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-With this 25cm LP, Bear Family Records® pays tribute to the legacy of one of the last great rockers: Ronnie Hawkins, the singer and pianist who died on May 29, 2022 in his adopted country of Canada. -In 1963, his exquisite backing band, The Hawks, left him to make it big in the US as The Band. -This fine little 25cm vinyl LP delivers twelve of his best R&R tunes; the bonus CD has additional cover versions and originals. -Detailed liner notes by our Chicago music expert Bill Dahl in the enclosed folder, which also includes a variety of rare photos from Dave Booth's collection. Ronnie Hawkins may well have been the last great rock and roller to surface during the 1950s. His comparative lack of chart success certainly wasn't his fault--he was just a victim of bad timing as squeaky-clean teen idols replaced the first generation rockers that popularized the music a few short years before he emerged. By the time Roulette Records boss Morris Levy signed Rompin' Ronnie in the spring of 1959, there was only time for him to post two sizable hits with his versions of Chuck Berry's Forty Days and Young Jessie's Mary Lou. They're both aboard this collection, along with ten more scorchers by the Arkansas wildman. Slashing guitar solos aplenty by Jimmy Ray Paulman and Fred Carter, Jr. are part of the fun; towheaded stick twirler Levon Helm stokes a ferocious beat on every track, including The Hawk's remakes of Red Hot and Honey! Don't. Levy thought he'd found the next Elvis when he discovered Ronnie Hawkins, and he just might have been right if he'd turned up a few years earlier!The bonus CD, compiled exclusively for this release, features cover versions and originals. Music expert Bill Dahl has written the in-depth liner notes, and Canadian collector, archivist, music historian and decades-long radio deejay Dave Booth has provided us with wonderful photos.

Track Listing

Sales Points

• 1-LP 10' vinyl with 12-page folder, bonus CD. 12 tracks (LP), 32 tracks (CD). Total playing time approx. 28 min. (LP), approx. 79 min. (CD)

Press Quotes

This set is a nice one that includes a 45 RPM, ten-inch record along with a bonus CD and a postcard and classy booklet. The bonus CD gathers alternate versions of songs included on the record.

     —Gary Hill, 2023-01, Music Street Journal, U.S.A.