Rock 'n' Roll 68 Items

Sticker on cover.

Vinyl 1 ONLY (Side A/B)

close to NM

Vinyl close to VG+

Cover has a cut-out.

Record has some hairlines and a few superficial scratches.
Cover with seam split.

Disk 2 is closer to NM.

Copy close to VG+

Vinyl with a couple of scratches, closer to VG

Vinyl with a couple of light scuffs. Cover with long open seam split on the sides and strong ring wear.

Clear vinyl. Cover close to VG+

Cover close to VG+

Vinyl with many scuffs and hairlines. Cover close to VG+

Picture disc

Toploader Gatefold. No 570961

Disc 2 play with lots of background noises, Disc 1 is actually very close to VG+. COver has water damage, but no splits or tears.

“‘Please Stay’, by The Cryin’ Shames, was the last song by producer Joe Meek to enter the UK Top 40, peaking at No. 26. Released on 18 February 1966, the song should have reached the top, but its progress was held back by the fact that the Decca record label had not pressed enough copies to meet demand. The collaboration should have been long and successful for both of them, but the Cryin’ Shames story is cursed with bad luck and, sadly, within a year of the success of ‘Please Stay’ the band broke up and Joe Meek died. This compilation brings together a first part of the material collected by Cherry Red on the double CD ‘The Tea Chest Tapes’ . The group began as The Bumblies, formed in Liverpool in 1963 by bassist George Robinson and singer Joey Kneen who had previously been in a band called The Calderstones, that included Tom Evans, who later went on to form the group Badfinger. The Bumblies’ name was taken from a television series of the same name featuring Michael Bentine. The rest of the line-up included Charlie Crane (vocals, harmonica), John Bennett (guitar), Phil Roberts (keyboards) and Charlie Gallagher (drums). Charlie Crane would be known in addition as ‘Carl’ or ‘Paul’ to avoid confusion with the other Charlie in the group. Joe Meek didn’t like the band’s choice of name so they changed it to The Cryin’ Shames. Ritchie Routledge replaced Bennett (guitar) after the recording of their debut single ‘Please Stay’. Derek Cleary (bass/guitar) replaced Robinson in time to play on their second single ‘Nobody Waved Goodbye’. After the original Cryin’ Shames fell apart, Routledge and Crane formed a group known as Paul And Ritchie And The Crying Shames with new members Brian Norris (bass), Mike Espie (guitar), Pete Byrne (organ) and Paul Commerford (drums). They released one single, ‘September In The Rain’. The group (as The Bumblies) auditioned for Joe Meek in late October or early November 1965 - the exact date cannot be ascertained because Meek’s tapes contain very little information, and only one or two of the more than seven hundred tapes actually bear a recording date...” (liner notes extracted from the Cherry Red’s booklet made by Mr. Craig Newton)

14 sizzlin’ surf guitar cuts recorded at the crest of the genre! Brothers Richard and Thomas Frost, more known for their work as Powder, shred through these surf-rockin’ standards – all tucked away until now!

Turning in a smoking rendition of studio guitarist Jan Davis’ “The Fugitive,” later covered by the Ventures (and much later, Laika & the Cosmonauts), they also lay down a hot version of “Opus Twist” – also by way of the Ventures, written by Tommy Allsup and J.I. Allison of the Crickets. Three other instrumentals came from the Let’s Hide Away & Dance Away With Freddy King album: “San-Ho-Zay,” “Just Pickin’,” and “Sen-Sa-Shun.” He delivers a lovely “Sleep Walk” sans Santo & Johnny’s steel guitar, and converts pianist Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date” to guitar.

Balancing out the program are live tracks from Big Al’s Gas House in neighboring Belmont, showing the emergence of British Invasion along with credible renditions of R&B warhorses “Linda Lu” and “Come On.” “Route 66” is obviously the Stones version, with Rich playing the Keith Richards guitar solo – “and ‘Roll Over Beethoven,’ you could tell it was the Beatles’ version because my guitar licks are George Harrison.”

Vividly illustrating the band’s meld of R&B and surf are the two versions of “San-Ho-Zay” – the relaxed groove in the bedroom versus the furious live rave. Lord knows what’s going on in “The Fight” – a typical set-opening/closing riff breaking up a brawl?

Though they never released even a 45, these live cuts and “Bedroom Tapes” prove without a doubt that they’d have been up to the task had the opportunity presented itself.

Writing on cover.

Cover has tiny tear from sticker removal

White vnyl with scuffs and hairlines. Cover with creasing and tears

Vinyl 1 ONLY (Side A/B)

Cover has two seam splits.

Cover with seam split on bottom spine.

Cover close to VG+

Hype-sticker on front. Record and sleeve are very close to NM.

Record 1 and 4 ONLY

Cover close to VG+

Record is close to NM.

taped spines

Vinyl with scuffs and hairlines. Cover with creasing