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"...A Jumpin' Little Record...I Want My Jockey To Play..."
When the movie "Rock, Rock, Rock" was
released in December 1956 - the big draw for the youth of America was that over
half the film’s viewing time was taken up with live performances - a lethal
combination of vocal group Rhythm 'n' Blues and the brand new rage of the year
- Rock 'n' Roll.
So taking 3 of their biggest recording acts -
THE MOONGLOWS, CHUCK BERRY and THE FLAMINGOS - Chess Records put together their
first ever 12-track album on Chess LP-1425. Like most of these early Fifties
LPs - "Rock, Rock, Rock..." comprised of twelve tried-and-tested US
singles/45s. In this case each act was given four songs (some recorded
specifically for the film) and thus a vinyl and film legend was born.
Now in a world of 80-minute-plus compilations -
even the expanded "Rock, Rock, Rock" is admittedly short for a
reissue (39 minutes on the nose) - but there’s just something so utterly
charming about this LP and ditto for its snazzy and well thought out CD
reissue. Here are the details for all that duck-walking Maybellene and that tone-deaf Beethoven rolling over in their Cadillac Coupe De Ville…
USA released March 2004 - "Rock,
Rock, Rock - From The Motion Picture" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on
Universal/Chess B0001751-02 (Barcode 602498614303) is a CD Reissue and
Remaster of the famous 1955 LP bolstered up with Three Extras.
1. I Knew From The Start - THE MOONGLOWS (December
1956, Chess 1646, B-side of "Over And Over Again")
2. Would I Be Crying - THE FLAMINGOS (December
1956, Checker 853, A-side)
3. Maybellene - CHUCK BERRY and His Combo (July
1955, Chess 1604, A-side)
4. Sincerely - THE MOONGLOWS (November 1954,
Chess 1581, A-side)
5. Thirty Days (To Come Back Home) - CHUCK BERRY
and His Combo (October 1955, Chess 1610, A-side)
6. The Vow - THE FLAMINGOS (October 1956,
Checker 846, A-side)
7. You Can’t Catch Me - CHUCK BERRY (November
1956, Chess 1645, A-side)
8. Over And Over Again - THE MOONGLOWS (December
1956, Chess 1646, A-side)
9. Roll Over Beethoven - CHUCK BERRY and His
Combo (May 1956, Chess 1626, A-side)
10. I’ll Be Home - THE FLAMINGOS (January 1956,
Checker 830, A-side)
11. See Saw - THE MOONGLOWS (July 1956, Chess
1629, A-side)
12. A Kiss From Your Lips - THE FLAMINGOS (May
1956, Checker 837, A-side)
Tracks 1 to 12 are the LP "Rock, Rock, Rock
- From The Motion Picture“ - released December 1956 in the uSA in Mono only on
Chess LP-1425.
BONUS TRACKS:
13. I’m Not A Juvenile Delinquent - FRANKIE
LYMON and THE TEENAGERS (November 1956, Gee GG-1026, A-side)
14. Rock & Roll Boogie - ALAN FREED and
his ROCK ’N’ ROLL ORCHESTRA (from the 1956 compilation LP “Rock ’n’ Roll Dance
Party Vol.1” on Coral CRL 57063)
15. Lonesome Train (On A Lonesome Track) - THE
JOHNNY BURNETTE TRIO (December 1956, Coral 9-61758, A-side)
ERICK LABSON - one of Universal's top engineers
- has remastered all 15 tracks from the 1st generation mono master tapes and
the sound quality is better than its ever been - warm, romantic, fun - most of
the songs dripping with echo and atmosphere - and all of them extraordinarily
evocative of the time. The CD's 3 bonus tracks are also from the movie - the
lust-buster "I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent" by FRANKIE LYMON and THE
TEENAGERS (he has only 13 at the time), the dancer instrumental "Rock
& Roll Boogie" by ALAN FREED and his ROCK 'N' ROLL ORCHESTRA and
the railroad Rockabilly vibe of "Lonesome Train (On A Lonesome
Track)" by JOHNNY BURNETTE'S ROCK 'N' ROLL TRIO.
The 12-page booklet contains a new essay on the
album and film history by noted writer BILLY ALTMAN which doesn't duplicate
much of the very informational original album liner notes by MILTON SUBOTSKY
(reproduced on Pages 7, 8 and 9). There's a lobby card reproduced featuring
Frankie Lymon and Alan Freed and a page of 7" labels including the fab
"See Saw" by The Moonglows. The lovely black and silver original deep
groove label of the album is reproduced on the inlay beneath the see-through tray
- all nice touches and attention to detail that collector's love.
Quite apart from the historical significance of
being Chess Records first-ever long player LP - only four of the original
twelve tracks actually appeared in the movie - “I Knew From the Start” and
“Over And Over Again” by The Moonglows, “Would I Be Crying” by The Flamingos
and Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me” - his first appearance on LP too.
In truth - with the 50-year copyright law going
through the 00's and 10’s like a dose of salts - huge swathes of tracks by
Blues, Doo Wop, R ’n' B and Rock 'n' Roll artists have now entered the Public
Domain - so you see Doo Wop and Rock 'n' Roll Box sets containing say 100 songs
for absolute peanuts. So why would anyone give say £10 or 10 dollars for only
15 tracks on this obscure compilation? It doesn’t even seem like particularly
good value for money…
Well - there's the track run (which so works) -
the lovely presentation - and of course the truly great sound. But mostly
there's just something incredibly evocative about this album.
It seems to capture a transition in our history - a joy almost - a newfound
freedom - it was young then and still is now. When I listen to the irresistible
naughtiness of "Roll Over Beethoven" by Chuck Berry - followed by the
streetlamp serenade of The Flamingos' "I'll Be Home” - which in turn is
followed by the finger-clicking "See Saw" by The Moonglows - I'm
transported back to a time of jukeboxes topped off with beautiful fluorescent
tubes - drive-in movies with monster screens and a thrilling promise in the
backseat. This very cool little CD transports me back to that time - when all
things seemed possible - innocent even - when the world was literally our
generation's oyster…
The Original Soundtrack to “Rock, Rock, Rock” is
a lovely album - yet it's one that you feel is all but forgotten now - and it
shouldn't be. A fantastic listen and an important and timely reissue on CD...
For sure it’s become hard to find since 2004
especially for UK and European buyers (you can pick it up Stateside for as
little as four bucks). Even if you use the Barcode provided above on Amazon UK - you get some other 'Rock Rock Rock' compilation that isn't the same. But I’d say take a chance on romance you children of
Alan Freed and buy it. You may have to engage in your own version of Payola to
get one - but the payoff will be dancing in the aisles - well maybe dancing in
the man cave with a Zimmer frame at our age…
PS: There are
seven releases in the Rock 'n' Roll "50th Anniversary Series" and
eleven in their "Blues Classics Remastered & Revisited"
Series and I've loved the lot - great sound, clever title choices and all
bumped up with bonus tracks and decent booklets (I'm reviewed almost all of
them).
Fans of Holly,
Haley, Berry, Diddley and Rock'n'Roll in general should quickly acquire all of
these exemplary CDs (use the Barcode numbers provided below to locate the right
issue). They make for the best basis of a collection in a minefield of lesser
compilations...and Buddy Holly deserved nothing less...
Universal's 'Rock 'n' Roll 50th Anniversary' CD Reissue Series:
1. After School Session by CHUCK BERRY (1958
Mono Debut LP on Chess) - CD is Geffen/Chess B0001685-02 (Barcode
602498613504)
2. St. Louis To Liverpool by CHUCK BERRY (1964
Stereo LP on Chess) - CD is Geffen/Chess B0001687-02 (Barcode 602498613528)
3. The Chirping Crickets by THE CRICKETS [feat
Buddy Holly] (1957 Mono Debut LP) - CD is Geffen/Decca B0001686-02 (Barcode
602498613511)
4. Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger by BO DIDDLEY
(1960 Stereo LP on Checker) - CD is Universal/Geffen B-0001761-02 (Barcode
602498614471)
5. Rock Around The Clock by BILL HALEY &
HIS COMETS (December 1955 Mono LP on Decca) - CD is Geffen/Decca B0001705-02
(Barcode 602498613627)
6. Buddy Holly by BUDDY HOLLY (1958 1st Solo LP,
Mono on Coral) - CD is Universal/Geffen B0001592-02 (Barcode 602498129524)
7. Rock, Rock, Rock - From The Motion
Picture by THE MOONGLOWS, CHUCK BERRY and THE FLAMINGOS (1956 Chess Records
'Rock 'n' Roll Movie Soundtrack LP) - CD is Universal/Chess B0001751-02
(Barcode 602498614303)
Universal's "Blues Classics Remastered & Revisited" CD Reissue Series:
1. Bad News Is Coming - LUTHER ALLISON (1972 USA LP with 4 Previously Unreleased
bonuses, 56:10 minutes) (Barcode 044001340727)
2. Luther's Blues - LUTHER ALLISON (SUHA GUR Remaster) (1974 USA 9-track
LP with 3 Previously Unreleased bonuses, 70:28 minutes) (Barcode 044001340925)
3. Two Steps From The Blues - BOBBY BLAND (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (1961
USA 12-track LP on Duke with 2 bonuses, 35:12 minutes) (Barcode 008811251628)
4. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues - JOHN LEE HOOKER (ERICK
LABSON Remaster) (October 1966 and September 1991 LPs on Chess, 2LPs on 1CD,
79:44 minutes) (Barcode 008811282127)
5. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues - HOWLIN' WOLF (ERICK LABSON
Remaster) (January 1966 on Chess and January 1967 on Chess, 2LPs on 1CD, 66:45
minutes) (Barcode 008811282028)
6. Tell Mama: The Complete Muscle Shoals Sessions - ETTA JAMES (ERICK
LABSON Remaster) (January 1968 US 12-Track LP on Cadet - Tracks 13-22 being
bonuses, 57:11 minutes) (Barcode 008811251826)
7. Live At San Quentin - B.B. KING (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (1990
13-Track Compilation on MCA, no extras, 64:11 minutes) (Barcode 008811251727)
8. At Newport 1960 - MUDDY WATERS (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (1960 US
9-Track LP on Chess with 10-13 being 4 Mono Studio Tracks from June 1960 as
bonus tracks, 44:43 minutes) (Barcode 008811251529)
9. Fathers & Sons - MUDDY WATERS & Friends (ERICK LABSON
Remaster)
(Tracks 1-10 and 15-20 is the August 1969 2LP set on Chess in Full with
Tracks 11, 12, 13 being previously unreleased - and 14 previously unreleased in
the USA). (77:38 minutes) (Barcode 008811264826)
10. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues - MUDDY WATERS (ERICK
LABSON Remasters - 2LPs on 1CD) (Barcode 008811282226)
11. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues - SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON
(ERICK LABSON Remaster) (January 1966 and January 1967 LPs on Chess, 2LPs on
1CD, 65:28 minutes) (Barcode 008811282325)
