Music DVD Review: Various Artists (Rock ‘n Roll’s Greatest Teen Idols)

Rock ‘n Roll’s Greatest Teen Idols
Various Artists
Quantum Leap Group Ltd.
2006
Running Time: 120 minutes

This is the sixth of six reviews of DVD releases selected from the Quantum Leap series of “Rock ‘n Roll Legends” featuring stars of the late-Fifties and early-Sixties. This DVD series is quirky and uneven, yet manages to be both interesting and entertaining.

These nostalgic releases feature live performances by popular stars, often years after they were in their prime, mostly at Little Darlin’s, a nostalgia club in Florida, but also at other locations. Some performances are taken from television or movies, including a documentary from Canada’s National Film Board. A horde of other popular stars, and some not so well known, make guest appearances. The visuals, on clips often apparently dubbed from old film stock, range from disconcertingly blurry to quite good but never flawless. Usually, the music makes up for the lack of visual clarity.

There’s a “Fanzone” that includes biography, discography and other background information. As well, the “Quantum Leap Propaganda” section features a variety of interesting, sometimes documentary plugs for events and products as well as web links.

While this “Rock ‘n Roll Legends” series includes other DVD releases, in these six alone, you can see performances by some 25 vintage artists, singing not only their own hits but other popular songs of the era. Any one of these releases provides an interesting, if eccentric, window on this past time. Together they present a fascinating pastiche of popular music as it was a half-century ago.

The “Fanzone” includes fairly extensive biographies of all of the artists on this release, including: Tommy Sands, Joey Dee, Frankie Ford, Bobby Vee, Tommy Roe, Lenny Welch, Troy Shondell, Ray Peterson, Buddy Knox, Jack Scott, Jimmy Calvallo, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Cirno & the Bowties, and Paul Anka. While these sections do make interesting reading, the visual quality is far less than ideal.

The “Quantum Leap Propaganda” section is an eccentric mix of archival footage, rough edits and promotional material, including a quirky, clip-packed documentary video that seems more like a sampler pieced together from diverse sources plus a brief commercial for the Quantum Leap website. The purpose of “Quantum Leap Propaganda” appears to be to sell other Quantum Leap releases. At the left side of each title bar in these segments is what appears to be a release number indicating the release on which that clip may be found. The visual quality is again often less than desirable and the editing is rough and amateurish, but the viewing experience is interesting and sometimes even educational.

Having little to do with what is commonly called soul music, “Cool Soul” is a bit of a misnomer. Running to more than 12 minutes, this musical section is more an eclectic sampler featuring a variety of musical genres, including clips of live performances and bits of documentary footage. The clips include everything from solid funk through peaceful acoustic Spanish guitar, rousing big band swing, parts of three songs by Willie Nelson, and a segment from a documentary on the life of reggae master Jimmy Cliff. Whether or not it may be misnamed, this segment is interesting and entertaining to watch.

Even though this release features thirteen different artists and at least thirty songs, a brief commentary on each performance is well worth while. Especially interesting are the vintage film clips at the end as well as the full-length NFB documentary on Paul Anka filmed in 1960.

In the late-Fifties, the recording industry began to take over the once-rebellious rock and roll music, creating clean-cut, made-to-order artists performing rock and roll music with lyrics touting mainstream “white picket fence” values. Handsome movie star and recording idol Tommy Sands was one of the first to introduce this new pop-rock style, singing mostly about young love, teen jealousy, and marriage. Ranging from hard rockers to sweet love ballads, Sands’ performance of “Going Steady.” “Worrying Kind,” and “Graduation Day” typefy this genre of rock and roll. Among the manufactured idols, Sands is one of the best and is well worth revisiting.

Joey Dee and The Starlighters brought an exciting new sound to rock and roll. Unlike Chubby Checker’s mellowed out versions of Hank Ballard’s “The Twist” and “Let’s Twist Again” The Starlighter’s recordings brought back some of the spirit of the original Fifties rockers. “The Peppermint Twist” and “Hey Let’s Twist” bring fond memories of The Twist in its heyday. While I remember the Johnny Nash version as the big hit where I lived, “What Kind of Love is This” works well for Joey Dee.

It’s interesting that Frankie Ford’s big hit “Sea Cruise” isn’t included on this compilation, but he rocks out on several other songs. “Roberta” is jumping rock and roll and great blues. Just try not dancing to this one. Ford also sings his 1959 million seller “You Talk Too Much” and the comedic “Alimony.”

Another pop rocker with a string of hits, Bobby Vee gives animated performances of “Devil or Angel” and “Rubber Ball” that will bring back fond memories to many listeners of my generation.

Tommy Roe fell somewhere between the manufactured pop rockers and the old-style rock and roll, but he brought us some solid rocking sounds. On this compilation, he presents versions of three of his biggest hits: The Buddy Holly sound-alike “Sheila,” the coy, jumpy “Sweet Pea,” and the big rocker “Everybody.”

R & B artist Lenny Welch sings his slowed-down hit version of Neil Sedaka’s up-tempo rocker “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” as well as his own classic hit, “Since I Fell For You.” Beautiful!

Troy Shondell rocks the audience with live renditions of his own romantic hit “This Time” and, sounding very much like the original hard-hitting recording, Tommy James’ “Mony Mony.”

Ray Peterson delivers excellent live versions of his hits, “Corrina, Corrina” and “Tell Laura I Love Her” along with his own interpretation of the Little Willie John hit “Fever” with Peggy Lee’s added lyrics.

Although his name is listed on the front of the package, Buddy Knox is not listed on the back, making his performance of “Hula Love” and “Party Doll” the hidden-tracks of this set. With Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen switching off as lead singer, the Rhythm Orchids were solid hit-makers with a smooth rocking sound. That sound is still evident in these performances.

“The Way I Walk” and “Goodbye Baby” are two great rockers from Canadian Rockabilly star Jack Scott. In these live performances, Scott is right on form, delivering solid hard-driving rock and roll to an appreciative audience.

Once the “revival” concerts are done, this collection includes a series of vintage film clips dating back to the early days of Rock & Roll. The first set of clips features Jimmy Calvallo and The House Rockets rocking out with “The Big Beat” and “Rock Rock Rock,” Even though clipped from a teensploitation movie, these are exciting performances and the young nightclub dancers are a delight to watch.

While the set is missing “Why do Fools Fall in Love” and other big hits, the film clip of Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers performing “Pretty Baby” and “I’m Not a Juvenile Delinquent” is a wonderful flashback to this long ago era. The music is fast and lively with a solid doowop edge. And just check out that choreography. Fantastic!

The patio party clip of an uncredited young lady with a big voice is classic Fifties pop-rock reminiscent of Brenda Lee or Teresa Brewer. Here’s a young girl only about eight years old who can rock it out with the best of them. This little girl with an awesome voice is backed by Cirno and the Bowties, an awesome foursome of harmonizing young men and a big band along the lines of Don Costa. Behind the singers, the patio party gang swings and sways to the music.

Cirno & The Bowties continue to rock and swing in a harmonic style reminiscent of The Lettermen or The Crewcuts, singing “Ever Since I can Remember” as they flirt with four pretty girls inb a cosy nightclub scene. It’s actually pretty schmaltzy. I prefer them with the young girl singing a rocking lead vocal.

What a surprise! The final track on this release is a complete half-hour documentary on Paul Anka, Lonely Boy, produced by Canada’s award-winning National Film Board in about 1960. Here’s a short film packed with music, interviews, and Rock & Roll history. What a great bit to top off a sensational collection of old favourites and lost classics.

Not everything is perfect in this release, but it’s definitely worth owning and watching over and over again. Each time you watch, you’ll discover something new that may surprise you or may just bring back memories of those long ago days.

You can find much more information on most of the artists on this DVD just by searching the internet. Also check out the Quantum Leap Online Catalogue for a wide selection of live music on DVD.

Support this independent roots music CD reviews blog.

Music DVD Review: The Platters & The Coasters (Rock ‘n Roll Legends: The Platters & The Coasters)

Rock ‘n Roll Legends: The Platters & The Coasters
The Platters & The Coasters
Quantum Leap Group Ltd.
2005
Running Time: 60 minutes

This is the fifth of six reviews of DVD releases selected from the Quantum Leap “Rock ‘n Roll Legends” series featuring stars of the late-Fifties and early-Sixties. This DVD series is quirky and uneven, yet manages to be both interesting and entertaining.

These nostalgic releases feature live performances by popular stars, often years after they were in their prime, mostly at Little Darlin’s, a nostalgia club in Florida, but also at other locations. Some performances are taken from television or movies, including a documentary from Canada’s National Film Board. A horde of other popular stars, and some not so well known, make guest appearances. The visuals, on clips often apparently dubbed from old film stock, range from disconcertingly blurry to quite good but never flawless. Usually, the music makes up for the lack of visual clarity.

There’s a “Fanzone” that includes biography, discography and other background information. As well, the “Quantum Leap Propaganda” section features a variety of interesting, sometimes documentary plugs for events and products as well as web links.

While this “Rock ‘n Roll Legends” series includes other DVD releases, in these six alone, you can see performances by some 25 vintage artists, singing not only their own hits but other popular songs of the era. Any one of these releases provides an interesting, if eccentric, window on this past time. Together they present a fascinating pastiche of popular music as it was a half-century ago.

This release includes two powerful sets performed live at Little Darlin’s, The Rock ‘n Roll Palace in Orlando, Florida. On its own, either set would make this release worth owning. Together, the sets by The Platters and The Coasters provide priceless memories of a long-passed but important musical era.

The Platters perform nine songs in slightly different order than listed on the package. The performance is solid and brings to life the spirit if not the exact sound of the original hit recordings. There are some surprises here. Some of the songs are not The Platters hits but covers of hits by other artists and B-sides of The Platters hits. I was especially interested and pleased to hear the wonderful R & B song “He’s Mine” in this set. A B-side with a female lead vocal and lively doo-wop backing vocals, this song is a real rocker that brings some variety and excitement to the set.

The partnership between songwriters Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller with The Coasters may have determined the success of Rock and Roll and was certainly a powerful influence on the direction the genre would take following The Coasters’ first hits. Here, The Coasters perform six of their most popular releases penned by Lieber and Stoller, rocking out with their familiar blend of solid R & B rhythms, slightly off-colour lyrics, and comedy. This set is fun and may also make you want to jump out of your seat and dance.

The section for “Artist Profiles” includes a reasonably complete history of The Coasters over the past half century and a less complete history of The Platters that’s primarily a listing of the group’s regularly shifting personnel over the years. This makes intereting if not exciting reading.

The “Quantum Leap Propaganda” section is an eccentric mix of archival footage, rough edits and promotional material, including three quirky, clip-packed video presentations plus a brief commercial for the Quantum Leap website. Rather than finished productions, these short videos seem more like samplers pieced together from diverse sources. The viewer never knows what will come next. The purpose of “Quantum Leap Propaganda” appears to be to sell other Quantum Leap releases. At the left side of each title bar in these segments is what appears to be a release number indicating the release on which that clip may be found. Here again, the visual quality is often less than desirable and the editing is rough and amateurish, but the viewing experience is interesting and sometimes even educational.

A seven minute feature that appears on a number of Quantum Leap releases, the “W.P.M.A.” video plugs the World Peace Music Awards, a large televised concert event that features hundreds of well-known musicians and is broadcast worldwide. This production appears to have been pieced together from two earlier pieces advertising the concerts in San Francisco, California (2002) and Nagasaki, Japan (2005) plus other, not always related, materials. Although now out of date, this short video is still interesting to watch.

“Pure Pop” also seems to be standard fare on many of the releases in this series. Almost seventeen minutes long, “Pure Pop” is a pastiche of interesting clips assembled in a chaotic attempt at a documentary film featuring a half-dozen or more popular stars in interviews, commentary and performance. The clips include part of a documentary on New York songwriters featuring Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield; a musical performance from The Frank Sinatra Timex Show featuring Sinatra, Joey Bishop, Sammy Davis Jr. and others; a segment on Dusty Springfield featuring commentary from Petula Clark and others and a performance by Springfield of her signature song, “I Only Want To Be With You;” John Sebastian joking with his audience and then singing “What a Day for a Daydream;” very cool blues sung by Bonnie Koloc, a blues instrumental featuring the trumpet of Arturo Sandoval, and a long lost music video of “The Longest Time” by Billy Joel; and a dramatic segment from the movie “The Fabulous Dorseys.” Again, the purpose appears to be to sell other Quantum Leap releases. At the left side of each title bar is what appears to be a release number. Although the visual quality is inconsistent and often leaves a lot to be desired, this piece is interesting and perhaps educational to watch.

“Beauty & The Beast” is the least music-related of these bonus sections, featuring primarily documentary selections. At about seventeen minutes long, “Beauty & The Beast” includes segment on award-winning underwater explorers and marine conservationists Ron and Valerie Taylor, incuuding dramatic footage of sharks in their natural habitat; sections of travelogues on northern Australia’s wilderness, some of the more rugged areas of northern England, and the American desert, this last presented with only dramatic music and no narration; a singularly unfunny selection of bits by American comic Tom Green; a tour of the 2004 Chelsea Flower Show presented by a woman dour enough to invite parody from the likes of Monty Python; and black and white features, probably released during or very shortly following World War II, about the American submarine-hunting aircraft carrier USS Guadalcanal and about the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, when it was launched the only first line fleet carrier in the world. The usual cautions apply about segments having poor visual quality and being incomplete, apparently intednded as teasers to sell the complete releases.

If you want to hear two of the most influentual groups to bring R & B to American mainstream audiences, and ultimately to the world, and change forever the sound of what would become Rock and Roll music, this is a DVD for you. Cranked up loud, the fifteen songs on this release will rock your house. These two sets are filled with energy that may make it impossible for you to not get up and dance.

You can find information on the newest configuration of The Platters at the The Platters website and the history of The Platters since they formed in 1953 at Wikipedia. You can find a history of the coasters, information on the newest lineup, and other interesting facts at The Coasters Official Website and at Wikipedia and at various unofficial websites. Also check out the Quantum Leap Online Catalogue.

Support this independent roots music CD reviews blog.

Music DVD Review: Martha Reeves (Greatest Hits Live)

Greatest Hits Live
Martha Reeves
Quantum Leap Group Ltd.
2005
Running Time: 54 minutes

This is the fourth of six reviews of DVD releases selected from the Quantum Leap series of “Rock ‘n Roll Legends” featuring stars of the late-Fifties and early-Sixties. This DVD series is quirky and uneven, yet manages to be both interesting and entertaining.

These nostalgic releases feature live performances by popular stars, often years after they were in their prime, mostly at Little Darlin’s, a nostalgia club in Florida, but also at other locations. Some performances are taken from television or movies, including a documentary from Canada’s National Film Board. A horde of other popular stars, and some not so well known, make guest appearances. The visuals, on clips often apparently dubbed from old film stock, range from disconcertingly blurry to quite good but never flawless. Usually, the music makes up for the lack of visual clarity.

There’s a “Fanzone” that includes biography, discography and other background information. As well, the “Quantum Leap Propaganda” section features a variety of interesting, sometimes documentary plugs for events and products as well as web links.

While this “Rock ‘n Roll Legends” series includes other DVD releases, in these six alone, you can see performances by some 25 vintage artists, singing not only their own hits but other popular songs of the era. Any one of these releases provides an interesting, if eccentric, window on this past time. Together they present a fascinating pastiche of popular music as it was a half-century ago.

Although this release features only five of Martha Reeves’ hit songs, it provides almost nineteen minutes of energetic live performance by Reeves and her original Vandellas. Performed live at Little Darlin’s, The Rock ‘n Roll Palace in Orlando, Florida, these songs capture the spirit of the original hit recordings combined with the energy that can only come from a live performance. It should be noted here that order of performance on the DVD is not same as listed on the package. There are two different performances of “Dancing in the Street” included here, providing a sixth performance track. I would question inclusion of the first version, which seems to be performed with a lack of enthusiasm by all concerned. The second version is a powerful performance and perhaps the best in this set. This one could have stood on its own without inclusion of the weaker version earlier in the set.

Special guest star on this release is Sam Moore who, with his partner the late Dave Prater (1937-1988), had been very influential in soul and R&B music for more than a decade. Moore gives gutsy performances of four great Sam and Dave hits.

On this release, the “Fanzone” features an extensive biography of Martha Reeves and history of her career with The Vandellas along with a very limited discography of their album releases only. These sections make interesting reading but, the visual quality is far less than ideal.

The “Quantum Leap Propaganda” section is an eccentric mix of archival footage, rough edits and promotional material, including three quirky, clip-packed video presentations plus a brief commercial for the Quantum Leap website. Here again, the visual quality is often less than desirable and the editing is rough and amateurish, but the viewing experience is interesting and sometimes even educational. Rather than finished productions, these short videos seem more like samplers pieced together from diverse sources. The viewer never knows what will come next. The purpose of “Quantum Leap Propaganda” appears to be to sell other Quantum Leap releases. At the left side of each title bar in these segments is what appears to be a release number indicating the release on which that clip may be found.

A seven minute feature that appears on a number of Quantum Leap releases, “W.P.M.A.” is a plug for the World Peace Music Awards, a large televised concert event featuring hundreds of well-known musicians and broadcast worldwide. This promotion appears to have been pieced together from two earlier pieces advertising the concerts in San Francisco, California (2002) and Nagasaki, Japan (2005) plus other materials. While now out of date, this short video is still interesting to watch.

“Cool Soul” is a bit of a misnomer. Over its running time of more than 12 minutes, this musical section contains nothing that could properly be called soul music. Rather, it’s an eclectic sampler of a variety of musical genres, featuring clips of live performance and documentary footage. The clips include everything from solid funk through peaceful acoustic Spanish guitar, rousing big band swing, parts of three songs by Willie Nelson, and a segment from a documentary on the life of reggae master Jimmy Cliff. Misnamed or not, this segment is interesting and entertaining to watch.

At just over fourteen minutes long, “Sport” includes documentaries featuring archival soccer footage with voice-over commentary in Italian, surfers talking about a giant wave alternated with surfing footage in black and white and colour, a biography of soccer player Diego Maradona, a segment of a documentary about Formula One race drivers, a Sensei demonstrating the various stances in Shotokan Karate, brief footage of several Ultimate Kickboxing matches, and an excerpt from the movie Joe Louis Story Interesting? Yes. Educational? Probably not. The clips are just too short and clearly meant as a tease so that those interested will be tempted to buy the DVD release.

Featuring ten live performances by two of America’s most influential soul and R&B artists, this release combines pure nostalgia with the power of great performances. This release will be enjoyed by the generation who originally bought the records made the songs hits and by their children and grandchildren as well.

Find a treasure trove of information on the Martha Reeves and the Vandellas at the Miss Martha Reeves website or at Wikipedia. Read more about Sam and Dave at Wikipedia and at various unofficial websites. Also check out the Quantum Leap Online Catalogue.

Support this independent roots music CD reviews blog.

Music DVD Review: Shirelles (Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow)

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Shirelles
Quantum Leap Group Ltd.
2005
Running Time: 45 minutes

This is the third of six reviews of DVD releases selected from the Quantum Leap series of “Rock ‘n Roll Legends” featuring stars of the late-Fifties and early-Sixties. This DVD series is quirky and uneven, yet manages to be both interesting and entertaining.

These nostalgic releases feature live performances by popular stars, often years after they were in their prime, mostly at Little Darlin’s, a nostalgia club in Florida, but also at other locations. Some performances are taken from television or movies, including a documentary from Canada’s National Film Board. A horde of other popular stars, and some not so well known, make guest appearances. The visuals, on clips often apparently dubbed from old film stock, range from disconcertingly blurry to quite good but never flawless. Usually, the music makes up for the lack of visual clarity.

There’s a “Fanzone” that includes biography, discography and other background information. As well, the “Quantum Leap Propaganda” section features a variety of interesting, sometimes documentary plugs for events and products as well as web links.

While this “Rock ‘n Roll Legends” series includes other DVD releases, in these six alone, you can see performances by some 25 vintage artists, singing not only their own hits but other popular songs of the era. Any one of these releases provides an interesting, if eccentric, window on this past time. Together they present a fascinating pastiche of popular music as it was a half-century ago.

In the world of popular music, the Shirelles are both important and
influential. The first all girl group to ever score a number one record, the Shirelles are touted as the first ever girl-group, defining the genre and becoming the template for all who followed. For a while, they had as powerful an influence on my generation as The Beatles had later. I can remember in my mid-teens sitting with a group of friends in the cafe of the main bus depot in downtown Calgary as we played “Soldier Boy” over and over on the jukebox, all of us singing along at the top of our lungs. Needless to say, we were finally thrown out of the place. There you have it, the ultimate girl-group as an incentive for rebellion.

This release features “Soldier Boy” and six other Shirelles hits performed live at Little Darlin’s, The Rock ‘n Roll Palace in Orlando, Florida. The sound is true to the original hit recordings, but with the energy that only a live concert can bring to the music. These are solid, well-written pop songs penned by some of the best songwriters of their era and they stand up very well to the test of time. This is a fun concert to watch and may even inspire you to get up and dance to the music. Who knows, you may even want to sing along, over and over again.

The four bonus tracks feature two more of the great girl groups of the Sixties, The Angels and The Dixie Cups. The quality of the performances by these two groups is also outstanding and well worth the time spent watching. I was especially taken by The Dixie Cups’ version of “Iko Iko” with its blend of African and Caribbean sounds and rousing rhythms.

The “Fanzone” On this release features a extensive history of the Shirelles along with a very comprehensive discography of their releases throughout their career. Even though the visual quality is far less than ideal, these sections do make interesting and informative reading.

Here, as on all of these releases “Quantum Leap Propaganda” is an eccentric mix of archival footage, rough edits and promotional material. It includes three quirky, clip-packed video presentations plus a brief commercial for the Quantum Leap website. The visual quality is often less than desirable and the editing is rough and amateurish, but the viewing experience is interesting and sometimes even educational. Rather than finished productions, these short videos seem more like samplers pieced together from diverse sources. The viewer never knows what will come next. The purpose of “Quantum Leap Propaganda” appears to be to sell other Quantum Leap releases. At the left side of each title bar in these segments is what appears to be a release number indicating the release on which that clip may be found.

“Cool Soul” is a bit of a misnomer. Over its running time of more than 12 minutes, this musical section contains nothing that could properly be called soul music. Rather, it’s an eclectic sampler of a variety of musical genres, featuring clips of live performance and documentary footage. The clips include everything from solid funk through peaceful acoustic Spanish guitar, rousing big band swing, parts of three songs by Willie Nelson, and a segment from a documentary on the life of reggae master Jimmy Cliff. Misnamed or not, this segment is interesting and entertaining to watch.

At just over fourteen minutes long, “Sport” includes documentaries featuring archival soccer footage with voice-over commentary in Italian, surfers talking about a giant wave alternated with surfing footage in black and white and colour, a biography of soccer player Diego Maradona, a segment of a documentary about Formula One race drivers, a Sensei demonstrating the various stances in Shotokan Karate, brief footage of several Ultimate Kickboxing matches, and an excerpt from the movie Joe Louis Story Interesting? Yes. Educational? Probably not. The clips are just too short and clearly meant as a tease so that those interested will be tempted to buy the DVD release.

A feature that appears on a number of Quantum Leap releases, “W.P.M.A.” is a seven minute plug for the World Peace Music Awards, a large televised concert event featuring hundreds of well-known musicians and broadcast worldwide. This promotional piece appears to have been pieced together from two earlier pieces advertising the concerts in San Francisco, California (2002) and Nagasaki, Japan (2005) plus other materials. While now out of date, this short video is still interesting to watch.

With eleven vintage hits and featuring live performances by three of the seminal girl-groups, this release is definitely a worthwhile addition to anyone’s collection of Sixties popular music. This is one that I’d definitely recommend, not just for fans in my generation but for younger listeners who’d like to discover some of their music’s roots.

Find a treasure trove of information on the Shirelles at the Official Homepage of The Shirelles and find even more at Wikipedia. You can learn more about The Angels at The Official Website of The Angels. You can find out about The Dixie Cups at The Dixie Cups Official Website or at Wikipedia. Also check out the Quantum Leap Online Catalogue.

Support this independent roots music CD reviews blog.

Music DVD Review: Johnny Tillotson (Rock ‘n Roll Legends: Johnny Tillotson)

Rock ‘n Roll Legends: Johnny Tillotson
Johnny Tillotson
Quantum Leap Group Ltd.
2005
Running Time: 60 minutes

This is the second of six reviews of DVD releases selected from the Quantum Leap “Rock ‘n Roll Legends” series featuring stars of the late-Fifties and early-Sixties. This DVD series is quirky and uneven, yet manages to be both interesting and entertaining.

These nostalgic releases feature live performances by popular stars, often years after they were in their prime, mostly at Little Darlin’s, a nostalgia club in Florida, but also at other locations. Some performances are taken from television or movies, including a documentary from Canada’s National Film Board. A horde of other popular stars, and some not so well known, make guest appearances. The visuals, on clips often apparently dubbed from old film stock, range from disconcertingly blurry to quite good but never flawless. Usually, the music makes up for the lack of visual clarity.

There’s a “Fanzone” that includes biography, discography and other background information. As well, the “Quantum Leap Propaganda” section features a variety of interesting, sometimes documentary plugs for events and products as well as web links.

While this “Rock ‘n Roll Legends” series includes other DVD releases, in these six alone, you can see performances by some 25 vintage artists, singing not only their own hits but other popular songs of the era. Any one of these releases provides an interesting, if eccentric, window on this past time. Together they present a fascinating pastiche of popular music as it was a half-century ago.

This release features two live sets by Johnny Tillotson, a total of ten vintage performces at two separate clubs in Orlando, Florida. The first set of four Tillotson hits was recorded at Little Darlin’s, The Rock ‘n Roll Palace. The second set, including five Tillotson hits plus a lively interpretation of Arthur Crudup’s “That’s All Right, Mama” was recorded at the Church Street Station Theatre. While “It Keeps Right On A Hurting” is included in this second set, it’s not listed in the set listing on the case. These two sets are quite different from one another. The Little Darlin’s concert is pretty standard golden oldies revival material, with the performances pretty much replicating the sound and style of the original recordings. At Church Street Station, Tillotson seems more relaxed, less the pop music performer and more a guy enjoying playing his music and interacting with the audience. This is a country music concert complete with steel guitar and all the musical frills that entered country music in the Sixties. The performances here are Tillotson at the top of his form, performing some of his top country music hits.

The bonus tracks on this release feature two classic sets. In a blast from the past, The Dovells perform their rocking hits “The Bristol Stomp” and “You Can’t Sit Down” at Little Darlin’s. New Seekers’ vocalist Lyn Paul sings a slightly rocked-up version of Johnny Ray’s “Cry” then takes a softer approach on a pure country interpretation of Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man” to an appreciative country music audience at Church Street Station. Here again, the bonus sets are quite different from one another and make an interesting contrast.

The “Fanzone” on this release features an extensive biography of Tillotson along with a very limited discography of his album releases only. These sections make interesting reading but, once again the visual quality is far less than ideal.

“Quantum Leap Propaganda” is more than just propaganda. It includes three interesting, if quirky and a bit rough in many aspects, clip-packed video presentations plus a brief commercial for the Quantum Leap website. Rather than complete finished productions, these short videos have the look and feel of samplers pieced together from diverse sources. The viewer never knows what will come next.

Showing up on several of these Quantum Leap releases, “W.P.M.A.” is a seven minute plug for the World Peace Music Awards concerts, a large event featuring hundreds of well-known musicians and broadcast worldwide. This promo appears to have been pieced together from two separate pieces advertising the concerts in San Francisco, California (2002) and in Nagasaki, Japan (2005) plus other materials. While now out of date, this short video is still interesting to watch.

Like the W.P.M.A.” promo, “Pure Pop” seems to be standard fare on releases in this series. At almost seventeen minutes long, “Pure Pop” is a pastiche of interesting clips that comes across as a chaotic attempt at a documentary film. It features a half-dozen or more popular stars in interviews, commentary and performance. The purpose appears to be to sell other Quantum Leap releases. At the left side of each title bar is what appears to be a release number. The clips include part of a documentary on New York songwriters featuring Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield; a musical performance from The Frank Sinatra Timex Show featuring Sinatra, Joey Bishop, Sammy Davis Jr. and others; a segment on Dusty Springfield featuring commentary from Petula Clark and others and a performance by Springfield of her signature song, “I Only Want To Be With You;” John Sebastian joking with his audience and then singing “What a Day for a Daydream;” very cool blues sung by Bonnie Koloc, a blues instrumental featuring the trumpet of Arturo Sandoval, and a long lost music video of “The Longest Time” by Billy Joel; and a dramatic segment from the movie “The Fabulous Dorseys.” Although the visual quality is inconsistent and often leaves a lot to be desired, this piece is still interesting to watch.

Perhaps the weirdest addition to the “Propaganda” section is the seventeen minute “How To” featuring a Holiday Spanish lesson, various artists in segments on painting with watercolours, a tutorial on Beginners Modern Jive, demonstrations of a boxing martial art called Muay Thai, a brief documentary on professional golfer Donna White meant to introduce a series of golf lessons, sailing lessons, lessons on playing acoustic guitar, and a video called “Women Fight Back” featuring martial arts training. Each of these segments is incomplete starting mid-stream and is clipped before the end. This video quality ranges from not very good to just plain awful. Again, there’s what appears to be a release number at the left side of each title bar So the purpose of this “How To” section may be to market other Quantum Leap releases featuring these various lessons.

Featuring thirteen live concert recordings, this release is worth owning for the music alone. As for the rest of it: well, those bonus segments do make for fun viewing. They’re silly and quirky enough to probably make good party-time viewing. I’d recommend this release for anyone who enjoys the old music and the stars who recorded it or for any Johnny Tillotson fan who’d like to see him in a live performance.

Find out more about Johnny Tillotson at the Johnny Tillotson Official Website or at Wikipedia. You can look up The Dovells at The Dovells Home Page or at Wikipedia. You’ll find information on Lyn Paul at The Lyn Paul Website or, again, at Wikipedia. Also check out the Quantum Leap Online Catalogue.

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Music DVD Review: Bobby Vee (Rock ‘n Roll Legends: Bobby Vee)

Rock ‘n Roll Legends: Bobby Vee
Bobby Vee
Quantum Leap Group Ltd.
2005
Running Time: 45 minutes

This is the first of six reviews of DVD releases selected from the Quantum Leap “Rock ‘n Roll Legends” series featuring stars of the late-Fifties and early-Sixties. This DVD series is quirky and uneven, yet manages to be both interesting and entertaining.These nostalgic releases feature live performances by popular stars, often years after they were in their prime, mostly at Little Darlin’s, a nostalgia club in Florida, but also at other locations. Some performances are taken from television or movies, including a documentary from Canada’s National Film Board. A horde of other popular stars, and some not so well known, make guest appearances. The visuals, on clips often apparently dubbed from old film stock, range from disconcertingly blurry to quite good but never flawless. Usually, the music makes up for the lack of visual clarity.

There’s a “Fanzone” that includes biography, discography and other background information. As well, the “Quantum Leap Propaganda” section features a variety of interesting, sometimes documentary plugs for events and products as well as web links.

While this “Rock ‘n Roll Legends” series includes other DVD releases, in these six alone, you can see performances by some 25 vintage artists, singing not only their own hits but other popular songs of the era. Any one of these releases provides an interesting, if eccentric, window on this past time. Together they present a fascinating pastiche of popular music as it was a half-century ago.

Rock ‘n Roll Legends: Bobby Vee features five of Bobby Vee’s biggest hits performed live at Little Darlin’s, The Rock ‘n Roll Palace in Orlando, Florida. The music is energetic and well-performed and the songs retain the sound of the original hit recordings. The audience is lively, filling the dance floor throughout the perfomance, and Vee is clearly having a ball interacting with them. There’s something a little off-centre about doing the bunny hop to “Walking With My Angel” or asking the dancers to twist to “Rubber Ball” but Vee and his audience carry it off. The track-listing on the package does not match the actual order of songs as performed.

Guest artists on this release are Danny and the Juniors, here called The Original Juniors, featuring three original members without the late Danny Rapp (1941-1983). Also performing at Little Darlin’s, The Original Juniors do a respectable job performing this music, sounding slicker and more “Vegas” than the original recordings I remember. Even so, this is good Rock and Roll, performed with sincerity and energy.

On this release, “Fanzone” features an extensive biography of Bobby Vee along with a comprehensive discography of his releases over the decades. These sections make interesting reading but, once again the visual quality is far less than ideal.

“Quantum Leap Propaganda” is more than just that. It includes three interesting, if rough in many aspects, clip-packed video presentations plus a brief commercial for the Quantum Leap website. Imagine the movie That’s Entertainment produced not by a professional but by a YouTube amateur and you’ll have a good idea what to expect in these video presentations.

Running almost seventeen minutes, “Pure Pop” is a pastiche of interesting clips that comes across as a chaotic attempted documentary film. It features a half-dozen or more popular stars in commentary and in performance. The purpose appears to be to sell other DVD selections. At the left side of each title bar is what appears to be a release number. Some of the clips you can see include part of a documentary on New York songwriters featuring Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield; a performance from The Frank Sinatra Timex Show featuring Sinatra, Joey Bishop, Sammy Davis Jr. and others; a segment on Dusty Springfield featuring commentary from Petula Clark and others and a performance by Springfield of her signature song, “I Only Want To Be With You;” John Sebastian joking with his audience and then singing “What a Day for a Daydream;” performances by Bonnie Koloc, Arturo Sandoval, and Billy Joel (in a long lost music video); and a segment from the movie “The Fabulous Dorseys.” Here as well, the visual quality leaves a lot to be desired but is more than made up for in historical interest.

At about seventeen minutes, “World Music” is set up along the same lines as “Pure Pop”, including the embedded release numbers, but features concert and interview clips of a variety of contemporary artists from around the world. Also included are clips of a children’s entertainer (a character garbed as a large indefinable animal) and documentary clips of dance teachers at work. Because of the music, the visuals, and the tight, fast pacing, this selection maintains a high interest level. For the most part, this section flows better and seems more unified that “Pure Pop” until near the end, where, for no apparent reason, there’s a short documentary clip on the rise and fall of communism.

“W.P.M.A.” is a seven minute plug for the World Peace Music Awards concerts, a large event featuring hundreds of well-known musicians and broadcast worldwide. While this promotional piece seems more unified than some of the other material on this release, it also seems to be pieced together from two separate pieces advertising the concerts in San Francisco, California (2002) and in Nagasaki, Japan (2005). This now outdated advertisement is mostly of interest for the documentary content included to support its cause.

Combining the pop rock of Bobby Vee with sanitized versions of Danny and the Juniors’ rock and roll, this release is a worthwhile investment for anyone interested in this vintage music. The additional video segments, while clearly advertisements and not that well produced, are just plain fun. I’d definitely recommend this DVD to anyone seeking a couple of hours light entertainment.

You’ll find more information on Bobby Vee at the Bobby Vee Home Page or at Wikipedia. You can look up Danny and the Juniors at the Official Danny and The Juniors Site or at Wikipedia. Also check out the Quantum Leap Online Catalogue.

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Music DVD Review: Live From Austin TX (Texas Tornados)

Live From Austin TX
Texas Tornados
New West Records
2006
DVD 19 songs

Some forty years ago, a new term was coined in the world of Rock music and the “super-group” came into existence. This term was applied to Bands such as Cream and Supertramp, where several already highly popular artists had come together to form a new band. For some reason, the term never crossed over into other genres. If the term had crossed over to Rockabilly or Country music, then surely Texas Tornados must be considered a super-group. The epitome of the Tex-Mex sound, Texas Tornados brings together four Texas superstars: Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers, founders of rocking Texas band Sir Douglas Quintet; Freddie Fender, singer of romantic Tex-Mex R & B; and Flaco Jimenez, who managed to meld Mexican, Cajun, and European polka sounds into something new and unique.

Growing up in Alberta in mid-century, I heard a wide variety of musical genres on the radio. In a pioneer society where many of us were new arrivals from Poland, the Ukraine, and other areas of Eastern Europe, much of the popular music on the radio was polkas performed by stars like Gaby Hawes, Frankie Yankovic, and the Six Fat Dutchmen. With much of the population being of Scots-Irish and French descent, we also heard old timey reels, scottishes, jigs, and even Cajun music. Into the mix came American and British pop music, Country & Western hits, Jazz, Blues, and even the occasional Rock & Roll song. This Texas Tornados concert is just like that, a wonderful stew of musical genres, often blended into one variegated song.

Although there is a certain unity to the nineteen songs in this set, as each artist adds to and enhances the sound of the others, the distinctive styles of the four can clearly be heard throughout. This, more than anything, may be what contributes to the feeling of a radio broadcast back when stations didn’t mind playing a mix of genres on the same program.

Establishing both the collaborative nature of this Tejano band and a Tex-Mex ambience, the set opens with an ensemble performance of “Soy de San Luis” featuring vocals in Spanish and English by Jiminez, Fender, and Sahm along with the unique sound of Jiminez’ button accordion. Jiminez brings his polka sound to the forefront in “Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio” but brings a very Mexican sound to “Cancion Mixtega.” Throughout the set, his accordion can be heard rocking behind Sahm, adding a romantic bed to Fender’s vocals, and enhancing Meyers’ Tex-Mex songs.

On most songs, Meyers can be heard playing his classic Vox organ but, when he sings, he switches to accordion with Sahm subbing in on keys. Meyers songs have perhaps the most country sound on this release, always with a certain Mexican sound supported and enhanced by Jimenez’ accordion. Having grown up in a culture where, instead of piano, kids took accordion lessons, I enjoyed hearing those twin accordions pumping it out. Meyers’ vocals have a dry matter-of-fact sense well suited to the wry humour of his lyrics. “(Hey Baby) Que Paso” and “Dinero” both have a light touch that will make the listener smile with recognition. “Dinero” seems like a retelling of Lefty Frizzell’s “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time” but with a Mexican edge. “Mathilda” takes the listener back fifty years to rocking Blues-based love songs, complete with edgy piano triplets played by Sahm and some excellent Rock & Roll guitar by Fender.

Freddy Fender softens and slightly slows this Rock and Roll sound, his sweet-voiced vocals reminiscent of some of the most romantic songs of the Fifties. In fact, “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” was first a hit in 1959 before hitting the charts a second time in 1975. Fender also performs his tear-jerker “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” from 1975, as well as the equally romantic “Only One” and “A Man Can Cry.” Each of these songs is especially enhanced by the vintage sounds of Sahm on piano, Fender on guitar, and Jiminez on accordion. “If That’s What You’re Thinking” is a sweet love song made more touching by Fender’s soulful vocal. Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What You Want Me to Do” reveals an even bluesier facet of Fender and the band, rocking on for five and one half minutes.

Besides his Sir Douglas Quintet, Doug Sahm has created a whole series of bands with various configurations and has consistently crossed genres. His performances here present several aspects of his long and varied career. The set ends with a version of ? and the Mysterions’ 1966 hit “96 Tears” that features superb performances by these four superstars, but especially Sahm, who has recorded this song with several of his bands. This is a definite jamband version of the song, with a solid groove that goes on for more than seven minutes. Excellent performances of the Sir Douglas Quintet hits “She’s About a Mover” and “Mendocino” bring fond reminiscence of that marvelous partnership between Sahm and Meyers nearly forty years ago. Songs like “Laredo Rose” and “She Never Spoke Spanish to Me” expose a quieter, more countrified facet of Doug Sahm. “Adios Mexico” is pure Rock & Roll with a Tex-Mex overlay and “Who Were You Thinkin’ Of” adds a touch of humour that’s just on the safe side of prurient.

Sometimes, when you bring together just the right elements, you get something that is far more than their sum total. The result is exponential and very, very special. This Texas Tornados concert brings together four artists, any one of whom would put on a great show, but the show recorded on this DVD is very special indeed and a must see performance.

Those who may be interested can find a great deal of information on Texas Tornados at Wikipedia. Wikipedia also has separate articles on Doug Sahm, Freddie Fender, and Flaco Jiminez. You can find more information on Augie Meyers at the Official Augie Meyers website

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Music DVD Review: Live From Austin TX (Sir Douglas Quintet)

Live From Austin TX
Sir Douglas Quintet
New West Records
2006
DVD 17 songs

Don McLean was mistaken when he spoke of the day the music died. The music never died. True, for a while the Big Music establishment buried it in the commercial pop of Bobby Vees and Frankie Avalons, but the music couldn’t be held down for long. Out of Buddy Holly’s Texas, Detroit, across the United States and around the world, Rock & Roll came back better than ever. A powerful influence in that revitalization of the music that never died was the Sir Douglas Quintet. On this live concert, recorded some sixteen years after “She’s About a Mover” became their first big hit, this all-star band still rocks it out with the best of them.

Fronted by the indefatigable Doug Sahm and powered by the driving, and driven, organ riffs and accordion wizardry of Augie Meyers, this group may just rival a certain British band for the title of The Greatest Rock & Roll Band Ever. Certainly the Sir Douglas Quintet had a powerful influence on the sound of many contemporary and later bands. It doesn’t hurt that in this concert Sahm and Meyers are backed up by Speedy Sparks on bass, John Perez on Drums, Shawn Sahm (Doug’s son) on guitar, and the wonderful Alvin Crow on guitar and fiddle.

Although this is nominally Sahm’s band, it’s definitely not a one-man show. Originally formed as a union of two bands, one led by Doug Sahm and one led by Augie Meyers, this band has kept that sense that it’s less about top-down leadership than collaboration. It may be the Texas roots, but this Rock & Roll band comes across with the comfortable ambience of an old-time barn dance. When the Sir Douglas Quintet performs, everyone on stage gets an opportunity to shine. Besides Sahm, Meyers and Crow both have featured vocals, and each of the players is featured on several songs.

Recorded in 1981 for the half-hour Austin City Limits television show, this DVD features one full hour of great music. Packed with seventeen live tracks, it’s a treat to watch and a joy to hear. In fact, while this would make a great concert CD, having the visuals is a real bonus. This band has a collective charisma that draws you in and lets you feel like you’re actually there, watching the performance live in Austin.

The concert is bracketted by the band’s two biggest hits, beginning with “Mendocino” and ending with “She’s About a Mover.” The band does a rousing version of “96 Tears” [Actually a hit for ? and the Mysterions, a Michigan band whose members mostly came from Texas or Mexico and whose sound was also built around the classic Vox organ.] Other songs include “Groover’s Paradise” and other Sir Douglas Quintet hits as well as other songs recorded by Doug Sahm with various configurations of his band.

Although Doug Sahms’ stylish guitar rides through every song and although every musician in this set is superb, the hallmark of this group’s sound is the classic Vox Continental Organ, stretched to its limits by Augie Meyers. Meyers style has been credited with influencing numerous other keyboard players, including The Doors’ Ray Manzarek.

During this concert, Meyers also plays lively Cajun flavoured accordion and sings. “Going Down to Mexico” is a very Tex Mex sounding country song driven by a simple two-step rhythm and lots of ee-ha shouting by band members in the background. Watching him perform this song, it’s clear that Meyers is having a ball.

“Tonight, Tonight” features Alvin Crow on guitar and vocals, and what a rocker that is. It helps that Crow has his rockabilly image down pat. He’s on stage in a shiny satin red and white cowboy shirt straight out of 1957, with both sleeves removed. Crow’s vocal and guitar are extremely reminiscent of fellow Texan Buddy Holly at his best. Augie Meyers rocking Vox in the the background adds more than a touch of Chris Montez to the sound.

There’s even a bonus song in this concert, not listed on the cover or in the liner notes. The group performs its own version of Charlie Pride’s hit “(Is Anybody Going To) San Antone” featuring some bright fiddling by Crow. In the middle of the song, the band transitions smoothly into a full length version of Sahm’s roots rocker “Texas Tornado” and then transitions just as smoothly back to complete the rest of “San Antone.” It’s two great songs for the price of one.

You don’t have to watch. The music on this release works well played in the background while you do other things, just like playing a music CD. To sit and watch the show adds a whole other dimension. Either way, if you want to hear one of the best rock and roll bands of the last forty years, you have to own this DVD.

Go to Wikipedia for more information on the Sir Douglas Quintet. You can find information on Austin City Limits at pbs.org.

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