"No, this is not THE Johnny Duncan. This is the Johnny Duncan from Huntingdon, England who was one of the progenitors of pre Beatle Britpop, in this case, in the form of skiffle music which was in itself a sort of Brit concept of American folk and C&W. Along with Lonnie Donigan's version of Rock Island Line and Cumberland Gap, Last Train enjoyed a brief stint at the top of the pop charts in the UK in the late 50s. Skiffle died shortly thereafter, placing Country and Western in the position of least listenable music for this reviewer."
Not MY Johnny Duncan!
Lila D. Gayton | Jacksonville, Florida | 04/15/2000
(1 out of 5 stars)
"I'm sorry, but this is NOT the artist in whom I have been interested for the greater part of my life.
The Johnny Duncan I WANT once recorded for Columbia Records, had hits such as Sweet Country Woman, Stranger, Slow Dancing, Atlanta Georgia Stray, She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed, Anytime, A Song In The Night, etc. (He also had hits with songstress Janie Fricke, who went on to become a hit maker herself.)
However, since the time I first wrote this review, I ordered the Box Set of the "Skiffle" Johnny Duncan and found him to be excellent at that particular style of music. I have tried to change the rating, but have been unsuccessful at that task, for which I am truly sorry, as I would like to give his musical work a 5 Star Rating. Thanx! Lila"
Get it right please
Michael Parker | peterborough england | 08/25/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It is unfortunate that Johnny Duncan has a namesake, also a country singer. The Johnny Duncan on this 4 CD box set was born in the States. After army service at RAF Molesworth in the UK he went into skiffle. The word doesn't do Duncan any favours. His work was Bluegrass, prior to his stint in the service we are told he worked with Blue Grass king Bill Monroe.
If you want more info on JD go to google. There is an obituary published by the English "Guardian" newspaper.
I am familiar with a lot of the tracks on this compilation and about to
purchase this box set to replace the vinyls and 78s I have. Five stars for me.
Thanks for getting this far if you like bluegrass you will like this also there are some religious titles not to be missed, Mike Parker"
The Boy From The Mountains
S. Webster | Sparta, TN USA | 08/09/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"You folks are right this is not Johnny Duncan the country/pop singer, this is Johnny the great skiffle singer. Duncan was a miner's son, born in Oliver Springs, TN way back in the Cumberland Mountains. He sang with his local church choir and later with a gospel quartet before heading for Texas in his mid-teens. There he learned guitar and performed with a hillbilly trio. Then came the draft. He arrived as a serviceman in England in 1952. A year later he married a Cambridgeshire girl, Betty. After a brief return to the US, her illness and homesickness brought them back. If you read into his history he was not only huge in Europe after he was stationed there in the military but he was also a huge influence on the Beatles and thei contemporaries. This is a great collection and shows not only his talent in the skiffle genre but also as country/bluegrass musician. Give it a chance and if you want to know more about Olvier Springs or Johnny I would be glad to help."
Track Listings (29) - Disc #1