"lf You Con't Rock Me" ond "Bobyl'm Sorry" on his own lobel os LIN5006. These sides ore fobulous ondhighlighted by the stunning workof A.B. Cornelius on his FenderTelecoster guitor. Thot Corl Perkins'devotee reolly put fire on the strings.The lobel shows "Vocol by The ThreePelves", wos not used until theyrecorded thot session ond wos theideo o{ Joe Leonord being ond notknown to the members of The Strikesuntil they sow it on the 45s pressed upby Monorch in Colifornio.
On ourol evidence, "lf You Con'tRock Me" doesn't sound exoctly thesome os the lmperiol releose. MoybeLew Chudd or the pressing hosdoctored the moster. There wos vostpotentiol in the group but it wos neverreolized. Even when their work wosloter picked up by lmperiol Recordsos port of o notionol distribution deolset with Leonord thot included olsocontrocts for Ken Copelond ond BillStubblefield. The deol olso includedtronsferring some publishing rightsinto Lew Chudd's honds vio MorguisMusic.
The deol wos published inBillboord on 16 Morch 1957 ondin the North Texos Stote Collegenewspoper on Fridoy 22 Morch 1957.ln thot poper corrying o picture of thebond informotion is given obout DonAlexonder ond Willie Jocobs beingformer students ond The Strikes'record doing well in Boston ond FortWorth.
Ken Copelond wos born on 25Moy I937 in Goinesville, Texos. Hefirst recorded for Lin in November1956 qs o potentiol Pot Boone. Hisfirst releose brings bock to bock"Night Air" by The Mints ond "PledgeOf Love" under his nome (Lin 5007-45). Ken never wos o member of TheMints/The Four Mints, o bond fromCentrol Texos, who hod olreody "BusyBody Rock" ond "Don' Leove MeAlone" issued on Lin 5001 ond "LittleMomo Tiee Top" left unissued.
On 6 April '1957 Ken mode hischort debut with, "Pledge Of Love",reissued on (lmperiol X5432)-"Pledge Of Love" remoined onthe Billboord Top I 00 for fifteenweeks ond chorted os high os#12. The record wos o teen bollodof unwovering love ond devotion."Night Air", o greot ond hot donclng
tune heovily influenced by TheTieniers, iust went nowhere proboblybecouse thot combo ossembled inI954 hos olreody moved on togreener postures. The Bill Stubblefieldsides "Blue lndion Summer" ond"With Mighty Honds", originollyon (Lin 5008-45) were issued on(lmperiol X5434).
The Strikes record wos issuedos (lmperiol X 5433) without onyreference to The Three Pelves ondwos reviewed on 23 Morch 1957 rn
Billboard os 'A hord-hitting rockobillyitem. Greot for doncers in the locoljuke-joint. Should be o profit moker,if no greot smosh". Thot's whot itis snd the single got quick oction inComeron, Fort Worth ond Boston.It seems the pictures of the bondweoring tuxedo ond bow ties weredone oround thot time. The olternotetoke of "lf You Con't Rock Me" withWillie Jocobs on leod vocol ond"Come Bock To Me" were issued onRecord Mort (RMA-I004), o legol 45rpm UK re'issue, in 1976.
Thot lobel owned by DerekGlenister ond Fronk Boiley wos otfirst on English mogozine sold for 50pence. ln 1975 Record lllort govebirth to its own record lobel ondbrings to us some very rore vintogerockobilly recordings with legologreements until I 982. 47 singleswere issued on thot essentiol lobelwith quontities going from 500 to2000 copies. Record Mort wos olsoresponsible for o whole series ofreleoses on originol lobels like Mor-Vel, Event, AÉ ond Ruby.
A second session wos held of theCliff Herring studio on 17 Februory1957 ond produced "Rockin"', writtenby Willie, "l Don't Wont To Cry OverYou", written by Don Alexonder ond,probobly "My Poor Heort" ond "l Do".Imperiol picked the two more rockin'
44 Brc BEAT OF THE FIFTIES
sides "Rockin"'f"l Don'r Wont To CryOver You" to be issued in June 1957(lmperiol X5446). "Rockin' On TheHordwood Floor" is o fobulous sliceof Texos rockin' music ond "l Don'tWont To Cry Over You" is os good ondboppin'.
Thot issue got o good review inBillboord on 17 June I957 "Anotherrock ond rolleç with rockobilly feeling.Good funky quolity here". The B-sidewos Country Blues. 'A solid rockobillyflovour to this one". Both records soldwell enough to hove been eosy to pickup on originol 45 rpm pressing foryeors. More scorce ore the two 78rpm's pressings issued in Conodo ondvery probobly in USA.
On l2 September '1957, WillieJocobs wos drofted into the Army,Poul Kunz hod groduoted leovingwith his Yucco book under his qrmfor Bruni, Texos, ond the bond splitup leoving "My Poor Heort", o greotrhythm ditty with hot guitor written byKen Scott ond Don Alexonder, ond"l Do", o beoutiful bollod with PoulKunz hondling the boss vocol, fromthe lost session unissued. "My PoorHeort" wos issued on The lmperiolRockobillies vol 3 in 1980 ond "l Do"by Beor Fomily in 1998.
Even though my friend RonnyWeiser wrote it on the Rollin' RockEP 45-036 when he issued theolternote for "lf You Con't Rock Me",The Strikes never bocked Dovid Roy.
Even if The Strikes' doys were over,in Jonuory I 959, Debbie Stevenscut o cover of "lf You Con't RockMe" issued on APT 45-25027. Shehondles the song close to Donny &The Juniors sÿle moking it o goodwoxing., Born Rebo Jeonette Smithon I Februory 1928 in Kentucky,she toured with Buddy Holly on theWinter Donce Porÿ Tour even thoughmorried ond hoving two children.
