Since 1993, the peerless German reissue label Bear Family has collected rockabilly and rockabilly-adjacent recordings in their fascinating That’ll Flat…Git It! series, which compiles mostly-obscure releases from a single label, or family of related labels, in each volume. The half-century entry returns to the archives of the Columbia Records group for the fifth time, continuing to offer intriguing perspectives on rock’s early days.
It’s tempting to assume the output of major labels was more mainstream than that of low-budget operations, but think again. Like everyone else, Columbia was struggling to figure out this new thing called rock’n’roll, taking a “try anything” approach to see what would sell. While Vol. 50 is light on genuine rock, there’s an abundance of over-caffeinated hillbillies who could have been hoping to pass as the real thing. From established country acts like Marty Robbins (“Long Tall Sally”) and “Little” Jimmy Dickens (“Stinky Pass the Hat Around”) to relative unknowns such as Bill Phillips (“There’s a Change in Me”) and Dick Lory (“Wild-Blooded Woman”), everybody was trying to cope.
Among the more credible artists are prehistoric guitar hero Link Wray, shredding like a caveman on “Raw-Hide” and snarling with a distinctly unmusical voice on “Ain’t That Lovin’ You Babe.” Former Sun Records stars Carl Perkins (“Pointed Toe Shoes”) and Johnny Cash (“What Do I Care”) sound like their usual distinctive selves, while Commonwealth Jones (aka Ronnie Dawson) imitates a crazed savage on “Do Do Do.”
Whether they’re authentic rockers or energetic facsimiles, all the performers on this edition of That’ll Flat…Git It! are great fun. On to the next 50 volumes!
