Search - Robert Gordon :: Red Hot (1977-81)

Robert Gordon was never a very convincing rockabilly singer, but he had a genius for self-promotion, bringing attention to the fledgling rockabilly revival movement and paving the way for much better singers like Phil Alvin, Tex Rubinowitz and Chris Isaak. Gordon was also a lightning rod for gifted songwriters and guitarists and he helped Marshall Crenshaw and Danny Gatton along on their careers. Gordon's own curious career as a catalyst for the rockabilly movement and a host of talented collaborators is nicely summarized on the new 16-song, single-CD anthology, Red Hot 1977-1981. As a singer, the New York-based Gordon had a pinched, opaque voice whose mannerisms always seemed more contrived than impulsive, but in the rockabilly free-zone of the late '70s he was able to enlist the help of every secret Carl Perkins fan on the east coast. His allies included producer Richard Gottehrer, seminal rock guitarist Link Wray, the rhythm section from Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue, and Bruce Springsteen, who wrote a brand new song for the session ("Fire"), and even played some uncredited piano. He helped introduce an obscure young writer named Marshall Crenshaw and got an obscure Maryland guitarist named Danny Gatton to help him do it. Gordon may have had good taste in obscure gems from the '50s, such as Billy Riley's "Red Hot" and "Flying Saucers Rock & Roll," but he was never able to match the originals. Red Hot 1977-1981 is the portrait of an artist whose instincts were better than his execution. It contains all the songs mentioned above plus four more Crenshaw compositions, covers of Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison and a skimpy four-page booklet. --Geoffrey Himes