Early ‘60s thrills from Sinatra, Davis and Martin
By the early ‘60s the Rat Pack that had once included Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Judy Garland had evolved to a Sintara-centric group (that called itself “the Summitâ€) that included fellow vocalists Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin. All three were solo recording and concert stars, but it’s their impromptu performances on one another’s Las Vegas bills that solidified their reputation for suave masculinity. The trio, along with Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop, starred in the films Ocean’s Eleven and Sergeants 3, but didn’t often record together. The 18-songs in this collection rotate through each singer’s solo recordings, and includes duets of Sinatra and Davis on “Me and My Shadow†and Davis and Martin on “Sam’s Song.â€
Sinatra’s tracks are selected from his early Reprise years, and include the brash “Luck Be a Lady†and the title track from his label debut, Ring-a-Ding-Ding. The bulk of these are remakes of songs that Sinatra initially recorded for Capitol in the 1950s, including “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,†“Come Fly with Me,†“Witchcraft†and “I Get a Kick Out of You.†These ‘60s performances find Sinatra in good voice, jazzily stretching out the rhythms, playfully punctuating his syllables and snapping his fingers on “Come Fly with Me,†but they don’t have the inventive vitality of the Capitol originals. The early Reprise-era Sinatra often sounds like an entertainer coasting on his top-of-the-world success rather than an artist brashly reinventing himself, as he had at Capitol.
Martin’s tracks, borrowed from both the Capitol and Reprise libraries, include signature hits “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,†“Volare,†“You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You†and “Everybody Loves Somebody.†Additionally, his 1962 single “Who’s Got the Action?†pairs horn-heavy swing with a lyric of love and horseracing. The same year saw the release of the Vaudeville-styled duet, “Sam’s Song,†with Davis singing stagey counterpoint to Martin’s crooning. Davis’ solo tracks show off his brilliant theatricality as he caresses and belts Bye Bye Birdie’s “A Lot of Livin’ to Do,†and his roots in blues and jazz come out for the Ocean’s Eleven showcase “Eee-O Eleven†and a reprise of his own Broadway success with Mr. Lucky’s “Too Close for Comfort.â€
The Anita Kerr singers are among the most heard, and least known-by-name, vocal group in the history of recording. That’s because Kerr’s group was the go-to backing group (along with the Jordanaires) for hundreds of sessions during the Nashville Sound era of the early ‘60s. They appeared almost constantly on the charts backing top country hits by Jim Reeves, Ernest Tubb, Faron Young, Brenda Lee, pop records by Pat Boone, Perry Como, Bobby Vinton and many, many others. Alongside their choral work, the group recorded several albums for RCA, including the Grammy winning We Dig Mancini. In the mid-60s Kerr disbanded the Nashville edition of her group, convened a new edition in Los Angeles, and commenced recording for Warner Brothers. This is the group’s fourth, and last album for the label, and was originally issued in the flower-power year of 1967.
Merle Haggard’s stardom as a live performer and country hit maker often obscures how many great albums he’s recorded. This 1977 release measures up to the excellence of his best work for Capitol, mixing biting originals and brilliantly selected covers from the catalogs of Hank Williams, the Delmore Brothers and others. Haggard’s musical range plays well here as he stretches out jazzily on “Blues Stay Away From Me†and adds the old-timey lilt of muted horns and clarinet to “Blues for Dixie.†He ponders mortality with “When My Last Song is Sung,†gives a gently woebegone performance as the distant parent of “Got a Letter From My Kid Today†and sings a moving tribute, “Goodbye Lefty,†constructed from Frizzell’s lyrics.
The Texas-born Jesse Dayton was weaned on classic country, taking particular interest in the sounds of George Jones and Lefty Frizzell, and the firebrand individualism of Waylon, Willie and the boys. He developed a presence in the alt.country world as his 2001 release Hey Nashvegas seemed to both critique and court Music City. The album’s mainstream touches couldn’t hide lyrics more deeply personal than the typical Nashville songwriting appointment could produce, and his underlying fealty to rockabilly, honky-tonk, Cajun and latin sounds was similarly out of step with country radio hits. Though he released an album of soul-tinged country in 2004 and an album of covers in 2006, he dropped off of many country music fans’ radar. But Dayton didn’t stop making music.
In 2005 Dayton released Banjo & Sullivan: The Ultimate Collection 1972-1978 as a fictional aside to Rob Zombie’s Devil’s Rejects, went on to contribute songs to the Halloween 2 soundtrack, recorded a follow-on as Captain Clegg, and released a superb album of hardcore honky-tonk duets, Holdin’ Our Own, with Brennen Leigh. Dayton doubles-down on the honky-tonk roots on this latest album, cranking out the sort of shuffles, two-steps and waltzes that make Texas dance halls such special places to listen, dance, romance and drink away one’s problems. The opener perfectly captures the magical feeling of a Saturday night, spinning away your aches and pains, taking a smoke break in the dirt parking lot, and tipping the band (with cash or a drink) for that special song.
The rhythm section sets the pace, but Warren Hood’s fiddle and Nat Flemming’s pedal steel supercharge the performances. Dayton revs things up with the freewheeling hoe-down “Camden Town,†and though he might be a quart low on love, he hangs on to his optimism with “Pretty Girls Make the World Go ‘Round.†Things aren’t so sunny for the bloodshot morning-after of Nick Lowe’s “Lately I’ve Let Things Slide†or the chilly relations of Billy Donahue’s “Back to Back.†Damon Bramblet’s “Falling Apart†is given a two-step beat that improves upon the Johnny Cash train rhythm of the original, and Bramblett’s anniversary waltz, “The Years,†is sung with an emotional quaver aside Mickey Raphael’s harmonica.
Few groups have had as strong a second wind as the Rubinoos. After releasing two beloved albums in the late ‘70s (available together in a box set), the group went on hiatus for over a decade. But since their return to studio for 1998’s Paleophonic, they’ve dropped four albums of new material alongside numerous reissues, odds ‘n’ sods collections and live recordings. This latest album, their first since 2005’s Twist Pop Sin has been released initially in Spain (where the band has been warmly welcomed on tour) and features the longtime core of Jon Rubin (vocals/guitar), Tommy Dunbar (guitar/vocals/keyboard) and Al Chan (bass/vocals). Joining the trio on drums this time out is the album’s producer (and, yes, one time “Cousin Oliverâ€), Robbie Rist.
Dunbar’s nine original songs (including new versions of “Must Be a Word,†previously waxed by Vox Pop, and “Earth #1,†which appeared on the band’s Biff-Boff-Boing!) are complemented by a pair of covers: a sumptuous guitar-and-harmony take on Johnny Johnson’s soul side “Blame it on the Pony Express,†and a punchy run through Los Bravos’ “Black is Black.†The new tunes celebrate the basics of four-piece rock ‘n’ roll, the early days of the Beatles, and the superiority of our third planet from the Sun. There are garage rock riffs, kid-friendly horror and humor, and the sort of heartaches that make the band’s early records so memorable. The terrific “Same Old Heartbreak,†released several years ago by the song’s co-writer Kyle Vincent as modern pop on Sweet 16, resounds with the romantic urgency of the Rubinoos’ earliest gems.
Veil lifted from terrific mid-60s pop/garage hoaxers
Although the Strangeloves were reputed to be a trio of Australian brothers (Giles, Miles and Niles Strange), they were actually a successful New York songwriting and production team. Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer wrote and produced the Angels’ “My Boyfriend’s Back,†but in the British Invasion’s wake they opted for the mystery of foreign roots. The deception worked, as their debut single “I Want Candy†hit #11, and the rhythmic follow-up “Cara-Lin†cracked the Top 40. Their final chart success, the hard-driving “Night Time,†topped out at #30 and was selected (in its edited single form) by Lenny Kaye for the seminal Nuggets album. The trio played a few live dates, but the bulk of the Strangeloves’ touring was handled by the studio musicians who worked on the records.
Perhaps the most famous track recorded by the Strangeloves was their non-charting version of “Hang on Sloopy.†Written by Bert Russell (for whose Bang label the Strangeloves recorded) and Wes Farrell, the backing track was reused for the McCoy’s hit single. The version here includes the extra verse cut from the McCoys’ single (the uncut McCoys version appears on One Hit Wonders of the ‘60s, Vol. 2). The Strangeloves’ biggest hit, “I Want Candy,†was reborn with the 1982 new wave cover by Bow Wow Wow. The album’s cover songs, including Gary U.S. Bonds’ “New Orleans†and “Quarter to Three,†Johnny Otis’ “Willie and the Hand Jive†and the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction†are all sung in the group’s trademark style, heavy on the vocals and rhythm.
Legendary ‘60s garage rockers reunite for a 1990 live date
