May 21, 2026 10:22:59 AM | Bear Family MAY REVIEWS VINYL 10"

MAY REVIEWS – SIMON NOTT

                                                 THE RHYTHM ROCKETS

                              ‘BOPPIN’, STROLLIN’ AND MESSIN’ AROUND’

                                                         (Bear Family)

Before you start reading this, stop, go and buy a copy then come back to me, BUY IT HERE there are only 499 left and sure to be selling like hotcakes. This is limited edition 10” vinyl containing the musical growing pains of Ray and Donnie Pate, aka The Rhythm Rockets born in 1940 and 1942 respectively in Mobile Alabama then relocated to Miami Florida by their serviceman father not long after. They caught the rock n roll bug when Elvis, Scotty and Bill rocked and rolled through town, self-taught musicians they played how they felt, no rules just youthful rock n roll abandon, this album contains the 11 recordings that survive to remember them by, just two of these tracks made it onto commercial vinyl ‘Lucky Day’ and ‘My Shadow’ on the tiny Gulf Stream label, the rest gathered dust until the 1980’s and the European rockabilly explosion exhumed and embraced them. Explosive is what these tracks are, primitively recorded slabs of youthful abandon with kids playing their hearts out, listen to little Donnie as he bends the strings on ‘The Slide’ and ‘Lucky Day’, marvellous. This is musical treasure, praise be to Bear Family to putting it all together in such a cool package, not least the wonderful booklet notes by Volker Houghton packed with photos and information to do Ray and Donnie’s musical legacy justice.

Simon Nott

VARIOUS ARTISTS

‘YOU GOTTA HAVE A DUCKTAIL!’

(Bear Family)

Kicking off with Deacon and the Rock n Rollers’ ‘Rock It On The Moon’ this 10” vinyl limited edition lays out what’s to follow, a dozen tracks that appeared on or were affiliated with the short-lived commercially but quality strewn Nau-Voo label out of West Portsmouth Ohio. It’s releases spanned from just 1958 to 1960 but oozed class, ranging from the wild opener to instrumentals, The Untouchables’ ‘Blue Chip Bounce’ through classic 50’s bopper and compilation title track ‘You Gotta Have a Duck Tail’ by Billy Adams and the Rock-A-Teeners, the photo of whom shows them performing live with two basses in the line-up, was that just live, or a one off? Who knows, but their recordings are bass heavy we can only hope, how cool. There must have been something in the water at the garage that served as producer Mack McKinney’s recording studio, he started wild, the first artist he recorded was Bobby Lawson’s ‘If You Want My Love’ which was incendiary and not the sort of material other artists named Bobby were likely to record in 1958. There’s even a bit of doo-wop with The Jades and Billy Adams again with the novelty but class ‘The Return Of The All American Boy’ Fittingly, Deacon and the Rock N Rollers close proceedings with the rattling and twangsome classic ‘I Don’t Want To Leave’, concluding a hot slab of wax with a suitably cool booklet too. 499 copies left and counting BUY IT HERE

Simon Nott

                                                   VARIOUS ARTISTS

                                        ROCK N ROLL BRITANNIA VOL 1

                                                           (Trophy)

There are a dozen tracks on this 10” vinyl slab of Joe Meek goodness and without hyping it up too much, if that were possible they are astonishing. Astonishing not just because how rocking they are, but that they sound like chart toppers and never saw the light of day. OK we’ve heard tunes like that harking from the vaults of the likes of Sun for decades but this material from the same era is going to be new to many of us, certainly me. Of the tracks that had been released, they are obscure, Don Charles ‘Crazy Man Crazy’ nothing to do with Bill Haley has a frantic piano that’s sure to have ripped up floors. Likewise, Ricky Wayne’s ‘Hot Chick A’Roo’ is a wild a slab of rock n roll as you are likely to hear recorded either side of the Atlantic Ocean. The inclusion of two Gene Vincent tracks here are no doubt going to get the attention though listeners not looking at the sleeve could be forgiven for thinking that Peter Jay’s ‘Just Too Late’ was a long-lost Gene. Vincent’s actual contributions ‘Temptation Baby’ and ‘Suzie Q’ are ‘guide vocal takes’ with musical accompaniment and pure Gene and very listenable despite not being finished recordings. Super star interest satisfied, flip this over again, side one is one hell of a rocking slab of wax. BUY IT HERE

Simon Nott

VARIOUS ARTISTS

‘ROCK N ROLL BRITANNIA VOL 2

(Trophy)

Following hot on the bopping shoes of Volume I this is another priceless collection of Joe Meek rarities and amazingly unreleased tracks, for example how the hell was the hauntingly rocking ‘North Wind’ by Chick Lewis never put out, likewise ‘One More Time’ by Dave Roberts, nobody seems to know who Dave Roberts was, come on Internet age, someone must have had an uncle Dave who used to talk about the days he recorded for Joe Meek, he recorded some great stuff. Even more obscure are the tracks ‘Tell My Baby Tonight’ and ‘Rock Island Line’ by unknown artists, both excellent cuts. Screaming Lord Sutch needs no introduction or identifying as he screams his way through what was by 1961 when this was recorded already a rock n roll standard that really didn’t need more covering but Sutch and the Savages maul that thing, it’s wilder than wild and of course banned by the BBC, what an artist. ‘That Twistin’ Time’ by Peppi and the New York Twisters with searing guitar and full-throated sax would have gone down a storm with the youth of Great Britain, sadly they never got to find out, only making it so far as an acetate. Ricky Wayne’s unreleased ‘Just A Dream’ features a corkscrewing guitar that really would have wormed into your brain, it just goes on, this is another astonishing release. GET YOURS WHILE IT'S HOT

Simon Nott

If you enjoy my reviews, please feel free to buy me a 'coffee' though in truth I'll probably spend any money donated on records! buymeacoffee.com/SimonNott

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