Rock 'n' Roll (Regent MG-6015) - Re-up!

Side 1:

01. Rockin' Boy - Chuz Alfred Combo

02. Hot Rod - Hal Singer

03. Blues For Everybody - Bobby Banks Orch.

04. Playboy Hop - Rockin' Bros. Orch.

05. The Grinder - Rockin' Bros. Orch.

Side 2:

01. You Gotta Rock And Roll - Bob Oakes Orch.

02. Backbiter - T.J. Fowler

03. Wine Cooler - T.J. Fowler

04. Rooster Boogie - Paul Williams Orch.

05. Frog Hop - Hal Singer Orch.

Download from:

http://www20.zippyshare.com/v/DcKsy6Em/file.html

Original Post (1st May, 2010) is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/rock-n-roll-regent-mg-6015.html

In response to a re-up request, here's a genuine 1950s LP which was sent in to the blog by an anonymous donor back in 2010.

A theme which has occasionally reared its head on this blog is "exploitation" and this is as fine an example of cashing in on the rock 'n' roll phenomenon as you could hope to see. The LP was issued on Regent in 1956 (probably in the second half of the year) and it consists of tracks recorded in 1954-56 as rock 'n' roll tracks, plus R&B tracks from 1951-52.

The repackaging of early 1950s and even late 1940s R&B as "rock n' roll" was a common practice of record labels as they tried to achieve sales among the burgeoning teen market of the second half of the 1950s. There have been several examples posted on this blog, including some LPs on Atlantic, and the whole "Hen Gates" saga on various budget labels. Of course the Twist craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s provided another opportunity for record companies to pitch old material at a new market. We had a fine example on this blog - A Crown LP of old Jimmy McCracklin tracks presented as "Twist" tracks. Ludicrous, but nevertheless a fine blues album!

Regent was a subsidiary label of Savoy, so they had access to a strong R&B back catalogue. Here's the deal on the contents of this LP:

01. Rockin' Boy - Chuz Alfred Combo - originally released on Savoy 1175 b/w "Rock Along." Recorded in Cincinnati, March 30th, 1955. Personnel: Ola Hansson (trombone); Chuz Alfred (tenor sax); Chuck Lee (piano, drums). Here are the Chuz Alfred Combo, the wild men of rock 'n' roll:

02. Hot Rod - Hal Singer - originally released on Savoy 1179 b/w "Rock And Roll." Recorded in NYC, October 27th, 1955. Personnel: Buddy Lucas, Hal Singer (tenor saxes); Kelly Owens (piano); Mickey Baker (guitar); Leonard Gaskin (bass); Panama Francis (drums). Hal Singer was a genuine rock 'n' roll wild man. His 1948 recording of "Corn Bread" (Savoy 671) contains every rock 'n' roll riff known to humankind.

03. Blues For Everybody - Bobby Banks Orch. - originally released by The Bobby Banks Trio on Savoy 1186 in 1956. B side of "Shangri La." Recorded in NYC, December 29th, 1955. Personnel: Henry Durant (tenor sax); Bobby Banks (organ); Jimmy Schenck (bass); Rodney "Red" Alcott (drums).

04. Playboy Hop and 05. The Grinder - Rockin' Bros. Orch. - originally released on Savoy 1144, credited to The Rocking Brothers. Recorded in October or November 1954. Location and personnel unknown. "Playboy Hop" features excellent baritone sax while "The Grinder" is a fine example of striptease sleaze. A very good disc.

06. You Gotta Rock And Roll - Bob Oakes Orch. - originally released on Regent 7502, credited to Bob Oakes and his Sultans. B side of "Church Bells May Ring." Recorded NYC, April 13th 1956. Bob Oakes (vocals) with unknown personnel. Standard "rock and roll" vocal from Bob Oakes, but the band really cooks. Great wailin' tenor sax backing.

07. Backbiter and 08. Wine Cooler - T.J. Fowler - originally released on Savoy 857. Recorded in Detroit, Michigan, July 25th, 1952. Personnel: Elliott Escoe (trumpet); Lee Gross (alto sax); Walter Cox (tenor sax); T.J. Fowler (piano); Calvin Frazier (guitar); James Murphy (bass); Clarence stamps (drums). The real deal - good early 1950s R&B instrumentals. Also on the blog - "Early Detroit R&B" by T.J. Fowler

09. Rooster Boogie - Paul Williams Orch. - unissued Savoy track. Recorded February 26th, 1951. Location unknown. Paul Williams (baritone sax) with unknown personnel.

10. Frog Hop - Hal Singer Orch. - originally released on Savoy 861 in September 1952 as B side of "Indian Love Call." Recorded in NYC, August 21st 1952. Personnel: Hal Singer and Sam "The Man" Taylor (tenor saxes); Dave McRae (alto and baritone sax); Kelly Owens (piano); Mickey Baker (guitar) plus unknown trumpet, bass and drums. A rousing end to this compilation!

The original post ended with a plea for anyone who could send in a copy of the companion LP to this compilation. In 1957 Regent issued an LP "Rock and Roll Party" (MG-6042) with tracks by Nappy Brown, Little Esther, Big Jay McNeely, T.J. Fowler, Paul Williams, The Hot Shots, Hal Singer, and Heywood Henry. Can anyone out there help? Millions of rock 'n' roll fans would be eternally grateful (as would I).