During 5 volumes, or in this case visits, we stayed in ‘Sadie’s Gentlemen’s Club’ or perhaps better called ‘The House Of Sin’. You can’t just walk in, because the sturdy doorman anxiously guards the door that leads to the coveted entrance. He checks your membership card with an eagle eye and when he opens the door for you with a slight gesture of his head, Sadie’s world opens up for you. A world where you encounter the most peculiar characters. Some are extremely self-confident and almost immediately seek out their ‘sweetheart’, while for others the alcohol has to do its work first. The music you hear there has only one goal, namely to give the atmosphere and ultimately the attendees a boost. Incidentally, that music is thoughtfully and carefully chosen, just like on this compilation that was given the title ‘Weird’. Roray Reid immediately sends the attendees towards ‘Mad Lovin’’, an rousing track with minimalist instrumental accompaniment. Bobby Peterson started in the local clubs with imitations of Ray Charles. Ray's influences can clearly be heard in 'Irresistable You'. With the rocking rhythm & blues 'Gettin' Ready For Love' Barry Lane makes his intentions more than clear. We go on the country tour with Bobby Hardin in 'I'm Loving You Baby'. Hardin also formed The Hardin Trio together with his two sisters. Bluesy and doing the title justice Bob Vidone does in the title track 'Weird'. Hot Lips Page was an American jazz trumpeter, singer and orchestra leader. His jazzy rhythm & blues, winking at Louis Jordan, 'I Wanna Ride Like The Cowboys Do' will certainly not need any further explanation in Sadie's Club. In the direction of fantastic soul, with a dash of gospel, Phil Flowers steers his 'I Need You Baby' a little later. That some of the ladies in Sadie's Club also have singing qualities, is proven by jazz singer Pat Morrissey in the sultry 'Why Don't You Do Wright'. Another lady who convinces is Diane Maxwell in ‘Love Charms’. The girl group The Shirelles convinces again and again, here with ‘Boys’. We have already met the vocal group The Du Droppers on several compilations. Here they once again show the best of themselves in ‘Can’t Do Sixty No More’, with a wonderfully smooth lead vocal. The Versatones also operate in the same genre, with the uptempo ‘Tight Skirt And Sweater’. For a nice piano riff you can go to The Toppers and their 1954 ‘(I Love To Play Your Piano) Let Me Bang Your Box’. A more than pleasant instrumental comes with Emily and ‘Hoppin’ With Emily’. An equally nice instrumental number is the guitar-driven ‘A Little More Wine, My Dear?’ by The Hawks. Not everyone falls for an alcoholic drink, certainly not Hal Case. He makes that clear in ‘The Cola Song’, a beautiful big band rhythm & blues. Authentic rockabilly is served up a little later by Sonee West in ‘Sweet Rockin’ Baby’. Wynonie Harris was a singer and guitarist who, with his upbeat songs, was one of the founders of rock-‘n-roll. His lyrics were often on the edge. Here he keeps it calm and civilized in ‘Don’t Take My Whiskey Away’. An artist who also guarantees great songs was Wilbert Harrison. He performs the formidable bluesy ‘Cheating Baby’. Al and Nettie formed a rock-‘n-roll duo. You can enjoy the blending of their voices on the rocking ‘Move, Baby, Move’. Beautiful harmonies also characterize ‘Lovers’ by The Leaders. Ocie Smith, professional O.C. Smith was mainly active in the soul genre. This also resonates in ‘Bad Man Of Missouri’. Ernest Tucker presents a wonderfully straightforward rock-‘n-roll song with ‘Mirror, Mirror’, just like Al Hendrix in ‘Monkey Bite’.
The album ends with the emotional ‘Love Again’ by Eddie Cochran.
And so our sixth visit to ‘Sadie’s Gentlemen’s Club’ comes to an end. Those present will undoubtedly have enjoyed themselves… if not, they still enjoyed 30 songs recorded between 1951 and 1962.

It has been a year and a half since volume 5, entitled ‘Audrey’, was released in ‘The Rockin’ Spot’ series. With ‘Belinda’, the new volume in this series, compiler Mark Armstrong once again serves us 30 tracks belonging to rock-‘n-roll, country and doo-wop.
Not much is known about Patsy Clark, who opens with ‘Watcha Do To Me’. What we do know is that Hillous Butram, bassist for Hank Williams, wrote this catchy rocker. Patsy is followed by Red Williams with ‘Walkin’’, which also has some country in its genes. A good dose of pop is more likely to be found in ‘Start Movin’’ by Loren Becker and The Zig Zags. Hopeless Homer provides a good dose of hillbilly with ‘The Girl In The Red Blue Jeans’.
You will find nice rock-‘n-roll with Rocky Storm in ‘Every Night’. Western Swing and rock-‘n-roll form the basis for ‘Big Foot Annie’ by Don Boots and The Western Swing Band. Also nice is the rock-‘n-roller, with excellent sax drenched ‘Fireball’ by The Rocket-Tones.
Formidable country presents the well-known Dave Dudley in ‘Under Cover Of The Night’. Number that had Garland Perry Cochran as producer. He recorded as The Cochran Brothers with Eddie Cochran. You also get more country during ‘Ride Jesse Ride’ by Merle Kilgore.
Del Shannon is not unknown. Here he is present with the uptempo ‘You Never Talked About Me’. Shannon is followed by the British Cliff Richard, as always accompanied by The Shadows. ‘Choppin’ ‘n’ Changin’’ is such a typical Richard song, with magnificent lead guitar by Hank B. Marvin. Despite the fact that the number was released in the States, Cliff could barely get a foothold there. Another legend who is present on this compilation is Carl Perkins. In ‘Lend Me Your Comb’, a duet, Carl is vocally assisted by brother Jay. Another great artist who is present is Ronnie Hawkins with the well-known ‘Baby Jean’.
Chuck Miller was a boogie pianist. That genre still resonates in the rocker ‘Bright Red Convertible’. Pianist was also Darryl Vincent, who goes wild here on ‘Wild Wild Party’. What a great song!
Bonnie Fussell came from North Baton Rouge, Louisiana and his origins are clearly reflected in ‘Too High Class’. Some artists do not get further than one recording. That happened to guitarist and singer Hunter Watts, also from Baton Rouge. Incomprehensible because ‘Wild Man Rock’ is a more than worthy song.
Vocal group The Spindrifts is responsible for the title track of this album. Member of the band Frederick Picariello can later be heard as Freddy Cannon in the top rocker ‘Patty Baby’. We know Cannon from ‘Buzz Buzz A-Diddle-It’ and ‘Tallahassee Lassie’. The Sunbeams also serve up more fine vocal work with ‘Come Back Baby’ and so do The Selections in the uptempo ‘Guardian Angel’. Certainly not to be forgotten in this genre are Billy Huhn and The Catalinas with ‘Baltimore’ and The Four Cheers who close this album with ‘Fatal Charms Of Love’.
Just like the previous volumes in ‘The Rockin’ Spot’ series, volume 6 is also one that you can hardly get out of your playback device.

Johnny Burnette's brother Dorsey was a versatile artist. In Johnny's rock-'n-roll trio, Dorsey was the man of the scorching 'slapping bass'. He also scored as a solo artist, but together with Johnny he certainly made it as a songwriter for Ricky Nelson, among others. Dorsey was also a well-known producer. In that role he was responsible for Stevie Wonder, then still Little Stevie Wonder's session for Tamla.
At the age of 6, Dorsey got his first guitar, on which he practiced like a maniac. Dorsey was quite temperamental, which caused him to get involved in fights several times. As a youngster he dreamed of a career as a boxer. Together with Johnny he visited the local boxing clubs, although it soon became apparent that this would not be his career.
There are many great releases about Dorsey's successful early years in the Bear Family catalogue. A catalogue that was not yet complete, however, because the wonderful recordings that Dorsey made between 1962 and 1965 were missing. That shortcoming is now being remedied by this double CD, with recordings he made for Sinatra's Reprise label and on Motown's not-so-long-existing sublabel Mel-o-dy. These are supplemented with singles that Dorsey recorded in the same period for Lama and Imperial. All this fills the first CD. The second disc is even more impressive. Here, Dorsey Burnette's musical legacy is thoroughly explored. It contains 20 previously unheard impressive original recordings, including songs that Dorsey wrote together with Joe Osborn, bassist with the Wrecking Crew.
Both CDs give a good picture of Dorsey's passion for rock-'n-roll, country, soul and pop.
This double album immediately impresses with 'Back To Nature', which shows that Dorsey effortlessly combines rock-'n-roll, country and pop in one song, and he does so even more often. The high level that this song reaches is effortlessly maintained throughout both CDs, making it difficult to pick out highlights, because each song is a highlight in itself. Not only are these all enormously strong compositions. They are also performed by an artist with a beautiful, impressive voice, who also has a great deal of empathy. Moreover, both CDs are bathed in a sublime sound. Pure class!
The 45 tracks in total captivate from start to finish and show a wealth of impressive recordings that Dorsey made between 1962 and 1965. ‘The Complete Reprise and Motown Recordings plus … (1962-1965)’ is without a doubt the link that was missing in Dorsey’s musical legacy until now.
In the illustrated, extensive and well-founded booklet you will find a detailed biography by Bill Dahl, as well as a discography by Nico Feuerbach.
But………be quick because this edition is limited. It was only released in 1000 numbered copies worldwide. Fans know what to do. An indispensable release that will complete your Dorsey Burnette recordings without a doubt. A more than absolute recommendation!

The Hoodoo Tones are three musicians from France, with rock-‘n-roll blood flowing freely through their veins. That did not come at a later age, because as children Kevin Bolle, Pierre Poiré and Michel dreamed of a guitar, a double bass and a drum kit respectively. Their ambition was to stand on stage and entertain the audience. Not only did the trio succeed in that, they were also regularly found in the recording studio. They spent time there again now, resulting in the album ‘Rock At All Costs’, their fifth by now, which contains 11 original songs. With ‘Rock At All Costs’ these guys also want to honour the period when they as kids still dreamed of a musical career, which can be found both in the songs and in the cover. Incidentally, that cover contains simple drawings that visualise the tracks.
What is immediately noticeable with the opener and title track is that the trio still approaches rock-‘n-roll in a completely unique way and that makes us happy. Falling into the trap of copying the genre is once again completely out of the question here. Both in terms of melodies and accompaniment, The Hoodoo Tones set their noses in their own familiar direction. This results in new, refreshing melodies that give rock-‘n-roll a new life, so to speak. The tight rhythm section is the foundation for the creative guitar work and Kevin’s unique vocals, which allow all 11 songs to shine. For example, ‘Lies In The Air’ and ‘Jealous Of The Nerds’ shine on penetrating and nervous guitar parts. A very creative song, in which the band leaves the brakes untouched, is ‘Pygmalion Boogie’. A hell of a song! Uniqueness can also be found in abundance in ‘Song For The Kids’, which is embellished with a spontaneous choir. Despite their own interpretation of the genre, The Hoodoo Tones also show respect for authentic rock-‘n-roll. This is evidenced by the closing track ‘Until The Knell’.
After their 2022 album ‘Three Steps To Evil’, The Hoodoo Tones prove once again with ‘Rock At All Costs’ that they stand head and shoulders above many bands with their original approach to rock-‘n-roll. ‘Rock At All Costs’ is an album that gives you a good feeling.

Bear Family Records’ ‘On The Dancefloor With’ honors one of the most successful American female singers of her time with the latest release around Connie Francis. With a number of songs, such as ‘Stupid Cupid’, ‘Lipstick On Your Collar’, the co-written ‘Vacation’, ‘Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool’ and the LaVern Baker cover ‘Tweedle Dee’, Connie also became known in Europe. But apart from these nice and strong songs, she had more up her sleeve. Connie could namely bring various musical genres very convincingly. Her emotional empathy in her songs was without a doubt her strong point. Whether she had to sing a tearjerker or a raw rock-‘n-roll song, she always managed to send the song to a high level. The fact that she got the music from home will certainly have contributed to that. Her father played the concertina and sent Connie to music school for accordion lessons when she was barely three years old. Through talent shows on television she slowly but surely ended up in the music business, with the known result.
For ‘On The Dancefloor With Connie Francis’, compiler Nico Feuerbach chose, in addition to the previously mentioned songs, also the effervescent rockers and ‘dancefloor killers’ from Connie’s career. In total you get no less than 32 sublime tracks.
With opener ‘If My Pillow Could Talk’ you immediately hear Connie’s vocal qualities and empathy. That song is followed by the well-known ‘Stupid Cupid’ with none other than Neil Sedaka, who was also a co-author, on the piano. As a co-author Neil would also provide her with ‘Fallin’’ and ‘Baby Roo’.
Connie could also count on enormously talented songwriters and leading orchestras. For example, this compilation contains ‘The Tiger And The Mouse’ by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. She comes across as a light jazzy rocker in ‘Ol’ Man Mose’ by co-writer Louis Armstrong and in ‘Send For My Baby’. Eddie Curtis also wrote a number of beautiful songs that suit Connie, such as ‘Gonna Git That Man’, ‘Johnny Darlin’’ and ‘Telephone Lover’. For a while Connie had a relationship with Bobby Darin, until her father did everything he could to drive the two apart. Bobby did co-write Francis’ smooth-sounding ‘Come On Jerry (Timber)’. Don Covay, who later became known as a soul artist, co-wrote the handsome rocking ‘Mr. Twister’ together with John Berry and Mark Lewis. John D. Loudermilk was responsible for ‘Hollywood’ and ‘He’s Just A Scientist’. The well-known composer Irving Berlin gave Connie the crooner song ‘The Song Is Ended (But The Melody Lingers On). That Connie could interpret various musical styles without any problems is evident from the Latin-like ‘Torero’ and ‘Malaguena’. But she also had talent as a songwriter. You can enjoy that during ‘Plenty Good Lovin’’. The album ends appropriately with ‘Goody Goodbye’. This compilation makes it clear once again that Connie Francis is a great singer, who recorded songs that are still impressive today.

Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra is a band that is hard to pigeonhole. The band is influenced by rockabilly, blues, country, swing and soul, but the way they turn these styles into a ‘melting pot’ is quite unique. With ‘Feet First’ the gentlemen are already on their sixth album. This album was recorded in two days at the Lightning Recorders studios in Berlin. Studios that are known for authentic analogue recordings. ‘Feet First’ was recorded without overdubs and is therefore the capturing of a musical moment. In short, authenticity is the key here! In addition to Rob Heron (vocals, rhythm guitar), the band consists of Tom Cronin (baritone guitar, mandolin, harmonica and backing vocals), Ben Powling (tenor sax, clarinet and backing vocals), Adam Richards (upright and electric bass and backing vocals) and Paul Archibald (drums and percussion). Of the 14 tracks, 13 flowed from Heron's pen and one, namely 'Happy Hour' is a song by Arnold Lasseur. The songs meander between rock-'n-roll, blues, country and folk and everything in between. The arrangements are however so unpredictable, which reveals an original and unique sound. A sound that has its origins in the clubs, dance halls and theatres of the middle of the previous century, but which is given a contemporary but above all idiosyncratic look by Heron and his companions, which gives each song a life of its own. For example, 'Six Month Sleeper' evokes a somewhat Vaudeville atmosphere, while 'Three Button Suit' clearly refers to authentic country. Swinging is 'I Blinked And It Was Over', which can boast a nice part of harmonica. A touch of folk later adorns 'Hungry For Your Love'. A song that also contains a nice change of tempo, after which we waltz through 'Another Night In The Doghouse'. ‘Every Day Is Misery’, which comes later, is built on solid rock-‘n-roll foundations.
Rob Heron is not only a talented songwriter who does not shy away from humor in his lyrics, but also a passionate performer. An album to cherish!

Recently you already received the reviews of the fourth volumes in the series ‘Stroll-A-Rama’ and ‘Jive-A-Rama’ on this site and now it is the turn of ‘Bop-A-Rama’. Here too the Atomicat label serves you 30 boppin’ tracks. 28 of them date from the golden period 1953-1963, supplemented with 2 tracks from the Rhythm Bomb Records archives. Brace yourself for energetic rockabilly, rhythmic country rockers and tight blues. Tony and Jackie Lamie with The Swing Kings may surprisingly give the starting shot with ‘Sunset Blues’, a song that has rockabilly, country and blues in it. The next one to be discussed is a well-known one, namely Moon Mullican. The fiddle breathes both hillbilly and country in ‘Jenny Lee’. Among the accompanists we find guitarists Hank Garland and Grady Martin. Martin returns later for brilliant guitar work on the bopping ‘Be Bop Baby’ by Autry Inman. Grady was a much sought-after studio musician, because he also provides a sublime sound on the six strings on Johnny Bond’s country-like ‘All I Can Do’. Clever guitar work also adorns ‘You Can Have My Love’ by Judy Capps and Pat Kingary. A cool rock-‘n-roll song comes with ‘It Ain’t Right’ by Gordon Terry, who brings in wonderful backing vocals with The Jordanaires. Mojo Buford became known as a harmonica player in Muddy Waters’ band. Here you can hear him at work on the blues harp in the instrumental ‘Can’t Sit Down’ by the Voodoo Men. Buford also has a link with the next number, the well-known ‘Hold Me In Your Arms’ by that other blues harper James Cotton. When Cotton left Muddy Waters’ band in 1967, Buford returned to replace him. Cotton leaves the harmonica in the box here and concentrates on the vocals. Also note the beautiful guitar of Pat Hare. Henry Wilson with The Bluenotes present a top rockabilly number in ‘Are You Ready’. Curley Jim was originally a country singer. That rock-‘n-roll is also in his genes, he proves with The Billey Rocks on ‘Rock And Roll Itch’. Sonny Hall also provides more rousing rock with ‘My Big Fat Baby’, as does Ricky and The Stompers with ‘The Wild One’. Rock-‘n-roll in its purest form comes later with Billy Smith and ‘Tell Me Baby’. Guitarist Joe Maphis was Larry Collins mentor and Joe can also be heard here. Larry formed The Collins Kids together with his sister Lorrie. Youthful rock of the highest order is the result here and can be heard on ‘Hoy Hoy’. ‘Great old school country’ is next with ‘Wishin’ I Was Kissin’ You’ by Leon Merritt. Vocalist and drummer Willie Nix worked with blues legends like Earl Hooker, Walter Horton and Joe Hill Louis. Of course his ‘Just Can’t Stay’ can also be classified as blues. More blues follows immediately afterwards with grandmaster Lightnin’ Slim in ‘Have Your Way’. On the harmonica you hear super face slider Lazy Lester. You certainly know the country blues ‘Step It Up And Go’ from Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee. In a completely different arrangement, with beautiful backing vocals by The Jack Halloran Singers, Mac Wiseman presents the song here. The Netherlands also made itself heard through Peter Koelewijn in the golden years of rock-‘n-roll, and….. in Dutch. No ‘Kom Van Dat Dak Af’ here, but the equal ‘De Hele Stad Is Gek En Dol’. A beautiful steel guitar characterizes the mix of hillbilly and country in ‘Baby I’ll Soon Be Gone’ by Lattie Moore. Unfortunately unknown to many!
Tracks 29 and 30 are reserved for the songs from the archives of Rhythm Bomb Records. First up, the British Rhythm River Trio may perform with the seventh take of ‘I Can’t Go’. A song that can be heard here for the first time. The Australian Chrome Daddies may close with ‘It Must Be Something’. The released version can be found on their album ‘Gear Up Daddy’.
Frontman of the Daddies is Doug Wilshire. On the previously reviewed fourth volume of ‘Jive-A-Rama’ you can hear him under his own name in ‘Five Star Boogie’.
It is clear that the Atomicat team does not ‘take any chances’ when compiling albums. These series never disappoint, but……….. they do leave you wanting more!

Recently you could read the review of the fourth volume in the ‘Stroll-A-Rama’ series on this site, but the series ‘Jive-A-Rama’ and ‘Bop-A-Rama’ also got a fourth volume. The review of the new ‘Bop-A-Rama’ release will be available soon, but first let’s treat our ears to the 30 tracks on ‘Jive-A-Rama’. It immediately becomes a big jive party with Eddie Cochran and the incredibly handsome ‘Sweetie Pie’. If Eddie hadn’t passed away so early, he would undoubtedly have provided many more musical surprises. Listen carefully to his guitar playing on this recording and you will know. You will also get more formidable guitar work on the next track, namely ‘I Must Be In Love’ by Johnny Parker. Bob Gallion was originally a country artist. He also took those influences with him for ‘My Square Dancin’ Mama (She’s Done Learned To Rock And Roll)’ with excellent fiddle and steel guitar. Eddie Cochran also returns on Johnny Burnette’s ‘Me And The Bear’. Together with the other legend Joe Maphis he provides sublime work on the six strings. A duet always radiates a certain atmosphere. Especially when the voices match super. That is the case with Chuck and Betty on ‘Come Back Little Girl’. The 10 inch album ‘Follow The Leader’ by Lillian Briggs was a superior release. The rocking title track can also be found on this compilation. Some artists make one single and then disappear from the musical scene. Bobby Baron was one of those who only recorded ‘Silly Milly’. Incomprehensible, because the song had everything to score. In addition to being co-owner of the MCI label, Connie Conway was also a producer. You hear him under his own name, supported by doo-wop backing vocals on ‘Baby’s Comin’ Home’ and Connie returns as a producer on Jimmy Dell’s ‘The Message’. The accompaniment features studio guitarist Al Casey, who worked with Duane Eddy, among others. Pure doo-wop comes later with the vocal group Otis Williams and His Charms in the uptempo ‘Little Turtle Dove’, in It’s Good To Me (You Don’t Know And I Don’t Know) by The Ospreys and during ‘Friction’ by The Five Stars. A cracker is certainly ‘Little Ole You’ by country artist Wayne Walker, who subtly lets country shine through. The music business sometimes acts strangely. For example, the DOT label was not interested in the gem ‘Here I Come’ by Jimmy Dee and The Offbeats. You can hear from the first notes that they were wrong. For an authentic song drenched in echo, you can go to ‘I’m Gone’ by Vic Gallon. The guitarist on duty was Dennis Coffey, who later joined The Royaltones. ‘Ooby Dooby’ and ‘Four Winds’ are classics. The first one comes in a New Zealand version by The Schneider Sisters and ‘Four Winds’ comes with Bobby Charles. ‘What’s The Word Thunderbird’ can also be counted among the classics. The popular cheap wine is sung by the duo Bobby and Buddy. An instrumental guitar song could not be missed. That is filled in by Johnny and The Cyclones with ‘Twisted Fender’. Exciting and tearing sax rather define ‘Rock A Little Bit’ by Vi-Kings with Nils King. ‘I’m A Fool That’s Why’ by Charlie Gracie contains many ingredients of Presley’s songs. It’s up to you to discover them!
After the 28 tracks recorded between 1956 and 1963, you get 2 more songs from the rich Rhythm Bomb archive. The first track comes from Jason Lee Wilson with ‘Henry The Hammer’. It is the previously unreleased ‘take 7’, of which the released version can be found on the album ‘High Country’. The second song is ‘take 6’ of ‘Five Star Boogie’ by Australian Doug Wilshire. On the album ‘Cuz Of You!’ you will find the released version.
‘Killers And No Fillers’ is still the motto of the Atomicat label. Do we need to add anything to that? I don’t think so!

The series 'Stroll-A-Rama', which started in 2020, is now being enriched with a fourth volume. Compiler Mark Armstrong has once again collected 30 tracks that form the ideal soundtrack for the 'slow rocking stroll dance' from the fifties. Not that it is strictly necessary to push all the furniture aside and overload the perhaps stiff muscles. After all, the 30 tracks are also extremely enjoyable without the accompanying 'moves'. However, if you believe that exercise would have a positive effect, then you will immediately get your money's worth with 'Baby Workout' by Leroy Jones. Jones is followed by Don Dowing, the brother of the well-known pianist and singer Big Al Downing. Don delivers a magnificent rocking rhythm & blues with 'Have You Seen My Baby'. Before he achieved success as Delbert McClinton, he recorded 'The Cat' as Mac Clinton, accompanied by The Straitjackets in 1962. Number that is set to rocking tracks with a great intro on the blues harp. You get more harmonica on the bluesy ‘Steppin’ High’ by Little Luther, as well as on ‘I’m Tired Waitin’ Baby’ by Lightnin’ Slim, where the Mississippi saxophone is played by none other than blues legend Lazy Lester. You undoubtedly know ‘Sick And Tired’ in the version by Fats Domino. Here you get the song by Elton Anderson and it can easily compete with the one by Domino. You also know ‘Kansas City’ by the same Fats. The song appears here in the New Zealand version by Eddie Howell together with The Bob Paris Combo. Be sure to pay attention to the creative guitar work. Also great is ‘I Just Can’t Wait’ by Skip Robinson and His Imperials. Song where the keyboard part is clearly modeled on that of Booker T & The M.G.’s. Fans of instrumental stroll will enjoy the sublime horn section of ‘The Big Bad Train’ by Lee Castle and Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra and the guitar-dominated ‘Driftin’’ by Terry Lee and The Poor Boys. A very special instrumental comes from Georgie Young and The Rockin’ Bocs with ‘The Sneak’. Classy Lloyd Price needs no further introduction. High-quality songs were synonymous with him. Such as ‘Who Coulda’ Told You (They Lied)’, which will appeal to both fans of rhythm & blues and rock-‘n-roll. You can expect nice doo-wop on ‘Roadhouse Rock’ by Arbis Hanyel, just like on the formidable ‘Happy Go Lucky Baby’ by the vocal group The Ravens featuring Jimmy Ricks, as well as on ‘Crazy, Crazy, Crazy’ by The Flamingos. Very occasionally, a recording on a small label would attract the attention of a major. This honor fell to Frankie Loren who recorded ‘Hey Little Girl’ for the Porter label at the age of 18. The somewhat poppy rock-‘n-roll number was picked up by Mercury Records and could therefore count on better distribution. A nice fusion of rhythm & blues with a dash of jazz characterizes ‘Hey, Mr. Warden’ by Danny Cobb. Although ‘C’Mon Baby (What’s Your Name)’ is a wonderful rockabilly track, Jimmy Williams remained relatively unknown as a singer. As a composer he scored with Clyde McPhatter’s hit ‘A Lover’s Question’. With ‘I’m Checkin’ Up’ Tender Slim, also known as Fender Guitar Slim, serves up a great blues number.
28 tracks date from the fifties and early sixties. The other two are previously unreleased tracks. The first, Glen Glenn’s ‘Kitty Cat’, comes from The Shadowmen. The released version can be found on their album ‘True Love Highway’. The second previously unreleased track is the ‘dubbed alternate take’ of ‘Your Mamas Here’ by Portuguese Ruby Ann. The released version is on her album ‘Mama’s Back’. Whether you like rocking rhythm & blues, rock-‘n-roll, rockabilly or doo-wop, volume 4 in the ‘Stroll-A-Rama’ will not leave you out in the cold. Enjoy!

After the release of volume 5 'Fatty Patty' in 2021, it became quiet around the 'Rock And Roll Floozy' series for a while. That silence is now broken because with 'Pauline' the series continues on the successful path it has taken. That still means rockabilly and rock-'n-roll that are not always well-known, but more than worth listening to. Let yourself be carried away by the jive, stroll and bop rhythms. Getting into the right mood right away is easy. Pat Kelly and The Shamrocks ensure that with 'Hey Doll Baby', a song from 1958. Lonnie Mullins was an American country artist. You can clearly hear that country was the breeding ground for the rockabilly song 'It Was You'. In addition to country, Phil Sullivan also had some folk in his genes. He shows that both genres match perfectly in 'You Get A Thrill'. Beautiful harmonies, somewhat like The Everly Brothers, are served by Marcus Brothers with 'Little Girl In Pigtails'. Later, Bob and Denny, The Dennis Brothers, also appear in that genre with ‘Hush Hush Little Baby’. A big name is certainly Johnny Rivers, whose album ‘Johnny Rivers At The Whiskey A-Go-Go’ has become a classic. Here he signs present with the rocking ‘Baby, Come Back’ recorded in 1958. At Sam Phillips’ Sun label, Ernie Barton could be deployed in many areas, including as a producer, songwriter and artist. However, he did not become successful with it, although his ‘Stairway To Nowhere’ is a song that is certainly worth mentioning. Fans of instrumental rockers will get their money’s worth with ‘Big Wheel’ by The Royaltones. Nice alternation between sax and guitar, by the way. The title track ‘Pauline’ comes with Bobby Doyle. It is his most famous song, but Bobby became even more famous through his collaboration with the young Kenny Rogers and later briefly with Blood, Sweat and Tears. The nice clean sounding ‘If You Don’t Like It, Don’t Knock It’ by Kimo Lee is also great. ‘Shirley Lee’ was Bobby Lee Trammell’s most and best rocking song. It goes without saying that it belongs on this compilation. Rockabilly in its purest form, you get with ‘Little Forty Ford’ by the Oregon rockabilly artist Leon Smith. Despite the cool songs, Ronnie Self’s solo career did not reap the deserved success. You can hear that he recorded good songs during ‘Big Town’. Guitarist Al Casey worked as a studio musician with a number of big names. He proves that he could also score under his own name with ‘If I Told You’. The Nashville rocker Jimmy Isle recorded his best rocker in 1958 for Roulette with ‘Goin’ Wild’. The song flowed from the pen of Jimmy’s brother Ronnie. The spoken narrative ‘Cruisin’ Central’ by Faron Warner is also great. ‘Apron Strings’ was covered by Cliff Richard as a flipside of his single with ‘Living Doll’ as A side. Here you get the original version of Billy The Kid, after which Sonny Lowery waves goodbye to the album with ‘Goodbye Baby Goodbye’.
Having to wait three years for a sequel in the ‘Rock and Roll Floozy’ series was rewarded 100%. After all, you rarely come across such formidable rockabilly and rock-‘n-roll served on a platter. Magnificent volume!

As we are used to from the ‘Atomicat Rockers’ series, all these volumes guarantee excellent ‘old school’ rhythm & blues. This line is of course continued on the sixth volume ‘The Juke Box Man’. The title track comes from Mel Tills, originally a country artist and those influences are also in the song, which makes a nice link with rockabilly. But before Mel gets his turn, there is more to enjoy. For example with Cecil Bowman and The Arrows who start off rockabilly-style with ‘Blues Around My Door’ that also winks at country because of the steel guitar. Rockabilly in its purest form can be found in ‘Shake It Up Baby’ by Frankie Dee and The Carter Rays, including a nice clean guitar solo. ‘Chug-A-Lug’ by Bobby Doyle and The Ideals and ‘Sleep Rock-A-Roll Rock-A-Baby’ by Alvis Wayne sound just as pure and clean. Jimmie and The Night Hoppers provide a ‘top-notch’ instrumental song driven by handclaps and sax in ‘Cruisin’’. We know ‘Book Of Love’ from The Monotones, who released the song in 1958. Here you get the version by The Blazers, a cover group that recorded the song that same year. John Fred and His Playboys scored a world hit with ‘Judy In Disguise’ in 1967. ‘Shirley’ here is at least as good, but did not bring John Fred the same success. It is not immediately clear how often ‘Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Going On’ has been covered. One cover is better than the other. The cover that is certainly one of the better ones is this one by The Centurys. Excellent vocal performances and great guitar parts characterize this version. Carl McVoy, present here with the formidably rocking ‘Little John’s Gone’, was none other than Jerry Lee Lewis’ nephew. It sounds like he listened very carefully to his cousin's songs. Jeff Barry may not have been into rock-'n-roll, but he still managed to deliver a great rocker with 'Hip Couple'. The twist gained popularity through Chubby Checker. Here Chubby shows his rock side with 'Schooldays, Oh, Schooldays', including a cool sax solo. The sound of The Coasters can clearly be heard in 'Don't Wake Up The Kids' by Otis Williams and His Charms. You wouldn't immediately say it, but Bobby Pedrick Jr. was only 12 years old when he recorded the great rocker 'White Bucks And Saddle Shoes' in 1958. Joey Michaels, misspelled as Joey Micheals by the label, can also rock really well. On his 'Sixteen Cats' it would be Bill Haley and His Comets. That could very well be the case, from the sound of it. A cracker of a recording! Lucky Millinder's orchestra always offers sublime songs. That is no different on 'Goody Good Love'. Number that also has beautiful vocal harmonies. Eddie Gaines clearly found inspiration for his ‘Be-Bop Battlin’ Ball’ in ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’.
Compiler Mark Armstrong has once again brought together 28 sublime songs from the fifties and early sixties. Rock-‘n-roll, rockabilly and authentic rhythm & blues at the highest level. Give that volume knob a good turn to the right, throw all the brakes loose and enjoy this sixth volume in the ‘Atomicat Rockers’ series. You won’t regret it!

For this new 'On The Dancefloor With', Bear Family Records rightly focuses on Jack Hammer. Jack Hammer was not only a talented rock 'n' roll artist in 1956, but he also composed the vast majority of his songs. Gradually the music evolved and so did Jack. The twist was coming and Hammer was there too, just like later with the emerging soul. He proved that he already had the necessary skills as a composer by writing the hit 'Great Balls Of Fire' together with Otis Blackwell. It wasn't until he moved to Europe in the early sixties that Jack started scoring hits. The Belgian Ronnex label signed him, so that the new dance 'The Wiggle', created from Jack's mind, received the necessary airplay in Belgium and became a hit. In Europe he managed to build an impressive career and was even crowned as the 'European king of twist'. He performed in America, England, France, Germany and of course in Belgium. In Belgium in 1962 he even recorded a currently hard to find song with the then young Jo Leemans, the celebrated singer, actress and TV personality. That was the wonderful 'Twist Talk' and can also be found on this compilation, just like the live recordings Jack made with the combo of Paul Würges and the orchestra of Max Greger, with whom he recorded 'Die Schöne Lola', a translation of 'Be-Bop-A-Lula' in the studios of the German television channel ZDF. Jack Hammer could also be humorous. This is evidenced by the previously unreleased 'Earth Cousins', which he recorded together with Tony Middleton, member of the doo-wop group The Five Willows. Song in which fragments of the current hits can be heard, including 'Great Balls Of Fire'.
The 32 tracks paint a beautiful picture of the talent and impressive career of Jack Hammer, from his musical start as a rock 'n' roll artist to his later soul singer.
In addition to beautiful and rare photos and illustrations, the 36-page booklet contains a detailed biography, as well as a carefully compiled discography.
Jack Hammer died in Oakland, California on April 8, 2016 at the age of 90.

In the series 'Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight', Bear Family Records dedicates its next release to Bob Wills. Bob Wills was rightly given the title of 'King of Western Swing'. The label's careful selection includes Bob's recordings for Vocalion/Columbia and Kapp, Master, MGM and the Liberty labels in the period 1939 - 1963. Wills usually stuck to his pure Western Swing, but hillbilly boogies and rockabilly also grace this compilation. In addition to being the inventor of the Western Swing genre for his fans, Bob Wills was also the best fiddler and arranger. He also introduced the beat to the country genre. That made him the best 'dance band' in the South West at the time. This is not an exaggeration, because it is difficult to sit still while listening to this compilation. Naturally you will find classics such as the blues, 'Keep Knocking But You Can't Come In', which Bob initially played with his legendary partner Milton Brown in the Fort Worth Doughboys, 'Don't Be Afraid Of Your Age' and the influential mainly instrumental 'Twin Guitar Special' here. More mainly instrumental work comes later with 'Texas Drummer Boy'.
What is immediately noticeable when listening to this album is the intense enthusiasm that Bob put into his band The Texas Playboys, which ensured that the merging of ingredients from the various styles of American roots music went smoothly. The vocal work is also positive. Such as in 'Nothin' But The Best For My Baby', in which the lead vocals encounter vocal opposition. This also repeats itself in other songs with different vocalists. Wills clearly continues the bluesy tour in 'Trouble, Trouble Blues' in which the fiddle further enhances the blues feeling. Rockabilly then surfaces in 'So Let's Rock'.
As is a tradition at Bear Family Records, this album also contains a beautiful 34-page booklet compiled by Roland Heinrich Rumtreiber, containing not only a detailed biography, rare photos and illustrations, but also all information regarding the tracks.
For fans of Western Swing at first hand, with formidable fiddle and steel guitar parts, this edition is a simply a 'must have'.

In the 'Juke Box Pearls' series, Bear Family Records pays attention to Lillian Briggs this time. The fact is that Lillian Briggs did not actually get the fame she deserved. The 32 largely uptempo songs on this album were recorded between 1955 and 1961 and cover the genres from rocking rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll to more pop-oriented songs. As you will soon hear, Lillian had an extremely powerful voice, but she could also handle the trombone quite well. In her youth she mainly listened to jump blues and jazz and you can hear that in her songs. You undoubtedly know opener 'I Want You To Be My Baby', but perhaps in Louis Jordan's version. Here you get the song in Lillian's 1955 version, but also as an instrumental by the Lillian Briggs Orchestra and finally in a more twisted version that Briggs recorded in 1961. You also get the Lillian Briggs Orchestra a second time with the equally instrumental 'Delilah'. On both instrumental tracks you can hear Lillian as lead trombonist. Her jazzy side is reflected in, among others, 'It Couldn't Been Me'. That rocking rhythm & blues also goes well for her is evident from 'Rock 'n' Roll-y Poly Santa Claus' and 'Follow The Leader'. She rocks even more in 'Come Here'. She is a bit softer in the rather poppy 'Eddie My Love' and she also shines in the emotional 'Mean Words' and 'Will We Meet Again'. But also her cover versions of 'Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop' and 'Rag Mop' she knows how to provide them with the necessary dynamics. Bluesy Lillian comes out in 'Sugar Blues'.
In short, Lillian Briggs was not only blessed with a powerful, clear voice, but could also handle various genres, whether it was rocking rhythm & blues, blues, rock 'n' roll, jazz or rather pop, she always knew them all to perform in the right way.
In the 36-page colorful booklet you receive an extensive biography, as well as all recording information for the tracks and beautiful photos, on which you can also see Lillian at work as a trombonist.

The Ford Motor Company was founded on June 16, 1903 by Henry Ford. That same year, Ford achieved its first success with the production of the 'Model A'. A model that was extremely popular in the late 1940s as a basis for designing and building Hot Rods. After the end of the Second World War, the 'T model' (1910-1920), the 'As model' (1928-1931) and the 'Bs model' (1932-1934) were extremely popular among Hot Rod enthusiasts. In the fifties it were the rockers who organized races for it. In the more luxurious segment of the car industry, Ford scored with the Lincoln, named after President Abraham Lincoln. However, not all models that Ford launched were successful. The 1949 to 1951 Fords were labeled as 'shoe box cars' and the Ford Edsel, named after Henry's son, was a commercial flop. The reasons for the lack of success were the appearance, the economic recession, the price problem and the numerous production problems, such as defective welds, leaking trunks and problems with the power steering.
Ford later expanded its branches worldwide, which gave the brand a lot of name recognition. Over the years, Ford allo bought Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin.
Reasons enough to put Ford in the spotlight on its 121st anniversary with 30 songs by well-known and lesser-known artists. The songs may have the name 'Ford' in the lyrics or the bands may have chosen a Ford model as the name.
'Start the engine and let's go'! Who immediately sounds through the speakers is Curtis Gordon, who delivers a hell of a rockabilly song with 'Draggin''. Curtis is followed by class act Gene Vincent who talks about his 'Pink Thunderbird', 'with a red fur seat'. Eddie Cochran also honored Ford with 'Pink Peg Slacks' and in 'Somethin' Else'.
More famous people arrive with Janis Martin. She transformed Buck Griffin's 'Let's Elope Baby' into a real rock 'n' roller. 'She had a high speed motor in a 44 coupe', impressed the rocking 'Hot Rod Baby' Rocky Davis. Lefty Nicks gives his 'Model A-Ford Blues' an authentic country blues jacket. The T-model inspired Rosco Gordon for his 'T-Model Boogie'. Willie Love was more in the mood for a stronger engine. He chose 'V8 Ford', a song that exudes a slow blues atmosphere. A beautiful piece of blues harp is cleverly contained in 'Mercury Boogie' by K.C Douglas Trio.
Betty Rogers presents a wonderful cover version of Hank Williams' 'Hey Good Lookin''. Buddy Knox also opted for a cover. He took Chuck Berry's 'Maybellene' and gave it a great rockabilly twist.
For beautiful doo-wop you can go to The Fairlanes and 'Johnny Rhythm'. The Fairlanes later appear together with lead singer Charles Perrywell in 'Come Along With Me', which has a Chuck Berry edge. You get Chuck Berry himself in 'Jaguar and Thunderbird'.
More doo-wop comes with the band that chose a Ford model as the group name, namely The Edsels. They go up-tempo in 'Shake Sherry Shake'. The Lincolns also chose their group name in the same way. They are present with the also uptempo 'Pleasin' You - Pleases Me'.
There is also beautiful harmony singing with the vocal women's group The Delicates in 'Black And White Thunderbird'. Another vocal group The Paramounts chose the same model with 'Thunderbird Baby'. You can certainly rock on the sax-driven instrumental 'What's The Word' by The Thunder Rocks. Another nice instrumental serves up Sunset Dragster's Orchestra. You can hear what a Thunderbird should sound like in their 'Boss T Bird'.
The album ends with 'Arkie Meets The Judge' by Arkie Shibley and The Mountain Dew Boys, set to a hillbilly instrumental background.
'121 Years Of The Ford Car' is not only a beautiful ode to a car brand that made mobility possible for the general public, but also offers a collection of sublime songs in genres such as blues, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and hillbilly. This album is definitely recommended on a long car trip, or at home in your familiar surroundings. The choice is yours!

In 2018, this trio surprised us with their album 'Boogie In The Shack'. Although we could expect quality, we could deduce from the line-up. After all, the members were no strangers to the rock 'n' roll scene. First there was the energetic Jake Calypso, also known from the band with His Red Hot, The Corals, Mystery Train and Hot Chickens. There was also Helen Shadow, who we remembered from The Blue Ridge Rockets, The Johnson Family, The Queen Bs and The Shooting Stars. And finally there was Ricky Lee Brawn, who earned his nods with The Stargazers, The Big Six, The Space Cadets and Johnny Back And The Moonshine Boozers. Now, roughly 6 years later, the trio is still there and they have come up with 'Generation Rock n' Roll', released as a Rhythm Bomb Records 20th Anniversary Edition. Jake is still the bass, harmonica and guitar man. Traditionally, Helen Shadow is busy on the six strings and Ricky Lee Brawn flogs the drum heads. All three are responsible for the vocal parts.
The album has 13 tracks, the majority of which came from the pens of Jake and Helen. The trio immediately takes off with 'Back In Black', a Calypso composition. Their craftsmanship is immediately reflected in a rock-solid song with a sublime guitar part. Helen Shadow immediately signs for successor 'Chickies', which is also bursting at the seams with energy and can boast of Jake's pumping bass. Things get even wilder in 'Miss Pussy', which gets started with a quirky intro. With the instrumental 'Timeless', which sounds somewhat spacious, the gass pedal is given some rest. Not for long, however, because with the title track, which nods to psychobilly, it becomes 'pedal to the metal' again. A great authentic rock song is without a doubt 'Don't Know Where I'm Goin'', a composition by Helen. A super beautiful track is also the quieter, country-influenced 'I'll Be Just Fine'. 'Party Doll Got Married' makes the thoughts wander to that guy from Lubbock Texas, called Buddy Holly. In French, Jake's native language, the album ends rockingly with 'A Plein Coeur'.
With 'Generation Rock n' Roll' by The Nut Jumpers it's party time, although sometimes a break at the bar is necessary. A hell of an album!

The band Max Merritt and The Meteors may not immediately bring back memories for you. That is the case in New Zealand. After all, in the period 1959 - 1963 they were the hottest rock 'n' roll band that introduced the new music genre there, as well as in Australia. Moreover, they were involved in the rock 'n' roll scene for a long time.
Maxwell James Merritt was born on April 30, 1941 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Already at the age of 12 he took guitar lessons for fun. At the age of 15, he left school and went to work in his father's construction company. At that age, Max also fell under the spell of the emerging energetic rock 'n' roll and the construction company no longer interested him. He used his wages to buy his first electric guitar and made it a point to make a living as a celebrated rock 'n' roll artist. In the first version of The Meteors, Max perfected his performance. From 1955, American soldiers were stationed in Christchurch. A year later, Max Merritt and The Meteors were often guests at the American base, where they played the American hits of the time for the staff. In 1959, Max and his colleagues signed a contract with His Master's Voice. That same year they also made their first recording with 'Get A Haircut / Dixieland Rock'. An original recording linked to a cover that Elvis sang in the film 'King Creole'. The same pattern was followed for the second recording. The original rocker 'Kiss Curl' was given the cover 'You Made Me Love You' as a b side. The line-up of The Meteors underwent quite a few changes and studio musicians were also hired in addition to The Meteors for the recording of the long player 'C'mon Let's Go'. In early 1962 the band moved to Australia. There they recorded two singles for His Master's Voice with cover versions of songs by Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and the British group Dave Sampson and The Hunters. After His Master's Voice terminated the contract, the band signed with the New Zealand Zodiac and Viking labels. The first punk bands emerged in the mid-1970s and although Max then found refuge on the Arista label, further success failed. Nevertheless, his songs 'Slippin' Away' and 'Hey, Western Union Man' did hit the Australian charts. At the end of the decade, Merritt moved to Los Angeles. During the last seven years of his life, he was affected by a rare autoimmune disease that produces antibodies that attack the lungs and kidneys. Max Merritt died on September 24, 2020 in the middle of the corona period, so no funeral ceremony could take place. That same year he was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall Of Fame.
On 'Get A Haircut' the Rockstar label puts Max Merritt and The Meteors in the spotlight on the basis of 24 tracks. The tracks contain 22 recordings that Max Merritt made together with The Meteors. He recorded the other 2 songs as a solo artist. All songs were recorded between 1959 and 1963. The tracks come from the 45 tours and the LP 'C'mon Let's Go' and contain both original songs and cover versions. It quickly becomes clear that Max Merritt and The Meteors had the fiery rock 'n' roll in temp. The origineels 'Get A Haircut' and 'Kiss Curl' should certainly not turn a blind eye to American rock 'n' roll. Merritt sings convincingly and The Meteors lay an extremely tight musical foundation. In addition, 'Weekend' is a beautiful song, in which the more acoustic side of Max is discussed.
Merritt's craftsmanship comes to the surface very impressively in the traditional 'I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen', a folk song that he transforms with verve into a full-fledged rock 'n' roll song. Superior!
The fact that Max could also relate perfectly to covers is evident in, among others, 'Sea Cruise', the Elvis-known slow 'I Was The One', 'Tennessee Waltz', Ray Charles' soulful rhythm & blues 'Hallelujah I Love Her So' and Cochran's ‘C'mon Everybody’. The 'Teen Beat' borrowed from Sandy Nelson and the original 'Soft Surfie', a beautiful surf song, provide nice instrumentals. As a solo artist we hear Max in the guitar-driven instrumental 'The Slow One' and the equally instrumental rocking 'Cossack', with which the album also ends.
'Get A Haircut' by Max Merritt and The Meteors is a more than formidable album and definitely worth discovering.

'School Is In' is the first volume in the two-part series 'School House Rock'. The school was part of the daily lives of the teenagers who embraced the new genres of rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. In addition to attending classes and the associated tests, many romances also developed at school. Romances where joy and sadness were often close together. It is therefore self-evident that all these items provided a lot of inspiration for the artists who had often only just left their school years few behind them. On the first volume 'School Is In' you get 34 tracks that focus on school and everything related to it. You are undoubtedly familiar with some of these recordings, such as Chuck Berry's 'School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell)' and Jerry Lee Lewis' 'High School Confidential'. These can also be found on this album. Others may sound less familiar or even unknown to you, so time to discover them. The words 'Little School Girl' will often appear in the titles and lyrics. This happens for the first time with Wilbert Harrison, who gives his 'Little School Girl' a poppy exotic atmosphere. Mastering the alphabet in a rocking way, then 'A.B.C. Rock' by Bill Haley and His Comets has come to the right place. And also pay attention to Billy Williamson's beautiful vocals. Dorsey and Johnny Burnette wrote Ricky Nelson's 'Waitin' In School', here in Frankie Lymon's version. The title track 'School Is In' comes from the young Gary (U.S.) Bonds, who would later achieve great acclaim. The song has a lot of rhythm & blues in its genes, although the teenagers of the time would not have been able to identify with the lyrics. The Delacardos deliver an excellent slow doo-wop song with 'Letter To A School Girl'. Later, The Delacardos would later focus more on the soul repertoire. Uptempo doo-wop follows later with '(I Wanna) Dance With The Teacher' by The Olympics. The “5” Roayles give you more goosebumps-inducing harmonies with 'School Girl'. They are followed in the same genre by 'High School Affair' by The Five Chums. And The Falcons also provide beautiful vocal performances in 'The Teacher', just like The Winstons in 'School Girl'. Don Willis provides exciting rockabilly drenched in echo in 'Boppin' High School Baby'. Chubby Checker would later have a world hit with 'Let's Twist Again'. Here you get Chubby with the formidable, somewhat hilarious sounding 'The Class'. The Shades are completely unknown. Incomprehensible because 'School Bus' is a pearl of 'teenager garage rock'. The pop-infused 'School Bus Love Affair' by Wynn Stewart certainly sounds impressive. Duets only occur sporadically in rock 'n' roll. Don and Bob demonstrate that it can be done successfully in 'Good Morning, Little School Girl', as well as The Kalin Twins with 'School Bell Dream'. For major tearjerkers, skip to 'High School Dance' by the emotional Larry Williams and 'Yearbook' by John D. Loudermilk. Larry Birdsong also scores well with the rocking rhythm & blues 'Little School Girl'.
Furthermore, excellent rocking work from Gene Summers, Bird Rollins, Billy Harian, Joey Dee and The Starliters, Sonny James, Doug Connell, Benny Joy, Conway Twitty, Ronnie Allen, Frankie Avalon and closing act Jimmy Case.
'School House Rock, Vol. 1, School Is In!' is the soundtrack of the young people who were still considered teenagers in the fifties. A soundtrack that still sounds energetic and fresh more than half a century later. So we will be curiously looking forward to the second volume. This first volume is highly recommended.

You recently could read the review of volume 43 in the 'That'll Flat...Git It! series, and now volume 45 is in our playback device. I already hear you asking... and where is volume 44? Well, that volume was already released in August 2023 and you can reread its review here. Okay, but now back to volume 45 which focuses on Imperial Records releases. The label had country, rockabilly and New Orleans rhythm & blues in its catalog. A catalog that was also supplemented with subgenres. The label produced many well-known artists. Just think of Ricky Nelson, The Burnette Brothers, Merle Kilgore, Lew Williams, Laura Lee Perkins, Dennis Herrold, Jackie Walker and Bob Luman. Other names that would later come into the spotlight are the then young Freddy Fender and Roy Brown, who later made a name for himself as a blues shouter. These buzzing names are joined by lesser-known and obscure artists. Tommy Lomonte kicks off. Together with the famous Dave Bartholomew he wrote the super rocker 'Yeah, Yeah, Yeah'. Tommy is followed by Ricky Nelson with 'Shirley Lee'. Nelson returns twice more with 'One Of These Mornings' and 'Milk Cow Blues'. Another great one within the genre was Bob Luman. He appears four times, including the often covered 'Red Cadillac And A Black Moustache', which Bob was the first artist to record. In 'Blue Days, Black Nights' he shows his country side a luttele more. Merle Kilgore was also one of the showpieces of the Imperial label. He is included on this compilation with three songs. The somewhat slow 'Start All Over Again' is intriguing. In addition to being a performing artist, Kilgore has also written many hits, such as 'Ring Of Fire' by Johnny Cash, with June Carter as co-writer. A strong hillbilly undertone characterizes Gene Henslee's 'Rockin' Baby' and 'Diggin' 'n' Datin''. With a very raw voice, Laura Lee Perkins works her way through 'Kiss Me Baby'. Remarkable is certainly 'So Shy' by The Leen Teens. Song that floats on a nice clean guitar sound. Voice drenched in echo and rock 'n' roll and rockabilly go together perfectly more than once. A good example of this is 'Get Off My Back' by Jay Blue. A highlight is certainly Ronnie Smith's 'Long Time No Love', which features a cool piano. Song written by Roy Orbison. Roy Brown showcases a relaxed blues atmosphere in 'Slow Down Little Eva'. Dorsey and Johnny Burnette composed 'Yes, I'm Gonna Love You', which you get here in Sonny Anderson's version. For a formidable instrumental guitar rocker you can go to The Sidewinders and their 'Sidewinder'. Long before he made a name for himself as a country artist in the seventies, Freddy Fender was active as a rocker. You can witness this during the slow rocking 'Mean Woman'.
This compilation once again makes it clear that Imperial took many well-known artists under its wing. A lot of attention was also paid to the recordings. Excellent compositions, clever arrangements and beautiful vocal performances completed the picture. All things you would expect from a well-known record label.

This fifth volume in the 'Whip Masters Instrumentals' series once again shows that many attractive instrumental songs were recorded within the roots genres. The album traditionally contains 30 tracks, all recorded between 1952 and 1963. You will find little or nothing of many of the artists brought together here. However, the music they made has undoubtedly stood the test of time. Give that volume knob a good push to the right and let your neighbors enjoy the scorching tracks. Jerry Neal can start with the very special, slightly Eastern sounding 'Scratchin''. Later, 'Ali Baba' by The Satellites also sounds very Eastern. Neal is followed by Bob Moore And The Temps, who spice up their rocking 'Braggin'' with harmonica and organ. Zydeco artist Clifton Chenier is unique on the accordion. An instrument that rocks in his hands like no other. You will get a taste of this during 'The Big Wheel'. Carl Newman shifts things up a gear. Pounding drums form the basis for the exciting 'Tom-Tom'. The East also inspired Walkin' Charlie Aldrich and The Way Outers, as can be heard in 'Hot Sake'. In the blues you will find many great instrumental songs. Usually they have either the guitar or the harmonica in the front. In 'Chicken' Baby Boy Warren does it with the harmonica. And also pay attention to the percussion on the washboard. Blues is also one of the ingredients of 'The Grunt' by The Fifty Milers. The organ, supplemented with guitar, is the lead instrument on 'Tarantula' by The Tarantulas. Wonderful instrumental guitar rock 'n' roll comes with 'Ad Lib' and The Galaxies. Byron Gosh Group presents a song that contains both a portion of rhythm & blues and rock 'n' roll in 'Disgusting'. Genres that are also part of 'Rock! Rock! Rock!' by Willis 'Gator' Jackson and his orchestra, including a fantastic performance from the horn section. Rhythm & blues is also the basis for Dave Hamilton's 'Cooter Bug' and 'Walking The Beat' by Ernie Freeman. 'Tickle Toe' by Paul Gayten sounds playful, partly due to the piano. The race to conquer space inspired many artists. This includes Young John Watson, who creates a nice space sound in 'Space Guitar'. An impressive song is the hillbilly-influenced 'Aungalala' by Tex Carman, with a lightning-fast intro on the six strings.
Surf is rather the genre in which The Pyramids, Chiyo and The Crescents, Manuel and The Renegades, The Nite Sounds and The Losers shine.
In his uniquely recognizable style, Link Wray and his Wraymen close with 'Slinky'.
Clean sounding guitars, refreshing organ sounds, drums that provide a solid beat and creative horns, you get it all on one plate on the fifth volume in the 'Whip Masters Instrumentals' series. It's up to you to devour it eagerly.

Benny Joy appeared recently on this site, but now Bear Family Records is also paying tribute to this rocker. Joy was born on November 5, 1935 and died of cancer at the age of 52. Unfortunately, as a performing artist he could not achieve the intended and above all, deserved success. However, that changed when rock 'n' roll and rockabilly were undergoing a revival in the seventies and eighties of the last century. As a songwriter he achieved this with hits he wrote for Jackie Wilson, Charlie Rich, Johnny Cash and Carl Smith, among others. Benny's compositions for fellow artists are not included on this compilation. 'Rocks' puts Benny Joy in the spotlight as a performer. With 'Little Red Book', 'Miss Bobby Sox', 'Crash The Party', 'Spin The Bottle', 'Button Nose' and 'Jukebox Rock' he has fifties classics to his name. Naturally, these songs are all on this album. You will also hear lesser-known, but no less appreciated, songs. 'Wild Wild Lover', 'Gossip, Gossip, Gossip', 'I'm Gonna Move' and 'Love Zone' also shine here. Benny recorded his repertoire for various labels, such as Tri-Dec, Dixie, Antler, Ram and Decca. In addition to his recordings from the fifties, 'Rocks' also contains a number of Joy's recordings and demos from the '70s and '80s. Such as the 1981 'Dark Angel' and 'Indian Giver', which clearly contain traces of country and Cash.
This album contains a total of 30 songs, of which Benny Joy can be heard on 27 of them. The other 3 are filled in by Big John Taylor, Benny's musical partner for many years. Together they also recorded their very first single 'Hey... High School Baby! / Spin The Bottle' for Tri-Dec in 1957. Big John Taylor shows off his talent on the six strings with verve on the instrumentals 'Money Money' and 'Rebel Rock'. Vocally you can hear him at work on 'Talking About It'.
This compilation proves that Benny Joy was an excellent rocker. Many of his songs have so much hit potential that it remains a mystery why they didn't become hits. In any case, it was not due to the song quality and performance. Benny is still 'unknown and unloved' for many. Fortunately, compilations like this change that. You can read more about Benny as well as the tracks in the 32-page awesome executed booklet.

With 'Deadlines' Joakim Tinderholt is on his third album. He explores all corners of the roots genres, from rhythm & blues to rock 'n' roll and soul. 'Deadlines' contains 10 songs, 5 of which are original songs and the rest are carefully selected covers. In addition to his regular band, Joakim called on a number of guest musicians. For example, 'Sax' Gordon Beadle can be heard on tenor sax, Frederik Mustad is on the Hammond B3 organ, Daniel Eriksen takes care of the slide guitar and Christoffer 'Kid' Andersen, together with his wife Lisa Leuschner, provides backing vocals. Kid Andersen also plays keyboards and Lisa provides percussion.
Rocking and rolling, the climax kicks off with the title track. That genre later also formed the basis for the original 'Too Late'. 'Don't Look Now' is a compelling rhythm & blues, after which 'I Ain't Rich' leans more towards the contemporary blues genre and gives a little nod to Robert Cray. With 'Love Is Amazing', a song by Robert Ward, Tinderholt resolutely plays the soul card. Soul can also be found in 'Can I Change My Mind', 'How I Got To Memphis' and closing track 'Love Is A Four Letter Word'.
Eddie Clearwater's 'Hillbilly Blues' remains a beautiful example of rocking rhythm & blues in Tinderholt's version, which, Juust like the original, is somewhat reminiscent of Chuck Berry.
With 'Deadlines' Joakim Tinderholt proves that he is on edge. Whether it's rocking rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll or deep soul, the genres fit him like a glove.
'Deadlines' is already one of the first high-flyers of the new year.

Dion Di Mucci, usually referred as Dion, features on the recent volume of the 'On The Dancefloor With...' series. Dion was the lead singer of The Belmonts. Together they scored hits with 'I Wonder Why', 'A Teenager In Love' and 'Where Or When'. Dion also did well as a solo artist. There he managed to storm the charts with 'Lonely Teenager', 'Runaround Sue', 'Ruby Baby', 'The Wanderer' and 'Donna The Prima Donna'. Born in 1939, he started in the fifties, the heyday of doo-wop and rock 'n' roll, with The Belmonts and immediately profiled himself as one of the pioneering artists of that time. Dion's strength was that he managed to fuse doo-wop, rock 'n' roll and even rhythm & blues in such a way that a unique 'Dion sound' was created. He left the group around 1960 to pursue his solo career. As a solo artist he evolved to such an extent that in addition to pop, he also recorded songs in the blues and folk genre.
This album contains all the hits that Dion made together with The Belmonts, as well as the hits that he recorded as a solo artist. In addition to the well-known tracks, there are songs that may not be immediately known to the general public. But let us be clear, all songs are of equal quality. The covers of well-known songs are just as interesting. Listen to him work his way through the Leiber/Stoller composition 'Kansas City' and also Little Willie John's classic 'Fever'. Not to mention his energetic cover of 'Shout'. Later Dion would record blues songs. You get a taste here with 'I Got The Blues', where he showcases the wonderful raw edge in his voice. In the closing song, the slightly jazzy 'North East End Of The Corner', he once again shows his versatility.
Dion is not only a wonderful performer, blessed with a beautiful voice, but he also scores effortlessly as a songwriter and co-writer.
Bill Dahl based the liner notes on an interview with Dion, in which the latter describes his career from the rock 'n' roll years in the fifties to the 1960s, the years where he achieved success in pop. A nice addition to a great release.

The name Sylvester Bradford will more than likely not mean anything to you. Yet as a songwriter or co-songwriter he was responsible for a lot of wonderful material and million sellers. Bradford was born on January 7, 1942 in Manhattan. He was visually impaired and his first apparente was in 1952 in a meeting place for the blind and partially sighted. He was then part of The Bradford Boys. In addition to himself, the vocal group consisted of Chris Killer (bass) and Wayne Durham (tenor) who were both blind. Like Sylvester, the fourth member, tenor Gregory Shankowitz, was also visually impaired. In 1955 the group recorded two songs. In the meantime, Sylvester's talent as a pianist was also discovered, which earned him a place in another band, which would emerge as The Ivories. For this group, Sylvester wrote 'Alone' and 'Baby Send A Letter', which The Ivories recorded for the Jaguar label. Johnny Earl Jackson, the driving force behind The Ivories, left the group and set up a new group with the same name. The original The Ivories transformed into The Love Notes. Sylvester Bradford, together with Chris Killer, then formed The Suburbans. These recorded under their own name, but were also asked as a backing group for studio worg. In that capacity they could be heard on recordings by Ann Cole and Jimmy Ricks. In mid-1957, the members of The Suburbans went their separate ways. In 1957, Sylvester recorded his only single as a solo artist with 'I Like Girls / I Live Just To Love You'. After that, Sylvester concentrated on songwriting. 'Ific', the title of this compilation, is taken from a song that Sylvester wrote together with Al Lewis, with whom he would later write many songs. 'Ific' was first recorded by Lucy Rivera in 1959. Two years later, The Chantels would record it for their LP 'There's Our Song Again'. By the way 'Ific' was an acronym for 'It's Flavor-Ific', which in turn was a beechnut flavored chewing gum. 'Ific' was also the slogan in Dick Clark's broadcast 'American Bandstand'.
So much for the introduction regarding Sylvester Bradford. All previously mentioned songs can be found on this compilation, as well as a serious number of other songs, 30 in total. The album starts with the rocking 'Little Boy Blue', the very first recording by The Bradford Boys, with Shankowitz and Bradford on lead vocals. Bradford's songwriting talent and diversity immediately come to the surface in 'Alone', a formidable slow that he recorded with The Ivories. The group scores uptempo in 'Baby Send A Letter'. Bradford shows evolved and formidable uptempo doo-wop with The Suburbans in 'Leave My Gal Alone'. The fact that they functioned well as backing vocals on recordings by other artists in both rhythm & blues and rock 'n' roll is proven on the recordings of Ann Cole and Jimmy Ricks. Sonny James provides a good example of Bradford's talent as a songsmith on 'Uh-Hum-Mm', which has both rock 'n' roll and doo-wop in it. It's a shame, however, that Sylvester's solo recordings were limited to that one single 'I Like Girls / I Live Just To Love You'. After all, he is also very strong vocally in these uptempo songs. As mentioned earlier, Bradford wrote many beautiful songs together with Lewis, such as 'Walkin' Home From School' and 'Right Now', which Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps recorded for Capitol. The duo Bradford / Lewis, together with Fats Domino, were also responsible for creating Domino's hit 'Im Ready'. Bradford and Lewis scored instrumentally with 'Vodka' by The Golden Highlights. The duo is featured humorously in their composition 'Roaches', performed by Jack Larson. Only Sylvester signed Bill Haley's 'Spanish Twist'. The versatility of Bradford/Lewis once again comes to the surface in Chuck Jackson's 'Tears On My Pillow', an impressive soul song. The duo's compositions could also be found outside the USA, including with the French rock 'n' roll band Les Chaussettes Noires with 'Le Temps Est Lent'.
In short, if you like sublime doo-wop, rhythm & blues and rock 'n' roll, then make sure that 'Ific' by Sylvester Bradford can be found in your CD player as quickly as possible.

On September 12, 1959, ABC TV launched the show 'Boy Meets Girls' in England. The show was the successor to the legendary pop TV series 'Oh Boy!'. The latter took place in a more hectic style, while the new 'Boy Meets Girls' was more sedate. When 'Boy Meets Girls' disappeared from the screen in March 1960, a number of great stars had delivered fantastic performances in it. Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Ronnie Hawkins and Billy Fury, among others, were regularly present. In a tragic coincidence, Eddie Cochran died in a car accident six weeks after the series ended. Series producer Jack Good, planned to rebroadcast Cochran's appearances on the show as a tribute. Unfortunately, he had to find that ABC TV had deleted all recordings.
Later, sound engineer Ron Parker discovered that ABC TV did make audio recordings of Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent, which had been preserved. In 2013, Rockstar Records released a CD with the recordings discovered by Parker.
The MC of 'Boy Meets Girls' was none other than Marty Wilde. Naturally, he was regularly featured as an artist himself. In addition to the previously mentioned artists, Johnny Cash, Johnny Gentle, Lyn Cornell and The Vernons Girls were also present. A nice anecdote is that after his performances in the show in May 1960, Johnny Gentle took Liverpool's The Silver Beatles with him as backing for a tour of Scotland. Gentle could not  have foreseen at that moment what these boys would do in the near future. But there's more... you'll also hear how Johnny Cash performed during his first TV appearance, where he was accompanied by Joe Brown and The Firing Squad. You will also hear performances from Little Tony, who has been labeled as the 'Italian Elvis, Billy Fury, Michael Cox, Adam Faith, Jess Conrad and many others. The total of 128 tracks cover a broad musical spectrum from rock 'n' roll to pop, both vocally and instrumentally. Sporadically you also hear the enthusiasm of the audience. Let us make it clear that this is not disruptive at all, but rather provides added value.
Moreover, if you consider that these live recordings were made over 60 years ago, you can say that the sound is very good.
Meanwhile, we are in 2024 and Rockstar Records is celebrating its 50th anniversary. A milestone in the label's history that the Rockstar crew does not want to let pass by. The label will celebrate this anniversary with impressive releases throughout the year, which they are already doing with this three-part CD box 'Mighty Good'. The 3 CDs contain recordings that have not been heard since the broadcasts in 1959 and 1960. These are certainly impressive historical recordings. What is also very nice are the announcements and the short conversations that Marty Wilde had with some of those artists. And as if this were not enough, this box comes with a booklet of no less than 64 pages, where you can follow the developments of the TV show through detailed data from various TV episodes. A booklet that also contains beautiful photos and illustrations of the artists participating in the shows. If you know that the scripts of the TV broadcasts suffered the same fate as the TV recordings, then Rockstar Records has achieved a real feat with the release of this box. Even if you only buy one album at the moment, let it be 'Mighty Good'. You won’t regret it!