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"...She Took The Keys To My Cadillac Car..."
The kind of compilation you'd normally ignore and shouldn't.
Last time I touched on Arkansas' great survivor Ronnie Hawkins and his band of Gene Vincent-like Rock 'n' Roll reprobates 'The Hawks' was all the way back in August 1990. EMI UK was putting out Remastered compilations to beat the band, feeding a hungry CD buying public pigging out on nostalgia.
One of those was the American Rhino CD-compilation "The Best Of Ronnie Hawkins And The Hawks" given a UK issue on Roulette CDROU 009 - EMI CDP 794890 2 - its 18 raucous Blue Caps-type tracks Remastered and mid-priced to tempt lapsed buyers on a budget. This Bear Family compilation begins with a track that opened that British CD all the way back in 1990 – a then Previously Unreleased June 1958 cover of Chuck Berry's "Thirty Days".
Fast-forward to early 2008 and what you get here is almost double that Rock 'n' Roll trouble in track numbers - 32 to be exact and a near 77-minutes playing time. There is hugely improved sound courtesy of BF's resident Audio Engineer genius JURGEN CRASSER and very tasty presentation into the bear pit bargain - a card digipak with a jammed 48-page booklet put together by a name familiar to Rock and Rollers everywhere – BILL MILLAR.
With a Discography from IAN WALLIS - "Ronnie Rocks" also has lots of juicy Stereo too in the album tracks, guests that feature four members of The Band with blistering 1963 geetar from a young Robbie Robertson (they are on ten tracks) and Bear even manage to find one Previously Unreleased cut from 1958 (a different version of "Horace"). There is much to detail, so on to the Mary Lou's, Mr. Dynamo's and Mojo Men...
Released in Germany on 28 January 2008 - "Ronnie Rocks" by RONNIE HAWKINS on Bear Family BCD 16873 AR (Barcode 4000127168733) offers 32 Remastered Original Recordings from 1958 to 1963 that plays out as follows (76:42 minutes):
1. Thirty Days - first issued August 1990 on the CD Compilation "The Best Of Ronnie Hawkins And The Hawks"
2. Hey Bo Diddley - 1958 CANADA 45-single on Quality 1827, A-side
3. Ruby Baby - from the 1959 US LP "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078 in Stereo
4. Forty Days - May 1959 US 45-single on Roulette 4154, A-side - also on "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078
5. Horace - from the 1959 US LP "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078 in Stereo
6. One Of These Days - May 1959 US 45-single on Roulette 4154, B-side - also on "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078
7. Wild Little Willy - from the 1959 US LP "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078 in Stereo
8. Whatcha Gonna Do (When The Creek Runs Dry) - from the 1959 US LP "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078 in Stereo
9. Mary Lou - August 1959 US 45-single on Roulette 4177, A-side - also on "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078
10. Oh Sugar - from the 1959 US LP "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078 in Stereo
11. Odessa - from the 1959 US LP "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078 in Stereo
12. My Gal Is Red Hot - from the 1959 US LP "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078 in Stereo
13. Need Your Lovin' (Oh So Bad) - August 1959 US 45-single on Roulette 4177, B-side - also on "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078
14. Dizzy Miss Lizzy - from the 1959 US LP "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078 in Stereo
15. Hay Ride - April 1960 US 45-single on Roulette 4249, B-side of "Ruby Baby" - also on the 1960 US LP "Mr. Dynamo" on Roulette SR 25102 in Stereo
16. Baby Jean - from the 1960 US LP "Mr. Dynamo" on Roulette SR 25102 in Stereo
17. Southern Love - November 1959 US 45-single on Roulette 4209, A-side - also on the 1960 US LP "Mr. Dynamo" on Roulette SR 25102 in Stereo
18. Hey Boba Lou - from the 1960 US LP "Ronnie Hawkins" on Roulette SR 25078 in Stereo
19. Clara - February 1960 US 45-single on Roulette 4228, A-side - also on the 1960 US LP "Mr. Dynamo" on Roulette SR 25102 in Stereo
20. Honey Don't - from the 1960 US LP "Mr. Dynamo" on Roulette SR 25102 in Stereo
21. Sick & Tired - from the 1960 US LP "Mr. Dynamo" on Roulette SR 25102 in Stereo
22. You Know I Love You - from the 1964 US LP "The Best Of..." on Roulette SR 25255 in Stereo
23. Sexy Ways - from the 1964 US LP "The Best Of..." on Roulette SR 25255 in Stereo
24. Come Love - October 1961 US 45-single on Roulette 4400, B-side of "I Feel Good" - also on the 1964 US LP "The Best Of..." on Roulette SR 25255 in Stereo
25. I Feel Good - October 1961 US 45-single on Roulette 4400, A-side - also on the 1964 US LP "The Best Of..." on Roulette SR 25255 in Stereo
26. Suzie Q - from the 1964 CANADA LP "Mojo Man" on Roulette SR 25390 in Stereo
27. Matchbox - from the 1964 CANADA LP "Mojo Man" on Roulette SR 25390 in Stereo
28. High Blood Pressure - June 1963 US 45-single on Roulette 4502, A-side - also on the 1964 US LP "The Best Of..." on Roulette SR 25255 in Stereo
29. Mojo Man - from the 1964 US LP "The Best Of..." on Roulette SR 25255 in Stereo
30. Bo Diddley - April 1963 US 45-single on Roulette 4483, A-side - also on the 1964 US LP "The Best Of..." on Roulette SR 25255 in Stereo
31. Who Do You Love - April 1963 US 45-single on Roulette 4483, B-side - also on the 1964 US LP "The Best Of..." on Roulette SR 25255 in Stereo
32. Horace - June 1958 recording PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
NOTES: From September 1961 to May 1963 and at five different recording sessions, four members of Ronnie’s group would famously later become THE BAND – the backing group for Bob Dylan in 1966 and a huge group in their own right from 1968 - Jamie 'Robbie' Robertson on Lead Guitar, Rick Danko on Rhythm Guitar, Richard Manuel on Piano with Levon Helm on Drums. They feature on ten - Tracks 22 to 31. Other sessioning players included ace axeman and future Polydor Records star Roy Buchanan playing Bass on Tracks 30 and 31, Backing Vocals from Cissie Houston, Dee Dee Warwick and Dionne Warwick on Tracks 22, 23 and 24, King Curtis on Tenor Saxophone on Tracks 25 and 26 with Jerry Penfound on Tenor Saxophone for Tracks 26, 28 and 29. Ronnie Hawkins sings Lead Vocals throughout.
With this compilation you get the 50ts Rock 'n' Rollin' Ronnie & The Hawks on tunes like their cover of The Drifters huge hit "Ruby Baby" and the crossover Rockabilly-Pop sound of "Mary Lou" and "My Gal Is Red Hot" - Jimmy Ray Paulman playing the distinct geetar on those sessions. But when he hit the 60s and boys in The Band (literally) join proceedings - the sound goes through the roof into almost dangerous garage or even an early form of Punk. When Robbie Robertson is slashing away on "Sexy Ways" or the fantastic "Suzie Q" (you so realise from hearing this why Juicy Lucy covered "Who Do You Love" the wild-slashing-guitar way they did in 1969 when you hear Robertson here) - you're reminded of a dangerous Link Wray - almost live on stage - his guitar is that distorted – a bad Diddley Daddy eyeing your daughter with ill-intent. But whatever tune you play, it's all so hugely enjoyable. This is a constantly surprising CD - even his cover of Carl Perkins' "Honey Don't" sounds fresh and Ronnie-fied. There are many more where that came from.
In July 2021 the Bear Family "Rocks" series numbers 60 artists and rising (I've reviewed a dozen or so, see list below) and all come highly recommended.
Just don't forget to feed your need for "High Blood Pressure" from that Arkansas "Mojo Man"...
The "Rocks" CD Compilation Series by Bear Family of Germany
60 Artists as of July 2021...
1. Chuck Berry [see REVIEW]
2. Pat Boone
3. Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown
4. Johnny Burnette [see REVIEW]
5. The Cadillacs [see REVIEW]
6. The Coasters
7. Eddie Cochran
8. Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
9. Bobby Darin
10. Fats Domino
11. The Drifters
12. Champion Jack Dupree
13. Duane Eddy
14. The Everly Brothers
15. Narvel Felts
16. The "5" Royales
17. Connie Francis
18. Don Gibson
19. Glen Glenn
20. Bill Haley
21. Roy Hall
22. Slim Harpo [see REVIEW]
23. Dale Hawkins
24. Ronnie Hawkins [see REVIEW}
25. Screamin' Jay Hawkins [see REVIEW]
26. Wanda Jackson [see REVIEW]
27. Sonny James
28. Buddy Knox & Jimmy Bowen with the Rhythm Orchids
29. Sleepy LaBeef
30. Brenda Lee
31. Jerry Lee Lewis [see REVIEW]
32. Smiley Lewis [see REVIEW]
33. Little Richard
34. Bob Luman [see REVIEW]
35. Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers
36. Carl Mann
37. Scotty McKay
38. Clyde McPhatter
39. Amos Milburn [see REVIEW]
40. Ella Mae Morse [see REVIEW]
41. Ricky Nelson
42. Little Junior Parker
43. Carl Perkins
44. Louis Prima
45. Roy Orbison
46. The Platters
47. Lloyd Price [see REVIEW]
48. Piano Red (aka Dr. Feelgood) [see REVIEW]
49. Charlie Rich [see REVIEW]
50. Billy Lee Riley
51. Marty Robbins
52. Jack Scott
53. Shirley & Lee
54. The Treniers
55. (Big) Joe Turner [see REVIEW]
56. Conway Twitty
57. Richie Valens
58. Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps
59. Link Wray
60. Rusty York
The Bear Family "Rockin' Rollin'" Series features:
1. Johnny Horton
2. Marvin Rainwater
3. Marty Robbins Vol.1
4. Marty Robbins Vol.2
5. Marty Robbins Vol.3
