Monthly archive

August 2014

Howlin’ Hound Dogs (the)

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Howlin' Hound DOgs - cat by the tail
Howlin’ Hound DOgs – cat by the tail

The Howlin’ Hound Dogs – Cat by the Tail

Self Released
Cat By The Tail – Behave Be Quiet Or Begone – Take & Give – Stranger Than Fiction – Thinking’s Man Woman – Bottle To The Baby – Broken Heart – Gonna Be Better Times – Hungry For Your Lovin – My Baby Walks All Over Me – Gonna Love My Baby – Servant Of Love – Give My Love To Rose – Slip Slip Slippin In
“Cat by the tail” was the second album from this Montreal based band. The first one is now out of print, hope it’ll be re-released some day. What you’ll find here is classic rockabilly, or authentic if you prefer, that wouldn’t be out of place in the Sun catalog (despite the cover art and its Elvis / RCA graphism). One original (the excellent Cat By The Tail) and 13 covers, but played with so much personnality they make this songs their own. Even well known songs like “Slip Slip Slippin’ In” or “Give My Love To Rose” sound fresh.The reason is the musicianship of course, but mainly Noël Thibault’s voice. He has those kind of rockabilly voice I enjoy, where you can still hear the country roots in it (listen to “Behave Be Quiet Or Begone” with its falsetto). Slim Rhodes’ “Take & Give” is given a rockin’ treatment with the steel part being replaced by a Burlisonian guitar  à la “You’re Undecided”. “Broken Heart” is the occasion to salute the work of the rhythm section. The drums and the bass work perfectly together. Sometimes in rockabilly bands, especially when they have a drummer, the bassist tends to over-slap which is not necessary. This is not the case of The Howlin’ Hound Dogs. I could go on, telling you how “My Baby Walks All Over Me” is moving or how “Give My Love To Rose” almost makes you forget the Man In Black, but the best thing for you is to grab a copy now.

White Lightning

White Lightnin' promo photo - One of a batch of publicity photos taken by photographer and actor Martin Oldfield, somewhere in a warehouse in Ancoats sometime in 1981 - All rights reserved
White Lightnin’ promo photo – One of a batch of publicity photos taken by photographer and actor Martin Oldfield, somewhere in a warehouse in Ancoats sometime in 1981 – All rights reserved

A British rockabilly quartet formed by Stuart Warburton (vocals, rhythm guitar, tenor saxophone, harmonica), Paul Murphy (lead guitar/steel guitar), Phil Morris (double bass) aznd Gary Leach (drums) in the early 80’s. They had two tracks (House Of The Rising Sun and You’re Not Going Out Dressed Like That) scheduled for release by Hot Rock Records but were dropped at last minute though some test pressings exist.
They changed their name for the Rhythmaires when Big Dave Machin joined the band in late 1982 then split before reforming in late 1983/early 84 with a more jump/jive sound.
Paul Murphy later joined the Crawdads.
The album The Rhythmaires – Tenth Anniversary Album (Raucous RAUCD006) features 10 demo tracks by White Lightnin’.

Slingshots (the)

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Slingshots - Feels so right
Slingshots – Feels so right

The Slingshots – Feels So Right!

Raucous Records RAUCD 040
Say When ~ Steamhammer Jones ~ Blue Eyed Country Gal ~ Ride That 95 ~ All The Time ~ The Pain Has Gone ~ Feels So Right ~ Slim’s Rag ~ Landlord Blues ~ Party On The Moon ~ Dole Cheque Thursday ~ You Can Do No Wrong ~ Drunken Blues ~ That Gal Of Mine ~ Jezebel

The Slingshots formed in the mid 80’s and were associated to the Northwood label home of Red Hot’n’Blue, Riverside Trio and the Blue Rhythm Boys and other great acts. They released two songs on Big Noise from Northwood then more or less vanished though a couple more songs later resurfaced on the Northwood Story (NV Records) in 1991. Finally, nearly twenty years later, in 1999, with a new bass player they found a new peak of creativity and they released their debut album for Raucous.
This drummerless trio plays rockabilly for the majority of songs including many originals with influences from Pat Cupp, Sun records, Carl Perkins whom they cover two songs and Meteor records.But they doesn’t limit themselves to Rockabilly and you’ll also find hillbilly bop and blues too (most notably the excellent The Pain Has Gone) with some songs featuring a fourth member on harmonica.
Though it’s not credited on the booklet I believe it’s been recorded on vintage equipment at Riverside studio by Chris Cummings of the Riverside Trio as they had songs from this album on the Riverside Rockabilly sampler.
Highly recommended!.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Frantix (the)

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Antix with the Frantix
Antix with the Frantix

The Frantix – Antix With the Frantix

Rollin Records RRCD-008
Mama,Mama,Mama – Duck Run – Big Time Mama – Alligator Meat – No Lovin’ No River Blues – Mean Evil Woman – Rock Around The Town – Rock And Roll Fever – What’s Inside A Girl – Filth – She’s My Baby – Rocket Ride Bop – Stone Killer – Hep Cat – Toe Rag Stomp – Trouble With A Capital T – Never Been So Lonely

Believe it or not, the Frantix exist since 1981 but this is their first long player (though they appeared on compilation albums). The band has gone under a few line-up changes. The first two third of “Antix with…” has been recorded in 2008 and 2009 with Jerry Brill (vocals), Graham Murphy (lead guitar), Boz Boorer (rhythm guitar and sax) Roger Van Niekirk (drums) and Neil Scott (doublebass), the remaining titles were recorded in 1994 and feature Malcom Chapman (lead guitar) and Craig Shaw (rhythm guitar). You can say you’re in good company with members of the Bobshack Stompers, Carlos and the Bandidos, The Excellos, The Polecats etc.
The opening number, “Mama, Mama, Mama”, is a classic rockabilly that reminds a lot of “That’s Allright“. Then everything goes wild with “Duck Run” a Batman like instrumental written by Boorer with a dirty sound and wild screams added for good measure. And from that moment you’re on for 45 minutes of some of the finest rock’n’roll recently recorded featuring Diddley beat (“She’s My Baby” with maracas and sax), strip clubs instrumental (“Filth” with sax) and of course a majority of wild and raucous rockabilly, including a cover of the Cramps’ What’s Inside A Girl“. Talking about The Cramps, “Rocket Ride Bop” is not that far from their sound and reminds me a bit of “Rock On The Moon“. Hey, what did you expect? This band is called the Frantix not the Sweetiz or something like that. Even on mellower tunes like Jimmy Sysum’s Big Time Mama you feel the urgency in Brillo’s voice. Just plain great!
Recorded live, for some parts at Toe Rag, this is what rock’n’roll should be: raw, wild, nervous and most of all thrilling.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

V/A Home Grown Rockabilly

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Home Grown Rockabilly - Nervous
Home Grown Rockabilly – Nervous

Alligator / Nervous
Crazy love – The Meteors / London is my hillbilly home – Johnny Key And The Kool Kats /Rockin’ this joint tonite – The Rhythm Cats /Hi ho fiddle dee dee – Gentleman Jim Mealey /I’m on my way – The Rhythm Cats /Tears fallin’ down like rain – Johnny Key And The Kool Cats /Go away – The Meteors /Move over baby – The Rhythm Cats /Rockin’ all nite – The Polecats /Little confused – Gentleman Jim Mealey /My baby loves me – The Meteors /My baby’s gone – The Rhythm Cats /Second hand information – Gentleman Jim Mealey /Fallin’ for you – Johnny Key And The Kool Kats /I’d find you – Gentleman Jim Mealey /Keep my big wheels turnin’ – Johnny Key And The Kool Kats / Make you realise – Johnny Key And The Kool Kats /Rockin’ on down the line – Gina And The Rockin’ Rebels /Thinkin’ on you – Gina And The Rockin’ Rebels

This compilation first issued on Alligator records in 1980 captures the British rockabilly scene at a key moment of its evolution. It was produced by Terry Earl, Pete Pritchard and Niggsy Owens, respectively drummer, bassist and guitarist of Flying Saucers. They were also the “house band” of the label appearing under the moniker of the Kool Kats on some sides.
The Meteors tracks are three Fenech originals that he sings too. It’s first class Rockabilly with a touch of skiffle on “My Baby Loves Me (Yes She Does)“. We’re far from the sound that ‘d be latter found on “In Heaven”. Actually these three songs were recorded during the transition between Raw Deal (who featured Terry Earl and Pat Panioty who later went on to form the Deltas) and the Meteors. By the time this compilation was released their sound had changed.
Another band who had a lasting influence on the Rockabilly scene was the Polecats. They only recorded one song for this album as they wanted to keep their material for a major record deal.
Before joining the Polecats, Neil Rooney played with the Rhythm Cats along with Peter Davenport and Anders Janes who later formed the Stargazers another rockin’ band to get a deal with a major. The recorded four songs of rural hillbilly bop mixed with rockabilly and early Bill Haley. “Move Over baby” was later reworked by the Stargazers and is/was available on “Rock that Boogie” on Vinyl Japan.
Gentleman Jim (Mealey) played solid rockabilly in the Sun/Meteor style while Johnny Key leaned more toward the hillbilly side of things with mandolin, banjo, fiddle and dobro.
The cd and mp3 version contain the other singles released by the label. Gina and the Strollers released two hot rockabilly numbers. “i’d Find You” is a solid western swing with sax and fiddle by Gentleman Jim while Johnny Key produced “Make You Realise” in the style of Johnny Cash and “Hillbilly Music” covered by Kitty Daisy and Lewis nearly 30 years later on their debut album.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis