"Rocky Road Blues" (w/ Big Jim)

[donna plasky]

Hi. I happened to come across this on YouTube. The photo of Jet caught my eye. I'm not sure if the caption under the video is correct, but I've put the words below. It says Big Jim Sullivan is on lead guitar, which is why I thought I'd post it. I missed out on a lot of good music like this.

Kind regards,
Donna


"GENE VINCENT rocky road blues 5th march 1960 saturday club rockabilly BILL MONROE
recording date 16 fev 1960 ans on the air the 5 march
BIG JIM SULLIVAN(lead guitar) TONY BELCHER(rhythm guitar)BRIAN LOCKING(bass) BRIAN BENNETT(drums)"

[Gatwick1946]

Cracking good rock and roll. A couple of good solo's from Big Jim. If he was playing like this, one can see why artists wanted him to back them. I can see what Cliff and the Shadows and other british artists were trying to achieve and get that American sound. This would fit very easily on the "Me and my Shadows album. Brian and Lic - very solid rhythm.Magic!

Any more where this came from Donna?

Kind regards
Chris

[keithmantle]

Thats great Donna, Full of raw energy/vintage sounds.

[UlrichS]

Any more where this came from Donna?

Kind regards
Chris

Hi Chris,

Gene Vincent & The Wildcats
Line-up: Gene Vincent (vocals), ‘Big’ Jim Sullivan (lead guitar), Tony Belcher (rhythm guitar), Brian ‘Licorice’ Locking (bass guitar), Brian Bennett (drums)
On February 16th and 23rd 1960, Gene Vincent recorded six songs for the BBC radio show SATURDAY CLUB at BBC’s Picadilly Studios, backed by The Wildcats. Two songs, Be-Bop-A-Lula and Say Mama, were recorded on both sessions, but it is impossible to tell which of all songs was recorded at what date. The shows were broadcasted on March 5th and 12th. The recorded songs were Be-Bop-A-Lula (Version 1), Be-Bop-A-Lula (Version 2)*, Say Mama (Version 1), Say Mama (Version 2)*, Summertime, Wildcat, My Heart (recorded 23.2.1960, broadcasted 12.3.1960) and Rocky Road Blues.
The two tracks marked with * were released on the Rockstar EP ON TOUR WITH GENE VINCENT & EDDIE COCHRAN (RSR-EP 2013, 1986), the other tracks on the Rockstar album ROCK’N’ROLL HEROES - GENE VINCENT & EDDIE COCHRAN (RSR-LP 1004, 1981).

Hope this helps.

Ulrich

[JimTidmarsh]

That picture of Gene Vincent with Jet is from 1963 I reckon.
Jet had left The Shadows and was touring as a solo act with Little Richard and Sounds Incorporated. Gene Vincent joined the tour later on.

I saw the show at the Granada, Walthamstow and at that time Gene Vincent's work permit hadn't come through, so he sang a couple of songs from the front row of the stalls to get round its absence!

[donna plasky]

Ulrich, thank you for that great description of the shows. I found some of the clips on YouTube -- but it is all because of you. I was not using the correct search terms before and couldn't find them until now. Here are the other Saturday Club songs, all thanks to Ulrich.

I recognise the gentlemen in the first video/photo, on the left.

Kind regards,
Donna

[Gatwick1946]

Wow. Compare Gene singing "My Heart" with Cliff's "I Don't Know" on the Me and My Shadows LP. Very similar in style and arrangement.

Great pics as well. Who is the Elvis lookalike? - Vince Taylor? Terry Dene? I recognise a young Joe Brown.

Vincent Eugene Craddock - a great rock and roller and inspiration to our heroes!

Kind Regards

Chris

[Gatwick1946]

I think it may be Eddie Cochran.

[UlrichS]

... Who is the Elvis lookalike? ...

Eddie Cochran, who was - as Gene Vincent - backed by the Wildcats when appearing on BBC's "Parade Of The Pops" and "Saturday Club". See the following details:

Eddie Cochran & The Wildcats

Line-up: Eddie Cochran (vocal/guitar), ‘Big’ Jim Sullivan (lead guitar), Tony Belcher (rhythm guitar), Brian ‘Licorice’ Locking (bass guitar), Brian Bennett (drums)
On three occasions Eddie Cochran was backed by The Wildcats for the BBC radio shows PARADE OF THE POPS (broadcasted 22.2.60) and SATURDAY CLUB (5. and 12.3.60). The recordings for all three shows took place at the BBC Picadilly Studios. They were released on the Union Pacific album EDDIE COCHRAN - A LEGEND IN OUR TIME [1] (U.P. 001, 1971), the Rockstar album ROCK’N’ROLL HEROES - GENE VINCENT & EDDIE COCHRAN [2] (RSR-LP 1004, 1981), the Rockstar EP ON TOUR WITH GENE VINCENT & EDDIE COCHRAN [3] (RSR-EP 2013, 1986) and the Rockstar single What’d I Say / Milk Cow Blues [4] (RSR-SP 3001, 1979). The indices refer to the following songs featured on the above records.
For the PARADE OF THE POPS show Eddie and the Wildcats recorded version 1 of C’mon Everybody [3] on an unknown exact date in February 1960.
The songs C’mon Everybody (Version 2) [1], Hallelujah, I Love Her So (Version 1) [1], What’d I Say [4] and Milk Cow Blues [4] were recorded on 16.2.1960 for the SATURDAY CLUB show, which was broadcast on 5.3.1960.
For the SATURDAY CLUB show from 12.3.1960 Eddie and the Wildcats recorded Somethin’ Else [2], Hallelujah, I Love Her So (Version 2) [2] and Twenty Flight Rock [2] on 23.2.1960.

Ulrich

[donna plasky]