Rock 'n' Roll Trio / Tear It Up

Back in stock. Elvis was not the only rocker in 1954-55. The Rock 'n' Roll Trio was the legendary group that during 1955-57 recorded 2 albums' worth of material. Their pioneer rockabilly / rhythm 'n' blues music has been highly influential on bands like The Yardbirds, Johnny Kid and the Pirates, and The Downliners Sect.

The band consisted of the two Burnette brothers, Johnny and Dorsey, and their friend, lead guitarist Paul Burlison. Both brothers wrote a lot of great songs, some of which were hits for acts like Ricky Nelson.

Their first album, simply called 'The Rock 'n' Roll Trio', was released as a 10-inch LP on Coral Records in early 1957. The album caused considerable excitement among rockabilly fans but was soon deleted. The album curiously did not include their 1956 single 'Tear It Up', which soon became a real collector's item.

In 1966, the album was re-released on the Ace of Hearts label, at a time when the trio had been disbanded for years. Singer Johnny Burnette had died in a drowning accident in 1964. Their material was a mixture of Burnette originals and tunes borrowed from other rock 'n' roll pioneers like Fats Domino and Joe Turner.

The first album opens with the great rocker 'Honey Hush' with the great distorted guitar riff. More rockers of the same type follow; the best of which are 'All By Myself', 'The Train Kept a Rollin'', and 'Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O Dee, Drinking'.

A few Buddy Holly-type ballads can also be found - 'I Just Found Out' and 'I Love You So', a little bit of country on 'Lonesome Train', and sheer blues on 'Chains of Love'.

Their second album, called 'Tear It Up', released after their split, shows a greater variety of styles. Highlights are the rocking single track 'Tear It Up', 'You're Undecided', and 'Midnight Train' - all Burnette originals. The playing and singing are terrific, and overall there's a lot of energy in these recordings.