Jackie Various Artists

As part of Radio 2's Great British Songbook, Bob Harris investigates the songs the Beatles gave away. The most popular group in the world for over 45 years, a recent issue of re-mastered albums saw four Top 10 entries in the UK chart, while their compilation '1' looks set to be America's biggest album this decade. The fevered excitement that accompanied every release in the 1960s is well documented but less is known about the music written, though not necessarily recorded or released, by the Beatles during the same decade.

10-CD with 250 rockabilly tracks from the 1950s. All original recordings. Featured artists include Jack Cochran, The Jiants, Werly Fairburn, Hank Mizell, Alvis Wayne, Marvin Rainwater, Curtis Gordon, Johnny Carroll, The Recalls, Glen Barber, Sammy Masters, Vern Pullens, Andy Anderson, Hershel Almond, Jack Earls, Mac Curtis, Huelyn Duvall, Eddie Bond, Joe Clay, Vern Pullens, Ron Haydock and many others.

Founded in 1972, SteepleChase Records is one of the most significant and prolific European jazz record labels. With a catalogue running to well over 200 titles, the Copenhagen-based imprint has recorded and released music from some of the greatest names in jazz, including Dexter Gordon, Andrew Hill, Jackie McLean, Horace Parlan, Chet Baker and Stan Getz.
Starting out by recording visiting Americans when they performed at the legendary Café Montmartre, founder Nils Winther was encouraged to start the label by none other than the great Jackie McLean, who was the first artist to release a record on the new imprint.From there, Steeplechase rapidly grew into one of the foremost labels to document European jazz with all its distinctive originality and style. With a particular emphasis on recording front rank American artists who had chosen the expatriate life in Europe, Steeplechase was first in line to document the sounds of the greats as they developed in exile.Featuring in-demand tracks from the likes of Billy Gault, Johnny Dyani and Khan Jamal, and unearthing deep cuts from greats like Jackie McLean and Mary Lou Williams, our Spiritual Jazz 11: Steeplechase pays tribute to one of Europe's most important jazz labels.

Why is Studio One considered the most important place of golden ska and reggae years in the 60's and 70's? Self the tracklists of this two samplers remastered by Soul Jazz Records UK give the clear answer. Reggae meets Soul meets Funk meets R'n'B. If you want to go beyond Bob Marley – this would be the right choice…

The first part of this great collection, scanned the R'n'R years (1955-1964) with CDs dedicated to each year. This second part includes CD 'portraits' of R'n'R legends, and some thematic compilations. You will find even ballads from that period. Wonderful music especially for those of us who have memories. Let's rock.

It features all the 'usual suspects' like Helen Shapiro, Susan Maughan, Julie Grant, Billie Davis (who sings the title track), Carol Deene, The Breakaways, The Vernons Girls, Maureen Evans, Kathy Kirby, Anita Harris, Jackie Trent, Louise Cordet, Lynn Cornell, Glenda Collins, etc., not forgetting Dusty, when she was still a Springfield.Juxtaposed against newcomers like Grazina, Candy Sparling, Simone Jackson, Christine Quaite, Susan Singer, Patsy Ann Noble, Patti Lynn, Penny Calvert, Suzy Cope, Hayley Mills, Valerie Mountain, Sally Green, etc.Also, members of the established 'old guard', embracing the new Brit Girl sound, Alma Cogan, Petula Clark, Marion Ryan, Lita Roza, Cleo Laine, Jackie Lee, Ruby Murray, Pat Reader, Lorne Lesley, etc.This is a unique collection of hits and obscure collectors' rarities, many of the latter appearing here for the first time on CD.

During the 1950s Memphis was named the USA's cleanest and safest city and the diversified population had reached nearly 400,000. This 4CD compilation looks at the music recorded in Memphis and its environs by native Memphians and shows the stupendous effect the sounds had on the world of popular music. Music had always abounded in Memphis but there were no recording facilities there, an omission that one Sam Phillips was about to rectify, he opened the Memphis Recording Service at 706 Union Avenue on the 2nd of January 1950. He proceeded to record anything that moved including weddings, funerals and artists for WREC radio. He soon went on to record artists for record labels such as Gilt Edge and 4 Star and it didn't take more than a few months for him to record the likes of B.B. King, a young Ike Turner with Jackie Brenston, and madcap Rufus Thomas. Come 1952 Sam started his own record label, Sun, and the rest as they say is history.

Original albums from one of the most important independent jazz labels of the 1950s.
Including milestones by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Sonny Rollins, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Eric Dolphy, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Thelonious Monk, Art Farmer, Donald Byrd and also swing greats like Coleman Hawkins and Arnett Cobb. This 10 CD wallet box follows the successful "Blue Notes" series and presents "Prestigious Hits": original albums and stars playing the best of modern jazz from the 1950s. Bob Weinstock, who started his own label in 1949, is hardly a household name today except among specialists, but his productions and artists are all the more so.