That'll Flat Git It! Vol. 43: Rockabilly & Country Bop From The Vaults Of Allstar Records (Various Artists)

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That'll Flat Git It! Vol. 43: Rockabilly & Country Bop From The Vaults Of Allstar Records / The now 43rd installment in the popular rockabilly CD series with detailed label portraits on Bear Family Records® is dedicated to the Texas label Allstar Records. -On Allstar itself and it's two subsidiaries, Kool and Nu-Craft, great country and rockabilly recordings by well-known and rather obscure musicians have appeared. -A fascinating mix of country songs and hard-hitting rockabilly by musicians like Johnny Bush, Eddie Noack, Rocky Williams and Wiley Barkdull a.o. -In the extensive illustrated booklet, music historian Bill Dahl tells the story of the Houston-based label founded by Dan Mechura in detail, providing brief biographies and discographical details of each artist and recording. Dan Mechura's Houston-based Allstar Records had a different business plan from the lion's share of his country and rockabilly competitors. For a fee, Mechura and his cohorts would accept lyrics from amateur songwriters through the mail and fashion them into completed songs, recording the final product with a surprisingly impressive roster of singers and sidemen. By no means was everything Allstar and it's Kool and Nu-Craft subsidiary labels done that way, but a fair amount was - resulting in some intriguing listening. Bear Family takes an in-depth look at Allstar's obscure output on this edition of 'That'll Flat Git It!,' uncovering some splendid obscurities by surprisingly well-known names. Johnny Bush's first two singles came out on Allstar in 1958, and there are memorable entries by veteran country vocalists Link Davis, Eddie Noack, Lawton Williams, Earl Aycock, and Smilin' Jerry Jericho. Adrian Roland's Imitation Of Love beat the odds to become a national country hit in 1960, while Johnny Watson, Bobby Clanton and The Citations, Jerry Matthews, Tommy Graham, and Mechura himself (as Daniel James with Rock Moon Rock) supply tough rockabilly and Wiley Barkdull's insane guitar instrumental Tiger By The Tail rocks harder than anything coming out of Houston in 1964! 1-CD (Digipak) with 36-page booklet, 35 tracks. Total playing time approx. 79 minutes.

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