The Rock 'n' Roll Side Of...

I love Patsy Cline's popular cross-over country music, she had a voice that still sends chills up my spine. I first heard 'Got A Lot of Rhythm in My Soul' back in the early 1980's  - it was on a Nervous records L.P. (originally recorded on Preston records of Australia) called 'Aussiebilly', and it was sung by a band called 'Toni and the Tomcats'. They did a very good job with the song, but I was totally surprised when I found out the original was by Patsy Cline. I dug further and found more gems with Patsy singing in a rockin' style. Songs like 'Walking Dream' and 'Stop, Look & Listen'. Here is a self-made E.P. with covers containing some of my favourite Patsy songs that have a rock 'n' roll edge to them.

'Shake Rattle & Roll'

(a live recording from 1961) 

'Stop, Look & Listen'

(from 1956)

'Love Me Honey Do'

(alternaive take 1959)

'Got A Lot Of Rhythm In My Soul'

(1959)

'Stupid Cupid'

(live 1961)

'Walkin' Dream'

(1958)

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Excellent Russian Rock 'n' Roll

Руки в брюки - "Прыгай малая"

BAND WEBSITE

Rockabilly/Rock 'n' Roll from Russia

I don't know anything about this band, (how do you pronounce their name?) except the fact that I like their style and more importantly their sound. They have a CD out now 'MP. BE4EP' or something like that, it translates in to English as 'Mr. Evening'. Check out their website for videos and more information. 

And thanks to Gene1976 for nudging me in their direction.

DO THE DEAD BONE BOP!

DEAD BONE RAMBLERS - DEMO 2013

TRUE AFFECTION (Doggett/Hanley)

HONEYCOMB (Cocksedge)

LOSE MY MIND (Cocksedge)

HEARTBREAKIN' LOVE (Wages)

BONFIRE (Piper/Anderson)

MISS YOU BABY (Cocksedge)

‘The Dead Bone Ramblers’ are a rockabilly/country bop band formed in February 2012 by ex-‘Cordwood Draggers’ frontman Honest Hal (Mick Cocksedge) and ‘Slick 49’s’ double bass player Steve Whitworth. They have had various guitar pickers prior to Gordon Doel (from the Doel Brothers) taking up the reins in early 2013.

 Their live set consists of mainly original material and some well chosen (and well played) covers. Hal's vocal delivery puts me in mind of how ’Sid King and The Five Strings’ sounded in their heyday in the mid-fifties.  He isn’t a growler vocally, when he delivers these songs, he sings them - not only very well, but most importantly with feeling, so you can believe what he is telling you in the lyrics.

 You can be the best singer in the business, but if you don't have the band to back you up then you may as well hang up your blue suedes and go back to driving a truck!

  Gordon does an excellent job on lead guitar, his pickin’ is top of the class stuff, but not so over-the-top that it takes over and kills the overall sound of the band.  Add to that Steve’s rhythmic slappin’ bass and you have is the ‘Dead Bone Ramblers’; three musicians playing their music the way they want to...with a 1950's kick.

Gordon Doel - Lead Guitar. 

Honest Hal - Vocals/Rhythm Guitar

Steve Whitworth - Double Bass 

Demo recorded by David Doel

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New link added 2nd Sept 14

DEAD BONE RAMBLERS FACEBOOK PAGE

GRAB ONE OF THESE BEAUTIES WHILE THEY ARE STILL AROUND.  AVAILABLE AT DEAD BONE RAMBLER SHOWS FOR FROM MICK AT THE DEAD BONE RAMBLER FACEBOOK PAGE. £6 + SHIPPING

RE-RECORDED VERSION DIFFERENT FROM THE DEMO WITH DAVE DOLE ON VOCAL HARMONY.

Jerry J. Nixon?

This release has intrigued me for a while now, I still don't know who this Cat is! I love the sound of these recordings, but 1950 and early 1960's cuts? I don't think so. Here is a review of the full album by Alan Wright that was released on 'Voodoo Rhythm Records' in 2002/3.

Any information on who this might be would be very welcome.

RIVER OF LOVE

WHY DID I?

SATURDAY MIDNIGHT BOP

RAILROAD SHUFFLE

TRAVELING FREE

Jerry Who?

Bop Like Carl

Bill Jenkins - Bop Like Carl

Recorded at Thunder Head Studio, Knoxville Tennessee 1978

Bill Jenkins - Vocal, and all instruments.

Bill Jenkins - Poni-Tails and Bobbi-Sox

Recorded at Thunder Head Studio, Knoxville Tennessee 1979

Bill Jenkins - Vocal, Rhythm Guitar

David Young - Guitar

Steve Cochran - Piano

Henry Baugh - Bass

Mike Turner - Drums

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1950's

1978

I prefer the A side 'Bop Like Carl' to 'Poni-Tails and Bobbi-Sox', mainly because Bill Jenkins plays all the instruments and it also has a more authentic sound to it. He is the man in charge of how the sound on this record comes across to the listener, in my opinion he nails it. 

In a way it puts me in mind of Ray Campi's 45rpm vinyl record releases on Ronny Weiser's Rollin' Rock record label in the mid to late 1970's.  I much preferred Ray playing all the instruments, as to Ray playing along with his band the Rockabilly Rebels, but that is another story.

Raised on Rock & Roll

'Raised on Rock 'n' Roll'

'Rock it to the Moon'

Recorded at Rhythm Records in San Francisco in 1958.

Jackie Gotroe - vocals Rhythm Guitar

George Salas - Lead Guitar

Don Beton - Bass

Len Alexander - Drums

'Golden Spur'

'Lobo Jones'

Recorded at Keen Records California 1958.

Jackie Gotroe - vocals Rhythm Guitar

George Salas - Lead Guitar

Bass and Drums - Session Musicians

ROCK 'N' ROLL E.P

More Jackie Gotroe information on the www

RockabillyHall

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No Hit Wonders Part 2

Jack Hammer Drill

George Williams was a band leader/arranger who had an album released 'The Fox in Hi-Fi' on Coral records in 1957. I have heard snippets from the L.P on youtube and it is very much in the jazz vein. But his 1955 Coral release (45 rpm and 78 rpm) is a nice little saxophone led jiver with a simple vocal chorus. It is catchy tune and I remember trying to learn to Jive to it when I first heard it when it was released on the bootleg Cat E.P Vol 7 in the early 1980's. I still can not Jive to save my life, but I can not blame my non-dancing on 'Jack Hammer Drill' it is a great record for real dancers to cut a rug to, but alas the record did not make an impression on the charts at the time.

The image above is an advert from the June edition of Billboard magazine 1955

Bootleg Cat 7 vinyl E.P

Jack Hammer Drill
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No Hit Wonders! Part 1

I occasionally come across records in my collection that I think with a little extra promotion could have been hit records, or at least sold enough copies to warrant another release. But it seems some records are released in the hope that something will happen and the disc will rocket up the charts and the record company would get the singer or group back in the studio and record more material for another record or maybe if sales are high an album release, but more often than not that is not the case. 
This part one in my posts on 'No Hit Wonders'
Jackie Burns had the second release on Bob Keane's new Del-Fi record label in 1958, but 'Hey Then, There Now' did not sell well. What happened to Jack after the record was released is a mystery to me, but a few months after 'Del-Fi 4102' was issued, Bob Keane discovered Richie Valens and so all Keane's attention was focused on his new rising star. Judging by his 45 on Del-Fi, Burns was a song writer, so he may have taken that route. He did not have a really great sounding voice, but then 'Hey Then, There Now' did not require a great vocal delivery. It is a bouncy song that would have today's strollers up and doing their stuff. The B side is another up-tempo song which I like even with the silly vocal chorus.  If anyone has a photo of Jackie Burns they would like to share or have any more information on him please leave a comment or two.

'HEY THEN, THERE NOW' b/w 'YOU ARE MY DREAM'

Best Dressed Beggar In Town

BEST DRESSED BEGGAR IN TOWN

There is very little information on Brownie Johnson on the Internet.

I purchased a 45 rpm single by him 'The Best Dressed Beggar in Town' b/w 'Just Pretending', this is country music in the style of Johnny Cash and Jim Reeves, it was released in the UK in 1962 on the Longhorn record label. I believe it is the same Brownie Johnson that released 'The Sun Would Never Shine' (a cool rockabilly number) on the Lynn record label in 1958. 

Photo above is a scan from the White label LP 'Rock-A-Billy Again'

The photo above comes from the 1956 'West End High School', Birmingham, Alabama yearbook. This looks remarkably like the Brownie Johnson on the 'Rock-a-billy Again' LP. But this has been unconfirmed. 

Another release came from 1978, 'Little Boy Blue' b/w 'Deal Me in Again'. If anyone has any more information on Brownie Johnson give me a holler and help me fill in the gaps.

'BEST DRESSED BEGGAR IN TOWN'

'JUST PRETENDING'

'THE SUN WOULD NEVER SHINE'

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THE DOEL BROTHERS

THE DOEL BROTHERS ON THE RUSSELL HILL COUNTRY RADIO SHOW
(EXPRESS FM 93.7) ON SUNDAY 7th APRIL 2013.

LAUGHIN' & JOKIN'

SURE YOU WON'T

SIDE STEP 'ROUND THE BLUES

NOTHIN' 'BOUT LOVE

EDUCATED MIND

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

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 If you take excellent musicians from bands such as ‘The Western Aces’, ‘The Radio Ramblers’ and ‘The Westernaires’, what you get is a new fresh sound of honky-tonk hillbilly bop, courtesy of ‘The Doel Brothers’.

  Brothers Gordon, Dave and Tom, along with Radio Rambler Gary (an honouree brother), make up this hot four-piece band. I would describe the band’s musical style as a fusion of the sounds of ‘The Louvin Brothers’ mixed with a sprinkling of Johnny Cash, and a whole lot of T.N.T.

 I read on their website that they considered that they played rockabilly music badly and which in turn gives something a little extra to the overall sound of the band. I would not agree fully with that statement; rockabilly music is far better in my opinion delivered to an audience when it is raw and not over-rehearsed. Singing harmony vocals is hard to master, but nobody seems to have told Gordon and Dave that! It must have something to do with them being siblings that make it come so easily to them. The last time I saw them perform they were playing in ‘The Western Aces’ (gone but not forgotten), with Gordon playing lead guitar and Dave on double bass. The Doel Brothers line up consists of Dave playing lead guitar and vocals, Gordon on rhythm guitar and vocals, Tom on the drums and Gary on double bass. Not only is the sound from the band of a high quality, but they also write their own material. Have a listen to ‘Side Step ‘Round the Blues’,  a fine western swing song that could have been recorded in early 1950’s rather than in late 2012 in a Spanish recording studio!

 The new CD ‘Oh Brother Here Comes the Doel Brothers’ on the ‘El Toro’ record label will be out in time for the Rockabilly Rave and a 45 ‘Gone But Not Forgotten’ b/w ‘Laughin’ & Jokin’  will be released by ‘Rumble Records’ on April 22nd 2013.

 

The Doel Brothers

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Cool Doel Brothers Videos By Joe Kelly