True to our word we are back after a little holiday refreshed and rarin’ to go and man oh man, there’s too much great new stuff since our last newsletter to even try and catch up, so I am going to grab one 45 from six different genres to tempt you with. We’ve got Rockabilly, Blues, Rock n Roll, Rhythm and Blues and Jungle Exotica because, why the funk not? Scroll on and get stuck in and order that Ronnie Dawson one prompt because it will sell out quickly.
Ronnie Dawson & The B-Men Vol 2– Rockin’ In The Cemetery / Linda Lu – Radio Fun
We had the first volume of this micro series a few months back and it sold out almost immediately. This second volume is just as good. I am sure no one will need the story of Mr Action Packed, The Blonde Bomber to be repeated. The topside of this single was recorded December 14th 1993 with the B Men, Malcolm Chapman, Boz Boorer, Matt Radford and Brian Nevill, backing Ronnie. This take of the great tracks from the album Rockinitis is a real aggressive take with a fantastic spooky production. You know what, it is Ronnie at his best with a great, tight-knit band at their best. I don’t need to push this. Make sure you jump in on it before it is gone. Available in Red or Green viny take your choice (or both if you want).
Ronnie Dawson Rockin’ in the Cemetery
Eddy Blake Trio – Stormy / Wrecking Ball, Terrible Tara Belle – Modern Syndrome
This three track EP, recorded in 2017, from Montreal bass wizard Eddy Blake, with Ray Condo veteran Eric Sandmark and Andrew Young of Bloodshot Bill’s Hick-ups and Danny Marks was issued in March 2020, just as COVID closed the world down.
So why are we talking about a seven-year-old track, (although that really means nothing in musical terms, as everything else on this piece is over 60 years old)? Because this great EP unfortunately got totally lost with the world changing events going on around it. I came across it in the racks at the shop and could not recall it so I slapped it on and man oh man. It was like the early 80s again. The jangling guitar opening instantly underpinned by less is more bass and drum and the high-flying vocals are classic neo Rockabilly that I have not heard done this well since The Polecats, The Deltas and yes even The Meteors were inventing it. There is no attempt to sound like a 50s recording, particularly in the break that sounds huge as every band member adds to the crescendo before expertly dropping down again into a more Rockabilly sound. I know this is a bug bear to some, but musical styles are not static, and they can and do change over time. How boring would it be if a style stayed exactly the same forever and had no chance to grow. A fantastic example of a great sound.
The Eddy Blake Trio – Stormy
Scooting back in time, we go to the root of Rockabilly – Sun records.
Billy Lee Riley – Baby Please Don’t Go / Wouldn’t You Know – Sun
Billy was one of those people who seemed to be able to play any instrument, he had a fantastic voice, he wrote outstanding songs, arranged for himself and other artists and was even good-looking. He really should have been a huge star but although his records like this, and his best known Flying Saucer Rock n Roll are classics within the rock n roll world, he deserved much more than cult status. For proof, listen to this Rockabilly take on the folk blues standard where Billy not only sings but also plays searing guitar, jumping from a propulsive riff to a killer short break. No doubt he arranged this sparse version, including those unusual breaks and drumstick only sections. It really is not like anything else. (Yeah, he should not have taken a writing credit, but everyone did that.) The flip side is a great groove with piano to the fore (no, not Jerry Lee) and super sax.
Baby Please Don’t Go Sun
Wouldn’t You Know
Staying on the same year but jumping genres to Rhythm and Blues / early Soul…
Ruby Johnson – What Goes Up Must Come Down / I Want A Real Man – NEB’S
Well, I bet that woke you up if you clicked on the link straight after the last track. What an opening… one for the beat, blast the horns, then scream the vocals. This is an absolute Rhythm and Blues rocker, a crossover soul screamer. The emotion in Ruby’s voice lets her soar above the blasting brass, booming bass, hand clapping and sweet backing vocals all blending together before stepping back to allow a surprising stunning guitar break. I get out of breath just listing to this. The flip is a wonderful ballad that again shows off Ruby’s fine vocal talent.
What Goes Up Must Come Down
I Want A Real Man
Well after that intense moving soul let’s get silly…
Bob Ridgley – She Was A Mau Mau / The Way Out Mummy – Del Fi
Way Out Mummy is a Monster Mash type number, a real good one but it is the flip we are after here. How has this bushland bopper eluded the compilers of Jungle Exotica and all the spin-offs? It is a swinging jungle rock n roll number that grabs you like a boa constrictor from the first note, but you got to struggle against that snake’s crushing grip so you can start dancing around to the pulsating rhythm. You don’t need to worry about dates or details with a track like this, just let yourself go and join in with the whooping and wooing or if you prefer, chatter like a chimp singing ‘Wow wow I gotta Mau Mau.’
She Was A Mau Mau
The Way Out Mummy
OOOOHHHH this has got hard now cause it really has been so long since the last newsletter and so much great stuff has come out, but I’m jumping back to 1960 to cover Rhythm and Blues with a vocal harmony flip, so I can hit two genres on one…
Floyd Smith – Grandpa’s Gully Rock / This Is A Miracle – Fortune
Someone could write a great book about Fortune Records and its importance in rock n roll, actually two someones did. This track although not one of the label’s classics really captures its heart. Grandpa side is swinging swooping whomping greasy RnB. There is something about that dirt floor studio that made it sound like a party was going on, and they just happened to capture the sound. Everything sounds loose and effortless. You know, fun, like Rock n Roll should be. The flip side is a superb Vocal Harmony Rhythm and Blues number wrapping five voices together to create a sound that may be a breaking heart or a proclamation of love flying up to heaven. Beautiful.
Grandpa’s Gully Rock
This Is A Miracle
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