Format Details: Jewel Case
Release Date: 26 June 2006
Label: Ace Records
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 029667019323
Genres: Jazz Rock 'N' Roll
Description
It was always going to be a dangerous mission. Trevor Churchill's brainchild, THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICAN POP, had been in development for some time and the prototype was about to be launched into the fray with a bundle of seemingly undifferentiated repertoire. The potential embarrassment factor was high with risk of heavy flak on the way and snipers on the ground in the landing zone. Trevor was calling for volunteers. There was a lot of nervous shuffling among the ranks. Some of the lads took to studying their toecaps, while others took an inordinate interest in the state of their cuticles, or tried to look inconspicuous by melting into the background. We say undifferentiated because Trevor believes there's a customer out there for every hit record that ever was. This time he'd set himself the difficult task of pigeonholing records from pop's 'Golden Age' which stubbornly defied easy categorisation: they weren't quite novelties, not quite MOR, and, save for a few borderline cases, not quite Easy Listening. Most of records sounded a tad too grown up to appear on "Teenage Crush"�. This was pop so pure, plain and simple that even the driven snow appeared mucky by comparison. Hits that conjure up images of mom's apple pie, white picket fences, sunny dispositions, God, country and my baby, and all that. Unchartered territory then, even by Ace's intrepid standards. But, as you all know, Ace likes to go where others fear to tread and with the help of a brave volunteer or two (step forward Private Tony Rounce, Queen's Light Pop Fusiliers) the whole thing came together amazingly well. Suddenly, it all made sense. You might be surprised to discover that only a relatively small proportion of records that made the Hot 100 during the so-called 'Golden Age' (1955-1963) had much to do with rock'n'roll. Just as many hits from that era were left-field one-offs, or random hit singles by inhabitants of the LP chart such as Dean Martin or Johnny Mathis, or folksters such as the Kingston Trio or the New Christy Minstrels, or barbershop quartets who'd strayed out of their territory like the Quaker City Boys. Deejays and radio programmes often favoured this gentler, more innocuous stuff because it was less likely to offend sponsors and, truth is, American kids (and maybe a parent or two) were just as likely to snap up records such as See You In September by the Tempos or Gotta Travel On by Billy Grammer as the tougher, edgier stuff. Even a cursory glimpse at the charts of the day, will tell you that. Our flagship series, "The Golden Age of American Rock'n'Roll"� set the standard for subsequent Ace pocket treasure troves such as "Teenage Crush"� and "Early Girls"�. "The Golden Age of American Pop"� conforms to the same level of quality and then some. The packaging is very pretty indeed, and even before you've slipped the CD into the player, you will find yourself examining the lavishly illustrated booklet this way and that as though it were a precious mi
Tracklisting
The Champs
Richard Thompson
Little Richard
James Carr
Leon Thomas
Alex Chilton
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
