Anthony James Donegan, known as Lonnie Donegan, was a British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the "King of Skiffle", who influenced 1960s British pop and rock musicians. Born in Scotland and brought up in England, Donegan began his career in the British trad jazz revival but transitioned to skiffle in the mid 1950s, rising to prominence with a hit recording of the American folk song "Rock Island Line" which helped spur the broader UK skiffle movement.
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blues, leading to what is considered "classic" rock and roll. Some have also described it as a blend of bluegrass with rock and roll. The term "rockabilly" itself is a portmanteau of "rock" and "hillbilly", the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style. Other important influences on rockabilly include western swing, boogie-woogie, jump blues, and electric blues.
The Blasters are an American rock band formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. Their self-described "American Music" is a blend of rockabilly, early rock and roll, punk rock, mountain music, and rhythm and blues and country.
Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys is an American rockabilly and Western swing band from California composed of Robert Williams, alias Big Sandy, Ashley Kingman, Ricky McCann and Kevin Stewart. The band is known for it's eclectic style, which encompasses rockabilly, Western swing, folk, bluegrass, Cajun, mariachi, rock and roll, folk rock, swing and country.
Martin James "Boz" Boorer is an English guitarist and producer most known for his work founding the new wave rockabilly group The Polecats; and later for his work as a co-writer, guitarist and musical director with Morrissey, for which he is principally known today.
Michael "Cub" Koda was an American rock and roll singer, guitarist, songwriter, disc jockey, music critic, and record compiler. Rolling Stone magazine considered him best known for writing the song "Smokin' in the Boys Room", recorded by Brownsville Station, which reached number 3 on the 1974 Billboard chart. He co-wrote and edited the All Music Guide to the Blues, and Blues for Dummies, and selected a version of each of the classic blues songs on the CD accompanying the book. He also wrote liner notes for the Trashmen, Jimmy Reed, J. B. Hutto, the Kingsmen, and the Miller Sisters, among others.
The Flesh Eaters are an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, United States, in 1977. They are the most prominent of the bands which have showcased the compositions and singing of their founder, punk poet Chris Desjardins, best known as Chris D. While Desjardins is the group's only continual member, the Flesh Eaters' lineup has drawn from some of the most famous bands of the L.A. punk scene, such as the Plugz, X, the Blasters, and Los Lobos.
The Polecats are an English rockabilly band formed at the end of the 1970s.
"Worried Man Blues" is a folk song in the roots music repertoire. It is catalogued as Roud Folk Song Index No. 4753. Like many folk songs passed by oral tradition, the lyrics vary from version to version, but generally all contain the chorus "It takes a worried man to sing a worried song/It takes a worried man to sing a worried song/I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long." The verses tell the story of a man imprisoned for unknown reasons "I went across the river, and I lay down to sleep/When I woke up, had shackles on my feet", who pines for his lost love, who is "on the train and gone." The melody in 4/4 timing has a strong resemblance to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", which is in 6/8 timing.
Rocky Burnette is an American rock and roll singer/musician and the son of rock and roll musician Johnny Burnette. He is best known for his 1980 hit single "Tired of Toein' the Line" which he co-wrote with Ron Coleman, who formerly wrote, recorded, and performed with the Brothers Grim and The Everly Brothers.
Raucous Records is a British record label focusing on rockabilly, psychobilly, rock and roll, and surf music. The label has released albums such as "Between The Polecats" by The Polecats, "Rock 'n' Roll Fever" by Jay Chance, "Rockabilly Express" by Gary Setzer and Barry Ryan, "The Lost Album" by The Meteors, "Real Gone Katz" by The Go-Katz, "Reeferbilly Blowout" by The Shakin' Pyramids, "My Ol' Guitar" by Gary Bennett ex-BR5-49, and "This is Rockabilly Clash" by various Rockabilly bands performing the songs of The Clash.
Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets were a rock and roll group formed in Cardiff, Wales in 1969. Although most notable now for their lead singer Shakin' Stevens, who went on to become one of the UK's most popular artists of the 1980s, the band released several records and toured extensively throughout the 1970s. A version of the Sunsets, containing original members, still tours annually in the UK, Europe and Australia.
Michael Richard Gee was a rock and roll guitarist who played alongside some of the most prominent Welsh musicians of the last forty years.
Skin 'Em Up is the debut album from the Scottish neo-rockabilly group The Shakin' Pyramids, released in 1981 by Cuba Libre, a subsidiary of Virgin Records. It reached no. 48 on the UK Albums Chart, and yielded a single in "Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll". The band released three EPs during 1981, two of which were led by tracks from the album: Take a Trip and Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll. The album has been described as an important release in the early 1980s rockabilly revival.
Celts and Cobras is the second and final studio album from the Scottish neo-rockabilly group The Shakin' Pyramids, released in 1982 by Cuba Libre, a subsidiary of Virgin Records. "Just a Memory" and "Pharaoh's Chant" were released as singles from the album. It features a more diverse instrumental palette than the band's debut album, Skin 'Em Up (1981), but was seen as a departure from the group's original, immediate sound.
Reeferbilly Blowout is a live album from the Scottish neo-rockabilly group The Shakin' Pyramids. It was recorded on 24 May 1981 at the Kelvingrove Free Music Festival in Glasgow.
The Shakin' Pyramids is a compilation album from the Scottish Neo-Rockabilly group The Shakin' Pyramids, released shortly after the group's disbandment in 1983 by Rock 'n Roll Records, a Scotti Brothers Records subsidiary. The album features ten tracks: five from their 1981 debut album, Skin 'Em Up, and five from their second and final album, Celts and Cobras, released in 1982. Although normally billed as a trio, live and session bassist Dave Rivett joins the band on the album cover.
"Marie Marie" is a song by American rock and roll band the Blasters. It became an international success after being covered by Welsh rock and roll singer Shakin' Stevens.
Give Me Your Heart Tonight is an album by Welsh rock and roll singer Shakin' Stevens, released in October 1982 by Epic Records. To date, it is his last studio album to reach the Top-Ten in the UK, peaking at number 3 on the Album Chart.
The Sting-rays were a British Garage Rock and Psychobilly band from Greater London which recorded on Ace Records' garage and psychedelic subsidiary Big Beat and Joe Foster's Kaleidoscope Sound in the 1980s.
