Cash, Perkins, Lewis and...The Chipmunks? Ace Revisits 1958 On "The London American Label"

Cash, Perkins, Lewis and…The Chipmunks? Ace Revisits 1958 On “The London American Label”

May 17, 2011 By Joe Marchese — No Comments

After a terrifically eclectic volume dedicated to the hits, misses and everything in between of 1963, Ace’s London American Label turns the clock back to the early days of rock and roll via the pioneering British imprint. The London American Label: 1958, the sixth volume of the series, similarly offers something for everyone. Unlike so many other British labels mining this period thanks to public domain law, Ace licenses each and every track from the current copyright owners and remasters them for optimum sound. These classics cover a wide swath of genres, reflecting a time in American music history when rock and roll was just taking a hold: rockabilly, country, traditional vocal pop, and doo wop, to name a few. (To read more on London American, you’re just a hop, skip and a click away!)

Every volume of The London American Label offers a number of recognizable hits, and 1958 is no exception. You’ll find Eddie Cochran’s sizzling “Summertime Blues” and Bobby Darin’s “Splish Splash.” Three quarters of The Million Dollar Quartet make an appearance: Johnny Cash (“Guess Things Happen This Way”), Jerry Lee Lewis (“Break-Up”) and Carl Perkins (“Lend Me Your Comb”). In a more traditional country vein is Jimmy Starr’s version of Conway Twitty’s standard “It’s Only Make Believe.” Befitting any compilation of the golden era of rock and roll, Chuck Berry and Little Richard both make a riotous noise with “Sweet Little Rock and roll” and “Ooh! My Soul,” respectively. Before reinventing himself as a tuxedoed entertainer or an earnest folk singer, Bobby Darin established his rock credentials, and he’s heard on his early calling card, “Splish Splash.”

Traditional pop is also represented. Jane Morgan is heard with “The Day The Rains Came.” The Mills Brothers were a clear influence on the sound of early doo-wop; they returned the favor with a cover of The Silhouettes’ “Get a Job” originally released on the Dot label. The early Drifters line-up tackles “Moonlight Bay,” a standard that’s likely familiar to any longtime Looney Tunes fans! Clyde McPhatter of that group appears solo on “Come What May.”

Looking for humor? The irreverent Coasters deliver with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s “The Shadow Knows.” And the disc concludes with Ross Badgasarian, Sr. a.k.a. David Seville, giving voice to Alvin, Simon and Theodore with the original “The Chipmunk Song.” (Perhaps Ace is the label up to the task of delivering a comprehensive David Seville and the Chipmunks anthology?)

The London American Label: 1958 hits stores in the U.K. on June 27 and in America one week later. Hit the jump for a pre-order link plus the full, diverse track listing and discographical information!

Various Artists, The London American Label: 1958 (Ace, 2011)

Cannonball – Duane Eddy, His Twangy Guitar And The Rebels (HL 8764)
Get A Job – The Mills Brothers (HLD 8553)
Just A Dream – Jimmy Clanton And His Rockets (HLS 8699)
Break-Up – Jerry Lee Lewis (HLS 8700)
A Wonderful Time Up There – Pat Boone (HLD 8754)
Hang Up My Rock ‘n’ Roll Shoes – Chuck Willis (HLE 8635)
Lend Me Your Comb – Carl Perkins (HLS 8608)
Sweet Little Rock and Roll – Chuck Berry (HLM 8767)
Margaret – The Royal Holidays (HLU 8722)
Summertime Blues – Eddie Cochran (HLU 8702)
Big Guitar – Frank De Rosa And The D Men (RED 1145)
It’s Only Make Believe – Jimmy Starr (HL 8731)
Wait A Minute – Jo Ann Campbell (HLU 8536)
Daddy Lolo – Ganim’s Asia Minors (HLE 8637)
The Shadow Knows – The Coasters (HLE 8729)
Ooh! My Soul – Little Richard (HLO 8647)
The Freeze – Tony and Joe (HLN 8694)
Come What May – Clyde McPhatter (HLE 8707)
The Secret – The Gainors (HLU 8734)
Tootsie – Carl McVoy (HLU 8617)
Splish Splash – Bobby Darin (HLE 8666)
The Greasy Spoon – Billy and Lillie (HLU 8689)
Geraldine – Jack Scott And The Chantones (HLL 8765)
The Day The Rains Came – Jane Morgan (HLR 8751)
Guess Things Happen That Way – Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two (HLS 8656)
Moonlight Bay – The Drifters (HLE 8686)
Jennie Lee – Billy Ward And His Dominoes (HLU 8634)
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) – The Chipmunks (HLU 8762)

All catalogue numbers pertain to singles released on the London American label in 1958.

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Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song and beyond, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with labels including Real Gone Music and Cherry Red Records, has released newly-curated collections produced and annotated by Joe from iconic artists such as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Meat Loaf, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Liza Minnelli, Darlene Love, Al Stewart, Michael Nesmith, and many others.

Joe has written liner notes, produced, or contributed to over 200 reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them America, JD Souther, Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams.

Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray.

Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.