​Summer time is here and therefore high time for a new release in the 'Summertime Scorchers' series and it is here now. Get that summer outfit out of the closet, treat yourself to a cocktail, so that Mark and Henrique can serve the ideal soundtrack for your sweltering beach party. Both gentlemen are already raring to go with 30 songs from the period 1957 – 1963. Rocking hard to the tones of 'School's Out' by Bill James, we take our first steps in the warm sand. The pace remains high. Chuck Tharp and The Fireballs take care of that with 'Long Pony Tail', including a fantastic clean guitar solo. As if it isn’t warm enough already, Joe Jones treats you to some 'California Sun'. Joe Jones was an artist from New Orleans and you can hear that in the song. You may have known the song before from The Rivieras cover version. Holidays, sea, sun and beach can be the locations for many things. Flirting is definitely one of them. Ted Forbes and The Kisses highlight it musically via 'The Flirt'. You can certainly also twist to the tunes of Jimmy Simm's Thunderbirds and the appropriate 'Twistin' On The Beach'. Prefer rock and roll? No problem, Mark and Henrique already have the very special 'Hawaiian Rock 'n' Roll' by The Hulawai'ns on the turntable. You undoubtedly know 'You Excite Me' from Franke Avalon. Here you get an extremely handsome cover version of Johnny O'Keefe. The result of such a beach party is a lot of 'Footprints In The Sand'. The well-known The Marcels even made a song about it in their well-known style. With Darryl Vincent through the speakers it will certainly be a 'Wild Wild Party'. Well-known people are also present at the party. Ricky Nelson is there and he brings 'Good Rockin' Tonight'. Also known is Carla Thomas, daughter of that other legend, Rufus Thomas. She puts down a soulful 'Dance With Me'. Less is known about Jan Moore. She didn't record much, but she did record this wonderfully rocking 'Head Over Heels In Love'. You don't hear Nappy Brown on this compilation, but one of his songs, namely 'Little By Little' in a cover by Micki Marlo, who also recorded duets with Paul Anka. With razor-sharp guitar skills, The Sportesmen will take you in from the very first notes during 'Sand Storm'.
Lovers of vocal groups will get their money's worth. A first time with '45 R.P.M' from The Mark IV. A good portion of doo-wop awaits you with 'From The Bottom Of My Heart' by The Fantastic Five Keys. Brilliant harmony vocals also include ‘Red Hot Love (Oo This Love)’. It is provided by The Charms who back Otis Williams. The Pageants then provide the vocal impressive backings on Tony Dee's 'Make You My Queen'. And 'Rickety Rock' by The Jewels is also a good example of what vocal groups were capable of.
When you hear The Arqyles' 'Vacation Days Are Over', you know it. Time to get rid of the sand between your toes, because the beach party is coming to an end. But not before David Hill sings Cliff Richard's 'Living Doll' over the beach.
It is a fact that Mark and Henrique have the talent to musically support a real beach party. Just this one more. You can enjoy this album with just as much pleasure from the comfort of your couch. I’m sure you really will get that summer feeling.

​In America, the 1950s caused a serious upheaval. The growing prosperity, the presence of large car factories and the great distances to be covered made the car extremely successful. This was also the case with young people, because what could be more fun than cruising along the highways, driving into the sunset or enjoying a 'drive-in movie' in a luxurious shiny car. The cars of that time had enormous dimensions, often with immense wings at the back and with 8 cylinder engines, consumption of a liter more or less was not considered. A very different time than with the restrictions currently imposed. The feeling of freedom and the desire for adventure prevailed among the young people. Of course, all this also inspired the music. Artists themselves were often obsessed with the new means of transport and composed songs about it, which provided the whole with a suitable soundtrack.
The German Bear Family now bundled 33 songs recorded between 1950 and 1963, all of which have to do with cars. A large number of the recordings bundled here can be classified as rock 'n' roll and rockabilly, but there is more. The album opens with 'See The U.S.A. In Your Chevrolet' by Dinah Shore. The song served for a promotional spot for Chevrolet in 1950. More female work will follow later by Linda Laurie and 'Soupin' Up Your Motor'.
Classy Gene Vincent is featured twice. The first time with 'Cruisin' and later again with 'Why Don't You People Learn How To Drive'. Hayden Thompson is also no stranger. He rocks with verve through 'Fairlane Rock'. Another notable rock song is Jimmy Carroll's "Big Green Car." The man only made one single, but what kind of one. By the way, Bucky & Premieres also impress with 'Cruisin', rock 'n' roll at the top level.
The car and everything related to it also received the necessary attention in the rhythm & blues. Al Brown & His Tunetoppers show that in their version of the classic 'Route 66', while Clarence 'Bonton' Garlow and his orchestra opt for 'Route 90'. Chuck Willis sends his 'Keep A-Driving' more towards the blues and 'Riding In The Moonlight' by Howlin 'Wolf is also a winner in that genre.
You can listen to instrumental rock 'n' roll via 'Freeway U.S.A.' by The Bonnevilles.
Vocal doo-wop toppers come with The Premiers and 'Jolene', 'The Drive-In' by The Aquatones, The Spaniels with 'Automobiles' and 'Flat Tire' by The Del Vikings.
Beautiful harmony vocals can also be found in the slow 'Tail Light' by Sammy Hagan & The Viscounts and certainly in 'Nine More Miles, The Faster 'Faster' Song' by Georgie Young and The Rockin' Bocs who slowly but surely increase the tempo .
Rather fun is 'Sunday Driving' by actor Jerry Lewis with Billy May and his orchestra.
True to tradition, you will receive all information about the songs and artists in the enclosed booklet.
With 'Destination Freeway' Bear Family adds a beautiful album to the series. Considering the high costs or the impact on the environment, you prefer to leave the car aside, no problem because 'Destination Freeway' provides listening pleasure under all circumstances.

With 'Hey Doll Baby' we are already at the penultimate release from the 'More Boss Black Rockers' series. For the title track, compiler Little Victor consulted The Clovers, who recorded this uptempo doo-wop song in 1956 for the Atlantic label. Before we get to them, K.C. Mojo Watson rocking out wildly with 'Love Blood Hound'. Swinging, rocking and doo-wopping, The Cues then continue with the catchy 'Why'. A bluesy feel characterizes 'Can't This Be Mine' by Freddie Hall. Billy Tate certainly provides a New Orleans rhythm & blues feeling in 'Right From Wrong'. Straightforward rocking is right up the street of Eddie Daniels. 'Playin' Hide Go Seek' is more than a good example of this. An instrumental highlight is 'Lovers Satelite' by The Duals, which connects the feeling of space with the surf sound. Vocal groups in the fifties could boast of sublime harmony singing. The same goes for The Hollywood Flames and their 'Much Too Much'. "Bony Moroney" is a song that has been covered countless times. Here you get the rocking version of Doug Fowlkes and The Airedales. 'A Rockin' Good Way' is another classic that has been provided with its own version by many artists. Odessa Harris successfully sinks her teeth into the song here. The Emenators know all about too much booze. In addition, it provided them with inspiration for the handsome doo-wopper 'I Had A Little Too Much'. Authentic rocking is done by Pork Chops in 'I Wanna See My Lovin' Baby', a song from 1957. Things are a bit wilder with Don and Dewey in 'Jungle Hop'. Moments later, 'Yes, I'm Gonna Love You', a hell of a rocking rhythm & blues by Sonny Anderson, blasts through the speakers.
For a somewhat popcorn song you can go to 'Misery' by The Dynamics.
Well-known names are represented by, among others, Huey 'Piano' Smith who draws a present in his well-known style with 'Little Chicken Wah Wah' and Big Joe Turner who follows the trail of his well-known hits with 'I Need A Girl'. You can also immediately recognize Jackie Wilson by his formidable voice. He recorded 'Come Back To Me' in 1958 together with the orchestra of Milton Delugg. Fats Domino can complete the list of well-known artists with 'Little Mary', which traditionally also contains traces of New Orleans rhythm & blues.
Volume 9 in the 'More Boss Black Rockers' series is another hit. The tenth and final volume in this formidable series will be released next month. Could KokoMojo plan an eventual 'Even More Boss Black Rockers' series? Let’s hope so!

​‘The flag does not always cover the load’ is a statement that applies more than once to this new series released by Atomicat. In other words, a nonsensical song title says nothing about the song itself. The 'Wacky-A-Rama' series shows that behind meaningless titles there are enormously beautiful songs. On this first volume, compiler Mark Armstrong gathered 28 tracks that confirm this and Henrique San once again provided an eye-catching packaging. 'Bo-Bo Ska Diddle Daddle' is the first crazy title from Wayne Walker, who starts rocking with it. Wayne is followed by Wink Lewis who was mainly active in the country. By using piano and steel guitar, his rocking 'Zzztt, Zzztt, Zzztt' still has the seeds of country. Johnny Otis' band backs 'Mr. Goggle Eyes' August on 'Oh Ho Doodle Lu', which features co-produced by Otis' band New Orleans rhythm & blues . Wally Hughes' motto was 'May the music always bring you higher' and he fully lives up to that in 'Pug Nose And Pony Tail'. His whistling certainly contributes to that. With Earl Sanger and 'Whoopie Baby', including beautiful performances on fiddle and piano, we go a little more hillbilly. Slightly sultry and jazzy are the undertones of The Gimicks' '(Get Off My Tail You) Sneaky Snail'. In addition to being a songwriter and producer, Choker Campbell was also a talented saxophonist. He gives a nice example of that in the rhythm & blues 'Walking On My Thin Sole Shoes'. Larry and Lorrie made a name for themselves on TV shows in the fifties as The Collins Kids. They are present with the youthful 'Beetle-Bug-Bop' from 1955. Larry's mentor was Joe Maphis, which made Larry a gifted guitarist at a young age. Roy Hogsed provides a swinging boogie, embellished with an accordion solo with 'Let Your Pendulum Swing'. Prefer a portion of cool harmony vocals? Then you can certainly go to the vocal group The Metronomes and 'The Chickie-Goo'. A nice instrumental is 'Buzzzzz' by Jimmy Gordon. The song was co-written by Dave Burgess of The Champs. Girl group The Hollywood Chicks are present with Tossin 'A Ice Cube', a typical song for such groups. Also note the handclaps. They belong to Barry White who made his first professional recording with them in 1962. You may not believe it, but Big Brown and The Gamblers were a Belgian band. Big Brown was singer and especially shouter Roger Sauvenier. Initially the group started as a Dixieland band, but Sauvenier soon converted to rock 'n' roll. He recorded three singles on Palette, of which 'Menin Aéde Théa', which you can listen here, is the third one. Single that is highly sought after by the way. According to the data found, the song would have been sung or rather shouted in Ancient Greek. All in all a highly appreciated rarity! More famous than Brown is Screamin' Jay Hawkins. He was always special, as here in 'Orange Coloured Sky' from 1958. Instrumentally, the album closes with 'First Rhapsody For Knives, Forks And Spoons' by the aptly named Central High School Cafeteria Band and……..knives, forks and spoons were actually used for this song.
With 'Wacky-A-Rama, Vol. 1', the Atomicat label is once again launching a series that certainly has a lot to offer. The tracks, which all date from the period 1954 - 1963, can be classified into rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll and doo-wop, some of which are very hard to find. Here you get everything perfectly presented in a sublime sound quality.

In the period before Valentine's Day, the label released the album 'Think Me A Kiss' in 2021. The following year came volume 2 with the name 'Kiss Me' and now Atomicat releases the third volume that bears the name 'Kiss Away', subtitled 'Rock 'n' Roll Songs Of Happiness'. Once again, Mark Armstrong collected 30 tracks that have love as their subject. Love in all its forms. Big love, why fall in love, longing for someone, true love, the pitfalls, the charm to finally be one with someone, these are all subjects that are sung about in both rock and roll and doo-wop, which were recorded from 1954 to 1962.
'Kiss Away' is the soundtrack that will brighten up your Valentine. But just as well, this album is suitable to please your romantic soul 365 days a year.
Brilliant album!

​On volume 25 in the series, composer Mark Armstrong dives for the fifth time into the rich repertoire of the artists from Tennessee and Arkansas. The 28 tracks of this album show that these regions have not yet given up all their musical secrets.
The album's subtitle is ‘No Blow, No Show’. You can apply that to the trains of that time, as Bobby 'Blue' Bland does in this song. But you can just as easily apply it to the horn sections and in this case you can take it literally, because there is a lot of creative and groundbreaking honking to be heard.
The 28 carefully selected tracks are from the releases of Excelsior, King, Excello, Chief, Duke, Capitol, Okeh, Decca, MGM, Vee Jay, Modern and Savoy, among others. So not the least!
Be entertained by formidable rocking blues, rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll and doo-wop in the most diverse performances.
We can't help but give this album the maximum score again. A lower rating would violate our integrity. Enjoy!

​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.

​Last year the Koko Mojo released label 'Let's Go Latin', the review of which you can read again at http://www.keysandchords.com/album-review-blog/various-artists-lets-go-latin . With 'Let's Go Latin Again' there is now a sequel. Once again the emphasis is on groups that take a Latin tour with clever harmony vocals. Latin, which was created by the merging of cultures, exudes a relaxed and Southern atmosphere due to its Spanish roots. So do the 28 tracks on this album, recorded between 1954 and 1963. The fact that the genre inspired artists from various musical genres is a fact and can also be established on this compilation. This way you get delicious Latin based on rhythm & blues and doo-wop.
'Let's Go Latin Again' is the perfect album to give a summer garden party the necessary charm. However, if you listen to the album during a rainy day, slumped in your armchair with a cocktail within reach, a summer feeling will soon take over you. It's Mambo time!

​Our third visit to Sadie's Gentlemen's Club shows us that there are no taboos. After all, the music that drives the deejay through the speakers is of such a nature that when you enter Sadie's Gentlemen's Club, she accompanies you to the artificial world, where, provided you put the necessary money on the table, all your wishes are fulfilled. The 30 tracks on volume 3 once again give you a musical insight into the ins and outs of the club where Sadie and her company rule. Well-known and lesser-known artists provide the necessary atmosphere through 30 tracks, all recorded from 1952 to 1963. They contain rousing rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll, doo-wop and a touch of jazz. Genres that fire up the flames of love during the third visit to Sadie's Gentlemen's Club.
For a next visit to the club we will have to wait patiently. That visit is scheduled for April 8, when the next volume titled 'Ecstasy' will be released.

​With volume 24 of the 'Southern Bred' series, we reside in Tennessee and Arkansas for the fourth consecutive album. As we already noted with the previous three releases around this region, there were a large number of artists there. They often had to wait for recognition until the 1960s when a real blues revival arose. The fact that the Tennessee and Arkansas recordings had a full sound certainly contributed to their popularity in the 1960s. The 28 tracks on this volume, titled 'Dippin' Is My Business', once again feature rhythm & blues and rock 'n' roll from the genre's heyday. Recordings that, because of their danceability, will still provide a lot of entertainment in this time.
It has gradually become a tradition, because again volume 24 contains only the best classy rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll, piano blues and doo-wop. Anyone who owns the other volumes of the 'Southern Bred' series will certainly not want to miss this volume.

​Last year, the first volume was published for Valentine, entitled 'Think Me A Kiss'. Now the Atomicat label releases 'Kiss Me', the second volume filled with 'Rock 'n' Roll Songs Of Happiness' and therefore the ideal soundtrack for a successful Valentine's Day celebration. Another 30 songs recorded between 1955 and 1961 that immediately put you in a happy mood. Catchy and danceable rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and doo-wop, which will perfectly support your Valentine's celebration.
So, get this album as soon as possible. It's a matter of being well prepared for the coming 'Valentine'!

​'Rockin' Up A Storm', the third volume in the five-part series 'Atomic Rockers', does what our speakers are made for. The 28 rocking and rolling tracks again invite you to treat that volume knob to the right. Rock 'n' roll of an exceptionally high quality is the reason for this. Brilliant, catchy rock 'n' roll, doo-wop and compelling pop from the fifties and early sixties.
Like its two predecessors, volume 3 in the 'Atomicat Rockers' series is also one to blast through your speakers as often as possible. Satisfaction guaranteed!

With the end-of-year period approaching, record labels, just like every year, are once again putting a number of albums on the market that should guide us through that period with our beloved music genre. The labels Atomicat and KokoMojo are undoubtedly frontrunners in this regard. Moreover, they already proved in previous years that the Christmas albums can also contain quality songs and should not just be a hodgepodge of hastily gathered tracks. Last year KokoMojo released 'Let's Have A Doo-Wop Christmas' and that album now gets a sequel with 'More Doo-Wop Christmas Gems'. Once again you get 30 songs that brighten up the Christmas season in your own way.
Mark Armstrong and the entire crew at KokoMojo did it again. Putting together an album that contains both great doo-wop songs, which also have the theme of Christmas,…….. you just have to do it. Nice album!
Another golden tip! Be sure to keep an eye on this site, because more reviews of the Christmas albums released by Atomicat and KokoMojo will be published soon. In the meantime, you are definitely on the right track with 'More Doo-Wop Christmas Gems'.

​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.

​This album needs an introduction, which certainly sheds a different light on many of the songs bundled here. During World War II, a large number of African/American men were also conscripted. Many of them hoped that their fighting in the US military would give their status after the end of the war a serious upgrade. This became reality for a few of them, but the majority of them were still just as at the bottom of the social ladder as they were before their participation in the violence of war. After all, they fought for a country that discriminated them but also denied them basic needs.
Through 28 songs, this album pays tribute to these African/American soldiers, whose role in World War II, in Korea and in Vietnam was just as important as that of their white combatants.
Of all these tracks, Prince Love & His Royal Knights articulate the best of what everyone wants. "Don't Want No War"!
'Soldier Boy' is not only an album with a commendable theme, the downright beautiful blues, soul and doo-wop also make the album an absolute must.

​Always looking for new angles when compiling albums is no problem at all for the Koko-Mojo team. This 'Let's Go Latin' testifies to this, a collection of vocal groups characterized by harmonious singing. The heydays of these groups were from the mid-fifties to the early sixties. The 32 tracks on this album all date from this period. What immediately becomes clear is that the doo-wop genre lends itself extremely well to songs that create a 'Latin' atmosphere.
It is always surprising and fun to discover that an enormous amount of rhythm & blues en rock-‘n-roll solid music was recorded in the middle of the last century. This album that shines the spotlight on the vocal groups that released doo-wop in a latin version is another proof of that. Recommended!