Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps, "Bluejean Bop" c/w "Who Slapped John," Capitol[ Germany] F 3558 (rel. summer 1956)
Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps were on fire in 1956. Their debut LP, seen above, is a curious affair. Home to several great rockers, it also contains mellow versions of such standards as "Up a Lazy River," "Wedding Bells" and "The Waltz of the Wind." This early on, such softies still sound appealing in the hands of this crew. Lead guitarist Cliff Gallup was an early master of the rockabilly guitar style.
The group was still pegged as country, and were produced by Ken Nelson, who helmed most of Capitol's releases in that vein. He gave the group a sympathetic production, with all the staples of rockabilly (big studio sound, mucho reverb and well-recorded drums and bass). Vincent's voice recorded well in Capitol's chambers, and for a year or so, the original Blue Caps could do no wrong.
Today we'll hear their third single--a promotional release for said album. I've had no luck finding a playable copy of the American issue of this single. Every one I lay my hands on has a fatal skip or two. When a German release showed up at a local record shop, I went for it. Despite some visual damage to the vinyl, it played through (always a plus!) and cleaned up real nice-like in ClickRepair; I had to dilute a few thunks and bumps here and there. Some minor ones may still lurk in these tracks, but I think I've tamed the worst of the lot.
"Bluejean Bop" is a rockabilly anthem. It checks all the boxes: fake-out slow beginning, immediate launch into a fast-paced rocker, spectacular guitar soli and reverb-soaked percussion with a hep vocalist on top of it all. Gene celebrates "the bop that's done with the dungaree" as Cliff Gallup takes three tasty solos. A skilled musician, Gallup took some cues from modern jazz; references to well-known songs (in this case, the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb") pop up in his playful-but-impressive solo passages.
Dickie Harrel's drums are so smothered in reverb that only the odd rim shot stands out; otherwise, they're rhythm as sludge; I envision a mass of sentient moss shifting back and forth, as if waiting for a late bus.
The US release of this single just got into the Billboard Top 50. Vincent and the Caps' prior 45, the spellbinding "Race with the Devil," stalled lower at #96. They managed two Top 40 hits in 1957 but their singles otherwise flopped. Instant rockabilly hall of fame status!
The Cash Box review shows how
enthusiastic the early response
to rock 'n' roll was--as something
new and something marketable.
Cash was the bottom line here.
Like the A-side, "Who Slapped John?" was co-written by Gene Vincent. It's an excuse for Cliff Gallup to take solo after solo; nothing wrong with that! This archetypal rockabilly bopper is a testament to the excitement this group could achieve in the recording studio--and how fortunate they were to have Gallup in their ranks. He would leave the band in 1957 and though Vincent's sound remained dynamic, the loss of Gallup was noticeable. By the end of the decade, Vincent drifted more towards pop music, though leavened with enough rock to satisfy his contingent of European fans. He was beloved in Britain, where future rock 'n' roll stars cut their teeth on his Capitol recordings, learned the songs and kept the torch of rock 'n' roll alive and well.
New episode of the podcast today! Hear it here:
Tomorrow: dark, haunting guitar instrumentals by Bayonne, New Jersey's Invictas, via a super-rare 1964 single from 20th-Century Fox Records.
With lyrics like 'heart hoppin' like a kangaroo' how can you go wrong. Both songs are a bit light on lyrics but I'm sure these got the teens out on the dance floor. This CashBox 'biscuit' review is a hoot and a half.
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