Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Split: Flamingo Express - The Royaltones vs. The Ramrods
 | This bootleg CD couples the collected works of the Royaltones and the Ramrods. Upper Midwest instro rockers the Royaltones recorded many a fine track. Today, they are more revered for the surf rage "Black Lightning" and the incredible "Flamingo Express," the song that the Sentinals' "The Sentinal" is based on. Champs like. The Ramrods are best known for their hit version of "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky." This Del Shannon Pepsi ad is backed by the Royaltones. Interesting, but of no significance other than as a historic curio. |
Picks: The Ramrods - (Ghost) Riders In The Sky, Loch Lomond Rock, Take Me Back To My Boots and Saddle, War Cry, Boing!, (Ghost) Riders In The Sky, The Royaltones - Flamingo Express, Poor Boy, Boss Limbo, Mairzy Doats, Holy Smokes, Royal Whirl, El Toro, The Peppermint Twist, Scotch n' Soda, Revival Tonight, See-Saw, Little Bo, Wail, Tacos, Flamingo Express, Poor Boy (false stereo)
Track by Track Review
The Ramrods - (Ghost) Riders In The Sky Cowboy Twang (Instrumental)
Al Casey and Duane Eddy's twang opened new trails in rock 'n' roll. The Ramrods took the Stan Jones cowboy classic and breathed new life into it with the big guitar sound, and amped it to the max with the overdubbed hoots and cattle calls. This is the version all the surf bands heard and were inspired by.
Rock (Instrumental)
This was the B-side of "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky." "Zig Zag" is a lazy sax lead boogie. It has a raw energy, but is just a lackluster construct.
The Ramrods - Loch Lomond Rock Rock (Instrumental)
Bagpipes, then vibrato guitar, and a military cadence, and viola! "Loch Lomond" becomes "Loch Lomond Rock." It's pretty cool, but will break down no doors. The cowboy beat keeps it in the Ramrods' realm. Nice track.
The Ramrods - Take Me Back To My Boots and Saddle Rock (Instrumental)
A big vibrato low-E guitar and a strong riff starts off fine, but the wood block horse hooves and MOR production keep it from being as cool as "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky." Still, it's a fun track.
Rock (Instrumental)
Indian themes and exotic strip joint percussion under the Christian standard "Jericho" accompanied by their falsetto wail and shouts of "Hey, hey, hey..." It's a very strange piece, worth a spin, but not lasting.
Rock (Instrumental)
"Boing!" got it's name from the whammy dipped notes. It's a very savvy tune with raw sax and low-E guitar. Mean and tribal, and quite cool, like a variation on the strip runway theme. Delightful.
The Ramrods - Slouch-ee MOR Rock (Instrumental)
MOR slush rock, unremarkable and more a jam than a song.
The Ramrods - (Ghost) Riders In The Sky Cowboy Twang (Instrumental)
This false stereo version is not real. It was created by reversing one channel's phase.
The Royaltones - Flamingo Express Pre Surf (Instrumental)
This is their best tune IMHO! It is highly rhythmic, like a train rolling down the tracks. It is sax led, and absolutely infectious. It was likely the inspiration for "The Sentinal" by the Sentinals. It is one of the must-have pre surf tracks.
The Royaltones - Poor Boy Rock (Instrumental)
Upper Midwest instro rockers the Royaltones recorded many a fine track. 1958's "Poor Boy" is their most familiar track because it was a hit for them. It is pretty tame as their tracks went, with damped echoed guitar, piano, and cryin' sax, all flowing out a weeping melody. Today, they are more revered for the surf rage "Black Lightning" and the incredible "Flamingo Express," the song that the Sentinals' "The Sentinal" is based on.
The Royaltones - Boss Limbo Rock (Instrumental)
Cool typical limbo percussion and the feel of the Champs' "Limbo Rock," but a little more raw Very cool and exotic. The guitar break is excellent, almost surfable.
The Royaltones - Mairzy Doats Rock (Instrumental)
"Mairzy Doats" is a bit hokey, as the subject matter might suggest. The percussion is suave, and the Champs like backtrack is also fun. Occasional big sax lines and guitar hooks too. I wouldn't have expected this could have been done credibly with the old children's song. Pretty cool.
The Royaltones - Holy Smokes Rock (Instrumental)
This original demo of this tune is rockabilly echoed and full of fury. It's more a riff than a song, but it sure is full of spit and vinegar. Very cool.
The Royaltones - Our Faded Love MOR Rock (Instrumental)
Just outside the door of the elevator on the 13th floor lies this MOR slush. Slow and soothing, with a soft baritone sax lead and slowly double picked chord backing, with a mall organ for edge.
The Royaltones - Big Wheel Rock (Instrumental)
Big rolling drums and piano, this has all the earmarks of a fifties jam. It's spirited, like a minor Champs track.
The Royaltones - Shortline Rock (Instrumental)
An afternoon at the mall, where the geek in the sports coat grooves mightily with "When The Saints Go Marching In" on his mighty Wurlitzer. That's the feel, at least until the Chuck Rio style saxes come in. The sax riff is Clarence "Frogman" Henry's classic hit "Ain't Got No Home."
The Royaltones - Dixie Rock Rock (Instrumental)
Saucy piano and sax romp through "Dixie." It's so weird... The stops where the saxes squonk out a low note is way strange. There's something here that begs for forgiveness, but damned if I can figure out what it is. It makes you laugh.
The Royaltones - Royal Whirl Rock (Instrumental)
This is far from the best this great band ever did. It is an honest unpretentious fifties rockin' sax-guitar-vibrophone in-sync tune with no shortage of sock hop mentality. Very very fun, with a little of that "Flamingo Express" damped chop.
Rock (Instrumental)
Spaghetti western rhythms and a fast paced rolling beat accompany a sax line that sounds like it might reflect an afternoon at the bull fight, with a shallow nod to "High Noon" and the Hollywood Persuaders.
The Royaltones - The Peppermint Twist Pre Surf (Instrumental)
Ringing guitar, 15 ips echoed backtrack, and a little riff. The ringing guitar is very cool, shimmering like a preteen Miles Corbin line. It's all so simple, but quite appealing.
The Royaltones - Scotch n' Soda Scotch Rock (Instrumental)
Yup, it's the Scottish masterpiece, with the sax accompaniment that the Viscounts used in "When The Saints Come Marching In." Very cool, especially when the guitar-sax duet takes over. Where's that bonny lass with my kilts?
The Royaltones - Misty Sea MOR (Instrumental)
Eerie guitar way off in the distance, sultry sax, and a free ride on the elevator with the Wurlitzer salesman.
The Royaltones - Yea Yea Song Rock (Instrumental)
This is a hokey track targeted at the top forty in the same way that the Ventures' "Lolita Yeah Yeah" was. It has a Northwest sound, with organ and sax, accompanied by the girls sing those plaintiff words "Yea Yea Yea Yea yeah."
The Royaltones - Clip Clop Fifties Rock & Roll (Instrumental)
A fifties plinky piano & sax number with little to call its own.
The Royaltones - Revival Tonight Rock (Instrumental)
With saxes harmoniously straddling the line between the Champs and the Church Street Five, this is enthusiastic and endearing, even though it's quite a basic riff rock number. It has a charm, not entirely unlike "Brontosaurus Stomp."
Rock (Instrumental)
This has uses the main melody riff from "Hippy Hippy Shake," but I suspect there's no connection on either end. The plucking is cool against the saxes, and the R&B nature of the structure is appealing.
The Royaltones - Little Bo Rock (Instrumental)
"Little Bo" is a big tom tom romp on the runway of life, with much more energy and sensuality than melody. An interesting little ditty.
Rock (Instrumental)
Lap steel whining, like a back room Santo and Johnny or toned down Juicy Lucy precursor. Rockin jivin' coolness. No melody, but dripping smoky bar room soul.
Mariachi Rock (Instrumental)
A great mariachi flavored number with plenty of Champs feel and real flair. Unlike some of their work, "Tacos" sport inspired sax work, solid guitar, and Latin sound of east LA.
The Royaltones - Flamingo Express Pre Surf (Instrumental)
This is their best tune IMHO! It is highly rhythmic, like a train rolling down the tracks. It is sax led, and absolutely infectious. It was likely the inspiration for "The Sentinal" by the Sentinals. It is one of the must-have pre surf tracks.
The Royaltones - Poor Boy (false stereo) Rock (Instrumental)
Upper Midwest instro rockers the Royaltones recorded many a fine track. 1958's "Poor Boy" is their most familiar track because it was a hit for them. It is pretty tame as their tracks went, with damped echoed guitar, piano, and cryin' sax, all flowing out a weeping melody. Today, they are more revered for the surf rage "Black Lightning" and the incredible "Flamingo Express," the song that the Sentinals' "The Sentinal" is based on. This false stereo version is not real. It was created by reversing one channel's phase.