Rhythm & Rock - The Best Of Chess / Checker / Cadet

Side 1:
01. Hi-Heel Sneakers - Tommy Tucker
02. Ain't Got No Home - Clarence Henry
03. Suzie Q - Dale Hawkins
04. Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
05. Rocket "88" - Jackie Brenston
06. Wang Dang Doodle - Ko Ko Taylor
07. Rinky Dink - Dave "Baby" Cortez

Side 2:
01. School Day - Chuck Berry
02. The Walk - Jimmy McCracklin
03. Nothin' Shakin' - Eddie Fontaine
04. Sugaree - Rusty York
05. Mumblin' Guitar - Bo Diddley
06. Long Tall Shorty - Tommy Tucker
07. My Babe - Little Walter

Rhythm & Rock (Mega)

Rhythm & Rock (Zippy)

Great googa mooga! What is this Thing called Rock and Roll? Chess Records knew, that's for sure. Take some rockin' rhythm 'n' blues, add a helping of rockabilly, and garnish with a hint of Chicago Blues and you got it, baby, you got it! Ring ring goes the bell, so quit mumblin', put on your hi-heel sneakers, jump into your Rocket "88" while me and my babe wang dang doodle all night long.

This is one of the best "rock 'n' roll" compilations I've ever heard. A lean, mean, all killer-no-filler 14 track collection from the vaults of Chess, Checker and Argo (but no Cadet, despite the title). Once more it's a tale of a record that I haven't listened to for decades turning out to be a gem. It's been on repeat play on my laptop through my amp for the last four or five days much to my rockin' delight.

This post marks the introduction of my new turntable, so no more dodgy wobbly rips. Yay for direct drive! Es lebe Direktantrieb! Vive  l'entraînement direct!

Here's some CD covers relevant to"Rhythm & Rock" direct from my shelves.

Those hi-heel sneakers (look closely) just get me every time. To finish up, here's the recording session and original release details of the tracks.

Fax On The Rockin' Trax, Baby!

Tommy Tucker -

Hi-Heel Sneakers - recorded in New York on 27th November, 1963. Personnel: Tommy Tucker (vocal, organ) with: Weldon "Dean" Young (guitar); Brenda Jones (electric bass); Johnny Williams (drums).

Hi-Heel Sneakers / I Don't Want 'Cha, by Tommy Tucker, released on Checker 1067 in January 1964.

Long Tall Shorty - recorded in New York on February 26th, 1964. Personnel: Tommy Tucker (vocal, organ) with: Eddie Williams (trumpet); Solomon Hall (tenor sax); Paul Williams (baritone sax); Jimmy Oliver (guitar); James Smith (electric bass); Shep Shepherd (drums).

Long Tall Shorty / Mo' Shorty (Instrumental), by Tommy Tucker, released on Checker 1075 in April 1964.

Clarence Henry -

Ain't Got No Home - recorded in New Orleans, September 1956. Personnel: Clarence Henry (vocal) with: Edgar "Big Boy" Myles (trombone); Lee Allen, Eddie Smith (saxes); Paul Gayten (piano); Walter Nelson (guitar); Frank Fields (bass); Eugene Jones (drums).

Ain't Got No Home / Troubles, Troubles, by Clarence Henry "Frog Man," released on Argo 5259 in October 1956.

Dale Hawkins -

Suzie Q - recorded in Shreveport, 14th February, 1957. Personnel: Dale Hawkins (vocal, guitar) with: James Burton (guitar); James "Sonny" Trammell (bass), Francis Ronald "Ronnie" Lewis (drums).

Suzie-Q / Don't Treat Me This Way, by Dale Hawkins, released on Checker 863 in May 1957.

Bo Diddley -

Bo Diddley - recorded in Chicago, 2nd March, 1955. Personnel: Bo Diddley (vocal, guitar); with: Clifton James or Frank Kirkland (drums); Jerome Green (maracas).

Bo Diddley / I'm A Man, by Bo Diddley,  released on Checker 814 in April 1955.

Mumblin' Guitar - recorded in Chicago, spring 1959. Personnel: Bo Diddley (vocal, guitar) with: Clifton James (drums); Jerome Green (maracas).

Released on Checker LP 2974, "Have Guitar, Will Travel" in December, 1959.

Jackie Brenston -

Rocket 88 - recorded in Memphis, 5th March, 1951. Personnel: Jackie Brenston (vocal, baritone sax) with: Raymond Hill (tenor sax); Ike Turner (piano); Willie Kizart (guitar); Jesse Knight (bass); Willie Sims (drums).

Rocket "88" / Come Back Where You Belong, by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, released on Chess 1458 in April, 1951.

Ko Ko Taylor -

Wang Dang Doodle - recorded in Chicago, 7th December, 1965. Personnel: Ko Ko Taylor (vocal) with: Gene Barge (tenor sax); Donald Hankins (baritone sax); Lafayette Leake (piano); Buddy Guy, Johnny "Twist" Williams (guitars); Jack Myers (electric bass); Fred Below (drums); Willie Dixon (background vocal).

Wang Dang Doodle / Blues Heaven, by Ko Ko Taylor, released on Checker 1135 in March, 1966.

Dave "Baby" Cortez -

Rinky Dink - recorded in New York, 1962. Personnel: Dave "Baby" Cortez (organ) with: Joe Richardson and Jimmy Spruill (guitars); plus unknown guitar, tenor sax, electric bass, drums.

Rinky-Dink / Getting Right, by Dave Baby Cortez released on Julia 452 in 1962. Re-released on Chess 1829 in June 1962 as Rinky Dink / Getting Right, by Baby Cortez.

Chuck Berry -

School Day - recorded in Chicago on 21st January, 1957. Personnel: Chuck Berry (vocal, guitar) with: Johnny Johnson (piano); Hubert Sumlin (guitar); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell) / Deep Feeling released on Chess 1653 in March, 1957.

Jimmy McCracklin -

The Walk - recorded in Chicago in December 1957. Personnel: Jimmy McCracklin (vocal, piano) with: Johnny Parker, Willie Cowart (tenor saxes); Lafayette Thomas (guitar); unknown (bass); Ray Cotton (drums).

The Walk / I'm To Blame, by Jimmy McCracklin And His Band, released on Checker 885 in January 1958.

Eddie Fontaine -

Nothin' Shakin' - recorded in New York in 1958. Personnel: Eddie Fontaine (vocal) with: George Barnes (guitar); unknown (guitar); Eddie O'Connor (bass); Cozy Cole (drums).

Nothin' Shakin' / Don't Ya Know, by Eddie Fontaine, released on Argo 5309 in July 1958.

Rusty York -

Sugaree - recorded in Cincinnati (King Studio) in 1959. Personnel: Rusty York (vocal, guitar) with: Jimmy Risch (tenor sax); John Bower (piano); Bill Lanham (bass); Jim "Rick Sticks" Lundy (drums).

Sugaree / Red Rooster, by Rusty York was released on P.J. 45-100 in 1959. Re-released on Chess 1730 in June 1959.

Little Walter -

My Babe - recorded in Chicago on 25th January, 1955. Personnel: Little Walter (vocal, harmonica) with: Robert Jr. Lockwood and Leonard Caston (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

My Babe / Thunder Bird, by Little Walter And His Dukes, released on Checker 811 in February 1955.