Mac Curtis • Blue Jean Heart

 

Review
by Greg Adams  
Elvis Presley's Sun Records sound provided the blueprint for Mac Curtis' King recordings, and his earliest cuts -- "Grandaddy's Rockin'" and "If I Had Me a Woman" from 1956 -- are as pure a distillation of the rockabilly style as one could want. Curtis wasn't on par with Presley as a vocalist, but appropriated some of his techniques without overtly aping him. The absence of Sam Phillips' thick reverb also differentiates Curtis' King recordings from Presley's Sun sides, as does the lack of hard-hitting R&B-derived material such as "Baby, Let's Play House" and "There's Good Rockin' Tonight." Much of Curtis' material is midtempo or, like "Grandaddy's Rockin'," lighthearted in sentiment. On "You Are My Very Special Baby," a bit of Jerry Lee Lewis creeps into Curtis' vocal performance, and the inclusion of a vocal chorus in 1957 moved his music away from straight rockabilly toward rock & roll and even teen pop. Blue Jean Heart, which includes several previously unreleased recordings and alternate takes, is the most complete anthology of Curtis' King Records period ever compiled. All of the songs were cut in 1956 or 1957, and the chronological track sequence illustrates Curtis' evolution from pure rockabilly toward a more orchestrated and commercial sound, even though his rockabilly roots remain in evidence.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-jean-heart-mw0000044079


Biography
by Bradley Torreano
Rockabilly legend Mac Curtis was born in Fort Worth, TX, on January 16, 1939. He grew up with his grandparents and started playing the guitar in 1951 at the age of 12. A neighboring farmer taught him how to use it, and soon he was entering local talent contests. After winning 15 dollars in a contest, he realized that he not only got the price of the guitar back but also made five extra dollars. He then knew he could make a living off his talents, and after moving to Weatherford, TX, in 1954, he decided to play music with his schoolmates Jim Galbraith and Ken Galbraith. They were enamored with artists like Big Joe Turner, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard, wanting to create a similar sound in their group. The band began playing for their peers, even causing a minor controversy when they were pulled from a stage for lewd and suggestive gyrations. The student council intervened and the band began to play around for money. In 1955, they signed a contract with King Records, and in 1956 recorded their first single, "If I Had Me a Woman." Successive singles caught the attention of New York DJ Alan Freed, who booked Mac and his band on his 1956 Christmas show, giving them an exposure they had never experienced before. Curtis moved back to Weatherford by 1957 to finish high school. He became a radio DJ in his spare time, until he joined the military at the end of the year. He became a DJ in Seoul, Korea, and started a country band that would play for the troops. Curtis returned from duty in 1960 to see a very different music scene waiting for him. He decided to become a full-time DJ, working around the south and occasionally releasing albums. By 1971, he was learning about the popularity of rockabilly in Europe at the time. He started recording songs with Ray Campi, who shared his passion for country and rockabilly. The new Rollin Rock label started in Europe, sparking a rockabilly revival that included albums by both Campi and Curtis. This success allowed the artists to form a new, successful career overseas where their brand of music was more appreciated. Curtis continued to work this scene through the '80s and '90s, enlisted record companies to re-release his older singles, and managed to become a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mac-curtis-mn0000224457/biography

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Reseña
por Greg Adams  
El sonido Sun Records de Elvis Presley proporcionó el modelo para las grabaciones King de Mac Curtis, y sus primeros cortes -- "Grandaddy's Rockin'" y "If I Had Me a Woman" de 1956 -- son una destilación tan pura del estilo rockabilly como uno podría desear. Curtis no estaba a la altura de Presley como vocalista, pero se apropió de algunas de sus técnicas sin imitarle abiertamente. La ausencia de la gruesa reverberación de Sam Phillips también diferencia las grabaciones King de Curtis de las caras Sun de Presley, al igual que la falta de material duro derivado del R&B como "Baby, Let's Play House" y "There's Good Rockin' Tonight". Gran parte del material de Curtis es de tempo medio o, como "Grandaddy's Rockin'", de sentimiento desenfadado. En "You Are My Very Special Baby", un poco de Jerry Lee Lewis se cuela en la interpretación vocal de Curtis, y la inclusión de un coro vocal en 1957 alejó su música del rockabilly directo hacia el rock & roll e incluso el pop adolescente. Blue Jean Heart, que incluye varias grabaciones inéditas y tomas alternativas, es la antología más completa de la etapa de Curtis en King Records jamás recopilada. Todas las canciones fueron grabadas en 1956 o 1957, y la secuencia cronológica de las pistas ilustra la evolución de Curtis desde el rockabilly puro hacia un sonido más orquestado y comercial, aunque sus raíces rockabilly siguen siendo evidentes.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-jean-heart-mw0000044079


Biografía
por Bradley Torreano
Mac Curtis, leyenda del rockabilly, nació en Fort Worth, Texas, el 16 de enero de 1939. Creció con sus abuelos y empezó a tocar la guitarra en 1951, a los 12 años. Un granjero vecino le enseñó a usarla, y pronto se presentó a concursos de talentos locales. Tras ganar 15 dólares en un concurso, se dio cuenta de que no sólo recuperaba el precio de la guitarra, sino que además ganaba cinco dólares más. Entonces supo que podía ganarse la vida con su talento, y tras mudarse a Weatherford, TX, en 1954, decidió tocar música con sus compañeros de colegio Jim Galbraith y Ken Galbraith. Estaban enamorados de artistas como Big Joe Turner, Chuck Berry y Little Richard, y querían crear un sonido similar en su grupo. La banda empezó a tocar para sus compañeros, causando incluso una pequeña controversia cuando fueron retirados de un escenario por realizar giros lascivos y sugerentes. El consejo estudiantil intervino y la banda empezó a tocar por dinero. En 1955, firmaron un contrato con King Records, y en 1956 grabaron su primer sencillo, "If I Had Me a Woman". Los sucesivos sencillos llamaron la atención del DJ neoyorquino Alan Freed, que contrató a Mac y a su banda para su programa de Navidad de 1956, lo que les dio una exposición que nunca antes habían experimentado. Curtis regresó a Weatherford en 1957 para terminar el instituto. Se convirtió en DJ de radio en su tiempo libre, hasta que se alistó en el ejército a finales de año. Se convirtió en DJ en Seúl, Corea, y creó una banda de country que tocaba para las tropas. Curtis regresó del servicio en 1960 y vio que le esperaba un panorama musical muy diferente. Decidió convertirse en DJ a tiempo completo, trabajando por todo el sur y publicando discos de vez en cuando. En 1971, se enteró de la popularidad del rockabilly en la Europa de la época. Empezó a grabar canciones con Ray Campi, que compartía su pasión por el country y el rockabilly. El nuevo sello Rollin Rock empezó a funcionar en Europa, provocando un renacimiento del rockabilly que incluyó álbumes tanto de Campi como de Curtis. Este éxito permitió a los artistas forjarse una nueva carrera de éxito en el extranjero, donde su tipo de música era más apreciado. Curtis siguió trabajando en esta escena durante los años 80 y 90, consiguió que las discográficas reeditaran sus antiguos singles y logró entrar en el Salón de la Fama del Rockabilly.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mac-curtis-mn0000224457/biography

Tracks:
1 - Grandaddy's Rockin' - 2:01
2 - Just So You Call Me - 2:28
3 - Half Hearted Love - 2:10
4 - If I Had Me A Woman - 2:18
5 - The Low Road - 2:18
6 - That Ain't Nothin' But Right - 2:10
7 - Don't You Love Me - 2:28
8 - You Ain't Treain' Me Right - 2:14
9 - I'll Be Gentle - 2:40
10 - Say So - 2:23
11 - Blue Jean Heart - 2:26
12 - Goosebumps - 2:01
13 - You Are My Very Special Baby - 2:23
14 - What You Want - 2:14
15 - Little Miss Linda - 2:30
16 - Missy Ann - 2:24
17 - Half Hearted Love - 2:26
18 - Goosebumps - 1:38
19 - Say So - 2:26

Label:    Charly R&B – CD CHARLY 264
Country:    UK
Released:    1991
Genre:    Rock
Style:    Rockabilly
https://www.discogs.com/release/6340519-Mac-Curtis-Blue-Jean-Heart

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