Serving time has never been this groovy – thanks to a whole host of prison-themed tunes from the postwar years, presented here in a package that's especially strong on blues and R&B! Sure, most folks know "Folsom Prison Blues", but this package digs much deeper to come up with two dozen near-lost tracks that also echo the legacy of incarceration that frequently interacted with the music business during years when even the most minor infraction might get a singer or instrumentalist locked up. We're not saying that all these artists have experience behind bars, but the set does resonate strongly as a showcase of the too-common theme of jail and prison in American music. Titles include "Jailbird" by Smiley Lewis, "But Officer" by Sonny Knight, "Hey Mr Warden" by Danny Cobb, "Prisoner's Song" by Fats Domino, "Please Mr Jailer" by Wynona Carr, "Ball & Chain Blues" by Josh White, "Jail Bird" by El Pauling & Royal Abbit, "Prisoner's Plea" by Billy Boy Arnold, "Jailhouse Blues" by Ottille Patterson, "When I Leave These Prison Walls" by The Larks, and "I'm A Prisoner" by Eddie Boyd. CD

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Not the music of Bob Dylan – but a great little set that shows just how much Dylan's influence spread amidst various channels of the music world of the mid 60s – so much so, that it left behind a whole host of unlikely acts picking up some of his sounds and styles – and using it to make some marvelous music of their own! There's definitely some folk artists in the mix here, bu the set expands out nicely to show just how much other aspects of rock, pop, and vocal music were influenced by Dylan's style – bits of protest here, a slight current of folk blues expression there – and plenty of open, honest, and playful lyrical touches throughout – all very well documented in the album's large booklet of notes. The set features 25 surprising tracks in all – and tunes include "These Are Not My People" by Billy Joe Royal, "Me & Mr Hohner" by Bobby Darin, "Long Black Cadillac" by Jackie Washington, "Feet First Baby" by Len Chandler, "Willie Jean" by David Crosby, "Men Of Good Fortune" by Lou Reed, "Persecution Smith" by Bob Seger, "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" by Boz Scaggs, "Black Betty" by Dino Valenti, "Vigilante Man" by Sammy Walker, "Everybody's Talking About The Young" by Leon Russell, "Don't You Wonder Where It's At" by Barry McGuire, "Next Year This Time" by Bubba Fowler, "Halloween Mary" by PF Sloan, and "You've Got To Be Kidding" by Dick Campbell. CD

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Maybe the most comprehensive package of Memphis blues music we've ever seen – a set that goes back all the way to early pre-WWI recordings in the city, the moves all the way through the 60s – and has a very strong focus on music that was originally issued only on 78rpm and 45rpm singles! There's a massive 534 tracks on a total of 20 CDs – and the music is presented chronologically, showing a huge evolution – from rural styles that moved up to the city from the delta, jug bands of the 20s, combos of the 40s and 50s, and some of the more urban-styled blues that reigned in the 60s! The progression really shows the city's important role in shaping the music – and the 360 page, LP-sized hardcover book that accompanies the package carries a huge amount of information, mixed with hundreds of rare photos and illustrations. Artists include Allen Shaw, Fleming & Townsend, Furry Lewis, Rufus Thomas, Bill Harvey, Willie Nix, Harmonica Frank, Tuff Green, Cliff Jackson, and even Ike & Tina Turner – plus hundreds of others, all presented in a mindblowing array of music. 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 set features work from The Phantom Brothers, Pralins, Gisha Brothers, Werner Hass, Peter Reese & The Pages, Michael Holm, Fats & His Cats, Billy Sanders, Hans Blum, Die Crazy Combo, Danny Mann, Freddy Und Die Dominos, The Rattles, and many others. Comes with detailed notes and some great photos too! CD

A killer collection of school-themed tracks in many styles – all brought together in a mad mix of music that's very much in the best Bear Family label tradition! Most of the cuts here are from the early years of rock and roll – and there's plenty of riotous numbers that were likely designed to drive the teacher crazy – mixed with other numbers that have sweeter or more soulful styles – work in modes that run the gamut from R&B, to country, pop, vocal, and other postwar genres! The package is delightfully done, with mighty nice notes – and titles include "School Boy Blues" by Bobby Mitchell & The Toppers, "Goin Away To School" by John D Loudermilk, "Summer School" by Bucky & The Premiers, "Summer Vacation" by Carl Phillips, "Ding Dong School Is Out" by The Hollywood Playboys, "Rockin After School" by Miss Georgia, "After School" by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, "School Fool" by Mark Dinning, "School Blues" by Dave Rich, "School Days Are Back Again" by Smiley Lewis, and "Charlie Brown Got Expelled" by Joe Tex & His X Classmates. CD

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

A great little set, even if it's not what you might expect – not the kind of cuts that heralded the early years of country soul – and instead an even cooler batch of tracks from those years when R&B and hillbilly records often crossed paths on the postwar scene! Many of the small indie labels of the 50s recorded both country and blues, sometimes even having different artists take on the same songs, but in different ways – which meant that there was often a lot of cross-pollination going on in the farther reaches of the music business! The cuts here definitely show that approach – as a good many of them were originally country hits for other singers, but sound great and very different in the hands of R&B artists – and are mixed with a few others that follow similar themes, and really fit into the set in a great way. As always with Bear Family, the whole thing is presented with great notes and details on the music – in a set list of 29 tracks that include "Steel Guitar Rag" by Earl Hooker, "Sixteen Tons" by BB King, "Lovesick Blues" by Sonny Knight, "Big Mamou" by Smiley Lewis, "Ghost Riders In The Sky" by Scatman Crothers, "It'd Surprise You" by The Griffin Brothers with Margie Day, "Indian Love Call" by Hal Singer, "No Help Wanted" by Bob Gaddy & His Alley cats, "Cherokee Boogie" by Moose Jackson, "It Makes No Difference Now" by Piano Red, and "You Can't Stay Here" by Pearl Reaves & The Concords. 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

Some of the most home-grown, hard-hitting work of the rockabilly generation – which is maybe no surprise, as the legendary Starday Records had a very unique approach to their music! Starday was both a commercial record label, and a place where obscure talents could go to get their records pressed up – which meant that the Texas company had their ears very close to the ground, and was able to snatch up some of the best work that was bubbling up on the scene! And while the Starday name may be more associated with country over the years, they were a key force in the Texas and Louisiana scenes during the early years of rock and roll – and definitely had plenty of artists who mixed in lots of hillbilly touches too. This killer 33 track set is overflowing with obscure Starday gems – work from Rudy Grazell, Sonny Fisher, Glen Barber, Larry Nolen & His Bandits, Link Davis, Truitt Forse, Lou Walker, Lucky Wray, Bill Browning, Al Runyon, Tommy Castle, and many others! CD

A wonderful collection of obscure sounds from the New Mexico scene – work that's often got the same unusual blend of elements that's made music from Austin so popular over the decades, but with a slightly different approach! There's definitely a fair bit of country in the mix – probably the dominant genre in the set – but there's inflections from other acoustic modes, and even some slight border-crossing elements too – all brought together here in a set that's dug from deep in the vaults of Blue Canyon Records, and which even features some unissued tracks from Steve Young and Junior Brown too! The package was supervised by the label's producer Jim Terr, and tracks include "Chile & Beans" by Buddy, "Rockin Music" by Supernatural Family Band, "Phantom 309" by Junior Brown, "Another Sweetie Has My Heart" by Chantel Mullen, "Plains Of San Augustine" by Elliott's Ramblers, "Objects In Mirror" by Jim Terr, "Big Brown Pony" by Don & Victoria Armstrong, "Always Loving You" by Steve Young, and "Nothin's Any Better For Me" by Busy McCarroll. CD

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Jimmie Davis may not have been the most rocking singer of his time – but the material here shows just why he was such an important force in the early years of country music! LP, Vinyl record album

The complete recordings of a key stretch in the career of European rocker Ricky Shayne – a singer who was born in Cairo, lived in Paris, then made a whole host of important 60s records on the Italian scene! Much of the work here resonates very strongly with English beat group material of the time, but has a slightly different vibe – as when Spanish or South American groups were taking on the same territory – in part because Ricky uses Italian vocals on most numbers, but also because the production styles are different, and do all sorts of key things to the guitars and organ lines that back up the vocals. The set also features some surprising German recordings from 1968 and 1969 too – a total of 30 tracks in all, with the usual very strong Bear Family packaging and detailed notes. Titles include "Mean Woman Blues", "We Say Yeah", "Uno Dei Mods", "When The Girl In Your Arms Is The Girl In Your Heart", "Apron Strings", "Come Moby Dick", "Hello Josephine", "In Chicago", "Le Catene", "Number One", and "Cosa Pensi Di Me". CD

A great array of bug-related tunes from the glory days of the 45rpm single – mostly rock numbers, but with some cool instrumental, soul, and exotica tracks thrown into the mix as well! The package is one of the weirdest of the many great themed compilations we've stocked from Bear Family records – and is different than some of the more monster-oriented collections that come out every year for the Halloween season – as the work here is definitely filled with references to spiders, flies, and other six-legged critters – as you'll dig on cuts that include "Hornet's Nest" by Curtis Knight, "Tarantula" by Bruce Gist & The Invaders, "Black Widow" by The Nobles, "The Fly" by Chubby Checker, "Tsetse Fly" by Martin Denny, "Get Away Fly" by Buddy Lucas, "Lady Bug" by Chet Poison Ivey, "The Wedding Of The Bugs" by Moon Mullican, "Tarantula" by The Storms, "The Web" by Abie Available Baker, "Little Cricket" by The Royal Teens, "Tarantula" by The Tarantulas, "Fly Trouble" by Hank Williams, "The Spider & The Fly" by Bobby Christian, "Beatle Bug" by Link Davis, and "The Bug" by the Swing Kings. 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

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

The shadow of Hank Williams still looms large in country music well into the 21st Century – but it had an especially strong force in the years after his too-early death – as you'll hear here in a great selection of covers, tributes, and other songs that continue the short-but-strong legacy of revolution that Hank brought to country music! Some of the cuts here are pop numbers, and show the way that Williams' original tunes found many different audiences in the 50s – yet most are pure country, and are way more than straight remakes of originals by the legend. As always with Bear Family, the package is great – filled with images and detailed notes on all the tracks and artists – served up on 33 tracks that include "Kaw-Liga" by Rusty & Doug Kershaw, "Calling You" by Hank Williams Jr, "I'm A Long Gone Daddy" by Bobby Helms, "Move It On Over" by Richard Hayes, "I Saw The Light" by Rose Maddox, "Honky Tonkin" by Audrey Williams, "I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Livin" by Johnny Horton, "Mind Your Own Business" by Ted Daigle, "Lost Highway" by Skeets McDonald, "Cold Cold Heart" by Louis Armstrong, "Lovesick Blues" by Rex Griffin, "Baby We're Really In Love" by Don Gibson, and "Half As Much" by Tennessee Ernie Ford. CD

Spooky sounds galore – and a cool little collection that goes way past the usual "monster rock" numbers you might find from other labels! The scope of styles here is nicely wide – and while there's plenty of the guitar-driven, sound effects-laden numbers that made the horror single boom such a great thing from the late 50s onward – you'll also find numbers in other modes too, all served up with the great ear for a groovy tune that makes the Bear Family label so great! Titles include "The Vampire" by Orvin Yoes, "Mad Witch" by Dave Gardner, "The Spook" by Pete Drake, "House Of Horrors" by Merv Griffin, "I Was A Teenage Creature" by Lord Luther, "Rockin Ghosts" by Little Gerhard, "Spook" by Hendry Mancini, "Horror Show" by Sharkey Todd & The Monsters, "Monster Holiday" by Lon Chaney, "Zombi" by The Monotones, and "Spooky" by Count Stephen. CD

All the coffee-themed cuts you could ever want in a single compilation – a package that's a great reminder that when the Bear Family takes on a topic, they do a way better job than just about anyone else! This isn't one of those simple Starbucks-themed collections from years ago – and instead, the set digs deep into the grooviest work from the postwar years – pulling together cuts from jazz, blues, country, and rock and roll – all with themes that keep the coffee pot percolating all the way through! The presentation is as lively as the image on the cover – and titles include "Coffee Date" by Dick Michaels, "Percolator" by Randy Randolph, "Lonesome Cup Of Coffee" by Abbey Lincoln, "Forty Cups Of Coffee" by Les Brown & Jo Anne Greer, "Moliendo Cafe" by Hugo Blanco, "Keep That Coffee Hot" by Ray Ellington Quartet, "Coffee Sippin Blues" by Billy Brigs, "Coffee Bar Calypso" by Maxine Daniels, "Coffee Date" by Ella Mae Morse, and "I Can't Afford The Coffee" by Merle Travis. CD

Very cool work from Lillian Briggs – a less-remembered singer from the 50s, and one whose music here is a key bridge between earlier forms and the start of rock and roll! Briggs was as much an instrumentalist as she was a singer – playing trombone and leading her own group at times too – and she's got an approach that's like a few of her key contemporaries that lean heavily into modes used by R&B singers at the time, which comes off with a surprisingly strong groove, and a style that mixes jazzy instrumentation with some really romping rhythms – all to set fire on tunes that include "Is There A Man In The House", "I'm Burning For You", "Don't Stay Away Too Long", "Come Here", "She Sells Seashells", "That's The Only Way To Live", "Rock N Rolly Poly Santa Claus", "Come Here", "Hey Ba Ba Re Bop", "I Care For You", and "Not A Soul". CD

An insane collection of work from the great Sonny Burgess – easily one of the rawest artists to ever record for the legendary Sun Records – and that's saying a lot, given his late 50s contemporaries on the label! Sonny's not just wild from a rockabilly perspective, he also feels like he's just completely wild from a personal one – steeped in equal influences from country and R&B, and wound up and let go here in the studio – often with vocals that feel as if they're ready to blow the speakers off the wall in the legendary studio of Sam Phillips! In order to show the full genius that went into these tracks, the set also features some unusual false starts and undubbed versions too – along with a very big booklet of notes that has all the details on the sessions behind these gems. Titles include "We Wanna Boogie", "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It", "Sweet Misery", "Oh Mama", "Truckin Down The Avenue", "Find My Baby For Me", "Mr Blues", "Feelin Good", "Always Will", "Please Listen To Me", "Daddy Blues", "Fannie Brown", "Life's Too Short To Live", "Red Headed Woman", "The Prisoner's Song", "Thunderbird", "Itchy", "Mama Loochie", "A Kiss Goodnite", "Smoochin Jill", "My Baby Loves Me", "Sadie's Back In Town", and "You're Not The One For Me". 57 tracks in all! CD

Raw early rockers from Joe Clay – most cut in the year of 1956, issued on RCA's Vik subsidiary, and as hard and heavy as the best sounds coming from Sun at the time! Joe Clay's a hell of a singer and a guitarist – playing here with a raw twang that really gives these tunes a heck of a lot of power, and a vocal mode that's clearly inspired by R&B, but which also has all these offbeat inflections – really making Clay one of the true greats of the early rockabilly years, even though he only gave the world a handful of singles! LP, Vinyl record album

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An overdue look at the music of Jack Hammer – an artist maybe best known in the late 50s as an important songwriter in rock and roll, but a heck of a great singer and leader on his own – as you'll hear on the 32 tracks in the set! Part of Hammer's lost legacy was an early 60s move overseas – where he continued to push his soulful groove on the European scene, with a style that also brings in plenty of rock and R&B elements too – including twangy electric guitar and some mighty nice use of saxophone solos – all set over romping rhythms that must have made the Hammer sound a great one on the dancefloor! As you'd expect from Bear Family, the notes and overall package go a long way to presenting Jack's legacy at its liveliest – next to cuts that include "Ali Ben Ghazi", "Fire Baby", "Stop Slop", "A Bouquet Of Teardrops", "Mean & Evil Me", "Kissin Twist", "Twistin King", "Down The Subway", "Switch Blade Operator", "Good Gravy", and "Football Rock". CD

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The best-ever set we've seen to focus on the RCA Records material of Hank Locklin – a hell of a great country singer, and one who could open up into more international material too, thanks to some dark corners in his sound! CD

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Heavy kraut, indeed – as the set features a stunning array of hard rock acts from the German scene at the start of the 70s – very different music than some of the dreamier space rock or spare electronics you might also know from the time! These are all bands who really know how to turn things up to "11" – and come up with that rawness that was first unleased by UK power trios at the end of the 70s – groups who often found a surprisingly big audience in Germany, where bands quickly served up their own brand of post-psych freak and fuzz! You'll know a few of these groups from global fame back in the day, but many others are more obscure – and the 2CD set features tracks that include "If" by Frame, "Crazy Woman" by Night Sun, "Smile" by Message, "Fly Little Jeannie" by New Lords, "Stay" by Toad, "Der Hund Von Baskerville" by Cindy & Bert, "You've Got To Follow This Masquerade" by Hairy Chapter, "Spread Your Wings" by Black Mass, and "Pandemonium" by Birth Control. CD

A searing set of surf tunes from the 60s – one that throws in plenty of surprises along the way, and which takes some nice steps to move far past the obvious hits and classics! Instead, the whole thing is a great deep dive into the genre – very much in the best Bear Family Records mode – with some cuts that we've never heard before, mixed with others that we'd never have expected to sound so good in this company – all packed into an overstuffed collection that even comes with detailed notes on all the music! The set's got 33 tracks in all – and titles include "Bullwinkle (part 2)" by The Centurions, "Midnight Run" by the Super Stocks, "Tragic Wind" by The Chantays, "Like Weird" by Tommy Falcone & The Centurions, "King's Surf" by Dave Myers & The Surftones, "Rumble Bee" by The New Dimensions, "Surfin Blues (part 2)" by Al Casey, "Go Go Dancer" by The Ventures, "Thunderbeat" by The Thundermen, "Redondo Beach" by The Super Stocks, and "Surf Beat" by Aki Aleong & The Nobles. 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

Forget the novelty sound of the title, and get ready to discover a great country singer who should have been huge – the really wonderful Joe Carson, whose ability to inflect a tune reminds us of prime Lefty Frizzell or Webb Pierce at their best! These tracks are tight, focused, and never overdone – first recorded for Mercury, then Liberty Records – and all done in a respectful way that really puts Joe's fantastic vocals right out front – a clear, clean sound that's deeply personal without ever going into too-emotional territory – a careful country balance that few singers ever managed to hit this well. Carson never hit big fame, but this set's all-star material all the way through – first in a 50s honky tonk mode, then in a richer 60s style – but all without ever sounding too commercial at all. Hats off to Bear Family for giving us such a great discovery, and presenting it with their usual great notes and package – a total of 33 titles that include "I Gotta Get Drunk", "I Don't Have A Contract With You", "Crazy Dream", "Don't Enter", "I'm Not Allergic To Love", "I'll Never Love No One But You", "Three Little Words Too Late", "Passion & Pride", "Love Transfusion", "Release Me", "Be A Good Girl", "Fort Worth Jail", and "The Last Song I'm Ever Gonna Sing". CD

Two 60s gems back to back – from a time when the world was rediscovering the talents of the original Carter Family! First up is An Historic Reunion – a record that definitely deserves its title – a fantastic reunion of two key members of the Carter Family trio – back together on record for the first time in over 20 years! The record's got a wonderfully upfront, unadorned quality – as the songs just feature Sara Carter on vocals and autoharp, and Maybelle Carter on guitar and vocals – with maybe just some slight vocalizations from Joe Carter to mix things up in the background! Maybelle takes the lead on most numbers with this raspy-voiced style that's completely mindblowing – haunting, but very powerful, maybe more so than on the original Carter Family records – as if she's packing decades more pain and experience into her interpretation of songs that include "Higher Ground", "The Hand That Rocked The Cradle", "Farther On", "While The Band Is Playing Dixie", and "Happiest Days Of All". The set also features the solo Living Legend album from Maybelle Carter – a fantastic album from this important member of the Carter Family – returned to the spotlight in the 60s, thanks to new interest in her vocal and instrumental talents from a whole generation of younger musicians! The set's taken in a relatively laidback way – production that's more folk than country, although Maybelle sings very much in the spirit of the latter – while also doing a hell of a job on both guitar and autoharp, and working with usually just a bit of extra guitar, bass, and drums. The set features a few Carter Family classics, redone, and a few by Maybelle herself – and even one by Johnny Cash, who was most likely one of the reasons that Maybelle got to record for Columbia at the time. Titles include "We All Miss You Joe", "I Told Them What You're Fighting For", "Kitty Puss", "There's A Mother Always Waiting", "Give Me Your Love & I'll Give You Mine", "A Letter From Home", and "Charlie Brooks". CD

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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

A really great collection that brings together some of the most hard-rocking tracks from Wanda Jackson's early years on Capitol Records – a time when the singer became an instant legend for her hard-edged way of putting over a tune! At a time when the early rock scene was dominated by male singers, Jackson cut a very striking figure as one of the few who could weave together elements of hillbilly and R&B like the best young singers at Sun Records – captured here with a rawness that's very different than most of the mainstream productions that Capitol were putting down for the pop market! The guitar is great – as raw and ragged as the vocals – and titles include "Baby Loves Him", "Mean Mean Man", "You Don't Know Baby", "Let's Have A Party", "Funnel Of Love", "Savin My Love", "Honey Bop", "Tongue Tied", "Cool Love", "Hot Dog That Made Him Mad", and the classic "Fujiyama Mama". LP, Vinyl record album

Peggy Lee's best known as a jazz singer, but this very cool collection emphasizes her work in more pop-based fields of the postwar years – great grooving tracks when Lee was touching on R&B, early rock, and other more upbeat styles! The match of Bear Family presentation and these well-chosen cuts from Peggy's years is really great – and the whole thing really opens up an understanding of the Peggy Lee sound if you only know the singer from more jazz-based albums and recordings of standards. Lee's voice is incredible, and the package does a great job of laying out the strengths and diversity of these recordings – in a set of 30 tracks that include "Jump For Joy", "The Glory Of Love", "Heart", "Johnny Guitar", "Goody Good", "Ghost Riders In The Sky", "My Man", "Uninvited Dream", "I Love Being Here With You", "Sweetheart", "You Deserve", "Fever (live)", "I Got A Man (live)", "Every Night", and "Hallelujah I Love Him So". CD

A very early LP release from Bear Family – one that features material originally recorded for Warner Brothers by the great Bob Luman – including one unissued track! LP, Vinyl record album

Whoa, boy this'll knock ya down – when Joe Maphis straps on that double necked electric gee-tar, lookout! Joe had some minor hits in the late 40s with his wife Rose as a hubby-wifey duo, but his probably better known as a guitar session wizard – and this set collects his amazing honky tonk instrumentals from the late 50s! "Flying Fingers" might be the the fastest picked country tune of the period, and there's plenty of sweeter instrumentals of the Chet Atkins variety, too. 24 tracks in all including "Lorrie Ann", "Guitar Rock And Roll", "Twin Banjo Special", "Fire On The Strings", "Bully Of The Town", "Tennessee Two Step", "Water Baby Boogie", "Del Rio", "Black Sombrero", and much more. CD

Every single song the great Jimmie Rodgers ever recorded! Jimmie Rodgers might be THE forefather of traditional country music, and one of the great hard times poets of the century. Bear Family has gone all out to include his entire recorded history, and if justice served this set would be celebrated in the same manner as Harry Smith's Antholology Of American Folk Music. The recorded history here is every bit as important, if not more so, to the maturation of American music – but even more importantly, it's filled with breathlessly great songs! Everything's here – "The Soldier's Sweetheart", "Sleep, Baby, Sleep", "Ben Dewberry's Final Run", "Mother Was A Lady", "Blue Yodel", "Treasure's Untold", "Mississippi Moon", "You And My Old Guitar", "I'm Lonely And Blue", "My California Sunshine Girl", "Mississippi River Blues", "Nobody Knows But Me", "She Was Happy 'Til She Met You", "For The Sake Of Day's Gone By", "Jimmie's Mean Mama Blues", "In The Jailhouse Now", "T.B. Blues", "Let Me Be Your Sidekick", and tons more. Tuberculosis took Jimmie away while he was still in his 30s, but he left an incredible legacy – unprecedented music that fused old time gospel, blues, and mountain folk into a new American art form. Nearly 150 tracks, including many alternate versions, and a great booklet crammed with biographical information and photos. CD

Lost harmony soul by an excellent New Orleans vocal group! The Spiders were certainly not chart-toppers in their day – but they did get the chance to cut a great number of singles in the 50s for the Imperial label, who were having some great luck on the Crescent City scene with other singers. The set is a rich document of the group's talent – important not only because New Orleans wasn't really as big a hub of vocal groups as cities like New York or Chicago, but also because soul singer Chuck Carbo was a member of the group, and did some fantastic leads! 47 titles in all – and tracks include "John The Revelator", "Is It True", "Witchcraft", "You're The One", "Mellow Mama", "Lost & Bewildered", "Tears Begin To Flow", "Why Do I Love You", "I'm Slipping In", "Sukey, Sukey, Sukey", "Bells In My Heart", "I'm Searchin", and "Better Be On My Way". CD

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Fantastic work from James Talley – two of his 70s genre-breaking albums for Capitol! CD

The sounds of summer in the years before the Beach Boys and surf music – songs that proclaim the glory of the warmest months of the year, but in raunchy styles from the early years of rock and roll! Artists run the gamut from rockabilly singers, to R&B groups, to some surprisingly strong contributions from more pop-oriented acts – and as with other Bear Family packages of this nature, the whole thing is plenty playful – put together with a good deal of wit in the song choices and presentation! Titles include "Sunday Barbecue" by Tennessee Ernie Ford, "The Sun Is Shining" by Elmore James, "Banana Split For My Baby" by Louis Prima, "Summer's Coming (demo)" by Ronnie Dawson, "Strollin On The Beach" by The Hollywood Flames, "Beach Time" by Roger Smith, "Suntan Tattoo" by The Valiants & Sandy Vale, "Summertime Love" by Roy Head & The Traits, "Beach Comber" by Jo Ann Campbell, "Night Theme' by The Mark II, "Moonlight Swim" by Nick Noble, "26 Miles" by The Four Preps, "Sunglasses After Dark" by Dwight Whitey Pullen, "Summertime Rock" by Rodney & The Blazers, and "The Big Beach Party" by The Jades with Pacer's Music. CD

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

Includes music from Joe Liggins, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Louis Jordan, Dinah Washington, Roy Milton, Big Maceo, Andy Kirk, Eddie Vinson, the Ink Spots, Jope Turner, and more – 27 songs in all. CD

Music by Albert Ammons, T-Bone Walker, Amos Milburn, Joe Turner, Wynonie Harris, Svannah Churchill, Nellie Luther, Arthur Crudup, The Ravens, Clarence Samuels, and more – 28 tracks total, plus a 68-page booklet with notes on each of the songs. CD

Music from the Ravens, Julia Lee And Her Boyfriends, T-Bone Walker And His Guitar, Paul Williams Sextette, Crown Prince Waterford, Bull Moose Jackson And His Buffalo Bearcats, Nellie Lutcher And Her Rhythm, Gatemouth Moore, Lonnie Johnson, Camille Howard And Her Trio, Wynonie Harris, Big Three Trio, Sonny Thompson With The Sharps And The Flats, Jimmy Liggins & His Drops Of Joy, Ivory Joe Hunter And His Band, Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five, and more - 28 songs in all. CD

Music from James Brown And The Famous Flames, The Fiestas, Eugene Church And The Fellows, LaVern Baker, Lloyd Price With Don Costa Orchestra, The Impalas With The LeRoy Holmes Orchestra, Brook Benton, Wilbert Harrison, Hank Ballard And The Midnighters, The Crests, Don & Dewey And Their Band, Dave "Baby" Cortez, The Falcons, Chuck Berry, Dinah Washington, The Drifters, Ray Charles And His Orchestra, and more. CD

Features music by Gene Allison, Lee Allen, Huey "Piano" Smith, Bobby Hendrix, Chuck Berry, the Danleers, Chantels, Little Willie John, Ruth Brown, and more – 31 tracks total, plus the usual fantastic notes by Bear Family! CD

With music from Buster Brown, Jimmy Jones, Dee Clark, Ray Bryant, Irma Thomas, Etta James, Bobby Marchan, The Shirelles, Marv Johnson, Gary U.S. Bonds, Sugar Pie DeSanto, and many more – 31 tracks in all! 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

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

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

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

A set that definitely takes the title seriously – as it brings together lots and lots of upbeat groovers from Dion – a few early cuts with The Belmonts, and a lot more from his excellent solo years of the 60s! That stretch of Dion's career is often given focus as a time when DiMucci moved into more serious singer-songwriter modes – but at the same time, he was also still able to deliver the kind of catchy groovers that he first pioneered with The Belmonts – as you'll hear on this overstuffed collection that also features copious notes on this point in his career. CD features 29 tracks in all – with titles that include "The Majestic", "Unloved Unwanted Me", "I Got The Blues", "Lonely Teenager", "Little Diane", "Sweet Sweet Baby", "Shout", "Lovers Who Wander", "North End Of The Corner", "Flim Flam", "The Wanderer", and "Come Go With Me". CD

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The complete recordings of a key stretch in the career of European rocker Ricky Shayne – a singer who was born in Cairo, lived in Paris, then made a whole host of important 60s records on the Italian scene! Much of the work here resonates very strongly with English beat group material of the time, but has a slightly different vibe – as when Spanish or South American groups were taking on the same territory – in part because Ricky uses Italian vocals on most numbers, but also because the production styles are different, and do all sorts of key things to the guitars and organ lines that back up the vocals. The set also features some surprising German recordings from 1968 and 1969 too – a total of 30 tracks in all, with the usual very strong Bear Family packaging and detailed notes. Titles include "Mean Woman Blues", "We Say Yeah", "Uno Dei Mods", "When The Girl In Your Arms Is The Girl In Your Heart", "Apron Strings", "Come Moby Dick", "Hello Josephine", "In Chicago", "Le Catene", "Number One", and "Cosa Pensi Di Me". CD

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A very cool collection – one put together in celebration of the centennial of the Hollywood sign that rises above Sunset Strip in LA – and which brings together a whole host of unusual performances by actors who sing, singers who act, and other artists who made some key contributions to the American film scene in the postwar years! Most of the music here is from the late 40s through 60s period that you'll usually find on Bear Family collections – but there's also some surprises from later years too – a few tracks near the end from later films, thrown in for good measure. As always with Bear Family, the package is as cool as the set list – a set of 61 titles that feature work from Jane Russell, Anthony Perkins, Julie London, Robert Mitchum, Sophia Loren, Henry Manciny, Jayne Mansfield, Telly Savalas, Hugo Montenegro, Twiggy, Richard Chamberlain, Ray Campi, Carl Parkins, Gene Ray, Laurel & Hardy, Gina Lollobridigda, Jerry Lewis, Fred Astaire, Val Kilmer, and dozens of others. CD

Includes 31 tracks by Ivory Joe Hunter, Ruth Brown, Little Richard, The Coasters, Richard Berry, The Velvetones, Bobettes, Gladiolas, LaVern Baker, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Roy Brown, The Five Royales, and more – plus an 81 page booklet filled with great notes and photographs! CD

The fingersnap here is the key – as all the cuts here have a nicely romping kind of groove – a sweet sense of rhythm that's bound to get your toes tapping as much as your fingers are snapping – thanks to a nice sense of space between the notes! The music is from a variety of different genres – late 50s/early 60s country, pop, jazz, and R&B – all brought together here with the usual great Bear Family sense of an inventive tracklist, and definite panache for putting together a collection! The set features 31 tracks in all – and titles include "Tremblin" by Byrdie Green, "Love Charms" by Sanford Clark, "Lookout Mountain" by Chuck Miller, "Walk With Me Lord" by Ruth Brown, "King Of The Road" by Roger Miller, "My Nerves" by Little Willie John, "Coal Miner" by Nappy Brown, "Fever" by Peggy Lee, "Tale Of Woe" by Wynonie Harris, "Hawk" by Bill Haley & The Comets, "Jack That Cat Was Clean" by Dr Horse, "Chills & Fever" by Ronnie Love, "Sixteen Tons" by Jimmy Dean, "Tiny Tim" by LaVern Baker, "Satan Is Her Name' by Steve King & The Echelons, and "Heartbeat" by The Collins Kids. CD

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 cover looks like a soundtrack – but the set's filled with early gems from Hickory Records – tracks from Bob Luman, Dan Folger, Mark Dinning, Bobby Lord, Earl Sinks, and others! LP, Vinyl record album

Rare rockers, early soul, and cool classic country – all the sorts of cuts you'd expect to hear from the mighty Bear Family Records label – but brought together here with school and the classrooms as the theme! A few of the cuts are familiar, but most are nice and obscure – in keeping with the well-chosen tracks we always discover on Bear Family – all presented with very detailed notes and vintage images too! Titles include "School Bus" by The Shades, "High School USA" by Tommy Facenda, "I Wanna Dance With The Teacher" by The Olympics, "Letter To A School Girl" by The Delcados, "The Teacher" by The Falcons, "High School Love" by Ronnie Allen, "School Girl" by The Winstons, "School House Rock" by Billy Harlan, "Talk Of The School" by Sonny James, "School Bus Love Affair" by Wynn Stewart, and "School Girl" by the 5 Royales. 34 tracks in all! CD

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

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 killer batch of cuts from the early days of rock and roll – and a great collection of work from one of the coolest labels of the 50s! Sure, Capitol Records wasn't the same sort of indie powerhouse as labels like Sun or Atlantic – but the company always did a great job with country music, which made it a key force in helping to push the postwar hillbilly sound into much harder hitting modes! Capitol's production and handling of artists was always great – and producer Ken Nelson also had a great ear for young talents who may not have hit the charts at the label, but who really got a great shot at top-shelf material in a really groovy setting. This package is overflowing with gems that testify to Capitol's importance in the rockabilly and hillbilly years – 35 titles that include "Adult Western" by Bobby Louis, "You're Gonna Have To Bawl That's All" by Ray Parks, "Grizzly Bear" by Jack Scott, "Bessie Baby" by Jerry Reed, "My Lovin Baby" by Nick Greene, "You're There" by Skeets McDonald, "Natural Natural Ditty" by The Jodimars, "Move It On Over" by Rose Maddox, "Baby I Love You" by Del Reeves, "Everybody's Talkin" by Bob Luman, "What'll I Do Call The Zoo" by Darrell McCall, "I Can't Stop Loving You" by Sonny James, "Let Me In There Baby" by Billy Strange, "Flea Brain" by Gene Vincent, "Big Fat Sally" by Ronnie & Roy, and "Wild Streak" by Johnny Fallin. CD