"RYTHM …AND BLUES!" 50's Blues and R&B from Rhythm Records of San Francisco (The Don Barksdale Masters Vol.2)

Former college and NBA Basketball star Don Barksdale was but one of many who owned San Francisco's Rhythm Records during the 15 or so years that it was open for business. In the second half of the 1950's he recorded and issued a pile of music on both notable and obscure Bay Area - based African - American talents. This CD contains the best of his rare Blues and R&B sides, including storming sessions from the west coast greats Little Willie Littlefield and Roy Hawkins, and the earliest recordings of Sugar Pie De Santo. Get Rhythm …and Blues! - liner notesThe companion volume to Westside's delving into the vaults of Rhythm Records shines the spotlight on the bluesier side of the label's output. Kicking off with 10 tracks by Little Willie Littlefield, the set also features vintage tracks from Roy Hawkins (the writer and original artist of B.B. King's "The Thrill Is Gone"), Sugar Pie DeSanto, Charles Walker, Roland Mitchell and the cryptically namked Paliya and Alvin. None of this falls under the category of hard blues, but it's all solidly played stuff with a distinct West Coast edge to it. One of the early West Coast R&B labels that deserves a wider hearing. (Cub Koda, AMG)trax:
1. Mistreated - Little Willie Littlefield 2. Baby Shame - Little Willie Littlefield 3. Ruby, Ruby - Little Willie Littlefield 4. Easy Go - Little Willie Littlefield 5. I Need A Pay Day - Little Willie Littlefield 6. I Want A Little Girl - Little Willie Littlefield 7. Theresa - Little Willie Littlefield 8. The Day The Rains Came - Little Willie Littlefield 9. I Wanna Love You - Little Willie Littlefield 10. Goodbye Baby - Little Willie Littlefield 11. I Hate To Be Alone - Roy Hawkins 12. Lonesome Without You - Roy Hawkins 13. It's Love - Roy Hawkins 14. Baby Please Don't - Roy Hawkins 15. A Few Little Words - Pee Wee's All-Stars 16. Say When - Pee Wee 17. Let's Get Together - Sugar Pie & Pee Wee 18. If You Take Away Our Love - Sugar Pie & Pee Wee 19. Beautiful Love - Sugar Pie & Pee Wee 20. Stop Crying - Sugar Pie & Pee Wee 21. If I Had A Wishing Well - Paliya De Santos 22. Darling Be Mine - Paliya & Alvin 23. Just Me And You - Charles Walker & The Beatnicks 24. My Eyes On The World - Charles Walker & The Beatnicks 25. Irma Special - Roland Mitchell & Band
...served by Gyro1966...

"RYTHM …AND ROCK!" 50's Doo Wop and Rock 'n' Roll From Rhythm Records of San Francisco (The Don Barksdale Masters Vol.1)

Former college and NBA Basketball star Don Barksdale was but one of many who owned San Francisco's Rhythm Records during the 15 or so years that it was open for business. In the second half of the 1950's he recorded and issued a pile of music on both notable and obscure Bay Area - based African - American talents. This CD contains the best of his rare Doo-Wop and R'n'R sides, including many of the most coveted and impossible - to - afford examples of their genres. Get Rhythm …and Rock! - liner notesDon Barksdale ran Rhythm Records out of San Francisco and during the 1950s issued a spate of great R&B singles on the localized talent. This first volume spotlights 27 performances from that same time frame with the focus on the label's doo-wop and rock'n'roll sides. Kicking off with 15 year old Alice Jean Wilton and the Mondellos' "100 Years From Today," the set moves effortlessly with classic West Coast harmony offerings from the Lyrics, the Tempos, the Marcels (not the "Blue Moon"group), the Spinners (not the Detroit group), Rudy Lambert, and Ollie "Yul" McClay. There's an almost claustophobic quality to all of these recordings (this and the companion volume were mastered from the only existing masters and acetates), but the music stays charming every note of the way. A must listen for doo-wop fans. (Cub Koda, AMG)trax:
1. 100 Years From Today - Alice Jean & The Mondellos 2. Come Back Home - Alice Jean & The Mondellos 3. Happiness Street - Ollie "Yul" McClay & The Mondellos 4. Over The Rainbow - Ollie "Yul" McClay & The Mondellos 5. Daylight Saving Time - Alice Jean & The Mondellos 6. That's What I Call Love - Alice Jean & The Mondellos 7. Happiness Street - Alice Jean & The Mondellos 8. Hard To Please - Alice Jean & The Mondellos 9. My Heart - Rudy Lambert & The Mondellos 10. That's What I Call Love - Rudy Lambert & The Mondellos 11. You'll Never Know - The Mondellos 12. Promise Me - The Tempos 13. Never Let Me Go - The Tempos 14. To Love Again - The Tempos 15. Patricia - The Tempos 16. Take Me Back - Bob Jefferies & The Marcels 17. Betty Lou - The Marcels 18. Every Night - The Lyrics 19. Come Back Baby - The Lyrics 20. Marvella - The Spinners 21. My Love And Your Love - The Spinners 22. Never Let Me Go - Bob Jefferies 23. A Sunday Kind Of Love - Rudy Lambert 24. That Old Feeling - Rudy Lambert 25. 100 Years From Today (Alt) - Alice Jean & The Mondellos 26. Come Back Home (Alt) - Alice Jean & The Mondellos 27. Every Night (Alt) - The Lyrics
...served by Gyro1966...

"Uptown, Down South" - Excello Soul

The title implies that these are recordings cut south of the Mason-Dixon Line, but with an uptown sound; the concept is flawed. Just as you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, if you use southern musicians and producers, the product is going to sound likewise. If Diana Ross used these same hookups, she would sound like Ann Sexton or Betty Wright. However, the compilation deserves kudos despite its gray area because its selections are so scarce. To have them accessible on one CD is a musical godsend. Highlights among the 24-tracks include Roger Hatcher's glorious "Sweetest Girl in the World"; Marva Whitney's tumultuous "Don't Let Our Love Fade Away"; Skip Mahoney & the Casuals' "Running Away From Love"; Bits 'N' Pieces' "Keep On Running Away"; the Wallace Brothers' "Thanks a Lot"; and ZZ Hill's "Our Love Is Getting Better." Other saucy entrées include tracks by the Kelly Brothers, the Avons (a little-known female group), and Lucille Mathis. by Andrew Hamilton,AMG

trax:
1. I've Got To Hold Back - Freddie North 2. Sweetest Girl In The World - Roger Hatcher 3. Judy - Frank Howard 4. That's Loving You - Percy Wiggins 5. I'm Not Your Regular Woman - Lucille Mathis 6. Since I Met You Baby - The Avons 7. Don't Let Our Love Fade Away - Marva Whitney 8. Even If The Signs Are Wrong - Shirley Brown 9. Childhood Days - Bobby Powell 10. Just Another Guy - Freddie North 11. Bigger And Better - The Hytones 12. Cryin' Days Are Over - The Kelly Brothers 13. Save A Foolish Man - Lee Brackett 14. That's My Man - Marion James 15. No More Tears - Bessie Jones 16. Set Your Soul On Fire - Jerry Washington 17. Our Love Is Getting Better - Z.Z. Hill 18. Crystal Blue Persuasion - The Kelly Brothers 19. What Price For Love - Bennie Shaw 20. Thanks A Lot - The Wallace Brothers 21. I Would If I Could - The Avons 22. Keep On Running Away - The Bits 'n Pieces 23. Runnin Away From Love - Skip Mahoney & The Casuals 24. Just The Other Day - Little Johnny Truitt
...served by Gyro1966...

Reef Rider "Beyond the Reef" 2003

This first release from Reef Rider (Belgium) is amazing. Very well written and arranged, and played very well. An amazing selection of fresh surf and spaghetti western and fun. A marvelous CD well worth finding. - Phil Dirt at Reverb Central

Reef Rider:
Fabien FRANSSENS: guitars / Bert JACOBS: guitars / Dennis COOLMAN: bass / Tom Van HOEY: drums

trax:
1. Beyond the Reef 2. Los Cobardes 3. El Dorado 4. Body Surfin 5. El Mazunte 6. Blueberry Busstop 7. The Trembler 8. El Camino 9. Cumshot 10. Kinky Cowgirl 11. Two Sharks 12. Dance with the Devil

WALTER BROWN w/Jay McShann's Orchestra "Forget Your Troubles & Jump Your Blues Away!" '41-'45

Blues singer Walter Brown fronted the roaring Jay McShann Orchestra (which included young alto saxist Charlie Parker) in 1941, when the roaring Kansas City aggregation cut their classic "Confessin' The Blues" and "Hootie Blues" for Decca. The Dallas native remained with McShann from 1941 to '45 before going solo (with less successful results). (Bill Dahl, AMG)

trax:
01 Hootie Blues 02 Confessin_The Blues 03 One Woman_s Blues 04 Fore Day Rider 05 New Confessin' The Blues 06 Red River Blues 07 Baby Heart Blues 08 Cryin_Won_t Make Me Stay 09 Hootie_s Ignorant Oil 10 Lonely Boy Blues 11 The Jumpin' Blues 12 Hometown Blues 13 Lonely Boy Blues 14 WB Blues 15 Sloppy Drunk 16 Lovin' A Beggar 17 Just Thinkin' 18 You Better Leave My Gal Alone 19 I'm Gonna Get Married 20 New Style Baby 21 Nasty Attitude 22 Let's Love Awhile 23 Slow Down Baby
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"MOTOWN'S BLUE EVOLUTION"

This is a very good comp. The focus here is on soul and blues from the Motown label but this is not the stuff you expect from Motown and the 60's soul hits. What we have here are tracks from Mable John, Sammy Ward, Amos Milburn, Earl King, Arthur Adams and Luther Allison. Much of it is more soul than blues but only a few cuts have any strings and nearly every track is enjoyable and some are really good. This was a surprise for me because I didn't realize that Motown had released stuff by all of these artists. Definitely worth adding to your collection - this is quality music, some of it unreleased until this CD came out. Good notes by Bill Dahl. Buy it!! (Amazon)From the beginning, Motown was almost exclusively devoted to soul. But they did have a few blues-oriented artists on their roster, especially in the early 1960s. Truthfully, though, this 20-track compilation isn't exactly a blues anthology. It's more like a collection of soul cuts with a bluesy feeling, by performers who had substantial or deep roots in pure blues. Mable John (Little Willie's sister) and Sammy Ward, for instance, sing R&B/soul with some bluesy shadings; jump blues veteran Amos Milburn sings modified earthy R&B, married to Motown's embryonic production machine; Earl King has a slight New Orleans flavor to his previously unreleased performances. The unknown Arthur Adams sings blues/soul crossover; Luther Allison comes by far the closest to real blues, and is the only one of the artists whose selections date from the 1970s. You can quibble about the accuracy of the compilation's theme, but it's not a bad excuse to get some interesting Motown performances out of the vaults and onto CD. Only one of these was even a modest hit (Sammy Ward's 1960 single "Who's the Fool"), and seven tracks were previously unreleased (King and Adams never even got to officially release anything on Motown), so even seasoned Motown collectors will find much of interest here. (by Richie Unterberger, AMG)trax:
1. Who's The Fool - Sammy Ward 2. Take Me - Mable John 3. Part Time Love - Sammy Ward 4. Actions Speak Louder Than Words - Mable John 5. What Makes You Love Him - Sammy Ward 6. I Guess There's No Love - Mable John 7. Bread Winner - Sammy Ward 8. Someday Pretty Baby - Sammy Ward 9. I'ts A Long, Long Time - Amos Milburn 10. I'm In My Wine (Previously Unreleased) - Amos Milburn 11. Hold Me Baby - Amos Milburn 12. Three Knocks On My Door (Previously Unreleased) - Earl King 13. A Man And A Book (Previously Unreleased) - Earl King 14. Hunger Pains (Previously Unreleased) - Earl King 15. Then You Changed (Previously Unreleased) - Sammy Ward 16. Cold Cold Heart (Previously Unreleased) - Arthur Adams 17. Let Me Love You Tonight (Previously Unreleased) - Arthur Adams 18. Dust My Broom - Luther Allison 19. Into My Life - Luther Allison 20. I Can Make It Thru The Day (But Oh Those Lonely Nights) - Luther Allison
...served by Gyro1966...

"HONKIN' THE BOOGIE"

Here are 20 tracks of pure honking, shouting, bar walking, burning Kansas City blues and R&B from the great bandleaders of the late 1940s and early '50s. Big Jay McNeely, Joe Morris, Jay McShann, Buddy Banks, Eddie Chamblee and Cee Pee Johnson are here, just to name a few. The sound on this bad boy is more than adequate and the music is pure intense hedonism form a golden era in jazz that is not represented as well as it should be on compact disc. Acrobat does a fine job with sequencing, representation and track by track info. This is one not to miss. (Thom Jurek, AMG)

trax:
1. We're Gonna Rock - Wild Bill Moore 2. Chuck-A-Boogie - Joe Morrris & His Orchestra 3. Kicks (Scotty Can Blow) - Jay McShann 4. Roadhouse Boogie - Big Jay McNeeley 5. Cornbread - Hal Singer 6. Last Call - Eddie Chamblee 7. Chitlin' Ball - King Porter & His Orchestra 8. Banks Boogie - Buddy Banks 9. 35-30 - Paul Williams 10. Screamin' Boogie - Dick Davis Orchstra 11. Back Street - Eddie Chamblee 12. Late Freight - Sonny Thompson 13. Shipyard Woman - Jim Wynn's Bobalibans 14. After Hours - Erskine Hawkins 15. Bubbles - Wild Bill Moore 16. Should Have Rationed Myself - King Porter & His Orchestra 17. Name It & Claim It - Buddy Banks 18. The 'G' Man Got The 'T' Man - Cee Pee Johnson & Band 19. K & H Boogie - Big Jay McNeeley 20. Weasel Walk - Joe Morris
...served by Gyro1966...

Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper "Very Best Of Wilma Lee, Stoney Cooper & The Clinch Mountain Clan '56-'63"

As a 19-track CD that covers the duo's most commercially successful period, this should be considered the best compilation of Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper's work as a duo. Devoted to their Hickory material from 1956-1963, it features seven Top 20 hits: "Come Walk With Me," "Cheated Too," "Big Midnight Special," "The Wreck on the Highway," "There's a Big Wheel," "Johnny, My Love (Grandma's Diary)," and "This Ole House." That's less than half of the anthology; more importantly, it captures them in their artistic prime too, at a good midpoint between their Appalachian old-time country music and the more modern commercial Nashville sound (including some drums and electric instruments). Wilma Lee Cooper's vocals still jump out with an exuberance that marks her as one of the most emotional, expressive, and downright extroverted country singers of the time. The material selected for this comp is a good and diverse mix, including the near-gospel boogie of the Louvin Brothers' "There's a Higher Power," Woody Guthrie's "Philadelphia Lawyer," "The Tramp on the Street" (Wilma Lee Cooper's singing reaches sublime heights of yearning on that cut), some originals from the pen of Wilma Lee Cooper, and a reworking of the folk standard "Midnight Special" into "Big Midnight Special." "Johnny, My Love (Grandma's Diary)," one of their best hits, was written by Boudleaux Bryant and Felice Bryant, the same team responsible for many early Everly Brothers classics. There's some real hot country and rockabilly picking, too, on songs like "Cheated Too," the rollicking "I Tell My Heart," and "There's a Higher Power." by Richie Unterberger, AMG - This CD is now out of print and hard to find.

trax:
01 I Want To Be Loved (But Only By You) 02 The Tramp On The Street 03 My Heart Keeps Crying 04 Home Sweet Home [Instrumental] 05 This Thing Called Man 06 Cheated Too 07 Walking My Lord Up Calvary Hill 08 I Tell My Heart 09 He Taught Them How 10 Come Walk With Me 11 Big Midnight Special 12 The Wreck On The Highway 13 There's A Big Wheel 14 Six More Miles 15 Johnny, My Love (Grandma's Diary) 16 This Ole House 17 Philadelphia Lawyer 18 Singing Waterfall 19 There's A Higher Power
...served by Gyro1966...

"ROUGH TREATMENT" The J.O.B. Records Story

Real Raw & Tough 50's Blues! (This is way out of print)The JOB label was founded in July 1949 by Joe Brown (1904 - 1976) and James Burke Oden (aka St. Louis Jimmy, 1903 - 1977). Reportedly the name of the label transposed the bluesman's initials. JOB followed a venture called Opera, which flared briefly in 1947 and 1948. Previously Joe Brown had been a boxer, and had been involved in other business ventures of which we still know little.
JOB would hold on until 1974, but its main period of sustained activity ran from late 1950 through the middle of 1954. The company's one chart hit, "Five Long Years" by Eddie Boyd, was released in July 1952. Always a "mom and pop" scale business with erratic publicity and distribution, after 1954 JOB became more of a hobby for its owner than a serious business venture. Brown tried to establish a subsidiary label called Fury in 1955; he invested in the Abco label in 1956 and started the Ruler label in 1958; in partnership with Bud Brandom, he took over the Oriole label in 1958-1959; meanwhile his interest in JOB came and went. Complete J.O.B. Records info at this fantastic site:
http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/job.html

trax:
disc 1
1. Evening Sun - Johnny Shines 2. Late Hours At Midnight - LeRoy Foster 3. How Much More - J.B. Lenoir 4. Cryin' Shame - Snooky Pryor 5. Rough Treatment - Little Hudson 6. Dust My Broom (Alt) - Robert Lockwood, Jr. 7. Dark World - Floyd Jones 8. Kissing In The Dark - Memphis Minnie 9. Five Long Years - Boyd Eddie 10. Hard Pill To Swallow - John Brim 11. Glad I Don't Worry No More - Alfred Wallace
12. Please Somebody - Moody Jones 13. Boogie Twist - Snooky Pryor 14. Keep Drinkin' - Little Brother Montgomery 15. Rhythm Rockin' Boogie - John Lee 16. Man Around My Door - Grace Brim 17. Down Home Child - Sunnyland Slim 18. Ethel Bea - Little Son Joe 19. Ramblin' - Johnny Shines 20. Pet Rabbit - LeRoy Foster 21. Goin' Back To Memphis - Ernest Cotton 22. The Mojo - J.B. Lenoir 23. Humming Blues - John Brim 24. Boogy Fool - Snooky Pryor 25. Don't Hang Around - Little Hudson 26. Sweet Woman From Maine - Robert Lockwood, Jr. 27. Skinny Mama - Floyd Jones
disc 2
1. Aw Aw Baby - Robert Lockwood, Jr. 2. Leaving Your Town - Sunnyland Slim 3. Trouble In The Morning - John Brim 4. You've Gotta Stop This Mess - Alfred Wallace 5. Eighty Nine Ten - Snooky Pryor 6. Things Going So Tough - Little Hudson 7. Play A Little While - J.B. Lenoir 8. Knockin' On Lula Mae's Door - John Lee 9. Big World - Floyd Jones 10. Brutal Hearted Woman - Johnny Shines 11. Hospitality Blues - Grace Brim 12. Louella - LeRoy Foster 13. Blue Coat Man - Boyd Eddie 14. A Little Too Late - Little Son Joe 15. Why Should I Worry - Moody Jones 16. Boogie - Little Brother Montgomery 17. World Of Trouble - Memphis Minnie 18. Drinking Woman - John Brim 19. On The Road Again - Floyd Jones 20. Woman Trouble - Sunnyland Slim 21. Cool Driver - Johnny Shines 22. I'm Looking For A Woman - Little Hudson 23. People Are Meddlin' - J.B. Lenoir 24. Blues Is Killin' Me - LeRoy Foster 25. Raisin' Sand - Snooky Pryor 26. Pearly B - Robert Lockwood, Jr. 27. Uh'm Beautiful - Ernest Cotton
...served by Gyro1966...

AMOS MILBURN "The Motown Sessions 1962-1964"

Signed to Motown years after his peak as an R&B star, Milburn's association with the label turned out to be something of a non-event, producing only an obscure album and flop single. A commercial non-event, that is; Milburn's skills were still intact, resulting in some fine if somewhat uncharacteristic performances. This compilation reissues that album (The Return of Blues Boss) and adds seven unreleased tracks. Milburn may still have been singing blues/R&B, but he was with Motown, which meant that a fair amount of soul-pop flavor inevitably seeped through. You can hear it in the occasional female backup vocals, swinging brass arrangements, and even a brief harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder on "Chicken Shack Boogie"; the arrangement on "I'll Make It Up to You Somehow" wouldn't have been out of place on an early Mary Wells single. The results are pleasantly surprising, updating Milburn's sound (which would have been quite anachronistic in the early 1960s) into the early soul era. The material is pretty strong, including both bluesy ballads and more uptempo numbers that don't totally smother his boogie-woogie roots.(by Richie Unterberger, AMG)
This CD is out of print.trax:
01 My Daily Prayer 02 My Baby Gave Me Another Chance 03 I'm In Wine 04 I'll Make It Up To You Somehow 05 Don't Be No Fool 06 In The Middle Of The Night 07 Chicken Shack Boogie 08 Bad, Bad Whiskey 09 One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer 10 It's A Long, Long Time 11 I'm Gonna Tell Mama 12 Bewildered 13 Darling How Long 14 Hold Me Baby 15 Baby You Thrill Me 16 I Wanna Go Home 17 Mama's Boy 18 I'll Leave You In His Care
...served by Gyro1966...

"GOTHAM HOUSE PARTY" (Late 40's-Early 50's Rockin' R&B)

If honking saxophones are your thing, then this one's right up your alley. Featuring 14 slabs of greatness from Philadelphia's Gotham Records, everything here is either a sax honker or a jump blues shouter with strong saxophone backing. Tracks from J.B. Summers, T.N.T. Tribble, Danny Turner, Jimmy Preston, Johnny Sparrow, Tiny Grimes, Charlie Gonzales, Sax Gill, and Daisy Mae and the Hepcats make this a nonstop romp from the first blast to the end. A good one! (by Cub Koda, AMG)

trax:
1. Drinking Beer - J.B. Summers w/Tiny Grimes 2. Stomp - Bill Jennings 3. Roly Poly Mama - Harry Crafton 4. That' Right - Eddie Cole 5. Mel's Jump - Sax Gill 6. Dual Trumpet Blues - Frank Motley 7. I'm Free - Charlie Gonzales 8. Hey Everybody - Jimmy Preston 9. I Ain't Mad At You - The Jones Boys 10. House Party - T.N.T. Tribble 11. Paradise Rock - Johnny Sparrow 12. Corn Pone - Daisy Mae & Her Hepcats 13. Danny's Blues - Danny Turner 14. Red Hot Boogie - T.N.T. Tribble
...served by Gyro1966...

LONESOME SUNDOWN "I'm A Mojo Man" - The Best Of The Excello Singles

Unlike many of his swamp blues brethren, the evocatively monickered Lonesome Sundown (the name was an inspired gift from producer J.D. Miller) wasn't a Jimmy Reed disciple. Sundown's somber brand of blues was more in keeping with the gruff sound of Muddy Waters. The guitarist was one of the most powerful members of Miller's south Louisiana stable, responsible for several seminal swamp standards on Excello Records.
The former Cornelius Green first seriously placed his hands on a guitar in 1950, Waters and Hooker providing early inspiration. Zydeco pioneer Clifton Chenier hired the guitarist as one of his two axemen (Phillip Walker being the other) in 1955. A demo tape was enough proof for Miller -- he began producing him in 1956, leasing the freshly renamed Sundown's "Leave My Money Alone" to Excello.
There were plenty more where that one came from. Over the next eight years, Sundown's lowdown Excello output included "My Home Is a Prison," "I'm a Mojo Man," "I Stood By," "I'm a Samplin' Man," and a host of memorable swamp classics preceded his 1965 retirement from the blues business to devote his life to the church.
One of the swamp blues stalwarts in south Louisiana producer J.D. Miller's stable receives the deluxe treatment with a 24-song anthology spanning his 1956-1964 Excello tenure. Sundown's sparse, nasty sound was influenced by Muddy Waters as much as the prevailing bayou beat, giving an extra discernible tang to his "Leave My Money Alone," "My Home Is My Prison," and the title cut. (Bill Dahl, AMG)

trax:
01 Lost Without Love 02 Leave My Money Alone 03 My Home Is My Prison 04 Lonesome Whistler 05 I've Got The Blues 06 Don't Say A Word 07 Lonely Lonely Me 08 I'm A Mojo Man 09 Don't Go 10 I Stood By 11 No Use To Worry 12 You Know I Love You 13 If You See My Baby 14 Gonna Stick It To You Baby 15 Love Me Now 16 Learn To Treat Me Better 17 Lonesome, Lonely Blues 18 I'm Glad She's Mine 19 My Home Ain't Here 20 I Woke Up Crying (Oh What A Dream) 21 When I Had, I Didn't Need 22 I'm A Samplin' Man 23 I Wanta Know Why 24 Guardian Angel
...served by Gyro1966...

JIMMY MCCRACKLIN "I Had To Get With It" Best Of The Imperial & Minit Years 1965-1969

Jimmy McCracklin successfully kept up with the changing trends of music, from blues to rock & roll to soul and the blues/soul genre that he helped create. "I Had To Get With It: The Best of The Imperial & Minit Years" is compiled from his releases through the acclaimed Minit & Imperial labels, which covers his career from the mid to late 1960's. This compilation includes a number of the tracks not available on CD before, new sleevenotes and new funky artwork that sits alongside fellow Stateside releases. This CD is out of print and sells for close to $100 today.

trax:
01 The Walk 02 Looking For A Woman 03 That's The Way (It Goes) 04 Every Night, Every Day 05 I Did Wrong 06 I Had To Get With It 07 Just Got To Know 08 Think 09 Get Back 10 R.M. Blues 11 I Don't Care 12 I'll See It Through 13 Pretty Little Sweet Thing 14 What's Going On? 15 Stinger 16 You Ain't Nothing But A Devil 17 My Answer 18 Come On Home (Back Where You Belong) 19 Arkansas (Parts 1 & 2) 20 Dog (Parts 1 & 2) (Digitally Remastered 94) 21 Get Together (Digitally Remastered 94) 22 Steppin' Up In Class 23 Let The Door Hit You 24 Hookie
...served by Gyro1966...

THE ACTION "The Ultimate! Action"

This collection is a slightly expanded version of an LP that first appeared in 1984. This is one of the best pieces of British beat-style R&B available, a match for the best tracks off The Beatles' Second Album, and any of the best R&B-style numbers by the early Who. The material isn't in chronological order, although that's not a huge problem for CD listeners, but it's heavily scrambled. The stuff stands on its own, in any case -- "Harlem Shuffle," "Since I Lost My Baby," and "In My Lonely Room" are among the finest English R&B covers of the period, and even originals like "Never Ever" (written by Alan King, Reggie King, and Mike Evans and the group-composed "Twenty Fourth Hour" are fine pieces of songwriting, with attractive hooks and choruses, and good soulful performances. One fascinating discovery unearthed on this CD, amid hits that never were (like their cover of the Marvelettes' "I'll Keep on Holding On" and the brooding, modish "Wasn't It You,") is the group's cover of the Spector-Goffin-King classic "Just Once in My Life." In contrast to the Righteous Brothers' Wall of Sound approach, the five-piece band does it by themselves with no overdubbed help, and Reggie King and company are good enough singers to pull it off, despite a few awkward moments on the fade. The attempts at experimental, quasi-psychedelic material ("Shadows and Reflections") are nicely played and sung, but they lack the depth and urgency of the group's earlier material, and it's easy to understand EMI's misgivings over the direction the group was going in, based on this evidence. As an added attraction, the production by George Martin is also among the best work of his career in rock & roll, second only to his work with the Beatles.(by Bruce Eder & Richie Unterberge, AMG)trax:
01 I'll Keep On Holding On 02 Harlem Shuffle 03 Never Ever 04 Twenty Fourth Hour 05 Since I Lost My Baby 06 In My Lonely Room 07 Hey Sha-Lo-Ney 08 Wasn't It You? 09 Come On, Come With Me 10 Just Once In My Life 11 Shadows And Reflections 12 Something Has Hit Me 13 The Place 14 The Cissy 15 Baby You've Got It 16 I Love You (Yeah!) 17 Land Of A Thousand Dances
...served by Gyro1966...

OTIS CLAY "Testify!" (The One-derful! Recordings '65-'68)

Testify! gathers 22 early Otis Clay tunes recorded for the Chicago-based One-derful label in the mid- to late '60s. Cut before Clay made his career defining soul hits for Hi Records in the early '70s, he chalked up some amazing gritty gospel-inflected singles, including "That's How It Is (When You're in Love)" and "A Lasting Love." This is a good introductory retrospective from this underappreciated deep soul master and is the perfect companion to any of Clay's Hi Records material. ~ Al Campbell
This CD is out of print.

trax:
01 I Testify 02 A Flame In Your Heart 03 I'm Satisfied 04 Tired Of Falling (In And Out Of Love) 05 I Paid The Price 06 I Don't Know What To Do 07 I Lost Someone 08 Nothing To Look Forward To 09 It's Easier Said, Than Done 10 Come My Dear 11 That's How It Is (When You're In Love) 12 Funny Life 13 Don't Pass Me By 14 That'll Get You What You Want 15 Wrapped Up In Her Love 16 A Lasting Love 17 Show Place 18 Cry Cry Cry 19 This Love Of Mine 20 Three Is A Crowd 21 Must I Keep On Waiting 22 Got To Find A Way
...served by Gyro1966...

THE EASYBEATS "Volume 3" 1966

Along with "Good Friday" (aka "Friday on My Mind"), Easybeats Vol. 3 is the most consistent of their albums. It brings together all of the very best in 1966-era rock: loud, eclectic and full of attitude. The Easybeats were rushed by their fans in every public appearance and this set explains why. "Sorry" is a full-on 1966 classic. The same goes for "Funny Feelin'" and "Goin' Out of My Mind." The additional tracks are not the ones I would have selected to couple with this particular album, as they either come from the period of their next album "Good Friday" or from their fantastic first demos recorded prior to their first album. Nonetheless, they are great tracks. (Randall E. Adams, Amazon)Like the Zombies, the Easybeats are a band that every fan of great pop music should discover. They are often unfairly lumped in the one-hit wonder category, but their output clearly shows that this was a band of depth and talent. "Sorry" is one of the most blissful moments of rock-n-roll ever recorded with it's pounding beat, driving guitars and near-perfect vocal delivery. Other standouts include "Say You Want Me," "Saturday Night" and "Goin' Out Of My Mind." (Nathan Post, Amazon)

trax:
01 Sorry 02 Funny Feelin' 03 Say You Want Me 04 You Said That 05 Goin' Out Of My Mind 06 Not In Love With You 07 Promised Things 08 The Last Day Of May 09 Today 10 My My My 11 Dance Of The Lovers 12 What Do You Want Babe 13 Can't You Leave Her 14 Hound Dog 15 Do You Have Soul? 16 Saturday Night 17 My Old Man's A Groovy Old Man 18 Historeasy 19 Mean Old Lovin' 20 I'm Happy 21 Hey Babe 22 I Don't Agree 23 Keep Your Hands Off My Babe 24 I'm Just Trying
...served by Gyro1966...

BABY BOY WARREN "Stop Breaking Down" (1949-1954)

This may be a bootleg CD, but it's the only place you're going to hear the recorded output of this marvelous Detroit bluesman. Recording for JVB, Excello, Drummond, Staff and Gotham, Warren's sense of song structure owes a strong debt to Robert Johnson and his lyrics are full of wry humor and mordant wit. As the leader of the first great band to emerge from the Detroit blues scene, the lineup of players on these sides include Boogie Woogie Red on piano, Calvin Frazier (another running buddy of Robert Johnson) on lead guitar, the self describable Washboard Willie and on four tracks, Sonny Boy Williamson, moonlighting away from the King Biscuit Boys. Highlights include "Not Welcome Anymore," "Baby Boy Blues," the stomping instrumental "Chuck-a-Luck," "Mattie Mae," "Hello Stranger" (a different version of "Mattie Mae" from a later session) and a driving take on Robert Johnson's "Stop Breaking Down." Next to the early work of John Lee Hooker and a stray anthology, this is Detroit blues at its finest. (Cub Koda, AMG)The denizens of Detroit's postwar blues scene never really received their due (except for John Lee Hooker, of course). Robert "Baby Boy" Warren compiled a sterling discography from 1949 to 1954 for a variety of Motor City firms without ever managing to transcend his local status along Hastings Street.
After honing his blues guitar approach in Memphis (where he was raised), Warren came to Detroit in 1942 to work for General Motors and gig on the side. The fruits of his first recording session in 1949 with pianist Charley Mills supporting him came out on several different logos: Prize, Staff, Gotham, even King's Federal subsidiary. A second date in 1950 that found him backed by pianist Boogie Woogie Red was split between Staff and Sampson; Swing Time snagged "I Got Lucky"/"Let's Renew Our Love" and pressed it for West Coast consumption.
One of his most memorable sessions took place in 1954, when wizened harpist Sonny Boy Williamson came to Detroit and backed Warren on "Sanafee" and "Chuc-A-Luck," which found their way to Nashville's Excello label. Joe Von Battle's JVB imprint unleashed Warren's "Hello Stranger" and "Baby Boy Blues" from the same date. That same year, a single for powerful Chicago deejay Al Benson's Blue Lake Records coupled "Mattie Mae" and "Santa Fe." The 1970s brought Baby Boy Warren a taste of European touring, though nothing substantial, before he passed away in 1977. (Bill Dahl, AMG)

trax:
01 My Special Friend Blues 02 Nervy Woman Blues 03 Lonesome Cabin Blues 04 Don't Want No Skinny Woman 05 Forgive Me Darling 06 Please Don't Think I'm Nosey 07 Let's Renew Our Love 08 I Got Lucky 09 Mattie Mae 10 Santa Fe 11 Taxi Driver 12 Bad Lover Blues 13 Chicken 14 Baby Boy Blues 15 Somebody Put Bad Luck On Me 16 Stop Breakin' Down 17 Sanafee 18 Hellow Stranger 19 Not Welcome Anymore 20 Chuc-a-Luck 21 Too Many Drivers 22 She's Fine
...served by Gyro1966...

Barbara Lynn "The Crazy Cajun Recordings" (Early 70's)

A Beaumant native, Barbara never wanted to be anything but an entertainer. Born January 16, 1942, she started learning her craft on a cheap Arthur Godfrey ukelele and was leading her own regional band before she graduated from high school in 1960. Nicknamed "the black Elvis" by friends, Lynn was nurtured by Clarence "Bon Ton" Garlow, a local bluesman and DJ. By 1962 she and Garlow attracted the attention of Huey Meaux, who saw her perform at the Ten Acre Club outside Beaumont. Meaux brought her to Cosimo Matassa's studio in New Orleans, hustling a deal with various "indie" labels. According to Matassa, Meaux unfortunately failed to connect so Cosimo worked out a deal with Harry Finfer at Jamie Records. The first single, Barbara's own ‘You'll Lose a Good Thing’, topped the R&B charts and raced to #8 on the pop Top Forty in the summer of 1962. She had several additional pop charters that year, in 1963 and in 1964 when the Rolling Stones covered her ‘Oh Baby (We Got a Good Thing Goin')’, a modest hit for Lynn though it lasted two months on the charts. It's amazing that, with such credentials established before her 23rd birthday, Barbara Lynn didn't become a superstar, but for some reason she missed her train to glory. Instead of becoming a household name who released an album every year or so, Lynn's recorded output from 1962 to 1986 is limited to her debut album on Jamie and a 1968 "comeback" effort on Atlantic, source of her last pop chart entry, ‘This Is the Thanks I Get’, in 1969. And then, at the age of 27, Barbara Lynn dropped off the radar screen of chart records, major labels, hit singles and national exposure. While living in Los Angeles Lynn occasionally appeared at local clubs before returning to Beaumont, Texas to live and resume her recording career after her husband's death. She was given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1999. This set presents a good picture of a versatile soul-blues singer on top of her form. In addition to showcasing some of her own material, the Crazy Cajun Sessions from the early '70s also feature Lynn renditions of such hits as The Casinos' ‘Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye’ and Hank Williams' timeless ‘I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry’ as well as ‘Daddy Hot Stuff’, a selection obviously influenced by Jean Knight's 1971 pop hit. There are also four alternate takes of some of her best known tunes, such as 'I'm a Good Woman', 'Nice and Easy' and 'You Left the Water Running'. Just sit back and enjoy the work of this vastly underrated artist from the fertile Gull Coast! Partially taken from the original liner notes and http://en.wikipedia.org/.

trax:
01 Shed So Many Tears 02 Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye 03 You Better Get Here Fast 04 Sugar Coated Love 05 It Won't Be Long 06 I'm A Good Woman 07 Nice And Easy 08 You Left The Water Running 09 Give Him His Freedom 10 Take Your Time 11 Thanks I Get 12 Daddy Hot Stuff 13 Until I'm Free 14 Poor Old Trashman 15 I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry 16 I Warned You Baby 17 It Ain't No Good To Be Good 18 One Man Woman 19 Nice & Easy (Alternate Take) 20 I'm A Good Woman (Alternate Take) 21 Poor Old Trashman (Alternate Take) 22 You Left Your Water Running (Alternate Take)
...served by Gyro1966...

The Who "A Quick One Box"

"Got something special for you today – the Japan-only strictly limited edition cardboard sleeve 2-disc SHM-CD box set of The Who’s ‘A Quick One’. It features mono & stereo mixes plus single & EP tracks from that period, 45 tracks total and remastered by long-time Who associate Jon Astley. It’s an excellent retrospective of a seminal album. Enjoy" - ksnJapanese Universal Music follows their excellent "My Generation Box" with an equally superb "A Quick One Box". Like on the earlier box, you get the mono album + bonus tracks on Disc one, and the stereo album + bonus tracks on Disc two. All tracks remastered by John Astley from the best remaining masters, and each disc features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format. The mastering of the mono album is the best ever, and many of the bonus tracks on the mono disc are significant upgrades (especially "Happy Jack" & "Substitute"). You also get a previously unreleased instrumental version of "Batman". The stereo disc is generally good, though unlike the presently available expanded "A Quick One" CD, which has remixes of 6 of the 10 songs, here the album is presented entirely via original 1960's stereo mixes, which means (somewhat) lower fidelity than the remixes. Compiler/remastering engineer Jon Astley admits that Kit Lambert's production style (in 1966) involved harsh midrange and compressed sound, and he has opted not to change that. However, when presenting the 1990's remixes of the "Ready Steady Who" E.P. tracks (the original mono mixes are on Disc One), Astley has opted to increase midrange harshness to make them match with the harsh sound on the "A Quick One" stereo album mixes. But the result is harsh, metallic, digitally generated distortion on "Batman" & "Bucket T", which damages the music. "Bucket T", (perhaps the worst-recorded WHO song) doesn't need added distortion. Yes, you can now throw away your original European "A Quick One" mono CD, but hold onto your stereo expanded/remastered CD for its' 6 exclusive remixes ("Run Run Run", "Boris The Spider", "I Need You", "Cobwebs & Strange", "So Sad About Us" & "Heatwave"). Box set features cardboard sleeve replicas of all seven different designs for the original album artwork (Japan, Europe, and more), plus cardboard sleeve replica covers for all singles and EP's from around the world, all printed with attention to detail, such as paper stock, fabrication technique and texture. Box also features explanations, lyrics, Japanese translations, and serial number for the collectors out there.
The Who's second album is a less impressive outing than their debut, primarily because, at the urging of their managers, all four members penned original material (though Pete Townshend wrote more than anyone else). The pure adrenaline of My Generation also subsided somewhat as the band began to grapple with more complex melodic and lyrical themes, especially on the erratic mini-opera "A Quick One While He's Away". Still, there's some great madness on Keith Moon's instrumental "Cobwebs and Strange", and Townshend delivered some solid mod pop with "Run Run Run" and "So Sad About Us". John Entwistle was also revealed to be a writer of considerable talent (and a morbid bent) on "Whiskey Man" and "Boris the Spider". - Richie Unterberger AMG

The Who:
Roger Daltrey – vocals, trombone and bass drum on "Cobwebs and Strange" / Pete Townshend – guitar, vocals, penny-whistle, keyboards / John Entwistle – bass guitar, keyboards, horns, vocals / Keith Moon – drums, percussion, vocals, tuba

Disc 1 Mono:
Original UK Mono album + 15 additional tracks:
01. Run Run Run 02. Boris The Spider 03. I Need You 04. Whiskey Man 05. Heat Wave 06. Cobwebs And Strange 07. Don't Look Away 08. See My Way 09. So Sad About Us 10. A Quick One, While He's Away 11. Substitute 12. Circles 13. I'm A Boy 14. In The City 15. Batman 16. Bucket T 17. Barbara Ann 18. Disguises 19. Happy Jack 20. I've Been Away 21. Substitute (US Single Version) 22. I'm A Boy (Alternate Version) 23. Batman (Instrumental) 24. Happy Jack (Acoustic Version) 25. Happy Jack (Alternate Mix)
Disc 2 - Stereo:
UK album sequence + 10 additional tracks in stereo mix.
01. Run Run Run 02. Boris The Spider 03. I Need You 04. Whiskey Man 05. Heat Wave 06. Cobwebs And Strange 07. Don't Look Away 08. See My Way 09. So Sad About Us 10. A Quick One, While He's Away 11. I'm A Boy 12. In The City 13. Batman 14. Bucket T 15. Barbara Ann 16. Disguises 17. I've Been Away 18. Man With Money 19. My Generation ~ Land Of Hope And Glory 20. I'm A Boy (Alternate Version)
...served by ksn...

"GOTHAM SWING DANCE SPECIAL"

Here on this compilation are some of the best of the roots of the new Swing Revolution. These newly-rediscovered musical heroes recorded in the late 1940's and throughout the fifties for Gotham Records out of Philadelphia PA. Collectables Records is proud to make their music available again. Dig our non-stop dance party, programmed for maximum swingability.They should have titled the album "Gotham Rhythm and Blues Party" or something like that as the music is all late 40's and early 50's R&B. Honking saxophone and some great blues shouting over a driving rhythm describes the great music on this album. It's all good though and features some R&B artists who are not too well known.

trax:
1. Jitterbug Jump - Panama Francis 2. Sparrow In The Barrel - Johnny Sparrow 3. Hey Now - Tiny Grimes & His Rocking Highlanders 4. Stompin' With Bill - Bill Jennings 5. Flat Foot Floogee - Ray Bryant Trio 6. Woody - Leo Parker 7. Movin' Out Today - The Cats & The Fiddle 8. Lotsa Poppa - Jimmy Rushing 9. Hi-Yo Silver - Charlie Gonzales 10. She's Got A Mule Kick - Harry Crafton 11. Hey Everybody - Jimmy Preston 12. I Ain't Mad At You - The Jones Boys 13. Bow Wow Wow - Frank Motley 14. Rockin' In Rhythm - TNT Tribble 15. Ho Ho Ho - Tiny Grimes 16. Stuff You Got To Watch - Daisy Mae & Her Hepcats 17. Rockin' & Rollin' The Blues - Bobby Boyd's Jazz Bombers 18. Wildwood Boogie - Charlie Gracie & The Wildcats
...served by Gyro1966...

DOUG SAHM "SAN ANTONIO ROCK" - The Harlem Recordings 1957-1961 2000

"... Enjoyable, upbeat, teen-inspired, and sax-laden... The best moments are Sahm's vocals on swamp-poppish ballads..." - Living Blues (5-6/01, p.96)By the time the Sir Douglas Quintet tore up the charts in 1965 with She's About A Mover, main mover Doug Sahm-- the late, great Doug Sahm-- had already logged a ten year career on the lively bandstands of San Antonio, Texas.
SAN ANTONIO ROCK represents Sahm's first rock n' roll recordings, culled from the vaults of the local Harlem, Warrior and Satin labels, and includes the 1960 local hit Why Why Why.
This long awaited pre-Quintet definitive 1957-61 roundup (featuring all of Doug's early 45's and demos, as well as rare sides with Sahm as a sideman) represents an overlooked and vital chapter in the truly illustrious career of one of the key figures in Texas music. - from: http://www.klangundkleid.ch/

trax:
1. Crazy Daisy - (with Doug Sahm & The Pharaohs) 2. If You Ever Need Me - (with Doug Sahm & The Pharaohs) 3. Sapphire - (with Doug Sahm & The Mar-Keys) 4. Just A Moment - (previously unreleased) 5. Whirlaway - (previously unreleased) 6. Why Why Why - (with Doug Sahm & The Mar-Keys) 7. Slow Down - (with Doug Sahm & The Dell-Kings) 8. Baby Tell Me - (with Doug Sahm & The Mar-Keys) 9. Crazy Daisy - (with Doug Sahm & The Nights) 10. Can't Believe You Wanna Leave - (with Doug Sahm & The Knights) 11. More And More - (with Doug Sahm & The Dell-Kings) 12. Sapphire - (with Spot Barnett Band) 13. Just A Moment - (with Spot Barnett Band) 14. Rock-Tick-Tock - (with Jimmy Dee) 15. I Feel Like Rockin' - (with Jimmy Dee) 16. Sweetmeats - (with Spot Barnett)
…originally served by Bucephalus...

THE ANIMALS "The Animals" 1964

One of the most important bands originating from England's R&B scene during the early '60s, the Animals were second only to the Rolling Stones in influence among R&B-based bands in the first wave of the British Invasion.trax:
01 Story Of Bo Diddley 02 Bury My Body 03 Dimples 04 I've Been Around 05 I'm In Love Again 06 The Girl Can't Help It 07 I'm Mad Again 08 She Said Yeah 09 The Right Time 10 Memphis 11 Boom Boom 12 Around And Around
...served by Gyro1966...

The Who "The Last Time / Under My Thumb" 1967

In 1967, after Jagger and Richards got themselves arrested on drug charges, The Who quickly recorded these two Stones songs as a single and tacked on a Beach Boys tune and the Batman theme, the idea being to raise money with the single to help them make bail. Jagger and Richards were out well before the single was released. (This version of ‘Under My Thumb’ is not the same one released on the remastered ‘Odds and Sods’ CD from ‘98.)

trax:
1. The Last Time 2. Under My Thumb 3. Barbara Ann 4. Batman Theme
...served by ksn...

"I'M A HONKY TONK DADDY" (Jay Miller Recordings)

I'm A Honky Tonk Daddy is a 20-track collection that features a good cross-section of country material recorded for Jay Miller in Crowley, Louisiana, during the '50s. The compilation does feature Lefty Frizzell, but most of it is dedicated to obscure performers. For hardcore honky tonk fans, the very rarity of these artists makes I'm A Honky Tonk Daddy worthwhile. by Thom Owens, All Music Guide

trax:
1. When I'm Out Honky Tonkin' With You - Lou Millet 2. If You Didn't, Don't, 'Cause It Ain't - Lou Millet 3. I Can't Go On - Jim And Johnny 4. Send Her Here to Be Mine - Lefty Frizzell 5. Lost Love Blues - Lefty Frizzell 6. That's Me Without You - Lefty Frizzell 7. Bayou Boogie - Benny Furge 8. The Life That I'm Living - Tommy Hill 9. I Must Leave You - Ken Hill 10. Baby, Leave Your Troubles at Home - Joey Gills 11. Go on and Leave My Baby Alone - Smokey Stover 12. I'm a Honky Tonk Daddy - Wink Lewis 13. Will You Will or Will You Won't - Mack Hamilton 14. Old Mr. Moon - Jimmie Lee Durden 15. Should I Should or Should I Shouldn't - Jimmie Lee Durden 16. I'm a Cry, Cry Baby - Lynn Howard 17. She's My Five Foot Five - Bill Hutto 18. If You Think You Got Troubles - Bill Hutto 19. It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels - Al Montgomery 20. Open Strings - The Feature House Band
...served by Gyro1966...

The Rolling Stones "Camden Theatre 1964" 1964

A The Swingin' Pig soundboard bootleg release (TSP-CDS-004), recorded at Camden Theatre in London on March 19th, 1964 for BBC’s "Rhythm And Blues" show, broadcast May 9th, 1964.

trax:
1. Route 66 2. Cops And Robbers 3. You Better Move On 4. Mona
...served by ksn...
--------------
The Rolling Stones "The Rolling Stones EP" 1964

Their debut EP, released on their UK label Decca in January 1964, features four songs recorded at two separate sessions in August and November 1963 and reached #1 on the UK EP charts. Andrew Loog Oldham produced the opening track.At the close of 1963, the Rolling Stones were, for want of a better word, on a -- roll. They'd done okay if not great the previous summer with their debut single, a cover of a Chuck Berry obscurity called "Come On," which was more energetic than 99 percent of its competition, and then roared into the Top 20 in November with a follow up single, a savage rendition of the Lennon-McCartney song "I Wanna Be Your Man," complete with slide guitar and a bass that sounded like its amplifier was cranked up to 12. And then they were ready to take the next step. No; not an LP, which in those days was reserved for relative elites in the music business, but an EP, an extended-play single, containing four songs and priced accordingly higher. It would presumably generate twice the revenue and show some more of what the band could do. At the time, this didn't include songwriting, which they'd only just started trying to do in earnest (especially after seeing how Paul McCartney and John Lennon had delivered "I Wanna Be Your Man" to them on the spot, as a favor). So the question was, what songs would be on the EP (rather unimaginatively titled The Rolling Stones)? They'd previously struggled to find a second single -- before Lennon and McCartney stepped in -- trying and failing -- with results that were closer to a limp version of "The Little Drummer Boy" than to anything by the Coasters -- to cut one of their favorite American songs, Leiber & Stoller's "Poison Ivy." This time, with the single still riding the charts and -- as a cover of a new Beatles song at a time when the Beatles were the hottest music act in England -- getting the group lots of television and radio exposure, the solution came a little easier. They didn't have to look beyond their own favorites -- it was back to Chuck Berry and a slashing rendition of his four-year-old "Bye Bye Johnny," a favorite of Keith Richards', rebuilt from the ground up with a tempo that started out in fourth and jumped to overdrive and then threw in the super-charger on the guitar break, Richards and Brian Jones' interlocking guitars propelling the song into space around Mick Jagger's raspy lead vocals; then it was time to cross swords with the Beatles on a Motown number, "Money," which they carried into punkier territory, with more sneer and attitude than John Lennon and company had mustered earlier that year. (And maybe it was here that the seed was planted for that notion that the Stones always seemed to try what the Beatles had done three months earlier, except that this time it worked on the basis of sheer wattage and Mick Jagger's intensity). The real centerpiece was Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On," another American-spawned favorite that the band had been doing in concert -- this was their chance to show a softer, more lyrical and soulful sound that was every bit as intense as the blues and hard R&B they'd already done on record; and they did it with some exquisite harmony singing by Bill Wyman and Brian Jones (before the latter surrendered the microphone to Keith Richards), showing off yet another new attribute on record -- it was also no accident that the Alexander song was the only one of these four to get a second life in an American release, picked up by London Records in 1965 when the latter was assembling the December's Children LP. And, finally, there was "Poison Ivy," which the band salvaged with a ballsier rendition, sporting a harder guitar sound and a great showcase for Charlie Watts' playing as well. It all worked, as the resulting extended-play release, despite its higher price, reached the singles charts and also became the group's first number one hit, reaching that coveted slot on the EP sales listings for England in early 1964 and riding that chart for 11 weeks. Within five weeks of its release, the group -- still working at songwriting -- would record and release a follow up single, "Not Fade Away" b/w "Little by Little," that took all of the elements in evidence on this EP several steps further. - by Bruce Eder

trax:
1. Bye Bye Johnny (Berry) 2. Money (Bradford, Gordy) 3. You Better Move On (Alexander) 4. Poison Ivy (Leiber, Stoller)
...served by ksn...

"BLUES HANGOVER" - Excello Blues Rarities

This two disc, 43 track collection collects up a treasure trove of rare and unissued performances from the vaults of Excello Records. All but one of the 17 tracks collected on the first disc were produced by Jay Miller in his Crowley, Louisiana studio, home of Excello's unmistakable 'swamp blues' sound. The first 10 tracks are by Jimmy Anderson, who impersonates the vocal and harmonica style of Jimmy Reed so pervasively, it's downright eerie. Three tracks from Whispering Smith, a stray Lightnin' Slim cut and both sides of the mysterious Blue Charlie single are aboard, as well as rare singles from the equally mysterious Ole Sonny Boy, Little Al (Gunter) and Little Sonny. But the true find here are the first time release of 15 tracks from a 1966 audition tape by one Early Drane. For all intents and purposes, this appears to be the same 'Earl Draines' that recorded for the label as part of The Blues Rockers ("Calling All Cows") in the mid 50s. But these remarkable tapes are the man alone in his living room, singing and playing a quirky collection of original material, blues and gospel covers that careen from brilliant to downright loony. Add to this lineup four tracks by Detroit bluesman Baby Boy Warren (featuring Sonny Boy Williamson on harmonica) and two early 60s stereo swingers by the little known James Stewart and you've got an Excello rarities packages that's pretty hard to beat. (All Music Guide)

trax:
disc 1
1. I'm A King Bee - Jimmy Anderson 2. Going Through The Park - Jimmy Anderson 3. Naggin' - Jimmy Anderson 4. Nothing In This World - Jimmy Anderson 5. Frankie & Johnny - Jimmy Anderson 6. Love Me Babe - Jimmy Anderson 7. Goin' Crazy Over TV - Jimmy Anderson 8. Ain't Gonna Let Her Go - Jimmy Anderson 9. Rats & Roaches On Your Mind - Jimmy Anderson 10. Going Through The Park (Alt) - Jimmy Anderson 11. Don't Bring No Friend (Breakdown Take) - Blue Charlie 12. I'm Gonna Kill That Hen - Blue Charlie 13. Harmonica Twist - Whispering Smith 14. Please Give Me One More Chance - Whispering Smith 15. Wake Up Old Maid - Whispering Smith 16. Death Valley Blues - Lightnin' Slim 17. Love Shock - Little Sonny 18. I'll Love You Baby - Little Sonny 19. No Jive - Little Al 20. Little Lean Woman - Little Al 21. You Better Change - Ole Sonny Boy 22. Blues And Misery - Ole Sonny Boy
disc 2
1. I'm Leaving This Morning - Early Drane 2. I Hate To See You Leave - Early Drane 3. My New Chevrolet - Early Drane 4. Evil Ways Blues - Early Drane 5. Find My Little Darlin' - Early Drane 6. Look On Yonders Wall - Early Drane 7. Nobody Prayin' - Early Drane 8. Were You There - Early Drane 9. My Little Banty - Early Drane 10. Take A Little Walk With Me - Early Drane 11. Hillbilly Serenade - Early Drane 12. I'm Gonna Scratch Your Back, Part 1 - Early Drane 13. Honey Bee Lonely - Early Drane 14. I'm Gonna Scratch Your Back, Part 2 - Early Drane 15. Late In The Evening - Early Drane 16. Not Welcome Anymore w/Sonny Boy Williamson - Baby Boy Warren 17. Bring My Machine Gun w/Sonny Boy Williamson - Baby Boy Warren 18. Chuck-a-Luck w/Sonny Boy Williamson - Baby Boy Warren 19. Hello Stranger w/Sonny Boy Williamson - Baby Boy Warren 20. Whey I Met You Baby - James Stewart 21. She's Got Me - James Stewart
...served by Gyro1966...

CHARLIE FEATHERS "Charlie Feathers" 1991

In its short-lived "American Explorer" series, Nonesuch Records issued a quartet of records by artists they considered seminal yet ignored. Of the four, the furthest out-to-lunch choice was '50s Sun rockabilly hero Charlie Feathers. Feathers was always a fringe player. He claims to have arranged all of the Elvis Presley Sun material, and though he recorded for Sam Phillips' label a full eight months before Presley, Feathers scored only marginal hits and became a shadowy figure almost as soon as the '50s ended, surfacing now and again in country and roots rock circles to make an odd record for King, Meteor, Flip, and other small labels. Feathers is the man who first brought the late bluesman Junior Kimbrough to Robert Palmer and did some recording with him (see the Revenant compilation Get With It for these). This disc, recorded in 1990 and produced by Ben Vaughn, features Feathers doing a number of his own truly eccentric and brilliant songs accompanied by former Sun Studios musicians guitarist Roland James, drummer James Van Eaton, and bassist Stan Kesler, and an alternate rhythm section on a few other cuts provided by bassist Terry Bailey and drummer (as well as cardboard-box percussionist) Perry York. Of the Feathers "classics" that appear here are "Pardon Me Mister," "A Man in Love," "A Long Time Ago," and a rewrite of "I Can't Remember to Forget," dedicated to Presley, who first cut the song as "We Can't Seem to Remember to Forget." Other material includes rockabilly nuggets like "Fraulein," "Mean Woman Blues," "Uh Huh Honey," and Stan Kesler's true gem, "You're Right, I'm Left, She's Gone." Instrumentation aside — all the playing here is expert, authentic, and full of raw immediacy — it's Feathers' voice that is the spark and spook of these proceedings. He is a man haunted by the past eternally, trying to make it a renewable present, and offering the truth in how forgotten it all is in his delivery (check out "Defrost Your Heart," in which Feathers moans, growls, does the hillbilly wail, and sings a blues that is truly unearthly in that same way that Hank Williams and Roscoe Holcomb's are). Feathers died in the late '90s, but he leaves behind an enduring testament to his particular brilliance as a frighteningly intense singer and canny songwriter. This album is near the pinnacle of that legacy.by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

trax:
01 A Man in Love 02 When You Come Around 03 Pardon Me Mister 04 Fraulein 05 Defrost Your Heart 06 Mean Woman Blues 07 I Don't Care (If Tomorrow Never Comes) 08 Cootzie Coo 09 We Can't Seem to Remember to Forget 10 A Long Time Ago 11 Seasons of My Heart 12 Uh Huh Honey 13 You're Right, I'm Left, She's Gone 14 Oklahoma Hills
...served by Gyro1966...

JERRY McCAIN "That's What They Want" The Best Of Jerry McCain

McCain has always marched to the beat of a different drummer and the proof of it is right here, 23 recordings that define the place where the blues and rock'n'roll meet at the end of a dark alley. The first 12 tracks are McCain's complete singles output for Excello Records, the sides upon which most of his reputation rests. From the cold hearted bravado of the the title track to the rocking insanity of "Trying To Please," this music is as special as it comes. The following 11 tracks come from homemade demo tapes circa.1955 that were cut in Jerry's living room with a single mike, one track home tape recorder. Featuring grinding, massively distorted guitars, crashing drums and lyrical texts concerning themselves with going crazy to rock'n'roll, rock'n'roll as salvation ("Rock & Roll Ball," "Geronimo's Rock"), or going crazy from outside worldly pressures ("Bell In My Heart," "My Next Door Neighbors"), these masterpieces answer the musical question: what would a rock & roll album by Little Walter have sounded like? (All Music Guide)trax:
01 That's What They Want 02 Courtin' In A Cadillac 03 If It Wasn't For My Baby 04 You Don't Love Me No More 05 Run, Uncle John, Run! 06 Things Ain't Right 07 Tryin' To Please 08 My Next Door Neighbor 09 Listen, Young Girls 10 Bad Credit 11 The Jig's Up 12 Groom Without A Bride 13 A Cutie Named Judy 14 Geronimo Rock & Roll 15 It Must Be Love 16 Rock & Roll Ball 17 I Want Somebody To Love 18 Turn Your Damper Down 19 I'm A Ding Dong Daddy From A Rock & Roll City 20 Choo Choo Rock 21 Bell In My Heart 22 My Next Door Neighbor 23 Crying Like A Fool
Files in .m4a! Lucky who uses i-Tunes!
...served by Gyro1966...

CHARLIE FEATHERS "Honky Tonk Man + New Jungle Fever" 1982

"I could talk about Charlie Feathers 'til I'm blue in the face, but there is no way to explain his greatness. He is completely unique. You have to hear him to get the picture.
In the 50s, he was one of the people who invented and defined Rock'n'Roll. In the 80s, he's still inventing and defining it. He seems to have only gotten stranger and more perverse through the years. He baby-talks, chirps, hiccups, moans, and gasps his way through a song, 'til it becomes a little separate world all it's own.
His version of "Roll Over Beethoven" is so full of menacing weirdness, it sounds like a song you never heard before.
Charlie is a crazy magician and he knows all the tricks. But don't take my word for it. Buy this record." - Lux Interiortrax:
01 We're Getting Closer To Being Apart 02 Blame It On Time 03 Working On A Building 04 Who Da Say 05 Blue Suede Shoes 06 Ooby-Dooby 07 If You Were Mine To Loose 08 Honky Tonk Man 09 Jungle Fever 10 In The Pines 11 You Believe Everyone But Me 12 Roll Over Beethoven 13 He'll Have To Go 14 That's All Right Mama
...served by Gyro1966...

HOMER BANKS "Hooked By Love" The Best Of…..

Composer and producer Homer Banks was one of the unsung heroes behind the rise of Stax Records; though a fine soul singer in his own right, he never recorded for the label, instead teaming with Bettye Crutcher and Raymond Jackson as We Three, the songwriting troika responsible for a number of the company's classic singles. Born August 2, 1941, in Memphis, Banks co-founded the gospel group the Soul Consolidators before joining the office staff of the local Satellite Studios, later re-christened Stax. He dwelled in relative anonymity during his early years with the company, although co-workers Isaac Hayes and David Porter proved instrumental in landing him a session with the Genie label, resulting in the 1965 release of Banks' debut single "Sweetie Pie." The much-imitated and oft-covered "A Lot of Love" followed on the newly-revived Minit imprint in 1966, and over the next two years Banks issued four more singles for the label -- "60 Minutes of Your Love," "Lady of Stone," "Round the Clock Lover Man" and "(Who You Gonna Run To) Me or Your Mama?" -- all to little notice outside of the Memphis area. As his singing career floundered, he increasingly focused on writing, teaming with Crutcher and Jackson as We Three to author hits for Stax artists Johnnie Taylor ("Who's Making Love"), the Staple Singers ("Be What You Are," "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)"), and Isaac Hayes ("[If Loving You Is Wrong] I Don't Want to Be Right"). In addition to producing sessions for the Soul Children and Albert King, Banks also wrote the Sam & Dave classic "I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down)," later covered by Elvis Costello; his other hits include "Touch a Hand (Make a Friend)" and "Woman to Woman." In 1977, Banks cut the solo album Passport to Ecstasy, and following Stax's demise he worked for a number of labels, including TK and Malaco.by Jason Ankeny

trax:
01 Hooked By Love 02 60 Minutes Of Your Love 03 Do You Know What 04 Up To My Neck In Love 05 A Lot Of Love 06 Ain't Found Nothin' To Beat What I Got 07 Fighting To Win 08 A Poor Man's Son 09 'Round The Clock Lover Man 10 I Know You Know I Know I Know 11 I'm Drifting 12 Foolish Hearts Break Fast 13 Sometimes It Makes Me Want To Cry 14 Lucky Loser 15 (Who You Gonna Run To) Me Or Your Mama 16 Lady Of Stone 17 Release Me Now 18 Danny Boy 19 Must Be Something You Gave Me 20 Uptight Medley
...served by Gyro1966...

MIKE SHERIDAN & THE NIGHT RIDERS "Birmingham Beat"

Everything ever recorded by the group: both sides of their six singles, plus a couple previously unissued tracks.Fans of British rock & roll have tended to think of Mike Sheridan and his band Mike Sheridan & the Nightriders as a footnote in the music's history, as the band that brought Roy Wood into the recording studio for the first time. They -- and Sheridan -- were actually a bit better than that, not only in Birmingham, whence they came, but in the context of early-'60s British rock & roll. Mike Sheridan (born Michael Tyler) is of the same generation as the Beatles, the Searchers, et al, born in time to reach his teens as Elvis Presley's records were sweeping over the British charts -- he skipped past skiffle to rock & roll in 1958, a reluctant singer who won a local talent contest and found the seed of a career planted. He later joined up with a group called Billy King & the Nightriders -- by early 1963, Billy King was gone and the lineup coalesced around Sheridan, with Big Al Johnson on lead guitar, Brian Cope playing bass, Dave Pritchard on rhythm guitar, and Roger Spencer on drums. At the time, the music scene in Birmingham was starting to heat up, with singles by Jimmy Powell & the Dimensions and other acts starting to turn up in record stores. They were good enough to get a large local following, and once the Beatles and other Liverpool acts started roaring up the charts, record labels began looking at other northern cities, including Birmingham. No less a figure than producer Norrie Paramor, who'd signed Cliff Richard & the Shadows and managed their recordings since 1958, chose them out of a competition for a recording contract with EMI's Columbia label. 
They weren't a bad group at the outset, with a tight sound built around strong playing that, if not the most inventive, was still interesting, and they had a good sense of melody and what to do with it, at least instrumentally. Sheridan's voice was strong enough, but they lacked some delicacy in their overall vocal approach -- that problem was solved when Big Al Johnson decided to leave the group and was replaced by Roy Wood. Under the latter's influence, the group began utilizing more (and more sophisticated) harmony vocals, and took on many of the attributes of the Merseybeat sound. By 1965, they'd updated their name to "Mike Sheridan's Lot," but nothing they did seemed to work in term of generating a hit. Following their recording of Jackie DeShannon's "Don't Turn Your Back on Me," the group as it was then constituted decided to pack it in -- Wood exited to co-found the Move, and the rest soon followed suit. Sheridan soldiered on, taking a regular job to earn a living and founding several bands of "Nightriders," while his original band, sans Wood, evolved into the Idle Race, with Jeff Lynne fronting them. Sheridan linked up with Move alumnus Rick Price at the tail-end of the '60s to produce a pretty, McCartney-esque album, and eventually succeeded as a songwriter in the '70s; he also cut a single of Roy Wood's "Do Ya" for Tony Stratton-Smith's Charisma Records in the early '70s. He left music for a few years, but by the start of the '80s was back fronting a new band -- and playing bass -- with Keith Statler and Tony Kelsy. He also played with veteran British rock & roller Joe Brown.(Bruce Eder, All Music Guide)

trax:
01 No Other Guy 02 Tell Me What You're Gonna Do 03 Please Mr. Postman 04 In Love 05 Brand New Cadillac 06 A Thing Of The Past 07 What A Sweet Thing That Was 08 Fabulous 09 Here I Stand 10 Lonely Weekends 11 Take My Hand 12 Make Them Understand 13 Stop, Look And Listen 14 Don't Turn Your Back On Me
...served by Gyro1966...

"FINE, FINE BABY" - King's Queens (King's R&B Gals Of The 40's)

Wyonie Harris, Eddie Vinson, Bull Moose Jackson, Ivory Hunter… the list of great blues shouters employed by King Records in the 1940s and 1950s was faultless, if not endless, and has been well served in recent years with suberb compilations, but from the label's very beginning there was also a fine distaff roster of impressive women singers that have all but been ignored… until now.
Annisteen Allen was the Millinder orchestra "thrish", having joined Lucky's orchestra in the late summer of 1945 upon the recommendation of Millinder's Decca label-mate Louis Jordan, and Mabel Smith later found huge fame as Big Maybelle. Tina Dixon sang on the radio with Jimmie Lunceford's Orchestra, while Bixie Crawford sang Benny Carter's band, the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, and Louis Jordan's Tympany Five. Mabel Scott worked with Cab Calloway Orchestra, The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, and Wynonie Harris.

trax:
1. Oo-Oo-Bob-A-Lee-Bob - Annisteen Allen 2. What I Say - Tina Dixon 3. I Know How To Do It - Annisteen Allen 4. Walk That Walk Daddy-O - Tina Dixon 5. Too Tight Mama - Big Maybelle 6. Subway Blues - Mabel Scott 7. She Lost Her Re-Bob - Annisteen Allen 8. Parrot Bar Boogie - Tina Dixon 9. Sad And Disappointed Jill - Big Maybelle 10. More More More - Annisteen Allen 11. Maybe Some Rainy Day - Bixie Crawford 12. Little Miss Muffett - Big Maybelle 13. I've Got Big Bulging Eyes For You - Annisteen Allen 14. I Want A Man (Who's Gonna Do Right) - Annisteen Allen 15. I Got Your Water On - Bixie Crawford 16. Have You Ever Watched Love Die? - Mabel Scott 17. Give It Up('Cause You Can't Take It With You) - Annisteen Allen 18. Foolin' Blues - Big Maybelle 19. Fine, Fine Baby - Mabel Scott 20. Disgusted - Mabel Scott 21. Dirty Deal Blues - Big Maybelle 22. The Blues Done Got Me And Gone - Annisteen Allen 23. Blow Mr. Be Bop - Tina Dixon 24. Bad Dream Blues - Big Maybelle 25. Baseball Boogie - Mabel Scott
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THE FIFTH ORDER "Bonfire! The Return Of The Fifth Order"

Their 1966 garage classic Goin' Too Far b/w Walkin' Away was a tremendous regional success, at the time becoming the biggest selling seven-incher from Columbus, Ohio. Their second local hit, A Thousand Devils (Are Chasing Me) b/w Today I Got A Letter, was picked up by Laurie for national release. These two records have long been recognized as sterling examples of Ohio's vibrant mid-60s garage rock scene. But the story of the Fifth Order has remained untold, until now. Digging into the band's history, a few welcome surprises emerged: a third 45 that collectors were not aware of, and - even better - a cache of unreleased recordings of exceptional quality.

trax:
01 goin' too far 02 walkin' away 03 a thousand devils (are chasin' me) 04 today (i got a letter) 05 i was a fool 06 the moment i saw you 07 today (i got a letter) alt. 08 bonfire 09 follow like the wind 10 little black egg 11 walkin' away -unreleased 12 i was a fool -unreleased 13. it the road jack" & "Sixteen tons
...served by Gyro1966 & frumious bandersnatch...

TINY BRADSHAW "Walk That Mess!" - The Best Of The King Years

Get In The Swing With KING! Tiny Bradshaw's rip-roaring pre-rock 'n' roll boogie walked the chalk line between Louis Jordan's pioneering work of the '40s and what was to come later in the '50s. Here are two dozen slabs of mess-walkin', hi-ballin', runnin' heavy juice that never fail to break up the house!trax:
01 Walk That Mess 02 Gravy Train 03 Brad's Blues 04 Well Oh Well 05 Boodie Green 06 Mailman's Sack 07 Walking The Chalk Line 08 Soft 09 I'm Going To Have Myself A Ball 10 The Train Kept A-Rollin' 11 Get Back On The Shelf Baby 12 Built Like A Railroad 13 Snaggle Tooth Ruth 14 Heavy Juice 15 Two Dry Bones On The Pantry Shelf 16 I'm A Hi-Ballin' Dady [Alternate Take] 17 Knockin' Blues 18 Breaking Up The House 19 The Blues Came Pouring Down 20 Bradshaw Boogie 21 Rippin' And Runnin' 22 Later 23 Hold On Josie 24 Lay It On The Line
...served by Gyro1966...