THERE ARE
TWO BASIC TYPES of “Various Artist”
LPs that the music biz has developed over the decades: “compilation” &
“sampler” albums. The most common model is the “compilation” album, which
usually features a selection of otherwise-unavailable songs performed by an
array of artists. These LP’s are often intended to showcase a certain musical
style/genre, or music from a distinct era or particular region.
A few classic examples would be 1962’s Seattle
Beat (a set of new recordings of then-active area jazz combos as
produced by Seafair Records); 1965’s Merry Christmas (a set of
new holiday-themed garage-rock songs by the Sonics, Wailers,
& Galaxies as produced for seasonal sales by Tacoma's Etiquette
Records); 1975’s Collector’s Item: Songs From the Taverns of the Pacific
Northwest (a set of new recordings by an array of popular regional
bands); 1981’s Seattle Syndrome, Vol. 1 (a set of new
recordings by local punk & New Wave bands); & 1986’s Deep
Six (a set of new recordings cut in one particular studio, &
featuring groups who were beginning to forge what would later come to be known
as Seattle’s “grunge” rock revolution).
A significant variation on this
"compilation" album concept involves an after-the-fact retrospective
approach. Local examples include 1965’s Bolo Bash (a compilation
of local hits produced over the past few years by one local label, Bolo
Records); 1965’s The Hitmakers (a compilation of songs by local,
well, hit-making bands produced over the past few years by another local label,
Jerden Records). Additional examples – which would each highlight vintage
recordings originally produced by multiple record companies – include a
few that I have happily contributed to the creation of over the years, such as
Rhino Records’ 1988 LP, The Northwest: Nuggets V.8 (featuring
local rock groups from the psychedelic sixties), & EMP’s 2000 set
Wild & Wooly: The Northwest Rock Collection (featuring a wide
range of rockin’ local bands spanning the years of 1958–1995).
The second major type – a “sampler” LP – is typically
produced by one particular record company with the intention of drawing
immediate attention to their talent roster’s recent and/or current singles
and/or albums. Of the two types, samplers are usually pressed in relatively
smaller quantities with the understanding that they are about the commercial
goals of the moment & will thus likely have a much shorter shelf-life.
There is at least one notable example of a "Various Artist" set that
straddled both models: the Sub Pop label's 1988 classic Sub Pop 200
(which took the now-maturing “grunge” sound worldwide with new recordings by
various bands – some of whom did have other Sub Pop recordings
then-currently available in the marketplace).
But, with all this in mind: I hereby nominate the one
spotlighted above as the earliest & probably rarest “Various Artist”
rock 'n' roll specimen of them all. This 1959 sampler album – Mr Blue
– is comprised of recordings produced by one Seattle label (Dolton Records)
& was made strictly for the British marketplace. Issued by England’s
Top Rank International label, the LP bore both a serial number cleverly
designed to encourage sales [BUY/028], & a title taken from the name of
the second smash-hit single by Dolton’s winsome debut act, that Olympia, Washington-based
teen trio, the Fleetwoods. But as a sampler it also offered up
various current hits that Dolton was enjoying with other acts that they had
signed that very year, including the Frantics, Little Bill and the
Bluenotes – & even one by the label’s Vice President (&
resident studio producer) Bonnie Guitar. Of special note is the fact
that this would be the first-&-only LP to feature music by the Frantics
and/or Little Bill and the Bluenotes until the retrospective “compilation”
trend kicked off years later. But way back in ’59, Top Rank’s Mr Blue
sampler evidently achieved its objective as all four of the artists represented
on the disc went on to score radio hits of varying magnitude in Merry Olde
England. The musical contents of this LP are:
SIDE 1:
The Fleetwoods
- “Confidential”
- “The Three Caballeros”
- “Raindrops, Teardrops”
- “You Mean Everything To Me”
- “Serenade Of The Bells”
- “Unchained Melody”
SIDE 2:
The Fleetwoods
- “We Belong Together”
- “Come Go With Me”
- “Mr. Blue”
Little Bill & the Bluenotes
- “I Love An Angel”
The Frantics
- “Fogcutter”
Bonnie Guitar
- “Candy Apple Red”