My wife's business, Julabelle Fabrics and Crafts has branched out into making t-shirts, mugs, coasters, mouse mats, etc. Whereas in the past she has concentrated on the arty farty, flowers and prety patterns line, I have persuaded her to make a few rockabilly style t-shirts. She has started with a Gene Vincent one and you're welcome to buy one. To purchase, choose the size you require and click on the Paypal link.
The shirts are 100% cotton and professionally printed using top-of-the-range printers and heat presses. It is the aim of Julabelle to post any items within 24 hours of purchase.
The cost of the t-shirts is only £9.99.
Please note that currently we only ship to mainland UK and Europe.
I've been a big fan of Dale Watson for years and just about got everything he's done. Hell, I even paid twenty quid for a signed CD one at Narberth. Phil laughed his head off but I didn't have a lot of choice after getting him to sign it before asking him how much it was. I think he was still working in dollars which was about 2-to-1 back then. Never mind, I've played it at least three times since!
There was a spell a few years ago when his personal life went belly up with divorce followed by the death of his new lover. He carried on with his music through this difficult period and to be honest, there was such a sadness and desperateness to it, that made it hard to listen to. It was like watching a train wreck.
Things look a bit better for him now and it reflect on this latest effort. In fact, the opener, Carryin' On This Way is as infectious as he's ever sounded. It has a Gentle On My Mind feel to it, and it has the same timeless quality of much of Glen Campbell's best work. The whole album is written by Watson and is beautifully played by a band that includes no less than Lloyd Green, Hargus "Pig" Robbins and Pete Wade.
There's not a bad track but a couple really stand out. I love the breakneck paced, I'll Show You. Heart Of Stone may be his finest ever vocal performance, and vies with the opener for the albums killer track. The closer, Hello, I’m an Old Country Song is a fine piece of writing that shows that his heart still belongs in the days when country records had fiddles and steels.
A great album that confirms that the old Nashville Rasher is back on track.
Track Listing: 1. Betty Lou 2. Little Linn 3. Mary Lou 4. I Want U 5. Cindy 6. Sweetheart 7. Warpaint 8. Island Bop 9. Hot Rod Racing 10. Long Blond Hair 11. Tiger 12. I Like It Like That 13. Pretty Little Baby Love 14. Quicksand Love
The Hubcaps are a Swedish band formed in 2001 by Johnny Valentine (guitar and vocals) and Ricky James (slap bass). Dutch drummer Igor Slootman joined the band in 2005 to form the trio they are today. I haven't been aware of their previous releases but their latest on the excellent Enviken label is a blast.
This is pure rock 'n' roll energy and there isn't a weak track on offer. Most of the fourteen songs are original with a couple of great covers. The opening track is a belting rockabilly number in the Pearly Lee category, and if it's as good live as Billy Lee's was then the band are on a winner. There's a few flat out stompers in the style of Jack Baymoore, particularly Little Linn.
They've obviously spent a couple of terms at the School of Dave Edmunds, as his influence looms large on two superb tracks, I Want U and Pretty Little Baby Love. Cindy kicks off in Warren Smith mode before turning into a mid tempo beauty and Island Bop is just so damn hypnotic. The covers of Quicksand Love, Warpaint and Long Blond Hair are great, although they don't quite match Shaky on Tiger.
A wonderful release that's amongst the best modern CD's of the year. Brilliant.
With their debut album entering the UK album charts at number 4, and their first single, "Umbrella" gaining loads of airplay, German rockers, The Baseballs are strking out again. Their new single gives Snow Patrols "Chasing Cars" a complete kick in the ass. Whilst the orginal is a slow, moody number (which I actually quite liked I'm ashamed to say), the Baseballs give it the pumping piano treatment.
A massive thanks to the Flip Top Flippar for bringing this beauty my way. This is a brilliant, rare clip from 1958 and shows white boy doo-wop at it's finest. They moves and routine might not be as dynamic as some of their black counterparts, but the choreography is still as tight as the vocals - which is tight. The only down side is the hard looking mama at the 1 min 30 mark who looks like she'd slit your throat with her papa's switchblade without batting an eyelid. Wonderful stuff.
Went to the cinema last night to watch the British comedy Wild Target featuring Emily Blunt and Bill Nighy. It's a pretty good comedy, but for two of the film's major scenes, the music used is Imelda May. There's Going Up Country and Mayhem, but the real show stopper is Johnny Got A Boom Boom which sounds so great in this context with the double bass pounding out of the big speakers. It felt wonderful as well to be sat in a packed cinema knowing that the guitar everyone was enjoying, comes courtesy of such a nice guy as Darrel Higham. Long may the success continue (and rise) for Imelda and the boys.
Please Give Me Something - Roots Of The Stray Cats Bullseye/El Toro
Track Listing: Icky Poo : The Nomands Tear It Up : Johnny Burnette Trio Lonely Travelin' : Lonesome Lee Sweet Love On My Mind : Jimmy & Johnny Somethin' Else : Eddie Cochran Bop Bop Ba Doo Bop : Lew Williams Ubangi Stomp : Warren Smith Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie : Eddie Cochran Please Give Me Something : Bill Allen Double Talkin' Baby : Gene Vincent My One Desire : Ricky Nelson That Mellow Saxophone : Roy Montrell Your Baby Blue Eyes : Johnny Burnette Trio Wasn't That Good? : Wynonie Harris Let's Have A Ball : The Wheels Rock Therapy : Johnny Burnette Trio Race With The Devil : Gene Vincent I'm Looking For Someone To Love : The Crickets Beautiful Delilah : Chuck Berry One Hand Loose : Charlie Feathers Everybody's Movin' : Glen Glenn Slip Slip Slippin' In : Eddie Bond Your True Love : Carl Perkins Stood Up : Ricky Nelson Let It Rock : Chuck Berry Mystery Train : Elvis Presley Sleep Walk : Santo & Johnny Hidden Charms : Chet Atkins
I’ve just had the good fortune of receiving a tasty package from Dave Penny on behalf of El Toro records. Amongst the delights was the new CD, Roots of the Stray Cats which looks at the original songs that they covered or in some cases, borrowed from. To top it all, the set also comes in vinyl format with the much missed gatefold sleeve. It’s easy to forget how much easier it is to read the sleeve notes on this format than the handy, but tiny CD sleeve.
The track list is phenomenal, and in fairness to the Cats, their versions of them all are top quality. In common with thousands of others my age, I became aware of a lot of these songs courtesy of Massapequa’s finest. I heard Ubangi Stomp for the first time on their debut, before I ever heard Warren Smith’s original. I know this’ll bring tutts and moans from one and all, but that’s the way it was. The Stray Cats brought some of this music to a new audience, who like me dug deeper in a quest to discover just where it came from. In the days before the internet that wasn’t easy, and a school kid couldn’t afford to but the wealth of reissues coming out at the time.
Amongst the Stray Cats catalogue there’s some straight covers, such as Tear It Up, Your True Love and Rock Therapy together with a couple of naughtier moments. Changing the odd words, didn’t make the song your own. Crawl Up And Die was Bill Allen’s Please Give Me Something, Wild Saxophone was definitely Roy Montrell’s Mellow Saxophone. Not quite as blatant, but pretty close was their adaptation of Lew Williams’ Bop Bop Ba Doo Bop into Fishnet Stockings and the Wheel’s Let’s Hall A Ball became Gonna Ball.
As well as being a great CD in it’s own right, there’s a couple of numbers that a lot of fans may not be familiar with. What’s amazing is the way that two of them, The Nomands’ Icky Poo and Lonesome Lee’s Lonely Travelin' were both used for the beat to Stray Cat Strut. I find it fascinating to hear them both, as they both provided elements of the Strut, but the contribution that Brian Setzer made to reinvent the number is mind blowing. The two originals are really good, but SCS is brilliant.
A great collection that pays equal homage to the Stray Cats and the guys that inspired them.
I've no idea what All Stars Anything Goes is, but a guess would be that it's a bit like the UK's It's A Knockout with the odd celebrity addition. These clips are weird. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine seeing Jerry Lee in this type of thing. What strikes me is how fit he looks in 1977 when you consider what Elvis was like (even before August!).
To think that him and Tom T. Hall would be in a sack race together. Wierd. Basically it's Mercury Records against RCA. Choose your favourites and cheer them on. Go Jerry.
On a more serious note, Jerry Lee has just has to cancel his European dates as he is reported to be seriously ill. Get well Killer, we need you.
LAST TRAIN FROM MEMPHIS - Last Train From Memphis Foot Tapping FT094
Track listing: CRAZY LITTLE MAMA / I'M COUNTING ON YOU / LAST TRAIN FROM MEMPHIS / IF YOU WANT IT ENOUGH / YOU KNOCKED ME OUT / PROMISE ME DARLING / KISS ME / LOVE MY BABY / SAY YOU'LL BE MINE / TENNESSEE ROCK 'N' ROLL / A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE / I GET THE BLUES / THE STRUGGLE / OVER YOU / FAY WRAY
Last Train From Memphis are a newly band who individually have been mainstays on the European rockabilly scene. They comprise Rob Chapman on vocals, Paul Gaskin on guitar, Thomas LaVelle on piano, Wayne Hopkins on bass and Rob Tyler on drums and between them their CV’s include The Houserockers, Blue Moon Boys, The Playboys, Dave Phillips & The Hot Rod Gang, Restless, The Outer Limits and others.
What I love about this band is the full blown nature of their sound. Like the very best of the Sun artists that obviously influenced them, they’re more than just a slapping trio, with a rolling piano underpinning the songs and giving them an extra dimension. The other stand out aspects of this band for me, are Gaskin’s guitar and Chapman’s voice, which has a real Hayden Thomspn quality to it.
Chapman wrote ten of the tracks here, including the sensational opener. Crazy Little Mama is one of the best Sun styled modern songs I’ve heard with great guitar and vocals. You Knocked Me Out is another fine tribute to the 706 sound. The Struggle shows the bands versatility and reminded me of Carlos and the Bandidos with it’s Mexican feel and guitar sound that Malcolm Chapman would be proud of.
Say You’ll Be Mine is a superb powerhouse piano rocker and one of the albums high spots. I really enjoyed the slower, Promise Me Darling which sounded like early Charlie Rich. Fay Wray, Last Train From Memphis and A Little Bit Of Love and the jazzy ballad I Get The Blues are all okay without being world beaters.
Of the covers, Johnny Burnette’s If You Want It Enough and Bobby Helms’ overrated Tennessee Rock ‘n’ Roll stick faithfully to the originals and Al Ferrier’s Kiss Me is a fine choice. LaVelle’s piano puts a pep in the step of Elvis’ I’m Counting On You which Chapman again handles really well. Best of the lot though is Love Me Baby which fits the band to a tee and Chapman pays a brilliant tribute to Hayden Thompson. It’s uncanny how much he sounds like him – its as if the Boonesville Flash has found a time machine.
So all in all, a great debut release that should be helped later in the year when the band start touring. To me their sound is sort of a mix between the Kingcats and Jack Rabbit Slim. I look forward to hearing more from them in the years to come.
The great Howlin' Wolf was born 100 years ago yesterday in White Station, Mississippi. He was christened Chester Burnette, but he was born to be the Howlin' Wolf. The greatest bluesman the world has ever seen. Happy birthday Wolf.
I'm just sat here in bed watching videos of him and my misses just says to me, play that "Spoonful". I didn't even know she knew it - she's as surprising as he is awesome.
And finally, check out the entrance he makes to this live spot.
Rockin' Song of the Week No.102 - Elvis Presley - Hard Knocks Roustabout Soundtrack
The Elvis Presley career is always classified as three main areas, the rockin' 50's, the Hollywood 60's and the Vegas 70's. The middle period gets dismissed by all and sundry as a wasted decade of crap films and rubbish songs. To a large degree that's right, but there are some wonderful songs dotted about, it's just a case of wading through it to find the gems. By 1964 proper rock 'n' roll was hard to come by, with the exceptions standing out like lighthouses in a storm. Big Al Downing and Jack Scott spring to mind but the pickings were slim. That's what I find fascinating about tracks like Elvis' Hard Knocks. For the time and in the backdrop of the time, this was a spirited stab at hard rockin'.
The song was written by either one of a husband/wife team. Joy Byers was a songwriter who was married to Bob Johnson (Johnny Cash/Bob Dylan ) who claims that he wrote a lot of the Elvis stuff as Joe Byers, even penning the wonderful, It Hurts Me with Charlie Daniels. Whoever wrote it, it's a solid piece of rock 'n' roll for 1964. The lyrics aren't bad for an Elvis movie tune, a far cry Do The Clam. "I walked a million miles I bet, Tired and hungry and cold and wet, I’ve heard that lonesome whistle blow, From New York City down to Mexico, Some kids born fancy free, Nobody never gave nothing to me".
The song was recorded on March 2nd, 1964 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, in a pretty productive session for the forthcoming Roustabout movie, that also spawned Little Egypt, Poison Ivy League and It's A Wonderful World. To my ears, that's a good quartet. The King was still using the crème de la crème of musicians at this time, with the likes of the Jordannaires, Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana, Bob Moore, Boots Randolph, Buddy Harman, Billy Strange and Barney Kessel.
The song might not be as good as the primetime 50's rockers and the film clip might not have the magnetism of the Loving You live scene, but it's still good. Don't just write this period off - there's some good rock 'n' roll to be had. Spinout, anyone?
Ray Hudson and the Western Rhythmaires - Jackhammer Dixie 45-1043
I know nothing about Ray Hudson and the Western Rhythmaires other than what I can see at Terry E Gordon's great Rockin' Country Style website (thanks for the label shot). He had two singles on the legendary Starday-Dixie label, the first one, The Blues Walked Away being a favourite on the rockin' scene. That came out on Dixie 45-819 in late 1959, a full four years before his next effort.
The second single (Dixie 45-1043) is a classic. The flip side, Here I Am Drunk Again is a well known cover of the Autry Inman country bopper. The a-side is a monster instrumental. The intro is all Duane Eddy before moving into Link Wray and Sandy Nelson mode. Does anyone know who the guitarist is? I know a lot of the Starday stuff is Hal Harris but it doesn't sound like him to me. It packs more punch than a jackhammer and if savage rock 'n' roll is your bag, you'll love it.
There can't be many arguments that Carl Perkins is the true king of rockabilly in it's purest form. Check out these clips that run through the years. The Ranch Party clip is phenomenal. What a find these old clips were - footage that we never dreamed we'd see.
Your True Love (from Ranch Party tv show)
Turn Around (from Nashville Now - he was a great rockabilly, but just as awesome at country music)
Johnny Cash medley 1974
The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll ( from Class of '55)
Restless
Blue Suede Shoes/Matchbox medley from 1971 - I'm not sure which was worse, the waistcoat or the dance steps! The rest is great though.
TV chat with Scotty Moore
Matchbox with Duane Eddy and the Mavericks (what a line-up)
Tracklisting: 1.PROMISED LAND; 2.LONESOME LIFE FOR ME; 3.TREAT ME NICE; 4.LOSING SIDE OF ME; 5.PERFECT WORLD; 6.IN THE MOOD BOOGIE; 7.DONT' LEAVE ME NOW; 8.TIME OF MY LIFE; 9.WALK ON BY; 10.WASH MACHINE BOOGIE.
I’ve raved over these guys before, both on record and on stage. Their latest Foot Tapping offering doesn’t disappoint and maintains the high standard they’ve set for themselves. Again the format is a short album full of well chosen covers and reminds me of the type of albums you used to get in the late 70’s.
As with their earlier Back On Track CD, there’s a trio of Elvis covers. Treat Me Nice and Don’t Leave Me Now showcase the quality of Bill Crittenden’s voice but add little to the original. The CD opener is something else though – they romp through Promised Land. I love the way the Kingcats turn the 70’s Elvis songs into 50’s rockabilly, a further example being Crittenden’s cover Hurt for an album he did with The Sweet Georgia Boys – check it out.
Again the covers on this album are well chosen. Jerry Lee’s In The Mood Boogie is a fine band workout that differs little from the Killer’s and the cover of the old nutmeg Washing Machine Boogie is superb. Crittenden is similar in style to James Intveld, so their cover of his Perfect World was always going to be good. Perfect voice, perfect song, perfect world indeed. Lonesome Life For Me and Time Of My Life are very Elvisy and the Mavericks Losing Side Of Me is tailor made.
The best song though, and one that I haven’t been able to stop playing is Leroy Van Dyke’s Walk On By. It’s a brilliant version and even manages to surplus Leroy’s original. The vocals on this are superb. On my review of Back On Track I finished by saying that BC was the Paul Ansell. If he keeps this up he’ll be the new Elvis. Bill Crittenden take a bow.
Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers - Put A Light In The Window
Another brilliant clip of Cavan from a tv show somewhere down the road. Judging by Cav's hair I'd say it was in the late 70's. He certainly ain't got that much now! I love the comment at the bottom where someone describes it as poppy and more like Tenpole Tudor. Thinking about it, I'd love to here Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers doing Swords of a Thousand Men - wow.
Continuing the long line of brother-duos, the Wilburn's were probably the last bona-fide act in the tradition. Had rock 'n' roll not materialised in the mid-50's I'm sure the Everly Brothers may have claimed that honour, but it did and they can't! The brothers, Doyle and Teddy were born in Hardy, Missouri in 1930 and 1931 respectively, the final kids in a bunch of five. Before they reached puberty they were part of the Wilburn family band with brothers Lester and Leslie and sister Geraldine, playing on guitars, mandolin, and fiddle that their dad had bought from the Sears, Roebuck catalogue. A series of local gigs soon made way to appearances throughout the south until in 1940 they came across, and impressed Roy Acuff who arranged for them to join the Grand Ole Opry. They lasted for six months until the Opry were forced to drop them because of child labour infringements.
In 1948 they joined the legendary Louisiana Hayride and had formed a close allegiance with future Hall of Famer Webb Pierce. This exciting period was scuppered by the Korean conflict which saw both Doyle and Teddy called up for action. When they returned from duty they were forced to become a duo as the elder brothers had left the business and Geraldine had gotten herself hitched. Webb Pierce was by now working at the Opry and with the two Wilburns old enough to fight for Uncle Sam and therefore definitely old enough to sing on the radio (!) they rejoined the famed Nashville show. They became a part of Pierce's backing band and signed in their own right to Decca records.
They enjoyed their first hit record in mid 1954 when Sparkling Brown Eyes spent four months on the charts, peaking at number four. They made national television appearances on both The Arthur Godfrey Talent Show and American Bandstand. Over the next 15 years they notched up 30 hit records, including Go Away With Me, Which One is to Blame, Trouble's Back in Town, It's Another World, I Wanna Wanna Wanna, I'm So in Love With You, Go Away With Me, Roll Muddy River, and their biggest single, 1966's Hurt Her Once for Me. From a rocking point of view there was only one record to warrant mention. As with most country artists in the 50's they were tempted into taking a stab at rockabilly. They cut little known but pretty good rocker, Oo Bop Sha Boom which was released as a single (Decca 9-30591).
Their talents didn't just end on the performing front though. They formed the Wil-Helm Talent Agency with former Hank Williams sideman Don Helms and started a music publishing house called Sure-Fire. These helped the early careers of among others, Sonny James, the Osbourne Brothers, Jean Shepherd and most controversially of all, Loretta Lynn, who parted in a sour manner from the set-up. When she collaborated with Hollywood on her biopic Cole Miner's Daughter the Wilburn Brothers were omitted completely from the story line despite their massive role in her career. Such was the ill feeling between the three after the split that Loretta started to use other writers instead of writing herself and letting Sure-Fire get the publishingIn 1963 they started their own weekly TV show, in colour, The Wilburn Brothers Show, that ran until 1974. They were named Duet of the Year in the Music City News Awards in 1967 and were nominated for Vocal Group of the Year at the 1972 CMA Awards.
Doyle died of cancer on October 16, 1982, which left Teddy to carry on as a solo act on the Grand Ole Opry until his own death from congestive heart failure on November 24, 2003. As with most acts from the past, their artistic talent is long forgotten by the country music industry but real fans of the real sound still hold them close to their hearts. Their harmonising and countrypolitan sound still has a freshness today which outshines the majority of stuff the Nashville labels are producing today. If they are to be the last of the sibling duos they certainly carried the torch with proud. The stage is set for someone to take the throne, but when and who will that be?
Top Ten Picks:
1. Trouble's Back In Town - Top 5 hit from 1962 is countrypolitan Nashpop that has the Big O and Jim Reeves written all over it.
2. Trouble Keeps Hanging Around My Door - The Wilburn's revived the Delmore Brothers style on this great Ted Daffan ballad. All that was missing was a Wayne Raney blast on harmonica.
3. Hey, Mr Bluebird with Ernest Tubb - A perfect slice of Nashville pop from the pen of the late-great Cindy Walker that sees Ernest as tuneful as he ever got.
4. Which One Is To Blame - 1959 hit record in the Ray Price shuffle beat. You'd swear the Cherokee Cowboys were backing the boys here.
5. I Wanna, Wanna, Wanna Louisiana music guru J.D. Miller penned this uptempo two minute chunk of fiddle laden hillbilly.
6. Somebody's Back In Town Top ten honky tonker written by Teddy and Doyle and Don Helms.
7. Arkansas a deviation into the folk field that suits the guys to the ground.
8. Sparkling Brown Eyes with Webb Pierce this classic split tempo number was their first hit.
9. Fighting A Mem'ry pure honky tonk from the pen of Danny Walls.
10. Hurt Her Once For Me their biggest hit from 1966 which reminds me of Buck Owens.
