Search - The Crows, The Five Budds, Viola Watkins :: Rama Story

In The Beginning There Was Rhythm & Blues

Jon R. Wittman Re/Max | San Marino, Ca United States | 11/28/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"What a bargain, 2 cds with 60 tracks chronicling the story of George Goldner's Rama Records and the beginning of Rock and roll. "Gee", the big hit by the Crows in 1954 is considered by many to be the first Rhythm & Blues record to cross over to a white audience and the new music knowned as Rock & Roll. Everything else is here to tell the story of this labal that only lasted 3 years but gave us so many memories. We have "A Thousand Miles Away", by the Heartbeats, great early tracks by the Harptones, the Wrens, Valentines and the very rare songs by the Crows that followed "Gee". Some of the rarest group recordings are also included by the Bucaneers, Five Budds and Blue Notes. But Rama also released single artists, Pop singers and even a few Rock-a Billy records during these few years. R&B vocal group lovers will enjoy the preponderence of these tracks but will surely skip the popish and Rock-a-Billy recordings. Rock-a-Billy fans won't find enough to satisfy them with only a few tracks and you can hear how bad most fifties pop music was by listening to some of those numbers. But for sheer quality and quantity of Rhythm and Blues vocal groups this can't be beat. You can rock to the "Woo Woo Train" and you close your eyes and enjoy the beautiful "Three Wishes", by the Harptones. You can hear how R&B was changing to Rock and Roll by differences in the early Bucaneers and Blue Notes tracks with the later tracks of the Heartbeats, Wrens andValentines. This was how it all started and West Side records has done a remarkable job of bringing this story of a pioneer Rock and Roll label to the older "original fans like me", and the many new fans who are beginning to dig and discover these treasures. A great bargain! 60 tracks! You're bound to like a good portion of them."