While the rockabilly genre owed debts to multiple earlier musical styles, it didn’t come to fruition until Sun Records released the first singles from Elvis Presley, whose pioneering work was followed by that of such label-mates as Carl Perkins.
As Andrew Hickey notes in an episode of his terrific podcast, A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs:
“Rockabilly is one of those sounds that purists, at least, insist had a very, very specific meaning. It had to have slapback echo on the vocals. It had to have an electric lead guitar and slapback bass. It basically had to have all the elements of Elvis’s very earliest records. You could add a few other elements, like piano or drums, mostly because anything else would exclude Jerry Lee Lewis. But no horns or strings. No backing vocals. Nothing that would take away from the very primitive sound. And no steel guitar or fiddle either. That would tip it over into country.”
Rockabilly represented an important trend, but it didn’t last long. Granted, there have been several revivals of the genre, and even today, you can hear its influence in the work of some bands. But its heyday lasted just a few years, and only a handful of artists who dabbled in it – such as Presley, Perkins, and Johnny Cash – remain household names.
You may be surprised, therefore, to learn just how many rockabilly records appeared when the genre was hot. Since 1993, Germany’s Bear Family label has been reissuing those sides – and in some cases, unearthing previously unreleased gems – in a series called That’ll Flat…Git It! Each volume of this compendium contains about two to three dozen songs, and to date, the series comprises a whopping 49 albums.
The latest additions to the anthology are Vol. 48: Rockabilly & Rock n Roll from the Vaults of Starday Records and Vol. 49: Rockabilly & Rock n Roll from the Vaults of Columbia & Epic Records. Together, they contain 60 tracks, all created between 1953 and 1961.
You’ll find a ton of noteworthy obscurities in the collection from Starday, a long-defunct label cofounded by Lefty Frizzell’s manager that had its biggest successes with country artist Red Sovine as well as bluegrass material. As the liner notes state, however, the label also released “some of the hottest rockabilly sides this side of Sun Records without ever achieving a real hit in the sub-genre.”
Among the highlights: Ray and Lindy’s “Hey Doll Baby,” which the Everly Brothers also recorded; Rudy Grayzell’s “Let’s Get Wild,” which lives up to its title with frenetic guitar, piano, and vocal; Bill Mack’s “Cat Just Got in Town,” which namechecks Perkins’s “Blue Suede Shoes”; and “Rock It,” a rare and memorable foray into rockabilly by George Jones, billed here as “Thumper Jones.”
The Columbia label was much bigger than Starday, so it’s not surprising that the disc devoted to it and its Epic subsidiary contains a few more familiar names. That CD includes a couple of Perkins’s hard-rocking post-Sun recordings, “Pop, Let Me Have the Car” and “Jive After Five.” Also on the program arenumbers from several other artists who achieved prominence in the country field, such as Johnny Horton, Rose Maddox, “Little” Jimmy Dickens, and Frizzell’s brother, David. Here, too, are“Mary Ann,” a Ray Charles–authored guitar showcase for the influential Link Wray; and “The Cuckoo Rock,” a previously unissued novelty number from the precocious Collins Kids.
If you’re looking for hits, look elsewhere. But if you want to stroll down an early-rock side street that too few music fans have walked, these albums will take you there.
Note: This column has previously reviewed Vols. 42 and 44, 43 and 45, and 47 in the That’ll Flat…Git It! series.
Jeff Burger’s website, byjeffburger.com, contains five decades’ worth of music reviews, interviews, and commentary. His books include Dylan on Dylan: Interviews and Encounters, Lennon on Lennon: Conversations with John Lennon, Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen: Interviews and Encounters, and Springsteen on Springsteen: Interviews, Speeches, and Encounters.
