‘Bear Family Records Rocks, Vol. 1 - Black Rockers and Rhythm n Blues From The 1950s

Bear Family’s mammoth series of ‘Rocks’ CDs have set a lofty standard for savage rocking. Bear Family Records Rocks, Vol. 1 - Black Rockers and Rhythm n Blues From The 1950s is sure to rip the roof off any no-holds-barred juke joint soiree, its 30 selections ranging from New Orleans R&B legends Fats Domino, Lloyd Price, and Smiley Lewis to guitar scorchers Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown and Bo Diddley. Chuck Berry and Little Richard show why they’re regarded as the fathers of rock and roll, though their forefathers Big Joe Turner, Amos Milburn, and Roy Milton and His Solid Senders illustrate that jumping R&B thrived long before the emergence of either one of them. The set offers plenty of rocking blues via Jimmy Reed, Little Junior Parker, Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup, Champion Jack Dupree, and Slim Harpo, encompasses the era’s top vocal groups in the ‘50s R&B field with The Coasters, Drifters, Midnighters, “5” Royales, and Cadillacs, and pays loving tribute to the best lounge acts ever with storming entries by The Treniers and Louis Prima. Every one of these 30 artists has his or her own entry in the ‘Rocks’ series save one: Johnny Otis, whose Good Golly makes it obvious that he deserves the honor in the not-too-distant future. Get ready to rock, jump, and roll with this one!

Tracklisting: Fats Domino: Be My Guest / Champion Jack Dupree: Nasty Boogie / Lloyd Price: Where You At? / Little Richard: Good Golly, Miss Molly / Jimmy McCracklin: Get Tough / Arthur Crudup: I'm Gonna Dig Myself A Hole / Jimmy Reed: She Don't Want Me No More / Little Junior Parker: I Wanna Ramble / Ella Mae Morse: Have Mercy / Baby Roy Milton and his Band: You Got Me Reeling And Rocking / The Cadillacs: Holy Smoke Baby The Midnighters: Henry's Got Flat Feet (Can't Dance No More) / Bo Diddley: You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover / Smiley Lewis: Lillie Mae / The Coasters: Three Cool Cats / The Platters: Out Of My Mind / Chuck Berry: Reelin' And Rocking / Slim Harpo: Don't Start Cryin' Now / Clarence Gatemouth Brown: Boogie Uproar / Clyde McPhatter: Deep Sea Ball / Piano Red: She's Dynamite / Joe Turner and His Blues Kings: Morning, Noon And Night / The 5 Royales: Monkey Hips And Rice / The Treniers: Poon-Tang / Louis Prima: Jump, Jive An' Wail The Drifters: No Sweet Lovin' / Screamin' Jay Hawkins and The Chicken Hawks: Just Don't Care / Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chickenshackers: One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer / Shirley & Lee: I Feel Good / The Johnny Otis Show: Good Golly