I’ve never been much of a Rock ‘n’ Roll fan, the 50’s was way before my time and although I understand the importance of Elvis Presley, Bill Haley etc. to that generation, their records sounded very tame to me. The Rock ‘n’ Roll I did lend an ear to was rawer in nature than the watered down hits, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent,  Little Richard and Eddie Cochran.

Back in the early 80’s we had two great friends, Rick and Eddie, a couple of Rockers who’d moved up from Walthamstow to Birmingham with their parents. Their families were Turkish so both were dark skinned with jet black hair which was teased into outlandish, greased quiffs. Their attire of choice was biker jackets, Levi’s and brothel creepers. They looked like a pair of Anatolian Stray Cats, very cool. They were both fanatical Eddie Cochran fans and through them I got to hear more than the “Summertime Blues” and “C’mon Everybody” you might occasionally hear on the radio, fantastic records tho’ both are, “C’mon Everybody” in particular featuring a killer, almost surf style, guitar sound which was really unusual for 1958.

“Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie”, the proto-Punk “Somethin’ Else” and “Weekend”, are banging teen anthems of the most optimistic kind. “Cut Across Shorty” is a hybrid country/bluesy tale of the tortoise and the hare, and then there are my personal favourites, “Nervous Breakdown” a song I’m sure must have been a favourite with The Cramps and “20 Flight Rock”, a rockin’ tale of the lengths a fella will go to to see his girl (if anyone out there knows the Moving Sidewalks garage-psych classic “99th Floor” it’s pretty much the same story). Cochran had first performed “20 Flight Rock” in the movie “The Girl Can’t Help It” when he was just 18 !

Eddie Cochran died tragically young at 21 in a car accident in Wiltshire, UK in 1960 while on tour. Who knows what the future held for him.

Nervous Breakdown - https://youtu.be/rY5MDivdcEE