With volume 41 in the 'That'll Flat...Git It!' series we dive into the archives of the labels Dot and their daughter label Hamilton. The Dot label was also known for their pop covers of rhythm & blues hits from the fifties, but also recorded a lot of good rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. From that offer, compiler Nico Feuerbach selected 37 tracks for this compilation. A number of well-known names such as Leroy Van Dyke, Sanford Clark, Jimmy Newman and Robin Luke can be found here. But also a number of artists who could not generate general fame are discussed.
Rock 'n' roll with both country and blues influences or rousing rockabilly, you will find it all on this album.
And in the 34-page beautifully illustrated booklet you get all the information about the artists and their songs.
The fact that there is still a lot of interesting rock 'n' roll and rockabilly to listen to is certainly a reason to get this album.

​The 'Rocks' series spotlights musical greats in rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. Previously there have been compilations around Link Wray, Bo Diddley, Sonny Burgess, Billy Lee Riley, Scotty McKay, Ritchie Valens and Narvel Felts. Rightly so, the German Bear Family is now dedicating a publication to Charlie Feathers. Charlie was not an average performer. If many of his colleagues followed the rockabilly path that had been mapped out for them, Charlie deviated from it. For more than 4 decades he made his own version of the rockabilly that prevailed in the fifties. He mixed the genre with some country and bluesy feel, and added an unprecedented dose of rhythm. You get a nice example of his addition of country on 'Rain', 'When You Decide' and his version of 'Frankie And Johnny'. You can hear the bluesy feel in 'Can't Hardly Stand It', as well as in take 1 of 'Bottle To The Baby'. Feathers may have had a short musical career in the fifties, but he did record with iconic labels such as Sun, Flip, Meteor and King. When rockabilly was undergoing a revival in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Charlie made some recordings for the Barrelhouse Records label. Most of the recordings on this album date from the 50s and 60s. Of course you can find his classics like 'Get With It', 'One Hand Loose' and 'Tear It Up' on this album. But also recordings from the seventies such as 'That Certain Female' or the recordings he made even later adorn this compilation.
As a bonus you get the rare 'Adamsville', song that describes a bank robbery in Adamsville, by Bill Privett, on which Charlie Feathers was the guitarist.
True to tradition, this issue features highly detailed liner notes from Martin Hawkins, roots music expert and author of the book Sun Records – The Brief History of the Legendary Record Label.
The 31 tracks perfectly showcase Charlie Feathers' musical abilities. His music has such a high quality character that it still effortlessly appeals today.

​Rockin' Rollin' USA, Visit 01, Canada, Shhhhhhh Blast Off' is the first release in the new series from Pan American Recordings. The 28 tracks on this album include songs released on major and local labels between 1955 and 1963. Local labels such as Aragon, Apex Français, Barry, Quality and Rodeo may be less known or perhaps not known at all, but they certainly recorded songs that are more than worth listening to. Every state had a local hero. Some stayed that way, but others left their hometowns and moved on. In this series, compiler Mark Armstrong also pays attention to their musical journey. But before we start our journey through the American states, we first focus on Canada. This first volume features records that were produced in Canada as well as those that were imported there.
What can you expect? That's pretty simple. Vocal and instrumental rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and country at the highest level.
Give that volume knob a good turn to the right, because this new series is the umpteenth direct hit. Unbelievable that there are still so many really great songs, of which we didn't even suspect the existence. Thanks to compiler Mark Armstrong for drawing our attention to this and just as much thanks goes to Henrique San who makes the editions visually attractive with his matching artwork.

​'Audrey', named after the Billy Lehman song of the same name, is already the fifth volume in 'The Rockin' Spot' series. A series that conjures up expertly selected rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and rhythm & blues on your plate. Volume 5 again contains 28 songs, which probably won't tell you much or even nothing at first sight. Until you listen…..and then you know. Buddy Covelle immediately blows your socks off with 'Lorraine' doused in a nice vintage clean sounding guitar. Rocking 'Little Richard style' we continue the chosen path with 'Uncle John' by Wild Child Gipson. And so it goes on......! With ‘Mercy, Mr. Percy 'rhythm & blues singer Varetta Dillard scored a hit. Her 'Promise Mr. Thomas' is also a blast of a rhythm & blues. Vocal group The Valiants, on the other hand, is wildly enthusiastic about 'Frieda, Frieda' and musically express it that way. Saxophonist Preston Love could be heard with his orchestra on many well-known Motown recordings from the 1960s. Here his orchestra backs Beverly Wright on the rhythm & blues 'Kissin' Boogie' while Preston plays a beautiful sax solo. You can enjoy great rockabilly via Jack Scott's 'Geraldine'. An instrumental that also lays down a hypnotic groove is 'Fling' by The Phaetons. Rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and beautiful vocal work follow each other in rapid succession.
A fun fact is that Mark Robinson, the performer of 'Pretty Jane' is none other than Lee Hazlewood. On that song you can also hear another legend, namely Duane Eddy on the guitar.
In short, with 'Audrey' the Atomicat label continues the successful series 'The Rockin' Spot'.

The next release that will be discussed in the 'Destination' series, has as its subject a destination where you do not want to end up, namely the prison or 'jail'. In American roots music, such as country, hillbilly and rock 'n' roll, there are many songs that can be placed in this context. In addition to life behind bars, these songs can also deal with gruesome crimes, escapes or remorseful confessions. Examples of this can be found galore on this compilation.
A mix of well-known and lesser-known artists provide formidable thematic country, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. It's best to stay out of prison, but this album is definitely a winner.

​Following the success of 'Rock 'n' Roll Songs Of Happiness', the Atomicat label launches a new series entitled 'Rockabilly Love'. The first volume 'Servant Of Love', contains 30 tracks in the genres of rock 'n' roll and rockabilly, which also have ‘love’ as their subject. The recordings span six years, namely from 1956 to 1962 and have bop, jive and stroll rhythms. True to tradition, a number of unknown artists also make an appearance on this compilation. Artists whose songs you probably didn't know, but who definitely need to be heard.
'Servant Of Love', the first volume in the 'Rockabilly Love' series raises high expectations for what's to come. You won't find anywhere else better than the unadulterated rock 'n' roll and rockabilly that you get here.

​The Atomicat label recently started a new series with 'Jungle-A-Rama' and a new series will soon see the light of day, but that will have to wait a while. The existing series are also very popular and it is therefore logical that new volumes are coming onto the market. You could already read the reviews of the third volumes of 'Bop-A-Rama' and 'Stroll-A-Rama' here. Now it's the turn to 'Jive-A-Rama'. True to tradition, this compilation again contains 30 songs released between 1953 and 1962. With 'Just To Hold My Hand' a beautiful rhythm & blues from 1955 by Paul Perryman we are ready for more than an hour of steamy music. Vocal delights, rocking rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly follow in a lightning fast way.
It needs no further explanation. You can also summarize this volume in four words, namely NOT TO BE MISSED!

​Unfortunately, Ronnie Hawkins showed up a little late on the rockabilly scene. After all, when he got a recording contract in 1959, the heyday of pure rockabilly was already more or less in the past. The moment it came to Hawkins's turn, the charts were stormed by good-looking teen idols. As a result, his star did not rise like that of Elvis or Jerry Lee Lewis. Nevertheless, Ronnie was bursting with talent. Twice he managed to score for the Roulette label. A first time with Chuck Berry's 'Forty Days' and a second time with Young Jessie's 'Mary Lou'.
Hawkins started his musical career in the mid-1950s in Arkansas. But a few years later, it was Canada where he achieved his greatest success. In addition, The Hawks contain the seeds for the later The Band.
It is therefore commendable that Bear Family Records honors singer and pianist Ronnie Hawkins, the last true rock 'n' roller, with this limited edition.
The 10'' inch vinyl contains 12 songs, including Ronnie's hits 'Forty Days' and 'Mary Lou', supplemented with original work and beautiful covers of, among others, 'My Gal Is Red Hot', 'Honey Don't' and 'Bo Diddley '. Not only did Ronnie have the 'real voice' for rockabilly, but the incendiary guitar parts and Levon Helm’s tight drumming could have made Hawkins as great as the legends had he been given the chance sooner. Ronnie died on May 29, 2022.
Together with the 10” vinyl, this release contains a bonus CD with no less than 32 songs. These include the tracks from the 10' vinyl as well as cover versions of these songs. Plus, you get a formidable 11-page colorful booklet with liner notes by Bill Dahl. The beautiful, often never seen photos were provided by Canadian music historian and DJ Dave Booth. And if all this is not enough, a postcard with the photo of the cover is attached.
‘Red Hot Rockin'’ by Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks is an unmissable release. Highly recommended!

​With 'Patiently', his first album for the German Bear Family label, American rockabilly artist Marcel Riesco immediately delivered one that hits like a bomb. In other words, an album of such a high level that you don't get sent every now and then. Marcel has all the assets you could wish for as an artist. He is a brilliant guitarist, has a more than formidable voice and writes songs that grab you immediately and never let go. The recording took place at the famous Jack Clement's Cowboy Arms Studio in Nashville. Clement is best known as a producer at Sam Phillips' Sun Studio. This immediately guarantees a superior, pure fifties rock 'n' roll sound, to which Riesco adds a pinch of sixties honky-tonk. Marcel learned to sing with the songs of Roy Orbison, whom he also sees as his example. Coincidentally, Riesco's voice is also reminiscent of the young Orbison's, which in no way means that he copies Roy, quite the contrary. Riesco does his own thing with it. His songs are perfect for that. Rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and even a touch of country thrive on his voice.
The 10” vinyl contains 10 tracks, of which 7 are originals and 3 are covers. On the enclosed CD and digital platforms you get 9 originals and 5 covers. It is clear that Riesco is not easily satisfied with his compositions. He pays a lot of attention to both the melody and the arrangements. Everything is right down to the last detail. As he himself indicates, he must have a real click with the covers. He proves that in Orbison's 'You've Got Love', which he puts in a more rocking look.
He and his band of top musicians from the Nashville scene recorded 12 songs live in 2 days. Marcel Riesco feels like no other contemporary artist how fifties rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and country should sound. That his songs come straight from his heart is certainly part of that.
'Patiently' is an absolute must for fans of contemporary fifties genres and don't say afterwards that we didn't warn you! You can't get any purer than this!

​Sun, sea and beach immediately evoke a holiday atmosphere. Due to the pandemic measures, beach visits have not been taken for granted in recent years. Fortunately, there are now fewer restrictions and sunny weather lures us again en masse to water and sand. If you also want the right music to accompany you, then the compilation 'Destination Beach' released by Bear Family is the perfect soundtrack. Thirty tracks recorded in the late fifties and early sixties will undoubtedly put you in the right mood. Well-known and lesser-known songs and artists serve up brilliant rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, doo-wop and instrumental work.
However, don't be misled by the title 'Destination Beach', because even for those who opt for a 'staycation', these 30 songs are guaranteed to bring the holiday feeling to your home.

​The releases in this series jumped from volume 38 to volume 40. The label sure have had an acceptable reason for this. Fortunately, the missing volume 39 has now appeared, so that the space between editions 38 and 40 has been nicely filled again. Volume 39 focuses on a major label, namely United Artist Records. The label was created in the mid-1950s because the Hollywood film studios United Artists wanted a record label to release the soundtracks of their films. Since 1957, the label has also recorded rock and roll and rockabilly. For many artists in these genres, United Artists Records was a springboard to other labels. Often they only made one or two singles and then moved to other companies.  Al Casey, George Jones and Delbert McClinton were a few who began their musical careers with the Hollywood record label.
This release links these well-known names to lesser-known artists, who are certainly equal. In addition to rock 'n' roll and rockabilly, some songs also contain a good dose of rhythm & blues, which makes the whole thing even more attractive. Volume 39 again contains a nice mix of vocal and instrumental songs. The fact that we're dealing with a major label here is also reflected in the clever arrangements and the attention and care that went into the recordings.

​Can you convincingly bring rock 'n' roll and rockabilly in the French language? Is it possible to stylishly fill the void left by Johnny Hallyday's passing? You may doubt this, but I don't. After listening to 'Rock Rebel' I don't doubt it at all. Céré, or in full Didier Céré, the old rocker from the south of France, blows everyone's socks off with this album and leaves many young musicians far behind, without mercy. Among the list of guest musicians, several well-known names immediately catch the eye. For example, we hear Buddy Whittington on guitar on 5 songs, Nico Wayne Toussaint puts the harmonica to his lips on 4 tracks, Redd Volkaert is guitarist on no less than 7 songs, Floyd Domino crawls behind the piano on 1 track and Red Young is also on 1 song behind the Hammond B. Add to that a horn section and you know that you will be presented with high-quality work here. Céré himself takes care of the vocals and he also plays the acoustic guitar. He starts with the title track, in the language of Molière, in which he immediately pushes the rock-'n-roll accelerator down considerably, including an inspiring sax solo. Successor 'VTwin Boogie' is bursting with originality. A wonderful rockabilly song, given a country touch by the pedal steel, and a blues feel by the harmonica of Nico Wayne Toussaint. For the first time, Céré exchanges the French language for the English language in the rock 'n' roll boogie 'Reeferbilly Boogie'. ‘You Keep On Knocking But You Can't Come In’ is a Little Richard classic. However, it pales in comparison to Céré's version 'Tu Peux Frapper'. What a number! Excellent vocals, heavenly soloing horns and sublime guitar work. One hell of an instrumental boogie is 'Lalla's Boogie', a song written by Cére in collaboration with Whittington, Volkaert, Domino and trumpeter Pascal Drapeau. The song is characterized by a balanced collaboration between piano, horns and guitar. For 'Salut Charly' he goes back to Hallyday and Céré releases the accelerator and measures the song in a country jacket. Céré knows his classics. He knows how to integrate that into his own songs. The 'Daytona Beach', written together with guitarist Jean-Pierre Medou, including harmonica and slide work that appeals to the imagination, floats on the well-known Diddley beat.
Johnny Hallyday has already proven that rocking in French is possible. It is true that there is still room for more, Céré shows how to do this perfectly on 'Rock Rebel', with a nice mix of own songs and covers. Recommended!

​With rockabilly and rock 'n' roll from the archives of M-G-M Records and sub-labels Club and Metro, we are already at volume 40 in the 'That'll Flat…Git it!' series. M-G-M Records was founded in 1946 by the production company Metro Goldwyn Mayer for the purpose of releasing soundtracks. The label soon took a broader view, dating a wide variety of music genres to the catalog. In the mid-1950s, when rock 'n' roll and rockabilly exploded, it was logical that M-G-M set its sights on that too. It is therefore also logical that a large number of artists could grow into international celebrities. This volume focuses on these names. Well-known artists such as Conway Twitty, Johnny Rivers, Buck Griffin, Marvin Rainwater and Andy Starr are paired with lesser known, but no lesser talents such as Gary Walker, Randy Atcher, Kenny Lee Martin, Rita Faye, Bob Riley and Ronnie Isle. The result are 32 tracks most from the fifties and a few from the early sixties that relive the heyday of rockabilly and rock 'n' roll in detail. Expect danceable, excellent guitars, whether or not supplemented with beautiful harmony vocals, provided rocking tracks, in a great sound.
Just to mention that there are no overlaps with volume 7 in this series, which also featured rockabilly and rock 'n' roll from the M-G-M treasury. And as befits the series, you will again receive a 36-page booklet, in which Bill Dahl provides you with all the info about artists and tracks. More than worth buying!

​When you're talking about recordings that formed the basis of blues, rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly, it is difficult to ignore the Sun studios. Sun founder Sam Phillips (05.01.1923 – 30.07.2003) was a man with a vision for his time, who knew which direction he wanted to take with the Sun label. Always looking for a new sound, he was not only the discoverer of Elvis, but also a number of other artists would later make a name for themselves. On January 3, 1950, he opened his Memphis Recording Service at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis Tennessee. The Sun Record Company saw the light in February 1952, now 70 years ago. So for Atomicat and KokoMojo the ideal moment to release two volumes of '70 Years Of The Sun Sound'. A second volume throws the spotlight on the R&B Performers, but that's for later. First we focus on the first volume, which puts the Rockers in the spotlight. Mark Armstrong selected 30 tracks, which were released at 45 or 78 rpm or as an album track. You get these recordings in a chronological order from 1954 to 1963, so that you can follow the evolution of the sound and style that Sam had in mind.
And when we go over the track list, we notice that Sam had a nose for talent. Names such as Hardrock Gunter, Charlie Feathers, Barbara Pittman, Hayden Thompson, Carl Mann, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jean Chapel, Carl Perkins and Charlie Rich seeded their musical career at Sun.
Also worth exploring is the collaboration between the Sun artists in terms of song delivery, as well as support as studio musicians.
There is this and much more to discover in this beautiful collection of Sun Rockers.
On July 1, 1969, Sam sold his Sun to Shelby Singleton for $1 million.
This album shows what a great legacy Sam Phillips left behind. If Sam hadn't been so visionary, the musical landscape would have looked a lot poorer then and even now.

​'Atomicat Rockers' is the latest series to be launched by the label Atomicat. Over 5 volumes we are treated to the rocking and rolling songs that accompanied the often wild life of the youngsters in the fifties.
The first part is titled 'Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie' and judging by the cover it was also heavy in the middle of the last century. Composer Mark Armstrong collected 28 songs for this collection that reflect the atmosphere of that time. Rock 'n' roll and rocking rhythm & blues recorded between the early 1950s and early 1960s.
With this new series, Atomicat has once again hit the bull's eye. Incidentally, the first part immerses you in a beautiful sound quality, in the songs that gave color to the lives of young people in the fifties. With 4 issues to go, we can already close with 'an unmissable series'.

​With volume 38 in the 'That'll Flat…Git it!' series we dive into the archives of the Liberty label and its sub-label Freedom.
The independent Liberty Records started in 1955 on the American West Coast and was originally specialized in film music. A year after its founding, legendary pianist and film music composer Henry Mancini signed on and stayed there until 1958. Although Liberty specialized in film music, the label later cataloged other genres, including rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. The 37 tracks on this compilation give a good idea of this. Eddie Cochran was certainly the most famous and successful artist at Liberty. In addition to Cochran, Johnny Burnette and Bobby Vee also signed to the label in 1960.
In short, in addition to well-known work, there is again a lot to discover on this compilation that can certainly be on the same level as the high flyers. And of course you get extensive info about the tracks through Bill Dahl's liner notes.

​With 'Fatty Patty', the subtitle of this volume, this miniseries also ends. A series that introduced us to lesser known and often obscure artists within rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. Songs in styles like jive, stroll and bop that not only score high quality, but can also get any party going effortlessly. This album also lives up to those expectations. During 28 tracks you will once again be amazed by the number of songs that, despite their quality, could not reach the general public when they were released. Songs that didn't make it at the time, but which can now happily be enjoyed with great sound quality. Beautiful series! Keep up the good work compiler Marcus Juárez!

​As we reported earlier, 'Stroll-A-Rama', just like its brothers 'Jive-A-Rama' and 'Bop-A-Rama', received a sequel with a second volume. The reviews of the last two have already appeared on this site. Now it is of course the turn of 'Stroll-A-Rama', another atmospheric album with danceable grooves that contain rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and doo-wop. Thirty tracks, carefully composed by Mark Armstrong, with beautiful artwork from Henrique San, catapult you like a tsunami back to the fifties and early sixties.
Anyone who has volume 1 of 'Stroll-A-Rama' in their record collection knows that they want volume 2 next to it without hesitation.

​After the recently released album 'Little Bitty Girl', 'Teen Lover' is the next release in the 'Pan-American Rockin' Recordings' series. Again 26 tracks by non-obvious artists. It's a fact that guitars are an integral part of rock 'n' roll and rockabilly, and so is this compilation.
In the fifties and early sixties the emerging rock 'n' roll and rockabilly revolutionized the music that had been classified as 'entertainment' until then. It makes sense that unknown artists tried to follow in the footsteps of the stars and hoped to gain fame. That is why many songs sometimes resemble to the repertoire of those who had already made it. Are these songs inferior? Not at all, only they weren't lucky enough to get airplay and promotion.

​With the fourth volume, entitled 'Dangerous Redhead', we are immediately at the penultimate in the series. We can guess how dangerous she is, but if she goes crazy to the sound of rock 'n' roll guitars, you better be prepared. These 28 tracks are her preference for a 'Saturday night party'. Let's see if the songs, brought together by Marcus Juárez, can also get us in a party mood.
And……….we can't help but agree with the song choice of 'Dangerous Read'. Rock 'n' roll and rockabilly that give your stiff muscles the necessary workout. With 'Fatty Patty', the last volume, you can complete this series from September 17.

The second volume of the 'Jive-A-Rama', 'Stroll-A-Rama' and 'Bop-A-Rama' series is a fact. The review of 'Jive-A-Rama' vol. 2 you already got on this site, the second part of 'Stroll-A-Rama' will be released on September 17, but first there is the 'Bop-A-Rama part 2’, which will been available since September 3rd. 30 tracks, all categorized under rockabilly, rock 'n' roll, bluegrass and blues bop, can make the dance enthusiast go wild again.
Chicago, Hollywood, California, Arkansas, Texas, New York City, Kansas City, Minnesota, Los Angeles and Germany, the 30 tracks come from all over the world.
And as usual, Mark Armstrong was once again on duty as the compiler. For the beautiful cover he could again count on 'illustrator wizard' Henrique San.
‘Bop-A-Rama, Vol. 2' once again fully lives up to the KokoMojo statement 'killers and no fillers'.

​Whether the 'girl on the cover' is a 'Ping Pong Baby', we are not going to comment on that. As for the music on this volume 3, we can be clear about that. The 28 tracks do not 'ping pong' to different music genres. Without distinction they all fall under the heading 'rockabilly and rock 'n' roll'. Another thing we are sure of is that the emphasis is on the lesser known work. Unknown and until now probably also unloved. But that soon changes after listening. The songs shine through their 'straightforward' rebellious character, typical of the genres. So no brushed shots. ‘Pick up those guitars, put that bass up, get behind your drum kit and you, get that mic in your hand quickly, because we're going to record a single, got it?’ That, in a nutshell, is the philosophy behind most of these recordings. And that's not bad, because that's how songs are created that do the real rockabilly and rock 'n' roll all the credit.
Once again there is a lot to discover. Bet that after listening you will change the expression 'unknown and unloved' to 'unknown but now happily loved'?

​It had been a long time since another album from the 'Pan-American Rockin' Recordings' series was released. Until now, because 'Little Bitty Girl' joins the already extensive series. 26 rocking, rolling and rockabilly tracks provide about an hour of unlimited enjoyment. These songs didn't always reach us when they were released because they were mostly released on American local labels and in small numbers. They will therefore not immediately ring a bell, but they are certainly no less interesting.
'Little Bitty Girl' revives the heyday of rock 'n' roll and rockabilly for an hour. Let yourself be carried away by the razor-sharp guitars, energetic voices, swinging saxes and 'put on your dancing shoes'. Wonderful album!

'Be Empathic, She's A Flirt', that's the seventh rock 'n' roll commandment. If you thought she was honest, forget it, because before you know it, she'll be rambling the opposite through your brain. Dust enough for 30 great songs, as can be heard on this album.
A relationship sometimes has sharp edges, which are not always perfectly removable. That inspired artists to catchy rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. Enjoying this album, we are already looking forward to 'Commandment Eight' which is entitled 'Do Not Commit Adultery, The Cheater'. That promises!

​Volume 2 in the 'Rock and Roll Floozy' series is titled 'Lazy Susan'. ‘What’s in a name?’ is a question that certainly pops up in some minds. ‘Lazy Susan’ may conjure up a certain image, but just as well all male eyes are on her as she enters the bar, shaking her blond locks. And that she will attract even more attention when the tracks of this album rumble through the speakers and she moves towards the dance floor, you can safely bet on that. The 28 songs come mainly from lesser-known and even completely unknown artists, but are invariably gems from the treasury of rock 'n' roll and rockabilly.
So there is a lot to discover and especially to enjoy. And luckily the end of this series is not yet in sight. After all, there are still 3 volumes in the pipeline. The next volume with 'Ping Pong Baby' will be released on August 20th.