Cat. No. BCD 17533: FRANK VIRTUE & THE VIRTUES ~ ROCK. BEAR FAMILY BCD 17533. (IMPORT).
FRANK VIRTUE (NEE VIRTUOSO) WAS ORIGINALLY A BASS PLAYER FOR THE PHILDELPHIA BASED ESQUIRE BOYS WHO HAD A MODERATE HIT IN 1952 WITH THE BILL HALEY PENNED “ROCK-A-BEATIN’ BOOGIE” AND LATER LAID DOWN A TORRID 1953 RENDITION OF ARTHUR SMITH’S “GUITAR BOOGIE” COMPLETE WITH A ROUSING VOCAL CHORUS OF “WE’RE GONNA ROCK THIS JOINT” HALFWAY THROUGH THAT WASN’T ABOARD ARTHUR’S ORIGINAL. SHORTLY AFTER, FRANK VIRTUOSO FORMED HIS OWN COMBO WITH JAMES “JIMMY” BRUNO ON LEAD GUITAR, JOHN RENNER ON SAXOPHONE AND JOE VESPE ON DRUMS WITH DAVE KAPLIN THE OCCASIONAL VOCALIST. THEIR FIRST RECORD WAS ISSUED CIRCA 1956 AS THE FRANK VIRTUOSO ROCKETS ON THE BRITISH MELODISC LOGO, THE TRACKS BEING “ROLLIN’ AND ROCKIN’” B/W “GOODBYE MAMBO” (THE TITLE OF WHICH BEING A BIT MISLEADING AS IT IS ACTUALLY A BREEZY ROCKER). THE SAME TRACKS WERE ALSO RELEASED ON THE OBSCURE RHYTHM AND TONE-CRAFT IMPRINTS UNDER THE NAME OF FRANK VIRTUOSO AND THE VIRTUES. SOMETIME IN 1956 VIRTUOSO HOOKED UP WITH NEW JERSEY BASED WALDORF RECORDS WHOSE AGENDA WAS TO RELEASE SOUNDALIKE VERSIONS OF THEN CURRENT HITS AT A BUDGET PRICE. OVER THE YEARS FRANK & THE VIRTUES RECORDED MANY SOUNDALIKE COVER VERSIONS UNDER VARIOUS NAMES. THIS COMPILATION BY BEAR FAMILY PUTS TOGETHER MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF FRANK VIRTUE AND THE VIRTUES OUTPUT OVER THE YEARS. THE BAND MAY HAVE NOT REACHED THE PINNACLE OF ROCK’N’ROLL BUT THEY PUT OUT SOME MIGHTY FINE ROCKERS ALONG THE WAY. V. GOOD ****
TRACK LISTING: Esquire Boys – Guitar Boogie Shuffle / Rock-A-Beatin’ Boogie / Frank Virtuoso & The Virtues – Rollin’ And- A-Rockin’ / Toodle-Oo Kangaroo / Good Bye Mambo / The Rhythm Rockets – Stranded In The Jungle / Tom Friday & The Rhythm Rockets – Hallelujah, I Love Her So / Frank Virtuoso – Corrine, Corrina / Fever / Joe Fortunato & The Rhythm Rockets – Roll Over Beethoven / Frank Virtuoso – Rattle My Bones / The Rhythm Rockets – Boppin’ The Blues / Frank Virtuoso – Mambo Rock / The Rhythm Rockets – Rip It Up / Frank Virtuoso Quintet – Go Joe Go / Frank Virtuoso & The Virtues – Hop, Skip, Jump And Mambo / Frank Virtuoso – Straighten Up And Fly Right / Let’s Have A Party / Frank Virtuoso & His Men Of Virtue – My Constant Love / I’m Going Home / The Virtues – Guitar In Orbit / Guitar Boogie Shuffle / Flippin’ In / Shufflin’ Along / Virtue’s Boogie Woogie / Pickin’ The Stroll / Frank Virtue & The Virtues – Highland Guitar / Marching Guitars / The Virtues – Guitar Boogie Twist / Guitar Shimmy / Frank Virtue & The Virtues – Guitars In-The-Round / The Frank Virtue Combo – Manhunt / The Twangy Rebels – Rebel Rouser “65”.
CD DIGI-PAK
