Innholdsfortegnelse for April/May 2025 i Vintage Rock

 Can you imagine the sense of dread that Elvis must have felt when he opened his Graceland mail on 20 December 1957 to discover he’d been drafted into the US Army? Would his time away serving in the military see fans slowly desert him and change their allegiances to another rising star in the rock’n’roll firmament? Those fears plagued Presley throughout his two-year army stint and were only partially allayed by Colonel Tom Parker’s drip-feed approach to releasing singles and compilations during his charge’s absence. Arguably, there was a double jeopardy for The King. When he returned to the music business in April 1960, not only was there a chance he’d be seen as yesterday’s news, Elvis was also taking a gamble that his new family-friendly sound would be accepted by…

Dion DiMucci has published a new book, Dion: The Rock ’n’ Roll Philosopher, which offers an intimate glimpse into the star’s remarkable six-decade career in the music industry. Co-written with DiMucci’s close friend, life coach and mentor Adam Jablin, Dion shares his wisdom, humour and insight, as well as reflecting on his rise to fame, battles with addiction, his enduring marriage, plus his friendships with music legends such as Hank Williams and Bob Dylan. With contributions from Eric Clapton, Paul Simon and Steve Van Zandt, the book features over 200 photos. There’s a companion audiobook also available exclusively on Audible which includes 30 songs, a trio of Rock & Roll Hall induction speeches, plus candid chats between Dion and Adam – and more. Hot on the heels of Dion: The…

The family of Roy Orbison has partnered with Compelling Pictures to develop a theatrical feature film and documentary based on the artist’s life and career. “We believe this unique love story between Roy and Barbara will reach the rafters like one of Roy’s notes”COMPELLING PICTURES According to Variety, the project has the working title You Got It and will be helmed by Denis O’Sullivan (Bohemian Rhapsody) and Jeff Kalligheri (I Wanna Dance With Somebody). Roy’s Boys – Alex Orbison, Roy Orbison Jr. and Wesley Orbison – will lead the team of executive producers. The picture will focus on The Big O’s relationship with wife Barbara and will be “a romance more than a traditional biopic.” Compelling Pictures, who produced the recent Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody starring…

“At a dead man’s party!” declares drummer Gary Voodoo gleefully when asked where The Dead Shout made their first live appearance. The band made their debut in spring 2024, playing a memorial concert for a friend, but all three members have impressive resumés. Singer/guitarist Jack The Goober was in psychobilly duo The Bikini Bottoms, Eddie Edwards has previously slapped the bass for Klingonz and Demented Are Go, and crossed paths with Urban Voodoo Machine drummer Gary when they both played together in swinging R&B band Hannah Rickard & The Relatives. The Dead Shout’s first two singles have already shown their range, from the raucous rock’n’roll of Jump Your Bones to the country twang of Drag You Down. “I really like old country and western music like Hank Snow and Gene…

Facing the media at a Graceland press conference on 7 March 1960, two days after he was officially discharged from active duty, Elvis was immediately asked about his future plans. “Well, the first thing I have to do is cut some records,” a weary Presley replied, “and then I have a television show with Frank Sinatra…” Colonel Tom’s objective was to strike while the returning Sergeant was still hot news. Having secured an exclusive deal with ABC for Presley’s first TV appearance in three years, a performance with Ol’ Blue Eyes would no doubt announce that his star was back and shining brighter than ever. Immediately after recording Stuck On You and Fame And Fortune on 21 March, Elvis and his entourage headed for Miami to film The Frank Sinatra…

Jerry Lee Lewis, the other great piano-slayer of the 1950s, may have sometimes been perceived as Little Richard’s rival, but the Killer displayed a lifelong fondness for Penniman’s music by regularly raiding his repertoire in the studio and on stage. In 1963, Lewis had a small British hit with Good Golly Miss Molly (No.31) and included the song alongside Long Tall Sally on his classic 1964 album Live At The Star Club, Hamburg. The same year, Lewis opened his Greatest Live Show On Earth album with Jenny, Jenny, and again sang Long Tall Sally. He introduced the latter as “a pretty groovy little tune put out by one of the greatest rock’n’roll artists in the business, and a great entertainer.” Jerry Lee performed a medley of Little Richard songs on…

Champion Jack Dupree, who moved to Europe in 1959, met Halifax lass Shirley Harrison at a London club in the 60s. They fell for one another and soon moved to Ovenden, where they raised three daughters (two biological, one from a previous relationship of Shirley’s). Dupree cut a striking sight, driving a station wagon emblazoned with the words: “Champion Jack Dupree: Blues Pianist Of New Orleans L.A. U.S.A.” His presence drew the likes of John Lee Hooker and B.B. King, who performed with him before staying over at his council house, where he would cook authentic New Orleans grub. Dupree recalled to Living Blues of jamming with Mick Jagger and claimed to have “worked with The Beatles in the Cavern when they were only getting £15 a night”. In addition…

In 2006, Jerry Lee Lewis released Last Man Standing, a CD of duets with artists including B.B. King, George Jones, Mick Jagger and Willie Nelson. It soon became his best-selling album. But although Lewis had outlived Sun Records cohorts Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins, the title was a red herring because other original rock and rollers such as Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard, The Everly Brothers and Bo Diddley were still with us. Sadly, by the time of Lewis’ passing in 2022, the reference was more apt. But Lewis was 87, not bad for a man who in 1981 had been hospitalised with a ruptured stomach and collapsed lung, and for some time after looked so gaunt and sickly few believed he’d make it to…

The Killer is sometimes referred to as one of the Southern rockabillies, but from a purist angle his records aren’t straight rockabilly. Making his piano the lead instrument and lacking a prominent string bass immediately gave him a different sound. His boogie-rooted playing gave him a different rhythm. An inspiration for Lewis’ piano-pounding approach was said to be Moon Mullican, the so-called ‘King Of The Hillbilly Piano Players’, whose rollicking barrelhouse boogie and Cajun flavourings had clear links with the music of Black juke joints. Yet Lewis’ vocals had a rockabilly intensity, especially given Sun’s echo. Who can deny tracks like Wild One (Real Wild Child) aren’t rockabilly in spirit? Jerry Lee’s tracks had the spontaneous feel of rockabilly, even if more work went into them than is often assumed. Making…

Chuck Berry might have been delighted to have received a $10,000 first royalty cheque for Maybellene, but he was haunted by the song’s financial complications for decades. As was sadly common practice in 1955, he signed away some of his writing credit in exchange for much-needed radio play – also known as ‘payola’. In this case, he was encouraged to attribute one third of Maybellene’s composition to DJ Alan Freed. Another third went to Russ Fratto, reportedly an associate of Leonard Chess. In his autobiography, Chuck admitted that he “wasn’t about to question the trends of the trade” – especially when it was paying him so well – but also said he suspected that something was up. When the song shifted more than a million copies, his fortunes increased in…

“Why Do Fools Fall In Love is a rare example of a song sung by a juvenile that rises above novelty value to become a sublime piece of pop. Frankie Lymon’s vocal glides and soars with the beauty of a songbird in full flow.” Some argue that Why Do Fools Fall In Love is the greatest of all doo-wop songs. It’s a bold claim in the light of the competition. No sub-genre of pop or rock music has yielded so many unforgettable one-off classics as doo-wop, countless songs that are instantly recognisable even if you can’t name who sang them. What is true is that Why Do Fools Fall In Love is a rare example of a song sung by a juvenile that rises above novelty value to become a sublime…

One of the best Larry Williams compilations around is Ace Records’ 24-track collection Bad Boy Of Rock ’n’Roll, released in 1999. What makes this unique is that it uses the Specialty single masters held in the UK Decca archives. For rock’n’roll completists, it is worth noting the fruitful inclusion of previously unissued and lesser-known tracks. These include Let Me Tell You Baby, Little School Girl, the New Orleans-infused Took A Trip, Oh Baby and Jelly Belly Nellie. There is also 1957’s Marie Marie – not to be confused with the same-named Blasters number that was a 1980 hit for Shakin’ Stevens. It also features, of course, all the storming favourites: Short Fat Fanny, Bony Moronie, Dizzy Miss Lizzy, Slow Down, She Said, “Yeah” and Bad Boy. Liner notes by Stuart…

You may not know the name of Evan Hunter, but you might know him by his pen name of Ed McBain. Under this moniker, he created the 87th Precinct series of police procedural novels, the first being Cop Hater, published in 1956, with the last of the books, Fiddlers, coming out in 2005. “He’s the guy who defined the police-procedural novel,” writer Otto Penzler told the L.A. Times in 2005. “He didn’t quite invent it, but he certainly made it popular. As anybody who watches television can tell you, NYPD Blue and Hill Street Blues are absolute rip-offs of the 87th Precinct series – or heavily influenced, if you want to be polite.” Outside of prose writing, Hunter also penned the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock’s adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s…

Join our vibrant community of music lovers at Vintage Rock and each issue you’ll have access to exclusive artist interviews, in-depth features and must-read reviews. Plus, sign up now and you can save 50% off the price of your subscription. WHY SUBSCRIBE TO VINTAGE ROCK? * You get our brilliant magazine, worth £7.99, delivered to your door every other month for half the price * You’ll receive an exclusive discount to use in our online shop – stock up on past issues to complete your collection, or dive into our special editions focusing on your favourite artists * You can cancel your subscription easily and for free any time if it doesn’t suit you How can you resist? I hope to welcome you as a subscriber soon. Steve Harnell, Senior…

EXCELLENT VERY GOOD GOOD PATCHY POOR Lily Moe’s Rock’n Roll Show DEVIL ON MY SHOULDER SLEAZY Swiss singer Lily Moe steps back from her usual swinging R&B sound for another trip into darker territory with her Rock’n Roll Show project. She has visited this rawer, more rockabilly-influenced sound before on her 2019 single Woman but her cover of Tommy Hammond’s Devil On My Shoulder moves things on even further with its frantic beat and a recording style that captures what feels like a one-take live performance. My Baby Is Gone is more sedate, with a touch of early country about it, but is further proof that Lily Moe can turn her vocal talent to a variety of styles. Gary Hiland Trio RUNNING AROUND GOOFIN’ Gary Hiland is another veteran of…

EXCELLENT VERY GOOD GOOD PATCHY POOR Candi Staton BACK TO MY ROOTS BERACAH RECORDS / NEW DAY DISTRIBUTION When she performed at Glastonbury in 2023, Candi Staton treated an audience of children, parents and grandparents to a riotous rendition of Suspicious Minds, proving the song’s longevity as well as her own. The Alabama-born gospel and disco icon was 83 at the time and, upon rocking the tune, joked: “I’m getting too old for this!” Though no one agreed, the show was part of her farewell tour, with which she vowed to hang up her sequinned boots after a lifetime of service. Now the star has released her 32nd (yes, you read that correctly) album, which she has billed as her final record. While that’s a bittersweet pill to swallow, this…

“These are songs that are staples in my life. They have helped me build who I am,” says Dylan Kirk. His 2021 debut album, Introducing Dylan Kirk And The Killers forced the rockin’ world to sit up and take notice of this precocious performer who could shake, rattle and roll the piano, summoning the spirit of the great Jerry Lee Lewis. Alongside his fluency in rock’n’roll, Kirk is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, and a musician of diverse tastes, having covered the Guana Batz on the stage and on record. That influence came from what Kirk calls his “psychobilly phase” as a teenager. “But I’ve gone back to the roots again and gotten more into the rhythm and blues side,” he continues. “I’m just mixing and matching everything at the moment…

Brian Setzer, frontman and guitarist of Stray Cats, has announced that he has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that prevents him from playing guitar. The rockabilly legend made the news public via social media on 13 February saying: “Towards the end of the last Stray Cats tour I noticed that my hands were cramping up. I’ve since discovered that I have an autoimmune disease. I cannot play guitar. “There is no pain, but it feels like I am wearing a pair of gloves when I try to play. I have seen some progress in that I can hold a pen and tie my shoes. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I was at a point where I couldn’t even do that.” Stray Cats, completed by bassist Lee Rocker and…

With his black hair, shades and leather biker jacket, Link Wray’s iconic look perfectly reflected the dark, uncompromising attitude of his guitar playing. Now, Jon Brewer and Cardinal Releasing tell his story on screen in The Rock Prophet: The Story Of Link Wray. “Once we started research, we were seduced and completely absorbed in the story”JON BREWER The UK-based production team behind the music documentaries Chuck Berry: The Original King Of Rock’n’Roll, B.B. King: On The Road and Nat King Cole: Afraid Of The Dark explores the life of the Native American musician who was among the first pioneers in popularising two key ingredients to rock music – power chords and distortion. While shining a spotlight on his hugely influential music, the feature-length documentary also highlights Wray’s fight to claim…

A new biography that explores the controversial life of Joe Meek promises to offer a fresh and comprehensive reevaluation of the maverick producer as well as presenting a more human portrait of the man behind the music. Love And Fury: The Extraordinary Life, Death and Legacy Of Joe Meek by the late Darryl Bullock features interviews with music figures including collaborator Ed Hamilton, Meek’s family and analysis of previously unheard recordings from the producer’s fabled tea chest tapes. The award-winning author Bullock, who died last December, was celebrated as one of the world’s greatest authorities on the relationship between music and the LGBTQI+ community. Bullock’s The Velvet Mafia: The Gay Men Who Ran The Swinging 60s won the coveted Penderyn Music Book Prize in 2022. With renewed media attention on…

BEDLAM BREAKOUT 14-16 March FEATURING Batmobile, Long Tall Texans, The Brains, Demented Are Go LOCATION Roadmender, Northampton BOOKING WEBSITE bedlambreakout.com VIVA LAS VEGAS 24-27 April FEATURING Imelda May with Darrel Higham, Kid James, Jane Rose & The Deadends, Flatbroke Trio LOCATION The Orleans Hotel, Las Vegas BOOKING WEBSITE vivalasvegas.net BILLY FURY WEEKENDER 4-6 July FEATURING Colin Paul & The Persuaders, Danny Reno, The Bobcats LOCATION The Liner Hotel, Liverpool BOOKING WEBSITE yesterdayoncemore.co.uk SHAKEDOWN ROCK’N’ROLL WEEKENDER 19-21 July FEATURING Toto And The Raw Deals, The Bluecats, The Neutronz LOCATION Tumpy Green Lane, Cam, Dursley BOOKING WEBSITE shakedownrocknrollweekender.com ELVIS FESTIVAL 5-12 Septembe FEATURING Cody Lee & The Boogie Boys, Paul Ansell’s Number 9, The Jive Aces LOCATION Vauxhall Holiday Park Great Yarmouth, Norfolk BOOKING WEBSITE elvisfestivaluk.com…

West Germany to join the 1st Medium Tank Battalion in 1958, he had no way of knowing how two years away would impact his life. What kind of man would he become? How much would the music scene evolve in his absence? Would he even have a place in the entertainment industry at all? To celebrate the 65th anniversary of his aptly named LP Elvis Is Back!, Vintage Rock explores how the star addressed these pressing questions and went on to navigate a critical crossroads in his career. We examine how the once-radical rebel returned home from the military as a rebranded all-American hero and delivered a triumphant, yet more refined, album that embraced his influences – both old and new. Before entering the army, Elvis was considered public enemy…

Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On The song that set the tone for a career. Others recorded it, but Lewis’ 1957 Sun waxing transformed the song into a lascivious rocker without clear precedent, although the saucy “wiggle it around” spoken part was said to be lifted from a Natchez singer’s performance. It’s not a boogie or R&B, nor is it rockabilly or rock’n’roll by any straight reading, in the same way Lewis defied pigeonholing. The Crawdad Song The depth of Lewis’ greatness became fully apparent when Shelby Singleton bought the Sun catalogue in 1969 and began releasing unheard material in a somewhat haphazard fashion. This overlooked gem was first heard on Ole Tyme Country Music in 1970. Here’s Lewis, J.M. Van Eaton and Roland Janes whooping it up at the end…

Back in August 1955, Charles Edward Anderson Berry, a 28-year-old aspiring hairdresser who worked for his father’s construction company, heard a song playing from a radio in a tailor’s shop. It was the sound of something brand new, with a crunching guitar riff and gleefully made up words (“As I was motivatin’ over the hill / I saw Maybellene in a Coupé de Ville”) thrown together in a style that was neither country nor R&B – yet somehow both. The song gleamed with promise, filling the airwaves like the revved engine of a Cadillac adorned with tailfins and bullet taillights. Chuck Berry had, of course, heard his own song, Maybellene, his spectacular debut single on Chess Records. The man who would come to be known as the Poet Laureate Of…

It wasn’t long before the seismic shock caused by Elvis Presley reached the UK’s shores, setting events in motion which would ultimately result in the birth of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and the British invasion. But before the Fab Four lit up The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, UK rockers enjoyed a booming period of their own. Homegrown talents such as Lonnie Donegan, Billy Fury and Marty Wilde produced first-rate music, and legendary institutions such as Soho’s 2i’s Coffee Bar and the television programme Oh Boy! played home to some of the finest sounds around. Below are 20 of the greatest cuts to have come out of Britain’s rock’n’roll era. 20 Joe Brown And The Bruvvers A Picture Of You 1962 (Piccadilly) First spotted by TV producer Jack Good, who gave him…

“While the film has a good many faults (the acting at times is a bit shaky and the conclusion is rather unbelievable), it nevertheless confronts its subject matter head on, and in the circumstances it is an unsettling piece of work.” JOHN MCCARTEN, THE NEW YORKER “Contrived situations and some rather thin characterisation reduce the impact and effectiveness of Blackboard Jungle, both as an exposé of a current American educational problem and a plea for more strenuous efforts by teachers at similar institutions. Characters such as the flirtatious woman teacher and the pregnant wife are fictitious trimmings which only emphasise the artificiality in the handling of the main theme.” MONTHLY FILM BULLETIN “As a straight melodrama of juvenile violence this is a vivid and hair-raising film. Except for some incidental…

EXCELLENT VERY GOOD GOOD PATCHY POOR The Three ‘N’ Eights LEOPARD PRINT HEARTS SELF RELEASED Rockabilly and ska have been blended many times before and a little backbeat is often present alongside the bop. Scottish seven-piece The Three ‘N’ Eights even welcome the odd touch of folk music into their sound along with whatever else they see fit to keep the dancefloor shaking. Leopard Print Hearts is their debut long-player and consists of 14 tracks recorded between 2018-24. Released in a fetching shade of transparent yellow vinyl with a black splatter effect, this entertaining album captures the spirit of a group that are the support band of choice for many rockin’ acts visiting Glasgow. Ricky Nelson RICKY NELSON WAXTIME Having graduated from a debut album simply named Ricky, this teen…

A new Elvis Presley film featuring unseen concert footage has been announced by director Baz Luhrmann. Sharing the first look teaser on social media, the director of 2022’s Elvis biopic starring Austin Butler wrote: “I’m really thrilled that I am finally able to announce that we have all been working hard and collaborating on unearthing and showcasing a treasure trove of unseen footage, sound and other materials to create something special for the big (and small) screen.” Earlier, outside Elvis’ Graceland home, the filmmaker had confirmed rumours saying: “It’s true, I can’t even begin to tell you what we had found… Our sleeves are rolled up, we’re working hard, and we want to make something absolutely unprecedented and special with this material. So, it’s time, as we like to say,…

A new coffee table hardback book of unseen Elvis photos takes fans right to the heart of the action on his 1974 tour. Elvis Presley: Destination Louisville June 26th, 1974 features more than 100 unpublished photos taken by Ramonda Brady from the front row of a show by The King at the 20,000-capacity Freedom Hall in Kentucky’s Fair & Exposition Center. The 92-page book includes shots of Elvis arriving at the venue, performing onstage in his peacock jumpsuit as well as post-show. Brady recalls the concert in detail in the book and there are further reminiscences by Presley’s bass player Duke Bardwell, who had recently replaced Emory Gordy for live shows in 1974. Extracts from interviews with band members Ronnie Tutt and Charlie Hodge as well as contemporaneous newspaper clippings…

Born and raised in Coventry, Alan O’Donnell was pushed into a role as vocalist and bass player with The Spitfires at only 15. He gigged for seven years and ‘depped’ with a variety of other bands along the way, then a meeting with Midlands guitar ace Zac Zdravkovic led to the short-lived rockabilly trio Slickville, followed by a successful period with The Inteli-Gents. His long-gestating Al Michaels project has finally reached fruition and, following the recent release of his debut single This Boy Ain’t So Bad on Brisk Records, his first scheduled live appearance will be at the 26th Rockabilly Rave. It has been a long time coming, but O’Donnell’s unique blend of melodic rockabilly and contemporary lyrics is bound to attract attention. What were your earliest tastes in music? I…

It could be a question in a devilishly challenging music quiz: What was the first song John Lennon learned to play? Stab-in-the-dark guesses might be That’ll Be The Day, Summertime Blues, Heartbreak Hotel or Johnny B. Goode, but all would be wrong. “Ain’t That A Shame was the first rock’n’roll song I ever learned,” the late Beatle once revealed according to beatlesbible.com. “My mother taught it to me on the banjo before I learned the guitar. Nobody else knows these reasons except me.” Lennon would go on to perform Fats Domino’s mid-50s favourite on his 1975 Rock’n’Roll album, an indicator, then, of how important the number was to him. Of course, it wasn’t the first cover of the song – it had been taken to the top of the US…

10 APRIL 1958 01 (1) MAGIC MOMENTS PERRY COMO (RCA) 9 WEEKS ON CHART 02 (5) WHOLE LOTTA WOMAN MARVIN RAINWATER (MGM) 5 WEEKS ON CHART 03 (4) NAIROBI TOMMY STEELE (DECCA) 5 WEEKS ON CHART 04 (2) DON’T ELVIS PRESLEY (HMV) 6 WEEKS ON CHART 05 (9) MAYBE BABY CRICKETS (CORAL) 4 WEEKS ON CHART 06 (3) THE STORY OF MY LIFE MICHAEL HOLLIDAY (COLUMBIA) 12 WEEKS ON CHART 07 (8) LA DEE DAH JACKIE DENNIS (DECCA) 4 WEEKS ON CHART 08 (7) AT THE HOP DANNY AND THE JUNIORS (HMV) 12 WEEKS ON CHART 09 (18) MANDY (LA PANSE) EDDIE CALVERT (COLUMBIA) 9 WEEKS ON CHART 10 (21) SWINGIN’ SHEPHERD BLUES TED HEATH AND HIS MUSIC (DECCA) 4 WEEKS ON CHART 01 MAGIC MOMENTS PERRY COMO (RCA) With his smooth baritone and easy listening style, coupled with…

Far beyond rock’n’roll’s golden era, Larry Williams’ songs have been widely covered. Especially big with the British Invasion bands, one of his homegrown super-fans was John Lennon. Presumably the famous Liverpudlian identified with the New Orleans native’s cheeky lyrics and breezy sense of rebellion. The frenetic, proto-punk blast of Slow Down (1957) became the flip to The Beatles’ Matchbox single in 1964. It has also been covered by an eclectic mix of acts including Alvin Lee, Brian May, The Jam, Johnny Hallyday, The Young Rascals, and in concert by prog rockers Rush. 1959’s Bad Boy – Williams’ ode to youthful misdemeanours – found a natural outlet with Lennon, turning up on the US-release album, Beatles VI. As did Dizzy Miss Lizzy, which was also honoured as the finale of the…