Eddie Cochran & Friends: Gold Star Rockers

Title: Eddie Cochran & Friends

Fantastic Voyage

Another CD collection for you from the Fantastic Voyage outfit, this one spans three CDs and 108 tracks. The theme for this one? Eddie Cochran. When I heard that, I immediately defaulted into expecting yet another Cochran compilation but, says the label, this is not so and, looking deeper, they’re right. This refreshing collection features music from people associated with Cochran. Hence, you have tracks here in which Cochran appeared on or were created by friends and professional associates.

So, the first five tracks of the first CD are occupied by Lee Denson, an early rockabilly pioneer and the man who, legend has it, taught Elvis to play guitar. He also recorded under Jesse James (that name features in the following two tracks). The sort of people he included on his songs included people like Kenny Burrell, Sam “The Man” Taylor, Dorsey Burnette and, yes, Eddie Cochran. Then there are a few Cochran Brothers tracks which says it all plus, further along, nine tracks from Ray Stanley who, again, included Cochran on his tracks. You can see the theme, therefore.

It’s surprising how much work Eddie Cochran did with other artists. He’s all over a gamut of other people’s singles and album tracks.

Later, you get a batch of tracks from songwriter Baker Knight who wrote songs for the likes of Elvis Presley and Hank Williams Jr. Knight was a good friend of Cochran’s and was due to contribute a part of his creative skill to the creation of Summertime Blues but fell asleep until the composition was completed!

This lively compilation finishes with a couple of tracks from the ‘female Elvis Presley’ Alis Lesley who toured with Cochran in 1957.

A varied and interesting collection, this compilation certainly evokes the atmosphere of the world of Eddie Cochran.