Between the mid-to-late Fifties Rock 'n' Roll heyday and the Sixties tsunami of Beat, Folk, Soul and such, on both sides of the Atlantic there was a sanitization of the vocal talents being hit paraded - when instrumental recordings provided a more exciting antidote. They could be studio sessioneers vamping under an alias, backing groups stepping to the fore, established soloists or newly formed combos.
In the USA it was the Pop chart that most reflected a noticeable blip towards instrumentals during 1958-62, with acts such as Duane Eddy & The Rebels, Johnny & The Hurricanes and The Ventures breaking big. But instrumental recordings had always been part of the Country and R&B landscapes as well, so there was a wide variety of styles and sounds on offer, featuring acoustic & electric guitarists and keyboard players, honkin' & mellow saxmen, even bass men and drummers given their spotlight. All aspects of which vibrate throughout this third volume of US instrumentals from Smith & Co.
1: Johnny and the Hurricanes - Rocking Goose
2: The Teen Beats feat. Don Rivers and The Califfs - Califf Boogie
3: Mickey Hawks and the Night Raiders - Cotton Pickin'
4: Duane Eddy and the Rebels - Shazam
5: The Ventures - Walk Don't Run
6: The Hawk (Jerry Lee Lewis) - In the Mood
7: The Dick Poulton Trio - Capital City Bounce
8: Phil Harvey (Phil Spector) - Bumbershoot
9: Bill Black's Combo - Don't Be Cruel
10: The Piltdown Men - Brontosaurus Stomp
11: The Champs - Red Eye
12: Red Berry and the Bel Raves - Hot Rod
13: Johnny and the Hurricanes - Beatnik Fly
14: The Jokers - Dogfight
15: Duane Eddy and the Rebels - Bonnie Came Back
16: The Ventures - Perfidia
17: The Rhythm Rockers feat. Chet Atkins - Tricky
18: Arthur 'Guitar Boogie' Smith and his Crackerjacks - Hard Boiled Boogie
19: Les Paul - Guitar Boogie
20: Boots Brown and the Blockbusters - Jim Twangy
21: Floyd Cramer - On the Rebound
22: The Piltdown Men - Macdonald's Cave
23: Johnny Green Combo - Lonesome Road
24: Irving Ashby - Guitar Rock
25: Sandy Nelson - Big Jump
26: Chuck Berry - Mad Lad
27: The Fireballs - Bulldog
28: Chet Atkins - Teensville
29: Cecil Campbell - The Rocking Guitar
30: The Dick Poulton Trio - Susie
31: The Teen Beats feat. Don Rivers and The Califfs - The Slop Beat
32: Eddie Smith and the Hornets - Upturn
33: The Thrashers - Sledgehammer
34: Eddie Lang and Lonnie Johnson - Hot Fingers
CD 2
1: Duane Eddy and the Rebels - Tiger love and Turnip
2: King Curtis with the Sam Price Sextet - Chicken Out
3: Jesse Stone - Runaway
4: Lee Allen and his Band - Jim Jam
5: Bill Justis - Paradiddle
6: Boots Brown and the Blockbusters - Jet Train
7: Roy Milton and his Solid Senders - Junior Jives
8: Paul Gayten - Nervous Boogie
9: The Starlighters - Hot Licks
10: Chuck Berry - Rockin' at the Philharmonic
11: Andy and the Live Wires - Maggie
12: Johnny and the Hurricanes - Down Yonder
13: King Curtis with the Sam Price Quintet - Bar-B-Q Sauce
14: Dean Hightower - Sweet Georgia Brown
15: Merl Lindsay - Rockin' Water Baby
16: Roy Milton and his Solid Senders - T-Town Twist
17: The Kingsmen - The Cat Walk
18: The Cyclones - Bullwhip Rock
19: The Rip Tides - Machine Gun
20: The Rebel Rousers - Night Surfing
21: Sil Austin - Birthday Party
22: The Kings Henchmen - Night Flight
23: The Shutdowns - Four on the Floor
24: Tommy Hudson and the Savoys - Bandstand Stomp
25: King Curtis with the Sam Price Quintet - Back Room Rock
26: The Atmospheres - Telegraph
27: The Savoys - Slappin' Rods & Leaky Oil
28: Al Hendrix - Go Daddy Rock
29: Chuck Higgins - Wet Back Hop
30: The Chapparals - Leapin' Guitars
31: Wortham Watts - Lonesome
32: Le Sabres - Rising Mercury Twist
33: The Storms - Thunder
34: The Impacs - Zot
Artist: VARIOUS ARTISTS
Title: "Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Instrumentals – Just about as good as it gets!, Volume 3"
Label: SMITH & CO
Condition: New
Media: CD