Various Boppin' Tonight - Goldband Rockabilly (CD)

(Ace Records) 22 tracks

The rockabilly sound of the south is represented here by Boppin' Tonight-The Best of Goldband Rockabilly. 22 rockin', boppin' rockabilly sides from the Goldband label including stalwarts like Al Ferrier and excellent (if underrecorded) talents such as Johnny Jano. Eddie Shuler, owner of Goldband, recalled the era as: 'some of my wildest times in the music world. The sound was new and different, everyone was a pioneer!
I had the usual bunch of 'me-too' boys with doting parents, but I did manage to turn out some good records, which sold well enough to help me and the artists.'

Al Ferrier was the best. From Montgomery, Louisiana, he got his break on the famed Louisiana Hayride show out of Shreveport. He was indebted to the talent of his brother, Brian Ferrier, the lead guitarist who was 'so good until it didn't show'. With his band the Boppin' Billies, Al recorded the rockabilly classics Let's Go Boppin' Tonight and Honey Babe for Goldband in 1955 and 1956. Soon after he re-recorded Let's Go Boppin' Tonight as Hey Baby for Excello. He still records for Goldband today.

Little Billy Earl had local success. An uncle of Dolly Parton, he now plays nine months a year at Dolly's theme park "Dollywood" in the Smoky Mountains. Larry Hart is represented by an audition tape medley of three songs. Eddie Shulerfelt he had genuine potential but he left music to become a draughtsman and artist in Houston. Johnny Jano's 1956-56 sides have now acquired some status with collectors, though at the time "they didn't do much". These artists and their songs (along with the others on this collection), however, represent the best of Southern rockabilly in its prime - echo-laden vocals, wild guitar and throbbing slap basses. Let's go boppin' tonight!