The Rock 'N' Roll Years

by Conway Twitty

Overview

Fans of Conway Twitty's pre-country recordings will rejoice with this massive eight-disc, 192-track collection, collecting every track from an eight-year period encompassing 1956 to 1964. Here's Conwayfrom his start as a scrapping rockabilly to his early hit-making triumphs right up to the cusp of his even more popular change in direction. The first disc collects his 1956 recordings for Sam Phillips in Memphis. Although Conwaywith his band, the RockHousers never saw a release on Sun Records, it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. The disc kicks off with his original recording of the band's theme, "Rockhouse," which became Roy Orbison's second Sun single. Although few titles seemed to survive, several full sessions featuring multiple takes did, and they're here. Disc two is where the hits begin, kicking off with "It's Only Make Believe." With a career-making tune under his belt, Twitty quickly moved in to a groove of recording teen ballads like "The Story of My Love" while still cutting growly rockers like "I Vibrate (From My Head to My Feet)." Disc three and four continue the trend with the hits "Mona Lisa" and "Danny Boy." The next two discs find Twitty exploring the 1950s rock & roll catalog, but Conway's move to country is presaged with the inclusion of "Walk On By." There's also a nice duet with Roy Orbison on "I'm In a Blue, Blue Mood." The final two discs show Twitty trying on R&B and blues numbers for size, plus rockers like "The Pickup," whose beat and storyline presaged Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman" by a couple of years. Glossy, uptown versions of "City Lights," "Faded Love" and 17 raw demos of hard country material close the set. Those who only know Conway's later, lacquer-haired country period will find this massive box a major revelation. ~ Cub Koda

Product Details

Release Date:	06/24/1997
Label:	Bear Family Records
UPC:	4000127161123
Rank:	124995

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Rock House
2. Crazy Dreams
3. Give Me Some Love
4. I Need Your Lovin' Kiss
5. Just in Time
6. Born to Sing the Blues
7. Maybe Baby
8. Shake It Up
9. I Need Your Lovin'
10. Born to Sing the Blues
11. Golly Gosh Oh Gee
12. Double Talk Baby
13. Why Can't I Get Through to You
14. Crazy Dreams
15. Give Me Some Love
16. Born to Sing the Blues
17. Born to Sing the Blues
18. Born to Sing the Blues
19. Born to Sing the Blues
20. Crazy Dreams
21. Crazy Dreams
22. Crazy Dreams

Disc 2

23. It's Only Make Believe
24. I'll Try
25. I Vibrate (From My Head to My Feet)
26. Will You Love Me Then, As You Love Me Now
27. The Story of My Love
28. Don't You Know
29. When I'm Not With You
30. Judge of Hearts
31. Yea, Yea, Boo Hoo
32. Heavenly
33. Come on Home
34. Nobody
35. Sputnick
36. Easy to Fall in Love
37. Goin' Home
38. Big Train
39. Teenage Heart
40. One and Only You
41. When I'm Not With You
42. Don't You Know
43. The Story of My Love
44. My One and Only You
45. Goin' Home
46. Make Me Know You're Mine
47. Judge of Hearts
48. First Romance
49. I Need You So

Disc 3

50. Mona Lisa
51. Sentimental Journey
52. Hallelujah, I Love Her So
53. You'll Never Walk Alone
54. Hey Little Lucy (Don'tcha Put No Lipstick On)
55. Halfway to Heaven
56. Teasin'
57. Heavenly
58. Halfway to Heaven
59. Just Because
60. Cry Jane Cry
61. Blueberry Hill
62. Heartbreak Hotel
63. You Win Again
64. Danny Boy
65. Hey Miss Ruby
66. Restless
67. She's Mine
68. Lonely Kind of Love
69. Beach Comber
70. Easy to Fall in Love
71. Because You Love Me
72. Leonora My Love
73. Rosaleena
74. My Adobe Hacienda
75. Hey Little Lucy (Don'tcha Put No Lipstick On)
76. Restless
77. Because You Love Me
78. My Adobe Hacienda

Disc 4

79. Star Spangled Heaven
80. A' Huggin' and A' Kissin'
81. Can't We Go Steady
82. Lonely Blue Boy
83. Sorry
84. Blue Moon
85. Eternal Tears
86. Foggy River
87. Platinum High School
88. Trouble in Mind
89. Pretty Eyed Baby
90. Rebound
91. The Hurt in My Heart
92. Maybe Tomorrow We'll Know
93. Tell Me One More Time
94. What Am I Living For?
95. A Fallen Star
96. I'd Still Play the Fool
97. Betty Lou
98. Knock Three Times
99. What a Dream
100. Is a Blue Bird Blue?
101. Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On
102. My Heart Cries
103. Sweet Georgia Brown
104. Lonely Blue Boy
105. Betty Lou

Disc 5

106. That's Where My Lovin' Goes
107. Don't You Dare Let Me Down
108. Send Her to Me
109. The Flame
110. C'Est Si Bon
111. Long Black Train
112. Blue Suede Shoes
113. Great Balls of Fire
114. Jailhouse Rock
115. Treat Me Nice
116. Handy Man
117. The Girl Can't Help It
118. Shake, Rattle & Roll
119. Diana
120. Splish Splash
121. Reelin' and Rockin'
122. A Million Teardrops
123. The Next Kiss (Is the Last Goodbye)
124. A Tree in the Meadow
125. Above and Beyond (The Call of Love)
126. I'm in a Blue, Blue Mood
127. (I Wanna) Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young
128. Man Alone
129. Donna's Dream
130. Tower of Tears
131. I Can Hear My Heart Break
132. A Million Teardrops

Disc 6

133. Prisoner of Love
134. Unchained Melody
135. Sweet Sorrow
136. A Little Bird Told Me
137. It's Driving Me Wild
138. Turn Around
139. Walk on By
140. Portrait of a Fool
141. There Is Something on Your Mind
142. Don't Cry No More
143. Mister Jones
144. Hang Up the Phone
145. A Little Piece of My Heart
146. She Knows Me Like a Book
147. Comfy 'N Cozy
148. Looking Back
149. Pledging My Love
150. Prisoner of Love
151. Unchained Melody
152. Unchained Melody
153. Sweet Sorrow
154. It's Driving Me Wild
155. Walk on By
156. Mister Jones
157. A Little Piece of My Heart
158. A Little Piece of My Heart

Disc 7

159. It's Too Late
160. I Almost Lost My Mind
161. I Got a Woman
162. My Babe
163. Let the Good Times Roll
164. Fever
165. Boss Man
166. Don't Cry No More
167. City Lights
168. Faded Love
169. Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes
170. Ages and Ages Ago
171. I Hope, I Think, I Wish
172. The Pick Up
173. Hound Dog
174. She Ain't No Angel
175. Got My Mojo Working
176. Long Tall Texan
177. Go on and Cry
178. She Loves Me (She Don't Love You)
179. I'm Sorry Heart
180. Talkin' Bout You
181. Walk Proud
182. Such a Night
183. My Baby Left Me

Disc 8

184. Where Your Love Leadeth Me
185. Big Town
186. This Road That I Walk
187. Bad Man
188. Ever Since You Went Away
189. Blue Is the Way I Feel
190. Turn the Other Cheek
191. Treat Me Mean, Treat Me Cruel
192. I'm Checking Out
193. Heartache Just Walked In
194. I Wonder If You Told Her About Me
195. The Girl at the Bar
196. You Made Me What I Am
197. I'll Get Over Losing You
198. Have I Been Away Too Long
199. Let Me Be the Judge
200. Sound of an Angel's Wings
201. Highland Rock
202. Midnite Creep

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Conway Twitty   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Roy Orbison   Primary Artist,Vocals
Al Bruno   Primary Artist,Guitar
Ray Edenton   Guitar
Harold Bradley   Bass (Electric)
Buddy Harman   Drums
Hank Garland   Guitar
Harold Jenkins   Guitar,Vocals
Joe E. Lewis   Bass,Guitar
Jimmy "BeBop" Evans   Bass
Martin Willis   Saxophone
The Jordanaires   Choir/Chorus
Boots Randolph   Saxophone
Joe "Cannonball" Lewis   Guitar
Jack Nance   Drums
Billy Weir   Drums
Bill Harris Quintet   Bass
Jerry Tuttle   Saxophone
Lightnin' Chance   Bass
Walter Garland   Guitar
Floyd Cramer   Organ,Piano
Grady Martin   Bass (Electric)

Technical Credits

Jimmy Jay   Composer
Murray "The K" Kaufman   Composer
Frederick Edward Weatherly   Composer
Greg Carroll   Composer
Mickey Jaco   Composer
Lee Penny   Composer
Ray Whitley   Composer
Norman Petty   Composer
Mike Stoller   Composer
Osborne Smith   Composer
Aaron Schroeder   Composer
Les Brown   Composer
Al Lewis   Composer
Brook Benton   Composer
David "Curly" Williams   Composer
Buddy Holly   Composer
Buddy Kaye   Composer
Hank Williams   Composer
Mort Shuman   Composer
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup   Composer
Muddy Waters   Composer
Alex North   Composer
Tommy Durden   Composer
Buddy Killen   Composer
Harlan Howard   Composer
Dan Penn   Composer
Henri Betti   Composer
Winfield Scott   Composer
Paul Anka   Composer
Andre Hornez   Composer
Bob Jones   Mastering,Discography,Disc Transfers,Reissue Producer,Digital Transfers
Richard Weize   Tape Research,Reissue Producer,Research,Discography
Jim Vienneau   Producer
Roy Orbison   Composer,Performer
Jimmy Jones   Composer
Martin Kalmanoff   Composer
Ray Smith   Composer
Otis Blackwell   Composer
Mike Reid   Composer
Art Harris   Composer
Harold Jenkins   Composer
Henry Strzelecki   Composer
Neal Matthews   Composer
Willie Dixon   Composer
Al Bruno   Composer,Performer
Sam Phillips   Producer
David Hill   Composer
Russell Brown   Composer
Leonard Puzey   Composer
Slim Willet   Composer
Sid Tepper   Composer
Sydney Robin   Composer
Sunny David   Composer
Ray Charles   Composer
Bert Russell   Composer
Big Jay McNeely   Composer
Bill Anderson   Composer
Bob Shad   Producer
B.T. Green   Composer
Bobby Darin   Composer
Bob Wills   Composer
Jack Hammer   Composer
Irwin Levine   Composer
Chip Hardy   Composer
Larry Stock   Composer
Chuck Berry   Composer
Jack Nance   Composer
Chuck Willis   Composer
Clyde Otis   Composer
Clarence Gaskill   Composer
Joe Allison   Composer
Cynthia Weil   Composer
Belford Hendricks   Composer
Even Stevens   Composer
Ellie Greenwich   Composer
Gene Autry   Composer
Howard Cockburn   Discography,Reissue Producer
Cliff Adams   Composer
James Paulman   Composer
James Joiner   Composer
Terry Wilson   Photography,Illustrations
Shirley Goodman   Composer
R.A. Andreas   Photography,Illustrations
Jorn Woundland   Photography,Illustrations
Preston Foster   Composer
Louise Massey   Composer
Diethold Leu   Photography,Illustrations
Weiss Silbert   Composer
Riley   Composer
Jody Chastain   Composer
Fred Todd   Composer
Gerd Weiler   Artwork
Joe Shelton   Composer
Bob Shelton   Composer
M.C. Addington   Composer
Weisman Lewis   Composer
Wolfgang Taubenauer   Artwork
Ben Weisman   Composer
Doc Pomus   Composer
Eddie Cooley   Composer
Russ Columbo   Composer
Joe Melson   Composer
Fred Rose   Composer
Ethel Lee   Composer
Fred Carter, Jr.   Composer
Fred Wise   Composer
Charlie Rich   Composer
Elvis Presley   Composer
Don Robey   Composer
Johnnie Lee Wills   Composer
Ersel Hickey   Composer
Charles E. Calhoun   Composer
Lorenz Hart   Composer
John Davenport   Composer
John D. Loudermilk   Composer
Maceo Pinkard   Composer
Deadric Malone   Composer
Louis Innis   Composer
Bobby Troup   Composer
Leonard Lee   Composer
Jimmy Day   Composer
Jerry Leiber   Composer
Jerry Seelen   Composer
Jim Ed Brown   Composer
Jim Lockert   Engineer
Richard M. Jones   Composer
Maxine Brown   Composer
Renald Richard   Composer
Randy McCormick   Composer
Ray Evans   Composer
Kendall Hayes   Composer
Kenneth Casey   Composer
Ivory Joe Hunter   Composer
Colin Escott   Liner Notes,Biographical Information
Conway Twitty   Composer,Vocal Overdubs
Barry Mann   Composer
Ben Bernie   Composer
Ben Homer   Composer
Carl Perkins   Composer
Ferdinand Washington   Composer
Gary Walker   Composer
Oscar Hammerstein II   Composer
Vincent Rose   Composer
Jay Livingston   Composer
Mae Boren Axton   Composer
Jeff Barry   Composer
Richard Rodgers   Composer
Leo Robin   Composer
Hy Zaret   Composer
Lincoln Chase   Composer
Roy Bennett   Composer