Ace Rock 'n' Roll 7 Items

After the success of Keb Darge’s 2023 Ace Rockabilly compilation (chd 1637) the legend returns with another collection of music close to his heart.

On “Keb Darge Presents The Best Of Ace Sixties Garage Punk” the smooth-headed maestro pulls open his curtains to reveal a selection of US garage stompers from the 60s. “Though there are a couple of “never before on vinyl” tunes here for serious collectors, this compilation is aimed at those folk who are just getting into it,” states Keb “I have picked a selection of my favourites from the nice cheap and easy to find stuff up to the four figure and bloody hard to find stuff.” Artists like the Hooterville Trolley, the Litter, the Music Machine, the Venturie 5, the Lyrics and the Nightcrawers reflect back light towards British invasion bands like the Who, the Kinks and the Rolling Stones, home-grown garage flowers and the dark end of the psychedelic street. Laced with fuzzed guitar, enthusiasm, a driving beat and an attitude that was proto-punk this music remains fresh and is already being embraced by a new generation.

With liner notes from Keb and housed in a sleeve by Robin Banks −who also did the artwork for Keb’s Rockabilly compilation − this is an essential purchase.

After the success of Keb Darge’s 2023 Ace Rockabilly compilation (chd 1637) the legend returns with another collection of music close to his heart.

On “Keb Darge Presents The Best Of Ace Sixties Garage Punk” the smooth-headed maestro pulls open his curtains to reveal a selection of US garage stompers from the 60s. “Though there are a couple of “never before on vinyl” tunes here for serious collectors, this compilation is aimed at those folk who are just getting into it,” states Keb “I have picked a selection of my favourites from the nice cheap and easy to find stuff up to the four figure and bloody hard to find stuff.” Artists like the Hooterville Trolley, the Litter, the Music Machine, the Venturie 5, the Lyrics and the Nightcrawers reflect back light towards British invasion bands like the Who, the Kinks and the Rolling Stones, home-grown garage flowers and the dark end of the psychedelic street. Laced with fuzzed guitar, enthusiasm, a driving beat and an attitude that was proto-punk this music remains fresh and is already being embraced by a new generation.

With liner notes from Keb and housed in a sleeve by Robin Banks −who also did the artwork for Keb’s Rockabilly compilation − this is an essential purchase.

Legendary international DJ, Keb Darge, fell under the spell of this music when his Japanese girlfriend forced him to go down to a ‘Rockabilly’ night back in 1989. As soon as the DJ dropped the needle on Johnny Burnette’s ‘Rockabilly Boogie’ Keb was mesmerized. He was soon hunting down the hideously rare top tunes and slipping thousands of pounds into specialist collectors like Boz Boorer’s back pocket, when the legendary guitarist was not recording or touring with Morrissey. Of course, Keb was then taking these records and introducing them to new audiences in his DJ sets worldwide.

Although it has taken an age to persuade him, Keb has now applied his perfectionist compiling skills to pick 14 killers to grace this fantastic collection. Ranging from the bopping Glen Glenn’s ‘Blue Jeans and A Boy’s Shirt’ to the almost hillbilly Jimmy Johnson’s ‘All Dressed Up’. This is a must-have compilation not only for those who have been oiling their quiffs for decades, but also those wondering what this “rockabilly” is all about. Keb drops you in at the deep end with no easy-going fillers, and you’ll be glad he did.

Keb has written the sleeve notes and with cover art by the legendary Robin Banks – this album looks as good as it sounds.

Housed in a former grocery store in an industrial backwater, Meteor records lived in the shadow of the Sun label in 1950s Memphis. It was run by Lester Bihari, the mild-mannered brother of Joe, Jules and Lester Bihari, as an outpost of their thriving Modern/RPM label in Los Angeles.Hoping to give Sun a run for its money, Meteor kicked off promisingly in 1952 with the R&B hit ‘I Believe’ by Elmore James recorded in Chicago. Though worthy, subsequent R&B releases proved less successful. However, a second hit, this time in the country field, ‘Daydreamin’ by Bud Deckelman in late 1954, gave Meteor a new lease of life and piqued Lester’s interest in recording rockabilly artists, especially now that newcomer Elvis Presley was breaking through on Sun. Soon they came calling: local honky-tonk bawlers like Bill Bowen and Brad Suggs, out-of-State rockabillies (Junior Thompson, Steve Carl), determined amateurs (Jess Hooper and Wayne McGuiness) and a smattering of Sun renegades (Charlie Feathers and Malcolm Yelvington). Each and every one had something cool to say and laid it down for posterity at Meteor, among the most collectable of post-war labels since few releases were distributed beyond Memphis and the surrounding area.The sign on the awning out front boasted ‘The Supreme Achievement in Recorded Sound’ but in truth the sound was quite the opposite – woolly, dark and mysterious, governed by whoever was closest to the mike in Meteor’s ill-equipped studio housed in a backroom with poor acoustics. Meteor’s studio was made to keep its secrets and herein lay the magic. No-one was ever paid and no-one was invited back for a second session.At some point in summer 1957, Lester Bihari turned off the lights, locked up Meteor’s storefront for the last time and walked away without bothering to take the masters and any documentation, mythologising the label with that last turn of the key. SIDE ONE1.TONGUE-TIED JILL – Charlie Feathers with Jody & Jerry2.RAW DEAL - Junior Thompson with The Meteors3.DON'T SHOOT ME BABY (I'M NOT READY TO DIE) - Bill Bowen with The Rockets4.YAKETY YAK - Mac & Jake with The Esquire Trio5.LATCH ON TO YOUR BABY – Jimmy Lamberth with The Saxons6.CURFEW - Steve Carl with The Jags7.CHARCOAL SUIT - Brad Suggs with The Swingsters8.SLEEPY TIME BLUES – Jess Hooper with The Daydreamers9.GONNA SHUT YOU OFF BABY – Jimmy Haggett with The Daydreamers SIDE TWO1.MAMA'S LITTLE BABY – Junior Thompson with The Meteors2.HAVE MYSELF A BALL – Bill Bowen with The Rockets3.ROCK, ROLL AND RHYTHM – Wayne McGinnis with The Swing Teens4.BOP, BABY, BOP - Brad Suggs with The Swingsters5.18 YEAR OLD BLUES - Steve Carl with The Jags6.GET WITH IT - Charlie Feathers with Jody & Jerry7.ALL MESSED UP – Jess Hooper with The Daydreamers8.BROTHER, THAT'S ALL - "Red" Hadley's Wranglers9.LONESOME RHYTHM BLUES - Wayne McGinnis with The Swing Teens

Joyce Harris was born in Kentucky in 1939 and moved to New Orleans with her family when she was 13 years old. Harris learned to play guitar, write songs and was soon performing duets with her younger sister Judy. They released three singles – ‘He’s The One’ / ‘Hey Pretty Baby’, ‘Washboard Sam’ / ‘Nursery Rock (Beedle De Bop)’ and ‘Hey Little Baby’/ ‘Rock And Roll Kittens’ – as Judy and Joyce in 1958. When her sister got married, Harris spent a year singing in restaurants in Mexico and a first solo single ‘It’s You’ / ‘The Boy In School’ was released on New York’s U.T. Records at the end of 1959. A talent spotter saw her in Mexico and was impressed enough to secure her an audition with the Austin, Texas-based Domino label. Harris was soon in the studio with Tommy Kaspar and Don Burch of Domino’s vocal quartet, the Slades, to record ‘I Cheated’ / ‘Do You Know What It’s Like To Be Lonesome?’ (r-903) in October 1960. ‘No Way Out’ / ‘Dreamer’ (r-905) followed in January 1961 and sold strongly enough to be licensed to Infinity Records. On 7 April 1961, Harris performed ‘No Way Out’ live on TV on American Bandstand. Three more singles would be issued on different labels between 1963 and 1966.