bill black’s combo

I read recently about a public domain release coming up soon. Don't know if it will be mono originals versus stereo remakes (but could be).

Bill Black was famously the bass player in Elvis Presley's early backing trio, and he played on all of Presley's 1950s hit records. In 1959 he got together with Ace Cannon (sax). Carl McVoy (piano/organ) and Reggie Young (guitar) to form Bill Black's Combo. The late 50s/early 60s were the Golden Era for Rock & Roll Instrumentalists and Bill Black's Combo had a wholly unique, instantly identifiable sound and style. This compilation comprises their first three LPs in their entirety, plus their first nine singles, all of which were major US hits including four million-sellers, Smokie (Part 2) , White Silver Sands , Josephine and Don't Be Cruel . This body of work is almost impossible to find elsewhere on CD. Released November 16.

Disc: 1

1. Smokie (Part 1)
2. Smokie (Part 2)
3. White Silver Sands
4. The Wheel
5. Josephine
6. Dry Bones
7. Don't Be Cruel
8. Rollin'
9. Blue Tango
10. Willie
11. Hearts Of Stone
12. Royal Blue
13. Ole Buttermilk Sky
14. Yogi
15. Movin'
16. Honky Train
17. Twist-Her
18. My Girl Josephine
19. Smokie (Part 2) (Lp Version)
20. Frankie And Johnny
21. Tuxedo Junction
22. Cyclone Bop (T.D. Boogie)
23. Dee Jay Special
24. Anytime
25. Crank Case
26. Deep Elem Blues
27. Before Dawn
28. Accentuate The Positive

Disc: 2
1. Don't Be Cruel (Lp Version)
2. Singin' The Blues
3. Blueberry Hill
4. I Almost Lost My Mind
5. Cherry Pink
6. Mona Lisa
7. Honky Tonk
8. Tequila
9. Raunchy
10. You Win Again
11. Bo Diddley
12. Mack The Knife
13. Nobody Knows
14. This Ole House
15. When The Saints Go Marching In
16. It Is No Secret
17. Swing Low Sweet Chariot
18. Just A Closer Walk With Thee
19. When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder
20. He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
21. Do Lord
22. Down By The Riverside
23. Old Time Religion
24. Dry Bones

Jasmine.

Todd Ireland wrote: I have a UK import containing two LPs on one CD called Bill Black's Greatest Hits/Bill Black Combo Goes West (Hi Records 174). From what I can tell, it contains the correct versions of the following Top 40 hits (all in very good sound quality): White Silver Sands Josephine Blue Tango Hearts of Stone Ole Buttermilk SkyEric.

Actually, Todd, the version of "Josephine" on this cd is not the same as
the 45. (Without checking the old posts, I think one difference could be
spotted within the first 6-7 seconds.)

Not sure about the other songs on this cd, but I would suspect that
there are some differences between versions on at least some of them.
I believe someone affiliated with the label that put out the Complete
Instrumentals of the 60's sets commented once about how difficult it
was to make sure they had the correct 45 versions. Too many
remakes (stereo and mono) over the years.

I would certainly agree that the London Years series on Ace UK and
the aforementioned Complete Instrumentals of the 60s series did get
the correct Bill Black 45 versions on cd, but I don't know if I would trust
any other cd source (except for a Time-Life cd that I believe got one
song right on a V/A collection).

Jon O.

jono wrote:     Actually, Todd, the version of "Josephine" on this cd is not the same as the 45. (Without checking the old posts, I think one difference could be spotted within the first 6-7 seconds.)

Thanks for pointing that out, Jon. The version of "Josephine" you describe matches the version on the 'grey-area' CD, Bill Black's Combo 36 Greatest Hits (Blue City 819).

I hadn't noticed before that this version of "Josephine" differs from my 45. It actually sounds like a mono mix or fold of the version on the Best Of The Hi Records Years CD. The grey-area CD contains mono versions of the first seven of Bill Black's eight Top 40 hits (The version of "Twist Her" is the same stereo version as on the Best Of The Hi Records CD, except that it opens with a drum beat.) The version of "Don't Be Cruel" is the sped up version mentioned in the database. "Blue Tango" is faster than my 45, but I haven't determined yet whether it's a different recording. Those songs that are the 45 versions (as far as I can tell) sound noticeably better on the Complete Pop Instrumental CDs.

Edited by Paul C