Smith & Co

Of the four Smith & Co 'Just About As Good As It Gets' releases this month, this 62-track volume is the hardest to categorize. Many would argue that there was no such thing as Great British Rock 'n' Roll in the 1950s, or at least not until 1958 when Cliff Richard's "Move It" offered a rather more convincing home-grown hit than all of its predecessors. However, apart from the Skiffle explosion documented by SCCD1122 & SCCD1123, there was another quirky musical scene happening in Britain during the late '40s and 1950s. As far as PMD is aware, this compilation is the first authoritative musical documentation of that scene.

Perhaps it should better be classed as NOSTALGIA rather than Rock 'n' Roll but there is a lot of fascinating stuff here, such as the Deep River Boys (from Virginia, USA, recording in Britain during their many UK tours), Ray Ellington (a British-based black bandleader of American & Russian descent) and Winifred Atwell, a classically trained pianist from Trinidad who would go to 'her other piano' to belt out some rockin' boogies. Elsewhere there are numerous talented British jazzers seeing which way the wind was blowing and jumping that jive, and some up 'n' coming UK popsters swaying their hips to the transatlantic rhythm. And of course Tommy Steele, who was acclaimed as Britain's first Rock 'n' Roll star (long before he started serenading little white bulls).

1. Deep River Boys - Rock A Beatin' Boogie
2. Ray Ellington - Giddy Up A Ding Dong
3. Tommy Steele And The Steelmen - Rock With The Caveman
4. Tony Crombie & His Rockets - Teach You To Rock
5. Winifred Atwell - Boogie In The Groove
6. The Southlanders - Ain't That A Shame
7. The Mairants Langhorn Big Six - Seventeen
8. George Chisholm - Honky Tonk
9. Deep River Boys - Shake, Rattle and Roll
10. Alma Cogan - Bell Bottom Blues
11. Ray Ellington - Stranded In The Jungle
12. The Kirchin Band - Big City Blues
13. Tommy Steele And The Steelmen - Elevator Rock
14. Lee Lawrence - Don't Nobody Move
15. Lita Roza - Oakie Boogie
16. Winifred Atwell - Yancey Special
17. The Canadians - Blue Suede Shoes
18. Alma Cogan - Why Do Fools Fall In Love
19. Frankie Vaughn - My Boy Flat Top
20. The Langhorn Big Six - I Want You To Be My Baby
21. Tommy Steele And The Steelmen - Doomsday Rock
22. Tony Crombie & His Rockets - Shortin' Bread Rock
23. The Kirchin Band - Tweedlee Dee
24. The Canadians - Rokin' Through The Rye
25. Thunderclap Jones - Sound Barrier Boogie
26. Deep River Boys - That's Right
27. Winifred Atwell - Hamp's Boogie Woogie
28. Eve Boswell - Where In The World Is Billy
29. Lee Lawrence - Rock 'n' Roll Opera
30. Johnny Brandon - I Didn't Know
31. The Hedley Ward Trio - Rock Around The Clock

Listen to track 1 - 5

1. Deep River Boys - Whole Wide World
2. Tony Crombie & His Rockets - Let's You And I Rock
3. Tommy Steele And The Steelmen - Rebel Rock
4. Winifred Atwell - Jimmy Dorsey Boogie
5. Diana Decker - Rock A Boogie Baby
6. The Kirchin Band - (Oh Baby) Beedleumbo
7. The Beryl Stott Group - Rock 'n' Roll King Cole
8. George Chisholm - D.R. Rock
9. Deep River Boys - Smack Dab In The middle
10. Tommy Steele And The Steelmen - Rock Around The Town
11. Alma Cogan - Dreamboat
12. The Langhorn Big Six - Rock Around The Island
13. The Coronets - I Want You To Be My Baby
14. Tony Crombie & His Rockets - Sham Rock
15. Deep River Boys - Rock Around The Clock
16. The Canadians - Juke Box Baby
17. Tommy Steele And The Steelmen - Singing The Blues
18. Winifred Atwell - Cross Hands Boogie
19. Ray Ellington Quartet - Five Guys Named Moe
20. The Langhorn Big Six - Rock 'n' Roll Blues
21. Alma Cogan - Paper Kisses
22. Ray Ellington Quartet - Strip The Camshaft
23. Winifred Atwell - Vine Street Bogie
24. Deep River Boys - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
25. Bert Weedon - Chine Boogie
26. Johnny Brandon - Shim Sham Shuffle
27. Ken Jones and his Rock 'n' Rollers - Razzle Dazzle; Shortnin' Bread Rock
28. Ken Jones and his Rock 'n' Rollers - Giddy Up A Ding Dong; Saints Rock 'n' Roll
29. The Dennis Wilson Quartet - ABC Boogie
30. The Stargazers - She Loves To Rock
31. Johnny Brandon - Rock A Bye Baby

Listen to track 1 - 5