Features Disc of the day
Johnny Burnette and the Rock 'n Roll Trio
Johnny Burnette and the Rock ‘n Roll Trio
(Coral, 1956)
Rockabilly hepcats' incandescent 10" debut.
The post-Elvis rock and roll boom brought many contenders. But a special salute must be given to Johnny Burnette and the Rock 'n Roll Trio for the scorching urgency and wildness of their rockabilly boogie. Memphis native and former electrician Burnette, who actually went to school and worked at the same firm as The King, was a vocalist given to screams, spasms and palpitations, a style ideally suited to these full-pelt songs of dames, trains, alley cats, wine and chains of love. Famous cuts Train Kept A-Rollin', Lonesome Train and Honey Hush are raw, undeniable highpoints, but the rest isn't far off, as basses slap, drums thwack and a futuristically fuzzed up guitar mixes up jazz, country and blues, as on the super-bopping Rock Billy Boogie and the wino-whooping Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee, Drinking Wine. But the world wasn't listening and the original trio jacked it in in autumn 1957; Johnny Burnette had some pop hits at the turn of the 60s, but died in a boating accident in 1964. His bass playing brother Dorsey died in 1979, and guitarist Paul Burlison followed in 2003. On the tracks recorded in the middle-50s, though, they bottled enough lightning to make time evaporate, and Johnny Burnette and the Rock 'n Roll Trio still sounds fiercely alive.
Ian Harrison
Posted by Ross_Bennett at 6:00 AM GMT 29/10/2009
Further Listening
Johnny Burnette – Tear It Up (Solid Smoke, 1978)
Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps – Bluejean Bop! (Capitol, 1956)
Charlie Feathers – Can’t Hardly Stand It! (El Toro, 2009)
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Essential rockabilly - good to see this get some recognition. It really is a must have for any fans of raw, wild rock 'n' roll.
Posted by Filthy McNasty at 12:26 PM GMT 29/10/2009 Report Abuse
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