Norman Petty-produced recordings:

The Fireballs "Firebeat", Ace Records. Also contains two videos made at a local TV station in the 1960s

The String-a-longs "The Tex-Mex Teen Magic of the String-a-longs", Ace Records. Very welcome second compilation from Ace. Their three-guitar sound w/ lots of Magnatone amplifier reverb sounds really cool!

Wes Dakus & The Rebels "Volume 2", Super Oldies. Great 2nd of three CDs shows the group maturing in sound.

"Now Hear This: Garage & Beat From the Norman Petty Vaults", Ace Records. Various artist mid 1960s compilation includes impressive tune by Barry Allen called "Love Me Again" that should remind you a lot of Bobby Fuller!! This record ought to have been a hit. Barry Allen was member of Wes Dakus & the Rebels.

"Get Ready To Fly: Pop-Psych From the Norman Petty Vaults", Ace Records. Your reaction to this music depends on your taste for late 1960s psychedelic music. If you like it you ought to be surprised, charmed, or outright impressed. Even if you don't like this kind of music I hope you would at least notice the extent to which Norman utilized his vast skill at recording these tunes. There are a lot of effects utilized here, including great stereo separation, the kind of which groups like these rarely got when recording at small, independent studios staffed by engineers who were indifferent, uninformed, and unskilled.

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Dick Dale: the King of the Surf Guitar has finally consented to reissue his Capitol LPs on CD. The first five of six total are now out on Sundazed: "Surfers' Choice", "King of the Surf Guitar", "Checkered Flag", "Mr. Eliminator", and "Summer Surf". Dick has often said he did not like his Capitol records because too many songs he recorded there were corny, forced-sounding vocal numbers fleshed out with way too many session musicians who sounded like they were trying to drown Dick out and they weren't really rock 'n' roll sounding players to start with. Mixed among these tunes are the good stuff, great guitar instrumentals that can elsewhere be heard on his two compilation CDs on Rhino. The final Capitol Dick Dale LP to be reissued is the live album that Dick has told me he doesn't care for either, and a rarities compilation is promised.

The "5" Royales "Catch That Teardrop", Ace Records. Wow! Tough rhythm 'n' blues vocal group tunes made after the group left the King label. These tunes were recorded in the early 1960s for Home of the Blues label, run by Willie Mitchell later of HI! Records fame in Memphis. The argument made for the "5" Royales is that they more than any vocal group bridged the gap between doo-wop and soul music, at least as much as the Isley Brothers, and these tunes are offered as very strong evidence. Lowman Pauling's guitar playing can slice through anything. He was great!

Big Al Downing: "Classic Collection", Crazy Music. The only compilation to date with Big Al's 1970s & '80s country hits. I hope you have heard Big Al Downing's early rock 'n' roll barn burners like "Down On the Farm" and "The Georgia Slop". He was in Wanda Jackson's late 1950s touring and recording group Bobby Poe and the Po'Kats. I just finished reading Fats Domino's biography and learned that Downing wrote songs for and with Fats after Fats left Imperial Records. Then Big Al had several great country hits during the 1970s and 1980s. Most peaked in the teens and twenties on the Billboard country charts so they weren't huge hits and may not get played on country oldies radio stations these days. But here they are with their unabashed beer joint charm.