Cat. No. BCD 17632: JOE BENNETT & THE SPARKLETONES ~ WHAT THE HECK! BEAR FAMILY BCD 17632. (IMPORT).

JOE BENNETT AND THE SPARKLETONES WERE ONLY IN THEIR MID-TEENS WHEN THEY CAME BLASTING OUT OF SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1957. THEIR EXTREME YOUTH WAS NO DETERRENT TO IMMEDIATE SUCCESS WHEN “BLACK SLACKS”, THEIR DEBUT SINGLE FOR ABC-PARAMOUNT, TOOK OFF UP THE CHARTS. THEY WERE POLISHED ENOUGH TO KNOCK THE AUDIENCE DEAD ON “THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW” AND THE SONG ZIPPED UP THE CHARTS TO PEAK AT #17 ON BILLBOARD’S HOT 100. THE BAND FORMED IN 1955, RANGING IN AGE FROM 12 TO 16 AND WAS ORIGINALLY CALLED THE JAMBORETTES, WHICH HAD SEVERAL MEMBERS INCLUDING SOME DANCE GIRLS. THE JAMBORETTES’ HANDLE SOON CHANGED TO THE SPARKLETONES. THE GROUP WANTED TO INCORPORATE THEIR HOMETOWN IN THE BAND’S NAME AND AFTER TOSSING AROUND A FEW NAMES THE SPARKLETONES WAS CHOSEN. ONE NIGHT WHILE THE BAND WAS PERFORMING IN A TALENT SHOW IN SPARTANBURG A CBS TALENT-SCOUT BY THE NAME OF BOB COX WAS IN THE AUDIENCE AND WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THE BAND’S PERFORMANCE AND SO HE QUIT HIS JOB AT CBS AND BECAME THE BAND’S MANAGER. COX HAD A LOT OF CONNECTIONS SO THE BAND STARTED TO GET SOME PRETTY GOOD GIGS. ALONG THE WAY THEY STARTED UP A STRING OF THEATRE GIGS WHEREBY THE THEATRE WOULD SHOW A MOVIE THEN THE BAND WOULD PERFORM. IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT THE BAND HAD A WEEK’S LAYOVER AND INSTEAD OF GOING HOME THEY WENT TO NEW YORK, CHECKED INTO THE YMCA FOR A DOLLAR A NIGHT AND THEN BEAT THE STREETS FOR ABOUT THREE DAYS AND WOUND UP IN THE OFFICE OF ABC-PARAMOUNT. THEY SANG “BLACK SLACKS” (A SONG WRITTEN BY JOE BENNETT AND BAND MEMBER JIMMY DENTON) THAT AFTERNOON AND AT 1.30 THAT NIGHT THEY CUT “BLACK SLACKS” AND AS THEY SAY, “THE REST IS HISTORY”. THE BAND CONTINUED TO RECORD UNTIL THE MID 1960s UNDER VARIOUS NAMES INCLUDING A SESSION RECORDED IN MADRID, SPAIN WITH MARIA ISABEL BARBARA LLAUDES SANTIAGO DOING THE VOCALS. THIS CD BY BEAR FAMILY CONTAINS ALL KNOWN RECORDINGS BY THE GROUP. MOSTLY GREAT ROCK’N’ROLL ****

TRACK LISTING: Black Slacks / Boppin’ Rock Boogie / Penny Loafers And Bobby Sox / Rocket / Let’s Go Rock & Roll / Number One On My Love List / Cotton Pickin’ Rocker / I Dig You Baby / Maybe Baby / Little Turtle / We’ve Had It / Do The Stop / Late Again / Late Again (alt. version) / Bayou Rock / Beautiful One / Boys Do Cry / Boys Do Cry (alt. version) / What The Heck / Are You From Dixie / Softly / Karina Con Los Jaguars – No Esta Bien (She’s A Fool) / La Misma Playa / Hully Gully Boy / Vaya Vaya (Lawdy, Lawdy) / Joe & The Jaguars – Si Tuviera Un Martillo / La Hora / Kansas City / Memphis / De Nada / La Cancion Del Gato Tom (The Tom Cat Song) / Toodle Ooo / Osito De Trapo (The Teddy Bear Song) / Run Rabbit Run / Well Dressed Man / Billy & Eddie – The King Is Coming Back / Joe Bennett & The Sparkletones - Rocket (Nat King Cole Show) / Black Slacks (Nat King Cole Show).

CD DIGI-PAK