"Riot City" - Rocking Northwest Instrumentals

There's no Top 40 names here among a load of instrumentalists from Wailers country though Don & the Goodtimes made the Hot 100.Whats's here is as good as the stuff that made it. Dave Lewis for instance does the original version of David's Mood which is better known by the Kingsmen's cover. Involved here is one Jerry Dennon, a Seattle based entreprenuer who operated the label named after him as Jerden. The label first recorded the Kingsmen.
The Jesters listed here with Aki Point are not the same ones who were on Sun and neither is Gentleman Jim anything to do with Jim Reeves!
Defintely good stuff here-even though its mainly regional breakouts and one offs.
A few would make it in the 70s in other bands eg the Chessmen was the earliest stop for Terry & Susan Jacks who had hits as the Poppy Family and solo ones by Terry Jacks.
The British Invasion made little difference as the music of the North West carried on as normal but Jerry Dennon DID try and create his own version via Sir Raleigh & the Cupons whose Something or other-a variant on Hot Pastrami- has a voice over which could very well be Ian Whitcomb the only non American on the label who charted in his own right with You turn me on. His accent becomes more Welsh than his native Irish one-probably a good Tom Jones impersonator!
The Raymarks put in a Louie Louie-inspired version of Cannonball Adderley's Work Song which is not entirely obvious. And from the same source comes the Imperials' rewrite of Sack O'Woe here called Backyard Compost!
Also not as obviously recognisable as Russ Comway's version is the the famous Chopsticks here done by Johnny & the Velvetones as Wop Sticks though what Chinese influences it's supposed to have were lost at the beginning!
Drivin' Home by one Doug Robertson & the Good Guys borrows its title from Duane Eddy and the rest from Booker T & the M Gs-whose Chinese Checkers is covered by the Imperials and introduced by an atrocious cod Chinese voice!
Really to the unitiated this all sounds the same-organ and guitar led instrumentals where Wipeout is never far way yet Banzai Pipeline was composed by Henry Mancini!. The famous loungemeister actually kicked off his careeer writing rock'n'roll for a movie called Rock Pretty Baby long before he composed Moon River and was an especial favorite of the Beatles who invited him on to the Music of Lennon & McCartney TV show - By Richard "Alice Collector" (Blackpool England)trax:

1. riot city - Rocky & His Friends 2. sticky - James Henry & The Olympics 3. david's mood pt. 2 - Dave Lewis 4. turn on - Don & The Goodtimers 5. backfire - The Raymarks 6. aces high - The Classics 7. clyde, clyde, the cow's outside - The Counts 8. alki point - The Jesters 9. hitchhiking home - Johnny & The Velvetones 10. quiet riot - Doug Robertson & The Good Guys 11. backyard compost - The Imperials 12. mr. meadowlands - The Chessmen 13. sampan - The Bellingham Accents 14. somethin' or other - Sir Raleigh & The Cupons 15. wop sticks - Johnny & The Velvetones 16. i've got a woman - The Juveniles 17. work song - The Raymarks 18. fidget - Leroy & The Galahads 19. purple peanuts - The Beachcombers 20. excelsior - The Adventures 21. straight scepter - Don & The Goodtimers 22. chitlins - The Counts 23. banzai ipeline - Danny & The Seniors 24. torquila - Vince & The Victors 25. the weeley - The Beachcombers 26. drivin' home - Doug Robertson & The Good Guys 27. soul searchin - Gentleman Jim & The Horsemen 28. feel allright - The Counts 29. chinese checkers - The Imperials 30. black cat - The Checkers 31. whitcomb street - Sir Raleigh & The Cupons