Wednesday 24 December 2014

MERRY CHRISTMAS

RockabillyDukeBox! Wishes everyone, everywhere a

AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR


Livin' High


Vince Everett real name Marvin Benefield for more info click here (Thanks to BlackCat Rockabilly)

LIVIN' HIGH


Marvin Benefield high school photo 1959

BABY LET'S PLAY HOUSE (1963)
LIVIN' HIGH (1963)
SUCH A NIGHT (1962)
I AIN'T GONNA BE YOUR LOW DOWN DOG NO MORE (1962)

Friday 19 December 2014

True Lips

Born Joseph John Castaldo in 1942 - Died 1978

TRUE LIPS
THAT AIN'T NOTHING BUT RIGHT
ROCK 'N' ROLL DADDY'O
COME A LITTLE CLOSE BABY
PLEASE LOVE ME
THAT AIN'T NOTHING BUT RIGHT (ALT TAKE)
TRUE LIPS
DON'T KNOCK IT




A 1940's Christmas

It would not be Christmas without a bit of Bing...
SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN
with the Andrew Sisters









Monday 15 December 2014

Roastin' Rock 'n' Roll


After I posted the Three Little Bops video a few days ago, it got me thinking about Stan Freberg's classic Capitol 1950's releases that basically ripped Rock 'n' Roll to pieces. Even so I had to get my hands these platters, and they ain't that bad either! I've taken liberties and altered the Stan Ferberg Capitol 'Any Requests' extended play EAP1-486 and used it for this post.

THE ROCK ISLAND LINE


Stanley Victor Freberg (born August 7, 1926 in Los Angeles) is a voice actor, comedian, and advertising creative.
In 1950, he scored a huge success with his first recording for Capitol Records, John and Marsha, a soap-opera parody that consisted of the title characters (both played by Freberg) repeating each other’s names. In a follow-up he used pedal steel guitarist Speedy West to parody the 1953 country hit A Dear John Letter as A Dear John and Marsha Letter.
Throughout the 1950s he made a name for himself writing and performing both original songs (Tele-vee-shun) and parodies of popular tunes (The Yellow Rose of Texas, Day-O, Heartbreak Hotel). With fellow voice actors Daws Butler and June Foray he produced a medieval parody of Dragnet called St. George and the Dragon-Net. The latter recording was a #1 hit for four weeks in late 1953.
Freberg’s brilliant, authentic-sounding musical parodies were a by-product of his collaborations with Billy May and his Capitol Records producer Ken Nelson. His brilliant 1957 spoof of TV “champagne music” master Lawrence Welk, Wun’erful, Wun’erful was a true collaboration with May, a veteran big band musician and jazz arranger (known for his work with Frank Sinatra among others) who loathed Welk’s corny style. To replicate that sound, May and some of Hollywood’s finest studio musicians and vocalists worked to virtually clone Welk’s sound.  Billy Liebert, a first-rate accordionist copied Welk’s own accordion playing. The humour was lost on Welk; Freberg later recalled the bandleader denying he ever used the term “Wunnerful! Wunnerful!” (Later the title of Welk’s autobiography).
Another hit song to get the Freberg treatment was the weepy Cry, which Freberg rendered as Try (“You too can be unhappy… if you try!”) Ray was furious, until he realized the success of Freberg’s parody was helping sales and airplay of his own record; Ray and Freberg actually became close friends.
Freberg continued to skewer the advertising industry after the demise of his radio show, producing Green Christmas in 1958 (again with Butler), a scathing indictment of the over commercialization of the holiday. Freberg, the son of a church minister and very religious himself, made sure to point out on that novelty record “Whose birthday we’re celebrating.” Despite his Jewish-sounding last name, Freberg is actually a Baptist of Swedish heritage.
“Green Christmas” also foreshadowed his musical review on LP Stan Freberg Presents: The United States Of America, Volume 1: The Early Years (1961) in that both combined dialog and song in a musical-like style. Stan Freberg Presents: The United States of America, Volume 2: The Middle Years was planned for a release during America’s Bicentennial in 1976 but did not emerge until 1996.
Edited by foetusized on 30 Sep 2006, 20:15
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Freberg







Friday 12 December 2014

Three Little Bops

The Big Bad Wolf, Just Wants To Join The Band...




RHYTHM RIOT 2014 PROGRAMME

I love Seeburg Jukeboxes...


Seeburg was one of the first manufacturers to have a multi-select jukebox.  In 1949 it developed a mechanism that could play both sides of the record and it was so reliable that few other manufacturers could compete.  Seeburg introduced the M100B in 1950 – it was the first jukebox that could play 45rpm records and this was followed by the V200, the first 200-select jukebox.  They continued manufacturing jukeboxes throughout the 1970's and 1980's until they were bought by Seeburg Satellite Broadcasting.
1958 Seeburg Wallbox
You must watch this video






1953 Seeburg HF-100G Jukebox Fully Restored
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueNQS7H6QQo

Ricks Restorations 1957 Seeburg R100 Jukebox
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTm1rMsFQqQ



Other makes

First Paul Fuller designed Jukebox

How the Wurlitzer 1015 Jukebox Works Part 1: The Credit and Selection Process
How the 1946-47 Wurlitzer 1015 Jukebox Works, Part 2: The Record Playing Mechanism


Wednesday 10 December 2014

Dr. X-mas


Orion (Jimmy Ellis) if it is indeed him, is sounding a lot like Les Gray of 1970'S UK glitter rock band Mud, on 'Don't Cry For Christmas'. This was released in November 1977 on the Sun label. The singer was listed as unknown (?) and again it seems it was another way of trying to fool the record buying public that it was Elvis on vocal (rubbish of course). The B side on the other hand is why I bought the the record, a nice saxophone lead instrumental. Way, way cooler than the A side.
SEASONS GREETINGS CATS & KITTENS...

Saturday 8 November 2014

Tonight Rock 'n' Roll Dance Party


SALLY WAS A GOOD OLD GIRL - FATS DOMINO


'Choo Choo Ch' Boogie' was originally released by Rock Island Line in 1979 on RCA Victor (Netherlands)

'Holiday Road' is a 1983 single written and recorded by Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsay Buckingham. The song was featured in the 1983 film National Lampoon's Vacation and was played during the opening titles. The song was also used in the sequels National Lampoon's European Vacation and Vegas Vacation. The song peaked at #82 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1983.

'Something's Going On' by T-Ford & The Boneshakers was first released on a 45 by Splash (UK) in 1978. It was the B-Side to'I Go Ape'.  

'Sally Was A Good Old Girl' by Fats Domino was the main reason I bought this strange little E.P. Recorded in 1964.

Friday 7 November 2014

Rhythm Riot Memories

Download the programme
Some visitors get put off by the advertisements on Zippyshare (mostly chat rooms).
Use the download link indicated in the image below.




I went and had a chat with Clarence after his show at the Rhythm Rhythm Riot he was looking well and in good spirits and pleased with his performance. I told him I'd filmed 'Ain't Got No Home' and asked him if the sound and vision were okay, could I post it on YouTube. He said of course and thanked me for even wanting to film him! I posted the video and after 10,000 + views it got removed (copy write issues, you can't argue with it). So I'll give it another go here on Blogger.com. 
Photo© Fiona Wales





Thursday 30 October 2014

Save the last dance for Elvis imitators

Rock n Roll Swindles Part 2


At the time this record was first released Shelby Singleton was pushing this as a Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley duet, without actually saying it. The passing of time has proved this to be by Jerry Lee and Jimmy Ellis aka Orion.   

Jimmy Ellis (left) - Shelby Singleton (right)





Monday 27 October 2014

Rock & Roll Swindles Part 1


This was one of those occasions when I just had to buy this 45, even knowing that the singer was not Elvis. Listen to the audio file and you will know it to. And as to being a 1954 recording well I think that is a definite NO.  Who were these guys trying to kid? The icing on the cake comes in the written and signed letter by Pete Falco (bottom of post) stating that he was present when Elvis recorded it with the band 'The Red Dots' at Audio Recorders of Arizona in 1954. Unbelievable...







New Links and sound files updated


On Top Of Old Smokey - Ron Williams.  Thanks to Dean, my sound file is lost somewhere on one of my hard drives.



Any other missing files or links? Let me know