Tear It Up – You’re Undecided – Oh Baby Babe – Midnight Train – Shattered Dreams – The Train Kept A-Rollin’ – Honey Hush – Lonesome Train (On A Lonesome Track) – I Just Found Out / Blues Stay Away From Me – All By Myself – Drinking Wine Spoo-Dee-O-Dee – Chains Of Love – Lonesome Tears In My Eyes – Please Don’t Leave Me – Rock Therapy / Rock Billy Boogie – Please Don’t Leave Me (Alt) – I Love You So – Sweet Love On My Mind – My Love, You Are A Stranger – Your Baby Blue Eyes – Lonesome Train (Alt) – I Love You So (Alt) – Tear It Up (Live) – Oh Baby Babe (Live) – Hound Dog (Live TV Clip) – You’re Undecided (Von Version) – Go Along Mule
After its good work on Buddy Holly’s 1956 sides, El Toro released another batch of rockabilly classics with one of the most influential band of the era: The Johnny Burnette Trio. I won’t make a song by song review as they are all familiar to almost everybody here and the interest of this release is elsewhere. Probably for a question of right the last session held by the Trio (by convenience I use the term trio but it is clearly known today, and the very well written 8 page booklet explains it too, that for some sessions Dorsey Burnette and Paul Burlison parts were played by studio musicians notably Grady Martin) in 1957 that gave If You Want It Enough, Butterfingers, Eager Beaver Baby and Touch Me is not included here. Instead you have their Von single (Go Along Mule and an earlier version of You’re Undecided) as well as live takes of Tear It Up and Oh Baby Babe. For those who possesses the Bear Family release (BCD 15474) the main interest of this release besides this live version is the DVD included here which features The Rock’n’Roll Trio appearance in an amateur contest TV Show, some kind of Pop Idol of the day, performing Hound Dog. Until now I only knew the footage of the Johnny, Paul and Bill Black’s brother in the movie “Rock Rock Rock” so it’s a real thrill to watch more material from them. The dvd features the complete show, including commercials, which is very fun to watch even if most of the act are not rock’n’roll related. A must have for any rock’n’roll fan.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis