Better Place To
Live/ THE TRUMPETEERS: I Want To Know/ THE TRUMPETS OF JOY: Sweeter Than
The Day Before
Due later in a couple of days. After almost 50 years
this masterpiece is finally available again. Mississippi bluesman Robert
Wilkins made some superb and distinctive recordings in the late 20s and
early 30s. In 1964 he was rediscovered by enthusiast and researcher Dick
Spottswood. Wilkins had become a preacher and had abandoned the blues
but continued singing and playing gospel songs with the same skill and
feeling he had brought to the blues. Spottswood recorded an album by
Wilkins in 1964 featuring nine magnificent performances highlighted by
the incredible "Prodigal Son" - a long imaginative song based on the
Bible story and using the same tune as his pre war blues "That's No Way
To Get Along." After being available for a few years the album
disappeared into limbo not appearing again on LP or CD until now. This
new CD features all nine songs from the LP along with four other songs
from the session that appeared on a Biograph LP and a 28 page booklet
with new notes by Spottswood. In 1968 The Rolling Stones recorded a
version of "Prodigal Son" for their "Beggar's Banquet" LP and royalties
from this release allowed the Reverend to live the rest of his life in
comfort. I haven't heard the CD yet but being very familiar with the LP
I think rating this release "essential" in advance is not inappropriate!
Two CD set with 48 tracks reissuing four LPs recorded
between 1958 and 1962. Two of the LPs feature gospel songs - one of them
with The Jordanaires and the others feature "Great Folk Ballads" (When
It's Lamplighting Time In The Valley/ The Girl In The Blue Velvet Band/
Barbara Allen, etc) and "Sings 12 Great Hits" (Tom Dooley/
Sixteen Tons/ The Ballad Of Davey Crockett, etc.) Mac recorded some
fine bluegrass over the years but none of that is here. This is bland
pop folk stylings with dull accompaniments and overly familiar songs.