Play Good Old Rock And Roll
GOOD OLD ROCK AND ROLL MEDLEY (with Sweet Little Sixteen, Long Tall Sally, Chantilly Lace, Whole Lotta Shakin'
Goin' On, and Blue Suede SHoes) / Raining In My Heart / Lucille / REELIN AND ROCKIN / MORE GOOD ONLY ROCK AND ROLL
MEDLEY (with Rock And Roll Music, Blueberry Hill, Good Golly Miss Molly, My Blue Heaven, and Keep On Knockin) /
Loving You / Memphis Tennessee / One Night / Lawdy Miss Clawdy
REVIEW BY ARTHUR HENDERSON -
By adding just one new track to his rock'n'roll singles, Dave, enterprising as ever, released this budget album.
It would prove to be a consistent seller throughout the seventies, even going Gold in Australasia.
New York quintet CAT MOTHER AND THE ALL NIGHT NEWSBOYS had scored a #21 hit in the American charts with their
Jimi Hendrix produced "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll" medley during the summer of 1969. The Cat Mother record
was one of many Dave had brought back from the USA for consideration as a cover single. The DC5 stick fairly closely
to the original medley, same songs in the same sequence, though they do drop Buddy Knox's "Party Doll",
the last song in the Cat Mother version.
The DC5's medley has been issued in three different mixes. The first, on the 1969 single, has a rather overpowering
scream track; the second on this album is minus the scream track, while the third, on 25 THUMPING HITS and GLAD
ALL OVER AGAIN has the drum intro removed, ( presumably because Dave trips on his bass pedal just before the Berry
guitar riff grabs hold.) All the other tracks from the two rock'n'roll singles (ie, everything on this album except
"Raining In My Heart", the aforementioned new track) have also been issued both with and without the
scream track.
The second rock'n'roll medley, "More Good Old Rock 'n' Roll", built around Chuck Berry's "Rock
And Roll Music", is effectively the first DAVE CLARK AND FRIENDS single. Lenny, Rick and Denis do not feature
on this single at all, the session taking place a few short weeks after the DC5 breakup was announced. The other
post-DC5 tracks on this album are the three Presley hits, "One Night", "Lawdy Miss Clawdy"
and "Loving You", as well as Buddy Holly's "Raining In My Heart".
The results of their excursion into vintage rock'n'roll range from dreadful to delightful. Into the former
category fall "Lucille" and "Memphis Tennessee". Obviously recorded in haste, the DC5's versions
are sloppy. At the other end of the scale are the two ballads, "Loving You" and "Raining In My Heart",
both reverently executed. Dave could have issued the sublime "Raining In My Heart", with its gorgeous
guitar work, as a single. (Even now, it's not too late, Dave!) - Art Henderson, 11 August,
2000 (arthurh@ihug.co.nz)
EDITOR'S NOTE - Arthur Henderson is a knowledgeable fan from New Zealand. I do agree
with many of his comments here, and also on his review of "5X5". I'd like to add that the songs "Lawdy
Miss Clawdy" and "Memphis" are recorded painfully slow, but with my variable-speed cassette deck,
I sped them up to where they're really fun. Ditto "Good Lovin'" (on the "Satisfied With You")
album.
Album review by - (If you would like to review this album, e-mail me at theboltons@rpa.net)