GENE VINCENT - TEMPTATION BABY

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Side A = 1. Temptation Baby   2. Where Have You Been All My Life   3. Humpity Dumpity   4. La-Den-Da-Den-Da-Da

Side B = 5. Love'em and Leave'em Kinda Guy   6. The Beginning Of The End   7. Private Detective   8. You're My Sunshine 9. Temptation Baby

Sleazy Records / SR10-25 (picture-disc = SR10-26)

Sleazy Records keeps all Gene Vincent fans well supplied for sure. This time, the Spanish label has released a 10" record including the songs that were first issued on the four singles that Gene Vincent got published on the British Columbia label beween 1964 and 1965, a time in which Gene seemed to be forgotten in the USA, but in which he was a top Rock'n'Roll act in Europe.

It's good Rock'n'Roll what we get in this record. Maybe the songs aren't at the same top level than the ones the Prince of Rock'n'Roll recorded for Capitol previously (to reach that quality seems impossible to me), but as a matter of fact the eight songs are quite close to that level. By the way, "Temptation Baby", the song that gives name to this record, is included twice, in two different versions.

"Temptation Baby" and "Private Detective" are my favourite songs in those years of Gene's career, plus the interesting version of the Hillbilly classic "You're My Sunshine", to which the Screamin' End gives a nice Rockin' treatment.

Good record that will please all Gene Vincent fans for sure and that comes, as uses to be with Sleazy Record's releases, along with informative sleeve notes.

Note that two different versions of the record have been published simultaneously: one in classic black vinyl with cardboard sleeve and other one as a beautiful picture-disc (see pictures of both sides below). Did I say "beautiful"? Well, "stunning" will be much more accurate.

If you are a fan of Gene Vincent, you'll probably need this record... and it's up to you to choose which version do you prefer... Or maybe you'll need both?

The picture-disc version of this record looks stunning.

ROCK'N'BORDES - ES LA VIDA

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Side A = 1. Hey princesa!   2. La soledad   3. Extraños en la caverna   4. Sin ti

Side B = 5. Es la vida   6. Mi reina no llores   7. Traición fatal   8. La ciudad de noche

Sleazy Records / SR10-17 (picture disc = SR10-18)

Back in February 2016 I wrote in this very same blog about Sleazy Records' re-release of Rock'n'Bordes' first record... and here we have a new release from the Spanish label dedicated to one of the most influential bands in the history of Spanish Rockabilly.

This 10" record, under the title of "Es la vida", offers us the demo songs that Rock'n'Bordes recorded as starting point previous to the recording sessions for their third LP, "Al mal tiempo... buena cara". Eight songs have made their way into this brand new release and they are really interesting as they enable us, in some way, to see the evolution of the songs from their origin to the definitive version included in the record that was published in 1991. The demo cuts sound more rough and wilder that in the "official" release.

Among the 8 songs included in this brand new 10" record we get some masterpieces in Spanish Rockabilly history, such as the wonderful, almost perfect, "Es la vida", a song that has reached a kind of "hymn" status... But all of them are really good... The frantic Rockabilly of "Hey princesa!", the great mid-tempo of "Mi reina no llores", the close-to-Psychobilly "Extraños en la caverna", the Country & Western feeling of "Traición fatal", the wistfulness of "La soledad", "Sin ti" or "La ciudad de noche"... A very good collection of songs, yes indeed.

Brief, an absolutely amazing and interesting record that is completed with sleeve notes signed by Be Bop Nando, 50% of Rock'n'Bordes (Rockin' Pauly was the other 50%). Nobody better than him to tell us the history behind the recording. A must have record in any Spanish Rockabilly records collection.

By the way, Sleazy Records has published two different versions of the record: one in classic black vinyl (see picture at the beginning of this review) and one as a stunning "picture disc" vinyl (see pictures of both sides at the end of the review).

Rock'n'Bordes were so good!!!

The stunning picture-disc version of this record.

MISS LAVELLE - STOLEN LOVE

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Side A = 1. Teen-Age Love   2. If I Could Be With You   3. Stop These Teardrops   4. Yes, I've Been Crying   5. Stolen Love   6. You're The Most

Side B = 7. Just Look At You   8. Tide Of Love   9. Run To You   10. Why Young Men Go Wild   11. Everybody's Got Somebody   12. The Best Part Of Me

Sleazy Records / SR10-20

A few months ago Sleazy Records released this compilation in 10" pink vinyl format in their "Ten X Ten Series" including the 6 singles Miss LaVelle got released between 1958 and 1965 for the Duke label.

I have to admit that I bought the record knowing just about nothing about this singer... but supposing that if Sleazy Records found it good enough to release it in their "Ten X Ten Series", it might worth the money... And after listening to it for the first time I saw I was right. By the way, "Stop These Teardrops" was the only song I recognised during that first listening. Of course, I've played the record many more times since that first time... and many more will come in the future because Miss LaVelle's powerful voice is just astonishing and the songs included, with styles going from Rhythm'n'Blues to Soul, including Blues and, in a certain way, Doo Wop, are just great.

I prefer Miss LaVelle in her Rhythm'n'Blues songs and for that reason her first 2 singles, so the first 4 songs of this record, are my favourites: "Teen-Age Love", "If I Could Be With You", "Stop These Teardrops" and "Yes I've Been Crying". Anyway, "Why Young Men Go Wild" is close behind in my preferences...

Good compilation work by Leo Castro, great sleeve notes by Aisha Khan and nice artwork by Berto Martínez... I mean, is good to see such a work dedicated to a singer, Miss LaVelle, that for whatever reasons didn't get the success she probably merited in the second half of the 1950's and the first half of the 1960's, even though the quality of her recordings was above average, as this record proves.

Pink vinyl for Miss LaVelle's 10" in

Sleazy Record's "Ten X Ten Series".

DARREL HIGHAM - HELL'S HOTEL

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1. Hell's Hotel   2. Turn Around And Go   3. When You Smile   4. In Summer   5. Hank Williams And Me   6. Nearer To A Love   7. My Old Friend   8. And The Angels Cried   9. Save Me With Your Kisses   10. I Found A Smile   11. The Blues Is The Blues   12. Please Give Me Something

Ambassador Records / 6046341802

Darrel Higham left his solo career for much too long in order to focus in his lead guitar role in Imelda May's band... But here we have him back for good again in front of the microphone, sure also playing his guitar as he is probably one of the best guitar players we can listen to currently.

A dozen songs have been included in this "Hell's Hotel" cd (if I'm not wrong, it is also available in vinyl LP format) and in them we get what we can expect in a record from this great artist: good Rock'n'Roll and Rockabilly. As a matter of fact, very good Rock'n'Roll and Rockabilly, going from the rhythmic "I Found A Smile" to the more relaxed "Nearer To A Love". Ten out of the twelve songs are penned by Higham himself, being the remaining two "In Summer" and a version of the classic "Please Give Me Something", in which the singer is Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant).

My favourite songs in this album are, by the way, "When You Smile" and "My Old Friend".

Further than the above-mentioned Robert Plant, the remaining guest stars are first level ones, with Imelda May doing chorus in three songs, The Roomates' Steve Webb doing the same also in three songs, Jools Holland adding piano again in three cuts and so on...

Just a few more lines to say that this is a good record, much more than recommended to be listened (and bought, of course!) as I believe that it is one of Darrel Higham's best records to date. 

GEORGE JONES - ALONG CAME YOU / FEELING SINGLE, SEEING DOUBLE

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Side A = Along Came You

Side B = Feeling Single, Seeing Double

Sleazy Records / SR125

Sleazy Records keeps on offering treat after treat to all of us, lovers of the good old Rock'n'Roll friendly rhythms, and here we have a brand new one in 7" vinyl format in their Original Rockin' Series. This time the honour goes to a Country superstar such as George Jones, with two songs of really good Country & Western with an obvious Rock'n'Roll coating: "Along Came You" on side A and "Feeling Single, Seeing Double" on side B. Note that on the brief but informative sleeve notes written by Pooly Record Hop, the orden is given the other way round... although it's not really important in a single.

Both songs were first released on George Jones' second long play for the Musicor label back in 1965, shinning on both cuts the lead guitar.

Another good 7" for any decent record collection.

CHUCK BERRY - CHUCK

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Side A = 1. Wonderful Woman   2. Big Boys   3. You Go To My Head   4. 3/4 Time (Enchiladas)   5. Darlin'

Side B = 6. Lady B. Goode   7. She Still Loves You   8. Jamaica Moon   9. Dutchman   10. Eyes Of Man

Decca Records / 00602557561241

Just a few months ago, in March 2017, the great Chuck Berry left the building... but being for sure one of the founding fathers of Rock'n'Roll, he left us his last recordings as a kind of farewell... and here they are in this LP: "Chuck".

Perhaps some could be kind of afraid about the quality of the performance given Mr. Berry's age at the time of recording... but hey! we're talking about Chuck Berry, you know? So everybody be cool.

The record starts with two shots of good, old Rock'n'Roll, pure Chuck Berry at his best: "Wonderful Woman" and "Big Boys" are songs that could have been recorded 60 years ago, back in Chuck's heydays. Absolutely great. Then comes " You Go To My Head", a Blues in which we can be reassured he was in top form when recording this album. Time then for a Hillbilly flavoured song, "3/4 Time (Enchiladas)", in which we can feel he and the band were having good time while recording it. Last cut on side A is another Blues, "Darlin'", just absolutely wonderful regarding lyrics and music.

To begin side B, Chuck Berry goes back to Rock'n'Roll in a kind of tribute to his most famous song, as the title of the one included here is "Lady B. Goode"... and from my point of view here ends the good part of the record. The absolutely great part. Probably there will be people that will love the remaining four songs, but for me those songs are too far away from Chuck Berry's classic anthems both in quality and in style.

Anyway, six astonishing good songs out of ten is not bad at all, isn't it? Ladies and gentlemen, it's Chuck Berry and this should (must) be enough. By the way, Mr. Berry is the composer of all the songs but two.

Thanks for everything, Mr. Berry. Never to be forgotten.

ARISTOGATOS - DIRECTOS MAQUETAS 1982

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Side A = 1. Himno Aristogato   2. Coca-Cola   3. Ana

Side B = 4. Visita al hospital   5. 6 de la mañana   6. Visita al hospital

Subterfuge / 210316SUB

Just released, this record is a kind of archaeological work regarding Spanish Rockabilly, as it brings songs recorded by Aristogatos, a band that existed for very, very short time, back in 1982. The six songs included are probably all the recordings they left.

Side A has three songs recorded live and can be taken as examples of what quite a lot of Rockabilly bands were doing at the time in Spain, with lots of enthusiasm but with few means.

Side B goes Pop... that is the direction most of the band members followed in the bands they played with once Aristogatos was over.

Brief, an interesting record if you are interested in the early times of the Spanish Rockabilly Revival... eventhough from my point of view there were more interesting bands at the time.

By the way, note this record turns at 45 rpm although it is a 12".