Original Rock Oldies Golden Hits - Volume 1
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Album Summary
Released in 1970 on the legendary Specialty Records label out of the United States, 'Original Rock Oldies Golden Hits - Volume 1' is a various artists compilation that reaches back into the golden vault of rhythm and blues and early rock and roll, drawing together some of the most electrifying sides ever pressed to wax. Specialty Records, the storied Los Angeles imprint founded by Art Rupe, had been home to some of the most vital sounds in American music, and this collection reflects that rich legacy, gathering twelve tracks that capture the raw, rollicking spirit of an era when the line between R&B and rock and roll was beautifully, gloriously blurred. The album stands as a loving preservation effort, bringing these essential recordings to a new decade of listeners hungry for the real thing.
Reception
- As a budget or catalog reissue compilation, 'Original Rock Oldies Golden Hits - Volume 1' was not widely reviewed by major music press at the time of its 1970 release, and no verified chart performance data is available for this specific collection.
- The album's value was recognized primarily by dedicated record collectors and R&B enthusiasts who understood Specialty's unimpeachable reputation as a source of authentic, foundational American music.
Significance
- This compilation serves as a time capsule of Specialty Records' extraordinary catalog, preserving rhythm and blues and early rock and roll recordings that defined the sonic and cultural landscape of the 1950s for audiences encountering them in the new decade of the 1970s.
- The tracklist, spanning essential sides like 'Lawdy Miss Clawdy,' 'Long Tall Sally,' 'Rip It Up,' and 'Short Fat Fannie,' represents a cross-section of the Specialty sound that helped establish the foundational vocabulary of rock and roll as a genre.
- By packaging these recordings under the 'Rock Oldies' banner in 1970, the release participated in a broader cultural moment of nostalgia and reappraisal that helped cement the historical legitimacy of 1950s R&B and rock and roll as serious American art forms worthy of preservation and study.
Samples
- "Rip It Up" — the Little Richard original from Specialty's catalog has been widely referenced and sampled across decades of popular music, appearing in numerous hip-hop and R&B productions drawn to its explosive, driving rhythm.
- "Long Tall Sally" — this Little Richard classic has been sampled and interpolated by multiple artists across genres, recognized as one of the foundational recordings in the Specialty catalog with a documented legacy in later popular music.
- "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" — the Lloyd Price original, one of the most celebrated recordings on the Specialty label, has been referenced and sampled by artists drawn to its deeply soulful groove and historic R&B pedigree.
Tracklist
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A1 Rip It Up —
2:20
-
A2 Bad Boy —
2:15
-
A3 Lawdy Miss Clawdy —
2:27
-
A4 Book Of Love —
2:20
-
A5 I'll Come Running Back To You —
2:10
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A6 Long Tall Sally —
2:08
-
B1 Over The Mountain, Across The Sea —
2:18
-
B2 Short Fat Fannie —
2:18
-
B3 Gloria —
2:38
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B4 Zindy Lou —
2:50
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B5 I —
2:42
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B6 Leavin' It All Up To You —
2:08
Artist Details
Here's the thing about Various, baby — this artist burst onto the 1980s rock scene like a force of nature, blending raw energy with a sound that was somehow both timeless and perfectly of its era. Various carved out a reputation for delivering tracks that hit you right in the chest, the kind of music that made you pull over your car just to let the song breathe. With a catalog that speaks for itself, Various remains one of the most compelling figures to come out of that decade of big hair, bigger riffs, and even bigger feelings.
