Various Artists - Rock & Roll The First 50 Years: The Early 60`s

Artist:

Various Artists

UPC:

030206655728

Description:

Audio Remixers: Evren G¿knar; Marty Wekser.
Liner Note Author: Bill Dahl.
Photographer: Billy Vera.
Arrangers: Joe Rene; Billy Mure; Burt Bacharach; Carole King.
There`s nothing too obscure or thematically ambitious about this compilation: it`s just a 25-song collection of Top Tenners from 1960-63, taken from all corners of the pop-rock spectrum. Maybe it`s too predictable for some listeners, particularly collectors who are likely to have much or all of this somewhere else in their library. But on its own terms, it`s very good, and in its own way a demonstration that the early `60s were far from a desert for creative rock`n`roll, spawning their share of both great classics and hits that, if not classic, were at least pretty fun. As far as great classics, this disc gives you Little Eva`s "The Loco-Motion," Ben E. King`s "Stand By Me," Gene Chandler`s "Duke of Earl," the Everly Brothers` "When Will I Be Loved," Del Shannon`s "Runaway," Dee Clark`s "Raindrops," the Shirelles` "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?," and Bruce Channel`s "Hey! Baby." As far as songs that are at the very least a heck of a lot of a fun, there`s Bobby Lewis` "Tossin` and Turnin`," Ernie Maresca`s "Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)," Freddy Cannon`s "Palisades Park," Billy Bland`s "Let the Little Girl Dance," and Hank Ballard & the Midnighters` "Finger Poppin` Time." You also get teen idols (Jimmy Clanton`s "Venus in Blue Jeans," Ricky Nelson`s "Travelin` Man"), instrumental rock (Duane Eddy`s "Because They`re Young"), and melodrama (Gene Pitney`s "Only Love Can Break a Heart"). True, only a couple of these items have escaped incessant oldies rotation, those being the Little Dippers` easy-listening country-pop number "Forever" and, perhaps, Jimmy Charles` soul-tinged ballad "A Million to One." Should your shelves not yet be stuffed with music from the era, though, it`s a pretty good sampling of some of the era`s better music, annotated with reasonable thoroughness. ~ Richie Unterberger

Track Listing:

ROCK & ROLL: THE FIRST 50 YEARS: THE EARLY 60`S:

1. Loco-Motion, The - Little Eva
2. Big Girls Don`t Cry - The Four Seasons
3. Sugar Shack - Jimmy Gilmer
4. Stand by Me - Ben E. King
5. Because They`re Young - Duane Eddy
6. Venus in Blue Jeans - Jimmy Clanton
7. Duke of Earl - Gene Chandler
8. When Will I Be Loved? - The Everly Brothers
9. Tossin` and Turnin` - Bobby Lewis
10. Only Love Can Break a Heart - Gene Pitney
11. Runaway - Del Shannon
12. Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) - Ernie Maresca
13. I Love How You Love Me - The Paris Sisters
14. Poetry in Motion - Johnny Tillotson
15. Travelin` Man - Rick Nelson
16. Raindrops - Dee Clark
17. Bobby`s Girl - Marcie Blane
18. Forever - The Little Dippers
19. Million to One, A - The Revellettes/Jimmy Charles
20. Let the Little Girl Dance - Billy Bland
21. Will You Love Me Tomorrow? - The Shirelles
22. Finger Poppin` Time - Hank Ballard & the Midnighters
23. Hey! Baby - Bruce Channel
24. Palisades Park - Freddy Cannon
25. Two Faces Have I - Lou Christie

Album Information

Release Date:

07/13/2004

Type:

Collection

Genre:

Oldies

Subgenre:

Rock `N` Roll

Label:

Var¿se Sarabande (USA)

Producer:

Carl Davis; David Kirschner; Nick Cenci; Earl Montgomery; Marvin Holzman; Ernie Maresca; Frank Slay; Hank Ballard; Harry Balk; Hy Weiss; Aaron Schroeder; Jerry Leiber; Jimmie Haskell; Lee Hazlewood; Lester Sill; Luther Dixon; Mike Stoller; Norman Petty; Archie Bleyer; Wally Gold; Bill Smith; Phil Spector; Steve Massie; Bob Crewe; Buddy Killen; Calvin Carter; Cary E. Mansfield

Catalog Number:

066557

Original Release Year:

2004

# of Discs:

1

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Stereo

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