VA - Dreamboats And Petticoats Four [2CD] (2010)

Following the huge success of its previous three compilations, the Dreamboats & Petticoats series, which focuses on the sounds of the late-'50s and early-'60s birth of rock & roll, returns with its 2010 installment. Taking in skiffle, trad jazz, rockabilly, soul, and lounge-pop, it features number ones from Cliff Richard & the Shadows ("The Young Ones"), Perry Como ("Magic Moments"), and Ricky Valance ("Tell Laura I Love Her"), alongside one-hit wonders Jess Conrad, Floyd Cramer and Jane Morgan, and classic tracks from the period's most popular performers, Lonnie Donegan, the Everly Brothers, and Billy Fury. While it will undoubtedly provide a trip down memory lane for any listener who grew up in the pre-Beatles era, there are also several classic songs that will be just as familiar to younger audiences, such as Ben E. King's "Stand by Me," Brian Poole & the Tremeloes' "Twist and Shout," and Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World." Highlights from the two-CD, 26-track collection include the Four Seasons' falsetto-led "Sherry," the Ronettes' Phil Spector-produced "Be My Baby," and the Shadows' Western-influenced instrumental "Apache." But in addition to the original classic songs, there is also a brand new composition, the infectiously catchy "Did Your Mama Tell You (How To Rock & Roll)," performed by A Dreamboat & a Petticoat, aka AJ Dean and Daisy Wood-Davis, two of the stars from the hit West End jukebox musical inspired by the compilation series. With material from such iconic figures as Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and Buddy Holly, this fourth collection ensures that the Dreamboats & Petticoats brand continues to be the most impressive nostalgia-based album on the market.