Rock Rhythm Doo Wop

What unites these 26 tracks? They're all black vocal group sides from 1960-1970, originally released on the Galaxy, Fantasy, 4-J, Riverside, and Specialty labels. That might be a fragile thread to tie a compilation around, but basically it's a way for Fantasy, which now distributes Specialty, to round up a bunch of doo wop, R&B, and soul rarities that it has license to. It's an agreeable though not great listen, illustrating in a modest way the transitional links between doo wop and soul music.

Have you heard The News? The sweet pop/rock/soul sound of San Francisco's Huey Lewis & The News has sadly gone silent in recent years, thanks to its one-of-a-kind frontman's battle with Ménière's disease, which causes intermittent hearing loss. But a surprise new reissue campaign courtesy of Universal Music Group's Japanese division promises the most comprehensive look at the band's blockbuster catalogue of the '80s and early '90s.

Various Artists - The Henry Glover Story, Vol. 2: 1951-1961 (2012) {2CD Set Rhythm & Blues Records RANDB021}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 668 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 352 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 61 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1951-61, 2012 King Records / Rhythm & Blues Records | RANDB021
Rhythm & Blues / Early R&B / Early Pop / Country / Doo Wop / Produced / Trumpet

This set continues tracing the musical career of the multi talented Henry Glover. Up through 1959 Henry continued his association with King Records writing and producing for King and its Federal and Bethlehem subsidiaries and the first disc and half the second are devoted to these recordings featuring classic performances by Wynonie Harris, Sonny Thompson, Moon Mullican, Lulu Reed, Tiny Bradshaw, The Five Royales, The Checkers, Linda Hopkins, Bill Doggett and others. It also features covers of Glover's King songs including Ray Charles spectacular version of Drown In My Tears, Teresa Brewer's improbable cover of Wynonie Harris's Lovin' Machine, Johnny Burnette's version of The Delmore Brothers' Blues Stay Away From Me and others.

Various Artists - The Henry Glover Story, Vol. 1: 1947-1951 (2012) {2CD Set Rhythm & Blues Records RANDB020}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 574 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 350 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 71 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1947-51, 2012 King Records / Rhythm & Blues Records | RANDB020
Rhythm & Blues / Early R&B / Early Pop / Country / Doo Wop / Produced / Trumpet

First of two double CDs exploring the substantial contributions to American music by the amazingly talented Henry Glover who was one of the first African-American executives and producers in a white owned record company. Glover did it all - he was a producer, arranger, songwriter, publisher, talent scout, trumpet player and label owner. He started off playing with the Lucky Millinder band in the early 40s and quickly became arranger for the band and songwriter for the band's many great vocalists. Soon he was writing and producing for Syd Nathan's King label and in 1948 was put on staff by Nathan and the majority of the recordings here are from King along with some covers of King hits by artists on other labels.

Johnny Otis - Rhythm & Blues Caravan: The Complete Savoy Recordings (1999) {3CD Set, Atlantic–Savoy 92859-2 rec 1949-1952}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 937 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 518 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 236 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1949-52, 1999 Atlantic / Savoy Jazz | 92859-2
Jazz / Blues / Early R&B / Jump Blues

A deluxe three-disc set summing up Otis' pre-Hand Jive days as an R&B bandleader of some renown who employed various singers on a number of singles for the Savoy label. The recording debuts of the Robins, Little Esther Phillips, Mel Walker, guitarist Pete Lewis, and Linda Hopkins are all here, and you hear how Otis kept his ear to the ground, changing and moving to keep pace with a big-band scene that was slowly dying out, while making some marvelous DIY records along the way. Incredible notes from Billy Vera make this a box set well worth having in the collection.