Smith & Co

It will almost certainly never be possible to estimate the importance of the set of recordings made at the Decca Studios on July 13th. 1954 by the Chris Barber Jazz Band for a projected 10” L.P. ‘New Orleans Joys’. After completing the band’s section of the album, Barber joined up on bass with Lonnie Donegan on guitar and Beryl Bryden on washboard to record a couple of old Leadbelly songs as the Lonnie Donegan skiffle group. The LP was released to enormous acclaim and tremendous sales, resulting in singles being culled from the LP, until finally, after huge listener reaction to a play on BBC Radio, ‘Rock Island Line/John Henry’ were issued on the Decca Jazz Label in November 1955.
Lonnie was the catalyst, the man, who gave young people of that time, the feeling that they could make music. Hundreds of skiffle groups emerged all over the UK, most being amateur and simply having fun, whilst a select few rose above the rank of amateur and became extremely proficient, signing record deals and touring. A very small number had Hit records & achieved star status including Chas McDevitt & Nancy Whisky, the Vipers, Johnny Duncan and Bob Cort.
This collection follows on from the skiffle trail started in volume one, with an even stronger tracklisting as the music approached it’s zenith. Sadly those wonderful Skiffling days are long gone, but the musical memories will always be sweet. Skiffle took many a knock in it’s heyday from critics, who slammed it’s inherent simplicity, but, listening today, it is so gratifying to realise that actually those pundits were wrong, and to hear again just how good so many of the original Skiffle records actually were.

1-The Vipers Skiffle Group-Cloryland
2.-Johnny Duncan & The Bluegrass Boys-Get Along Home Cindy
3.-Lonnie Donegan & His Skiffle Group-Midnight Special
4.-The Bob Cort Skiffle-Ain't It A Shame
5.-The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group-New Orleans
6.-Ken Colyer's Skiffle Group-House Rent Stomp
7.-The City Ramblers Skiffle Group-Good Morning Blues
8.-The Avon Cities Skiffle Group-This Little Light Of Mine
9.-The Vipers Skiffle Group-Cumberland Gap
10.-Jimmy Jackson's Rock 'n' Skiffle-California Zephyr
11.-The 2.19 Skiffle Group-Roll The Union On
12.-The Soho Skiffle Group-Give Me A Big Fat Woman
13.-Chris Barber Featuring Ottilie Patterson- Piano-Bearcat Crawl
14.-The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group Featuring Nancy Whiskey-Green Back Dollar
15.-Dickie Bishop & His Sidekicks-The Prisoners Song
16.-The Bob Cort Skiffle-Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O
17.-Ken Colyer's Skiffle Group-This Train
18.-Alexis Korner's Skiffle Group-Roundhouse Stomp
19.-The Vipers Skiffle Group-Hey Lily Lily Lo
20.-Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Featuring Dickie Bishop-Stackalee
21.-Johnney Duncan & The Bluegrass Boys-Ella Speed
22.-Tha Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group-The Cotton Song
23.-The Avon Cities Skiffle Group -Fisherman's Blues
24.-The City Ramblers Skiffle Group-Careless Love
25.-Sonny Stewart & His Skiffle Kings-The Northern Line
26.-The Delta Skiffle Group-Ain't You Glad
27.-The Bob Cort Skiffle-The Shop In The Cellar
28.-Jimmy Miller & The Barbecues-Sizzling Hot
30.-Les Hobeaux Skiffle Group-Mama Don't Allow
Listen to track 1 - 5

1-Johnny Duncan & The Bluegrass Boys-Last Train To San Fernando
2.-The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group Featuring Nancy Whiskey-Freight Train
3.-The Vipers Skiffle Group-Railroad Steamboat
4.-The Bob Cort Skiffle-It Takes A Worried Man To Sing A Worried Blues
5.-Les Hobeaux Skiffle Group-Toll The Bell Easy
6.-Lonnie Donegan's Skiffle Group Featuring Dickie Bishop-Jesse James
7.-Jimmy Jackson's Rock 'n' Skiffle-River Line
8.-The City Ramblers Skiffle Group-Boodle-Am Shake
9.-Alexis Korner's Skiffle Group-I Ain't Gonna Worry No More
10.-Dickie Bishop & His Sidekicks-No Other Baby
11.-Ken Colyer's Skiffle Group-Sporting Life
12.-The 2.19 Skiffle Group-Texas Lady
13.-The Avon Cities Skiffle Group-Green Corn
14.-The Vipers Skiffle Group-Streamline Train
15.-Johnny Duncon & The Bluegrass Boys-Footprints In The Snow
16. -The Bob Cort Skiffle -6.5 Special
17.-Alexis Korner's Skiffle Group-Easy Rider
18.-Ken Colyer's Skiffle Group-Midnight Hour Blues
19.-The City Rambles-Down By The Riverside
20.-Tony Donegan's Jazz Band-Yes Suh
21.-The Avon Cities Skiffle Group-I Don't Know
22.-The Delta Skiffle Group-Open Up Those Pearly Gates
23.-Lea Valley Skiffle Group-Railroad Bill
24.-Station Skiffle Group-Goin' Down The Road
25.-Sonny Stewart & His Skiffle Kings-Black Jack
26.-Frog Island Skiffle Group-Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
27.-Station Skiffle Group-Steamboat Bill
28.-Lea Valley Skiffle Group-I'm Gonna Walk & Talk With Jesus
29.-Tin Pan Skiffle Group-Poor Howard
30.-Unknown Skiffle Flexi Disc Issuc-Washboard Special
Listen to track 1 - 5