Virgil, Auteur à the rockabilly chronicle

Truly Lover Trio

23 April 2016

Truly Lover Trio – Bullseye

Twinkletone TR104
Bullseye / Twice Sorry / Pretty Baby / Hora de Llorar / Stranger / The Truth / You’re Fine Fine Fine / Blue For You / A Cat Called Domino / Right Or Wrong / You / Love Crazy Baby / Do The Bop / Stranger / Twice Sorry / Blue For You / Do The Bop.
No matter you like Truly Lover Trio or not (personnally I do) you must admit that Marcel Riesco has created a real signature sound and you can recognize one of his song after just a few bars. Not everybody can say that. He’s also one of the very few rock’n’roll/rockabilly performer to explore melodic territories with a real will to write songs, not just dancing and bopping ditties, see what I mean? Riesco has the knack to write melodies that hook you (Twice Sorry,Pretty baby, You). And yes Roy Orbison comes to mind, but also Buddy Holly (You’re Fine, Fine, Fine) and Marty Robbins (the beautiful “the Truth”). Of course you’ll also find straight rockabillies (Kenny Parchman’s Love Crazy Baby, Orbison’s Domino), rockers like “Do the Bop” (a killer sure to fill the dance floors) or the title track featuring Dawn Shipley on B-vox.
“Bullseye” is surely Truly Lover Trio’s best album (so far…) and if you liked “Dance” and “Dig It” you’ll have with Bullseye the best of both world: the melodies and the rockin’ sides.
As usual with Truly Lover Trio the album is full of demos, outtakes, alternates and even a hidden rockabilly version of “Do The Bop”.

Truly Lover Trio – Dig It

Twinkletone TR102
Let’s Go Out Tonight (Dj Mix) – Dig It – Party Baby – Cuando Vas a Comenzar – Take Me Home – It’s Time – Dream Come True – I’ll Be Cryin’ – Breakin’ Up is Breakin’ My Heart (Live) – Let’s Go Out Tonight (OutTake) – Together – Chains of Love – Don’t Sweat It – Dig It (Demo) – Let’s Go Out Tonight (Thunderbird Version)
This is the third album from LA’s Truly Lover Trio, and the best so far. The first one was a solid debut with lots of rock’n’roll, the second was more “pop” sounding, revealing broader influences. “Dig It” represents the best of this two worlds.
You have Sun influenced rockabilly with tons of echo and a powerful slabasss (that makes a welcome return after the use of an e-bass on the previous album) and melodic rockabilly (Take Me Home, Dream Come True). Of course, Roy Orbison is never far and that’s no surprise when you see that Marcel Riesco’s label is called Twinkletone, doesn’t that sound like a hommage to Roy’s Twinkle Toes? The Big O’s Breakin’ Up is especially well covered, the band getting the true essence of the song, in a similar vein “Party Baby” sounds like a forgotten Orbison tune and is a pleasure from start to end. You’ll find some Spanish flavour too, “Cuando Vas A Comenzar” is a solid rocker and “It’s Time” a beautiful ballad with Spanish guitar and latin beat. Album after album, Riesco feels more confident with his voice and it shows and slow numbers like “I’ll Be Cryin“. On a personnal side I enjoy a lot Chains Of Love with its fine doo woop backing vocals. As usual with Truly Lover Trio you have plenty of bonus songs and/or alternate takes including a demo version of Dig It and no less than three versions of “Let’s Go Out Tonight” (DJ mix, out-take and Thunderbird version). I warmly encourage you to get this platter because Truly Lover Trio are really a one of kind band that have no other equivalent on the scene today. Dig it ? Sure !

Truly Lover Trio – Dance

Twinkletone Records – TR 2006-111
Dance – Spring Fever – Find a Fool – Cool Cutie Cute – Twinkle Toes – Pretending – Secrets in the Wind – Baby Come On – Bullet to my Heart – Un Tonto Mas – She – Dance – Baby Come On
Truly Lover Trio is going further into the style that made songs like “Blueberry Eyes”, “King Of Hearts” and “Sleepless Nights” highlights of Hey Little Girl, his previous album. Actually “Secret In The Wind” reminds “Sleepless Night. The band is now playing full-time with an electric bass (John Carlucci : The Hexxers and previously the Fuzztones) and left aside the slap bass and the rockabilly songs you could find in their set previously. The production is really well done with notably a special work on the guitar with various sounds and the use of an acoustic rhythm guitar too. It’s a mix between Beatles influenced pop songs (“Dance” and its fine harmonica), 60’s rock’n’roll and of course a good dose of Roy Orbison for the inspiration (listen to “Cool Cutie Cute”). The Big “O” is also present here with the sole cover “Twinkle Toes. Marcel Riesco can really craft some killer pop songs like “Spring Fever” or “Pretending” and his voice is really made for that. Every rule has its exception of course and “Bullet To My Heart” is a welcome exception and an excellent wild rocker with mean guitar. It must probably be one of the highlights of his live set. There’s some bonus too. Two old songs, one from 1999 in Spanish and one from 2002 from the same session that gives “Sleepless Nights”, “Lonely Blue Dreams” and “King Of Hearts”. It’s a nice ballad and it’s justice to find it here. The other two bonus tracks are alternative take of “Dance” and the demo of “Baby Come On” with just the voice and a acoustic guitar. But wait ! You have an hidden track : an alternate take of “Pretending”. A good and original second album that benefits of Riesco’s maturity, experience and a tight rhythm section.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Lil Mo and the Unholy 4

23 April 201620 April 2017

Contemporary artists/IJKL/Reviews

Lil Mo and the Unholy 4 – The Big Payoff!

Rhythm Bomb RBR5911 {2015}
Jake Leg – Big Doow – Cry Lil Girl – Sally Forth – My Search – Dig Boy – I Hear You Knockin’ – Easy Does It – Numbers Not Names – Livin’ Some Before I Die – Slippin’ In – Tornado

If you already know the excellent Doo Wop band Lil Mo and the Dynaflos, Lil Mo and the Unholy 4 is their lead singer’s rockin’ side.
Or to put it in a different manner, the Dynaflos are his Jekyll’s side, Lil Mo while the Unholy 4 let his Mister Hyde speak (and if you’ve heard their cover of Save It released in 2013 you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about!).
But I forget to tell you about the essential: Morris “Lil Mo” Everett has to be one the best singer to appear on the rockin’ scene in the last, say, ten years (at least!). His voice is not only good, expressive and powerful, not only can he sings in tune (don’t laugh this is not that frequent) but his tone has to be one of the most original today, the kind you immediatly recognize. It’s so good to hear someone who doesn’t try to imitate the singers of the fifties and comes with his own personnality.
The band is equally good: Mike Sobieski palys guitar (and what guitar,: clean, sharp, rockin’), on bass you have Randy Stanton who played with Marcel Riesco in Truly Lover Trio like the band’s drummer Ricky Mc Cann formerly of the Playboys and who is now part of Big Sandy’s Fly Rite Boys.

Lil’ Mo and the band penned three songs (Jake Legs, Sally Forth and Numbers Not Names) and the remaining songs are covers ranging from well known material to Rockabilly fans (Slippin’ In, Tornado) to lesser known stuff, all played with the band’s trademark sound that make them sound like originals (like the Rimshots did in their time, I know this is not the only example but it sure is one of the best!).
In the end you have one hell of a hot platter made of hot Rockabilly, wild rock’n’roll, swamp blues (they cover Lazy Lester’s I Hear You Knockin’) and a bit of country swing with an awesome cover of Faron Young’s Livin’ Some Before I Die, filled with energy and a feel of emergency and tension that is essential to this music.

No information could be found on the cover about the studio and/or the producer/recording engineer so I don’t know who I have to thank for making such a good sound. And if I say it’is clean and crisp don’t misunderstand me, I don’t mean TOO clean, I mean clean like Big Sandy’s On The Go or anything recorded in a good studio in the fifties (too many believe that to sound “authentic”, a Rockabilly album has to sound muddy and dirty, but Lil Mo and the Unholy 4 don’t fall on that trap!)

I’m going to grab as soon as I can a copy of their previous album, Rapture and will eagerly wait for the next one.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Lil Mo and the Dynaflos

22 April 201623 April 2016

Contemporary artists/IJKL/Reviews

Lil Mo and the Dynaflos – Get Up and Dance

Rhythm Bomb RBR 5829 {2016}

Get Up And Dance – Hands Off – Spellbound – At My Front Door – You Belong To Me – She’s The Most – Miss Magician – Zoop – Shut That Door – Why Don’t You Answer – Closer To The Aisle – Bop, Shake, Boogie – Have Love Will Travel – All Night Long

I won’t try to fool you: though I enjoy listenin’ to some doo-wop from time to time, this is not my main thing and I’m far from being a specialist of the genre. But specialist or not, I know when good music come right across my ears to go straight to my feet. Lil’ Mo and the Dynaflos are a 8-piece little combo with four singers led by Lil’ Mo and his very peculiar and original voice and the usual drums-bass-guitar plus a sax. What you have is basically Italo doo-wop mixed with some early vocal Rhythm’n’ blues (and a bit of rockin’ too). As I said the vocals is amazing with very tight arrangement and the backing band does more than just backing if you see what I mean, working closely with the singers.
Half of the songs are covers (The El Dorados’ At My Front Door, You Belong To Me – that I knew first by Gene Vincent, the Five Keys’s She’s the Most, the Charts’ Zoop, The Maharajahs’s Why Dont You Answer and Richard Berry’s Have Love Will Travel and Joe Houston’s instrumental All Night Long) and the remaining titles are written or co written by Lil Mo (Morris Everett) and Cliff Quan, one of the other vocalist.

It’s been recorded at Wallyphonic Studio by Wally Hersom of Big Sandy fame and the sound is as warm and authentic as one can expect.

All those elements contribute to make of this album one rockin’ little gem, that’ll make you jive in your living room, put a smile on your face and simply fill you appetite for good music. What can I say? Buy it!

V/A – The Northwood Story

10 April 201614 April 2016

Contemporary artists/Reviews/VARIOUS

The Northwood Story

NVCDCOMP 3
Red Hot ‘n’ Blue – Sure Like The Look In Your Eyes / Riverside Trio – Forty Miles Away / Lazy Farm Boys – Jack Rabbit / Sure Shots – Fire Engine Baby / Lone Stars – Lonely Town / Rochee & The Sarnos – Woman Eater / Blue Rhythm Boys – That Don’t Move Me (Alternate Take) / Slingshots – Hay Rig Ride / Fireball XL5 – Walking On The Edge Of Midnight / Red Hot ‘n’ Blue – Caldonia / 4 Blazes – Buck Dance Rhythm / Peter Davenport & the Roof Raisers – Bop A Du Bop A Du Bop / Riverside Trio – Dopey Frutti / Slingshots – That Chick’s Too Young To Fry / Sprites – B-I-Bickey-Bi Bo Bo Bo / Fireball XL5 – Blues Don’t Go / Blue Rhythm Boys – Rollin’ And Tumblin’ / Red Hot ‘n’ Blue – Move Baby Move / Riverside Trio – You Lied All Through The Night / Crawdads – Don’t Let Religion Fool Ya

Northwood was one the most exciting label of the mid 80’s, aiming at an “authenthic” sound before the term was coined by so-called purists. This collection gathers 20 songs, including 18 never issued before.
Red Hot’n’Blue are featured here with three songs. Sure Like The Look In Your Eyes is a re-cut of their great blues bopper with a different line-up and a fuller sound. Louis Jordan’s Caldonia is a track that didn’t make it on the album and was scheduled for a 7″. They give it a real jazz treatment by merging it with Babs Gonzales/Dizzy Gillespie’s Oop pop a da. Superb solos from every band members. The third song is a live take of Dick Penner’s Move Baby Move.
The Riverside Trio was the other great name of the label and the other band to have a full lp. Included here are two hillbilly boppers (one from their early demo and a studio outtake from their debut album) and a new version of Doppey Frutti, probably recorded to be released as a 7″.
The Blue Rhythm Boys were another great band on Northwood. Too bad there wasn’t more unissued stuff. Rollin’ & Tumblin’ comes from their 7″ and That Don’t Move Me is an alternate take of the Carl Perkins cover also present on their debut 45rpm, though this take is a lot wilder.
The Sprites (featuring Pascal Guimbard who later played with Red Hot’n’Blue) were a French band playing Gene Vincent inspired stuff. They had two songs on Big Noise from Northwood. Their cover of Vincent’s B-I-Bickey-Bi sounds exactly like the Screaming Kids.
Another promising act was the Slingshots, who were also on Big Noise. They played Rockabilly with a strong rural feel, and released their debut album more than ten years later after their debut on wax. The Crawdads who have one song here followed a similar path by releasing their debut album “On A Platter” in the early 90’s.
The Sureshots became very popular on the scene, they were and still are a solid live band and released some great albums too. Their cover of the Jiv-A-Tones‘Fire Engine Baby was released on a French ep with the French band the Jokers. This is an alternate take.
The Lonestars later evolved into Howlin’ Wilf’s Vee jays. They played rockin’ blues with a touch of jazz. With the two songs featured on the James Dean of the Dole Queue sampler Lonely Town is to my knowledge their only release.
The Four Blazes featured Pat Reyford and have one song here, a hillbilly rendition of Slim Gaillard’s Buck Dance Rhythm.
Peter Davenport is famous for his association with the Stargazers. The Roofraisers were his first post Gazers venture and featured Jacko Buddin on vocals. Bop A Du Bop A Du Bop is one of the two songs that first appeared on Big Noise From Northwood. Great Bill Haley/Jodimars inspired stuff.
This compilation also proposes an unissued songs from Rochee & the Sarnos (Woman Eater) and two songs by Fireball XL5.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Rusti Steel

9 April 201614 April 2016

Contemporary artists/Reviews/S

Rusti Steel & the Startones – Gone With The Wind

Western Star Records WSRC 041 [2010]
Gone With The Wind – Gone With The Wind – Missing You Blues – Can’t Go Out – Hopin’ For The Best – Baby You Doin’ Me Wrong – A Lovers Question – Lucky Guy – Speed Crazy Baby – Slow Down Suzie – I’ll Do Anything For You – Please Baby Please Be Mine – Whirl – Share Your Life With Me – Wedding Bells Ring – I Can’t Hide

Rusti Steel & the Startone are a rockabilly country boogie band featuring guitar, bass, drums, pumpin’ piano and occasionnal steel guitar. Rusti is not really a newcomer having released rockin’ albums since the mid 80’s. And though it sounds a bit cliche, I have to say that Gone With The Wind is by far his best. With 15 songs and only one cover it’s a killer.

It opens with the Bill Haley & the Saddlemen sound of the title track: propulsive beat on the bass and drums, powerful piano and agressive steel guitar. Next is Missin’ You Blues that owes more to Elvis circa 1956, with Alan Wilson providing back up vocals for a full Jordanaires effect. Double bass player Stewart Dale wrote the Burnette inspired Can’t Go Out, a perfect number though I waited until the end, hoping to hear at least of them scream. The country boogie of Hopin’ For The Best is the good occasion to put the piano to the front. But no time to loose and back to good ol’ rockabilly ala Baby Let’s Play House with Baby You Doin’ Me Wrong followed by the sole cover of the album: Clyde McPhatter’s Lover’s Question.Lucky Guy is a piano led rockabilly with a Danny Cedrone solo in the middle. Speed Crazy Baby is halway between Just Because and Maybellene. Stewart Dale sings Slow Down suzie his second contribution to the album and a good rocker. After a couple more rockabilly numbers the album closes on a high note with I Can’t Hide, a mean rockin’ numbers ala Gene Maltais’Raging Sea.It’s a western Star release so expect top notch production and recording work and special mention to Chris Wilkinson (Bonneville Barons) for the superbly designed cover and booklet.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Honky Tonk Pounders

9 April 201614 April 2016

Contemporary artists/GH/Reviews

Honky Tonk Pounders – Devil Bop

Part Records PART-CD 641 002 [2010]
Devil Bop – Sea Of Tears – Bad Hair Boogie – Lovesick Fool – Freight Train Running – Hot Rod – I Know That You Love me – Boom Boom – let’s Get Rockin’ – You’re The One – Righttime To Rock – Rockabilly Pearl – Bad Luck – 6th Street Rumble – Sweet Innocent.

The Honky Tonk Pounders are a German rockabilly trio featuring Gunnar Fick of the Ringlets Trio. They formed in 1996 but this is only their second release, so you can see this guys take their time when it comes to go into the studio. Actually only five songs are totally new. Ten of the fifteen songs here have already appeared on a 10” mini album but it’s good to have them on cd format. The result is a solid set of 15 originals with varied styles. The backbone of this collection is made of wild and mean rockabilly (Devil Bop, Rockabilly Pearl), with some country ballads (Sea Of Tears and You’re The One with a steel), Gene Vincent styled rockabilly (Hot Rod), neo Rockabilly that takes you back to the Ringlets Trio days (Boom Boom), boogie (Bad Hair Boogie that features a piano), blues (6th Street Rumble).
The Honky Tonk Pounders influences comes from the classic rockabilly masters (Burnette, Perkins) as well as today’s bands : Freight train Running shares a similar riff to Deke Dickerson’s Wear Out The Sole Of My Shoes, I Know That You Love Me strongly made me think of Big Sandy’s Thru Dreamin’ and you can hear a Derailers influence in Bad Luck.
Fick whose prowess on the slap bass with the Ringlets Trio never ceased to amaze, proves he’s also a very good guitar player and the other two members provide a strong rhythm.
All of these contribute to make a highly enjoyable album.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis