Essential Rockabilly - The Imperial Story - various artists

 

1-1 Bob Luman– Red Hot

1-2 The Strikes – Rockin'

1-3 Dennis Herrold– Hip Hip Baby

1-4 Dorsey & Johnny Burnette*– Warm Love

1-5 Laura Lee Perkins– Kiss Me Baby

1-6 Ricky Nelson – Stood Up

1-7 Johnny Garner– Didi Didi

1-8 Lew Williams– Bop Bop Ba Doo Bop

1-9 Gene Henslee– Rockin' Baby

1-10 Bob Luman– Red Cadillac & A Black Moustache

1-11 Merle Kilgore– Everybody Needs A Little Lovin'

1-12 Lew Williams– Centipede

1-13 The Strikes – If You Can't Rock Me

1-14 Ricky Nelson – Boppin' The Blues

1-15 Laura Lee Perkins– Oh La Baby

1-16 Ronnie Smith – Long Time No Love

1-17 Slick Slavin– Speed Crazy

1-18 Billy Eldridge– Let's Go Baby

1-19 Bob Luman– Your Love

1-20 Lew Williams– Gone Ape Man

2-1 Dennis Herrold– Make With The Lovin'

2-2 Lew Williams– Cat Talk

2-3 The Strikes – I Don't Want To Cry Over You

2-4 Weldon Rogers– So Long, Good Luck & Goodbye

2-5 Bob Luman– Make Up Your Mind

2-6 Laura Lee Perkins– I Just Don’t Like This Kind Of Livin'

2-7 Jay Blue– Get Off My Back

2-8 Jimmy Craig – Oh Little Girl

2-9 Dorsey & Johnny Burnette*– My Honey

2-10 Johnny Garner– Kiss Me Sweet

2-11 Lew Williams– Abracadabra

2-12 Merle Kilgore– Ernie

2-13 Ricky Nelson – My Bucket's Got A Hole In It

2-14 Bob Luman– All Night Long

2-15 Jackie Walker– Only Teenagers Allowed

2-16 The Strikes – Baby I'm Sorry

2-17 Laura Lee Perkins– Don’t Wait Up

2-18 Gene Henslee– Dig'n And Datin'

2-19 Lew Williams– Something I Said

2-20 Bill Allen – Please Give Me Something

The Imperial Story - one

The Imperial Story - two

The Champs – The Early Singles 30 Great 'A' & 'B' sides

 

The Champs are an American rock band, most famous for their Latin-tinged surf instrumental "Tequila". The group took their name from that of Gene Autry's horse, Champion, and was formed by studio executives at Autry's Challenge Records to record a B-side for the Dave Burgess single, "Train to Nowhere". The intended throwaway track became more famous than its A-side, as "Tequila" went to No. 1 in just three weeks, and the band became the first group to go to the top spot with an instrumental that was their first release. The song was recorded at Gold Star Studios in fall 1957, and in 1959 won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.

"Tequila" was written by the saxophonist Danny Flores, although he was credited as Chuck Rio because he was under contract to another record label (RPM Records) at the time. Flores, who died in September 2006, was known as the "Godfather of Latino rock". Flores' "dirty sax" and his low-voiced "Tequila" are the hallmarks of the song. Flores signed away the US rights to the song but retained worldwide rights until his death.

There are many cover versions of the tune, including a jazz version by guitarist Wes Montgomery in 1966. It has also been recorded by rappers A.L.T. and XL Singleton. The Champs also had success with instrumentals such as "Limbo Rock" and "El Rancho Rock". In 1985, "Tequila" featured prominently in the film Pee Wee's Big Adventure. The Champs also recorded a sequel to "Tequila" entitled "Too Much Tequila".

1 Tequila

2 Train To Nowhere

3 El Rancho Rock

4 Midnighter

5 Chariot Rock

6 Subway

7 Turnpike

8 Rockin' Mary

9 Gone Train

10 Beatnik

11 Caramba

12 Moonlight Bay

13 Night Train

14 The Rattler

15 Sky High

16 Double Eagle Rock

17 Too Much Tequila

18 20.000 Leagues

19 Red Eye

20 The Little Matador

21 Alley Cat

22 Coconut Drive

23 Tough Train

24 The Face

25 Honkey Pokey

26 Jumping Bean

27 Sombrero

28 The Shoddy Shoddy

29 Cantina

30 Panic Button

The Champs – The Early Singles

Ooh-Wee Baby! : The Best Of Frankie Ford

 

Frankie Ford (August 4, 1939 – September 28, 2015) was an American rock and roll and rhythm and blues singer, best known for his 1959 hit "Sea Cruise".

He was born in Gretna, Louisiana, as Vincent Francis Guzzo, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. He learned to sing and dance at an early age, and when at high school joined a group, the Syncopators, as singer and pianist. He was spotted by manager Joe Caronna, who took him to Johnny Vincent of Ace Records. Taking the stage name Frankie Ford, he made his first recordings for Ace in 1958. He toured locally in Louisiana, before recording a vocal overdub on the song "Sea Cruise", a song written and originally recorded by Huey "Piano" Smith with his group The Clowns, and featuring overdubbed bells and ships' horns. As Smith already had a record in the charts, and was away touring, the record label decided to release Ford's version, and it rose to #14 on the US pop chart and #11 on the R&B chart, selling over one million copies, and gaining gold disc status.

Ford was drafted in 1962, and performed for troops in Japan, Vietnam and Korea. He later recorded occasionally for small labels, but mainly performed in clubs in and around New Orleans. He appeared in the 1978 movie American Hot Wax, and toured in Britain and Europe, recording the album New Orleans Dynamo in London in 1989. He continued to record and perform through the 1990s. On May 16, 2010, at the Louisiana Music Homecoming in Erwinville, Ford was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

1 Sea Cruise (Take 1)

2 Cheatin' Woman

3 Last One To Cry

4 Sea Cruise (Take 13)

5 Roberta

6 Can't Tell My Heart What To Do

7 Alimony

8 Time After Time

9 I Want To Be Your Man

10 Chinatown (Take 5)

11 What's Getting On

12 Morgus The Magnificent (Morgus And The Three Ghouls)

13 Lonely Boy (Frankie And Mac)

14 Ocean Full Of Tears

15 Hour Of Need

16 Blow Wind Blow

17 It Must Be Jelly

18 Your Game Is Over

19 St. Louis Blues

20 Geronimo

21 I'm Worried Over You

22 Watch Dog

23 Can't Tell My Heart What To Do (Undubbed Take)

24 Time After Time (Undubbed Take)

25 Hour Of Need (Undubbed Take)

26 Danny Boy

27 Pretending You're Mine (Take 3)

Ooh-Wee Baby!

The Chess Rockabilly Story - various artists

 

1-1    Dale Hawkins–    My Babe
1-2    Eddie Fontaine–    Nothin' Shakin', But The Leaves On The Trees
1-3    Billy Barrix–    Cool Off Baby
1-4    Jackie Cannon–    Proof Of Your Love
1-5    Bobby Sisco–    Go, Go, Go
1-6    Lou Josie–    Breezin' Out
1-7    Bobby Dean –    Just Go Wild Over Rock And Roll
1-8    Larry Diamond–    True Love Come My Way
1-9    Dale Hawkins–    Little Pig
1-10    Dick Glasser–    Crazy Love
1-11    Mel Robbins–    Save It
1-12    Ray Stanley –    I Can't Wait
1-13    Rusty York–    Sugaree
1-14    Johnny Fuller–    All Night Long
1-15    Dale Hawkins–    Take My Heart
1-16    Baker Knight–    Hungry For Love

2-1    Billy Barrix–    Almost
2-2    Bobby Sisco–    Tall Dark And Handsome Man
2-3    Dale Hawkins–    Don't Treat Me This Way
2-4    Billy Miranda –    Run Rose
2-5    Jimmy Lee & Wayne Walker–    Love Me
2-6    Eddie Fontaine–    Don't Ya Know
2-7    Jackie Cannon–    Chill Bumps
2-8    The Brothers–    Lazy Susan
2-9    Dale Hawkins–    Baby, Baby
2-10    The Silva-Tones–    Roses Are Blooming
2-11    Del Saint & The Devils–    Rock Yea
2-12    Gene Simmons –    Bad Boy Willie
2-13    Lou Josie–    Why Did You Leave Me
2-14    Dale Hawkins–    Hot Dog
2-15    Rod Bernard–    Pardon Mr. Gordon
2-16    Jet Tones–    Jet Tone Boogie

 The Chess Rockabilly Story