VA - Dust My Rhythm & Blues, Flair R&B Story [2013] (2 x CD's) + VA - The RPM Records Story Vol. 01 1950-53 [2014] No More Doggin' (2 x CD's) + VA - The RPM Records Story Vol. 02 1954-1957 [2014] Speak Easy (2 x CD's)

 

FLAIR & RPM STORY

VA - Dust My Rhythm & Blues, Flair R&B Story  [2013] (2 x CD's) + VA - The RPM Records Story Vol. 01 1950-53 [2014] No More Doggin' (2 x CD's) + VA - The RPM Records Story Vol. 02 1954-1957 [2014]  Speak Easy (2 x CD's)

VA - Dust My Rhythm & Blues, Flair R&B Story  [2013]

Music historians/collectors, particularly those devoted to R&B and who are always on the lookout for quality CD compilations of that genre, had to be ecstatic to learn that Ace of London - one of the best contemporary distributors of Golden Oldies had acquired the rights to the material distributed by Modern Records and its subsidiaries RPM, Meteor and the one covered here, Flair, all owned at one time by the Bihari Brothers of Los Angeles (Lester, Joe, Saul and Jules). Modern was launched in 1945. What isn't clear is if Ace also got the rights to the production of the later subsidiaries Crown, United/Superior and Yuletide. The Flair imprint, which is what they cover here, actually got started in 1953 with the intention of releasing only what was then known as Hillbilly Music (now Country) but after 10 singles they switched to pure R&B which remained its focus into 1955 when they ceased operations after 70 more singles.  What you get here, in 2 CDs, are 50 R&B sides which include a mix of released material and alternate takes, much of it reformatted from the original tapes with others enhanced from the best 78-rpm discs available in cases where the original tapes were lost. Ace's usual comprehensive liner notes/discography (here written by Tony Rounce) will fill you in on the necessary details. (Amazon)

VA - The RPM Records Story Vol. 01 1950-53 [2014] No More Doggin' 

In the wake of a favourable critical response to Ace's 2xCD overview of the R&B and blues recordings issued on Modern Records Flair subsidiary, they now turn our attention to another of the company's major labels. RPM Records was Modern's third label, founded after the parent imprint and the short-lived Colonial Records. It was set up to get more airplay of the company s masters from radio programmers who were reluctant to play too many records from the same label, and to achieve more orders from distributors. The artists who were assigned to RPM were as potent as any of those who were appearing on Modern. From the label's very early days these included such R&B titans as B.B. King, Lightnin Hopkins, Howling Wolf and Rosco Gordon, whose huge hit No More Doggin, provides the title for this CD. The 52 tracks that make up this overview of RPM's early years cover 1950-53. A second collection will follow later in the year to tell the rest of the story. More than half are new to CD in these versions. Almost all have been remastered from the original acetates, even if they have been out on Ace CD before. These tracks will never have sounded as good as they do here. Every major name on RPM is featured at least once, plus a bunch of lesser-knowns whose careers did not progress beyond their RPM tenures. A companion volume for all those who bought The Flair R&B Story .

VA - The RPM Records Story Vol. 02 1954-1957 [2014]  Speak Easy

This 2014 collection, the second and final volume in Ace Record's overview of the Modern subsidiary label RPM picks up where the first one, NO MORE DOGGIN', left off in December 1953. It continues through to the label's closure in early 1957 in order to make way for the new Kent subsidiary. As with the first volume, the focus here is on quality blues, R&B and doo wop, with occasional forays into rockabilly and rock 'n' roll representing the repertoire from the end of the label's life. The vast majority of the tracks have been mastered from fresh transfers of the original master tapes. In keeping with both the previous volume and their earlier overview of Modern subsidiary, Flair, Ace have tried to use alternate takes wherever possible, of tracks already available on an Ace CD. Sixteen of the tracks and takes have not been issued before, while almost three dozen of the 54 tracks have never appeared on an Ace CD. All of the label's major artists of this period are represented. (Amazon)

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Track lists

CD1 Dust My Rhythm & Blues, Flair R&B Story

01 Little Johnny Jones & His Chicago Hound Dogs Sweet Little Woman 2:56

02 Elmore James With the Broomdusters Early in the Morning 3:11

03 Flairs She Wants to Rock (Take 2) 2:57

04 Royal Hawk (Roy Hawkins) & His Orchestra I Wonder Why (Why Do Things Happen to Me) (Take 1) 2:49

05 Elmore James With the Broomdusters Can't Stop Lovin 2:55

06 Johnny Ace Midnight Hours Journey 2:39

07 Hunters Down at Hayden's 2:28

08 Big Duke (Henderson) & His Orchestra Hello Baby 2:08

09 Shirley Gunter With Monroe Tucker & His Orchestra Send Him Back (Take 6) 4:22

10 Clarence Bon Ton Garlow Route 90 2:39

11 Elmore James With the Broomdusters Strange Kinda Feeling 2:30

12 Whips Pleadin Heart 2:30

13 Shirley Gunter With Maxwell Davis & His Orchestra Found Some Good Lovin (Take 1, Breakdown & Take 2, Master) 2:47

14 Flairs Gettin High (Take 1) 2:49

15 Big Duke (Henderson) & His Orchestra Baby, Beat it (Take 4) 3:10

16 Rickey & Jennell This Time It's Real 3:10

17 James Reed My Mama Told Me 2:19

18 Big Duke (Henderson) & His Orchestra Beggin and Pleadin (Take 1) 2:10

19 Saunders King & His Orchestra My Close Friend (Take 1) 2:50

20 Baby Pee Wee Parham I've Got the Feeling 2:04

21 Matt Cockrell Baby, Please (Take 4) 2:12

22 Billy Gale & His Orchestra Night Howler 2:45

23 Elmore James With the Broomdusters Sure Nuff I Do 2:32

24 James Reed & His Orchestra You Better Hold Me (Take 1) 2:20

25 Ike Turner & His Orchestra Loosely 2:55

CD2 Dust My Rhythm & Blues, Flair R&B Story

01 Blinky Allen & His Orchestra Chop House (Take1) 2:35

02 Flairs Let's Make With Some Love (Take 2) 2:08

03 Saunders King & His Orchestra Quit Hangin Around Me (Take 1) 2:12

04 Anna Marie & the Stardusters With Blinky Allen & His Orchestra An Angel Cried 3:15

05 Bobby Rey & His Orchestra Blue Mambo 3:09

06 Shirley Gunter & the Queens Oop Shoop (Take 2) 3:00

07 Chimes Love Me, Love Me, Love Me (Take 2) 2:44

08 Walter Robertson Sputterin Blues 2:34

09 Johnny Fuller Hard Times 3:09

10 Richard Berry The Big Break 3:03

11 Elmore James With His Broomdusters Standing at the Crossroads 3:00

12 Richard Berry & the Dreamers Daddy, Daddy (Take 1) 3:00

13 Ike Turner & His Orchestra Cuban Getaway 2:33

14 Carroll County Boys (Pee Wee Crayton) Dizzy (Texas Hop) (Take 1) 3:04

15 Bobby Relf & the Laurels Farewell 2:53

16 Richard Berry Oh! Oh! Get Out of the Car 1:35

17 The Flairs She Loves to Dance 1:50

18 Mercy Dee Stubborn Woman 3:08

19 Richard Berry Next Time (Take 4) 2:55

20 Mercy Dee Oh, Oh, Please 2:42

21 Elmore James With His Broomdusters Dust My Blues 2:55

22 Richard Berry & the Dreamers Together (Take 2) 2:46

23 Shirley Gunter & the Flairs Ipsy Opsie Ooh (Take 1) 2:15

24 Mercy Dee Have You Ever (Been Out in the Country) 2:50

25 Elmore James With His Broomdusters Goodbye 2:23

 

CD1 The RPM Records Story Vol. 01 1950-53

01 Clyde Hurley & His Orchestra, Vocal By Adele Francis Alabamy Bound 2:17

02 Austin McCoy Happy Payday Part 1 3:14

03 Luke Jones & His Orchestra Mama Oh Mama 3:05

04 B.B. King B.B. Boogie 3:20

05 Memphis Eddie Good Time Woman 3:11

06 B.B. King The Other Night Blues 3:44

07 Gene Phillips & His Rhythm Aces Big Fat Mama 2:57

08 Nic Nacs Found Me a Sugar Daddy 2:50

09 Junior Blues Whiskey Head Woman 2:41

10 Mickey Champion Good for Nothin' Man 2:17

11 Rosco Gordon Rosco's Boogie 2:41

12 B.B. King She's Dynamite 2:30

13 Rosco Gordon Saddled the Cow (And Milked the Horse) 2:55

14 Jimmy Nelson & the Peter Rabbit Trio T-99 Blues (Little Bittie Gal's Blues) 2:43

15 Alexander Moore If I Lose You Woman 2:31

16 Willie Nix Try Me One More Time 2:26

17 Jimmy Nelson & the Peter Rabbit Trio Fine Little Honey Dripper 2:43

18 Howling Wolf Riding in the Moonlight 3:03

19 Lightnin' Hopkins Bad Luck and Trouble 2:23

20 Mumbles Black Gal 2:59

21 B.B. King 3 O'clock Blues 3:01

22 Nic Nacs Gonna Have a Merry Xmas 2:57

23 Rosco Gordon Booted 3:11

24 Lightnin' Hopkins Jake Head Boogie 2:39

25 Howling Wolf I Want Your Picture 2:49

26 B.B. King Fine Lookin' Woman 2:16

CD2 The RPM Records Story Vol. 01 1950-53

01 Rosco Gordon No More Doggin' 3:09

02 Lightnin' Hopkins Last Affair 3:00

03 Sunny Blair Glad to Be Back Home 3:05

04 B.B. King Shake it Up and Go 2:35

05 Ike Turner Singing With Ben Burton & His Orchestra Trouble and Heartaches 2:31

06 Jay Franks & His Rockets of Rhythm Stripped Gears 2:57

07 Rosco Gordon New Orleans Wimmen 2:33

08 Bonnie & Ike Turner With Orchestra Accompaniment My Heart Belongs to You 2:52

09 Houston Boines Superintendent Blues 2:47

10 Jimmy Huff She's My Baby 2:33

11 Little Eddie Kirkland It's Time for Lovin' to Be Done 2:57

12 Jimmy Nelson Sweetest Little Girl 2:38

13 Gene Forrest & His Orchestra Aching and Crying 2:41

14 Lightnin' Hopkins Another Fool in Town 2:54

15 Rosco Gordon Just in From Texas 3:08

16 B.B. King Woke Up This Morning 3:01

17 King Perry & His Orchestra Vaccinate Me Baby 2:35

18 Melvin Daniels With the King Curtis Orchestra I'll Be There 3:26

19 Rosco Gordon We're All Loaded (Whiskey Made Me Drunk) 3:11

20 Jimmy Nelson Meet Me With Your Black Dress On 2:52

21 B.B. King Please Love Me 2:52

22 Jimmy Huff Don't You Know 3:04

23 King Perry & His Orchestra, Vocal By Dell St John Welcome Home Baby 2:09

24 Little Caesar Chains of Love Have Disappeared 2:36

25 Frankie Irvin & His Orchestra False Love 3:07

26 Jimmy Nelson Cry Hard Luck 2:29

CD1 The RPM Records Story Vol. 02 1954-1957

01 Meadow Larks Real Pretty Mama 2:31

02 Quinn Kimble Feel My Broom 2:47

03 Connie Mack Booker Love Me Pretty Baby 2:28

04 Earl Curry & His Orchestra One Whole Year Baby 2:59

05 Meadow Larks Pass the Gin 2:35

06 Lover Boy The Way You Used to Treat Me 2:41

07 Lonnie "The Cat" I Ain't Drunk 2:30

08 B.B. "Blues Boy" King & His Orchestra Don't You Want a Man 2:45

09 Preacher Stephens Whoopin' and Hollerin' 2:28

10 Chanters She Wants to Mambo 2:50

11 B.B. "Blues Boy" King & His Orchestra You Upset Me Baby 3:02

12 Buddy Milton & the Twilighters O O Wa 2:13

13 Fox The Dream Pts 1 & 2 5:08

14 B.B. "Blues Boy" King & His Orchestra Every Day I Have the Blues 2:48

15 Johnny "Guitar" Watson & His Orchestra Hot Little Mama 2:44

16 Arthur Lee Maye & the Crowns Truly 2:30

17 Joe Houston (Vocal the Platters) Shtiggy Boom 3:04

18 Jacks Why Don't You Write Me 2:49

19 "Little George" Smith Blues in the Dark 2:58

20 Johnny "Guitar" Watson & His Orchestra Too Tired 2:43

21 Donna Hightower With Maxwell Davis & Orchestra Dog Gone It 3:00

22 Johnny Wright With Ike Turner & Orchestra Suffocate 2:44

23 Donna Hightower With Maxwell Davis & Orchestra Hands Off 2:55

24 Johnny Guitar Watson Those Lonely, Lonely Nights 3:00

25 "Little George" Smith Oopin' Doopin' Doopin' 3:04

26 B.B. "Blues Boy" King & His Orchestra Crying Won't Help You 2:45

CD2 The RPM Records Story Vol. 02 1954-1957

01 B.B. "Blues Boy" King & His Orchestra 16 Tons 4:23

02 Teen Queens Eddie My Love 3:13

03 Johnny "Guitar" Watson & His Orchestra Ruben 2:42

04 George Smith Cross-Eyed Suzzie Lee 2:22

05 B.B. "Blues Boy" King & His Orchestra Did You Ever Love a Woman 2:34

06 Jacks Sugar Baby 2:39

07 Pat Cupp & the Flying Saucers Do Me No Wrong 2:25

08 Little Clydie & the Teens A Casual Look 2:14

09 Teen Queens Billy Boy 2:37

10 Richard Berry Yama Yama Pretty Mama 2:12

11 Eddy Lang I'm All Alone 2:37

12 B.B. "Blues Boy" King & His Orchestra Sweet Little Angel 3:14

13 Johnny "Guitar" Watson She Moves Me 2:53

14 Paul Anka Blau-Wile-Deveest-Fontaine 2:04

15 Pat Cupp & the Flying Saucers Long Gone Daddy 2:32

16 Jewels She's a Flirt 2:07

17 Eddy Lang You Got to Crawl Before You Walk 2:21

18 George Smith Down in New Orleans 2:31

19 The Teen Queens Rock Everybody 2:40

20 Donna Hightower He's My Baby 2:09

21 Maxwell Davis & His Orchestra Cool Diggin' 2:18

22 Jack Lewis Bippin' and Boppin' (Over You) 2:40

23 B.B. "Blues Boy" King & His Orchestra Bim Bam 2:28

24 Prentice Moreland Memories of You 3:00

25 Vido Musso Speak Easy 2:54

26 Darrell Glenn & the Commodores Hello Baby (Glad to Have You Home) 2:01

27 Don Cole Snake Eyed Mama 2:18

28 B.B. "Blues Boy" King & His Orchestra I Wonder 2:47

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