AVID Rock N Roll continues with its Five Classic Albums series with a re-mastered 2CD compilation set from The Jodimars, Johnny Otis, Freddie Bell & The Bellboys, Ritchie Valens & Larry Williams complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details. 'Johnny Otis: Rock n Roll Hit Parade'; 'Freddie Bell & The Bellboys: Rock n Roll All Flavors'; 'The Jodimars: Well Now, Dig This', 'Ritchie Valens: Ritchie Valens' and 'Larry Williams: Here's Larry Williams' Five Rock n Roll Heroes, some you may have heard of, some maybe, some maybe not, but here they are. Ritchie Valens of course, we all know the seventeen year old whizz kid of La Bamba, Donna and Come On Let's Go fame and the tragedy that took him from the world along with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. All his great hits are here, read the Liner notes and weep for what could and should have been. Another great name from the R&B and R&R era that I'm sure we all know is Larry Williams, the Bony Moronie, Dizzy Miss Lizzy and Short Fat Fannie man and another child prodigy winning singing competitions at age sixteen and writing all his own material. You will find all of his great hits on our fine selected album. Not so sure about this lot? Freddie Bell & The Bellboys, Giddy Up A Ding Dong? Sounds like something Freddie & The Dreamers would have come up with? Mind you the names a bit close! It's a bit of a shock to read in the Liner notes that rock n roll terrorist Freddie Bell was 'happily married with two wonderful children'... and 'liked to relax on any golf course', oh well different times I guess? Now we know where Alice Cooper got the golf bug (gy) from! In fact the boys were pretty big in the UK and across Europe and even got to perform in the movie Rock Around The Clock. Which brings us neatly to our next band The Jodimars, great name! I hadn't heard of them, I thought maybe a breakaway band from The Jordanaires? I was nearly correct, The Jodimars were in fact a breakaway band, but from Bill Haley & His Comets. In 1955 three of the guys in the Comets decided they wanted a bigger piece of the Haley pie and struck out on their own. Big mistake, by 1957 they were toast, but not before leaving us with the fine Well Now, Dig This. Our last but certainly by no means least hero is the legendary Johnny Otis. I have definitely heard of this fellow but had no idea what an influential figure he was in the R&B and R&R world at the time and would go on to be in many fields during his long career. In terms of discovering new talent he was beyond comparison with a string of names he would discover, audition, write for and produce from Big Mama Thornton (he co-wrote Hound Dog for her), Little Esther, Johnny Ace, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John to Etta James, Hank Ballard and The Robins (later to become The Coasters). That's a pretty impressive list from the man they called unsurprisingly, The Godfather of R&B. Our fine selection features the greatest hits of the day in the inimitable Johnny Otis style. And that's not to mention his brilliant musician son Shuggie Otis! Check out:- Etta James (AMSC1264); Lavern Baker (AMSC1258); Ruth Brown (AMSC1265); Betty Carter (AMSC1132); Bo Diddley (AMSC1296); Ray Charles (AMSC1233 & 1276); Sam Cooke (AMSC1304); Earl Bostic (AMSC1210); Bill Haley & His Comets (AMSC1338); Buddy Holly (AMSC1217); Roy Orbison (AMSC1232); Jerry Lee Lewis (AMSC1235); Elvis Presley (AMSC931, AMSC1257, 1299 & 1384); Chuck Berry (AMSC1238); Fats Domino (AMSC1272); Little Richard (AMSC1286); Gene Vincent (AMSC1314); The Ventures (AMSC1350); V/A-Rock 'n' Roll- Five Classic Albums Plus (AMSC1331)
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