EDDIE COCHRAN (with Dick D'Agostin & the Swingers) - February 7th 1959 

GENE VINCENT & THE BLUECAPS - 25th Oct 1958 

GENE VINCENT & Town Hall Party Musicians - 7th November 1959 

What else do ya need to know? Buy it now! Back in the mid 1970's UA said that the well was dry, there was no more Eddie material to release. Undaunted life long fan and Rockstar label supremo Tony Barrett has made it his mission to disprove UA's glib dismissal. With a fine pedigree from the vinyl eps through this absolute gem of a release, Rockstar has a superb catalogue of Cochran/ Vincent releases. Darrel Higham's amazing Cochran Connection cd was my pick of 1998 and this will be the pick of 1999 (and of any other year). As well as the Cochran catalogue Rockstar also was responsible for the legendary Jerry Mercer and Narvel Felts Radio Rockabillies release.  

A recent media course I attended said that commentators/reviewers should be impartial and balanced but hell, did Eddie Cochran change their lives back in 1964?? When the postie delivered this goodie today from Mr Hot Rod Pyke I felt the same excitement as I did back in running home from the local record emporium in 74 frantically devouring the sleeve notes of Eddie Cochran "On The Air" lp. 

There's a superbly detailed and richly illustrated booklet with all the gen in Rockstar tradition. Tasters of California's seminal Town Hall Party Tv Show  have featured on other cds in the past. The interesting history of the show is covered in the booklet. This cd however, answers the prayers of many of us by giving a glimpse of what our heroes sounded like blasting through the ether to those lucky young westerners plonked in front of a black n white tv set. Tv didn't reach the Davies household in North Wales until November 63, the week of JFK's assassination! 

First up is Eddie, four days after the death of his friend Buddy Holly, in February 1959. Introduction to the spot is by Jay Stewart and Dick D'Agostin & the Swingers zip through an instrumental before Dick introduces Eddie. The boys storm through C'Mon Everybody with Connie Guybo Smith's bass well to the fore, Dick's piano adds a new dimension to the song. Catering to the country audience Eddie performs a heartfelt Have I Told You Lately That I Love You featuring the band on backing vocals, Eddie`s husky sensual performance draws good applause at the end. 

Interesting to compare these performances with Eddie's UK Tv shows from a year later. The backing is more sympathetic and the bonus of no Vernon Girls screeching in the background!  Rockstar have again confirmed that Eddie was a great fan of New Orleans r&b, by previously giving us his version of Chris Kenner's great Sick 'n Tired (recorded by Eddie before Fats' cover) and  here with Eddie's romp through Fat's Don't Blame It On Me. Great growly vocal on this mover with plenty of piano and hard riffing guitar. Paul Coffman takes a good brief sax solo too. A real find this one. 

Finishing up his first spot Eddie closes with the now anthemic Summertime Blues, Guybo's bass and the boss' Gretsch in fine unison, Dick providing the deep asides. Enthusiastic applause brings that part to a close. Part two starts with a brief interview of Eddie by Johnny Bond, where they talk about the Cochran Brothers previous appearances on the show. Rockstar are already looking for those shows from April 27 and 28th 1956, which also featured Lefty Frizzel! Some of the band are also interviewed with Eddie singing their praises. A fine articulate and sympathetic interview not at all like Marty Wilde's embarrassing ramblings on the Uk shows. This interview delves as far back as Jimmie Rodgers bluesier sides and lasts around 7 minutes. 

Part two starts with Jay Stewart introducing Dick & the Swingers on the instrumental Night Walk with fine rasping sax and atmospheric guitar lick. Eddie opens with Schoolday, with fine guitar and piano, more uptempo and tighter  than Berry's original, unfortunately most of the first verse's vocal is off mike but nevertheless the rest is clear and rocks along. Pity Eddie never did a Berry song in the studio. Nice spoken intro by Eddie leads into Gene Autry's Be Honest With Me. Good sax solo here too and Eddie turns in a typical classy ballad vocal. 

With a doff of the hat to Elvis, the Drifters Money Honey is next, though Eddie's rasping version is far bluesier than both the other cuts. Eddie closes in fine style with his then current chart hit C'Mon Everybody, down to 51 in Billboard that week (11 weeks in the charts then). A driving rendition which leaves the kids wanting more. 

Alas, 14 brief months later it all ended on an English roadway in the early hours of that dark day, but thanks to Rockstar's team we can lift the curtain one more time and glimpse Eddie's talents once more. As excited as this cd will get you, think what the possible video release of this material will do to you if it comes out. I'm off to buy spare boxer shorts now! Top marks to Alan Stoker the audio engineer at the Country Music Foundation who transferred the sound from the original aged kinescope soundtrack, and also Adam Skeaping who mastered the cd. Messres Barrett and Glenister and all involved in this worthy project deserve a place in rock n roll Valhalla. 

Suppose I'd better keep Rod happy by mentioning the Vincent shows included here! On October 25th 1958 Jay Stewart introduces Eddie's compadre the immortal Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps. Whilst Steve Aynsley and the fan club have kept Gene's fans ticking over  with the Magnum label live/studio recordings this is a taste of prime Capitol era Mr Craddock. Gene n Caps stalk their way through the sublimal (Eat yer heart out Cleveland's alleged hall Of Fame!!) Be-Bop-A-Lula, Caps here are the great Johnny Meek on guitar, Cliff Simmons on 88s, Grady Owen on bass and Clyde Pennington on drums. New Orleans r&b to the fore on Huey Smith's classic High Blood Pressure, with the Caps "Oh Yeah"ing in fine style, nice piano on this lengthy cut. Storming take on Rip It Up follows, Gene`s frantic vocalising accentuated by Meek`s stinging guitar cutting loose, think I prefer this to the issued Capitol cut. 

Second part of the show features the wild cat on Dance To The Bop, the on set photos hint at the frantic but controlled energy on stage with Gene in classic mike leaning mode, clad in black with a light jacket, with his Caps closely clustered around him. Tony where's that video? Man we need it now! Then a nice intro to Hank's immortal You Win Again performed as Gene says in the intro in "Jerry Lee Lewis style". A nice tribute to the Killer who was experiencing the sudden fall from fame's fickle hand that would also bedevil Norfolk's finest. From out of left field Gene springs the unexpected, Jerry Butler's great For Your Precious Love, rippling piano and clear guitar intro. Gene's skill as a balladeer is what places him in the pantheon of all time great vocalists in my opinion. Fantastic rendition, you gotta hear this. Gene prefaced the song with the news that he was heading north to hospital and would be parting from the Caps for a while (little did we know!). Another leg operation as we now know failed to cure the abuse he'd given the leg night after night on stage. The song encapsulates the sadness that seemed to follow Gene around his all too brief life. 

November 7th 1959 saw Gene return to the show "Caps"less alas, though he did have Jerry Merritt on guitar, they'd played in Alaska and Japan before Gene tried to escape personal and business woes by crossing the Atlantic soon afterwards. Just like Eddie he storms through a Chuck Berry classic, Roll Over Beethoven. Even though Jimmy Pruett on piano does his best you feel that the Caps would've turned this into a barnstormer. Gene's melancholic side appears in a most worthy attempt  at Over The Rainbow, with Jerry's poignant guitar helping out. The next song is prefaced with the comment "going to do one now, if Capitol records ever catch me they'll probably kill me!!!". Jerry's guitar picks up the beat after a plodding start to She She Little Sheila.  Great photos of high school sweater clad Gene on stage here too. If only Gene and the caps could've stayed together or achieved another hit in 1958.

There we have it, nearly one hour of prime time fifties music in this hot little cd. Both artists captured in their final blaze of American glory before crossing the big pond and changing many of our lives over here and sadly hastening the end of their brief time with us. As we approach the millennium we can raise a glass to the many dedicated fans involved here and this fine small but highly worthy label for enabling us to sample what Californian teens took for granted back then. Gene and Eddie, rockers through and through. 

Phil Davies