the bettajive review magazine #26
Pete Davenport of the Comet Combo
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Ian Rhodes of the Infernos
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Well hello there loyal readers. Here is the 26th issue of the Bettajive Review, which also marks eighteen years since I've been writing about 50's Rock n Roll music, gigs and events. In this issue you will find we have dedicated a lot of space to live music events. And that will be the case for the next couple of issues as well as the weekender and gig scene start to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Remember, readers. Simon Cowell et al have enough money for now. Local clubs, bands, DJs and events need supporting. You can video BGT and all that other frippery, and watch it later.
As usual we will start with a bit of jolliness, our Bettajive Review. Enjoy
Remember, readers. Simon Cowell et al have enough money for now. Local clubs, bands, DJs and events need supporting. You can video BGT and all that other frippery, and watch it later.
As usual we will start with a bit of jolliness, our Bettajive Review. Enjoy
The Bettajive Review
In the beginning I read a lot about the birth and story of Rock n Roll, it’s origins, influences and longevity. People make good cases for the Blues pioneers, Hank Williams, the day Elvis walked into Sun Studio, Bill Haley’s ‘Rock The Joint’, Alan Freed exclaiming ‘Rock n Roll’ on air, Jackie Brenston’s ‘Rocket 88’ and so on. It’s a subject that has polarised opinions, caused massive uproar and furore on social media platforms, and no one can honestly say they have the definitive answer. Well dear readers, that is until now…….
Yes readers, the gospel according to Bettajive, will detail it all for you. As usual, it is written with tongue planted firmly in cheek, and any reference to any other publication you may have read, or ever existed in whatever old or new edition, is purely coincidental….. Blow the dust off, open the book and read…
In the beginning I read a lot about the birth and story of Rock n Roll, it’s origins, influences and longevity. People make good cases for the Blues pioneers, Hank Williams, the day Elvis walked into Sun Studio, Bill Haley’s ‘Rock The Joint’, Alan Freed exclaiming ‘Rock n Roll’ on air, Jackie Brenston’s ‘Rocket 88’ and so on. It’s a subject that has polarised opinions, caused massive uproar and furore on social media platforms, and no one can honestly say they have the definitive answer. Well dear readers, that is until now…….
Yes readers, the gospel according to Bettajive, will detail it all for you. As usual, it is written with tongue planted firmly in cheek, and any reference to any other publication you may have read, or ever existed in whatever old or new edition, is purely coincidental….. Blow the dust off, open the book and read…
1.1 In the beginning there was nothing, nought, nowt, nada, only darkness. Then there came forth a brilliant light, and there was still nothing, but at least you could see it. And they look’d upon it, and it was good. The string’d instruments were created, and they were separated into lead, rhythm and bass, that begat lute, fiddle, banjo and mandolin. The brass instruments were created, the saxophone begat alto, tenor and baritone, the trumpet and trombone. The boards of keys numbered eighty-eight, the small hammers struck them to produce resonance and in turn, begat the accordion. They listen’d to it, and it was good (with the exception of the Hammond organ)
1.2 From the fields of cotton comest the Blues, hollers, moans and rhythmic chants, from the Hills came the Billys, from the Country came the Westerns, from the Boogie came Woogie, the Be, the Bop, the Jazz of Trad, and they met in the wilderness land known as Fusion, where they were gather’d in one place, where they were declared as Rock ‘n’ Roll. And so it was.
1.3 Then forward steppeth a man in the year of nineteen hundred and fifty three, and walk’d into the Studio of Sun, on the Avenue of Union. And this man is known as Elvis Presley, and after three hundred and more days, he sing’d the songs of Rock n Roll.
1.4 Forward came many other disciples of Rock n Roll, a Virginian man of damaged leg called Vincent, a man of strange anatine walks named Berry, a high haired player of ivories named Richard, a Killer called Lewis another master of boards of keys, from Minnesota a picker of strings called Cochran, a man clad in spectacles named Holly, and a kiss curled pioneer Haley, with his celestial named band of men. The women named Baker, Jackson, Martin, Brown and Carr didst also bring their voices to the fore
1.5 And lo, the Roll that coupled with Rock, spread to the far-away lands, and there were pretenders to the principal disciples. The girls did utter screams at them, Thomas of Steel, Billy of Fury, Clifford of Richard among others. And it was good
1.2 From the fields of cotton comest the Blues, hollers, moans and rhythmic chants, from the Hills came the Billys, from the Country came the Westerns, from the Boogie came Woogie, the Be, the Bop, the Jazz of Trad, and they met in the wilderness land known as Fusion, where they were gather’d in one place, where they were declared as Rock ‘n’ Roll. And so it was.
1.3 Then forward steppeth a man in the year of nineteen hundred and fifty three, and walk’d into the Studio of Sun, on the Avenue of Union. And this man is known as Elvis Presley, and after three hundred and more days, he sing’d the songs of Rock n Roll.
1.4 Forward came many other disciples of Rock n Roll, a Virginian man of damaged leg called Vincent, a man of strange anatine walks named Berry, a high haired player of ivories named Richard, a Killer called Lewis another master of boards of keys, from Minnesota a picker of strings called Cochran, a man clad in spectacles named Holly, and a kiss curled pioneer Haley, with his celestial named band of men. The women named Baker, Jackson, Martin, Brown and Carr didst also bring their voices to the fore
1.5 And lo, the Roll that coupled with Rock, spread to the far-away lands, and there were pretenders to the principal disciples. The girls did utter screams at them, Thomas of Steel, Billy of Fury, Clifford of Richard among others. And it was good
1.6 But there were those who dislik’d the sounds of the shellac and vinyl, and they sendeth their plagues over the decades, to try to vanquish those who followed the sound. A mighty injection of sickly, anodyne and insular pap, did poison the sound. And they look’d upon it with turmoil in their loins. Forthwith came a plague of Beatles, scallies of the United Kingdom, adorned cranially with tops of mop. And accompanied by weeping, it was bad.
1.7 The zealots of many graven image, did persecute the followers of the Rock n Roll, They did , badger, harass and chide, and they didst attempt to smite them on the sands of the beach on the feasts of holidays of the bank. They attack’d them with the forces of those of shaven heads, the scooterists of mod, those with the power of flower, and the rocks of Glam. But the followers of the Rock n Roll stood steadfast and true against the powers of the falseness, for many decades.
2.1 Then it came to pass that a great sadness was visit’d upon the Rock n Roll, as an army of many colours did parody the sound. To speak their name is so sacrilegious, they were named ‘The Wad’. And the young children did falsely love the Wad, and they procured their sound, as did their forefathers misplace their loyalty in the unpleasantness
2.2 It came to pass, that many of the original disciples perished, and their King did perish also. But the spawn of the original followers, did rise up and so it came to pass that a resurrection ensued, as they were led from the wilderness. And they gave battle to those who didst not conform. With bile and sickness did they view those of Punkiness.
1.7 The zealots of many graven image, did persecute the followers of the Rock n Roll, They did , badger, harass and chide, and they didst attempt to smite them on the sands of the beach on the feasts of holidays of the bank. They attack’d them with the forces of those of shaven heads, the scooterists of mod, those with the power of flower, and the rocks of Glam. But the followers of the Rock n Roll stood steadfast and true against the powers of the falseness, for many decades.
2.1 Then it came to pass that a great sadness was visit’d upon the Rock n Roll, as an army of many colours did parody the sound. To speak their name is so sacrilegious, they were named ‘The Wad’. And the young children did falsely love the Wad, and they procured their sound, as did their forefathers misplace their loyalty in the unpleasantness
2.2 It came to pass, that many of the original disciples perished, and their King did perish also. But the spawn of the original followers, did rise up and so it came to pass that a resurrection ensued, as they were led from the wilderness. And they gave battle to those who didst not conform. With bile and sickness did they view those of Punkiness.
2.3 Then forward cometh three Brothers of Cotton to champion the sound of Rockabilly, as did Matchbox from the deserts of Middlesex, Stevens did Shaketh, the Pyramids did Shaketh, the Stars did Gaze and the Cavans of Craziness. So they did offer their music to the masses to oppose the evils of the Pistols, Clash, Specials et al.
2.4 The new followers did make pilgrimages to the coasts of the country, to the parks of caravan and chalet, to partaketh of the liquid of beer, the milk of moose, to dance, imbibe and be frolicsome, and mooneth from the roofs of the chalet. They visited the lands of the east in Caister and the west at Brean to pay homage to the travelling disciples. And so it was.
2.5 Then it came to pass that Pontins Pilate did allow the masses to populate some sites and forward stepped men and women akin to Cha’abox of Jerry-Co, to bring them together, for four days and four nights. But a number of plagues were sent to test their resolve at these places.
2.6 The plague of fluffy did invade the very middle of the masses, and still has yet to be cast out. The stroll of Charleston, the jiver to a stroll. The shiny tin circle did infect the vinyl that revolved at 45rpm. Then the download did infect the tin circle. From the sky did come a great shower of gull guano, and the gulls did land and invade and like the Harpies, did steal the food of the Rock n Roller . The ants appear’d and populated the kitchens. The slugs did slime their trail across the floors, the meters of electric didst ‘phut’ go, the alarms of smoke did startle with their shrillness, and the spoons of tea did disappear.
2.4 The new followers did make pilgrimages to the coasts of the country, to the parks of caravan and chalet, to partaketh of the liquid of beer, the milk of moose, to dance, imbibe and be frolicsome, and mooneth from the roofs of the chalet. They visited the lands of the east in Caister and the west at Brean to pay homage to the travelling disciples. And so it was.
2.5 Then it came to pass that Pontins Pilate did allow the masses to populate some sites and forward stepped men and women akin to Cha’abox of Jerry-Co, to bring them together, for four days and four nights. But a number of plagues were sent to test their resolve at these places.
2.6 The plague of fluffy did invade the very middle of the masses, and still has yet to be cast out. The stroll of Charleston, the jiver to a stroll. The shiny tin circle did infect the vinyl that revolved at 45rpm. Then the download did infect the tin circle. From the sky did come a great shower of gull guano, and the gulls did land and invade and like the Harpies, did steal the food of the Rock n Roller . The ants appear’d and populated the kitchens. The slugs did slime their trail across the floors, the meters of electric didst ‘phut’ go, the alarms of smoke did startle with their shrillness, and the spoons of tea did disappear.
Scotty Baker
2.7 And so it came to pass, that a new breed of star did shine brightly forth, from lands far and wide, an antipodean composer of songs called Baker from Tongala, a force of nature named Sandy of Anaheim, Dickerson of Deke, the Shakers of Rhythm, Bonnie of Italy, Marianne of Estonia, Laura of B.
The vinyl did return from the wilderness. The adherent of the forty five did value the vinyl and payeth plentiful spondoolicks, for it, on the bay of e. And they look’d upon it, and it was good
3.0 Lo it was, that the festival did thrive, and the followers did follow. The club did arrange gigs with regularity, the jivers did jive, the boppers did bop. And the beating heart of the Roll did Rock. They look’d upon it. And it was good
Here endeth the reading…..But not the story
The vinyl did return from the wilderness. The adherent of the forty five did value the vinyl and payeth plentiful spondoolicks, for it, on the bay of e. And they look’d upon it, and it was good
3.0 Lo it was, that the festival did thrive, and the followers did follow. The club did arrange gigs with regularity, the jivers did jive, the boppers did bop. And the beating heart of the Roll did Rock. They look’d upon it. And it was good
Here endeth the reading…..But not the story
And Lo. And lo it was decreed then, that these commandments ten, should gird your very soul, to revere the Rock n Roll. The words are for strong and meek, but Bettajive tongue in cheek.
1/Thou shalt not have any other music before Rock n Roll, nor Rockabilly, nor Western swing, nor R&B, nor Jump Jive, nor Blues, nor Hillbilly, nor Surf.
2/Thou shalt not have any other music before those that begat Rock n Roll, shun thee Soul, Mod, Punk, Glam, Metal, Rap and vehemently spurn thee the music of Folk.
3/You shalt not create any idol for yourself and cover it with rhinestones, fluorescent colours, Winnie the Pooh or other graven image
4/You shall not make wrongful use of the name of Rock n Roll, whether it be for U of 2, Stones that Roll, Zeppelins of Led, The Floyd of Pink, Sabbath of Black or The Mac of Fleetwood, or other pretenders to the name. You shall not add ‘abilly’ to a genre of music to make it relevant to these commandments
5/The day of Sunday shall be revered and respected as a day of recovery from the gig of Rockin’ on Friday and Saturday, or the ultimate recuperation from the haze of enjoyment of a weekender finale.
6/Honour thy mother and father, as if they are in attendance, so they shall ply thyself with beverage, it behoves them to procure those recordings of vinyl and CD, and adorn ye in finery of a vintage persuasion.
7/You will not kill, whether in the group of singers, singing songs of others. Nor the ants, or the slugs, or the gulls, or the rabbits, or the other invasive fauna such is their entry into thy domain and domicile at the weekend of Rock n Roll.
8/You will not steal, half-inch, nick, pinch, pilfer, loot, purloin, filch, embezzle or any other burglarious synonym, my copy of Thesaurus…..
9/Do not bear false witness against your neighbour when it is thine Bluetooth boombar Rockabilly that reverberateth the domicile, when it is thine toast that burneth and blacken the air, when it is thine wine bottles, beer can and microwave boxes that filleth the dumpster of green colour.
10/You shall not covet thy neighbour’s wife, her records of vinyl, her car of classic, her blondness, her redness or her blackness of hair, nor thy neighbour’s gabardine, nor his Sun Surf, nor his crates of beer, nor his head of hair that moveth not with the perfection of pomade, nor his guitar of Gretsch, Gibson or Fender, nor bass of uprightness.
Here are the commandments for a fulfilled life in the scene of Roll we call Rock. Any similarity to any other commandments you may have encountered, is purely co-incidental………Honest.
Have you enjoyed this so far? Then how about dropping us a donation by using the button below. Many thanks
1/Thou shalt not have any other music before Rock n Roll, nor Rockabilly, nor Western swing, nor R&B, nor Jump Jive, nor Blues, nor Hillbilly, nor Surf.
2/Thou shalt not have any other music before those that begat Rock n Roll, shun thee Soul, Mod, Punk, Glam, Metal, Rap and vehemently spurn thee the music of Folk.
3/You shalt not create any idol for yourself and cover it with rhinestones, fluorescent colours, Winnie the Pooh or other graven image
4/You shall not make wrongful use of the name of Rock n Roll, whether it be for U of 2, Stones that Roll, Zeppelins of Led, The Floyd of Pink, Sabbath of Black or The Mac of Fleetwood, or other pretenders to the name. You shall not add ‘abilly’ to a genre of music to make it relevant to these commandments
5/The day of Sunday shall be revered and respected as a day of recovery from the gig of Rockin’ on Friday and Saturday, or the ultimate recuperation from the haze of enjoyment of a weekender finale.
6/Honour thy mother and father, as if they are in attendance, so they shall ply thyself with beverage, it behoves them to procure those recordings of vinyl and CD, and adorn ye in finery of a vintage persuasion.
7/You will not kill, whether in the group of singers, singing songs of others. Nor the ants, or the slugs, or the gulls, or the rabbits, or the other invasive fauna such is their entry into thy domain and domicile at the weekend of Rock n Roll.
8/You will not steal, half-inch, nick, pinch, pilfer, loot, purloin, filch, embezzle or any other burglarious synonym, my copy of Thesaurus…..
9/Do not bear false witness against your neighbour when it is thine Bluetooth boombar Rockabilly that reverberateth the domicile, when it is thine toast that burneth and blacken the air, when it is thine wine bottles, beer can and microwave boxes that filleth the dumpster of green colour.
10/You shall not covet thy neighbour’s wife, her records of vinyl, her car of classic, her blondness, her redness or her blackness of hair, nor thy neighbour’s gabardine, nor his Sun Surf, nor his crates of beer, nor his head of hair that moveth not with the perfection of pomade, nor his guitar of Gretsch, Gibson or Fender, nor bass of uprightness.
Here are the commandments for a fulfilled life in the scene of Roll we call Rock. Any similarity to any other commandments you may have encountered, is purely co-incidental………Honest.
Have you enjoyed this so far? Then how about dropping us a donation by using the button below. Many thanks
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Dot…dot. Best tracks in the world ever ever to grind your peppercorns for this month are Bill Haley’s ‘Chick Safari’, Eddie Skelton’s ‘My Heart Gets Lonely’ and Warner Mack ‘Falling In Love’………..Did you see the piece on the news a while ago, where the Folk singer went out in the p***ing rain at night, into a wood, to sing with Nightingales? The reporter made the analogy of Nightingales and a damp thicket. I know Folk’s crap, but that was a bit harsh ;)……Walking through a city centre recently, we came upon a dance troupe, promoting their show. In the interlude they put on some recorded music, Kool and the Gang’s ‘Get Down On It’. Guess who knew all the words……Pahahahaha, these kids reckon they’re the cutting edge of fashion with their torn jeans. They actually buy them with the tears in. I used to buy cheapo ones, that ripped as soon as you vaulted a small fence!! …… We tend to buy raffle tickets with minimal expectations, however we finally won something at Chezzy. Yep a bottle of spiced Rum, aaaaaaaaand, we’re both teetotal 😊 ....... Two club gig reviews this month, and a bank holiday beauty, read on……Great to see people unearthing records at boot sales and the like. But you always encounter a strange animal called the ‘hainwurfalot’ on social media. It usually goes ‘Look what I found at a boot sale’ followed by lots of ‘wows’ and ‘woos’, and always one ‘hainwurfalot mate’. Ugh...........Congratulations to Pete Bruce and Donna Stephens who (finally) tied the knot and got married in Las Vegas, and also to Anita (Ruby Ann) Flaviana and Marc Valentine who also jumped the broomstick in the same venue.....Different style congrats to John Macleod on his 60th birthday, and the brilliant bash his family put on, that he was completely oblivious to until he walked in to the venue.......
There are only a few cancellation chalets that pop up from time to time at this event. Don't miss out, Click the flyer for details
Interview with the Deadshots
It was Hemsby 63, that we finally got to see the Deadshots play live. So as a natural progression, an interview was next in line.
BJR. First things first, who are the Deadshots?
DS. The DeadShots are a Raw and Original 4 piece Rockabilly Band from Worcestershire.
Matt Waterhouse is the Lead Singer and Rhythm Guitarist, Billy Jenkinson on Lead Guitar, Jack Smith on the Drums and Jim Jenkinson on Double Bass.
BJR. When did the band get together and how did it happen?
DS. We got together in 2015.
Billy and Jim are brothers and before we formed the band they were in another band with Jack.
I (Matt) covered a couple of gigs for them when their singer was unavailable and from there we decided we should do something on a more permanent basis.
BJR. How did you (all) get into 50’s Rock n Roll?
DS. We all got into it through our parents. Although none of the music was forced onto us it was always around and you can't help but get into it.
BJR. Who are the band’s main influences musically (historically and current day)
DS. Our main influences have been Johnny Burnette, Jack Rabbit Slim, Reverend Horton Heat and The Delta Bombers
It was Hemsby 63, that we finally got to see the Deadshots play live. So as a natural progression, an interview was next in line.
BJR. First things first, who are the Deadshots?
DS. The DeadShots are a Raw and Original 4 piece Rockabilly Band from Worcestershire.
Matt Waterhouse is the Lead Singer and Rhythm Guitarist, Billy Jenkinson on Lead Guitar, Jack Smith on the Drums and Jim Jenkinson on Double Bass.
BJR. When did the band get together and how did it happen?
DS. We got together in 2015.
Billy and Jim are brothers and before we formed the band they were in another band with Jack.
I (Matt) covered a couple of gigs for them when their singer was unavailable and from there we decided we should do something on a more permanent basis.
BJR. How did you (all) get into 50’s Rock n Roll?
DS. We all got into it through our parents. Although none of the music was forced onto us it was always around and you can't help but get into it.
BJR. Who are the band’s main influences musically (historically and current day)
DS. Our main influences have been Johnny Burnette, Jack Rabbit Slim, Reverend Horton Heat and The Delta Bombers
BJR. Do you recall your first live gig?
DS. Our first gig was a pub called The 7 Stars in Redditch. It was FA Cup final day so the gig could have gone either way. But the crowd were awesome, and 7 years down the line the crowds have never let us down.
BJR. When we saw you play, the setlist was all original material. Who is the main songwriter among the four of you, or are there collaborations?
DS. Billy is our main song writer and I've written a few tracks. But most of what you hear is from Billy. We all collaberate on the tracks when we're starting out on them.
BJR. Do you include covers in your gigs, if you have the classic two sets of forty-five minutes plus encores?
DS. Yeah we do include covers in our gigs. If we have a 1 hour set we like to try amd get as much of our own material out there and include a couple covers. When we do two sets we like to mix it up 50/50 with originals to covers.
BJR. Naturally, covid lockdowns brought it’s own set of challenges, but were you as a band able to continue creatively during that time, or was it a case of shutting up shop until the storm passed?
DS. Covid really set us back, like it did the whole world. We took advantage of practices or gigs when restrictions allowed. Now as you say, the storm has passed, we are planning to push on even more than we were before.
BJR. Have you released any records or recordings?
DS. We have an Album that we released with Western Star called WANTED.
We also have a 7" Single and a 5 track e.p CD that we released with Killertone Records.
All of which is available directly from the band either online or at the next DeadShots Gig.
BJR. Are there any plans for recordings/releases in the near future?
DS. We are back in the studio soon with our second album coming out later this year.
BJR. How can promoters and other interested parties get in touch with the band?
DS. If anyone wants to get in touch with the band they can either follow us on facebook/Instagram by searching @TheDeadShotsRockabilly or by emailing us at [email protected]
BJR. Thank you for doing this interview for us
Like what you see? Help us keep it free by dropping us a donation by using the button below. Many thanks
DS. Our first gig was a pub called The 7 Stars in Redditch. It was FA Cup final day so the gig could have gone either way. But the crowd were awesome, and 7 years down the line the crowds have never let us down.
BJR. When we saw you play, the setlist was all original material. Who is the main songwriter among the four of you, or are there collaborations?
DS. Billy is our main song writer and I've written a few tracks. But most of what you hear is from Billy. We all collaberate on the tracks when we're starting out on them.
BJR. Do you include covers in your gigs, if you have the classic two sets of forty-five minutes plus encores?
DS. Yeah we do include covers in our gigs. If we have a 1 hour set we like to try amd get as much of our own material out there and include a couple covers. When we do two sets we like to mix it up 50/50 with originals to covers.
BJR. Naturally, covid lockdowns brought it’s own set of challenges, but were you as a band able to continue creatively during that time, or was it a case of shutting up shop until the storm passed?
DS. Covid really set us back, like it did the whole world. We took advantage of practices or gigs when restrictions allowed. Now as you say, the storm has passed, we are planning to push on even more than we were before.
BJR. Have you released any records or recordings?
DS. We have an Album that we released with Western Star called WANTED.
We also have a 7" Single and a 5 track e.p CD that we released with Killertone Records.
All of which is available directly from the band either online or at the next DeadShots Gig.
BJR. Are there any plans for recordings/releases in the near future?
DS. We are back in the studio soon with our second album coming out later this year.
BJR. How can promoters and other interested parties get in touch with the band?
DS. If anyone wants to get in touch with the band they can either follow us on facebook/Instagram by searching @TheDeadShotsRockabilly or by emailing us at [email protected]
BJR. Thank you for doing this interview for us
Like what you see? Help us keep it free by dropping us a donation by using the button below. Many thanks
Not long to go for this one. Also appearing is the DiMaggio Experience and DJ Mark Kickin The Boogie
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Top line up in the Autumn at Hemsby
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Shakin da shack. Good Friday, and a long awaited trip up to the North East, to Boldon and the Shack Shakers club. Hosted by the evergreen Stewart Campbell, who doubled up on DJ duties with Andy ‘the Tartan Ted’ Tolcher, the club put on a mouth-watering evening, with the Comet Combo. Certainly, the night attracted a chunky number of folk from the area.
The Comet Combo took to the stage in classic red and black tartan tuxedo jackets, a la Bill Haley, but the track list is not what you might think. Firstly, the personnel. We were expecting a six piece, from the promo poster, although five appeared, and what a talented bunch they were to be sure. You had three former Stargazers, the legendary Peter Davenport on lead guitar and Ricky Lee Brawn on drums, who I first saw in the ‘tonks of Maldon in Essex for (I believe) their first gig, in nineteen hundred and frozen-to-death. They were joined by Tim ‘Trundle Bullfrog’ Purkess on bass, along with vocalist Cliff Edmonds (The Avengers, Cliff and the Cavaliers) and saxophonist Al Nichols (Big Six, Big Town Playboys).
Now I have a feeling I know what some might be thinking, they’re a Bill Haley tribute act. To proliferate that initial opinion, there’s the visual appearance of the band in their smutter. But there was just a single Haley track, ‘Crazy Man Crazy’, and for the Facebook vultures, the Jodimars’ ‘Well Now Dig This’ (featuring original Comets of course). But let’s back it up to the opening instrumental, a corking take on Tommy Ridgley’s ‘Jam Up Twist’, which had the whole room’s attention from the first note. On came Cliff to vocalise the Treniers’ ‘Rockin’ is our Business’, and the afore mentioned ‘Crazy Man Crazy’. Another instrumental, and one from their single release, ‘Incinerator’. I guess I’ll have to avoid all incendiary puns and references, but take it form us, this is a quality guitar and sax driven rocker.
The final track on the ‘B’ side of Gene Vincent’s last ever studio album, ‘The Day the World Turned Blue’ provides the Comet Combo, with a ‘good heavens’ moment. I’m pretty sure we’ve not heard ‘Woman in Black’ covered ever. Gene wrote the song for the 1970 release, and Cliff and the band reworked it to really good effect. Whilst on the Gene tracks, the hopped up version of ‘I Sure Miss You’ really worked, as did ‘Race With the Devil’ later in the show.
Some British Rock ‘n’ Roll? Why not. How about the rollocking Tommy Steel rocker ‘Give Give Give’ then? And later on, ‘Rock with the Caveman’ got the Combo treatment. And while on the British sound, Lord Rockingham’s XI ‘Hoots Mon’ with the vocal shouts lapsing in and out of the vernacular, was a beaut.
I gathered from the reaction of some of the audience, that they were anticipating the band’s version of the Platters ‘My Prayer’. Kudos for Cliff Edmonds vocals on this classic. A Davenport original next, very much in the Stargazer style, ‘Zoom Baby Zoom’, which has strains of 1981 running through it, if you know, you know. A bit of familiarity with Wynonie’s ‘Bloodshot Eyes’ and another kicking instrumental ‘Tequila Twist’ originally by the Champs, representing their third hat tip to the spirit, from 1962.
The outro was the same as the intro, ‘Jam Up’, although it was clear the lads weren’t going to get away that easily. Back they came with two Stargazer tracks to finish, ‘Groove Baby Groove’ and ‘La Rock n Roll (Quelques uns a la Lune)’ a super instrumental that was a fitting crescendo to a fine evening’s live music. The DJs hit the high spots with their selections to finish a gem of a night in the North East.
Gallery images below, click on them for full sized picture
The Comet Combo took to the stage in classic red and black tartan tuxedo jackets, a la Bill Haley, but the track list is not what you might think. Firstly, the personnel. We were expecting a six piece, from the promo poster, although five appeared, and what a talented bunch they were to be sure. You had three former Stargazers, the legendary Peter Davenport on lead guitar and Ricky Lee Brawn on drums, who I first saw in the ‘tonks of Maldon in Essex for (I believe) their first gig, in nineteen hundred and frozen-to-death. They were joined by Tim ‘Trundle Bullfrog’ Purkess on bass, along with vocalist Cliff Edmonds (The Avengers, Cliff and the Cavaliers) and saxophonist Al Nichols (Big Six, Big Town Playboys).
Now I have a feeling I know what some might be thinking, they’re a Bill Haley tribute act. To proliferate that initial opinion, there’s the visual appearance of the band in their smutter. But there was just a single Haley track, ‘Crazy Man Crazy’, and for the Facebook vultures, the Jodimars’ ‘Well Now Dig This’ (featuring original Comets of course). But let’s back it up to the opening instrumental, a corking take on Tommy Ridgley’s ‘Jam Up Twist’, which had the whole room’s attention from the first note. On came Cliff to vocalise the Treniers’ ‘Rockin’ is our Business’, and the afore mentioned ‘Crazy Man Crazy’. Another instrumental, and one from their single release, ‘Incinerator’. I guess I’ll have to avoid all incendiary puns and references, but take it form us, this is a quality guitar and sax driven rocker.
The final track on the ‘B’ side of Gene Vincent’s last ever studio album, ‘The Day the World Turned Blue’ provides the Comet Combo, with a ‘good heavens’ moment. I’m pretty sure we’ve not heard ‘Woman in Black’ covered ever. Gene wrote the song for the 1970 release, and Cliff and the band reworked it to really good effect. Whilst on the Gene tracks, the hopped up version of ‘I Sure Miss You’ really worked, as did ‘Race With the Devil’ later in the show.
Some British Rock ‘n’ Roll? Why not. How about the rollocking Tommy Steel rocker ‘Give Give Give’ then? And later on, ‘Rock with the Caveman’ got the Combo treatment. And while on the British sound, Lord Rockingham’s XI ‘Hoots Mon’ with the vocal shouts lapsing in and out of the vernacular, was a beaut.
I gathered from the reaction of some of the audience, that they were anticipating the band’s version of the Platters ‘My Prayer’. Kudos for Cliff Edmonds vocals on this classic. A Davenport original next, very much in the Stargazer style, ‘Zoom Baby Zoom’, which has strains of 1981 running through it, if you know, you know. A bit of familiarity with Wynonie’s ‘Bloodshot Eyes’ and another kicking instrumental ‘Tequila Twist’ originally by the Champs, representing their third hat tip to the spirit, from 1962.
The outro was the same as the intro, ‘Jam Up’, although it was clear the lads weren’t going to get away that easily. Back they came with two Stargazer tracks to finish, ‘Groove Baby Groove’ and ‘La Rock n Roll (Quelques uns a la Lune)’ a super instrumental that was a fitting crescendo to a fine evening’s live music. The DJs hit the high spots with their selections to finish a gem of a night in the North East.
Gallery images below, click on them for full sized picture
The Sundown Boys
Stoke it up. Just before the May day bank holiday, we took a trip to the Moorville Hotel, Stoke on Trent to take in the Raw Rockabilly event, organised by Danny Brown. It featured two bands on top form, the Sundown Boys, and LP & His Dirty White Bucks, and a trio of DJs, Annaleigh, Macs Wax and Danny Brown himself.
This was our first visit to the venue and it was good to see a hefty attendance too. Must flag up the three DJs, who kept the floor moving throughout the nine-hour event, playing diverse tracks as Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Down in the Bottom’, Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘Polly Put The Kettle On’, Gene Wyatt’s ‘Lover Boy’ and the Everly Brothers’ ‘Should We Tell Him’. And the occasional golden nugget track that we didn’t know at all.
First band up, were the Sundown Boys, a drumless trio featuring Dan Morley on rhythm guitar and vocals, Scott Brown on lead guitar and in the engine room on bass, the ubiquitous Danny Brown. Their style mixes Hillbilly and early Rockabilly (suppose it’s all early in reality eh?), and it’s presented in a truly authentic fashion, vocally and musically. Al Ferrier’s ’56 cut on Goldbrand, ‘My Baby Done Gone Away’ and Glenn Glenn’s ‘One Cup of Coffee and a Cigarette’ are perfectly suited to this type of musical set up, and the crowd really appreciated the vocal harmonies within Ben Hall’s ‘Moo Mama’. The best harmony vocals for us, was in the recounting of Jimmy and Johnny’s ‘I’ll Do It Every Time’, spot on.
Good to hear one side of their 45, during the show, the Dan Morley composition ‘I’m Getting Wise’, along with the rawness of Lloyd McCullough’s ‘Gonna Love My Baby’ and the frantic nature of Thumper Jones’ ‘How Come It’. We’ll flag up Larry Hart’s ‘I’m Just a Mender’, Tommy Lam’s ‘Speed Limit’ and the encore of ‘Just Because’, which finished off the finest set.
This was our first visit to the venue and it was good to see a hefty attendance too. Must flag up the three DJs, who kept the floor moving throughout the nine-hour event, playing diverse tracks as Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Down in the Bottom’, Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘Polly Put The Kettle On’, Gene Wyatt’s ‘Lover Boy’ and the Everly Brothers’ ‘Should We Tell Him’. And the occasional golden nugget track that we didn’t know at all.
First band up, were the Sundown Boys, a drumless trio featuring Dan Morley on rhythm guitar and vocals, Scott Brown on lead guitar and in the engine room on bass, the ubiquitous Danny Brown. Their style mixes Hillbilly and early Rockabilly (suppose it’s all early in reality eh?), and it’s presented in a truly authentic fashion, vocally and musically. Al Ferrier’s ’56 cut on Goldbrand, ‘My Baby Done Gone Away’ and Glenn Glenn’s ‘One Cup of Coffee and a Cigarette’ are perfectly suited to this type of musical set up, and the crowd really appreciated the vocal harmonies within Ben Hall’s ‘Moo Mama’. The best harmony vocals for us, was in the recounting of Jimmy and Johnny’s ‘I’ll Do It Every Time’, spot on.
Good to hear one side of their 45, during the show, the Dan Morley composition ‘I’m Getting Wise’, along with the rawness of Lloyd McCullough’s ‘Gonna Love My Baby’ and the frantic nature of Thumper Jones’ ‘How Come It’. We’ll flag up Larry Hart’s ‘I’m Just a Mender’, Tommy Lam’s ‘Speed Limit’ and the encore of ‘Just Because’, which finished off the finest set.
LP & His Dirty White Bucks
After an extended session for the DJ’s, it was time for the exceptional sounds of LP and His Dirty White Bucks. They are made up of lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Les Prendergast, lead guitarist Dave Flynn, Jim O’Neil on the upright bass and drummer Trev Collins. They opened up with a striding rockabilly railroad number, from ’61, Clyde Arnold’s ‘Black Smoke and Blue Tears’. This is perfectly suited to Les’ vocal delivery, pulsing rhythm guitar and fervent on-stage presence, in spite of the heat in the hall.
Massive enjoyment was had, after the initial sound gremlins were banished, with ace guitar work from Dave Flynn on ‘Guitar Woman’. Vic Gallon’s ‘I’m Gone’ rocked out, as did Benny Cliff’s lyrical peculiarity ‘Shake ‘em Up Rock’. Their own tracks from one of the three available 45’s ‘The Man From Laramie’ and ‘Up and Go’ sound like they have come straight out of 1955. Just a splendid brace from another of their 45’s featured as a one-two punch with ‘What Will The Answer Be’ and ‘Look Who’s Lonely’. Just a few examples from a set of truly authentic sounding Rockabilly
What an excellent way to spend a Sunday afternoon and evening with the added bonus that the next day was a Bank Holiday!
Gallery images below, click on the image for full sized pic
Massive enjoyment was had, after the initial sound gremlins were banished, with ace guitar work from Dave Flynn on ‘Guitar Woman’. Vic Gallon’s ‘I’m Gone’ rocked out, as did Benny Cliff’s lyrical peculiarity ‘Shake ‘em Up Rock’. Their own tracks from one of the three available 45’s ‘The Man From Laramie’ and ‘Up and Go’ sound like they have come straight out of 1955. Just a splendid brace from another of their 45’s featured as a one-two punch with ‘What Will The Answer Be’ and ‘Look Who’s Lonely’. Just a few examples from a set of truly authentic sounding Rockabilly
What an excellent way to spend a Sunday afternoon and evening with the added bonus that the next day was a Bank Holiday!
Gallery images below, click on the image for full sized pic
The Infernos
Chester-fire. Final club visit for this issue, and a trip to Derbyshire, for the Chesterfield Rock n Roll club presentation of The Infernos on stage along with Steve O and Andy B DJing. Apparently the days of actual venue, Old Whittington Miners Social Club are numbered, which is a great shame as the Rock n Roll club fits in well at the site. Andy & Helen Barker along with Penny & Graham Scott have found another venue after the June event. We feel for the club as we’ve been to their gigs in four different halls already over the years. However Birdholme Working Men’s Club will soon be their new home.
Anyway, to tonight’s bash, and despite there being a number of events on and around the area, there was an appreciable crowd that showed up. If you need an introduction to the Infernos, they are brothers Ian Agar on rhythm guitar and vocals, Gary Agar on drums with Mick Wheeler keeping it real on upright bass and ace lead guitarist Ian Rhodes. Their style, is proper sounding mid-fifties Rockabilly in the Sun and Starday style, and boy do they do it well.
Taking these few examples that featured in the first set. Warren Smith’s ‘Dear John’ was sublime, with Ian Agar’s voice pitched perfectly against the earthy guitar rhythm riffs from Ian Rhodes. Jack Earls’ (who the Infernos backed so many times when he played in the UK) ‘Hey Jim’ (or is it ‘Slim’? Covering my Facebook comment a*se) again, just spot on. And Billy Walkers’ ‘I’ve Got Leaving On My Mind’ with the Grady Martin riffs from Ian, sounded like we were back in ’56. They ‘do’ Carl Perkins as well as any band, and ‘Sweethearts a Stranger’, ‘Where the Rio De Rosa Flows’ and the rock-out ‘You Can Do No Wrong’ were a delight. The set concluded with the rumbling beat of Jack Lane’s ‘King Fool’.
The second set picked up with the classic Buddy Holly sound of Chuck’s ‘Brown Eyed Handsome Man’, with Johnny Knight’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Guitar’ and Roc LaRue’s ‘Baby Take Me Back’ keeping the pace up. There was a change of pace, a drum roll opening the haunting version of the rather macabre ‘Willie Brown’, originally by Mack Self. Back out with the familiar rockin’ and the Big O’s ‘Domino’, Jack Earls’ ‘Crawdad Hole’ and Tarheel Slim’s ‘Number Nine Train’ (super Wild Jimmy Spruill lead guitar sound). Add to that, ‘Ain’t That a Dilly’ and ‘Crash the Party’ and you pretty much have a dream date of rockin’.
Tip top entertainment in Chezzy
Gallery images below, click on the images for full sized pics
Anyway, to tonight’s bash, and despite there being a number of events on and around the area, there was an appreciable crowd that showed up. If you need an introduction to the Infernos, they are brothers Ian Agar on rhythm guitar and vocals, Gary Agar on drums with Mick Wheeler keeping it real on upright bass and ace lead guitarist Ian Rhodes. Their style, is proper sounding mid-fifties Rockabilly in the Sun and Starday style, and boy do they do it well.
Taking these few examples that featured in the first set. Warren Smith’s ‘Dear John’ was sublime, with Ian Agar’s voice pitched perfectly against the earthy guitar rhythm riffs from Ian Rhodes. Jack Earls’ (who the Infernos backed so many times when he played in the UK) ‘Hey Jim’ (or is it ‘Slim’? Covering my Facebook comment a*se) again, just spot on. And Billy Walkers’ ‘I’ve Got Leaving On My Mind’ with the Grady Martin riffs from Ian, sounded like we were back in ’56. They ‘do’ Carl Perkins as well as any band, and ‘Sweethearts a Stranger’, ‘Where the Rio De Rosa Flows’ and the rock-out ‘You Can Do No Wrong’ were a delight. The set concluded with the rumbling beat of Jack Lane’s ‘King Fool’.
The second set picked up with the classic Buddy Holly sound of Chuck’s ‘Brown Eyed Handsome Man’, with Johnny Knight’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Guitar’ and Roc LaRue’s ‘Baby Take Me Back’ keeping the pace up. There was a change of pace, a drum roll opening the haunting version of the rather macabre ‘Willie Brown’, originally by Mack Self. Back out with the familiar rockin’ and the Big O’s ‘Domino’, Jack Earls’ ‘Crawdad Hole’ and Tarheel Slim’s ‘Number Nine Train’ (super Wild Jimmy Spruill lead guitar sound). Add to that, ‘Ain’t That a Dilly’ and ‘Crash the Party’ and you pretty much have a dream date of rockin’.
Tip top entertainment in Chezzy
Gallery images below, click on the images for full sized pics
We could have eased you in gently...say Robin & Colette and Jerry,
but with thousands of you clamouring at the gate,
the Rhythm Riot will burst into life on Thursday
with an international line-up of four awesome bands
and a whole bunch of your favorite DJs.
The huge dance floors in the Ballroom and Lunars Bar will be rockin' into the early hours.
cd and vinyl releases
Some record reviews for you, available at Bim Bam Records and other sellers. Click banner for details
The Primer Kings – Kustom Rockabilly
CD review
Moondog Music present this CD from Finnish Rockabilly trio, the Primer Kings. They are Hara Saanio on guitar, vocals and composer of some of the songs here, drummer & backing vocals Esa Ilmanen and Ari Berghall on backing vocals and upright bass.
They open up with ‘Willa Mae’, an original track that has that Junior Parker ‘Feelin’ Good’ resonance and is a fitting rocker to set the tone, and the ballsy pace is maintained with another Saanio composition ‘Jesus Help Me’. ‘Take My Heart’ has a bright and breezy jive tempo, to accompany a somewhat forlorn tale of one-sided love. Smashing track that one folks.
‘Baby Are You Kiddin’ brings us back on the bop beat with a rollocking good rocker and shout-back chorus. ‘Spicy Mama’, is all about cooking, honestly, and it features some ace guitar work against a slap bass beat. It’s been thirty four years since Eddi Reeder and Fairground Attraction hit the top of the UK charts with ‘Perfect’. Back then the guitar solo had a bit of a Rockabilly vibe I thought. Here the Primer Kings put a different spin on the track and include some backing and harmony vocals by Mirka Misukka, to really good effect. Bet you know all the words!
On to another tear up, with ‘Hollywood Cats’, which could have had the suffix of ‘without any shoes’. A nippy rocker this is readers. In true Rockabilly style, we have a train song, and a reworking of Louisiana Red’s ‘Alabama Train’. The ‘Kings have hopped up the original with the bass and guitar, which differed from Red’s howling harmonica driven wonder. And yes, it works.
Another cover given the Primer Kings twist, with Billy Burnette’s ‘Crazy Like Me’. Quite a track to take on given that it was the name of Billy Burnette’s world tour a few years ago. Great steel guitar work on this from Jorma Makela, and even time for a yodel ending. ‘Hoochie Coo’, is a slow stroll beat with suggestive lyrics aplenty, while ‘Easy’, another Hara Saanio tune, presents as a smooth bluesy number.
‘Candyville Bop’ is exactly that, thumping bass fiddle and searing guitar solo. Next up, a cover of a later-years song from Jack Scott, ‘Stick around Baby’, the title track of a compilation LP of his tracks. The lads stay true to the original on this solid version. There’s almost a ‘hand jive’ rhythm to ‘Strange Things Happening’ which sets us up for the final track on the CD, ‘Boogie With The Primer Kings’. This is, unsurprisingly an original composition, and a powerhouse rocker to finish off a top drawer release.
CD review
Moondog Music present this CD from Finnish Rockabilly trio, the Primer Kings. They are Hara Saanio on guitar, vocals and composer of some of the songs here, drummer & backing vocals Esa Ilmanen and Ari Berghall on backing vocals and upright bass.
They open up with ‘Willa Mae’, an original track that has that Junior Parker ‘Feelin’ Good’ resonance and is a fitting rocker to set the tone, and the ballsy pace is maintained with another Saanio composition ‘Jesus Help Me’. ‘Take My Heart’ has a bright and breezy jive tempo, to accompany a somewhat forlorn tale of one-sided love. Smashing track that one folks.
‘Baby Are You Kiddin’ brings us back on the bop beat with a rollocking good rocker and shout-back chorus. ‘Spicy Mama’, is all about cooking, honestly, and it features some ace guitar work against a slap bass beat. It’s been thirty four years since Eddi Reeder and Fairground Attraction hit the top of the UK charts with ‘Perfect’. Back then the guitar solo had a bit of a Rockabilly vibe I thought. Here the Primer Kings put a different spin on the track and include some backing and harmony vocals by Mirka Misukka, to really good effect. Bet you know all the words!
On to another tear up, with ‘Hollywood Cats’, which could have had the suffix of ‘without any shoes’. A nippy rocker this is readers. In true Rockabilly style, we have a train song, and a reworking of Louisiana Red’s ‘Alabama Train’. The ‘Kings have hopped up the original with the bass and guitar, which differed from Red’s howling harmonica driven wonder. And yes, it works.
Another cover given the Primer Kings twist, with Billy Burnette’s ‘Crazy Like Me’. Quite a track to take on given that it was the name of Billy Burnette’s world tour a few years ago. Great steel guitar work on this from Jorma Makela, and even time for a yodel ending. ‘Hoochie Coo’, is a slow stroll beat with suggestive lyrics aplenty, while ‘Easy’, another Hara Saanio tune, presents as a smooth bluesy number.
‘Candyville Bop’ is exactly that, thumping bass fiddle and searing guitar solo. Next up, a cover of a later-years song from Jack Scott, ‘Stick around Baby’, the title track of a compilation LP of his tracks. The lads stay true to the original on this solid version. There’s almost a ‘hand jive’ rhythm to ‘Strange Things Happening’ which sets us up for the final track on the CD, ‘Boogie With The Primer Kings’. This is, unsurprisingly an original composition, and a powerhouse rocker to finish off a top drawer release.
Cactus 45 rpm reissue
British reissue label, Cactus Records, brought out this top twin spin in 2018, and it’s now reissued, ready to grace DJ’s sets. It features two dance floor monsters, already cemented as winners.
The ‘A’ side has Charlie Rich’s ‘She Loved Everybody But Me’ written by Rockabilly hero, Benny Joy. Charlie Rich (1932 – 1995) performed everything from Jazz, through Rockabilly and Gospel. This jive tune is a heart-wrenching tale of lost love and infidelity.
On the ‘B’ side Herbie Smith’s ‘Baby Moon’ from 1959 on Do-Ra-Me records of Nashville, although it was recorded in Cincinnati. Great jive beat to this, vocals and chorus instantly recognisable and a smashing sax break
What’s not to like?
British reissue label, Cactus Records, brought out this top twin spin in 2018, and it’s now reissued, ready to grace DJ’s sets. It features two dance floor monsters, already cemented as winners.
The ‘A’ side has Charlie Rich’s ‘She Loved Everybody But Me’ written by Rockabilly hero, Benny Joy. Charlie Rich (1932 – 1995) performed everything from Jazz, through Rockabilly and Gospel. This jive tune is a heart-wrenching tale of lost love and infidelity.
On the ‘B’ side Herbie Smith’s ‘Baby Moon’ from 1959 on Do-Ra-Me records of Nashville, although it was recorded in Cincinnati. Great jive beat to this, vocals and chorus instantly recognisable and a smashing sax break
What’s not to like?
Ria and the Hi Binders – CD single
We had a packet arrive from Moondog Music recently, which contained this two track CD from Ria and the Hi-Binders. Hailing from Finland, they were formed in 2020, here’s the line up for you Ria Korhola on vocals and rhythm guitar, Timo Kalijärvi lead guitar, Jussi Huhtakangas (Lester Peabody incidentally) pedal steel, drummer Jani Ahtiainen and Lasse Sirkko, bass.
The bio on the band suggests 40’s to 60’s Country and Rockabilly style, and we’d suggest a good slab of Honky Tonk added too. The two tracks here on this release are exquisite, The first is a cover of Wanda Jackson’s ‘Memory Mountain’, written by Warner ‘Mack’ McPherson (as in ‘Rock a Chicka).
The original from 1963, has a choir and stringed accompaniment. This, simply put, doesn’t. Ria’s voice is exceptional on this more stripped-down version, and the steel guitar work is a delight, set against a mid-tempo beat.
There’s more steel-soaked sounds on ‘Sinful Man’ which is a gender adjusted version of Bill Browning and the Echo Valley Boys’ ‘Sinful Woman’. This is a pacy reworking of the original, which rocks along and has the steel guitar swapping solos with the lead, perfectly accompanying Ria’s vocals, which have just the right amount of reverb
You might draw comparisons with the Marti Brom style from the 90’s, which is by no means a negative. Whatever, I defy anyone not to appreciate this gem. We hope for a full album now……
We had a packet arrive from Moondog Music recently, which contained this two track CD from Ria and the Hi-Binders. Hailing from Finland, they were formed in 2020, here’s the line up for you Ria Korhola on vocals and rhythm guitar, Timo Kalijärvi lead guitar, Jussi Huhtakangas (Lester Peabody incidentally) pedal steel, drummer Jani Ahtiainen and Lasse Sirkko, bass.
The bio on the band suggests 40’s to 60’s Country and Rockabilly style, and we’d suggest a good slab of Honky Tonk added too. The two tracks here on this release are exquisite, The first is a cover of Wanda Jackson’s ‘Memory Mountain’, written by Warner ‘Mack’ McPherson (as in ‘Rock a Chicka).
The original from 1963, has a choir and stringed accompaniment. This, simply put, doesn’t. Ria’s voice is exceptional on this more stripped-down version, and the steel guitar work is a delight, set against a mid-tempo beat.
There’s more steel-soaked sounds on ‘Sinful Man’ which is a gender adjusted version of Bill Browning and the Echo Valley Boys’ ‘Sinful Woman’. This is a pacy reworking of the original, which rocks along and has the steel guitar swapping solos with the lead, perfectly accompanying Ria’s vocals, which have just the right amount of reverb
You might draw comparisons with the Marti Brom style from the 90’s, which is by no means a negative. Whatever, I defy anyone not to appreciate this gem. We hope for a full album now……
John Lee Hooker – repro 45
Now anyone who reads this magazine regularly, will know that I think if John Lee Hooker had read the Mississippi phone directory while tapping his foot, it would be brilliant. So not a dissenting word will appear whilst drawing your collective attentions to this latest 45rpm repro
John Lee Hooker (1912 – 2001) was a blues singer, songwriter and guitarist, and King of the Boogie, with his electrified sound of the delta blues. ‘Shake It Up And Go’ was written by Hooker and producer Bernie Besman, and is an upbeat R&B dancer, with a cool sax vibe throughout. ‘I Lost My Job’, has a foot stomping beat, recounting a story of a guy (Johnny) who’s lost his job and can’t pay the rent, and how he gets out of it. It’s one of those tracks that kind of finishes in mid-air, making you wonder if there’s a sequal.
Great stuff from ‘63
Now anyone who reads this magazine regularly, will know that I think if John Lee Hooker had read the Mississippi phone directory while tapping his foot, it would be brilliant. So not a dissenting word will appear whilst drawing your collective attentions to this latest 45rpm repro
John Lee Hooker (1912 – 2001) was a blues singer, songwriter and guitarist, and King of the Boogie, with his electrified sound of the delta blues. ‘Shake It Up And Go’ was written by Hooker and producer Bernie Besman, and is an upbeat R&B dancer, with a cool sax vibe throughout. ‘I Lost My Job’, has a foot stomping beat, recounting a story of a guy (Johnny) who’s lost his job and can’t pay the rent, and how he gets out of it. It’s one of those tracks that kind of finishes in mid-air, making you wonder if there’s a sequal.
Great stuff from ‘63
The Barker Brothers – limited edition 45rpm
The Barker Brothers were Fredy and Monty, and recorded for the Kent label (among others) ‘The Legendary Blues Label’, which put out material by BB King, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, Elmore James and Etta James.
This impressive picture sleeved 45rpm, features two of their finest tracks. ‘Hey Little Mama’ is a jewel of a track, about a young man who has the princely sum of thirty-five cents invested in, although she still hasn’t danced with him yet.
‘You Can’t Stay Here’ is another teenage angsty type rocker, basically scolding people who aren’t into the cool stuff of the day.
Two hot tracks on one 45
The Barker Brothers were Fredy and Monty, and recorded for the Kent label (among others) ‘The Legendary Blues Label’, which put out material by BB King, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, Elmore James and Etta James.
This impressive picture sleeved 45rpm, features two of their finest tracks. ‘Hey Little Mama’ is a jewel of a track, about a young man who has the princely sum of thirty-five cents invested in, although she still hasn’t danced with him yet.
‘You Can’t Stay Here’ is another teenage angsty type rocker, basically scolding people who aren’t into the cool stuff of the day.
Two hot tracks on one 45
Hey Jack - Harry and the Hounds.
'Hey Jack' is a sample of what's soon to come from Harry and the Hounds, recorded at Embassy Studios. The band are Harry Caiger on Guitar and Vocals, Freddie Lovett on Drums and Vocals and Pete Neal on Bass and Vocals.
Their style puts us immediately in mind of the Neo Rockabilly sound, and yes I guess you could draw comparisons with the Stray Cats. There's powerful vocals throughout, including a shoutback style on the backing vocals. The guitar work and forceful, loud and proud.
Great taster for the upcoming album
'Hey Jack' is a sample of what's soon to come from Harry and the Hounds, recorded at Embassy Studios. The band are Harry Caiger on Guitar and Vocals, Freddie Lovett on Drums and Vocals and Pete Neal on Bass and Vocals.
Their style puts us immediately in mind of the Neo Rockabilly sound, and yes I guess you could draw comparisons with the Stray Cats. There's powerful vocals throughout, including a shoutback style on the backing vocals. The guitar work and forceful, loud and proud.
Great taster for the upcoming album
Rod Morris – repro 45
It’s happened readers, this top grade two sider has been repressed, and is now widely available.
Rod Morris (1919 – 1980) was a Western Swing and Country artist, who had a considerable career from the fifties to the mid seventies, and also wrote the popular Jim Reeves track ‘Bimbo’. This twin spin is a true blue chipper of a 45.
‘Alabama Jailhouse’ with it’s chunka-chunka beat, and super-cool guitar break, details an inmate’s experience with being incarcerated in the institution. On the flip, it’s the ‘Ghost of Casey Jones’ a corking rail-rhythm track with some seriously brilliant slide guitar work throughout.
It’s happened readers, this top grade two sider has been repressed, and is now widely available.
Rod Morris (1919 – 1980) was a Western Swing and Country artist, who had a considerable career from the fifties to the mid seventies, and also wrote the popular Jim Reeves track ‘Bimbo’. This twin spin is a true blue chipper of a 45.
‘Alabama Jailhouse’ with it’s chunka-chunka beat, and super-cool guitar break, details an inmate’s experience with being incarcerated in the institution. On the flip, it’s the ‘Ghost of Casey Jones’ a corking rail-rhythm track with some seriously brilliant slide guitar work throughout.
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Photographs in this magazine have been provided by the subjects, for use here, or are from our own library. All are copyright
NB, Events and all advertised services are supplied by the advertisers themselves. We do not accept any responsibility for any alterations or adjustments, cancellations or disputes between customers and the advertisers. Please check before booking, travelling to, or buying from advertisers in our magazine
Please note that all material on this website is (c) Andrew Smith, June Smith, The Bettajive Review. Please avoid copying and pasting articles or parts of articles to your websites or social media, we'd much prefer people to visit our site direct. Thank you for reading our online magazine. Comments, remarks, suggestions and yes, even gentle criticism, all welcome. We do not share links to adult sites here, although adults are welcome to read it. We are considering deleting some early issues and we're interested in your thoughts on whether we should keep them or not. Drop us a note with your thoughts sometime.
Keep up to date with us here, or on our various platforms:-
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/The-Bettajive-Review-569161136474404/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bettajivereview/
Twitter https://twitter.com/AndrewBettajive
email:- [email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-smith-b626aa63/
Cheers 'til next month
Andrew and June
To keep this magazine free we rely upon donations and advertising. We would ask if you could drop us a donation of whatever you can by using our Paypal.me account here. The smallest contributions all add up so we can keep our monthly publication going. This is the way we can continue beyond 2022
Many thanks
We want to keep this magazine free to read, so rely on advertisers and donations. If you like what you see, help us keep it free by popping us a donation using the button. This has to be a two way street for us to be able to continue beyond 2022. Many thanks
Bands and artists who would like their music or latest record release reviewed. We listen to records several times before writing a word about them. We research songs if they are covers, credit writers, performers and musicians. In effect, we pay true reverence to your recordings, not relying in on merely describing a song as a bopper, jiver or stroller. If we don't know about your release, we can't review it. You can send it to us in electronic form or the actual article, drop us an email and we'll arrange it. We do not plagiarise unlike some other sites and publications. Get in touch at [email protected] if you want your record included.
In these strange times, everyone is suffering, however the last people to be allowed to return to 'normal' are likely to be in the entertainment industry. When you get chance to, as seemingly the case is now, do go and support live music, gigs, clubs and bands. Never before has the industry needed it's customers than now. It's much more exiting than two cans and a takeaway in front of the telly. Whether this will continue through 2022, is up to the powers that be
When we are able to get out and about, if you would like us to cover your event or club night, please get in touch. For two press passes, we will review your event, or your band's show at a gig, in detail, in both words and pictures. We are out there, boots on the ground, front, centre and right and most points in between.
Photographs in this magazine have been provided by the subjects, for use here, or are from our own library. All are copyright
NB, Events and all advertised services are supplied by the advertisers themselves. We do not accept any responsibility for any alterations or adjustments, cancellations or disputes between customers and the advertisers. Please check before booking, travelling to, or buying from advertisers in our magazine
Please note that all material on this website is (c) Andrew Smith, June Smith, The Bettajive Review. Please avoid copying and pasting articles or parts of articles to your websites or social media, we'd much prefer people to visit our site direct. Thank you for reading our online magazine. Comments, remarks, suggestions and yes, even gentle criticism, all welcome. We do not share links to adult sites here, although adults are welcome to read it. We are considering deleting some early issues and we're interested in your thoughts on whether we should keep them or not. Drop us a note with your thoughts sometime.
Keep up to date with us here, or on our various platforms:-
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/The-Bettajive-Review-569161136474404/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bettajivereview/
Twitter https://twitter.com/AndrewBettajive
email:- [email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-smith-b626aa63/
Cheers 'til next month
Andrew and June
To keep this magazine free we rely upon donations and advertising. We would ask if you could drop us a donation of whatever you can by using our Paypal.me account here. The smallest contributions all add up so we can keep our monthly publication going. This is the way we can continue beyond 2022
Many thanks
