Chicago Rocks, Vol. 1: Windy City Rock / Various [CD]

Chicago Rocks, Vol. 1: Windy City Rock And Roll - For the first time, Chicago's astonishingly rich early rock history is being explored, long before bands like The Shadows of Knight, the Buckinghams, or The Cryin' Shames emerged on the scene and transformed the Windy City into a rock hotspot in the mid-to-late '60s. -Chicago music historian Bill Dahl comprehensively tells the story of rockabilly and rock 'n' roll from the far north of the USA, of artists who copied Elvis and of truly original musicians and recordings. Chicago's vast and glorious legacy as a teeming postwar hub for blues, soul, and doo-wop has been documented exhaustively. But what of the Windy City's indigenous early rock and roll scene, long before The Buckinghams, Cryan' Shames, New Colony Six and Shadows of Knight established a recognizable mid-'60s Chicago rock movement? It's barely been seriously examined at all, so this collection sets that longtime injustice straight. This first volume of 'Chicago Rocks' gathers some of the finest rock and roll the city had to offer from the mid-'50s through the early '60s, it's contents a river comprised of several tributaries. First, a stream of Elvis-influenced rockabillies waxed sides for local labels. At the same time, a squad of homegrown teen idol-style rockers emerged, starring at youth-focused clubs, small arenas, roller rinks, and high school hops. Lounge bands jumped into the rock and roll fray, and a handful of white doo-woppers entered the mix. Then the Twist exploded; from conventioneer-oriented Rush Street to the outlying suburbs, everyone was Twisting, the city's musical cadre enthusiastically embracing the national craze. The set leads with Elvis soundalike Ral Donner and storms through fellow young stars Ron Haydock, Ronnie Rice, transplanted rockabillies Hayden Thompson, Hank Mizell, Benny Ingram and Eddie Cash, lounge-style entertainers Tony Smith & His Aristocrats and Bill Skully & The Dynatones, and Chuck Berry doppelganger Clear Water, with plenty of surprises along the way.