Long before Motown Records put Detroit on the musical world map, Fortune Records was the label that captured the raw rockabilly and wild rock 'n' roll from Detroit on record. From the late 1940s to the mid-1960s, Fortune Records produced songs characterized by striking directness and immense rawness. The recordings were not polished, and country, rockabilly, rock 'n' roll, and rhythm & blues were committed to vinyl with that mindset. As a result, these recordings have lost none of their persuasive power today, thanks to their directness and energy.
Fortune launched an impressive array of artists, including the York Brothers, Johnny Powers, Pete DeBree, Roy Hall, and Andre "Bacon Fat" Williams.
The recordings from both Fortune Records and the sub-labels Hi-Q and Strate 8, which you will find on this CD, were recorded with a fixed house band, whose musicians changed quite frequently. One of the most important musicians was guitarist Eddie Jackson, partly responsible for the typical Fortune sound. This compilation also contains incredibly rare songs, including ‘Blues I Can’t Hide’ by Eddie Jackson, the only release on his Caravan label.
The CD starts immediately with a classic, namely ‘Rock The Universe’ by Dell Vaughn & The Fortune Aires, recorded in 1958. A track that immediately highlights Fortune’s energetic and raw sound. From then on, the tone is set for 28 fiery rock ‘n’ roll and rockabilly, both vocal and instrumental. Energetic songs performed by wildly lashing-out artists, accompanied by tight bands with skillful contributions on lead guitar and sax.
Kenny Land & His Bull Dogs take things down a notch in ‘Columbus Stockade Blues’. Not for long, however, as we are back at top speed with the instrumental ‘The Roll’ by Butch Vaden & The Nite Sounds. Pay special attention to that tearing sax. The saxophone also takes center stage in the equally instrumental ‘Long Walk’ by The Catalinas. Sublime! Guitar and saxophone complement each other perfectly in another fine instrumental, namely ‘J & D Hop’ by Jim Myers & The Regan with The Gems. A pure guitar instrumental appears with Ellis Kirk & The Town And Country Boys in ‘Flamingo Rock’. Guitar with a somewhat Eastern slant later makes a splash in the equally instrumental ‘Fling’ by The Phaetons.
The reason why Eddie Jackson was one of the most important musicians at Fortune can be heard in the previously mentioned ‘Blues I Can’t Hide’, a magnificent blues-based number. A top-class song is the rawly performed ‘Gonna Get Me A Satellite’ by Little Ernest Tucker & The Ted Walker Orchestra, featuring yet another delightful saxophone part. Inspiring guitar work sets ‘Hamtramck Mama’ by The York Brothers on track. A track that contains subtle traces of hillbilly. For a fun piano boogie, you'd best skip to the fiddle-adorned ‘Dirty Boogie’ by Roy Hall & His Cohutta Mountain Boys. You get a serving of rocking rhythm & blues with ‘Try Me One More Time’ by Nolan Strong & The Diablos, complete with great backing vocals.
Elvis not only captured the imagination but was also a source of inspiration for songs. The first song you get is ‘Elvis Is Rocking Again’ by The Hunt Sisters & Mark with Roy Hall & His Boys, a track in which The Hunt Sisters put their best foot forward with breathtaking harmonies. The second track is ‘Hey Mr. Presley’ by Pete De Bree & The Wanderers, featuring vocals by Jimmy Franklin.
Snippets of gospel grace ‘No Grave’ by The Whirl Wind Evangelists.
True to tradition, you once again receive a beautifully produced 36-page full-color booklet, packed with rare photos, illustrations, and an extensive label history, as well as info about the tracks and the artists.
Volume 55 in the ‘That’ll Flat… Git It!’ is once again a standout. If you love the raw and energetic aspect that characterized Fortune Records recordings, then there is good news. Bear Family Records is currently working on a second volume centered on the raw rockabilly and wild rock ‘n’ roll of this Detroit label.

When we think of the birthplace of rock and roll, we almost immediately arrive at Memphis, and actually, this is only partially correct. After all, a large part of the music developed outside the city, namely in the rural South. There, country, blues, and the new beat came together in a raw way, as in Arkansas. This region is often unjustly overlooked. The reason may lie in the fact that Arkansas was not really a major recording center. However, it cannot be denied that many young musicians took their first steps there with only one goal... to get to Memphis. Many of those who had their roots in Arkansas grew into world-famous artists. Just think, for example, of Johnny Cash, Sonny Burgess, Billy Lee Riley, and Conway Twitty. They all came from The Natural State and became world-famous through their own sound. Just behind these well-known artists were artists like Larry Donn, Bobby Lee Trammell, and Don Head. They too spread the sound originating from Arkansas, just like Eddie Bond, who is connected to both Memphis and Arkansas. They recorded on smaller labels, produced their own singles, or played in clubs and on radio shows in the region. It is these recordings that you can listen to on this first volume of ‘Arkansas Rocks’. These rare original recordings from the fifties and sixties were carefully selected, resulting in 25 tracks that sound unpolished, real, and honest. Tracks by artists who had an immense drive and were willing to do anything to be part of the rock 'n' roll and rockabilly scene.
That becomes immediately clear during the opener ‘Arkansas Twist’ by Bobby Lee Trammel. A track that sounds incredibly professional and immediately captures Bobby's emotion and passion. With this song, we also start our trip through Arkansas in Jonesboro, ending up in Little Rock via Trumann, Monette, West Memphis, Harrisburg, Bald Knob, Concord, Harrison, Fayetteville, Siloan Springs, Fort Smith, Plainview, and Hot Springs. The nice thing about this compilation is also that it shines a light on artists who are less well-known and even unknown. Yet, being less well-known does not detract from the quality. Kenny Owens delivers a delightful rocker with his ‘Long Lost John’, complete with razor-sharp guitar playing, while Ken & The Goldtones’ ‘If Somebody Loves You’ still clearly bears the traces of rocking rhythm & blues.
The young, driven artists from Arkansas clearly managed to distinguish themselves. Be sure to listen to Bobby Brown’s ‘Please, Please Baby’, as well as Chuck Comer’s ‘Little More Lovin’’, a track featuring incredibly skillful guitar work.
Of course, there were covers too, but in a fiery manner. ‘A Whole Lot Of Shakin’’ by The Thunderbirds is a fine example of this, in which the guitar duels beautifully with the piano. Sonny Deckelman presents another very personal cover with ‘Lonely Weekends’, the ending of which leans somewhat towards The Blues Brothers. Eddie Bond also delivers an excellent rendition of Jimmy Reed’s ‘Big Boss Man’. Beautiful harmonies form the foundation for ‘Johnny Come Lately’ by The Morgan Twins. The Arkansas ladies also held their own, such as Sylvia Mobley, who beautifully blends rockabilly with country in ‘Everytime I See You’. Pure and unadulterated rockabilly is the genre for Tonya Dee in ‘Shake This Town’.
Charley Maybee was active in both rock and roll and country. You can experience his delightful country voice for yourself during ‘Little Judy’. Country influences can also be found in ‘You’re In Love With Yourself’ by Johnny Tolleson. A Johnny Cash rhythm, in turn, forms the basis for ‘Moonshine’ by Montie Jones. Raw and authentic are the keywords that certainly apply to ‘Spinning My Wheels’ by Chuck Brooks.
‘Arkansas Rocks’ rightly focuses on the often overlooked rock and roll and rockabilly scene from Arkansas. What this volume makes clear is that Arkansas had a great number of excellent artists and songwriters. It is just a shame that a large portion of them had to make do with only local fame.
This compilation is so immensely good and convincing, regarding both the songs and the sound quality, that we are already eagerly looking forward to the second volume of ‘Arkansas Rocks’.

​​Just like the ‘Phantom Rockers’ series, this series centered around the ‘Black Phantom Rockers’ will eventually comprise five volumes. With ‘The Dance’, we have reached the second volume, and we can already say that this album contains gems waiting to be discovered. The title of this second volume is well chosen, as the energetic opener ‘The Jump’ by Richie Richardson with Charlie Cuevas And The Jaguars will ensure the dance floor is overcrowded in no time. A personal favorite comes with Lord Tennyson, and rightly so, the title track. ‘The Dance’ is a delightful rocking rhythm & blues with a sax riff that gives the song extra shine. Downhome blues forms the basis of ‘Goin’ Back To Orleans’ by Jesse and Buzzy. What makes the track special is the addition of the blues harp. In ‘Comin’ Around The Mountain’ by Johnny Two-Voices, the backing vocals add clever gospel to the rhythm & blues. For a touch of New Orleans blues, you can turn to The Jokers Orchestra’s piano-driven ‘Love Money’, featuring vocals by Johnson Boudreaux. No wonder, as Boudreaux hailed from Louisiana, and ‘Love Money’ is immediately his most famous song. Little Papa Joe, present here with ‘Looking For My Baby’, was actually Jody Williams. Jody used this alias for his first solo recording. Norman Sands was an artist who remained obscure. Here you hear him together with the vocal group The Valiants on the rare and, apart from a few shouts, mainly instrumental ‘Don’t Wanna Leave The Congo’. The same applies to ‘Work With It’ by Jesse Pipkin and Band. On the country blues ‘Little City Woman’ by Big Bill & His Guitar, the phantom musician is none other than Big Bill Broonzy.
The duo Henry and Mamie did not make many recordings. But those they did make were undeniably convincing. Experience it for yourself during the cheerful ‘Two Big Feet’, the B-side of their most famous song, ‘Soap Suds’. The phantom rocker on ‘Strollie Bun’ by The Blond Bomber is none other than rockabilly pioneer Ronnie Dawson. Another phantom rocker who registered as Big Ed and His Combo for the recording of ‘Biscuit Baking Mama’ was Eddie ‘Guitar’ Burns. Also impressive is ‘Rock And Roll Baby’ by Mercy Baby, a performance that is somewhat reminiscent of Big Joe Turner.
For delightful vocal work, Tippie & The Clovermen offer the solution with ‘Gimme, Gimme, Gimme’. Hearing pumping piano sounds makes you think of Little Richard or Esquerita. On ‘Gettin’ Plenty Lovin’’, it is Esquerita who is said to have served as the model for Richard. The latter would achieve the most success, although Esquerita paved the musical way for him. Over a cool blues melody, Blue Charlie showcases the largely spoken ‘I’m Gonna Kill That Hen’. The impressive guitar work comes from Blue Charlie himself, aka Charles Morris.
Well-known, perhaps more so among true enthusiasts, is the sublime ‘Love Blood Hound’ by K.C. Mojo Watson. Little Jessie Smith sings her heart out on ‘My Baby Has Gone’. Jessie Smith would later become part of the Ikettes, backing vocalists for Ike and Tina Turner. The phantom rocker on ‘Say You’ll Be Mine’ by The Ecuadors is Chuck Berry, and you can hear that clearly in the guitar part.
We started with a dance and we end with one too. The closing track is ‘Du De Squat’ by Little Luther.
The second volume in the ‘Black Phantom Rockers’ series once again provided striking recordings.
In June, you can expect the third volume, titled ‘Hallelujah Rock And Roll’. Fans know that it is best to consult our site regularly for this.