Compiled and annotated by R&B and rock & roll authority Dave Penny, the 3CD set In The Shadow Of Sun is a mighty 101-track survey of the rockin records released on indie labels in Memphis and environs in the wake of the success of Sun Records.
By 1950, the population of Memphis had increased to 400,000 residents and the time was ripe to test the waters for home-grown independent record labels to cater to the local population and, more importantly, to provide the area s semi-professional artists with an outlet for their creativity without the need to travel to Nashville, Chicago or further. Duke Records was formed in 1952 by David J. Mattis, but was soon subsumed by Houston s Peacock Records. Sam Phillips first joint-venture with his friend, DJ Dewey Phillips, had stiffed after just one release in 1950, persuading him to spend the next few years leasing his local recordings to established West Coast and mid-west labels. His subsequent success with Sun Records in 1953, however, would break the curse of Memphis and open the floodgates to dozens of other would-be Sams intent on finding their own local heroes.
Early entrants in the Memphis indie stakes included David Mattis, returning with the Starmaker imprint, while two West Coast operations, Ekko and Modern, both opened Memphis outlets (the latter creating the dedicated Meteor label). In their wake came OJ, Von (based over the state line in Mississippi), Peak, the cheekily-titled Moon, House of Sound, Atomic, Jaxon, Sure, Lu, Hill Crest, Hornet, Benton, Sky (another Mississippi label), Erwin, Katche, Kay, Crystal, Cathey, Hut, F&L, Rita, Skipper, Stomper Time, Blues Boy Kingdom (formed by B.B. King), Kim and Ardent (which would enjoy considerable when reactivated in 1966). If most of those labels are hardly household names, then it s no surprise that with a few exceptions, like Joe Hill Louis, Johnny Burnette, Little Milton, Carl Mann, Roosevelt Sykes, Wink Martindale, Willie Mitchell and Charlie Feathers, the artists are equally obscure, which is precisely why their releases have come to be treasured by successive generations of collectors, and why In The Shadow Of Sun will be welcomed with open arms by lovers of rhythm and rock!
CD1
01 Moohah All Shook Out 2:51
02 Fention Robinson Tennessee Woman 2:27
03 Hayden Thompson Act Like You Love Me 2:34
04 Curley Griffin I've Seen It All 2:49
05 Eddie Bond Talking Off The Wall 2:32
06 Jess Hooper All Messed Up 2:05
07 Lloyd Mccollough Oh Darling 2:04
08 Aubrey Cagle Wanted To Be Wanted Blues 2:09
09 Joe Hill Lewis Jack Pot 2:31
10 Mac Sales A Gal Named Joe 2:42
11 Johnny Burnette You're Undecided 2:25
12 Curley Griffin You Gotta Play Fair 2:08
13 Brad Suggs Charcoal Suit 2:29
14 Wayne Mcginnis Lonesome Rhythm Blues 1:56
15 Dale Vaughn High Steppin' 2:09
16 Eddie Bond Love Makes A Fool (Every Day) 2:10
17 Curley Griffin Got Rockin' On My Mind 2:32
18 Little Milton Let's Boogie Baby 3:15
19 Moohah Candy 2:35
20 Joe Hill Lewis Glamour Girl 3:02
21 Hayden Thompson I Feel The Blues Coming On 2:36
22 Jess Hooper Sleepy Times Blues 2:22
23 Johnny Burnette Go Mule Go 2:08
24 Lloyd Mccullough Watch That Girl 2:12
25 Brad Suggs Bop, Baby, Bop 2:09
26 Aubrey Cagle Real Cool 2:11
27 Wayne Mcginnis Rock, Roll And Rhythm 2:12
28 Curley Griffin Gotta Whip This Bear 2:12
29 Jimmy Lambeth Latch On To Your Baby 2:19
30 Del Rios Lizzie 2:09
31 Curley Griffin Rock Bottom Blues 2:43
32 Roosewelt Sykes Sputnik Baby 2:23
33 Dale Vaughn How Can You Be Mean To Me 2:20
CD2
01 Allen Page Dateless Night 2:25
02 Carl Mann Rockin' Love 2:23
03 Lynn Pratt Come Here Mama 1:48
04 Chester Guydon Miss Fanny Brown 2:25
05 Allen Page Sugar Tree 2:00
06 Wailin' Bill Dell Do You Care 2:27
07 Curtis Hoback Tom Dooley Rock 'n' Roll 2:18
08 Big Four Outa Tune 2:00
09 Lynn Pratt Red Headed Woman 2:08
10 Charles Senns Dig Me A Crazy Record 2:48
11 Franklin Stewart That Long Black Train 2:25
12 Jimmie Martin Rock The Bop 2:16
13 Joe Wallace Leopard Man 2:26
14 Allen Page Honeysuckle 2:36
15 Dave Gardner Mad Witch 2:33
16 Carl Miller Rhythm Guitar 2:13
17 Curtis Hobock The Whole Town's Talkin' 2:03
18 Barney Burcham I Fell 2:06
19 Chester Guydon You Gotta Help Me Some 2:39
20 Lynn Pratt They're Learning 2:19
21 Wink Martindale Love's Got Me Thinkin' 2:20
22 Allen Page Oh Baby 2:49
23 Jimmie Martin Red Bobby Socks 1:58
24 Curtis Hobock China Rock 2:31
25 Wailin' Bill Dell You Gotta Be Loose 1:56
26 Big Four All Keyed Up 2:07
27 Dave Gardner Love Is My Business 2:22
28 Carne Pitrello The Saints 2:38
29 Carl Mann Gonna Rock And Roll Tonight 1:55
30 Charles Senns Gee Wiz Liz 2:36
31 Lynn Pratt Tom Cat Boogie 2:47
32 Allen Page She's The One That Got It 2:15
33 Wink Martindale Love Broke Loose 1:56
CD3
01 Lloyd Arnold Hang Out 2:03
02 Jody Chastain Jody's Beat 2:54
03 Jimmy Pritchett Nothing On My Mind 1:57
04 Four Kings Rag Mop 1:42
05 Bobby Lollar Bad Bad Boy 1:57
06 Freddie Caddell And The Twirls Gotta Big Fat Mama 2:37
07 Billy Wayne I Love My Baby 1:52
08 Frank Cathey Witchapoo 2:29
09 Eddie Cash And The Cashiers Come On Home 2:07
10 Wayne Williams Red Hot Mama 2:13
11 Ferrell Duncan And His Rockers Flying Saucer Rocket 1:36
12 Willie Mitchell Orchestra Lizzie Lou 2:43
13 Wilbur Steinberg Orchestra Mop Bop Boogie 2:22
14 Bobby Roberts And The Bad Habits Hop, Skip And Jump 2:13
15 Tommy Hawk Rockin' At The Zoo 2:18
16 Bobby Roberts Big Sandy 2:02
17 Charles Dean And The Rondells Train Whistle Boogie 2:05
18 Jody Chastain My My 2:41
19 Hoyt Johnson Standing In Your Window 2:07
20 Larry Kennon Monkey Love 2:22
21 Charlie Feathers Jungle Fever 2:40
22 Freddie Caddell And The Twirls At The Rockhouse 2:15
23 Paul Little I Want To Walk With You 2:06
24 Willie Mitchell Orchestra Wasting My Time 2:29
25 Jerry Grimes My Rock And Roll Daddy 2:42
26 Levi Seabury And His Band Boogie Beat 2:28
27 Five Stars Hey Juanita 2:39
28 Ferrell Duncan Little Susie 2:05
29 Tippo Lite's All Stars Jumping This Morning 2:32
30 Eddie Cash And The Cashiers Land Of Promises 1:54
31 Bobby Roberts She's My Woman 2:35
32 Billy Wayne Walking And Strolling 2:11
33 Merdell Floyd Juke Box Mama 1:26
34 Bobby Roberts Cravin' 2:48
35 Tommy Hawk I Thought About Living 2:28
