50's EASY LISTENING
VA - Mum & Dad Bought Their Records at Woolies [2018] (2 x CDs)
A great compilation of early Embassy recordings. There are other reissue labels who have attempted an issue of these Embassy recordings since Rex successfully compiled this 2 CD set but to my ear only Rex have achieved a quality transfer. This time capsule takes you to the Woolworths record bins in '50s/'60s England, where the store sold their own cover versions of U.S. hits. Check out these UK spins on The Great Pretender (Sam Browne); Hernando's Hideaway (Benny Lee); The Yellow Rose of Texas (Bob Dale); Rock Around the Clock (Canadians); Little Things Mean a Lot (Rita Williams); If I Give My Heart to You (Beryl Templeman), and more! (Amazon)
On balance, I like most of the tracks on these two CDs, though not all, and if you're the kind of person like me who likes to collect alternative versions of hit songs (and also like me, you're into 1950s pop music!) you would do well to pick this up.
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Track lists
CD1
01 Bob Dale - Wanted 2:39
02 Beryl Templeman - If I Give My Heart To You 2:34
03 Bill Hurley - My Friend 3:09
04 Sam Browne - In The Chapel In The Moonlight 2:39
05 Rita Williams - Little Things Mean A Lot 2:49
06 Bob Dale - The Story Of Tina 2:56
07 Beryl Templeman - Don't Take Me For Granted 2:58
08 Bill Hurley - Tenderly 2:28
09 Rita Williams - Smile 2:52
10 Maple Leaf Four - Dreamboat 2:35
11 Rita Williams - True Love 2:43
12 Benny Lee - Hernando's Hideaway 2:35
13 Pearl Carr - Love Me Or Leave Me 3:03
14 Bob Dale - The Man From Laramie 2:48
15 Rita Williams - Hey There 3:01
16 Sam Browne - The Great Pretender 2:38
17 Doreen Harris - Softly Softly 2:47
18 Canadians - Rock Around The Clock 2:42
19 Bob Dale & Rita Williams - Relax-ay-voo 2:32
20 Bob Dale - The Yellow Rose Of Texas 2:45
21 Beryl Templeman - A Tear Fell 2:45
22 Skyliners - The Happy Wanderer 2:53
23 Pearl Carr - I'll Never Stop Loving You 2:53
24 David Ross - The Garden Of Eden 2:31
25 Bob Dale & Rita Williams - Love And Marriage 2:51
CD2
01 Billy Mcwilliams - My September Love 2:28
02 Eve Lombard - Whatever Will Be Will Be 2:29
03 David Ross - Singing The Blues 2:31
04 Patti Forbes - Mr. Wonderful 3:02
05 Beryl Templeman - Cinco Robles 2:35
06 Bob Dale - Robin Hood 2:39
07 Eve Lombard - The Birds And The Bees 2:17
08 David Ross - Happiness Street 2:24
09 Four-in-a-chord - Wake The Town And Tell The People 2:25
10 David Ross - Diana 2:24
11 Beryl Templeman - We Kiss In A Shadow 2:38
12 Bob Dale - Mary's Boy Child 4:16
13 Julie James - Tammy 2:21
14 David Ross - Last Train To San Fernando 2:13
15 Patti Forbes - Chapel Of The Roses 2:54
16 David Ross - Green Door 2:53
17 Penny Nichols - The Rock And Roll Waltz 2:53
18 Gerry Grant - We Will Make Love 2:24
19 Julie James - With All My Heart 2:44
20 Beryl Templeman - Lay Down Your Arms 2:55
21 Gerry Grant - Man On Fire 2:18
22 Bob Dale - April Love 2:53
23 Eve Lombard - Alone 1:49
24 Billy Mccormack - A Woman In Love 2:50
25 Bob Dale - Happy Days And Lonely Nights 2:31
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Cripes Butterboy, this is indeed a dredging up from the pit . . . I well remember the Embassy label at Woolies - 4 shillings for two hit records by anonymous artists. The genuine article was 6 shillings and 4 pence per 45. There are multiple options to acquire the Embassy material from the 60s, but to my knowledge this is the first from way back in the black and white world of 405 line television. Well done that man! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi Man from Mordor.
DeleteMusic and memories, a great combination.
Cheers.
thank you B.B
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Aussie.
DeleteCheers.
Hi BB - not being familiar with the Embassy/Woolworth story I nonetheless gave a listen and found it enjoyable on its own terms. I've only listened to all of disc 1 so far but hear a problem with Love And Marriage, track 25. There's a small electronic glitch at the 50 second mark which isn't horrible but one 5 seconds later that is much more significant. I downloaded twice but it was still there. Is it there on the source CD? Just wondering if a replacement would be any better. I'll try to give disc 2 a full listen later on and report back to you, Thanks again and again...
ReplyDeleteHi ronzoni.
DeleteThanks for the heads up.
Let me look into it.
Cheers.
I just finished disc 2 and it's fine. It's just the one song that's problematic.
DeleteCheers