Virgil

Something Shocking

Something Shocking - Pink
Something Shocking – Pink

Something Shocking – Pink

Fury Records – F3015 [1991] reissued on Vampirette Vamp104 [2005]
1.Spend, spend, spend 2.Flight 101 3.Motorbike beat 4.Something shocking pink 5.Just ain’t a man 6.Jokers wild 7.Take me for a ride 8.Cheat 9.Going nowhere fast 10.Rocking disease 11.Feels so good 12.Only good for one thing 13.Love is blind 14.Who cares 15.Gun totin’ man

Something Shocking started around late 1986/early 1987 with Vanessa Emery on bass and vocals, Doug Shepperd on guitar and Pete on drums. They soon recruited Emma Goss on double bass, allowing Vanessa to fully concentrate on vocals. The four of them recorded one song that gave its name to the sampler “Something To Remember” for Fury records. Soon after Doug left to rejoin The Rattlers where he played before. His replacement was Mike who’s just left Demented Are Go. This influence can definitely be heard on Mike’s Flight 101, which is close to DAG’s Flight 103. Mike wrote the majority of the band’s originals which eventually caused a bit of tensions within the band. This line up recorded “Pink” in two days, an album that deserves to be rediscovered today.It’s a very good lp with a wide range of influences that makes of Something Shocking a one of a kind band mixing classic psychobilly with punk, 80’s pop and 60’s girl group. It seems very unfair they never achieved a higher degree of success. The band was tight, the song were really well crafted and melodic and Vanessa’s voice is quite good. But too pop to be a major act on the psychobillly scene (though they appeared on the Big Rumble) and too psycho to seduce a big label, the band was not in a comfortable position and quickly found itself in a dead end. Seeing how some bands cross over markets today, one can only think that Something Shocking came too soon.

 

Jonny Barber & the Rhythm Razors

jonnybarber_smallRock-A-Billy Record Company
Dial 000 – Mama Said – Hot Tea – I Wanna Have A Garden

This mini cd gathers songs that were previously issued on two separate colored (gold and red) vinyl singles on Willie Lewis Rockabilly Record Company (R-7002 and R-7003).
Barber is a mighty fine singer and a good guitar player too. He’s backed by the percussive string bass of Mike Baird who previously played with Lewis on some of his recordings (try to get a copy of Delmer Supp and The Spudnicks on Bobland records, you won’t regret it). Their rockabilly draws influences from the legendary Sun records and to pursue the comparison, Barber’s vocal is not that far from the late Johnny Cash. Four great songs that match perfectly with the high standard established by the legendary Rock-A-Billy Records label.

Cyclone

cyclonethefirstofthecyclonemancdCyclone – the First of the Cyclone Men

Klang Records KLG004 [1989 – reissue 2007]
The Devil Is Knocking On My Coffin – Psyclone Shock – Bates Motel – Doctor Cyclone – Jungle Cat – Telegram Sam – Lonely Zombie – Funny Toy – Freddy Is Back

Cyclone (Andrea Camerini: lead vocal, Andrea Pesaturo: guitar, Paolo Camerini: double bass, Roberto Berini:drums, Massimo Diotallevi:alto sax) was one of the first, if not the first, psychobilly band in Italy. Their brand of psychobilly is typical of the late 80’s with influences from Mad Sin, Demented Are Go, early Coffin Nails, Batfinks etc. with distorted guitars, fast slap bass and rasping vocals. It’s very well played and better recorded than many albums from the same era. And even if it’s not always very original (you find the usual zombie, Freddy Krueger, Norman Bates lyrics and the melodies are a bit repetitive), they had the good idea to keep it short (9 songs), so in the end this album works fairly well.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

cyclone cyclonecyclone

The Kroozers (psychobilly / rockabilly)

Country: Ireland
Genre: Psychobilly

Jonny Creasey: vocals and guitar
Dave Mc Donald: vocals and guitar
Dayo Reilly: drums
Dessie Rooney: slap bass

The Kroozers were a Dublin based Psychobilly/Rockabilly outfit that were knocking around for a couple of years around the late 80’s
They played alongside a lot of acts of the day including Sharkbait, The Klingonz,The Blue Devils, Demented Are Go, Spellbound,  and even a tour with The Waterboys
They split in 1991.

Moondogs (the) – Rockabilly from Sweden

The Moondogs
The Moondogs

Country: Sweden
Genre: Rockabilly

Christer Dahlbäck – vocals, guitar
Paul Epailys – lead guitar
Jens Norstrand – double bass
Jan Nordstrand – drums

If not very original, the brand of rockabilly (with sometimes a touch of neo-rockabilly) played by the Moondogs was very pleasant. They formed around 1983 and split inlate 1987/early1988 when Dahlbäck returned to the Suncats. They released one single and one album recorded in 1986-87. They also opend for Chuck Berry.
After the split, Epailys joined the Ramrods (Johnny Andersson, bass and Peter Sandberg, drums) to replace Jan Larsen an dthe band changed its name to the Go-Getters.

Single
Long Blond Hair/Teach Me Baby – Rainbow Music ‎– RMS 111 [1986]

Album
Teenage Blues – Rainbow Music – RMLP 2015 (also on Rockhouse) [1988]

Those Handsome Devils

handsome-devils-2Country: Ireland
Genre: Rockabilly

Sean Foy: vocals/lead guitar
Frank Rynne: rhythm guitar
Pat Harte: double bass.
Leo Regan: drums

Discography
Hep Bop/Boy Meets Girls – 7” – Souterrain Records – 1984
Don’t Bring Me Down / What I Say – 7” – Solid Records – 1987

Those Handsome Devils formed in 1983, first playing inder the name of Crazy Times. At first they were just Foy and Harte busking in the streets of Dublin. Then they were joined by drummer Leo O’Regan who left after a few gigs to be replaced by Johnny Bonnie. At the same time a rhythm guitar player, Frank Rynne, was added. By the time the band recorded its first single Bonnie had left to be replaced by Leo Regan. The single was recorded at the famous Windmill Lane studios with producer P.J. Curtis. It was very well received and was made “single of the week”. Some other songs were recorded but never released at the time like the classic Johnny Cynic, an original later covered by Sharkbait (their version can be heard on the Live At the Klub Foot album) and Scared Stiff.
In 1986 the band switched to electric bass and opted for a more garage sound and released their second single but disbanded soon after.
They reformed in 2007 for a one off gig in Dublin.

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