THE OTHER SIDE OF BAKERSFIELD (VOL. 1 & VOL. 2)

Puedes leer la versión en español de este blog en

elrockandrollyyo.blogspot.com

VOL. 1 = 1. Billy Barton (Blues In The Blue Of The Night)   2. Tommy Collins (Untied)   3. Alvadean Coker (We're Gonna Bop)   4. Bill Woods (Go Crazy Man)   5. Tommy Duncan (Daddy Loves Mommyo   6. Cliff Crofford (There Ain't Nothin' Happenin' To Me)   7. Corky Jones (Hot Dog)   8. Al Coker (Don't Go Baby)   9. Bonnie Blue Bell (Let's Go)   10. Johnny Taylor (Mixed Up Rhythm & Blues)   11. Jimmy Thomason (Now Hear This)   12. Glen Ayres - Red Simpson (Sweet Love)   13. Billy Mize (Solid Sender)   14. Custer Bottoms (Stood Up Blues)   15. Dusty Payne (Long Time Gone)   16. 'Cousin' herb Henson (Up The Path And In My Door)   17. Fuzzy Owen (Arkie's Got Her Shoes On)   18. The Farmer Boys (Flash, Crash And Thunder)   19. Gene Martin (Make It Soon)   20. Buck Owens (Sweet Thing)   21. Bill Carter (I Used To Love You)   22. Ernie Kelley (Seal Rock)   23. Bob Ross and The Teens (Stingy Daddy)   24. Vancie Flowers (What A Man)   25. Joe Hall & The Corvettes (Bongo Beating Beatnick)   26. Wally Lewis (Lover Boy)   27. Bob Orrison (Sarah Lee)   28. Al Brumley (Someone's Gonna Get Hurt)   29. Al Hendrix (Monkey Bite)   30. Merle Haggard (Skidrow)   31. Ronnie Sessions (Scaredy-Cat)

VOL. 2 = 1. Ferlin Husky (I Feel Better Al Over)   2. Dusty Payne (My Walkin' Shoes)   3. Fuzzy Owen (Yer Fer Me)   4. Corky Jones (Rhythm And Booze)   5. Terry Fell (What's Good For The Goose   6. The Farmer Boys (Somehow, Someway, Someday)   7. Bob Ehret (Stop The Clock)   8. Bill Woods (Phone Me Baby)   9. Cliff Crofford (Teenage Tears)   10. Bill Carter (I Wanna Feel Good)   11. Lynn Billingsley (Childhood Boogie)   12. Joe Carson (Take Me In Your Arms)   13. Billy Mize (Planet Named Desire)   14. The Three Notes (I've Been Thinking It Over)   15. Wally Lewis (Kathleen)    16. Al Hendrix (Rhonda Lee)   17. Abe Mulkey   (Packed Up And Shoved Off)   18. George Weston   (Hey Little Car Hop)   19. Johnny Bond (Three Or Four Nights)   20. Dallas Frazier (Can't Go On)   21. Larry Bryant   (I Remember)   22. Herb Henson (Goodbye, Baby, Goodbye)   23. Lawton Jiles (That's What I Get For Loving You)   24. Mel & Carl (Come On Home)   25. Bill Bryan & The Goldtones (Rocking Chair)   26. J.R. LaRue & The Goldtones (I Know Better)   27. Billy Blesoe (That's Just Where)   28. Grover Cleveland (Why Not)   29. Del and Sue (Just Before Dawn)   30. Tommy Duncan with Larry Thornton (I'll Be There Next Sunday)   31. Cathy Sharpe (North Pole Rock).

Bear Family Productions / BCD16946AR (vol. 1) & BCD17353AR (vol. 2)

It's said that it was Ken Nelson (producer at Capitol Records) the first one to use the "Bakersfield sound" term and that it was the song "A Dear John Letter", by Jean Shepard and Ferlin Husky, the one that caused the use of that expression. Or, for being accurate, to the musicians that took part in the recording. People from Bakersfield, California, and its surroundings.

As a matter of fact, the history is more complicated but it is brilliantly explained in the booklets that come with both CD's. You learn there that the Country music done in Bakersfield during the 50's and 60's was different to that done elsewhere (let's say Nashville for example) because it was focused to make pleople dance: in the Bakersfield clubs and beer-joints pleople wasn't going just to listen to the songs, but to dance. And searching for those danceable rhythms, the musicians created a sound, a beat, that was Hillbilly, yes, but that took a lot from Rockabilly, Rock'n'Roll, Swing, Rhythm'n'Blues... And that's what we get in these two CD's: good, old Hillbilly with a beat close to Rockabilly and Rock'n'Roll in most cases. "Hot Dog" by Corky Jones (aka Buck Owens) or "Rhonda Lee" by Al Hendrix areclear examples of that Rockabilly connection; while "Mixed Up Rhythm & Blues" by Johnny Taylor, "Now Hear This" by Jimmy Thomason or "North Pole Rock" by Cathy Sharpe show that Rock'n'Roll or Rhythm'n'Blues addition to the Hillbilly. "1950's & 60's Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West'" is said on the cover, under the title. Clear.

The selection of songs is almost perfect... or just perfect, as in most Bear Family Productions compilations. What a hard life it'll be for us 50's and 60's sounds fans without them. Reading the names included tou'll go though the usual suspects. Names that shine by their own in the History of Country & Western Music: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Tommy Duncan or Ferlin Husky to name just a few.

Both booklets have a similar structure: an introduction about the Bakersfield sound, its origins and development plus track by track comments and info, with plenty of pictures of original artists, record labels and so on. Scott B. Bomar is the author of those top quality liner notes. Bear Family Productions treatment for music and information. Enjoy and learn.

To do a song by song report or to highlight any of them will be pointless and a non-ending work. Better run to your favourite record shop and get both records: 31 great songs and around 50 pages booklets each. Hard to find better.

I don't know if this collection will go further than these two volumes (according to what is said in Bear Family Productions website, I understand that "no") but these CD's are for sure a must-have for Hillbilly and Rockabilly fans alike.

JD McPHERSON - I WISH YOU WOULD / STEAL AWAY (single)

Please find an adaptation of this review in Spanish at

elrockandrollyyo.blogspot.com

SIDE A = I Wish You Would   SIDE B = Steal Away

Vee-Jay Records / VJR36236-01

Before his second album (that will be reviewed here soon), JD McPherson offers us this limited edition little marvel on the historic Vee-Jay Records label with a couple of covers from two Rhythm'n'Blues and blues classics: "I Wish You Would" and "Steal Away".

But before going for the record itself, lets take a quick glance at the history of Vee-Jay Records, that was founded in the city of Gary, Indiana, in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C Bracken and specialized in Rhythm'n'Blues, Blues, Jazz and Rock'n'Roll. Some of the names that recorded for the label are those of Billy Boy Arnold, Jimmy Reed, Memphis Slim, John Lee Hooker, The Spaniels, El Dorados, Gene Chandler, Four Seasons, Little Richard, Big Jay McNealy... August 1966 saw the closing of the company, though it had some later comebacks in different cities and aiming to different music styles.

After saying all that and being the label of the record one of the old Vee-Jay designs, note that the copyright of this single is from Rounder Records.

"I Wish You Would" was first published in 1955 on the very own Vee-Jay Records as recorded by Billy Boy Arnold. The Oklahoma singer offers a cover with a similar tempo than the original but without the harmonica, leaving the lead of the song to the electric guitar (and to the voice, of course). Up-tempo Blues or Rhythm'n'Blues, JD is at his best with this kind of rhythms and it makes you begin tapping your feet without notice.

"Steal Away" is a Blues recorded in 1963 by Jimmy Hughes and published a year later in the Fame label from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, being the song that launched the career of this artist. JD McPherson remains true to the original, keeping even the organ. A Blues ballad with a more quiet rhythm that the one of the Rhythm'n'Blues from side A.

By the way, it must be highlighted that the record comes with a card giving a code for the download of both songs in digital format.

Maybe this record is just a curiosity, but it is for sure a new proof of the good work of Mr. McPherson.

One of the original label designs

of Vee-Jay Records has been

used for this 7".

MARIO COBO - PART 2

Please find an adaptation of this review in Spanish at

elrockandrollyyo.blogspot.com

SIDE A = 1. Barel of Monkeys   2. Dune Tune
SIDE B = 1. String Theory   2. Tioman Waltz

Sleazy Records / SR88

The continuation to the "Part 1" EP edited on the same label some time ago. As a matter of fact, the look of sleeve and record is the same than in "Part 1", being the difference the change of colour: what was red (half of the sleeve and the vinyl) now is green.

The four instro songs in this EP are made for glory of Mario Cobo (he's also the songwriter of all of them), a virtuoso of string instruments being able to show high level along the record playing electric and acoustic guitars, electric bass, ukulele...

"Barel of Monkeys" opens the record with a fast, happy rhythm and a strong touch of Rockabilly; next is a more relaxing "Dune Tune" that sounds exotic... maybe reminiscing of that dune that the title refers to.

On the other side, "String Theory" puts the rhythm up again and it is, in my own oppinion, the highest point of the EP regarding the playing skills of Mario Cobo, who plays several of the string instruments in just this single tune. The title says it all, I mean. As it says it all also for the one that closes the record, "Tioman Waltz", being just that: a waltz, Country & Western style, that is going to make a lot of couples dance.

Fans of guitar pickers will love this record.

PIKE CAVALERO - AHORA QUE LO TIENES / MI NENA PEQUEÑA (single)

Please find an adaptation of this review in Spanish at

elrockandrollyyo.blogspot.com

SIDE A = Ahora que lo tienes   SIDE B = Mi nena pequeña

Sleazy Records / SR91

New 7" from Pike Cavalero in Sleazy Records. Good news as, if we're talking about straight Rockabilly this singer is one of the best we can get today. Thumbs up for the band as well.

Two songs, both sung in Spanish, one per side of a record made in transparent vinyl.

"Ahora que lo tienes" is the one on side A: good Rockabilly beat that makes difficult not to start dancing. Drums and slapbass do the main job keeping the beat, while the electric guitar takes the spotlight.

B side is for "Mi nena pequeña", a cover of "Little Girl of Mine"(The Cleftones), done Rockabilly style with a touch of Doo Wop, being the voices of Pike Cavalero and of the great The Del Prince who take the lead.

It's already said at the beginning that I believe that Pike Cavalero is one of the best 50's style Rockabilly singers we can listen to nowadays and that's what we get in this single. So if it's what you're looking for, you're going to like it for sure.

A record with both sides done to fill the dancefloors.