VA - Gold Star Rockers: Eddie Cochran and Friends (2015)

Gold Star Rockers is not just another Eddie Cochran compilation: there are already plenty of those out there, ranging from single disc “Greatest Hits” to exhaustive summaries of his career as a featured musician. Instead, Gold Star Rockers is a lavish 3CD Various Artists set rounding up more than 100 tracks by artists associated with that supremely talented musician, whose early death robbed the music world of one of its most multi-faceted exponents. Dave Penny’s fascinating compilation takes its title from the historic Los Angeles studio, where many of the tracks were recorded.

Even so, with a commercial recording career that lasted less than five years, the young man had packed a lot of legacy into his short life. A cult figure, particularly in Britain, Eddie’s own recordings for Liberty Records have been almost constantly in catalogue for the past 55 years, while recently his ubiquity as a session musician has been exploited by record dealers seemingly attributing his guitar-work to every recording cut in California during 1956-60! This set has been compiled to celebrate some fine rock ’n’ roll recorded by Eddie’s friends; Eddie certainly isn’t featured on all the tracks – some are not recorded at the favoured Gold Star Studios…or even in Los Angeles – but they all feature singers with whom Eddie enjoyed a close personal and professional relationship during the late 1950s. He is known to play guitar on many, he is rumoured to play guitar on others, while some selections are included because they are just damned good tracks by the artists he befriended and some are included because they are the commercial results of demos on which he helped out. Occasionally his voice will be heard on an early Cochran Brothers track or doo-wopping behind his friend Gene Vincent, and in one or two instances, other artists perform songs that are generally associated with him or are known for backing him or touring with him, but all are relevant to his story.

TRACKLIST

CD 1

01. Heart Of A Fool - Lee Denson (2:00)
02. The Pied Piper - Lee Denson (2:19)
03. New Shoes - Lee Denson (2:02)
04. High School Hop - Lee Denson (1:52)
05. Devil Doll - Lee Denson (2:04)
06. South’s Gonna Rise Again - Jesse James (1:55)
07. Red Hot Rockin’ Blues - Jesse James (2:20)
08. Tired And Sleepy - Cochran Bros (2:02)
09. Open The Door - Cochran Bros (2:06)
10. Latch On - Hank Cochran (1:49)
11. Kiss And Make Up - Ray Stanley (1:52)
12. Equator - Ray Stanley (2:04)
13. Let’s Get Acquainted - Ray Stanley (2:02)
14. Market Place - Ray Stanley (2:08)
15. Pushin’ - Ray Stanley (2:13)
16. Love Charms - Ray Stanley (2:33)
17. My Lovin’ Baby - Ray Stanley (2:22)
18. Over A Coke - Ray Stanley (2:32)
19. I Can’t Wait - Ray Stanley (2:00)
20. Fool’s Paradise - Cochran Bros (2:06)
21. Latch On - Cochran Bros (1:40)
22. Rollin’ - Jerry Capehart (1:59)
23. Heart Of A Fool - Jerry Capehart (1:50)
24. Walkin’ Stick Boogie - Jerry Capehart (2:12)
25. That’s What It Takes To Make A Man - Jerry Capehart (2:00)
26. Rockin’ And Flyin’ - Jerry Capehart (2:09)
27. Patty Cake Man - Eddie Miller (2:15)
28. Heart-Breakin’ Mama - Skeets Mcdonald (2:25)
29. Later For You Baby - Nick Greene (2:47)
30. You Oughta See Grandma Rock - Skeets Mcdonald (2:04)
31. My Lovin’ Baby - Nick Greene (2:10)
32. You Walked Away - Eddie Miller (2:05)
33. Equator - Sam Butera (2:14)
34. I’m Ready - Hank Cochran (1:37)
35. Borrowed Love - Lynn Marshall (2:10)
36. Country Rockin’ And Flyin’ - Buddy Dee (2:42)

CD 2

01. Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie - Jimmie Maddin (2:14)
02. Always Late - Bob Denton (2:02)
03. Skinny Minnie - Bob Denton (1:36)
04. Playboy - Bob Denton (1:59)
05. 24 Hour Night - Bob Denton (2:11)
06. Pretty Little Devil - Bob Denton (2:12)
07. Thinkin’ About You - Bob Denton (2:07)
08. Slow Down - Cochran Bros (2:02)
09. Scratchin’ - Jerry Neal (2:28)
10. Latch On - Bo Davis And Eddie Cochran (1:54)
11. Let’s Coast Awhile - Bo Davis (2:03)
12. Drownin’ All My Sorrows - Bo Davis (2:13)
13. Fulltime Baby - The Blockbusters (2:37)
14. Take It And Git - The Blockbusters (1:46)
15. Curfew - Gene Davis (1:42)
16. No Rockin’ And Rollin’ - Chuck And Gene (1:54)
17. Thanks - Gene Davis (2:47)
18. Sweet Love - Don Deal (2:00)
19. The First Teen-Ager - Don Deal (1:59)
20. Reelin’ And Rockin’ (Bippin’ And Boppin’ Over You) - Baker Knight (2:20)
21. Love-A Love-A Love-A - Baker Knight And The Knightmares (2:21)
22. Just Relax - Baker Knight (2:26)
23. Dum Dum Diddley Dum - Baker Knight (2:04)
24. Strollin’ Guitar - The Kelly Four (1:55)
25. Someone To Love Me - Jack Lewis (2:16)
26. I.O.U. - Jack Lewis (2:11)
27. Toodle-De-Oo - Jack Lewis (2:03)
28. It Happened To Me - Buddy Lowe (2:28)
29. Let’s Monkey Around - Kip Tyler And The Flips (1:42)
30. Quick Like - Elroy Peace And The Bow Ribbons (2:15)
31. Vagabond Mama - Kip Tyler And The Flips (2:05)
32. Where Did I Goof? - Elroy Peace (2:20)
33. She’s My Witch - Kip Tyler (2:22)
34. Ummm - Kiss Me Goodnight - Buddy Lowe (2:15)
35. Sarah Lee - Bob Orrison (2:07)
36. Not For Love Or Money - Gary Hodge (1:52)

CD 3

01. Little Lou - John Ashley (2:11)
02. Born To Rock - John Ashley (1:51)
03. Let The Good Times Roll - John Ashley (2:19)
04. Me And The Bear - Johnny Burnette (2:27)
05. Misery - Dorsey Burnette (2:17)
06. Git It - Gene Vincent And The Blue Caps (2:27)
07. Teenage Partner - Gene Vincent And The Blue Caps (2:19)
08. Somebody Help Me - Gene Vincent And The Blue Caps (2:12)
09. Five Feet Of Lovin’ - Gene Vincent And The Blue Caps (2:14)
10. The Tender Age - Holly Twins (2:30)
11. Nancy Lynne - Dick D’agostin And The Swingers (2:01)
12. Afraid To Take A Chance - Dick D’agostin And The Swingers (2:06)
13. Night Walk - Dick D’agostin And The Swingers (2:31)
14. Big Door - Gene Brown (2:27)
15. Playin’ Hide Go Seek - Eddie Daniels (2:15)
16. Whoa-Whoa Baby - Eddie Daniels (2:04)
17. Hurry Baby - Eddie Daniels (2:19)
18. Hug Me, Kiss Me - Eddie Daniels (2:38)
19. Opportunity - Jewel And Eddie (1:55)
20. Who Can I Count On? - Jewel And Eddie (2:23)
21. Guybo - The Kelly Four (2:15)
22. Watch Your Mouth - Troyce Key (2:19)
23. Willa Mae - Al Casey (1:57)
24. Baby Please Don’t Go - Troyce Key (2:15)
25. Oo Ba La Baby - Mamie Van Doren (2:25)
26. The Willies - Barry Martin (2:12)
27. Salamander - Mamie Van Doren (2:17)
28. Minnie The Moocher - Barry Martin (2:12)
29. Rollin’ Stone - Mamie Van Doren (2:23)
30. How’dja Do - Sherman Scott (2:17)
31. Walk A Dog - Jay Johnston (2:23)
32. Way Out Far - Sherman Scott (2:29)
33. Heartbreak Harry - Alis Lesley (2:05)
34. He Will Come Back To Me - Alis Lesley (2:15)