One of the most unique country collections we've ever heard – in part because the artists aren't from Nashville, nor Bakersfield, and instead hail from the British scene of the 60s! The tunes here are all country-styled numbers – and some are country music classics – but they get very unique delivery here by UK groups who've soaked up all the best Brit Invasion modes of the period – all to make for a presentation that's very different than you might expect! We normally associate beat groups of the time with a strong influence from R&B, but these cuts uncover a surprising country influence too – as you'll hear on a whopping 30 tracks from artists who include Sonny Webb & The Cascades, Nashville Teens, Jerry Williams & The Violents, Lee Curtis & The All-stars, The In-Crowd, Bobby Patrick Big Six, The Hollies, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, King Size Taylor & The Dominoes, Tommy Quickly & The Remo Four, Tony Sheridan, and many others. CD

50 songs from The '4' Deuces, Billy Grammer, Gloria Lynne, The Baysiders, The Curls, The Lexingtons, Patsy Cline, Jimmy Isle, King Curtis, Doris Payne, The Renowns, Randy Lee, The Boulevards, The Supertones, and more. (Rock, Folk/Country) CD

The legendary King Records is known as an important label for R&B and hillbilly music – but the label also has a surprisingly strong legacy in the early years of rock as well – maybe in part because it did such a good job of keeping its ear to the ground with those other important styles! King never got the chart-topping hits of a label like Sun Records, but it did manage to draw together an equally impressive array of talents – some still underground names after all these years, others now elevated in the secret history of rock and roll through their work for the label! The set brings together 30 tracks from King and related Federal and DeLuxe labels, all with the detailed notes and well-chosen cuts that continue to make this series so important, even after many years and dozens of releases – a legacy that's really supported here by cuts that include "Say So" and "If I Had A Woman" by Mac Curtis, "Stop The World" by The Bon Aires, "You're Gonna Like My Baby" by Bill Beach, "Haulin Freight" by Bob Newman, "Jungle Rock" by Hank Mizell, "Top Ten Rock" by Fuller Todd, "Put The Chain On The Door" by Boyd Bennett & His Rockets, "No Good Robin Hood" by Delbert Barker, "One Hand Loose" by Charlie Feathers, "Your Kind Of Lovin" by Donnie White, "Bip A Little Bop A Lot" by Joe Penny, "I'm Mad With You" by Moon Mullican, "Midnight Blues" by The Town Three, and "Good Good Good" by Ken McDonald. (Rock, Folk/Country) CD

Killer cuts from the glory days of King Records – material from that second generation of the label, when their earlier blend of hillbilly and R&B made King a perfect platform for the new sounds of rockabilly and rock and roll! The package does a great job of digging in deep to the King catalog – and includes material from sub-labels that include Federal, Audio Lab, and DeLuxe – with lots of rare 45s that never get the sort of proper reissue that you'll find in this great Bear Family series! As with other volumes, the choice of cuts is wonderful, and the detailed notes really illuminate the music – a stunning set list of 31 titles that include "Nothing Like This" by Cecil McNabb, "All Star Boy" by Al Henderson, "Jug Band Jump" by Delbert Barker, "Whistle Of The Gravy Train" by Bobby Grove, "Pony Tail Partner" by Bing Day, "Oh Baby Dance With Me" by Gene Stewart, "Shake Shake" by The Blue Tones, "What Is Your Technique" by Ronnie Speeks & His Elrods, "Guitar Pickin Fool" by Teddy Humphries, "Gotta Make Her Mine" by Ronny Wade, "Peg Pants" by Bill Beach, "Grandaddy's Rockin" by Mac Curtis, and "Everybody's Lovin My Baby" by Charlie Feathers. (Rock, Folk/Country) CD