Johnny and His Cellar Rockers - Exodus (single)

                                                                                      Picture sleeve from Yesterday's Gold blog)

Johnny and his Cellar Rockers was an instrumental group fronted by Dutch guitarist Jan Akkerman when he was just 15 years old. Akkerman went on to form the group Focus and continues today with a successful solo career.

Johnny and his Cellar Rockers, formed in late 1960, were obviously influenced by the success of Britain's The Shadows, as were many Dutch instrumental groups of the period. The Cellar Rockers managed to get a recording contract with Phillips in 1961 and as their first single recorded Exodus, the movie theme that the piano duo of Ferrante and Teicher had a huge hit with in North America the previous year.

Exodus



Johnny and his Cellar Rockers continued until 1964, when the group morphed into another band, the Hunters.

Akkerman and flutist Thijs van Lier fronted the 1970s progressive rock band Focus, best known for its 1973 hit Hocus Pocus. Akkerman departed in 1976 to concentrate on his solo career.

In 2005, the Dutch Rock and Pop Institute issued a two-CD set, Johnny and his Cellar Rockers: The Complete Collection '61-'68. It also included recordings by the Hunters and Jan Akkerman's first solo album, which came out in 1968. The set is no longer available in any form, legally that is, although there are numerous sites of a more dubious nature where it can be obtained.

Bill Justis - More Instrumental Hits (Post No. 2)

More Instrumental Hits was the seventh in a series of at least eight albums in which arranger/conductor Bill Justis covered top (mainly instrumental) hits from the 1960s. Further details on this 1965 LP and others in a similar vein recorded for Smash are in this earlier post.

Among the songs tackled by Justis on More Instrumental Hits is Love Me with All Your Heart, which the Ray Charles Singers took to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. The song originated in Spain as Cuando Calienta El Sol. Justis follows the arrangement of the Ray Charles Singers very closely.

Love Me with All Your Heart



Englebert Humperdick had a popular version of Love Me with All Your Heart in 1970 and many other artists, including The Bachelors and Jerry Vale, have also recorded it.

Here's the hit recording by the Ray Charles Singers.

Note: Bill Justis's Smash recordings remain unavailable in a digital format.

Al Caiola - Flamenco Love (single)

Guitarist Al Caiola is mainly remembered today for two hit recordings of western themes -- The Magnificent Seven (1960) and Bonanza (1961). Both were released by United Artists, for whom Caiola recorded prolifically throughout the '60s.

By the time he signed with United Artists Caiola had already established himself as one of the top session guitarists in New York, playing on an incredible number of hit recordings. Among them were Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes by Perry Como, Moments to Remember by the Four Lads and Diana by Paul Anka.

As well Caiola recorded under his own name on RCA Victor, Savoy, Roulette, Atco and several other labels before going with United Artists.

Flamenco Love (b/w From the Heart) came out on the Regent label in 1956. It was released on London in the U.K. and Canada. Strangely the Canadian release is the only one to identify the whistler, Dick Kuhn. If you can find it check out Kuhn's excellent 1956 single on Mercury, Whistling the Blues/My Whistling Heart. Anyways, here's Flamenco Love, direct from the 45.

Flamenco Love



Both Flamenco Love and From the Heart are now available on CD as part of The Caiola Bonanza, a just-released two-CD set from the British-based Jasmine label. This is one of the best quality compilations of Caiola's United Artists material, but also includes rare recordings made for the RCA Victor, Regent and Preferred labels. You can buy it direct from the company or from most of the major online sellers. The set is also available as a download.

A different side of Al Caiola is highlighted in this YouTube selection, Sweet Georgia Brown. From left to right, Michele Ramo, violin; Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar; Al Caiola, guitar; and Jerry Bruno, bass. The setting for this concert is not identified but the video was posted in 2007.

Ramsey Lewis Trio - Travel On (single)

The Ramsey Lewis Trio's recording of Travel On predates The "In" Crowd, the 1965 hit that brought the group international fame in 1965, by at least a year. Travel On was included on the trio's 1964 album Bach to the Blues and was released as a Chess single in the U.S. that year, with Why Don't You Do Right as the flip side.

When The "In" Crowd single came out the following year most territories used Since I Fell for You, another track off The "In" Crowd LP, as the "B" side. But for some reason Artone, the label that released the 45 in The Netherlands, opted to use the earlier recorded Travel On. The Dutch single also featured the striking picture sleeve shown at the top of this post. Listen to Travel On below.

Travel On



Travel On was included on a vinyl compilation, Choice! The Best of the Ramsey Lewis Trio, which came out in 1965, but does not seem to have been included on any CDs nor does it appear to be available as a legal download.

Here's the original recording of The "In" Crowd, the single version, with some definitely unique visuals.

Werner Muller - Hawaiian Swing

Several posts ago you were able to listen to a version of Blue Hawaii by an anonymous orchestra that recorded a Hawaiian-themed box set for the Longines Symphonette Society. Now here's a different take on the tune by German orchestra leader Werner Muller (1920-1998).

Muller was the leader of radio dance orchestras in Berlin and Cologne and recorded prolifically for Polydor, Telefunken, London Phase 4 and other labels beginning in the late 1950s. His LPs included light classical, easy listening and dance band selections.

Hawaiian Swing was released on Phase 4 in 1963, with light dance arrangements of Hawaiian standards like Blue Hawaii. I think you'll find Muller's take on the tune to be considerably lighter in tone than the Longines Symphonette version. The selection is taken from the vinyl LP.

Blue Hawaii



Hawaiian Swing was issued on a 2-on-1 CD with Werner Muller on Broadway by the excellent U.K. label Vocalion in 2005. It's still available but it ain't cheap. Hawaiian Swing is also available as a download from iTunes and elsewhere, but I can't vouch for the quality.

Here's another selection from the album.

Road Trip - Hiatus

I'm off on a road trip to Kansas City for some jazz and relaxation, so posting won't resume on Guitars & All That Jazz until Sept. 17. See you then.

Sonny Stitt & Bennie Green - Flame and Frost (45 single)

This record was distributed to DJs and jukeboxes in 1964 to promote My Main Man, an LP by saxophonist Sonny Stitt and trombonist Bennie Green. The album's title song was on the flip side of the single. Both tracks were shortened for the single release, as was usually the case at the time.

Rounding out the personnel on this album were Bobby Buster on organ, guitarist Joe Diorio and drummer Dorel Anderson. Here's the single version of Flame and Frost.

Flame and Frost



In 2005 My Main Man was combined on CD with Soul in the Night, a 1966 album Stitt made with fellow saxophonist Bunky Green (no relation to Bennie). The European label Gambit issued the disc under the title Stitt Goes Green and it's available directly from the company or via the Amazon Marketplace and other online merchants.

You can also get My Main Man as a download from Amazon and elsewhere.

From YouTube comes a track from the Stitt-Bunky Green collaboration. Thanks to Groove Addict for originally posting this.