VA - The Golden Age of American Rock 'n' Roll Special Bubbling Under Edition [2006]

GOLDEN AGE ROCK & ROLL

VA - The Golden Age of American Rock 'n' Roll Special Bubbling Under Edition [2006]

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.  (AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger)

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Track list

01    Harmonica Fats     Tore Up     2:37
02    Robins     The White Cliffs Of Dover     2:27
03    Rod Bernard     Colinda     2:28
04    Ronnie Hawkins     Bo Diddley     2:52
05    Metallics     Need Your Love     2:34
06    Ricky Allen     Cut You A-Loose     2:46
07    Delicates          Ronnie Is My Lover     2:21
08    Doug Warren & The Rays      If The World Don't End Tomorrow     2:03
09    Ral Donner     I Got Burned     2:16
10    Viceroys     Seagrams Aka Seagreen     2:30
11    Dell Vikings     Bring Back Your Heart     2:59
12    Emotions      A Story Untold     2:16
13    Tornadoes     Bustin' Surfboards     2:27
14    Joe & Ann     Gee Baby     2:50
15    Jackie Brensten     Trouble Up The Road     2:10
16    Barry Darvell     How Will It End?     2:19
17    Eddie Quinteros     Come Dance With Me     1:57
18    Robert Parker     All Nite Long Part 2     2:35
19    Billy & The Essentials     Maybe You'll Be There     1:50
20    Rusty & Doug     Louisiana Man     2:32
21    Bobby Bare     Book Of Love     2:04
22    Memos      My Type Of Girl     2:13
23    Freddy Fender      Holy One     2:48
24    Aaron Neville     Over You     2:16
25    Earls     Life Is But A Dream     1:46
26    Jack B. Nimble & The Quicks     Nut Rocker     1:52
27    Jesters      The Wind     3:20
28    Ducanes     I'm So Happy (Tra La La)     2:38
29    Danny White      Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye     3:07
30    Ricky Lyons     Shim Sham Shuffle     2:14

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