Boyd Bennett & His Rockets – Move

Joan K has contributed this extensive compilation of Boyd Bennett tracks ripped from original singles. There is of course a fair amount of crackling and popping on some of these tracks, but what do you expect from records that are half a century old? Regular visitors to the blog will know that I’m a great fan of rips from original singles. As far as I can tell some of these tracks haven’t featured in previous compilations. Joan has also supplied a folder of label scans and EP covers scans. We’ve only got room to show a few of them here, but they’re all included in the download for you to peruse at your leisure. There’s quite a few DJ promos included.

As for the music – there is a tremendous rocker in “Move”, quite a few teen-oriented titles like “Seventeen” and “My Boy Flat Top”, a couple of tracks backing the great Moon Mullican and some surprising R&B covers like “Big Jay Shuffle” and “Mumbles Blues”. There’s also a lot of pop (some of it extremely cloying) and some very early almost Dixieland tracks when the band was called the Southlanders.

I find it hard to get a handle on Bennett’s sound. I find it easier to understand where other early rock and roll bands such as Bill Haley and Jimmy Cavallo are coming from. Cavallo had a solid R&B background while Haley started out as a country musician but changed to a heavily R&B influenced sound at a time when such a move was genuinely innovative. Bennett seems to have come along later from a mixed pop/country background (with a little R&B influence picked up at King recording sessions), and jumped on the rock and roll bandwagon when it was already picking up speed. He also made a more blatant move for the teen market with stuff like “Seventeen” (a big hit in 1955). The Rockets were capable of hitting a good rocking groove as you can hear on some of the tracks in this collection. Two of their very best aren’t here, though: “Clock Tickin’ Rhythm” (recorded as “Cecil McNabb”) and “Seven Nights To Rock”, on which they backed Moon Mullican. More Boyd Bennett tracks will feature in the next post.

Download the from here (password = greaseyspoon)

http://www.mediafire.com/?zaf0gb747k4tbc0
Thank you Joan!

1. Move
2. Seventeen
3. Waterloo / Boyd Bennett and His Southlanders
4. I've Had Enough / Boyd Bennett and His Southlanders
5. Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll
6. My Boy Flat Top
7. The Most
8. Right Around The Corner
9. Blue Suede Shoes
10. The Groovy Age
11. Rabbit-Eye Pink And Charcoal Black
12. Rockin' Up A Storm
13. Big Jay Shuffle
14. Put The Chain On The Door
15. Boy Meets Girl
16. Rock and Roll Mr Bullfrog / Moon Mullican
17. Click Clack
18. Little Ole You All
19. Oo-Oo-Oo
20. Banjo Rock And Roll
21. Hit That Jive, Jack
22. Desperately
23. Partners For Life
24. Mumbles Blues
25. A Lock Of Your Hair
26. I'm Movin' On
27. Let Me Love You
28. Sentimental Journey
29. I'm Mad With You / Moon Mullican
30. Boogie Bear
31. A Boy Can Tell
32. Big Boy