Category Archives: Rock ‘n’ Roll
RED HOT BOPPERS-HMV VINYL EXCLUSIVE.
Red Hot Boppers-HMV Vinyl Exclusive. Label: Sun. Over the last few years, the resurgence of interest in vinyl has taken many within the music industry by surprise. Some went as far as say that the resurgence of interest in vinyl would be short-lived and was no more than a passing fad. How wrong they were. …
JERRY LEE LEWIS-TOGETHER, LIVE AT THE INTERNATIONAL LAS VEGAS, IN LOVING MEMORY:THE JERRY LEE LEWIS GOSPEL ALBUM AND KEEPS ROCKIN.
Jerry Lee Lewis-Together, Live At The International Las Vegas, In Loving Memory: The Jerry Lee Lewis Gospel Album and Keeps Rockin’. Label:BGO Records. Jerry Lee Lewis will always be remembered as one of music’s great survivors. He has enjoyed a long and chequered career, that although successful has often proved controversial. So much so, that …
ZEPHYR-BACK TO COLORADO AND SUNSET RIDE.
Zephyr-Back To Colorado and Sunset Ride. Like many bands who don’t reach the heights that their music deserves, the story of Zephyr is one of what might have been. They released a trio of albums between 1969 and 1972, which nowadays, have a cult following. This includes Zephyr’s sophomore album Back To Colorado and their …
WARREN STORM-THE HUEY MEAUX YEARS.
Warren Storm-The Huey Meaux Years. Often, an artist or band spends a large part of their career working with the same producer. That producer seems able to get the best out of the artist or band. Musical history is littered with examples. However, despite this success, there’s often the temptation to change producer. It’s as if the artist is keen …
THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2016-PART 5.
The Best Compilations Of 2016-Part 5. The Golden Age Of American Country Music: More Country Hits. For many people, the golden age of country music was the late fifties and early sixties. During that period, country music provided the soundtrack to much of American life. Providing the soundtrack were giants of country music like Johnny …
FEEL LIKE GOING HOME-THE SONGS OF CHARLE RICH.
FEEL LIKE GOING HOME-THE SONGS OF CHARLE RICH. When Sam Phillips first encountered Charlie Rich, he was singing demos for Sun Records, in Memphis. On hearing the demos, Sam Phillips thought Charlie Rich’s music wasn’t commercial. It was also: “too jazzy.” Sam Phillips then picked up a pile of Jerry Lee Lewis records and handed …
BOPPIN’ BY THE BAYOU-DRIVE-INS AND BABY DOLLS.
BOPPIN’ BY THE BAYOU-DRIVE-INS AND BABY DOLLS. The compilation market is without doubt, one of the most competitive in the music industry. Every week hundreds of compilations are released by labels in America, Europe and Britain. Some are released by major labels, while others are lovingly curated compilations that are released by small independent labels. Many …
THE SUN RECORDS ROCK ’N’ COLLECTION-40 ROCKIN’ GREATS FROM THE SUN VAULTS-LIMITED EDITION VINYL.
THE SUN RECORDS ROCK ’N’ COLLECTION-40 ROCKIN’ GREATS FROM THE SUN VAULTS-LIMITED EDITION VINYL. Back in late 2014, I was talking to someone who was then, the label manager at an independent record label. At the time, sales of vinyl were growing on both sides of the Atlantic, as well in Europe. Many independent labels …
HANK BALLARD AND THE MIDNIGHTERS-UNWIND YOURSELF-THE KING RECORDINGS 1964-1967.
HANK BALLARD AND THE MIDNIGHTERS-UNWIND YOURSELF-THE KING RECORDINGS 1964-1967. Hank Ballard played an important part in musical history. He was a successful singer and songwriter, whose career spanned fifty-two years. The most successful period of Hank Ballard’s career, was between 1953 and 1969, when he was the lead singer of Hank Ballard and The Midnighters. …
THE WILD OATS-THE WILD OATS.
THE WILD OATS-THE WILD OATS. Way before The Beatles burst onto the scene with Love Me Do in 1962, bands were being formed up and down Britain. Bands literally sprung up from John O’ Groats to Land’s End. This included in Leiston, a small, rural town in sleepy Suffolk. It was an unlikely place for …
JODY REYNOLDS-THE COMPLETE DEMON AND TITAN MASTERS.
JODY REYNOLDS-THE COMPLETE DEMON AND TITAN MASTERS. Jody Reynolds life was changed forevermore in 1958, when Demon Records released Endless Sleep as a single. This was a song that Jody Reynolds had written in 1956, after hearing Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel. Not long after this, Jody Reynolds performed Endless Sleep for the first time. The …
SHAZAM! AND OTHER INSTRUMENTALS WRITTEN BY LEE HAZLEWOOD.
SHAZAM! AND OTHER INSTRUMENTALS WRITTEN BY LEE HAZLEWOOD. During a career that spanned six decades, Lee Hazlewood was a singer, songwriter, musician and producer. He even founded his own record label LHI Records in 1967. By then, Lee Hazlewood had been involved with music since the the early fifties. By then, Lee Hazlewood’s life was …
LITTLE BOB STORY-OFF THE RAILS AND LIVE’78.
LITTLE BOB STORY-OFF THE RAILS AND LIVE’78. By 1977, punk was at the peak of its popularity in Britain. For the last year, bands were being formed from John O Groats to Land’s End. Suddenly, it seemed, everyone was a musician. That was all very well. However, there was a problem. Many of these bands …
LINK WRAY-3-TRACK SHACK.
LINK WRAY-3-TRACK SHACK. Jimmy Page, Neil Young and Iggy Pop all have one thing in common. They were all influenced by Link Wray, whose 1958 instrumental hit Rumble, popularised the power chord. As a result, several generations of guitarists, owe a debt of gratitude to Link Wray. He’s regarded as one of greatest guitarists in …
BOPPIN’ BY THE BAYOU-ROCK ME MAMA!
BOPPIN’ BY THE BAYOU-ROCK ME MAMA! Asked to name America’s musical centres of excellence, and most people will come up with Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Memphis, Nashville, New York and Philadelphia. Each of these cities are responsible for some of the best, and most important music of the past fifty years. To this list I …
YOUNG JESSIE-HIT, GIT AND SPLIT.
YOUNG JESSIE-HIT, GIT AND SPLIT. Texas has a rich musical history. That’s been the case for over a hundred years. Country legends Gene Aubry, Boxcar Willie and George Jones were from Texas. So were blues men Albert Collins, Freddie King and T-Bone Walker. Then there’s Buddy Holly, jazz drummer Buddy Miles, Janis Joplin, Sly Stone, …
WARREN STORM-THE BAD TIMES MAKE THE GOOD TUNES-CLASSIC TEXAS RECORDINGS 1964-1986.
WARREN STORM-THE BAD TIMES MAKE THE GOOD TUNES-CLASSIC TEXAS RECORDINGS 1964-1986. Often, an artist spends a large part of their career with the same producer. The producer just seems able to get the best out of the artist. Musical history is littered with examples. However, despite this success, there’s often the temptation to change producer. …