Aladdin's Rock'n Roll Sock Hop

Side 1:
01) P.B. Baby - Little Wilbur & The Pleasers
02) I'm Out To Get You - Thurston Harris
03) Rockin' With The Clock - Shirley & Lee
04) Hey Lawdy, Miss Claudie - Calvin Boze
05) I'm So In Love With You - Gene & Eunice
06) Purple Stew - Thurston Harris
07) Rockin' At Cosmo's - Lee Allen

Side 2:
01) Little Mama - The Jivers
02) Flim Flam - Gene & Eunice
03) Bow Wow - Amos Milburn
04) Runk Bunk - Thurston Harris
05) Move It Over Baby - Gene & Eunice
06) Let's Get Together - Gene & Eunice
07) Good Time Sue - Calvin Boze

Aladdin's Rock'n Roll Sock Hop (Mega)

Aladdin's Rock'n Roll Sock Hop (Zippy)

As a follow up to the Score "Rock'n Roll Sock Hop" LP, we just have to go with the 1980s Pathe Marconi compilation "Aladdin's Rock'n Roll Sock Hop" which turns out to be a very different album. I first uploaded this LP to Be Bop Wino back in 2008, along with its companion volume "Aladdin 14 Magic Lamps." Both posts disappeared in the great takedown of 2009 and although I had a back up archive, I didn't repost because of the poor quality cover scans.

Now the LPs make their return in 2019 (inspired by Marv's post of the Score LP) complete with brand new Be Bop Wino standard cover scans. Same sound files, though. It's a good listen - Aladdin never did quite come to terms with the rock'n roll revolution in my opinion as they lacked the big star which some of the other indy labels had, e.g. Little Richard at Specialty, Fats Domino and Ricky Nelson at Imperial, Chuck Berry at Chess, The Drifters, Ray Charles, Chuck Willis and others at Atlantic. Nevertheless Aladdin put out some good rock and roll material before being taken over by Imperial.

This comp was also my introduction to Calvin Boze whose Louis Jordan style jumpin' jive seems somewhat out of place here. The same can be said in spades for Amos Milburn's "Bow Wow" which is a rather chaotic instrumental first released as the B-Side of "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby" in 1949. What on Earth is it doing on this album? It sounds like it's been beamed in from another planet or even another galaxy.

Original Issue Details

Wilbur Whitfield And The Pleasers - P.B. Baby / The One I Love - Aladdin 3381 - May 1957

Thurston Harris - I'm Out To Getcha' / Be Baba Leba - Aladdin 3415 - March 1958

Thurston Harris - Purple Stew / I Hear A Rhapsody (Thurston Harris and The Masters, Rufus Hunter featured vocalist) - Aladdin 3440 - November 1958

Thurston Harris - Bless Your Heart / Runk Bunk - Aladdin 3452 - April 1959

Shirley & Lee - The Flirt / Rockin' With The Clock - Aladdin 3390 - August 1957

Calvin Boze - My Friend Told Me / Hey Lawdie, Miss Claudie - Aladdin 3122 - February 1952

Calvin Boze - Keep Your Nose Out Of My Business / Good Time Sue - Aladdin 3132 - May 1952

Gene and Eunice - This Is My Story / Move It Over, Baby - Aladdin 3282 - March 1955

Gene and Eunice - Flim Flam / Can We Forget It - Aladdin 3292 - July 1955

Gene and Eunice - Let's Get Together / I'm So In Love With You - Aladdin 3321 - June 1956

Lee Allen - Rockin' At Cosmo's / Shimmy - Aladdin 3334 - September 1956

The Jivers - Little Mama / Cherie - Aladdin 3329 - August 1956

Amos Milburn - Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby / Bow Wow - Aladdin 3037 - October 1949

- All discographical information from 45worlds.com

Thanks to Joan for the Aladdin 45rpm scans. These and some more scans by Joan are included in the download.

Rock'n Roll Sock Hop (Score SLP-4018)

Side 1:
01) Rockin' With The Clock - Shirley & Lee
02) Hootchy Kootchy - Gene & Eunice
03) The One I Love - Little Wilbur & The Pleasers
04) Yak, Yak - Marvin & Johnny
05) Swing Low Sweet Cadillac Part I & II - Aggie Dukes

Side 2:
01) Lets Get Together And Rock And Roll - Gene & Eunice
02) The Flirt - Shirley & Lee
03) Pretty Eyes - Marvin & Johnny
04) P B Baby - Little Wilbur & The Pleasers
05) Midnight Mover Groover - Crawford Brothers
06) Midnight Happenins - Crawford Brothers

Rock'n Roll Sock Hop (Mega)

Rock'n Roll Sock Hop (Zippy)

Many thanks to Marv for reconstructing this Score LP which was originally issued in March 1958. And a big thank you to Joan for purchasing and ripping Aladdin single 3381, which was the only way to obtain "The One I Love" by Wilbur Whitfield and The Pleasers, or Little Wilbur & The Pleasers as they are credited on this LP.

Aladdin Records subsidiary label Score was used for issuing budget priced LPs. The Billboard Magazine issue of 31st March 1958 lists this LP plus several other Score LPs on its Long Play Albums page, under the heading "Pop - low priced." Among other Score issues of Aladdin material listed in that issue were albums by Lynn Hope, Lightnin' Hopkins, Billie Holiday, Lloyd Glenn and Shirley & Lee. The recommended retail price of each album was $3.98.

When this compilation was issued, its tracks were all fairly recent, having originally been issued on singles during 1956 and 1957. Most of the material is indeed "rock'n roll" with the sides by Shirley & Lee, Gene and Eunice, Marvin & Johnny, and Wilbur Whitfield And The Pleasers all obviously aimed at the youth market.

However, how to explain the Aggie Dukes stoned two-parter version of "Swing Low Sweet Cadillac"? It's one of the weirdest records I've heard! Dig that crazy flute playing by Buddy Collette! The two sides by the Crawford Brothers are heavy duty growling sax bump and grind. All in all an interesting mix of tracks for the clean cut young dancers depicted on the record sleeve.

Tracks Originally Issued On The Following Singles:

Shirley & Lee - The Flirt / Rockin' With The Clock - Aladdin 3390 - August 1957

Gene and Eunice - I'll Never Believe In You / Hootchy-Kootchy - Aladdin 3315 - March 1956

Gene and Eunice - Let's Get Together / I'm So In Love With You - Aladdin 3321 - June 1956

Wilbur Whitfield And The Pleasers - P. B. Baby / The One I Love - Aladdin 3381 - May 1957

Marvin & Johnny - Pretty Eyes / Yak-Yak - Aladdin 3371 - April 1957

Aggie Dukes - Swing Low Sweet Cadillac Part I / Swing Low Sweet Cadillac Part II - Aladdin 3364 - March 1957

Crawford Brothers - Midnight Mover Groover / Midnight Happenins - Aladdin 3375 - May 1957

Thanks to original uploaders of the artwork and some of the sound files used here, and of course thanks again to Marv and Joan. More Aladdin sides on the way soon!