“Frankie Miller …That’s Who! The Complete Chrysalis Recordings (1973-1980)” by FRANKIE MILLER (May 2011 EMI/Chrysalis 4CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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This Review and Many Others Like It Are In My E-Book...

"…Be Good To Yourself…Be True To One Another…"

Most Frankie Miller fans have despaired of seeing their hero’s output on a decent CD retrospective – well all of that ends with this superb EMI mini-box set which puts 7 albums (plus 1 remixed version) and 3 single sides onto 4CDs – and all of it with great remastered sound. There’s a lot on here, so let’s get to the details first…

UK released May 2011 (re-issued 14 September 2018) - "Frankie Miller…That's Who! The Complete Chrysalis Recordings (1973-1980)" by FRANKIE MILLER on EMI/Chrysalis 50999909777125 (Barcode 5099909777125) is a 4CD Set of Remasters that plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (69:18 minutes):

1. You Don't Need To Laugh

2. I Can't Change It

3. Candlelight Sonata in F Major

4. Ann Eliza Jane

5. It's All Over

6. In No Resistance

7. After All (Live My Life)

8. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues

9. Mail Box

10. I’m Ready

Tracks 1 to 10 are his debut album “Once In A Blue Moon” released January 1973 in the UK and USA on Chrysalis CHR 1036

11. High Life

12. Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)

13. Trouble

14. A Fool

15. Little Angel

16. With You In Mind

17. The Devil Gun

18. I'll Take A Melody

19. Just A Song

20. Shoo-Rah

21. I'm Falling In Love Again

22. With You In Mind

Tracks 11 to 22 are his 2^nd studio album “High Life” released January 1974 in the UK and USA on Chrysalis CHR 1052

Disc 2 (78:52 minutes):

1. Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)

2. Trouble

3. Little Angel

4. With You In Mind

5. I'll Take A Melody

6. High Life (Filler)

7. Shoorah Shoorah

8. Devil's Gun

9. A Day In The Life Of A Fool

10. I'm Falling In Love Again

11. Just A Song

Tracks 1 to 11 are “High Life – The Original Mix” – this is a previously unreleased version of the album with the running order re-arranged

12. A Fool In Love

13. The Heartbreak

14. The Rock

15. I Know Why the Sun Don't Shine

16. Hard On The Levee

17. Ain't Got No Money

18. All My Love To You

19. I'm Old Enough

20. Bridgeton

21. Drunken Nights In The City

Tracks 12 to 21 are his 3^rd studio album “The Rock” released September 1975 in the UK on Chrysalis CHR 1088

Disc 3 (78:26 minutes):

Tracks 1 and 2 are “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever” and “I’m Old Enough”, the A & edited B-side of an August 1976 UK 7” single on Chrysalis CHS 2103 [Previously Unavailable on CD]

3. Be Good To Yourself

4. The Doodle Song

5. Jealous Guy

6. Searching

7. Love Letters

8. Take Good Care Of Yourself

9. Down The Honky Tonk

10. This Love Of Mine

11. Let The Candlelight Shine

12. (I'll Never) Live In Vain

Tracks 3 to 12 are his 4^th studio album “Full House” released August 1977 in the UK on Chrysalis CHR 1128

13. Have You Seen Me Lately Joan

14. Double Heart Trouble

15. The Train

16. You'll Be In My Mind

17. Good Time Love

18. Love Waves

19. (I Can't) Break Away

20. Stubborn Kind Of Fellow

21. Love Is All Around

22. Goodnight Sweetheart

Tracks 13 to 22 are his 5^th studio album “Double Trouble” released April 1978 in the UK on Chrysalis CHR 1174

Disc 4 (76:40 minutes):

1. When I'm Away From You

2. Is This Love

3. If I Can Love Somebody

4. Darlin'

5. And It's Your Love

6. A Woman To Love

7. Falling In Love With You

8. Every Time A Teardrop Falls

9. Papa Don't Know

10. Good To See You

11. Something About You

Tracks 1 to 11 are his 6^th studio album “Falling In Love” released January 1979 in the UK on Chrysalis CHR 1220 (it was called “A Perfect Fit” in the USA)

12. Easy Money

13. The Woman In You

14. Why Don't You Spend The Night

15. So Young, So Young

16. Forget About Me

17. Heartbreak Radio

18. Cheap...Thrills

19. No Chance

20. Gimme Love

21. Tears

Tracks 12 to 21 are his 7^th studio album “Easy Money” released July 1980 in the UK and the USA on Chrysalis CHR 1268

Track 22 is “Sail Away” (a Randy Newman cover) and a non-album B-side to the November 1977 UK 4-Track 7” EP “Alveric’s Elfland Journey” [Previously Unavailable on CD]

The 8-page booklet is a fairly functionary affair with a small history of the albums taken from a 1998 Documentary for BBC Scotland. It gives a track-by-track list and pictures some album covers and rare European 7” picture sleeves. A nice touch is that Discs 1 and 2 are coloured with the Green Chrysalis label while 3 and 4 are Blue - reflecting the original vinyl issues. Beneath the two see-through CD trays are pictures of each album with the production credits below the picture. It’s good, but hardly great. But the real deal lies in the AUDIO…

After years of budget label compilations, the remastered sound quality comes as a genuine shock – done by ANDY PEARCE and MATT WORTHAM at EMI – it’s full, warm and at last the music has the muscle its always deserved. The material itself (mostly self-penned) isn’t all genius of course, but when this Glaswegian was good – he was the absolute business. And like many rockers, he had loveliness in his ballads too, which in turn inspired cover versions from people as diverse as Cher, UFO and Ray Charles.

With regard to the remaster the opening plaintive double of “You Don’t Need To Laugh” and “I Can’t Change It” from “Once In A Blue Moon” are good examples – the backing band is BRINSLEY SCHWARZ featuring Ian Gomm and Nick Lowe - and suddenly the piano, the acoustic guitars and even the backing girly vocals are all clear and alive. It’s not loud for the sake of it - just present – a treat to listen to.

His 2^nd album “High Life” was originally produced by New Orleans R’n’B genius ALLEN TOUSSAINT (who also wrote many of the tunes), but without his or Miller’s permission it was remixed before release – hence it’s on here twice – the released mix and now the previously unreleased original version. One of my favourites is “A Fool” – the new version brings the guitars, percussion and brass solo to the front more and also lessens the hiss levels that were on the released version. “Trouble” is really clear too – it’s fantastically well done.

1975’s “The Rock” benefited from the production values of Elliot Mazer (Neil Young and Joni Mitchell) with the songs featuring brass on almost every track with that rock backbeat. Two of my personal favourites are the driving boogie of “Hard On The Levee” and the epic Otis Redding type ballad “All My Love To You” (poignant lyrics given his later incapacity and his wife’s devotion to his recovery).

A polished production by Chris Thomas (Sex Pistols, Roxy Music, Pink Floyd) on 1977’s “Full House” made it his most commercial release and for me features one his best tracks - the truly fantastic “Be Good To Yourself”. Written by Free’s Andy Fraser, it epitomises what fans love most about Miller - a top tune fronted by a great voice – an uplifting gem that hasn’t dated a jot (lyrics above). His cover of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” is soulful and full on, but his speeding up of Ketty Lester’s “Love Letters” is less successful. “This Love Of Mine” is a soulful brass-driven Stax Records kind of ballad co-written with ace guitarist Robin Trower and is another highlight. Proceedings were also graced with Chris Spedding, Gary Brooker, John “Rabbit” Bundrick and the brass of The Memphis Horns.

1978’s “Double Trouble” featured a guest backing vocals from Aerosmith’s Steve Tyler as well as songwriting collaborations with Paul Carrack on 5 songs (Ace, Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics, solo career) and a rocking Free-sounding “Double Heart Trouble” not surprisingly written by Andy Fraser. 1979’s “Falling In Love” (titled “A Perfect Fit” for its American release) features Frankie’s biggest hit single “Darlin’”, but like 1980’s “Easy Money” it all becomes a bit run-of-the-mill – too many average cover versions. The ballad “Good To See You” and the rollicking “Heartbreak Radio” are good though.

Name-checked by Rod Stewart, Phil Lynott, Bob Seger, Joe Walsh, Kid Rock and too many others to mention – Frankie Miller was possessed of a voice and a way with a song that literally engendered hero worship – and this huge remastered haul finally does his criminally forgotten recorded legacy proper justice.

Like Terry Reid, Long John Baldry, John Martyn and Maggie Bell – this great singer will always be held in genuine affection...

The HOT WAX Record Label - UK 7” SINGLES DISCOGRAPHY (1970 to 1973)

The HOT WAX Record Label - UK 7” SINGLES DISCOGRAPHY
(Soul and Funk Music - Holland-Dozier-Holland involvement)
Compiled May 2011 by MARK BARRY

Titles, Catalogue Numbers, Release Dates etc...
Taken from EMI Catalogues 1971 - 1974
(EMI distributed Hot Wax and Invictus Records in the UK)

RELEASE DATE ORDER:
1. “Westbound No. 9” b/w “Why Don’t You Stay” – THE FLAMING EMBER
October 1970 on Hot Wax HWX 101

2. “Somebody’s Been Sleeping” b/w “I’ve Come To Save You” – 100 PROOF AGED IN SOUL
November 1970 on Hot Wax HWX 102
[Reissued on HWX 108 in Aug 1971]

3. “While You’ve Been Out Looking For Sugar” b/w “The Feeling’s Gone” – THE HONEY CONE
November 1970 on Hot Wax HWX 103

4. “I’m Not My Brother’s Keeper” b/w “Mind, Body And Soul” – THE FLAMING EMBER
February 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 104

5. “Girls It Ain’t Easy” b/w “Take Me With You” - THE HONEY CONE
March 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 105

6. “Shades Of Green” b/w “Stop The World And Let Me Off” – THE FLAMING EMBER
April 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 106

7. “Want Ads” b/w “We Belong Together” – THE HONEY CONE
May 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 107

8. “Somebody’s Been Sleeping” b/w “I’ve Come To Save You” – 100 PROOF AGED IN SOUL
August 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 108 [Reissue of HWX 102]

9. “Take Me With You” b/w “ Deaf, Blind And Paralysed” – HONEY CONE
October 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 109

10. “Frightened Girl” b/w “Colours Of My Love” – SILENT MAJORITY
October 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 110

11. “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show” b/w “Stick-Up” – HONEY CONE
February 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 111

12. “The Day I Found Myself” b/w “When Will It End” – HONEY CONE
April 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 112

13. “Everything Good Is Bad” b/w “I’d Rather Fight Than Switch” – 100 PROOF
June 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 113

14. “Love Machine” b/w “Free You Mind” – THE POLITICIANS
June 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 114

15. “Rip Off’ b/w “Two Lovely Pillows” – LAURA LEE
June 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 115

16. “Sittin’ On A Time Bomb” b/w “It’s Better To Have Loved And Lost” – HONEY CONE
September 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 116

17. “The Empty Crowded Room” b/w “If It’s Good To You (It’s Good For You (Instrumental)”– FLAMING EMBER
29 September 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 117

18. “Wedlock Is A Padlock” b/w “Since I Fell For You” – LAURA LEE
January 1973 on Hot Wax HWX 118

19. “You’ve Got To Save Me” b/w “Crumbs Off The Table” – LAURA LEE
May 1973 on Hot Wax HWX 119

20. “Never My Love” b/w "Since You Been Gone” – 100 PROOF
September 1973 on Hot Wax HWX 120


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ALPHABETICAL ORDER:
1. FLAMING EMBER - “The Empty Crowded Room” b/w “If It’s Good To You (It’s Good For You) (Instrumental)”
September 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 115

2. THE FLAMING EMBER - “I’m Not My Brother’s Keeper” b/w “Mind, Body And Soul”
February 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 104

3. THE FLAMING EMBER - “Shades Of Green” b/w “Stop The World And Let Me Off”
April 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 106

4. THE FLAMING EMBER – “Westbound No. 9” b/w “Why Don’t You Stay”
October 1970 on Hot Wax HWX 101

5. HONEY CONE - “The Day I Found Myself” b/w “When Will It End”
April 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 112

6. THE HONEY CONE – “Girls It Ain’t Easy” b/w “Take Me With You”
March 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 105

7. HONEY CONE - “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show” b/w “Stick-Up”
February 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 111

8. HONEY CONE - “Sittin’ On A Time Bomb” b/w “It’s Better To Have Loved And Lost”
September 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 116

9. THE HONEY CONE - “Take Me With You” b/w “ Deaf, Blind And Paralysed”
October 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 109

10. THE HONEY CONE - “Want Ads” b/w “We Belong Together”
May 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 107

11. THE HONEY CONE - “While You’ve Been Out Looking For Sugar” b/w “The Feeling’s Gone”
November 1970 on Hot Wax HWX 103

12. LAURA LEE - “Rip Off’ b/w “Two Lovely Pillows”
June 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 115

13. LAURA LEE - “Wedlock Is A Padlock” b/w “Since I Fell For You”
January 1973 on Hot Wax HWX 118

14. LAURA LEE – “You’ve Got To Save Me” b/w “Crumbs Off The Table”
May 1973 on Hot Wax HWX 119

15. 100 PROOF - “Everything Good Is Bad” b/w “I’d Rather Fight Than Switch”
June 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 113

16. 100 PROOF - “Never My Love” b/w Since You Been Gone”
September 1973 on Hot Wax HWX 120

17. 100 PROOF AGED IN SOUL - “Somebody’s Been Sleeping” b/w “I’ve Come To Save You”
November 1970 on Hot Wax HWX 102 [Reissued on HWX 108 in Aug 1971]

18. 100 PROOF AGED IN SOUL - “Somebody’s Been Sleeping” b/w “I’ve Come To Save You”
August 1971 on Hot Wax 108 [Reissue of HWX 102]

19. THE POLITICIANS - “Love Machine” b/w “Free You Mind”
June 1972 on Hot Wax HWX 114

20. SILENT MAJORITY - “Frightened Girl” b/w “Colours Of My Love”
October 1971 on Hot Wax HWX 110

“Johnny Rocks” by JOHNNY BURNETTE. A Review Of The 2008 Bear Family CD Compilation.

"…C'mon Little Baby…Let’s Tear That Dancefloor Up…"

As you can see from the list at the bottom of this review, in 2011 Bear Family’s “Rocks” series is by now fairly extensive and still growing (Big Joe Turner was added in March 2011). This is one of those titles – and it’s a jewel in the crown of this definitive series.

Issued September 2008, "Johnny Rocks” is on Bear Family BCD 16992 AR and features 36-recordings from 1958 to 1960 (76:05 minutes). Like all titles in this series it’s housed in a 3-way foldout card digipak which holds a detachable 44-page oversized booklet in the centre. The CD itself and see-through tray beneath it picture his “Tear It Up” Coral 45 from 1956 (a nice touch – lyrics above) while the detailed and affectionate liner notes are by noted musicologist COLIN ESCOTT. There are lots of black and white photos, tape boxes pictured, and a full discography for the set by RUSS WAPENSKY and Bear Family’s own RICHARD WEIZE on Pages 33 to 40. There’s even a lovely colour reproduction of the Alan Freed "Rock Rock Rock!" film poster from 1956 on Page 14 – it name-checked Johnny’s band because the movie featured . It’s a typically great job done.

1. The Train Kept A-Rollin'
2. Tear It Up
3. Oh Baby Babe
4. All by Myself
5. Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee
6. Honey Hush
7. Lonesome Tears in My Eyes
8. Please Don't Leave Me
9. Rock Therapy
10. Rock Billy Boogie
11. Lonesome Train (On a Lonesome Track)
12. Sweet Love on My Mind
13. Your Baby Blue Eyes
14. If You Want It Enough
15. Butterfingers
16. Eager Beaver Baby
17. Warm Love
18. Come on Baby
19. Boppin' Rosalie
20. My Little Baby Came Rockin'
21. Do Baby Do
22. Lizzy Dee
23. My Honey
24. Rock Away Baby
25. Sweet Baby Doll
26. Boppin' Rock
27. Kiss Me
28. We're Gonna Rock It
29. Me and the Bear
30. Little Girl (Aka Kiss Me Sweet)
31. Crazy Legs
32. Mule Boy
33. Bertha Lou
34. You Gotta Get Ready
35. Wampus Cat
36. Cincinnati Fireball

Some artists in the Rock 'n' Roll period engender extraordinarily loyalty and affection – Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent and Little Richard of course – why – because they were the real deal. Memphis-born Johnny Burnette and his storming band are the same. You ‘re only 3 or 4 tunes into this superb CD and it’s easy to hear why – this guy rocked. It was a smart move on the part of Bear to include almost all of his most famous platter – the incendiary debut album “Johnny Burnette And The Rock ‘N Roll Trio”. It was issued as an 11-track 10” LP in the UK (a hugely sought-after vinyl rarity) while the booklet quite properly references the 12-track US original on Coral. It encapsulates why Rock 'n' Roll so grabbed the kids by the scruff of the neck – exciting, dangerous and terrifying to their parents. “The Train Kept A-Rollin’” is typical of his Rock 'n' Roll output – slap bass, frantic guitar, ragged vocals at one-hundred miles an hour with intermittent shouts - while “Tear It Up” is pure Rockabilly genius (lyrics above). So good…

Musically it breaks down like this - 9 of the 12 tracks on his December 1956 US debut LP – the explosive “Johnny Burnette And The Rock ‘N Roll Trio” are on here - with a further 6 from the 12-track “Tear It Up” compilation from 1969 issued in the UK on Coral CP 10 which mopped up the rare American Coral single sides. Tracks 18 to 24 are roughly Imperial and Freedom label US 45’s - while 26 to 36 are “Demo Recordings” from varying dates all of which appeared for the first time on the 9CD Bear Family Box Set “The Train Kept A-Rollin’ – Memphis To Hollywood” in 2003. The lone track from his 2nd album proper – 1961’s “Dreamin’” is “Cincinnati Fireball” - while there are some other tracks from posthumous compilations like “Tear It Up” on Solid Smoke SS 8001 in 1978 (USA) and “Johnny Burnette Rock ‘N” Roll” in 1983 on Skyline 1254 (USA).

The remasters are done by one of Bear’s top engineers – JURGEN CRASSER. I’ve raved about this guy’s work before – the 16 Volumes of the "Blowing The Fuse" series (1945 to 1960) and the 10 Volume of the "Sweet Soul Music" series (1961 to 1970). It’s the same here – warm, full of life, rockin' – just great sound quality.

To sum up – as a one-stop for this man’s great music, “Johnny Rocks” is all you need. I’m gonna save up now for their “Train Kept A-Rollin’” Box set.

Wonderful stuff and warmly recommended.

PS: The "Rocks" Series by Bear Family features the following artists:

1. Pat Boone
2. Johnny Burnette
3. The Cadillacs
4. Eddie Cochran
5. Bobby Darin
6. Fats Domino
7. Connie Francis
8. Don Gibson
9. Glen Glenn
10. Bill Haley
11. Roy Hall
12. Dale Hawkins
13. Ronnie Hawkins
14. Screamin' Jay Hawkins
15. Wanda Jackson [see REVIEW]
16. Sonny James
17. Buddy Knox & Jimmy Bowen with the Rhythm Orchids
18. Sleepy LaBeef
19. Jerry Lee Lewis
20. Smiley Lewis [see REVIEW]
21. Bob Luman
22. Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers
23. Carl Mann
24. Amos Milburn [see REVIEW]
25. Ella Mae Morse [see REVIEW]
26. Ricky Nelson
27. Carl Perkins
28. Roy Orbison
29. Lloyd Price
30. Piano Red (aka Dr. Feelgood) [see REVIEW]
31. Charlie Rich
32. Jack Scott
33. Shirley & Lee
34. The Treniers
35. Big Joe Turner [see REVIEW]
36. Conway Twitty
37. Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps
38. 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