Around The Clock Battle - Wynonie Harris v Big Vernon

Wynonie Harris: Around The Clock Blues, Parts 1 and 2:

Philo 103, recorded in Los Angeles in July, 1945.

Personnel: Wynonie "Mr Blues" Harris (vocal) accompanied by Johnny Otis' All Stars - Teddy Edwards (tenor sax); Lee Jones (piano); Stan Morgan (guitar); Bob Kesterton (bass); Johnny Otis (drums). Also at session but not audible on these sides - Howard McGhee (trumpet).

"Big Vernon": Around The Clock Parts 1 and 2:

Stag 508, recorded in San Francisco in November, 1947.

Personnel: "Big Vernon" (Joe Turner) vocals; Pete Johnson (piano).

In our previous post we looked at the possible origins of "Around The Clock" in Trixie Smith's "My Man Rocks Me" from 1922. The Wynonie Harris two parter on Philo (soon to become Aladdin Records) kicked off a series of cover versions by Jimmy Rushing (with Johnny Otis), Numa Lee Davis (with Russell Jacquet), Willie Bryant, Pearl Traylor (with Howard McGhee) and "Big Vernon" who was Big Joe Turner going under a pseudonym.

"Well, sometimes I think I will,

 Yes, and sometimes I think I won't,

 Sometimes I think I will,

 Yes, and sometimes I think I won't,

 Sometimes I believe I do,

 And then again I believe I don't."

This introduction to the Wynonie version will be familiar to rock and roll fans - Chuck Berry used it in his recording of "Reelin' And Rockin'" which I guess is a continuation of the "Around The Clock" theme, only with the activity described now being dancing at the teen hop. Times and audiences had changed by 1958.

So to our battle of the blues - Wynonie v Big Vernon. Who is the winner? Wynonie with his jazz band backing or Joe with just his old cohort Pete Johnson bangin' the boogie on the keyboard? You decide!

Okay, I can't resist getting back to Chuck, so here is "Reelin' And Rockin'" recorded at the end of 1957, with Lafayette Leake on piano, Willie Dixon on bass and Fred Below on drums. The target audience is now high school hop teenagers and not the drunken reprobates who constituted Wynonie's record buying public. But Chuck being Chuck he manages to work in a sly

"I looked at my watch, and to my surprise,

 I was dancin' with a woman that was twice my size"

In 1972 Mr Berry recorded a live version at a gig in England. This time "Reelin' And Rockin'" was restored to the pantheon of "Around The Clock" as Chuck tore through a no holds barred description of a sexual marathon of truly staggering proportions. Here's the 1957 version suitable for the kids, ripped from a vinyl copy of the "One Dozen Berrys" LP:

Chuck Berry: Reelin' And Rockin':

It's half a century and a world away from Trixie Smith ...

Jimmy's Round The Clock Blues / Harlem Nocturne - Jimmy Rushing with Johnny Otis his Drums & his Orchestra (Excelsior JR 142)

William Gottlieb collection, Library of Congress

Recorded in Los Angeles, September 13th, 1945. Released November 1945.

Personnel: Johnny Otis, his Drums & his Orchestra : John "Teddy" Buckner, Billy Jones, Loyal Walker, Harry Parr Jones (trumpets); Henry Coker, Eli Robinson, John Pettigrew, Jasper "Jap" Jones (trombones); Rene Bloch, Bob Harris (alto saxes); Paul Quinichette, James Von Streeter (tenor saxes); Leon Beck (baritone sax); Bill Doggett (piano); Bernie Cobbs (guitar); Curtis Counce (bass); Johnny Otis (drums); Jimmy Rushing (vocal on "Jimmy's Round The Clock Blues").

"I looked at the clock, and the clock struck one,
 I said, 'now, daddy, ain't we got fun?'
 Oh, he was rockin' me with one steady roll."

"I looked at the clock, and the clock struck six,
 I said, 'daddy, you know I like those tricks!'
 'Cause he was rockin' me with one steady roll."

"I looked at the clock, and the clock struck ten,
 I said, ... 'glory, amen!'
My man was rockin' me with one steady roll."

Thus sang Trixie Smith on "My Man Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)" back in 1922. The tale of round the clock lovin' (although with a mere three bouts, for sex hadn't really got going in the 1920s) lived on. There was a good cover version by Jimmy Noone's Apex Club Orchestra in 1929 even though the instrumental breaks left only enough time for two rounds as the looming Great Depression presaged a new wave of puritanism. In the previous year while they were still the Roaring Twenties, Mr. Noone had regaled the public with a filthy version of "It's Tight Like That" with lots more words and less musical doodlin'.

Fast forward to Los Angeles in 1945, to the Club Alabam where the musical aggregation in residence was a big band led by drummer Johnny Otis. Also in residence at the same club at the same time was blues shouter Wynonie Harris, late of the Lucky Millinder Orchestra with whom he had recorded a record that was about to become very big, "Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well." But even though success with Lucky was just around the corner, Wynonie decided that big band life couldn't satisfy his ambitions and so he struck out on his own and headed west to the land of sunshine and booming nightlife.

Part of his club act was an extended double entendre song based on the premise of "My Man Rocks Me", i.e. an hour by hour account of whatever gets you going. For his first solo record he recorded a two part version of "Around The Clock" for Philo in July of 1945. Backing him on the record were the "Johnny Otis All Stars" who weren't the Johnny Otis Orchestra, but were in fact the Howard McGhee band with Johnny on drums.

The record caught enough action to kick off a steady stream of cover versions over the following years, including one by Big Joe Turner and another by the Howard McGhee band featuring Pearl Traylor. One of the first cover versions was by Johnny Otis, this time with his own band and featuring Count Basie's vocalist Jimmy Rushing. The B side was an arrangement of "Harlem Nocturne" which with its slow, throbbing drumbeat and the wailing alto sax of Rene Bloch, managed to be far more suggestive than the A side ditty. So much so, that it became the compulsory soundtrack of thousands of strip joints and clip joints from Soho to Shanghai.

The Rushing version of "Around The Clock" with added instrumental sleaze on the B side sold well enough to send the Otis ork on a nationwide tour in 1946. The days of the big bands were drawing to a close, and at the end of 1947 Johnny had to slim his band down to a small group.

In our next suggestive post - Wynonie "Mr Blues" Harris goes round the clock.

Don't The Moon Look Lonesome?

Detail from "The Trysting Tree" by John Atkinson Grimshaw

One for autumn. "Sent For You Yesterday" recorded by the Count Basie Orchestra in 1938. Vocal by the great Jimmy Rushing.

Howlin' Winds / Rocks In My Bed (National 9144) - Joe Turner

Released April 1951. "Rocks In My Bed" recorded in Chicago, November 29th, 1947. "Howlin' Winds" recorded in Chicago, December 9th, 1947.

Personnel: Joe Turner (vocal), accompanied by: Charles Gray (trumpet); Riley Hampton (alto sax); Otis Finch (tenor sax); Robert Moore (piano); Ike Perkins (guitar); Ellsworth Liggett (bass); James Adams (drums). Meade Lux Lewis replaces Moore on piano on "Howlin' Winds."

"Howlin' Winds" was the last track recorded by Big Joe Turner for National. It was a rerecording of a track he'd originally laid down for that label back in 1945 (that version was never released as a single). After his last session for National, Big Joe spent a few years label hopping from Modern to Swing Time to MGM to Freedom to Imperial before finally landing at Atlantic in 1951 where his flagging career would be revived in a spectacular manner.

National continued to release Big Joe Turner disks right through to 1951, with "Howlin' Winds" being their last Turner release in April of that year. The disk was reviewed in Billboard on the 28th of April. "Howlin' Winds" was deemed to be a "fine mood blues by Turner with first-rate jazz combo backing" while "Rocks In My Bed" was hailed as "one of Turner's standout blues jobs; could make a dent."

It was indeed a rousing release but by the time the review was written, Big Joe had already recorded his first session for Atlantic on April 19th. On the 19th May Billboard reviewed Big Joe's first Atlantic release - "After My Laughter Came Tears" / "Chains Of Love" - which entered the national R&B chart at number ten on the 30th June. It would spend six months on the chart, peaking at number two, and was followed by a series of further hits for Big Joe - "Sweet Sixteen", "Honey Hush", "TV Mama" and "Shake, Rattle And Roll."

And what of the fine "Howlin' Winds" and "Rocks In My Bed"? No chart action, although National did make a gesture on 9th June with this rather low key Billboard advert:

I'm sure Big Joe wasn't particularly worried as thanks to Atlantic he was on his way to being restored to his rightful position as King of the Blues Shouters.

Good Lovin' / Slowly Goin' Crazy (Savoy 830) - H-Bomb Ferguson

Released January 1952. Both sides recorded in New York on 12th December, 1951.

Personnel: H-Bomb Ferguson (vcl); acc by Julius "Hawkshaw" Watson (tb); Ernest "Pinky" Williams (as,bar); Purvis Henson (ts); Kelly Ownes (p); Leon Spann (b); Jack Parker (d).

More blues bawlin', this time from Robert "H-Bomb" Ferguson backed by a band led by Jack "The Bear" Parker although it should be noted that Julius Watson, Purvis Henson and Leon Spann were moonlighting members of the Buddy Johnson Orchestra. Ferguson's first recordings were as vocalist with the Jack Parker band for Derby in 1950 and he also recorded a session with Parker for Prestige. Prior to signing for Savoy, Ferguson cut a session with the Charlie Singleton band for Atlas.

The influence of Wynonie Harris is very obvious on both these sides, although Ferguson did go on to develop his own style and in fact outlasted his more illustrious mentor by decades. Although derivative, this is a good record which sold well in the New York area although it didn't do enough business to make the national R&B charts.

Billboard gave the disk a good review on 19th January 1952. The verdict on "Good Lovin'" was: "Ferguson hits about as hard as his name implies in shouting a good pounding rocker. The double entendres add to the coin attraction, tho the beat is immense. Has a winning quality."

The review of the B side was less enthusiastic: "Ferguson unwinds an acceptable slow blues but doesn't stir the excitment (sic) he creates on the top side."

Below is the Billboard chart of top selling R&B disks from January 12th 1952. In contrast to the chart from 1947 on the Gatemouth Moore post, independent record companies dominate, with only 2 releases by the majors being in the top ten - Johnnie Ray on the Columbia subsidiary Okeh, and Dinah Washington on Mercury.

Love Doctor Blues / They Can't Do This To You (National 4015) - Gatemouth Moore

Released June, 1947.

"They Can't Do This To You" recorded in New York, November 15th, 1945.

Personnel: "Gatemouth" Moore (vcl), acc by Al "Budd" Johnson's Orchestra : Dick Vance (tp); Jimmy Hamilton (cl); Budd Johnson (ts); Harry Carney (bar,as); Sam Benskin (p); Al Hall (b); J.C. Heard (d).

"Love Doctor Blues" recorded in New York, October 25th, 1946.

Personnel: Dwight "Gatemouth" Moore (vcl), acc by Tiny Grimes Swingtet : Russell Royster (tp); Herman Flintsall (as); John Hardee (ts); Sam Benskin (p,celeste); Tiny Grimes (g); Al "Junior" Raglin (b); Eddie Nicholson (d).

Thought I'd post another "snapshot" of early R&B history with this fine example of jump blues featuring blues shouter and future reverend, Gatemouth Moore. The tracks are ripped from vinyl, specifically from the Savoy 2 LP set "The Shouters", hence no label shots.

The A Side, "Love Doctor Blues" is a sly, slinky variation on the well used blues theme of super stud acting as "doctor" to cure the ladies of whatever ails them. There's cracking backing from The Tiny Grimes Swingtet with nice guitar from Tiny and subtle tenor horn from John Hardee.

John "Bad Man" Hardee

The uptempo B Side "They Can't Do This To You" also features a first class backing group, that of sax player Budd Johnson.

The disk received a favourable review in Billboard on June 7th, 1947:

"The gusty and groovey blues singing of Gatemouth (Dwight) Moore lets loose in free-swinging rock 'n' rhythm style for both of these Harlemese selections. And with the jam-packed bands behind him bringing up a tasty musical dish, the spinning is something to occupy the attention. Spinning solid and spicey is Doc Pumus's "Love Doctor Blues," Gatemouth telling of his office hours from sundown till the break of dawn with no fees charged for his fem patients. Guitarist Tiny Grimes leads the musical aggregation for this grooving which gives forth some of John Hardee's fine tenor sax blues blowing. Takes his own blues novelty, a jive fashioned "They Can't Do This To You," at a faster clip, with tenor saxist Budd Johnson, who rounds up the accompanying hot men, giving forth some of his sax smoke."

The Billboard reviewer's verdict was: "Race locations will lap up 'Love Doctor Blues.'"

"Doctor Moore has just what you need, Ma'am"

Above is the "Race Chart" of juke box plays from the same edition of Billboard, June 7th 1947, which shows us what was big at the time Gatemouth's disk was released. There are four Louis Jordan numbers, two from The Mills Brothers and one from song belter Frankie Lane. The major labels dominate with only one independent label, Manor, having a disk in the chart. There's still a strong feel of the big band era with Erskine Hawkins, Lionel Hampton and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson all present although in the case of the latter two, the recordings are by small groups assembled from the parent big bands.

Frank Culley And Buddy Tate - Rock'n Roll Instrumentals For Dancing The Lindy Hop

Side A (Frank Culley)

1. Nine O'Clock Express
2. Lindy Rock
3. Go, Floorshow!
4. Bubbles
5. Speed Limit

Side B (Buddy Tate)
1. Sent For You Yesterday
2. That Girl
3. Fatback And Greens
4. Tete-A-Tate
5. Skip-A-Page
6. Jackie
7. Blue Buddy

Previously posted in 2008. I have added new front and back cover and label scans. Volume on the sound files has been equalized. There has also been a complete rewrite of the post.

This is a 1984 Krazy Kat reissue of Baton BL-1201 which was released in May or June 1955. A brief note in the May 28th 1955 issue of Billboard announced that Baton intended to release "a package of rock and roll instrumentals for lindy hoppers." It was also noted that Frank Culley had "inked an exclusive deal with Baton." The Buddy Tate tracks "Jackie" and "Blue Buddy" were not on the original Baton LP.

Side A was recorded in NYC in May or June 1955. The musicians accompanying Frank Culley (tenor sax) are unknown although it is possible that Harry Van Walls was on piano.

Side B was recorded in NYC on the 29th March 1954. Personnel: Pat Jenkins (tp); Eli Robinson (tb); Ben Richardson (cl,as,bar); Buddy Tate (ts); Skip Hall (p,org on "Jackie"); Flat Top Wilson (b); Clarence "Fats" Donaldson (d)

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps.

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Baton Records was founded in New York City towards the end of 1953 by Sol Rabinowitz. He had recorded four sides by The Rivileers with the intention of selling them to an existing record company, but having failed to strike a deal, he started his own record company and had a major hit with his first release, "A Thousand Stars" by the aforementioned Rivileers. Baton's second release was a Rivileers' follow up "Darling Farewell" / "Forever" which had good sales although rather less than a "Thousand Stars."

For the label's third release, Sol turned to ex Count Basie tenor sax player Buddy Tate who in early 1954 was leading a small band which played regularly at Harlem's Celebrity Club. The band recorded a session for Baton on 29th March 1954, resulting in the release of two singles. The first release (Baton 202), "Blue Buddy" / "Fatbacks And Greens", had good sales in the Philadelphia area as it was featured heavily on the local "Bandstand" TV show. A second Buddy Tate single, "Jackie" / "Sent For You Yesterday" failed to sell despite airplay from DJ Alan Freed after whose wife the A side was named.

Buddy Tate

In September 1954 amid much hoopla Alan Freed relocated to NYC from Cleveland and began broadcasting his R&B / Rock 'n' Roll show six nights a week on WINS. Rock and Roll was suddenly big news in the Big Apple and the record companies were soon scrambling aboard the bandwagon. At the end of May 1955 Baton announced that they had signed former Atlantic Records R&B tenor sax star Frank "Floorshow" Culley and that an LP of rock 'n' roll instrumentals was in the pipeline.

Culley had enjoyed R&B chart success on Atlantic in 1949 - 1951 with hits such as "Cole Slaw", "After Hour Session", "Hop 'N' Twist" and "Gone After Hours." His record sales along with those of Tiny Grimes and Joe Morris had helped to establish Atlantic in its early years, before the really big hits of Ruth Brown, The Clovers, and Big Joe Turner transformed the label into the number one R&B outfit of the 1950s.

Frank "Floorshow" Culley (Atlantic LP cover)

The five tracks recorded by Culley for Baton, probably at the end of May or during June 1955, were combined with five of the more uptempo Buddy Tate tracks from the March 1954 session to make up the LP "Rock'n Roll Instrumentals For Dancing the Lindy Hop" a title which may have caused some bemusement among dance purists, but may have been aimed at the older swing generation as well as the new rock 'n' roll generation in the hope that neither would be too fussy about the number of beats to the bar.

Baton EP cover courtesy Joan K

In May 1956 Baton released a two part instrumental single by Frank Culley, "After Hours Express, Parts 1 and 2" (Baton 226), which was an edit of "Nine O'Clock Express" from the "Rock'n Roll Instrumentals" LP. Billboard opined:"This is a pair of sides given over entirely to solid instrumental jamming. It's wild, fast-moving stuff and should drive those terping kids crazy. Culley blows tenor for all he's worth. Should be a good box entry."

The arrival of the rock and roll craze prompted a slew of instrumental releases in 1955-56, kicking off with the success of Red Prysock's "Hand Clappin'" on Mercury. The June 16th 1956 issue of Billboard noted the phenomenon but cautioned "Rock and Roll has retired some of the formerly popular instrumental groups ... new bands and new dance steps have taken their place; some of the veterans are converting successfully. Lack of disk jockey support seems to be the only drawback to producing big instrumental hits with greater frequency in the next months."

Although the biggest selling R&B record of 1956 was an instrumental, Bill Doggett's "Honky Tonk," many of the rush of  instrumental releases such as "After Hours Express" failed to chart. Sil Austin's "Slow Walk" and its subsequent cover version by Doggett were the exceptions. Two years later Baton finally had a national R&B and pop instrumental success with Noble "Thin Man" Watts' "Hard Times (The Slop)."

Jump Man, Jump!

Side 1

1 Gene Phillips - Hey Now

2 Bobby Smith - Don't Shake Those Hips At Me

3 Frank Culley - Hop 'N' Twist

4 Dave Bartholomew - Cat Music

5 Varetta Dillard - Mercy Mr Percy

6 Camille Howard - Bangin' The Boogie

7 Harry Crafton - Big Fat Hot Dog

8 Little Esther with Little Willie Littlefield - Turn The Lamps Down Low

Side 2

1 Big Maybelle - New Kind Of Mambo

2 Jimmy Preston - Estellina Bim Bam

3 Pee Wee Crayton - Huckle Boogie

4 Kenzie Moore - Let It Lay

5 Benny Brown - Pappa

6 Paul Williams - Spider Sent Me

7 Gay Crosse - Fat Sam From Birmingham

8 Lil Armstrong - Rock It

All tracks ripped from vinyl @320 kbps

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It's time for another Be Bop Wino compilation of late 40's and early 50's R&B, mainly drawn from the stash of vinyl I digitized during my recent long absence from posting.  The "Juke Joint Jukebox" blues comp was drawn from tracks digitized during the same period but now we find ourselves back in the Boogiewoody comfort zone with this selection of jump blues, boogie, and sax driven rockin' R&B. Mind you, there's a smattering of West Coast style blues guitar courtesy of Gene Phillips and Pee Wee Crayton on LA's Modern label.

Basic track details are listed below but here are a few observations on some of the tracks, in no particular order.

Guitarist, blues shouter and songwriter Harry Crafton recorded for Gotham in the late forties and early fifties. He was also a member of the semi legendary Nite Riders Orchestra along with Doc Starkes, Harry Van Walls and Melvin Smith. Dripping with double entendre, "Big Fat Hot Dog" features a fine vocal performance by Agnes Riley.

Boogie pianist Camille Howard was a mainstay of Roy Milton's Solid Senders, but also had her own parallel solo recording career. In a similar vein, Erskine Hawkins Orchestra alto saxman Bobby Smith had a parallel recording career in which he led a small band of Hawkins sidemen which recorded for Apollo in 1949-50. "Don't Shake Those Hips at Me", recorded after the Smith band moved over to the Ruby label features the tenor sax of Sam "The Man" Taylor. Benny Brown's "Pappa" is an answer record to Ruth Brown's big 1953 hit on Atlantic "Mama (He Treats Your Daughter Mean)".

And so to Jimmy Preston's "Estellina Bim Bam". Anyone up for a humorous take on habitual domestic abuse? It has a very catchy melody but to my ears the lyrics are extremely unsettling. Perhaps back in 1950 many people would have considered the record to be comedy but nowadays it would be the subject of a thesis on its underlying subtext of misogyny and possible racism. However, on Be Bop Wino we present the recordings of the 1940's and 1950's as they were, rather than as we would like them to have been, so despite my doubts the recording is included on the compilation.

Pianist, bandleader and singer Lil Armstrong (Lil Hardin) was a member of King Oliver's band where she met and married Louis Armstrong in 1924. They divorced in 1932 and Lil went on to build a successful career as an accompanist and bandleader, recording for Decca from 1936 to 1940. Her theme tune was "Brown Gal" (Decca, 1936) which she rerecorded for Gotham in 1947. At the same session she recorded "Rock It", a frantic piece of double entendre, the final verse of which is the unforgettable:

"Yeah, he rocked me sittin', he rocked me lyin',
If I'd a had wings, he'd a rocked me flyin'."

Nothing can follow that.


The tracks (artist, title, original issue, year of recording):

1 Gene Phillips - Hey Now: Modern 20-558, 1948

2 Bobby Smith - Don't Shake Those Hips At Me: aka Shake Your Hips, Ruby 102, 1951

3 Frank Culley - Hop 'N' Twist: aka Fish Tail, Atlantic 902, 1949

4 Dave Bartholomew - Cat Music: Imperial 5308, 1954

5 Varetta Dillard - Mercy Mr Percy: Savoy 897, 1953

6 Camille Howard - Bangin' The Boogie: Specialty 404, 1951

7 Harry Crafton (w Agnes Riley) - Big Fat Hot Dog: Oscar 106, 1954

8 Little Esther with Little Willie Littlefield - Turn The Lamps Down Low: Federal 12115, 1952

9 Big Maybelle - New Kind Of Mambo: Okeh 7069, 1954

10 Jimmy Preston - Estellina Bim Bam: Gotham 240, 1950

11 Pee Wee Crayton - Huckle Boogie: Modern 20-742, 1950

12 Kenzie Moore - Let It Lay: Specialty 456, 1953

13 Benny Brown - Pappa: Gotham 293, 1953

14 Paul Williams - Spider Sent Me: Savoy 670, 1948

15 Gay Crosse - Fat Sam From Birmingham: alternate take of Gotham 279, 1952

16 Lil Armstrong - Rock It: Gotham 256, 1947

Juke Joint Jukebox

Side 1

1 Sonny Boy Williamson - Don't Start Me To Talkin'

2 John Lee Hooker - This Is Hip

3 Jimmy Reed - You Got Me Dizzy

4 Otis Rush - All Your Love

5 Elmore James - Sho Nuff I Do

6 Guitar Slim - The Things That I Used To Do

7 Little Junior Parker - Sweet Home Chicago

8 John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom

Side 2

1 Jimmy Reed - Big Boss Man

2 Little Junior Parker - 5 Long Years

3 Johnny "Guitar" Watson - Hot Little Mama

4 Muddy Waters - I'm Ready

5 Pee Wee Crayton - Crayton's Blues

6 Doctor Ross - The Boogie Disease

7 Elmore James - Elmo's Shuffle

8 Jimmy Rogers - Walkin' By Myself

All tracks ripped from vinyl at 320 mbps.

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Now back before I discovered the joys of jump blues, I used to listen to the "real" blues, mainly electric guitar and harmonica driven blues from Chicago. Growing up in the UK in the 1960s, you couldn't help but hear the blues "second hand" via groups like The Stones, The Pretty Things, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and my favourite British blues group, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.

It was thanks to a school pal, one Shuggy Cameron, that I first heard some of the original blues artists when round about 1970 he lent me 2 LPs - "Muddy Waters at Newport" and "Blues is King" by B.B. King. The awful results of that exchange of records (I lent him the debut albums of Steppenwolf  and Fleetwood Mac) are all too visible on this blog 44 years later. Shuggy probably went on to become a brain surgeon or airline pilot or some such while here I am half buried in a great heap of vinyl.

So here's a home made compilation of the kind of blues we don't have often enough on Be Bop Wino. All 1950s or even early 60s sides from Chess, VeeJay, RPM, Specialty and Duke, and mostly well known tracks. No extensive notes this time. Just download and groove to these stompers and swayers. I've decided to try the new Mega site as my slow broadband connection makes uploading to Zippyshare just about impossible. Hope the link works OK!