Post by gregg on Aug 10, 2008 22:25:00 GMT -5
I haven't posted a review in a while, so I thought I'd do another. This is from CRASH's first full length LP from 1964. As most
long-time Billy CRASH Craddock fans know, he began his musical career in the 1950’s. His rock-influenced music first made an impact on the music scene when he was signed to Columbia Records. His label even managed to secure him two appearances on thingy Clark’s American Bandstand, but the major hit that Columbia had hoped for never happened in the United States. It did however happen in Australia. More on that in a future review.
After leaving Columbia in 1960, CRASH was quickly signed by Mercury Records. The label released two singles: 1961’s Truly True b/w How Lonely He Must Be, and 1962’s A Diamond Is Forever b/w Ole King Cole. Again, nothing happened and CRASH returned home to Greensboro.
In 1964, four guys from Liverpool, England changed music and the world forever. Also, in 1964 CRASH Craddock signed a record deal with Cincinnati‘s (only 40 miles from my hometown !! yea !!) own KING Records. This was a label that had been started in 1943 by Syd Nathan. Nathan’s marketing strategy was “If it’s a KING, It’s a Hillbilly - If it’s a Hillbilly - It’s a KING.” With a roster that included Homer & Jethro and Grandpa Jones, perhaps CRASH thought he was finally going to get to record a country record. However, one listen to the record and it’s obvious that KING thought of CRASH as another good-looking singer in the vein of Bobby Vee or Frankie Avalon. That’s the type of music that can be found on 1964’s I’M TORE UP. Here’s a track-by-track review.
I’M TORE UP
The album’s title track appears as the first track on the album. This song can be described as a bluesy up-tempo dance track. The almost background sounding saxophone solo gives the listener a feeling of a trip back in time to a song that one might hear at a girl’s slumber party being played on the Hi-Fi in the 1960’s.
IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE
This is not the same song that Gene Pitney had a huge hit with in the 1960’s. It’s another mid-tempo song that actually sounds like the band that played at your jr. - sr. prom from 1964. If that was the era of your prom time, you’ll enjoy this one.
RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER
The future Mr. Country Rock finally gets a chance to let go on one. This song ended up as the flip-side of CRASH’s first 45 release for KING. This one, written by Shelby Singleton (who also wrote B.J. Thomas’ hit Billy & Sue), is as close to rock ‘n’ roll as this album gets. You can see the rock ‘n’ roller is still in CRASH as he sings his “oh yea” and “what I say” and the end of each line in the chorus. I think most CRASH fans would enjoy this one.
TALK TO ME, TALK TO ME
Even though he’s known as Mr. Country Rock, I have always been a sucker for CRASH’s ballads. Even though this is a young (twenty-five-year-old) CRASH singing this teenage love song, he reels me in hook line and sinker. When he sings “Aaaah, talk to me,” you can hear the early growl that in a few years would drive the women crazy. This is one of the album’s finest moments. A MUST HEAR !!!
WHAT ABOUT LOVE
It’s time to pick up the tempo once again. This is an enjoyable track that will have you swaying to the beat.
MY BABY’S GOT FLAT FEET
This (side A closing track) was KING’s second 45 that they released by CRASH. The brief liner notes quotes a young lady being ‘tore up’ about CRASH. This quote comes from an interview with DJ Bob Braun. Having grown up near Cincinnati, I can understand his name appearing on this album. He was a disc jockey on WLW during this time. WLW played “safe” music for teenagers unlike WSAI in Cincinnati. It was WSAI that sponsored the Beatles’ concert at Cincinnati Gardens in 1964. So, this harmless track was a safe record that the parents who opposed the Beatles could play on the family Hi-Fi or allow their children to listen to in their bedrooms.
BETTY, BETTY
Side Two opens with the first 45 released by CRASH on the KING label. It’s interesting to note that CRASH is credited to writing this short rocker (2:10) with A.A. Thompson. This could have been a huge hit had it be released 6 or 7 years earlier. It’s obvious that CRASH was familiar with Buddy Holly records as he uses Holly’s famous hiccup vocal technique. RECOMMENDED LISTENING !!
JUST A LITTLE
It’s time to turn down the lights for another tune that’s perfect for slow dances. It’s another fine ballad (60’s style) by CRASH.
WHEN (WILL I FIND ROMANCE)
No need to turn the lights on just yet. This is another ballad by CRASH, and it sounds like it came from the sessions he had for Columbia Records. The lyrics are full of 1950’s romance with stars that shine and moon glow. CRASH is in fine form vocally, but again the problem is that it’s 1964 and the folks at KING never heard the warning that “the British are coming !”
I LOVE YOU MORE EVERYDAY
This one, from the pen of Elson Teat, is one of the albums best moments. This song has blue-eyed soul written all over it, and CRASH really delivers on this one. The song found its way as the flipside of CRASH’s last 45 for KING. It should have been the A-side, but with lyrics like
Give me your heart, your lips to
Don’t hold back - I want all of you
I’m sure WLW wouldn’t have played it in 1964. However, in ten short years they WOULD play Rub It In by Billy CRASH Craddock. A MUST LISTEN !!!!
TEARDROPS ON YOUR LETTER
This was the last 45 released by CRASH on the KING label. This big ballad receives a fine vocal from CRASH.
ONE HEARTACHE TOO MANY
The album closes with this one. It’s as close to country as anything ever recorded by CRASH up to this point. No, it doesn’t have a fiddle or steel guitar, but the piano is very reminiscent of Floyd Cramer. The lyrics are also very country sounding for a pop record.
FINAL THOUGHTS....
This is a hard record to find on the KING label. I have seen it sell for over $100.00 on E-Bay. However, it easier to find on the GUSTO / POWER PAK label and other such re-issue labels. It (like all of CRASH’S records) deserves to be released on CD. For the listener, it is an enjoyable trip back in time with some fine vocal from CRASH. If you’ve got a copy, give it a listen, and if you don’t have a copy try to track one down - you won’t regret it. ***1/2
long-time Billy CRASH Craddock fans know, he began his musical career in the 1950’s. His rock-influenced music first made an impact on the music scene when he was signed to Columbia Records. His label even managed to secure him two appearances on thingy Clark’s American Bandstand, but the major hit that Columbia had hoped for never happened in the United States. It did however happen in Australia. More on that in a future review.
After leaving Columbia in 1960, CRASH was quickly signed by Mercury Records. The label released two singles: 1961’s Truly True b/w How Lonely He Must Be, and 1962’s A Diamond Is Forever b/w Ole King Cole. Again, nothing happened and CRASH returned home to Greensboro.
In 1964, four guys from Liverpool, England changed music and the world forever. Also, in 1964 CRASH Craddock signed a record deal with Cincinnati‘s (only 40 miles from my hometown !! yea !!) own KING Records. This was a label that had been started in 1943 by Syd Nathan. Nathan’s marketing strategy was “If it’s a KING, It’s a Hillbilly - If it’s a Hillbilly - It’s a KING.” With a roster that included Homer & Jethro and Grandpa Jones, perhaps CRASH thought he was finally going to get to record a country record. However, one listen to the record and it’s obvious that KING thought of CRASH as another good-looking singer in the vein of Bobby Vee or Frankie Avalon. That’s the type of music that can be found on 1964’s I’M TORE UP. Here’s a track-by-track review.
I’M TORE UP
The album’s title track appears as the first track on the album. This song can be described as a bluesy up-tempo dance track. The almost background sounding saxophone solo gives the listener a feeling of a trip back in time to a song that one might hear at a girl’s slumber party being played on the Hi-Fi in the 1960’s.
IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE
This is not the same song that Gene Pitney had a huge hit with in the 1960’s. It’s another mid-tempo song that actually sounds like the band that played at your jr. - sr. prom from 1964. If that was the era of your prom time, you’ll enjoy this one.
RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER
The future Mr. Country Rock finally gets a chance to let go on one. This song ended up as the flip-side of CRASH’s first 45 release for KING. This one, written by Shelby Singleton (who also wrote B.J. Thomas’ hit Billy & Sue), is as close to rock ‘n’ roll as this album gets. You can see the rock ‘n’ roller is still in CRASH as he sings his “oh yea” and “what I say” and the end of each line in the chorus. I think most CRASH fans would enjoy this one.
TALK TO ME, TALK TO ME
Even though he’s known as Mr. Country Rock, I have always been a sucker for CRASH’s ballads. Even though this is a young (twenty-five-year-old) CRASH singing this teenage love song, he reels me in hook line and sinker. When he sings “Aaaah, talk to me,” you can hear the early growl that in a few years would drive the women crazy. This is one of the album’s finest moments. A MUST HEAR !!!
WHAT ABOUT LOVE
It’s time to pick up the tempo once again. This is an enjoyable track that will have you swaying to the beat.
MY BABY’S GOT FLAT FEET
This (side A closing track) was KING’s second 45 that they released by CRASH. The brief liner notes quotes a young lady being ‘tore up’ about CRASH. This quote comes from an interview with DJ Bob Braun. Having grown up near Cincinnati, I can understand his name appearing on this album. He was a disc jockey on WLW during this time. WLW played “safe” music for teenagers unlike WSAI in Cincinnati. It was WSAI that sponsored the Beatles’ concert at Cincinnati Gardens in 1964. So, this harmless track was a safe record that the parents who opposed the Beatles could play on the family Hi-Fi or allow their children to listen to in their bedrooms.
BETTY, BETTY
Side Two opens with the first 45 released by CRASH on the KING label. It’s interesting to note that CRASH is credited to writing this short rocker (2:10) with A.A. Thompson. This could have been a huge hit had it be released 6 or 7 years earlier. It’s obvious that CRASH was familiar with Buddy Holly records as he uses Holly’s famous hiccup vocal technique. RECOMMENDED LISTENING !!
JUST A LITTLE
It’s time to turn down the lights for another tune that’s perfect for slow dances. It’s another fine ballad (60’s style) by CRASH.
WHEN (WILL I FIND ROMANCE)
No need to turn the lights on just yet. This is another ballad by CRASH, and it sounds like it came from the sessions he had for Columbia Records. The lyrics are full of 1950’s romance with stars that shine and moon glow. CRASH is in fine form vocally, but again the problem is that it’s 1964 and the folks at KING never heard the warning that “the British are coming !”
I LOVE YOU MORE EVERYDAY
This one, from the pen of Elson Teat, is one of the albums best moments. This song has blue-eyed soul written all over it, and CRASH really delivers on this one. The song found its way as the flipside of CRASH’s last 45 for KING. It should have been the A-side, but with lyrics like
Give me your heart, your lips to
Don’t hold back - I want all of you
I’m sure WLW wouldn’t have played it in 1964. However, in ten short years they WOULD play Rub It In by Billy CRASH Craddock. A MUST LISTEN !!!!
TEARDROPS ON YOUR LETTER
This was the last 45 released by CRASH on the KING label. This big ballad receives a fine vocal from CRASH.
ONE HEARTACHE TOO MANY
The album closes with this one. It’s as close to country as anything ever recorded by CRASH up to this point. No, it doesn’t have a fiddle or steel guitar, but the piano is very reminiscent of Floyd Cramer. The lyrics are also very country sounding for a pop record.
FINAL THOUGHTS....
This is a hard record to find on the KING label. I have seen it sell for over $100.00 on E-Bay. However, it easier to find on the GUSTO / POWER PAK label and other such re-issue labels. It (like all of CRASH’S records) deserves to be released on CD. For the listener, it is an enjoyable trip back in time with some fine vocal from CRASH. If you’ve got a copy, give it a listen, and if you don’t have a copy try to track one down - you won’t regret it. ***1/2
