Conway Rocks

by Conway Twitty

Overview

Whoa! Has Bear Family ever done it this time. Many of the label's single-disc compilations become definitive by default -- there are no good ones anywhere else. In this case, as in the case of Johnny Burnette & the Rock & Roll Trio, this collection of 30 (!) tracks by Conway Twitty during the 1950s, presenting all of his major rockabilly sides as well as many of his "minor ones," is a new standard in that this is not only definitive, but no one else should ever bother. Conway Rocks captures all of the many voices of Twitty, from the crooner of "It's Only Make Believe" to the snarling sensual rocker of "Rock House" to the teen rocker of "Give Me Some Love" -- in the first four tracks! But that's far from the best of it; also included are Twitty's trademark rendition of "Danny Boy," "Is a Blue Bird Blue," "Long Black Train," "Such a Night," and so many others it's literally dizzying. Twitty was beyond prolific. These sides are the tip of the iceberg and stand up as some of the finest rockabilly sides ever issued, all by a man who wanted to be a crooner and became one. Part of this has to do with Twitty's production team, which included the late Sam Phillips and Felton Jarvis as well as some of the finest guitar slingers of the era, including Al Bruno and Hank Garland. While Twitty made his name with Columbia, this mere sampling from his rock & roll years is enough to whet the appetite for Bear Family's amazing eight-CD Rock 'n' Roll Years collection. There are fine photos included in this set as well as finely excerpted notes from the box by Colin Escott. This is highly recommended for those who know the truth about Twitty and for the disbelievers who thought of him merely as a country schmaltz king. Revelatory. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	07/22/2003
Label:	Bear Family Records
UPC:	4000127166708

Tracks

1. It's Only Make Believe
2. I Vibrate (From My Head to My Feet)
3. Rock House
4. Give Me Some Love
5. Shake It Up
6. Double Talk Baby
7. Don't You Know
8. Mona Lisa
9. Teasin'
10. Make Me Know You're Mine
11. Hey Little Lucy (Don'tcha Put No Lipstick On)
12. Danny Boy
13. Hey Miss Ruby
14. Restless
15. She's Mine
16. Foggy River
17. Pretty Eyed Baby
18. Rebound
19. Lonely Blue Boy
20. The Hurt in My Heart
21. Tell Me One More Time
22. Long Black Train
23. It's Driving Me Wild
24. Blue Suede Shoes
25. Platinum High School
26. Can't We Go Steady
27. Such a Night
28. My Baby Left Me
29. My Babe
30. Is a Blue Bird Blue?

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Conway Twitty   Primary Artist,Vocals
The Jordanaires   Choir/Chorus
Jack Nance   Drums
Jimmy Evans   Bass
Ray Edenton   Guitar
Harold Bradley   Bass (Electric)
Buddy Harman   Drums
Floyd Cramer   Piano
Grady Martin   Guitar,Bass (Electric)
Harold Jenkins   Guitar,Vocals
Al Bruno   Guitar
Joe E. Lewis   Guitar
Martin Willis   Saxophone
Billy Weir   Drums
Walter L. "Hank Sugarfoot" Garland   Guitar
Bill Harris Quintet   Bass
Lightnin' Chance   Bass
Homer "Boots" Louis   Saxophone

Technical Credits

Bert Russell   Composer
Bob Shad   Producer
Jack Nance   Composer
Felton Jarvis   Producer
Ben Weisman   Composer
Fred Rose   Composer
Fred Wise   Composer
Charlie Rich   Composer
Jim Lockert   Engineer
Ray Evans   Composer
Aaron Schroeder   Composer
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup   Composer
Dan Penn   Composer
Colin Escott   Liner Notes,Photography,Illustrations
Conway Twitty   Composer
Greg Carroll   Composer
Selby Coffeen   Engineer
Carl Perkins   Composer
Jay Livingston   Composer
Lincoln Chase   Composer
Richard Weize   Discography,Tape Research
Jim Vienneau   Producer
Harold Jenkins   Composer
Willie Dixon   Composer
Bill Millar   Reissue Producer
Juergen Crasser   Mastering
Sam Phillips   Producer
David Hill   Composer
Leonard Puzey   Composer
Howard Cockburn   Discography
Bob Jones   Discography
R.A. Andreas   Photography,Illustrations
Weiss Silbert   Composer
M.C. Addington   Composer
Wolfgang Taubenauer   Artwork
Frederick Edward Weatherly   Composer