Good news for vinyl addicts: by popular request from rockabilly fans and collectors, following the success of our “By The Bayou” series of CDs, we’re releasing a batch of 7-inch singles showcasing 1950s dancefloor-fillers from the vaults of J.D. Miller.
Johnny Jano’s ‘Rock-A-Me Lulu’ is pure rockabilly. He was one of the first unknowns to capture the imagination of the genre’s legions when his 1950s Excello and Goldband sides first became known inEuropealmost a decade later. The brilliance of these discs did not result in any success, which is why ‘Rock-A-Me Lulu’ remained unissued, although he did achieve regional success in the 60s and 70s when he returned to his Cajun roots with recordings under the name of Johnny Janot. Rusty Kershaw’s primitive belter ‘Carry On’ is one of the tracks from the “By The Bayou” series which has caused the most stir. Half of the popular brother act Rusty & Doug, he rarely took lead vocals. This fell to his brother, who became a C&W superstar. ‘Carry On’ was recorded in the 50s as a solo, but brother Doug and their frequent recording partner Wiley Barkdull are present.
By Ian Saddler