Spread The Good Word !

When Richard Delvecchio (who adopted the stage name, Richard Delvy) left The Belairs (see last month) to form a new band, he brought only Jim Roberts (keyboards) with him, and recruited Randy Nauert (bass guitar). For guitar, Glenn Grey was brought in for lead and Don Landis for rhythm, With Nick Hefner on Saxophone,and yes, they became… The Challengers ! They played at high school and local dances and such, and eventually earned enough to rent a jazz studio, World Pacific, to record. Nick Hefner played on only one track. In about three and a half hours, they had an album. Just months earlier, The Beach Boys' released a vocal single, "Surfing Safari" and some months after the Challenger's "Surfbeat" release, Dick Dale's first album was released… As always, when it comes to Surf Music, aloha and big up to Phil Dirt at Reverb Central ! The Challengers : * Lanky Bones * * Sidewalk Surfer * * Cruel Sea *

Andrew 'Smokey' Hogg performed and recorded original American blues for twenty years, but never really got through to the audience that many other blues musicians were rewarded with. His "old school" Texas based blues tunes however must have made an impression on listeners and blues fans because of the wide exposure his music received and the great number of labels that recorded his work. Between 1947 and 1958 Smokey Hogg recorded several times a year, and cut several hundred sides, not only for Combo and Modern Records, but also for Blue Bonnet, Specialty, Exclusive, Imperial (on two occasions, several years apart), Top Hat, Recorded In Hollywood, Macy's, Sittin' In With, Federal, Ray's, Show Time, Ebb and Mercury. For someone who's spent most of the past 20 years being chiefly remembered as the unsuspecting victim of relentless lampooning, that's an awful lot of labels willing to take a chance on an alleged no-talent ! He continued to work and r...

Yeeeha again ! (This one's for all the freaks who begged me to post 'The Wild Goose' after the last western mix !) The booming baritone voice of Tennessee Ernie Ford was best known for his 1955 cover of Merle Travis' grim coal-mining song "Sixteen Tons," watered down by the dulcet strains of a Hollywood studio orchestra but retaining its innate seriousness thanks to the sheer power of Ford's singing. But there was more to Tennessee Ernie Ford than that. Over his long career, Ford sang everything from proto-rock & roll to gospel, recorded over 100 albums, and earned numerous honors and awards. He was signed to Capitol Records in 1948. Five singles had been released by late 1949, including "Smokey Mountain Boogie" (Top Ten). Both Western songs and boogie-flavored numbers that in their energy and sexual suggestiveness were really rock & roll in all but name, Ford's recordings featured the fabulous instrumental talents of Travis on guita...

Hola Gringos ! A quick post for the rest of the week...here's the moonlighters ! Enjoy these two fantastic songs released on Tara Records in 1958 !!! Yeeeeeeeeeha ! I'll be back in 7 Days, I'm off for a couple of days ! No more. No less. Seven shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be Seven. Eight shalt thou not count, nor either count thou Six, excepting that thou then proceed to Seven. Six is right out.Once the number Seven, being the seventh number, be reached, then, I'll be back. The Moonlighters : * Broken Heart * * Rock-A-Bayou Baby *

A lil' bit of soul will never wash away the...ah whatever. Gene McDaniels had a brief but successful career as a pop singer in the early 60's. McDaniels signed a contract with Liberty Records in California and worked with producer Tommy "Snuff" Garrett, who supplied Gene with songs written by the Brill Building stable of songwriters, including Bacharach & David, Goffin & King, and Pomus & Shuman. Gene's brief fling with fame resulted in his appearance in the 1962 British film It's Trad, Dad which was directed by Richard Lester. Also known as 'Ring-A-Ding Rhythm', the film included appearances by Chubby Checker, Gene Vincent, Gary "U.S." Bonds, Mr. Acker Bilk, Del Shannon and others. In later years when black consciousness was in vogue in the pop music business, he began to go by the name Eugene McDaniels and recorded some soul-styled social consciousness records for Atlantic in the early 70's. These recordings became the album...

Greetings y'all. Let me tell you the story of one bad dude, strutting across the stage like a harp-toting gangster, mesmerizing the crowd with his tough-guy antics and rib-sticking Chicago blues attack... Amazingly, Junior Wells kept at precisely this sort of thing for over 40 years... he was an active performer from the dawn of the 1950s to his death in 1998. Born in Memphis, Wells learned his earliest harp licks from another future legend, Little Junior Parker, before he came to Chicago at age 12. In 1957, Wells hooked up with producer Mel London, who owned the Chief and Profile logos. The association resulted in many of Wells's most enduring sides, including "I Could Cry" and the rock & rolling "Lovey Dovey Lovely One" in 1957, and the R&B-laced classic "Messin' with the Kid" in 1960 (sporting Earl Hooker's immaculate guitar work). Wells's harp was de-emphasized during this period on record in favor of his animated vocals ! W...

Howdy folks ! Yeah, The long awaited new Western Mix is served ! And believe me, this one’s a bloody one ! All together once again : « YEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAA !!!!! » Rev. Frost Presents…A Bloody Western Mix, Part 4 ! (75 :35) 1. United States Military Academy Band - When Johnny Comes Marching Home 2. Johnny Western - The Gunfighter 3. Tennessee Ernie Ford - The Cry Of The Wild Goose 4. Frankie Laine - Wanted Man 5. Ennio Morricone - La Resa Dei Conti 6. Johnny Horton - The First Train Headin' South 7. Marty Robbins - Ballad Of The Alamo (Thirteen Days Of Glory) 8. Armando Trovaioli - Vai Cowboy Vai 9. Baja Marimba Band - Ghost Riders In The Sky 10. Frankie Laine – Granada 11. Frank Hutchison - Hell Bound Train 12. M. Gigante,A. Nadin,A. Bascerano - Wanted Johnny Texas Main Titles 13. Gene Pitney - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 14. Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys - Ida Red (Live) 15. Cisco Houston - Pat Works On The Railroad 16. Hugo Montenegro - Aces High 17. Johnny Western - Nin...

Love ! Lovers ! Losers ! Heartbreakers ! Broken-Hearted People ! This one’s for you ! And don’t forget to say thanks to the great Andy Anderson ! Andy Anderson : * Johnny Valentine * + * Johnny Valentine (1956) * * Johnny Valentine (1957)- Fast * * Johnny Valentine (1957)- Slow *

John T. Hunter, Jr. was born in Louisiana in 1931 and grew up in Arkansas and Texas. Long John's been playing his foot-pounding brand of original, hard-driving roadhouse blues for over 40 years. For 30 of those years he remained mostly in West Texas, where he was the reigning blues king of El Paso and Juarez, Mexico ! With only a handful of singles and a very obscure album to his credit, Long John didn't release his first full-length, internationally distributed album until 1993 !!! So Hunter recorded a number of singles for the Yucca label from 1961 to 1963 (these sides were later released as Texas Border Town Blues on the Dutch Double Trouble label in 1986). Although all of these recordings were well received locally, Hunter's reputation never spread ,due in no small part to his desire to stay in Juarez, where he was treated like royalty and even had his own body guards and expense account ! Long John Hunter : * Ride With Me Baby * * Betty Lou * * Border Town Blues *

The Belairs were one of the pre-eminent L.A. South Bay surf bands, scoring in 1961 with the classic Mr. Moto. Rhythm guitarist and Mr. Moto. composer Paul Johnson was joined in the originals Belairs lineup by lead guitarist Eddie Bertrand, drummer Richard Delvy and sax player Chaz Stuart. Jimmy Roberts also helped out on piano for recording sessions and live appearances. The Belairs carried on until 1964, when the British Invasion (it’s probably the 354th time I’m writing that) wiped out nearly all the surf bands. See you next week ! The Belairs : * Mr Moto * * Volcanic Action * * Rampage *

The Collins Kids were a juvenile rockabilly duo, featuring sister Lawrencine "Lorrie" Collins and younger brother Lawrence "Larry" Collins. Their hits were geared towards kids, but their infectious singing and playing crossed over generations. Larry, a lightning-fingered guitar whiz at the age of 10, was known for playing a double-neck Mosrite guitar like his mentor, Joe Maphis. They were regular performers on Tex Ritter's "Town Hall Party" and "Ranch Party" television series in 1958 and 1959. In an early 2000s interview for PBS, Lorrie also stated that she sparked some controversy for her youthful sex appeal and torch song performances (most notably the hit "Rock Boppin' Baby"). Yes, she almost always retained the original, often male-oriented lyrics ! They signed with Columbia Records on July 25, 1955 and over the three years that followed cut the most ingenuous and joyous rock-a-billy of the era. Generally, Lorrie sang lead o...

The first embodiment of the gospel group known as the Southern Sons appeared in the '30s. Over the years there were changes in the membership, but the music stayed true and strong. Some of the artists that have been part of the Southern Sons are vocalists Clifford Givens, James Walker, Bob Holloway, David Smith, and Roscoe Robinson; saxophonists Sammy Downs, Clarence Hopkins, and Earl Ratliff; guitarists Tim Pruitt and Calvin Hobson; and organist Robert Claybourne.The Southern Sons reached a height of popularity in the '50s. Four decades later, the group was still around, though the lineup had changed a few times. Some artists moved on to other groups, like the Blind Boys of Mississippi and the Dixie Hummingbirds. Come on boys, the water is fine. The Southern Sons : * Rock In A Weary Land * * Live So God Can Use You *

Yeeeha ! Gene Terry (Gene DeRouen) was born on January 7, 1940 in Lafayette, Louisiana. In 1942, his family moved to Port Arthur, Texas. Gene grew up listening to his father and grandfather performing Cajun music and he also attended house and barn dances with his uncle, R. C. DeRouen, a Cajun musician ! His uncle taught him how to play guitar and eventually Gene accompanied him on stage. Gene formed his own group, the Kool Kats in the mid-1950's playing country and western songs. Gradually rhythm and blues began to enter the band's repertoire as Gene became influenced by Little Richard, Elvis Presley and local KTRM deejay J. P. "the Big Bopper" Richardson. The band changed its name to the Down Beats and began attracting a loyal following. Word spread to Lake Charles, LA gaining the attention of local club owners and a five year contract with Goldband Records. Gene Terry and the Down Beats recorded several singles for Goldband including classic "Cindy Lou." ...

Oooh Yeah. I realised the other other day that a lotta folks didn’t know Garnet Mimms. Remember, I’m here to spread the word after all. Mr Mimms grew up in Philadelphia, where he sang in gospel groups such as the Evening Stars, the Harmonizing Four, and the group with which he would record his first record (in 1953), the Norfolk Four. He returned to Philadelphia after serving in the military and formed doo-wop group The Gainors in 1958. In 1961 Mimms left The Gainors to form a new group, Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters with Zola Pearnell and Charles Boyer. The group moved to New York and began to work with successful songwriter/record producer Bert Berns. Berns signed them to the United Artists label . Mimms and the Enchanters parted ways in 1964; the group to record separately with a new lead vocalist, while Mimms cut solo sides for UA steadily over the next few years. Anyway, Garnet Mimms' pleading, gospel-derived intensity made him one of the earliest true soul singers ! Enjoy !...

As Mrs Frost always says : « With Rev. Frost, it’s la fiesta everyday » William E. Strange teamed up with Mac Davis to write several hit songs for Elvis including "A Little Less Conversation", and "Memories" and he wrote "Limbo Rock" for Chubby Checker. He has also recorded many of The James Bond movie themes for GNP Crescendo Records and he has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame for his pioneering contribution to the genre ! He was also recently inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. Strange played guitar on numerous Beach Boys hit's including "Sloop John B" and on the "Pet Sounds" album. He has also played guitar for Nancy Sinatra, Jan & Dean, The Ventures, Willie Nelson, The Everly Brothers, Wanda Jackson, Randy Newman and Nat King Cole among others ! AND He also has arranged and conducted for Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Elvis… WOOF ! How about that ? Billy Strange : * Theme From The Muns...

2 Posts a week. Is that ok for you? Ok, let's roll. Buck Griffin has never made it as a star in country music, but not for lack of ability or talent. Described in his prime as a cross between Hank Williams and Red Foley, he was a charismatic performer and a prodigious songwriter who has simply failed to get the right breaks or the right contract at the right time ! (Ah, You know the story) You’re all invited to read a complete bio here ! Buck Griffin : * Stutterin' Papa * * Cochise * * Let's Elope Baby * By the way, d’you remember my post about Larry Donn ? Guess What, he came by and stopped to say hi. You can say hi back ! And he has a new cd out there ! Cheers Larry !

THE FROST TRAIN !!! Folks, let’s start this year with some deep blues shall we ! He called himself Boy Blue, but his real name was Roland Hayes. He played harmonica and delivered the blues with a powerful rasp! The tune "Joe Lee's Rock" involved the misfortunes of his drummer, whose hard-drinking girlfriend evidently was a two-timer ! "Joe Lee's Rock" & the seminal reading of John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen" are part of a treasure trove of recordings made in the Deep South (The American South, not the French South ^_^) by the legendary folk music collector Alan Lomax So Boy Blue laid down "Joe Lee's Rock," a composition by his drummer, on Oct. 1, 1959 : "By nine o'clock the stereo machine was sitting on the bar," Lomax recalled. "Forrest City Joe and his two-piece orchestra, Boy Blue and his two accompanists, along with their girlfriends and other connoisseurs of the blues, were lapping up the liquor and ...

My dear readers, Wot can I say? After more than 4 months in limbo, I'm back ! Well, at least I hope I'm back 'cos everythime I say 'I'm back', I have a tendency to disappear... Well, that's no the point. This music blog has definetely turned into a diary (no, not diarrhea), so the next post will bring you Rev Frost in his bath, Rev Frost sober etc etc... Blah Blah Blah, did you miss me? Ah well, How can I thank you properly after all you've done to me? Messages, emails, phone calls and all that jazz? (Not to mention the money I did refuse everytime). I will think of something don't worry... Ah yes, I'm fine. I'm always fine. No matter what. People, no big words, we have a blog to rule. Once again, THANK YOU. So this time, it's not a come back mix, it's just one big monster called a bloody bloody bloody mix. Hell yeah. Friends, welcome back. PS: I have a ton of emails to respond, I've missed Halloween & Christmas - Crap, sorry ...

BROTHERS AND SISTERS, HAPPY NEW YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR !!!!!!! Yup, your host ain't dead yet, as always, I'm still waiting for internet ! (new song : "IIIII Wait for interneeeeeet") I hope you're all doing good, I'm doing fine out there in the cold, got a lotta presents for you..... please stand by !!!! I wish you all the best for this brand new funkin' year ! Cheers & See you soon !

Hello folks. Sorry to interrupt this broadcast (haha). I thought I was back for good, but due to shitty circumstances (don't ask, it's too ridiculous), we've been kicked out from where we lived, so the result is : I'm sitting in a bloody cyber-café again just to let you know that I'm pretty much homeless (more much than pretty actually). Yup, no roof, no records, just the missus , a guitar and the old car. God, I always loved Vince Taylor, but it's not a good reason to end up like him. Okay, I'm not hopeless, you know me, good things are gonna come my way one day or another, but hey, it's pretty weird to sleep in a car. So I really don't know when I'll be able to get my hands on a computer again (not my priority to be honest), so don't worry, you know what they say, 'cheer up, it's not the end of the world'. Until the next time, I wish you the best. Yours Truly, Reverend 'Hobo' Frost.