Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2023 i Vintage Rock

The relationship between Little Richard and his hometown of Macon, Georgia, is a hugely complex one – on both sides of the equation. A fractious and severed alliance, they were estranged for many years. The conservative South didn’t quite know what to make of this most flamboyant of musicians back in the day, particularly when it came to his lifestyle. When success came a-calling, Richard left the state in a hurry feeling cast aside by his community. Thankfully, the people of Macon have moved on from their initial prejudices and now gladly embrace the life and legacy of their most famous son, celebrating the icon who was pivotal in the creation of our favourite music. It’s a welcome progression in attitude. Macon, on all fronts, has come a long way.…

1 TRUE, FINE MAMA (1957): It might seem odd to include a track from the classic Here’s Little Richard in a list of a ‘deep cuts’, but this self-penned R&B smoothie is often overshadowed by the album’s mega-hits. Featuring a rag-tag ‘road band’ Richard wouldn’t record with again, it’s perfectly pitched: romantic but rockin’. 2 JOY, JOY, JOY (1961): Richard’s gospel output is well overdue reappraisal. On this Quincy Jones-produced hymn, he faces down Satan himself with rock’n’roll defiance: “I’ve got that joy down in my heart… I know the Devil doesn’t like it, but it’s down in my heart!” 3 I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’VE GOT BUT IT’S GOT ME (1965): This is one of Elton John’s favourite Little Richard tracks. No wonder! Thanks to Richard’s righteous delivery and…

A modern band they may be, but rockingly authentic is absolutely the Furious vibe. It’s so good in fact, that the best in the business have either championed or played with the talented trio: from the late Crazy Cavan and Lemmy from Motörhead, to Slim Jim Phantom, The Alarm’s Mike Peters and former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock. Recently reviewed in the music press as “ruthless, gritty and hellbent,” their slaying style of playing certainly lives up to their band name. Starting out as 13 and 14-year-olds, brothers Mark and Andy Halligan (bass and vocals, and guitar respectively) first palled up with original drummer Mark Fazackerly, though Tamas Kriger has been on sticks duty the past year. Hailing from such a world-famous soundscape of a city, they say they “feel that…

According to Philip Larkin’s poem Annus Mirabilis, “Sexual intercourse began in 1963.” He was referring to a confluence of events that included the Profumo affair and launch of a British contraceptive pill. Using similar logic, we can probably say that ‘the Sixties’ as we know them didn’t begin in 1960, the year that Roy Orbison topped the UK chart with Only The Lonely. That record was anchored in the doo-wop spirit of the 50s. Musically speaking, the 60s began in 1962, when The Beatles released Love Me Do. So when Orbison arrived in Britain the following year, for a tour with the Liverpool quartet, he may have had an uncomfortable feeling that the world was entering a new epoch in which the Fab Four were the future and he represented…

There can’t be many avid music fans out there that haven’t at one time or another thought about how joyous it would be to release their own titles on their own label. Those daydreams may conjure up images of unpacking boxes of your pristine creations but what happens next? If you’re an egomaniac with a healthy bank balance you can just notch up a Discogs listing, push the boxes under the bed and lie back and bask in glory, but in reality these items have to reach an audience and hopefully earn enough to cover your investment. For the major record labels ‘economy of scale’ can bring big results but for independent record labels it can be a hard road to travel. So what is it that keeps the dream…

Producer Sam Phillips formed Sun in February 1952, in relatively small premises located at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, and went on to record some of the most important music of the era. His list of ‘finds’ is astonishing – Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Howlin’ Wolf, Carl Perkins and, of course, Elvis Presley all passed through Sun’s doors. Outside of these major players, Sam’s fine ear and technical talent captured many top tracks by a fascinating roster of musicians, many since faded to obscurity. Listed below are 20 of the best, from one hit wonders to country crossovers and beyond. MACK OWEN 20 Walkin’ and Talkin’/Somebody Just Like You 1960 (Sun 336) Mack Owen is about as obscure a Sun artist as you can find. Not only…

Eat The critically-acclaimed Dovetail, with its Southern gothic drawing room decor, is the upmarket option, but Macon is a down-to-earth city. Head to Famous Mike’s for greens’n’grits, while Ingleside Village Pizza serves by the slice in a setting lifted straight from American Graffiti, the walls adorned with gold discs, neon signs and even an Elvis Presley clock whose legs shake by the second. Sleep Hotel Forty Five in downtown Macon is a universe unto itself. As well as its sixth floor Hightales Rooftop Bar, this boutique hotel boasts a no-frills breakfast joint called Reckon and a restaurant, Loom, which offers posh Southern grub to rival Dovetail’s. There’s also a vinyl copy of Here’s Little Richard on display behind the front desk, just to let you know that you’re in the…

Ever since Elvis Presley first made fans scream in frenzied delight, teenagers have been seduced by the hottest acts to shake planet rock. Two years after the King made No.1 on both Billboard’s Top 100 and Cashbox with Heartbreak Hotel, a concise new hit parade was introduced to show who was top of the pops. Billboard delivered its first Hot 100 on 4 August 1958 and many of the usual suspects appeared. Presley was present with two hit singles, as were The Everly Brothers and Chuck Berry, while three was the magic number for Buddy Holly. Other Vintage Rock favourites are littered throughout the chart, including Johnny Cash and recent cover stars Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino and Eddie Cochran. Importantly, not only did this all-encompassing rundown offer a clear…

T he Clear Lake, Iowa, tragedy of February 1959 is too often referenced for The Big Bopper to ever be forgotten. But of the three rockers who perished in the plane crash, next to Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens who in death achieved almost mythical status, his career details are little known. The loss was great all the same. Although six years older than Holly and 11 years the senior of Valens, that still only made him 28. He left behind a wife, Adrianne Joy, and a four-year-old daughter Debra Joy, with the birth of his son (Jiles Perry Richardson Jr. who would later revive his father’s songs) coming just two months later. And even if his back catalogue was the least extensive of the three, with just one substantial…

When entertainment industry bible Variety published its rundown of the Top 10 Elvis movies in 2022, there was little doubt as to what would be No.1. “The other films on this list are enjoyable for a variety of reasons,” they wrote. “But Elvis was never better as an actor than he was in King Creole. And he never made a better movie.” King Creole was Elvis’ fourth film, after Love Me Tender, Loving You and Jailhouse Rock. He made 31 movies in all, but most, it hurts to say, are desperately throwaway affairs, swiftly knocked out exploitation flicks made to an increasingly rigid formula in which its star – and his music – is often the sole saving grace. Sadly, those films are what the public visualises when they think…

★★★★★ EXCELLENT ★★★★ VERY GOOD ★★★ GOOD ★★ PATCHY ★ POOR John Lewis And His Trio HAPPY ENDING ATOMIC COWBOY ★★★★ Welsh rocker John Lewis has been fairly busy on the release front recently – this is the third slab of vinyl to appear on his Atomic Cowboy label so far in 2023. If you’re looking for a blast of positive, bluesy rockin’ then Happy Ending will certainly do the job and its flipside Heartache & Woe is a floor-stomping treat with venomous lyrical content. John Lewis seems to knock fine compositions like these out with ease and this disc, issued on green and black splattered wax and limited to 500 hand-numbered copies, will definitely not hang around for long. The Guy Hamper Trio MAN IN THE MOUTH OF A…

When the Man In Black inked a deal with major label Columbia, it was the beginning of a 30-year relationship that changed the face of American music forever. With Elvis moving on to pastures new and Sam Phillips’ attention swaying towards promoting labelmate Jerry Lee Lewis, Cash felt that he was being overlooked at Sun Records. Cash was keen on exploring the opportunities of long-playing records rather than Sun’s preference for hit-and-run singles. Also key to the decision was a desire to explore his interest in Gospel music on a new label, a genre that Sam Phillips baulked at. And a lowly royalty rate of three per cent at Sun, rather than the standard five, no doubt had an influence, too, on his big money move to Columbia. The star’s…

Summertime Swing 5 August FEATURING The Jive Aces, Steve Lucky & Carmen Getit, Laura B, Noelle Vaughn, The London Belles LOCATION Saint Hill Manor, East Grinstead, West Sussex BOOKING WEBSITE jiveaces.org/summertime-swing Viva Jamaica 16-23 August FEATURING Jittery Jack, Little Rachel, Angela Tini, The Shook Boys LOCATION Hedonism II, Rutland Point, Negril, Jamaica BOOKING WEBSITE vivajamaica.com Great Yarmouth Elvis Festival 8-15 September FEATURING Donna Presley, Linda Gail Lewis, Class of ’58, Geno Washington, Elvis author Alanna Nash LOCATION Vauxhall Holiday Park, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk BOOKING WEBSITE elvisfestivaluk.com Hemsby #67 10-13 November FEATURING Marcel Bontempi & Ira Lee, Ray Gelato And The Giants, The Delta Bombers LOCATION Hemsby Beach Holiday Park, Hemsby, Norfolk BOOKING WEBSITE hemsbyrocknroll.co.uk Wildest Cats In Town Xmas Party 2023 23-27 November FEATURING Travis Le Doyt, Matchbox, Metrotones, Black…

Touring with Carl Perkins and Bo Diddley in 1978 was an incredible experience, we had an absolute ball with them. The shows had been going great guns, we were having fun on the road and at the hotels, and now we had a new album out – Setting The Woods On Fire – which was also getting some interest on the live circuit. Among the highlights on the tour was a brilliant sold-out show at the Lewisham Odeon, where a host of Matchbox’s friends were also in attendance. The show opened with Matchbox followed by Bo Diddley – it went fantastically. Then after the intermission Carl performed with his band, the CP Express, who rocked the rest of the night. The whole evening was a huge success and got some…

01 (2)ALL SHOOK UP ELVIS PRESLEY (HMV) 4 WEEKS ON CHART 02 (1)GAMBLIN’ MAN/ PUTTING ON THE STYLE LONNIE DONEGAN (PYE NIXA) 6 WEEKS ON CHART 03 (5)LITTLE DARLIN’ DIAMONDS (MERCURY) 7 WEEKS ON CHART 04 (4)AROUND THE WORLD RONNIE HILTON (HMV) 8 WEEKS ON CHART 05(8)WE WILL MAKE LOVE RUSS HAMILTON (ORIOLE) 8 WEEKS ON CHART 06 (3)YES TONIGHT, JOSEPHINE JOHNNIE RAY (PHILIPS) 10 WEEKS ON CHART 07 (6)WHEN I FALL IN LOVE NAT ‘KING’ COLE (CAPITOL) 13 WEEKS ON CHART 08 (9)A WHITE SPORT COAT (AND A PINK CARNATION) KING BROTHERS (PARLOPHONE ) 7 WEEKS ON CHART 09 (10)AROUND THE WORLD BING CROSBY (BRUNSWICK) 8 WEEKS ON CHART 10 (12) BUTTERFINGERS TOMMY STEELE AND THE STEELMEN (DECCA) 10 WEEKS ON CHART 1 ALL SHOOK UP ELVIS PRESLEY (HMV)…

The area of immersive audio is huge business at the moment and Giles Martin is at the very cutting edge of it. You might know the technology as Dolby Atmos, surround sound, spatial audio, binaural or 3D audio – it has many names – but we prefer ‘immersive audio’ as it’s designed to place you, the listener, in an intimate virtual space with your favourite artist; to put you in the studio or on stage with them, while they sing or play music around you. With Apple and other huge companies behind it, this surround sound playback system is – after quite a few false starts, it has to be said – the latest big thing, and Martin junior has become the go-to producer for it. He has remixed many…

"The Presley family is just like any other family,” states Elvis’ younger cousin, Donna. “People say it’s different, but truly it’s not. I was four when Elvis started his career, so pretty much my entire life he’s been famous, and when you grow up with it, then it’s just normal to you and you don’t know any different.” Raised about three hours’ drive from Memphis in the small town of East Prairie, Missouri, Donna Presley says her cousin’s rise to becoming the King Of Rock’n’Roll made little impact on her early years when she used her parents’ surname, Pritchett. “I didn’t go around telling people I was related to Elvis, and my friends who knew didn’t make a big deal of it.” There were moments, however, when she realised just…