Various Artists – Ooh-Eee! What You Do To Me?! – Stars, Inc. Rockers and Country Boppers from Atlanta, GA
Bear family Records – BAF 14038
Side A
Ooh-Eee (What You Do To Me) Chuck Atha / I’m Wise To You Now Judy Tolbert / Rock Bottom #1 The Rockateers / Rock Bottom #2 The Rockateers / You’re My Baby The Night Hawks / Song Of The Singing Wind Kenny Lee
Side B
Oooh-Eee Ric Cartey with The Jiv-A-Tones / My Baby Is Gone Cleve Warnock / Ten Wheels Billy Barton / Riding Shotgun (In A Hot Rod Car) Danny Welch / A Boy And A Guitar Cleve Warnock / Did We Have A Party Billy Brown
This new release in the Bear Family 10″ series is dedicated to Stars, Inc., a short-lived label from Atlanta, Georgia, that released a handful of singles between 1955 and 1957, exploring a wide range of musical styles from hillbilly and rock ‘n’ roll to rockabilly and instrumentals. The then-unknown Jerry Reed collaborated with the label, writing songs and participating in recording sessions. Further information can be found in the enclosed booklet. This LP features 12 of the label’s best tracks.
The selection debuts with Ooh Eee (What You Do To Me) penned by Jerry Reed (who also probably plays guitar on it too) and performed by Chuck Atha. With its high pitch voical, driving rhythm and sharp guitar solo, it doesn’t get more Rockabilly than that. There’s a second version of the song on the B-side, performed by the Jiv-A-Tones, with a more rock ‘n’ roll sound. I prefer Atha’s version, but it’s very interesting to listen to and compare the two.
Though it’s not confirmed, there’s a strong possibility that the mighty and mean guitar on Judy Tolbert’s I’m Wise To You Now is also played by Jerry Reed.With that relate the label was clearly trying to find and market its own Brenda Lee. They went as far as write her age (11 years old) under her name on the single, although she was actually 13 or 14 when she recorded the song.
The omnipresent Jerry Reed returns under the alias of the Rockateers with Rock Bottom #1 and #2, two guitar-led bluesy instrumental reminiscent of Bill Dogget’s Honky Tonk.
You’re My Baby by the Night Hawks is a rather strange track, based on a somewhat wobbly rhythm reminiscent of a carousel, but the hiccupy vocals intervene, transforming the track into a first-rate rockabilly.
Like You’re My Baby, Song Of The Singing Wind is also a Danny Welsh composition. Kenny Lee’s falsetto (reminiscent of Slim Whitman), the stripped-down rhythm, and the haunting steel guitar give the song an eerie atmosphere.
Danny Welsh eventually took lead vocals on his own song Riding Shotgun (In A Hot Rod Car), a semi-spoken song with prominent male backing vocals in the same vein as Mitchum’s Thunder Road.
With My Baby Is Gone, Cleve Warnock delivers a stripped-down rockabilly that is absolutely superb. The other song performed by Warnock is Boy and a Guitar, a beautiful hillbilly song that is both haunting and minimalist.
Billy Barton’s Ten Wheels is a strange truck-driving song, which, in its rhythm, sounds more like the Indian-themed songs that were popular at the time.
The final track of the selection is Billy Brown’s Did We Have A Party. It’s an aggressive Rock’n’Roll with wailing saxophone, scorching electric guitar and pounding drumbeat. Judging by the chaotic and sometimes confusing nature of the track, it seems the party also took place in the studio.
It’s a limited release, only 500 copies, so grab a copy while you can.
Buy your copy here.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis
