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Showing posts with label Johnny Rivers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johnny Rivers. Show all posts

Saturday, March 8, 2025

Johnny Rivers – Secret Agent Man - The Ultimate Johnny Rivers Anthology 1964-2006

 


Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942) is an American retired musician. He achieved commercial success and popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a singer and guitarist, characterized as a versatile and influential artist. Rivers is best known for his 1960s output, having popularized the mid-60s discotheque scene through his live rock and roll recordings at the Los Angeles nightclub Whisky a Go Go, and later shifting to a more orchestral, soul-oriented sound during the latter half of the decade. These developments were reflected by his most notable string of hit singles between 1964 and 1968, many of them covers. They include "Memphis", "Mountain of Love", "The Seventh Son", "Secret Agent Man", "Poor Side of Town", "Baby I Need Your Lovin'", and "Summer Rain". Rivers had a total of nine top-ten hits and 17 top-forty hits on the US charts from 1964 to 1977.

1-1 Memphis

1-2 Maybelline

1-3 Montain Of Love

1-4 Midnight Special

1-5 Seventh Son

1-6 Where Have All The Flowers Gone

1-7 Secret Agent Man

1-8 (I Whashed My Hands In) Muddy Water

1-9 Poor Side Of Town

1-10 Baby, I Need Your Lovin'

1-11 The Tracks Of My Tears

1-12 Summer Rain

1-13 Positively 4th Street

1-14 Muddy River

1-15 Into The Mystic

1-16 Sea Cruise

1-17 Rockin' Pneumonia - Boogie Woogie Flu

1-18 Blue Suede Shoes

2-1 Help Me Rhonda

2-2 Swain' To The Music (Slow Dancing)

2-3 Curious Mind (Um, Um, Um, Um)

2-4 That's Alright Mama

2-5 Honey Don't

2-6 Big River

2-7 Matchbox

2-8 Down At The House Of Blues

2-9 Closer To You

2-10 Blue Suede Blues (Tribute To Carl Perkins)

2-11 Last Train To Memphis

2-12 China (Live)

2-13 Midnight Special (2004 Version)

2-14 I'll Be Back

2-15 Going Back To Big Sur

2-16 Feel A Whole Lot Better

2-17 Rolling Stone

2-18 Let It Rock


Sunday, January 15, 2017

Johnny Rivers...The Memphis Sun Recordings



Johnny Rivers is one of the most underrated rock pioneers. This album is his tribute to rockabilly by recordings that made Sun studios so famous. He plays and sings them close to the originals. Rivers pays homage to the greats, yet makes each well known song his own; no small feat.

One can only imagine how crowded the little Sun Studio in Memphis must have been when this great record was made - guitars, horns, back-up singers, bass, etc, and Johnny singing live. Just terrific versions of early Sun songs plus some of Johnny's hits in stripped down versions. His "Memphis" sounds just as strong as his original 60's recording at the Whiskey A Go Go. Johnny enlisted hall of fame musicians to lend a hand, the late Carl Perkins and James Burton, to name two. 

Carl Perkins sits in and plays after Johnny says to him "Carl, why don't you come in and help us out", after being told by Rebekah Alperin who was helping with the project that I think Carl wants to play. Johnny was thrilled when Carl joined him. Johnny handed his guitar to Carl and picked up an acoustic guitar and they started playing "Bopping the Blues". Carl went on to play lead on all the songs that were his.

Johnny Rivers is in his strongest element on this album; this had to be a great work of joy for him, and it shines through. He has gone back to the roots of rock and roll. Elvis, Roy and Carl would be proud.







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