Virgil

Born Bad

Born Bad - 1989
Born Bad – 1989

Born Bad

A short-lived rockabilly band from North London formed in 1988 by Guy Bolton (guitar) and Alain Whyte (vocals and guitar). Bolton introduced Whyte to Spencer Cobrin (drums), a guy he knew for having jammed with in a band that later became Carlos & The Bandidos. Ian Arrow, the bass player was recruited through a newspaper. They rehearsed a bit and quickly gigged in the London area.
Some songs, produced by Boz Boorer, were recorded and “Movin’ On” and “Born Bad” later appeared on the comp’ 20 Blasters From Blighty (NV COMP 001).
Arrow then left the band and his replacement was Gary “Gaz” Day (Frantic Flintstones, Sharks, Gazmen, Nitros…) but they eventually disbanded after a few gigs when Bolton went on to form another band.
Whyte, Cobrin and Day evolved into The Memphis Sinners and then became Morrissey’s backing band. Bolton joined Mouse (Red Hot’n’Blue) to form Switchblade a rockabilly / rockin’ blues band.

Born Bad – 1989

Little Tony and the Tennessee Rebels

Little Tony and the Tennessee Rebels

A rockabilly band formed in the late 70’s. They wanted to call themselves the Spur Dogs or Spur Dog Run, but their London agent opted for the more traditionnal name of Tony and the Tennessee Rebels much to the band distress.
There were two line-ups. The first consisted of Clint Bradley on vocals and guitar, Steve Noyce on electric bass, Danny Kelly drums, and Gus Guthrie on guitar.
In 1979 Mitch Caws and Bruce Hobbs replaced Noyce and Guthrie.

They recorded one ep in January 1980 (under the name of Tony and the Tennesse Rebels) featuring three original songs penned by Bradley (Slap That Bass, Rock The Barn, Roll On Baby) and one cover (Ten Little Women). Then, in late 1980 (around November) Clint Bradley and Mitch Caws replaced Dave Phillips in the Blue Cat Trio which became the Blue Cats.

More recordings, mostly demos, were later released by Nervous on the album “The Blue Cats – the Early Days“.

Discography

EP [1980]
Red Hot! Records – REP 1004
The Blue Cats – The Early Days
[1983 – reis. 1992]
Nervous 010 (14 songs)

 

Little Tony & the Tennessee Rebels – first line-up
Little Tony & the Tennessee Rebels – 2nd line-up

The Ringlets Trio

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The Ringlets Trio - For Daily Use
The Ringlets Trio – For Daily Use

The Ringlets Trio – For Daily Use

Part Records, PART-CD 657.001 [2003]
Who’s That Girl – Love Bug Crawl – Straight Ahead – Mobile Alabama – Come On Kitty – Angelina – This Heart Of Mine – I’m Coming Home – 2 Tone Shoes – Do The Bop – My Only One – Why Did You Leave Me – Top Of The World – I Need Her So – Baby Take Me Back – Break Some Rules

After a long hiatus (nearly 10 years) the Ringlets Trio (Gunnar Fick, Lead Vocals & Upright Bass – Ulrich van der Schoor, Backing Vocals & Guitar and Christof Woller, Drums & Percussion) returns with a more traditional sounding album featuring some very good songs ranging from hillbilly bop with steel guitar (Straight Ahead and Top of the World) to Latin influenced tune like Angelina with plenty of rockin’ in between.
After “Brand New Beat” that saw them going a bit too far away from the “Ringlets sound” and “Rockabilly Favorite” that wasn’t really an album, it’s fine to see them return in fine form to something closer, but more modern and with expanded influences, to what the band used to play. To compare what the band accomplished listen to “Why did you leave me” on this album and the earlier version that appeared on “Be Aware”.

The Ringlets Trio - Rockabilly Favorites
The Ringlets Trio – Rockabilly Favorites

The Ringlets Trio – Rockabilly Favorites

Rumble – RUMBCD032  [1996]
Your Baby Blue Eyes –  I’m Sittin’ On The Top Of The World – Mambo Rock – Who Slapped John? – Route 66 – Lonesome Train – Race With The Devil – Twenty Flight Rock – Right Behind You Baby –  Baby Let’s Play House – Rock Therapy – That’s Right – Rain – Caldonia

The title says it all. Fourteen rockabilly classics played by the Ringlets Trio. If some are pleasant and even good (Lonesome Train, Right Behind You) others, especially the slowest numbers, are just average, especially the vocals that is not always in tune.
Far from being essential.

The Ringlets Trio - Brand New Beat
The Ringlets Trio – Brand New Beat

The Ringlets Trio – Brand New Beat

Rumble – RUMBCD032  [1994]
Honky Tonk Blues – Talk To Me Like The Rain – Sugar Bee – Fell Damn Low – Give Me All Your Lovin’ – Hey Girl – Drifting – In Your Arms – Bullfrog Blues – Crazy Legs  – She’s Fine – Homeless

“Brand new beat”; it’s written on it, so if you think you’ll find on this platter the jivin’-doo-wop-neo-rockabilly that you used to expect from the Ringlets Trio you’re bound to be disapointed. The band changed their style with a fuller sound, a heavy production, pounding drums, and guest instruments (accordion, piano, organ, lap steel…). They remain true to roots music but with a definitive modern approach not far from the Blasters ranging from electrified country to rockin’ blues with zydeco in between. For example their cover of Hank Williams’ Honky Tonk Blues sounds more like Dwight Yoakam than the Lovesick Blues Boy.
Very different from the “old” Ringlets trio but quite good.

The Ringlets Trio - Rocks/Big Apple Jive
The Ringlets Trio – Rocks/Big Apple Jive

The Ringlets Trio – Rocks/Big Apple Jive

Rumble 003
Down Town Girl ~ 6-5 Jive ~ Burnin’ Baby ~ Bad Dreams ~ The Only Way ~ Shake Your Moneymaker ~ House Is Rockin’ ~ Don’t Stay Gone Long ~ Flyin’ Saucers Rock ‘n’ Roll ~ She’s The One ~ Latch On ~ Rock ‘n’ Roll Jump ‘n’ Jive ~ Big Apple Jive ~ My Only One ~ London ~ Blood On Her Fingers ~ Train ~ Cover Girl ~ I Can’t Go On ~ Don’t Waste Your Time ~ Crazy Legs ~ Stranger In Town.

This cd of the Ringlets Trio gathers the first and the third albums recorded by this German band respectively in 1988 and 1990.
Big Apple Jive, the first one, is included as a bonus in the second part of the record (tracks 13 to 22). It contains its dose of uptempo neo-rockabilly with slap bass to the fore (Train) and clean electric guitar. They mix it with jive/doo-wop material reminiscent of the Keytones (Cover Girl), a bit of country music (My Only One) and some jazzy-rockabilly (Stranger In Town). Sadly the vocals are not always in tune and it shows its limits especially on songs that need tight vocal arrangements.
Recorded nearly three years later, Rocks is a far better effort on many levels. The guitar sound is richer and Gunnar Fick, still more than able on double bass, feels more confident when he sings. The self penned songs are also more original. The Ringlets Trio added a good dose of blues (Shake Your Money Maker, the house is Rockin) and some songs benefit of the presence of Gotz Alsmann on piano.
All in all a far superior album.

The Ringlets Trio - Be Aware
The Ringlets Trio – Be Aware

The Ringlets Trio – Be Aware

Cuppamore Records ‎– CUPPAMORE 11 [1989]

Why Did You Leave Me – Doll Face – What Love Can Do  – I Need Her So – Pink Roses –  Grey Cat Strut – Give Me The Chance – Today, Tomorrow, Forever  – What About You –  Standin’ At The Outside – 2 Hearts, 2 Kisses – To Loose A Love

A far better album than the first one, the band (Hartmut Oderbein, drums – Jens Pinkernell, guitar and Gunna Fick, lead Vocals, double Bass) is tight (though there remains some flaws in the vocals) and deliver some solid neo-rockabilly somewhere between Restless and the Keytones. And there’s still that crazy double bass that is the band’s strongest point.
All in all despite some minor flaws an good album, that reflects what the scene sounded like back in the mid/late eighties.

 

R-2471221-1314337968The Ringlets Trio – Big Apple Jive

Ringlets Records [1987]
Big Apple Jive ~ My Only One ~ London ~ Blood On Her Fingers ~ Train ~ Cover Girl ~ I Can’t Go On ~ Don’t Waste Your Time ~ Crazy Legs ~ Stranger In Town.

Debut album recorded in September in 1987 and self released by the band. Later reissued as a bonus on their third album (see the review for more details).

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

 

See also Blue Velvet anf the Honky Tonk Pounders, featuring Gunnar Fick on guitar.

The Best of Ripsaw records

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Best of ripsaw records

Best of Ripsaw records - Vol. 1
Best of Ripsaw records – Vol. 1

Vol. 1
PART Records 650.005
The Boogie Disease – Billy Hancock & The Tennessee Rockets / Bad Boy – Tex Rubinowitz / Feelin’ Right Tonight – Martha Hull / When I See You – Billy Hancock / Get A Little Goner – Marti Brom / Wheels On Fire – Kid Tater & The Cheaters / This Time – Billy Hancock & The Tennessee Rockets / Oooh-Wow! – The Uptown Rhythm Kings / Both Wheels Left the Ground – Bobby Smith / Rootie Tootie – Billy Hancock & The Tennessee Rockets / Mascara Tears – Marti Brom / Sweet Alla Lee – Louie Setzer & The Appalachian Mountain Boys / House Rocker – The Uptown Rhythm Kings / Lonely Blue Boy” – Billy Hancock & The Tennessee Rockets / Hot Rod Man – Tex Rubinowitz / Alley Cat” – Billy Hancock / What Do I Hafta Do – Bobby Smith / No Use Knockin’ – The Uptown Rhythm Kings / Oh, Caroline – Billy Hancock / Finders Keepers – Marti Brom

Nest of Ripsaw records - vol. 2
Best of Ripsaw records – vol. 2

Vol. 2
PART Records 650.007
Billy Hancock & The Tennessee Rockets – Do It If You Wanna / Tex Rubinowitz – Red Cadillac and A Black Moustache / Martha Hull – Fujiyama Mama / Billy Hancock – I Need You Now / Marti Brom – A Fool Such As I / Kid Tater & The Cheaters – You Oughta Know Better / Billy Hancock & The Tennessee Rockets – Rockabilly Fever /
Uptown Rhythm Kings – Open Up The Back Door / Bobby Smith – I Wanna Be With You Billy Hancock – Christmas In Tennessee / Marti Brom & Bill Kirchen – Sweet Thang / Louie Setzer – Bluegrass Hall Of Fame / Uptown Rhythm Kings – Let Me Give You Lovin’ / Roy Kyle – I Like Your Style Baby / Tex Rubinowitz – Ain’t It Wrong / Billy Hancock – Sarah Lee / Bobby Smith – Tough Girls / Uptown Rhythm Kings – Sad As A Man Can Be / Artie & Curt – I Wanna Bop With You / Marti Brom – Feelin’ Right Tonight.

Best of Ripsaw records - vol.3
Best of Ripsaw records – vol.3

Vol. 3
PART Records 650.009
Billy Hancock & The Tennessee Rockets – Miss Jessie Lee / Tex Rubinowitz – I Wanna Bop With You / Marti Brom – Write Me In Care Of The Blues / Billy Hancock – Broken Heart / Martha Hull – Fujiyama Mama / Switchblade – She Makes Me Rock Too Much
Billy Hancock – Marie Marie / Uptown Rhythm Kings – ‘Til I Say Well Done / Bobby Smith – It’s Summertime / Billy Hancock & The Tennessee Rockets – Knock-Kneed Nellie Marti Brom – I Get The Blues When It Rains / Louie Setzer – Wood Smoke
Uptown Rhythm Kings – I’m Gonna Have To Send You Back / Billy Hancock & The Tennessee Rockets – Stay A While / Tex Rubinowitz – Feelin’ Right Tonight / Narvel Felts – It’s Not The Presents Under My Tree / Roy Kyle & Nite Life – Flyin’ High / Memphis Rockabilly Band – Lindy Rock / Billy Hancock – Great Shakin’ Fever / Marti Brom – Forbidden Fruit

Ripsaw records was a mostly Rockabilly label founded in 1976 and active until 1990, though the label was revived in September 2010 to release, jointly with Goofin records of Finland, “Not For Nothin’” by Marti Brom. With the years Ripsaw gained, with reason, a cult status.
Recently Part-Records, from Germany released a bunch of compilation albums titled “the best of Ripsaw records”. A very good idea as the vast majority of this recording never made it to cd. There are three volumes so far and I guess a fourth one is in the making. Part hasn’t cut corners and each cd comes with a detailed booklet featuring a song by song analysis, biographies and a complete and detailed sessionography.

One of the most prolific and best known artists is Billy Hancock. With or without his band the Tennessee Rockets, he’s featured here with no less than 18 cuts of high. The listener is treated to the whole gamut of Rockin’ music like Hillbilly bop (Rootie Tootie), classic Rockabilly (Caroline, Do It If You Wanna, Knock Kneed Nellie that sounds like a cross between Charlie Feathers and Buddy Holly), Presley influenced Rock’n’roll, some with Jordanaires type of vocals (Stay Awhile, Lonely Blue Boys, I Need You Now), Rock’n’roll (Marie Marie), frantic rockin’ blues (Boogie Disease), Christmas (Christmas in Tennessee) and neo-rockabilly pastiche (Alley Cat).
Though Tex Rubinowitz made just a few recordings for Ripsaw, his legacy is equally important. He influenced countless band and acts like High Noon or Go Cat Go respectively covered Ain’t It Wrong and Hot Rod Man. They’re all here as well as a live cut.
Hancock and Rubinowitz also recorded once together under the moniker of Artie and Curt and their Classmates a fine duet with hillbilly harmonies.
Martha Hull only had one single out on Ripsaw on which she’s backed by Rubinowitz’s touring band of the time featuring Eddie Angel (Planet Rockers, Los Straitjackets). Both sides (a cover of Tex’s Feelin Right Tonight and Wanda Jackson’s Fujiyama Mama) are solid rockabilly and are included here as well as an alternate track previously unreleased. Also linked to Rubinowitz is Switchblade a band that consists of members of the Bad Boys. It’s a hard rockin’ combo. She Makes Me Rock Too Much is a hard rocker ala Chuck Berry but lacks of originality on the chorus.
Also a one single band for the label, Kid Tater and the Cheaters provide two solid rock’n’roll with piano. Bobby Smith’s songs come from his album the two sides of… Guitar freaks will jump on his cover of Crazy Cavan’s Both Wheels Left the Ground that features an amazing guitar part by the late Danny Gatton. There’s a chance of pace with the joyful It’s Summertime, the boppin’ I wanna Be You. Most surprising is Tough Girls that has a strong 60’s feel revisited by the 80’s with sax and weird guitar part, a bit like John Cafferty.
Roy Kyle brings a welcome country feel with I Like your Style while Flyin’ High is more on the rockin side of things.
Though Ripsaw is mostly associated with Rockabilly and Rock’n’roll they also released stuff by the Uptown Rhythm Kings, a hot Jump Blues combo that is also at ease with straight blues and even some mambo, and Louie Setzer & the Appalachian Boys an excellent Bluegrass combo.
Some artist didn’t have releases on Ripsaw but were linked to the label in on way or another. Narvel Felts is a Rockabilly legend and needs no introduction. His song It’s Not the Present is a Christmas ballad, originally released on Billy Poore’s Renegade records and penned by Poore and Rubinowits. Likewise the Memphis Rockabilly Band has reached a cult status. Lindy Rock is one of their earlier cuts and features an amazing guitar solo by Bill Coover.
Latest artist who released an album on the label is Marti Brom. The songs included here mixes some average cuts like I Got the blues When It Rains that doesn’t really swing with the best tracks of the album (Mascara Tears, Get A Little Goner).

As said before, this collection is very well done and features very interesting stuff and it is safe to say that these three volumes belong to the collection of anyone interested in the Rockabilly Revival movement.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Ricky Fabian

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Ricky Fabian - Big Bang Boogie
Ricky Fabian – Big Bang Boogie

Ricky Fabian – Big Bang Boogie

Rhythm Bomb {2014}
When You Break A Heart – Big Bang Boogie – Never Trust A Girl (Persch) – Rockin’ With My Baby – Man With The Blues – I Got A Woman (And Gonna Last Long) – They Know Better – Cry Over You – The Color Of Your Eyes – I’ve Got You In My Heart – Searchin’ – Showdown.

To be honest, I must admit that, at first sight, the name Ricky Fabian sounded a bit too “teen idol” for me. Had I stay on that first impression I would have missed one of the best Rock’n’roll record I’ve heard in ages. Once I put the cd in my player my doubts quickly vanished. It was an instant revelation!
I have very few infos about this young guy, I believe that he comes from Switzerland and it looks like “Big Bang Boogie” is his first LP. But there’s one thing that I know: this guy can sing. And with ten songs from his pen out of twelve (the other two are a cover of Willie Nelson’s Man With The Blues and a song written by Axel Praefcke).
Backed with class and talent by a band formed with members of Cherry Casino and Ike and the Capers, Ricky Fabian offers a brand of Rock’n’roll that manages to sound fresh and classic in the same time. The album alternates rockers with ballads and some mid-tempos in between with a slight country feel.
Besides the voice and the song, the other element that makes the difference with some similar albums is the tastefull use of Jordanaires type of backing vocals. How many artists dare to do that nowadays? The superb production of Axel Praefcke and Ike Stoye at the great Lightnin Recording studios sounds as if Elvis RCA stuff had been recorded at Sun, and it’is just the icing on an already delicious cake.
Buy it NOW!

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

The Blue Rhythm Boys

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Blue Rhythm Boys - At Last (wild records)
Blue Rhythm Boys – At Last (wild records)

Blue Rhythm Boys - At Last (Big Beat)
Blue Rhythm Boys – At Last (Big Beat)

The Blue Rhythm Boys – At Last

Big Beat CD WIK 105 {1992}
Wild Records {2010}
That’s The Stuff You Gotta Watch – I’ll Go Crazy – Person To Person – I’m Walkin’ – It Isn’t Right – Cajun Love Affair – Trace Of You – Crazy Mixed Up World – Ride ‘N’ Roll – Babe’s Comin’ Home – Mother Earth – I’ll Try – Hoochie Coochie Man – Come On Back – Wang Dang Doodle – Breathless – Blue Rhythm Boogie – Go Ahead On – Catfish

Wild records has the good idea to reissue this now hard to find jewel, first released in 1992 on Ace / Big Beat.

“At Last“, seldom an album had a so perfectly suited title. This 19 songs album (15 on the 10” vinyl) fulfilled a wait of almost 10 years. Recorded live in one hectic 10 hour session it finally shows the Rhythms’ on a long distance and it was worth the wait.
The line-up has changed a bit since the EP. Ashley Kingman (Red Hot’n’Blue, Rockin’ Rocket 88 and now Big Sandy And His Fly Rite Boys) joined Ansell and Carlisle on second guitar while Matt Jackson (a gifted guitarist too) was on drums and Nick Gillroy on bass. They took advantage of this fuller line-up to delve into a more rhythm and blues/Chicago blues repertoire with songs by Willie Dixon, Fats Domino, Howlin Wolf, James Brown, Memphis Slim and Little Walter. They are often close to the originals (Hoochie Coochie Man, Wand Dang Doodle) while sometimes playing them in a rockin’ blues way (“The Stuff You Gotta Watch”). Conway Twitty’s I’ll Try is turned into a blues with pumping piano and soulful vocal from Ansell and a scorching guitar solo that make this song one of my favorite (if you’re interested). The frantic covers of Tommy Cassell’s Go Ahead On and Jerry Lee’s Breathless are here to remember us they started as a rockabilly band as do Ansell’s own “Come On Back” with another wild solo from Jim Carlisle (what a guitarist!). Another fave of mine is Cajun Love Affair with harp and some French lyrics to add the Louisiana flavor.If you like good rockin’ blues with a touch of rockabilly and soul here and there, put your hand on this one. All killer, no filler !

Available at Wild Records.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Blue Rhythm Boys - Northwood
Blue Rhythm Boys – Northwood

The Blue Rhythm Boys – Northwood ep

Northwood Records.-NWEP 101
Rollin & Tumblin/My Happiness/That don’t move me /Nobody but you

In the world, there are some enigmas which remain unexplained and others which find sometimes their resolution. But while waiting for this moment of “light”, the men think hard fantasise and seek placebos. For a long time the Elvis “My Happiness” version, the first recording of the future King for the Sun label remained a mystery, an “all the dreams” object for wild imagination of the whole wide world rockers. Was it possible to sense an already germinated hillbilly cat magic in this title? Even some suspicious people wondering whether this legendary Graal really existed until it was finally discovered and published for the first time ever.
But before this magic moment, a blue EP enabled us to have an idea of what this song was supposed to sound by a young Elvis. This mono recording Ep released back in the early eighties by the no longer alive british label Northwood had on his cover written in some large black capital letters framed by musical ranges what seems to be the name of the band : “The Blue Rhythm Boys”. But inside of that modest blue cover there was four tracks of pure rockabilly blues dynamite which included a presleyan “My Happiness” cover
Paul Ansell, the singer, for whom it was the first band, gives us an idea with his inhabited voice of what one dreamed being Elvis interpretation of that Betty Peterson and Borney Bergantine song. It was like holding in your hands the real one copy Sun single and being Indiana Jones listening to that relic of the past!!! It was for my part the first time that I heard a “so much fifties sounding” combo. The other tracks were “Rollin & Tumblin” (Muddy Waters), That don’t move me (Carl Perkins) and Nobody But You (Little Walter) and are real killers played by some of the finest british musicians of that era (Jim Carlisle – slide guitar, Allen Thow – bass and Jeff Tuck – drums). If you haven’t already lived that experiment and even if we all know today the Elvis “My Happiness” cover, it’s never too late to listen to what has become a rockabilly milestone for many rockers around the world.

David “Long Tall” Phisel

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