Customer Reviews

Rock 'n' Roll Tornado

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The one thing this CD from the folks at ACE has is really great quality. Dale Hawkins recorded most of his music under rather primitive conditions. ACE took the old masters and cleaned them up. Dale Hawkins had lots of great ideas in the 50's and paved the way for folks like John Fogerty of CCR. This package has all of his great material but does not have "A House, A Car And A Wedding Ring". For Rock-a-billy fans this one should be on your list.

I can't agree with the other reviewer who headlines his comments "The Start Of Rock-A-Billy" since the genre had been in place since 1954 when he was 16, with people like Charlie Feathers, Johnny Carroll, Eddie Bond, Mac Curtis, Lee Hazlewood, and Sanford Clark [The Fool - # 7 in 1956] recording before him. Not to mention two fellows named Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash who also started out very much as a Rockabilly artists.

But with Susie-Q - the fusion of a raunchy black beat, white country guitar, and a cowbell in the background, recorded at the KWKH radio studio in Shreveport, Louisiana, he certainly has to be among the first purveyors of pure Rockabilly to hit it big on the Billboard Top 100 when it made it to # 7 R&B and # 27 Top 100 in July 1957 b/w Don't Treat Me This Way for the Checker label.

After several failed singles, his next charter came in October 1958 when La-Do-Dada peaked at # 32 Hot 100, b/w Cross-Ties, followed late that year with A House, A Car And A Wedding Ring [# 88 Hot 100] b/w My Babe. Why Ace left off the A-side, but included the flip, is anyone's guess, but it's why I deducted one star. In 1959 he closed out his charted hits with Yea-Yea (Class Cutter), a # 52 Hot 100 in April b/w Lonely Nights, notable since it includes Harvey Fuqua of The Moonglows doing the narrative part.

Even his failed singles, like Liza Jane and Grandma's House, are worth a listen in that they include some of the best guitar work of the era from people like James Burton, Scotty Moore, Kenny Paulsen, and Roy Buchanan.

After he left Checker in 1961 Dale tried to reach the charts again with major labels such as Atlantic, Roulette, and ABC-Paramount, as well as tiny indies like Tilt and Zonk, but the brass ring eluded him. However, he did achieve success as the producer of the 1967 hits by The Five Americans - Western Union [# 5], Sound Of Love [# 36], and Zip Code [# 36],and that same year produced the minor Bruce Channel hit Mr. Bus Driver [# 96].

One of the pioneers of early R&R and, for my money, right up there with Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins [no relation], Gene Vincent, Buddy Knox/Jimmy Bowen, and others of that ilk. Well worth it and highly recommended.

Dale Hawkins's Rock'n'Roll Tornado is a great cd and an excellent addition to any Rock-A-Billy music fans collection. Every song is good and something you'll want to play over and over.

The Mean Eyed Cat
KNON Radio 89.3
Dallas, Texas