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| VA: - A Rocket In My Pocket My new book is a history of rockabilly, because I’ve loved that music for damn near 40 years. The first album I ever bought, back in 1973, was a compilation with a mixture of rock’n’roll and rockabilly, including tracks by Wanda Jackson, Carl Perkins and Gene Vincent. When Ace Records first came along later that decade, I was blown away by the range and quality of the material they were issuing. Records like Ace’s landmark “Rockabilly Party” 10-inch LP from 1978, with sleevenotes by the great Ray Topping, which contained Hal Harris’ phenomenal unissued ‘Jitterbop Baby’ – purebred rockabilly with an unstoppably infectious groove riding along on top of some of the most perfectly recorded, echo-drenched slap-bass of all time. Over the years there’s been a wealth of class-A rockin’ material released on the label, so I’m genuinely delighted to have been asked to help compile a selection of the wildest rockabilly tracks for this collection, which is issued at the same time as the book. The story of rockabilly is largely one of individual recordings, rather than stars. Many great performances were laid down by unknowns whose careers were over almost before the ink dried on their record contracts. Yet the first pure rockabilly record ever made launched its teenage singer on the biggest and most successful career trajectory the music world has ever known. The five singles that Elvis, Scotty and Bill cut in Sam Phillips’ Sun Studios in 1954 and 1955 laid down the blueprint for the worldwide rock explosion of the 1950s, but also defined rockabilly for all time. What you have on this collection is Elvis and a selection of those who were chasing his shadow. The music came in various styles, from the largely acoustic-flavoured hillbilly strain to the flat-out screamers knocking hell out of any instruments within reach, but the focus with this particular selection is mostly on the wilder cuts: Dale Vaughn’s magnificent one-off for the tiny Von label, ‘How Can You Be Mean To Me’; Gene Maltais in the living room of a soundman in New Hampshire, hollerin’ his way through a berserk rendition of ‘The Raging Sea’; an unissued alternate take of Jackie Morningstar’s much-loved song about the joys of being belted over the head with a rock by a thing from beyond the grave, ‘Rockin’ In The Graveyard’. Youthful enthusiasm, urgent rhythms and stripped-down arrangements driven along by a slapping upright double bass; these were songs sung mostly by teenagers which dealt with all the essentials of the hepcat lifestyle: girls, cars, booze, dancing. Just like the punk explosion 20 years later, 50s rockabilly was a spontaneous outburst of spirited three-chord songs, in which the major companies had a stake, but there was still plenty of room for tiny record labels, primitive studios, fiercely partisan audiences and wild-eyed, driven performers who weren’t planning much farther ahead than the following week. They were chasing something you couldn’t ever quite catch up with, nail down or explain to your parents. Lightning in a bottle, a tiger by the tail, a rocket in your pocket. By Max Décharné (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2010 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - A Solitary Man - The Early Songs Of Neil Diamond If you’re a Neil Diamond fan, the latest entry in our songwriter series is a no-brainer must-have. For starters, it collects 11 of the songs Neil wrote during the 1963-1969 timeframe that is its purview, but has never himself recorded. Among the numbers he gave away are the Monkees’ ‘Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)’ (heard here in the unique mix used on the original television broadcast) and Jay & the Americans’ ‘Sunday And Me’. Deep Purple’s remake of Diamond’s ‘Kentucky Woman’ was a hit just a year after his own version. Heavy, man! Further covers from his impressive run of over 50 chart singles are represented, most in styles vastly different from his versions, the infinite adaptability a testament to the quality of the material. Tony Tribe was the first, in 1968, to cut a reggae rendition of ‘Red Red Wine’, UB40’s self-acknowledged template for their wildly successful release of the song a quarter-century later. Jackie Edwards’ performance of ‘Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon’ is so tender that the original sounds almost gruff by comparison. No matter how you feel about Neil Diamond, if you’re a femme-pop fan, you’re going to need this disc for the tracks by Lulu, Marcie Blane, Jan Tanzy, Sadina and Billie Davis. If you favour the fellas, Cliff Richard’s ‘Just Another Guy’ sounds like a cross between the Everly Brothers and Bobby Vee filtered through Dion, while Jimmy Clanton appropriates the slogan of American greeting-card company Hallmark, “When you care enough to send the very best”, to suit his romantic needs. Ronnie Dove delivers an uncharacteristically energetic performance on the horn-and-handclap-propelled ‘My Babe’ and Billy Fury makes the Pitney-esque ‘Where Do You Run’ his own. How do you like your soul music? Bobby Womack takes an expressive approach to ‘Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Felt So Good)’ that makes palpable the joy conveyed in the lyrics. Approaches as diverse as the Memphis sound (B.J. Thomas, the Box Tops and Arthur Alexander), Chuck Jackson-style big city soul (the Solitaires), and Motown (Four Tops, Jr Walker & the All-Stars) are all successful and satisfying. Adding still more diversity to the mix are the Rocky Fellers’ ‘We Got Love’, with their trademark marimba-driven Pacific Islander sound, and the surprisingly effective garage-rock stylings of the Music Machine and the Wanderer’s Rest, cementing the status of these songs’ universal appeal and versatility. If you didn’t think you were a Neil Diamond fan, it’s time to reassess your position, at least in terms of his formidable, diverse and affecting abilities as a songwriter. BY DAVID A YOUNG (ACE RECORDS) |
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Ace Records 2009 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - A Town North Of Bakersfield 25 tracks from the roots Americana, rockabilly, alt-country scene in the San Francisco Bay Area. |
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Cracked Piston | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - A Tribute To Black Knights - Rockers Of The Round Table hyvä kokoelma revival bändejä. Tribute levy ruotsalaiselle BLACK KNIGHTS yhtyeelle. Mukana myös härmäläistä väriä (Boothill Stompers, Greased Lightning ja Memphis). |
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Old Rock Records 2011 | CD | 15.00 € |
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| VA: - Ace Story Vol. 4 The five original volumes of “The Ace (MS) Story” were part of the backbone of our catalogue during our early days. They disappeared for a long while after our licensing agreement with Johnny Vincent expired, but we were delighted to restore three of the original five to catalogue in 2010 and 2011. Judging by their sales figures, we were not the only ones to be delighted. This fourth volume more than matches the quality of the first three. Some of its inclusions are among the rarest singles on any of Vincent’s labels. The advent of eBay and GEMM might have made some of them a little more accessible than they used to be, but the tracks by Johnny Angel, Dicky Williams, Albert Scott and Jesse Allen still command high prices. Among the less rare (but no less good) sides are seldom reissued cuts by New Orleans mainstays Huey Smith, Alvin “Red” Tyler and Eddie Bo, as well as no less than three classic Joe Tex cuts in best-ever sound! As with previous volumes in this series, the original 16 tracks of the vinyl edition have been augmented by eight other gems from Vincent’s vaults. These include Ace’s debut release (and the original of Little Richard’s ‘Slippin’ And Slidin’’), Al Collins’ ‘I Got The Blues For You’ and the label’s first-ever hit in Earl King’s ‘Those Lonely, Lonely Nights’. Collectors will also be thrilled to hear Huey Smith’s ‘Don’t You Know Yockomo’ at the same speed as the vinyl 45 for the first time on CD and the single master of Bobby Marchan’s ‘You Can’t Stop Her’ from a recently located tape source. In fact, all but three of these tracks are appearing here from transfers of the original tapes, some of which have only previously appeared from second or third-generation copy tapes. Great music in its greatest ever fidelity – what’s not to love? The original vinyl series concluded with a fifth volume, the expanded version of which should be with you towards the end of this year. The good news is that the CD series will be extended to incorporate a sixth and final volume containing rarities and unissued material that was not available to the compilers of the original vinyl series. Betcha can’t wait for that! By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2012 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Action ! The Songs Of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart The latest in our popular songwriter series spotlights Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, the duo whose instinctive marriage of folk-rock and pre-bubblegum teen pop created and defined the Monkees sound. Boyce and Hart each started out as teenage rock’n’rollers in late 1950s Los Angeles and first met in 1960. Their formative years are represented here with ‘Be My Guest’, written by Boyce for Fats Domino in 1959, ‘Beverly Jean’, one of the handful of Boyce compositions recorded by Curtis Lee and ‘Too Many Teardrops’, an early Bobby Hart solo single. By 1963 both had relocated toNew York, where they began writing as a team. They made their big breakthrough the following year with ‘Come A Little Bit Closer’, a Top 3 hit for Jay & the Americans, which helped land the twosome a contract with leading music publishers Screen Gems. They reached the peak of their success and creativity in 1966, writing for and producing the Monkees. Three of the group’s best recordings are here, and a further six songs popularised by them are featured in less-frequently heard, but equally good, mostly pre-Monkees versions, including ‘(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone’ by UK fuzz-beat combo the Flies and ‘She', an almost hit for Del Shannon. By the end of 1966 the Monkees had recorded nearly 50 titles, 21 of them Boyce and Hart songs – quite an achievement considering they were in competition with Carole King, Gerry Goffin and the rest of the Screen Gems stable. Apart from the duo’s joint compositions, the collection also features examples of their work with other co-writers. ‘Never Again’ by the Royalettes and ‘Hurt So Bad’, as defined by Little Anthony & the Imperials, stem from Bobby Hart’s spell collaborating with Teddy Randazzo. ‘Action’ – the theme for TV’s Where The Action Is, here by Paul Revere & the Raiders – and ‘Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day’ by Sir Raleigh & the Cupons represent Tommy Boyce’s brief partnership with Steve Venet. And Wes Farrell gets a look-in via three songs co-written with Boyce and Hart. Come 1969 Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were stars in their own right, with four hit singles and three albums to their name. This CD kicks off with ‘I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight’, a power-pop precursor from 1967 and the pair’s biggest hit as performers. By Mick Patrick (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2012 | CD | 20.00 € |
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| VA: - Ain't No Pity In Pseudonym City 25 rock and roll aliases |
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Fantastic Voyage 2010 | CD | 15.00 € |
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| VA: - All Kinds Of Highs - A Mainstream Pop-Psych 1966-70 2CD Between 1967 and 1970, New York’s Mainstream label, a respected imprint known principally for its high quality jazz and soundtrack catalogue, recorded and released over two dozen full-length rock albums. “All Kinds Of Highs: A Mainstream Pop-Psych Compendium 1966-70” collects the best moments from these records, along with selected highlights from Mainstream’s singles inventory of the same period. It was still an era where there was no guarantee that even a significant hit single would grant an artist the luxury of a long-playing disc. Yet, in an assiduous move, company president and A&R chief Bob Shad single-handedly traversed the nation to assemble a roster of unknown rock bands, have them quickly record LPs in the styles of the moment, and then throw it all up at the proverbial ceiling, to see what would stick. At the time, and for some years after, Shad’s rock’n’roll splurge was viewed, somewhat cynically, as emblematic of the industry’s gross exploitation of the baby-booming psychedelic milieu. As popular music got more self-consciously cerebral and the Rolling Stone mindset took over, the rock album had become a sacred totem, an instrument of the “serious” artist. Which no doubt precluded any of the Mainstream acts getting taken seriously. I always did, however. Back in the 80s, a Mainstream album, when you were lucky enough to spot one in the vinyl hostelries of London, was a fascinating curio. Intriguingly cryptic names such as the Bohemian Vendetta or Tangerine Zoo, emblazoned upon garish pop-art sleeves, stood out in the racks. My friend Tom (later in Th’ Faith Healers and Quickspace Supersport) and I vied with each other to “collect the set”, as it were, but truthfully, at the time, the Mainstream psychedelic albums seemed too few and far between, and I was frankly too broke. It wasn’t until I later moved to the US that I caught up on classics from the Tiffany Shade, Jelly Bean Bandits and Growing Concern and also started acquiring some of the numerous non-LP singles on Mainstream and its subsidiary Brent – many of which, by Fever Tree, Paraphernalia, the Country Gentlemen and suchlike, are true gems. It always struck me that Bob Shad was a kind of unwitting patron of pop-psychedelia, or at least a chronicler of American rock at a grass roots level. He had a knack for frequently choosing groups that had something a little out of the ordinary, whether it be in songwriting chops, instrumental abilities, or just a unique slant, that to revisionist ears is a most appealing aspect of the label’s rock legacy. Mainstream artists in this era touch equally on Anglophile pop, folk-rock, world music, country and vocal harmony, in often thrilling manner. It also occurred to me as I collected Mainstream releases that, while each album had merit, there were always tracks that stood out. Using the “Nuggets” precept, it made sense to gather all these strongest moments together. Thus we have “All Kinds Of Highs”, which focuses squarely and unapologetically on the pop-psych end of the spectrum, eschewing the hard rock or horn rock stylings of later Mainstream acts such as Last Nikle, Josefus etc. That can be someone else’s compilation – in the meantime, revel in the glorious, groovy miscellany assembled here. By Alec Palao (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2012 | CD | 23.00 € |
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| VA: - All Rebels Go ! compilation of swedish rockabilly |
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Ilen Records 2009 | CD | 15.00 € |
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| VA: - B-Seiten 1-CD, 20 page booklet, 20 tracks, playing time 49:23). This compilation presents treasures hidden by the hits, Country & Western, Pop, Rock 'n' Roll, Super stars from the 1950s and 1960s, including an early masterpiece by The Beatles, songs by top-class authors, hidden pearls, to be discovered. -- From 'flip' to hit - from a B-side to success: more often than expected in the history of rock and pop, things turned out differently. All of a sudden, a 45 B-side became a non-expected success. Sometimes alert dee jays did recognize the real potential of certain tunes, thus playing the flip-side rather than the A-side. Needless to say, this attention did not generally lead to big sales - but even without a listing in the charts numerous B-sides had style and class. Some turned into favorites by fans, critics and disc jockeys alike. - Bear Family Records is presenting a collection of 20 songs, tunes you would never get tired of because they stood in the shadow of the A-side. This compilation features B-sides by American top artists like Fats Domino, Ricky Nelson, Eddie Cochran, Connie Francis, Gene Pitney, and The Everly Brothers. And even The Beatles are here, under their early name, The Beat Brothers, then the unknown backing group of British performer Tony Sheridan. - Highly respected composers and authors like Pomus/Shuman, Greenfield/Sedaka, Oldham/Penn, and Pockriss/Vance wrote excellent songs. All these tracks were originally hidden on the flip sides of popular hits on 45s during the 1950s and 1960s. They all have in common that even today they have the quality to be (re-)discovered as treasures in sound. |
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Bear Family 2009 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Baby, How Can It Be ? 3CD 3CDs = 66 tracks |
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Dust To Digital 2010 | 2-CD | 40.00 € |
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| VA: - Beehives & Bumper Bullets - Country Girls Of The 1960s Released 24/05/10. Early country music, with the notable exception of The Carter Family, was a male dominated genre. By the 1940s a few female singers emerged but most fell into the cowboy sweetheart persona like Patsy Montana and Dale Evans. By the 1950s however things were beginning to change. Kitty Wells broke through in a bigway with It Wasn t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels and Patsy Cline became a big crossover star. Others like Wilma Lee Cooper and Jean Sheppard soon followed and by the 1960s the door had been kicked wide open by country girls like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Tracks 1 to 13 on this compilation features artists released on Nashville sBullet and Sur-Speed labels. Tracks 14 to 22 are releases from Nashville’s Spar Records, many produced by song writer Johnny Elgin who produced many of Spar’s country session. |
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T-Bird Records 2010 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Before The Fall - 24 Prelapsarian Cuts f evidence were needed that all music is connected, this collection could well be it. You might think Australian punk, proto-Krautrock and Sister Sledge could only co-exist on a compilation called “Now That’s What I Call Utterly Unrelated”, but actually, beyond “Before The Fall”’s basic conceit, a few fragile connections start to present themselves. Henry Cow acted as support on a Captain Beefheart tour. Beefheart’s style was significantly influenced by bluesmen such as Leadbelly. Leadbelly and Pete Seeger hung out in 40s New York. What else? ‘There’s A Ghost in My House’ and ‘Jungle Rock’ were both hits years after their original release. Fall fans wouldn’t automatically associate ‘The Mummy’ and ‘Transfusion’, yet listening to the originals reveals both as satire at the expense of the beatniks. ‘Transfusion’, like ‘Kimble’, owes much of its uniqueness to the innovative use of sound effects. ‘Kimble’ and ‘People Grudgeful’ are connected thanks to the fractious relationship between the artists concerned. ‘Grudgeful’ and ‘$ F--oldin’ Money $’ both play parts in stories of apparently unscrupulous label bosses. ‘$ F--oldin’ Money $’, ‘Rollin’ Danny’, ‘Transfusion’ and ‘Pinball Machine’ were all the work of artists who died before their time, some a little more before their time than others. It’s fun to spot these connections but, as a Fall fan, I wouldn’t pin too much significance on them. Mark E Smith covered Monks’ tracks without even knowing their titles. He’s covered others without, by his own admission, being able to track down the publishing rights, knowing all the lyrics, or in the case of ‘War’, even remembering the tune. So while in some cases these originals will seem very familiar to Fall fans – the relative commercial success of ‘There’s a Ghost In My House’ and ‘Victoria’ is probably attributable to the fact the Fall didn’t muck about with the originals too much, while Smith’s vocal on ‘Mr Pharmacist’ is remarkably similar to Jeff Nowlen’s original – others are interesting as starting points for very different Fall readings. These originals also demonstrate a lack of Smith snobbery towards music to which other contemporary bands would rapidly turn up their noses. Pop, blues, prog and daft novelties are all accorded the same respect, or lack of it. As a fan of 60s garage, the Monks, Other Half and Sonics cuts on this collection were very familiar to me, but the journey into other genres has been a bit of a revelation. The habit of lifting rocksteady/reggae melody lines for retooling on other tracks led to a diverting trip which started with ‘People Grudgeful’ and took in related tracks such as ‘Longshot’, ‘Jackpot’ and ‘People Funny Boy’. Comparing versions of ‘Bourgeois Blues’, dipping a toe into the ocean of trucking music – all of this I would never have found myself doing had it not been for the cross-genre nature of Mark E Smith’s eclectic tastes. By Dan Maier (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2011 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Behind The Closed Doors Where Country Meets Soul The line that separates the genres of country and soul music has never been a particularly thick one and over the decades there has been a healthy swapping of repertoire between the genres. Jimmie Rodgers, country music’s first superstar, established himself by putting a hillbilly spin on delta blues – and that was back in the late 1920s. Most 60s soul singers who grew up in the segregated American south in the 30s and 40s probably heard more country music on the radio than they did blues or jazz, as there was little to no radio programming devoted to music for black people. It’s therefore no surprise to find that there were so many classic adaptations of great country songs during the golden age of soul music. “Behind Closed Doors: Where Country Meets Soul” brings together 24 supreme spins on songs that were first recorded – usually successfully – by country artists. It’s not the first such compilation to do so but, if I say so myself, it’s the best one to date. As one who regards both genres to be of equal importance, and who collects both soul and country 45s, I can say with some certainly that nobody is going to be disappointed with the tracks in this top-notch compilation. (For those who might wish to check out the country originals after hearing them sung with soul, I have listed the first version of each song in the track-by-track annotations.) Where country meets soul can be a pessimistic and dark place. Songs such as ‘The Grand Tour’ or ‘Life Turned Her That Way’ are going to have a downbeat outlook whoever is singing them; they are as tailor-made for Aaron Neville and James Carr as they are for those who originally sang them for country audiences (George Jones and Little Jimmy Dickens), while Percy Sledge sings ‘Take Time To Know Her’ with the experience of someone who sounds like he lived every minute of its bleak narrative and provides this collection with an undisputed highlight. The place can also be optimistic and light, as Joe Simon’s wonderful version of the early Waylon Jennings hit ‘Yours, Love’ and Little Milton’s romping revamp of Charlie Rich’s ‘Behind Closed Doors’ show. Somewhere in the middle there’s Moses & Joshua Dillard’s tear ’em up take on ‘My Elusive Dreams’, a song usually sung in country circles in the maudlin manner of the original version by its writer Claude “Curly” Putnam. There are still a few people out there who have not yet come to regard soul and country as musical equals. Hopefully “Behind Closed Doors: Where Country Meets Soul” will help to right that wrong and lead to further understanding of why so many country songs have been turned into soul classics down the years. By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2012 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Berry Gordy - Motor City Roots 2009 is the 50th anniversary of the formation of the worlds most recognisable record label - Motown - and all through the year reissue CDs, major print articles and TV specials have celebrated the music of Berry Gordy. This compilation is the first ever attempt to gather together examples of Gordy's song writing and production skills in the late 1950s prior to the formation of his legendary label. This unique collection brings together many of the records that helped in the formation of Motown like Jackie Wilson's 'Reet Petite' written by Gordy and often cited as his first recorded composition along with Kenny Martin's version of 'My Love Is Coming Down' which is making it's CD debut. To top it off this set also features the earliest recordings of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles as well as those of Motown stalwarts, Marv Johnson, Eddie Holland and members of The Originals who sang with The Five Stars. |
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Jasmine Records 2009 | CD | 12.00 € |
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| VA: - Best Of Ripsaw Records Vol. 2 |
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Part Records 2012 | CD | 15.00 € |
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| VA: - Bless You California - More Early Songs By Randy Newman Following on from the success of “On Vine Street”, Ace’s first collection of compositions by Randy Newman, comes “Bless You California”. As with the previous volume, the focus is primarily on Newman’s early work for Metric Music, and once again there’s a diverse array of classics, near-misses and obscurities on offer here. Listening to the emerging talent of one of the world’s most gifted songwriters makes for a fascinating 67 minutes. It was during his tenure at Metric in the 1960s that Randy honed his writing skills. There’s clearly a brain ticking away here. Randy was still finding his songwriting niche and testing the musical waters by trying his hand at a wide range of genres. From soul ballads (Irma Thomas’ reading of ‘Anyone Who Knows What Love Is’) to widescreen Americana (‘Illinois’ from the Everly Brothers’ outstanding “Roots” LP), to the charming pre-rock innocence of the Fleetwoods (‘Ask Him If He’s Got A Friend For Me’), to the character sketches for which he would later achieve fame and notoriety (Duffy Power’s ‘(Davy O’Brien) Leave That Baby Alone’), you could never say Newman was stuck in a rut. There’s even a cocktail jazz instrumental in Martin Denny’s ‘Scarlet Mist’ – a new one to me, and a recording which maybe explains Randy’s brief spell writing for the TV Music Library at 20th Century Fox (or maybe it was the influence of his soundtrack-composing uncle Alfred, who penned the immortal Fox fanfare ident). In spite of this almost scattershot approach (“well, that didn’t work, let’s try this”), from the evidence here it’s possible to trace the emergence of one of the most idiosyncratic singer-songwriters of the 1970s. While the style-hopping may imply a certain lack of self-confidence, once Randy had found his lyrical voice (apparently with ‘Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear’, included on “On Vine Street”), he was off and running. The sardonic pops at society wrapped up in ‘The Debutante’s Ball’ (performed here by Liza Minnelli) and ‘Bless You California’ (the Beau Brummels) present a world-view unlike any other songwriter from the era. Still, even at this stage in his career he could turn his hand to a ballad as impossibly tender as ‘Snow’, perfectly suited to the none-more-fragile voice of Claudine Longet. Other highlights include Alan Price’s delightful and chortlesome near-throwaway ‘Tickle Me’ and Harry Nilsson’s breathtaking performance of ‘Cowboy’, culled from his “Nilsson Sings Newman” album and featuring one of the most resigned, world-weary vocals ever committed to tape. From the ridiculous to the sublime and all points between; this terrific collection is not just for Newman scholars, but stands as a perfect introduction to a unique talent. Any chance of a third volume? By Harvey Williams (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2010 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Bluelight Rockabillies Vol. 2 tulossa kesäkuun lopulla ! ennakkotilauksia otetaan jo vastaan. |
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Bluelight Records 2011 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Bluelight Rockabillies Vol. 3 tulossa kesäkuun lopulla ! ennakkotilauksia otetaan jo vastaan. |
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Bluelight Records 2011 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Bluelight Rockabillies Vol. 4 tulossa kesäkuun lopulla ! ennakkotilauksia otetaan jo vastaan. |
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Bluelight Records 2011 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Bluelight Rockabillies Vol. 5 tulossa kesäkuun lopulla ! ennakkotilauksia otetaan jo vastaan. |
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Bluelight Records 2011 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Bluelight Rockabillies Vol. 6 |
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Bluelight Records 2011 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Blues Belles with Attitude - from the Vaults Of Modern Recor As the 1940s turned into the 50s girls were supposed to sing about June and moon or the price of doggies in windows, but across town in the black juke joints a more raunchy sound could be heard. Here the girls taunted and challenged with R&B songs that spelled out far more basic emotions. The excitement generated caused many an indie record company to commit such performances to wax, knowing that jukebox sales would follow. The snag was no airplay. In America censorship was in full flow both in film and on the airwaves. This meant it was almost impossible to get major sales, which in turn means that these records are tough to find some 50+ years later. But here’s where we get lucky. The brothers Bihari, owners of Modern Records, not only recorded much of this genre, but they kept the acetates or tapes. As a result, Ace Records, who now own this material, have been able to put before you 28 tracks of early in-your-face female R&B, 18 of which are previously unissued and a further eight that have not seen prior CD release. The inspiration for this compilation was Cordella Di Milo sides, whose recordings we have released previously on a Johnny Guitar Watson CD as result of his stunning guitar backing. It dawned on us that this virtually unknown singer deserved to be featured on a collection of similarly aggressive female performances. This led to a trawl of the tracks held in the Modern files, which had not been previously issued or had not seen the light of day for over half a century. After filtering out the pop and smoother nightclub-style vocals, along with material used in the “Mellow Cats & Kittens” series, we were left with a fine collection of R&B, including some by artists of whom we know nothing, not even their names. After much research and speculation it was decided that the mystery tracks were worthy of issue even if the artists had to remain anonymous. They take their place for your enjoyment alongside stars like Little Esther and Helen Humes and lesser-knowns such as Edna Broughton and Pearl Traylor. Included are two of the best sides ever cut by Effie Smith, Jimmie Lee Cheatum’s only solo vocal and a host of other female talent, included in a mix of storming R&B and tough blues. Whether it’s Cordella De Milo telling you she ‘Ain’t Gonna Hush’, Effie Smith pronouncing ‘It’s Great To Be Rich’ or Pearl Traylor laying down ‘Daddy, Somebody’s Got To Go’, these Blues Belles have got attitude. By Ian Saddler (ACE RECORDS) |
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Ace Records 2009 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Bluesin' By The Bayou Hardly have we savoured the full taste of “Rhythm ’n’ Bluesin’ By The Bayou” than here comes another bucketful of steaming South Louisiana gumbo and this time it’s “Bluesin’ By The Bayou” – a spicy mix of guitars, harmonicas, and even the occasional accordion, accompanying those tales of despair or machismo that are the recipe for the blues. All the tracks stem from the studios of J.D. Miller in Crowley and Eddie Shuler in Lake Charles. These two men were wonders at spotting talent and getting the best out of the performers, as illustrated on the 28 tracks on this CD. Half of the songs are heard here for the first time, while the other half have appeared before on obscure 45s or long-deleted reissue LPs. Of the previously unissued numbers, some are alternate takes; they are not included just because they are alternates, but because they have something to offer and deserve to be heard. The three earlier CDs in the “…By the Bayou” series made you feel like dancing. This collection makes for more reflective listening; maybe you’ll pick a little air guitar along with Lightnin’ Slim et al as you drink in the atmosphere of a juke joint on a steamy Louisiana night. With blues giants Lightnin’ Slim, Lazy Lester, Slim Harpo and Lonesome Sundown augmented by lesser-known talents such as Silas Hogan, Jimmy Dotson, Joe Rich, Jimmy Anderson and Tal Miller, plus a touch of Zydeco from Clifton Chenier, Boozoo Chavis and Thaddeus Declouet, this is the first CD of its kind to be issued for many a moon. Europeans took real notice of the blues some 60 years ago when Big Bill Broonzy and Muddy Waters first crossed the Atlantic, but it wasn’t until a band of enthusiasts founded the groundbreaking Blues Unlimited magazine at the start of the 60s that we began to discover just how much of this music was out there and how many obscure records there were to collect. And here we are, 50 years down the line, and still learning. So, whether you are an old-school blueser or new to the genre, there is something here for you The ongoing joy of sifting through the tapes in the Miller vaults, which provide the backbone of this series, plus the hundreds of tracks already transferred, means that there will be more to come in the “…By The Bayou” series. Who knows what previously undiscovered gems may lie in the next unlabelled box to be opened. In the meantime, let’s get groovin’ to some downhome blues – pass the jug! By Ian Saddler (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2013 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Bo Diddley Is A Session Man - Studio Work 1955-1957 |
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Jerome Records 2009 | LP | 20.00 € |
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| VA: - Bo Diddley Is A Songwriter In his long and illustrious career, the late Ellas McDaniel portrayed his alter ego Bo Diddley as many things – a lover, a gunslinger, crazy, even a lumberjack would you believe (and as this is Bo we’re talking about, you would…) One thing that Bo seldom if ever proclaimed himself to be is ‘A Songwriter”. But over a period of 10 years, Bo crafted some of the most memorable songs of the rock ‘n’ roll and R & B era, including numerous Hall Of Fame perennials which many will be unaware are his songs. For instance, there can be few on this planet who’ve never heard at least one version of “Love Is Strange” – it was featured in ‘Dirty Dancing’, one of the most popular and biggest grossing films of all time, for goodness sake! How many of the thousands of young people who own that soundtrack album also know that the same man who wrote it also wrote “Mona” a 1990s UK chart topper for Craig McLachlan, and “No No No”, a Top 10 hit in 1993 for reggae artist Dawn Penn (both songs appear here, in other versions, under their real titles ‘I Need You Baby’ and ‘She’s Fine, She’s Mine’ respectively…). Not many, I’ll wager. Bo is so well known and loved as an R & B legend that his songwriting skills tend to get overlooked in comparison with his fabulous recordings. He may be seen by some as a left field entry in Ace’s ongoing ‘Songwriter Series’, but once the CD popped into the player, it won’t take but a few minutes (as his Chess colleague Chuck Berry once wrote) to realise that he’s here on merit, and not just because everyone at Ace loves Bo Diddley. Of course, anyone who lived through the R&B and British Beat boom will be familiar with any number of E. McDaniel copyrights – both those Bo wrote, and those that were written for him by others. And there’s considerably more variety to Bo’s songwriting than some might initially think. OK, so he did put together more numerous variations on the ‘shave-and-a-haircut, six-bits’ rhythm. But Bo’s catalogue of compositions also embraces doo-wop (‘I’m Sorry’), teen pop (‘Love Is Strange’, ‘Mama Can I Go Out’) proto-surf (‘Bo’s Bounce’), humour (‘Pills’) 12 bar blues (‘Before You Accuse Me’) straight ahead R&B (‘I Can Tell’, ‘Diddy Wah Diddy’) and so much more besides. As well as recording his songs, many of our stellar cast of artists were major league Bo fans and, indeed, most of those who are still around continue to be. The fact that the recordings on our CD span a period of 50 years gives a strong indication of the timelessness of his work as a writer – hardly surprising when his own early recordings still sound like they were recorded yesterday. If there’s still any shadow of doubt in your mind that Bo Diddley IS a songwriter, buy this CD immediately and let its contents rid you henceforth of such foolish supposition! By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2010 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Boogie Woogie Fever - Collectors Choice Vol. 5 |
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El Toro Records 2010 | CD | 12.00 € |
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| VA: - Boogiology - The Boogie Woogie Masters 2CD Boogie Woogie was and is an important popular music; many modern music historians talk of the longevity of Rap and Hip-Hop over the last quarter of a century, well, Boogie Woogie easily matched that. But this compilation is not a collation of tracks chosen as a dry, academic history of this great, rhythmic music; this is rather a lively menu, of more than fifty cuts that assisted in the Big Bang of that cultural explosion and were rewarded by selling well-enough to achieve the giddy heights of the national US black music chart. |
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Great Voices Of The Century 2009 | CD | 13.00 € |
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| VA: - Boppin' By The Bayou The Cajun people of the plains and swamps of South Louisiana are steeped in music with a raw edge. Prior to World War II the music of the bayous was Cajun; the only real changes were the shift from accordion to fiddle as the lead instrument. The war changed all that. The thousands of Cajun men who served, many of them musicians, were exposed to other music forms; the influences – most notably blues and rhythm, as it was then called, and hillbilly – crept into their songs. As the 1940s progressed into the 50s, small independent record companies sprang up to record this rural music, which was largely being ignored by major labels. Local radio stations started to play it and the jukebox became a major entertainment in bars and diners where the owner couldn’t afford a live band, or just between sets. The most prominent of these new record companies were Goldband and Folk-Star founded by Eddie Shuler, and the Fais-Do-Do and Feature banners of J.D. Miller. These were joined by the Khoury’s and Lyric labels of George Khoury. They all started out as vehicles for Cajun and hillbilly music but soon added blues and R&B artists to their rosters. Dance music had always been the backbone of the Cajun way of life. As traditional bands added heavier rhythms, string basses and drums, their tunes became all the more exciting. South Louisiana – and particularly its youth – like the rest of America, was ready to take the next step. The catalyst was Elvis Presley. When he stepped in front of the microphone at Radio KWKH for his first Louisiana Hayride broadcast on 16 October 1954, a torch was lit in the hearts of young Cajuns, as it was in the primarily working class youth across the rest of the USA. Rock’n’roll had arrived and all of the artists on this CD would play a part, revelling in it and giving it a distinctive sound – the sound of the bayous. The first record companies were quick to add these new artists to their rosters and were soon joined by Jin/Swallow (founded by Floyd Soileau), Hammond (Luke Thompson), Carl (Jake Graffagnino), Hilton (Hilton McCrory) and a plethora of smaller outfits and one-shot deals. The music produced – whether categorised as rockabilly, swamp pop or Cajun bop – has an added element in coming from this area. Rock’n’roll was already an amalgam of earlier styles; the Louisiana melting pot added its own spice to the gumbo. This CD is the first in the “Boppin’ By The Bayou” series which will focus on these music forms. The concept has been given added depth by a deal struck with the family of the late J.D. Miller, which allows us to include previously unreleased material. Plus, with new technology, we’ll be reinvigorating tracks discovered by the sterling work of Bruce Bastin and Flyright some 35 years ago. There will also be a “Bluesin’ By The Bayou” series featuring jump blues and R&B. By Ian Saddler (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2012 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Boppin' By The Bayou Again A SECOND DIP into the gumbo that was South Louisiana’s take on rock’n’roll in the 50s and early 60s, the spicy mix of rockabilly and Southern rockers, heavily influenced by the sounds of R&B wafting from New Orleans and a lifetime of Cajun music. Following the success of the first CD we are pleased to bring you another compilation full of the obscure and previously unissued. Most of our artists are Cajun born and bred. They grew up in the world where live music was a release from a tough existence: fishing, farming or toiling in the oil fields – but also reflected it. Hence Cajun music was split almost entirely into two genres: raucous good-time dance music or the sentimental, almost wrist-slitting ballads of broken hearts. The advent of rock’n’roll put a modern twist to these themes; the uptempo rockers had the teenagers a-hoppin’ and a-boppin’ and the songs of shattered love were often the basis of swamp pop. In this series we are concentrating on the former, but it is highly likely that swamp pop collections could follow. This disc brings you more goodies from Al Ferrier, Johnny Jano, Pee Wee Trahan (aka Tommy Todd), Jay Chevalier, Rod Bernard, Warren Storm, Rocket Morgan and Vince Anthony, all of whom appeared on the first Boppin’ By The Bayou (Ace CDCHD1345), plus treats from Mickey Gilley, Gene Terry, Jim Oertling, Perry LaPointe, Milton Allen, Rusty Kershaw, Cajun Joe, Tony Perreau, J. C. Politz, Bert Bradley, Glenn Owens, Robert Owens, Wiley Jeffers and a previously unheard group (I believe) called The Teen Hearts. We have been able to present 28 tracks, 12 of which are previously unissued, through our special access to the tapes of the late J. D. Miller, the late Eddie Shuler and our good friend Floyd Soileau. I have been fortunate enough to travel the highways of South Louisiana and that Cajun corner of South East Texas, meeting many of the artists and forging deals with label owners such as Luke Thompson (Hammond) Carl Graffagnino (Carl) and Sarah Rentz (Pel). Oh yes, there are others in the pipeline so we plan further issues with absolutely no drop of standard. Following in the footsteps and, thanks to improved digital transfer techniques, building on the pioneering work of John Broven, and of Bruce Bastin of Flyright Records, we are capturing the raw energy of a music form peculiar to a relatively small but hugely influential area of the United States of America. For those who are also who are also bitten by the bug of rockin’ blues and R&B from South Louisiana, keep a watch for the sister series featuring those genres, the first of which Rhythm’n’Bluesin’ By The Bayou is slated for imminent release. By Ian Saddler (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2013 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Born to Be Wild-The Country & Rockabilly Roots Of Ray Campi |
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El Toro Records 2011 | CD | 15.00 € |
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| VA: - Boy Meets Girl TV Shows Vol. 1 This historic release of original live TV recordings by British /American Rock and Roll legends is a fine complement to anyone's collection of the classic Dreamboats and Petticoats series. For the first time ever two complete Boy Meets Girls TV Shows from the 16th and 23rd February 1960 which have been digitally remastered from the original soundtrack recordings, featuring many previously unreleased songs by the compare Marty Wilde and guests including Billy Fury, Michael Cox, Johnny Gentle and the Vernon Girls. Also, taking time out from his UK tour, special guest rockstar Eddie Cochran who is accompanied by Joe Brown and the Firing Squad, the same musicians who backed Billy Fury on his famous 1960 10" rockabilly LP ? 'The Sound of Fury'. The show also includes introductions and some very interesting interviews with some of the artists. There are also four bonus tracks from various shows between late 1959 and early 1960 by Johnny Cash, Gene Vincent, Ronnie Hawkins and the show's cast which feature Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Joe Brown, Adam Faith and Jess Conrad. The CD contains a twelve page booklet which includes many original photos from the shows some not seen before and liner notes by Derek Genister. |
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Rockstar Records 2013 | CD | 19.00 € |
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| VA: - Boys Can Be Mean 2CD 60 Fabulous Femme Pop recordings 1961-67 featuring The Shangri-Las, Gladys Knight, The Dixie Cups, Betty Everett, Ellie Greenwich, Shelley Fabares and many more. Package includes a 20-page memorabilia-laden booklet, informative liner notes plus a hidden bonus track. Following on the kitten heels of Charly’s critically acclaimed Shangri-Las: Remember… [SNAX625CD] and Red Bird Story [SNAX626CD], comes a stunning 2CD compilation of US Femme Pop gems from the Red Bird, Vee-Jay, Sound Stage 7, Black Pearl, Fire and Fury labels. Comprising solo thrushes and girl groups, R&B divas and teen angels, Boys Can Be Mean is as sensational a set of 60s songbirds as one could hope to find. The genre continues to influence and captivate contemporary pop and fashion; the late Amy Winehouse cited The Shangri-Las among her favourites, while Grammy Award-winning Adele’s musical bloodline has much in common with white Soul singers such as Evie Sands and deep soul greats like Bessie Banks. Boys Can Be Mean runs the gamut of teen emotion from despair to elation with stone classics such as ‘Gettin’ Mighty Crowded’ (Betty Everett), ‘Letter Full Of Tears’ (Gladys Knight & The Pips), ‘Please Don’t Go’ (Yvonne Carroll) with lesser-heard but no less-angsty contributions from Tracey Dey, Melinda Marx and The Clinger Sisters . Combining collector’s favourites with a helping of Hot 100 hits, this set also includes 14 rare recordings not previously available on CD plus several making their first official reissue release, among them Barbara Green, The Angelos and Judy Thomas. The set also features a hidden bonus track new-to-CD. |
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Snapper Music 2012 | CD | 10.00 € |
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| VA: - Brave New Surf Welcome to Brave New Surf, a showcase for the amazing new sounds of surf music. Here is undeniable evidence that the surf genre is not only still alive but thriving. The past four years have been extraordinarily fruitful in both the number and the quality of new releases. The best of these new tracks – many compiled for you here – can stand toe to toe with the very best of the 1960s. The songs on this CD testify to a love affair between the musicians and their music. Surf musicians are not in this for the money – almost all have to keep their day jobs – but, rather, because of a deep passion for the music. For them, life is much more satisfying if some part of it is spent playing in a surf band. This passion is shared by an increasingly international community, reaching almost every corner of the world. The bands on this compilation come not only from North America, but also South America and Europe, these two continents emerging in the past decade as real hotbeds of surf music activity. Surf music has never been so vibrant, so diverse, so charged with energy and excitement. It’s time for the new surf classics. It’s time for BRAVE NEW SURF! |
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Double Crown Records 2011 | CD | 15.00 € |
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| VA: - British Beat Before The Beatles 3CD Loistava kokoelma BRITTI ROCKIA JA BEATia ajalta ennen the Beatlesia 1955-1962 |
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EMI Records 2010 | CD-Box | 29.00 € |
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| VA: - British Rock'n'Roll At Decca Vol. 4 1954-1962 |
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Vocalion 2009 | CD | 15.00 € |
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| VA: - Bullett Records: Jump, Blues & Ballads |
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Blue Label 2010 | CD | 12.00 € |
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| VA: - C'est Chic ! This time last year we were frantically preparing for the release on Big Beat International of Sheila Burgel’s “Nippon Girls: Japanese Pop, Beat & Bossa Nova 1966-1970” compilation (CDWIKD 288). The CD ended up drawing a very favourable reception, particularly from hip young sophisticates with a yen for something edgy and different to inspire them on the dance-floor. For the inaugural issue on our new Ace International imprint we stray a little less far from home, hopping just over the Channel to France, epicentre of the 1960s yé-yé girl phenomenon. Comprising 24 tracks by 20 acts, “C’est Chic!” features many of the premier female vocalists to emerge from France during the 60s. Also included are a few French-singing non-nationals, such as Cairo-born Liz Brady, Danish actress Anna Karina and ultra-chic half-French Londoner Louise Cordet, the girl who taught Paul McCartney to hully gully. Of all the yé-yé girls, only the exquisite Françoise Hardy was afforded the privilege of consistent British releases throughout the 1960s. Her catalogue is so consistently excellent that almost any of her recordings could have graced this collection. The pragmatic fatalism of ‘Voilà’ and the baroque loveliness of Nirvana’s ‘Tiny Goddess’, translated as ‘Je Ne Sais Pas Ce Que Je Veux’ by the lady herself, clinched their inclusion. Adorable cover girl France Gall, cult favourite Jacqueline Taïeb and top Gallic girl group Les Gam’s are also represented by two titles apiece. The majority of the songs here are French compositions, but not all; astute listeners will recognise some in their original English language versions. ‘We Got A Thing That’s In The Groove’ (a hit for US soul group the Capitols), ‘I’m Going Out With The Girls’ (original version: Barbara Chandler), ‘Laugh At Me’ (Sonny Bono), ‘Around And Around We Go’ (Lonnie Jay & the Jaynes), ‘He’s In Town’ (the Tokens) and ‘The Sha La La Song’ (Marianne Faithfull) are given a distinctive French twist by Charlotte Leslie, Les Surfs, Sheila, Louise Cordet, Ria Bartok and Marie Laforêt respectively. Co-compiler Malcolm Baumgart and I are currently immersed in the music of the yé-yé girls of Italy and Spain with a view to future Ace International releases. Also in the works is a collection of the compositions of Serge Gainsbourg, enfant terrible of the yé-yé generation, from whose vast catalogue ‘Roller Girl’ by Anna Karina, ‘Non, A Tous Les Garçons’ by Michèle Torr and ‘Laisser Tomber Les Filles’ by France Gall are among this groovy set’s other highlights. If the latter sounds familiar, you may have experienced it on a Tarantino soundtrack translated as ‘Chick Habit’ by April March. “C’est Chic!” comes with a gorgeously illustrated 24-page booklet featuring a 5,000 word track-by-track commentary. Much of the information was sourced from the Ready Steady Girls! website, a must-visit for all devotees of female yé-yé: www.readysteadygirls.eu By Mick Patrick (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2010 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Califia - The Songs Of Lee Hazlewood This is the latest addition to our high profile Songwriter series. Comprising familiar Lee Hazlewood fan favourites and scarcer titles in equal measure, the set spans Sanford Clark’s Top 10 hit of 1956 ‘The Fool’ (built on a memorable contribution from guitar wizard Al Casey) to 1970’s German language interpretation of ‘And I Loved You Then’ by transcontinental pop princess Peggy March (a song familiar to buffs via Lee's recording on his “13” LP). No such compilation would be complete without Nancy Sinatra and axe-meisters Duane Eddy and Al Casey, with each of whom Lee was inextricably linked. They’re all here. Hazlewood mavens should lap up the titles by the Darlenes, the Hondas, Rose & the Heavenly Tones (produced by Sly Stone, no less) and Lee’s frequent collaborator Suzi Jane Hokom (who gets two collectable cuts, including a duet with him), each of which is new to CD. One of pop’s genuine originals, Hazlewood is lionised by luminaries such as Primal Scream, Beck, the Jesus & Mary Chain, Pulp, Lydia Lunch and Sonic Youth. In 1999 he performed at the Nick Cave-curated Meltdown Festival on London’s South Bank backed by members of the High Llamas and Stereolab, while the “Total Lee!” tribute album of 2002 had the indie cognoscenti tripping over each other to record his compositions. Hazlewood was a uniquely versatile songwriter, equally capable of turning his hand to pop, country, psychedelia, R&B, folk, easy listening, burlesque, blues or twangin’ rock’n’roll – dig Don Cole’s wild ‘Snake Eyed Mama’ and Al Casey & the Bats’ reverb-drenched ‘(Got The) Teenage Blues’. His songs are truly beyond categorisation. He was also a pioneer in the mysterious art of record production and taught a thing or two to the teenaged Phil Spector, who hung around paying close attention while Hazlewood crafted magnificently cavernous guitar instrumentals for Duane Eddy. Of the 25 tracks on “Califia”, Lee wrote each one and produced all but four. As a performer, Hazlewood possessed an instantly recognisable bass drawl perfectly suited to his lyrical tales of low-rent heartache, self-deprecating comedy, picturesque nostalgia and mystical cowboy psychedelia. He sings on four cuts on this collection, including the folksy Shacklefords’ recording of ‘The City Never Sleeps At Night’, a song written specifically for Nancy Sinatra. As Dionne Warwick was to Burt Bacharach and Petula Clark to Tony Hatch, Nancy was Lee’s perfect muse. Theirs was a partnership created one velvet morning in pop heaven. The expansively orchestrated opening duet ‘Lady Bird’ – just one of the many masterpieces they made together – was personally selected for this compilation by the lady herself. A companion volume of Lee Hazlewood-penned instrumentals is also in the Ace pipeline, so watch this space. Meanwhile, check out the others in our Songwriter series, which include compilations based on the works of Randy Newman, Jackie DeShannon, Neil Diamond, Goffin & King, Bo Diddley, Burt Bacharach and many more. By Mick Patrick (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2010 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Campus Boogie - Collectors Choice Vol. 2 |
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El Toro Records 2009 | CD | 12.00 € |
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| VA: - Can't Live Without Rockin' |
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Collector Records 2012 | CD | 15.00 € |
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| VA: - Carnival Northern Soul n the early 60s, through the auspices of Choker Campbell, Joe Evans spent seven months living in one of Berry Gordy’s old houses in Detroit. He was playing with the Funk Brothers on recording dates, performing concerts in local auditoriums and touring the country with the first Motown Revue. This experience showed him how successful black music could become and he took the Hitsville set-up as a blueprint for his own Carnival label. Undoubtedly Joe learnt a lot from his Detroit stay and this CD captures most of his Motown moments. The Manhattans were his “children” whom he nurtured from their inception. When they left Carnival for what they thought was a bigger company (but was merely a revival of the old Deluxe label) it tore the heart out of his dream and his company. Joe Evans’ recent autobiography recalls the tragedy of George “Smitty” Smith’s death from a brain haematoma in 1970; it also reveals that it is Joe playing the flute on the group’s ‘There Goes A Fool’, featured here. It is the lesser acts that get the most tracks on this CD. Newark schoolteacher Phil Terrell only ever recorded three singles and all were on Carnival. ‘Love Has Passed Me By’ was a huge record for me at the 100 Club in the mid-80s and his other two contributions ‘I’ll Erase You (From My Heart)’ and ‘I’m Just A Young Boy’ are so good they will surely have their day soon. The Pretenders also get a trio of tracks and they start with a storming version of the Manhattans’ biggest 60s hit ‘I Wanna Be (Your Everything)’ before morphing into a classic 70s “modern soul” group with ‘I Call It Love’ (also ex-Manhattans) and the Kent exclusive, previously unreleased (until 1995) shuffler ‘A Broken Heart Cries’. Phil Terrell was brought to the label by Manhattan Winfred “Blue” Lovett who also attracted Norma Jenkins and the Lovettes to the stable. The Lovettes regularly backed the Manhattans and other artists and could veer from the shimmering and seductive stomping sound of ‘Little Miss Soul’ to the plaintive and pretty ‘I Need A Guy’. Blue was a heck of a song writer, the most “on the fours” influenced of all the Carnival composers and he delivered a catchy, soulful ‘Me, Myself And I’ for Norma Jenkins that really should have launched her career. More motor city links are revealed on the Pets ‘I Say Yeah’, written by Joe along with the pre-Golden World label Parliaments. They later turned the music world around with their Cosmic funk. Southerner Little Royal later showed his funky side but in 1967 he was all Stax grit and grits, not unlike New Jersey brother Kenneth Ruffin whose ‘Cry, Cry, Cry’ a year later also had that brass-laden Memphis groove. Jimmy Jules was the epitome of the itinerant musician who started out in Louisiana but took in New York, Denver, LA and Colorado Springs, among many other places that offered his cookin’ band some live music action. His self-penned ‘Don’t Let Yourself Go’ was either recorded in NJ or NO or both, depending on whose story you plump for. The main thing is, it’s a fine slab of soul. The small (two releases) Chadwick label is represented by both its great 1966 dancers from the Metrics with ‘Wishes’ and the Topics with ‘Hey Girl (Where Are You Going)’, while Florida’s Turner Brothers turn up with a song by George Kerr’s oppo Gerald Harris whose ‘My Love Is Yours Tonight’ is a really great record. Joe Evans remembers being approached by Ace Records in the 90s with a view to re-releasing his catalogue onto CD. He asked director Trevor Churchill whether he was the same guy who used to write to him in the 60s for record release information, and was answered in the affirmative. Knowing Joe as I do now, I’m pretty sure that would have clinched the deal, and deservedly so. By Ady Croasdell (ACE RECORDS) |
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Ace Records 2009 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Cliff Heard Them Here First Although the majority of Cliff Richard’s hits have come with songs written expressly for him, or that he was the first to cut, the outside repertoire that he has recorded throughout his career has been more interesting than the choices of many of his contemporaries. Sir Cliff was not the only home-grown rocker to cover US material but, unlike his peers, he seldom went into a studio and simply made over the latest fast-rising American hit. With the help of his long time A&R man and producer Norrie Paramor, Cliff found a formidable number of fantastic songs hidden away on obscure US 45s and albums unavailable here. Having previously celebrated the good taste in covers of his early hero in “Elvis Heard It Here First”, Ace felt it only fair to follow up with a companion volume that does likewise for the Peter Pan of pop. The tracks selected for “Cliff Heard Them Here First” show just how broad Cliff’s tastes were. Most of his early singles featured original songs, but the material on to his many albums was something else again. “Cliff Heard Them Here First” brings you the original versions of two dozen songs which found their way into Cliff’s discography, ranging from gospel-influenced R&B (Ruth Brown’s ‘Somebody Touched Me’) to rockin’ doo wop (the Jayos’ ‘Tough Enough’), and from ultra-obscure west coast teen pop (Pete Votrian’s ‘We Have It Made’) to a little known Elvis Presley track (‘Angel’). The booklet reflects the importance of the music that’s preserved here, with copious notes, label shots and ephemera for each track. All but one is new to Ace CD and several of them have never been reissued before in any format. Although the majority of our tracks stem from the first ten years of Cliff’s recording career, there are also examples of songs that Cliff came across and recorded in the early 70s, which show that his ear for a good song and a great record have never deserted him. These tracks have stood the test of time as well as Cliff’s own career. “Cliff Heard Them Here First” is our salute to the man and the great taste he showed in embracing these songs. By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2013 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Clix Records Story 31 tracks |
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Pulstar Records 2011 | CD | 15.00 € |
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| VA: - Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn Nashville, TN – A galaxy of stars from throughout the world of music will celebrate Country Music Hall of Fame member and GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award winner Loretta Lynn, as Columbia Nashville prepares for the November 9 release of Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn. With participating artists and additional information still to come, the album coincides with an array of 50th anniversary celebratory events, including the September 2010 paperback re-issue of Lynn’s 1976 bestselling memoir, Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner’s Daughter. This October, The Recording Academy will host GRAMMY Salute to Country Music, a star-filled tribute concert honoring Lynn at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, where she’ll be presented with The Recording Academy’s President’s Merit Award in recognition of her enduring contributions to country music. Earlier this year, her landmark song, “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” was one of only 25 sound recordings chosen in 2010 for preservation within the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress, which annually honors a select group of recordings for their cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance. About Loretta Lynn A true icon of country music and American culture, Loretta Lynn, the Coal Miner’s Daughter, is this year celebrating the 50th anniversary of her debut single. A recipient of the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award and a three-time GRAMMY winner and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Lynn’s career began with the 1960 success of her debut single, “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl.” The event marked not only the arrival of her distinct voice as both songwriter and performer, but also launched a musical legacy that has included 16 #1 singles, including such classics as “One’s on the Way,” “Don’t Come Home a’Drinkin’ (with Lovin’ on Your Mind),” and her signature song, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” That song also shared its name with Lynn’s bestselling 1976 autobiography and the Academy Award winning 1980 film starring Sissy Spacek. Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner’s Daughter is being re-issued in paperback by Vintage Books in September, with a new foreward by Lynn. Random House Audio will simultaneously release the audio edition on CD and digital download, with narration by Spacek. This October, The Recording Academy will host GRAMMY Salute to Country Music, when Lynn will be honored at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium with a star-studded tribute concert and a presentation of The Recording Academy’s President’s Merit Award in recognition of her remarkable career and contributions to country music. |
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Sony Music 2010 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Collectors Choice Vol. 3 - Firecracker Stomp Welcome to the third volume in El Toro's new series of Collector's Choice compilations, making available rarely heard and seldom reissued tracks from the 45 and 78 shelves of 1950s record collectors. Dave Penny's first set in the series features Hillbilly Bop and the more rural sounds from the Rockabilly spectrum. 12 page booklet with interesting notes and rare pictures. Label shots from each one of the releases featured. |
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El Toro Records 2009 | CD | 12.00 € |
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| VA: - Columbia Crossovers late fifties and early sixties country. 36 page booklet |
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Classics Records 2012 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Come Together - Black America Sings Lennon & McCartney The unanimous acclaim for and success of Ace’s recent ‘How Many Roads: Black America Sings Bob Dylan” project pretty much guaranteed a follow-up at some point. Its release immediately instigated a high level of consumer interest in whether or not we were planning any further volumes in the series. Truth to tell, it wasn’t meant to be a series originally, but the suggestion of Black America singing other notable rock icons of the 60s was too good to ignore. So it is that we now present a selection of interpretations by leading black American artists of the compositions of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. John and Paul’s songs perhaps did not carry the same degree of social significance for black Americans as those of Mr Zimmerman, but their superlative knack for words and music inevitably made each new Beatles album a potential source of future hits for others. It’s therefore no surprise to find enough superb examples to fill a few volumes. Here we present two dozen of their best-known songs sung by many of the leading names in soul from the 60s and 70s. As with the Dylan set, you’ll find the obvious (Otis Redding’s reconstruction of ‘Day Tripper’ and Aretha’s from-the-heart essay on ‘Let It Be’) rubbing shoulders with the blindingly obscure (West Coast blues giant Lowell Fulson wondering ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road’ and sweet soul quartet the Moments’ totally unexpected take on ‘Rocky Raccoon’). Unlike many pop songwriters, Lennon and McCartney reached out to a broad spectrum of black artists; you won’t find too many compilations where New Orleans’ rockin’ R&B man Fats Domino and his 60s near-namesake Chubby Checker feature alongside Motown’s first lady Mary Wells and king of 70s soul Al Green, and do so in such a seamless way. The common factor among all these covers is that they are never less than interesting. John and Paul are not on record as having expressed an opinion on too many versions of their songs, but we’d be willing to bet that the ones included here would have entertained them more than most. As always, the CD comes to you with a booklet featuring a huge amount of illustrative material and generous song-by-song annotations covering who wrote what (or most of what). We had originally thought that we might include versions of some Harrisongs as well, but in the end there was more than enough Lennon and McCartney material to fill this disc and more besides, so George will have to wait until another day and another CD. By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2011 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Complete Goldwax Singles Vol. 2 1966-1967 This second volume is the label’s golden period, where classic southern soul 45s poured out and James Carr cemented his place in the pantheon of great soul singers with a series of releases that are simply jaw-dropping. However Goldwax’s owners worked hard to diversify, in the hope that it wouldn’t suddenly be caught in the cold by a sudden change in musical fashion. 1966-7 was when James Carr released five singles. The run of the first four A-sides ‘You’ve Got My Mind Messed Up’, ‘Love Attack’, ‘Pouring Water On A Drowning Man’ and ‘Dark End Of The Street’ are peerless, and it is almost unbelievable that they were a consecutive run of singles. The Ovations also released some superb 45s throughout this period as did number two soul man Spencer Wiggins, who served up the sublime ‘Uptight Good Woman’, among others. There are also brilliant slices of southern soul from Percy Milem, Eddie Jefferson, George (Jackson) and (Dan) Greer and Barbara Perry. Part of the fun of a complete singles set are the oddities and one-offs that come up. Here are excursions into garage rock, with the respected local Memphis group the Yo Yos aping the sounds of the British Invasion, who were influenced by the sounds of America in the first place. It also sees the start of an attempt to move into the country market with records by Kathy Davis and Carmol Taylor, which led to the launch of a new label – Timmy – specializing in this type of music. The singles usually included one side of the sort of country ballads that are a close relation to the deepest southern soul. They are a pleasure to hear and are reissued for the very first time. There is also a wider sense of the R&B and soul world beyond the impassioned voices of Carr and Wiggins: OB McClinton released his final, Ernie K Doe-sounding 45; there is a typical Memphis instrumental from Gene “Bowlegs” Miller; and an attempt or two by Ivory Joe Hunter to rekindle his career. The veteran star’s 40s and 50s recordings were very much favourites of Elvis Presley, and Hunter was based in Memphis throughout the 60s. Goldwax’s golden age was when their main star was regularly in the charts and their recordings were hailed as great. These were always strong enough to stand alone. What is fascinating is to hear them in context of what was going on around them. By Dean Rudland (ACE RECORDS) |
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Ace Records 2009 | CD | 25.00 € |
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| VA: - Complete Goldwax Singles Vol. 3 2CD The third volume of the Goldwax singles is the story of music industry decline. If not exactly riches to rags – Goldwax sales were never that good – it is the tale of an independent label slowly losing its way in an increasingly difficult environment. This was not just about a failure to sign talent, but about changes within the business, and that meant that it became more difficult for regional independents to survive and thrive. The company's peak year was probably 1967. Musically James Carr and Spencer Wiggins were at the top of their game, whilst the Ovations continued to record great records. New talent such as Willie Walker entered the fray and label owners Quinton Claunch and Doc Russell were confident enough to start the country music imprint Timmy to showcase talent as good as Carmol Taylor and Jeanne Newman. However distributor Bell had no real clout in the country market and the new label’s outpit fell on deaf ears, or more likely wasn’t even played to them. Other signs of how tough it was was the licensing out of various singles by ‘Ivory’ Joe Hunter and Willie Walker to Veep and Chess respectively – which Quinton now admits was to tide the label over cash flow shortages. In 1968 things were not improving. Although James Carr continued to make records of amazing quality, sales began to decline and, even more worryingly, James became increasingly difficult to entice into the studio and onto the road to promote his records. Inexplicably strong 45s by Wiggins failed to make the charts and it began to look as if the struggle was never going to get easier. Of course all this wasn’t helped by the way that the industry was developing, with a more centralised, major-orientated distribution network taking hold, and the church-based southern soul sounds that had formed the core of Goldwax’s sales beginning to seem old-fashioned, even in the local market. Memphis’ big soul sellers into the 1970s would be the orchestrated masterpieces of Isaac Hayes and the smoother sound of Hi’s Al Green. The label was effectively over by 1969 and completely over by 1970. The artists had moved on, been sold on or simply left without a label. The final side on Goldwax was James Carr’s ‘Everybody Needs Somebody’ a country soul ballad of exceptional quality, and is typical of how high the quality remains throughout volume three of “The Complete Goldwax singles.” There are errors and side-steps, but until the day the doors swung shut for the final time the sounds of the label were almost always a joy to the ears. This is southern music at its’ very best. Dean Rudland (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2010 | CD | 23.00 € |
