The Ebb Records Story

Various Artists - The Ebb Story Vol. 1 (1995) {Ace Records CDCHD 524 rec 1957-1959}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 225 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 151 Mb
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© 1957-59, 1995 Ebb Records / Ace Records / Fantasy | CDCHD 524
Oldies / Doo Wop / Early R&B / Rockabilly

From 1957 to 1959, the Los Angeles label Ebb Records released around 60 singles. Only one became a national hit, although there were several regional successes. The label, however, recorded a fascinating cross-section of the music of the day and The Ebb Story tells the tale.Formed by Leonora "Lee" Rupe, with the money she received as a divorce settlement from her ex-husband Art Rupe (head of Specialty Records), and Jesse J Jones, an arranger and horn player, Ebb kicked off with The Ebbtones' Danny's Blues and worked their way through the New Orleans R&B of Professor Longhairs' Look What You're Doing To Me, the soulful blues of Ted Taylor, the down-home Texan blues guitar and voice of Smokey Hogg, the supper-club blues stylings of Floyd Dixon, the rockabilly of Kip Tyler, the chameleon vocals of Dolly Cooper and the classic hit R&B of the Hollywood Flames with Buzz, Buzz, Buzz (a version of which a young Bob Dylan performs on his forthcoming CD-ROM disc release).

Various Artists - The Ebb Story, Volume 2 (1997) {Ace Records CDCHD 603 rec 1957-1959}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 212 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 147 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 19 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957-59, 1997 Ebb Records / Ace Records / Fantasy | CDCHD 603
Oldies / Blues / Doo Wop / Early R&B / Rockabilly

Specialty Records president Art Rupe's ex-wife Lee started Ebb Records in Los Angeles in 1957 with the proceeds from their divorce. Between 1957 and 1959, she released about 60 singles, which now stand as an excellent cross-section of 1950s music, ranging from blues to rockabilly to doo wop and teen pop. This compilation focuses on primarily on the blues and R&B singles from that label, along with some unissued surprises. Five tracks from future soul star Ted Taylor find him working in styles ranging from rock & roll ("Everywhere I Go") to pop ballad ("Very Truly Yours") to Bobby Bland-styled blues ("Days Are Dark" and "If I Don't See You Again"), with "Hold On (I've Got the Chills)" not seeing issuance until 1968, when it came out on Ronn.

The intention of the Universal Music Group compilation series called The Definitive Collection is to occupy the price point in between its more expensive two-CD Gold series and its budget-priced 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection series. It is, thus, aimed at the fan who wants a reasonably complete single-disc anthology of a particular artist's hits. In that sense, the Righteous Brothers' edition of the series is a good example. The duo reached Billboard magazine's Hot 100 21 times between 1963 and 1974, and 17 of those chart entries are contained on this album. (The most notable exceptions are the two follow-ups to the novelty comeback hit "Rock and Roll Heaven," "Give It to the People" and "Dream On," which UMG didn't choose to license from EMI.) Also included are a couple of LP tracks and a solo track each by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. All have been digitally remastered and are in excellent sound.

For anyone in their mid-teens in the mid-5Os, and into music, it had to be rock'n'roll - American rock'n roll. There was no British equivalent to the sound. In the UK, it was Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, The Platters, Alan Freed, Radio Luxembourg, Voice Of America.

Willis takes things a little more seriously than usual, concentrating largely on covers of material by Percy Mayfield, Howlin' Wolf, Clarence Carter, and Guitar Slim. His own contributions include "I Ain't Jivin' Baby" and "Bow-Legged Woman" (he couldn't resist the raunchy stuff entirely!).
–by Bill Dahl

For anyone in their mid-teens in the mid-5Os, and into music, it had to be rock'n'roll - American rock'n roll. There was no British equivalent to the sound. In the UK, it was Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, The Platters, Alan Freed, Radio Luxembourg, Voice Of America. If the right people get to know about this and hear the quality, this will sell and sell.

Well into her mid-thirties, Julie London was also well past her commercial prime when she cut this live album for release in 1964. Actually, she had mounted something of a comeback the previous year with the LPs The End of the World and The Wonderful World of Julie London, both of which made the charts for her after a gap of six years from her 1955-1957 commercial heyday, but Julie London, released earlier in 1964, had not charted. London's film work was also at a low ebb; she had not appeared onscreen since 1961's The George Raft Story. But this was all the more reason to emphasize the personal appearance aspect of her career by recording a live album.