“The Fabulous Wailers At The Castle” by The Wailers - album review

features in: Album Chart of 1962Album Chart of the Decade: 1960s

TJR says

Recorded in the fall of 1961 at Spanish Castle Ballroom, located midway between Seattle and Tacoma on old Highway 99. It’s the second LP from the North West punkers, who seem to be aiming ambitiously for some kinda Ike-Turner style soul-revue, with their 5 piece augmented from the inner circle with 2 guest vocals each from “Rockin” Robin Roberts and “Little” Gail Harris. The album is a bit of a disappointment; the expectations after their antics in ’59 have not been met here – the playing sounds hesitant and unexciting; any skilled nuances that they may have to offer are lost out-with the confines of a well-appointed studio. Also, considering they’re playing in their prime in their heartlands, the low-key, polite reaction from the crowd is somewhat surprising. Seems the premier teen night club in the Seattle area was a segregated venue. I’m seeing a load of sulky white kids hanging ‘round looking bored. All in all, six of the 14 cuts have vocals. Kent drawls his “Dirty Robber” as normal (the only track which repeats from their debut LP) and further chips in with the amazingly dull “You've Had Your Chance”; this could be any non-descript bar band in any town. Mid-set, co-label owner “Rockin’” Robin Roberts steps up for “Rosalie” and “Since You Been Gone”. More ho-hum ordinariness. “Little” Gail Harris (only 15) takes the mic for “All I Could Do Was Cry” and “I Idolize You”. She’s the best of the three vocalists even if she perhaps tries a bit too hard at times with her Etta James routine. Full credit to them for the considerable achievement (by 1962 standards) of producing their own LP on their own label – local sales of some 40,000 copies suggest they had something going for them business wise and otherwise…

The Jukebox Rebel
03–Mar–2012

Tracklist
A1 [02:25] 4.3.png The Wailers - Wailers House Party [live ’61] (Richard Dangel, Kent Morrill, Buck Ormsby) Blues / Rhythm n Blues
A2 [02:34] 6.0.png The Wailers - Dirty Robber [live ’61] (Richard Dangel, John Greek, Kent Morrill) Rock n Roll / Rockabilly
A3 [02:14] 4.5.png The Wailers - San-Ho-Zay [live ’61] (Freddy King, Sonny Thompson) Blues Rock / Soul Rock
A4 [02:13] 4.5.png The Wailers - Rosalie [live ’61] (Robin Roberts) Blues Rock / Soul Rock
A5 [02:52] 4.0.png The Wailers - Since You Been Gone [live ’61] (Robin Roberts) Blues Rock / Soul Rock
A6 [02:27] 5.2.png The Wailers - Shivers [live ’61] (Richard Dangel, Kent Morrill, Mike Burk, Buck Ormsby) Rock n Roll / Rockabilly
A7 [02:33] 4.4.png The Wailers - Sack O’ Woe [live ’61] (Julian Adderley) Blues Rock / Soul Rock
B1 [02:17] 5.0.png The Wailers - Tall Cool One [live ’61] (Richard Dangel, John Greek, Kent Morrill) Blues / Rhythm n Blues
B2 [02:37] 4.0.png The Wailers - You’ve Had Your Chance [live ’61] (Kent Morrill) Blues / Rhythm n Blues
B3 [02:04] 4.7.png The Wailers - Limbo Twist [live ’61] (Richard Dangel, Kent Morrill, Mike Burk, Buck Ormsby) Blues / Rhythm n Blues
B4 [03:09] 5.6.png The Wailers - All I Could Do Was Cry [live ’61] (Billy Davis, Berry Gordy, Gwen Gordy) Soul Ballad
B5 [02:51] 5.0.png The Wailers - I Idolize You [live ’61] (Ike Turner) Blues / Rhythm n Blues
B6 [02:34] 4.4.png The Wailers - Zig Zag [live ’61] (Richard Dangel, Kent Morrill, Buck Ormsby) Blues Rock / Soul Rock
B7 [01:38] 3.6.png The Wailers - Soul-Long [live ’61] (Richard Dangel) Blues Rock / Soul Rock

© The Jukebox Rebel 2005-2020 All Rights Reserved