Best single-disc Sun Records comp

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GoogaMooga
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Best single-disc Sun Records comp

Postby GoogaMooga » 03 May 2021, 19:41

Sun Records has had more comps out than I care to count, but few cover as many bases as the 20-tracker from Prism Leisure, "The Best of Sun Records". The UK based repackaging label is what I'd call high end budget, just on the right side of petrol station. I wouldn't call all their CDs collectible, but there are gems to be found amongst your Dean Martin radio broadcast discs and what not, and this is one of them. Just a perfect mix of big names and obscurities, first time I hear The Prisonaires! And Sonny Burgess goes wild !

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track list:

1 Elvis Presley– That's All Right
2 Carl Perkins– Blue Suede Shoes
3 Jerry Lee Lewis– Great Balls Of Fire
4 Ray Smith– Right Behind You Baby
5 Johnny Cash– I Walk The Line
6 Narvel Felts– My Babe
7 Billy Lee Riley– Flying Sourcers Rock & Roll
8 Roy Orbison– Rock House
9 The Prisonaires– Just Walkin' In The Rain
10 Elvis Presley– Blue Moon Of Kentucky
11 Barbara Pittman– Everlasting Love
12 Jerry Lee Lewis– Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
13 Sonny Burgess– Red Headed Woman
14 Little Milton– Somebody Told Me
15 Carl Perkins– Matchbox
16 Hayden Thompson– Love My Baby
17 Warren Smith (3)– Got Love If You Want It
18 Carl Mann– Mona Lisa
19 Billy "The Kid" Emerson*– When It Rains It Pours
20 Elvis Presley– Good Rockin' Tonight
"When the desert comes, people will be sad; just as Cannery Row was sad when all the pilchards were caught and canned and eaten." - John Steinbeck

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Charlie O.
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Re: Best single-disc Sun Records comp

Postby Charlie O. » 03 May 2021, 20:07

That's not bad at all.

This double-disc set is the best Sun comp I've ever encountered, not counting the "Complete Singles" boxes on Bear Family. Hot guitar notwithstanding, I might have left "I'm Gonna Murder My Baby" by Pat Hare (who eventually did) in the dustbin of history - but on the whole this is exquisitely programmed and endlessly enchanting.

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GoogaMooga
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Re: Best single-disc Sun Records comp

Postby GoogaMooga » 03 May 2021, 20:24

That loooks good, too, but of course the songs are spread out over two discs. For single disc, I think the Prism Leisure CD is just right.
"When the desert comes, people will be sad; just as Cannery Row was sad when all the pilchards were caught and canned and eaten." - John Steinbeck

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Charlie O.
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Re: Best single-disc Sun Records comp

Postby Charlie O. » 03 May 2021, 20:31

My only reservation about the Prism one is that it's almost all rockabilly (as Sun comps often are). There was more to the label than that.
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Re: Best single-disc Sun Records comp

Postby Spock! » 03 May 2021, 21:20

Charlie O. wrote:My only reservation about the Prism one is that it's almost all rockabilly (as Sun comps often are). There was more to the label than that.




Indeed.


Neither album has any of Howlin' Wolf's Sun recordings, probably the best of his majestic career, there are many other fantastic blues artists severely under represented.
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Re: Best single-disc Sun Records comp

Postby GoogaMooga » 03 May 2021, 21:59

I've got a few of the Sun blues artists on other CDs, so it does not bother me that some blues artists are missing here. I think the real gem on the Prism comp is the Prisonaires track. That was covered in Danish by Grethe & Jørgen Ingmann in the 1960s, and was a big hit for them.
"When the desert comes, people will be sad; just as Cannery Row was sad when all the pilchards were caught and canned and eaten." - John Steinbeck

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Re: Best single-disc Sun Records comp

Postby GoogaMooga » 03 May 2021, 22:02

Grethe Ingmann covering the Prisonaires:

"When the desert comes, people will be sad; just as Cannery Row was sad when all the pilchards were caught and canned and eaten." - John Steinbeck

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Charlie O.
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Re: Best single-disc Sun Records comp

Postby Charlie O. » 03 May 2021, 22:11

John aka Josh wrote:
Charlie O. wrote:My only reservation about the Prism one is that it's almost all rockabilly (as Sun comps often are). There was more to the label than that.

Indeed.

Neither album has any of Howlin' Wolf's Sun recordings, probably the best of his majestic career, there are many other fantastic blues artists severely under represented.

I'm sure you or I could come up with at least a few CDs' worth of stuff that "should have been there" (and not just blues material). But that 2CD comp really does have a wonderful flow to it.
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Re: Best single-disc Sun Records comp

Postby Spock! » 03 May 2021, 22:59

Charlie O. wrote:
John aka Josh wrote:
Charlie O. wrote:My only reservation about the Prism one is that it's almost all rockabilly (as Sun comps often are). There was more to the label than that.

Indeed.

Neither album has any of Howlin' Wolf's Sun recordings, probably the best of his majestic career, there are many other fantastic blues artists severely under represented.

I'm sure you or I could come up with at least a few CDs' worth of stuff that "should have been there" (and not just blues material). But that 2CD comp really does have a wonderful flow to it.




Yes, not bad looking - and it does have Dr Ross, Little Milton, Junior Parker and some other notable artists. As you say, Sun was more than rockabilly and blues.
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