JOHNNY GUNNER & THE RAIDERS - ATOM BOMB LOVE

JOHNNY GUNNER & THE RAIDERS - ATOM BOMB LOVE
Foot Tapping Records - FT083

THE GRIM REAPER / DID YOU MEAN WHAT YOU SAID / ONLY A MAN / DESPERADO / ONE WAY TICKET / ATOM BOMB LOVE / RECONSIDER / RAIDIN' OUT / EMPTY ROOM / ROCKIN' BLUES BOOGIE / RETURN OF THE REAPER / MAKING ENDS MEET

The latest addition to the Foot Tapping roster is Johnny Gunner and the Raiders. The band are Johnny Gunner on lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, Mark Hewitt on drums and Steve Mynott on double bass. Their website lists their influences as “many of the great acts of the '50's, including: Big Joe Turner, Roy Brown, Bob Luman, Benny Joy, Ronnie Self, Little Richard, Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin' Hopkins, Bo Diddley, Big John Taylor, James Burton, Micky Baker, Ike Turner, Link Wray and many others”. The music contained on this release lays testament to those claims and gives you some idea what to expect.

The band was formed in 2001 with a view to “fuse together the authentic sounds of that era with all its many different elements, with the attitudes, aspirations, recording techniques and recording technology of the 21st Century.” I haven’t heard their previous CD, Stack 'a' Records but it’s supposed to have been pretty good, at least that’s what their website says.

For me they have a handful of numbers that stand them out from the crowd, particularly the dance floor favourite The Grim Reaper, a menacing stroller that kicks ass. The title track is very similar and packs a punch. Another that really appealed was the slower Empty Room with his Sun ballad sound. Rockin’ Blues Boogie does what it says on the tin and Return of the Reaper is another belter. The album closer, Making Ends Meet is a story of a whore set to a hot rockin’ blues beat and is a great way to go out.

Kingcats – Back on Track

Kingcats – Back on Track
Foot Tapping FT069

Track listing: Lucky Night, I Don’t Care If You Love Me, Don’t Come Knockin’, Sea Cruise, If You Only Knew, I’m Counting On You, I Ain’t Givin’ Up, A Mess of Blues, Break Up, Your True Love, I Got Stung, Milk Train Boogie.

I was so impressed with the Bill Crittenden CD that I had to look into the Kingcats to get more of that voice. I know Back On Track has been out for about a year but most of the stuff I review here has been out for 50 odd years, so what the hell. In woman terms, this album ain’t old enough to be a MILF!!

The Kingcats are the afore-mentioned Crittenden on rhythm guitar and vocals (and what vocals they are), Gabriel Allen on lead guitar, Calvis Kush on bass, Kevin Bulford on drums and Rusty Lupton (who sounds like an Elvis movie character) on piano.

A quarter of the dozen songs are originals, including the great opener Lucky Night, a rocker with a couple of piano solos. Don’t Come Knockin’ is a groovy slowie and the CD closer, Milk Train Boogie is piano boogie instrumental. Surprisingly, there’s a couple of lessor known Raul Malo numbers, I Don’t Care If You Love Me, a tasty slab of melodabilly that gives Brittenden plenty of scope to play with the lyrics. If You Only Knew is a piano driven bopper that the Mavericks once excelled at.

The 50’s covers are mainly Memphis based, although we start down in New Orleans for Frankie Ford’s Sea Cruise, which is given a rockabilly treatment which I didn’t like on first hearing, but sounds more hypnotic with each subsequent listen. Ben Hewitt’s I Ain’t Givin’ Up Nothin’ is more laid back than the original and reminded me a bit of James Intveld.

There’s a trio of Elvis covers, with I’m Counting On You being a beautiful version that confirms the quality of Crittenden’s voice. A Mess of Blues (love the understated bass) and a sterling I Got Stung don’t exactly let the team down either. Break Up moves along nicely and the guitar and vocals are top notch, producing a great version that would make Charlie Rich and Ray Smith proud. Ditto, Your True Love which would have had the approval of the Perkins boys.

I love this guy, he’s my new Paul Ansell.

Rockin' Song of the Week - Number 52

Hot Rockin' - One More Star (Foot Tapping Records)

Hot Rockin' front man Porky is a legend. Larger than life, he has a wonderful voice that although at times can sound a bit flat, it has a delightful soulfulness. As readers of my page will know, I loved his version of the early 60's Elvis song, Angel, which was so much better than the original. A song I've been playing to death lately comes from an earlier album, One More Star, a tribute to Britain's finest, Billy Fury. The lyrics incorporate some of his song titles to a backing that at times sounds like Fury's Cross My Heart. Guitarist Chris Finn should take some credit for some apt picking that echoes the early 60's era. A heartfelt tribute that is one of the best of this type, up there with Carl Perkins' EP Express and the Stray Cats' Gene And Eddie.

Recommended downloads: No Heart To Spare, Suzie's Got A New Hairdo, the western flavoured Lowdown in El Paso and a pepped up version of Jack Scott's My True Love.