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"…No Harm Done…Just Havin' Some Fun…On The Weekend…"
It's astonishing to think
that when Ray Edward Cochran was taken from us in a freak car accident while on
tour in England in April 1960 - he was only 6 months into his 21st year and had
already clocked up over 200 recordings - the bulk of which are presented in
this eagerly awaited and sumptuous box set...
"Somethin' Else: The
Ultimate Collection" by EDDIE COCHRAN is typical of the German Reissue
Company’s legendary excellence. Released February 2009 on Bear Family BCD 15989
HK (Barcode 4000127159892) - 8 CDs are housed in label-themed 2CD jewel cases
inside a 12” x 12" Box Set offering up a huge 262 tracks. There's a
beautifully illustrated album-sized 194-Page Hardback Book that is a truly a
thing of beauty (yes ‘hardback’!).
The set was compiled and
prepared across several years by noted expert ANTOON VAN OLDEREN and Bear
Family label boss RICHARD WEIZE. But this kind of quality and high-art finish
doesn't come cheap - there's little change out of one hundred & fifty
pounds - even online.
The remastering was handled
by 'BOPPIN' BOB JONES, JAY RANELUCCI and PETER J. REYNOLDS - and being Bear
Family - the sound quality is GORGEOUS - first generation tapes used,
meticulous transfers - a typically superb job done. It's distributed in the UK
by John Beecher's Rollercoaster Records of Chalford, Gloucestershire.
CONTENTS:
Disc 1, 35 Tracks, 74:13
minutes, Disc 2, 35 Tracks, 74:10
minutes
Disc 3, 34 Tracks, 76:45
minutes, Disc 4, 24 Tracks, 50:27
minutes
Disc 5, 24 Tracks, 60:04
minutes, Disc 6, 43 Tracks, 78:17
minutes
Disc 7, 28 Tracks, 62:09
minutes, Disc 8, 39 Tracks, 63:32
minutes
For US fans there's the first
3 singles on Ekko as The Cochran Brothers, the lone 7" on Crest, the 14
that followed on Liberty (A&B for each) and the 3 Liberty albums proper
from 1957, 1960 and 1962.
For UK fans there's the 13 London singles followed by
the 10 Liberty ones and the 4 important albums - "Singin' To My Baby"
(1958), "The Eddie Cochran Memorial Album" (1960), "Cherished
Memories" (1962) and "My Way" (1964). I've checked and they're
ALL on here.
The 70's to 90's gave us
major EMI retrospectives - the "Legendary Masters" 2LP set from 1972,
the 4LP "20th Anniversary" box from 1980 and the "Eddie
Cochran" 6LP/4CD box of 1988 - the bulk of these are here too (with some omissions).
On top of that, Tony Martin's ROCKSTAR label of the UK carried the flag for
Cochran for years and put out 9 EPs and 9 LPs worth of material (much
unreleased) - the bulk (not all) of these reissues are also here.
The songs themselves consist
of master versions, alternate takes, stereo mixes, interviews, live tracks,
false starts and studio chatter - and as you can imagine, it's a mixture of the
great and the un-listenable (the stereo stuff on Disc 5 is thrilling while the
live tracks are badly recorded and filled with screaming...)
THE HARDBACK BOOK:
The book is both gobsmacking
and problematic. Firstly it's bent and curved when you take it out (other
buyers have had the same) because the binding can't take the weight. And while
the endless photographs of British, Irish, German, Spanish, Japanese, Dutch and
even Israeli 7"s, 78"s, EPs and Albums are a wonder to behold and
most are in colour - there's an unforgivable 'lack' of info beneath or beside
them. Text should be embellishing all of these snaps - chart positions,
B-sides, writers credits, what album it came off - but nothing - there isn't
even release dates on them...
Take Page 161 - you're shown
his July 1958 UK debut LP on London HA-U 2093 with another sleeve beneath it -
Liberty LBY 1158. There's no explanation that LBY 1158 is the May 1963 reissue
of HA-U 2093 - there's no track list for either LP - there's no rear sleeves
pictured either. All the Rockstar photos are slightly blurred - like their
copies of copies. And disappointingly there's no printed US or British
discographies for easy reference - numerical pointers as to where the tracks
are on this massive box. (I've created my own for fans in the 'Comment' box -
both singles and albums).
What is good is the 5000-word
essay by Stuart Coleman peppered with rare full-sized photos combined with
stunning outtake stills and global posters for his 3 movies "The Girl
Can't Help It", "Untamed Youth" and "Go, Johnny Go".
My favourite photos are on Page 37 where the beautiful actress Yvonne Lime from
"Untamed Youth" holds Eddie's cheeks in her hands with a look of pure
affection and then on Page 66 there's Cochran and his flame Sharon Sheeley
flicking through records racks in a Hollywood vinyl store - she clearly in love
with him and unable to hide her pride.
The Discography between Pages
99 and 118 is more of a jazz-style date-by-date Sessionography compiled by
Antoon van Olderen, STUART COLMAN, RUSS WAPENSKY and RICHARD WEIZE. 120 entries
start with his earliest stuff in mid 1953 through to his last recordings in
January 1960 - including all session work and collaborations in between. You
find out that the June 1961 UK single "Weekend" b/w "Cherished
Memories" on London HLG 9362 has exclusive mixes - different to the US
versions. Also I count a little under 10 previously unreleased versions
exclusive to this box, with the bulk of others having appeared on albums/CDs
now long deleted.
Ultimately it's down to the
music - and as I sit here listening to "Weekend" and "Jeannie,
Jeannie, Jeannie" in STEREO - tears are in my eyes. God bless you Eddie
Cochran wherever you may be...
Wallet-buster or not - and
despite the book niggles - this is a stone 5-star recommended.
PS: this review is dedicated
to "Boppin'" Bob Jones who died in April 2009 - he remastered 1000's
of recordings for Ace Records, Bear Family and other top reissue labels and
brought joy to millions of fans…
EDDIE COCHRAN - USA 7"
singles Discography
with Bear Family "Somethin' Else" 2009 GERMAN 8CD Box Set track
references
(e.g. 1/10 is Disc 1 Track 10
and so on)
COCHRAN BROTHERS
[Eddie and Hank Cochran – not
related nor brothers]
1. Mr. Fiddle b/w Two Blue Sing Stars (Ekko
1003, June 1955)
[A is 1/8 – B is 1/9]
2. Guilty Conscience b/w Your Tomorrow Never
Comes
(Ekko 1005, July 1955)
[A is 1/10 – B is
1/11]
3. Tired And Sleepy b/w Fool’s Paradise
(Ekko 3001, May 1956)
[A is 1/18 – B is 1/19]
4. Skinny Jim b/w Half Loved
(Crest 1026, July 1956)
[A is 2/1 – B is 2/2]
(Note: there is another
overdubbed version of the A “Skinny Jim” on the 1962 UK LP “Cherished Memories”
on Liberty LBY 1109 and there are 4 takes of the B-side “Half Loved” too – all
are on this Bear Family Box)
5. Sittin’ In The Balcony b/w Dark Lonely Street
(Liberty F-55056, February
1957)
[A is 2/7 - B is 1/31]
6. Mean When I’m Mad b/w One Kiss [with the
Johnnie Mann Singers]
(Liberty F-55070, May 1957)
[A is 2/8 – B is 2/9]
(Note: this is the only
Cochran US single issued in a picture sleeve during his lifetime; it’s
extremely rare and commands $1000+)
7. Drive In Show b/w Am I Blue [with the Johnny
Mann Orchestra & Chorus]
(Liberty F-55087, July 1957)
[A is 2/12 – B is 2/10]
8. Twenty Flight Rock b/w Cradle Baby [with
Johnny Mann Orchestra & Chorus]
(Liberty F-55112, November
1957)
[A is 2/18 – B is 2/11]
(A-side is Version 2; Version
1 is on his July 1958 debut British LP “Singin’ To My Baby”, London HA-U 2093
and also UK 7” single HL-U 8386 – it’s 1/28)
9. Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie b/w Pocketful Of
Hearts
(Liberty F-55123, January
1958)
[A is 2/26 – B is 2/24]
(Note: the A is in MONO, but
there is another take without the guitar overdub on the box in STEREO – it’s
5/7)
10. Pretty Girl b/w Teresa
(Liberty F-55138, May 1958)
[A is 2/25 – B is 2/28]
(Note: A is an exclusive mix
to the USA; there is a different version on the UK 7” single London HL-G 9464 –
it’s 4/6. The box set also contains a 2-track Stereo version of the song on 5/5
with a further 3-track Stereo version with overdubs on 5/13)
11. Summertime Blues b/w Love Again
(Liberty F-55144, July 1958)
[A is 2/30 – B is 2/33]
(Note: the British ‘A’ on London
HL-U 8702 is a different mix to the US version – it’s 4/1)
12. C’mon Everybody b/w Don’t Ever Let Me Go
(Liberty F-55166, October
1958)
[A is 3/6 – B is 3/5]
(Note: the A is known as the
“Speeded Up” version, but there’s also a STEREO version with guitar overdub and
running at the correct speed on the UK-only 1984 LP “Portrait Of A Legend” on
Rockstar RSR LP 1008 – it’s 4/2)
13. Teenage Heaven b/w I Remember
(Liberty F-55177, February
1959)
[A is 3/8 – B is 3/9]
14. Somethin’ Else b/w Boll Weevil Song
(Liberty F-55203, July 1959)
[A is 3/17 – B is 3/18]
15. Hallelujah, I Love Her So b/w Little Angel
(Liberty F-55217, November
1959)
[A is on 3/26 – B is on 3/25]
(Note: A is a Ray Charles
cover and the spelling of it doesn’t use an exclamation mark as his original
did at the end of the word Hallelujah, but a comma. There’s two further
versions of “Hallelujah…” – an echoed version with strings which first appeared
on the UK’s 1980 4LP box set “20th Anniversary
Album” on United Artists ECSP 20 (4/10) and a STEREO version on the UK-only
1984 LP “Portrait Of A Legend” on Rockstar RSR LP 1008 (5/10).
There are 10 versions of the
B-side “Little Angel” – the master (3/25) is an overdubbed version of Take 10.
The other versions are Take 1, 3, 5, 6 9 and 2 further version of 10 – all are
on this box. Also worthy of note is that another version of Take 10 of “Little
Angel” (5/11) is exclusive to the Bear Family set – it’s a different STEREO cut
to the one that appeared on the Rockstar LP of 1984 (5/9))
16. Three Steps To Heaven b/w Cut Across
Shorty
(Liberty F-55242, March 1960)
[A is on 3/32 – B is on 3/33]
(Note: the A-side is Version
2 in Mono - a Version 1 in MONO and Version 2 in STEREO both appeared on the
UK’s 1980 4LP box set “20th Anniversary Album” on United
Artists ECSP 20 – they’re on this box as 3/16 and 5/2 respectively.
The B-side master for “Cut
Across Shorty” is a ‘speeded-up’ version of Take 21 – however, the ‘correct
speed’ version of Take 21 also appeared on the UK’s 1980 2LP set “20th Anniversary
Album”, while a STEREO version of the take appeared on the UK-only 1984 LP
“Portrait Of A Legend” on Rockstar RSR LP 1008 - they’re also on this box as
4/9 and 5/3)
17. Lonely b/w Sweetie Pie
(Liberty F-55278, August
1960)
[A is on 2/32 – B is on 2/23]
(Note: there is a second
version of the A-side with overdubs available on the 1962 USA LP “Never To Be
Forgotten” on Liberty LRP 3220 – it’s 4/22)
18. Weekend b/w Lonely
(Liberty F-55389, December
1961)
[A is 3/14 – B is on 2/32]
(Note: there is a STEREO
version of “Weekend” on the UK-only 1984 LP “Portrait Of A Legend” on Rockstar
RSR LP 1008 – it’s 5/12. “Lonely” is as per the A entry for number 17)
There were many re-issues
throughout the rest of the Sixties and onwards in the USA, but they were more
of what went before. It should be noted though that this was NOT the case in
the UK, where new and previously unreleased Cochran material was issued by both
EMI and the ROCKSTAR label (specialising in both Cochran and Gene
Vincent). The Rockstar label put out 7”
EP’s also – many are referenced in the BF box. See my separate UK 7” singles
discography post…
EDDIE COCHRAN - UK 7" SINGLES
Discography
With reference to where the
tracks can be located on the Bear Family 2009 8CD Box Set
"Somethin' Else – The
Ultimate Collection"
Note:
(a) London 78's and 45's (1
to 13)
Most UK 78's credited their
catalogue numbers without a prefix (HLU 8386), but the 7"s prefixed the
catalogue numbers with 45-.
Most listings have since
dropped the 45- prefix, but for accuracy purposes I’ve reinstated the prefix in
this discography (it’s what’s on the actual records themselves anyway).
(b) Catalogue number spacing
Also some catalogue numbers
on the UK 7" singles separated the lettering before the number – some didn't.
For accuracy, I've reflected what was on the actual singles themselves – e.g. 45-HLU
8386 and 45-HL-U 8880.
EDDIE COCHRAN – UK 7" Singles
Discography (referencing Bear Family)
1. 20 Flight Rock b/w Dark Lonely Street
London 45-HLU 8386 (April
1957)
[A is 1/28 - B is 1/31]
(Note: the original UK 78"
and 7" both credit the A as "20 Flight Rock" – its spelt "Twenty Flight Rock"
on the US issue and subsequent British reissues)
2. Sittin' In The Balcony b/w Completely Sweet
London 45-HL-U 8433 (June
1957)
[A is on 2/7 – B is on 1/29]
(Note: the B-side is an
exclusive mix - Version 1; Version 2 is on the US debut LP "Singin' To My
Baby" on Liberty LRP 3061 - it's 2/17)
3. Summertime Blues b/w Love Again
London 45-HL-U 8702
(September 1958)
[A is on 4/1 - B is on 2/33]
(Note: the A-side "Summertime
Blues" is a different mix to the US version and exclusive to the UK single –
the US version (2/30) has reverb and fading at the end, the UK version is
without reverb and has an ending. The B is the same for both UK and US singles,
but there is a different overdubbed vocal version on the 1962 USA LP "Never To
Be Forgotten" on Liberty LRP 3220 – it's 4/21)
4. C'mon Everybody b/w Don't Ever Let Me Go
London 45-HL-U 8792 (January
1959)
[A is on 3/6 – B is on 3/5]
5. Teenage Heaven b/w I Remember
London 45-HLU 8880 (June
1959)
[A is 3/8 – B is on 3/9]
6. Somethin' Else b/w Boll Weevil Song
London 45-HL-U 8944
(September 1959)
[A is on 3/17 – B is on 3/18]
7. Hallelujah, I Love Her So b/w Little Angel
London 45-HLW 9022 (January
1960)
[A is on 3/26 – B is on 3/25]
8. Three Steps To Heaven b/w Cut Across Shorty
London 45-HLG 9115 (May 1960)
[A is on 3/32 – B is on 3/33]
9. Sweetie Pie b/w Lonely
London 45-HL-G 9196
(September 1960)
[A is on 2/23 – B is on 2/32]
(Same Takes, but the A &
B are reversed to the USA issue on Liberty F-55278)
10. Weekend b/w Cherished Memories
London 45-HLG 9362 (June
1961)
[A is on 3/14 – B is on 3/34]
(Note: both A & B-side
takes were exclusive to this UK release; the US versions for Liberty F-55389
are 3/14 and 2/32)
11. Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie b/w Pocketful Of
Hearts
London 45-HL-G 9460 (November
1961)
[A is on 2/26 – B is on
2/24]
(Note: the A is in MONO, but
there is another take without the guitar overdub on the box in STEREO – it’s
5/7)
12. Pretty Girl b/w Teresa
London 45-HLG 9464 (November
1961)
[A is 4/6 - B is 2/28]
(Note: the A is an exclusive
mix to the UK release; there is a different version on the USA 7” single on
Liberty F-55138 – it’s 2/25)
13. Undying Love b/w Stockin's 'n' Shoes
London 45-HLG 9467 (November
1961)
[A is on 2/14 – B is on 2/19]
14. Never b/w Think Of Me
Liberty LIB 10049 (October
1962)
[A is on 2/22 – B is on 3/15]
15. My Way b/w Rock 'n' Roll Blues
Liberty LIB 10088 (April
1963)
[A is on 3/10 – B is on 3/11]
16. Drive In Show b/w I Almost Lost My Mind
Liberty LIB 10108 (August
1963)
[A is on 2/12 – B is on 4/20]
17. Skinny Jim b/w Nervous Breakdown
Liberty LIB 10151 (April
1964)
[A is on 2/1 – B is on 3/3]
18. C'mon Everybody b/w Summertime Blues
Liberty LIB 10233 (April
1966)
[A is on 3/6 – B is on 4/1]
(Note: see 3 for Notes on
“Summertime Blues”)
19. Three Stars b/w Somethin’ Else
Liberty LIB 10249 (December
1966)
[A is on 3/13 – B is on 3/17]
(A is exclusive to the UK
single)
20. Three Steps To Heaven b/w Eddie’s Blues
Liberty LIB 10276 (May 1967)
[A is on 3/32 – B is on 3/20]
21. Summertime Blues b/w Let’s Get Together
Liberty LBF 15071 (June 1968)
[A is on 4/1 – B is on 3/4]
(Note: see 3 for Notes on
“Summertime Blues”)
22. Somethin' Else b/w Milk Cow Blues
Liberty LBF 15109 (1968)
[A is on 3/17 – B is on 3/21]
23. C'mon Everybody b/w Mean When I'm Mad
Liberty LBF 15366 (June 1970)
[A is on 3/6 – B is on 2/8]
24. Somethin' Else b/w Three Steps To Heaven
United Artists UP 35361
(April 1972)
[A is on 3/17 – B is on 3/32]
25. Summertime Blues b/w Cotton Picker
United Artists UP 35408 (July
1972)
[A is on 4/1 – B is on 2/6]
(B is on the United Artists
2LP set UAS 9959 “Legendary Masters No.4”)
26. Summertime Blues b/w C'mon Everybody
United Artists UP 35796
(March 1975)
[A is on 4/1 – B is on 3/6]
(Note: see 3 for Notes on
“Summertime Blues”)
27. C'mon Everybody b/w Milk Cow Blues
United Artists UP 36121 (June
1976)
[A is 3/6 – B is on 3/21]
28. C'mon Everybody b/w Don’t Ever Let Me Go
United Artists Silver
Spotlight Series UP 603 (June 1979)
[A is 3/6 – B is 3/5]
29. Think Of Me b/w Pretty Girl
United Artists FREE 12 (1979)
[This single wasn’t released
as a stand-alone issue – it came in a picture sleeve free with the LP “The
Eddie Cochran Singles Album” from 1979 on UAK 30244. It’s included here for
completeness]
[A is on 3/15 – B is on 4/6]
30. What I'd Say b/w Milk Cow Blues
Rockstar RSR-SP 3001 (1979)
[A is not on the box set –
the Take used for B is unknown]
31. Skinny Jim b/w Half Loved
Rockstar RSR-SP 3002 (1979)
[Neither is referenced in the
box set]
32. Twenty Flight Rock b/w Teenage Cutie
United Artists UP 618 (March
1980)
[A is on 1/28 – B is on 2/29]
33. I Want Elvis For Christmas b/w The Tender Age
Rockstar RSR-SP 3004 (1980)
(Both sides are by HOLLY
TWINS featuring EDDIE COCHRAN)
[A is on 7/12 – B is on not
on the Box]
34. Three Steps To Heaven b/w Cut Across Shorty
United Artists Silver
Spotlight Series UP 36520 (October 1980)
[Reissue of 8]
35. Somethin' Else b/w Boll Weevil Song
United Artists Silver
Spotlight Series UP 36521 (October 1980)
[Reissue of 6]
36. Summertime Blues b/w Twenty Flight Rock
Liberty Golden 45’s G45 19
(May 1984)
[A is on 4/1 – B is on 1/28]
37. C'mon Everybody b/w Don’t Ever Let Me Go
Liberty UP 603 (1984 Reissue
of 28 – Box set track places are the same)
38. C'mon Everybody b/w Don't Ever Let Me Go
Liberty EDDIE 501 (Feb 1988)
[As per 28 and 37]
39. Somethin' Else b/w Boll Weevil Song
Liberty EDDIE 502 (April
1988) [As per 35]
40. Three Steps To Heaven b/w Cut Across Shorty
Liberty UP 36520 (1988) [Another reissue of 8 and 34]
