January 23, 2012

rip johnny otis

January 20, 2012

im etta james

RIP soul queen Etta James (73) who'd been taken into hospital, suffering from leukemia. Legendary for her recordings on Chess, she had recently released what had been announced as her last album on Verve Forecast: "The Dreamer" (2011-11-08) - before that she was on RCA Victor. On the reissue front, there's just been a box set on Hip-O Select: "Heart & Soul - A Retrospective" (2011-10), while Kent / Ace have equally launched a number of reissues with bonus tracks viz. "Call My Name" and "Losers Weepers". More on Etta in my next post!

November 27, 2011

first to be stranded in the jungle

The original version of a legendary track, and - post Haloween - a horror tune from 1958 (unrelated to this "Dead"), both off "The Flash Records Story (Popular Platters - Recorded And Retailed)" v/a 2cd on Ace (CDTOP2-1309, 2011-09). Yes indeed, the Jayhawks were the first to record "Stranded in the jungle" - in 1956-05. That's before the Gadabouts (1956-06?) ànd the Cadets (1956-06!), whose hit version has since become the definitive interpretation. The two Cadets (aka the Jacks) versions are off Ace's "The Cadets Meet The Jacks Stranded In The Jungle" cd (CDCHD-534, 1994). Band images: the Cadets.

November 26, 2011

iannis "johnny otis" veliotes

Johnny Otis (of Greek descent, born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes) is one of those rhythm 'n' blues heroes that played an important role, was an esteemed player in his own time … but who has remained an R'n'B pioneer that never made it to megastardom, nor was he to have a second career hit like Johnny "Guitar" Watson or others had … Still, just read those first couple of lines of this wiki, and you'll see he's worth your listening attention … e.g. via this Ace cd. Image source: "the Dreamers visit Johnny Otis in 1954" via the Doo-Wop Society of Southern California.

November 25, 2011

kahlua caramba

Disarming really, how the Champs, after scoring a hit with their first release named "Tequila" … Soundway will be releasing two more versions on 2011-12-05 … quite different from 1982's italo version by Bo Boss. Sources for the tracks below:
http://www.acerecords.co.uk/content.php?page_id=59&release=7492
http://www.acerecords.co.uk/content.php?page_id=59&release=609

October 28, 2011

los marketts

The Marketts in their prime, off the "Outer Space, Hot Rods & Superheroes (The Best, The Rarest & The Unreleased)" compilation on Ace Limited Edition (CDLUX 006, 2011).

October 27, 2011

for your precious love

The 1958 demo of the original version by the Impressions is off "Bandera Doo Wop", while Aaron Neville's "Orchid In The Storm" version (1985), candy sweet though it may be, has a unique quality - its style kinda fits in with Leonard Cohen's "Ten New Songs" incidentally.

October 26, 2011

bandera doowop from chicago

Four tracks (and another one in a future post) off the "Bandera Doo Wop" v/a cd on Ace Limited Edition (CDLUX 005, 2011). What's with the limited edition we asked Ace. Answered one friendly Neil: "over the years there have been quite a few projects which we haven't been able to do because licensing in the tracks would be so expensive that we'd have to sell Beyonce-like quantities for the project to break even. Although we have still done projects that don't 'cost', too many of these and clearly we'd be in trouble. The CDLUX releases are a way round this problem. The slightly higher price enables the release to break even on a realistic number of sales. Although they are limited editions, we always try and press up sufficient quantities for them to stay in catalogue for several years. I think all the Lux releases except for the very first one are still available."