"Wow, Wow, Baby! 1950s R&B, Blues & Gospel From Dolphin's Of Hollywood" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (2015 Ace Records CD – Duncan Cowell Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...We Don’t Want No Chaperone..."

Back in the 1990s England’s Ace Records bought the Dolphin catalogue and has maintained a steady stream of reissues ever since. “Wow, Wow, Baby!” is the latest instalment (May 2015 on Ace Records CDTOP 1438 - Barcode 029667071529) which offers up 24 rare cuts - many of which are Previously Unreleased. As usual with these obscure label CD compilations - it’s a strange mix of the utterly pedestrian and the refreshingly brill – with the spread being about 80/20 in favour of the better stuff.

The 12-page colour booklet has expert info from liner-notes king TONY ROUNCE with photos of characters like Scatman Crowthers, Chuck Higgins, Marvin & Johnny, Floyd Dixon, Memphis Slim and Jimmy Witherspoon to name but a few. A and AA label repros of those rare 45’s and 78’s on the Money and Cash labels pepper the text as does a not-so-complimentary description of John Dolphin’s delightful business practices and lack of financial morality (what a guy). The remasters are by long-standing engineer DUNCAN COWELL and once again he delivers really clean transfers – plenty of oomph and bottle where needed without being over-egged for the sake of it (61:45 minutes).

Earl Burton’s “Sleep, Drink And Play”, the Coasters-witty “Traffic Ticket” by Big Boy Groves and the girl-bopper “Hey Rube” by The Mellow Tones are amongst the better R&B dancer tracks - but a lot of the other slow blues tunes like Little Margie’s “Years And Tears Ago”, James Reed’s “My Love Is Real” and Marvin & Johnny’s “Yak Yak Woman” refuse to really ignite (feeling a little plodding if the truth be told). The two holy-roller tunes “Step In The Right Direction” and “I Need The Lord To Guide Me Everyday” feel out of place too and wooden.

Better is Floyd Dixon who puts in two wicked Fats Domino shuffles on “Oh Baby” and “Never Can Tell (When A Woman’s Going To Change Her Mind)” while the Bluesy crawl of “Lonely, Lonely Woman” by Little Eve is suitably mournful. Jimmy Witherspoon features on two cuts – the mooching “S.K. Blues (by Saunders King) and the saxophone dancer “Teenage Party”. Tap Anthony & His Orchestra give us “Fancy Pants” which sounds like a post World War II dancefloor jive (it’s a great instrumental).

The coolest cut on here is probably “All Messed Up” by Vernon Anders which is about a woman “whose knock-kneed and bow-legged” but thankfully our Vernon “loves her so...” In fact it’s amazing how many women in these songs are bald-headed but still mightily attractive to the singer (what a gent). “Teenagers Only” (lyrics above) has Little Margie singing with her girls about not wanting any chaperone when they start rocking with that saxophone (if you know what Margie’s saying baby). It ends well on the “oh yeah” call and response of Chuck Higgins when his band and The Mellotones tear up the studio like they’re on a Little Richard recording.

Another belter from Ace – someone should give these guys a medal... 

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"Unlock The Lock: The Kent Records Story 1958-1962" by VARIOUS ARTISTS featuring B.B. King, Jesse James, Bobby Bland, Hadda Brooks, Jesse Belvin, Jimmy Witherspoon, Floyd Dixon and more (August 2015 UK Ace 2CD Compilation with Duncan Cowell Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Everybody Needs To Know..."

In their unrelenting quest for chart hits it seems the Bihari Brothers of Kent Records USA (Jules, Saul & Joe) would throw just about any kind of musical paint at the American chart canvas to see what would make a splash. Hence this genre-varied double-CD (Volume 1 of 2 apparently) clobbers you with a myriad of styles - Vocal Groups, Blues, Rhythm 'n' Blues, Jump Blues, Wild Rockabilly & even wilder Rock 'n' Roll - and of course as it mooches into 1960 to 1962 - some traces of early Soul. And 30 of its 48 tracks are either previously unreleased or new to CD as well. Here are the details 'everybody needs to know'...

UK released August 2015 (September 2015 in the USA) – "Unlock The Lock: The Kent Records Story 1958-1962" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Ace Records CDTOP2 1449 (Barcode 029667073226) plays out as follows:

Disc 1 -1958-1959 - (61:32 minutes):

1. Why Do Everything Happen To Me – B.B. KING (1958, Kent 301)

2. All Of Me – DANNY BOY (1958, Kent 300)

3. Hey Little Mama – THE BARKER BROTHERS (2015, Alternative of Kent 302)

4. "Baby, Bay" Every Night – ETTA JAMES (1958, Kent 304)

5. Sweet Lovin' Honey – DON COLE (1958, Kent 205)

6. On My Way Back Home – FLASH TERRY & HIS ORCHESTRA (2015, Extended Version of Kent 310)

7. Devil Doll – LEE DENSON (1958, Kent 306)

8. Madness – SONNY KNIGHT (1958, Kent 312)

9. Basis Of Rock 'n' Roll – VAN ROBINSON

(2015, Take 1 of a track that first turned up on the July 2000 CD compilation "Long Gone Daddies: Original 50s Rockabilly & Rock 'n' Roll from The Modern Label" on Ace CDCHD 768)

10. Bye Bye Baby – CHUCK "TEQUILA" RIO (2015, Take 5 of Kent 38)

11. That's My Baby – ARTIE WILSON (1958, Kent 313)

12. Dance The Thing – FLOYD DIXON and HIS ORCHESTRA (1958, Kent 311)

13. Please Accept My Love – B.B. KING (2015, Undubbed Version of a track on the 1969 "Boss Of The Blues" LP on Kent 5029)

14. Red Hot Rockin' Blues – JESSE JAMES (1958, Kent 314)

15. If It Ain't One Thing – BETTY & DUPREE (1959, Kent 318)

16. You You You – VAN ROBINSON (2015, Previously Unreleased)

17. South's Gonna Rise Again – JESSE JAMES (1958, Kent 314)

18. Worry Worry – B.B. KING (2015, Take 1 of Kent 317)

19. The Ballad Of Stagger Lee – THE SENDERS (2105, Extended Version of Kent 320)

20. The Thrill Is Gone – HADDA BROOKS (2015, Take 1 of Kent 321)

21. The Fool – B.B. KING (1959, Kent 319)

22. Everybody Needs To Know – THE SENDERS (2015, Alternative of Kent 324)

23. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons – JESSE BELVIN (1959, Kent 326)

24. Mean Ole Frisco – B.B. KING (2015, Take 2 of Kent 329)

Tracks 3, 6, 9, 10, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22 and 24 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Disc 2 -1960-1962 - (67:32 minutes):

1. Sweet Sixteen Pts. 1 & 2 – B.B. KING (1960, Kent 330)

2. Your Cheating Heart – JIMMY WITHERSPOON (1960, Kent 343)

3. Unlock The Clock – JIMMY NELSON (2015, Alternate of Kent 354)

4. Good Man Gone Bad – B.B. KING (1960, Kent 346)

5. Tomorrow Night – HADDA BROOKS (1960, Kent 349)

6. You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now – B.B. KING (2015, Take 4 of Kent 350)

7. Diane – CHARLIE OWENS & THE SENSATIONAL INK SPOTS (1962, Kent 355)

8. If Love Was Money – TONY ALLEN & THE WANDERERS (1961, Kent 356)

9. Bad Case Of Love – B.B. KING (2015, Take 1 of Kent 362)

10. Texas Queen – BILLY RAY (1962, Kent 367)

11. Dreamin' – TONY ALLEN & GROUP (1961, Kent 364)

12. Doing The Twist – JOE HOUSTON (1962, Kent 366)

13. Get In The Car – LITTLE JOE HINTON

(first appeared on the 1999 Japanese Various Artists CD compilation "West Coast Modern Blues Vol.2" on P-Vine PCD 3063)

14. Crazy Feeling aka Do Something Crazy – ETTA JAMES (1958, Kent 370)

15. The Whip Twist – LITTLE JOE HINTON (1962, Kent 368)

16. Goodnight My Love – PAT HUNT (1962, Kent 374)

17. Do You Wanna Twist – TEDDY REYNOLDS (1962, Kent 371)

18. Playboy – BILLY RAY (1962, Kent 367)

19. Camel Caravan – THE CLASSICALS (1962, Kent 379)

20. Without You – HAL DAVIS (1962, Kent 375)

21. Love You Baby – BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND (1962, Kent 378)

22. The Wonder Of Love – THE NEWPORTS (1962, Kent 380)

23. Maybe I'm Wrong – BOBBY SANDERS (2015, Extended Version of Kent 382)

24. Mashing The Popeye – B.B. KING (1962, Kent 381)

Tracks 3, 6, 9 and 23 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

The 16-page booklet has info-packed liner notes from TONY ROUNCE – a name associated with huge numbers of quality reissues. There’s lots of those colourful Kent American 45s repro’d, publicity photos of label heroes like B.B. King and Bobby Bland – but it's also nice to see shots of equally deserving names like The Barker Brothers, Jesse James, Flash Terry and Floyd Dixon, Jesse Belvin, Tony Allen, Jimmy Nelson, Teddy Reynolds and even a colour snap of Jimmy Witherspoon with his lone cover of the Hank Williams classic “Your Cheating Heart”. The vastly experienced DUNCAN COWELL has handled the transfers and Remasters and despite the often ramshackle and boisterous nature of the recordings – the audio is full of atmosphere, air and presence.

Disc 1 opens with a drum-slapping R&B shuffler (one of many) "Why Do Everything Happen To Me" by B.B. King where the Blues Boy tells us that his "...heart is full of misery..." (a condition he'll get to know well). We then get a doo-woppy version of the standard "All Of Me" by Danny Boy that doesn’t quite work - but better is the Bop of "Hey Little Mama" by The Barker Brothers sounding like Eddie Cochran and his brother singing a duo. Very cool R&B from Etta James follows where the firecracker is already sounding like a LaVern Baker superstar on ""Baby, Baby" Every Night" – a fabulous little R&B dancer. More Rockabilly from the echoed vocals of Don Cole on "Sweet Lovin' Honey" – a top class bopper from 1958 - while we get shuffling R&B from the suitably named Flash Terry featuring a prominent zippy guitar solo. "Madness" by Sonny Knight is the first cut clearly dubbed off a scratchy disc (still sounds boss though) while 50ts dancefloor twirlers will flip for "Basis Of Rock 'n' Roll" by Van Robinson (here in a Saxophone blasting first take – what a winner). "Bye Bye Baby" by Chuck "Tequila" Rio apes the stuttering vocals of Rock ‘n’ Rollers from 1956 and is undoubtedly one of the gems on here (girly vocals or no). It even comes with a giggling Chuck goofing around as the tape rolls out.

Both Artie Wilson and Floyd Dixon step up to the R 'n' R and R 'n' B plate respectively with two fantastic dancefloor fillers – "That's My Baby" and "Dance The Thing". But good as they truly are – they’re small beer to a wild Rockabilly winner called "Red Hot Rockin' Blues" by Jesse James – a tune so foottappingly good its liable to restore eyesight to the blind. But it's hardly surprising that the plodding Blues of Van Robinson on "You You You" was unreleased – heavy on the guitar for sure but all over the place despite his incendiary playing.

We get all rebel yell on the frantic Rockabilly of "South's Gonna Rise Again" while B.B. King is back to being a misery-guts on "Worry". It's a little shocking to hear the lead-in vocals of Hadda Brooks on "The Thrill Is Gone" as she mumbles to the boys in the band at the beginning of Take 1 (gorgeous audio and a Soulful rendering by her). B.B. King follows with a tasty R&B shuffler as he pleads "can you forgive me..." on "The Fool". We now get a classy and beautiful Vocal Group smoocher "Everybody Needs To Know" by The Senders with Carlton Beck handling Lead Vocals. This is apparently Take 1 and despite a dip or two in the tapes towards the end of the song - lovers of the genre will absolutely have to own this previously unreleased version (cream of the crop for me).

Disc 2 opens with a biggie from B.B. King – both parts of his Joe Turner cover version of "Sweet Sixteen" from January 1960 (6:14 minutes in full length). It rose to No. 2 on the US R&B charts and returned him to Hitsville after a near two-year absence ("You've Been An Angel" on Kent 315 in March 1958). The entire compilation's title comes from a witty and beautifully recorded R&B shuffler called "Unlock The Lock" by Jimmy Nelson where he assures his lady love that even though he’s been with the boys – Jimmy is free of sin (I'm not so sure dear). Two soppy turkeys turn up in Hadda Brooks attempting a string-laden cover of La Vern Baker's "Tomorrow Night" which is disappointingly awful while the hissy and even bizarre Charlie Owens/Ink Spots take on "Diane" (also ruined by strings) isn't much better. 

Far better is a crystal clear Take 4 of "You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now" by B.B. King (sweet work from the band on this one) while his bopping "Bad Case Of Love" is a fun brass-driven dancer (and kept Kent on the American charts). Again Vocal Group collectors have cause to celebrate and will want "Dreamin'" by Tony Allen sounding not unlike The Five Keys or The "5" Royales on a very good day. Other R&B Dancers include "Love You Baby" with a rare early showing for Bobby "Blue" Bland as Lead Vocalist, the infectious "Doing The Twist" by Joe Houston and a cocky "Playboy" by Billy Ray sounding like Clarence "Frogman" Henry fancying himself as something of a player with the opposite sex.

So there you have it - it’s not all genius by any means (I thought Disc 2 dipped a bit) – but as ever with Kent Records the good stuff is great and worth owning.

"...Everybody likes to rock...everybody likes to roll...everybody likes to bop...satisfy their souls..." – Floyd Dixon tells his Orchestra on the infectious "Dance The Thing". On the strength of this then...roll on Volume 2...

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"The Complete Vanguard Recordings" by BUDDY GUY – Including The Albums "A Man And The Blues" (1968), "This Is Buddy Guy!" (1968), and "Hold That Plane!" (1972, 1970 Recordings) and more (October 2000 UK Ace/Vanguard Masters 3CD Compilation with Bonuses – Jeff Zaraya Remasters)

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*****

"...Let Me Play My Axe...."

A truly wicked set of CD Remasters from 2000 gathering together his much-loved trio of albums for America's Vanguard Label in the late 60ts and early 70ts – two studio sets and one incendiary live show. Time to go uptown and get lowdown with a '57 Stratocaster strapped around a genius (who's still giving it the Blues at the age of 79)...

UK released 31 October 2000 (November 2000 in the USA) - "The Complete Vanguard Recordings" by BUDDY GUY on Ace/Vanguard Masters 3VCD 178 (Barcode 090204991761) is a 3CD Compilation containing three albums and Bonuses and breaks downs as follows:

Disc 1 (46:22 minutes):

1. A Man And The Blues

2. I Can't Quite The Blues

3. Money (That's What I Want)

4. One Room Country Shack

5. Mary Had A Little Lamb

6. Just Playing My Axe [Side 2]

7. Sweet Little Angel

8. Worry, Worry

9. Jam On A Monday Morning

Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "A Man And The Blues" – released 1968 in the USA on Vanguard VSD-79272 and in the UK on Vanguard SVRL 19002 (both in Stereo)

 

BONUS TRACKS:

10. Poison Ivy

11. You've Got A Hole In Your Soul

Disc 2 (58:40 minutes):

1. Watermelon Man [Live]

2. I Got My Eyes On You [Live]

3. The Things I Used To Do [Live]

4. (You Give Me) Fever [Live]

5. Slow Blues [Live]

6. Knock On Wood [Live]

7. Crazy 'Bout You [Live]

8. I Had A Dream Last Night [Live]

9. 24 Hours Of The Day [Live]

10. You Were Wrong [Live]

11. I'm Not The Best [Live]

Tracks 2, 3, 4 and 6 are Side 1 with tracks 8 to 11 being Side 2 of the 'live' album "This Is Buddy Guy!" – released 1968 in the USA on Vanguard VSD 79290 and in the UK on Vanguard SVRL 19008 (both in Stereo)

BONUS TRACKS:

Track 5 "Slow Blues" [Live] is a Bonus; Track 7 "Crazy 'Bout You" [Live] is Previously Unreleased and Track 1 "Watermelon Man" is a Previously Unreleased Live Version – all three are previously unreleased from the live concert recording for the album "This Is Buddy Guy!" recorded at New Orleans House, Berkley, California, USA. Ace Records of the UK have reissued the album on a straightforward 8-track CD remaster in 2005 on Ace/Vanguard Masters VMD-79290

Disc 3 (39:03 minutes):

1. Watermelon Man

2. Hold That Plane

3. I'm Ready

4. My Time After Awhile

5. You Don't Love Me

6. Come See About Me

7. Hello San Francisco

Tracks 1 to 7 are the album "Hold That Plane!" (Recorded in 1970) – released 1972 in the USA on Vanguard VSD.79323 and in the UK on Vanguard VNP 5315.

The 8-page inlay with new liner notes by BOB MERLIS of The Blues Foundation are good if not disappointingly slight. There's a history on the albums, some photos and very basic albums credits. You wish there was more. The Remasters from original master tapes have been carried out by JEFF ZARAYA using the Sonic Solutions system and sound great throughout - plenty of muscle and presence. TOM VICKERS produced the Reissue.

The opening album reunited Buddy with his Chess partner OTIS SPANN on Piano and the Chicago label's veteran drummer FRED BELOW. It's a superb Blues album and hardly surprising it gets reissued so much. "A Man And The Blues" and the misery-pace of "One Room Country Shack" are perfect examples of the superb Stereo palette – Buddy playing beautifully while Otis Spann compliments every lick with tasty piano fills. Guy even makes the downright silly "Mary Had A Little Lamb" work (a Stevie Ray Vaughan favourite). The slow lurching Blues of "Sweet Little Angel" has some of his tastiest playing and at 5:40 minutes is a perfect ten. The album ends on the Funky Stax/Volt feel of "Jam On A Monday Morning" – a cool bopping instrumental with brass puncuations that makes you feel like it's a backing track to a Wilson Pickett groover and once again you're reminded of where SRV got those Funky Blues moments from. His first great album on Vanguard leads to another...

He roars "Listen To Me!" several times to the audience at the beginning of his slinky cover of Little Willie John's "Fever" – a genius tune that seems impossible to do injustice to (surely in the top ten of truly great songs). He then launches into a balcony-rattling version of Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood" that has the crowd whooping like crazy. Side 2 opens with my fave on the album – his own "I Had A Dream Last Night" – a slow shuffling cymbal is tapped as he solos - soon to be joined by the boys on the horns – A.C. Reed and Bobby Fields on Tenor Saxophone, Leslie Crawford on Baritone Sax with Normal Spiller and George Alexander lending a hand on their Trumpets. By the time he gets half way through – Guy is letting rip with some truly inspired playing and equally impassioned vocals (the boys in the rhythm section picking up on the excitement and responding in kind). Buddy then gets Stax funky with "24 Hours Of The Day" which is followed with "You Were Wrong" where he "...gets back to the blues..." The raucous "I'm Not The Best" sounds like he's trying to be Otis Redding bringing the crowd and the gig to boiling point.

The second studio album on here "Hold That Plane!" was recorded in 1970 but had to wait until 1972 to see the light of day and it's a forgotten gem that effortlessly straddles pure Blues and Funk-Blues. The sessions included Jazz Pianist Junior Mance as well as the Alto Sax of Gary Bartz. Hardly surprising then that it opens with a 5:18 minute Funky Instrumental cover of Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man" which sounds more like Albert King at Stax than Buddy Guy at Vanguard. Having said that – it's an absolute Funky Blues barnstormer - and is surely going to turn up on some uber-cool Funk-Blues CD compilation (pointing out nuggets you missed) some time in the near Kent-Soul future. Back to Blues business with a superb "Hold That Plane" – Guy in blistering string bending form – vocals a-growling – complimented by sweet Junior Mance piano rolls. He revisits Willie Dixon (writer) and Muddy Waters with "I'm Ready" – but although all the players are great – to me it's the weakest track on an otherwise top album (there's just something slightly lacking in his delivery, even uncomfortable).

A million times better is a cover that actually suits his voice and the band’s supreme playing – "My Time After Awhile" by Texas Bluesman Robert Geddins. It's one of those "...my baby been out all night and she's just walked in..." tales of woe – where if things don't change I believe our Buddy gotta moves on down the line (no offense sweetheart). A cool bopping version of Bo Diddley's "You Don't Love Me" follows – the boys on the horns giving it a wicked dancefloor shuffle. Back to hard-hitting Blues with the lengthy slow instrumental "Come See About Me" penned by Buddy and his brother Phil Guy – a one-time sidekick in Koko Taylor's band (Phil plays Rhythm Guitar on tracks 1, 4, 5 and 7 on CD3). This is what Buddy Guy fans love – 8:41 minutes of attacking solo work – complimented by musicians who are all feel and no nonsense (ably assisted this time on Piano by Mark Jordan - his only appearance on the album).Another fab Robert Geddins tune finishes the album - "Hello San Francisco" – a minor local hit for Sugar Pie DeSanto on Jasman Records (also in 1972). In Buddy's take our hero ups and leaves Chicago in 1968 and heads for the beaches and whatever else the Sunshine State has to offer (though I'm not sure its a tan he's ultimately after)...

The Bonus material is something of a bonanza actually – most being better than they had any divine right to be. The two previously unissued cuts on the first album (Disc 1) were recorded at the original sessions in Universal Studios, Chicago – "Poison Ivy" is not a cover of the Coasters Atlantic Records hit but his own composition - while "You Got A Hole In Your Soul" is a workmanlike cover version of a Joe South tune originally on his "Games People Play" album in 1969 on Capitol as "Hole In Your Soul". The three live cuts are fabulous – especially "Slow Blues" where he lets rip for almost seven minutes – sloppy notes and all (the crowd dig it big time). His 5:20-minute live take on Herbie Hancock’s classic "Watermelon Man" was probably too brass-orientated for a live Blues album and was subsequently left off (still a great inclusion though) - while the heavy slow Blues of "Crazy 'Bout You" runs to a pleasing 6:33 minutes. All in all - very good indeed.

So there you have it – three genuinely wicked albums with varying Blues styles (all of which work) – a cluster of extras actually worth calling bonus tracks – and all of it in tippity-toppity sound quality.

Damn right Buddy Guy's got the Blues...and on this exemplary evidence...you need some in your Stereo too...