The Four Mints "Gently Down Your Stream" 2007

"I've bought a gigantic pile of cds last week. Maybe this smooth soul is something for twilightzone? The Four Mints - Gently Down Your Stream (Reissue, Numero Group, 320kb) ripped with good old audiograbber. Judge for yourself and greetings!" - Jillem

trax:
01 You're My Desire 02 Row My Boat 03 Why Did I Go 04 Do You Really Love Me 05 Too Far Gone 06 You'll Want To Come Back 07 Keep On Loving You 08 In A Rut 09 Can't Get Strung Out 10 They Were Wrong 11 Too Far Gone (Rehearsal) 12 In A Rut (Rehearsal) 13 In A Rut (Instrumental)
...served by Jillem...

WILL BRADLEY & HIS ORCHESTRA "Beat Me Daddy To A Boogie Beat"

A fine collection of Boogie Woogie classics from the late 1930's and early 1940's featuring the talents of Will Bradley, Ray McKinley and the great piano of Freddie Slack.Will Bradley's legacy is largely built on the work he did between 1939 and 1941, which corresponds with his collaboration with drummer and singer Ray McKinley. McKinley was one of the era's best and most dynamic big band drummers, and with Bradley's unassuming but solid trombone skills, plus Fred Slack's explosive piano playing, the Will Bradley Orchestra developed a patented boogie/swing style on hits like the two-part "Beat Me Daddy (Eight to the Bar)," "Scrub Me Mama (With a Boogie Beat)," and the smooth, easy "Celery Stalks at Midnight," all of which are included here. A rare trio outing with Bradley, McKinley, and Slack on the fun, loose "Down the Road a Piece" is a particular delight. Bradley was never much of a publicity hound, so he isn't probably as well known as he should be, but the music speaks for itself. A great set. (Allmusic)

trax:
01 Memphis Blues 02 Old Doc Yak 03 Celery Stalks At Midnight 04 Strange Cargo 05 Jimtown Blues 06 Rhumboogie 07 Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar Part 1 08 Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar Part 2 09 Rock-A-Bye The Boogie 10 Down The Road Apiece 11 Scrub Me Mama, With A Boogie Beat 12 The Five O'Clock Whistle 13 Three Ring Ragout 14 I Boogied When I Should Have Woogied 15 Chicken Gumboogie 16 Stardust 17 Boogie Woogie Conga 18 Bounce Me Brother With A Solid Four 19 April In Paris 20 All That Meat And No Potatoes 21 The Booglie Wooglie Piggy 22 Basin Street Boogie 23 Fry Me Cookie, With A Can Of Lard 24 The Three B's (Barrelhouse, Boogie And Blues)
...served by Gyro1966...

TIMI YURO "The Voice That Got Away"

This was released following the success of The lost voice of soul, a 26 track compilation of Timi's finest recordings which I've also reviewed. Despite only being remembered for one hit, Timi recorded a lot of quality music, as this CD shows. There are no big hits here, since they were all included on the first CD and there is no duplication. There are a few obscure A and B sides plus a selection of album tracks......If you are familiar with Timi's music, you will know what to expect. If not, you should start with the other CD or, better still, buy both together.
There are original songs here, but there are also great covers of It's just a matter of time (Brook Benton), I'll never fall in love again (Tom Jones), When something is wrong with my baby (Sam and Dave), Hallelujah I love him so (Ray Charles), I apologise (originally recorded by Bing Crosby in 1931 and revived by Billy Eckstine in 1951, but a sixties hit for P J Proby) - Timi's version was the B-side of Hurt so pre-dates P J Proby, All my love belongs to you (Little Willie John), If you gotta make a fool of somebody (an American hit for James Ray and a British hit for Freddie and the Dreamers) and I waited too long (LaVern Baker). There are only two country songs here, these being I just got back from there (Billy Walker) and When you were mine (Justin Tubb).
This is yet another brilliant Timi compilation from the good people at RPM. Unless some company releases a box set or a series of twofers, the 52 tracks on these two British compilations will remain the most comprehensive study of Timi's music on CD. (Amazon)trax:
01 Interlude (Time) 02 It's Just A Matter Of Time 03 I'll Never Fall In Love Again 04 When Something Is Wrong With My Baby 05 Nothing Takes The Place Of You 06 Hey Boy 07 Hallelujah I Love Him So 08 I Must Have Been Out Of My Mind 09 When He Wants A Woman 10 Loving You Is All I Ever Had 11 I Just Got Back From There 12 So Ashamed 13 I Apologize 14 All My Love Belongs To You 15 Put Them Aside 16 The Wall 17 If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody 18 Thirteenth Hour 19 Wrong 20 When You Were Mine 21 Guess Who 22 It's Too Soon To Know 23 She Really Loves You 24 I Waiting Too Long 25 If I Never Got To Love You 26 Interlude (Time) Movie Soundtrack Version
...served by Gyro1966...

TIMI YURO "The Lost Voice Of Soul!"

"The little girl with the big voice," Timi Yuro was America's finest white soul singer of the 1960s. Her million-selling debut single, "Hurt," introduced a performer of such profound poignancy and depth that many listeners assumed she was a man, an African-American, or both, and while Yuro never again achieved the same commercial heights, her finest records deserve mention in the same breath as Aretha Franklin, Irma Thomas, and the other soul queens of the era. (Jason Ankeny, Allmusic)Timi will be forever remembered for Hurt, a record which has often been covered (including by Juice Newton, who had a country number one with it, and Elvis), but never bettered. You will find it on any Timi compilation (except The voice that got away, a companion volume to this CD) but Timi deserves to be remembered for much more, as this collection shows. Even 26 tracks does not cover everything worthwhile, but there's another 26 on The voice that got away, for those who want to explore further.
Perhaps Timi was best at the tearjerkers like Hurt, but it is a measure of her brilliance that she did a wide variety of songs really well. This collection includes a lot of mainstream pop, some more R+B, and even some country songs. It would be a good idea if a record company would issue a separate compilation of her country recordings, just as has been done for Ray Charles and others. As it is, they are sandwiched between all the other stuff, but that's a minor criticism.
This is an outstanding compilation of one of the finest - and most under-rated - singers of the sixties (or any era, come to that). (Amazon)trax:
01 Hurt 02 Just Say I Love Him 03 Trying 04 Smile 05 Let Me Call You Sweetheart 06 Count Everything 07 I Know I Love You 08 What's A Matter Baby 09 Only Love Me 10 That's Right, Walk On By 11 Should I Ever Love Again 12 The Love Of A Boy 13 I Ain't Gonna Cry No More 14 Insult To Injury 15 Make The World Go Away 16 Leaving On Your Mind 17 She's Got You 18 Are You Sure 19 I'd Fight The World 20 Gotta Travel On 21 Down In The Valley 22 Permanently Lonely 23 A Legend In My Time 24 Call Me 25 Something Bad On My Mind 26 It'll Never Be Over For Me
...served by Gyro1966...

JOHNNY SPARROW & His Bows and Arrows "Sparrow's Flight"

Johnny Sparrow's sides for the Gotham label, including six previously unreleased numbers and six previously unissued outtakes. "Sparrow's Flight" isn't here, although "Sparrow's Flight No. 2" is on hand. "Sparrow In the Barrel," which he'd originally cut for National and turned up as the B-side of his Gotham debut "When Your Lover Has Gone," features a strikingly dark solo from Sparrow. "Sparrow's Flight No. 2" soars effortlessly. "Boudoir Blues" shows Sparrow doing a distinctly '40s brand of jump blues, which comes off extremely well -- with superbly aggressive playing on his part -- but could hardly have been commercially appealing at the time. And "Serenade to Satchmo" is a loving tribute to Sparrow's ex-boss, with both flute and tenor sax solos.Not much is known about Johnny Sparrow's background, apart from the fact that he may have come from the South/Southwest, perhaps Texas, and that he first emerged in the reed section of Jay McShann's Orchestra, succeeding Charlie Parker during early 1944. He joined during the group's engagement at the Club Plantation in Los Angeles and played with them through the spring of that year. Unfortunately, the group didn't get to record during this period, and its work has survived best in the form of armed forces radio broadcasts. The band finally broke up in May of 1944 when McShann was drafted. He played with Louis Armstrong's band in 1946 and 1947, and got to record with the group as well. From Armstrong's band, Sparrow went to Lionel Hampton's ensemble, where he was often featured in competition with fellow saxman Morris Lane.
After two years with Hampton's group, Sparrow left in 1949 to form his own band, Johnny Sparrow & His Bows and Arrows. They recorded for a pair of small New York-based labels, Melford and National, of which the National sides were far more numerous and successful. Their biggest early success was "Sparrow's Flight," which charted in 1950. The group was based in Philadelphia beginning in 1951, with an extended engagement at that city's Club 421. During the spring of 1952, they were signed to the Philadelphia-based Gotham Records. At that time, the group consisted of Sparrow, Eugene Burrell, Thomas Moultrie, and Thomas Holloway. During its time at Gotham, the band's sound blossomed, with the addition of flute, trombone, and baritone sax, and still later a vibraphone alongside the basic quartet. By 1953, Sparrow's contract with Gotham was up, and apart from a couple of sessions the following year for RCA -- most of the songs from which were never released -- Johnny Sparrow faded into history. ~ Bruce Eder, Allmusic

trax:
01 Boudoir Boogie 02 When Your Lover Has Gone 03 Paradise Rock 04 What's New 05 Serenade To Satchmo 06 Always 07 Indiana 08 Jump Steady 09 Sparrow's Flight No. 2 10 Sparrow In The Barrel 11 I'll See You In My Dreams 12 Yesterdays 13 Am I Blue 14 What's New
...served by Gyro1966...

The Psycho Daisies "Pushin' Up Daisies" 1985

Arguably more of an EP than an LP, this vinyl-only release contains seven tracks of the finest blues-influenced psychedelic punk rock that you will ever come across.Appropriately titled Pushin' Up Daisies, the album features guitar and vocals by both Johnny Salton and Dave "Dee" Froshnider, the bass of Marco Pettit, and the drums of John "Sticks" Galway. I believe that Daisies lore refers to this line-up as Mach One.
​From the very first song, the instrumentation is solid. The rhythm section stays on point while also leaving space for the guitars and vocals. Like Salton, both Pettit and Galway are sorely missed local musicians. Rest in peace, brothers!
Meanwhile, the two guitarists do a great job balancing each other out, vocally and musically. Opener "Did It For Her" sets up a long-running series of bizarre alterno-love ditties that would appear throughout the Daisies' cannon. "Kill or Be Killed" and "Blew Me Away" take Side A into glorious and understated rock 'n' roll braggadocio before closing with the raucous plea for excitement, "Get Off on Your Porch," a song that I return to again and again.
Turning it down a notch, Side B presents a pair of slightly more atmospheric, introspective tracks, "Doesn't Come Around" and "In Doubt." Then ending things, "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" is a nice slice of baladeering romance. Could another song have fit here to make it an even eight? Maybe. But there are plenty of other Daisies' albums to pick through and thanks to the miracle of the internet, plenty of live video on YouTube to peruse.
​Now a few final details: Pushin' Up Daisies was recorded at L-7 Studios by engineer and producer Bob Rupe. It has a Sublapse Records catalogue number of LAP 3. And future Daisies' bass player Jill Kahn was responsible for the gorgeous cover photograph of a full-blown, black-and-white daisy. As for the availability of this album, I have never seen it turn up online and my copy was a personal gift from Mr. Salton and Ms. Kahn that I will treasure forever. The band's other records are available through the official website and I suggest you pick them up, because even though they are different on a Daisies' Mach to Mach basis, they are all glorious entries into the history of fine rock 'n' roll. - By Abel Folgartrax:
01 Did it for her 02 Kill or be killed 03 Blew me away 04 Get off on your porch 05 Get off on your porch 06 In doubt 07 Wrap your arms around me

"THE BEST OF SPINETT RECORDS"

Rare & unreleased Louisiana rock 'n' roll and rhythm 'n' blues 1957-1959.trax:
1. Chinese Bandits - The Cheer Leaders 2. True Love - The Cheer Leaders 3. Lumumba - Snuffy Smith 4. Angola - Snuffy Smith 5. Come On Home - Louis Hayward 6. I Want A Job - Louis Hayward 7. My Baby's Gone - Roland Stone 8. Preacher's Daughter - Roland Stone 9. Devil In Your Heart - Stormy 10. Fool's Paradise - Stormy 11. One More Time - Bobby Lonero 12. Wham Bam - Bobby Lonero 13. Laughing To Keep From Crying - Johnny Meyers 14. The Things The Gypsy Told - Johnny Meyers 15. Sinkin' The Robert E. Lee - The Three Stooges 16. You Are My Girl - The Three Stooges 17. Little Brother Tom - Bobby Lonero 18. No More Money - Bobby Lonero
...served by Gyro1966...

LES COOPER "Wiggle Wobble"

"Wiggle Wobble," with its definitive growling R&B tenor sax courtesy of Joe Grier, was the only hit that Les Cooper had, but the good-natured fun of that song is present in almost all of the 12 sides on Wiggle Wobble. More than half of the songs here are instrumentals, but Cooper gets a chance to shine on tunes like "Dig Yourself" and "Owee Baby." A prime document of early-'60s soul, when the lines between R&B and soul weren't yet defined. ~ Wade Kergan, R&B WorldA longtime denizen of New York's doo wop scene, Cooper's only major hit was the 1962 instrumental "Wiggle Wobble." The Norfolk, VA, native was a member of the Empires and the Whirlers, and managed the Charts, before signing with Danny Robinson's Everlast imprint and cutting a vocal called "Dig Yourself" with his band, the Soul Rockers. Ironically, it was the flip side (a pounding instrumental called "Wiggle Wobble," featuring prominent King Curtis-styled tenor sax by ex-Charts lead singer Joe Grier) that gave Cooper his only chart ride. Follow-up efforts included the similar "Let's Do the Boston Monkey" for Enjoy. (Allmusic)
Cooper sang in several New York doo wop groups, including The Empires and The Whirlers, and was the manager of the group The Charts.[1] In 1962, he signed to Everlast Records and released the single "Dig Yourself" b/w "Wiggle Wobble", billed with his band as Les Cooper & the Soul Rockers. Both sides were produced by Bobby Robinson. The B-side was an instrumental featuring the saxophone playing of Joe Grier (formerly of The Charts himself); it caught on at radio and became a nationwide hit, peaking at #12 R&B in 1962 and #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 early in 1963.[2] It was his only hit; one of the follow-up singles was the sonically similar "Let's Do the Boston Monkey", recorded for Enjoy Records. (Bluebeat Music)

trax:
01 Wiggle Wobble 02 Dig Yourself 03 Owee Baby 04 Bossa Nova 05 Hippity Hop 06 Wobble Party 07 Garbage Can 08 Jungle Pony 09 Rockin With The Shimming 10 At The Party 11 Boston Monkey 12 Peter Piper
...served by Gyro1966...

"HOLY TOLEDO" - Ohio Doo Wops - Vol 1

Highly recommended. Not a new release but we haven't reviewed it before. An excellent collection featuring seven outstanding groups from Ohio and featuring several unissued songs and alternate takes. There are five tracks by The Hornets featuring a pre-Drifters Johnny Moore, the fine and bluesy Supremes, The Hepsters, The Edsels (including a great alternate take of their classic Rama Lama Ding Dong.) (Roots & Rhythm)

trax:
1. I Can't Believe - The Hornets 2. Big City Bounce (Unreleased) - The Hornets 3. Lonesome Baby - The Hornets 4. You Played The Part (Unreleased) - The Hornets 5. Ridin' & Rockin' (Unreleased) - The Hornets 6. Just For You And I - The Supremes 7. Don't Leave Me Here To Cry - The Supremes 8. Honey Honey - The Supremes 9. Just For You And I (Alternative Take Unreleased) - The Supremes 10. Just For You And I (Alternative Take Unreleased) - The Supremes 11. Don't Leave Me Here To Cry (False Start Altern.) - The Supremes 12. I Gotta Sing The Blues - The Hepsters 13. Rockin' & Rollin With Santa Claus - The Hepsters 14. This A Way - The Hepsters 15. Rama Lama Ding Dong (Alternative Take Unreleased) - The Edsels 16. Bells (Alternative Take Unreleased) - The Edsels 17. Don't Know What To Do - The Edsels 18. What Brought Us Together - The Edsels 19. My Guardian Angel - The Monorays 20. Lonely Rain - The Mascots 21. I Waited So Long - The Mascots 22. Do The Wiggle - The Mascots 23. These Four Letters - The El Pollos 24. High School Dance - The El Pollos
...served by Gyro1966...

SYL JOHNSON "Music To My Ears" (Hi Records 72-76)

This CD is comprised of Hi singles and album cuts by Syl Johnson from 1972-1976. Satisfiers include "I Hear the Love Chimes," "Any Way the Wind Blows," "Let Yourself Go," "Wind, Blow Her Back My Way," "Diamond in the Rough," "I Only Have You," "'Bout to Make Me Leave Home," "Take Me to the River," "Steppin' Out," "It Ain't Easy," and "That's Just My Luck." The CD booklet lists 26 songs, but the disc only features the first 25. ~ Opal Louis Nations, Roots & Rhythm NewsletterA rollicking vocalist and gifted harmonica player, Syl Johnson has forged a career in both blues and soul. The brother of bassist Mac Thompson and guitarist/vocalist Jimmy Johnson, Syl Johnson sang and played with blues artists Magic Sam, Billy Boy Arnold, and Junior Wells in the '50s before recording with Jimmy Reed for Vee-Jay in 1959. He made his solo debut that same year with Federal. Johnson toured with Howlin' Wolf from late 1959 until 1962, when Willie Mitchell signed him to Hi Records. Johnson recorded for both Twilight and Hi in the late '60s and early '70s, clicking with the dance/novelty cut "Come on Sock It to Me" and crackling message track "Is It Because I'm Black?" He had his biggest hit with "Take Me to the River" in 1975, reaching number seven on the R&B charts. (Ron Wynn, Allmusic)

trax:
01 Back For A Taste Of Your Love 02 We Did It 03 I'm Yours 04 Don't Do It 05 I Hear The Love Chimes 06 Anyway The Wind Blows 07 The Love You Left Behind 08 I Want To Take You Home (Too See Mama) 09 Feelin' Frisky 10 Let Yourself Go 11 Wind, Blow Her Back My Way 12 You Don't Know Me 13 I Hate I Walked Away 14 Watch What You Do To Me 15 Diamond In The Rough 16 I Only Have Love 17 Bustin' Up Or Bustin' Out 18 Stuck In Chicago 19 Keeping Down Confusion 20 'Bout To Make Me Leave Home 21 Take Me To The River 22 Music To My Ears 23 Steppin' Out 24 It Ain't Easy 25 That's Just My Luck
...served by Gyro1966...

"REDISCOVERED BLUES"

This two CD set captures four blues giants in several classic studio dates. The first six tracks are spirited performances in a jam session that includes guitarists Lightnin' Hopkins, Brownie McGhee, and Big Joe Williams, plus Sonny Terry on harmonica. The humorous vocal exchanges on the laid-back "Ain't Nothin' Like Whiskey" and the upbeat "Wimmin From Coast to Coast" are riotous, and the crisp lines of the acoustic guitars are timeless. McGhee and Terry made many fine duo recordings together, but the dozen tracks included from a 1959 session are among their best. Their vocals complement one another very well on "Lose Your Money," while "Louise" showcases Terry's emotional harmonica against McGhee's strong vocal and driving guitar. The last 16 tracks featuring Big Joe Williams don't measure up to the rest of the package. Accompanied by an unidentified bassist and drummer in a 1968 studio session, the sound is surprisingly distorted due to sloppy engineering and poor microphone placement. Even so, Williams manages to perform decent, if poorly recorded, versions of "Pearly Mae" and "Toledo to Buffalo." This collectible set should be considered essential by blues fans.by Ken Dryden, Allmusic

trax:
CD 1
Lightnin' Hopkins, Brownie McGee and Sonny Terry
01 Ain't Nothin' Like Whiskey 02 Penitentiary Blues
Lightnin' Hopkins, Brownie McGee, Sonny Terry & Big Joe Williams
03 If You Steal My Chickens, You Can't Make 'Em Lay
Lightnin' Hopkins, Brownie McGee and Sonny Terry
04 First Meeting 05 How Long Have It Been Since You Been Home? 06 Wimmin From Coast To Coast
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
07 Key To The Highway 08 Lose Your Money 09 Louise 10 Sportin' Life 11 New Harmonica Breakdown 12 Prison Bound 13 Livin' With The Blues 14 Blowin' The Blues
CD 2
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
01 Baby, Please Don't Go 02 Twelve Gates To The City 03 Pawnshop Blues 04 Brownie's Guitar Blues
Big Joe Williams
05 Oh Baby 06 Hand Me Down My Old Walking Stick 07 Shady Grove 08 Mama Don't Like Me Runnin' 'Round 09 Sittin' 'n' Thinkin' 10 Scardie Mama 11 Blues 'Round The World 12 Everybody's Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone 13 Pearly Mae 14 Baby Keeps On Breaking 'Em Down 15 Church Bells Ring 16 Take It All 17 Toledo To Buffalo 18 She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain 19 Old Folks Tavern 20 Baby, Please Don't Go
...served by Gyro1966...

Nolan Porter "Nolan" 1972

"Once again hope you don't mind me giving you the link for this" - soulboyThe first time Nolan hit the charts, he didn't even need a last name. But good word travels fast, and before long Nolan Porter was mixing it up with the likes of Steppenwolf, Little Feat and Johnny Guitar Watson. His own unique brand of music brings Marvin Gaye, Randy Newman and, well, lots of Nolan all into the same sound. And, yes, you do have to hear it to really know what Nolan Porter is all about.
Nolan spent his youngest years in Los Angeles, but he's one of those characters who doesn't belong to any place geographical. His travels have taken him to Asia and all over the western world giving his voice the kind of world-wisdom that peeks out of Randy Newman's lyrics. 1970 brought Nolan to Lizard Records, brainchild of Gabriel Mekkler and sporting the talents of Johnny Guitar Watson, himself on the cusp of a golden era. Together with Mekkler, Nolan penned the Steppenwolf success "What Would You Do If I Did That To You". After a series of his own R&B hits Nolan's second LP was picked up by ABC Records, and through a maze of connections Nolan soon found himself jamming with what had until recently been the original Mothers Of Invention. Together with Jimmy Carl Black, Lowell George and Roy Estrada, Nolan was a part of the early Little Feat sessions.
After traveling the world in the 80s, the spiritual side of Nolan's music was stronger than ever. In recent years the sound of Marvin Gaye could still be heard in one of Nolan's favorite tunes, "What's Going On?". As so often happens, Nolan has found his life curving back upon itself: Some two decades and who knows how many miles after playing with the alumni of Frank Zappa's Mothers Of Invention, Nolan found himself together with Candy Zappa. Their relationship through music has manifested itself (among other things) in the Once A Legacy review, which premiered in early 2000. Nolan feels as at home on the Legacy stage as he has anywhere else in the world. "Candy and I do songs that we share at some deeper level. Once A Legacy is more or less the story of how we might have met long ago, how we finally did come together and how we might have known each other all this time". How does he mean that? Have a listen for yourself! - from: http://mysite.verizon.net/res1gnsd/id4.html

Members:
Bass – Roy Estrada / Drums – Jimmy Carl Black, Richie Hayward / Guitar – Lowell George / Keyboards – Bill Payne / Percussion, Saxophone – Tony Elisalda

trax:
01 i like what you give 02 groovin' (out on life) 03 somebody's gone 04 work it out in the morning 05 oh baby 06 if i could only be sure 07 crazy love 08 singer man 09 burn down the cornfield 10 keep on keepin' on
...served by soulboy...

"THE OLIMPIC RECORD STORY"

Rare Ohio R&B and Rock 'n' Roll from this early 60's label.trax:
1. I Cry - Frankie Bearse & The Voices 2. No End To Love - Frankie Bearse & The Voices 3. June 30th - Phil & the Catalinas 4. Bobby Layne - Phil & the Catalinas 5. I'm Yours - Caleb & The Playboys 6. See About Me - Caleb & The Playboys 7. (Please Try) To Understand - The Belltones 8. Swing Little Chicken - The Belltones 9. Dancing In The Moonlight - The Emperors 10. Steve Allen - The Emperors 11. Do You Recall - The Casinos 12. The Swim - The Casinos 13. I Made A Wish - The Drakes 14. Old King Cole - The Drakes 15. Jimmie Lee - The Jewels 16. The Hash - The Jewels 17. Begin The Beguine - The Avalons 18. Malanese - The Avalons 19. Angel - Joyce Spivey & The Melvettes 20. Dreaming - Joyce Spivey & The Melvettes 21. Our Love Is So True - Phil & the Catalinas 22. Dancing Little Fool - Phil & the Catalinas 23. Do You Recall (Alt Ver) - The Casinos 24. Teach'er - The Casinos 25. Take One Step - The Melvettes 26. Quiet Now - The Melvettes
...served by Gyro1966...

"THE NORTHERN SOUL OF SHRINE"

Based in Washington, D.C., the Shrine label was around for a couple of years in the mid-'60s without landing any hits, but holds fascination for soul collectors for a couple of reasons. It was co-run (with husband Eddie Singleton) by Raynoma Singleton, who, as Berry Gordy's second wife, had been instrumental in helping Motown get off the ground in the late '50s and early '60s. In addition, its releases, as the title of this compilation indicates, are really hard to find, in part because they didn't sell well, and in part because much of the remaining stock copies were destroyed. (All Music Guide)Shrine Records was an American soul and R&B record label based in Washington, D.C. The label was cofounded in 1964 by the label's primary songwriter Eddie Singleton along with wife, Raynoma Gordy Singleton (who also previously cofounded the legendary Motown Records label with ex-husband, Berry Gordy). Its headquarters was a townhouse located at 3 Thomas Circle NW within Washington, D.C.
From 1964 to 1967, Shrine released a total of twenty vinyl 45 singles comprising forty different tracks. However, none of the Shrine singles were significant hits, and the label ceased operations in 1967. Shrine's stock of unsold records was destroyed in a warehouse fire in the 1968 Martin Luther King riots. As a result, very few Shrine records remain today and are highly sought-after by collectors.
In addition to the released material, a small catalog of tracks from various artists was recorded by Shrine but never issued. Fortunately, much of this previously unreleased material has been rediscovered and released on various modern-era labels such as Goldmine Records, Horace's Records, Kent Records, and Ace Records. Notable artists involved with Shrine included Ray Pollard (who later released material on Decca), Linda Tate, Eddie Daye & The Four Bars, and The Cavaliers. The Shrine Records logo was a line drawing of an eternal flame. (Soul Supply)

trax:
1. Stop Overlooking Me - The Cairos 2. Guess Who Loves You - Eddie Daye & The 4 Bars 3. Don't Let Him Hurt You - Les Chansonettes 4. I Won't Believe It 'Till I See It - Little Bobby Parker 5. Watch Your Step - The Cautions 6. I Won' Be Coming Back - J.D.Bryant 7. Mind In A Bind - The Epsilons 8. I'll Never Let You Get Away - Bill Dennis 9. Dream My Heart - Shirley Edwards 10. My Only Love - The Counts 11. Fall Guy - The Cautions 12. Mystery - Jimmy Armstrong 13. If I Had (One Gold Piece) - The Prophets 14. Caledonia Brown - Bobby Reed 15. Shame - The Enjoyables 16. Hey Boy - The DC Blossoms 17. Baby Don't Leave Me - Bobby Reed 18. No Other Way - The Cautions 19. This Time (I'm Gonna Be True) - Ray Pollard 20. Mad At The World - The Epsilons 21. I Ain't Worried About You - Leroy Taylor & The Four Kings 22. I Believe I'll Love You - Jimmy Armstrong 23. Don't Fight It - The Cairos 24. Take A Look At Your Baby - The Cautions 25. Walk On It - J.D.Bryant 26. It's All Right - The Epsilons 27. Is It Right - The Cautions 28. Deeper - Les Chansonettes 29. Peaches Baby - The Counts 30. Wait 'Til I Get There - Tippi & The Wisemen
...served by Gyro1966...

"GROUPS THREE PLUS" Chance/Sabre

Excellent Chicago R&B from the 50's!R&B enthusiasts agree that the Chicago style vocal group sound was raw and bluesy, yet the harmonies were polished to perfection. This collection contains some of the greatest examples of this sound ever recorded. Enjoy!

trax:
The Five Chances
01 I May Be Small 02 Nagasaki 03 Make Love To Me 04 California 05 Gloria 06 Sugar Lips 07 My Days Are Blue 08 Tell Me Why
The Five Echoes
09 Lonely Mood 10 Baby Come Back To Me 11 So Lonesome 12 Broke 13 That's My Baby 14 Why Oh Why 15 If You Don't Love Me 16 The Hunt 17 I Really Do 18 Tell Me Baby 19 Fool's Prayer 20 Tastee Freeze 21 Evil Woman
The Five Blue Notes
22 Sweet Pauline 23 Could I Adore You 24 Ooh Baby 25 My Gal Is Gone 26 You Gotta Go, Baby 27 The Beat Of Our Hearts 28 My Special Prayer 29 Something Awful
...served by Gyro1966...

CHUCK WILLIS "Let's Jump Tonight!" The Best Of 1951-1956 Okeh Label

Before he donned his jeweled turban as "The King of the Stroll" and topped the charts with rock & roll hits like "C.C. Rider" and "It's Too Late," Chuck Willis was a bona fide R&B star and one heck of a songwriter to boot. Let's Jump Tonight contains Willis's essential R&B tracks from that period (1951-56), along with some exciting previously unissued tracks. Willis was a master vocalist who could swing effortlessly from heartrending ballads to rollicking jump blues. His plaintive singing and intuitive phrasing on songs like "My Story," "I Feel So Bad," and "You're Still My Baby" showcase a soulful jukebox balladeer in his prime. Willis delivers a stirring interpretation of Fats Domino's style on "Going to the River," and on wild tunes like "Rule My House" and "Blow Freddy Jackson" his full-throated shouting is every bit as powerful as the roof-raising sax solos he sets up. Thrilling music from a very influential R&B stylist. --Ken Hohman, AllmusicChuck Willis, known more for his later work on Atlantic, including the huge hit "C.C. Rider", was one of the best songwriters of the 50's and a tremendously talented singer capable of delivering uptempo romps and tender ballads with effortless style and grace. "Let's Jump Tonight" collects a whopping 26 sides recorded for OKeh when he was at his most versatile as a singer and a huge star in that still segregated world of rhythm & blues.
For the most part early 50's R&B despite being among the most influencial music of the 20th Century (spawning something called "rock 'n' roll" which you may have heard of) gets shafted when it comes to recognition, and because of that it generally has few CD's available to document it, with those that do exist being increasingly hard to find. Willis typifies this snubbing. His equally impressive Atlantic years retrospective, "Stroll On" seems to have disappeared from print and his OKeh material is only sporadically available, and never has had all those songs in one place. Any fan of the vital precursor to rock 'n' roll should grab this if they have the chance before it too vanishes.
These 26 songs show Willis as a masterful writer, from storming rockers ("Wrong Lake To Catch A Fish", "Loud Mouth Lucy") to sweet ballads ("My Story" and the oft-covered "Don't Deceive Me") and swinging rhythms ("You're Still My Baby" and the famed "I Feel So Bad", which Elvis Presley worshipfully covered right down to the glitches in the early 60's). Each song is filled with sly lyrics telling a clever story, rhythms that were instantly in a groove, and delivered in a voice capable of nailing any mood.
Getting a complete discography of Willis is difficult, even if all his previous CD collections were still widely available. "Stroll On" gathers all the Atlantic sides, but to get each song he cut for OKeh from '51-'56 requires some detective work. This disc however is the best place to begin that worthwhile quest. It has excellent, informative liner notes, a great 50's style-poster cover and pristine sound (you can hear the echo of movement during the brief intimate discussion between the producer, band and Chuck preceeding "Lawdy Miss Mary"). Each song is absolutely magical. One listen to this disc for the unfamiliar and Chuck Willis will be in your heart forever. (Blues World magazine)

trax:
01 Be Good Or Be Gone 02 Let's Jump Tonight 03 Can't You See 04 It's Too Late Baby 05 I Rule My House 06 My Baby's On My Mind 07 Loud Mouth Lucy 08 My Story 09 Wrong Lake To Catch A Fish 10 Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go) 11 My Baby's Coming Home 12 Going To The River 13 I Feel So Bad 14 You're Still My Baby 15 What's Your Name 16 Keep A Knockin' 17 If I Had A Million 18 My Heart's Been Broke Again 19 I Don't Mind If I Do 20 Blow Freddy Jackson 21 If I Were You 22 Lawdy Miss Mary 23 Search My Heart 24 One More Break 25 Bless Her Heart 26 Charged With Cheating
...served by Gyro1966...

"THE BEST OF IVY & HANOVER RECORDS"

Nice collection of vocal group harmony from two small mid 50s labels based in New York.trax:
1. Lullabye Of The Bells - The Deltairs 2. It's Only You Dear - The Deltairs 3. Your First Love - The Five Letters 4. Hold My Baby - The Five Letters 5. Moonlight - The Vanguards 6. I'm Moving - The Vanguards 7. In My Heart - Jimmy Lewis & The Volumes 8. I Saw A Cottege In My Dreams - Jimmy Lewis & The Volumes 9. Standing At The Alter - The Deltairs 10. I Might Like It - The Deltairs 11. Sunshine - The Ivies 12. Come On - The Ivies 13. Jeanie - The Unique Teens 14. At The Ball - The Unique Teens 15. Long Legged Linda - The Kids From Texas 16. I'm So Lonely - The Kids From Texas 17. When We First Met - Lucien Farrar 18. Did You Kiss Me Goodbye - Lucien Farrar 19. Jeannie (Alt Version) - The Unique Teens 20. At The Ball (Alt Version) - The Unique Teens 21. I'll Be By Your Side - Clarence Paul 22. I Need Your Lovin' - Clarence Paul 23. It's Eternal - Laura Leslie 24. Crazy Dream - Jimmy Steward 25. Alone Because I Love You - Terry & The Bells 26. The Fact Of Love - The Flourescents
...served by Gyro1966...

"TEXAS GUITAR KILLERS"

Part of Capitol's ongoing development of its vaults, this two-disc set was produced by the late Pete Welding. The 39 cuts feature T-Bone Walker, Gatemouth Brown, Lowell Fulson, Lightnin' Hopkins, Smokey Hogg and Pee-Wee Crayton, with sides drawn from their stints with Imperial and Aladdin. While the intent is to represent Texas blues artists from those labels (with recordings from 1945 to 1953), the result is a fascinating conglomeration of styles that have a bit less to do with guitar than the album title would lead one to believe. Still, it's a fine compilation, wonderfully produced, marvelously annotated and a lot of fun to listen to -- T-Bone Walker, particularly, was a fine jazz vocalist, as well as a brilliant guitar player whose onstage antics provided the model for Chuck Berry. by Steven McDonald, Allmusic

trax:
CD 1
T-Bone Walker
1. My Baby Left Me 2. Come Back To Me Baby 3. I Can't Stand Being Away From You 4. She Is Going To Ruin Me
Gatemouth Moore
5. Gatemouth Boogie 6. Guitar In My Hand 7. After Sunset 8. Without Me Baby
Lowell Fulson
9. Night And Day 10. Double Trouble Blues 11. Stormin' And Rainin' 12. Good Woman Blues
Lightnin' Hopkins
13. All Through My Dreams 14. Mean And Evil Blues
Smokey Hogg
15. Uo Today - Down Tomorrow 16. Great Big Mama 17. Worryin' Blues 18. Need My Help 19. In This World Alone 20. Key To My Door
CD 2
T-Bone Waker
1. The Hustle Is On 2. Baby Broke My Heart 3. Evil Hearted Woman 4. No Reason 5. Look Me In The Eye 6. Too Lazy
Pee Wee Crayton
7. When It Rains It Pours 8. Daybreak
Lowell Fulson
9. Blues Don't Leave Me 10. Blues Never Fail 11. Chuck With The Boys 12. You Gotta Reap Lowell
Smokey Hogg
13. When I've Been Drinking 14. I Gotta Ride 15. Tear Me Down 16. Train Whistle 17. My Baby's Gone 18. Peace Of Mind 19. Oo-Oo-Wee
...served by Gyro1966...

"SWINGTIME DOO WOP" 1949-1954

Rare early 50's vocal group sounds, focusing on West Coast doo wop, leaning more on the bluesy stylings & loose harmonies of The Hollywood Flames (inc. unissued practice session), The Muskateers, The Question Marks, The Serenaders, Playboy Thomas,The Drifters, etc.trax:
1. I Know (Practice Tape Version 1) - The Hollywood Flames 2. Marie (Practice Tape) - The Hollywood Flames 3. Roseanne Of Charing Cross (Unissued Practice Tape / Acapella) - The Hollywood Flames 4. Mellow As A Man Can Be (Practice Tape) - The Hollywood Flames 5. Let's Talk It Over - The Hollywood Flames 6. I Know (Unknown Take) - The Hollywood Flames 7. Deep In My Heart (Version 1) - The Musketeers 8. Love Me Till Your Dying Day (Part 1) - The Musketeers 9. Deep In My Heart (Version 2) - The Musketeers 10. End Of The Road (Baby) - Playboy Thomas & Group 11. Happy As A Man Can Be - The Rockineers 12. M-a-y-b-e-l-l-e - The Serenaders 13. I Ain't Gonna Cry No More - The Serenaders 14. Mobile - The Drifters 15. I Know (Practice Tape Version 2) - The Hollywood Flames 16. Another Soldier Gone (Version 1) - The Question Marks 17. Go and Get Some More - The Question Marks 18. Another Soldier Gone (Version 1) (Version 2) - The Question Marks 19. Joy In The Beulah Land - The Question Marks 20. Honey Chile - The Drifters
...served by Gyro1966...

"THE YUCCA RECORDS ROCK 'N' ROLL STORY" - 25 Great, Hot Rocking Tracks

25 tracks from the late 50s and early 60s recorded for this lively label based in Alamagordo, New Mexico - several not originally issuedtrax:
1. Don't Be Unfair - Bob Taylor & The Counts 2. Green Gator Ater - Al Sims 3. Guess We'll Fall In Love - Bobby Fuller & The Embers With Jim Reese 4. Thunder - Bob Taylor & The Counts 5. Black Cadillac - Sonny Wallace 6. Boo Boo Bear - Steve Vine & The Electras 7. Lovey Dove - Bill Chapell 8. You're In Love - Bobby Fuller & The Embers With Jim Reese 9. Say Honey - Bobby Fuller 10. School Girl - Long John Hunter 11. Sarah Jane - Don Orr 12. Be Mine - Jerry Bright & The Embers 13. Gonna Get Rich In 66 - Calvin Boles 14. Little Queenie - Don Orr 15. Down On The Farm Boogie - Bill Chapell 16. Your Lovin' Gets The Best Of Me - Steve Vine & The Electras 17. My Heart Jumped - Bobby Fuller 18. If You've Got A Lot Of Dough - Calvin Boles 19. Lonely Teardrops - The Fortunes 20. Why Did You Leave Me - The Ravons 21. Taylor's Rock - Bob Taylor & The Counts 22. Makin' My Living With My Guitar - Hal Smith & The Country Squires 23. Sky Diver - Steve Cooper 24. She's Gone Forever - Bill Chapell 25. El Paso Rock - Long John Hunter
...served by Gyro1966...

"TALK ABOUT A PARTY!" - The Crest Records Story

34-track collection features jump blues, r&b, country, rockabilly, & pop, recorded on Crest Records during the 50's & early 60'sCrest Records of Hollywood, CA, produced a handful of hits and many more highly esteemed but obscure rockabilly and rock & roll records in the ’50s and early ’60s. Launched in 1955 with Tom Wilson’s spectacular hillbilly bop call-to-arms, “Can You Bop?,” Crest went on to unleash a string of musical pearls that included early recordings by Eddie Cochran and Glen Campbell. Talk About a Party: The Crest Records Story collects 34 Crest Records sides, many of which previously appeared on the vinyl compilations Spotlight on Crest Records and Best of Crest, Vols. 1 & 2. The handful of hits include Bobby Edwards’ country-pop crossover “You’re the Reason,” Tommy Dee’s tribute record “Three Stars,” and Glen Campbell’s “Turn Around, Look at Me.” The obscurities are just as good, from Tom Tall’s “Stack-a-Records” to a unique country novelty by Tom Reeves, “Primitive Love.” The Gee Cees (a play on Glen Campbell’s initials) let rip with the guitar instrumental “Buzz Saw,” and the compilation concludes with an assortment of R&B recordings that include Boogaloo & the Gallant Crew’s Top Ten R&B hit “Cops and Robbers.” Besides capturing the spirit and inventiveness of a fascinating independent label, Talk About a Party provides a wealth of rare recordings well mastered from clean discs or the original tapes where available. – Greg Adams, Allmusic
This is a surprising little piece. It is a musical history of the little-known Crest label that managed to put only a few recordings into the limelight. While many of these tunes are very obscure, there are a few that managed to see the light of day in the top-100 and are virtually impossible to find elsewhere. This includes "Three Stars" by Tommy Dee, Glen Campbell's first chart success "Turn Around, Look At Me" (later taken into the top ten by the Vogues) and best of all, "You're The Reason" by Bobby Edwards. The disc is worth these songs alone. And while this is a product of the small independent Rockstar Records of the U.K., they have done an admirable job with this material.
Crest was a small operation - never even producing an album - so you won't find any stereo here and the sound quality is relatively primitive. But these tunes are presented in the best shape available, considering the source. The liner notes are in the form of a 16-page booklet that presents a comprehensive history of the small label and publishing company.
This interesting new compilation is a definite find for the collector. (Amazon)trax:
1. Stack-A-Records - Tom Tall 2. Ballin Keen - Bobby & Terry Caraway 3. Primitive Love - Tom Reeves 4. Can You Bop? - Tom Wilson 5. Ridin The Frets - The Desert Stars 6. Skinny Jim - Eddie Cochran 7. Rock N Roll Blues - Norm Skylar 8. Lovin Lorene - Glen Garrison 9. Yea Yea Come Another Day - Tony Casanova 10. Let'S Coast Awhile - Bo Davis 11. Been Gone A Long Time - Hank Sanders 12. Date Bait - Bill Skidmore III 13. Spotlight - Frank & Ernie 14. What Happened Last Night - Johnny Donn 15. Three Carburettors - Don Carson 16. Buzz Saw - The Gee Cees 17. Rockin And A-Rollin - Dick Bills 18. Don't Be Bashful Little Girl - Four Young Men 19. Turn Around And Look At Me - Glen Campbell 20. You're The Reason - Bobby Edwards 21. Check Out Time - Jay Chevalier 22. Long Black Limousine - Vern Stovall 23. Three Stars - Tommy Dee 24. Wild Man Wild! - Hal Jackson's Tornadoes w/ The Chromatics 25. Function At The Junction - Smoki Whitfield 26. Cool Juice - Tommy Law 27. Love Bug On The Loose - Freddy & Al 28. How Come My Dog Don'T Bark - Roscoe Sculley 29. Get Back - Prince Partridge 30. Clothes Line (Wrap It Up) - Boogaloo & His Gallant Crew 31. Talk About A Party - Boogaloo & His Gallant Crew 32. Big Fat Lie - Boogaloo & His Gallant Crew 33. Cops & Robbers - Boogaloo & His Gallant Crew 34. That's All - The Ebb-Tones
...served by Gyro1966...

The Contours "Can You Dance?"

"Hope you don't mind boys but here is a link to another Contours which I have had for a long time. It is The Contours Can You Dance tracks 1 to 12 and I added 13 to 24 Edwin Starr Soul Master. Just a bit of appreciation for all your hard work." - soulboytrax:
01 Can You Do It 02 He Couldn't Do The Monkey 03 Do The See Saw. 04 I'll Stand by You 05 You Get Ugly 06 That Day When She Needed Me 07 Can You Jerk Like Me 08 Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead 09 Pa (I Need A Car) 10 Minnie The Ugly Duckling 11 Just Can't Stop This Feeling 12 (She's) My Kind Of Girl
...served by soulboy...

"TRUE BLUE ROCKABILLY"

Fine collection of 50's rockabilly!trax:
1. I'll Be Leavin' You - Turner Moore w/Charlie Moore & The Crystals 2. 55 Chevy - Hoyt Stevenson 3. Stutterin' Papa - Buck Griffin 4. Big Boy Rock - Slim Dortch 5. Behave Be Quiet Or Be Gone - Roy Duke 6. You're Some Kind Of Nice - The Rock-A-Tunes 7. Come On Let's Go - Chuck Dallas 8. I Dig That Girl The Most - Ronnie Pearson 9. Hey Babe - Johnny Denton 10. Four In The Floor - Grant Grieves 11. There's Gonna Be A Ball - Rudy Gray 12. Long Black Train - Harold Jenkins 13. Steady With Betty - Benny Joy 14. The Lightning Strikes - DJ & The Cats 15. Lou Lou - Darrell Rhodes 16. Jump Baby Jump - Harry Carter 17. Pretty Mama - Marty Robbins 18. Havin' A Whole Lotta Fun - Johnny Jano 19. I'm So Lonesome Boby - Kenny Smith 20. Hey Baby - Tom James 21. Baby Of Mine - Tom Dorsam 22. I'm A Long Gone Daddy - Bobby Edwards 23. Come On Baby - Jimmy Strickland 24. Blue Moon Of Kentucky - The Stompers 25. You Don't Know - Harry Lee 26. Kiss Me Baby - Al Ferrier 27. Tatilizin' Baby - Don Burtin & The Fads 28. Did You Tell Me - Narvel Felts 29. Hop, Skip & Jump - The Collins Kids 30. It's True I'm Blue - Sid King & The Five Strings
...served by Gyro1966...

The Contours "Do You Love Me" 1962

When the band hit the first note of their smash hit, "Do You Love Me" the crowd went crazy. In the midst of the excitement, I suddenly flashed back in my mind to the first time I had heard the song. I was in Berry Gordy Jr.s' office at Tamla Motown in Detroit, a very impressive structure with a huge sign reading: "Hitsville U.S.A.". This is where it all began...the song...the group...the band...the session...the sound...and then, the record....
Berry laid a lot of good sounds on me that hot july afternoon, but a dozen songs later, the first was still the best.A new group with a new sound! "Berry, the Contours have got themselves a smash hit", were my exact words. And I didn't leave the office until I had a copy securely in my possession. - liner notes by Paul DrewThe first LP released on Gordy Records is also the Contours' first and only regular album release on Motown; a later collection also titled Do You Love Me was a greatest-hits compilation. This is worth a few bucks if you can find a copy. Three cuts were released on the Motown label before they were switched to Gordy ("The Stretch," "Funny," and "Whole Lotta Woman"); all stiffed. On Gordy, the group enjoyed their biggest hit the first time out in "Do You Love Me." "You Better Get In Line," a slick dance number, died as the flipside of "Shake Sherrie." A lively "You Must Be Love" has Billy Gordon swapping leads with Joe Billingslea. "Shake Sherrie" has a looping beat, a wandering baritone sax, and incredulous vocals from Gordon, Billingslea, Sylvester Potts, Billy Hogg, and Hubert Johnson. The rest suffer from a lack of identity; neither the group nor Motown had defined their sound when these were cut. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guidetraxfromwax:
1. Do You Love Me 2. Just a Little Misunderstanding 3. Shake Sherrie 4. Can You Do It 5. Don't Let Her Be Your Baby 6. First I Look at the Purse 7. Whole Lotta Woman 8. Can You Jerk Like Me? 9. It's So Hard Being a Loser 10. You Get Ugly

RANDY & THE ROCKETS "A Blast From The Past" (From One Of The Original Swamp Pop Bands!)

The Essential Collection of Randy and the Rockets is a blast from the past from one of the original Swamp Pop bands from 1957 to 1972. Then called Bayou Rock & Roll, there were only a handful of white groups that could play the "new" rock & roll sound rapidly sweeping the nation. This band was founder Randy David's dream. Released in 1998, 22 tracksSwamp pop is a musical genre indigenous to the Acadiana region of south Louisiana and an adjoining section of southeast Texas. Created in the 1950s and early 1960s by teenaged Cajuns and black Creoles, it combines New Orleans-style rhythm and blues, country and western, and traditional French Louisiana musical influences. Although a fairly obscure genre, swamp pop maintains a large audience in its south Louisiana and southeast Texas homeland, and it has acquired a small but passionate cult following in the United Kingdom, northern Europe, and Japan.trax:
01 Let' Do The Cajun Twist 02 Wrong Number 03 Genevieve 04 Have You Ever Had The Blues 05 You Can Make It If You Try 06 Bye Bye Baby 07 Secret Of Love 08 Worried Blues 09 You Talk Too Much 10 Sea Of Love 11 Chills And Feever 12 If You Really Care 13 Rockin' Robbin 14 That's Life 15 No More Troubles 16 Am I Really Losing You? 17 Spider 18 Lovely Ladies 19 Rock-It 20 Let's Just Say Goodbye 21 Sweet Love 22 Is It True?
...served by Gyro1966...

JOHNNY YOUNG "Blues Masters" (1969)

Although the mandolin is not an instrument commonly associated with Chicago blues, it has been used by Chicago-based string bands or on Chicago-made recordings by artists such as Carl Martin, Charles and Joe McCoy, and Yank Rachell. However, the only artist to use it successfully in the later electric blues format was Mississippi-born bluesman Johnny Young. An important figure in blues history, Young loved the rough-and-tumble string band tradition of the Delta, a style that readily co-existed with blues. Young's initial 1947 Chicago classic, "Money Taking Women," exhibits the same exuberant down-home sound, fusing blues with the older country breakdown traditions. The string band ensemble sound suited street performance as well, whether in Memphis or in Chicago's open air Maxwell Street Market, where Young and his cronies were brought in off the streets to record. Over the years, Young's mandolin activity declined as Chicago's African-American blues audience demanded a more modern and urban sound. Since Young was also a skilled guitarist and a fine vocalist, he easily weathered the transition. During the late '60s, an emerging white blues-revival audience proved eager for Young's mandolin styling. Unlike Yank Rachell, whose mandolin playing retained an older string band feel, Young's style was firmly grounded in a more contemporary postwar blues idiom, and he interacted well with other electric blues artists. Throughout his life, he had worked with the major figures of blues history, including Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Walter Horton, and Otis Spann. He was, he insisted, born to be a musician. When interviewed shortly before he died, he said he had struggled all his life trying to make it in the music business. An emotional man, he hoped he would live long enough to make enough money to buy a house. He never made it. by Barry Lee Pearson, Allmusic

rec. April 6, 1969 at the O.D.O Studios in New York City; Johnny Young, voc, g, mand; Paul Osher, hca; Otis Spann, p; Sammy Lawhorn, g, b; S.P. Leary, dr. prod. by Bart Friedman and Otis Spann (recorded from original vinyl LP)

trax:
01 moaning and groaning 02 heard my doorbell ring 03 my trainfare out of town 04 lula mae 05 jackson bound 06 walking slow 07 deal the cards 08 lend me your love 09 lorraine 10 prison bound 11 little girl 12 mean black snake
...served by Gyro1966...

JOE BARRY "The Loneliest Boy In Town" Swamp-Pop, Blues, R&B, Vol. 1 (Crazy Cajun Recordings)

Joe Barry is one of the true legends of Louisiana swamp pop music and this first volume in Edsel's Crazy Cajun series of Huey Meaux productions picks up Barry's recording career after his hit, "I'm a Fool to Care." These mid-'60s recordings find him working everything from Elvis-styled material ("You Belong to My Heart") to true swamp pop ("Heartbroken Love") to Duke Records-styled R&B (three takes of "Fat's in the Fire"). Throughout it all, Barry's voice is a marvelous thing to hear, full of soulful swoops and much down home feeling. If you're a fan of Louisiana swamp pop music, consider these 17 tracks a lost piece of the puzzle and a chunk of vintage music well worth owning. Top notch liner notes from John Lomax III, too. (Cub Koda, AMG)

trax:
01 You Belong To My Heart 02 Heartbroken Love 03 Loneliest Boy In Town 04 Yonder Comes A Sucker 05 Any Old Time 06 Everything'S Alright 07 Fat'S In The Fire 08 Come On Home 09 The Rains Came 10 Bouquet Of Roses 11 If You Really Want Me To I'll Go 12 Today I Started Loving You Again 13 Three'S A Crowd 14 Loneliest Boy In Town (Alternate Take) 15 Any Old Time (Alternate Take) 16 Fat's In The Fire (Alternate Take) 17 Fat'S In The Fire (Alternate Take)
...served by Gyro1966...

"THE BEST OF MILLION RECORDS"

Fine and varied collection of R&B, blues and doo-wop recorded for the Los Angeles based Million label in the early/ mid 50s. (Roots & Rhythm)trax:
1. Don't Know Why I Cry - The Chromatics 2. Down To The Ocean - Big Jim Wynn 3. Gotta Good Girl - James Wayne 4. Here In The Darkness - Sherry Washington & The Chromatics 5. Hey Miss Harriette - Peppy Prince 6. I'll Be Back - Ravon Barnell & The Voices 7. Wing's Lament - Christine Chatman 8. I'm The Boss Big - Jim Wynn 9. Just Fall In Love - Dan Grissom & The Ebb Tides 10. Wabble Lou - Sherry Ravon 11. Junco's Return - James Wayne 12. One Of These Mornings - Ravon Barnell & The Voices 13. Tell A Lie - The Chromatics 14. Run Cal Run - Christine Chatman 15. La De So De Do Honeymug - Sherry Washington & The Chromatics 16. Recess In Heaven - Dan Grisson & The Ebb Tides 17. Ain't Nothin' Shakin' - Peppy Prince 18. Happy New Year - Roy Tann 19. Elvis For Christmas - Mad Milo
...served by Gyro1966...

THE BALFA BROTHERS "J'ai Vu Le Loup, Le Renard et La Belette" '75

The Balfa Brothers are the real deal. They were recording Cajun music back before anyone outside of south-central Louisiana knew such a thing existed. This 13-track album, originally released on a tiny regional label in 1976 and reissued untouched by Rounder in 1989, is utterly authentic traditional Cajun music, performed on acoustic instruments with no drums (and only two tracks' worth of accordion, which may disappoint those who equate that instrument with Cajun music) and lyrics sung entirely in the regional Acadian French. (Even the liner notes are in this patois.) What matters is not how "authentic," this music is, however, but how good it is, and that's where this record shines. All 13 tracks (well, technically, track 11 is just a spoken-word introduction to the ballad "Mon N'Onc' Charlot") are utterly outstanding; as driving and rhythmic as music can get on an acoustic guitar and a pair of fiddles, with an unfettered joy in the vocals that comes across even to those listeners who don't understand the language. Those interested in traditional Cajun music would do well to start right here. (by Stewart Mason, ALLMUSIC)

trax:
01 J'ai Vu Le Loup, Le Renard Et La Belette 02 Rosina 03 La valse de kaplan 04 Les veuves de la coulee 05 Les blues du militaire 06 O ye yai quoe faire 07 Je suis content d'etre un cajun 08 Casey Jones 09 La valse du Port Arthur 10 La vieille danse a balfa 11 Annonce 12 Mon n'onc' charlot 13 Tous les deux pour la meme
...served by Gyro1966...

"RCA Soul" Vol 2 - Rare Collectable & Soulful

Northern Soul classic in spy movie crossover shock!!! Another two dozen soulful sounds from the vaults of RCA/Groove, half of which are previously un-danced to, and one that has been watched many times as the theme to the Bond movie You Only Live Twice. Funny old world?trax:
1. You Only Live Twice - Lorraine Chandler 2. I'm Not Afraid - Sharon Scott 3. My Imagination - The Metros 4. It's Guaranteed - The Cavaliers 5. She's Foolin' You (Aka Watch Yourself) - Willie Kendrick 6. What Kind Of Love Is This - Johnny Nash 7. Anything You Do - The Channels 8. Can't Let You Go - The Geminis 9. I Can't Hold On - Lorraine Chandler 10. Happy Go Lucky Me - The Bobbettes 11. Let Me Correct Myself - Tony Mason 12. I've Gotta Find Her - Kenny Carter 13. Reach Out For Me - Roy Hamilton 14. Three Rooms With Running Water - Johnny Nash 15. The Girl's Got Soul - The Dynamics 16. American Dollar - Willie Kendrick 17. Dance Little Girl - The Cavaliers 18. Don't Wait Too Long - Sharon Scott 19. Movin' Too Slow - The Exciters 20. Chain Reaction - The Celestrals 21. Losing You Again - The Metros 22. Tears And Misery - Sonny Til 23. Love Is So Wonderful - Dean Courtney 24. Stronger Than Me - Rufus Lumley
...served by Gyro1966...

"TOMMYKNOCKERS' BEAT CLUB" VOL. 7

IF YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM, KNOCK 'EM! MORE UNCOMPILED UK SIXTIES BEAT SINGLES RARE AS A RABBI IN MECCA!!Volume seven of our ongoing neverending compilation series of yet uncompiled UK 60s BEAT'EM-rarities featuring Slade and 10cc in Pampers, Greg Lake and Ritchie Blackmore in short shorts and other unusual suspects for your pleasure and pain.
Read all about this great comp here, and leave a comment if you can: ROOTS AND TRACES: SPURENSICHERUNG

trax:
1. I Get So Lonely (German-only Polydor, 64) - Tanya Day & The Somebodies 2. Hans' Knees (German-only Metronome, 65) - The Crescendoes 3. Lonely (EP "I Won't Be There", President, 68) - The Equals 4. Just Dropped In (Polydor, 70) - Styvar Manor 5. 5-4-3-2-1 (Embassy, 64) - Ray Pilgrim & The Beatmen 6. One Heart (Columbia, 67) - The Act 7. Kicks (Columbia, 66) - The Measles 8. Pretty Thing (Hungarian-only EP, 65) - Stovepipe No. Four 9. Wish The Morning Would Never Come (EP, released in Singapore, 65) - The Fumskrew 10. I Don't Want To Tell You Again (Decca, 64) - The Pickwicks 11. Little Lady (Oriole, 64) - The Etceteras 12. If You Don't Come Back (Mercury, 64) - Kris Ryan & The Questions 13. I Don't Understand (Decca, 64) - The Brumbeats 14. Why Can't It Happen To Me (Oriole, 64) - The Wackers 15. The World Is Mine (Fontana, 64) - The Rebounds 16. Be My Girl (Decca, 63) - John & Johnny 17. After Tomorrow (Philips, 64) - The Cockneys 18. Don't Go (Columbia, 65) - The Symbols 19. Greensleeves (Decca, 63) - The Country Gentlemen 20. She Was My Baby (React, 64) - The Shouts 21. I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind (Parlophone, 63) - The Contrasts 22. Speak Your Mind (Polydor, 68) - The Lion Tamers 23. Bye Bye Baby (unreleased acetate, 65) - The Wild Oats 24. Many Things From Your Window (Fontana, 65) - The Transatlantics 25. Line Shooter (Polydor, 65) - The Emotions 26. But Cry (Columbia, 66) - The Robb Storme Group 27. You Can't Sit Down (Mercury, 64) - The Hustlers 28. Only Two Can Play (Ember, 65) - The Midnights 29. That's How It's Gonna Stay (Columbia, 65) - The Mockingbirds 30. You Don't Believe Me (French-only EP, Barclay, 65) - The In-Betweens 31. You Feel Right (German-only, Elite Special, 65) - The Rackets 32. Rootin' Tootin' Baby (German-only, Golden 12, 65) - Casey Jones & The Governors 33. Dreams Don't Bother Me (MGM, 67) - The Shame 34. HIS-Jeans-Ad (1967) - The Troggs
Compiled by The Lolly Pope
From ROOTS AND TRACES: SPURENSICHERUNG Blogspot, served by Gyro1966

"RCA Soul" Vol 1 - Rare Collectable & Soulful

From the inception of Britain's Northern Soul club scene onward, the RCA label adorned more crowd-favorite singles than seemingly any other label, but for years none of the company's truly rare classics ever appeared on CD, making the 1997 release of Rare Collectable and Soulful, Vol. 1 a real event: Not only was compiler Ady Croasdell granted access to RCA's vaults, but among the 30 master tapes he brought back, 13 tracks were previously unreleased. The end result remains one of the gems of the vast Kent catalog, as well as one of the seminal Northern Soul collections ever issued -- truly essential listening for anyone with even a passing interest in the classic soul of the mid- to late- '60s. Highlights include the Cavaliers' "Ooh It Hurts Me," Lorraine Chandler's "What Can I Do?," Sharon Scott's "(Putting My Heart Under) Lock and Key," and Roy Hamilton's "Crackin' Up Over You." by Jason Ankeny, AMGEver since me and Roger Armstrong got wedged into the Scepter /Wand / Musicor vaults about twelve years ago and came away with unreleased recordings like Maxine Brown's Torture, Chuck Jackson's What's With This Loneliness and Melba Moore's The Magic Touch, I've been hooked on hearing those kind of tapes that haven't been aired for thirty years but damn well should have been. From time to time I've had a nice tickle like Carla Thomas' magnificent unissued Stax recording I'll Never Stop Loving You (featured on Do The Crossover Baby CDKEND 105), or even the big batch of unreleased Aware/Hotlanta tapes by Sam Dees (CDKEND 125), John Edwards (CDKEND 127) and Loleatta Holloway (CDKEND 135). However, those fell on my doorstep, rather than having me delve through old scotch tapes boxes to unearth them. So it wasn't until a full 10 years on from my first serious fix that I was to fully satisfy my craving. Although I didn't actually make it into the vault to get my fingernails dirty, I was there in a New York studio when tape boxes from 1966 were opened for the first time since the tracks were laid down and their full glory was revealed to me. I got to touch the boxes and reels, was able to copy down all the information contained thereon and, joy upon joy, saw the full session sheets that virtually put me back in the United Sound Studios, Detroit, at the peak of the soul music boom. The songs themselves were of at least equal quality to the ones that actually did come out of these sessions and as these were Lorraine Chandler's I Can't Hold On, The Metros' Since I Found My Baby, Roy Hamilton's Reach Out For Me and Sharon Scott's Could It Be You, that was very high quality indeed. As RCA has a wealth of great soul records that have never made it on to CD, we've mixed in the unreleased with the released and spread the project over 2 volumes. (Vol 2 is CDKEND 156). Highlights of the released tracks for me are The Insiders' I'm Just A Man, a vivacious well-crafted song performed by the boys who went on to become the Main Ingredient, one of the greatest of all the 70s vocal groups. Also Johnny Nash's Hugo and Luigi produced big ballad I'm Leaving from a different soul era but exquisitely made. The unreleased songs are all exciting but the one that always does it for me is Kenny Carter's original cut of What's That On Your Finger. I drone on about this one extensively on the sleevenotes so here I'll merely say that anyone who has already heard it will be buying the CD on the strength of this track alone. (Ady Croasdell)

trax:
1. Ooh It Hurts Me - The Cavaliers 2. Push A Little Bit Harder - The Metros 3. Change Your Ways - Willie Kendrick 4. What Can I Do - Lorraine Chandler 5. (Putting My Heart Under) Lock And Key - Sharon Scott 6. Take Me Away - Carolyn Cooke 7. What's That On Your Finger - Kenny Carter 8. It Hurts Too Much To Cry - H.B. Barnum 9. Today Is My Day - Dean Courtney 10. Since You're Gone - The Barons 11. Love Sick - The Dynamics 12. She'll Be Leaving You - Willie Kendrick 13. It's Better - Sharon Scott 14. Mend The Torn Pieces Of My Heart - Lorraine Chandler 15. Having Fun - The Bobbettes 16. Don't You Know (A Good Love When You See One) - Tony Mason 17. Crackin' Up Over You - Roy Hamilton 18. I'm Just A Man - The Insiders 19. I'm Leaving - Johnny Nash 20. Let The Music Play - Roy Hamilton 21. What Have I Done Wrong - Faye Crawford 22. Come On Strong - Nancy Wilcox 23. It Didn't Take Much (For Me To Fall In Love) - Percy Wiggins 24. I'll Never Forget You - The Metros
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"BUMPIN'N'BLUES ROCKIN'" - 30 R&B Originals

Wild collection of rockin' R&B that is now long out of print and hard to find!trax:
1. i can't lose with the stuff i use - Lester Williams 2. comin' over - Shirley & Lee 3. yes he did - LaVerne Ray 4. you can't stay here - The Concords 5. looking for a man - Little Esther 6. i'm your boogie man - Goree Carter 7. cry for my baby - The Flames 8. ay lah bah - Danny Cobb 9. the wobble - Jimmy McCracklin 10. tell me pretty baby - Screamin' Joe Neal 11. don't be angry - Nappy Brown 12. strange love - The Native Boys 13. sea cruise (alt. version) - Frankie Ford 14. please please be mine - Ed Pauline 15. they just rocking and rolling - V & BB 16. doomed lover - Jimmy McCracklin 17. a fool no more - Eddie Hope & The Mannish Boys 18. money's funny - Jeanette Washington 19. i had a dream last night - Lonesome Sundown 20. georgia slop - Jimmy McCracklin 21. wail baby wail - Kid Thomas 22. baby's crazy - Larry Williams 23. cool it - Flash Terry 24. she can rock - Little Ike 25. shake your boogie - Model T. Slim 26. rockin' shoes - Tony Allan 27. justine - Don & Dewey 28. you got me walking - The Elquins 29. that's all - Al Garris 30. don't quit me baby - Screamin' Joe Neal
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"ROCK IT" Vol. 2

Another excellent collection of rare rockabilly from the 50's to early 60's.trax:
1. Lot-A-Lovin' - Larry & The Headliners 2. Crankshaft Sid - Jimmy Night 3. Hully Gully Twist - Wayne Worley 4. Quick Sand - The Blue Angels 5. Fried Potatoes - The Creepers 6. Hot Rod - The Stereos 7. I'll Keep On Lovin' You - The Variatones 8. Baby Sue - The Rhythm Tones 9. Rip It Up - Milan Shepel 10. Warpath - The Thunder Rocks 11. Walking The Dog - The Excels 12. Wayne Boogie - Wayne Rogers 13. Twistin' The Blues - Ed Bundy 14. Gone Twistin' - Alane Cochran 15. You're Some Kind Of Nice - The Rock-A-Tunes 16. Gossip - Chuck Howard 17. Rockin' Chair Rock - Artie Morris 18. Back Home Again - Artie Morris 19. Country Boy - The Rel Yea's 20. The Pigeon - Don Apilado 21. Flying Saucer Rock - Ferrell Duncan & His Rockers 22. Swing Train Twist - Bobby Wayne 23. Long Long Ponytail - Tom & The Tornadoes 24. To My Baby - Skeet Richardson 25. Stick Around - Perk & The Flames 26. Let's Go Rockin' - Harry Hatchins 27. You Can Count On Me - Gene La Marr 28. Just A Little Bit Longer - Gene La Marr
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"LAMP RECORDS STORY" Vol. 2

Lamp Records was a small label that operated from 1954 to 1957. A subsiduary of Aladdin Records, Lamp issued top quality Rhythm & Blues and Doo-Wop, including some truly outstanding tracks which are included here.trax:
1. Our Love Is To Stay - The Sharps 2. Lock My Heart - The Sharps 3. Tell Me - The Tantores 4. So Afraid - The Tantores 5. My Resolutions - The Troopers 6. Get Out - The Troopers 7. So Glad - The Throbs 8. All The Way Home - The Throbs 9. Please Give A Match - Rebecca Williams 10. Take Care Of My Heart - Rebecca Williams 11. Need You Tonight - The Minorbops 12. Want You For My Own - The Minorbops 13. Let's Elope - The Lovers 14. I Wanna Be Loved - The Lovers 15. I Wonder Why - The Daybreakers 16. Up, up And Away - The Daybreakers 17. Nobody But You - Jimmy Simms 18. Mystery Of Love - Jimmy Simms 19. Don't Cry - The Inspirations 20. Indian Jane - The Inspirations 21. Tell Me - The Lovers 22. Thank You, Jesus - The Skylight Singers 23. I'm Going Back Home - The Skylight Singers 24. Certainly, Lord - The Skylight Singers 25. Lord, Have Mercy - The Skylight Singers
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"ROCK IT" Vol. 1

Great collection of obscure rockabilly form the mid 50's to early 60's.trax:
1. Rock It - Tom Blair & The West Coasters 2. The Itch - Carl Cherry 3. Rock 'n' Roll Santa - Little Joey Farr 4. Baby Be Good - Bill Morrison 5. Take Your Hands Off Me Baby - Buddy Howard 6. Rattle Bone Rock - Linda Burnette 7. Pig Tail - Don Schraier 8. Betty Jean Rock - Mikel w/The Hepcats 9. Sweetest Thing - Mikel w/The Hepcats 10. I Asked Her - The Country Lads 11. Salty Tears - The Country Lads 12. Hot Rod - The Stripes 13. Chick Chick - Junior Dean 14. The Jordan Theme - The Jordan Brothers 15. My Kind Of Woman - Ron Ouderkirk 16. Swing It Up - The Tielman Brothers 17. Rollin' Pin Min - Ricky Coyne 18. Johnny Machine - Billy Smith 19. Oh Boy - The Rhythm Rockers 20. You Hurt Me So - Leon Mach 21. Buzzin' - Tommy Wilson 22. Live It Up - The Traits 23. Lucille - The Canadian V.I.P.'s 24. Thinking 'Bout You - The Rhythm Rockers 25. Come To My House Rock - Bill Logsdon 26. Across The Bay - Joe Richie 27. Shake Me Baby - Bobby Lee 28. Honky Tonk Man - Johnny Laury
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