Bill Black was a Memphis-based bass player and entertainer, who worked with guitarist Scotty Moore and other local musicians in a hillbilly band with a humorous edge, playing in Memphis clubs and on radio In 1954 Sam Phillips of Sun Records asked them to play back-up on a session by a new artist of his called Elvis Presley.

As a result Black and Moore became the resident band on Presley’s sessions, and then became his touring band, indelibly associated with his early success. In 1959, he formed a five-piece group called Bill Black’s Combo and signed to the Memphis label Hi Records, whose co-founders included former Sun producers. He gave the label its first big hit with the two-sided instrumental Smokie and became His major artist, specialising in grooving R&B-flavoured instrumentals, which embraced various styles along the way, including The Twist.

This 64-track 2-CD set comprises A&B sides of his singles on the Hi label during this era, plus selected titles from his albums for Hi, Smokie, Saxy Sax, Solid And Raunchy, That Wonderful Feeling, Movin’, Let’s Twist Her and The Untouchable Sound. It features his No. 1 R&B hits Smokie and White Silver Sands, and his other hits from these years Josephine, Don’t Be Cruel, Blue Tango, Hearts Of Stone, Ole Buttermilk Sky, Honky Train, Movin’ and Twist-Her. One of the pioneers of rock and roll, Bill Black’s Combo would cut more than 20 albums before Black died of a brain tumor on 21 October 1965, at the age of 39.

He represented a fascinating strand of pop during these years, which makes for fun listening and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.

TRACKS