Customer Reviews

That Scratchy Guitar From Memphis

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If you can imagine Dick Dale on steroids or the Ventures in a frenzy, then you have some idea of the sound that comes out of that scratchy guitar from Memphis. Wammack does to a guitar what Jerry Lee Lewis does to a piano, he plays the hell out of it. His music predates the "Surf Guitar" of the sixties and although the Memphis influence is there, it really sounds like nothing you have ever heard. He is virtually unknown outside the Memphis area. I heard him live at the Memphis Fairgrounds in '64 and "Scratchy" made me want to Rock 'n Roll, Twist & Shout, get down and get FUNKY!.....and that is a Memphis Thang.

I'll bet Hendrix listened to this album in his youth. It blew me away. This man had a style that makes you wonder how many famous guitar greats were influenced by this album. I've never heard more interesting, lightning fast, or rockin' guitar playing. All packed into neat little 3 minute songs.

When producer Roland Janes sent a copy of Scratchy to Chet Atkins, Chet sent it back with a note 'This scares me. I pass.' Here's the original version of Scratchy and 20 other incredible Chet-scaring tracks including Night Train, Scratchy, Karate Time, Tech-Nically Speaking, Distortion Part 2, Hideaway, Up-Set and Fire Fly. A must for all Rock & Roll guitarists !

A 60's teenage guitar prodigy and the sides he cut with
Sun Records session guitarist Roland Janes. Fast,
Funky, Fuzzy, Funny and Rockin! Garage Rock before
it's time.

Hey, I've never heard an album by Wammack, but I've heard him live on dozens of occasions. He still is quite good. He tends to cover stuff now as oppose to playing his old songs. He lives in Muscle Shoals Alabama now and he plays at the W.C. Handy Festival annually and other musical gatherings. He is a guitar pioneer in my view. He should have been lead guitar for some major band, but never really got a lucky break as a soloist. His son "Monkey" had some success too. Both of which recorded at the legendary Fame Recording Studio.

I was in love with his song 'Scratchy' around 1965.I would go see him perform at fairgrounds, and Armorys, and could not believe what I was seeing. He was indeed one of the greatest and certainly the fastest guitar player ever....and produced fantastic rock

music! Somebody missed out on a multi-million dollar musician!!