The first volume of the ‘Phantom Rockers’ series, launched by Atomicat, quickly left us wanting more. This has now culminated in ‘Jake The Snake’, a worthy successor to ‘Don't Bug Me Baby’. Compiler Mark Armstrong once again retreated to the deep, dark recesses of the archives, where he enthusiastically searched through old recordings by mysterious artists. When he was finally allowed to see the light of day again, he had found no fewer than 30 recordings he wanted the world to hear. The result is now in our player.
Chuck Fayne immediately unleashes the title of this compilation on us. Glorious rock 'n' roll that had been gathering dust for 60 years, but has now finally found its way to a release. The successor, ‘Apron Strings’, by Billy The Kid, is mysterious. His real name was David Alexander Hess, but he also recorded as David Dante. He originally recorded ‘All Shook Up’ under that name, but he was also active as a songwriter for artists like Conway Twitty and Elvis. He later returned as David Hill with the energetic, hard-rocking ‘That's Love’.
On Randy Lee's ‘Tell Me’, you'll have to look for the Phantom Rocker among the backing vocalists. Not only did the song belong to Carl Perkins, but he's also the uncredited guitarist on this recording.
Jeff Daniels is featured here on ‘Uh-Huh-Huh’. It's not a bad song, but as a songwriter, he used Earl Lee as his name. Incidentally, it was in that capacity that he wrote ‘Midnight Shift’ for Buddy Holly.
Contractual obligations can sometimes throw a wrench in the works. For example, Bobby Darin recorded ‘Early In The Morning’ in 1958 with Brunswick, not the label he signed to. This didn't please his employers, who tried to boycott the song. Brunswick then released the song with The Ding Dongs as performers. Contractual concerns also led Bill Haley's Comets, as The Lifeguards, to entrust the instrumental ‘Everybody Out'ta The Pool’ to vinyl.
Another interesting story involves ‘School Day Blues’ by Johnny & The Jammers, a band in which Johnny Winter and his younger brother Edgar were members. For the Phantom recording ‘Broke And Lonely’, Johnny Winter adopted the name Texas ‘Guitar’ Slim.
The Saxons, featured here with ‘Rock And Roll Show’, were teeming with familiar names. Consider Tommy ‘Buster’ Williams, Jesse Belvin, Eugene Church, Gaynel Hodge, and Johnny Guitar Watson. They achieved fame either through solo recordings or by being part of other vocal groups.
Lloyd Arnold & His Rockin' Drifters hoped to win over a segment of the young rock audience with ‘Hang Out’. Before becoming a Phantom Rocker, Arnold recorded under his birth name, Lloyd McCullough.
A Phantom Rocker who used multiple aliases was Billy Lee Riley. As Skip Wiley, Darron Lee, and The Spitfires, you can hear him on the somewhat New Orleans-rocking rhythm & blues ‘Fast Livin'‘, the soulful ‘I've Been Searching’, and the instrumental ‘Catfish’, respectively. As an unaccredited harmonica player, he also scored on Bill Rice's ‘It's All Your Fault’.
Cool instrumental work comes from Sid Elrod on ‘Slap Happy Bass’, who recorded as Macy ‘Skip’ Skipper before becoming one of the Phantom Rockers.
It's no surprise that members were swapped within the vocal groups. Doo-wop, therefore, receives ample attention on this compilation. You can hear this member exchange on tracks by The Cadets, The Rocketeers, and The Flairs. To make things even more mysterious, the lead singers also recorded with other groups or even solo.
And there are plenty more Phantom Rockers, making this volume yet another smash hit. Want to discover even more Phantom Rockers? You can, because the next volume, ‘This Night’, is coming out soon.

The name Wee Willie Harris may not immediately ring a bell, but he was undoubtedly the most colorful figure in the early days of British rock 'n' roll. He was certainly extravagant, with his pink hair and striking clothes. Moreover, his wild and exuberant stage performances brought a breath of fresh air to the British music scene of the late 1950s. You could even say he was a punk or glam rocker avant la lettre. The ‘Wild One From Bermondsey’, as he was known, rightfully claims the ninth volume in the ‘The Brits Are Rocking’ series. It's incredibly that his rare LP ‘I Go Ape’, released exclusively in Israel in the early 1960s, can be heard in its entirety here. The album is incredibly hard to find, making it a collector's dream. You'll also get his most important studio recordings from the 1950s, including ‘Rockin' At The 2 I's’, ‘Love Bug Crawl’, ‘Got A Match’, and ‘Wild One’. While rock 'n' roll may have originated in America, it's a fact that guys like Wee Willie Harris, with their uncompromising performances, also ignited the rock 'n' roll flame in London. It's logical that they initially relied on songs that were hits in the US. Many of these songs, therefore, appear on this album in Harris's own successful version. Wee Willie's ability to write great songs is certainly evident in ‘Rockin' At The 2 I's’ and ‘Grab You’. The latter must have inspired Brian Setzer.
Harris also mastered various rock 'n' roll styles, ranging from wildly raging numbers to more subdued ones. The tracks recorded with an audience at The Railway Tavern in October 1957, as well as those recorded for TV shows, are the ultimate proof of this. His band's talent and craftsmanship are revealed in the instrumental ‘Got A Match?’. Harris's versatility is also showcased in the country-rocking ‘Have A Drink On Me’.
David Bowie, Ian Dury, and The Clash all hinted that Wee Willie Harris inspired them. This immediately proves that Harris, although he didn't achieve the worldwide fame he undoubtedly deserved, was invaluable to the development of British rock 'n' roll.
In the 36-page booklet, richly illustrated with numerous photos and illustrations, Roland Heinrich Rumtreiber tells the impressive story of the unique, extravagant Wee Willie Harris, from his early years at the legendary 2 I's Coffee Bar in Soho, his tours with Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent, to his status as the ‘Godfather of Punk’. Fans of wild, energetic British rock 'n' roll will love this tribute to Wee Willie Harris. Plus, you'll also own the hard-to-find ‘I Go Ape’ album in stunning sound quality and for the first time  on CD. Highly recommended!

With his unstoppable, energetic performances, where his wild piano attacks made rock 'n' roll proud, complemented by his passionate vocals, Jerry Lee Lewis set many venues ablaze in the mid-twentieth century. Unfortunately, seeing him live is no longer possible. Fortunately, you can blast him through your speakers on a brilliant live album. Germany's Bear Family Records is now taking care of that with the reissue of the vinyl ‘The Greatest Live Show On Earth’. First released by Smash Records in 1964, the album, along with Jerry Lee's ‘Live At The Star Club Hamburg’, is considered one of the best live albums of the 1950s and 1960s. ‘The Greatest Live Show On Earth’ was recorded during Lewis's performance at the Municipal Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama, on July 18, 1964. It's clear that ‘The Killer’ was at his best then. The album contains ten tracks, featuring now-classic songs in rock 'n' roll, rhythm & blues, and country, each presented in Lewis's formidable interpretation. These songs, as we've come to expect from Jerry Lee, he committed to vinyl with an incomprehensible, dynamic enthusiasm. Rockers like ‘Jenny Jenny’, ‘Memphis Tennessee’, ‘Hound Dog’, ‘Mean Woman Blues’, ‘No Particular Place To Go’, ‘Long Tall Sally’, and the rhythm & blues of ‘High Heel Sneakers’ blend seamlessly with the slow country of Charlie Rich's well-known ‘Who Will The Next Fool Be’ and Buck Owens’ ‘Together Again’.
The album closes with an impressive, over five-minute-long version of ‘Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On’.
‘The Greatest Live Show On Earth’ has been remastered from the original stereo tapes, resulting in a truly impressive sound. What's more, the 180-gram vinyl comes packaged with the original cover, and as a bonus, you'll receive a rare postcard with a promo photo of Jerry Lee.
Does it even need to be said that this album is a must-have for any fan of straightforward, uncompromising rock 'n' roll? I don't think so!

With this first volume of ‘Phantom Rockers’, the Atomicat label launches a new series. The guitarist pictured on the cover is wearing a masquerade or Zorro mask, which immediately highlights the essence of this series. The ‘phantom rockers’ recorded both under their own names and under various aliases. The musicians who supported them in the studio also often fell into this category, shrouding many recordings in a strange haze. This first volume offers 30 tracks by artists who fit the description of ‘phantom rockers’. The first to appear is keeping their identity very well hidden. ‘Don't Bug Me Baby’, which is also the title of this first compilation, comes from an acetate recording, the name of which is not always clear. It's a smashing rock song, with excellent sound quality and already 68 years old. Incidentally, the song was written in the Nashville State Penitentiary. The next song is the well-known ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, here in Buzz Williams's version. Williams was actually Delbert Barker, who recorded under several aliases. Rightly so, a ‘phantom rocker’. A beautiful piano introduces the somewhat bluesy ‘Little Girl, Little Girl’ by The Fairlanes. They were founded by Rick Hall, who was also part of Bill Bowen & The Rockets' ‘Have Myself A Ball’, which can also be heard here. Jack Hammer became known to us with his songs featuring the twist. He also co-wrote ‘Great Balls Of Fire’. Here, he rocks out on ‘Girl, Girl, Girl’. Someone who also adopted multiple aliases was Daniel Flores, a member of The Champs. You hear him twice: first as Danny Boy with ‘Don't Go Pretty Baby’ and later as Chuck ‘Tequila’ Rio with ‘Bye Bye Baby’. Known as Don Covay, under his own name, James Randolph, he was part of The Rainbows, featured here on the doo-wopper ‘Shirley’. Pretty Boy was also a member of The Rainbows. He returns twice more on ‘Bip Bop Bip’ and in the raw, rocking ‘Rockin' The Mule (Back In Kansas), Swingin' Like A Young Gray Mare’.
Bob Kornegay's aliases are countless. Not only was he part of the vocal group Du-Droppers, but you can also hear him rocking as Dave & Bob on ‘Whoa Bessie’. Dave is better known as Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez.
The Rio Rockers also rock hard on ‘Mexicall Baby’. Rusty Isabell was a member of the Rio Rockers but also recorded ‘Stop’ under the name Red (Hot) Russell. Both songs are featured on this compilation. Just like Don Cole, also a member of the Rio Rockers, who can be heard here with Donnie Owens as Two Dons on ‘Funny Honey’, which is strikingly reminiscent of The Everly Brothers.
For a touch of cool country, you can check out The Tunesmiths and ‘Oh Stop!’, complete with steel guitar and fiddle.
‘Don't Stop The Rockin'‘ features Pat Richmond & The Fireballs. The ‘phantom rocker’ here is Billy Eldridge, member of The Fireballs. He would go on to enjoy further success with ‘Let's Go Baby’.
Rudi ‘Tutti’ Grayzell recorded for the Abbott, Starday, and Sun labels. As ‘phantom rocker’ Rudy Gray, he can be heard on the country rocker ‘There's Gonna Be A Ball’.
A fine example of an instrumental guitar song comes in the form of ‘Red Hot Red’ by Young Guitar Red, later known as Guitar Red with recordings for Checker. ‘Dancin' Wild’ is a song by Tom & Jerry. You'll undoubtedly hear the duo, who later became known as Simon & Garfunkel, in it.
A vocally powerful song is definitely ‘I'll Mess You Up’ by The Cliques. They consisted of Eugene Church, who later recorded for Modern Records, and Jesse Lorenzo Belvin, who also performed as Curley Williams and Jesse & Marvin, among others.
With this first volume, the Atomicat label is undoubtedly generating interest in artists performing as ‘phantom rockers’. That interest will soon be fueled by more ‘phantom rockers’, as the second volume, titled ‘Jake The Snake’, is already scheduled for release. It will be reviewed on this site soon.

When country and western artists in the 1950s created a crossover between their genre and rock 'n' roll, the result was brilliant songs. Songs that, just like those in rock 'n' roll, had ‘drinking’, ‘dancing’, ‘love’, and ‘lying and cheating’ as their themes. What they also had in common with rock 'n' roll was that they drew you to the dance floor. Just as in the two previously released volumes, the third volume is also full of this.
This volume opens with a swing, ‘I Want A Bowlegged Woman’ by Jimmy Ballard, a song Bull Moose Jackson recorded in 1948. Ballard is followed by Jimmy Boyd. Boyd was 13 years old when he recorded the classic ‘I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus’. Here you hear Jimmy with the 1956 country-rocking ‘Crazy Mixed Up Blues’. Lattie Moore first recorded ‘Juke Joint Johnny’ in 1953. The song already exuded a rockabilly vibe. During the genre's heyday in 1956, Lattie re-recorded it. Besides a career under his own name, Billy Strange was also a sought-after session musician. He shines under his own name on ‘Let Me In There Baby’.
Fine performances on steel guitar and fiddle can be found on ‘Tom Cattin' Around’ by Speedy Noris & His Radio Rangers. ‘You Got The Right Number’ by ‘Rusty’ McDonald certainly sounds swinging. McDonald also sang for Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys. Incidentally, you'll get them later on the energetic ‘Miss Molly’. In her heyday, Ann Jones earned the title ‘The Hillbilly Girl’. Not surprising when you hear her on ‘I've Had It’. A song with a tremendously high rock 'n' roll feel arrives with Howard Crockett and his ‘If You Let Me’, complete with an impressive clean-sounding guitar solo. Jimmie Piper also rocks later in ‘Don't Play Around (With My Heart)’. And doesn't that guitar sound a lot like Johnny Cash's accompaniment? ‘Sweetie Pie’ by Johnnie & Jack sounds delightful and cheerful. The backing vocals by The Jordanaires certainly contribute to this feeling. This duo returns once more with the unique and excellent ‘Uncle John's Bongos’, drenched in impressive bongos.
Sublime harmonies come this time from New Zealand, featuring the Apaapa Sisters along with The Downtown Boys and ‘Guess Things Happen That Way’. Wonderfully merging voices also define the follow-up single ‘Leroy’ from ‘Nita, Rita & Ruby’.
In previous series, we saw that acetate recordings often contain beautiful songs. Well, someone who made a ton of such recordings with the hope that someone would one day record his songs was Sandy Rivers. He proved he had a knack for catchy songs in ‘A Woman Is Like A Guitar’. Not much is known about Red Romine. We do know that ‘Money In The Bank’ is a cool country rocker. Country, rockabilly, and even a touch of bluegrass can be found in ‘Rock-A-Billy Baby’ by Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys. A great version of ‘Tweedle Dee’ is provided by Pee Wee King featuring Redd Stewart & The Trio. You can immediately hear where Little Jimmy Osmond drew his inspiration back then.
This compilation concludes with the slow ‘Tomorrow Night’ by Carl Smith.
The great thing about series like this is that the artists successfully blend two genres. This is reflected not only in the songs but also in their use of instruments. Besides the guitar, you'll naturally also hear the steel guitar and the fiddle. Wonderful third volume!

A few months ago, the Atomicat label launched its new series, ‘Rockin' Country Style’. The first volume was an immediate hit, showcasing country and western artists blending their own genre with the new one, rock 'n' roll.
On the second volume, compiler Mark Armstrong once again brings together 33 tracks that showcase the beautiful blend of both genres.
The album opens strongly with Jack Cardwell and ‘Whiskey, Women And Loaded Dice,’ featuring excellent collaboration between steel guitar and harmonica. The presence of sax and piano then makes ‘I Ain't Got Time To Rock’ by Glenn Reeves & His Town And Country Playboys lean more towards rock 'n' roll. What follows is a delightful and danceable version of the classic ‘Oh Lonesome Me’ by Luke Simmons & His Blue Mountain Boys. Fiddle and percussion simulating the sound of horses' hooves then grace Roger Miller's ‘Poor Little John’. Rockabilly then leads Carmol Taylor's ‘Free As A Breeze,’ complete with a beautiful echo-drenched guitar solo. Rockabilly is also the key ingredient in Bill Flagg's ‘Doin' My Time’. Late last year, a sublime three-CD box set featuring Billy Barton recordings was released. This box set included several acetate recordings. On ‘Country Style, Vol. 2,’ Billy is billed as Hillbilly Barton with ‘You Make Me Cry’. This is also an acetate recording. Another acetate recording is featured later on with ‘On the Rhythm Range’ by Sons of the Pioneers. Also on acetate is the instrumental ‘Virgil's Juke Box Boogie,’ by an unknown artist. An extensive search for the identity of the guitarist who delivers formidable work here brought no solution. Despite this, it's an extremely enjoyable track! Sheb Wooley was both an actor and a singer. His exceptional performance in the latter is evident in the up-tempo ‘Oklahoma Honky-Tonk Gal’. Beautiful harmonies can be found in the country rocker ‘So Called Friends’ by Billy Barnoski & Bill Woods. Beautiful harmonies also feature in ‘Finger Poppin' Time’ by the Stanley Brothers, as well as in ‘Hamburger Hop’ by Johnny Hicks & His Troubadors. It's remarkable how well music from the mid-20th century has been preserved. This is why Eddie Noacks' ‘Shotgun House’ still has a brilliant sound today. The backing in ‘The Road To Your Heart’ by Bob Roark & ​​The Country Band feels distinctly Johnny Cash. Brothers Floyd and Dennis of the Blankenship Bros. were originally active in bluegrass. In ‘That's Why I Am Blue,’ they clearly flirt with rockabilly and country. Betty Jo of Betty Jo & Johnny Starr became the national yodeling champion in 1953. You won't hear any yodeling in ‘Eskimo Boogie,’ but it's definitely a danceable number. Johnny Tyler became famous with his version of ‘Okie Boogie’. Here you can hear him telling stories in ‘Hillbilly Preacher’. Clay Eager's ‘Helen Jo’ is also stirring. A well-known figure is Skeets McDonald. He's best known for his ‘You Oughta See Grandma Rock,’ featuring a young Eddie Cochran on guitar, but ‘Fingertips’, featured here with excellent backing vocals, is just as great. Sublime swinging fiddle work can be heard on Jack Cardwell's rocking ‘Day Done Broke Too Soon This Morning’.
Closing is reserved for the great George Jones with ‘Don't Stop The Music,’ which he recorded in 1957 for the Armed Forces Radio and TV Broadcasts to boost military morale.
That country artists impressively combined their country & western music with the prevailing rock 'n' roll is once again evident in this second volume of ‘Rockin' Country Style’. Look forward eagerly to the third volume. Luckily, you won't have to wait long, as its release is already scheduled for October.

Germany's Cat Lee King and His Cocks present their latest album, ‘Shootin' Crap’. In 2018, tee band garnered excellent reviews for their debut, ‘Cock Tales’. When the coronavirus struck, the world went into lockdown, and performances were canceled, singer and pianist Cat Lee King locked himself in his studio. This resulted in his beautiful solo album, aptly titled ‘The Quarantine Tapes’. Fortunately, social life resumed, immediately giving Cat Lee King the opportunity to collaborate on new songs with his Cocks. They now are 14 in total. Cat Lee King and His Cocks are unique in the current landscape of rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. The genre they explore was previously performed by small big bands in the mid-20th century, in which the horn section played a prominent role. The band doesn't feature any horns, but this is certainly not a drawback. This shortcoming is more than compensated for by Cat Lee's sublime black and white keyboard playing, as well as the guitars of Tommy J. Croole and Sidney Ramone. The band also consists of Lucky Luciano on upright bass and René Lieutenant on drums. Guest musician on xylophone is that other well-known German, Ray Collins.
The band opens immediately with the title track, a boogie floating on a simple but effective riff. With the follow-up, ‘Headin' For The Cottonfield’, kicked off by a great guitar, the band takes a rock 'n' roll approach, complete with a catchy piano and guitar solo. The style of the former little big band surfaces in the swinging, partly declaimed ‘Sound 'n' Smoke’, where the intervention of the former horn section is perfectly complemented by guitar and piano. ‘Blame It On Elvis’ has a somewhat Latin feel. Brilliant song! The band's gift for composing original songs with a sense of a bygone era is evident in tracks like ‘Nobody’, written by drummer René Lieutenant, who, alongside F. Wirths, also has credits on several tracks. More stunning guitar work can be discovered in the beautiful rhythm & blues ‘Miss Bourbon’. Jump and swing come to the forefront in ‘Mr. Big Time,’ while ‘Tomorrow’ evokes a charleton atmosphere. For a cover of a classic, the band returned to ‘Pretend’, made famous by Nat King Cole. A cover version that can be considered one of the very best.
Swinging and full of atmosphere, Cat Lee King and His Cocks close the album with the well-known ‘Last Call For Alcohol’.
‘Shootin' Crap’ is an album of which far too few are made. Excellent compositions, talented musicians, and Cat Lee King, whose vocals are incredibly close to the legendary artists of this genre, are the ingredients used here.
There's only one band that can perform this age-old genre in a contemporary, original, and expert way. That band goes by the name of Cat Lee King and His Cocks.

Gene Autry, known for his acting as a movie cowboy, founded Challenge Records in 1957. You might not immediately expect that such a drastic career change would result in impressive rock 'n' roll and rockabilly from incredibly talented artists. Nothing could be further from the truth!
The recent volume, number 51 of the ‘That'll Flat...Git It!’ series, rightly puts Challenge Records and its sub-label, Jackpot Records, in the spotlight.
In 1958, Challenge Records had a mega-hit with the now-immortal ‘Tequila’ by The Champs. A song that immediately launched the label. ‘Tequila’ was joined by masterful recordings by now-famous artists like Dave Burgess, Bobby Bare, Joe Johnson, Johnny Thompson, and Wynn Stewart. But lesser-known names like Kimball Coburn, Kip Tyler, and Poe Kats also produced numerous high-quality recordings that still retain their appeal today. The Champs get to kick things off right away with the sung ‘Everybody's Rockin'’, a smashing rockabilly song they recorded in 1958. They later return with the impressive ‘Alley Cat’ and back Dave Burgess on the excellent ‘Maybelle.’ Dave Burgess's name, incidentally appears more than just as a performing artist. He not only wrote the aforementioned songs for The Champs, but was also responsible for the fiery rocking, excellently guitar-driven ‘Spark Plug’ for The Four Teens. The Four Teens return with the infectious and rousing ‘Go Little Go Cat’. Dave Burgess had a knack for writing hit-worthy songs. He also did so for Champs frontman Dean Beard, among others, on ‘Egad, Charlie Brown’, a song featuring a superb sax. Dean returns with his own raw ‘Shiverin' And Shakin'.’ It's hard to say how many instrumentals Burgess wrote. His high regard for quality and originality is evident once again in The Cherokees' ‘Uprisin’. Ralph Mooney serves up another delightfully rocking instrumental in his own composition, ‘Moonshine’.
Phil Carter delivers a special and highly original piece with the tempo-shifting ‘Amazon.’
The impressive Huelyn Duvall is present with no fewer than five songs. Each one is a sublime rockabilly number.
For excellent harmonies, you can find ‘Kee Ro Ryin’ by Johnny and Jonie, as well as the closing track, ‘Didn't It Rock’, by Jim and Rod (The Noble Brothers). Pianist and songwriter Al Downing began his musical career with The Poe Kats, the former backing band for Wanda Jackson. Downing also played piano on Wanda's ‘Let's Have A Party’, and in 1963, he scored a solo hit with the well-known ‘You'll Never Miss The Water (Till The Well Turns Dry)’, a duet he recorded with Little Esther Phillips. Here, you'll find Al with the aforementioned The Poe Kats, belting out ‘Down On The Farm,’ and his talent as a pianist is especially noteworthy. A driven instrumental guitar number arrives with The Riptides' ‘Machine Gun’. The Kuf-Linx, featuring John Jennings, serve up fantastic doo-wop twice, namely on ‘So Tough’ and rocking on ‘Eyeballin'’.
Jerry Wallace was also active in country music. That genre still subtly resonates in the rocking ‘Good And Bad’. Be sure to check out Prentice Moreland's ‘Holy Mack'rel’. Prentice was a member of bands like The Du Droppers, The Dominoes, and The Fortunes, but here he's screamin' as Little Richard under his own name.
The Jackpot Records sublabel is represented by, among others, the humor-laced ‘Vampire’ by Bobby Bare and the catchy, rocking ‘Come-On’ by Wynn Stewart. George Weston's ‘Well Don't You Know’ and ‘Hey Little Car Hop’ also come from Jackpot Records.
Breathtakingly obscure work thankfully surfaces here, thanks to recordings by artists like Phil Carter, Lee Harris, and The Contenders.
As is tradition, the richly illustrated accompanying booklet features extensive liner notes by Chicago rock expert Bill Dahl.
It remains to be seen how many more volumes will appear in the ‘That'll Flat...Git It!’ series. One thing is certain: quality is always on top, as is the case with this 51st volume.

The name Teddy ‘Mr. Bear’ McRae might not immediately resonate with you. You've probably already heard his compositions, or on the recordings of the well-known artists he accompanied. Fortunately, labels like KokoMojo promote these artists, allowing you, as a reviewer, to discover impressive music. Theodore McRae, as his ID states, was also known simply as Mr. Bear, in addition to Teddy ‘Mr. Bear’ McRae. Teddy was an exceptionally versatile individual. Not only was he a tenor saxophonist, bandleader, arranger, composer, and producer, but he also owned Rae Cox Records.
McRae was born in Waycross, Georgia, on January 22, 1908, but grew up in Philadelphia. He began his musical career as a family, along with his brothers, guitarist and trumpeter Bobby and Dave on alto and baritone saxophones. He later moved to New York. In the 1920s and 1930s, he worked with Chick Webb and Artie Shaw, among others. After Webb's death, Teddy became the musical director of the band behind Ella Fitzgerald. McRae composed Shaw's most successful songs, namely ‘Back Bay Shuffle’ in 1938 and ‘Traffic Jam’ a year later. He played with, arranged, and wrote for some of the greatest artists, such as Billie Holiday, Benny Morton, Teddy Wilson, Red Allen, and Count Basie. In the 1940s, Teddy worked with the orchestras of Cab Calloway, Jimmie Lunceford, Lionel Hampton, and Louis Armstrong, for whom he also served as musical director. In the 1950s, McRae was active in rhythm & blues, composing songs such as ‘All She Wants To Do Is Rock’ for Wynonie Harris, ‘Love, Love, Love’ for The Clovers, and ‘Person To Person’ for saxophonist Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson. In the late 1950s, Teddy, along with jazz pianist and arranger Eddie Wilcox, founded Rae Cox Records and its subsidiary Enrica Records. Their recordings ranged across jazz, rhythm & blues, blues, doo-wop, gospel, and eccentric instrumentals. In 1958, McRae released his most sought-after 45, the formidable rocker ‘Hifi Baby’. A track you can, of course, hear on this album.
A staggering list of achievements, but let's talk about the album's 27 tracks. Teddy's worthy of the name ‘Mr. Bear’ is immediately apparent from the opening track, ‘I'm Gonna Keep My Good Eye On You’, which he recorded as Mr. Bear & His Bearcats. He growls and declaims the lyrics, accompanied by a beautiful bluesy, honky-tonk piano. That masterful piano playing is once again evident on the follow-up, the primarily instrumental ‘Daybreak Rock’, fueled by Mr. Bear's screams. A song he recorded with legendary pianist Jack Dupree. You'll hear the duo again later on ‘Lonely Road Blues’, where they complement each other vocally in the call-and-response style.
Teddy shines bluesy again on the emotionally charged ‘How Come’, and be sure to pay attention to the lyrics. Another blues highlight is ‘Hold Out Baby’, where his raw voice gives the song an extra boost.
McRae rocks with class on ‘Mr. Bear Comes To Town’ and, of course, on the aforementioned ‘Hifi Baby’. Teddy elaborates on the potential consequences of excessive speed in ‘Radar’, with great humor. His sense of novelty surfaces again on ‘Peek-A-Boo’.
Teddy and his orchestra were excellent accompanists, as can be heard on The Empires' doo-wopper ‘Zippety Zip’. The Serenaders' ‘My Girl Flip Flop’ also falls within the same genre. Teddy and his musicians repeat this on The Butanes' ‘Don't Forget I Love You’, as well as with The Revelons on their ‘I Promise Love’. The orchestra of Rae Cox Records co-founder Eddie Wilcox shines on The Sunsets' ‘Sittin' And Cryin'‘. The Carnations serve up more beautiful doo-wop on ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’.
It's a fact that Rae Cox Records and Enrica Records have recorded a wealth of impressive material.
For example, gospel sets the tone for The Satellite Wanderers' ‘Meet Me In Zion’. A gem of an instrumental surf rocker arrives on The Demotrons' ‘Rockaway Special’. More brilliant instrumental work comes from Fender Guitar Slim on the rocking ‘Tender Rock’.
Screamin' Jay Hawkins appears twice. First, in his signature thunderous style, on ‘I Hear Voices’. The second time around, with the flipside ‘Just Don't Care’, Jay takes a more refined and calmer approach.
The album closes gospel-style with ‘What A Fellowship’ by Heavenly Gates Gospel Singers.
Teddy ‘Mr. Bear’ McRae passed away of natural causes at the age of 91 on March 4, 1999.
As you can see, Mr. Bear was a virtuoso at blending elements of rhythm & blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll, and the novelty genre. He also had an ear for the brilliant achievements of fellow artists, which he immortalized in his recordings for Rae Cox Records and Enrica Records. Unwittingly, he thus laid the groundwork for the upcoming legendary rockers and pioneers of the Motown sound. And pay close attention to his lyrics, because they're just as sublime as his melodies. A truly fantastic release!

The Stroll is a somewhat slower rock 'n' roll dance from the 1950s. You can find plenty of videos online showing how it was originally performed. The current rockabilly revival also rekindled interest in the dances of the 1950s, including the Stroll, which was adapted to the zeitgeist. You can also find plenty of demonstrations of this adapted version online. The music, however, remained the same, as evidenced by the fifth volume in the "Stroll-A-Rama" series from the Atomicat label. Compiler Mark Armstrong once again selected 30 songs to serve as the soundtrack for the Stroll, while Henrique San did the artwork.
The kick-off is Jerry Woodard with the raw ‘Speedway Rock’, complete with the ‘sound of the speedway’. Kenny Lee Martin's ‘The Shape I'm In’ is also very enjoyable and a song suitable for airplay. Before LaVern Baker became a celebrated rhythm & blues singer, she began her musical career in a gospel choir. Both rhythm & blues and gospel resonate in the sublime ‘On Revival Day’, originally a Bessie Smith song, which LaVern delivers with immense passion. As a member of The Neville Brothers, Art Neville would achieve success in funk and soul music. Here he is with the classic ‘Cha Dooky-Doo’, which he recorded in 1958 for the Specialty label. A bit rawer and with a slightly faster tempo, the quintet of Rockin' Saints works its way through ‘Cheat On Me, Baby’. A smash hit! ‘Lover’s Hell’ is a song that will also please many popcorn lovers. Time for a bit of doo-wop. It's here with The Royal Lancers and their ‘Oh Little Girl’, a song featuring a delightful sax solo. Beautiful harmonies are also featured in The Ding Dongs' ‘Now We're One’, as well as in The Starlighters' ‘Let's Take A Stroll (Down Lover's Lane)’. Kenny and Mose also match vocally in ‘Tell Me That Your Love Is Real’. Betty Jayne calls it a ‘Lonely Teenager’. Apparently, that's not so bad, because it's a cheerful, up-tempo number. Jimmy Nolen played in James Brown's band, among others, where he made a name for himself with his guitar technique, the ‘chicken scratch’. You can also hear his superb guitar work in ‘How Fine Can You Be’, and he's also a talented singer. For a superb instrumental harmonica rhythm & blues, skip to George Allen Smith and ‘Loose Screws’. Later, there's the instrumental ‘New Orleans Hop’ by Monte Easter and his band. Both the sax and guitar are in the spotlight here. In the fifties and early sixties, dance crazes were very hot. There was also Curtis Lee's ‘The Wobble’. Lee worked with producer Phil Spector in his early years. ‘A Little Bit Of Soul’ by The Jarnels is certainly brilliant. The performance reminds me of Sam Cooke. The Witt Sisters are present with the Lieber/Stroller composition ‘Poison Ivy’. The flip side of this single featured The Andrew Sisters' ‘Boogiewoogie Bugle Boy’, and the Witt Sisters sound somewhat like that. Glen Pace, with his band The Gliders, delivers a superb ‘Tell Me’. The addition of steel guitar and accordion makes ‘Cats Eyes’ by Frank Zolton with Town and Country Boys sound incredibly creative. A cool twang guitar then tracks Ron Hargrave's ‘Drive In Movie’. A really great song, thanks in part to the call and response! You've undoubtedly heard countless versions of ‘Let The Good Times Roll’. But I bet John Ashley's version will surprise you. Excellent cover with a distinctly unique twist.
As is tradition, this series concludes with two recent songs that perfectly fit the zeitgeist of the other songs. This time, they're ‘I Know Who’ by Barbara Portland and ‘They Won't Let Me In’ by Texan Huelyn Duvall.
A series like "Stroll-A-Rama" never disappoints. In fact, it leaves you wanting more! Highly recommended!

Musicians and songwriters often remain in the shadow of the artists they accompany or for whom they wrote songs. Their contribution to the evolution of a musical genre is therefore unfairly underestimated. This is especially true for Niki Sullivan. Sullivan was not only a founding member of The Crickets, Buddy Holly's band, but also featured as a guitarist on Holly's now-legendary album ‘The Chirping Crickets’. As a songwriter, he was co-responsible for Buddy's classic "I'm Gonna Love You Too."
What you hear on ‘You Better Get A Move On!’, Sullivan's first solo album, is simply astonishing. You get seven previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1959 at Audio Recorders Studio in Phoenix, Arizona. This vinyl also includes two incredibly rare garage rock recordings Niki made in 1965 with his band Soul Inc. Furthermore, you'll hear ‘It's All Over’, Sullivan's only solo single for Dot Records. A major rockabilly classic! This single also includes the B-side, ‘Three Steps To Heaven’. Not to be confused with Eddie Cochran's song of the same name, as this is an original by Niki.
This release demonstrates that Nike Sullivan was a true talent. As a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, he far surpassed his peers. Each of the 12 tracks here is bursting with enormous hit potential, from straightforward rock 'n' roll to emotional ballads, as demonstrated on ‘Waitin’’ and ‘I Stand Alone’. Niki's instrumental surf skills are evident on ‘Take '9’. More of his grand instrumental work can be found on ‘Creepin' In’. Holly's influence on Sullivan is evident in his performances of ‘Treat 'Em Gently’ and ‘It Really Doesn't Matter Now’. Niki reprises the latter song with a 1960s approach with his band Soul Inc.
Fans of raw, no-nonsense rock 'n' roll, fans of Buddy Holly, and fans of true, pure rock 'n' roll from the genre's heyday should seize this opportunity. This release is limited to 500 copies worldwide and, thanks to the remastering of the original tapes by renowned music historian John Dixon, offers exceptional sound quality. The beautifully produced 10-page booklet includes liner notes by Roland Heinrich Rumtreiber and rare, nostalgic photos.
If you ask me...buy it now or regret it later!

In the review of the fifth volume in the ‘Jive-A-Rama’ series we already mentioned that the fifth volume in the ‘Bop-A-Rama’ series would soon be released. Well, it has already happened and a review is therefore necessary.
Traditionally, you will once again get 28 tracks from the middle of the previous century, supplemented with two contemporary tracks from the Rhythm Bomb archives. These two tracks come from the Australian Chrome Daddies with ‘Cattin’ Around’ and B and The Bops from Ukraine with ‘Crazy Over You’. We start with Johnny Taylor and the rocking rhythm & blues ‘Mixed Up Rhythm & Blues’, including a beautiful piece on the steel guitar. Taylor is followed by the pure rock-‘n-roll of Dick Bills and his ‘Rockin’ And A Rollin’’. A fun fact is that Bills was the uncle of Glenn Campbell, who even worked with Dick in his early days. With John Lee Hooker and Loneseme Sundown, the blues legends announce themselves. Hooker is present with ‘How Can You Do It’, a boogie in his well-known style. Second guitarist on this recording from 1951 is Little Eddie Kirkland. Sundown became especially famous for his Excello recordings. He also recorded the catchy ‘I’m A Mojo Man’ for that label. Also note that beautiful piece of solo on the blues harp. Lightnin’ Slim also comes from the blues, who scores boogie-wise here with ‘Love Me Mama’. Tom James was originally a country artist. That he could just as well put down a cool rockabilly, he shows on ‘Hey Baby’. Country, by means of fiddle and lap steel, was also injected by Curtis Gordon in the beautiful ‘I’d Do It For You’. There are artists that little is known about. One of them is Steve Shuma. For his ‘Thunder Lightnin’’ ‘unknown is unloved’ certainly applies, because the man delivers an impressive rockabilly song, in which the guitar somewhat nods to the recordings of Johnny Cash. That guitarist would be Bob Scott. That roots genres can easily be mixed is also evident from ‘Opal Lee’ by Earl Scott. Scott, a country artist who presents an excellent boppin’ beat here. Country can also be found in ‘One Dead Man Ago’ by Jimmie Skinner. A song that was produced by Ray Stevens, who also recorded under his own name. Curley Griffin wrote songs for Carl Perkins, among others. The ‘You Gotta Play Fair’ presented here also flowed from his pen. You can also hear Perkins’ style in it. Nice tempo changes come to the surface in the super cool ‘It’s A Great Big Day’ by Derrell Felts. With his falsetto voice and ukulele, Tiny Tim scored his world-famous hit ‘Tiptoe Through The Tulips’ in 1968. Eight years earlier he recorded the ‘Teenage Lover’ that can be heard here. Talk about a world of difference! When a music genre is very hot, artists from other genres often try to jump on that train. For example, Jimmy Swan, who operates in country, recorded ‘Country Cattin’’, a somewhat rockabilly number in the hope of gaining the approval of teenagers. Incidentally, Wayne Busby, an artist who used to belong to bluegrass, did the same. His trip towards rockabilly is certainly impressive with ‘Live Your Life With Care’. Straightforward rock-‘n-roll comes in the fiery sax-drenched ‘Hollywood Rock’ by Al Turnage. A song clearly modelled on Bo Diddley is ‘Arkansas Jane’ by The Millionaires. For a black artist who sounds more like a white person, we refer you to Nick Greene and ‘My Lovin’ Baby’.
Volume 5 in the ‘Bop-A-Rama’ effortlessly maintains the high quality level of the previously released four volumes. A series to continue following, that’s for sure!

The ‘A-Rama’ series is already on its fifth volume. Volume 5 of ‘Jive-A-Rama’ has already been released and soon you can expect the fifth volumes of ‘Bop-A-Rama’ and ‘Stroll-A-Rama’. First up is ‘Jive-A-Rama’. Traditionally, you will once again get 30 tracks that boost the ‘jive feeling’ and make you long for the next party. It is always nice that the Atomicat label brings together well-known and unknown artists and songs on its compilations. Mind you, there is no compromise on quality. All tracks are without a doubt gems, whether you know them or not. Mark Cleary starts energetically with the authentic rocking ‘Bop-Cat Rock’, including surprising sax and guitar solos. Cleary is followed by Jack Moore and The Clefs with ‘Baby Don’t Cry’. A wonderfully poppy number with sublime backing vocals. The cheerful atmosphere is continued with Kimo Lee and ‘If You Don’t Like It, Don’t Knock It’. ‘Old Black Joe’ by Jerry Adams is a rocking song that also has a bit of country in it. Adams recorded the song with The Starlighters, which included J.J. Cale. Georgia Gibbs was originally a jazz singer. Surprisingly, she recorded a version of ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ at the age of 38. And, to be fair, she made a nice fiery cover of it. Country artist Billy Brown originally recorded the Wayne Walker composition ‘Lost Weekend’. As you can hear here, Cab Calloway made a catchy rhythm & blues version of it. Chubby Checker became world famous with his version of ‘The Twist’ by Hank Ballard. Here he works his way through ‘Dance-A-Long’ while jiving. A very nice song is the country-infused ‘Pin Ball Fever’ by Jack Toombs. A song that shows a great piano. Toombs started out as a DJ, but later emerged as a songwriter and musician. Country was also the genre in which Jimmy Lloyd was active. He also showed that he could record a great rocker in ‘You’re Gone Baby’. Even more country influences can be found in ‘I’ve Got The World By The Tail’ by Australian Kevin Shogog and also note the lovely background choir. A dose of humor is contained in ‘A Fish House Function’ by Emmy Oro and Her Rhythm Escorts. A timeless song is certainly ‘I Know That We’ In Love’ by Franny Boye. It is the flip side of Boye’s poppy cover of ‘Rock Around The Clock’. ‘Keep A Knockin’’ is a classic, but we bet you have never heard the song as energetic as in the version by Little Ronnie Sessions. ‘Shy Boy’ by George McCannon III sounds poppy and completely contemporary. A little later, Ronnie Summers provides a great rocker with ‘Salt And Pepper’, a song that would also have been released in Belgium and the Netherlands via the London label. I personally did not know the song, but which small record dealer would have dared to buy it at the time. Too bad, because it is a very good one. You certainly know ‘I’m Walkin’’ in the New Orleans style of Fats Domino. Paul Evans provides a more rocking version.
We would like to refer doo-wop lovers to ‘Shut Your Mouth’ by ​​The Eboniers, ‘Big Deal’ by The Skee Brothers, ‘Come On Baby’ by The Youngtones and ‘Why, Why, Why’ by Scott Stevens and The Cavaliers.
Traditionally, this volume also ends with a contemporary recording from the archives of Rhythm Bomb Records. This time, the Australian Chrome Daddies and their ‘Blackberry Boogie’ were chosen.
We can't say it enough, but the 'A-Rama' series consistently contains the very best recordings from the heyday of the genres. Add to that the excellent sound quality and the attractive covers by the artistic Henrique San and you know that these releases are more than worth it.

In the series ‘Rocks’, created by the German Bear Family Records, an impressive number of artists have already been featured. Artists from both black rhythm & blues and white rock-‘n-roll. Last year, the first volume of ‘Bear Family Records Rocks’ was released, in which the emphasis was on the talented black artists who gave shape to rhythm & blues. In the now released second volume, the label focuses on the cream of the crop of white rockers, and there are quite a few. The 35 tracks on this album contain only big names. Names of artists who spread rock-‘n-roll worldwide and therefore have eternal value. Incidentally, all artists on this compilation have already been featured individually in the ‘Rocks’ series. Jimmy Cavallo and His House Rockers are allowed to light the rock fuse with the appropriate ‘Rock, Rock, Rock’, after which one hit follows the other in rapid succession. Sam Phillips' Sun Studio pioneered rock-and-roll. Naturally, you also get artists that Sam took under his wing. For example, you will find high-quality rock-and-roll from Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Sonny Burgess and Carl Mann. But other labels also did their bit for rock-and-roll.
You get sublime recordings from labels such as Columbia, Parkway, Roulette, Era, Capitol, Cora, Imperial, Decca, Charly, Epic, Checker, Kay, Liberty, Chess, Coral, Del-Fi, Rockstar, Dot, Cadence, Wayside, MGM, RCA, Atco, Rhythm, King, Carlton and of course Bear Family Records. They delivered recordings by big names including Ritchie Valens, Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks, Glen Glenn, Johnny Burnette and The Rock ’n Roll Trio, Ricky Nelson, Gene Vincent, Link Wray and The Wraymen, Eddie Cochran, Bill Haley, Narvel Felts, Wanda Jackson, The Everly Brothers, Sleepy La Beff (then still noted as such), Conway Twitty and Bobby Darin. For the complete track list, we would like to refer you to the section ‘DETAIL ALBUM’. Each of these 35 tracks is the very, very, very best recording by the ‘crème de la crème’ of white rockers. In addition, you will also receive a beautifully produced, colourful 39-page booklet with all the information about artists and tracks. It goes without saying that this album with its fantastic sound quality is not only more than worth its money, but will also rock you from start to finish. Don’t say afterwards that we didn’t warn you about this top release!

In the late eighties, Paul Deakin, Robert Reynolds and Raul Malo, three school friends, decided to form the band The Mavericks. In 1990, they got a contract with MCA Records in Nashville and their second album ‘What A Crying Shame’, which sold more than a million copies in America, put The Mavericks on the musical map. For their album ‘Music For All Occasions’, they won a Grammy Award, gold and silver. The band surpassed themselves once again with their fifth studio album ‘Trampoline’, released in 1998. An album that was particularly well received in Europe. The sound of The Mavericks is therefore without a doubt unique. You can hear The Travelling Wilburys, Los Lobos and Chris Isaak in it. It is therefore fantastic that the German Bear Family Records is releasing ‘Trampoline’ for the first time in a deluxe edition with 2 180 gram LPs. Furthermore, this edition is limited to 1500 copies worldwide, contains 17 tracks with a playing time of approximately 69 minutes. And the most special is yet to come… Not only do you get the original album on vinyl, but this edition also contains four bonus tracks, which were only found on the CD released in Japan. ‘Trampoline’ is also the most varied and even artistically the highest quality album of the band. It also gave the band their mega hit ‘Dance The Night Away’, which made it to number four in the British pop charts. It is therefore not surprising that the number of European fans of the band experienced a huge explosion.
From the first track ‘Dance The Night Away’ the super good sound quality of this vinyl edition is noticeable, which is more better than the CD. The frontman of the band is the extremely talented songwriter and charismatic singer, the Cuban-born Raul Malo, who vocally can certainly be counted in the category of Roy Orbison. Another plus is the original style of The Mavericks. With their mix of country, Tex-Mex, gospel, Western swing and rock-‘n-roll, they were not only founders of the Americana style at the time, but their songs still sound wonderful today. ‘Quality always comes first’ is a statement that certainly applies to ‘Trampoline’. It is astonishing how well Malo and his fellow supporters manage to combine various music genres, both in uptempo and in ballads. Of the latter, ‘Fool #1’ and ‘Dream River’ are great examples. In addition, the band is also strong in an instrumental track, such as in the wonderful ‘Melbourne Mambo’. Gospel influences come to the surface in ‘Save A Prayer’. The four bonus tracks that only ended up on the CD released in Japan can be heard on the fourth side of this double LP. ‘All I Get’, a composition by Nick Lowe and Raul Malo, is an emotional song that immediately grabs you by the scruff of the neck. The next bonus track is the traditional, the festively exuberant ‘La Mucara’ performed in Spanish, which is followed by the uptempo ‘She Does’. It ends with the instrumental ‘Panatella’, which once again puts the musical craftsmanship of The Mavericks in the spotlight.
If you have the chance to attend a concert of The Mavericks, definitely do so, because they are still active and their sound is still at a lonely high level.
Bear Family Records can rightly put several feathers in their cap for this sublime edition of the legendary ‘Trampoline’ album that, we cannot say it often enough, bathes in a heavenly sound quality. Lovers of special editions, be quick, because this edition is limited to 1500 copies worldwide. It would be a shame if you missed out on this vinyl reissue.

Money may not be everything, but it does prevent you from ‘headin’ for the poorhouse’. The German Bear Family Records bundles no less than 30 tracks on this compilation, all of which have ‘money’ or ‘poverty’ as their subject.
The kick-off is given by the vocal group The Silhouettes, who immediately create a stunning doo-wop rhythm & blues with the title track of this album. More doo-wop follows later with The Penguins and ‘Money Talks’. Clyde McPhatter continues with The Drifters with the classic ‘Money Honey’. Later you will also get this song in Elvis’ version.
For a wonderful piano blues you can go to Johnny Ace and ‘No Money’. A song that also contains a lot of soul. Excello has many wonderful songs in its catalogue. One of them is ‘I Need Money (Keep Your Alibis)’, an rousing rhythm & blues by Slim Harpo. Howard Crockett was a talented songwriter who wrote hits for Johnny Horton, among others. You can hear Howard here in a harmonica-driven ‘Just A Poor Man’. Lovers of ‘old school’ country will certainly find something to their liking in ‘I’m Broke’ by Glen Paul and The Sunset Wranglers. More country comes with Faron Young and the self-written ‘I’m A Poor Boy’, including a wonderful fiddle solo, as well as with ‘No Money’ by the lesser-known Carl Runner.
‘Money That’s What I Want’ comes twice. The first time by Barrett Strong. Berry Gordy, owner of the Tamla Motown label was co-writer and this song was also the first big hit for his label. Also from Tamla Motown come the vocal group The Miracles with their version of the same song.
‘Ain’t Got No Money’ by The Rebel Guys is mainly a beautiful, sax-driven instrumental number. A magnificent rock-‘n-roll song comes with Cecil Moore in ‘My Money’s Gone’. On a boogie rhythm, Arkie Shibley presents his ‘talking blues’ in ‘I’m A Poor Oakie’.
At the time that Jessie Knight joined Ike Turner’s band, the electric bass made its introduction in rhythm & blues bands. Ike made sure that his cousin Jessie got his hands on the instrument. Here you get Jessie Knight with the formidable rhythm & blues ‘Nothing But Money’.
Well-known names that grace this compilation include Carl Perkins, blues shouter Jimmy Witherspoon, The Louvin Brothers and blues harmonica player Billy ‘Boy’ Arnold. Blues pianist Sunnyland Slim is also well-known. Here he brings a pearl of a piano blues as Dr. Clayton’s Buddy with ‘Broke And Hungry’. In the middle of the previous century, Frankie Avalon was one of the many teen idols. Here he is present with the wonderfully rocking ‘I’m Broke’.
Country-wise, Al Terry and Rusty & Doug close with the emotional ‘Money’.
In the 38-page booklet you traditionally get all the information about the artists and the tracks.
Thematic albums show how certain situations or feelings inspired artists to make great songs about them. One of those compilations that certainly meets all expectations here is ‘Headin’ For The Poorhouse’.

Colonial Records may not immediately ring a bell, but the label was not to be underestimated. The label was founded in 1951 by Orville Campbell in the small college town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. During its 14 years of prolific record label, they released records in a variety of styles, including comedy, bluegrass, pop and even gospel, as well as sublime rock and roll. With its many reissues, Colonial is often unfairly overlooked. But that is now changing with this limited edition of 500 copies 10" vinyl LP. Bear Family Records rummaged through the archives of Colonial and distilled the 12 most rocking and sensational tracks. Gems are certainly the first rock 'n' roll recordings of artists from North Carolina who later built up brilliant music careers. Think of George Hamilton IV, John D. Loudermilk (Johnny Dee) and Billy 'Crash' Craddock. Also formidable rock 'n' roll comes from Doug Franklin, Henry Wilson, E.C. Beatty, The Franklin Brothers, Ebe Sneezer, The Goldtones and The Bluenotes, who served as backing vocals on many Colonial recordings. The Bluenotes also included the immensely talented guitarist, songwriter and arranger Joe Tanner, while Doug Franklin built up a fantastic musical career behind the scenes in New York. The first track 'Are You Ready' is immediately a rock 'n' roll bullseye. Excellent composition by Campbell and Tanner and brilliantly performed by Henry Wilson with excellent vocal backing by The Bluenotes. The Franklin Brothers are present three times. On all these tracks, including the title track of this album, they rock like the best and their harmony vocals put the songs even more in the spotlight. Johnny Dee takes his foot off the gas a bit with his own composition ‘It’s Gotta Be You’ and adds a touch of pop in a subtle but sublime way. Rockabilly at the highest level comes with ‘If You Don’t Know’ by George Hamilton IV. As the title suggests, ‘The Oriental Shake’ by the rock band The Goldtones starts out oriental, but quickly turns out to be a very original rocker. Top song! E.C. Beatty may, in a somewhat Cash style, close side 1 with ‘Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!’. That Joe Tanner was an enormously talented songwriter is shown by Doug Franklin, backed by The Bluenotes, on ‘Mighty Low’. Ebi Sneezer then adds a bit of extremely tasteful country to the song on ‘That’s All I’ve Got’. On a jungle visit, including the screams, E.C. Beatty treats you with ‘Tarzan’, a song from 1960, after which The Bluenotes once again do their performance as a vocal backing group full justice in Bill Craddock’s ‘Birddoggin’’.
In short, ‘So Real!, Colonial Rockers From Chapel Hill, NC’ is already one of my favorite releases of this year.
What should certainly also be mentioned is the simply excellent sound quality and in the beautiful 10-page booklet you will learn everything about Colonial and the artists on this album from musician and historian Lightnin’ Wells.
And ‘last but not least’, 'So Real! - Colonial Rockers from Chapel Hill, NC' will be released in a limited edition of 500 copies. So be quick, because this is a unique opportunity to add the impressive rock-‘n-roll of this label to your collection. An absolute must!

Volume 7 in the ‘Hi-Strung R & B’ series has ‘Red Hot’ as its title. A title that applies to all 28 tracks. Songs that mainly originate from the fifties and early sixties. Two tracks date back to 1949, namely the still current sounding ‘I’m Gonna Rock (Till My Rocker Breaks Down)’ by Connie Jordan, as well as the closing track and title track of this album, by The Five Scamps. In addition, well-known, lesser-known and perhaps obscure names. With the first track, ‘Im Clappin’ and Shoutin’’ by Bumps Myers and His Frantic Five, we are immediately treated to an exciting jumping rhythm & blues via our speakers. Readers of this site will have already discovered that the undersigned is a fan of Joe Turner. Together with his Blues Kings he treats us to ‘The Chicken And The Hawk (Up, Up And Away)’, incidentally a song by the composer duo Leiber and Stoller. Someone who certainly contributed to the birth of rock-‘n-roll is orchestra leader, saxophonist and singer Jimmy Preston. Convince yourself during ‘Let’s Hang Out Tonight’. Roy Hamilton theeën swings nicely in ‘You’re Gonna Need Magic’, supported by a wonderful background choir. Female group The Copesetics only made one single. It is incomprehensible that no one believed in a sequel to the beautiful harmony ‘Believe In Me’. Jimmy Ricks, blessed with a deep bass voice, was once part of the vocal group The Ravens. You can hear him solo with ‘Do You Promise’, which contains a nice dose of soul. Many artists who made solo recordings once belonged to vocal groups. This also applies to Earl Wade. He sang with The Crystals, The Opals and The Cadillacs. You get him solo here with the super rocking ‘Let Me Miss You’, which is also reminiscent of Little Richard. When you talk about vocal groups, you can’t ignore The Platters. Enjoy them again with ‘Humble Bumble Bee’. Just like Johnny Otis himself, his music needs no introduction. As infectious as ever, he is here with ‘Hey Hey Hey Hey’. Fans of instrumental work will certainly enjoy ‘The Party Stomp’ by The Egyptians. In the original version by Jess Willard, ‘On A Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor’ was a hillbilly boogie. Bob Williams serves up a completely unique version of that song. Big Al Downing was a black musician in The Poe Cats, one of the first and perhaps the first rock-‘n-roll groups in which white and black musicians found each other. Big Al is present with ‘Please Come Home’, a gem of a rocker. Covering from a commercial point of view is timeless. That also applied to Roy Brown, who covered Buddy Knox’s hit ‘Party Doll’ in the hope of reaching a younger audience. Incidentally, ‘Priscilla’ by Eddie Cooley and The Dimples also rocks. The famous Billy ‘The Kid’ Emerson started his career at Sun Records. He did not record the great ‘I Never Get Enough’ for Sun but for Mad in 1962. Joe Houston made a career as a saxophonist. He performs top on the largely instrumental ‘Rock That Boogie’.
As always, the seventh volume in the ‘Hi-Strung R & B’ series has become a formidable album. In addition to well-known artists, you will discover artists and their songs here for the first time, more than likely.

The attentive reader who follows the reviews of this formidable series will certainly have wondered when reviewing volume 49 why volume 48 did not get a review. Well, the answer is simply that volume 48 has only just been released. A plus is certainly that both volume 47 and the recently released volume 48, both of which examine the recordings of Starday Records, are now nicely placed behind each other.
Pappy Daily and Jack Starns founded Starday Records as a country label. In the mid-fifties, when rockabilly was at its peak, the Texan label also followed this new exciting musical direction. Jack Starns had already left the company in the meantime, but with the same drive as the label embraced country, they also threw themselves into rockabilly.
Just like volume 47, volume 48 is also full of wild rockabilly. A large number of these songs were recorded at Gold Star Recording in Houston with a house band, in which Hal Harris was usually the lead guitarist. As we saw in the first part about Starday Records, the label had a number of legendary artists under its wings, such as Sonny Fisher, George Jones (here still mentioned as Thumper Jones), Rudy ‘Tutti’ Grayzell, Leon Payne (who recorded both under his own name and under Rock Rogers), Frankie Miller and of course Sleepy LaBeef (then still Sleepy LaBeff). In addition, Starday Records offered local young rockers the opportunity to have 300 copies of their recordings pressed in the Starday Custom Series for a symbolic amount. The condition was that they supplied their own master tapes.
Enough background information about the label. Let’s now focus on this volume.
The opener is ‘Trucker From Tennessee’ by Link Davis. Although Link was already over forty, he played this fantastic number like a young wild rocker.
The blind Leon Payne is there twice. The first time as Rock Rogers with ‘Little Rock Rock’. Rogers was no longer young either, he was already 39 when he recorded this song as well as ‘Sweet Sweet Love’ under his own name, which can be heard later on this album.
George Jones or Thumper Jones was a country artist through and through. However, Pappy Daily managed to persuade him to record a rockabilly song. With success, by the way. Convince yourself during ‘Rock It’. Frankie Miller was also 100% country. That genre also shines through in the formidable ‘True Blue’. George Jones also had a nose for talent. For example, he guided Benny Barnes into Starday. Rightly so when you hear the rather civilized rocking ‘You Gotta Pay’. Great song!
Beautiful harmonies characterize ‘Pretending Is A Game’ by The Davis Twins, just like in ‘Hey Doll Baby’ by Ray and Lindy.
The previously mentioned lead guitarist Hal Harris performs sublimely on ‘Don’t Be Gone Long’ by Bob Doss. Number that they also wrote together. Harris himself can be heard with the self-written ‘Jitterbop Baby’. In addition to his talent as a guitarist, he was also very good vocally.
Rocky Bill Ford is not that well-known. Too bad, because his ‘Mad Dog In Town’, which also contains some country influences, is a real cracker. The steel guitar also gives Truitt Forse’s ‘Chicken Bop’ a country edge.
Classy Sonny Fisher is present three times with well-known tracks ‘Rockin’ Daddy’, ‘I Can’t Lose’ and ‘Pink And Black’. Rudy ‘Tutti’ Grayzell is also well-known, here with the exciting ‘Let’s Get Wild’. Sleepy LaBeff’s voice is so specific that it always adds character to his songs, as on ‘All Alone’.
In the mid-fifties, Lou Walker played guitar for a while in Bob Wills’ The Texas Playboys. He shows cool country-inspired rockabilly on ‘Little Bitty Man’. Number he also wrote.
Uranium as fuel for nuclear reactors was very popular in the fifties. That inspired Rudy Gaddis to write the very special ‘Uranium Fever’.
In addition to the well-known artists, a number of lesser-known and even obscure artists also grace this volume. The fact is that all artists perform at the same level. In short, this volume also presents 34 wild rockers. A nice addition to volume 47! Traditionally, you get all the information about the artists and the tracks in the beautifully illustrated 34-page booklet.

Al Michaels, or Alan O’Donnell as his identity card states, is not only a singer but also active on the double bass. He is known to many for his involvement with The Empires and Sickville, but now he is starting his solo career as Al Michaels. He does this with the EP ‘This Boy Ain’t So Bad’, on which he presents 4 songs of his own making. The repertoire of the Inteli-Gents, of which he is still a member, contains covers in the genres rock-‘n-roll, doo-wop, swing, jazz and vocal harmony songs. Certainly very nice, but Al wanted more. He dreamed of recording in a different style and thus making his dream come true. After he had finished the 4 songs on this EP, he contacted the German-based Brisk Records, owned by Ray Collins, known as bandleader of the Ray Collins Hot Club named after him. Michaels had known the guests of this band for some time and after he had recorded the 4 songs, the label decided to release them as an EP. Al provides the vocals and also plays the double bass. As a drummer, he called upon Mick Colley, who recorded with The Empires and is also part of the Inteli-Gents. He borrowed guitarist Jim Knowler from the Keytones and Swing Noir. With this EP, Michaels not only profiles himself as a talented songwriter, but he also paid the necessary attention to the sound. For example, this record should be played at 33 1/3 rpm, which, given the length of the songs, benefits the sound. Musically, Al sought his inspiration in rock-‘n-roll, while social realism influenced him for the lyrics. Al starts off right away with the title track, a rock-‘n-roll song of size, in which he profiles himself as a unique singer. A feather in his cap certainly also goes to Jim Knowler, who shows a more than fine example on the six strings. And pay special attention to the surprising and brilliant ending of the song. With successor ‘Mister Lonely’ we move towards rockabilly and there too Michaels does not tread any beaten paths, but again surprising song twists come to the surface. The second side opens with ‘Spirit Of You’ that shows a good dose of rocking swing with subtly dosed jazz and this song also takes unexpected wonderfully idiosyncratic directions. Al concludes with the cheerful ‘Fine Time To Come’.
If rock-‘n-roll were to see the light of day for the first time today, Al Michaels would stand head and shoulders above his colleagues. Original songs, very melodic, surprising twists, a wonderful voice and excellent accompaniment are the tools that Al expertly uses.
At the Rockabilly Rave that takes place from 27 to 31 March you can see Al Michaels live at work. Al plans to make more recordings in the near future, as well as to release a video clip.
In the meantime we enjoy ‘This Boy Ain’t So Bad’. By the way, we would rather end with ‘This Boy Is Damn Awesome’. Highly recommended!

Elvis would have turned 90 this year. This inspired the German Bear Family Records to release the fourth volume in the series ‘The Elvis Presley Connection’. The first volume in this series focused on the 1950s, the second covered the late 1950s up to and including 1962 and the third contained the period 1963-1966. The fourth volume puts the period 1967-1969 in the spotlight. In the 1960s, Elvis mainly concentrated on his film career in Hollywood, but he reclaims his place on stage in 1968 with the grandiose ‘Comeback Special’. This volume also contains 28 impressive tracks. Both original songs that Elvis covered, as well as covers of original Elvis songs. That Presley had a nose for great songs is beyond dispute. In addition, he was also extremely creative in the period 1967-1969 and recorded many timeless hits. Think of ‘Guitar Man’, ‘Big Boss Man’, ‘Hi-Heel Sneakers’, ‘U.S. Male’, ‘In The Ghetto’ or ‘Suspicious Minds’, of which you get all the original versions here. A fun fact is the following. ‘Guitar Man’ is here in the original version by Jerry Reed, although Bob Luman’s version inspired Presley more. On the version that Elvis recorded, Jerry Reed played lead guitar. Incidentally, he also did that on Presley’s version of Jimmy Reed’s ‘Big Boss Man’. That song is also here in the faster version by Charlie Rich, clearly the version that inspired Elvis. Jerry Reed was a great source of inspiration for Presley, because ‘U.S. Male’ was also written by him. A classic within rhythm & blues is Tommy Tucker’s ‘Hi-Heel Sneakers’. In addition to Elvis, José Feliciano, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jeff Beck also covered the song. In 1967 Elvis recorded the magnificent ‘You Don’t Know Me’, a song performed here by Ray Charles. Elvis’ musical interests were very broad. He also covered ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, now the theme song of Liverpool’s Football Club, here in the version of crooner Andy Williams. This song is also performed by the formidable Conway Twitty. The version of ‘A Little Less Conversation’ by Mac Davis, who wrote the song together with Billy Strange, also sounds wonderful. As is known, Elvis was a fan of gospel, including the song ‘Saved’, which he performed in a medley on the ‘Comeback Special’. The original version by LaVern Baker graces this compilation. Presley often preferred to record songs that had made a great impression on him, rather than using the new songs that were presented to him. For example, he often sang ‘Tiger Man (King Of The Jungle)’ live in a medley with ‘Mystery Train’. ‘Tiger Man (King Of The Jungle’ is the original version by Rufus Thomas who recorded it in 1953 in Sam Phillips’ Sun studios. You experience a touch of country in ‘Long Black Limousine’ by Vern Stovall. It was Elvis’ first song that he recorded in the American Sound Studio in Memphis in 1969. Bobby Bare’s version, which you can also hear here, sounds ‘country to the top’ and has more connection with Elvis’ version. Ned Miller scored worldwide with ‘From A Jack To A King’. Elvis previously sang the song with a gospel slant, which made Miller decide that Presley’s version was better than his own. ‘In The Ghetto’ was one of the many monster hits for Elvis. Here you hear the version by Mac Davis who was also a co-writer, although it must be said that Elvis added more empathy to the song. ‘Suspicious Minds’ is a composition by Mark James, who also recorded the song as a single. James’ producer Chips Moman and also owner of the aforementioned American Sound Studio, offered the song to Presley after James’ single flopped. Not surprising when you hear his version. James clearly lacked a connection with the song. Before Presley made the second take of Johnny Tillotson’s ‘It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’’, he jokingly sang ‘Only The Lonely’ by Roy Orbison. When Elvis was asked why he didn’t record an Orbison song, he replied that Roy’s songs couldn’t be sung better.
A rarity on this album is certainly the Elvis-inspired Vince Chu from Singapore, with his version of Carl Perkins’ ‘Blue Suede Shoes’.
In the 38-page booklet, you get, in addition to rare photos and illustrations, extensive information about the recorded tracks and the artists. The King was inspired by rhythm & blues, soul, country, rock-‘n-roll, gospel and pop and he always managed to make those songs immortal thanks to his beautiful voice and empathy. Great album!

Columbia and Epic Records, which operated under its wings, had many talented artists under contract. The archives of both labels are therefore almost inexhaustible when it comes to the magnificent rock-‘n-roll and rockabilly that they recorded. It is therefore not surprising that volume 49 in the ‘That’ll Flat… Git It!’ series pays attention to these record companies for the fourth time.
It is also not surprising that this volume is bursting with well-known names. For example, you will find no less than two tracks by Carl Perkins here, namely ‘Pop, Let Me Have The Car’ and ‘Jive After Five’. Johnny Horton also makes himself heard twice. He is there with ‘Ole Slew-Foot’ and ‘I Don’t Like I Did’. Other well-known people come along with, among others, The Collins Kids with the unissued ‘The Cuckoo Rock’, Rose Maddox with the nicely rocking ‘Hey Little Dreamboat’, Ronnie Self and Link Wray. Link made a splash with his wonderfully distorted guitar in many cool instrumentals. Here he gets behind the microphone for the nicely tempo-changing 'Mary Ann'. Fortunately, he doesn't leave his guitar in the case here either.
The album starts off very promisingly with 'Run'em Off' by Billy Brown. Perhaps not so well-known at first, but he was the one who recorded the 'He'll Have To Go' made famous by Jim Reeves for the very first time. There is also Bill Craddock with the incredibly clever and catchy 'Lulu Lee', including a breathtaking sax solo.
The artists under contract with Columbia were even allowed to occasionally colour outside the lines of their familiar genre. In this way, a number of artists who were known under the 'country' label were also able to show their rockabilly side. This certainly applies to ‘Little’ Jimmy Dickens who sublimely mixes country with rockabilly in ‘Salty Boogie’ and ‘Country Ways And City Ideas’ with a cool fiddle solo. Billy Walker also scored several times for Columbia with country songs. He also rocks country-style here on ‘Whirlpool’. Country is also the undertone of Onie Wheeler’s ‘Onie’s Bop’. Someone who also got that chance was Johnny Bond. In addition to being a guitarist, songwriter, author, radio figure, actor in Western films, he was also a not bad singer, as you can hear here on ‘All I Can Do Is Cry’. A touch of country also adorns ‘I’m Lookin’ For A Musterd Patch’ by ​​Jimmy Murphy, provided with a wonderful harmonica.
Traditionally, you will also find a number of rather rare, discoverable recordings here. Sublime rockabilly also comes from The Tunesmiths with ‘Oh Stop!’ and also note the excellent steel guitar and fiddle. Impressive is the blues shuffle-modeled ‘Who’s Been Here’ by Commonwealth Jones, with excellent work on the six strings. Charlie Adams also graces this compilation with ‘Black Land Blues’, Lefty Frizzel’s younger brother David Frizzell with ‘Tag Along’ and Jim Burgett with the slower ‘The Living Dead’.
Volume 49 concludes with Wally Hughes and the train song ‘Bye Bye Baby (Movin’ Down The Line).
This album also comes with a beautifully produced 34-page booklet with all the information about the artists and the tracks.
For excellent rockabilly and rock-‘n-roll, people often only look at the recordings of Sam Phillips’ Sun Studios. But admit that they didn’t have to give in to Sun at Columbia.

Lovesick is an Italian based band formed of Paolo Roberto Pianezza, Francesca Alinovi and Alessandro Cosentino. They are all multi-instrumentalists, whose influences are deeply rooted in the American Country, rock'n'roll and western swing music of the 40s and 50s. In some songs The Mavericks are never far away. What a wonderful voice Pianezza has! And then that tight and cool rhythm section. 'Remember My Name' is a brilliant release... 

In ‘The California Acetates And More’ series, this edition about Terry Fell is the third release. Jimmie Dolan and Billy Barton were previously featured in this series.
This box about Terry Fell also contains 3 CDs with a total of 94 songs and covers Fell’s career that ran from 1945 to 1963. Added are a number of Fell’s compositions that were recorded by fellow artists for the Lode Records label, which Fell owned. On this 3-part box, which focuses on Fell’s uptempo songs, you get no less than 21 acetate recordings, two of which are by Sammy Masters, which belonged to Fell’s record label.
Terry Fell was born on May 13, 1921 on a farm in Dora, Alabama. According to himself, he started playing guitar and harmonica at the age of 14 or 15 and played along with local musicians for fun. His musical interest was mainly sharpened by the broadcasts around The Grand Ole Opry and more specifically by The Delmore Brothers. A nice anecdote is that, at the age of 17, he decided to cycle to California, but he soon realized that the distance was too far. Fell sold his bike and together with a friend he went to California. His family joined him there around 1938-1939. Terry did volunteer work there and developed his musical talent by working with Merle Lindsay's Oklahoma Night Riders and shortly after with Billy Hughes and The Pals of The Pecos. His collaboration with Everette Ishmael 'Billy' Hughes also put Terry on the road as a songwriter. Between October 1945 and June 1946, Fell recorded three releases on the Memo Record label. He then signed with the Fargo Record label in 1946, where he recorded with His Red River Rangers. When listening to the recordings on this release, it is immediately noticeable that these last recordings are completely different and more refined in terms of arrangements. You can hear that especially on ‘You Don’t Want Me Any More’, which Terry recorded for Fargo in 1946.
In mid-1946, Fell signed for Courtney Records, where he recorded under his own name, as well as working with Lucky White and Dude Ranch Playboys, Douglas Venable and His Bar X Ranch Hands, and his most active participation with Leodie Jackson and His Western Swingsters. You will find songs from the latter on the first CD, including the sublime instrumental ‘Steeling The Blues’. Both on these tracks and on, among others, the instrumental ‘Texas A La Mode’ recorded for Courtney that Terry recorded with His Seven Southerners, you can hear that Terry evolved enormously musically. In 1947 Fell moved to the 4 Star Record label for a short period, where he recorded a new version of the Memo-released ‘I’ve Done All I Know To Do’. You can hear all this and much more on the first CD, which ends with 10 acetate recordings, and from which you can conclude that Terry had grown enormously as an artist in just a few years. Also note the good sound quality that could be achieved from the ‘acetates’.
 
With the second CD we find Terry’s recordings for the Gilt-Edge label, which after a short existence would merge into 4 Star Records. He recorded two sublime boogies for Gilt-Edge, namely the instrumental ‘Fireball Boogie’ and the sung ‘I Can Hear You Clucking’. With ‘Hillbilly Impersonations / Smoking Cornsilks’ Terry’s collaboration with Gilt-Edge ended in 1953. In late 1953, early 1954 he found a home with RCA's "X", for which he made five releases. His first recording for that label also gave him his first hit, namely 'Don't Drop It', which rose to fourth place in the charts. From the first notes you can hear that the song has commercial potential. Not surprisingly, it would be covered by Tommy Sands, Red Sovine, Betty Amos, Wilbert Harrison and Jerry Lee Lewis. Strangely, however, the b-side 'Truck Driving Man' did not make the charts. It was still a wonderful and now legendary country rocker, with a catchy harmonica. The song would be covered more than 90 times. Well-known covers are certainly those by The Green River Boys with Glen Campbell, Bill Woods, Buck Owens and His Buckaroos and Rick Nelson. Bill Woods' version can be found on the third CD. Also worth mentioning is ‘Mississippi River Shuffle’ that Terry recorded for “X” and where you can hear that rock-‘n-roll is starting to germinate. The second CD ends with 8 acetate recordings, including demo versions of ‘Smokin’ Cornsilks’, ‘Don’t Drop It’ and ‘Truck Driving Man’.
 
But Fell’s collaboration with “X” also failed. The label broke off the collaboration 4 months after Fell’s 34th birthday, after which he switched to the big RCA Victor. There he recorded a remake of his Gilt-Edge recording ‘I Can Hear You Clucking’. With the recording of ‘Wham! Bam! Hot Ziggity Zam / Consolation Prize’ on February 10, 1956, his collaboration with RCA Victor ended, which also brings us to the third CD.
 
In 1958, Terry took matters into his own hands and founded Lode Records and Lode Publishing, which he ran from his home address. He made magnificent recordings there with his most creative artist Sammy Masters and Fell himself did it under his pseudonym Johnny Valentine in the poppy ‘Angel On A Cloud’ and ‘Sandy’. That the appreciation between Terry and Sammy was mutual, Sammy proved by recording his ‘Hootnanny Hill’ and ‘Jenny Come Down’ as acetates for Fell. However, these numbers were never released commercially and you hear them here for the first time. Formidable rockabilly that flowed from Fell's pen can be heard here on Curtis Gordon's ‘Play The Music Louder’. Eddie Cochran is also present with ‘Never’, a composition by Fell, often wrongly attributed to Merle Travis and the also by Fell’s hand ‘Craddle Baby’
Fell rocked under his own name in ‘Y’All Be Good Now’. Lode Records recorded cool songs, such as the instrumental rocking ‘Grounded Wasp’ by Bob Morris and Gary Links ‘Her Skirt Was Just Too Tight’.
 
Terry Fell was not a real rock-‘n-roll artist. He did get involved in rock-‘n-roll indirectly because he added his country boogie to rock-‘n-roll. You can convince yourself of that on the third CD, where he managed to secure a place within rock-‘n-roll.
This release ends with ‘That’s What I Like’. Incidentally, it is the version he performed during his only known TV appearance, which was recorded on November 5, 1955 during the Ozark Jubilee and where he was introduced by Red Foley.
Fell moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1962 after having lived in Downey, California for 26 years. In Nashville, he rarely appeared in public due to throat problems. He did work there as a songwriter until his retirement. Terry Fell passed away at the age of 85 on April 4, 2007. It goes without saying, but with this release in ‘The California Acetates And More’ Atomicat has hit the jackpot yet again. Three stunning CDs full of discoveries, supplemented with a 16-page beautifully designed booklet by reissue producer Mark Armstrong, in which you can find all the information about Terry Fell. The way in which the label puts well-known and lesser-known artists in the spotlight is unique. Without a skilled and talented team, series like this would not be possible. We would therefore like to mention the clever design by artist Urban Zotel, Heiko Schulz of Black Shack Recordings responsible for the good sound result of the acetates and The Studio That Time Forgot in El Paso Texas for mastering the albums. They did an excellent job, so that we can enjoy these 94 gems. What a great series!

It has been since 2020 that female rock 'n' roll artists were able to show their talents via volume 5 in the 'Rock 'n Roll Kittens' series. Fortunately, there is now a sequel with volume 6 in this series with 'Hot Licks' as the title. What can you expect? Well, that is no less than 25 of the hottest rock 'n' roll, which the 'chicks' recorded between 1956 and 1963. Authentically rocking, Karen Wells immediately flies in with full conviction as 'The Wine Maker's Daughter' with 'Never Gonna Let Him Go'. She is followed by Betty McQuade who had Wanda Jackson in mind for the interpretation of 'Tongue Tied'. That 'Johnny B. Goode' also remains upright in a female version is shown by JoAnn Campbell. And also pay attention to that nice guitar solo. In the middle of the previous century it was not unusual for the artists on the A side of a single to differ from the B side. This also happened with the instrumental ‘Hot Licks’ by The Rendell’s. On the flipside was ‘Oh It Hurts’ by the female group The Karol’s. A song that can also be found on this compilation. It was not only teenagers and twens who recorded great rock’n’roll songs. Annisteen Allen was already 37 years old when she recorded ‘Rough Lover’. It is therefore completely normal that the song sounds more mature due to its somewhat bluesy slant.
Rick Nelson is no stranger. You do not hear him vocally here, but he and his band do provide the accompaniment on ‘Kiss Me Baby’ by Laura Lee Perkins.
‘Mother-In-Law’ was a big hit for Ernie K. Doe. ‘Son-In-Law’, a female adapted version, is provided here by Louise Brown. Nice, certainly because of the prominent presence of the piano and the excellent bass solo, is ‘You’ll Need My Help’ by Betty Jo.
For a headstrong lady, you should go to Charline Arthur. She didn’t like how the recording should sound according to her producer. She only wanted to record the way she wanted. I am sure she did the same for ‘Hello Baby’, given the unusual and minimal arrangement.
Girl groups, although they were still politely called ‘trio, sisters or twins’ in the fifties, are the Jaye Sisters. Sandy Schneider and the sisters Jean and June Hendon were the members. ‘G 3’ also contains wonderful harmonies as we are used to from such groups. More of this genre are also presented by The School Belles with ‘Waitin’ For My Date’, Austin Sisters in ‘It Happened At The Hop’, ‘Go On Baby, Cry On’ by Myra Sisters, the duo Tracey Twins with ‘Don’t Mean Maybe Baby’, The Joytones in ‘Gee What A Boy!’ and The Chantels in ‘Never Let Go’. The same goes for ‘Boys Guess Things Happen That Way’ by Apaapa Sisters. More in the direction of country, including fiddle, The Nettles Sisters did it in ‘Real Gone Jive’.
A contemporary recording is coming with Barbara Portland and the swinging ‘Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down’. Barbara recorded the song this year in the Lightning Recorders Studio in Berlin, but the recording was not released before. Unbelievable, because it is a great version.
You can’t think of a more appropriate song than ‘That’s It’ as a closing track. The person responsible for this song is Babette Bain, who also played in many films as an actress. There is a lot to discover on this album. Songs that have remained unknown until now, but are now finally reaching the general public through series like this. I am now more convinced than ever that there are still many beautiful things that have not reached our ears.