Spent Brothers Productions Gene Vincent Website

UNCUT January 2008

GENE VINCENT The Outtakes Bear Family
***
1958-’67 session tapes yield eye-popping 226-track extravaganza
Bear Family’s zeal for completeness has no peer…The Outtakes pours forth some eight hours of heretofore unheard sessions. False starts, fascinating fly-on-the-wall repartee, and countless takes of Gene trying to revive - sometimes with the flimsiest of material - the Blue Caps’ visionary, frenzied intensity…Nonetheless,Vincent was an estimable singer, moving through orchestrated pop…, swampy blues…, and folk/rock…with a graceful ease antithetical to the pained, downward spiral of his career. Vincent cultists will dig; nonbelievers may convert upon hearing 20 sizzling minutes of the Blue Caps’ “Rip It Up”.

Luke Torn

GENE VINCENT
The Outtakes
6-CD digibox with 76-page booklet BCD 16842 FR

An intriguing follow-up to the 8-CD set Gene Vincent - The Road Is Rocky (Complete Studio Masters 1956-1971), this 6-CD set, comprised of every known outtake, false start and dialogue, is a completist’s dream. Featuring superb sound quality, the listener can actually hear how the various bands worked it out with Vincent in the studio. According to re-issue producer Derek Henderson, the singer’s 1956-1957 sessions tapes have yet to be located, but a wealth of great material exists from his later era…

Packaged in a digibox set…with liner notes by Steve Aynsley, this remarkable collection features dozens of alternates that have never been released before. This painstakingly remastered set bring us closer to the people that created the music while showcasing the creative genius of the late Gene Vincent.

Johnny Vallis

Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps influenced generations of rock artists with their rockabilly recordings on Capitol. Yet, those classics sides were not the end of Vincent’s story as a recording artist. This smartly documented set includes 223 of the Virginia-born rock pioneer’s studio work from every label he was associated with over his 16 year career…

Beautifully packaged, this set boasts a 130 page hardcover book featuring previously unpublished photographs. Renowned Vincent researcher Derek Henderson helped put together with great knowledge and care. Ian Wallis wrote the biography and Deke Dickerson contributed a technical appreciation of Vincent’s recordings. Recording logs and contracts from Capitol producer Ken Nelson supplement the complete discography information in the book. More importantly, the sound quality tops any previous release of these tracks (some are previously unissued stereo versions). By tackling this artist’s complete recording career in such high style, Bear Family has crafted a box set as compelling as Gene Vincent himself.

Johnny Vallis

JUKEBOX N^o250 Novembre 2007

Du nouveau sur GENE VINCENT

Aprés la sortie en 2006 du trés coffret de l’intégrale studio de Gene Vincent , Bear Family récidive avec un opus de 6 CD comprenant des prises différentes et pour la plupart inédites, “THE OUTTAKES” (BCD 16842)…

Dans cette nouvelle mouture, le compilateur Derek Henderson dévoile l’intégralité de toutes ces prises incluant les faux départs, des dialogues, et des versions complètes totalement inédites. On a ici affaire à un transfert numérique de haute qualité mis il est dommage que ce coffret soit du format d’un CD ce qui réduit l’attrait des nombreuses photos inédites du livret…

Maigré toutes ces recherches, Derek Henderson n’a pas réussi à localiser de bandes concernant les trois derniers 33 tours de Gene. Quoi qu’il en soit, ce coffret est vivement conseillé aux fans de Gene Vincent.

Didier Delcourt

Something new on Gene Vincent

After the appearance in 2006 (sic) of the complete studio masters Gene Vincent box, Bear Family do it again with a 6 CDs work containing different, and mostly unreleased, tracks, “THE OUTTAKES” (BCD 16842)…

In this new reworking, the compiler Derek Henderson unveils all these recordings in full, including false starts, dialogue, and full versions which were never issued. We’re dealing here with a high-quality digital transfer, but it’s a shame that the box is in single CD-size, which reduces the attractiveness of the numerous unpublished photos in the booklet…

In spite of all his research, Derek Henderson has not managed to locate any tracks from Gene’s last three albums. Be that as it may, this box is warmly recommended to fans of Gene Vincent.

(Thanks to Nicola Thwaite for translation)

Now Dig This UK Issue 295 October 2007

GENE VINCENT The Outtakes Bear Family BCD 16842
For any Vincent diehard this perfectly compliments (sic) Bear Family’s recent boxed set, ‘The Road Is Rocky - The Complete Studio Masters’… Bear Family have served Gene’s followers well in providing this sumptuous finale…There’s a mammoth seven and a half hours of musical history in this little box that no Gene Vincent fan will want to be without.

Harry Dodds

PLATENBLAD Nr 139 21 april t/m 1 juni 2006

Gene Vincent (1936-1971) was één van de oorspronkkelijke koningen van de rock-’n-rollen wellicht de meest fascinerende rockzanger ooit, met veel schitterende platen op zijn naam. Vincent waseen schoolvoorbeeld van eigenzinnigheid en ervoer extreem veel hindernissen in zihn loopbaan. Ook na de hoogtijperiode van de rock-’n-roll bleef hij overigens intrigerende albums maken, vol overlevingsdrang en melancholie. Zijn invloed strekt zich uit van latere rock-’n-roll bands als The Stray Cats tot popgrootheden als Jeff Beck, John Lennon en Jim Morrison. Henderson (producer van de definitieve Vincent-box set, The Road Is Rocky, op Bear Family) heeft met dit Companion-boek een totaaloverzicht gemaakt van de sessies van Gene Vincent, zoals die sinds 1956 op singles, ep’s, lp’s en cd’s verschenen zijn. Zo weten we thans exact op welke tracks Cliff Gallup zijn legendarische gitaarpartjen bijdraagt, en op welke tracks je andere legendes als Eddie Cochran of (tenorsaxofonist) Jackie Kelso kan horen. Welke versie van Git It staat op Capitol-single F4051? In hoeveel takes zijn klassiekers als Be Bop A Lula en Race With The Devil opgenomen? Welke singles zijn op 78 toerenuitgebracht? En in welke platenstudio, radiostudio of zaal vonden de achtereenvolgende opnames plaats, zoals de Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville, Capitol Recording Studios in Hollywood an die ene sessie in 1963 in Joe Meek’s studio in Holloway Road, Temptation Baby? Henderson leidt je rond langs (waarschijnlijk) elke plaat die er ooit (in welk land dan ook) van Vincent is verschenen. Henderson geeft in Companion een mooie kritische beoordeling van de gigantische hoeveelheid albums die er na Vincent’s dood in 1971 uitkwamen. Wel leuk dat een bepaalde Capitol-lp met bonustracks uitkomt, maar komen de tracks van de mastertapes of van referentietapes, of wellicht simpelweg van bestaande platen (’dubbed from disc’). Welke albums zijn bootlegs? Het discografische deel van het boek is een zeer uitgebreide versie van Henderson’s eerdere uitgave uitgave Gene Vincent - A Discography. Henderson gaat terecht ook nader in op de vele ‘non-Vincent’ opnames van Vincent’s belangrijkste muzikanten zoals Cliff Gallup, Johnny Meeks en Tommy Facenda. Het boek bevat een groot aantal live- en studio-foto’s en afbeeldingen van singlelabels. Essentieel voor de Gene Vincent-verzamelaar en voor eigenlijk elke serieuze rock-’n-roll fan…

Wim van Cleef

Gene Vincent (1936-1971) was one of the original kings of Rock and Roll and possibly the most fascinating rock singer ever, with beautiful records to his name. Vincent was a model of unruliness and experienced an extreme amount of obstacles in his career. Also after the heights of Rock and Roll he continued making intriguing records, full of melancholy and a will to survive. His influence stretches from later Rock and Roll bands like the Stray Cats to icons like Jeff Beck, John Lennon and Jim Morrison. Henderson (producer of the definitive Vincent Box Set, The Road is Rocky, on Bear Family) has made with this Companion book a complete summary of Gene Vincent recording sessions, as they were released since 1956 on singles, EPs, LPs and CDs. Now we know exactly on what tracks Cliff Gallup plays his legendary guitar parts, and on what tracks Eddie Cochran or Jackie Kelso (tenor saxophone player) can be heard. What version of “Git It” is on Capitol F4051? In how many takes were classics like “Be Bop A Lula? and “Race With The Devil” recorded? What singles were released on 78rpm? And in what record studio, radio station or concert hall did recordings take place: the Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville, Capitol Recording Studios in Hollywood and that one session in 1963 in Joe Meek’s studio at Holloway Road, “Temptation Baby”? Henderson will guide you through, possibly every Gene Vincent record ever released, no matter what country. Henderson gives in Companion beautiful critical notes of the enormous amount of records released after Vincent’s death in 1971. It’s nice that a certain Capitol record is released with bonus tracks, but do these tracks come from the master tapes or from reference tapes, or possibly dubbed from disc?. What albums are bootlegs? The discography part of this book is a very extensive revision of Henderson’s former book release “Gene Vincent - A Discography”. Henderson is rightfully taking a closer look at the many “non-Vincent” recordings of Vincent’s most important musicians like Cliff Gallup, Johnny Meeks and Tommy Facenda. The book contains a lot of live and studio pictures and images of record labels. Essential for the Gene Vincent collector and actually for every serious rock ‘n’ roll fan.

(Thanks to Kenneth van Schooten for translation)

Jukebox N^o227 Février 2006

Le transfert numérique effectué par Bear Family est réellement fantastiique. Les progès de la technologie et le soin méticuleux de Derek Henderson font que ce coffret n’a rien de comparable avec celui publié il y a quinze ans par EMI…

Didier Delcourt

The digital transfer carried out by Bear Family is truly fantastic. Technological progress and the meticulous care of Derek Henderson mean that there’s just no comparison between this box set and that published by EMI fifteen years ago…

(Thanks to Nicola Thwaite for translation)

Record Collector UK Issue 315 October 2005

*****
Unquestionably one of rock’s greatest large scale box sets, build a shelf to lean this one against Dylan’s Genuine Live 1966 and Elvis’ 50s masters.

Colin Fleming

Mojo UK May 2005

BLACK AND BLUE

The original black leather rebel gets the full treatment, with superlative sound…
*****
Gene’s 1956-64 recordings for Capitol and Columbia were covered by an excellent EMI box set in 1990. Bear Family’s new box…takes in the whole of Vincent’s career…58 performances not in the previous box, plus extra mono and stereo variants of some material, and a 130-page LP-sized hardback illustrated book with a fine biography by Ian Wallis and technical notes by Deke Dickerson… He was only 36 when the road ran out, but the music here ranks alongside the very best that’s ever been recorded, before or since.

Max Décharné

Now Dig This UK Issue 265 April 2005

The Bop That Won’t Ever Stop
This is the third and by far most lavish Vincent box set…at last Gene’s music gets the long overdue Bear family treatment with this 8XCD set which partners together all of the studio recordings…between 1956 - 1971… This being Bear Family, of course, you also get a super 132-page hardback book full of great pictures… The reproduction of these photos is superb - a real treat for the eyes… this box…won’t be one of those to be admired and then filed away on the shelf… what a great 70th birthday present this would have made for Gene. I’m sure he would have been proud of it.

Eric Dunsdon

RECORD COLLECTOR June 2005

****
“The definitive guide from Be-Bop-A-Lula onwards
Call us what you like - trainspotters, anoraks, or anything else that springs to mind - but record collectors love books like this. Even though it it may contain what looks like lists of boring facts and figures to anyone not deeply absorbed in the hobby of collecting as many vintage records as possible, the information is essential for those that do.

Published to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the birth of Gene Vincent, this book contains every reference you would ever need about his career and recorded output - timelines, sessions, videos, spoken word, chart entries and so on - obsessive detail that does justice to one of the most unique 1950s rock ‘n’ roll stars.

In 1956 when executives at Capitol were searching for an answer to Elvis Presley, they discovered someone who was nothing like him, Vincent, the tortured soul with a voice to match, looked more like a gang-leader than a ladies man. A car accident had left him in constant pain; and eventually hard liquor helped end his life in 1971. He personified the live-hard-die-young legend of a rock ‘n’ roll hero.

Serious Gene Vincent fans will need this book; but despite his agonies, maybe a more exciting high-key cover design would have been better to help generally promote it in the bookshops.

Yes, Gene Vincent may well have had a dark side, but he also remains one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most colourful characters.”

Bob Solly

JUKEBOX N^o217 Avril 2005

La compétence de Derek Henderson en ce qui concerne Gene Vincent est incontestable. C’est d’ailleurs à lui que Bear Family a demandé d’être le maître d’oeuvre des deux coffrets qui vont être consacrés au chanteur cette année. En 1998, Derek a publié une discographie dont il propose une nouvelle édition augmentée et corrigée (176 p., 21×29cm). Voici ce qu’on y trouve, organisé de manière claire et logique : chronologie Gene Vincent, liste de toutes les chansons, détails des séances en studio puis en concert, discographie complète (simples, EP, LP, rééditions, CD, compilations), filmo/vidéographie, interviews, hommages, Blue Caps, etc. Un travail fiable et impressionant !

Jean-William Thoury

Derek Henderson’s competence as far as Gene Vincent is concerned is unquestionable. Moreover, it is he who Bear Family have asked to oversee two boxed sets which will be devoted to the singer this year. In 1998, Derek published a discography and here proposes a bigger and amended edition (176pp A4 size). This is what it contains, organised in a clear and logical way: complete discography (singles, EPs, LPs, reissues, CDs, compilations), film/videography, interviews, tributes, Blue Caps, etc. A reliable and impressive work!

(Thanks to Janet Bartlett for translation)

.

NOW DIG THIS Issue No 264 March 2005

What was the first Gene Vincent CD to be issued in the UK? Whose TV show did he appear on in New York on July 26th 1956? Where and when did he make a private recording of ‘Stand By Me’? Which country issued a 78 mislabelled ‘Bluejean Hop’? For which NDT contributor did he record a personal message in September 1967?

The answers to these – and just about any other query you may have about The Screaming End’s recording career – can be found in Derek Henderson’s ‘Gene Vincent – A Companion’, published to commemorate what would have been the rock n roll legend’s 70th birthday on February 11th. It’s a totally revised and updated version of Henderson’s previous self-published Vincent discographies which first appeared in 1992 (see NDT 110) and 1998 (NDT 181). This time he’s extended the book’s remit to also include several extra sections, such as a GV timeline, a selected bibliography, an A-Z of cross-referenced song titles with writer credits, chart positions, video and DVD releases and a guide for vinyl collectors. A selected Blue Caps discography and timeline are other worthy additions.

But the real meat is to be found in the comprehensive sessionography which lists every GV studio date and the musicians who played on them between 1956 – 1971. Live recordings are dealt with in a similar way and no stone is left unturned in an attempt to be as complete as possible. Locations, dates, backing group members, songs performed – it’s all here. The final entry tells us that at the Warehouse in Anaheim on June 21st 1971, Gene’s set included ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’, ‘Working On The Railroad’ and ‘Corinne Corinna’ – three songs he never recorded commercially.

Where the author has had access to full session tapes there are listings of false starts, incomplete takes and so on. In the book’s introduction he writes that although rumours of further material continue to do the rounds, he lists only known and substantiated facts. He also tells us that some of the fresh data used stems from record company files and musicians union records that he didn’t have access to before.

The sessionography is followed by a mammoth listing of every GV record and CD issued worldwide since 1956 to the present day. This almost a book in itself, spread across 89 of the 172 pages, featuring singles, EPs, LPs and CDs (with full track listings) country by country, year by year. Various artists collections and bootlegs included. The regular items mix with the weird and wonderful here – though surely there’s none more weird than a UK CD from 2000 on HMV called ‘Easy’ which is part of an Easy Listening series! A Gene Vincent ‘easy listening’ album!?!? With ‘Pink Thunderbird’, ‘Race With The Devil’, Cat Man’, ‘B-I-Bicky-Bi Bo Bo Go’ and similar barn-burners on it!?!? Excuse me while I dry off my leather trousers.

The photographic content could perhaps have been better – there are very few illustrations of the records listed – but this is first and foremost a reference book and in that respect it certainly does the business. To gripe about the lack of photos would be churlish. Most of the images that are featured were taken by the author himself, including a few snapped when Gene was on his telly guesting on ‘Boy Meets Girls’ and ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’. Two really unique photos show Gene singing and introducing Little Richard from the audience at the Bristol (sic) Hippodrome on October 14th 1962. The section headed ‘UK Memorabilia’ includes reproductions of various programmes, ticket stubs and even a Vincent autograph obtained by Henderson after the May 18th 1960 evening show in Brighton through a car window whilst driving alongside on his BSA motorcycle! Hardcore collectors will delight in pouring (sic) over the label shots of various promo releases and other oddities.

No Gene Vincent fan will fail to be impressed by this book. Once again, Derek Henderson has delivered the goods. As I said when reviewing his previous book in 1998, it’s the kind of painstaking labour of love that only a die-hard fan could produce. Long may he continue supplying us with such detailed, well-documented updates.
Oh, and regarding those queries raised at the top of this review, you’ll find the answers on pages 96, 37, 33, 47 and 142.

Trevor Cajiao