The Twang Gang

by N/A

Overview

In the late '50s and early '60s, the same circle of musicians who worked on Duane Eddy's records with Lee Hazlewood also worked on numerous other rock and pop discs with Hazlewood in Phoenix. The Twang Gang collects 18 of these (although a couple of Sanford Clark tracks actually date from 1973). This is more for collectors looking to fill in the blanks of early rock & roll history than it is for the general fan. But it's pleasant, unremarkable rock with a country-pop flavor, sometimes edging into mild rockabilly, at other times getting into teen idol territory. The Hazlewood cult will have their alarms tweaked by a couple of rare 1960 cuts billed to him and Duane Eddy, including the characteristically gloomy (for Hazlewood) "Girl on Death Row," with some great low twangs by Eddy. There are also both sides of a 1958 single Hazlewood did under the pseudonym Mark Robinson, including an atypical pass at rockabilly, "Pretty Jane." The Two Dons' "Funny Honey" is one of the closest facsimiles of the Everly Brothers you'll hear, its guitar rhythms pinched from the Everlys' "Claudette." There are too many teen idol tunes from Donnie Owens here (eight in all), but that's probably because he was the only artist on the set to get a big hit during the time; his "Need You" peaked at number 25 in 1958. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	08/28/2001
Label:	Jamie/Guyden
UPC:	0647780401728
Rank:	119152

Tracks

1. Need You  - Donnie Owens  - Buddy Wheeler
2. Girl on Death Row  - Duane Eddy  - Lee Hazlewood
3. Sure as the Wind Will Blow  - Sanford Clark
4. Born to Be With You  - Don Cole  - Don Robertson
5. Sweet Angel  - Donnie Owens
6. Funny Honey  - Don Cole  - Donnie Owens  -  Two Dons
7. Pretty Jane  - Lee Hazlewood  - Mark Robinson
8. Out in the Cold Again  - Bobby Bloom  - Rube Bloom  - Ted Koehler  - Donnie Owens
9. Out of My Heart  - Donnie Owens  - Buddy Wheeler
10. Words Mean Nothing  - Duane Eddy  - Lee Hazlewood
11. If I'm Wrong  - Donnie Owens
12. The Streets of San Francisco  - Sanford Clark
13. Tomorrow  - Donnie Owens  - Buddy Wheeler
14. The Night Before the End  - Don Cole  - Donnie Owens  -  Two Dons
15. Between Midnight and Dawn  - Donnie Owens  - Buddy Wheeler
16. Ask Me Anything  - Donnie Owens  - Buddy Wheeler
17. Want Me  - Lee Hazlewood  - Mark Robinson
18. Can't Take Any More  - Donnie Owens

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mark Robinson   Primary Artist
Donnie Owens   Primary Artist
Two Dons   Primary Artist
Lee Hazlewood   Primary Artist
Don Cole   Primary Artist,Guitar
Sanford Clark   Primary Artist
Duane Eddy   Primary Artist,Guitar
Don Rollins   Piano
Buddy Wheeler   Bass

Technical Credits

Donnie Owens   Composer,Performer
Carl Shaw   Graphic Design
Bobby Bloom   Composer
Don Cole   Composer
Sanford Clark   Composer,Performer
John P. Dixon   Liner Notes
Buddy Wheeler   Composer,Producer
Lee Hazlewood   Performer,Composer
Don Robertson   Composer
Rube Bloom   Composer
Duane Eddy   Composer
Greg Vaughn   Mastering
Ted Koehler   Composer