More Songs From the Beginning of Rock and Roll

I decided that it was time to be a little less serious, so I thought it'd be a good time for more music. I was going to post several songs by Bill Kirchin, a contemporary guitar player, who's fantastic. But looking through my list of videos I decided instead to do several songs by early artists you may never have heard of, but are favorites of mine, and who are great too. So, here we go, or should I say hear we go....

The first is Charley Ryan doing the original Hot Rod Lincoln. In this version the lincoln engine has 12 cylinders. It's the only one that does, it took me forever to find this, I first heard it in the early 60's and didn't remember the singer just that there were 12 cylinders.

Next is Thunder Road as originally sung by Robert Mitchum. It was co-written by Mitchum too. In this video there are clips from the movie, near the end of it. The movie itself is excellent, if you haven't seen it.

Next is Jack Scott, he was at Sun Studios either around the same time or just after Elvis. This song was sung under two titles Greaseball, and LeRoy. I found it originally as LeRoy which I liked best, I wonder why? The words and music are exactly the same in both except for the words greaseball and LeRoy. Jack Scott was great, but never took off like some of the others, but was every bit as good.

Here is Johnny Burnette and the Rock & Roll Trio, a great song The Train Kept Rollin All Night Long, but the main reason I picked this video is the girls dancing, a look back in time...

Next here's Rick Nelson, everybody's heard of him, singing Just Because with Lorrie Collins of the Collins Kids, which is comprised of Larry and Lorrie Collins. I'm guessing she's 18-19 here. I was going to include the Collins Kids but decided to do this one instead, but I do want to add that they are excellent. She was about 16, and Larry Collins was maybe 11 or so when they started and at that age a better guitar player than most out there. He played with Joe Maphis, the king of the guitar, and always stayed right with him. I'll do a post with all of them another time.

Next here's Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks singing Mary Lou. This is not Hello Mary Lou, which was a Rick Nelson song. This song is much darker about a woman a lot like one I used to know, except the real one was meaner and nastier.

Here's the Sparkletone's Black Slacks, about they were about 14-16 years old at this time. The interesting thing here is Paul Anka, you've heard of him, was in the studio that day and filled in as a background singer on this recording.

I was wondering how to end this, with Wanda Jackson, or some other girl singer for contrast maybe, but then going back up the list I came across these. Very early Roy Orbison, while he was with the Teen Kings. I couldn't decide which of two, so here's both, Ooby Dooby, and Go Go Go. Both done at Sun I think.

That's it for now, enjoy....

Lee Murray