The rainy season's plenty pleasant with a collection like this – a batch of 30 rain-themed tunes from the worlds of soul, rock, country, and vocal music of the 50s and 60s – all served up with the top-shelf level of presentation we love from Bear Family! The cuts are great – a really unusual mix of material that will help make the cloudiest day a lot more pleasant – all presented with detailed notes on all the many different artists you'll find within! Titles include "Just Walkin In The Rain" by The Prisonaires, "Face In The Rain" by Chas McDevitt, "Raining" by Jerry Byrne, "So What Let It Rain" by Lefty Frizell, "Sittin Home Prayin For The Rain" by Bobby Lord, "It Rains Rain" by Bill Wimberley & The Country Rhythm Boys, "The Rains Came Down" by Dorsey Burnette, "Ain't Never Seen So Much Rain Before" by Christine Kittrell, "Raindrops Keep A Fallin" by El Pauling & Royal Abbit, "Rhythm Of The Rain" by The Cascades, "It Might As Well Rain Until September" by Carole King, "Walking In The Rain" by Robert & Johnny, and "Rain Rain" by George Jones. CD

The first entry in this very cool series – raw singles originally issued on the Hickory label in the early 60s – with titles from Earl Sinks, Mark Dinning, Ernest Ashworth, Dan Folger, Bob Luman, Bobby Lord, Sinx Mitchell, and others! 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

The "shellac dust" in the title will let you know what sort of territory you're in here – Christmas songs that go way way back, to the glory days of the 78rpm single, served up in a host of jazz and vocal modes! The set features a fair bit of tracks from the prewar years, and although some of the song titles are familiar, the choice of cuts is unique – so that you'll hear a fair bit of unusual readings of Christmas classics – all of which makes for a package that really lives up to other Bear Family Holiday sets that we've been digging for years! CD version features 28 tracks in all – and titles include "Snow Ball" by Louis Armstrong, "Peace Sister Peace" by Monette Moore & The Ebonaires, "Jingle Bells" by Glenn Miller with Tex Beneke, "And The Angels Sing" by Count Basie with Helen Humes, "What Will Santa Claus Say" by Louis Prima, "Blow Blow Thou Winter Winds" by Bob Crosby with Marion Mann, "Let It Snow" by The Ramblers Orchestra, "Santa's Secret" by Johnny Guarnieri with Slam Stewart, "Ring Dem Bells" by Charlie Barnet, "Christmas Night In Harlem" by Paul Whiteman with Jack Teagarden, "There's Frost On The Moon" by Chick Webb with Ella Fitzgerald, "Bells Of Auld Lang Syne" by Joel Cowan & Thornel Swartz, and "Santa Claus Came In The Spring" by Putney Dandridge. CD

The "shellac dust" in the title will let you know what sort of territory you're in here – Christmas songs that go way way back, to the glory days of the 78rpm single, served up in a host of jazz and vocal modes! The set features a fair bit of tracks from the prewar years, and although some of the song titles are familiar, the choice of cuts is unique – so that you'll hear a fair bit of unusual readings of Christmas classics – all of which makes for a package that really lives up to other Bear Family Holiday sets that we've been digging for years! LP version features 14 tracks in all – and titles include "Snow Ball" by Louis Armstrong, "Peace Sister Peace" by Monette Moore & The Ebonaires, "Jingle Bells" by Glenn Miller with Tex Beneke, "And The Angels Sing" by Count Basie with Helen Humes, "What Will Santa Claus Say" by Louis Prima, "Blow Blow Thou Winter Winds" by Bob Crosby with Marion Mann, "Let It Snow" by The Ramblers Orchestra, "Santa's Secret" by Johnny Guarnieri with Slam Stewart, "Ring Dem Bells" by Charlie Barnet, "Christmas Night In Harlem" by Paul Whiteman with Jack Teagarden, "There's Frost On The Moon" by Chick Webb with Ella Fitzgerald, "Bells Of Auld Lang Syne" by Joel Cowan & Thornel Swartz, and "Santa Claus Came In The Spring" by Putney Dandridge. LP, Vinyl record album

If you know us at all, you'll know that we really love a well-themed compilation – and we're especially in love with the sort of collection like this – which can bring together all sorts of weird and unusual singles with the united spirit of a holiday theme! This collection is even cooler and groovier than some other Halloween compilations out there – as in addition to the monster rock and horror film trailers that usually show up, there's some surprising contributions from jazz vocalists, mainstream entertainers, and country artists – which make the whole thing an array of surprises all the way through! The notes and song selection are up there with the best from Bear Family – and titles include "Monster Gonzales" by Tommy Bruce & The Bruisers, "Vampira" by Bobby Bare, "Strollin Spooks" by Ken Nordine, "Dragonfly" by Tommy Dee & The Mellotones "Ghost Satellite" by Bob & Jerry, "Creature From Outer Space" by Sonny Day, "Ghost Trains" by Hank Snow, "The Monsters Hop" by Bert Convy, "Dead" by The Poets, "The Boogie Man" by The Cadillacs, "The Ghost Hop" by The Surfmen, "The Headless Horseman" by Kay Starr, and "Spooky" by George Barnes. CD

Totally great sounds for the Halloween season – a mad mix of instrumentals, vocals, and offbeat singles from the late 50s and early 60s – exactly the kind of music that keeps things weird and wild on the last day of October! Some of these gems are in the best novelty mode of the time, while others have more of a horror rock sort of vibe – and together, the package is a wonderful tribute to a near-lost genre – one that maybe got a bit wrecked when groups like The Cramps or Misfits tried to celebrate the sound all year long! 35 tracks in all – including "Tickler" by The Sherwoods, "Beware" by Bill Buchanan, "The Gorilla" by Bert Convy, "The Creep" by Ted Heath, "Voodoo Walk" by Sonny Richards Panics, "Something's Going On In My Room" by Daddy Cleanhead, "Hell's Bells" by David Carroll, "Devil's Den" by Duante Turley, "The Raven" by Freddie Countryman, "The Ghost Song" by Salty Holmes, "When All The Streets Are Dark" by Somethin Smith & The Redheads, "Dear Jeepers" by Bob Guy, and "Ghost Guitars" by Baron Daemon & The Vampires. 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

Mighty nice work from The Brother Boys – a contemporary group, but one who've got a sound that's very steeped in older folk and country styles – all at a level that makes them a perfect group to focus on in this excellent series! As you might guess from their image on the cover, the group work heavily with acoustic instrumentation – in ways that move forward from postwar bluegrass and hillbilly styles, but which often have some of the sensitivity of the hipper country-inspired singer/songwriter scene – with echoes of Gene Clark or Gram Parsons from time to time! The double-length package features lots of work from the group's earliest years, and later material too – a total of 51 tracks that include "Pinto Pony", "Blue Days Black Nights", "Two Men", "Majestic", "The Diamond Stream", "Blue From Now On", "Band Box", "Moosnhine Grin", "I Just Roll Along", "Conversation With Death", "The Ramshackle Shack", "Crazy Heart", "Darkest Day", and "Gonna Row My Boat". CD

Sanford Clark was one of the coolest early figures in rock and roll – never as big as Elvis and some other contemporaries, but working at the start with great help from Lee Hazlewood – who really brings a lot to the spirit of these recordings! In some ways, Sanford was an early foil for the sorts of themes that Lee would later bring to his own solo recordings – and he's also got plenty of the echo and twangy guitar on his cuts, of the sort that Hazlewood was also recording with Duane Eddy! Yet this package also offers a lot more than just the basic Sanford Clark sound as well – as it includes some small label tracks next to his Dot Records material, and some cool later cuts as well – all packaged with the care and detailed notes we love from Bear Family! The set features 31 tracks in all – titles that include "Houston", "Give The Boy Love", "Every Minute Of The Day", "Just Bluesin", "Hard Feelings", "The Man Who Made An Angel Cry", "A Cheat", "Lou Be Doo", "It's Nothing To Me", "The Fool", and "Cross Eyed Alley Cat". CD

An incredible 60s performance from Jerry Lee Lewis – proof that the man was always on fire when he worked overseas, even if his star had dimmed a bit back home! Jerry gets sharp, tight backings from The Nashville Teens – but the Lewis is center stage throughout – really wailing on piano, and singing in this unbridled style that maybe even blows away his early singles – especially when combined with the sense of personality he brings out in a live setting. Titles include "Money", "What'd I Say", "I Got A Woman", "Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On", "Long Tall Sally", "Lewis Boogie", and "Matchbox". CD

An imagined take on the Mid-East scene – not authentic tracks, but a mix of postwar recordings in a variety of styles – most of which mix rocking rhythms with the kind of exotic touches that fed fantasies back in the day when the area was known as Asia Minor! As with other "destination" series collections, the mix of work here is wonderful – all sorts of cool and unusual tunes, of the sort you might have found in The Cramps' record collections – music that moves between rock and soul, instrumental and vocal, jazz and exotica – as they chart a path for a desert caravan to follow! 32 tracks in all – and titles include "Pasha" by The Ramrocks, "Rockin In Bagdad" by Jerry Reid, "Turkish Doghouse Rock" by Kent Westberry, "Ali Baba" by Dave & The Customs, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love", "Camel Walk (part 1)" by The Saxons, "Ali Ben Ghazi" by Jack Hammer, and "Habibi Twist" by The Latins. CD

Celebrate your birthday with this cool little collection – a batch of party-hearty numbers hand-picked by the folks at Bear Family records – a label we've come to really trust for postwar sounds in just about any style! And just about any style is the way they approach this set too – mixing early rockers with hillbilly tracks, R&B, vocal numbers, and more – all with a vibe that's every bit as playful and punchy as some of their other titles of this nature! As with those sets, the theme is taken in a nice and loose style – as you'll hear on titles that include "Birthday Cake" by Randy Hughes, "Happy Birthday Baby" by The Tuneweavers, "Cindy's Birthday" by Shane Fenton & The Fentones, "When's Your Birthday Baby" by Johnny Ray, "Birthday Party" by Sil Austin, "Happy Birthday Broken Heart" by Barry Mann, "A Toast To Your Birthday" by The Hells, "Happy Birthday Josefin" by The Key Brothers, "Unhappy Birthday" by Janie Grant, "18 Year Old Blues" by Steve Carl & The Jags, and "It's My Birthday" by Big Dee Irwin. CD

A cool little package that goes way past the big hits of the twist generation – and which shows instead that the big dancefloor moment was really just an excuse for all sorts of artists to really open up their groove – finding a romping style that wasn't just great for grooving, but which also paved the way towards more upbeat styles to come! The mix of artists here is great – work from jazz, soul, rock, and other musical scenes – all served up in a hopping blend of fast-moving titles that are each supported with nicely detailed notes on the music. Titles include "The Bossa Nova Watusi Twist" by Freddie King, "Twisting On Bandstand" by The Sprouts, "Moon Twist" by Chuck Dallis, "Memphis Twist" by Billy Adams, "Everybody's Twisting" by Darron Lee, "Mama's Doin The Twist" by Linda Hopkins, "Scratch N Twist" by Little Jimmy Spruill, "Twistin The Night Away" by Keely Smith, "Do You Know How To Twist" by Hank Ballard, "Chicken Twist (part 2)" by Paul Livert & The Lions, "Cajun Twist" by Cajun Trio, and "Misirlou Twist" by Dick Dale & The Del-Tones. CD

Keep the spirit of winter going well into the summer – thanks to this massive batch of winter-themed tracks from the postwar years – served up in a nice mix of modes, in a variety of different styles! The spirit's a bit like a Christmas collection, but with a sound that fits well in January and February too – songs about snowfalls, cozy fires, and wintry themes, both happy and sad – all brought together with the sense of song and style that makes these Bear Family collections so great! Titles include "Snow Deer Stomp" by Spade Cooley, "Looks Like A Cold Cold Winter" by Georgia Gibbs, "The Blizzard" by Jim Reeves, "Frosty" by Albert Collins, "The Great Snowman" by Bob Luman, "Wintertime" by The Belmonts, "Roses In The Snow" by The Kim Sisters, "Snowflakes" by Cliff Bruner, "Ski Jump" by Frederic Curzon, "Snowdeer" by Carl Smith, "Faded Love & Winter Roses" by Hank Williams, "Midnight Sun" by Bobby Christian, and "Cold North Wind" by Lonnie Dee. 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

Memphis music legend Charlie Feathers may not have hit the heights back in the day – but in the late 50s he cut some of the heaviest tracks on his scene, then kept going as kind of a "secret hero" of rock and roll for the decades to come! Feathers is one of those cats that only the coolest of the cool really dug at the time – and one who's gotten great attention from the hipper music writers in more recent generations – so much so that his legacy is likely a lot better known now than it was in the 60s! We can't think of a better artist to pick for one of the "Rocks" titles in this great Bear Family series – and like the other volumes, the well-chosen array of music is presented along with very detailed notes on the man and his contributions. The package features 31 tracks in all – mostly rarities from Feathers' earliest years – and titles include "Tongue Tied Jill", "Rain", "Too Much Alike", "Bottle To The Baby", "One Good Gal", "Wild Wild Party", "Oklahoma Hills", "Love Never Treated Me Right", "Cootzie Coo", "Wild Side Of Life", "Can't Hardly Stand It", and "Get With It". CD

A really unique side of the talents of PJ Proby – a singer who's forgotten by most these days, but who had a hell of a vocal range when he was making records back in the 60s! That range really comes through here, in a set of tracks that offer up an unheard and almost unknown side of Proby's career – a set of recordings that were done as demo tracks for Elvis Presley – full recordings of songs that were brought before the king, all with PJ himself handling the vocals, in a mode that's a nice reworking of the style of Elvis! Presley had a wish to hear all songs coming his way in a near-finished form – so these tracks are way more than just rough songwriting demos, with full instrumentation, and performances by Proby that easily rival some of his own records from the time. As always with Bear Family, the package is great – plenty of notes on the uniqueness of the music, along with some cool images too – alongside tracks that include "The Greatest Show", "A Fool To Wander", "Me & Mi Amigo", "Cotton Candy Land", "I'll Keep Your Secret", "Come & Get It", "Whatta They Know", and "In My Dreams". CD

A really cool collection of car-themed tunes – not 60s hot rod numbers, but mostly 50s tracks from those years when the automobile was really beginning to dominate American culture – and served as the inspiration for car-based cuts in a variety of different styles! A good number of the cuts here are 50s rockers, including some wild novelty-oriented numbers – but there's also country tracks, vocal tunes, and plenty more too – served up in a really well-done assortment of 33 songs that goes way past the familiar material you might find on a collection like this! As always, Bear Family have done a really great job – with presentation, notes, track selection, and more – on titles that include "Freeway USA" by The Bonnevilles, "Stop Jivin Start Drivin" by Bert Keyes, "Cruisin Central" by Faron Warmer, "Keep A Driving" by Chuck Willis, "Flat Tire" by The Del Vikings, "Wow Man" by Bobby Jackson, "The Drive In" by The Aquatones, "Get Out Of The Car" by The Lancers, "Cruisin" by Bucky & The Premieres, "Hey Little Car Hop" by George Weston, and "Big Green Car" by Jimmy Carroll. CD

A cool little record label from the Arizona scene of the late 50s – one that worked in a cool variety of styles that's perfectly summed up by the title! MCI was an early home of Lee Hazlewood's studio efforts, and also handled the output of some other inventive talents too – artists who were more than willing to try something new in the pursuit of the fresh styles of the time – including offbeat pop, raw rock, and even some slight hilllbilly styles too – but almost always with a sweet echoey guitar in the lead! A good portion of the music comes from the years right before Arizona took off as a hotbed of rockers, and that quality almost gives the whole thing a fresher feel than some of the more familiar work from the scene – especially Lee's later hits with Duane Eddy and others. CD features 32 tracks, plus 7 more bonus studio selections that were used as commercials – and the booklet's got over 40 pages of notes, and a style that's as nice as the cover. Titles include the original version of "The Fool" by Sanford Clark, plus "Buying On Time" by Lee Hazlewood with Al Casey, "Money Oldsmobile" by Ken Noble, "Mrs Arizona Home Owner" by Jimmy Wilcox, "Boogie Billy" by Spence Bare, "The Boppin Martian" by Dick Robinson & His Makebelievers, "The Woo" by Bobby & The Demons, "I'm No Good Without You" by The Newton Brothers, "The Pink Panther" by Al Casey, "I Need Your Love" by Joe Tanner, "Come To Phoenix" by Red McIlvaine, "Quarter After Eight" by Patti LaSalle, and "Don't You Just Know It" by Jim Fleming & The Casuals. CD

A great lost chapter in the history of New Orleans R&B – material recorded by Mercury Records down in Louisiana in the early 50s – all beautifully brought together here in a lavishly overstuffed package! Mercury was located in Chicago, and cut most of their famous early work in the Windy City – but in the years 1950 and 1953, they made some key trips down to New Orleans – and recorded some great work that's still relatively unknown all these years later! The Mercury work from New Orleans isn't nearly as strictly codified as that of labels like Imperial or Atlantic – and there's a nice variety of swing, jump, and bluesy rhythms going on here – served up by a relatively tight cadre of artists. The 2CD set is almost worth it for the booklet alone – a 70 page treasure trove of notes, photos, and other details on the music. But there's also plenty of great music too – a whopping 47 tracks that include "A Job For A Jockey", "Still My Angel Child", "Miss Lollypop's Confession", "Love Troubles", and "Baby Get Wise" by Alma Monday; "Byrd's Blues", "Hadacol Bounce", "Her Mind Is Gone", "Between The Night & Day", and "Been Foolin Around" by Roy Byrd; "Boogie's The Thing" and "Bat Lee Swing" by George Miller & His Mid-Driffs; "Something's Wrong" and "Five Long Letters" by Herbert Woo Woo More; "Mercury Boogie" and "New Way Of Loving" by Dwine Craven; "Keep Your Hands On Your Heart" by Pat Valdelar; "Bye & Bye" by Silvertone Singers; "I Walk In My Sleep" by Theard Johnson; and "She Won't Leave No More" by Little Joe Gaines. CD

That's not bop as in the jazz-based mode – but instead, the lively dancefloor style that first sprung up during the rockabilly years – presented here in all of its glory on a whole host of rare, raw rockers from back in the day! There's plenty of guitar and a bit of twang in the mix – sounds that are mostly in the Sun Records side of the spectrum, but from much more obscure artists overall – collected with the great ear for a unique tune that makes us love Bear Family compilations so much! Titles include "Bop Pills" by Macy Skipper, "I Wanna Bop" by Billy Harlan, "Let's Go Bopping Tonight" by Al Ferrier & His Bopping Billies, "Boppin In The Dark" by Dub Dickerson, "Bop Crazy Bop" by Vern Pullens, "Boppin High School Baby" by Don Willis, "Continental Bop" by Leroy & The Continentals, "A Bomp Bop" by Mike Fern & The Del Royals, and "Bop Hop" by Little Jimmy Dempsey. CD

A cool little compilation – one that begins with the revving sounds of a vintage Indian Super Chief cycle, then rolls through 32 tracks that celebrate the joys of two wheels, a motor, and plenty of leather! The package is very much in the spirit of some of the That'll Flat Git It titles from Bear Family – in that the music is a mix of raw early rockers, hard-edged country, and rockabilly numbers – peppered with some cool surprises along the way, and wrapped up in a beautiful package that offers detailed notes on the music and the musical moment! Titles include "Street Beat" by Lenny & The Thundertones, "Hot Rod Harley" by Charlie Ryan, "Leather Jacket" by Leroy Van Dyke, "Leather Jacket Motorcycle Rider" by Otto Brandenburg, "The Wild One" by Shorty Rogers, "Motorcycle Jack" by Terry Ann, "Motorcycle Millie" by Garrett Williams, "Bad Motorcycle" by The Storey Sisters, "Hell's Angels" by Johnny Bond, "Harley Davidson" by Brigitte Bardot, "Motorcycle Man" by Floyd Robinson, and "The Big Black Jacket" by Marcel St Jean. CD

Few things go together as well as outer space and rock and roll – and while the world of postwar sci fi likely got the whole thing going, there was a special spike in the genre once the Soviets launched their Sputnik satellite in the late 50s! As you'll guess from the title, many of the cuts here deal with that magical moment that launched the space race – and while some cuts address Sputnik directly, others are more rocket or satellite-based – and together the tracks make for a really playful romp through the cosmos at the end of the 50s and start of the 60s! Some tunes are instrumentals, others are vocal numbers – and as always with Bear Family, the presentation is as great as the music within! Titles include "Sputniks & Mutniks" by Ray Anderson, "Theme From Spacenik" by Comrade X, "Rocket Ship" by Vernon Green & The Medallions, "The Sputnik Story" by Bill Thomas, "Sputnik Satellite Girl" by Jerry Engler & The Four Ekkos, "Astrosonic" by Jimmie Haskell, "Sputnik" by Los Loud Jets, "Static" by The Velvetones, "Up There In Orbit" by Earl Bostic, "Gonna Build A Rocket" by Galen Denny, "Space Age" by Frank Motley, "Space Man In Orbit" by Speedy West, and "There Goes Sputnik" by The Teen Clefs. CD

Joe Bennett and his South Carolina group are best known for one classic rocker – the great "Black Slacks" – but back in the day, the group had a much longer legacy of recordings – all of which are presented here in a really well-done set! The groove is great – upbeat, romping, and with plenty of rockabilly elements – but also given a sharper tune at times too, especially as the music moves into the 60s and the package features related material by Joe & The Jaguars, Billy & Eddie, and Karina Con Los Jaguars – the last of whom even deliver some lyrics in Spanish! The package is great – the usual Bear Family huge amount of notes and details on this near-lost group – and the set features 38 tracks in all, with titles that include "Black Slacks", "What The Heck", "Softly", "De Nada", "La Hora", "Well Dressed Man", "Run Rabbit Run", "Do The Stop", "Late Again", "Penny Loafers & Bobby Sox, "Let's Go Rock & Roll", "Maybe Baby", and "Rocket". CD

Two fantastic albums from the legendary David Allen Coe – back to back on a single CD! First up is Long Haired Redneck – one of the greatest albums ever from one of the greatest talents in 70s country music – and the kind of set that really helped the great David Allen Coe find his voice! The set says it all with the leadoff title track – the completely wonderful "Long Haired Redneck", which marked Coe as one of the smartest singers to ever sing about country music – as well as sing the music itself – and it's blended here with straighter songs that show a surprisingly heartfelt side of the artist, plus a few others that really have a great commentary on the 70s country scene. Titles include "Texas Lullaby", "Rock & Roll Holiday", "When She's Got Me", "Living On The Run", "Revenge", "Free Born Rambling Man", "Spotlight", and the completely bizarre "Dakota The Dancing Bear (part 2)". Rides Again is a record that was billed as a recurrence of Coe's earlier personal – as The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy Rides Again – but instead, it continues that run of super-smart songcraft that made David Allen one of the most important forces transforming the world of country music in the 70s – maybe, to us, even more important than Waylon or Willie! Coe's definitely more rough around the edges, but that's what makes these songs great – as the man unabashedly puts his ideas and his humor out there, on titles that include the seminal "Willie Waylon & Me", "Young Dallas Cowboy", "The House We've Been Calling Home", "Laid Back & Wasted", "Under Rachel's Wings", "Greener Than The Grass We Laid On", and the fantastic "If That Ain't Country" – a bit offensive, but still one of the greatest country music anthems of all time. CD

The lost legacy of Stomp Gordon – a hard-wailing artist who should have been a crucial force in the early years of rock and roll – had an early death not taken him away from us all too soon! Stomp plays piano with the dexterity of the best postwar players of his generation, but also sings in an upbeat R&B mode too – mixing his work on the keys with his deeply soulful vocals – on tracks that are almost all originals, and full of fire throughout! Gordon recorded this music for Decca, Mercury, Chess, and Savoy – and the set features ten tracks on a cool 10" LP, and seventeen on the included CD – which also features some other non-Gordon material too. Titles include "Damp Rag", "Dragnet", "Oooh Yes", "Ride Superman Ride", "Hide The Bottle", "What's Her Whimsey Dr Kinsey", "Devil's Daughter", "The Grind", and "Don't Do Me That Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally great collection of work from the young Ronnie Hawkins – one of the last great raw rockers to emerge in the 50s – and an artist who's maybe equally famous for his searing backing band, The Hawks – a combo that features a young Levon Helm, and who later morphed into The Band! The style here is upbeat, frenetic material in the best rockabilly and R&B-inspired styles of the early rock years – driving drums from Helm really propelling the tracks forward, with plenty of incredible guitar and piano too – served up here in a very cool package! The set features a 10" LP with titles that include "Oh Sugar", "Clara", "Horace", "My Gal Is Red Hot", "Baby Jean", "Forty Days", "Wild Little Willy", and "Southern Love" – plus a CD that features 32 tracks, a 12 page booklet, and a very cool cover! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic package of work – material that not only helped kick off the career of the legendary Howlin Wolf, but also the Memphis powerhouse Sun Records too! The material here was all cut in the Sun Studios right at the start of its famous run – material recorded by Sam Phillips long before Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis – at a time when he was deeply interested in the shifts taking place in southern blues at the time, and was willing to take a chance on the mighty talents of Howlin Wolf! Wolf was no newcomer to the scene, but hadn't gotten recorded much before – especially not at this level, which brings out qualities that really ignited a long stretch of important 50s sessions after Sun licensed a few key tracks to other labels before they got their own imprint up and running. This very cool 10" package features titles not issued at the time – ten great tracks that were in the Sun Records vaults for years – presented here in a very cool vintage-styled LP. Titles include "Look A Here Baby", "I Got A Woman/Sweet Woman", "California Boogie", "Chocolate Drop", "My Troubles & Me", "Everybody's In The Mood", "How Many More Years", and "Bluebird Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic package of work – material that not only helped kick off the career of the legendary Howlin Wolf, but also the Memphis powerhouse Sun Records too! The material here was all cut in the Sun Studios right at the start of its famous run – material recorded by Sam Phillips long before Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis – at a time when he was deeply interested in the shifts taking place in southern blues at the time, and was willing to take a chance on the mighty talents of Howlin Wolf! Wolf was no newcomer to the scene, but hadn't gotten recorded much before – especially not at this level, which brings out qualities that really ignited a long stretch of important 50s sessions after Sun licensed a few key tracks to other labels before they got their own imprint up and running. This very cool 10" package features titles not issued at the time – ten great tracks that were in the Sun Records vaults for years – presented here in a very cool vintage-styled LP. Titles on this second volume include "Color & Kind", "My Baby Walked Off", "Baby Ride With Me", "Smile At Me", "California Blues", "Well That's All Right", "Mr Highway Man/Cadillac Daddy", "Decoration Day Blues", "Dorothy Mae #2", and "CV Wine Blues/Drinkin CV Wine". LP, Vinyl record album

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A really cool little collection – and one that only has partly to do with the beat-era writings of the legendary Jack Kerouac! Jack does appear on the set, and there are some spoken passages by some of his contemporaries – but the sprawling 2CD set does a heck of a lot more to illuminate the vibe of the time – by bringing together jazz vocal and instrumental tracks that were key to the beats, as well as a whole bunch of beatnik-related recordings – some by authentic acts, some by others who were a bit more tongue in cheek – doing their own thing to throw their hat in the ring in the pre-hippie generation! As with other collections on Bear Family like this, the presentation is wonderful – great notes and a fantastic choice of songs – 52 tracks in all, with work by Babs Gonzales, Three Bips & A Bop, King Pleasure, Big Jay McNeely, John Barry, Shel Silverstein, Lenny Bruce, Slim Gaillard, Ken Nordine, Kenny Clarke, Paul Gayten, Oscar Brown Jr, Carl Sandburg, Charlie Parker, The Bee Hives, Louis Nye, Mamie Van Doren, Bing Day, Bob McFadden, Joel Hall, Don Morrow, Lambert Hendricks & Ross, Allen Ginsberg, Paul Evans, and Jack Kerouac himself! CD

A wealth of vintage work from this R&B legend – mostly from his years at Imperial Records, but also featuring tracks recorded for Dot and Okeh as well! CD

A much-needed look at the early years of Roger Miller – the chart-topping country star of the mid 60s, best known for a few key hits – but actually a well-traveled journeyman who spent cut many records before hitting the big time! Most of the work here is from the prime years of Starday Records – where Roger was able to step out initially as a bit of a rocker – still country overall, but maybe with a rockabilly edge at times – on material that has a bit less of the jokes of later years, but which could have stood more than strongly enough on its own. There's also a few even-earlier tracks for Decca – other obscure material that has an even younger Miller really sounding great – again with maybe a bit less of the distinction of his hits, but still pretty wonderful and very different than the mainstream pack of the time. Bear Family serves the whole thing up with plenty of notes that get to the heart of these overlooked years – and titles include the great "Jason Fleming", plus "Country Girl", "My Pillow", "Poor Little John", "A Man Like Me", "The Tip Of My Fingers", "Playboy", "Hot Rod Lincoln", "I Wish I Could Fall In Love Today", "I Ain't Never", "Under Your Spell Again", and a nice take on "Who Shot Sam". CD

Johnny Paycheck has worn many hats over his decades in country music – but maybe one of the coolest was his early career as singer Donny Young – featured here in a host of excellent recordings done before his classic sides on the Little Darlin label! The work here is totally great – not throwaway material at all, but instead the kind of fully-formed early 60s country that should have, could have made Paycheck huge – including many original tunes written by the man himself, and sung with the kind of completely charming, surprisingly dark tones that we love so much in the mid-60s work that began to bring him fame. Tracks were produced by Owen Bradley and Shelby Singleton – and originally issued on Decca and Mercury, plus a few more on the Todd label – and the set features a whopping 29 tracks in all, with titles that include "The Story Behind The Photograph", "I Guess I Had It Coming", "Pictures Can't Talk Back", "Big Swamp Land", "Second Thought", "I'm Out Of My Mind", "One Day A Week", "Hello Walls", "Window Up Above", "Down To My Last Dime", "I'm Glad To Have Her Back Again", "A Woman's Intuition", and "Your Old Used To Be". CD

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A really cool collection of work from Marvin Rainwater – one of those late 60s cats who was always equal parts country and rock – with a hard-wailing style and a really great way with a tune! Marvin wrote much of his material himself, and that gives his records a very personal quality – especially as he's able to shift his style slightly from tune to tune – not in a way that veers towards commercial, but which can be blue-tinged country for one theme, and red-hot rockabilly for another! This nicely-done set offers up a 10" LP with a dozen tracks from Rainwater, plus a bonus CD that features all those tracks plus many others – a total of 28 numbers on the CD – with cuts that include "Dance Me Daddy", "Mr Blues", "My Brand Of Blues", "A Need For Love", "Baby Don't Go", "It Wasn't Enough", "Hot & Cold", "I Dig You Baby", and "That's When I'll Stop Loving You". LP, Vinyl record album

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Way before he was a country crooner, Conway Twitty started out as a hard-edged rockabilly artist – as you'll hear on this collection of all his early work for Sun Records, Mercury, and MGM! 8LPs, a huge amount of music, and a great booklet of notes! LP, Vinyl record album

Cool space songs in all sorts of styles – raw rockers, swinging vocal numbers, and even some cool instrumentals that have all sorts of weird sound effects and spacey modes – brought together here in a wonderfully overstuffed package! We've loved the other releases in the Destination series from Bear Family – but somehow the addition of postwar space age modes really sends things over the top here – as the tunes explode with all sorts of weird instrumental, lyrical, and production touches – even when the music comes from bigger-name artists! There's a few movie trailers thrown in the mix, but most of the set is from rare singles – and includes 37 tracks in all – including "The Screamin Meemies From Planet X" by Merv Griffin, "Destination Twenty One Hundred & Sixty Five" by The Cues, "Spaceship Boogie" by Winifred Atwell, "Planet Named Desire" by Billy Mize, "Rock-et" by Teacho & His Students, "Detomic Orbit" by Dave & The Detomics, "Red Planet Rock" by Don Lang & His Frantic Five, "Moon Rocket" by Dean Hightower, "Guitars In Space" by Billy Mure, "Visitor From Space" by Dick Jacobs, "Flying Saucer" by Freddy Sunder, "The Thing" by Bill Buchanan, and "Jupiter C" by Pat & The Satellites. CD

Here's a set that will make your time in the joint a whole lot more enjoyable – more than two dozen prison-themed tunes, served up in a variety of genres – some as blue-hearted as you might expect, some with themes that are a fair bit more playful! The package follows in the best tradition of other collections on the Bear Family label – and like those, it offers up a genre-hopping blend of material from the end of the 50s and start of the 60s – a bit of rock, hillbilly, bluegrass, and other modes – all served up in a very lively assortment of unusual tracks! Titles include "Huntsville Prison Blues" by Troy Crane & The Three Texans, "Crash Out" by Jaycee Hill, "Jailer Jailer" by Jim Carter, "Death Row" by Jimmy Minor, "Prisoner's Song" by Bill Monroe, "Walking That Last Mile" by Bennie Hess, "My Hanging Day" by George Champion, "Doin My Time" by Bill Flagg, "Alabama Jailhouse" by Rod Morris, "The Ballad Of Caryl Chessman" by Ronnie Hawkins, "Lilly's Lament" by Helen Grayco, "Fort Worth Jail" by Skeets McDonald, and "One Dead Man Ago" by Jimmy Skinner. CD

Music from Waylon Jennings, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, The International Submarine Band, Henson Cargill, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Glen Campbell, Jeannie C Riley, Porter Wagoner, Jerry Lee Lewis, and more. CD

Don't think "Easter", think "groovy springtime" instead – as the tracks here are a great assortment of postwar numbers that conjure up the spirit of spring – some with bunny-themed lyrics, but others with a range of very cool styles! As with other Bear Family collections like this, the music is from a variety of sources – mostly 50s pop, rock, country, and vocal numbers – plus some instrumentals as well – served up in a playful way that really fits the spirit of the cover on the package! The set's overflowing with surprises throughout – and titles include "Suddenly It's Spring" by Chris Connor, "My Chocolate Rabbit" by Beverly Blunt, "Spring Fever" by Ernie Freeman, "Let's Do It" by Jimmy McCracklin, "Chicken Sax" by Rex & The Minors, "Chicken In The Basket" by Billy Bland, "Egbert The Easter Egg" by Betty Clooney & The Sandpipers, "Chicken Necks" by Don & Juan, "The Rooster" by Chuck Higgins, "Something To Do With Spring" by Noel Coward, "Spring Idyll" by Cedric Dumont, "Pickin The Chicken" by Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant, "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year" by Jeri Southern, "In The Spring Of The Year" by Joe Graydon with Four Hits & A Miss, and "Don't You Go Chicken" by Rudy Preston. CD

A totally wonderful package, and one that offers a deep dip into the surprisingly strong rock and roll side of the Felsted label! Felsted is best known as the home to pop hits, jazz artists, and easy listening records – but the company also managed to record some killer singles in the early years of rock and roll – most of which we'd never heard before this fantastic set! The package is as cool as the music itself – a perfect presentation of raw rockers that has 13 tracks on a 10" vinyl release, and a whopping 34 titles on the CD that's included in the package – along with a full color booklet of label scans and notes on the music! The sound is nice and raw – much more like some Memphis indie than you'd guess from Felsted – and the set includes work by The Five Fleets, DC Washington, David Orrell, The Admiral Tones, Charlie Gracie, The Roosters, LaVern STovall, Mickey Michaels, Vince Maloy, and many others. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare live material by Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and others – packaged with a superb hardcover book! The package is way more than just a 2CD set – as it's more of an historical object – with pages of images from the club, and rare material that includes a 1929 broadcast, a German broadcast from 1931, plus unissued takes in 1937 by The Tramp Band too. CD

Sure, the twist was a big dance fad, but it also opened the door to a whole new level of grooviness in American music – and was a way for the raw energy of the early rock years to step out into a whole array of different genres! You'll definitely hear that going on here, as the package goes way past Chubby Checker and the new dance steps – and instead, shows why we found out years ago that "twist" on a record can mean a very groovy track – upbeat, fast-moving, and full of mighty nice energy from start to finish! As with most Bear Family collections, the package is overflowing with cuts we never would have discovered otherwise – titles that include "No Twistin On Sunday" by The Zircons, "Moon Twist" by Billy Nix, "Buzz Saw Twist" by Gee Cees, "Twistin With Linda" by Isley Brothers, "Chicken Twist (part 1)" by Paul Liver & The Lions, "Tail End Twist" by Kirby Ladner, "Twist All Wrong" by Miller Olsen Combo, "Ivory Twist" by Chavis Brothers, "Twist & Shout" by The Top Notes, "Slow Twistin" by The Marvelettes, "Steelball Twist" by Dee Page & His Western Allstars, and "Twist Like This" by Eddie Clearwater. CD

Music from T Bone Walker, Johnny Moore, Louis Jordan, Sonny Boy Williamson, Lightnin' Hopkins, Pee Wee Crayton, Jimmy Rogers, Tampa Red, Charles Brown, Elmore James, Amos Wilburn, Joe Turner, BB King, Dr Ross, and more. CD

A landmark moment in the birth of country music – recording sessions from Knoxville at the end of the 20s – equally important to the exposure of unheard strands of American music as the "big bang" sessions in Bristol, Tennessee! The format here is similar to the famous Bristol sessions – and to the Johnson City sessions as well – in that a northern label, in this case Brunswick Records, came down to a focal point in the south, for marathon series of recording sessions to feature an astounding array of talent! The material was all originally destined for release on a variety of 78rpm singles – some of which are now so rare, only a single copy is known to exist – and the Knoxville Sessions feature the same mix of country and older Appalachian styles as Bristol – but also include some blues material as well. The 27 track package brings together key recordings from the longer sessions at the time – complete with detailed notes on all the material, and work from Cal West, Will Bennett, Wise String Orchestra, Tennessee Ramblers, Perry County Music Makers, Cal Davenport & His Gang, Ballard Cross, Louis Bird, Tennessee Chocolate Drops, The Appalachian Vagabond, and many others! CD

An amazing document of the sound of protest in the years before the folk boom of the 60s – with songs on labor, wartime, race issues, and lots lots more – packaged with a fantastic hardcover book – full of notes and images! The kind of music that never goes out of style – and which still greatly informs our idea of political protest in the 21st Century. 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 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

The great Wanda Jackson is often hailed as a unique early figure in both rock and country music – yet back in the day, Wanda's work didn't occur in a vacuum – as you'll hear in this wonderful collection of cuts! As the title indicates, the set brings together both work that inspired Jackson, and which took off from her own inspiration too – nicely situating Wanda in a larger world of early rock, late hillbilly, and nascent country – all supported with the usual great Bear Family stylish package and detailed notes! CD features 30 tracks in all – and titles include "Let's Have A Party" by Bix Bryant & The Raiders, "So Soon" by Bobby Bare, "I Gotta Know" by Rosie Flores, "Stupid Cupid" by Jenny Lunna, "Fujiyama Mama" by Eileen Barton, "Just A Queen For A Day" by Lydia & Her Melody Strings, "Party" by The Collins Kids, "Mean Mean Man" by Terry White, "I Wanna Waltz" by Thelma Blackburn, "Riot In Cell Block No 9" by Vicky Young, "Right Or Wrong" by Skeeter Davis, "Funnel Of Love" by Velvtone, "Honey Bop" by Ray Campi, "I Gotta Know" by Joyce Hahn, and two versions of "Hot Dog That Made Him Mad" – by Betty Hutton and Sunny Gale! CD

Hank Ballard was one of the greatest singers in the pre-soul generation – the kind of vocalist who provided inspiration for so many others to come in the 60s – a raw lead singer who really drove his group to great heights – as you'll hear here in this hard-rocking collection of tracks from the best years of the group! Most of these numbers were cut by Hank and The Midnighters for King Records – the kind of raw gems that made the label one of the best of the 50s when it came to all things hard and heavy – and the collection of cuts definitely features the kind of tracks that live up to the title – the work that made The Midnighters one of the first great crossover acts, even before rock and roll was a thing for the kids in the suburbs! Every track's a winner, and the superb Bear Family presentation knocks the set out of the park – with titles that include "Henry's Got A Flat Feet", "That House On The Hill", "Annie's Aunt Fannie", "I Feel That A Way", "Sexy Ways", "Sugaree", "Shaky Mama", "Are You Forgetting", "Stingy Little Thing", "Rock Granny Roll", "The Float", "Big Red Sunset", "I'm Young", "Don't Let Temptation Turn You Round", "Tore Up Over You", and "Don't Ever Change Your Pretty Ways". CD

Great work from Jimmy Cavallo – an early tenor star from the years when the saxophone was almost more important to the sound of rock music than the guitar! Jimmy draws plenty of inspiration from R&B on these tracks – and although he sings in the lead, he also takes a break for a nice tenor solo on just about all the cuts – often keeping the spirit strong with the addition of a second saxophonist in the group! Most of these tracks were cut within a few short years for Coral Records – home to some surprising rockers back in the day (including Johnny Burnette!) – and the set then moves on to a few later recordings from a time when Cavallo's star had fallen from the limelight. As with the other titles in this series, the focus is on upbeat rockers from the postwar years – but unlike the others, most of this work is pretty darn obscure – every bit the kind of musical discovery we love from Bear Family! Titles include "Ha Ha Ha Blues", "Rock The Joint", "That's The Groovy Thing", "Let M Roll", "Leave Married Women Alone", "Foot Stompin", "Soda Shoppe Rock", "I'm With You", "Teenage Lover", "I Feel That Old Age Coming On", "Chicken Talk", "Dream Toy", and "Cherri Pie". CD

A fantastic overview of a key figure from the early years of soul music – the mighty Jimmy McCracklin, an artist whose tight approach to R&B really helped pave the way for many others to come! Jimmy was a really versatile artist, and during the years in this set, he moved from blues, to R&B, to some key early soul styles – often with strong currents from New Orleans and Texas, which also helped pave the way for funkier styles to come! The set begins with a few early 50s tracks, but mostly hones in on those late 50s/early 60s years when Jimmy was really creating some magic in the studio – served up here in a batch of 30 tracks that include "Savoy's Jump", "Get Back", "Think", "Trottin", "Susie & Pat", "Let's Do It", "Give My Heart A Break", "What's Your Phone Number", "Georgia Slop", "The Wobble", "Get Tough", "Gotta Cut Out", "Steppin Up In Class", "I'm Through", "I Wanna Make Love To You", "Rockin All Day", "Take Care Of Yourself", and "Looking For A Woman". CD

Tommy Sands maybe wasn't the coolest cat in the crowd – but at the right moment, with the right recording style, he could deliver up some surprisingly great work – as you'll hear in this well-done collection that's in the best Bear Family tradition! Sands' work for Capitol Records isn't usually the type that's tracked down by collectors – but the cuts together here really show a lost legacy of a singer who could really shine when he wanted to – and who gets superb backing here by the great Bob Bain on guitar and arrangements on many tracks – and the legendary Scotty Moore on some others! The set features a massive 36 tracks in all – and titles include "Big Date", "Soda Pop Pop", "The Worryin Kind", "Ring My Phone", "Is It Ever Gonna Happen", "Bigger Than Texas", "Doctor Heartache", "Rock Light", "Goin Steady", "Little Mama", "Your Daddy Wants To Do Right", "Should I", "Can't Change My Love", "The Old Oaken Bucket", and "I Love You Because". CD

Clinch Mountain bluegrass harmony at it's absolute finest! Ralph and Carter Stanley always felt that they recorded their best tracks for Mercury, a fair assessment by any stretch, and nearly 50 of those tracks are compiled here on two CDs, spanning the 50s and early 60s. Trust us, put the Grammy winning soundtrack away and head on up the mountain – Clinch Mountain that is. You'll be happy you made the trip. Tracks include "(Say) Won't You Be Mine", "This Weary Heart you Stole Away", "I'm Lonesome Without You", "Poison Lies", "Blue Moon OF Kentucky", "Baby Girl", "I Worship You", "Calling From Heaven", "Tragic Love", "I'd Rather Be Forgotten", "Orange Blossom Special", "No School Bus In Heaven", "If That's The Way you Feel", "A Lonesome Night", "Loving You Too Well", "Meet Me In Heaven" and soooo much more! CD

An overdue collection of work from the very young brother of the great Bob Wills – an artist who recorded for the same MGM label as Bob in the 50s, but who made some very different music overall! Billy Jack is much more of a rocker than his brother – and the cuts here do a really good job of mixing up postwar hillbilly styles with some of the romping modes that were coming to the music from R&B – but also often offering up just a slight current of jazz in the instrumentation, almost as if the younger Wills were creating a hip take on the Texas dancehall sound of the previous generation, but pushing it much more towards rock and roll! Billy Jack recorded a number of singles for MGM in the 50s, but a good number of them weren't released at the time – and this may well be the first time we've seen so much of his work presented together, along with the usual great Bear Family notes and attention to detail. The set features 31 tracks in all – and titles include two takes of "Cadillac In Model A", plus "Crazy Man Crazy", "Kissin Bug Boogie", "I Don't Know", "Sugar Blues", "Hey Lula", "Out Of Gas", "Kentucky Means Paradise", "Troubles", "She's A Quarter Horse Type", "Dipsy Doodle", "Tobacco Chewing Boogie", "Hey Mr Mailman", "Teardrops From My Eyes", and "Mr Cotton Picker". CD

A really cool collection, even if you want nothing to do with Elvis Presley at all! The set's got way more to offer than just some covers in the mode of Elvis – and instead, it brings together all sorts of weird and wonderful singles from the late 50s and early 60s – some that are very distantly related to Presley, some more tied to the star in terms of material he might have covered, or vice versa – and the whole thing comes across more like some hip look at the varied scene at the time, instead of just another Elvis tribute record! There's a whopping 35 tracks in all, presented with very detailed notes – and the package features some very rare demo tracks – including "The Love Machine" by Gerald Nelson, "Viva Las Vegas" by Mort Shuman, "I Met Her Today" by Don Robertson, "Fun In Acapulco" by PJ Proby, and "My Desert Serenade" by Kenny Karen. Other cuts include "Where Could I Go But To The Lord" by Marty Robbins, "I'll Remember You" by Kui Lee, "You Don't Know Me" by Patty Page, "Suspicion" by Terry Stafford, "Girls Girls Girls (part 2)" by The Coasters, "Angel" by Skip Arne & The Dukes, "Kiss Me Quick" by Rikki Henderson, "King Of The Whole Wide World" by Les Carle, "Bossa Nova Baby" by Tippie & The Clovers, and "Memphis Tennessee" by The Chavis Brothers. CD

A sweet set of sweet-themed tracks from the postwar years – early rockers, vocal jazz, and plenty of pop hits from the 50s – almost all of which have candy or chocolate as their theme! There's a great range of material here, which makes the package extra playful – as the folks at Bear Family do a great job of moving between different artists and different flavors – always keeping things moving along nicely, and featuring a fair bit of great tracks we never would have heard otherwise! There's a total of 31 tracks in all – and titles include "Maple Syrup" by The Kresents, "Jam & Jelly" by The Col Lee Jets, "Candy Bar Twist" by The Candymen, "Bubble Gum" by Johnny Redd, "Gum Drop" by Judy Valentine, "Chocolata" by Nat Russell, "Candy Store Blues" by The Casual Three, "Candy Bar Boogie" by The Ames Brothers, "Meet Me At The Candy Store" by The Chesterfields, "Candy Store Love" by The Val Chords, "The Chocolate Song" by Charlie Walker, "Cotton Candy" by Frank Virtuoso Quintette, and "I Hate But I Like Popcorn" by Big Bill Schaeffer. CD

Really obscure work from the early days of the German rock scene – a time long before the prog experiments that would get some of its bigger groups international attention – and done when the nation was maybe working harder to import sounds from outside, rather than export its own new creations! At that level, the package is heavy on influences from early American artists – both rockabilly singers and pop rock acts – maybe at a level that's similar to the way the UK scene was working in more US-styled territory at the start of the 60s, before finding a groove of its own. The collection of cuts is every bit as deep and detailed as those on previous volumes in this unique series – and the 33 track package features work from The Rattles, Rocking Stars, Pralins, Hans Baxer, Helmut Qualtinger, Gisha Brothers, Odd Persons, Pipelines, Die Yankees, Rivets, Ronny Twen & Die Perrys, Peter Kraus, and even the early Beatle Tony Sheridan! CD

A really weird little collection – and we mean that in the best way possible – not the sea shanties you might guess from the title, and instead a whole host of ocean and ship-themed tracks from the glorious days of postwar music! The styles here are heavy on modes from folk music, but the set also includes a nice assortment of rock, pop, and country artists too – maybe a similar mix to the one you'd find on other Bear Family collections of this nature, but with a slightly different vibe overall – given the themes! Titles include "Treasure Island" by Gary Mills, "Sailing Away On The Ocean" by Jimmy Driftwood, "With You My Johnny" by Kingston Trio, "My Bonnie" by Cliff Bruner, "Windjammer" by Easy Riders, "Erie Canal" by Roger Wagner Chorale, "La Paloma" by Hank Snow, "Sailor" by Petula Clark, "La Mer" by Charles Trenet, "Fisher's Hornpipe" by Pee Wee King, "Mackerel Fleet" by Terry Gilkyson, and "Drunken Sailor" by Leonard Warren. CD

A whole host of tunes that will help you say goodbye to winter and hello to spring – a light and lively mix of postwar cuts in a variety of styles – from early rockers, to instrumentals, radio pop gems, and even a bit of R&B – all put together with a very playful vibe! The set's similar to the other "season" titles from Bear Family – showing how similar themes move through American music in different ways – almost like you're tuning into some old AM station in the month of May, discovering a whole host of tunes you might never have heard otherwise! Oddly, there's also a theme of chickens and eggs running through the set – which features 28 titles that include "Chicken Rock" by Fat Daddy Holmes, "Spring Fever" by Vilas Craig & The Kollege Kings, "One Fried Egg" by The Charioteers, "Rock Chicken Rock" by Ray Coleman & His Skyrockets, "Jungle Bunny" by The Fabulous Pearls, "The Rooster" by Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm, "Chicken Reel" by les Paul, "Easter Day" by The Dixon Brothers, "April Love" by Shirley Jones & Pat Boone, "Egghead" by Al Allen, "Spring Fever" by The Velvets, "End Of Spring" by Les Baxter, and "It Might As Well Be Spring" by Jerry Duane with the Monarchs. CD

The sweet sounds of summer – served up in ways that sparkle nicely with the best pop paradise touches of the postwar years! The music here is a catchy mix of pop, rock, and vocal numbers – plus a few surprises from other styles too – and as in other titles in this series from Bear Family, the songs are all themed around summer modes – time at the beach, fun in the sun, love in the summer, and so on – all delivered with a vibe that's as wistful and playful as the image on the cover! There's plenty of overlooked gems here from the glory days of the 45rpm single – and the set features 31 titles that include "Wine Cooler" by TJ Fowler, "That Sunday" by Dinah Washington, "Beach Doll" by Johnny O'Neill, "Emerald Beach" by Tito Puente, "Beachcomber" by Conway Twitty, "Down On The Beach" by Ernie Maresca, "Summer Nights" by The Safaris, "Summertime Goodbyes" by The Quotations, "Summer Day" by Kari Lynn, "The Bully Of The Beach" by Sammy Salvo, "Swingin Summer Love" by Googie Rene, and "My Summer Heart" by Maxine Daniels. CD