Last month, while searching for a 1950s CD that might satisfy Michael Padgett’s legitimate observation about the paucity of Fifties music on this blog, I found At the Diner which isn’t exactly a 1950s music CD, but has some Fifties music as well as early 1960s music on it (so I went with The Rock ‘n’ Roll Era: 1959, you can read my review here).
I suppose the concept of At the Diner is to feature music you might have heard Back in the Day at a diner that had a jukebox full of hit records. While plenty of these songs made the Billboard Top 10, there are a few more obscure and seldom played hits here like “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans.” When was the last time you heard that song?
Or, “Red River Rock” by Johnny and The Hurricanes. I hope these songs jog some memories and bring back reminiscences of Good Times! What better to start off a New Year! How many of these songs do you remember? GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST:
| 1 | Bill Haley & The Comets*– | Rock Around The Clock Written-By – DeKnight*, Freedman |
| 2 | Jerry Lee Lewis– | Great Balls Of Fire Written-By – Hammer*, Blackwell |
| 3 | Fats Domino– | Blueberry Hill Written-By – Lewis*, Stock*, Rose |
| 4 | Del Shannon– | Runaway Written-By – Shannon*, Crook |
| 5 | Chris Montez– | Let’s Dance Written-By – Lee |
| 6 | Kingsman*– | Louie Louie Written-By – Berry |
| 7 | Freddy Cannon– | Way Down Yonder In New Orleans Written-By – Creamer*, Layton |
| 8 | Everly Brothers– | Bird Dog Written-By – Bryant |
| 9 | Crickets*– | Peggy Sue Written-By – Holly*, Allison*, Petty |
| 10 | Buddy Knox– | Party Doll Written-By – Knox*, Bowen* |
| 11 | Chuck Berry– | Roll Over Beethoven Written-By – Berry* |
| 12 | Little Richard– | Tutti Fruitti Written-By – La Bostrie*, Lubin*, Penniman |
| 13 | Carl Perkins– | Matchbox Written-By – Perkins |
| 14 | Duane Eddy– | Rebel Rouser Written-By – Eddy*, Hazlewood |
| 15 | Gene Vincent– | Be Bop A Lula Written-By – Vincent*, Davis |
| 16 | Johnny & The Hurricanes*– | Red River Rock Arranged By – Mendelsohn*, Mack*, King *Written-By – Trad |
| 17 | Bobby Darin– | Mack The Knife Arranged By – Blitzstein*Written-By – Brecht*, Weill |
| 18 | Platters*– | The Great Pretender Written-By – Ram* |
| 19 | Tokens*– | La Bamba Written-By – Valens |
| 20 | Elvis Presley– | That’s All Right Mama Written-By – Crudup |
A better selection than most 50’s compilations. I know everything on it. A few I don’t care for. Bobby Darin’s Mack the Knife. Never liked Fats Domino or The Platters. Would rather have La Bamba by Richie Valens instead of The Tokens. Not my first choice for Everly Brothers or Freddie Cannon (prefer Palisades Park). My favorites Great Balls of Fire, Runaway, Louie Louie, Roll Over Beethoven, Party Doll, Party Doll, That’s All Right Mama. The only one I really despise is The Great Pretender.
Steve, I’m with you on the song choices for some of the singers. Like you, I’ve never been a fan of “Mack the Knife.”
Albeit the Young Sinatra Hep Hep recording is Almost as funny as rhe strangled German recording Ernie Kovacs favored for his video gags…
I remember all of these songs from AFN (American Forces Network)!
Fond memories and I have problems defining my favourites there.
Runaway, Peggy Sue and La Bamba – of course I would have preferred Donna.
And then Tutti Frutti – I’m sure I have already written about performing it in a Karaoke bar in Japan (1988), only wearing a kimono …
Wolf, I’m sure you looked dashing in that kimono!
I remember every single one, so we’re 3 for 3. And getting Elvis for a 50s compilation would be like getting a Beatles song on a 60s compilation. And didn’t the Beatles cover “Matchbox”? My favorites would be the ones by Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. Great work, George.
The Beatles certainly did, and on one of their early albums.
Ringo sang it.
Michael, thank you for your positive assessment of my Fifties music search! I always listen to my commentators and try to act on their suggestions. And, as you’ve said before, this is great music from the fabulous Fifties!
Good stuff! I know almost all of these songs—and the oldies station down here plays “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” on the regular, so I’ve probably heard it (without seeking it out) within the last six months.
Deb, our Oldies station plays hits from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. That’s it.
Indeed, this album does seem to be made of hot-rotation Oldies Station-beloved hits; there’s not a one I haven’t heard (though I haven’t heard the Tokens’ version of “La Bamba” too often). Con un poca de gracia, they’ll get clearance to the Valens hit for any theoretical update disc.
Todd, although many of these songs on AT THE DINER were “hot-rotation” some of the versions here are a little less known than the original versions.
I suspect that those who suggest rights issues/relative expense kicked in there might be on the right track…(or the substitute track!).
Todd, it’s always about the money.
Good compilation. What we remember as the ’50s era of rock/pop really extended into the first two-three years of the ’60s. So as you note George, a 1963 jukebox featuring the newly released LOUIE LOUIE would probably have stocked many of the older hits too. The British Invasion of 1964 was a seismic change.
Fred, you’re right. The British Invasion changed everything…including jukebox offerings!
Great songs, all of them. I put many a quarter into those jukeboxes for repeated plays.
Jerry, same here. I fed plenty of quarters into jukeboxes. And decades later, Patrick and I fed plenty of quarters into video game machines at the Mall.
It’s looking like I was completely wrong in my complaint that 50s rock had been forgotten. Not around here anyway.
Michael, Fifties music just isn’t played much any more on any of my local radio stations. I know Sirius/XM Radio has a Fifties channel. The music lovers on this blog know these 1950s hits and great affection for them!
On Sirius-Little Steven’s Underground Garage mixes in every decade including the 50’s.
I remember and like all of them. I could understand the lyrics so much better then. Not sure if they sang more clearly or my ears worked better.
Patti, contemporary music seems to be more about sound rather than lyrics. The songs on AT THE DINER have both lyrics you can hear, but lyrics you can understand!
Well, depends on the musicians, but certainly the simpler mixes of the time definitely tended to foreground vocals.
Todd, many times drum machines and synthesizers simply overwhelm vocals on many contemporary songs. At a minimum, they tend to distort vocals and mask lyrics.
Well, I don’t know about Louie Louie.
Steve, the FBI couldn’t figure out the lyrics to “Louie Louie” and neither could I!
Taught Mick Jagger a thing or three. I assume the Kingsmen lead vocalist had forgotten the words (with alcoholic assistance or not) at one point and decided he liked the effect. See also, the MC5. “Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa!”–from “Rocket Reducer #62” https://youtu.be/n0CqJ9-vRkY
The mixes only foreground the vocals these decades when that’s desired. Given the quality of some lyrics, particularly in mainstream pop too often, this might well be a kindness.
Todd, too true! Contemporary lyrics veer from mediocre to vapid.
Well don’t mistake the most popular songs of any era for all of them. Nor misremember lyrics by artists ranging from The Royal Teens through Tommy James and the Shondells through the BeeGees through Journey through, say, Ms. Knowles and her husband to be Not Inane, which has no bearing on the good ones. And need I mention “Just like a Woman” and “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman, Soon” again?
If I could be anyone in History, I’d be the guy who did the organ solo in RUNAWAY.
Dan, that organ solo in “Runaway” is classic! I also love the organ work in “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”
Fond memories:
My favourite bar in the early 60s had a Musikbox ie jukebox. Somehow someone found a loophole (crack in the glass?) to play songs without putting in money.
But that jukebox was soon taken away, haven’t seen many in Germany since 1965.
And some jukeboxes had records with nothing on them – so you could buy 3 minutes of silence …
Later I realised why most pop records were shorter than 3 minutes – so you could sell more!
Well, initially, about 3.5 minutes was what would comfortably fit on a 10-inch 78rpm or a 7-inch 45rpm disc.
We’ve been on the road all day so I didn’t get here until now. How many do I know? All of them! Except the Tokens’ version of the Richie Valens song. Nothing to object to there. I’d listen to that album any day.
If I had to pick three favorites it would be:
Runaway – probably my favorite song
Tutti Frutti – Little Richard can’t be beat
Blueberry Hill or Roll Over Beethoven or possibly Peggy Sue ( though there are other songs I prefer by all 3 artists)
Jeff, all the Beatles loved songs like these AT THE DINER. Ringo actually recorded his own versions of his favorites.
Yes, Ringo did Match Box and other songs by Carl Perkins.
Honey Don’t and Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby are two other Carl Perkins songs sung by Ringo.
I have about 10 on the Rockola juke box in my basement, which is out-of-commission at the present time. Have to find a repair person who will come to my house to check it out,
Kent, I sometimes think about getting a jukebox, but my wife then gives me The Look…and I kick the can down the road.