VA - The Golden Age Of American Rock & Roll: Special "Bubbling Under" Edition
Release Date:March 14, 2006
Label: Ace Records
In 1959, Billboard magazine began running a "bubbling under" section under its regular "Hot 100" list of chart singles. Varying in size from 15 to 35 positions, these were 45 rpms that had generated some strong regional action, though not enough widespread popularity to merit a place on the Top Hundred itself. This edition of Ace's Golden Age of American Rock N Roll series is devoted to 30 singles that made the "bubbling under" section between 1959 and 1963, but never did manage to make the regular Hot 100 chart, and are for the most part lost to time and remembered only by specialist record collectors. It's not quite a scoop of two-and-a-half dozen forgotten gems from the period. More often, they're records that are better than the average late-'50s and early-'60s flop single, but aren't as strong as the best stuff (big hits or not) from the era. It's also often quite easy to hear who these performers are imitating, whether it's Ral Donner's "I Got Burned" (Elvis Presley), Eddie Quinteros' "Come Dance with Me" (Ritchie Valens), or the Del Vikings' 1961 single "Bring Back Your Heart" (the Drifters).Yet this collection does offer a survey of sorts of the various styles bouncing around the rock & roll underside in the five years or so prior to the British Invasion — including New Orleans R&B, surf, teen idol, instrumental rock, early soul, and swamp pop — as well as some rarities by notable artists here and there. Aaron Neville's "Over You" is certainly top-notch early-'60s New Orleans R&B; "Louisiana Man," by Rusty & Doug (i.e. Rusty Kershaw and Doug Kershaw), is a Cajun-country classic; and Ronnie Hawkins' cover of "Bo Diddley" is ferocious, with guitar by a young Robbie Robertson. Other hitmakers represented by not-quite-hits are Robert Parker (whose "All Nite Long, Pt. 2" predates his "Barefootin'" by a good seven years), Bobby Bare (whose 1961 single "Book of Love," an obvious attempt to emulate Johnny Burnette's "Dreamin'," predated his rise to country stardom), Freddy Fender (whose "Holy One" was his first English-language recording), and the Earls (whose "Life Is but a Dream" is one of several tracks here from doo wop's final years). Other highlights are the Jesters' "The Wind," a doo wop ballad that's an obvious influence on Motown artists such as the Miracles, and Harmonica Fats' "Tore Up" and Rick Allen's "Cut You A-Loose," both of which are surprisingly raw R&B tunes for 1963. There are also some neat rarities for those who like to connect the dots of the backroads of rock & roll history, including the original version of "Nut Rocker" (by Jack B. Nimble & the Quicks); the Ducanes' 1961 doo wop single "I'm So Happy (Tra La La)," an early Phil Spector production; the Robins' "White Cliffs of Dover," with a lead vocal by Bobby Sheen, later to front Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans; and "Ronnie Is My Lover" by the Delicates, whose Peggy Santiglia would later join the Angels. Rob Finnis' extremely detailed liner notes give a great deal of background information on all of these obscurities.
--Richie Unterberger, AllMusicGuide
Track Listing:
1. Tore Up - Harmonica Fats
2. The White Cliffs Of Dover - The Robins
3. Colinda - Rod Bernard
4. Bo Diddley - Ronnie Hawkins
5. Need Your Love - The Metallics
6. Cut You A-Loose - Ricky Allen
7. Ronnie Is My Lover - The Delicates
8. If The World Don’t End Tomorrow (I’m Comin’ After You) - Doug Warren & The Rays
9. I Got Burned - Ral Donner
10. Seagrams aka Seagreen - The Viceroys
11. Bring Back Your Heart - The Del Vikings
12. A Story Untold - The Emotions
13. Bustin’ Surfboards - The Tornadoes
14. Gee Baby - Joe & Ann
15. Trouble Up The Road - Jackie Brensten
16. How Will It End? - Barry Darvell
17. Come Dance With Me - Eddie Quinteros
18. All Night Long Part 2 - Robert Parker
19. Maybe You’ll Be There - Billy & The Essentials
20. Louisiana Man - Rusty & Doug
21. Book Of Love - Bobby Bare
22. My Type Of Girl - The Memos
23. Holy One - Freddie Fender
24. Over You - Aaron Neville
25. Life Is But A Dream - The Earls
26. Nut Rocker - Jack B Nimble & The Quicks
27. The Wind - The Jesters
28. I’m So Happy (Tra La La) - The Ducanes
29. Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye - Danny White
30. Shim Sham Shuffle - Ricky Lyons
It's a mystery to me why some of these tunes didn't become big hits on The Hot 100 when so much other crap did.
Personal picks: "Gee Baby" - Joe & Ann, "My Type Of Girl" - The Memos and "I’m So Happy (Tra La La)" - The Ducanes, a perfect doo wop song if I've ever heard one.
Enjoy!