The latest addition to the expansive That’ll Flat Git It! Series from Bear Family Records, Volume 35 offers a selection of tracks ‘from the vaults of Mercury & Limelight Records‘. Featuring 35 Rockabilly and Rock ‘n’ Roll tracks from a variety of known and obscure artists; Is this latest installment worth picking up?

One of the more widely known labels covered in this series, this latest visit to their vaults, unearths a delightful mixture of tracks. The album starts with a young Conway Twitty belting out the infectious high tempo number ‘Shake It Up’, setting the tone for what is coming up next. What follows is a selection of tracks full of catchy guitar and piano riffs, harmonies, and lots of era-specific recording production techniques. Familiar names, such as Twitty, Narvel Felts, and Eddie Bond sound great, but it is the lesser-known recordings that shine here.

This varied selection comes with a few earworms that may be in your head for a while. Highlights include The Counts ‘Shake This Town’, George Young’s chaotic ‘Can’t Stop Me’, Jimmy Edwards’ ‘My Honey’, James O’Gwynn’s ‘Easy Money’, Orville Couch’s catchy ‘Downtown’, and the Country tinged ‘Crazy Blues’ by Jape Richardson (AKA The Big Bopper). Curtis Gordon also turns out three solid performances on this album, including a version of Draggin’ without the infamous reverb! Representation for Mercury’s subsidiary, Limelight Records, comes via sides from Freddy Robinson and Jackie Cray; A small contribution, but they fit right in.

Sound Quality

The nature of this material means the quality is not always pristine, but this collection is an impressive achievement given what is available. I have heard many of these tracks on various compilations, but few can claim to have the punchy sound present here. Hisses, pops, crackles, and other artifacts remain on many tracks, but this gives them an authentic edge that takes things back to the jukebox joints of the 1950s.

A Little Something Extra…

The CD comes in a digipak, using high-quality artwork that looks crisp and clean. The set includes a nicely designed attached booklet featuring artist biographies and further information written by Bill Dahl; Along with some rare photographs and illustrations.

Conclusion

Bear Family Records has continued the series with another comprehensive collection of well-known and rare tracks. Those who have collected previous editions will know what to expect here and understand the value of a compilation like this. As usual, the label has gone above and beyond to deliver the best sounding transfers for some rarer tracks. A definite pick for collectors.

Track Listing

Conway Twitty – Shake It Up
George Young – Can’t Stop Me
Eddie Bond & The Stompers – Baby, Baby, Baby (What Am I Gonna Do)
Johnny Jay – I’m Gonna Keep It
Ben Hewitt – My Search
James O’Gwynn – Easy Money
Curtis Gordon – Rock, Roll, Jump And Jive
The LaDell Sisters – Rockin’ Robert
Jape Richardson & The Japetts – Crazy Blues
Royce Porter With The Kounts – Good Time
The Voxpoppers – Ping Pong Baby
Gary Shelton – Maybe Later, Baby
Conway Twitty – I Need Your Lovin’
The Playboys – Don’t Do Me Wrong
Roy Perkins – Drop Top
Dave ‘Diddle’ Day – Blue Moon Baby
Eddie Bond & The Stompers – I Got A Woman
Curtis Gordon – Sittin’ On Top
Tommy Mitchell – Juke Box, Help Me, Find My Baby
Jimmy Edwards – My Honey
Charlie Walker With The Four Pals – I’ll Never Let It Show
Narvel Felts – Cry, Baby, Cry
Jackie Cray – I Want You Baby
The Counts – Shake This Town
Curtis Gordon – Draggin’ (Without Echo)
Jerry Raines – Dangerous Redhead
Rod Bernard – Let’s Get Together Tonight
Ray Ethier – Slave Girl
Orville Couch – Downtown
Conway Twitty – Maybe Baby
Freddy Robinson – Five Feet Of Lovin’
Eddy Bell & The Bel-Aires – The Masked Man (Hi Yo Silver)
The Half Brothers – My Foolish Fling
Frank Dalton & The Dalton Gang – Cruised
The Voxpoppers – The Last Drag

The compilation That’ll Flat Git It! Volume 35 is now available from Bear Family Records