Presse Archiv - Various Artists - The Bakersfield Sound 1940 - 1974 - MoJo
Various ***** The Bakersfield Sound BEAR FAMILY. 10-CO BOX
How California became Honky Tonk Heaven. In the '60s, Buck Owens and Merle Haggard sang country chart-toppers by the bucket-load, establishing Bakersfield, California, as a direct rival to Nashville. Their music was less showy, more contemporary than that from Music City and would influence country rock and the later Outlaw genre. This superb Bear Family presentation, with a considerable number of previously unreleased studio tracks, radio recordings and demos by artists ranging from Bob Wills to Arlo Guthrie, documents the musical history of the city — from field record-ings made by dust-bowl migrants in the 1940s, up to 1974, when Buck Owens notched his final Top 10 hit and Bakersfield guitar hero Don Rich was killed in a motor-cycle accident. Comes with a lavishly illustrated 230-page hardback book, by award-winning writer Scott B. Bomar with a foreword by Foo Fighter Chris Shiflett. Fred Dellar
Various ***** The Bakersfield Sound BEAR FAMILY. 10-CO BOX
How California became Honky Tonk Heaven. In the '60s, Buck Owens and Merle Haggard sang country chart-toppers by the bucket-load, establishing Bakersfield, California, as a direct rival to Nashville. Their music was less showy, more contemporary than that from Music City and would influence country rock and the later Outlaw genre. This superb Bear Family presentation, with a considerable number of previously unreleased studio tracks, radio recordings and demos by artists ranging from Bob Wills to Arlo Guthrie, documents the musical history of the city — from field record-ings made by dust-bowl migrants in the 1940s, up to 1974, when Buck Owens notched his final Top 10 hit and Bakersfield guitar hero Don Rich was killed in a motor-cycle accident. Comes with a lavishly illustrated 230-page hardback book, by award-winning writer Scott B. Bomar with a foreword by Foo Fighter Chris Shiflett. Fred Dellar
Press Archive - Carl Perkins - Discovering Carl Perkins - Eastview, Tennesse 1952-1953 (LP, 10inch) - bittersoutherner
A decade ago, Shawn Pitts joined a team doing a “cultural-asset inventory” of McNairy County, Tennessee. Along the way, he discovered unheard recordings made by West Tennessee’s favorite son, the rockabilly great Carl Perkins, made years before he started cutting hits at Sun Records in Memphis. They reveal a young man melding hillbilly music and African American music while Elvis was still a schoolboy. In October, they were released to the world.
For two cats who never met, Carl Perkins and I have a surprisingly complicated history. I’m happy to report it ends well.
When I was growing up in west Tennessee, Carl Perkins, who wrote the rock-and-roll standard “Blue Suede Shoes” in 1955, was everywhere. The civic center in Carl’s Jackson, Tennessee, hometown bore his name. He was a fixture at benefit concerts and other events in our region. Carl was always the main attraction on the annual Circles of Hope Telethon, which raised (and still raises) much-needed funds for children’s charities. Because of the groundwork he laid, a vast network of child-abuse prevention centers across west Tennessee bear his name. People who knew him say all the things Carl Perkins accomplished in his remarkable life, he was proudest of his work on behalf of the region’s most vulnerable children. I would wager that’s more than just a warm, fuzzy story. Personal friends attest to his genuine benevolence and passion for serving kids in need.
A decade ago, Shawn Pitts joined a team doing a “cultural-asset inventory” of McNairy County, Tennessee. Along the way, he discovered unheard recordings made by West Tennessee’s favorite son, the rockabilly great Carl Perkins, made years before he started cutting hits at Sun Records in Memphis. They reveal a young man melding hillbilly music and African American music while Elvis was still a schoolboy. In October, they were released to the world.
For two cats who never met, Carl Perkins and I have a surprisingly complicated history. I’m happy to report it ends well.
When I was growing up in west Tennessee, Carl Perkins, who wrote the rock-and-roll standard “Blue Suede Shoes” in 1955, was everywhere. The civic center in Carl’s Jackson, Tennessee, hometown bore his name. He was a fixture at benefit concerts and other events in our region. Carl was always the main attraction on the annual Circles of Hope Telethon, which raised (and still raises) much-needed funds for children’s charities. Because of the groundwork he laid, a vast network of child-abuse prevention centers across west Tennessee bear his name. People who knew him say all the things Carl Perkins accomplished in his remarkable life, he was proudest of his work on behalf of the region’s most vulnerable children. I would wager that’s more than just a warm, fuzzy story. Personal friends attest to his genuine benevolence and passion for serving kids in need.
Presse Archiv - Various Artists - The Bakersfield Sound 1940 - 1974 - ricentral.com
Where do you begin with a review of a box set documenting the Bakersfield Sound in country music? Here’s thinking the best place is the stats. From the great chroniclers of the music of yesteryear and particularly country music, that being Bear Family Records of Germany, the newly released collection The Bakersfield Sound 1940-1974 is a wonderfully exhaustive motherlode of sounds from that important locale in the history of country music. As for those stats, try this on for size: 300-plus tracks spread over 10 CDs plus a 224-page coffee table-ready hardcover book with an array of photos, many of which are rare, and track-by-track commentary and analysis by Grammy-nominated Bakersfield sound historian Scott B. Bomar.
Where do you begin with a review of a box set documenting the Bakersfield Sound in country music? Here’s thinking the best place is the stats. From the great chroniclers of the music of yesteryear and particularly country music, that being Bear Family Records of Germany, the newly released collection The Bakersfield Sound 1940-1974 is a wonderfully exhaustive motherlode of sounds from that important locale in the history of country music. As for those stats, try this on for size: 300-plus tracks spread over 10 CDs plus a 224-page coffee table-ready hardcover book with an array of photos, many of which are rare, and track-by-track commentary and analysis by Grammy-nominated Bakersfield sound historian Scott B. Bomar.
Presse Archiv - Various Artists - The Bakersfield Sound 1940 - 1974 - arkansas online
The Bakersfield Sound is an identifiable strain of the genre that combines traditional country elements such as stinging steel guitars and snarling Telecasters with an attitude informed by the perspectives of outsiders, the Dust Bowl refugees that poured into California from Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma by the hundreds of thousands: hillbillies, Arkies, tin-can tourists, harvest gypsies, fruit tramps and Okies.
No version of "Hungry Eyes" appears on The Bakersfield Sound: Country Music Capital of the West, 1940-1974, a 10-CD 299-track seven-and-a-half-pound boxed set produced by Germany-based Bear Family Productions ($190.91 at bear-family.com), probably because it would have been too expensive to obtain the rights. But it does come with a handsome coffee table book researched and written by Los Angeles musicologist Scott Bomar, who might rightfully be designated the author of this collection.
The Bakersfield Sound is an identifiable strain of the genre that combines traditional country elements such as stinging steel guitars and snarling Telecasters with an attitude informed by the perspectives of outsiders, the Dust Bowl refugees that poured into California from Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma by the hundreds of thousands: hillbillies, Arkies, tin-can tourists, harvest gypsies, fruit tramps and Okies.
No version of "Hungry Eyes" appears on The Bakersfield Sound: Country Music Capital of the West, 1940-1974, a 10-CD 299-track seven-and-a-half-pound boxed set produced by Germany-based Bear Family Productions ($190.91 at bear-family.com), probably because it would have been too expensive to obtain the rights. But it does come with a handsome coffee table book researched and written by Los Angeles musicologist Scott Bomar, who might rightfully be designated the author of this collection.
Presse Archiv - Various Artists - The Bakersfield Sound 1940 - 1974 - goldmine mag
Nestled in California's agricultural Great Central Valley, the Bakersfield area attracted carloads of Great Depression and Dust Bowl era migrants. Of course, they brought their music – a mixture of trad folk, hillbilly, western swing, and more, which made the region a musical melting pot – all the more because a few local radio stations aired all kinds of music, and local TV stations featured nearby performers. With its Telecaster-driven honky-tonk style, Bakersfield eventually became known as Nashville West or the country music capital of the West.
At the start of this enormous box's accompanying book, Chris Shiflett of the Foo Fighters pulls out the old saying that while Nashville country came out of the churches, Bakersfield's came out of the barrooms. Marty Stuart notes, "If you had a little edge on you, if you had a little cowboy in you, if you were a bit of an innovator or a wildcat, you could stand a chance of making it more in California than in Nashville."
Though very different, Merle Haggard (an actual Bakersfield-area native whose family had left Oklahoma) and Texas-born Buck Owens were the Bakersfield sound's biggest successes. With nearly 300 tracks, the box also brings forth plenty of worthy local folks like Billy Mize, who was content with a regional career rather than aiming for national stardom. We hear the Maddox Brothers and Rose (wildcard forerunners of rock and roll), Red Simpson (of the trucker song genre), and 12-string telecaster hero Joe Maphis with wife Rose Lee.
Of all the small labels here, Tally (run by local entrepreneur Lew Talley) was the most significant. Songwriter Harlan Howard's first disc was on it. Jan Howard (his wife at the time) did her first demo tapes at Tally. Just as back in mid-50s Memphis, Sam Phillips at Sun Records found the sound he sought in teenaged Elvis Presley, Talley found his sound in young Merle Haggard. Last-minute copyright issues forced rare Tally tapes of Hag's to be dropped from this package after its book was printed.
Nestled in California's agricultural Great Central Valley, the Bakersfield area attracted carloads of Great Depression and Dust Bowl era migrants. Of course, they brought their music – a mixture of trad folk, hillbilly, western swing, and more, which made the region a musical melting pot – all the more because a few local radio stations aired all kinds of music, and local TV stations featured nearby performers. With its Telecaster-driven honky-tonk style, Bakersfield eventually became known as Nashville West or the country music capital of the West.
At the start of this enormous box's accompanying book, Chris Shiflett of the Foo Fighters pulls out the old saying that while Nashville country came out of the churches, Bakersfield's came out of the barrooms. Marty Stuart notes, "If you had a little edge on you, if you had a little cowboy in you, if you were a bit of an innovator or a wildcat, you could stand a chance of making it more in California than in Nashville."
Though very different, Merle Haggard (an actual Bakersfield-area native whose family had left Oklahoma) and Texas-born Buck Owens were the Bakersfield sound's biggest successes. With nearly 300 tracks, the box also brings forth plenty of worthy local folks like Billy Mize, who was content with a regional career rather than aiming for national stardom. We hear the Maddox Brothers and Rose (wildcard forerunners of rock and roll), Red Simpson (of the trucker song genre), and 12-string telecaster hero Joe Maphis with wife Rose Lee.
Of all the small labels here, Tally (run by local entrepreneur Lew Talley) was the most significant. Songwriter Harlan Howard's first disc was on it. Jan Howard (his wife at the time) did her first demo tapes at Tally. Just as back in mid-50s Memphis, Sam Phillips at Sun Records found the sound he sought in teenaged Elvis Presley, Talley found his sound in young Merle Haggard. Last-minute copyright issues forced rare Tally tapes of Hag's to be dropped from this package after its book was printed.
Presse Archiv - Link Wray Rocks - NOW DIG THIS
Whilst the above selections merit their inclusion in the set and add variety, Link's legacy lies in his brutal instrumentals. As Bill Dahl writes in his terrific liner notes: "No guitarist ever said more with a handful of titanic power chords." 'Raw Hide', 'Batman Theme', 'I'm Branded', 'Jack The Ripper', 'Run, Chicken, Run', 'Ace Of Spades' and his immortal signature tune 'Rumble', inspired in part by The Diamonds' The Stroll', are all here. The titles have been well chosen and I rated seventeen of the remainder as high quality. The slow original 'Big City After Dark' and cover of Bill Doggett's hectic 'Hold It' were credited to Ray Vernon & The Raymen on initial release.
The Latin-flavoured 'El Toro' and 'Pancho Villa' are essentially the same tune and both versions are fine. 'Tijuana', as one would expect, is another with a Mexican flavour. 'Slinky' features jungle drums and 'Right Turn' is a raw bash. The snappy 'Hand Clapper' and `Studio Blues', misleadingly titled as it's a solid mover, have the band's pal Switchy on sax. 'Deuces Wild' is gutsy and 'Hang On' is pacy with a potent sting. 'Turnpike USA' is an infectious mover and 'Dance Contest' doesn't hang around either. The 'Apache'-like 'The Outlaw' is quite sparse
and the pacy 'Mr. Guitar' is aptly named. The sinister `The Shadow Knows' and Duane Eddy-ish 'Dixie Doodle' also make it into this category.
Whilst the above selections merit their inclusion in the set and add variety, Link's legacy lies in his brutal instrumentals. As Bill Dahl writes in his terrific liner notes: "No guitarist ever said more with a handful of titanic power chords." 'Raw Hide', 'Batman Theme', 'I'm Branded', 'Jack The Ripper', 'Run, Chicken, Run', 'Ace Of Spades' and his immortal signature tune 'Rumble', inspired in part by The Diamonds' The Stroll', are all here. The titles have been well chosen and I rated seventeen of the remainder as high quality. The slow original 'Big City After Dark' and cover of Bill Doggett's hectic 'Hold It' were credited to Ray Vernon & The Raymen on initial release.
The Latin-flavoured 'El Toro' and 'Pancho Villa' are essentially the same tune and both versions are fine. 'Tijuana', as one would expect, is another with a Mexican flavour. 'Slinky' features jungle drums and 'Right Turn' is a raw bash. The snappy 'Hand Clapper' and `Studio Blues', misleadingly titled as it's a solid mover, have the band's pal Switchy on sax. 'Deuces Wild' is gutsy and 'Hang On' is pacy with a potent sting. 'Turnpike USA' is an infectious mover and 'Dance Contest' doesn't hang around either. The 'Apache'-like 'The Outlaw' is quite sparse
and the pacy 'Mr. Guitar' is aptly named. The sinister `The Shadow Knows' and Duane Eddy-ish 'Dixie Doodle' also make it into this category.
Press Archive - COUNTRY ALL-STARS String Dustin' (LP, 10inch, Ltd.) -now dig this
It's pop and jazz with covers from Irving Berlin to Benny Goodman, and it was no doubt because of this that RCA did little to promote the album on its release, which has therefore resulted in its rarity. No one will be surprised by Chet's ability to play in this swinging jazz style, but fans of the cornball duo Homer & Jethro might find it harder to comprehend. Interviewed in later life, Chet himself was critical of his own playing, but he sounds pretty good to me. I can't honestly sit here and say that I'm a big fan of the album and it won't get much in the way of repeat plays, but you can only admire the intricate musicianship on offer. The more broadminded amongst you and, no doubt, musicians, will find lots to enjoy here.
Laid back and almost like front-porch picking if the house was the Prague Opera House, the playing is delicate, crisp and at times inspiring. If this ten-track reissue is your bag, Bear Family brought out a CD in the early '90s with additional tracks, appropriately called 'Jazz From The Hills'. EMMA & THE RAGMEN Headin' Out Country / Mr. Jones / I'm Ready Rampage RR-19-20 The back catalogue of Rampage Records includes releases by Mons Wheeler and Keith Turner plus an album by Emma & The Ragmen back in 2017. This new release features two originals and a cover and all three tracks are hard-hitting numbers. The top side is a growling rocker with great stinging guitar, excellent vocals from Emma and a catchy chorus. 'Mr Jones' is a meaty instrumental with strong guitar and drums.
The storming cover of Fats' I'm Ready' has the addition of a sax, presumably Kenny Tomlinson, but the basic packaging has no session details. The vocals are solid and with two hot sax and guitar solos it's another winner. This is a cracking single that is easy to recommend.
It's pop and jazz with covers from Irving Berlin to Benny Goodman, and it was no doubt because of this that RCA did little to promote the album on its release, which has therefore resulted in its rarity. No one will be surprised by Chet's ability to play in this swinging jazz style, but fans of the cornball duo Homer & Jethro might find it harder to comprehend. Interviewed in later life, Chet himself was critical of his own playing, but he sounds pretty good to me. I can't honestly sit here and say that I'm a big fan of the album and it won't get much in the way of repeat plays, but you can only admire the intricate musicianship on offer. The more broadminded amongst you and, no doubt, musicians, will find lots to enjoy here.
Laid back and almost like front-porch picking if the house was the Prague Opera House, the playing is delicate, crisp and at times inspiring. If this ten-track reissue is your bag, Bear Family brought out a CD in the early '90s with additional tracks, appropriately called 'Jazz From The Hills'. EMMA & THE RAGMEN Headin' Out Country / Mr. Jones / I'm Ready Rampage RR-19-20 The back catalogue of Rampage Records includes releases by Mons Wheeler and Keith Turner plus an album by Emma & The Ragmen back in 2017. This new release features two originals and a cover and all three tracks are hard-hitting numbers. The top side is a growling rocker with great stinging guitar, excellent vocals from Emma and a catchy chorus. 'Mr Jones' is a meaty instrumental with strong guitar and drums.
The storming cover of Fats' I'm Ready' has the addition of a sax, presumably Kenny Tomlinson, but the basic packaging has no session details. The vocals are solid and with two hot sax and guitar solos it's another winner. This is a cracking single that is easy to recommend.
Press Archive - Carl Perkins - Discovering Carl Perkins - Eastview, Tennesse 1952-1953 (LP, 10inch) - Now Dig This
The nine tracks are on 10" white vinyl but also a "free bonus CD", and are joined by a 16-page booklet with detailed, authoritative notes by Hank Davis, Shawn Pitts and Scott Parker. There are period photos, too, plus shots of the four acetate labels. The front cover features an image of Carl with W.S. Holland taken in 1953. This is a superb release of historical performance that will please both hardcore Perkins and rockabilly fans alike. The initial 2000 print run had sold out within days of it being released; it's currently being repressed as I write. Carl Perkins' status as the ultimate rockabilly performer is elevated even further - if that's remotely possible - with this release. His claims of having been performing rockabilly in its purest form way before it reached a wider audience are on display for all to hear.
The nine tracks are on 10" white vinyl but also a "free bonus CD", and are joined by a 16-page booklet with detailed, authoritative notes by Hank Davis, Shawn Pitts and Scott Parker. There are period photos, too, plus shots of the four acetate labels. The front cover features an image of Carl with W.S. Holland taken in 1953. This is a superb release of historical performance that will please both hardcore Perkins and rockabilly fans alike. The initial 2000 print run had sold out within days of it being released; it's currently being repressed as I write. Carl Perkins' status as the ultimate rockabilly performer is elevated even further - if that's remotely possible - with this release. His claims of having been performing rockabilly in its purest form way before it reached a wider audience are on display for all to hear.
Presse Archiv - Billy Fury Wondrous Place - The Brits Are Rocking - Now Dig This
He did, however, cut one of his own the following July, the superb, dark and moody 'Don't Jump'. Lesser-known items include a trio of originals, the soulful 'If I Lose You' from November '61, the r'n'b stroller 'Keep Away' and the somewhat average 'What Did I Do' from the January '63 session that yielded the 'Billy Fury & The Tor-nados' EP. 'Twist Kid' pre-dates the beat groups that were just about to pop their mopped heads over the horizon. The five tracks from the semi-live April 1963 session with The Tornados and 500 teenage girls show that Fury was still a rocker at heart despite the flow of ballads being released. From the same year we get a great version of LaVern Baker's 'Bumble Bee'. By the time of his most recent recording here, March 1964, Billy's backing band was The Gamblers and their heavier sound was evident on recordings like 'The Hippy Hippy Shake' and the one included here, a barnstorming take on 'Nothin' Shakin". I commend Bear Family on the brilliant job they've done here, from the sleeve-notes to the choice of recordings.
He did, however, cut one of his own the following July, the superb, dark and moody 'Don't Jump'. Lesser-known items include a trio of originals, the soulful 'If I Lose You' from November '61, the r'n'b stroller 'Keep Away' and the somewhat average 'What Did I Do' from the January '63 session that yielded the 'Billy Fury & The Tor-nados' EP. 'Twist Kid' pre-dates the beat groups that were just about to pop their mopped heads over the horizon. The five tracks from the semi-live April 1963 session with The Tornados and 500 teenage girls show that Fury was still a rocker at heart despite the flow of ballads being released. From the same year we get a great version of LaVern Baker's 'Bumble Bee'. By the time of his most recent recording here, March 1964, Billy's backing band was The Gamblers and their heavier sound was evident on recordings like 'The Hippy Hippy Shake' and the one included here, a barnstorming take on 'Nothin' Shakin". I commend Bear Family on the brilliant job they've done here, from the sleeve-notes to the choice of recordings.
Presse Archiv - Various Artists Blues Kings Of Baton Rouge (2-CD) - Now Dig This
That Reed groove was really taken to heart down in Baton Rouge, and it made the world a better place. Most of the blues here are good, but the main interest is in that swamp feel, uptempo or slower. The booklet by Martin Hawkins is excellent, and purchase is recommended to those who enjoy black American authentic music, and can take some of the folkier sounds and acoustic blues.
That Reed groove was really taken to heart down in Baton Rouge, and it made the world a better place. Most of the blues here are good, but the main interest is in that swamp feel, uptempo or slower. The booklet by Martin Hawkins is excellent, and purchase is recommended to those who enjoy black American authentic music, and can take some of the folkier sounds and acoustic blues.
Presse Archiv - The Ventures Play Telstar - The Lonely Bull - now dig this
No stran-gers to a concept album, this one was a set of cover versions of well-known, hit instrumentals from both their peers within the surf rock fraternity and the more standard pop field. The liner notes to the American release reassure the listeners that all the songs have been 'Venture-originated', adding that "they handclap, finger-pop and foot-stomp their way through what may be the most exciting album of their exciting careers"! While none of the covers replace the need for your originals by the likes of The Tornados, Sandy Nel-son, The Champs, The Shadows or Johnny & The Hurricanes, all the versions here are bang on the money and work really well. You'd expect nothing less but what's especially pleasing are the covers of Herb Alpert's 'The Lonely Bull' and Bob Moore's 'Mexico', both soaked in Latin rhythms and guitars. This sort of high-end 'Top Of The Pops' compilation appealed to the masses and it peaked at No.8 on the album charts in the States, becoming their highest placed long-player and also gaining gold record status.
This latest instalment of the ongoing Vinyl Club Exclusive series comes in a vivid red vinyl and the pressing is limited to the usual 500 copies - check out how they've adapted the label to incorporate Bear Family into the Liberty logo...very neat. Highly recommended.
No stran-gers to a concept album, this one was a set of cover versions of well-known, hit instrumentals from both their peers within the surf rock fraternity and the more standard pop field. The liner notes to the American release reassure the listeners that all the songs have been 'Venture-originated', adding that "they handclap, finger-pop and foot-stomp their way through what may be the most exciting album of their exciting careers"! While none of the covers replace the need for your originals by the likes of The Tornados, Sandy Nel-son, The Champs, The Shadows or Johnny & The Hurricanes, all the versions here are bang on the money and work really well. You'd expect nothing less but what's especially pleasing are the covers of Herb Alpert's 'The Lonely Bull' and Bob Moore's 'Mexico', both soaked in Latin rhythms and guitars. This sort of high-end 'Top Of The Pops' compilation appealed to the masses and it peaked at No.8 on the album charts in the States, becoming their highest placed long-player and also gaining gold record status.
This latest instalment of the ongoing Vinyl Club Exclusive series comes in a vivid red vinyl and the pressing is limited to the usual 500 copies - check out how they've adapted the label to incorporate Bear Family into the Liberty logo...very neat. Highly recommended.
Presse Archiv - Autumn Leaves – 29 Gems for the Indian Summer -Now Dig This
VARIOUS ARTISTS Autumn Leaves -29 Gems For The Golden Season Of Indian Summer Bear Family BCD 17503
Bear Family love their 'themed' compilations and here's another one, this time featuring 29 'weather' songs; in partic-ular from the latter part of the year that precedes winter. The booklet's intro-duction is almost a review in itself: "Welcome to the scenery of autumn. We'd like you to escape with us into the world of falling leaves, colourful woods, rain and thunderstorms, the warmth of the Indian sum-mer, and of course the melancholy of the fall sea-son!
VARIOUS ARTISTS Autumn Leaves -29 Gems For The Golden Season Of Indian Summer Bear Family BCD 17503
Bear Family love their 'themed' compilations and here's another one, this time featuring 29 'weather' songs; in partic-ular from the latter part of the year that precedes winter. The booklet's intro-duction is almost a review in itself: "Welcome to the scenery of autumn. We'd like you to escape with us into the world of falling leaves, colourful woods, rain and thunderstorms, the warmth of the Indian sum-mer, and of course the melancholy of the fall sea-son!
Press Archive - The Best Of Little Richard !! (LP, 10inch, Ltd.) - now dig this
A faithful, detailed reworking of the rare 1953 RCA album (LPM 3167), this 10" reissue comes in Gretsch guitar orange vinyl on a limited 500 copy run. The Country All Stars were the brain child of Chet Atkins and were Jerry Byrd on steel guitar, Dale Potter on fiddle and Homer & Jethro on guitar and mandolin the music. As the title suggests, it's a compilation delving into the Specialty back catalogue. I love the track listing which doesn't just plum for the big hits like 'Tutti Frutti', 'Rip It Up' or 'The Girl Can't Help It', but instead includes a couple of slightly lesser-known items. The earliest things here are the sublime 'True Fine Mama' and 'Kansas City' from a November 1955 session at Radio Recorders in Hollywood. cut with Guitar Slim's band, and they feature more backing vocals than future recordings.
The rest come from sessions at either the J&M Studios in New Orleans with the likes of Alvin 'Red' Tyler, Lee Allen and Earl Palmer, or in Los Angeles at Master Recorders with Grady Gaines and Charles Conner. While Joe Public thinks of Little Richard's sound as the piano-driving rock n roll of 'Good Golly Miss Molly' or 'Lucille', we know, as this comp shows, there's more to him than that. For every manic rocker like 'She Knows How To Rock Me' or 'Ooh! My Soul' there's a beautiful ballad like 'Send Me Some Lovin" or an r'n'b pleader like 'Miss Ann'. It's preaching to the converted here, so all I need say is that the sound quality is fabulous, this series deserves your support and if gold vinyl is yer thang, this is an album you'll just have to own.
A faithful, detailed reworking of the rare 1953 RCA album (LPM 3167), this 10" reissue comes in Gretsch guitar orange vinyl on a limited 500 copy run. The Country All Stars were the brain child of Chet Atkins and were Jerry Byrd on steel guitar, Dale Potter on fiddle and Homer & Jethro on guitar and mandolin the music. As the title suggests, it's a compilation delving into the Specialty back catalogue. I love the track listing which doesn't just plum for the big hits like 'Tutti Frutti', 'Rip It Up' or 'The Girl Can't Help It', but instead includes a couple of slightly lesser-known items. The earliest things here are the sublime 'True Fine Mama' and 'Kansas City' from a November 1955 session at Radio Recorders in Hollywood. cut with Guitar Slim's band, and they feature more backing vocals than future recordings.
The rest come from sessions at either the J&M Studios in New Orleans with the likes of Alvin 'Red' Tyler, Lee Allen and Earl Palmer, or in Los Angeles at Master Recorders with Grady Gaines and Charles Conner. While Joe Public thinks of Little Richard's sound as the piano-driving rock n roll of 'Good Golly Miss Molly' or 'Lucille', we know, as this comp shows, there's more to him than that. For every manic rocker like 'She Knows How To Rock Me' or 'Ooh! My Soul' there's a beautiful ballad like 'Send Me Some Lovin" or an r'n'b pleader like 'Miss Ann'. It's preaching to the converted here, so all I need say is that the sound quality is fabulous, this series deserves your support and if gold vinyl is yer thang, this is an album you'll just have to own.