Virgil

WIld Ones (the)

Wild OnesWild Ones (the) – Feelin’ Good

Migraine Bop 32 [2018]
Feelin’ Good – I’m Coming Home

One of Europe’s best rockin’ band returns thirty years after its latest release. I really liked the Wild Ones back in the days and to be honest I didn’t know what to expect with this new release. Would it be as good as their old recording, Wouldn’t it tarnish the legacy of the band? What if Dee had lost his voice? My fear quicky vanished as soon as I played the record. The Wild Ones still have it and with the help of Tony LaMonica their newly recruited guitar player they rock like hell.
These two sides are full of rockin’ blues with mean guitar and equally mean blues harp (and yes, Wild One Dee still has his voice). Now, let’s just hope this is a warming up before a full LP.
Limited edition.


Wild Ones - Sounds like Gene Vincent
Wild Ones – Sounds like Gene Vincent

Wild Ones (the) – Sounds like Gene Vincent

Rockouse – MLP 8804   [1988]
Wildcat Boogie – Two Eyes – Ain’t She Sweet – It Won’t Work – My Baby She’s Gone – In My Dreams – Cruisin’

With such a title and musicians dressed like the Blue Caps circa 1956 you won’t be surprised to find more than a strong Gene Vincent influence on this mini-lp.
In My Dreams, Cruisin and Ain’t She Sweet are lifted from the Sreaming Kid repertoire and a fourth cover, Two Eyes, is a Tommy Steele song. They are played with the right energy and intensity in the vocals and the guitarist is good enough to play some Cliff Gallup inspired parts and despite being very close to the originals, they are not just note for note versions.
The remaining three songs are penned by the band’s singer Didier Borra.
Both It Won’t Work and Wildcat Boogie previously appeared on a single and sound as good as anything the early Blue Cat Trio released. Though there’s no indications of recording date or place, one can assume that all the songs come from the same sessions, or at least the same period, that is to say 1983.
The remaining song, My Baby She’s Gone, is by far the best of the album, opening with a strong slapping bass for two and a half minutes of Rockabilly. It would later be reworked under a new title and with a new sound for the band’s debut album « Crossroads ».


The Wild Ones – Crossroads

Accord – 130082 [1987]
The Best Way To Jive – I’m Back  Got My Mojo Working  Cat Squirrel  The Southern Cats Are.. Go!  Lust For Life  I’ll Go Down To Hell With You  Cold Grey Town  Evil Creature On The Go  Cat Woman

wild onesIn the first half of the eighties, The Wild Ones released singles heavily influenced by Gene Vincent before evolving and expanding their sound, developing a personal style. The Best Way To Jive, which opens the album, represents this open-mindedness, mixing blues harmonica, organ, jazzy guitar and superb rhythm, including delicate brushed snare. More powerful is their cover of Doctor Ross’ Cat Squirrel.

A female singer joins Didier Borra to sing the country-tinged The Southern Cats Are Go. If she’s sometimes a little bit out of tune, she compensates with energy and enthusiasm, and the song remains catchy and pleasant. The group had previously recorded Cold Grey Town under the title Baby She’s Gone. Here, the tune is transfigured, the Rockabilly style of the original giving way to blues-rock with strong Thorogood accents (although with a powerful double bass.) The same can be said of I’m Back, which drowns the listener under a deluge of slide guitar and rushes like a train through the night. Borra gives everything, close to suffocation, supported by a group on fire (this phenomenal double bass again and again).

The Wild Ones do not hesitate to appropriate Iggy Pop’s Lust For Life (which was begging for that) and transform it into punkabilly blues with the best effect. The first chords of Down to Hell suggest a calmer song and a little rest for our unfortunate legs. Then, the group suddenly launches into superb rock ’n ’ roll, which allows us to appreciate the excellent production work and the subtle balance, even on a fast track, between the instruments and the care taken to separate each one by giving it a specific texture. Covering Got My Mojo Working is just a formality when you have such talent.

Evil Creature cheerfully mixes blues, Johnny Kidd-style rock (Casting My Spell) and even a hint of early Psychobilly. The album closes with the melodic Catwoman.

A great album from start to finish.


Wild Ones (the) – Wildcat Boogie

Blackjack – NR 4035 [1983]
Wildcat Boogie – It Wont Work

With this second single, the Wild Ones are more confident, and the musicianship is better. The influence of Gene Vincent and bands like the Blue Cats can be heard all over those two original songs from the Cliff Gallup inspired guitar solo to the production.
Note: the bass player on this single and the following mini-album “Sounds Like Gene Vincent” is Dirk Schoufs who later formed Vaya Con Dios with whom he found success. Sadly he died in 1991.


Wild Ones (the) – I’m A Wild One Baby!!!

Little Big One ‎– L.B.O. 116 [1981]
I’m A Wild One baby!!! – Crying All Alone
Released in 1981, this is the debut single from this famous Belgium band. As one can guess, it’s a bit young and needs some cohesion in places, but the result is quite pleasant.
“I’m a Wild One Baby!!!” lives to its title with call and response from the band, screams, and whistles, the whole thing played at a frantic pace.
The flip side is a mid-tempo with some Cavan vibe and an exciting guitar solo.

wild ones
The Wild Ones [Sounds Like Gene Vincent line-up]

The Surfin’ Wombatz

The Surfin’ Wombatz – Lager Loutz

Nervous Records – NERD 045 [1989]
Take the Money and Run – Bad Company Blues – Down the Line – Manhunt – The Sound – I Hear the Pounding of My Heart – Dick Turpin – Welcome to the Nightmare – Trapped in My Bottle of Beer – Norman – Moving Down the Street – No More – Wild Man – Make Your Name Count

the Surfin' Wombatz

The Surfin Wombatz were formed around 1987. In 1988, they appeared on the Zorch Factor 3 compilation with the excellent I Hear The Pounding Of My Heart. They can also be heard on the compilation I Ain’t Lonely No More (Fury Records) with Wild Man, another good track.
In February 1989, the group recorded their first album for Nervous Records titled ”Lager Loutz”. The band’s name and the album’s title say it all: the Surfin’ Wombatz are a pleasant group, here for having some fun and probably the beer.
They play a traditional Psychobilly, that is to say, with a light guitar (even a little under-mixed at times) and a very present rhythm section. They clearly don’t have the ambition to revolutionize the genre, and their Psychobilly, tinged with skiffle at times thanks to the presence of a washboard, is rather enjoyable… up to a certain point. Over the length of the album (fourteen tracks!), the group shows its limits. The singer’s voice using always the same mannerisms ends up getting boring, and the compositions lack originality, and all sound a bit similar. The presence of Trapped In My Bottle Of Beer, sung by the guitarist, offers a welcome variation in an album that is a bit monotonous over the long haul. In the end, the Surfin’ Wombatz are more of a compilation group, or perhaps they should have, like many bands of this era, released a mini-album more focused on their qualities.

The Radioactive Kid

Shook Boys

Shook Boys – Shook Boys

Self-released [2023]
I Can’t Control – Blue Eyes, Black Hair – Dead By 22 – Tell On You – Love Bandit Jones – Miss Anne – Oh Annie

Shook Boys

If you like bluettes, delicate Rockabilly (a la Ricky Nelson or Buddy Holly) or more hillbilly-oriented Rockabilly, go your way. The Shook Boys are not for you! The Shook Boys are mean, raw and wild.
This Canadian combo formed by Murry Robe (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Big Mark (lead guitar), Mack Black (double bass) and Rockin’ Paddy (drums) plays frenetic, desperate and white-hot Rockabilly and Rock’n’Roll. Their natural environment does not seem to be the countryside or the bayou, but rather the asphalt and the urban jungle. Musically, they belong to the same family as Gene Maltais, Benny Joy or, closer to us, the Raging Teens, Johnny Carlevale and The Racketeers.

Armed with a repertoire of short, even ultra-short tunes, the group exudes an energy close to violence at times. But unlike others who confuse speed with haste or drown everything in a deluge of decibels, the Shook Boys opt for contained energy, always close to breaking. It is the interpretation that gives this feeling of power, not the noise they produce. Because when you listen closely, you realize that the group plays at a relatively low volume, and, except for the electric guitar (and what a guitar!), the sound is generally acoustic, notably a superb rhythm guitar.
Even when the group ventures to play a calmer and almost doo-wop number (Oh Annie, which sounds like a slow version of the Dell Vikings’ Come Go With Me), the result is somehow disturbing and even uncomfortable. But don’t think that it’s a gloomy album. It’s overflowing with vitality and, at times, humour, like on the excellent “Tell On You”.
Now, don’t trust my words; trust your ears and listen to this highly recommendable album here.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Mac Curtis

Mac Curtis – Rocks

Bear Family BCD 17719 [2023]
Wake Up Rock’n Roll Rock-A-Baby – Real God Itch – What You Want – Goosebumps – Hard Hearted Girl – Little Miss Linda – That’s How Much I Love You – Sidething – Don’t You Love Me – That Ain’t Nothing But Right – Half Hearted Love – You Ain’t Treatin’ Me Right – If I Had Me a Woman – Say So – Just So You Call Me – Grandaddy’s Rockin’ – You Oughta See Grandma Rock – Party Line – Rockin’ Mother – No – Good Rockin’ Tomorrow – For Your Love – Missy Ann – You Are My Very Special Baby – The Low Road – How Long Will It Take – Good Love, Sweet Love – Been Gone a Long Time – Hey Hey Little Lady – Show Me the Money – Little Mama Have Mercy – John Lewis – Flat Top Cat (dedicated to Mac Curtis)

Mac Curtis

I can’t imagine anyone seriously interested in Rockabilly not knowing the name of Mac Curtis and how great he was. But, since the genre is still alive and well and the scene is generating new fans, it’s a mighty good idea from the venerable German label to add Mac Curtis to his flawless “Rocks” series.
The very fact of introducing the genius of Mac Curtis to a new generation would justify the existence of this compilation. But its interest goes beyond that. This collection brings together almost all the King sides (perhaps missing one or two tracks but of lesser importance). Still, it goes beyond the 50s to add recordings from different periods of his career, including the sides recorded for Rockin’ Ronny Weiser on Rollin’ Rock in the early 70s, as well as three tracks from his album released in 1998 on Vinyl Japan/Jappin’n’Rockin on which the excellent Rimshots accompanied him.

Whatever the era, Curtis remains a master of Rockabilly. His King sides are flawless and should be studied by all aspiring singers and songwriters interested in this type of music. Very few before or after him achieved this perfect balance between his rich and warm voice, the hiccups typical of Rockabilly and stripped-down instrumentation, including at times a huge double bass sound. It’s very well done on the part of Bear Family to have kept in its selection the dark and sinister The Low Road, one of Curtis’s peaks.
After working as a DJ and recording country-inspired albums (see the recent reissue on Bluelight), Mac Curtis returned to his Rockabilly roots in the early 1970s under the leadership of Ronny Weiser. The songs recorded for Rollin Rock are wilder and rawer in terms of sound but perfectly capture the energy and urgency of this music. They perfectly complement the King’s sides.
Finally, the three tunes recorded with the Rimshots conclude this selection in style. Curtis is in great form, and the Rimshots were one of the best bands on the scene at the time. As a bonus, you have a song written and performed by John Lewis of the Rimshots as a tribute to the singer.
Very intelligently, the songs are not presented in chronological order, which allows you to navigate between periods and eras while being constantly surprised.
As usual, the label has done things well, and a copious and complete booklet accompanies the disc.
If you are new to the work of Mac Curtis, this compilation is exactly what you need. If you already know him, it may also interest you because you may very well discover some gems there.

Available here.

Mac Curtis – Early In The Morning/Nashville Marimba Band

mac curtisBluelight Records – BLR 33224 2
Early In The Morning – Big Boss Man – Ain’t That A Shame – Blues Man – Baby What You Want Me To Do – Maybelline – Gulf Stream Line – Stagger Lee – I’d Run A Mile – I Got A Woman – When The Hurt Moves In – Him Or Me (What’s It Gonna Be) – Running Bear – I Fall To Pieces – Gentle On My Mind – For The Good Times – Orange Blossom Special – Spanish Eyes – Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town – Careless Hands – Help Me Make It Through The Night – Devil’s Dream – Pistol Packin’ Mama – She Knows All The Good Ways To Be Bad

In 1970 Mac Curtis recorded Early in the Morning, an album on which he revisited songs from the fifties with a Country edge. The songs came from the catalogues of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Jerry Reed, Ray Charles, Lloyd Price, etc., with a couple of originals thrown in for good measure.
The repertoire ranged from the bluesy, albeit with steel guitar, Baby What You Want Me to Do, to the Country shuffle of When The Hurts Moves In, which would be perfect for Dale Watson, with a bit of Swamp Rock in between with Gulfstream Line. The majority of the remaining songs are on a thin line between country and Rock’n’roll, and the result is close to what Carl Perkins recorded during the same period.
The musicianship is excellent throughout, but that’s not a surprise with musicians like Tommy Allsup and Leon Rhodes on guitars, Charlie McCoy on harmonica, DJ Fontana on drums, and Curtis’s deep and rich voice beautifully serves the whole album.
The following year, Mac Curtis returned to the studio to record Mac Curtis’ Nashville Marimba band in one day. This is a surprising album, to say the least. Still, with a crew of first-rate musicians, Curtis revisits a set of Country classics in instrumental versions done in an exotica/easy-listening mood. However, it features some sparkling moments on guitar and hot fiddle parts from Johnny Gimble. It’s the kind of album you’re happy to own and play to your friends to see their reaction. You really have to hear their version of Gentle On My Mind to believe it.
Two excellent Country numbers with a Rockabilly feel, recorded in 1974, rounds up the set.
All in all, you have one excellent album, a curiosity and two hot bonus tracks. That’s more than enough to make you jump on this reissue.


mac-curtis-rollinrock
Mac Curtis – the Rollin Rock Recordings 1

Mac Curtis – the Rollin Rock Recordings 1

Part records
Big D Women – Baby Let’s Play House – Heartbreakin’ Mama – Fannie Mae – Sidetrack Mama – Holdin’ On – Good Rockin’ Tonight – Amarillo Killer – Hot Rocks – Crazy Crazy Lovin’ – Wild Wild Women – You Hurt Me – Sexy Ways – Good Rockin’ Tomorrow – Wake Up Rock’n’roll Rock-A-Baby – Hard Hearted Girl – Party Line – Turn To Me – For Your Love – Rockabilly Uprising – Been Gone A Long Time – Juice Box – Gone Out Of My Mind – Wildcat Tamer – Let’s Go

Mac Curtis is a true Rockabilly legend and in my humble opinion he recorded some of the very best sides of the genre. In 1972 he got in touch with the no-less legendary Ronnie Weiser of Rollin’ Rock and Ray Campi (the full story is explained in the very informative booklet featuring notes by Mac Curtis himself) to make some new Rockabilly recordings.
The first album to result from those sessions was Ruffabilly on which he’s backed by Campi (dobro, guitar, bass), Steve Bailey (drums) and Jimmie Lee Maslon on harmonica for one track. This is superior Rockabilly music, especially if you replace it in the period (the 70’s) with powerful slap bass and at the time with the exception of Charlie Feathers very few could come closer to the real thing than Mac Curtis. The liner notes explain why there are three Johnny Carroll tunes on that album: Campi and Curtis believed that the singer had died and wanted to pay homage to him.
The second album included here is “Good Rockin’ Tomorrow” and is equally good with Campi playing all the instruments and Billy Zoom (X) guesting on saxophone. In all you have 25 recordings that are 25 little rockabilly gems that deserve to be in anyone’s collection. They also show the importance of Mac Curtis and Rollin Rock on the European scene in the 70’s from the Teddy Boys to the burgeoning psychobilly scene.

Termites (the)

The Termites – Raucous 4 Track E.P.

Raucous Records RAUC008
Every Time– Rockin’ All Night / Home Sweet Home–Long Time Now

The Termites

The Termites were a Psychobilly band from Scotland. They formed in the second half of the eighties. In 1987, they appeared on the compilation album Gypsy Girl with the excellent Devil Call. The following year, they released their first EP on Raucous Records. The band was then Ewin Murray on drums, Scott “Bally” Ballantine on guitar, Kenny Mitchell on vocals and Gerry Doyle on electric bass. The Psychobilly they play is very aggressive and fast, with distorted guitar in the wake of the early Coffin Nails, the Krewmen and sometimes Mitchell’s voice sounds a bit like a wild and demented version of Pip (Guana Batz). The whole thing is rather pleasant and well done, albeit not very original.It could be a tad repetitive on a long-play, but the EP format suits them well.

The Radioactive Kid

Scamps (the)

scamps

Scamps (the) – Shake Your Hips

Nervous Records NEP 006 [1991]
Shake Your Hips (live) / Afore Ye Go – Keep On Going Straight

Scamps

The Scamps first recorded Shake Your Hips on their debut mini-album in 1986 in their “Restless meets the Keytones” style. This Iive version recorded in 1991 is way more heavier with a steady and menacing beat. There’s a very great solo by Joël Lagnier on guitar and the band knows how to interact with the audience.
The two tracks on side B comes from the album Mayday and both are self-penned. Afore Ye Go is a superb modern Rockabilly, led by Joël’s slide guitar and a solid double-bass. Keep On Going Straight is a fast tune on a boogie-rock beat (think Sure Like The Look In Your Eyes). Both songs are close to what Restless recorded with Steve Whitehouse on Movin’ On.


Scamps (the) – Play Man

Note Records – SCAMPS 1 [1989]
Play Man – Hayride to Hell / Shake Your Hips – Sh-Boom

Scamps - Play Man

The Scamps (Bruno Peisey: vocals, Frédéric Mascrier: double bass, Joël Lagnier: guitar and Alain Fatras: drums) released this maxi single in 1989 on Note Records, a German label. The A-side consists of two new recordings. The title track is a superb Neo-Rockabilly that equals anything recorded by Restless on Beat My Drum. The western-tinged Hayride to Hell is a cover of Hoodoo Gurus. The song shows that the band draws inspiration from a wide range of styles.
On side B are two songs from the band’s debut mini-LP that have become stage favourites over the years: the Keytones-sounding Sh-Boom and their excellent rendition of Slim Harpo’s Shake Your Hips.


Scamps (the) – Don’t Be Worried

Studio SDH – SDH311 [1984]
Don’t Be Worried / Live Fast Die Young

scamps

Debut single by the Scamps before they morphed into a Keytones / Restless influenced band. On this single the line-up of this French band was Bruno Peisey (vocals), Joël Lagnier (guitar), Frederic Mascrier (slap bass) and Marc Kornet (drums.)
A-side starts with a slow introduction then evolved into a mean rockabilly with a touch of psychobilly. B-side is a cover of the Blue Cats.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

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