Description
Between the mid-to-late Fifties Rock 'n' Roll heyday and the Sixties tsunami of Beat, Folk, Soul and such, on both sides of the Atlantic there was a sanitization of the vocal talents being hit paraded - when instrumental recordings provided a more exciting antidote. They could be studio sessioneers vamping under an alias, backing groups stepping to the fore, established soloists or newly formed combos.
In the UK this wave of sound was predominantly (though not exclusively) a battle of electric guitar-led recordings. This second Smith & Co volume of British instrumentals again illustrates that although Hank Marvin of The Shadows is usually the best remembered homegrown Fender-bender of the era, other axe-wielders were often more potent.
To name but three among the many featured on this release: Big Jim Sullivan, Vic Flick (both ubiquitous) and young Ritchie Blackmore with The Outlaws. How's your ear? Can you tell a Gibson from a Gretsch or a Les Paul from a Fender, or which nimble-fingered plucker best knew his rectum from his plectrum? Here are 60 good reasons to find out.