"WEREWOLF" The Dolton Records Story 1959-1962

The industrial city of Seattle was responsible for launching the musical careers of legendary instrumental combo the Ventures and Washington trio the Fleetwoods. It was all thanks to Dolton Records, the region's first rock 'n' roll label, the brainchild of young salesman and record wholesaler Bob Reisdorff. Until the late Eighties, Dolton remained Seattle's only label to make an indelible international mark, listen to those early important years on this superb 2 disc compilation! (Crawdaddy)Dolton certainly put out a lot of records in the 1960s. The Ventures alone put out at least 20 albums and 30 singles, most of which sold quite well. That kind of success can help finance a whole mess of other records by lesser known artists. Add to that The Fleetwoods two big hits - Come Softly To Me and Mr Blue - and you have yourself a thriving independent record label. This collection features both those songs from The Fleetwoods as well as two of their other best tracks. The Ventures get 4 cuts as well, including Walk Don't Run and Perfidia. The Frantics also deliver some instrumental coolness with the likes of Werewolf The Whip, and more. The Miniature Men delivery a couple famous novelties in Baby Elephant Walk and Soupy's Theme (Soupy's Shuffle,) and then there's many more quality tracks by the likes of The Echoes, Bonnie Guitar, The Five Whispers, and more. (JM) (Roots and Rhythm)

This is a truly fantastic compilation from the out of copyright folks at One Day Music. This one, a label new to me, is the Seattle-based Dolton records. Their major hit "Come Softly to Me" by the Fleetwoods, and the instrumental group the Ventures are probably the only well known artists featured on this 2CD 50 tracks for around a fiver collection. Sleeve notes are sparse, in a tiny font but quite informative, noting that years before Hendrix and a generation before Kurt Cobain, the Seattle sound meant something completely different. The Sound is definitely the instrumental style of the Ventures, plenty of twang, echo and vibrato, and strong candidates as trailblazers (maybe that should be waveblazers?) for the emerging surf sound. Less speedy and "sunny" than Dick Dale, and nowhere near as technically accomplished as our own Hank Marvin, the handful of Ventures singles included here, especially their major hit "Walk, Don't Run", leave me wanting to explore these bywaters more. Add tracks by the sax and guitar group the Frantics, especially the fantastically atmospheric "Werewolf", and a clutch more guitar-led instrumentals and it makes for a brilliant showcase for this unrecognised centre of early rock. As ever the label's other offerings are a mixture of derivative doo-wop, sub-Elvis rock&roll and crooners, of varying quality (Brady and Grady Sneed were never going to challenge the Everlys!), but that's part of the charm of these compilations, and even here there's some good guitar work going on in the background and Joe Meek style production flourishes too, so it's never dull. Transfers are clean and there's a "bright" sound throughout. (Record Runner)

trax disc 1:

1. Werewolf - The Frantics 2. Come Softry To Me - The Fleetwoods 3. Born To Be With You - The Echoes 4. Walk, Don't Run - The Ventures 5. Midnight Sun - The Five Whispers 6. Here's Where A Broken Heart Lives - Jeff Tabor 7. I Love An Angel - Little Bill & The Bluenotes 8. I Will - Vic Dana 9. Candy Apple Red - Bonnie Guitar 10. Portrait Of Blonde - Hank Levine 11. It's Almost Tomorrow - The Four Pearls 12. Baby Elephant Walk - The Miniature Men 13. We We Baby - Chuck Roberts 14. Not For Love Or Money - Gary Hodge 15. Fog Cutter - The Frantics 16. Confidential - The Fleetwoods 17. Hello, Roommate - Vic Dana 18. My Very Best To You - Jerry Davis 19. Come To Me Johnny -  - Johnny Victor 20. Blue Moon - The Ventures

trax disc 2:

1. Mr. Blue - The Fleetwoods 2. Perfidia - The Ventures 3. (A Girl Needs) To Love And Be Loved - Vic Dana 4. The Tears You Never Cried - Johnny Victor 5. San Antonio Rose - The Frantics 6. Look At Me - The Four Pearls 7. Moon In The Afternoon - The Five Whispers 8. The Story Behind My Tears - Vic Dana 9. Bye Bye Baby - Little Bill & The Bluenotes 10. Soupy's Theme (Soupy's Shuffle) - The Miniature Men 11. My Guiding Lights - The Echoes 12. Straight Flush - The Frantics 13. I'm Lonesome - Jeff Tabor 14. Graduation's Here - The Fleetwoods 15. Little Bitty Heart - Brady & Grady Sneed 16. That's How It's Gnnna Be - Chuck Roberts 17. Ram Bank Shush - The Ventures 18. Turn Around - The Wonderers Three 19. The Whip - The Frantics 20. To Prove Our Love Is True - Jerry Davis

...served by Gyro1966...

The Nematoads "Five Guns West" 2007

Open desert trumpet laden spaghetti western twang - excellent! Excellent trumpet helps convey everything that spaghetti westerns are about - open desert, struggle, drama, a dusty breeze under the hot sun. Great writing and arranging, kind of reminds me of the the Cadillac Hitmen, which is intended as a compliment. I hope these guys stick around and produce another album. Highly recommended. - Rich ZantesonThe Nematoads, a trippy, twangy, five-piece modern surf band from Austin, straddle the line between ´60s retro cool and tall-in-the-saddle Tejas twang. Behind the reigns is guitarist Ted James – the legendary man with two first names – who, in bygone times, led Johnny Vortex and Squid Vicious.
The rhythm section stars bassist Mark Brazle, percussionist Jaime Joseph, and drummer George Pestana. George treats his drum heads like the skulls of his arch enemies, pounding them into submission and kicking them while they’re down. Mark adds to the melee with his bitchin’ sense of groove, and Jaime adds a touch of Latin percussion that gives the band the spring in its step and the spice in its chili. And speaking of gas, the Nematoads have a new tiger in their tank: trumpeter Tiger Anaya, a herald of good things to come.
The Nematoads' pasta-fueled excursions embody the sound of The Third Coast, the vibe of the street with a 5-o’clock club beat. This is modern surf with a heart that beats all – six-string action blends the classic sounds of the Ventures and Davie Allan & the Arrows with the surf-punk of the Dead Kennedys, the twangy madness of Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, and the sonic attack of the Pixies. Of course, we can't forget our Texas roots!
Catch the ironic hypersonic wave of the Nematoads live and prepare yourself for a very different type of Austin show. The Nematoads: ´60s surf cool with Texas instrumental rock. - cdbabytrax:

01 Deadwood 02 Border Run 03 Harlingen Shuffle Pt 1 04 Urban Sombrero 05 Five Guns West 06 Entrada del Oeste 07 Laredo by Sundown 08 Bandera! 09 Havana Gila 10 Dos Diablos 11 Matagorda Bay 12 Devil Ridge 13 Distant Drums 14 Cuero Gold 15 Capoburro

THE STARLITERS "Stop Kiddin'" 2008

A hillbilly bop, rockabilly, western swing outfit from Milano, Italy.trax:

01 Come On Stroll 02 Don't Wanna Fly Back Home 03 I Do It Every Time 04 I'll Never Be Your Man 05 I'm Not A Kid Anymore 06 I'm Wasting My Tame 07 I'ts All Your Fault 08 Little Grass Shack 09 Long Gone Train 10 Once Again With You 11 Take And Give 12 Tennessee Local 13 The Honky Tonk Dream 14 This Chick Drinks More Than Me 15 Where My Little Love Has Gone 16 Who Who Boogie

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Marty Robbins "Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs" 1959 / 1999

"My dad loved Marty Robbins. I have so many memories of summer nights listening to the stereo playing "Big Iron" or "El Paso" and dad singing along, or actually, talking along, announcing each verse before it came up, sitting in the front yard under a blanket of stars." - By Kelly L. NormanA lonely Westerner in Nashville, Marty Robbins salved his soul by cutting an album (in one afternoon) of mostly self-composed cowboy ballads. One of them was a four-and-a-half-minute epic, "El Paso," that broke every rule of Top 40 programming to become a No. 1 pop and country hit in 1960. Robbins was arguably the most surefooted and accomplished singer in all country music, and that was never more obvious than on these Western ballads performed to often breathtaking perfection with a very small group and a vocal trio. Other titles include "Big Iron" (also a Top 30 hit), "Running Gun," and Western classics like "Cool Water," "Billy the Kid," and "The Strawberry Roan." Three extra tracks flesh out the 1999 release, including "Saddle Tramp" (the B-side of "Big Iron") and "The Hanging Tree" (title song from the 1959 Gary Cooper Western). -- Colin Escotttrax:

01 Big Iron 02 A Hundred And Sixty Acres 03 They're Hanging Me Tonight 04 Cool Water 05 Billy The Kid 06 Utah Carol 07 The Strawberry Roan 08 The Master's Call 09 Running Gun 10 El Paso 11 In The Valley 12 The Little Green Valley 13 The Hanging Tree 14 Saddle Tramp 15 El Paso (Full-Length Version)

TOM T. HALL "Ballad Of Forty Dollars" (1969) + "Homecoming" (1970)

Here are two albums from Tom T. Hall's late-'60s period, both of them stellar examples of his worth as a storyteller and a songwriter. A journeyman songwriter, Hall viewed his work as a job, but one he showed a passion for learning and living. The two albums featured here showcase Hall at one of the creative peaks of his life. There are a total of 26 tracks with Hall and his band, the Storytellers, including classics such as "Shame on the Rain," "That's How I Got to Memphis" (which registers as one of the saddest brokenhearted love songs in country music history), "Forbidden Flowers," "The World the Way I Want It," "Kentucky in the Morning," "Margie's at the Lincoln Park Inn," and many others. The beauty of Hall's work during this period, and indeed for the most of the rest of his career, is that his writing comes from the point of empathy. The grain in his voice on these recordings is that of a friend or a neighbor who witnesses without judgment. Even in the first person there is no instance where the protagonist is saying, "Why me God?" In the desperation and sadness as well as in the joy or bewilderment, there is a quiet or raucous acceptance of life as it is. There is a generosity in this approach extended to the listener, which allows for our place in the narrative, not as an extension of our experience or his, but as a sharing of experience. Bear Family's choices in these two albums, recorded in 1968, is a phenomenal portrait in miniature of one of the greatest storytellers and songwriters of the 20th century. This is essential Tom T. Hall for the collector, and a tremendous introduction for the novice. (Tom Jurek, Allmusic)

trax:

01 That's How I Got To Memphis 02 Cloudy Day 03 Shame On The Rain 04 Highways 05 Forbidden Flowers 06 Ain't Got The Time 07 Ballad Of Forty Dollars 08 I Washed My Face In The Morning Dew 09 A Picture Of Your Mother 10 The World The Way I Want It 11 Over And Over Again 12 Beauty Is A Fading Flower 13 A Week In A Country Jail 14 Strawberry Farms 15 Shoeshine Man 16 Kentucky In The Morning 17 Nashville Is A Groovy Little Town 18 Margie's At Lincoln Park Inn 19 Homecoming 20 The Carter Boys 21 Flat-Footin' It 22 George (And The Northwoods) 23 I Miss A Lot Of Trains

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BOBBY “BLUE” BLAND "The Voice" (Duke Recordings 1959-69)

A 26-track compilation of Duke sides from Bland's peak decade (1959-1969).Into the 60s with Bobby Bland and some of the finest material and arrangements in soul music from the best voice in town. Continuing the Bobby Bland story, we have another 26 sides from the finest of all blues singers, this time dating from 1959-1969, and what could be defined as his soul sides. Bobby Bland covers the whole gamut of blues, R&B and soul on this compilation, with Joe Scott's arrangements spicing the proceedings with the odd flash of jazzy horn parts. But it's that voice that holds it all down, with such apparent effortlessness, whether it be on the melancholic Who Will The Next Fool Be, or rocking out on Turn On Your Lovelight. All of Bland's major singles are here, alongside a few more obscure titles, like the idiosyncratic Blue Moon and the title track of his most well known album, Two Steps From The Blues. A veritable feast of goodies for lovers of soul, R&B, or just downright great music. File under Essential. (The R&B Review)

trax:

01 Who Will The Next Fool Be 02 I Pity The Fool 03 Don't Cry No More 04 Ain't That Loving You 05 I'm Not Ashamed 06 Cry, Cry, Cry 07 I'll Take Care Of You 08 Call On Me 09 Blue Moon 10 Turn On Your Love Light 11 Stormy Monday Blues 12 Two Steps From The Blues 13 Ain't Nothing You Can Do 14 Ain't Doing Too Bad Part 1 15 Sometimes You Gotta Cry A Little 16 Ain't No Telling 17 Yield Not To Temptation 18 I'm Too Far Gone To Turn Around 19 These Hands (Small But Mighty) 20 Good Time Charlie Part 1 21 Ask Me 'bout Nothing (But The Blues) 22 Share Your Love With Me 23 That Did It 24 Shoes 25 Back In The Same Old Bag Again 26 Chains Of Love

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"THE HOUR OF THE GUN" 2002

Vom SPAGHETTI WESTERN Sound Experten Label kommt hier eine weitere Compilation mit Instrumental Bands die Songs für Wild West Filme geschrieben haben, die niemals gedreht wurden, feat: HANK RAY, ODDBALLS BAND, MANDRA GORA LIGHTSHOW SOCIETY, DIE ZORROS, BLOOD ON THE SADDLE, TREMOLO BEERGUT, CHARLES NAPIERS, CYBERMEN u.a. im coolen Wild West Design. - http://www.kamikaze-records.de/trax:

1. River of No Return - Ray Hank 2. Gunfight at Ok Corral - The Hellbenders 3. Colonel Mustard - Thee Cybermen 4. Diamonds - The Krontjong Devils 5. Exodus (from Original Soundtrack "the Hour of the Gun") - Vampires 6. Tri - State Killing Spree - The Cadillac Hitmen 7. Tribute to the Blue Men - Mandra Gora Lightshow Society 8. Theme from the Old West - Mark Brodie & The Beaver Patrol 9. Candlelight Saloon - The Motorpsychos 10. The Alamo - Blood On The Saddle 11. Boondocker - Oddballs' Band 12. El Chico - Rubens & The Barrichellos 13. Racehorse from Hell - The Tremolo Beer Gut 14. Stubble Jumper - The Surfdusters 15. The Ballad of Rockridge - The Charles Napiers 16. Zorro Rettet Russland - Die Zorros

"O Sister!" A Women's Bluegrass Collection Vol 2 - 2002

In the wake of the success of O Sister in 2001, the Rounder label wisely decided to follow it up with another collection of bluegrass songs, old and new, performed by female singers and instrumentalists. Though the sound of hard-edged and high-pitched men's voices has almost defined bluegrass music from the beginning, women have made significant contributions as well, though those contributions have not always gotten the recognition they deserved. O Sister 2: A Woman's Bluegrass Collection continues the project of rectifying that oversight, and does so quite nicely by showcasing performances by relative unknowns like Carol Elizabeth Jones and Alecia McKnight alongside such usual suspects as Rhonda Vincent, Claire Lynch, Lynn Morris, and the inevitable Alison Krauss. Stylistically, this second collection ranges a bit further afield than the first one did; alongside strictly traditional material like "Poor Ellen Smith" (sung with reedy power by the gracefully aging Ola Belle Reed) and the Jimmy Martin classic "Pretending I Don't Care" (performed here by Rhonda Vincent), there are more pop-flavored delights, such as Carol Elizabeth Jones' sweetly tuneful original song "Someday" and even a downright avant-garde contribution from the Wayfaring Strangers, whose "Memories of You" features a klezmer clarinet. (Allmusic)For many years, bluegrass (like many other genres of music) was almost a male preserve. It took longer for the ladies to break through in bluegrass than elsewhere, but this collection and others like it prove that they are well capable of competing with the men, who continue to make great bluegrass.
This Rounder compilation is targetted at those who are new to bluegrass, but will also appeal to committed fans. Extensive liner notes give biographical summaries of the singers, also including a list of albums by the individuals for those who wish to explore further (and who wouldn't, after hearing this collection?). Actually, this list may cause problems outside America - this album is available in other countries (including the UK) where most of the listed albums are not available except through specialist dealers or Amazon.
All the great ladies of bluegrass are represented, including Claire Lynch, Rhonda Vincent, Laurie Lewis and Lynn Morris. Alison Krauss and Suzanne Cox close the set with the excellent Jewels. Hazel Dickens makes four appearances - one solo and three duets - with Alice Gerrard, Ginny Hawker and Phyllis Boyens.
The big surprise for me (and what a pleasure to hear !!!!) is the inclusion of Jeannie Kendall, on I wonder where you are tonight, from her new Rounder album (not released at the time of this review, but eagerly awaited). Jeannie used to be lead singer of the Kendalls with her father providing harmonies. Remember Heaven's just a sin away (from 1979)? Jeannie sounds as good as ever, and it's good to have her back.
It is a great companion to the previous O Sister compilation on Rounder, or the British double-CD on WEA (O sister where art thou - look out for my review of that), but this is a fine introduction to bluegrass in it's own right. Even if (like me), you've already got some of these tracks, you'll find the others well worth a listen. - Peter Durward Harristrax:

1. Tall Pines - Laurie Lewis 2. It Rains Everywhere I Go - Lynn Morris 3. I'll Stay Around - Alecia McRight 4. I Wonder Where You Are Tonight - Jeannie Kendall 5. Leaving The Land - Suzanne Thomas 6. Pretending I Don't Care - Rhonda Vincent 7. Don't Neglect The Rose - Ginny Hawker 8. Love Me Or Leave Me Alone - Hazel Dickens, Carol Elizabeth Jones & Ginny Hawker 9. Hideaway - Laurie Lewis & Kathy Kallick 10. Who's Crying For You Now - The Steven's Sisters 11. Reason Enough - Tanya Savory 12. Hey Lonesome - Claire Lynch 13. Someday - Jones & Leva 14. Montana Cowboy - Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard 15. High On A Mountain - Ola Belle Reed 16. Poor Ellen Smith - Wilma Lee Cooper 17. Times Are Not What They Used To Be - Hazel Dickens, Carol Elizabeth Jones & Ginny Hawker 18. Dreams Of A Miner's Child - Phillis Boyens & Hazel Dickens 19. Memories Of You - Wayfaring Strangers 20. Willow - Mac Benford & The Woodshed All-Stars 21. Jewels - Alison Krauss & The Cox Family

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"DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN" Live Concert Performances By The Artists & Musicians Of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"' (2001)

Country music reclaimed its traditional soul with the chart-topping triumph of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. This concert sequel, recorded (and filmed) at Nashville's venerable Ryman Auditorium, reunites Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss and Union Station, and other O Brother standouts. With little duplication, the selection extends the movie's revival of acoustic spirituals and Appalachian balladry, though the performances and pacing of the concert aren't quite as consistently compelling as the studio soundtrack. Among the highlights are a pair of originals by Welch and David Rawlings, the bluesy "Dear Someone" and the Everlyesque "I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll." Where O Brother interspersed archival recordings among the contemporary artistry, the concert finds Nashville gospel's Fairfield Four harmonizing on the chain-gang chant of "Po' Lazarus," while the late John Hartford (in one of his final performances) renews the deadpan whimsy of "Big Rock Candy Mountain." --Don McLeeseRecorded at Nashville's historic Ryman Theater as a sort of a musical wrap party for the Coen Brothers' 2000 film O Brother Where Art Thou, this album offers live versions of several of the traditional American folk songs featured in the film, with a few additions along the same vein. Sounding almost like an all-traditional country episode of "A Prairie Home Companion," the guests (including Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, the Whites, the Fairfield Four, and the Cox Family, among others) amiably exchange songs on-stage, reveling in the atmosphere of warm country, bluegrass, and blues music. Highlights include two non-traditional tracks from Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, whose earthy compositions fit in seamlessly with the time-honored traditional songs, and Emmylou Harris' contribution "Green Pastures" (which originally appeared on Roses in the Snow, her own Americana revival album from some 20 years earlier). Highlights include hometown favorites the Fairfield Four hair-raising rendition of the work song/spiritual "Po' Lazarus." Of particular note is fiddler and folklorist John Hartford's cheery rendition of the hobo fantasy "Big Rock Candy Mountain," which proved to be his last recorded performance before his death nearly a year later. The concert is recorded so well that it is occasionally surprising to hear applause at the end of the songs; the performances are so nearly flawless it is easy to forget that this was a live recording. Fans of traditional American folk music and those who have enjoyed the O Brother soundtrack will not be disappointed. (Allmusic)trax:

1. Po' Lazarus - The Fairfield Four 2. Big Rock Candy Mountain - John Hartford 3. Wild Bill Jones - Alison Krauss & Union Station 4. Blue And Lonesome - Alison Krauss & Union Station 5. I Am Weary (Let Me Rest) - The Cox Family 6. Will There Be Any Stars In My Crown - The Cox Family 7. My Dear Someone - Gillian Welch & David Rawlings 8. I Want To Sing That Rock And Roll - Gillian Welch & David Rawlings 9. Sandy Land - The Whites 10. John Law Burned Down The Liquor Sto' - Chris Thomas King With Colin Linden 11. Green Pastures - Emmylou Harris 12. I'll Fly Away - Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch

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B.B. KING "Blues Is King" (Live In Chicago) 1967

B.B. King has produced some wonderful live recordings; no surprise from an artist who performs as much as he does. His "Live at the Regal" is usually cited as the greatest, but in my opinion "Blues is King" is better and more exciting (although "Live at the Regal" is also a great recording). The performances here are blazing, and the guitar sound is achingly beautiful. (Living Blues)By 1967, King had refined his singing and guitar style (which were always intertwined) to a fine point. What was just beginning to emerge during this period was King the showman, the singer with a story to tell his audience; sometimes a sad story, sometimes an angry one, occasionally even a downright mean one. Nowhere was this more apparent than in live performance. Here he's captured in concert in Chicago, home of the blues and the ideal place to testify to the congregation. From "Tired of Your Jive" to "I Know What You're Puttin' Down" to the unequivocal "Baby Get Lost," B.B. lets his audience in on the ups and downs of romance in no uncertain terms, both through his impassioned vocals and characteristically stinging guitar. The effect is both cathartic and awe-inspiring. (Allmusic)

trax:

01 Introduction 02 Waitin' On You 03 Introduction 04 Gambler's Blues 05 Tired Of Your Jive 06 Night Life 07 Buzz Me 08 Don't Answer The Door 09 Blind Love 10 I Know What You're Puttin' Down 11 Baby, Get Lost 12 Gonna Keep On Loving You

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"O Sister!" The Women's Bluegrass Collection Vol 1 - 2001

The bluegrass bandwagon continues to roll in 2001. This collection attempts to capitalize on the breakthrough success of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. Drawn from Rounder's rich catalog, the 19-cut sampler of female singing, fiddling, and picking extends from an era when women were a novelty in this male-dominated music category through the popular crossover ascendance of such contemporary artists (and O Brother favorites) as Alison Krauss and the Cox Family. Harmonies from the likes of Rhonda Vincent and the Stevens sisters soar toward the heavens, while the earthier strains of Hazel Dickens and Ginny Hawker are more reflective of the music's hardscrabble roots. Though Wilma Lee Cooper's "You Tried to Ruin My Name" has all the subtlety of a hog-calling contest, such rawness is about as real as this music gets. --Don McLeeseThe latest in a lengthening string of releases designed to benefit from association with the Coen brothers film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is this all-girl bluegrass compilation, which features on its cover the requisite stubbly cornfield and archaic font style. Opportunistic as the packaging may be, there's no arguing with the quality of the content. Generously packed with outstanding performances by women as stylistically disparate as Hazel Dickens, Claire Lynch, and Kathy Kallick, O Sister is a delightful celebration of several generations of criminally unheralded female bluegrass artists. The highlights are many, but particular standout tracks include Rhonda Vincent's rocking "Lonesome Wind Blues," the hard-edged mountain sound of Phyllis Boyens (backed up by Hazel Dickens and the Johnson Mountain Boys), and the clawhammer banjo-powered "Comin' Down From God" by the relatively unknown Carol Elizabeth Jones. The usual suspects are here too, of course, including Alison Krauss (on the exquisitely gentle and sweet "Every Time You Say Goodbye") and the Cox Family (twice). You might buy this one because you feel guilty about the way women have been neglected in the bluegrass world, but you'll keep coming back to it because the songs are just so dang good. (Allmusic)trax:

1. If Wishes Were Horses - Claire Lynch 2. Silver Tongue And Gold Plated Lies - Suzanne Thomas 3. Sad Situation - Delia Bell 4. True Life Blues - Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard 5. Lonesome Wind Blues - Rhonda Vincent 6. Pardon Me - The Cox Family 7. Old River - Ginny Hawker & Hazel Dickens 8. You Tried To Ruin My Name - Wilma Lee Cooper 9. I Can't Find Your Love Any More - Hazel Dickens 10. Just Like Rain - Laurie Lewis & Kathy Kallick 11. Mama's Hand - Lynn Morris 12. Every Time You Say Goodbye - Alison Krauss 13. Blue - The Stevens Sisters 14. Time Is Winding Up - Ginny Hawker & Carol Elizabeth Jones 15. Blow, Big Wind - Laurie Lewis 16. Will There Be Any Stars? - The Cox Family With Alison Krauss 17. The Last Old Shovel - Phyllis Boyens 18. Comin' Down From God - Carol Elizabeth Jones 19. Eight More Miles - Laurie Lewis, Claire Lynch, Lynn Morris & Rhonda Vincent

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THE PETE BEST COMBO "Beyond The Beatles" 1964-1966

A true labor of archival fetishism, this assembles 24 songs cut by the Pete Best Combo in the mid-'60s -- and even this doesn't include every last item from his "solo" career. The results are surprisingly American in feel for a Mersey group, with some saxophones and an echo-laden production.trax:

01 All Aboard 02 Why Did You Leave Me Bab? 03 Shimmy Like My Sister Kate 04 I Need Your Lovin' 05 I Can't Do Without You Now 06 Castin' My Spell 07 I'm Blue 08 She's Alright 09 Keys To My Heart 10 I'm Checkin' Out Now Baby 11 I'll Try Anyway 12 I Don't Know Why I Do 13 How Do You Get To Know Her Name? 14 She's Not The Only Girl In Town 15 If You Can't Get Her 16 More Than I Need Myself 17 I'll Have Everything Too 18 The Way I Feel About You 19 Don't Play With Me 20 Rock'n'Roll Music 21 I Wanna Be There 22 Everybody 23 Pete's Theme 24 Off The Hook

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"MIDNIGHT SHIFT" The Festival Records Story 1958-1960

A Festival of music especially for Australian music lovers. What a godsend Festival records was in the early rock'n'roll years and what an eclectic set this is - Australian, British and US artists rubbing shoulders - and how it all will stir up memories for those who lived through these days. A very enjoyable collection indeed and some very informative liner notes on the origins and trajectory of this company. Recommended.The tracks included on these two discs come from the early glory days when Bill Haley was hot and both Australian and bought-in American rock 'n' roll drove their business. This music recaptures the excitement of a musical era which propelled Festival forward for over 50 years. The Festival story is the story of a record company that remained uniquely Australian and independent when others vanished or were swallowed by multinationals. It is so well loved in its homeland that it was the subject of a major exhibition at Sydney's Powerhouse museum in 2002. Festival has a unique place in the last 50 years of Australian popular music and spawned its share of music-biz stories: for example, its studio is reportedly haunted. There are stories of all-night recording sessions at which doors mysteriously open and close, console lights go on and off and even, on occasion, a ghostly engineer appears at the console. It is also said that, in the early days, singers recorded their vocals in the women's toilet to achieve an echo effect.

INFO

http://www.notnowmusic.com/midnight-shift-the-festival-records-story.html

trax disc 1:

1. Midnight Shift - Buddy Holly 2. That'll Be Alright - Johnny O'Keefe 3. Now And Then There's A Fool Such As I - Bill Haley & His Comets 4. Oh Yeah Uh Huh - Col Joye & The Joy Boys 5. Schoolboy Crush - Bobby Helms 6. The New Raunchy - Shady Wall 7. I Want To Be Wanted - Brenda Lee 8. Mary Ann Thomas - Buddy & The Hearts 9. My Heart Is An Open Book - Carl Dobkins Jr. 10. You Are My Sunshine - Dig Richards & The R'Jays 11. Baby, Baby - Jack Scott 12. Seven Little Girls - Eddie Moses 13. I Met Him On A Sunday - The Shirelles 14. El Paso - Jimmy Little 15. The Big Hurt - Toni Fisher 16. A Lover's Question - John Laws 17. You Excite Me - Johnny O'Keefe 18. Psycho - Harriott & Evans 19. Sea Of Love - Katie Webster 20. Waltzing Matilda - The Four Aces 21. Humpty Dumpty Heart - Kay Cee Jones 22. Old Shep - Red Foley 23. Tremble - Malcolm Dodds 24. Wrong - Lucky Starr 25. Kath-A-Leen - Warren Williams

trax disc 2:

1. Rock The Bop - Brenda Lee 2. Yes Sir, That's My Baby - Col Joye And The Joy Boys 3. To Each His Own - Billy Ward & The Dominoes Featuring Jackie Wilson 4. Kansas City - Dig Richards & The R'Jays 5. Mr Blue - The Fleetwoods 6. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans - Lucky Starr & The Hepparays 7. When - Kalin Twins 8. Over The Mountain - Johnny O'Keefe 9. Love Me - Buddy Holly 10. The Last Rose Of Summer - Jimmy Little 11. Lean Jean - Bill Haley & His Comets 12. Someone New - John Laws 13. The Jockeys Are Striking - The Webb Brothers 14. The Fool And The Angel - Bobby Helms 15. Sweet Nothin's - Carol Davies 16. Maybelle - Pat Shannon 17. Ciao, Ciao Bambina - The Four Aces 18. Don't You Know - Herma Keil & The Keil Isles 19. Strike While The Iron Is Hot - Red Foley 20. My Teenage Love - Warren Williams 21. Big Guitar - Owen Bradley Quintet 22. Sail Along Silv'ry Moon - Karen Chandler 23. Sad Sack - Jerry Lewis 24. Go, Jimmy, Go - Jimmy Clanton 25. Happy, Happy Birthday Baby - Kay Cee Jones

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The Stanley Brothers & The Clinch Mountain Boys - The Complete Mercury Recordings 1953-1958

The Stanley Brothers (with the varying personnel of their three-or four-piece backing group, the Clinch Mountain Boys), were still-young bluegrass veterans when they arrived at Mercury in 1953, guitarist Carter about to turn 28, and banjoist Ralph 26. Recording was not the primary element in their career; they managed only 46 tracks in 12 sessions in four-and-a-half years (the last two selections come from an undated session for Smash, a label acquired by Mercury). But that gave them time to come up with excellent original material; 37 of the songs here were written by one or both of the brothers. The cover songs include standards like "Orange Blossom Special" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky." The subject matter consisted mostly of songs of love gone wrong, with religious statements providing some relief from the romantic grief. The playing, fast or slow, is consistently impressive bluegrass picking on guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and bass, and Carter's lead vocals, with Ralph chiming in on high tenor, are the epitome of bluegrass singing. This is classic work of its type. (The collection includes four tracks previously unreleased in the U.S.) (Allmusic)Some of the greatest bluegrass recordings of all time from brothers Ralph and Carter Stanley including four previously unreleased tracks!
After waxing their seminal Rich-R-Tone and Columbia recordings from 1947 to 1952, Carter and Ralph Stanley actually broke up their band; Carter even joined Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys for a short stretch while Ralph recuperated from a car accident. By 1953, they were back recording for Mercury and for the most part continuing to fuse the raw mountain music they grew up on with Monroe's more progressive propulsive style--although the duo does branch out a bit stylistically across these 48 tracks. Still, when it comes to two-part bluegrass harmonies, the Stanleys were without question the pair to beat: The blend of Carter's rich, warm voice with Ralph's crude, coarse moans stands as one of bluegrass's most distinctive sounds. Whether singing about the home folks (both living and deceased), the Lord, or the lover (both faithful and not), the Stanleys imparted a blunt, emotionally honest, soul-baring intensity. Along with the Rich-R-Tone and Columbia sets, this record is an essential collection of not only the Stanley Brothers' work, but of bluegrass in general. --Marc Greilsamertrax disc 1:

01 (Say) Won't You Be Mine [Single Version] 02 This Weary Heart You Stole Away (Wake Up, Sweetheart) [Single Version] 03 I'm Lonesome Without You [Single Version] 04 Our Last Goodbye [Single Version] 05 Poison Lies [Single Version] 06 Dickson Country Breakdown [Single Version] 07 I Long To See The Old Folks [Single Version] 08 A Voice From On High [Single Version] 09 Memories Of Mother 10 Could You Love Me (One More Time) 11 Nobody's Love Is Like Mine 12 I Just Got Wise 13 Harbor Of Love 14 Blue Moon Of Kentucky 15 Calling From Heaven 16 Close By 17 Hard Times 18 Baby Girl 19 Say You'll Take Me Back 20 I Worship You 21 You're Still On My Mind 22 I Hear My Savior Calling 23 Just A Little Talk With Jesus 24 So Blue

trax disc 2:

01 You'd Better Get Right 02 Tragic Love 03 Lonesome And Blue 04 Orange Blossom Special 05 Clinch Mountain Blues 06 Will He Wait A Little Longer 07 Big Tilda 08 Angel Band 09 Who Will Call You Sweetheart 10 The Cry From The Cross 11 I'm Lost, I'll Never Find The Way 12 Let Me Walk, Lord, By Your Side [Single Version] 13 A Lonesome Night 14 Fling Ding 15 I'll Never Grow Tired Of You 16 Loving You Too Well 17 Daybreak In Dixie 18 If That's The Way You Feel 19 A Life Of Sorrow 20 I'd Rather Be Forgotten 21 The Flood 22 No School Bus In Heaven 23 Maple On The Hill 24 Little Maggie

...served by Gyro1966...

JOHNNY PAYCHECK "The Complete Gospel Sessions" (Little Darlin') '66

Wow... this is a really good record. This CD gathers together all of the gospel material recorded by country roughneck Johnny Paycheck during his tenure at the Little Darlin' record label. When he recorded his first gospel album in the late 1960s, Gospeltime In My Fashion, Paycheck was notorious for his goofy, over-the-top, morbidly-themed novelty songs; after he hit the bigtime with hits like "Take This Job And Shove It," he became known as one of country's biggest party-animal wildmen, and the quality of his work plunged in direct proportion to the amount of intoxicants he indulged in... But when it came to religious material, Paycheck really delivered. The 'Sixties stuff is quite lively and heartfelt, and even his later sessions in 1979 were pretty vigorous and convincing (even though this was arguably at the creative nadir of his commercial career...) This is a very strong and generously programmed collection, gathering material that has been out of print for decades... Well worth checking out! (Slipcue)

trax:

01 I'm On My Way Home 02 I'm Better Off 03 Black Sheep 04 Every Minute I Want Jesus 05 I'm Gonna Tell The World 06 Her Crown She Has Won 07 Almost Persuaded 08 The Old Rugged Cross 09 In The Garden 10 Just A Closer Walk With Thee 11 According To The Bible 12 When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder 13 Old Time Religion 14 Amazing Grace 15 Jesus Loves Me 16 The Old Rugged Cross 17 In The Garden 18 The Day Is Almost Over 19 I'm On My Way Home 20 Black Sheep 21 Her Crown She Has Won 22 Every Minute I Want Jesus By My Side 23 Just A Closer Walk With Thee

...served by Gyro1966...

"CHECK OUT TIME" The Crest Records Story 1955-1962

Crest opened its doors in 1954, and then closed less than a decade later, but while it was around its output was very entertaining. Unlike other independent record companies of the time, Crest was wide ranging in its musical scope. It not only had two real giants on its books in Eddie Cochran and Glen Campbell, but also showcased the likes of Frank & Ernie, The Gee Cees, Bob Denton and The Ebb Tones.Listen to the music of a label that, despite sharing the name of America's leading toothpaste, was good for the ears! Unlike other independent record companies of the time, Crest was wideranging in its musical scope; some said it was trying to rival Liberty Records, a major pop label of the day. This aim may have been overambitious, but while it was around Crest put out entertaining music in several genres. It had two real giants on its books in Eddie Cochran and Glen Campbell, and their fingerprints are all over this compilation.

trax disc 1:

1. Check Out Time - Jay Chevalier 2. Primitive Love - Tom Reeves 3. Ballin' Keen - Bobby & Terry Caraway 4. Rockin' And A-Rollin' - Dick Bills 5. Skinny Jim - Eddie Cochran 6. That's All - The Ebb Tones 7. I.O.U. - Jack Lewis 8. Turn Around And Look At Me - Glen Campbell 9. Just For Tonight - Four Young Men 10. Buzz Saw - The Gee-Cees 11. Talk About A Party - Boogaloo & His Gallant Crew 12. Let's Coast A While - Bo Davis 13. Been Gone A Long Time - Hank Sanders 14. Marilyn - Troy Talton 15. Somebody To Love - Jimmy Bowen 16. Stack-A-Records - Tom Tall & The Tom Cats 17. Yea! Yea! Come Another Day - Tony Casanova 18. You're The Reason - Bobby Edwards 19. Date Bait - Bill Skidmore III 20. Get Back - Prince Patridge 21. Love Bug On The Loose - Freddie & Al 22. Long Black Limousine - Vern Stovall 23. Can You Bop? - Tom Wilson 24. Back To School, Back To You - Bobby Grabeau & The Teenettes 25. Function At The Function - Smoki Whitfield

trax disc 2:

1. Half Loved - Eddie Cochran 2. Pretty Little Devil - Bob Denton 3. What Happened Last Night - Johnny Donn 4. Can't Walk Em Off - Marty Cooper 5. Wild Man Wild! - The Chromatics 6. Don't Be Bashful Little Girl - Four Young Men 7. Spotlight - Frank & Ernie 8. Ummm Kiss Me Goodnight - Buddy Lowe 9. Three Carburettors - Don Carson 10. Lovin' Lorene - Glenn Harrison 11. The Grave - Tony Casanova 12. Rock 'n' Roll Blues - Norm Skylar 13. Cops & Robbers - Boogaloo & His Gallant Crew 14. Bumble Twist - Phil Baugh 15. Miracle Of Love - Glen Campbell 16. Don't Talk Back To Me - Prince Patridge 17. Let Me Dream - The Classics 18. Snaggle Tooth - Freddi & Al 19. Cool Juice - Tommy Law 20. Don't Believe Him - The Schoolbelles 21. Drowning All My Sorrows - Bo Davis 22. High School Love - Tom Tall 23. How Come My Dog Don't Bark - Roscoe Sculley 24. You Been Torturing Me - Four Young Men 25. Three Stars - Tommy Dee

...served by Gyro1966...

JOHNNY PAYCHECK "The Little Darlin' Sounds Of Johnny Paycheck The Beginning" 58-62

Johnny Paycheck's recordings for Aubrey Mayhew's Little Darlin' Records were compiled on CD on the tremendous 1996 Country Music Foundation release The Real Mr. Heartache, but that 24-track disc was only the tip of the iceberg with regard to his recordings for the label. Due to various legal reasons, recordings on Little Darlin' remained out of print for decades -- with the notable exception of The Real Mr. Heartache, that is -- but what was little known is that the LPs released during the '60s didn't cover all the material Paycheck recorded for the label. There were hundreds of sides that were never released, and they were tucked away in the vaults until Koch launched an ambitious reissue program in 2004, planning to release all of his recordings for the label in chronological order, beginning with the release of The Little Darlin' Sounds of Johnny Paycheck: The Beginning in May. To call this an important release is a bit of an understatement. Paycheck is one of the great figures of country music, a strong songwriter and a vocalist who influenced George Jones. He recorded the hardest of honky tonk, never straying from hardcore country even when he crossed over into the pop charts in the '70s, yet his music was varied and vibrant, never bound by the dogged conventions on conservatism.

This was true on his better-known, Billy Sherrill-produced recordings for Epic, but the music he cut with producer Aubrey Mayhew in the '60s is some of the wildest, hardest, purest country music ever made. The Real Mr. Heartache proved as much, but what's revelatory about The Little Darlin' Sounds is that it shows that Paycheck's gift was fully formed at the outset of his career. Comprised of 15 songs cut between 1958 and 1962 (all but two previously unreleased), the compilation is startlingly good. His voice is nuanced, shaded, and textured, particularly on the ballads (of which he cut a lot) but also on faster tunes, and he's equally assured on covers of traditional country staples like "Columbus Stockade Blues" and Spade Cooley's Western swing chestnut "High Heels and No Soul" as he is on originals. There are several Paycheck originals that have never been released before -- "I'm Glad to Have Her Back Again," "Beyond the Last Mile," "When You're Tired of Breaking Their Hearts," "Stone Heart" -- and they're all first-rate, as are previously unheard songs by Leon Payne ("Passion and Pride") and Tompall Glaser ("A Girl Like You"). These are excellent songs that alone would be enough to make this release historically noteworthy, but the other remarkable thing about this compilation is that the music is uniformly excellent, standing proudly alongside the previously released Paycheck material of the '60s, as well as any honky tonk released during that decade. This is a major release, and if its quality is any indication, this entire series will be one of the greatest reissue projects in country music history. It's almost needless to say, but for any hardcore country fan, this disc is essential. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic) 

trax:

01 Don't Start Countin' On Me 02 The Girl They Talk About 03 High Heels And No Soul 04 Don't You Get Lonesome 05 Passion And Pride 06 I Thought I'd Never Fall In Love Again 07 I'm Glad To Have Her Back Again 08 Beyond The Last Mile 09 Gallaway Bay 10 A Girl Like You 11 Shackles And Chains 12 With Your Wedding Ring In My Hand 13 When You're Tired Of Breaking Their Hearts 14 Columbus Stockade Blues 15 Stone Heart

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"The Little Red Box of Protest Songs"

Many of these songs can be found on various Smithsonian-Folkways and other releases, and quite a few turn up on the Bear Family's exhaustive but prohibitively expensive Songs for Political Action box set. It's great to have them available on a reasonably priced and knowledgeably compiled collection. The usual suspects - Woody, Pete, Leadbelly, Josh White - are all present and politically correct (or not, depending on your ideological viewpoint). The 60 tracks are mostly circa the Second World War - more than 60 years old, but all well worth preserving. The best songs here - Leadbelly's The Bourgeois Blues, Josh White's Jim Crow Train, Brownie McGhee's Black, Brown and White - are superb, but even the ones with less artistic value are historically significant. (A track or two by Paul Robeson wouldn't have gone astray, though.) And the excellent DVD is the icing on the cake. An ideal collection for anyone with the slightest interest in 20th century protest music.

The House I Live in - disc 1:

1. Will You Love Me Tomorrow - The Shirelles 2. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself - Tommy Hunt 3. Ugly Duckling - Don Crawford & The Escorts 4. That'll Get It - The Imps 5. Pretty Little Girl - Eddie & The Starlites 6. Shimmy Baby - Joey Dee & The Starliters 7. (The Story Of) The In-Between Years - James MacArthur 8. Invisible - Lenny Miles 9. I Smiled Yesterday - Dionne Warwick 10. No Man Is King - Rufus Beacham 11. Baby It's You - The Shirelles 12. Cupid's Arrow - Del Marino 13. Goddess Of Love - Lee Mareno w/The Regents 14. It's Mine - Tammy Montgomery 15. Wouldn't It Be Goin' Steady - The Singing Roulettes 16. I'm Your Soldier Boy - The Soldier Boys 17. So Lonely - Tommy Hunt 18. It's Love That Really Counts - The Shirelles 19. The Movies - The Titones 20. Summertime - Rufus Beacham

Patriotic Diggers - disc 2:

1. Voting Union - Pete Seeger 2. Talking Sailor - Woody Guthrie 3. The Roosevelt Song - Leadbelly 4. The Boll Weevil - Carl Sandburg 5. The Preacher & The Slave - Seeger, Glazer, White & Gilbert 6. Nine Foot Shovel - Josh White 7. High Price Blues - Brownie McGhee 8. Hold On - The Union Boys 9. Miner's Song - Woody Guthrie 10. Pity The Downtrodden Landlord - Bob Hill 11. Jim Crow Train - Josh White 12. Patriotic Diggers - John Allison 13. Farm Relief Blues - Bob Miller 14. Worried Man Blues - Woody Guthrie 15. Trouble - Josh White 16. UAW-CIO - The Union Boys 17. Mr Hitler - Leadbelly 18. No More Blues - Josh White 19. Plow Under - The Almanac Singers 20. Told My Cap'n - Josh White

We Shall Be Free - disc 3:

1. Strange Fruit - Josh White 2. The Bourgeois Blues - Leadbelly 3. C For Conscription - The Almanac Singers 4. Citizen C.I.O. - Tom Glazer & Josh White 5. Ship In The Sky - Woody Guthrie 6. Jerry - Josh White & His Carolinians 7. The Rich Man & The Poor Man - Bob Miller 8. In Washington - The Priority Ramblers 9. A Dollar Ain't A Dollar Any More - Pete Seeger, Tom Glazer & Lee Hays 10. Atomic Energy - Sir Lancelot 11. Black Brown & White - Brownie McGhee 12. Uncle Sam Says - Josh White 13. Ragged Hungry Blues (Pt.1) - Aunt Molly Jackson 14. Ragged Hungry Blues (Pt.2) - Aunt Molly Jackson 15. We're Keepin' Score In '44 - Earl Robinson 16. Goin' Home Boys - Josh White & His Carolinians 17. I've Got A Right - Lauro Duncan 18. The Hammer Song - The Weavers 19. I'm On My Way - Ernie Lieberman 20. We Shall Be Free - Woody Guthrie

...served by Gyro1966...

JOHNNY PAYCHECK "On His Way" Little Darlin' 1965 - 1966

The title of Koch's second collection of Johnny Paycheck's Little Darlin' recordings explains it all: this captures the period when Johnny was hitting his stride, when he was On His Way. If the first volume chronicled The Beginning, when Paycheck was finding his identity as he dabbled in Western swing and country staples, this collection -- consisting of material recorded in the mid-'60s (exact dates are nowhere to be found in the liner notes, regrettably) -- finds him settling into his classic honky tonk style, alternating between lively two-steps and heartbreaking ballads. While Paycheck and his producer/songwriting partner Aubrey Mayhew penned only two of the 15 songs here -- the very funny "Help Me Hank, I'm Falling," a plea to Hank Cochran to write another song so Johnny can have another hit as big as he had with Cochran's "A-11," and the lean honky tonk raver "The Meanest Jukebox" -- the songs are uniformly excellent and are delivered so convincingly, it's hard to imagine anybody else singing them. Most of the tunes aren't familiar -- they were released only as 45s, collected later on an independent album, and one, "The Wheels Fell off the Wagon," was previously unreleased prior to this collection -- but they more than hold their own with the two hit singles: the aforementioned "A-11" and the deliriously infectious "The Lovin' Machine," Paycheck's first Top Ten hit and biggest single of the '60s. These two sides bookend On His Way, and in between them lays a series of songs that may not have made the charts at the time, but they stand as one of the strongest sets of pure, straight-ahead country recorded in the '60s, and thanks to Koch, they're finally back in print, which is where they belong. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)

trax:

01 I'd Rather Be Your Fool 02 A-11 03 Where In The World 04 Heartbreak, TN 05 Help Me Hank 06 I'm Barley Hangin' On 07 Don't Tell My Wife 08 Handcuffed to Love 09 Pride Covered Ears 10 The Wheels Fell off the Wagon 11 He's In A Hurray 12 The Meanest Jukebox 13 If You Should Come Back 14 The Little Folks 15 The Lovin' Machine

...served by Gyro1966...

Little Anthony & The Imperials "Tears On My Pillow" & All Their Greatest Recordings Singles As & Bs [ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED] (1956-1961)

As they have done with so many of their releases in recent years, Jasmine of the U.K. has provided as thorough an overview of the early years of this seminal Brooklyn R&B/Doo-Wop group as you are ever going to find, starting with the first recordings by the later lead of the group, Anthony Gourdine (born January 8, 1940) who was all of 16 when he performed the same role as a tenor with The Duponts in 1956 (tenor Edward Dockerty, Jr., baritone William Christopher Delk and bass Richard Bracey) on You/Must Be Falling In Love on Winley 212 and, in 1957, Prove It Tonight/Somebody on Royal Roost 627. In 1958 he joined The Chesters in the same role (along with tenor Tracy Lord, second tenor Ernest Wright, Jr., baritone Keith Williams and bass Glouster "Nate" Rogers) and released Lift Up Your Head/The Fires Burn No More on Apollo 521. None of these made any national charts but it did get them gigs around town. The Duponts, meanwhile, also had an unsuccessful 1958 release at Roulette with Screamin' Ball (At Dracula Hall) b/w Half Past Nothing (Roulette 4060) but without Gourdine. Those sides are not here.

Changing their name from The Chesters to The Imperials part way through 1958, and with second tenor Clarence Collins replacing Williams, they broke through at George Goldner's New York City-based End Records with Tears On My Pillow. Initially released on End 1027 billed simply as The Imperials, that was changed part way through distribution to Little Anthony & The Imperials when Alan Freed began referring to to the lead vocalist as Littler Anthony and the rest, as they say, is history. By late August and into September it was on its way to a peak of # 2 R&B and # 4 Billboard Pop Hot 100 b/w Two People In The World and, before their final nationally-charted single in 1975 with Avco Records they would rack up 19 more hits in a career that would lead to induction into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame in 2009.

This 2-CD set, however, concentrates, as already indicated, solely on their End output. Following the success of Tears On My Pillow, Savoy Records, trying to capitalize on that hit, re-released You/Must Be Falling In Love on Savoy 1552 as by Little Anthony Gourdine & The Duponts, but it didn't work as the record went nowhere. Meanwhile, the new gathering had So Much/Oh Yeah come out as End 1036, and in late December the A-side topped out at # 24 R&B/# 87 Hot 100. That was a bit of a disappointment overall, nor did it get any better when their next several releases all struggled mightily: The Diary/Cha Cha Henry on End 1038 failed completely; Wishful Thinking petered out at # 79 Hot 100 in March 1959 b/w When You Wish Upon A Star on End 1039; A Prayer, And A Juke Box could only manage a # 81 Hot 100 in June 1959 b/w River Path on End 1047, and So Near And Yet So Far/I'm Alright also missed completely on End 1053. Even more ominously, they seemed to have lost their R&B audience. Then, as 1959 was winding down, Shimmy, Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop had begun its climb to # 14 R&^B and # 24 Hot 100 in January 1960 on End 1060 b/w I'm Still In Love With You. But that would be their final nationally-charted single for End as the next all failed: My Empty Room/Bayou, Bayou, Baby (End 1067), I'm Taking A Vacation From Love/Only Sympathy (End 1074), Limbo (Part 1)/Limbo (Part 2) on End 1080, and Formula Of Love/Dream (End 1083), all in 1960 and, in 1961 - Please Say You Want Me b/w a re-release of So Near, Yet So Far (End 1086), Traveling Stranger/Say Yeah (End `1091), and A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening b/w a re-release of Dream (End 1004).

After they split in 1960 with The Imperials recording at Carlton, Newtime and Capitol into 1963, and Anthony as a solo artist at Roulette (which had absorbed End Records) a revamped Little Anthony & The Imperials emerged in 1964 at Don Costa's new DCP Records with Anthony back at lead, first tenor Sammy Strain, second tenor Ernest Wright, Jr., and baritone/bass Clarence Collins and into 1966 would add six more hits, followed by three at Veep Records from 19866 to 1968, three at United Artists in 1969/70 and their last two at Avco Records in 1974/75. Some of these may be found in oter compilations covering the group.

Tracks 2 and 10 to 12 inclusive in Disc 2 are from their first LP, End 303 "We Are The Imperials Featuring Little Anthony" in 1959, while tracks 13 to 19 and 22 to 24 inclusive appeared in their 1960 album End 311 "Shades Of The Forties." (The Avid Oldies Collector)

trax disc 1 - The Duponts:

01 Must Be Falling In Love 02 You 03 Somebody 04 Prove It Tonight 05 Lift Up Your Heads 06 The Fires Burn No More

Little Anthony & The Imperials:

07 A Prayer And A Jukebox 08 River Path 09 I'm Alright 10 So Near And Yet So Far 11 I'm Still In Love With You 12 Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop 13 My Empty Room 14 Bayou Bayou Baby 15 Only Sympathy 16 I'm Taking A Vacation From Love 17 Limbo (Pts 1 & 2) 18 Formula Of Love 19 Please Say You Want Me 20 I Cover The Waterfront 21 That Lil O' Lovemaker Me 22 It Just Ain't Fair

trax disc 2 - Little Anthony:

01 Tears On My Pillow 02 Over The Rainbow 03 Cha Cha Henry 04 The Diary 05 Oh Yeah 06 Two People In The World 07 When You Wish Upon A Star 08 Wishful Thinking 09 So Much 10 Traveling Stranger 11 What Did I Do 12 Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing 13 This Love Of Mine 14 Don't Get Around Much Anymore 15 They Say It's Wonderful 16 If You Are But A Dream 17 Undecided 18 All Or Nothing At All 19 I'll Never Smile Again 20 Dream 21 A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening 22 I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night 23 Ooh Look A There Ain't She Pretty 24 I've Got A Crush On You

...served by Gyro1966...

"SOLDIER BOY" The Scepter Records Story 1961-1962

The story of Scepter Records is one of perseverance – the dogged mentality of founder Florence Greenberg dragged the label to prominence in the late Fifties and early Sixties when it looked like it would never get off the ground. Scepter introduced America to some of the most influential R&B artists of the century. Sceptor finally cracked the big time in 1960 with the Shirelles hit 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow' and went on to introduce some of the most famous artists of the era. This two-disc collection includes a host of her most influential moments, including Dionne Warwick, Joey Dee & The Starliters and Del Marino. With the addition of subsidiary Wand Records in 1961, Greenberg would create her own musical dynasty in the heart of New York City.

trax disc 1:

1. Soldier Boy - The Shirelles 2. Don't I Tell You - Tommy Hunt 3. Don't Make Me Over - Dionne Warwick 4. Don't Believe Him Donna - Lenny Miles 5. Why Why Why - Don Crawford & The Escorts 6. Uh Oh - The Imps 7. To Make a Long Story Short - Eddie & The Starlites 8. Hasten Jason - The Sining Roulettes 9. Helplessly - Jackie Hayes 10. Face of an Angel - Joey Dee & The Starliters 11. Boys - The Shirelles 12. Who's Gonna Mention My Name - Lonnie Sattin 13. Faded Roses - Matthew Reid 14. Take It Easy - Rufus Beacham 15. If You See Bill - Tammy Montgomery 16. Human - Tommy Hunt 17. Symbol of Love - The Titones 18. Seymour - Lori Rogers 19. Jimmy's in a Hurry - Valli 20. Dediacted to the One I Love - The Shirelles

trax disc 2:

1. Will You Love Me Tomorrow - The Shirelles 2. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself - Tommy Hunt 3. Ugly Duckling - Don Crawford & The Escorts 4. That'll Get It - The Imps 5. Pretty Little Girl - Eddie & The Starlites 6. Shimmy Baby - Joey Dee & The Starliters 7. (The Story Of) The In-Between Years - James MacArthur 8. Invisible - Lenny Miles 9. I Smiled Yesterday - Dionne Warwick 10. No Man Is King - Rufus Beacham 11. Baby It's You - The Shirelles 12. Cupid's Arrow - Del Marino 13. Goddess Of Love - Lee Mareno w/The Regents 14. It's Mine - Tammy Montgomery 15. Wouldn't It Be Goin' Steady - The Singing Roulettes 16. I'm Your Soldier Boy - The Soldier Boys 17. So Lonely - Tommy Hunt 18. It's Love That Really Counts - The Shirelles 19. The Movies - The Titones 20. Summertime - Rufus Beacham

...served by Gyro1966...

ANN-MARGRET "Very Best Of Ann-Margret"

Ann-Margret had only three Top 100 hits, all of which are included on this too-brief collection. RCA's earlier Ann-Margret anthology, Let Me Entertain You, was lengthier but focused on her sexy ballads, giving no indication of the wide variety of material she recorded in the '60s. The Very Best of Ann-Margret is more inclusive, offering glimpses of her pop/rock side on "Gimmie Love" and "My Last Date (With You)," the latter of which is a vocal version of Floyd Cramer's "Last Date" hit. "You're the Boss" is one of Ann-Margret's two duets with Elvis Presley from the film Viva Las Vegas, and "You Sure Know How to Hurt Someone" is a previously unreleased (in the U.S.) track that, except for the bridge, is astonishingly contemporary sounding. Ann-Margret's music is sadly underappreciated, and this collection, while unlikely to change that fact, at least gives a more balanced view of her days as a pop starlet and resurrects a number of hard to find recordings. (Allmusic)trax:

01 I Just Don't Understand 02 You're The Boss 03 Slowly 04 Someday Soon 05 What Am I Supposed To Do? 06 My Last Date (With You) 07 Gimmie Love 08 He's My Man 09 Lovin' Spree 10 You Sure Know How To Hurt Someone 11 It Do Me So Good 12 Bachelor in Paradise 13 I Wanna Be Loved 14 The Lady Loves Me (Take 9)

...served by Gyro1966...

STONEY EDWARDS "Poor Folks Stick Together" The Best Of Stoney Edwards

Here is an underrated country performer, if there ever was one. Stoney had a voice that was just a natural progression from his biggest influence, Lefty Frizzel. Best of all, Stoney was a true, no BS, redneck who let the chips fall where they may. The honesty and experience in his voice is seldom found in music; especially in today's country music. There are 20 fine numbers here, including his biggest hit, "Two Dollar Toy". Also included are: "Jimmie Rodgers Blues", a song that makes Merle Haggard look like a two-bit street performer; "The Fishin Song", a comedic bit in the vein of Roger Miller; "Dont Be Angry", a fine cover of Stonewall Jackson. There's some true, hardcore, no-punches-pulled honky tonkin' here as well, such as "The Cute Little Waitress", "Head Bootlegger Man", and "Honky Tonk Heaven". However, in my opinion, the finest cut is "I Bought The Shoes (That Just Walked Out on Me)". This is a superb album by a superb artist; I don’t need to tell you that after listening to this (and other true Country Music) you'll never again waste your time with the plastic dribble coming out of Nashville today. A+ (Roots & Rhythm)Stoney Edwards is probably the best hardcore country singer of the '70s that never got the attention he deserved. He never had a big hit -- two songs, "She's My Rock" and "Mississippi You're on My Mind," peaked at 20 and he never got any higher than that -- and after releasing four albums in five years, he was dropped by Capitol Nashville, with his recordings remaining out of print until Razor & Tie released this 20-track retrospective in 1998. Even this reissue didn't get the attention it deserved and was discontinued less than three years after its release, once again consigning Edwards to the status of a cult item among serious country fans, when he deserves much more. Why was it so difficult for Edwards to be heard? Most answers would likely say that it was because he was a black country singer, but Charley Pride was a fixture at the top of the country charts throughout Stoney's time on Capitol (indeed, his success was a significant factor in the label's decision to sign Edwards). Surely his race was likely a factor in his lack of success, but it's also true that he simply was not singing music that was fashionable at the time. Edwards was a pure country singer, in the vein of Lefty Frizzell and Merle Haggard, and his music was firmly in the hardcore honky tonk tradition, which was not exactly burning up the charts in the early '70s. Ironically, he didn't always stick to the tried-and-true honky tonk themes of drinking, cheating, love, and loss; he certainly sang his fair share of those songs, but he often sang about the pains of poverty, growing up country, trying to find work, and thinking about leaving his family behind. It was a sharp mix of expertly chosen covers and wonderful originals that revealed Edwards was as strong and imaginative a writer as he was a singer. Also, his productions and performances subtly stretched the boundaries of his beloved honky tonk, as he injected hints of the blues to his phrasing while the music occasionally flirted with modern and traditional folk. It was a rich blend and it has weathered the test of time, standing as some of the best hardcore country cut in the '70s, regardless of its status on the charts. It's the kind of music any true country lover will treasure, so even if it is difficult to find, it's worth seeking out because it's music that gets better with each listen. Sure, it would be nice to have actual albums on CD released eventually, but Poor Folks Stick Together: The Best of Stoney Edwards is such a perfectly assembled collection -- containing all of his modest hits, terrific album tracks, and even the previously unreleased "Jimmie Rodgers Blues" -- that after listening to it, it's hard to imagine that Edwards isn't better known. Too bad it's so hard to find. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)trax:

01 A Two Dollar Toy 02 Poor Folks Stick Together 03 The Cute Little Waitress 04 Odd-Job Dollar-Bill Man 05 The Fishin' Song 06 I Bought The Shoes That Just Walked Out On Me 07 Good To Have You Home 08 Mama's Old Quilt 09 Don't Be Angry 10 You Can't Call Yourself Country 11 She's My Rock 12 I Won't Make It Through The Day 13 Hank And Lefty Raised MMy Country Soul 14 Honky Tonk Heaven 15 I Spent A Week There Last Night 16 Jimmie Rodgers Blues 17 Jeweldene Turner (The World Needs To Hear You Sing) 18 Mississippi You're On My Mind 19 Head Bootlegger Man 20 Blackbird (Hold Your Head High)

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"TEXAS BLUES 1926-1939" (Catfish Label)

One of the better collections of material recorded prior to the second World War in Texas, the Catfish double-CD Texas Blues challenges the listener to examine many facets of the giant state's sprawling music scene. The presentation of a selection such as this goes a long way to counteract previous divisions that have been made between the country blues of famous players such as Blind Lemon Jefferson and Texas Alexander and the multi-faceted worlds of string bands and jug bands, often the outcome of a kind of racist reordering of musical directions. Cities such as Dallas were full of many types of performers in the '20s and '30s, the influence of both traditional blues and the strains of urban Tin Pan Alley and jazz styles striking far and wide like heat lightning on a summer evening. It is the diversity of the program that inevitably provides its greatest value. Most often choosing a pair of tracks by each artist to provide a generous taste, the producers present the listener with the expected superb blues guitar and barrelhouse piano soloists as well as strikingly unique ensembles such as the Dallas Jamboree Jug Band, led by singer and guitarist Carl Davis, and the equally effective Frenchies' String Band. There is plenty to chew on during tracks by Whistlin' Alex Moore or Billiken Johnson, eccentric performers who utilize vocal effects in order to imitate the sounds of trains and boats. And speaking of chewing, the always entertaining Ramblin' Thomas actually discusses the very subject on his bizarre "Back Gnawing Blues." This set challenges the listener to take on the early Texas scene in all its grandeur, complete with the sort of odd tracks that don't fit into a "neatsy-pinsy" examination of musical history. While driving across Texas can most certainly be boring, this type of journey never is. (Eugene Chadbourne, Allmusic)
INFO
http://www.allmusic.com/album/texas-blues-mw0000001138trax disc 1:

1. Rolled From Side To Side - Little Hat Jones 2. Two String Blues - Little Hat Jones 3. Double Crossing Blues - Texas Alexander 4. Johnny Behren´s Blues - Texas Alexander 5. Rambler Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson 6. Dry Southern Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson 7. Jim Nappy - Hattie Burleson 8. Don´t Sell It - Don´t Give It Away - Oscar Woods 9. Trifling Woman - Black Ace 10. Texas Worried Blues - Henry Thomas 11. Old Country Stomp - Henry Thomas 12. Back Gnawing Blues - Rambling Thomas 13. Down In Texas Blues - Jesse Thomas 14. Dallas Rag - Dallas String Band 15. Sugar Blues - Dallas String Band 16. Texas And Pacific Blues - Frenchies String Band 17. Seven Sisters Blues - Part 1 - J.T. "Funny Paper" Smith 18. Seven Sisters Blues - Part 2 - J.T. "Funny Paper" Smith 19. Monkeying Around - Jake Jones & The Gold Front Boys 20. Texas Blues - Willie Reed 21. Dreaming Blues - Willie Reed 22. Jack Of All Trades - Bernice Edwards 23. T.P. Window Blues - Jack Ranger

trax disc 2:

1. Santa Fe Blues - Smith Casey 2. West Texas Blues - Smith Casey 3. West Texas Woman - Whistling Alex Moore 4. Heart Wrecked Blues - Whistling Alex Moore 5. Sundown Blues - Blind Norris 6. The Katy Blues - Blind Norris 7. Sunbeam Blues - Billiken Johnson 8. Interurban Blues - Billiken Johnson 9. Elm Street Woman Blues - Dallas Jamboree Jug Band 10. Flying Crow Blues - Dallas Jamboree Jug Band 11. Good Morning Blues - Texas Bill Day 12. Going Back To My Baby - Texas Bill Day 13. Wandering Blues - Gene Campbell 14. Robbing And Stealing Blues - Gene Campbell 15. Texas Dream Blues - Teddy Moss 16. Ocean Wave Blues - Teddy Moss 17. Matchbox Blues - Black Ivory King 18. The Flying Crow - Black Ivory King 19. Nok-Em-All - Eddie & Oscar 20. Bad Luck Town Blues - Black Boy Shine 21. Gambling Jinx Blues - Black Boy Shine 22. West Dallas Drag No. 1 - Robert Cooper 23. Black Gal, What Makes Your Head So Hard? - Joe Pullum

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"Tennessee Rock 'n' Billy 1955"

The territory covered here is mostly familiar, despite (or because of?) the narrow theme chosen for this album. Sun cuts (usual suspects and a few surprises, including Rock 'n' Roll Baby and You're My Baby, demos from Johnny Cash, later recorded for real by Warren Smith and others. Johnny Burnette's Von recordings are here (both of them) . Other labels represented include the Hollywood-based Ekko, Columbia, Mercury, Atomic, Meteor, Hickory, and others. A pleasing and generous collection where every song is at least good and many are wonderful. (Roots and Rhythm)Hillbilly & Rockabilly from Tennessee. 33 tracks, 8 page booklet with interesting liner notes from Dave Penny. "It started with the Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy..." according to The Sons Of The Pioneers, and there is no doubt that the exciting Hillbilly Boogie style of the late 1940s and early 1950's had a huge influence on the rockabilly artists who would later record for iconic Memphis labels like Sun and Meteor. With the overnight success of Elvis in 1954, all over Tennessee (and just over the border in Mississippi) small labels sprang up to accommodate the steady stream of talented young hillbilly boppers that walked through the door with an eye on a chance at the big time. (Rockabilly Monthly)

trax:

1. The Tennessee Rock And Roll - The Sons Of The Pioneers 2. Act Like You Love Me - Hayden Thompson 3. I Forgot To Remember To Forget - Elvis Presley 4. Yakety Yack - Mac & Jake 5. Baby, I'm Ready - The Tunesmiths 6. Talking Off The Wall - Eddie Bond 7. Go Mule Go - Johnny Burnette 8. You Gotta Play Fair - Curley Griffin 9. Gone, Gone, Gone - Carl Perkins 10. Watch That Girl - Lloyd McCollough & The Drifting Hillbilles 11. Sleepy Time Blues - Jess Hooper 12. Hula Bop - Smokey Joe Baugh 13. Oh Stop! - The Tunesmiths 14. A Gal Named Joe - Mac Sales 15. Can't Steal My Way Around - Barney Burcham 16. Get Me On Your Mind - Ernie Chaffin 17. Ring Out Those Bells - Red Hadley 18. Hey Jim - Jack Earls 19. Oh Darling - Lloyd McCollough & The Drifting Hillbilles 20. You're Undecided - Johnny Burnette 21. Nine Have Tried (And Nine Have Died) - The CARLISLES 22. So Lovely Baby - Rusty & Doug Kershaw 23. Double Duty Lovin' - Eddie Bond 24. All Messed Up - Jess Hooper 25. Brother, That's All! - Red Hadley 26. Listen To Me - Smokey Joe Baugh 27. I Feel The Blues Comin' On - Hayden Thompson 28. They Can't Keep Me From You - Jack Earls 29. You Can't Make Love To Somebody - Carl Perkins 30. I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone - Elvis Presley 31. I Can't Lose The Blues - Ernie Chaffin 32. Rock 'n' Roll Ruby - Johnny Cash 33. You're My Baby - Johnny Cash

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MOSE ALLISON "Allison Wonderland" Anthology (Rhino 1994)

Mose Allison is a fine bop pianist able to play challenging instrumentals and eclectic enough to integrate country blues and gospel elements into his style. Allison's unique mix of down-home and uptown styles has made him a standout since the '50s. He's one of the few jazz musicians on Atlantic's roster ideally suited for Rhino's two-disc anthology format. Allison recorded many different kinds of songs and was always as much, if not more, a singles than an album artist. In addition, Rhino thankfully sequenced the selected songs -- which span over 40 years, from 1957 to 1989, and include all of his best-known songs -- chronologically. Allison does reflective duo and trio pieces, moves into up-tempo combo numbers with a jump beat, then returns to the intimate small-group sound. His ability to highlight key lyrics, delivery, timing, and pacing is superb. The set includes such classics as "Back Country Blues," "Parchman Farm," "Western Man," and "Ever Since the World Ended," plus definitive covers of Willie Dixon's "The Seventh Son" and Sonny Boy Williamson II's "Eyesight to the Blind." It's an essential introduction to Allison's catalog. (Ron Wynn, Alllmusic)Mose Allison is the ultimate hipster: his laconic yet never lazy delivery as smooth as a sunny summer afternoon breeze, his songs wry and sardonic set pieces filled with just the right amount of irony and wit, the music surrounding them uncluttered and casual. This double CD set of his "best" material gives casual buyers a superb overview of the man's fifty years in the biz. It starts with early cuts for Riverside in the fifties and winds on down through his Atlantic years (thanks to keenly biting songs like "Your Mind Is On Vacation" and "Your Molecular Structure") and ends up in the late eighties and mid nineties for Blue Note. Especially cool is hearing a grand cut like "Ever Since The World Ended", a post-Apocalypse blues that's genuinely funny and heart-warming at the same time (it's taken from the album of the same name on Blue Note, a totally recommended yet sadly deleted disc should the reader come across it). Here's the amazing thing: whether you listen to a classic like "Parchman's Farm" or his most recent material, Mose Allison sounds like he hasn't aged. Or maybe it's just that then and now, he was/is always just that much more ahead of us. We are not worthy! But we'll gladly enjoy this great anthology! (Jazz Times)

Tippo, Mississippi's Mose Allison is a natural treasure, a "jazz sage" (as one of his best '60s albums on Atlantic aptly crowned him) whose laconic drawl, worldly perceptions, and drolly hip piano jazz have spawned their own imitators. Had he never opened his mouth, Allison's piquant mix of tart blues and pre-rock pop impressionism could have fueled a solid career as a pianist working through post-bop and cool jazz stratagems. But his deep feeling for classic blues and R&B, a poker-faced vocal mien gifted with razor-sharp timing, and an often mordant world-view translated to a long string of classic jazz vocal performances that mix humor, rue, and introspection to unique effect. This terrific 2 CD anthology culls definitive studio performances and smart live performances that canvass his "cotton sack" vignettes (including his own sophisticated variants on Delta blues and shrewd investigations of Percy Mayfield and Willie Dixon), shaggy dog stories, and secular sermons. --Sam Sutherland

trax disc 1:

01 Back Country Suite - Blues (A.K.A. 'Young Man's Blues') 02 Lost Mind 03 Parchman Farm 04 If You Live 05 The Seventh Son 06 Eyesight To The Blind 07 Baby Please Don't Go 08 Fools Paradise 09 V-8 Ford Blues 10 Ask Me Nice 11 Hey, Good Lookin' 12 Back On The Corner 13 Your Mind Is On Vacation 14 Meet Me At No Special Place 15 I Don't Worry About A Thing 16 I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues 17 Swingin' Machine 18 Stop This World 19 I'm Not Talking 20 I'm The Wild Man 21 Your Red Wagon 22 Foolkiller 23 Wild Man On The Loose 24 You Can Count On Me To Do My Part 25 Smashed (Live) 26 I Love The Life I Live (Live) 27 Thats Alright (Live) 28 Fools Paradise (Live)

trax disc 2:

01 If You're Goin' To The City 02 Everybody Cryin' Mercy 03 Feel So Good 04 Molecular Structure 05 Monsters Of The Id 06 Hello There, Universe 07 I Don't Want Much 08 How Much Truth 09 Western Man 10 I'm Just A Lucky So-and-So 11 The Tennesee Waltz 12 Ever Since The World Ended 13 Top Forty 14 Josephine 15 Gettin' There 16 Ever Since I Stole The Blues 17 You Call It Joggin' 18 Big Brother 19 The Gettin' Paid Waltz

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"CELESTIAL DOO-WOPS"

32 out-of-this-world doo-wops.trax:

1. Count Every Star - The Ravens 2. Mr. Moonglow - The Invincibles 3. Spellbound By The Moon - The Enchanters 4. Oh Little Star - The Deans 5. Late Rising Moon - The Blenders 6. Jumpin' Over The Moon - Leroy Fullylove 7. Little Star - The Fraternity Men 8. Moonlight Sky - Ronald Mark 9. The Stars - The Ocapellos 10. Moonlight Shadows - Jimmy Fortune 11. Heartbreaking Moon - The Victorians 12. In The Moonlight - The Four Troys 13. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying - The Gales 14. The Stars Will Remember - The Holidays 15. Silvery Moon - The Emotions 16. Moon Of Silver - The Mellows 17. Mr. Moonglow - The El Reyes 18. Silver Star - The Velvet Sound 19. Count Every Star - The Rockers 20. Northern Star - The Elites 21. Sun Will Shine Again - The Adelphis 22. When You Wish Upon A Star - The Sting Reys 23. Moonrise - The Terrans 24. Carolina Moon - The Melody Makers 25. The Stars Will Remember - Frank Pizani 26. Wishing Star - Tony Allen 27. My Falling Star - Dave & The Cardigans 28. Silvery Moon - The Uniques 29. Little Star - The Freckles 30. Starlight - Johnny Angel 31. Falling Star - The Valquins 32. Rocket To The Moon - Lenny Welch

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ARTHUR LEE MAYE & THE CROWNS - The Best Of 1954-1958

Who's the only person who had simultaneous careers as a recording artist and a pro baseball player? The answer: Arthur Lee Maye, who played major league baseball as Lee Maye (and Lee May) and performed and recorded with Arthur Lee Maye & the Crowns.The story of Arthur Lee Maye is one that's a bit different from those of other R&B singers. Lee also had a second, concurrent career as a professional baseball player. Since baseball was Lee's major concern (singing would always be possible, but a professional baseball career only lasts for a short time), most of the sessions that he was on were recorded in the off-season (October through February). This is why there are gaps in recording session dates, followed by clumps of activity.

Maye sang in a tenor and falsetto. Music journalist and critic Phil Milstein called his singing "deft" and "authoritative.".[1] Maye recorded on over a dozen labels to include Modern, Tower, Specialty, ABC-Paramount, and Buddha, and opened a Hollywood Bowl show featuring Jerry Butler, Billy Stewart, and Barbara Mason.[1] Maye told Milstein, “I am the best singing athlete that ever lived. I am not bragging. It's just a fact

INFO

http://www.uncamarvy.com/ArthurLeeMaye/arthurleemaye.html

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/arthur-lee-maye-mn0000510134/biography

trax:

01 Gloria 02 Ooh Ruba Lee 03 This Is The Night For Love 04 Honey Honey (Version 1) 05 All I Want Is Someone To Love 06 Pounding 07 Set My Heart Free 08 I Wanna Love 09 Truly 10 Oochie Pachie 11 Cool Lovin 12 Cause You're Mine Only 13 Hey Pretty Girl 14 Don't You Know 15 Ooh Ruba Lee (Outtake) 16 A Fool's Prayer 17 Only One 18 That's What I'm Gonna Do 19 Whispering Wind 20 Will You Be Mine 21 Honey Honey (Version 2) 22 Love Me Always 23 Loop De Loop De Loop 24 Please Don't Leave Me 25 Rock Bottom 26 Gloria (With Piano) 27 Do The Bop 28 Sweet Thing 29 Ooh Ruba Lee Mambo 30 Please Say You Love Me

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