Speak Easy: Rpm Records Story-1954-57 2 / Various Speak Easy: Rpm Records Story-1954-57 2 / Various CD

2014 collection, the second and final volume in Ace Record's overview of the Modern subsidiary label RPM picks up where the first one, NO MORE DOGGIN', left off in December 1953. It continues through to the label's closure in early 1957 in order to make way for the new Kent subsidiary. As with the first volume, the focus here is on quality blues, R&B and doo wop, with occasional forays into rockabilly and rock 'n' roll representing the repertoire from the end of the label's life. The vast majority of the tracks have been mastered from fresh transfers of the original master tapes. In keeping with both the previous volume and their earlier overview of Modern subsidiary, Flair, Ace have tried to use alternate takes wherever possible, of tracks already available on an Ace CD. Sixteen of the tracks and takes have not been issued before, while almost three dozen of the 54 tracks have never appeared on an Ace CD. All of the label's major artists of this period are represented.

1. Real Pretty Mama (Take 3) - the Meadow Larks 2. Feel My Broom (Take 1) - Quinn Kimble 3. Love Me Pretty Baby (Take 1) - Connie Mack Booker 4. One Whole Year Baby - Earl Curry 5. Pass the Gin - the Meadow Larks 6. The Way You Used to Treat Me (Take 1) - Lover Boy 7. I Ain't Drunk - Lonnie "The Cat" 8. Don't You Want a Man Like Me (Take 3) - B.B. King 9. Whoopin' and Hollerin' (Take 1) - Preacher Stephens 10. She Wants to Mambo - the Chanters 11. You Upset Me Baby - B.B. King 12. O Wah - Buddy Milton ; The Twilighters 13. The Dream (Take 3 - Censored Version) - the Fox 14. Every Day I Have the Blues (Take 3) - B.B. King 15. Hot Little Mama (Take 6) - Johnny "Guitar" Watson 16. Truly - Arthur Lee Maye ; The Crowns 17. Shtiggy Boom (Take 5) - Joe Houston - Vocal: The Platters 18. Why Don't You Write Me - the Jacks 19. Blues in the Dark - "Little George" Smith 20. Too Tired (Take 3) - Johnny "Guitar" Watson 21. Dog Gone It - Donna Hightower 22. Suffocate - Johnny Wright 23. Hands Off - Donna Hightower 24. Those Lonely, Lonely Nights (Take 2) - Johnny "Guitar" Watson 25. Oopin' Doopin' Doopin' (Take 1) - "Little George" Smith 26. Crying Won't Help You (Take 2, False Start + Take 3) - B.B. King 27. 16 Tons (Take 10 Breakdown + Take 11 Master) - B.B. King 28. Eddie My Love - the Teen Queens 29. Ruben (Take 5) - Johnny "Guitar" Watson 30. Cross Eyed Suzie Lee (Take 1) - Little George Smith 31. Did You Ever Love a Woman - B.B. King 32. Sugar Baby - the Jacks 33. Do Me No Wrong - Pat Cupp ; His Flying Saucers 34. A Casual Look - Little Clydie ; The Teens 35. Billy Boy (Take 2) - the Teen Queens 36. Yama Yama Pretty Mama (Composite of Takes 6 and 7) - Richard Berry 37. I'm All Alone - Eddie Lang 38. Sweet Little Angel (Take 1) - B.B. King 39. She Moves Me (Take 4) - Johnny "Guitar" Watson 40. Blau-Wile-Deveest-Fontaine (Take 3) -Paul Anka 41. Long Gone Daddy -Pat Cupp 42. She's a Flirt -The Jewels 43. You Got to Crawl Before You Walk -Eddie Lang 44. Down in New Orleans - George Smith 45. Rock Everybody (Take 2) - the Teen Queens 46. He's My Baby (Take 2) - Donna Hightower 47. Cool Diggin' (Take 4) - Maxwell Davis ; His Orchestra 48. Bippin' and Boppin' (Over You) - Jack Lewis "The Singing Airline Pilot" 49. Bim Bam (Take 4) - B.B. King 50. Memories of You - Prentice Moreland 51. Speak Easy - Vido Musso 52. Hello Baby (Glad to Have You Home) - Darrell Glenn ; The Commodores 53. Snake Eyed Mama - Don Cole 54. I Wonder - B.B. King