Post Description

Johnny Powers - Long blond hair  (2cds)


Rockabilly artist Johnny Powers' story is one of the more intriguing the genre has to offer. Born John Leon Joseph Pavlik in 1938 in East Detroit, MI, he was the oldest of five children. The family later moved to the small town of Utica, MI, north of Detroit, where he was raised. Pavlik was exposed to music from an early age by members of his father's family, which included several amateur and semi-professional musicians who played weddings and local dances. It was country music, however, that first drew Pavlik into music on a personal level; he discovered Lonnie Baron, a veteran country singer with a show on local radio and would listen and try to play along with a guitar that he'd bought for $2.50 from a neighbor. He later got some helpful instruction from Marvin Maynard, a professional musician who lived in Utica. In 1954, at age 16, Pavlik joined Jimmy Williams and the Drifters, a local country band that played at a local venue called Bill's Barn and got a featured radio spot on a radio station out of Marine City, MI. He also played on one single cut by the band, but it wasn't long before rock & roll attracted Pavlik. It was Jack Scott's single, "Baby She's Gone," that drew him into rock & roll. 
Courtesy of Jimmy Williams' brother Russ, Pavlik discovered Elvis Presley when he was still a Memphis-based phenomenon, and his current single was "Milk Cow Blues Boogie," which really interested him, as a country song with a rock & roll beat. Soon he was adding the beat to his own country songs, and in 1957, Johnny Powers, as he was now known, got an audition with Fortune Records in Detroit. He paid $100 for his own session to record a pair of songs, "Honey, Let's Go to a Rock and Roll Show" b/w "Your Love" on the Hi-Q label. A black deejay named Ernie Durham played his record on WJLB, and Johnny Powers was one of the few white artists who would play the record hops that Durham sponsored. He later put together a band, Johnny Powers & His Rockets, with his friend Marvin Maynard on bass, Clark Locker on the drums, and Stan Getz on guitar. Powers jumped to the Fox label in 1958, getting a pair of regional hits with "Rock Rock" and "Long Blond Hair." The group got steady work cutting demos, some of which have surfaced as bootleg releases in recent years. Among his strongest work from this period were a pair of originals, "Mama Rock" and "Indeed I Do," cut for Leedon. On both, he sounds like the young, wild Elvis Presley that just arrived at RCA,and the group sings uncannily like the Jordanaires on the latter track.



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                       Tracklisting
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   1. (00:02:09) Johnny Powers - Long blond hair
   2. (00:01:57) Johnny Powers - Rock rock
   3. (00:01:51) Johnny Powers - Honey let's go
   4. (00:01:49) Johnny Powers - Your love
   5. (00:03:06) Johnny Powers - I'm walkin'
   6. (00:02:04) Johnny Powers - Treat me right
   7. (00:01:17) Johnny Powers - Be bop a lula
   8. (00:02:00) Johnny Powers - Mean mistreater
   9. (00:01:42) Johnny Powers - Trouble (I'm evil)
  10. (00:02:38) Johnny Powers - With your love,with your kiss
  11. (00:02:23) Johnny Powers - Be mine all mine
  12. (00:02:36) Johnny Powers - Me and my rhythm guitar
  13.(00:01:44) Johnny Powers - Waiting for you
  14. (00:02:40) Johnny Powers - Oh so far away
  15. (00:01:14) Johnny Powers - Kiss-a-me-baby
  16. (00:01:18) Johnny Powers - Falling star
  17. (00:02:01) Johnny Powers - The bigger they are
  18. (00:02:27) Johnny Powers - Please return my love
  19. (00:03:32) Johnny Powers - Someone's gonna hurt you
  20. (00:02:17) Johnny Powers - Seventeen
  21. (00:01:59) Johnny Powers - Mama rock
  22. (00:01:52) Johnny Powers - Indeed I do
  23. (00:01:31) Johnny Powers - Waitin' for you
  24. (00:02:48) Johnny Powers - Don't go away
  25. (00:02:29) Johnny Powers - Trouble (I'm evil)
  26. (00:02:22) Johnny Powers - Don't lie to me
  27. (00:01:41) Johnny Powers - Waiting for you
  28. (00:02:12) Johnny Powers - Won't you please , pretty baby
  29. (00:02:20) Johnny Powers - Rosalee
  30. (00:02:14) Johnny Powers - But now that it's over
  31. (00:01:44) Johnny Powers - I believe she loves me too
  32. (00:00:59) Johnny Powers - I need your lovin' baby
  33. (00:01:23) Johnny Powers - I got a girl who knows how to live
  34. (00:01:36) Johnny Powers - Everybody says that I'm a lucky guy
  35. (00:02:13) Johnny Powers - Well I got troubles
  36. (00:01:04) Johnny Powers - I'll take that chance
  37. (00:02:26) Johnny Powers - Tell me that you care
  38. (00:02:13) Johnny Powers - Indeed I do
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                       Tracklisting
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   1. (00:03:10) Johnny Powers - A new spark for an old flame
   2. (00:02:02) Johnny Powers - Mama rock
   3. (00:02:48) Johnny Powers - Your cheatin' heart
   4. (00:04:20) Johnny Powers - Matchbox
   5. (00:01:30) Johnny Powers - Waitin' for you #4
   6. (00:02:09) Johnny Powers - Corrinne, Corrinna
   7. (00:01:41) Johnny Powers - Waiting for you #5
   8. (00:02:39) Johnny Powers - Endless love
   9. (00:02:44) Johnny Powers - My love my life
  10. (00:03:37) Johnny Powers - Good gracious meI was there when it happened
  11. (00:02:44) Johnny Powers - Good gracious me
  12. (00:02:40) Johnny Powers - Ring,damn you,ring
  13. (00:02:25) Johnny Powers - Long blond hair #2
  14. (00:03:08) Johnny Powers - Thought I heard something
  15. (00:02:32) Johnny Powers - Me and my rhythm guitar #2
  16. (00:03:44) Johnny Powers - I Till honky gets tonky again
  17. (00:03:25) Johnny Powers - I haven't learned my lesson yet
  18. (00:03:24) Johnny Powers - Anything you say
  19. (00:04:12) Johnny Powers - Doo wop shang a lang
  20. (00:04:07) JohnnyPowers - Three little words
  21. (00:04:01) Johnny Powers - Ooooh give it to me baby
  22. (00:03:46) Johnny Powers - Everybody's got a dream
  23. (00:04:16) Johnny Powers - Just one kiss
  24. (00:04:52) Johnny Powers - I'll come back to you
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                       Tracklisting
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   1. (00:03:10) Johnny Powers - A new spark for an old flame
   2. (00:02:02) Johnny Powers - Mama rock
   3. (00:02:48) Johnny Powers - Your cheatin' heart
   4. (00:04:20) Johnny Powers - Matchbox
   5. (00:01:30) Johnny Powers - Waitin' for you #4
   6. (00:02:09) Johnny Powers - Corrinne, Corrinna
   7. (00:01:41) Johnny Powers - Waiting for you #5
   8. (00:02:39) Johnny Powers - Endless love
   9. (00:02:44) Johnny Powers - Mylove my life
  10. (00:03:37) Johnny Powers - Good gracious meI was there when it happened
  11. (00:02:44) Johnny Powers - Good gracious me
  12. (00:02:40) Johnny Powers - Ring,damn you,ring
  13. (00:02:25) Johnny Powers - Long blond hair #2
  14. (00:03:08) Johnny Powers - Thought I heard something
  15. (00:02:32) Johnny Powers - Me and my rhythm guitar #2
  16. (00:03:44) Johnny Powers - I Till honky gets tonky again
  17. (00:03:25) Johnny Powers - I haven't learned my lesson yet
  18. (00:03:24) Johnny Powers - Anything you say
  19. (00:04:12) Johnny Powers - Doo wop shang a lang
  20. (00:04:07) Johnny Powers - Three little words
  21. (00:04:01) Johnny Powers - Ooooh give it to me baby
  22. (00:03:46) Johnny Powers - Everybody's got a dream
  23. (00:04:16) Johnny Powers - Just one kiss
  24. (00:04:52) Johnny Powers - I'll come back to you

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                       Tracklisting
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   1. (00:03:10) Johnny Powers - A new spark for an old flame
   2. (00:02:02) Johnny Powers - Mama rock
   3. (00:02:48) Johnny Powers - Your cheatin' heart
   4. (00:04:20) Johnny Powers - Matchbox
   5. (00:01:30) Johnny Powers - Waitin' for you #4
   6. (00:02:09) Johnny Powers - Corrinne, Corrinna
   7. (00:01:41) Johnny Powers - Waiting for you #5
   8. (00:02:39) Johnny Powers - Endless love
   9. (00:02:44) Johnny Powers - My love my life
  10. (00:03:37) Johnny Powers - Good gracious meI was there when it happened
  11. (00:02:44) Johnny Powers - Good gracious me
  12. (00:02:40) Johnny Powers - Ring,damn you,ring
  13. (00:02:25) Johnny Powers - Long blond hair#2
  14. (00:03:08) Johnny Powers - Thought I heard something
  15. (00:02:32) Johnny Powers - Me and my rhythm guitar #2
  16. (00:03:44) Johnny Powers - I Till honky gets tonky again
  17. (00:03:25) Johnny Powers - I haven't learned my lesson yet
  18. (00:03:24) Johnny Powers - Anything you say
  19. (00:04:12) Johnny P