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Roy Brown – Saturday Night

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roybrownrb_smallEl Toro R&B 112
Hurry, Hurry Baby – Old Age Boogie (Parts 1 & 2) – Laughing But Crying – Grandpa Stole My Baby – Money Can’t Buy Love – Letter From Home – Midnight Lover Man – Mr. Hound Dog’s In Town – Caldonia’s Wedding Day – Trouble At Midnight – Crazy, Crazy Women – Everything’s All Right – Bootleggin’ Baby – No Love At All – Up Jumped The Devil – Don’t Let It Rain – Ain’t No Rockin’ No More – Queen Of Diamonds – Gal From Kokomo – Worried Life Blues – Fanny Brown Got Married – Black Diamond – Shake ‘Em Up Baby – Saturday Nite – Everybody – The Tick Of The Clock – I’m Stickin’ With You – Party Doll – Let The Four Winds Blow
It would be a mistake to summarize Roy Brown’s discography to “Good Rockin’ Tonight”. In addition to Deluxe/King, he cut sides for Imperial, Home Of The Blues, DRA and even Chess and died in 1981 after making a well deserved triumphant return to New Orleans. This mammoth cd (29 songs) presents his lesser known sides recorded for King between 1952 and 1955, and 6 tunes from his Imperial sessions. Brown’s new home had no plan to change a formula that was successful and this sides are in the same vein of his precedent releases, sharing the same arrangements or themes (“Ain’t No Rockin’ No More” is a sequel to his massive hit). “Mr Hound Dog’s In Town” (which is nothing but a adaptation of Hound Dog) is slightly different accompanied by just a guitar-bass-drums trio. The Imperial sides show a different side of Brown with an unexpected cover of Buddy Knox’s Party Doll which saw his return in the charts in 1957 (#13) followed by “Let The Four Wind Blow” (#5). A good addition to anyone interested by Blues shouters and a good replacement to the Classics (1951-1953) cd which is now hard to find.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Pat Cupp – Long Gone Daddy – Complete 50’s recordings

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patcuppmusic_smallEl Toro Records ETCD1019
That Girl of Mine (demo) – I Guess It’s Mean That Way (demo) – Baby Come Back (demo) – Do Me No Wrong (RPM 461) – Baby Come Back (RPM 461) – Long Gone Daddy (RPM 473) – To Be The One (RPM 473) – Long Gone Daddy (Crown CLP 5364) – Do Me No Wrong (Crown CLP 5364) – Baby Come Back (Crown CLP 5364) – That Girl of Mine (Crown CLP 5364) – I Guess It’s Meant That Way (Crown CLP 5364) – Baby Come Back (Rollin’ Rock 45-002) – Do Me No Wrong (Rollin’ Rock 45-002) – Long Gone Daddy (Rollin’ Rock 45-003) – That Girl of Mine (Rollin’ Rock 45-003) – I Guess It’s Meant That Way (Rollin’ Rock 45-009) – I Won’t Remember To Cry (Rollin’ Rock 45-009)

Pat Cupp’s fifties recordings stand as some of the finest rockabilly ever made. His legacy may be modest in term of quantity (18 cuts for only 7 different songs) but the quality equals the likes of Carl Perkins and Mac Curtis (to name two that pop in my mind). Songs 1 to 3 are demos recorded at the Onyx studio in Memphis in January 1956 to get interest from Sam Phillips. Had he only recorded these demos, his place in the rockabilly pantheon would have been assured.  Powerfull rhythmic, hiccupy voice, mean guitar… all the ingredients are here to satisfy the most exigeant rockabilly fan. But more was to come. Cupp and his band (the Flying Saucers) secured a contract with Joe Bihari from Modern Records. The result is the session of May 13 1956 that saw the release of two singles, RPM 461 (Do Me No Wrong/Baby Come Back) and RPM 473 (Long Gone Daddy/To Be The One). The fact that Modern/RPM was more R & B oriented shows on this recording. A tamer rock’n’roll sound was favored, like the sax version of  “Long Gone Daddy”  (recorded with session musicians) or “To be The One“, written by Pat’s sister Ruth,  with doo woop backing vocals. Despite the high quality of these recording, the true genius of Pat cupp lies in his rejected blistering rockabilly version of this songs recorded that same day (10 in total). They later resurfaced on Crown and another batch in the 70’s on Rollin’ rock. I guess I’ll soon run out of superlative, but if someone asked me what rockabilly is, Pat Cupp’s complete 50’s recording would be one of the records I’d play to help him understand.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Hot Lips Page – Roll! Roll! Roll! The R&B Years

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hotlipspageEl Toro R&B 110. [2009]
In A Daze – Miss Larceny Blues – Roll, Roll, Roll – Gimme Gimme Gimme – Jeety-Boat Joad – Florida Blues – Ashes On My Pillow – Open The Door Richard – Birmingham Boogie – I Want To Ride Like The Cowboys Do – Let Me In – Strike While The Iron’s Hot – The Jungle King – The Cadillac Song – Blow Champ Blow – Chocolate Candy Blues – The Hucklebuck – Pacifying Blues – That’s The One For Me – Sharp Little Sister – Main Street – I’ve Got The Upper Hand – Moanin’ Dan

Hot Lips Page could have been a serious rival to Louis Armstrong both as a vocalist and a trumpet player. Sadly, it never materialised due to bad moves and mistakes from his management (though it may have been deliberated as Page shared the same manager than Armstrong). But Page became a sought after session man, playing with Billie Holiday, Artie Shaw, Pete Johnson and Wynonie Harrie with whom he recorded “Good Rockin’ Tonight”. He also assembled various small jump blues combo under his own name and recorded sides for labels like Columbia, RCA, King, Harmony, Circle etc. With those hotter than pepper bands he pionneered the pre-rock’n’roll era in a genre similar to the great Louis Jordan (whom he admired). This compilation gathers 27 of his best sides recorded between the 40’s and his death in 1954, including unissued material and duet with female singers like Little Sylvia, Pearl Bailey and Mildred Anderson.
Absolutely and totally essential.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Adam and his Nuclear Rockets

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Adam and His Nuclear Rockets
Adam and His Nuclear Rockets

Adam and his Nuclear Rockets – Little Piece of Souvenir

El Toro Records ETCD 6041 {2009}
Call Shout Scream – Can’t Run Away From You – Blue For A Day – I Gotta Have You – All You Left Behind – Crazy legs – Your First Kiss – No Other Baby – Say No More – Park Outside – Little Piece Of Souvenir – Fear – El Toro Star – I’m Gonna Take My Baby Dancing – I’m Crazy (Alt)

Adam and His Nuclear Rockets (what a name!) are a hot traditionnal rockabilly band coming from Croatia. It’s very good to see that bands from all around the world carry on the torch of good old music. Each adding his bit to the history. Back to the band. Recorded live at the famous Lightning Records in Berlin, these 13 originals and 2 covers have everything to please any true rockabilly fans: wild songs but a sense for catchy melodies, great guitar licks and their lyrics ain’t bad (they are included in the booklet). Three songs feature a steel guitar adding a nice hillbilly boogie feel. I personally think you can judge the talent of a band in their way to write ballads. With “Little Piece of Souvenir”, on which they are helped by the harmony vocals of the Mellow Men, they easily pass the test. Another song (El Toro Star a tip of the hat to their label) has a slight Charlie Feathers feel (with hiccups) but they have their own sound and way of playing. Follow these guys closely. Also available as a beautiful gatefold lp.

Available at cdbaby.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Johnny Jano

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Johnny Jano – Rockin’ and Rollin’ (1956-1958)

El Toro ETCD 1038
Havin’ A Whole Lot Of Fun / I’d Make A Good Man For You / Mabel’s Gone / Pledging johnnyjano-rockingandrollingMy Love To My Darling / Rock My Baby / Oh Baby / High Voltage / Mabel’s Gone / Rock Me Baby / You’re The Only Girl / Havin’ A Whole Lot Of Fun / Stop Look and Listen / She’s Mine She’s Mine / Have You Heard The Word? / Havin’ A Whole Lot Of Fun / I’d Make A Good Man For You / She’s My Baby / Some Other Time / Oh Baby / Rock and Roll Baby / She’s My Baby / Okie Dokie Stomp.

Congratulations to Eltoro for releasing this complete collection of Johnny Jano’s  rockabilly sides recorded between 1956 and 1958. Jano, like Al Ferrier (check out Al Ferrier – I’m The Man still on Eltoro) recorded for Goldband in Louisiana. It’s an awesome collection of strong rock’n’roll tunes with thumping bass, screaming sax and rockabilly vocals like High Voltage, Rock My Baby,  Oh Baby, Pledging My Love To My Darling or the wild Mabel’s Gone. There’s also, of course, a bunch of essential rockabillies that have nothing to envy to Sun or Meteor and belong in any decent collection like Some Other Time (great lyrics), I’d Make A Good Man, She’s My Baby and probably his best known song: Having A Whole Lotta Fun. They’re all here, 22 songs of first class Louisiana music featuring many alternate and demo takes and coming in a neat package with informative liner notes. Sadly Jano never really pushed his career and his success remained confidential. Johnny Jano died in 1984, aged 50, and never had the chance to be rediscovered on stage.

Al Ferrier

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al-ferrier-i-m-the-man-cd
Al Ferrier – I’m the Man

Al Ferrier – I’m the Man

El Toro ETCD 1032
No No Baby / I’ll Never Do Any Wrong / My Baby Done Gone Away / It’s Too Late Now / I’m The Man / Hey! Baby / Let’s Go Bopping Tonight / What Is That Thing Called Love? / Kiss Me Baby / I Thought I Found Love / Chisholm Trail Rock / Gunsmoke / Blues Stop Knockin’ / Honey Baby / Too Late Now / No No Baby / My Baby Done Gone Away / Indian Rock ‘n’ Roll / Send Her Back / Hey Baby / Honey Baby / I’m The Man / She Left Me / Blues Stop Knockin’ / Why Doubt My Love / Yesterday We Were Married / Honey Baby / She Left Me / Blues Stop Knockin’ / Hey Baby / Honey Baby / You Win Again.

This amazing compilation gathers the complete 50’s recordings made by Al Ferrier in the fifties. All in all you have 32 cuts, including many alternate takes. The core of the set belongs to rockabilly but begins with hillbilly with fiddle and ends with later instrumental sides recorded with a sax more in the style of the Champs (Chilshom trail Rock/Gunsmoke). The rockabilly sides are the best of course, and belong in the collection of any decent rockabilly lover. Vocally, and musically, Al could be compared to Carl Perkins, sharing the same rustic approach (both liked Hank Williams) but Al also has that distinctive Louisiana feel, almost Cajun, that turns his brand of hillbilly bop/rockabilly into a very personnal thing.
Buy this one with Rockin’ and Rollin’ by Johnny Jano also on ElToro.

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