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WALES - ROCKABILLY
Our friends/readers in Europe, US and all over the globe seemed to think that Wales was merely a small country that was part of England (not!!). We may be small with a population of under three million people, but we have a distinctive diverse culture, history and a rocking tradition reaching back to the fifties. Indeed the ethnically diverse areas of Cardiff's famous Tiger Bay were swinging to imported US sounds in the early 50s, with 78s by Joe Turner and Wynonie Harris etc being brought in by Welsh sailors who travelled the world from Cardiff on coal and merchant ships.
South Wales has been a bastion of the UK's rocking scene from the 50s through the barren 60s and 70s with bands like the Backbeats, Dave Edmunds, Shakin' Stevens & The Sunsets and Crazy Cavan & the Rhythm Rockers defiantly waving a confederate flag in the face of bland UK pop. Many of those pioneering musicians are still rocking hard as the new millenium approaches.
Of course many of the 80s/90s bands are continuing that tradition. The very successful award winning Rimshots are the present champions but we have other contenders too. Our first pages in this section featured our most commercially successful artists Shaky and Dave Edmunds. Over the coming months we aim to feature many of the past and present stalwarts of the big beat.
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Los Fabulocos Featuring Kid Ramos -
Los Fabulocos
Delta Groove Music 125
Track listing: Educated Fool, If You Know, Crazy Baby, Lonesome Tears In My Eyes, Un Mojado Sin Licencia, Day After Day, Como Un Perro, You Ain't Nothin' But Fine, You Keep Drinkin', Just Because, All Night Long, Burnin' The Chicken, Mexico Americano
Los Fabulocos are an all emcomposing rock 'n' roll abnd who describe themselves as Cali-Mex which is basically roots oriented, with equal measures of blues, zydeco, Conjunto, Norteno and rock 'n' roll. In the 80's I used to listen to a lot of this sort of hybrid music from Los Lobos and the Texas Tornados to the Beat Farmers, but in recent times I've become a bit limited in my taste, listening to just rockabilly, blues and country. This release is therefore a breath of fresh air for me, and I would suspect, anyone with an ear for rootsy music with a party atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, this isn't sing-a-longa Jive Bunny, this is raw, energetic forays into mainly blues and zydeco.
Kid Ramos will be familiar to most as his CV includes the James Harman Band, X, The Blasters and a seven year spell with the Fabulous Thunderbirds. He also released three successful solo recordings on Evidence Records and currently plays guitar for the all-star revue, The Mannish Boys. When he teamed up with vocalist/accordionist Jesus Cuevas (The Blazers), bassist James Barrios and drummer Mike Molina, Los Fabulocos were born. Executive Producer Randy Chortkoff sums up the whole feeling behind the band and the labels aspirations, "I knew upon hearing Los Fabulocos that this project would strongly add to the flavor and diversity of the Delta Groove label. Being from California myself, I saw this as a perfect fit and a wonderful opportunity to expand our brand to accommodate a larger slice of the American musical art form without straying too far from my original vision for the label. Their music encompasses the roots of all American music; from Rhythm & Blues to Rockabilly, Tex-Mex to Blues, to the origins of early Rock 'N' Roll."
The album is split half and half between originals and covers but the general ambience of the CD sees them gel seamlessly. The album kicks off with a chugging, bar-room interpretation of Huey Smith's Educated Fool which sets the scene for the whole shebang with lashings of hot guitar and accordion. Cuevas' own If You Know is hypnotic, totally engaging and goes like the clappers. There's a swamp pop burner in Crazy Baby and some fun-time rock 'n' roll on Barrios' You Keep Drinkin'. I love the version of Lloyd Price's Just Because, it epitomises everything great about this band. There's a couple of songs sung in Spanish including the attractive ballad, Como Un Perro which could be about fighting a donkey with a switchblade but is probably a love song! Un Mojado Sin Licencia is surely what Cali-Mex is all about, fun, danceable and thoroughly hypnotic. There was only two I couldn't really take to, the call and response cover of Clifton Chenier's All Night Long and surprisingly, the Burnette Brothers' Lonesome Tears In My Eyes, which was a bit to Latin for my tastes. Best of an excellent bunch is the instrumental, Burnin' The Chicken. The poor hen couldn't have been the only thing burnt as the guitar must have been near melting point as Ramos scorches away. Surely a starring role in a Tarrantino movie awaits this sizzling instro. A cracking album that should find a wide ranging audience - I bet they're cracking live.
Shaun Mather
September 2008.
Johnny & The Jailbirds
In rock 'n' roll, as with most strains of music, you get bands who never make it beyond the pub circuit and a few that have that little bit extra quality and are therefore able to really make a name for themselves on an international basis. Johnny and the Jailbirds fall in the latter category, having achieved cult status across the European continent. They were formed in late 1973, when Johnny Red moved from London to Northamptonshire. He placed an ad in a local newspaper, looking for some like minded rockers to form a rock 'n' roll band. He auditioned the applicants and after a few rehearsals Johnny and the Jailbirds were up and running. From the humble beginnings of their first gig in a local village club they quickly developed a reputation for one of the top bands in the UK.
They signed to Charly Records in 1979. When Richie Ball joined on lead guitar, the final piece of the jigsaw was in place. As well as being a top picker he was a songwriter and Ball and Red began a fruitful partnership. These contributed eight songs for the bands debut album 'Out On Bail'. Rockabilly was rife in Europe at that time and the Jailbirds took advantage with two of their strongest numbers, 'Eileen' and Too Much Wine' making the top five of the French Rock 'n' Roll charts. The album became an instant classic and was to be the highlight of their career. They called it a day after just seven years but reformed a few years ago and Red and Ball wrote all the tracks for the comeback album 'Rockin The Blues Away'. They charted in the E.M.S. European country charts, with 'Lonestar Boogie' which went to No5 in October 2000, and 'Red Eye to Memphis' which reached No3 in January 2001.
My Johnny & The Jailbirds Top 5
1. Eileen - brilliant hot pot of rock 'n' roll with ringing guitar and Elvisy vocals combining with a splash of doo-wop.
2. Too Much Wine - more of the same, melodic with some fine Red vocals. Their songs are so catchy.
3. Lonestar Boogie - melodic rockabilly which kicks off in Johnny Cash mode.
4. Stay Away - Taken from a 45 on the French ? Label, Stay Away is a singalong rocker with a short, but oh-so-sweet guitar solo.
5. Red Eye To Memphis - another exciting ditty with a commercial, catchy chorus.
Shaun Mather
September 2008.
Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters -
Jukebox Hits 1953-57
Acrobat ACMCD4322
Clyde McPhatter was one of the greatest vocalists of all time, influencing future doo-woppers and soul singers alike, and was a favourite of none other than Elvis. Acrobat have taken advantage of the 50 year rule to bring us a collection of twenty odd numbers from the mid 50's. Most collectors will no doubt have most if not all of what's on offer here, but if not, they can snap this up with confidence. The music is wonderful, coming from three distinct periods. The first part gives us eight marvellous numbers from Clyde and Drifters, with classics like Money Honey, Such A Night and Honey Love needing no introduction. Next come seven Drifters tracks post-Clyde, with Johnny Moore stepping to the plate to hit more home runs. Ruby Baby and the dance-floor filler Fools Fall In Love are perfection and I've always adored the beautiful Soldier of Fortune. The CD is rounded off with a handful of McPhatter solos, with the likes of Seven Days and Treasure of Love being just about perfect. Listening to Clyde McPhatter again takes me back to the mid 80's when I first heard him on the Rock & Cry album on, I think, Charley Records. What a singer.
Shaun Mather
August 2008.
Jack Rabbit Slim - From The Waist Down
Western Star
Track listing: Rock-A-Cha / Petrolhead / Bikini Bull Ridin' Baby / Wolf Call / Wild Cavewoman / Rest Assured / Let Me Home Baby / The Tease / Blues Caravan / Generous Lover / Daddy's Got A Gun / Helldorado / Trailer Queen / Justine.
For their last album Jack Rabbit Slim came up with the name Sleazabilly was more than just the album title, it described their sound. If Betti Page was in a hard rockin' band, this is what it would sound like. This is their third release on the wonderful Western Star label, their line-up consisting of Bob Butfoy, Darren Lince, Landon Filer and Paul Saunders. Butfoy again wrote most of the songs, having a hand in all but two of the fourteen songs. Rock-A-Cha and Petrolhead set the scene for a feast of 21st Century rockabilly. The low-down Bikini Bull Ridin' Baby is a rollocking number with a country edge. There's a Buddy Holly I'm Lookin' For Someone To Love beat to Rest Assured. Let Me Home Baby isn't so much a nod to the Johnny Burnette Trio as a handshake with some back-slapping from the spare hand. I really enjoyed the call-and-response rocker Generous Lover and the instrumental Helldorado.
Elvis' Girl Happy movie fodder Wolf Call is miles better than the King's effort. If he'd have done it like this, Rusty Wells would have got out of Fort Lauderdale a lot sooner. Don and Terry's Justine owes a lot to Shaky and the Sunsets and is a great closer. So, another quality item from one of the top bands around. I love the title (playing on the Elvis television restrictions of the 50's) and the cover is a great 1950's b-movie interpretation.
Shaun Mather
August 2008.
Sleepy LaBeef - Sleepy Rocks
Bear Family BCD 15981 AR
The latest in the excellent Rocks series looks at the distinguished and prolific career of the Human Jukebox, Sleepy LaBeef. The 6'7" man mountain was born Thomas Paulsley LaBeff in Smackover, Arizona. Heavily hooded eyes earned him his Sleepy moniker while the Human Jukebox comes from the fact that's he's reputed to have thousands of songs in his repertoire. Thirty five of them are included here and it probably goes without saying that the sound quality and packaging has that usual German precision we've come to know and love.
As for the music, Sleepy has the fantastic quality of giving everything a genuine edge. The brilliance of the early stuff is beyond reproach, but what amazes me is the songs he did in later decades. By the '70s and '80s most covers of Roll Over Beethoven and Ride On Josephine sound like karaoke but not in the hands of Sleepy LaBeef who always gave his covers a forceful drive. If it's the early stuff that floats your boat you're gonna find it hard to go past the opening tracks with the well know belters, All The Time and I'm Through being as goods as rockabilly gets. There's a couple of early demos here, one being the scorching reading of Elvis' Baby Let's Play House.
There's a great feel to the trio of numbers from the Columbia Nashville session in September 1965, with the harmonica adding a welcome addition - You Can't Catch Me is perhaps the best Chuck Berry cover west of Dave Edmunds. When he joined the reactivated Sun label he cut a few first class albums, the pick of this hear being his cover of Sandford Clark's Lonesome For A Letter. This CD maintains the high quality of the series and is a worthy addition to anyone's collection.
Shaun Mather
July 2008.
The Bellfuries - Palmyra
Have you ever had your heart ripped out of your chest and been left to bleed to death in the gutter. The sorrow you feel during those last moments is probably comparable to the misery this album will give you. After their stupendously good debut, Just Plain Lonesome in 2001, this long awaited follow-up seems even more pitiful. It's just pop music, miles away from the previous rockabilly outing.
In case you're interested, it's produced by The Bellfuries with "Southpaw" John Adams and Barrett Walton at Infinity Recording Studios in Austin , Texas. A girl called Antje wrote on their Myspace page "Your new record is Just Plain fantastic." I'd drop the fantastic and say "Your new record is Just Plain". Having said that, if you're into a sort of poor man's Beach boys this could be the album for you. The debut is being re-released later this year, I'd suggest you buy that again. Better off having two copies of that!!
Shaun Mather
July 2008.
Bo Diddley - YouTube
What better way to remember the great man than by checking him out on youTube. He was a very visual artist with his dancing, his prototype guitars and with Duchess grooving away alongside.
Bo Diddley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F1Mk6U5zVY
In glaring technicolour from late 60's I'd guess.
Road Runner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs8FJergjas
Great 1960 tv black and white clip, great black and white band. Buperb picture quality as well.
Hey Bo Diddley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jujGZMS2vGY
With a band as big as his flairs, this clip comes from 1985. Just like Bo there's horn a plenty.
Who Do You Love? (with Ron Wood)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqiHRYjePBk
Live from Tokyo, 1988. Those Stones boys worshipped the Chess guys as is obvious by the genuine smile on Wood's face.
I'm a Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM_h7gh74cc
Powerful, menacing performance from Rennes, France, 1989. Forget the yera, this is vintage.
Let The Kids Dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfUni4-5-GA
Wow. Fabulous 1965 clip from Hollywood a Go Go, complete with neat intro from show host KHJ Radio's "Boss Jock" Sam Riddle. There's the bonus of plenty of Bo dancing.
You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6ixaXBWtyc
Just watch it!
Bo Diddley is Crazy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_uFlDXbBvM
1996 promotional video for the single from the great A Man AMongst Men album.
Dueling guitars (with Chuck Berry)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9586G04mfw
Battle of the guitar from Let the Good Times Roll, 1973. I love the part where Bo pretends to run away from Chuck's duckwalk.
The Blues and Elvis - LAST INTERVIEW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqypFk5Ps6Y
You can't look at Bo without letting him remind us that he invented everything. Taken from Electrified: The Story of the Maxwell St Urban Blues.
Shaun Mather
July 2008.
Cordwood Draggers -
A Good Ol' Country Jamboree
RHYTHM BOMB RBR 5675 AH
Track listing: Gamblin' Man / Jukebox You & Me Girl / Beady Lil' Eyes / Hole In My Pirogue / Enter The Heart / Simple Lies & Half Truths / Rositta / Let's Tie The Knot / You Never Looked Sweeter / Feel True Love / That Gal's Not Mine / Cried In Knots Again / Lover's Moon.
Formed in 2002, The Cordwood Draggers are a British hillbilly band who have evolved from a trio to a quartet. Mick Cocksedge is the chief songwriter, vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Eddie Potter plays lead guitar, Tony Hillerbrandt is what's commonly known as a drummer and the guy who slaps the bass is the bass player. Simple - just like the best hillbilly. For this new release, the band are joined by Phil Morgan (pedal Steel), Dave Priseman (trumpet) , Jim Morrison (fiddle) & Slim (Accordian & Piano). It was recorded over just four days in 2007 by Mark Rankin at Miloco Studios, London.
They have a pure hillbilly sound with all but three tracks coming from Cocksedge. The majority of them are melodic, uplifting affairs that could easily have been written 50 years ago. Listen to numbers like the opener, Gamblin' Man or the wonderful Jukebox You & Me Girl then listen to Big & Rich and tell me who should be on every jukebox in every Waffle House in every one horse town in Texas. Rositta is given the Marty Robbins touch while Let's Tie The Knot is circa 1954 in everything but it's actual timeline. Johnny Horton's Hole In My Pirogue is given an engaging reading that would have made ol' Tilman spin his bass.
A fabulous album that will appeal to fans of Wayne Hancock, BR549 or country fans in general. The songs are clever, not your run-of-the-mill, country music by numbers fodder, expertly played, topped off with engaging vocals - this package comes highly recommended.
Shaun Mather
July 2008.
That'll Flat Git It Volume 21 - Atlantic
Bear Family BCD16721AH
HAL WILLIS: My Pink Cadillac 2. DAVID GATES: Swingin' Baby Doll 3. AL HENDERSON: Ding Dong Dandy 4. TEDDY REDELL: Judy 5. GLENN REEVES: Rockin' Country Style 6. BOBBY BRANT: Piano Nellie 7. BUDDY THOMPSON: This Is The Night 8. KINGSMEN: Weekend 9. DEAN BEARD: Rakin' And Scrapin' 10. JIMMY SIMMONS: Too Hot To Handle 11. MAD MAN TAYLOR: Rumble Tumble 12. BARBARA GREENE: Long Tall Sally 13. RAY & LINDY: Big Betty 14. PAT & THE SATELLITES: Jupiter C 15. HAL WILLIS: Bop-A-Dee Bop-A-Doo 16. DAVID GATES: Walkin' And Talkin' 17. AL HENDERSON: Mary Jane 18. DEAN BEARD: Party Party 19. KINGSMEN: Better Believe It 20. TEDDY REDELL: Can't You See 21. GLENN REEVES: Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee 22. SONNY WEST: Rave On 23. BUDDY THOMPSON: I've Got A Good Thing Going 24. MAD MAN TAYLOR: Rock 'n' Roll Espanole 25. BRACEY EVERETT: The Lover's Curse 26. BARBARA GREENE: Slippin' And Slidin' 27. CASTLE KINGS: Jeanette 28. JUNIOR THOMPSON: Jungle Girl 29. KINGSMEN: The Cat Walk
This amazing series has been running since 1992 and except for the Festival one, every CD has been of the highest quality. This latest volume is the much delayed Atlantic compilation which marks the 25th in a series that has been immaculate in everything but it's chronology. Running at the usually generous portion of 29 tracks the songs come from Atlantic and it's subsidiaries, Atco and East West.
I heard the much of the content here for the first time on the Red Hot Rockabillies album (Cruisin' 58344) in the mid 80's and have been waiting for years for this stuff to get the Bear Family treatment. Hal Willis kicks things off with the excellent My Pink Cadillac and also stars on the uptempo b-side, Bop-A-Dee Bop-A-Doo. Like so many of the songs on show here, it's not flat out rockabilly but pure unadulterated rock 'n' roll with plenty of sax and piano adding to a fuller sound. Perfect example would be Al Henderson's 1958 East West single Ding Dong Dandy that would probably sound crap as a three piece but with the extra sound it comes over fine. His other number, Mary Jane, was knew to me but it's gets into a great groove with some tasty sax to boot. Teddy Redell has been served better than some in recent times but it's always good to hear his original of Judy and his Hayden Thompsonesque Can't You See.
Bill Haley's Comets moonlight as the Kingsmen and there three numbers are a mix of acceptable instrumentals and Better Believe It which borrows more from the Jodimars than Haley - and why wouldn't it? Atco 45-6080 was a hot two sider from Glenn Reeves with both Rockin' Country Style and Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee hitting the spot. Another artist from the top drawer is Dean Beard who rocks out on Rakin' And Scrapin' (love the drums) and the brilliant Party Party. Long before he earned his dough in Bread was David Gates who sounds so young and cool on Walkin' And Talkin' and the scratchy, acoustic cracker, Swingin' Baby Doll. I dare you to play Bobby Brant's Piano Nellie without playing some air piano along to Big Al Downing - impossible. Sonny West's original is engaging but can't quite live with Buddy's cover. Bracey Everett's The Lovers Curse has become an underground classic over the ensuing decades and it has a charm that's hard to understand.
There's a handful of tracks that are okay without reaching the standard of Dean Beard and David Gates, among them Mad Man Taylor's Rumble Tumble and Junior Thompson's Jungle Girl from late in the day in 1967. Don't worry about the lessor ones, embrace the dozen or so classics. A great release with the usual big booklet and perfect sound. Here's to the next 25.
Shaun Mather
July 2008.
The Reno Brothers - 90 Miles To Reno
Tombstone Records, TOMBCD 2086
Tracklisting: Let The Devil Come Out / Rollin' Roadhouse / Johnny Law / 90 Miles / Travellin' On / Still In Love With You / Make It All Right / Rolling Ramblin' Man / I Don't Know / Hotrod Saturday Night / Don't Even Know Your Name / Truckin' Man / You Gave Me A Mountain / White Corn / East Bound & Down
Dutch quartet the Reno Brothers come from Holland and are Rogier Hermans (Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar), Rolf Hartogs (Backing Vocals, Acoustic & Lead Guitar), Eddy Poppes (Double Bass) and Aeilko Van Der Wagen (Drums). I wonder if they were going to call themselves Love Me Tender but changed their mind at the last minute (Elvis joke there!). They formed in 1998 after Hermans and Poppes had served their apprenticeships in rockabilly bands the Red Shots, Get Rhythm and Jimmy and the Bamboozies. Following the release of their debut album, Born To Party, they have undertaken shows across Europe and in the process have gained a reputation as one of the top exponents of country based rockabilly. There seems to be an increase in the number of bands who are going for that rockin'-truckin'-hillbilly sound at the moment, with the Reno Brothers being up there with BossHoss and Smokestack Lightning.
Hermans who wrote half the songs here is a talented guy with a voice that is a dead ringer for Dale Watson - and that's no bad thing. After the two excellent openers, Let The Devil Come Out and Rollin' Roadhouse I actually thought I'd put the wrong CD on, it was so much like DW. Ironically, he sounds less like him on the Watson song Truckin' Man. Jerry Reed's East Bound And Down rocks like the clappers as do their covers of Wayne Hancock's Johnny Law and Alan Jackson's Don't Even Know Your Name. Rolling Ramblin' Man again from the pen of Hermans is given some nice blues harmonica from Andres "Zwiebel" Swiatlowsaki. It's a cracking album full of driving rhythms and enough variety to keep it interesting. Great stuff.
Shaun Mather
July 2008.
John Fogerty at the Manchester Apollo
22nd June 2008
This was John Fogerty's first Manchester gig for 37 years, so it was no surprise to see his much anticipated return play to a full house. In truth, it wasn't as good as his London show of two years earlier where he'd cherry picked Creedence and solo stuff from down the years. This time he was promoting the Revival album, which though very good, doesn't quite match up to the CCR classics. There was a spell midway throught he show last night where I actually found myself wandering what the score was between Spain and Italy. I think Billy Burnette helped save the day when he got everyone clapping and encouraged us to stand up during the intro to Down On The Corner. Until that point the only people allowed to stand were the family and friends in the front road. This seemed ludicrious as they already had perfect seats but by being allowed to stand-up they simply blocked the views of those sat behind them. People were obviously getting agitated as their seats in row 2 and 3 were now turning from what appeared to be brilliant to blind spots. Me and Phil were in the fourth row and are tall enough not to be hampered but a lot of women and short-ass guys looked very peeved. When confronting the security guards to get the front row to sit, they were inexplicably being informed that it was Fogerty's wish for his family and friends to be able to stand - strange, I mean don't they get to see him all the time - and for free? Me and Phil were quite happy for the babe in the cut-off shorts and cowboy boots to carry on wiggling but the hairy hippy could have sat down as he offered nothing except a denim wall of obstruction.
What about the show though, any good? Well yes, it was excellent actually. When you launch your show with Born On The Bayou, Bad Moon Rising and Green River you've pretty much got the audience in the palm of your hands. Pick of the new album was Gunslinger which was performed with the whole band sat in a row, sort of "unplugged" but plugged-in! Covers he performed included a sterling version of Leadbelly's Midnight Special and Rockin' Sidney's My Toot-Toot, which I could have done without but seemed to please the masses, Phil included. After sharing his daughters painting with us he gave a rousing Have You Ever Seen The Rain. Two of his compositions that are more famous in the UK via Dave Edmunds and Staus Quo were Almost Saturday Night and Rockin' All Over The World both of which were given top notch outings. Blue Suede Shoes was a bonus but the highlights of the night for me were Bad Moon Rising, Proud Mary and Lookin' Out My Back Door.
Finally, another gripe. Has anyone noticed that most shows nowadays advertise "Special Guests" and no guests turn up, special or otherwise. Were they the front-row-standers? It can't be Billy Burnette, he's part of the band!! The Rolling Stones don't advertise Special Guests who turn out to be Keith Richards and Charlie Watts! In these times of sueing culture, what would happen if three thousand people took Fogerety on under the Trade Descriptions Act? Anyway, despite these grumblings I really enjoyed the show, it was electric and he's one hell of a great performer and he was only for two hours.
Shaun Mather
July 2008.
Sureshots / John Lewis & His R&R Trio
Thousands 1000CD-022
The Sureshots - Juanita, Snatch It And Grab It, Little Heart Attacks. John Lewis & His Rock and Roll Trio - Here Comes That Train, If You're Happy Then I'm Glad, Lay Back And Be Cool, Hard Travelling. The Sureshots LIVE - Straight Skirts, Bop A Lena, Teenage Ball, Don't Treat Me This Way, Twenty Flight Rock
A bar-owners dream pairing this, with two line-ups that can drink as hard as they rock. The pride of the north (forget Newcastle Brown Ale) meets the pride of south Wales (forget Brains SA) for a rocking feast on the Japanese Thousands label. While we're talking in drinking terms, it's a shame that this is just a quick thirty minute session not some all-nighter, surely they could have had two or three more from John Lewis.
The Sureshots number come from an April 2007 session and a live hometown show a week before. The studio cuts are three great covers with Snatch It And Grab It being particularly good. Guitarist Joe Guillan plays some mean stuff on Glenn Johnson's Little Heart Attack. The sound is good on the live tracks and again they sound spot on the four covers including Gene Summers' Straight Skirts who they've backed when he's come to the UK. Lead singer Gary Allen wrote Don't Treat Me This Way, my favourite studio song of theirs and the live cut here does it credit.
John Lewis wrote half his quartet of tracks, the covers being a hopped up version of Woody Guthrie's Hard Travelling and a blinding version of Eddie Bond's Here Comes That Train. He retains the acoustic feel of the original and adds some great vocals and a very tasty guitar solo, making this the best thing on the album. I really enjoyed the two originals, the Sun country styled If You're Happy Then I'm Glad and Lay Back And Be Cool which harks back to the old Rimshots sound. What a talent.
Shaun Mather June 2008.
Elvis - The Last 50's Session
June 10-11, 1958
RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee
I Need Your Love Tonight
A Big Hunk o' Love
Ain't That Loving You Baby
(Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I
I Got Stung
Musicians: Guitars - Hank Garland, Chet Atkins, Elvis Presley. Bass - Bob Moore. Piano - Floyd Cramer. Drums: Buddy Harman, DJ Fontana. Backing vocals - The Jordanaires (Gordon Stoker, Hoyt Hawkins, Neal Matthews and Ray Walker).
Producer: Steve Sholes.
Engineer: Selby Coffeen
When Elvis Presley first entered a studio at Sun Records in Memphis, he was a young kid looking for a break, unsure of his role in life and probably happy just to make a souvenir record for posterity. By the time he entered the RCA Studios in Nashville, 50 years ago today he was the best selling artist in the land, and the biggest, most shocking star the entertainment world had ever witnessed. The 50's were his decade, he ruled the airwaves and was a star of the silver screen. On top of that he was the most photographed man on the planet, the world's most eligible bachelor, number one selling artist, the premier live attraction and top of the FBI's wanted list for a pair of swivelling hips that were causing havoc with teenage girls from San Diego to Boston.
Having been enlisted by the US Army, the June 1958 session was of paramount importance to him and RCA as he was required to come up with enough good songs to keep the flag flying whilst he served Uncle Sam in Germany. Although he only actually came up with five songs, such was the quality that they could all have been a-sides, which with reasonably spread out releasing could have taken up about a years worth of singles.
Kicking off at seven o'clock on the night of the 10th, the session ran until five the following morning. The fact that it was productive is being doubt, and by all accounts it was an enjoyable affair. Elvis was ecstatic with the band, after all they were the backbone of the Nashville A-Team, and was particularly blown away with guitar whiz Hank Sugarfoot Garland who'd depped for him briefly the year before. By the end of the session, which would be Elvis' last for almost two years, everyone was happy except Colonel Tom who thought the music was too loud - further proof that he knew more about dancing, electrified chickens than rock music. They cut five brilliant, blues based commercial rock 'n' rollers and with it, enough ammunition to fuel the fires over the coming months.
The proof is in the pudding as they say. I Got Stung was the first song to see the light of day and although it was released as the b-side of One Night, it went to number 8 in the US charts in it's own right and to number 1 in the UK charts. (Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I was coupled with I Need Your Love Tonight for the next single, surely one of the greatest two-siders ever. Both sides went to the very top in Britain and to 2 and 4 respectively in the States. Late in '59 A Big Hunk o' Love again topped the pile in the UK and peaked at number 4 back home. The Clyde Otis/Ivory Joe Hunter number, Ain't That Loving You Baby, being perhaps the weakest of the five was held back until 1964. By then it was being used between Kissin' Cousins and Do The Clam and was therefore looking a quality item. The songs crop up everywhere but the best way to enjoy the whole shebang is the Totally Stung! bootleg on Madison which is crammed with outtakes and gives a great feel for the way the songs progressed through the night.
Shaun Mather
10 June 2008.
The Western Aces - Introducing The Western Aces
El Toro ETCD3021
Track listing: Ice Cold Water / Same Old Cell / Drinkin' Man's Boogie / Seeing Double / Tell Me Why (We Can't Be In Love) / Leave That Junk Alone / Hep Cat Baby / Four Walls and a Table / Oh Boy / Mean Mean Mama / Old '32 / I Was There When It Happened
The prolific El Toro Records seem to be on a quest to become the most important rockabilly label on the planet. The latest addition to their already impressive roster is the young British quartet The Western Aces who play rockin' country. They sum it up best themselves quoting their influences as "Too many to mention them all but good old Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Rockin' Hillbilly, Country Jazz, any old Steel Guitar stuff, Sun Rockabilly and most others too, vocal harmonies but not The Spice girls, The '50s Opry vibe, early Bakersfield, rods and rats, '50s Chevy 3100's, Fender Telecaster's, Fender Steel guitars, vintage western wear .... the whole damn thing!"
This is the bands debut release and they consist of Gordon Doel on lead guitar and vocals, Phil Morgan on steel guitar, rhythm guitar and vocals, Dave Doel on bass and vocals and Mark James on drums. Gordon Doel and Phil Morgan also do a bit of song-writing, both of them contributing three numbers each. Morgan takes the lead vocals on his trio, Drinkin' Man's Boogie, Tell Me Why (We Can't Be In Love) and Old '32. They all come packed in binder twine and could have been written in 1954. Doel's Oh Boy is a hopped up hillbilly with a catchy call-and-response that again masks it's recent vintage.
For the six cover songs they've avoided the obvious and chosen well, uncovering a couple of gems. Eddy Arnold's Hep Cat Baby and Glenn Barber's Ice Cold Water have been known to pick up the odd cover version over the years and The Western Aces do them as well as anyone. The other three include fine stabs at Johnny Cash (Leave That Junk Alone and I Was There When It Happened) but the pick of the lot is his buddy Merle Kilgore's sprightly Seein' Double, pure hillbilly heaven. Talking of covers, I love the album cover - who is that cowgal? Her little ol' pistol's got the "bang" sticker popping out the end - I damn near shot my load as well. A cracking debut that will appeal to those of a rural persuasion, and is hopefully the first in a lengthy career.
Shaun Mather
June 2008.
Arsen Roulette - Live In Mono-phonic
El Toro Records
EP Tracklisting: Tangled Web, What You Do To Me, Quantum Leap, High Priced Woman
Hot prospect Arsen Roulette is at it again with another feast of rockabilly, this time in the condensed form of the EP, again for the great Spanish label El Toro. The first track is primitive rockabilly with energetic vocals and guitar. The most commercial track here is What You Do To Me, which comes in with some Tennessee Two guitar before being transformed with some rocking piano from a guesting Carl Sonny Leyland. Quantum Leap and High Priced Woman are no-frills boppers with more menacing guitar, the latter benefiting from some bluesy slide guitar. So a short review, but it's a short record! Fans of straight-ahead, no-bullshit rockabilly can buy this with confidence.
Shaun Mather May 2008.
Rudy La Crioux & The All Stars - Wild 'n' Pretty
Western Star Records
Track listing: Folsom Prison Bop, I Want My Baby Now, You Give Me Lovin', Hello Baby, The Sheriff Man, Bluer Than Blue, Baby Fan The Flame, Wild 'n' Pretty, Jumping From Six To Six, Teenage Ball, (I Don't Know Why) She Makes Me Feel Blue, What I Did Wrong, Teen Age Bug, House Of The Rising Sun
Rudy LaCrioux and the All Stars celebrate their tenth anniversary with a new record on the excellent Western Star company. They play an authentic style of rockabilly with some interesting backing vocals that add an exciting extra dimension. The band consist of Russ (Rudy La Crioux) Sear on lead vocals, Paul (Woody) Woodmansey on bass, Ian (Rocky) Cumming on rhythm guitar, Neil Fisher on drums and Barry Lowe on lead guitar. Previous releases have been on Spindrift and Foot Tapping as well as a few songs a couple of Western Star compilations, and have always mixed a few originals with some covers. This new album is the same, with seven of the fourteen songs coming from the band.
Sears wrote five of these and they are a diverse bunch that except for Hello Baby are excellent rockers. The pick of these is Bluer Than Blue, a great number that has the energy and vibrancy of the early High Noon days. Woodmansey wrote the title track and Cumming penned What I Did Wrong, both decent boppers.
Baby Fan The Flame and Teenage Ball are fine, fine rockabilly but the best cover might just be Jumping from 6 to 6 which is as good as Big Sandy's cover from yesteryear. The bookends of the album are covers of two legendary songs. JC's Folsom Prison Blues is given a driving Meteors style rendition that works well, ending with one of the band joking "San Quentin you can kiss my ass." House Of The Rising Sun is a less obvious song for a rockabilly band to have a crack at, but they rock it up with a touch off ska and it works out really well, rounding off an excellent album. Star of the show Bluer Than Blue.
Shaun Mather
May 2008.
Hayden Thompson - self titled
Blue Light Records, 2007
Tracklisting: Sorrow Breaks A Good Man Down / Black Cloud / Big River / Just To Satisfy You / I've Got It Again / $16.88 / Midnight Blues / I'd Run A Mile To You / I Wanna Get Home / 97 More To Go / Drive Me Outta My Mind / Four Strong Winds / No Love Have I / Still Nineteen / Mystery Train aka The Happy Song
Hayden Thompson is one of the last surviving members of the Sun Records rockabilly fraternity. Like Billy Lee Riley he's been lucky enough to have released new material through pretty much every decade since the golden days of the 50's. Whereas Billy Lee has frequently branched out into the blues with his wonderful Excello type albums, Hayden Thompson has always veered towards the country side of life. It's in that vein that he has recorded his latest album for the Finnish label Blue Light Records. He has such a natural voice that is perfect for either rockabilly or country and this album further emphasises the feeling that he was one of the true unsung heroes that should have made the grade. As well as three originals, this latest release includes well chosen covers of Waylon Jennings, Charlie Rich, Ed Bruce, Johnny Cash and Mel Tillis. The cover is based on his 1966 Kapp lp, Here's Hayden Thompson and is a neat idea.
The two Waylon Jennings songs Sorrow Breaks A Good Man Down and Just To Satisfy You fit HT like a glove with his vocals and Tommi Viksten being particularly haunting on the latter. Ed Bruce's Ninety Seven More To Go gives him a chance to show he used his time in Chicago wisely, aided by some neat guitar work and tasty blues harp by Pepe Ahlqvist. Charlie Rich's catalogue could have been written for Hayden Thompson and it's therefore no surprise that he nails Midnite Blues so perfectly. Four Strong Winds and Big River are what you'd expect.
Of the three originals, $16.88 and I Wanna Get Home are remakes of the Kapp record. $16.88 is a pitiful tale of hardship that shows his voice has lost nothing over the ensuing forty years. Drive Me Out Of My Mind has a bit of pep in it's step with a rockabilly edge that possibly makes it the best song on show, although I'm very partial to the Nashpop of Black Cloud. Also good is the country ballad No Love Have I from the pen of Now Dig This writer Jim Newscombe.
I'd Run A Mile To You comes from the unlikely combination of country song-writing legend Glenn Sutton and rockabilly king Mac Curtis. As for the song it's heartbreaking country at it's most agonising - a classic. This is real country music the likes of which haven't been recorded since the early 60's, down to the Floyd Crameresque piano. Stick this on CMT and see many fake cowboys start to cry into their beer - brilliant.
A superb album that will no doubt sell to rockabilly fans only despite the fact that this contains some of the best country music I've heard for years. Reba fans need not apply but if you like pure country sang with style and a hint of Elvis, grab it and enjoy.
Shaun Mather
Shaky@shaunmather.wanadoo.co.uk
May 2008.
Al Willis and the New Swingsters -
Got Some Rockin' To Do
Crazy Times Records CTRDC 107
Tracklist: Got Some Thinkin' To Do, No More Love, (I'm So Blue I Could Cry) Feelin' Low, Nice And Polite, Brown Mountain Light, Coffee Time, Dead Dodo's Blues, Georgia Bound, Love All Through The Night, Samuel Hall, You're My Queen, Goin' Mad, Big Iron, Voodoo Woman
Al Willis hails from Poitou-Charentes, France and is known for two cracking releases on Tail Records. His new album sees him with a new band, The New Swingsters and a new label, Crazy Times Records. It's a newly launched French label managed by Crazy Little Peter of Crazy Times Music. The New Swingsters are Yves "Vivi" Selem on drums and Pascal Albrecht on slap bass. Willis himself takes on the guitar duties and the vocals, obviously. He lists his influences as Mac Curtis, Elvis, Bob Luman, Johnny Cash, Merle Travis and Chet Atkins and you can see elements of them all in his work. Vocally he's in the Bob Luman mould, and if that sounds like high praise indeed, then it should be.
The title track is a brilliant rockabilly number that sets the scene for a great album. His voice sounds so much like Luman on Nice And Polite, an unusual rocker that really appealed. The instrumental Big Iron starts off like a bad Dire Straits number before turning into a classy tribute to the country pickers of the past like Chet Atkins and Merle Travis. You're My Queen and Voodoo Woman aren't as good but that's getting picky. His cover is Samuel Hall is fine with his Luther picking spot on and the country of (I'm So Blue I Could Cry) Feelin' Low suits him to a tee. A couple of other highlights are Love All Through The Night which sees him rock-out and the controlled rock 'n' roll of No More Love. A thoroughly enjoyable album that will surely sell by the bucketfull following his set at this summers Rockabilly Rave.
Shaun Mather
May 2008.
Top 15 YouTube Rockin' Gals
There seem to be more female performers on the rockin' scene now than ever before and to quote one of the greatest, Barbara Pittman, they're getting better all the time. Here's 15 hot performances with apologies to any I've missed out.
Marti Brom - Black Cadillac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seQ2DoWFAgM
To me, still the cream of the crop, Marti Brom gives a scorching version from the 10th Rockabilly Rave in March 2005.
Vicky Tafoya - Why Do Fools Fall In Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlmb3eaZXvw
With her backing band, the Big Beat, live at The Rhythm Riot 2004. With a voice to match her look, she's the Marie Adams of the new Millennium.
Cari Lee & The Saddle-Ites - Eenie Meenie Miney Mo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4y25dYGhKQ
Hot version with great sound. I love these country-girl outfits.
Catslappin' Crissy - Rock My Baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLb5UpQ6pyY
New one on me but goes like the clappers.
Miss Mary Ann & the Ragtime Wranglers - Watchdog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxl_YPmkIhY
Miss Mary Ann shows off her great vocals at the Hi-Rockabilly Festival in Calafell, Spain in September 2004.
Imelda May - Johnny's Got A Boom Boom
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ8pKX_WsPQ
From the Old Joint Stock Theatre in Birmingham, April 2008, Imelda hypnotises with her band that includes hubby Darrel Higham and the great Al Gare on bass.
Josie Kreuzer - Good Time Girl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCoE-M056l4
Always enjoyable, but where is Josie Kreuzer these days?
Kim Lenz - The Swing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JyjKZ5snrE
Great cover of my favourite Johnny Carroll song from the Hollywood Showdown 8.
Lil Esther and her Tinstars - Rock Boppin Baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tceNfL9R_xQ
The Edwin Bruce bopper get's a fitting tribute from the wonderful Lil Esther at the Rockers Club Festival 2008.
Honeycats - Happy Hour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFWGF6WnaRE
The Japanese rockaphillies cover the old Housemartins song.
Eva Eastwood - Shake This Shack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq-JYEU1FZ4
The Swede recorded on stage at Hemsby 2006
Sue Moreno - Believe What You Say
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpuI0nS0BNo
More than just a pretty face, Sue Moreno gives a hot performance of the Ricky Nelson number at the 2007 Rockabilly Rave. Did I mention hot?
Ruby Ann & Eddie Clendening - Hoy Hoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzm-5UH4nok
Duet from the New Years Party 2008 at the Amsterdam Cruise Inn. They burn up the Collins Kid classic with two dymanic guitar solos from Eddie Clendening.
The Southerners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcU6HRg24gM
Hot and sweaty might in an Anaheim juke joint in 2007.
Ranch Girls & the Ragtime Wranglers - Way Down Yonder in New Orleans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoAgpkHV1Sw
The much-missed Ranch Girls from a gig at a big jukebox fair in Holland in May 2002.
Shaun Mather
April 2008.
The Hi-Strung Ramblers -
Run Boy Run
Wild Records
Track listing; Under Your Spell, Searching for My Baby, All is Wrong (without you), Lonesome Wolf, Baby Goodbye, Run Boy Run, Lessons Learned, Pure Misery, Last Time, Dirty Dog, Alone on a Saturday Night, Rivers of Tears, Fleet Bleep Boogie
One of the latest additions to the ever expanding Wild Records roster is the The Hi-Strung Ramblers who only formed in 2003 but have made big in-roads on the scene in during that short time. They play a hybrid style of rockabilly and rockin' blues and consist of Carlos Gomez on lead guitar and vocals, Iggy Garcia on upright bass, Dandy Sutphin on rhythm guitar and harmonica and Jesse Gomez on drums. To me the thing that helps the band stand out from the crowd is Sutphin's harmonica which adds a layer that some rockabilly bands lack.
Their debut release from 2005, Hobo Bop, sold well enough to warrant a reprint, helped by their flamboyant stage shows. Three years later they are again undertaking an extensive touring scheule to promote Run Boy Run. It's a relentless album of pulsating rockers and will please the punters. There's a western quality to the opener rocker with a Johnny Cash guitar run throughout that helps kick the album off in fine fettle. The title track is a shit-kicking stomper that will fill dance floors around the world. Alone on a Saturday Night reminded me of the early Ronnie Hayward years and Lonesome Wolf returns to Johnny Cash territory. I couldn't spot a weak song on the set and would happily recommend it.
Shaun Mather
April 2008.
Runnin' Wild -
I Dressed In Black Today
Drunkabilly Records CG33188CD
Track List: All I Want, Don't Come To Near, I Dressed In Black, Bad Case, Ice Cream Crime, That's What I Like, If You Wanne Be My Baby, Guitar Breaker, Little Ole Wine Drinker Me, Hungry For Your Love, Big Bamboo, Jack O Roonie, Lejour Ou T'es Partie, My Gal From Abilene, Bright Light, Don't Come Too Near.
I just loved the bands single Killer Taco Stomp which I think is still available from El Toro Records. A hard rockin' anthem that proved there's still plenty of space for rockabilly in the modern era. The band hail from Brussels in Belgium and consist of Patrick Ouchene on guitars and vocals, Koen "Johnny Trash" Verbeek on drums and Jack Fire on stand-up bass. This is their fourth album to date and has a pretty unique sound that is both exciting and dark at the same time. It's rockabilly of the new Millenium (is it still new, eight years in?) with the band playing their own style - very rocking but never sounding like some forgotten song of the 50's.
The mood for the album is set from the opener, All I Want, that goes like the clappers with a couple of jazzy guitar solos. The title track pays homage to a lost love, not Johnny Cash as I imagined when I say the title. Bad Case starts as a haunting ballad that builds into a stepped up slice of rockin' hillbilly with fiddle and steel. That's What I Like is a galloping tribute to the fairer sex in general while Hungry For Your Love praises the chubbier ones in particular.
Lejour Ou T'es Partie, Big Bamboo and the instrumental Jack O Roonie didn't do much for me, but apart from that it's good stuff all the way. Guitar Breaker is a storming rocker and Dean Martin's Little Ole Wine Drinker Me sparkles with this swinging treatment that ole Deano would have been intrigued to hear. Ouchene and Verbeek's If You Wanna Be My Baby takes Muddy Waters down Union Avenue in the style of the 80's band Riverside Trio and it's great fun and no doubt a highlight of their live show. My favourite on the album is the bopper My Gal From Abilene which sounds like Paul Ansell's Number Nine. A worthwhile album that will no doubt please their legion of followers.
Shaun Mather
April 2008.
Deke Dickerson -
King of the Whole Wide World
Major Label Records
Track listing: King of the Whole Wide World (introduction); Deep River; I Can't Wait To See You (Go); Misshapen Hillbilly Gal; Put Me Down; Boone County Blues; Make Way for a Better Man; Itchin' for My Baby; Do You Think of Me; Fool's Gold; Trumpet; Early for the Bell; Bomb Shelter (for My Heart); Double-Clutchin'; King of the Whole Wide World (reprise)
Deke Dickerson is the Chet Atkins of the modern rockabilly/hillbilly scene, who has a well earned repuation as the model professional. His guitar picking is second to none and he has also won acclaim for his production work and even his sleeve notes on a variety of vintage retrospectives. Despite all thisa, I have to hold my hand up and say that his albums have never really done too much for me, they all contain a couple of good tracks but nothing that stands comparison to his live shows. Until now that is. This latest release sees him go up a couple of notches and finally does justice to his undeniable talent.
Deke perfected the act of guitar playing on his custom double-neck Mosrite guitar and made his name in the vibrant California scene with Dave Stuckey as the hillbilly duo Dave and Deke, whose Hollywood Barndance included the great tribute to our bald headed heroes, Chrome Dome. When they parted amicably he formed his own band the Ecco-fonics, the best of whose albums is 1998's Number One Hit Record album on HighTone's HMG label. I've heard two or three of their albums and as I said, they've never quite hit my spot.
The new CD, King of the Whole Wide World is a varied set from hooped-up bluegrass to rockabilly. Among the guests on it are Chris "Sugarballs" Sprague, Carl Sonny Leyland, "Crazy" Joe Tritschler, The Lucky Stars, Jimmy Sutton, Pete Curry of Los Straitjackets, Mitch Polzak and Mary Huff of Southern Culture on the Skids.
Among the rocking side of things we get the moody bopper Deep River, a tasty over of Put Me Down, the wonderful Sun-styled I Can't Wait To See You (Go) and the flat-out rocker Itchin' for My Baby. There's a Blasters quality to Fool's Gold, Trumpet harks back to 706 Union and Bomb Shelter (for My Heart) is one of those delightful numbers that sits on the fence between rockabilly and country. Firmly on the country side of things, "Double-Clutchin’'" sees Deke trading blows with Tritschler on a Buckaroosesque twin guitar instrumental whilst the excellent Boone County Blues has him in Flatt and Scruggs territory. Make Way For A Better Man may have been written by Willie Nelson but sounds like a Charlie Rich Smash record. Do You Think Of Me is a stone-cold country classic with Huff.
The CD kicks off and ends with the title track (not the Elvis song) which is smothered in track featuring digitally applied vinyl crackle for authentic effect. The pick of the whole shebang has to be Misshapen Hillbilly Gal, a hillbilly tour-de-force with the Lucky Stars. Fans of Junior Brown will lap this up. The vinyl version comes with the bonus track Beans on Toast but I've no idea what that sounds like - bloody good if the rest of the album is anything to go by.
Shaun Mather
April 2008.
Warren Earl - Original Rockabilly
Earl Records
I wasn't really expecting much from this because the front cover wasn't the most professional, it seemed like a run-of-the-mill cheapie jobs that you could do with a colour printer, a ream of paper and plenty of printer cartridges. But as Bo Diddley says, you can't judge a book by looking at the cover. Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, you would swear that this guy came from Eddiebondsville, Tennessee. The first time we heard Don Cavalli we all thought that someone had discovered a box of unissued Charlie Feathers in a Memphis warehouse. Well Warren Earl is like this but with Eddie Bond - to my ears anyway.
Released on his own label, Earl plays all the instruments (with the aid of overdubbing obviously) and he does a pretty mean job. I thought his double bass work was particularly well played and recorded. Playing from the age of nine, he got into music via his father's record collection consisting of rockabilly, hillbilly boogie, country, western swing and jazz. If that worries you that his sound may be a bit too varied, fear not, this album is pure Tennessee rockabilly. No need for a track by track review, it's all excellent. Try Rocket Ship Blues or Be Bop Boogie for examples of the Eddie Bond sound.
Copies can be purchased by contacting Warren on his Myspace page at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=217009377
Shaun Mather
April 2008.
Memphis YouTube
What can you say about the Memphis rockabillies?
Johnny Burnette - Hound Dog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auZsxwqsx7k
From 1956 this is prime time Memphis rockabilly. No wonder the flying saucers were scared to land.
Sonny Burgess - We Wanna Boogie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J24vrBYfmDk
Sonny Burgess & fellow pianist Kern Kennedy playin at High Rockabilly 2005 (Spain).
Billy Lee Riley - Pearly Lee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RX3__OGGg4
Recent front row footage of BLR with Dutch band The Bellhops from October 2007 in Roermond, Holland.
Carl Perkins- Blue Suede Shoes 1956
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGib9ror1dQ
From Green Bay 2007, it's sadly too short a clip but the bright suit is enough to get you going.
Hayden Thompson - Love My Baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0in-nH9Fec
Original Sun Rockabilly Star at The Rhythm Riot 2006
Jack Earls & the Ragtime Wranglers - Take Me To That Place
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thx1okcgE9A
Live at the Rockabilly Rave Camber UK, October 2004.
Barbra Pittman - I'm Getting Better All The Time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPYimxf1W1U
Ms Pittman at the Rockabilly Rave shortly before her untimely death. Miss Mary Ann and Lynette Morgan look more than happy to supply backing vocals. Great rocking version, and probably the first handclapping solo I've ever enjoyed.
Carl Mann - Mona Lisa / I'm Comin' Home
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIkGuXU_eO8
Carl Mann rocked it up at Screaming Fest Saturday the 9th of June 2007.
Narvel Felts - My Babe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV4hcS6bPlw
The always excellent Narvel Felts rocks the Green bay 2005 festival with Ashley Kingman on lead guitar.
EXTRAS:
Charlie Feathers - That Certain Female
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6qIUqyp2eQ
Not concert footage of Charlie but a funny guy called Mike miming. Great face.
Junior Thompson - Raw Deal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOJtjSTxbk0
Again, not a clip of the artist but equally exhilarating footage of the ultra rare 78 spinning around on an old record player. I just wish it was my 78!
Shaun Mather April 2008.
Lil' Esther And Her Tinstars -
Gone Is My Mind
Empire Records EMPCD109
My Heart Gets Lonely / Mr Sun / Love That Man / Confusin' Love / Small Change / I've Got A Lot Of Time To Do A Lot Of Things / Gone Is My Mind / True Or False / Rock 'Til My Baby Comes Home / I've Got The Boogie Blues / Arguments & Alibis / There's No Right Way To Do Me Wrong / I've Had Enough / Treat Me Kind / It's Love.
With a voice as delightful as her appearance, Lil' Esther remains one of the true darlings of the rockabilly circuit. She burst onto the scene as a third of the Bugaloos but has been working solo for a number of years now. She works with the Tinstars who are led by her husband and rhythm guitarist Rick De Bruijn. Such is her standing that no less than Big Sandy, John "Rimshots" Lewis and Don Cavali have written songs especially for the album. For anyone not familiar with Lil' Esther, she sounds comparable to Marti Brom. She comes from the country side of rockabilly and is more akin to Patsy Cline than Wanda Jackson, in both her voice and the band's sound.
The duet True Or False, the hypnotic Rock 'Til My Baby Comes Home and Cavalli's Arguments & Alibis rock as hard as anything on the album. Charlene Arthur's I've Got The Boogie Blues swings along with guests Joost van Es and Rini Goldini adding some tasteful fiddle and steel guitar. Goldini plays some nice harmonica on John Lewis' cleverly written Small Change. Big Sandy's Love That Man is a highlight of the album and his other contribution Confusin' Love is a tidy high stepper.
The two standout tracks for me include the opener, My Heart Gets Lonely, with Ronald Visser's piano adding a nice touch to a really engaging slice of rockin' country - her voice is simply wonderful on this. The other is The Miller Sisters' There's No Right Way To Do Me Wrong, a beautifully crafted country number that could have been written just for her, it fits her and guest singer Judith van den Berg like a glove. Credit should also go to the Tinstars who sound so authentic throughout.
Shaun Mather
April 2008.
Hi Voltage -
I Gotta Gun
Rollin Records - RRCD005
Hailing from the Scottish capital Edinburgh, Hi-Voltage are now in their ninth year and seem to enhance their reputation with every new release. This latest is their fourth to date, and its a cracker, one of the best albums I've heard for a couple of years. The diversity is astounding and they excel in all styles, whether from the modern day sound of the title track to the traditional, authentic rockin' hillbilly of Say What You Mean. The band members are Keith Turner on vocals, Paul Paterson on lead guitar, Matt Curtis on doghouse bass, Ian Morris on drums and Kenny Tomlinson on sax. There's not a weak link amongst them but special plaudits to Turner and Paterson who are both the cats knacks.
What Paterson's wife must have thought when he ran My Gal Lillie past her is anyone's guess, "ugliest gal in town, but I don't have to worry 'bout her running around". Pretty Baby is one of the most upbeat, fun rockers you'll hear and a joyous spirit literally jumps out of the grooves. Jack Scott's I Never Felt Like This is given a fresh injection of life and the picked-up pace is wonderful. Movin' On has Turner sounding like a 70's Elvis behind a throbbing beat. He sounds a bit Way Downish on Ice Cold Baby as well, a neat number that gives Tomlinson a chance to blow his brains out. Lonesome Road is an unusual ballad, sounding like the guys wrote it for Rio Bravo forty years too late. The album finishes with the stomping Sittin' By The Pool, another reminder that the band are playing in 2008 not 1954.
The band have a fuller sound than your basic three-piece, sounding more like the top 70's bands Johnny & the Jailbirds etc. I think it's they're a breath of fresh air on the scene (as both performers and songwriters) and more power to their elbow. A great album, thoroughly recommended to everyone with hearing.
Shaun Mather
April 2008.
Shaky's Occassional Bootleg Series No. 7
Stray Cats -
BBC Radio 17 June 1992
When I got home from work tonight the first thing I spotted on the doormat was a little brown envelope of joy. Inside were my tickets for the Stray Cats Farewell Tour concert in Manchester, so I just slipped some Cats onto the CD player and spent the next couple of hours listening to an array of recordings by them. One of them was the interview and set they did for the BBC in the summer of 1992. The interview sees them in great spirits despite the worst efforts of the interviewer. They talk glowingly about Dave Edmunds and when asked what makes him so special they say, "as a lover he's gentle, he's sensitive to our needs and he's Welsh"!
Although they were touring to promote the Choo Choo Hot Fish album, luckily they only play Lust And Love from it. It's an acoustic set and kicks off with a very rhythmic version of Eddie Cochran's Nervous Breakdown, with Setzer in fine voice for the mumbling giggly bit at the end. They get cajoled into doing Crazy Little Thing Called Love and it's a good version despite the lack of lyrical knowledge. If I'm being picky I'd say that Stray Cat Strut is a bit too jazzy and Lust And Love is well, something from the Choo Choo album - nuff said. They generate a lot of excitement in Mystery Train complete with extended yodel solo. The rehearsal for this show from earlier in the day is also out there and is worth tracking down as it contains neat versions of Summertime Blues and Oh Boy.
Shaun Mather
March 2008.
Shaky's Occassional Bootleg Series No. 6
BR5-49
Live at Disneyworld, Orlando, Big Bang Concert Series - 27 May 1997
Time Changes Everything, Long Gone Lonesome Blues, Even If It's Wrong, Little Ramona, Pain Pain Go Away, My Name Is Mudd, Baby Are You Gettin' Tired Of Me, Crazy Arms, Hometown Boogie, The Party's Over, Cherokee Boogie, You Are Never Nice To Me
Live at Lawrence Clinton State Park, Wakarusa Festival - 19 June 2004
Cajun Persuasion, Cherokee Boogie, So Doggone Lonesome, Ain't Got Time, Shakin' The Blues, Honky Tonkin' Lifestyle, I'm Alright, My Window Faces The South, Long Gone Lonesome Blues, Run a Mile, Me N Opie, No Friend of Mine, Tangled in the Pines, Charmin' Betsy, That's What I Get
BR549 must be pretty much everyone's favourite barroom band. An entertaining live band that pack a solid punch of skill, fun and a massive repertoire they looked at one stage during the 1990's as if they were going to be country music's saviours. Amongst their back catalogue is a live album but there has been relatively little on the bootleg front, so I was especially pleased to come across these two gems a while back.
This Disneyworld concert comes from their original days and being a soundboard recording the quality is really good without all the instruments coming through loud and clear. I saw them a couple of times in the UK and was blown away by their stage presence. The interplay between all members was brilliant and the two guys up front clicked better than Keane and Berbatov. Gary Bennett was a pure hillbilly vocalist while Chuck Mead sounded more uptown and loved the rockin' stuff. It was a great blend that allowed them to play just about anything in the country and rockabilly songbook. Their two styles can be seen as early as the first two songs with Bennett breezing through Bob Wills' western swing classic Time Changes Everything whilst Mead rocks up Hank's Long Gone Lonesome Blues. The twelve song set here include a handful of tracks that have become synonymous with the band, Even If It's Wrong, Cherokee Boogie, Little Ramona and My Name Is Mudd and they're all played as expertly as you'd expect.
The Wakarusa Festival (from Mead's hometown) bootleg comes seven years later and sees a new line-up without Gary Bennett and the happy-go-lucky Smilin' Jay and perhaps less importantly without the hyphen between the 5 and the 4. The tracklist shows more of a lean toward the bands then current album Tangled In The Pines. Again the mix is everything you'd expect from the band, from their own Me N Opie to Johnny Cash's So Doggone Lonesome. Who else in Music City has the knowledge, ability and even the desire to play the likes of Long Gone Lonesome Blues and Shakin' The Blues. Of their own stuff, Honky Tonkin' Lifestyle says it all. A great band and these two items here are fit to improve anyone's collection.
Shaun Mather
March 2008
Imelda May -
Love Tattoo
Ambassador Records - AMBA1004
Imelda May is the Dublin born bombshell who has been around the scene for a couple of years as a solo artist and with Mike Sanchez and Blue Harlem. She's also the wife of rockabilly star Darrel Higham, who plays some exhilarating guitar on her latest album Love Tattoo. I've seen her live a couple of times, once at the Rhythm Riot and once in Shrewsbury as part of the Mike Sanchez Extravaganza with the Extraodanaires and was impressed by her torchy, dark vocal style. She seems to have got better over time and the new album sees her stretching herself both vocally and as an artist.
This isn't ordinary rockabilly, it's got jazz and blues infusions, seductive vocals and the backing of the band gives it a professional edge that her debut album lacked. The band consist of Dave Priseman on all the horny instruments, Dan McCormack on the plinky bits, Dean Beresford on drums and the ever reliable Al Gare on double bass. To top it off we have hubby Darrel on all the burning guitar bits. This album allows him to show his versatility that isn't always possible in a three-piece rockabilly setting.
Highlights of the set are the rockabilly title track, the explosive opener Johnny Got A Boom Boom and the raunchy Wild About My Lovin'. The only track not written by Imelda, It's Your Voodoo Workin' has an early 60's r'n'b feel and smokes. Big Band Handsome Man is the best of the lot, complete with exotic beat, her best vocal performance to date and great trumpet from Priseman. It reminds me of a modern day Tico Tico. There's a couple of really slow numbers that drag a bit but otherwise this is a really enjoyable album from an artist that just could go all the way to the top. Last year she was nominated for Best Burlesque Singer 2007 and make her movie debut singing in the forthcoming American gangster movie, 'Dark Streets'. If the world is looking for a new Amy Winehouse without the baggage, Imelda could be the one.
Shaun Mather
March 2008
Top 15 Neo-Swing on YouTube
I know swing isn't everyone's cup of tea and some would even question what place it has on a rockabilly site. I'd counter that by saying, put your pre-conceived ideas to one side and just listen to the music without trying to pigeon-hole it. To my mind, neo-swing isn't too far from big band rock 'n' roll and r'n'b. So for those who don't mind a little bit of the swing revival, here's a few bands to enjoy.
Ray Collins Hot Club - Barefoot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUnIawTQO9M
The original Ray Collins Hot Club video of their song floor-filler, Barefoot. Shot in black and white the video is so authentic, you'd absolutely bet your house that this was from the 50's. Brilliant.
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Put A Lid On It
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdAt4qWvz_8
Great song, great video, great performance from the hot and talented Katherine Whalen
Puppini Sisters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lPo69BAY2c
Short but sweet ad for todays Andrews Sisters. A fun group with a great sound, this quick promo should get you hooked.
Lindy Hop Showdown 2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myJj0mNNe1Y
A seven minute dance-off with some of the best lindy hop you'll ever see.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Mr. Pinstripe Suit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmpmjsq8Z70
Black and white promo with the gangster look. One of my favourite swing songs.
Brian Setzer Orchestra - In The Mood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn716JumeOU
Promo with Hollywood glitz and some hot-rods. MTV with some style at last.
Royal Crown Revue - Somethings Gotta Give
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtIEFMztMfk
Fun promo for the legendary Royal Crowns.
Vicky Tafoya - Why Do Fools Fall In Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlmb3eaZXvw
Vicky Tafoya and the Big Beat, live at The Rhythm Riot 2004 on her first show in England. She seemed to rock the joint.
King Pleasure - Mr Blues Is Coming To Town
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfJhQxtBAGk
Professional slot from BBC TV with their great cover of the Wynonie Harris classic. One of the top bands on the circuit they were swinging before it became trendy.
Lavay Smith - Between The Devil & the Deep Blue Sea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ4SLvfB748
Lavay Smith on the San Francisco variety tv show Fog Town Network on April 30, 1995. The band cover the old Arlen-Koehler classic made popular by Cab Calloway in 1931 and Louis Armstrong in 1932 amongst others.
5 In Love - Walk Like An Egyptian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGsBdLJpVrI
A really swinging version of the Bangles 1980s hit.
Black Cat Zoot - No Swingin' In Your Walkin'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ3Gv-XXQgU
New German band show their wares with this cool promo vid from last year.
Pinstripe Suit - You, Me, and the Bottle Makes Three
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTAM9UKozL4
Robin Phillips' 6-piece swing band, Pinstripe Suit, play their version of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's, You, Me, and the Bottle Makes Three. The band's good and the gal who shares the vocal duties is smokin'.
Whizz-Bang - A swing nem jatek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaTpEX8M0Xo
Hungarian neo-swing band in the tradition of bands like Big Bad Woodoo Daddy, Royal Crown Revue, Cherry Poppin Daddies and the Brian Setzer Orchestra.
Bellevue Cadillac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdkVjHOjDpI
Jack Nicholson appears as guest chauffeur and sometime singer with a band called Bellevue Cadillac.
Shaun Mather
March 2008
Ruby Ann -
Train to Satanville
Wild Records
Track listing: Train To Satanville, Dynamite, Ain`t That Loving You Baby, That`s The Way I Feel, I Want A Lover, I Hear You Talking, Just For You, Look At That Moon, Eeny-Meeny-Miney-Moe, The Big Bounce, Don`t Call Me Honey, King Of My Heart
Ten years after hitting the scene with the Boppin' Boozers, Ruby Ann has joined the much celebrated Wild Records label in Hollywood, CA. By all accounts Ruby Ann is a lively personality with a voice to match. She started her career with the Portuguese band The Boppin' Boozers, before going solo with gigs across Europe. She’'s played all the big European festivals and now appears to be giving the States a taste of her magic.
The band for the new album are a star studded bunch with Eddie Clendenning and Gautier Golab sharing lead guitar duties across the album. Iggy Garcia plays upright bass, Jeff Gerow takes it out on the drums and Li’'l Luis Arriaga plays rhythm guitar. If that’'s not enough, the CD was recorded and engineered by Omar Romero. Ruby Ann tackles a mixture of originals and covers and has a big voice that sees her shine on most of the numbers.
The title track is the best thing on the album, a dark bit of rockabilly with strong Wandaesque vocals that builds from a torchabilly burner into a flat-out rockabilly. You would be doing her an injustice to label her a Wanda Jackson soundalike or just a rockabilly singer, because she’'s more than that. There’'s rockabilly in the storming Sun covers of Jimmy Prichett’'s That the Way I Feel and the Miller Sisters’' Eenie-Meenie-Miney-Mo, and there’'s more than a dash of r ’Äòn’' b in the excellent take on Ain’'t That loving You Baby and The Big Bounce. I Want A Lover and Don’'t Call Me Honey are highlights of the album, courtesy of raunchy vocals and plenty of driving guitar from Li’'l Luis. King Of My Heart sees her assume the title of Miss Rockabilly 2008, a masterful piece that should get the strollers onto their feet. So, a highly recommended album that can only enhance her reputation as one of the top performers currently on the scene. Shaun Mather
March 2008
The Loveless Cousins -
No Squares Ever Tag Along
El Beasto Records
The Loveless Cousins hail from A Coruna in Spain and are the new kicks on the block, only forming in December 2004. As the name suggests, they are a family concern with cousins Quique and Nestor Pardo forming the backbone of the band. Quique had been the bass player for The Honky Tonkin' Boozers and he persuaded their guitarist Ramon Corona and a drummer Santi Roma to complete the Loveless Cousins line-up. They tampered with country music before settling on a rockabilly sound. After a couple of years tearing up the Spanish scene they are poised to take their energetic sound farther afield and the sound on this CD suggests they will do just fine. The band are proud to announce that the album was recorded in analogic and mono at the Circo Perrotti Estudios where bands such as the Nu Niles have recorded.
The music is hardcore rockabilly in the style made popular by Hot Boogie Chillun and Runnin' Wild. The best numbers are Lyin' Lips Woman, the less frantic I Don't Wanna See You Go and Lose My Mind. They do a fine cover of Ray Smith's You Made A Hit, but the pick of the bunch for me is the hypnotic Mischief Woman, very Hot Boogie Chillun. Available from http://elbeasto.com/shop/, it's well worth a listen.
Shaun Mather
March 2008
Golden Age of American Rock & Roll 11
Ace Records CDCHD 1200
I thought this series was done and dusted but happily, Ace seemed to have buckled under public demand and so five years after it's predecessor, we now get Volume 11 of the legendary Golden Age of American Rock & Roll series. As is customary for the series, the CD runs to a generous thirty tracks and comes complete with an exhaustive booklet. It goes without saying that compilers Trevor Churchill and Rob Finnis have come up with a brilliantly varied set.
Some of the tracks have seen the light of day time and again and certainly don't need reviewing here, suffice to say that they've never sounded better than they do here. Lavern Baker, Charlie Gracie, the Drifters, Cookie and the Cupcakes and Shirley & Lee are all as clear as a bell.
There are plenty of less obvious choices that maintain the standards. Picture Billy Fury trying swamp pop and you might come close to Last Chance by Collay & the Satellites, which came out on the New Orleans label Sho-Biz in the spring of 1960. You're The Apple Of My Eye is a great white doo-wopper from the Five Lovers, apparently billed as the Four Elvis Presleys. It's great but it ain't that great!! Bobby Pedrick Jr was only 13 when he cut White Bucks And Saddle Shoes and although he sounds like a girl it's a strong rocker from Pomus-Shuman with a ringing guitar break. The song rose to number 74 in 1958 and with a bit more plugging Big Top could have taken it higher. Bobby Comstock's hopped up version of Tennessee Waltz on Herb Abramson's Blaze label is a fine romp and the booklet has an interesting report on the battle that ensued in 1959 when Comstock's version vied for airplay with Jerry Fuller's version on Challenge. The 5 Satins (of In The Still Of The Nite fame) moonlighted as the New Yorkers for the exotic Miss Fine.
Other notables are the beautiful Sammy Turner version of the standard, Lavender Blue which hit the top three in 1959 on Big Top Records. Ronnie Love's 1960 Dot release Chills And Fever has the Little Willie John feel to it and picked up a cover from none other than Tom Jones.
I'm not sure what the plan is with the series, but would like to think that future volumes will now be forthcoming. I can't imagine they'd just release volume 11 in isolation, I certainly hope not because this is one of the best rocking series we've ever had. As an aside I saw a review of the album on Amazon and a guy from Blackpool said, "Its also good to see this is not Rock Critics stuff - I don't need to be told yet again that Pat Boone was ripping off black music." Fair comment mate - I agree. Ace just give you the heads-up on the song and let us judge for ourselves.
Shaun Mather
March 2008
James Intveld -
YouTube Top Ten
Singer James Intveld is one of the coolest guys on the scene and as great as his CD's are, there aren't exactly hundreds of them. SO another way to get your fix is to watch him on YouTube. Here are a few highlights ...Fame & FortuneShaun Mather
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkKd2V7NAps
Taken from Elvis's Birthday Bash 08 at the Music Box Theater in Hollywood, this year was the 22nd event. The brainchild of Intveld and Ronnie Mack it's now run by Art Fein with help from the L.A. City Council. JI sizzles on this great cover of a much overlooked Elvis classic.
Wake Up Little Susie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMfN9Jv-Mh0
A duet with Russell Scott from Art Fein's brilliant Rockabilly Bandstand. Filmed on March 13, 1989, the boys pay homage to the world's finest siblings.
Good Rockin' Tonight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny5CMpmkfWc&feature=related
From Art Fein's Poker Party in 1987, JI is joined by Billy Zoom and Brian Setzer. It's a driving acoustic version with Setzer and Intveld inspiring one another. Poor old Billy Zoom gets tongue tied when called for the first solo, although he gets to redeem himself later.
One Sweet Letter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDdEATYFELs&feature=related
A great version of Joe Liggings' One Sweet Letter from the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend. He looks cool in his jacket with plenty of hip shaking stage presense. This is what i imagine Billy Lee Riley must have been like in his heyday.
Stringin Me On
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDpbI7HRnlY
JI and his band perform Stringin Me On at the Saxon Pub in Austin, Texas during SXSW on March 14, 2007
Let's Get Started
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InqDNvqow8k
Live at the Mercy Lounge, Nashville in November, 2007. Looking every inch the cowboy for the Nashville crowd, this is great country music in the best Intveld vein.
Perfect World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4uXOOcffm0&feature=related
Again from the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend, he comes across as the cool Elvis manersisms wityhout ever looking like one of them tosspot impersonators.
Country Hick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNsZQ5r0KvY
Ronny Mack and James Intveld duet at the Rockabilly Bandstand show, in March '89. James plays bass, but the real star of the show must be Ronny Mack's heair which looks like something from the Hair Bear Bunch dressing room. Good song, amazing hair.
Modern Don Juan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-H6NklHmog
Again from the VLV weekender, James is tailor made for Buddy Holly and the laidback soft rock of West texas.
James Intveld & Friends - SXSW 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ1rsahLMm0
Artistically shot eight minute look at JI's set at Jinny's Little Longhorn on March 17, 2007.
March 2008
Bobby Lee Trammell - RIP
The other day I checked my emails and the Digest I had from the Rockabilly Hall of Fame yahoo list had three messages. Kick in the teeth 1, Billy Lee Riley had suffered a heart attack during hip replacement surgery. Kick in the teeth 2, the Stray Cats would be calling it a day after making a farewell tour. Kick in the teeth number 3, the great Bobby Lee Trammell had died at home in Jonesboro, Arkansas. I know that we've become acustomed to our heroes dying but three bits of crap news in one day was going a bit far. It now appears that Billy Lee is doing fairly good considering and although it's sad that the Cats are finishing at least they're playing a tour first, but there isn't anything remotely positive about Bobby Lee Trammell. The poor bugger is dead - the wildman of Arkansas has screamed his last word. Like all great rockabilly stories it involves Memphis somewhere along the line. In BLT's case he made his stage debut thanks to the charitable Carl Perkins and soon auditioned for Sam Phillips, but a lack of patience saw him head to California where he came to the attention of promoter and label owner Fabor Robinson. Anyhoot, here's to man deemed too wild for Ozzie and Harriet.
MY TOP 3 BLT's1. You Mostest Girl - one of the greatest Elvis style rock 'n' rollers. I would love Elvis to have cut this at either the Big Hunk O' Love session or for the Elvis Is Back album. Cut in March 1958 at Western recorders in Hollywood, this peach should have made him a star. Thanks to a four-piece black harmony group and some crisp backing, it's his finest ever moment.Shaun Mather
2. I Sure Do Love You Baby - from Bob Luman's band he used James Burton on lead guitar, James Kirkland on bass and himself on rhythm guitar, the b-side of Shirley Lee is a fine slab of mid tempo rockabilly.
3. My Susie J, My Susie Jane - Same setting as You Mostest Girl this time from the back end the 1958 summer, and a straight ahead rocker with sax, backing vocals, piano and a sparkling solo from the great Joe Maphis. His third single, this one really should have been a hit. Brilliant.
February 2008.
Billy Fury - 25th Anniversary
It doesn't seem possible but its twenty-five years ago today that the great Billy Fury passed away. I come from a family of Billy lovers with my mum being a fan since the heyday and no doubt helping turn myself and my sister into fans. My mum was working in a shop window in the early 60's when Billy walked by, causing her to knock half the stuff over. To top it all, my wife is a fan as well. Whereas she frowns a bit when I play a Don Williams or some other country shit (her words not mine), its always okay to play The Sound of Fury. When I first got into rock 'n' roll my earliest heroes were Elvis, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis and Billy Fury and although others became special to me over the years, Johnny Cash for instance, those original five will always be the top dogs. As I'm writing this Julie has just said that whenever she thinks about our music she always thinks Elvis, Gene and Eddie, Billy and the Stray Cats because that's what we always listened to as teenagers together.
Something that still stick in my mind long after it should have vanished is when the May Fair came to my hometown Presteigne when I was a school kid and one of the prizes at the darts stall was a postcard of Billy in his leopard skin shirt. I tried as hard as I could to get that picture but the darts were blunt and the board was rock hard - proved by the fact that the postcard was still there when the fair came back the following year. The first answer phone we ever had used to play Billy's Phone Call which was always nice to listen to before speaking to some double glazing quote.
Whereas the past 25 years have seen the star of Elvis burning as bright as ever, sadly the name of Billy Fury has all but died here in his homeland. Apart from my beautiful and sadly missed pussy, Billy Furry, I don't think I've heard the name mentioned in years. I know there's a couple of tribute acts doing the rounds, with Colin Gold being very good. As I mentioned in my review of the recent Rockers Reunion, the young Liverpool Teddy Boy band Furious played a couple of his songs, so perhaps there's hope for a revival. Let's face it, he was a million miles better than most things Britain produced and at least a couple of miles better than the far more successful Cliff Richard. The old Bachelor Boy might have done a mean lip curl but for the all around package Billy was the man. He has stage presence and his performances were raunchy in a way Cliff just couldn't carry off. Billy was a good looking dude who you could imagine would carry through the dirty deed whereas Cliff might look okay but if you took him home he'd probably help your mum knit a cardigan. I've asked the three girls in my life to give me their top 10 and here they are.
Julie's (wife) Top 10 - no order except for the first one
Gonna Type A Letter
Halfway to Paradise
You Don't Know
Maybe Tomorrow
I Will
In Thoughts of You
In Summer
A Thousand Stars
Last Night Was Made For Love
Like I've Never Been Gone
Pat's (mum) Top 10 - no order
Last Night Was Made For Love
Like I've Never Been Gone
Halfway to Paradise
A Thousand Stars
I'll Never Find Another You
In Thoughts of You
Wondrous Place
Once Upon A Dream
Somebody Else's Girl
It's Only Make Believe
Sharon's (sister) Top Ten - in order
Wondrous Place
In Thoughts of You
My Advice
Don't Leave Me This Way
Maybe Tomorrow
Jealousy
Alright, Goodbye
I'll Never Find Another You
Don't Say It's Over
You Don't Know
My Top 10 - in order
Don't Knock Upon My Door
Wondrous Place
Don't Jump
Margo
I'm Lost Without You
That's Love
Baby How I Cried
Maybe Tomorrow
Turn My Back On You
I'm Lost Without You
Shaun Mather
shaky@shaunmather.wanadoo.co.uk
28 January 2008
Rivermead Leisure Complex, Reading - Saturday, 19th January 2008
The 25th Annual
Rockers Reunion Winter Party
The last Rockers Reunion I attended was when the Blue Caps headlined at the Brixton Academy, so this was my first visit to it's new home at Reading and I must say it's an ideal venue for this event. There's enough room for the stalls, the bar, the dancers and general loiterers. On top of that the sound was good and the whole ambience was terrific.
The first two bands, Mean Streak and particularly Midnight Shift were fine openers who played their part in getting the crowd warmed up. The temperature rose with the much anticipated set from Liverpool teenage teddy boy band Furious. It's an interesting name which shows attitude and menace, but does anyone know whether it is in any way a play on words for Liverpool's own Billy Fury? Their wild version of Billy's Don't Knock Upon My Door was breathless, full of energy and drive. There seemed to be a genuine affection for the boys from the older generation of Teds, which is a great boost for them and the scene alike. As much as I love Cavan (and I do), there has to be new blood coming through. Other highlights of their set were Please Don't Touch and Baby Blue.
I was a bit nervous about the reception Paul Ansell's Number Nine would get with a ted crowd. Dressed in a cowboy hat and singers covers of Billy Ocean songs isn't what they're used to, but such is the quality of this band I shouldn't have worried. Ansell's voice is a wondrous thing and Antonio Conti plays a beautiful bit of guitar. They opened with a cracking version of the Ruby, setting the scene for a great set of country styled rockabilly. Red Lights hit all the right buttons and I was blown away If I Ever and Early Morning Rain. Best song of all had to be Don Gibson's Sea of Heartbreak, a simply stunning version. They encored with a Roy Orbison Sun number, and while everyone else would have done Domino or Rockhouse, these guys treated us to a blinding Sweet And Easy To Love.
For some reason I wasn't really expecting much from Johnny Powers. I knew he'd be good because he had Chris Casello with him, the same guitarist who played the Baby Face Assassin for Jack Scott at Hemsby a couple of years ago. He's a really talented guitarist and together with a sax, bass and the ever wonderful Mark Kemlo (Rimshots/Gene Gambler) on drums, the sound was solid rock 'n' roll. I enjoyed JP more than I thought and he had a good stage presence and a powerful voice. Rock Rock and Me And My Rhythm Guitar were particularly pleasing but the show stopper was obviously Long Blonde Hair which was sung twice much to the delight of everyone. The band were tight, JP was rocking and Casello was on fire.
The night was brought to a quite end by the laid back doo-wop of Crazy Cavan & the Rhythm Rockers - well, not quite. Cavan and the boys gave a wild, romping set that included all their biggies from Teddy Boy Boogie to My Little Sister's Got A Motorbike. From the opening strains of Both Wheels Left The Ground the stage was inundating with fans helping out on vocal and lap-dance duties. Lyndon Needs is a lethal weapon on guitar and his energy levels haven't lowered over the years. The Spanish Ted we met in the hotel before the gig was loving it by us and there was even a glimpse of the halcyon days of the 70's with a couple of dancers getting in to handbag scuffles. Great stuff, the perfect end to a perfect night.
Shaun Mather
shaky@shaunmather.wanadoo.co.uk
January 2008
Shaky's Occassional Bootleg Series
Bruce Springsteen Play Elvis
SPL Live Vol. 11 - BigBallsBilly's FTP
01. CC Rider - (BS Story Vol 6)
02. Blue Suede Shoes - (Clubs' Stories)
03. Heartbreak Hotel - (Roxy Night)
04. Good Rockin' Tonight - (Paramount Night)
05. Suspicious Minds - (Rocks The Playpen)
06. I Can't Help Falling In Love with You - (Independence Night)
07. Follow That Dream - (Live 75-88)
08. Johnny Bye Bye - (A Night For The Vietnam Veteran)
09. Wear My Ring Around Your Neck - (London Calling)
10. Mystery Train - (Foxboro, MA, August 01, 2003)
11. Viva Las Vegas - (Las Vegas, Nevada, May 27, 2000)
12. Love Me Tender - (Uniondale, NY, April 02, 1988)
Bruce Springsteen has never been shy about singing the praises of rock's earliest pioneers, especially Elvis. He saw Elvis live at the Philadelphia Spectrum on 28th May 1977 and the previous year during his Born To Run tour he even claimed to have jumped the Graceland walls and made it to the front door in an effort to get to Elvis. Unfortunately the security guards rejected him, although Elvis was in Lake Tahoe anyway. The similarities between the two entertainers are considerable, from their stage charisma to the dedication of their fans. It's one of these heavenly souls from the world of the Boss who has undertaken this sterling job here, collating a dozen live Springsteen performances of songs Elvis had cut. They range from 1971 to 2003 and for the most part the sound quality is excellent.
I saw Springsteen at Roundhay Park in Leeds during the legendary Born In The USA tour of 1985 and although the show was in excess of three hours he didn't manage to squeeze in an Elvis song - big fan my arse! Even Springsteen's biggest detractors, who might argue that his voice isn't great, would be hard pressed not to acknowledge the quality of his E Street Band.
I was really looking forward to this album, intrigued to hear what sort of job Bruce would do on Elvis. Heartbreak Hotel from the Roxy in LA in '78 absolutely smoulders. The guitar, piano and sax are lowdown and dirty and it's possibly the greatest vocal performance I've ever heard from Bruce and I've got virtually everything he's cut. Blue Suede Shoes goes like the clappers and has all the vibrancy of the Boss at his best. He gives his best to Good Rocking Tonight and Wear My Ring Around Your Neck but the sound quality is poor.
Follow That Dream is supposedly the Boss' favourite Elvis song. You won't recognise the song when it starts, it sounds like something from Bruce's wrist-slashing Nebraska period but it's a builder as they say. Suspicious Minds and Can't Help Falling In Love with You (cut at Wembley three days before I saw him) are fine versions that stay true to the King's arrangements. His intro to the latter and the way he talks about the waste of Elvis' death is a lovely tribute. As is Mystery Train, dedicated to the late, great father of rock 'n' roll Sam Phillips, who'd just passed away. BS added that without him none of us would be here today, before giving it a great blues reading. Viva Las Vegas has the holiday gamblers well up for it and although the sound is ropy you can't fail to feel the excitement.
BS wrote Johnny Bye Bye about Elvis and before it starts he reminisces to the A Night For The Vietnam Veteran audience about being nine years old sitting in front of the tv set, and on came Elvis and thinking "I wanna be just like that." The slow version of CC Rider didn't work for me at all, devoid of any passion or excitement and I wasn't expecting much more from Love Me Tender but I actually enjoyed it a lot. Well worth checking out on the web, an excellent addition to the collections of Elvis and Springsteen fans alike.
Shaun Mather
Shaky@shaunmather.wanadoo.co.uk
January 2008
The Hydrant 2007 -
Rockabilly Live!
Tracklist: Sisir Opa, Show Time, Rockabilly Riot, Jalan-Jalan, Kakikukaku, Ku Jatuh Padamu, Rockin' A Rock, Pantai Surga, Taste Of Rock, Jump, Baby, Jump, Saturday Night, Shout
When Sam twiddled at the control panel as Elvis, Scotty and Bill laid the foundations for what was to become rockabilly they had no idea whether that sound would actually make it outside of the studio walls. History tells us that not only did it escape the studio
