Virgil

The Rockats (2)

Country: Holland
Genre: Psychobilly

Martijn Spanteren: guitar, vocals
Arjan de Witt: electric bass, vocals
Jottum: drums
Remko Visser: drums

The Rockats, not to be confused with the famous American neo-rockabilly band, were a psychobilly trio from Amsterdam. They formed in November 1987 and in May of the following year they recorded their first album “The first Take Off” for Tombstone Records. It contains some good songs but the global sound is a bit “young”. One year later they released “Keep On Turning”, still on Tombstone, with their new drummer Remko Visser. “The Last Crusade”, their third and last album appeared in 1990 showing a slight change in the sound with more agressive melodies and metal influences.
After the band split, Remko Visser remained active, playing with Asmodeus.

The First Take Off ‎- Tombstone Records Tomb-Disc 671 (1988)
Keep On Turning ‎- Tombstone Records Tomb-Disc 675 (1989)
The Last Crusade – Tombstone Records Tomb-disc 687 (1990)

Jive Bombers (the)

The Jive Bombers - Hit the deck, it's...
The Jive Bombers – Hit the deck, it’s…

The Jive Bombers – Hit the Deck! It’s… the Jive Bombers

Texas Jamboree TexJam0068  [1999]
Whirlin’ – Walk the Chalk Line – Home Cooking – Daddy Likes to Mambo – Misunderstood – I Don’t Believe – Each Day – The Wine Goes in (And the Truth Comes Out) – Gotta Gimme What’cha Got – Oh, What a Dream – Walkin’ Slippin’ and Slidin’ – The Hucklebuck – Travelin’ Baby – Missouri Pacific on Santa Fe – Beat on the Boogie

The Austin based Jive Bombers formed in Fall 1997 on the ashes of the Big Town Swingtet. They consisted of Dana Dattalo (Jubilettes) on vocals, Vance Hazen on bass, Bobby Horton (Horton Brothers, Deke Dickerson…) on guitar, T.D. Motycka (Nick Curran) on saxes, Derek Peterson (Kidd Pharaoh) on piano, and Shaun Young (High Noon) on drums and vocals and they played post-world war II jump and jive and hot rockin’ rhythm’n’blues. Dattalo has a superb and powerful voice that suits that genre perfectly and Shaun Young sings a couple too, including some duets with her. Billy Horton produced it at Fort Horton, so you can expect warm and vintage sound.
They covered songs from Julia Lee, Ruth Brown, Buddy Johnson, Ann Cole but have solid originals mostly written by Young. Most of this songs has a strong dancefloor appeal and are sure to make you move your feet.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

The Jive Bombers (Shaun Young, Dana Dattalo, Bobby Horton, Derek Peterson, Vance Hazen, Murph Motycka)
The Jive Bombers (Shaun Young, Dana Dattalo, Bobby Horton, Derek Peterson, Vance Hazen, Murph Motycka)

Planet Rockers (the)

planetrockersPlanet Rockers (the) – Return of the Planet Rockers

Witchcraft WCILP/CD 106 {2014}
Saturday Night In Oak Grove – Stranger Dressed In Black – Snakebit – Showdow – Heavy On My Mind – Moon Over Memphis – Man Whitout A Star – Voodoo Woman – Whatcha Gonna Do – Jenny Lee – Hold On – Dateless Night – Long Gone Daddy – Sinnerman – Southwind – Indian Giver – Nashville Woman

The Planet Rockers are back!  The original line-up: Sonny George and his deep voice, Eddie Angel with his sharp riffs and one of the best rhythm section in activity, Mark Winchester and Bill “Thunder” Swartz respectively on double bass and drums.
When you listen to this rockin’ platter you wouldn’t believe that 20 years have passed since the four of them recorded theit last album together. they sound as fresh and powerful as yesterday. No they’re even more powerful.
Recorded in Memphis, Tennessee at Sam Phillips recordings, this brand new album finds them mixing swamp blues, rockabilly, country rock, rock’n’roll to create their own Planet Rockers style with songs borrowed from the catalog of Cordell Jackson, Hayden Thompson, Tony Joe White, Frankie Laine, Jerry Reed, Dale Hawkins, Simon Stokes and the Nighthawk and more surprising Electric Light Orchestra. The lack of originals (only two, one by Eddie Angel, an instrumental, and another one by Mark Winchester)  is not a problem for once these four men play a song it becomes instantly a Planet Rockers song.
With that album, the Planet Rockers are back to the one and only place they deserve, the top! Welcome back, guys, we missed ya a lot and don’t make us wait too long for the next one!

The Planet Rockers – Coming In Person

planet rockers

No Hit Records 005 [1991]
Trouble Up The Road – Big Wheel – Tennessee Woman – Big Daddy – One’s all the Law will Allow – Spin My Wheels – Gotta Rock – Truck’s Driver Rock – Yes I Do – Trouble Time

For a long while, the Rockabilly scene was dominated by the European bands. But in the end of the 80’s, all of sudden, the States took the bull by the horn and came back to claim their heritage with bands like Big Sandy, High Noon, Dave and Deke and of course the Planet Rockers.
Their debut album was an instant revelation. Coming from Nashville, they were as far as possible from the modern country sound that dominated the town and played a brand of rock’n’roll/rockabilly with a strong country rock feel and blues elements thrown in for good measure.
Their style sounded like a cross between Tex Rubinowitz (not surprinsing since Eddie Angel originally came from the Washington scene) and Sleepy LaBeef. The Planet Rockers were the agregation of four strong personalities, each bringing its own touch to forge their sound. On the front, their was Sonny George’s distinctive deep voice. Eddie Angel on guitar sounded like Scotty Moore, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Earl Hooker and James Burton all rolled into one. 
The rhythm section was also top notch with Bill Swartz on drums and Mark Winchester on double bass (he later joined Brian Setzer).
Accept no substitute, this is the real sound of American Rock’n’roll. Essential with a capital E. 

Raw Deal (Paul Fenech, Nigel Lewis, Pat Panioty and Terry Earl)

Raw Deal - Pat Panioty, Paul Fenech, Nigel Lewis and Terry Earl.
Raw Deal – Pat Panioty, Paul Fenech, Nigel Lewis and Terry Earl.

Though Raw Deal lasted less than a year a performed something like 15 or 20 gigs together they remain a very important band in the burgeoning rockabilly scene of the late 70’s.
Raw Deal (named after the Junior Thompson’s song whose band was named… the Meteors) formed after Rock Therapy disbanded in mid 1979. Rock Therapy was Paul Fenech (guitar, vocals), Nigel Lewis (bass, guitar), Steve Burrough (guitar), Pete Taylor (guitar) and Rob Glazebrook (drums). Burrough and Taylor were the first to leave and soon Glazebrook announced he no longer wanted to play drums but guitar instead.
Through Nick Garrard Lewis and Fenech met Terry Earl who had left Flying Saucers. Earl brought Pat Panioty (who played in the Phantom and previously Rebound) and the Raw Deal was born.
All those who saw them were very impressed but sadly they never had a record out.
By all accounts they were very raw,  savage and wild, with Fenech and Lewis pushing the boundaries of traditionnal rockabilly which eventually led Terry Earl to leave in the first half of 1980 soon followed by Panioty.
Pat Panioty went on to form the Deltas, Earl joined the Dynamite band then the Rapiers and the Avengers and Fenech and Lewis recruited Mark Robertson and the Meteors were born. The rest, as they say, is history.

Jess and Jill and the Sinners

Jess and Jill and the Sinners formed around 1993 after the Bugaloos went their separate ways. The first line-up was Esther van der Meer (aka Lil’ Esther) and Marja both from the Bugaloos on vocals with Jan van Leewen (ex Chessnuts) on drums,  Peter Crowfield on double bass and Tjarko Jeen on guitar, both from the Tinstars.
After a year with the band, Marga left and was replaced by Diane (now in Laverne and the Rhythm Kings) but the band split in 1996. They played in Holland, of course, and Germany, Swiss, Belgium (where they backed Al Ferrier) and France.
Esther has found memories about this band “It was mostly straight rockabilly harmony stuff but it was so much fun to do.”  She also explains why the band stopped “We did some great gigs but Tjarko and Peter were to busy with the Tinstars at the time so the band just faded away you might say.”
I don’t think they ever released anything (maybe a demo?), if you have more infos, feel free to contact us.

jess-jill
Jess and Jill first line-up, circa 1993.

The Four Star Combo – Wait A Minute Baby!

Four Star Combo - Wait A Minute Baby!
Four Star Combo – Wait A Minute Baby!

Man-O-Man Records 1001 [2014]
Wait a Minute, Baby – (I Got) a Hole in My Pocket – Conscience to the Wind – Beehive Baby – Down in the Alley – Buzzsaw – Croc-O-Doll – Lover Not a Fighter – Slipping Out and Slipping In – It’s Love, Baby (24 Hours a Day) – Jeepster – Blue Tricks

Wait A Minute Baby is the band’s debut album, though they already relased one demo with their former bass player.
The Four Star Combo is Ron Scott on lead vocals, guitar and harmonica; Eric Hurtt on lead guitar; Donovan Stokes on double bass and Drake Sorey on drums.
The album kicks off with amid-tempo rockabilly with nice picking from Hurtt and a good balance between the bass and the drums. Things get more frantic with their cover of (I Got) A Hole In My Pocket that even has a slight neo-rockabilly feel in it (but not enough to hurt the purists). Back to a more traditional sound with the hillbilly tinged Conscience to the Wind that has a bit of “Heartache by the Numbers” flair in the melody. Beehive Baby is another one on the neo-side and reminds a bit of Levi Dexter. They turn Memphis Minnie’s Down In the Alley into a solid rockabilly-blues stroller while Buzzsaw is a surf instrumental that shows the diversity and the skill of the band. Next is Crock-O-Doll,a Rockabilly/Rock’n’Roll number that wouldn’t be out of place on the Ripsaw label, think Billy Hancock. Back to Rockabilly-blues with Lazy Lester’s Lover Not A Fighter that sees lead singer Ron Scott playing some harmonica. It’s time for lead guitarist Eric Hurtt to take the lead vocals on a period perfect cover of Slipping Out and Slipping In. It’s Love Baby is straight ahead blues with once again a top notch guitar solo, it’s just too bad that Scott kept his harmonica in his pocket on this one. Some would find surprising to find a cover of T-Rex on Rockabilly album but if you remember the Polecats version you know it suits the genre perfectly. They deliver a good version though Scott seems a little less at ease on this one than on the other songs. Blue Tricks ends this good and eclectic album on a fast paced note.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

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