A Sheep In Wolves Clothing

Harry Webb started his rock 'n' roll journey on the right track. All he wanted was to be the meanest, and prettiest, cat about town. Then he met Jack Good, who had very different ideas...

A scene from a Rock 'n' Roll fable

Harry came off stage after performing a wild concert at the Carshalton Social Club  - it was one of his earliest gigs. He was sweaty and full of nervous energy. Waiting for him in his dressing room was a guy who looked like he could have been Buddy Holly's dad. The guy introduced himself as Jack Good of '6-5 Special' and  'Oh Boy!' fame.

After shaking hands a conversation began...

Jack - "What's wrong with your lip?"

Harry - "Nothing, it's just something I do and it makes me look cool."

Jack - "It doesn't, so stop it."

Harry - "Err..."

Jack - "And get rid of those sideburns, they look silly stuck on both sides of your baby face."

Harry - "No way, not my sideburns! I just...."

Jack - "Do you really need that guitar?"

Harry - "Now look here, I like my curling lip, sideburns and tommy-gun guitar, It's what I do, who I am, and..."

Jack - "Oh stop it Cliff"

Harry - "Cliff?"

Jack - "Do as I say and I'll put you on T.V., I'll make you a star, you'll be perfect on my new show 'Oh Boy!' you could be the next Pat Boone...oops! I meant Elvis."

Harry - "Cliff?...OK, I'll do it"

Harry's  rebel days came to an end, He then recorded 'Living Doll', and after doing that there was... 

NO TURNING BACK

THE END OF THE ROCK 'N' ROLL FABLE...

SCRATCHIN' that instrumental itch.

RAVES FROM THE GRAVE, BLASTS FROM THE PAST VOLUME 2

16 TRACKS FOR INSTRUMENTAL FREAKS TO DEVOUR

SCRATCHIN' - B.B. CUNNINGHAM Jr.

Another slab of vinyl from the back of my L.P record collection

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Ger Rijff - Art & Elvis

I have been a fan of Ger Rijff's art since the early 1980s. Known worldwide for his knowledge and extensive collection and archive of mainly 1950s and early 1960s Elvis photographs, he is a force to be reckoned with in the world of Elvis Aaron Presley. Additionally, he is a renowned artist and cartoonist, favouring a vintage theme and style within his work. For those that are new to this splendid chap, then please check out one of his on line hangouts;  HERE

GER RIJFF
Background piece based on an informal email correspondence…

Wild hair and a vintage radio

Ger Rijff was born in Amsterdam in 1951. He got infected by the Elvis and rock ‘n’ roll virus through his brother, who was seven years older than he was, and he was the one who brought home the first 45 vinyl records that Ger devoured. It was also around the same time that he started buying Dutch and American comic books at a local second hand bookshop. Being inspired by the illustrations and cartoon drawings in these comics, Ger tried drawing his comic book heroes at home, after school hours. Friends and family told him he was good at it and that he had talent. While still at school he did a two year course in decoration painting, and learnt how to do lettering on all kinds of posters.

 In 1970, he landed a job as an illustrator for a monthly teen magazine. In 1974 Ger went freelance, until 1980 when he landed a job at a publishing company Drukwerk of Amsterdam (this is where he designed and made up these excellent rock ‘n’ roll postcards, and loads of other illustrations).

 In 1984, Ger started work on his first professional book, about Elvis Presley in the 1950s; ‘Long Lonely Highway’. After the success of this publication, other titles soon followed, and having a huge 1950s Elvis photo archive he was often asked by American book and film companies for Elvis related material and pictures for their projects.

FIRST PROFESSIONAL BOOK

Ger got to see Elvis in concert in 1976, and also his two final concerts in 1977. He said of seeing Elvis at that stage of his life;

 “He was bigger than life, and the shows I saw are now beautiful memories”.

 In 2003, Ger fell ill, and that by and large ended his career in art and design. Nowadays, to keep himself busy, he has a Facebook page focusing on early Elvis and Americana. He has a wonderful son, and cat, and lives a reclusive life.

Above; one of the few drawings that survived the 1970's

TCB

BACKSTAGE AT THE HAYRIDE

LITTLE RICHARD

The beginning above and the finished below

The freelance sinful years

 A 1970's pop take on Rock 'n' Roll

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE DRAWINGS

BIG JOE TURNER

 Unfinished sketch 1980's 

Front cover design of a fan magazine focusing on Ger Rijff's rock n roll cartoons.  Another self published magazine by a friend in the early 1980's only 10 copies made.

 LIKE THIS POST? THEN CHECK OUT ROCK & ROLL POSTCARDS

Who are The Actors?

The Actors - Cool Water

Laurie Record N. 3135 Not For Sale N8OW 5512 Advanced Release.

Does anyone know anything about about The Actors? My Internet searches have drawn a blank. I would love to see a photo of this band and any info on them, if there is anything out there on them? 

COOL WATER

PEANUT BRITTLE

L.P sized Carl Perkins Booklet

The download at the bottom of this post is a link to scanned JPEG files (no audio files) of the booklet that came with the Carl Perkins - The Sun Years Box set released by Charly Records in 1982. I remember how excited I was at the time, that the vinyl came with the Sun label and not the usual Charly Label design that came with most of the labels rockabilly re-issues at the time.

RADIO SPOT 

AFTER THE SUN HAD SET, CARL PLUGS HIS FIRST COLUMBIA RELEASE

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Sun Studio 50th Anniversary Show

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July 5th 1954 at Sun Studios 706 Union Avenue Memphis Tennessee, Elvis fools around, messing with chords and quite literary stumbles upon a song he remembers by Arthur (Big Boy) Crudup, Bill Black joins in slappin' his old bass bull fiddle, Scotty Moore picks out notes on his trusted guitar. After hours of trying out songs from diverse singers such as Dean Martin and the Ink Spots, Sam Phillips finally hears the sound he has been searching for 'That's All Right Mama' is put on tape and within two years the whole world knows the name Elvis Presley.

Unfortunately I did not get to see this show, I picked up the programme for it at Sun Studios Memphis 7 months later. I did manage to get to meet and see in concert both Sonny Burguess and Billy Lee Riley when they appeared at the Rockabilly Rave two years later.

Jimmy Ridding & the Blue Shoes

I was sorting out my record collection today and came across this platter by Jimmy Ridding and the Blue Shoes. This has been in my collection since the year dot, when I first started on my rock 'n' roll musical path towards my eventual finding, and settling on, rockabilly. I don't remember where I picked this up, it could not have been at a record fair because I doubt if most collectors would even give it a second glance. But wherever I found it (thinking back it may have been Junk City in Tooting, London), I bought it, played it once and placed it at the back of the collection, hoping that my rockin' buddies would not find it and rip me to pieces by calling me a plastic weekend Ted (oh, those were the days indeed). The album consists of rock 'n' roll standards. There is no information on the L.P. sleeve as to who Jimmy Ridding is, and there are no session or musician details either. It makes me think this may be a one-man operation. Recorded between 1969 and 1971, and released in France, we get a sound similar to (but not as good as) 'The Wild Angels'. 

There are two Ray Charles covers on the album, 'I Got A Woman' and 'What'd I Say', but I have never been into Jimmy's versions of these songs (even on a re-listen over thirty years later). I do not like the organ on the former and I hate the guitar on the latter. But I have always liked his version of 'Blue Moon of Kentucky' I think mainly because I like the way he sings 'Kentucky' in his accent, and for some reason I like his version of Ronnie Hawkins 'Oh Babe', even with the crazy drumming. The rest of the album tracks are bog standard rock 'n' roll covers. An odd duck of a post, but interesting none the less!

BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY

A SIDE

TUTTI FRUTTI

I GOT A WOMAN

WHAT'D I SAY

READY TEDDY

RIP IT UP

ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK

B SIDE

SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL

OH BABE

JENNY JENNY

BABY I DON'T CARE

BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY

LUCILLE

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