Vincent, Gene - That Be-Bop-A-Lula Cat - CD

Gene Vincent
That Be-Bop-A-Lula Cat
Rare & Unreleased Recordings 1963 - '71
Limited Collectors Edition, Only 500 Copies Pressed.
Virginia 357-1-2

NEW GENE VINCENT ‘RARITIES’ RELEASE ON 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH

Track Listing

Saturday Club BBC Radio Show, Playhouse Theatre, London (U.K.), November 25th, 1963:
1. She She Little Sheila
2. Susie Q

Rehearsal at Salle Rameau, Lyon (France), September 28th, 1967:
3. Bird Doggin’
4. Say Mama (excerpt)
5. Long Tall Sally (excerpt)
6. I’m Going Home
7. Hi-Lily Hi-Lo

Recorded during the September / October 1967 French tour:
8. Gene Vincent’s message to his U.K. fans

Recorded live at Salle Rameau, Lyon (France), September 28th, 1967:
9. Say Mama
10. Long Tall Sally
11. I’m Going Home
12. Hi Lily Hi-Lo

Recorded on October 6th, 1967:
13. Bi-lingual interview for Radio Suisse Romande, Geneva, Switzerland
(The complete interview, including ‘Hi-Lily Hi-Lo’ from the October 6th, 1967 concert at the Salle de la Réformation in Geneva, Switzerland.)

Demo Recordings, Salem, Oregon, May 14 & 15, 1969:
14. Rainyday Sunshine
15. (Looking For The) Green Grass
16. Mr. Love
17. Roll Over Beethoven

Dave Lee Travis BBC Radio Show, Maida Vale Studio 4, London (U.K.), November 16th, 1969:
18. Pistol Packin’ Mama
19. Be Bop A-Lula
20. Say Mama
21.Rocky Road Blues

San Francisco State College Folk Festival (U.S.A.), September 25th, 1970:
22. Sunshine
23. I Heard That Lonesome Whistle
24. Woman Love

Top Gear BBC Radio Show, Playhouse Theatre, London (U.K.), January 25th, 1971:
25. The Day The World Turned Blue

All Our Yesterplays BBC Radio Show, Aeolian Hall 1 - Studio 2, London , February 3rd, 1971:
26. Baby Blue

Recorded live at the Corral Club, Topanga Canyon, Ca. (U.S.A), June 6th, 1971:
27. Sunday Morning Coming Down
28. Corrine, Corrina

Johnny Walker BBC Radio Show, Maida Vale Studio 4, London (U.K.), October 1st, 1971:
29. Distant Drums


Gene Vincent. The name conjures up one of the most definitive images from the rock ‘n’ roll era: Gene looking upwards as if in a trance, his black gloved hands wrapped firmly around the mike, one knee bent and the cripled leg stretched. Dressed in black leathers, with a huge chain around his neck, singing ‘Be Bop-A-Lula’ with an otherworldliness that was both intimidating and enthralling at the same time.

To commemorate the 35th anniversary of his passing, Virginia Records is celebrating his legacy with this new release, titled ‘Gene Vincent: That Be-Bop-A-Lula Cat!’, which contains 78+ minutes of rare and unreleased recordings from his final years. Near the end, Gene was fighting a losing battle against his personal demons, and no doubt he realized that. One of the few things that remained a constant in those last years was his commitment to his music. In an interview recorded just weeks before his death, he told journalist David Simmons: "Now politically, business-wise, husband-wise, I might be a no-good son-of-a-gun, but there’s one thing I can do – I know my music. Can’t mess me up on it, baby. Try it!".

Highlights on ‘That Be-Bop-A-Lula Cat!’ include an unreleased rehearsal and concert in Lyon, France (09-28-67) as well as the never-before released songs ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’ and ‘Corrine, Corrina’ from a June 1971 gig in California. He instills both songs with all the Gene Vincent characteristics, and ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’ in particular is a moving performance. Much the same can be said about Gene’s version of the Jim Reeves hit ‘Distant Drums’, an unrehearsed performance recorded less than a forthnight before his death.

"I’m a rock ‘n’ roller and I’ll die a rock ‘n’ roller", Gene told Ronnie Weiser in ’71, and perhaps that credo goes some way in explaining his continuing popularity. Unlike Elvis, he never went Hollywood, and unlike Jerry Lee, he never went country. He stuck to what he loved best – rock ‘n’ roll. He was one of the prototypes of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, and was one of the first to pay the ultimate price, an early grave. Gene Vincent was one of the main inspirations behind the punk revolution, with bands like The Sex Pistols clearly being inspired by his fatalistic ‘dying-for-the-art’ attitude and lifestyle.

All 29 tracks on ‘That Be-Bop-A Lula Cat!’ were digitally remastered using the latest state-of-the-art technology, and even those tracks that have been released before now sound significantly better. The 16-page booklet contains a generous amount of unpublished photos and memorabilia, as well as detailed liner notes. Only 500 copies will be pressed, so ‘That Be-Bop-A Lula Cat’ is bound to become a true collectors item.