Rock 'n' Roll 336 Items

Born in early 1966 as a garage band playing heavy covers by the Rolling Stones, the Byrds, the Who, and the Animals, the Fringe conquered Toronto’s coolest hippie clubs in 1967 with their underground psych vibe. In 1968 they scored a national hit and blasted across Western Canada with their psychedelic light show and transcendent songs like “Token for My Mind,” “Plastic People,” and “Executive Dream,” culminating in a spotlight appearance on CBC TV’s Let’s Go! teen show and at a Love-In festival. Now for the first time on vinyl – all 11 of their 1967-68 trippy songs in glorious mono, including everything on their mega-rare promo EP. Sourced from the original analog tapes. 500 copies, in deluxe gatefold jacket. Includes 12-page booklet insert with interviews, lyrics, unseen photos, charts, clippings and more.

Julissa, the Woman Who Was Censored in Mexican Rock! Rock and Roll in Mexico had an impact practically all over the world, yet it was never free from censorship. Several songs made it to the radio, and among them was the track "Ven Cerca," performed by Los Spitfires and their singer Julissa. Julissa entered the entertainment industry at a very young age, as she was only 13 years old when she started singing with The Spitfires, a rock and roll group formed by her brother Luis on bass, Juan Ramón Sordo on drums, José Luis de la Huerta, and Manuel González Galindo, better known as Johnny Dynamo, on guitars. Los Spitfires, a band originating from Mexico City and formed in 1960, were one of five winning groups in a contest organized by CBS Columbia and the Radio Éxitos station, held in November of that same year. Los Escupefuego were the runners-up, as first place went to Los Hooligans, who, in addition to recording an album, would also appear in a movie. The other groups that won the opportunity to record an album with CBS were: Los Loud Jets, Los Blue Caps, and Los Sparks. Los Spitfires only recorded two tracks: "Loco Amor" and "Ven Cerca," Spanish versions of Paul Anka's "Crazy Love" and Johnny Restivo's "Come Closer." Although these songs are not widely known, except among true fans, they serve as a reference to the early rock being made in Mexico during that time. At the time, all rock musicians were copying foreign hits, including the musical arrangements, and simply translating the lyrics into Spanish. For Julissa, this task wasn't difficult, as she was fluent in English. "Ven Cerca" ("Come Closer") with its highly suggestive lyrics, was the first song she recorded with her group. She translated the lyrics exactly as Johnny Restivo sang them in English. It began like this: "Come closer, just a little bit closer, because I want to hug and kiss you, come closer." Julissa sang it with whispers and sighs, and with the microphone so open, all her breaths and gasps sounded like genuine moans. Very soon, the record was pulled from the market. Interestingly, she had no idea what those suggestive expressions implied, as she was almost still a child. That record 45s it is very difficult to find and is a rare piece sought after by collectors from around the world!

Superb 45 featuring two Hammond-led instrumentals. The A-side is taken from The Guy HamperTrio's second long player due out on Hangman Records. The B-side is exclusive to this release. 'Man in the Mouth of a Cave' - I have painted St. Cuthbert's Cave, Northumberland on many occasions and decided that it was imperative that I write a great jazz /beat theme all about it. (Important info: After Viking raids monks from Lindisfarne wandered the north-east carrying the body of St. Cuthbert. Legend has it that they took refuge in 'St. Cuthbert's Cave.') I wrote the song with my friend Jamie Taylor in mind to have his way with it, which he does to thunderous applause - I should imagine. '107 Sleepless' is a tune I wrote in the early 1980s when me and Mick Hampshire would stay up the entire weekend writing songs for our group The Milkshakes. (We lived at 107 Rochester Street, Chatham.) About 3am Sunday morning we would be flagging and sitting there senseless. I would play this jazz riff over and over for some unknown reason. Meanwhile it should make a nice theme tune to some yet to be written HBO series and make me a millionaire - I should imagine. GUY Hamper - April 2023

A few years back someone released a 10″ boxset comprising of a box, badge, poster and a 10″ lathe cut EP with just 6 tracks taken from the set played at Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium (Aug 26th 1990).

You didn’t get much in the way of music for your hard earned €’s, £’s or $’s….And it was claimed that there were only 10 (?) set’s made.

What you get here is basically the full gig with a great sound pressed on 200 grm coloured vinyl and housed in a high quality, heavy guage sleeve with a beautiful glossy finish. No hand numbering, you can put your own number in up to 100 although it seems 200 have been pressed and what’s more it comes with a fab poster, identical to the poster in the box set !

We’re told only 200 of these were pressed (although a bunch in black no doubt) and we have a couple of boxes coming…As usual it’s a case of 1st come, 1st served.

Record Store Day 2020 Release.

Boom Pam, widely renowned for their spellbinding Middle Eastern guitar music, have unveiled their highly anticipated fifth album, "Royal". Celebrating their twentieth anniversary, the Tel Aviv based band combine cinematic atmospherics and high-powered surf rock on their first album for international ambassadors of Middle Eastern grooves, Batov Records.

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.

Is rockabilly perhaps the first white form of rock 'n' roll? It clearly embraces the country component, along with the influence of rhythm & blues, resulting in an explosive mix that never fails to captivate. It's widely known that officially Elvis Presley fired the first shot, recording That's All Right, and Carl Perkins, with Gone, Gone, Gone, alongside Sonny Fisher, with Rockin' Daddy, became the genre's first composers. So its birth could be dated back to 1954, and it was in 1956 when it truly hit the big time on the charts, only to be forgotten in 1957, in favor of a much less savage way to rock. But rockabilly, with its natural rawness, remained there, in the underground, achieving some minor regional success and leaving thousands of wonderful examples of its existence that would later become prized collector's items. Interestingly, in 1956, Eisenhower's interstate highway plan was also born, a turning point in interstate road communications across the USA, which was a genuine revolution for mass population. Two big changes in the same year that we've taken advantage of, to pick up from the roadside of those rock 'n' roll highways a few examples of great 45s, recorded by small record labels that seemed relegated to oblivion. One shot per state, eight record labels, eight different artists, condensing two raw diamonds into the coolest way ever - 8 x 7" 45 rpm wax records box set plus 4 pages 7” booklet! Ready for that Interstate Rockabilly journey?

Include four bonus tracks.

The Vampisoul chicas are back. And for the third time. And, although collectors and connoisseurs have never stopped playing the songs by these Spanish female singers, here they are again, sounding as vibrant as they did half a century ago. Because these children of their times, the musical decades of the 60s and 70s covered by this compilation, boldly ventured into the limited spaces of freedom open to female artists back then. And they did so with attitude, in search of the right repertoire, proudly presenting new, daring personal projects often breaking away from the demure tone adopted by mainstream local female singers. And they were canny about it too. Realizing that the censors working back would just listen to the song that the record company flagged up as the listening target on the A side and not bother to flip the single over, they recorded many of their racier songs on the B side. That exciting dark side of singles, which have long tempted collectors. Lacking the freedom and visibility enjoyed today, these daring records by these female singers went as far as they could and a few managed to go beyond. The songs on this compilation tell everyday stories, narrating small socio-musical conquests revolving round the enduring theme of young love. Sass, sex, boy-girl rivalry, the defense of liberating women's fashion and, saying what women think loud and clear, all characterize these grooves. Performed in a variety of musical styles ranging from ye-yé, twist, disco, beat, popcorn, flamenco pop to Northern Soul, and, even more surprisingly, sung in an everyday, natural and self-assured tone that must have ruffled some feathers. As in previous volumes of "¡Chicas!", this third compilation includes female singers from outside Spain but whose career, their decision to sing in Spanish or their long tours and local stays, and occasionally permanent residence, meant their albums were created, recorded or produced here in Spain. It's a winning proposition for everyone. Take the band Los Bravos,...

A Gun Club live recording from the On Broadway, supporting their groundbreaking debut 'Fire Of Love', but also anticipating it's follow-up 'Miami' from 1982 ('Watermelon Man', or the revisitation of CCR's classic 'Run Through The Jungle').

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.

Special album for March 8 - Women's Day!!! Third shift of girls going ahead to the power! If the previous volumes were organised by the colour of the skin, in this one we´ve given preference to girl groups over solo singers, but we didn't want to be too strict, so you'll also find some individualists. We start off strong, The Ikettes and The Raelettes no less, the backing singers of Ike & Tina Turner's and Ray Charles' bands. Both vocal groups had a very important specific weight for the soloists they accompanied, as important that nobody could stop them from recording their own albums and singles as well. Behind them a fairly wide and eclectic selection, from doo wop to garage, passing through pop and rock'n'roll. Is any musical genre too much for women? certainly not! A sad note to finish. This is the last volume of this collection, which closes this circle in which we have brought together a total of 39 tracks, very varied in sound but with the common denominator of female voices in all of them. Que vivan las mujeres!

Guerssen proudly presents the first long playing record by the fabulous LOS Shakers, the legendary band formed in Uruguay in the mid 1960s, in the wake of the Beatlemania phenomenon.Their songs had little to envy to those of their heroes from Liverpool. Tempo, chord progressions and rhythms boiled in a magic, infectious sound! The double LP set collects both the original Los Shakers album from 1965 (in its original mono mix) plus Break It All (originally released in 1966 for the U.S. market, featuring new stereo re-recordings of most of the songs from the first Los Shakers album and 45 only tracks). Get ready to enjoy the songs of Hugo, Osvaldo, Caio and Pelin… Los Shakers

In 1960, Dick Dale released his last single before his surfer days with the small company Cupid Records, from Sherman Oaks, California. On it, he was backed by Tommy Oliver's band, and its B-side contains THE Fairest OF Them ALL, a marvellous piece of orchestrated rock'n'roll, with a crooner touch, that we rescue to open this EP, and which marked the end of his first musical stage. The B-side of this EP features two previous songs from 1960, both released on his second single for his father's label, Del-Tone Records. Stop Teasing is a hot rhythm & blues, New Orleans style, a far cry from what Dick had recorded on his early records, topped off with a great guitar solo. It was originally paired with Whitout Your Love, a slow blues, in the same vein as Elvis Presley's Don't Ask Me Why, which opens up even more the musical spectrum that Dick was handling before he made his leap to fame. These three tracks perfectly complement the three ones that make up the first EP in this series, and are a perfect summary of Dick's rock'n'roll years, before the release of his next single, Let's Go Trippin' / Del-Tone Rock, his first one with The Del-Tones and his consecration as the king of surf music. DeeJay Francho

Dick Dale’s first recording came two years before he formed the Del-Tones and was crowned King of The Surf Guitar. That record was “Ooh Whee Marie,” released on his father’s fledging Del-Tone label in the summer of 1958. Dale was 21 years old at the time and encouraged by his father to learn guitar and trumpet. His musical hero was Hank Williams and other country stars he heard on the radio, including Buddy Holly, whose influence is apparent on “Marie.” He soon developed an impression of Elvis that he took to various talent shows around the Los Angeles area. He won enough of these shows to bring him to the Town Hall Party stage, a three-hour live Saturday night viewing staple broadcast from Compton. Dale played trumpet in the backing band that accompanied various guest stars. There was also plenty of rockabilly music from the younger artists on that show, which influenced Dale’s third outing on record, “Jessie Pearl” and “St. Louis Blues,” recorded earlier, but released in the summer of 1960. “Jessie Pearl” was Dale’s first self-penned song. “St. Louis Blues,” an old W.C. Handy jazz number, was a song Dale had picked up learning how to play trumpet. Around July, 1960, Dick Dale formed the Del-Tones and began playing to capacity crowds at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Newport Beach. His next release was “Let’s Go Trippin’.” He had single-handedly launched the surf music genre. --John Blair

Shaghayegh was an Iranian rock band that emerged in the mid-1960s. They only released one EP, which was released under two different labels (Royal and Monogram), both versions rare as hell and go try find one. and their original vinyl records are some real highly rarity. Only four tracks are known to exist from the band, and they were printed on two different labels at the time.

Now it’s reissued thanks to the mighty Juzz label out of Tehran, bringing their garage-beat particular sound to a new life, in a well-cared production, limited to 500 copies in grey vinyl and beautiful cover.