Compared to Bear Family, Rhino did a terrible job overall with its Atlantic Records reissue program. It is really too bad that Bear Family did not get wide licensing access to the Atlantic label.
In an interview she did say she was backed by country session players, but their identities are unknown. This was around the same time as Ray Charles' Modern Sounds and Esther Phillips' crossover success, so it makes sense. Further upping the country ante , Shelby Singleton produced the album. Indeed. The problem is that the word "complete" was not in Rhino's vocabulary until shortly before Warner turned them into a zombie label. In the late 2000s they put together very nice "Complete Atlantic Recordings" sets by Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, The Coasters, and perhaps a few others I'm forgetting. Otherwise it's a sea of best-of comps and uninspired album-repro box sets devoid of bonus tracks or liner notes. It's insane that we still don't have a complete Otis Redding collection. Atlantic's 50's acts have really gotten the short end of the stick. Ruth Brown, The Clovers, Big Joe Turner(!), LaVern Baker, Ivory Joe Hunter, The Drifters, and Bobby Darin could all do with box sets.
That's the exact set I had in mind when I said "uninspired album-repro box sets devoid of bonus tracks or liner notes." There's plenty they could have added: His early recordings with the Pinetoppers, live material, and whatever is still languishing in the vaults. I have and enjoy that set, but it feels like a missed opportunity.
Saw this post on Type On A Sunday site for @Mychael’s company from April 1. Is this all previously released or in process? Anybody know? April Works I recognize some of the stuff but it looks like some may be new.
Hopefully @Mychael will pipe in at some point, but I believe that the Connie Smith box set, The Latest Shade Of Blue, is in process as an up and coming release.
(Slight) update: Connie Smith box OK'ed by Connie & Marty and coming soon, Alabama box scheduled for early December, DC box is on hold (mainly waiting for US import & trade restrictions to lift). Rich-R-Tone still in preparation (picture research and interviews difficult due to lockdown restrictions). Kraut Vol. 4 coming in November. FMP vinyl reissues released and already sold out. On The Dole releases on CD and vinyl also mainly sold out. "United Germany" box set released; English version and update ready to print.
Thanks so much for the update, Mychael. The Connie Smith box set will be an immediate preorder when it becomes available for purchase. I had no clue about the Alabama box set coming. We are talking about the super country vocal group led by lead vocalist Randy Owen here? Wow, they had a long and storied career and at one time set the record for most consecutive number one country singles on the Billboard chart at 21. I love the heritage acts from the 50's, 60's and early 70's that Bear Family usually concentrates their efforts on, but it is nice to see something from a bit later era as well.
Bummer – "The Alabama Box" is another part of BE Sharp's ongoing series of multi-CD box sets (incl. big hardcover books) with vintage garage and rockabilly tracks from oddball and one-off labels.
I'm still amazed at how much material they amassed for it, something like 14 discs if memory serves. I knew the DC area had a fair number of gospel groups, but wasn't aware of the music scene beyond that. Nifty! I assume the Alabama box will be a compilation of small-label 50's/60's rockers put together by Be Sharp Records and not the 70's/80's country behemoth. EDIT: No need to answer!
Wish I had the funds and space for all those boxes. Interesting how most of the states covered aren't generally known as hotbeds for singles-era rock 'n' roll. Texas was an obvious choice, but the rest seem like the compilers threw darts at a map of the US (in a good way). You are correct. Wonder what time span it covers, I'd assume it begins in the mid 40's and goes through maybe the late 50's.
Disc titles in the R&B in DC box: CD 1: 1940-1947 CD 2: 1947-1950 CD 3: 1950-1951 CD 4: 1951-1952 CD 5: 1952-1953 CD 6: 1953 CD 7: 1954 CD 8: 1954-1955 CD 9: 1955-1956 CD 10: 1956-1957 CD 11: 1957 CD 12: 1957-1958 CD 13: 1958-1959 CD 14: 1959 CD 15: 1959-1960 CD 16: 1960
Doesn’t it give you a feeling of satisfaction to find both volumes of a set? Especially when Marty Robbins is rockin’ and rollin’ across two LPs. The first volume is the more wild, energetic and raw rockabilly variety whereas the second volume steers towards the teen ballads side of early rock. Think Johnny Cash going from Hey Porter to Ballad of a Teenage Queen. Robbins is in top form in either style, although the ballads suit his voice a little better even though I find the material itself less exciting overall. I’ve got a fun story about “The Story of My Life.” I was attending a Burt Bacharach concert in Nashville a few years back and he told the audience that Nashville had given him his first ever hit. He asked if anyone knew what it was and after a couple people threw out the wrong guess I yelled out “The Story of My Life!” He turned around and pointed at me saying “You’re right! Stand up!” And that my friends is how I took a bow at a Burt Bacharach concert I did not perform at because I knew his writing and Marty Robbins. People even came up to me after the show and asked how on earth I knew it (they were thrown off by my age). I felt like a rock star for being a music nerd. If only folks like us had more opportunities like that!
When Bear Family put volume numbers on a set like That'll Flat Git It (now up to Volume 34), they knew that many collectors would not rest until they had them all. Me included. If they left off the volume numbers, and simply called the CDs something like "Rockabilly from the Decca Label", they knew that many collectors would just pick and choose, here and there, and probably never get even half of them.
On these 2 albums lots of the songs is released in stereo for the first time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsqI_bFUiIk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUI74Nz0vqY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjX2ZzIImWY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk-E-BsvD7s Buy these albums if you have the chance they are amazing. MARTY ROBBINS: Rockin' Rollin' Robbins, Vol. 3 LP (Germany, toc, sl cw, 3" clea | eBay
The best rockabilly record with Johnny Horton.This is the perfect rockabilly release from Bear Family records. Johnny Horton.(Rockin Rollin.LP. Germany Release.) | eBay Buy it you will be happy the day it arrives in your mailbox.
Recorded music is part of history. As we continue to battle the pandemic on a global level, I sincerely hope that more pre-war recordings will continue to be compiled and released and hopefully as artist-focused collections. One artist we need to discuss is Western Swing legend Jimmie Revard (1909-1981). Revard founded the Oklahoma Playboys around 1935 and in 1936, the group signed a recording contract with Bluebird Records. They released the song 'Oh! Swing It' in October 1936 and became one of the label’s best-selling country acts from 1936 to 1938. Other hits Revard released included 'Holding the Sack' (1936) and 'Tulsa Waltz' (1937). 'Holdin' The Sack' was an enjoyable 78 released on Bluebird in 1937
I just ordered a New copy of Bobby Bare Sings Shel Silverstein Plus on Amazon USA for $211.16 plus tax (pre-order price was $249 earlier in the week).
