Music from the Saucers, the Corvairs, the Starlighters, the Serenaders, the Suddens, the Rainbows, the Clusters, the Supremes, the 5 Fortunes, the Trojans, and more – 26 tracks in all. CD

Great R&B work from a range of Savoy singers – Big Maybelle, Little Esther, Albinia Jones, Miss Rhapsody, and Linda Hopkins – all 78rpm material, packaged here with great notes! LP, Vinyl record album

Music from The Original Caste, Edward Bear, R. Dean Taylor, Tranquillity Base, Joey Gregorash, Lighthouse, Crowbar, The Bells, The Stampeders, April Wine, and more. CD

Music from The Beau-Marks, Little Caesar And The Consuls, David Clayton-Thomas & The Shays, The Big Town Boys, Ugly Ducklings, The Paupers, Mandala, Kensington Market, Ocean, Chilliwack, Syrinx, and more. CD

Mad sounds from the late 60s world of Japanese pop – a mindblowing, ear-opening batch of singles we never would have gotten our hands on otherwise! The music here feels like sounds coming out of some backroom jukebox in a Nikkatsu "new action" film – or maybe the kind of offbeat pop that Quentin Tarantino might throw into a soundtrack – but there's also a much deeper range of sounds going on than you might expect, with wonderfully clever instrumentation, and lots of surprisingly heartfelt passages in the vocals! And sure, the language might be a barrier – but there's a really universal sense of appeal to this music – a variant of 60s soul and pop, focused through a different sort of lense – and the instrumentation alone is great – with wicked guitars, Hammond, and other garagey touches! As usual with Ace, the whole thing's supported with nicely detailed notes that tell the whole story behind these wonderful lost gems (we like this one even better than the fab first volume) – and titles include "Namida No Go Go" by Emy Jackson & Blue Comets, "Koi Gurui" by Chiyo Okumura, "Tokyo No Hito" by The Peanuts, "Warui Kuse" by Kazumi Yasui, "Boy & Girl" by Akiko Wada, "Namida No Mori No Monogatari" by Akiko Nakamura, "Saike Na Machi" by Reiko Mari, "Bazazz No 1" by Kayoko Ishuu, and "Furi Furi 5" by Linda Yamamoto. CD

Mad sounds from the late 60s world of Japanese pop – a mindblowing, ear-opening batch of singles we never would have gotten our hands on otherwise! The music here feels like sounds coming out of some backroom jukebox in a Nikkatsu "new action" film – or maybe the kind of offbeat pop that Quentin Tarantino might throw into a soundtrack – but there's also a much deeper range of sounds going on than you might expect, with wonderfully clever instrumentation, and lots of surprisingly heartfelt passages in the vocals! And sure, the language might be a barrier – but there's a really universal sense of appeal to this music – a variant of 60s soul and pop, focused through a different sort of lense – and the instrumentation alone is great – with wicked guitars, Hammond, and other garagey touches! As usual with Ace, the whole thing's supported with nicely detailed notes that tell the whole story behind these wonderful lost gems (we like this one even better than the fab first volume) – and titles include "Namida No Go Go" by Emy Jackson & Blue Comets, "Koi Gurui" by Chiyo Okumura, "Tokyo No Hito" by The Peanuts, "Warui Kuse" by Kazumi Yasui, "Boy & Girl" by Akiko Wada, "Namida No Mori No Monogatari" by Akiko Nakamura, "Saike Na Machi" by Reiko Mari, "Bazazz No 1" by Kayoko Ishuu, and "Furi Furi 5" by Linda Yamamoto. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes music from Dion, Del Shannon, Bruce Channel, Jan & Dean, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, The Shirelles, The Shangri-Las, Chris Kenner, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Lewis, and more – 20 tracks in all. CD

A whole host of classic rock and roll Christmas tunes – plus a few great doo wop numbers as well – all brought together in a single package with a great sort of late 50s vibe! Titles include "I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus" and "Rockin Around The Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Pat Boone, "Merry Christmas Baby" and "Run Rudolph Run" by Chuck Berry, "Hey Santa Claus" by The Moonglows, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Jimmy Charles, "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" by The Cadillacs, "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms, "Frosty The Snowman" by Jan & Dean, "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" by Patti Page, and "White Christmas" by The Drifters. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 25 tracks by the Rod Little Trio, Wally Dean, Joe Moon & the Stars Of Note, Sammy Berk, Joey mancuso, Wink Lewis & Buz Busby, Dumpy "Piano" Rice, Jerry Dean & the Shades, and more. CD

35 songs from Norris Mims, Billy Adkinson, Mike Patterson & the Rhythm Rockers, Neal E Hemphill, Hank Chess, the Team Beats, Chuck Henderson, Pete Hardin, Chuck Miller, Don Ray, and more. CD

31 songs from Johnny Ramistella, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Tony Farrell, George Quarta Jr, the Charms, the Converters, John Radcliffe & Electras, Ray Steven, the Moods, Grover Jackson, Dennis Volk, and more. CD

Not just Rock N Roll, but a classic collection of doo wop, R&B, and more – served up in a massive CD package that brings together all versions of this classic album on Crown Records! The original Rock N Roll Dance Party was a key collection in the late 50s – one that helped push the best R&B artists on the Modern/Kent label to a wider audience, thanks to a more mainstream cover. But as the 60s moved in, the title was re-vamped with new titles – and appeared in different versions that are finally getting sorted out and presented here. The CD features 26 tracks from all the albums – and even if you're not concerned with the discographical information, the whole thing still stands as a hard-rocking collection of grooves – as fresh today as it was nearly 50 years ago! Titles include "Cherry Pie" by Marvin & Johnny, "Don't Be Angry" by The Cadets, "Sunday Meetin Rock" by Johnny Allen, "All Night Long" by Joe Houston, "Dance With Me Henry" by Etta Jones, "Vido's Boogie" by Vido Musso, "Bye Bye Fare Thee Well" by Peppermint Harris, "Ay La Bah" by Dolly Cooper, "Cool Diggin" by Maxwell Davis, "I Want My Baby" by Jimmy Beasley, "Convicted" by Oscar McLollie, and "Have Mercy Miss Percy" by Long Tall Marvin. CD

Not just Rock N Roll, but a classic collection of doo wop, R&B, and more! The original Rock N Roll Dance Party was a key collection in the late 50s – one that helped push the best R&B artists on the Modern/Kent label to a wider audience, thanks to a more mainstream cover! Features work by Etta James, Joe Turner, Joe Houston, Teen Queens, BB King, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Bill Haley & his Comets, Gunter Lee Carr, Roy Hall, Patsy Cline, Al Coker, Don Woody, Webb Pierce, Bobby Sykes, the Shirrelles, Brenda Lee, Ronnie Self and many more. CD

Music from Bill Haley and the Comets, the Moonglows, Cadiallacs, Bo Diddley, Joe Turner, Smiley Lewis, Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters, Johnny Ace, Chuck Berry, the Penguins, Ruth Brown, and more – 22 tracks in all! CD

Music from Carl Perkins, Fats Domino, the Five Satins, Shirley & Lee, the Teen Queens, Chuck Berry, the Platters, Little Richard, the Cadets, Sonny James, Little Willie John, Ivory Joe Hunter & more. CD

Includes tracks by Jerry Lee Lewis, The Dell-Vikings, Fats Domino, The Tune Weavers, Chuck Willis, LaVern Baker, Buddy Holly, The Diamonds, and more! CD

Music from Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, Conway Twitty, Little Richard, The Silhouettes, Bobby Darin, The Champs, The Crickets, and more – 22 tracks in all. CD

Music from the Coasters, Dion and the Belmonts, Ritchie Valens, Bobby Darin, Frankie Ford, the Drifters, Lloyd Price, the Crests, LaVern Bakers, the Bell Notes, and more – 22 tracks in all! CD

Music from the Drifters, the Ventures, Floyd Cramer, Jerry Butler, Roy Orbison, Jimmy Jones, Brenda Lee, Jimmy Jones, Conway Twitty, Neil Sedaka, and more – 22 tracks total. CD

Music from Del Shannon, Chris Kenner, the Shirelles, Gary Bonds, the Tokens, the Capris, the Marcels, Bobby Lewis, the Miracles, the Jive Five, Dion, Dee Clark, the Marvelettes & more. CD

Music from Barry Mann, Gary "U.S." Bonds, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, The Chantels, The String-A-Longs, The Shirelles, The Coasters, The Jarmels, The Impressions, and more - 22 tracks in all. CD

Music from Gene Chandler, Little Eva, The Shirelles, The Drifters, Barbara Lynn, The Isley Brothers, Barbara George, Bruce Channel, The Shirelles, Gene Pitney, Clyde McPhatter, and more - 22 songs in all. CD

Music from The Contours, Sam Cooke, The Ikettes, The Miracles, Little Eva, Mary Wells, Gene Pitney, Chuck Jackson, Chris Montez, The Majors, The Duprees, Dion, The Corsairs, and more - 22 songs in all. CD

Includes music by the Chantays, Inez Foxx, the Impressions, Chiffons, Jaynetts, Garnet Mimms, Lonnie Mack, Ruby and the Romantics, Stevie Wonder, the Exciters, and more – 22 traks total. CD

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Music from The Supremes, The Rivieras, The Drifters, Gene Pitney, Jan And Dean, Lesley Gore, Roy Orbison, Mary Wells, Del Shannon, Bobby Freeman, J. Frank Wilson And The Cavaliers, Martha And The Vandellas, and more - 22 songs in all. CD

Don't think rock – think rhythm 'n' blues – with music from the Nutmegs, Louis Jordan, Shirley & Lee, the Five Royales, Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters, Little Walter, Joe Liggins, Nappy Brown, Johnny Ace, the Clovers, Five Keys, Billy Ward, and more! CD

Music from Pat Boone, Johnny Burnette, Fabian, Connie Stevens, Neil Sadaka, Bobby Vee, Ray Peterson, Tommy Sands, Frankie Avalon, Paul Anka, and more – 22 songs in all. CD

Music from Dion DiMucci, Neil Sedaka, Bobby Vee, Buddy Holly, Tab Hunter, Pat Boone, Fabian, Connie Francis, Frankie Avalon, Johnny Tillotson, and more - 22 songs in all. CD

A compelling collection of work from the UK rockabilly revival of the late 70s – quite a surprise, given that these sounds were happening at the same time as punk! Includes work by Hotfoot Gale, Crazy Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers, Rock Island Line, Matchbox, and Screamin Lord Sutch! LP, Vinyl record album

A huge dip into the German rock scene of the late 50s and early 60s – a time when the nation was really getting back on its feet, and setting into the same sort of crazy consumer trends that also fueled the fires of rock and roll back in the US! The music here has a really nice range – some cuts are covers of American rock tracks, but with a nice difference in the way the language is structured – others are more homegrown German varieties, and a few are by less-likely artists, jumping into the fray to show the rest of the world that the German scene can romp its rhythms with the best! We'd not heard most of these tracks before – and the whole thing is every bit as revelatory as previous volumes – with 32 tracks, by artists who include Ted Herold, Harry Gluck, Conny Quick, The Gisha Brothers, The Rattles, Billy Sanders, Peter Kraus, The Javalins, Ronny Twen & Die Playboys, Ralf Bendix, and many others! CD

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Music from Hank Williams, T Bone Walker, the Ravens, Paul Williams, Roy Brown, Hank Snow, Howlin' Wolf, Peppermint Harris, the Larks, Rosaco Gordon, Johnny Ace, the Drifters, and more. CD

Fremeaux's nice Roots of Rock 'n' Roll series – includes 36 tracks from artists including Tiny Bradshaw, Ramblin' Jimmie Dolan, Goree Carter, Annie Laurie, Red Foley with Cecil Gant, Hank Snow, Lester Williams, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Billy Jack Wills, Roy Hogsed, Joe Hill Louis, Wesley Holly, Johnnie Lee Wills, Calvin Boze, Wynonie Harris, and more. CD

Music from Compagnie Jellouli & Gdih, Malouma, Tinariwen, Hasna El Becharia, Chet Fewet, Aziza Brahim, Nayim Alal, Mariem Hassan, Tartit Ensemble, Seckou Maiga, Groupe Oyiwane, Kel Tin Lokiene, and Sahraoui Bachir. CD

A heavy dig through the vaults of Savoy Records – with great material by Nappy Brown, Chicago Carl Davis, Eddie Mack, H-Bomb Ferguson, and Gatemouth Moore! LP, Vinyl record album

22 songs from Buddy Cunningham, Smokey Joe, Carl Perkins, Billy Riley, Jean Chapel, Malcolm Yelvington, Sonny Burgess,and Warren Smith. CD

22 songs from Kenny Parchman, Barbara Pittman, Ray Harris, Slim Rhodes, Jerry Lee Lewis, Billy Riley, Sonny Burgess, Glenn Honeycutt, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins. CD

22 songs from Warren Smith, Wade & Dick, Jim Williams, Ray Harris, Carl Perkins, Edwin Bruce, Billy Riley, Tommy Blake, Hayden Thompson, Barbara Pittman, and Bill Justis. CD

22 songs from Warren Smith, Wade & Dick, Jim Williams, Ray Harris, Carl Perkins, Edwin Bruce, Billy Riley, Tommy Blake, Hayden Thompson, Barbara Pittman, and Bill Justis. CD

24 songs from Bill Justis,Wayne Powers, Rudy Grayzell, Edwin Bruce, The Sun Rays, Magel Priesman, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dickey Lee, Ray Smith, Gene Simmons, and Tommy Blake. CD

With selections by Frankie Ford, Joe Houston, Young Jessie, Oscar McLollie, Hershel Almond, Jimmy & Johnny, Little Richard, Lee Kristofferson, Teen Queens, Buddy Milton & The Twilighters, Roy Perkins, Johnny Guitar Watson, The Chanters, and Jesse Belvin. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Wynona Carr, Little Richard, Teen Queens, Daddy Cleanhead & The Chuck Higgins Band, Diz & The Doormen, Buddy Milton & The Twilighters, Ann Cole, The Cliques, The Skyliners, Jesse Belvin, Donna Hightower, Jimmy Clanton, and The Chanters. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by The Uptowns, Johnny & The Jammers, Albert Scott, Electric Bluebirds, Ronnie Barron, Oscar McLollie & His Honey Jumpers, Jack McVea, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Chuck Higgins, Dion & The Belmonts, Chan Romero, Donna Dameron, Johnny Flamingo, Clifton Chenier, and Lloyd Price. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Johnnie Strickland, Jimmy Bowen, Billy & Don Hart, Johnny Rivers, Roc LaRue, Joe Tate, The Shades, Mack Vickery, Vince Maloy, Jimmy Lloyd, Bob Davies, Rock-A-Teens, and more - 36 tracks in all. CD

Music from Jimmy Patton, Donnie Bowser, Lonnie Barron, Jack Morris, Whitey Pullen, Patsy Clark, Goldie Fields, Chuck Howard, Eddie Dean, Wally & Don, Tex Atchison, and more! CD

A totally great entry in this always-great series – and one that looks at a slice of raunchy rock that's a bit different than usual! The Warner Brothers label started up right at the end of the 50s – after most of the other rock powerhouse imprints – and they also had more of an ear for pop and mainstream sounds, given their Hollywood home. Yet they also quickly found a way to turn out some really remarkable 45s – music that was maybe even just recorded with leftover studio time, or between the bigger projects on the label – funded by bigger money from films, and often done in a top-shelf studio setting! This legacy of Warner isn't nearly as well-known as their 60s pop and vocal material, but it's equally groovy – if not more so – and gets fantastic treatment here from Bear Family, who not only present a whopping 30 tracks, but also accompany the whole thing with a wonderful booklet that's filled with notes, photos, and record images. The set even includes some surprising rockers by unlikely sources – and titles include "Shimmy Shake" by Billy Land, "The Swing" by Johnny Carroll, "Teen Beat" by Don Ralke, "Road Hog" by Johnny Zorro, "Hanna Lee" by Shelly Dane, "The Fool" by Bob Luman, "Lucille" by The Everly Brothers, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Troyce Key with Eddie Cochran, "Drum Twist" by Buddy Harman, "Saturday Night Fish Fry" by Eddie & Betty, and "Forbidden City" by John Buck & His Blazers. CD

One of the smaller labels to get featured on this excellent series of rockabilly gems – and a collection that also shows that the music could quickly take off in points that were far from Tennessee and other southern scenes! All the cuts here are from the catalog of the tiny Crest Records label in LA – and they've all got the kind of hard-edged, raw-ripping quality that we love on other volumes in this legendary series – one that's been a constantly rewarding one over the years, and a great antidote to all the dodgy, poorly-done CDs that usually focus on music like this! There's a few names here who broke big later on other labels, and the set also maybe has a bit of Bakersfield influence – but of the pre-country, hillbilly boogie variety – on a set of 32 titles that include "IOU" by Jack Lewis, "Let's Coast Awhile" by Bo Davis, "Stack A Records" by Tom Tall & His Tom Kats, "Do I" by Bill Great Dane, "What I Like Most Of All" by Don Thomson & The Desert Stars, "Can You Bop" by Tom Wilson, "Spotlight" by Frank & Ernie, "The Grave" by Tony Casanova, "Ummm Kiss Me Goodnight" by Buddy Love, "Night Shift" by Norm Skyler, and 'You Bet Your Little Life" by Marty Cooper. CD

Lots of older record companies got in on the action during the early days of rock and roll – but few folks did it as well as RCA Records – home, of course, to Elvis Presley – and also to all the great lesser-known gems featured in this set! Some tracks are by artists who would break big on later labels, or others who might have stepped over a bit from country – but the bulk of the collection represents all the great singles that RCA cut during the late 50s and early 60s – including some on its sub-labels, where the company was going strong in the worlds of underground styles! Given that this excellent series already looked at RCA once before, it's a further testament that there's an additional 35 rocking gems to be pulled from the label's catalog – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Wild Child" by David Hill, "Get On The Right Track" by Joe Clay, "Rainbow Doll" by Jimmy Dell, "Welcome To The Club" by Jean Chapel, "Wolf Boy" by Sammy Salvo, "Hoebe Snow" by Benny Martin, "Never Been Kissed" by Marlin Greene, "Chicken House" by Dave Rich, "Heart Of A Fool" by Lee Denson, "Almost Eighteen" by Roy Orbison, "That Weepin Willow Tree" by Ray Griff, and "Dumb Bunny" by Bill Carlis. CD

Rare rockers from a very obscure source – material pulled from two different California labels of the 50s – both companies that grew up in the recording boom of the big move west from all points south at midcentury – and which were close to the ground, and very well poised to capture some of the best up-and-coming sounds on the scene! The work here is the sort that came about from a label being more open to new ideas than having some sort of larger plan to conquer the world of pop music – as these companies might have recorded hillbilly and R&B equally well, which often shows in the approach to the music – nicely free, open, and almost genre-hopping at times – very different than the house styles of some of the more iconic labels. As with other volumes in the series, the set list is great, and supported by very detailed notes – a whopping 33 tracks in all, with work by The Empala Six, The Fretts, Linda & The Epics, The Downbeats, Chuck Royal & The Sharpsters, Gradie O'Neal & The Bella Tones, Pat LaRocca, The Martells, Shorty Joe, and others! CD

A totally wonderful batch of cuts from the early years of Liberty Records, and related labels – cuts that really bristle with the kind of energy that was exploding in all sorts of styles on the LA scene at the end of the 50s! Liberty may not have the cred as Sun or Chess Records, but the company was really at the crossroads of music on the west coast, and had both the ears and the studio talent to really turn out some great singles at the time – often the sort of material that was very different than the vocals and mood music on its full length LPs. If you don't know this side of Liberty's legacy, you'll really in for a surprise – and even if you do, you'll still discover some overlooked gems in this 37 track set – presented complete with detailed notes on all the artists too. Titles include "Lies" by Lee Ross, "Buddy" by Jackie Dee, "Willa Mae" by Al Casey, "Little Bit" by Bobby Lonero, "You've Done It Again" by Andy & The Live Wires, "Sweet Baby Doll" by Johnny Burnette, "Ain't That Somethin" by Larry O'Keefe, "She's So Fine' by Andy Caldwell, "Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down" by Johnny Olenn, "Billy Billy" by Dee Dee Dorety, and "Hey Baby" by Bill Lawrence. CD

A mighty deep look at one of the hippest labels on the rockabilly scene – and one that was quite a surprise, too – given that Dot Records not only served up a fair bit of instrumental pop, but also recorded some of the "fake" rockers of the time as well! Yet all the work here is the real deal – tracks from the farther reaches of the Dot catalog, and related Hamilton imprint – work that was only ever issued as 7" singles, and quickly lost in the shuffle – only to be rediscovered in later generations by the kind of cats who were always digging for the coolest, rawest tracks from back in the day! As with other volumes in this groundbreaking series, the package presents a heck of a lot of music with very detailed notes – 37 titles that include "When The Sin Stops" by The Nighthawks, "Bad Boy" by robin Luke, "Honky Tonk Song" by Leroy Van Dyke, "Cool It Baby" by Dick Lory, "Mail Train" by Billy Joe Tucker, "My Babe" by Ronnie Smith, "Nancy Lynne" by Dick D'Agostin & the Swingers, "Love Charms" by Sanford Clark, "Jeopardy" by Ned Costner, "Whatcha Gonna Do" by Earl Henry, "I'm Hypnotized" by Don Johnson, and "Steelworker Blues" by Keith Courvale. 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. 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. CD

Allstar Records was a great Texas indie back in the day – and although not as well-known as Sun or Starday, the company issued some killer singles in the late 50s! As you might guess from their location in Houston, Allstar often has a bit of country in the mix – and this collection is a wonderful illustration of the thin line between hillbilly and rockabilly during the early years of rock and roll – a balance that's covered here in great detail in the notes, which as with the rest of this series, are as illuminating as the music on the CD! There's a whopping 35 tracks in all – including surprising early gems from artists like Link Davis, Eddie Noack, and Johnny Bush – plus lots more from Larry Butler, Daniel James, Tommy Graham, Barney Vardeman, Red Mansel, Smilin Jerry Jericho, and many others. 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. CD

The mighty Imperial Records was home to a fair bit of pop, blues, and R&B in the postwar years – but the label also had a slightly secret history as a hotbed for raw rock and hard-edged singles during the same stretch of time! Imperial was an indie, and one that kept an ear to the ground for new sounds far beyond its home in LA – a legacy that certainly comes through in the R&B they recorded, and the paths they forged in hillbilly music too – and which also really shows in this great mix of rare singles from back in the day! A few artists are are ones you'll know from other musical moments in their lives, and most of the rest are pretty darn obscure – yet, as always, Bear Family does a great job of telling their stories and sharing the music in the CD's very big booklet of notes, label scans, and other vintage images. 35 tracks in all – with tracks from Gloria Jean Pitts, Merle Kilgore, Bob Luman, Jackie Walker, Slick Slavin, Burnette Brothers, Tommy Lomonte, The Sidewinders, Nick Venet, Ronnie Smith, Dennis Herrold, Dub Dickerson, Jackie Walker, and others. CD

The legendary Chess Records is best known as a home to important blues, soul, and gospel records from the postwar years – but back in the 50s, the label also did a pretty great job with the harder side of the rock and roll spectrum too! Maybe that's no surprise, given that the Chess Brothers always had a great ear for new and unusual music – to a point where they sometimes issued work that wasn't recorded in their Chicago studios, which is the case with a fair bit of the cuts on this collection – many of which hail from points farther south, from territory that was bristling with new energy from rockabilly pioneers at the time! There's a few more familiar Chess artists mixed in here with more obscure artists who only issued singles for the label – and the massive 33 track package comes with very detailed notes on all the tracks within. Titles include "Run Rose" by Billy Miranda, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Don & Bob, "The Story Of My Life" by Big Al Downing, "So Long Goodbye" by JC Hill, "Baby Bye Bye" by Dickie & The Gees, "Make Believe Wedding Bells" by Dick Glasser, "I Found My Girl" by The Kents, "6:15" by The Galaxies, "I Am Ready" by Bobby Dean, "See You Soon Baboon" by Dale Hawkins, "No More" by Bobby Charles, and That's All You Gotta Do" by Jack Ford. CD

Music from The Robins, The Cheers, Elvis Presley, The Coasters, Wilbert Harrison, LaVern Baker, The Clovers, The Drifters, Chuck Jackson, Peggy Lee, and more. CD

Includes tracks by Dennis Bell, Roy Hargrave, Lois Williams, Merrie Kilgore & the 4 Bs, the Stompers, Vinny & Kenny, Jessie Cotton, Larry Finnegan, Stag Lee, Nina & Jack, Tony, Bob & Jimmy, Lalo Guerrero and more. CD

Includes tracks by Bobby Charles, Shirley Ray, The Sham-ettes, Tommy Tucker, Johnny West, The Cannon Sisters, Jane Morgan, Jimmy Drifter, The Bagels, and The Lovin' Cousins. CD

Includes tracks by Sherri Jericho, Barry McKight, Randy Thomas, Boots Walker, Robin Garrett, Ruby Wright, Sharon Black, the Astronauts, Roger White, Anna King, String Shifter, Johnny Geer, Waldo, Dudley & Dora, Jeffrey J Jeffrey and more. CD

22 tracks by Zacharias, Mel Torme, Martin Denny, Henry Jerome, Stu Phillips, Peggy Lee, Julie London, Hollyridge Strings, Lord Sitar, Nelson Riddle, Wayne Newton, and more. CD

Music from the Johnny Mann Singers, David Mccallum, Francis Lai, Mel Torme, Hollyridge Strings, Buddy Morrow, Peggy Lee, the Royal Blue, the Little Big Horns, Henry Jerome, Lord Zitar, Julie London & more. CD