In 1956, singer Sanford Clark, guitarist Al Casey and producer Lee Hazlewood laid out the all-time rockabilly classic “The Fool” and put Phoenix, Arizona, on the music world’s radar. “The Fool” came out on the tiny MCI imprint and, energized by the national hit, the label for the next five years turned out more Rock ‘n’ Roll gems by the likes of Al Casey, Dick Robinson andHis Makebelievers, Jim Fleming and The Casuals, Bobby and The Demons, Frank Fafara and Denny Reed. This collection is the first-ever overview of this ground-breaking company, featuring Sanford Clark’s never-before-heard pre-“Fool” recordings of “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Heartbreak Hotel” plus previously unreleased tracks by Lee Hazlewood, Spence Bare and the Newton Brothers featuring Wayne Newton, several vintage 1950s advertising jingles and two songs played on AMC’s “Mad Men.” KJZZ’s The Show produced a short audio story about this CD release, here’s the link.
- 39 tracks total, with 7 bonus tracks of groovy ’50’s radio jingles.
- Complete MCI Records discography with label pictures.
- Deluxe packaging with extensive notes by Arizona music historian John P. Dixon and journalist Dan Nowicki.
- Most tracks are transferred from the original analog tapes.