Great British Rock N Roll / Various Great British Rock N Roll / Various CD

2007 compilation that is the first authoritative musical documentation of the British music scene of the late '40s and early '50s that set the foundation for their Rock 'N' Roll scene. There is a lot of fascinating stuff here, such as the Deep River Boys (from Virginia, USA, recording in Britain during their many UK tours), Ray Ellington (a British-based black bandleader of American and Russian descent) and Winifred Atwell, a classically trained pianist from Trinidad who would go to 'her other piano' to belt out some rockin' boogies. Elsewhere there are numerous talented British jazzers seeing which way the wind was blowing and jumping that jive, and some up 'n' coming UK popsters swaying their hips to the transatlantic rhythm. And of course Tommy Steele, who was acclaimed as Britain's first Rock 'n' Roll star. Smith & Co.

1. Rock a Beatin' Boogie - Deep River Boys (Disc 01) 2. Giddy Up a Ding Dong - Ray Ellington 3. Rock with the Caveman - Tommy Steele ; the Steelmen 4. Teach You to Rock - Tony Crombie ; His Rockets 5. Boogie in the Groove - Winifred Atwell 6. Ain't That a Shame - the Southlanders 7. Seventeen - Don Lang with the Mairants/Langhorn Big Six 8. Honky Tonk - Bert Weedon ; George Chisholm 9. Shake Rattle ; Roll - Deep River Boys 10. Bell Bottom Blues - Alma Cogan 11. Stranded in the Jungle - Ray Ellington 12. Big City Blues - the Kirchin Band 13. Elevator Rock - Tommy Steele ; the Steelmen 14. Don't Nobody Move - Lee Lawrence 15. Oakie Boogie - Lita Roza 16. Yancey Special - Winifred Atwell 17. Blue Suede Shoes - Canadians 18. Why Do Fools Fall in Love - Alma Cogan 19. My Boy Flat Top - Frankie Vaughan 20. I Want You to Be My Baby - Don Lang with the Langhorn Big Six 21. Doomsday Rock - Tommy Steele ; the Steelmen 22. Shortnin' Bread Rock - Tony Crombie ; His Rockets 23. Tweedle Dee - the Kirchin Band 24. Rockin' Through the Rye - Canadians 25. Sound Barrier Boogie - Thunderclap Jones 26. That's Right - Deep River Boys 27. Hamp's Boogie Woogie - Winifred Atwell 28. Where in the World Is Billy - Eve Boswell 29. Rock 'N' Roll Opera - Lee Lawrence 30. I Didn't Know - Johnny Brandon 31. Rock Around the Clock - Hedley Ward Trio 32. Whole Wide World - Deep River Boys (Disc 02) 33. Let's You and I Rock - Tony Crombie ; His Rockets 34. Rebel Rock - Tommy Steele ; the Steelmen 35. Jimmy Dorsey Boogie - Winifred Atwell 36. Rock a Boogie Baby - Diana Decker 37. (Oh Baby) Beedleumbo - the Kirchin Band 38. Rock ; Roll King Cole - Eric Delaney Band ; the Beryl Stott Group 39. D.R. Rock - Bert Weedon with George Chisholm 40. Smack Dab in the Middle - Deep River Boys 41. Rock Around the Town - Tommy Steel and the Steelmen 42. Dreamboat - Alma Cogan 43. Rock Around the Island - Don Lang with the Langhorn Big Six 44. I Want You to Be My Baby - Eric Jupp ; the Coronets 45. Sham Rock - Tony Crombie ; His Rockets 46. Rock Around the Clock - Deep River Boys 47. Juke Box Baby - the Canadians 48. Singing the Blues - Tommy Steele ; the Steelmen 49. Cross Hands Boogie - Winifred Atwell 50. Five Guys Named Moe - the Ray Ellington Quartet 51. Rock ; Roll Blues - Don Lang with the Langhorn Big Six 52. Paper Kisses - Alma Cogan 53. Strip the Camshaft - the Ray Ellington Quartet 54. Vine Street Boogie - Winifred Atwell 55. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' on - Deep River Boys 56. China Boogie - Bert Weedon 57. Shim Sham Shuffle - Johnny Brandon 58. Razzle Dazzle / Shortnin' Bread Rock - Ken Jones ; His Rock 'N' Rollers 59. Giddy Up a Ding Dong / Saints Rock ; Roll - Ken Jones ; His Rock 'N' Rollers 60. ABC Boogie - Five Smith Brothers ; the Dennis Wilson Quartet 61. She Loves to Rock - Stargazers 62. Rock a Bye Baby - Johnny Brandon