Wednesday 29 May 2013

Excellent Russian Rock 'n' Roll

Руки в брюки - "Прыгай малая"





Rockabilly/Rock 'n' Roll from Russia

I don't know anything about this band, (how do you pronounce their name?) except the fact that I like their style and more importantly their sound. They have a CD out now 'MP. BE4EP' or something like that, it translates in to English as 'Mr. Evening'. Check out their website for videos and more information. 
And thanks to Gene1976 for nudging me in their direction.

Sunday 26 May 2013

DO THE DEAD BONE BOP!


DEAD BONE RAMBLERS - DEMO 2013
TRUE AFFECTION (Doggett/Hanley)
HONEYCOMB (Cocksedge)
LOSE MY MIND (Cocksedge)
HEARTBREAKIN' LOVE (Wages)
BONFIRE (Piper/Anderson)
MISS YOU BABY (Cocksedge)

‘The Dead Bone Ramblers’ are a rockabilly/country bop band formed in February 2012 by ex-‘Cordwood Draggers’ frontman Honest Hal (Mick Cocksedge) and ‘Slick 49’s’ double bass player Steve Whitworth. They have had various guitar pickers prior to Gordon Doel (from the Doel Brothers) taking up the reins in early 2013.
 Their live set consists of mainly original material and some well chosen (and well played) covers. Hal's vocal delivery puts me in mind of how ’Sid King and The Five Strings’ sounded in their heyday in the mid-fifties.  He isn’t a growler vocally, when he delivers these songs, he sings them - not only very well, but most importantly with feeling, so you can believe what he is telling you in the lyrics.

 You can be the best singer in the business, but if you don't have the band to back you up then you may as well hang up your blue suedes and go back to driving a truck!

  Gordon does an excellent job on lead guitar, his pickin’ is top of the class stuff, but not so over-the-top that it takes over and kills the overall sound of the band.  Add to that Steve’s rhythmic slappin’ bass and you have is the ‘Dead Bone Ramblers’; three musicians playing their music the way they want to...with a 1950's kick.

Gordon Doel - Lead Guitar. 
Honest Hal - Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Steve Whitworth - Double Bass 
Demo recorded by David Doel
New link added 2nd Sept 14



DEAD BONE RAMBLERS FACEBOOK PAGE

GRAB ONE OF THESE BEAUTIES WHILE THEY ARE STILL AROUND.  AVAILABLE AT DEAD BONE RAMBLER SHOWS FOR FROM MICK AT THE DEAD BONE RAMBLER FACEBOOK PAGE. £6 + SHIPPING

RE-RECORDED VERSION DIFFERENT FROM THE DEMO WITH DAVE DOLE ON VOCAL HARMONY.


Jerry J. Nixon?


This release has intrigued me for a while now, I still don't know who this Cat is! I love the sound of these recordings, but 1950 and early 1960's cuts? I don't think so. Here is a review of the full album by Alan Wright that was released on 'Voodoo Rhythm Records' in 2002/3.
Any information on who this might be would be very welcome.

RIVER OF LOVE
WHY DID I?
SATURDAY MIDNIGHT BOP
RAILROAD SHUFFLE
TRAVELING FREE



Thursday 16 May 2013

Bop Like Carl

Bill Jenkins - Bop Like Carl
Recorded at Thunder Head Studio, Knoxville Tennessee 1978
Bill Jenkins - Vocal, and all instruments.


Bill Jenkins - Poni-Tails and Bobbi-Sox
Recorded at Thunder Head Studio, Knoxville Tennessee 1979
Bill Jenkins - Vocal, Rhythm Guitar
David Young - Guitar
Steve Cochran - Piano
Henry Baugh - Bass
Mike Turner - Drums


1950's

1978
I prefer the A side 'Bop Like Carl' to 'Poni-Tails and Bobbi-Sox', mainly because Bill Jenkins plays all the instruments and it also has a more authentic sound to it. He is the man in charge of how the sound on this record comes across to the listener, in my opinion he nails it. 
In a way it puts me in mind of Ray Campi's 45rpm vinyl record releases on Ronny Weiser's Rollin' Rock record label in the mid to late 1970's.  I much preferred Ray playing all the instruments, as to Ray playing along with his band the Rockabilly Rebels, but that is another story.



Monday 13 May 2013

Raised on Rock & Roll




'Raised on Rock 'n' Roll'
'Rock it to the Moon'
Recorded at Rhythm Records in San Francisco in 1958.
Jackie Gotroe - vocals Rhythm Guitar
George Salas - Lead Guitar
Don Beton - Bass
Len Alexander - Drums



'Golden Spur'
'Lobo Jones'
Recorded at Keen Records California 1958.
Jackie Gotroe - vocals Rhythm Guitar
George Salas - Lead Guitar
Bass and Drums - Session Musicians



More Jackie Gotroe information on the www

Sunday 5 May 2013

No Hit Wonders Part 2

Jack Hammer Drill
George Williams was a band leader/arranger who had an album released 'The Fox in Hi-Fi' on Coral records in 1957. I have heard snippets from the L.P on youtube and it is very much in the jazz vein. But his 1955 Coral release (45 rpm and 78 rpm) is a nice little saxophone led jiver with a simple vocal chorus. It is catchy tune and I remember trying to learn to Jive to it when I first heard it when it was released on the bootleg Cat E.P Vol 7 in the early 1980's. I still can not Jive to save my life, but I can not blame my non-dancing on 'Jack Hammer Drill' it is a great record for real dancers to cut a rug to, but alas the record did not make an impression on the charts at the time.

The image above is an advert from the June edition of Billboard magazine 1955

Bootleg Cat 7 vinyl E.P

Jack Hammer Drill
Listen or download

Wednesday 1 May 2013

No Hit Wonders! Part 1




I occasionally come across records in my collection that I think with a little extra promotion could have been hit records, or at least sold enough copies to warrant another release. But it seems some records are released in the hope that something will happen and the disc will rocket up the charts and the record company would get the singer or group back in the studio and record more material for another record or maybe if sales are high an album release, but more often than not that is not the case. 
This part one in my posts on 'No Hit Wonders'
Jackie Burns had the second release on Bob Keane's new Del-Fi record label in 1958, but 'Hey Then, There Now' did not sell well. What happened to Jack after the record was released is a mystery to me, but a few months after 'Del-Fi 4102' was issued, Bob Keane discovered Richie Valens and so all Keane's attention was focused on his new rising star. Judging by his 45 on Del-Fi, Burns was a song writer, so he may have taken that route. He did not have a really great sounding voice, but then 'Hey Then, There Now' did not require a great vocal delivery. It is a bouncy song that would have today's strollers up and doing their stuff. The B side is another up-tempo song which I like even with the silly vocal chorus.  If anyone has a photo of Jackie Burns they would like to share or have any more information on him please leave a comment or two.