When debating the birth of British rock ’n’ roll, scholars will undoubtedly discuss the merits of Marty Wilde, Joe Brown, Cliff Richard and Billy Fury…
Oft-overlooked however is the huge contribution made by Sir Tommy Steele. Born Thomas Hicks in 1936, this humble Bermondsey boy went to sea in the Merchant Navy and, after sailing around the globe for five years, returned to the UK electrified by the raw power of rock ’n’ roll.
Spotted singing in London’s trendy 2i’s Coffee Bar by Larry Parnes and John Kennedy, Hicks changed his name to Steele and, virtually overnight, became Britain’s first ‘teen idol’. In the 65 years since his ‘discovery’, Tommy has influenced everyone from Bowie to The Beatles and is now recognised as one of Britain’s greatest ever all-round entertainers.
This 92-track collection brings together just some of his hits, rarities and live performances. Disc One features many rockin’ singles and favourites, like: Rock With The Caveman, Rock Around The Town, Grandad’s Rock, Doomsday Rock, Elevator Rock, Rebel Rock, Knee Deep In The Blues, Teenage Party, Water, Water, Butterfly, What Do You Do?, You Gotta Go, and Happy Guitar.
While, Disc Two includes a variety of rarities and alternative film versions lifted from successful movies such as: The Tommy Steele Story, Tommy The Toreador, Light Up The Sky! and The Duke Wore Jeans.
Many of the precious recordings featured on Disc Three have never been released before and will be heard by fans for the first time.
This substantial celebration, with detailed liner notes from authorised Tommy Steele biographer Sebastian Lassandro, salutes Tommy’s contribution to British pop culture.
REVIEWS
This is a three CD collection that explores the early years of Steele's career, starting with his emergence as the first British rock and roller to his gradual transformation into the proverbial 'all round entertainer' which around that time was the stated aspiration of many a nascent young rock star. Acrobat are to be commended for the thought and care that has obviously gone into this package and it's probably the first time that any label has made a serious attempt to scratch beneath the surface of the Steele phenomenon to present such a rounded portrait as this one. You don't have to be a Steele fan to recognise his importance in the history of British popular music. Of course, he went on to greater fame with the stage musical HALF A SIXPENCE and a Hollywood film career that included the film version of that success, FINIAN'S RAINBOW and THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE, and this was just the beginning, but this is a collection well worth acquiring. - Gerry Stonestreet (In Tune Issue 354)
Disc 1 |
|
|
Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
Rock With The Caveman |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
2 |
Elevator Rock |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
3 |
Doomsday Rock |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
4 |
Rebel Rock |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
5 |
Knee Deep In The Blues |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
6 |
Teenage Party |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
7 |
Young Love |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
8 |
Grandad’s Rock |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
9 |
Butterfly |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
10 |
You Gotta Go |
Tommy Steele |
11 |
Water, Water |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
12 |
Take Me Back Baby |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
13 |
Two Eyes |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
14 |
Princess |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen with June Laverick |
15 |
Hair Down, Hoe Down |
Tommy Steele |
16 |
Happy Guitar |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
17 |
What Do You Do? |
Tommy Steele |
18 |
Neon Sign |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
19 |
The Only Man On The Island |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
20 |
I Puts The Lightie On |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
21 |
Marriage, Type Love |
Tommy Steele |
22 |
You And Me |
Tommy Steele Featuring Jimmy Edwards |
23 |
Hiawatha |
Tommy Steele |
24 |
The Trial |
Tommy Steele |
25 |
Tallahassee Lassie |
Tommy Steele |
26 |
Singing Time |
Tommy Steele |
27 |
Young Ideas |
Tommy Steele |
28 |
Happy Go Lucky Blues |
Tommy Steele |
29 |
The Writing On The Wall |
Tommy Steele |
30 |
What A Little Darlin’ |
Tommy Steele |
31 |
Butter Wouldn’t Melt In Your Mouth |
Tommy Steele |
32 |
Where Have All The Flowers Gone? |
Tommy Steele |
33 |
Bonus: The Tommy Rot Story |
Morris and Mitch |
Disc 2 |
|
|
Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
A Handful Of Songs (Film Version) |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
2 |
Teenage Party (Film Version) |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
3 |
Water, Water (Film Version) |
Tommy Steele & The Steelmen |
4 |
I’m A Little Blackbird |
Tommy Steele |
5 |
Georgia On My Mind |
Tommy Steele |
6 |
Sweet Georgia Brown |
Tommy Steele |
7 |
Mandy, Make Up Your Mind |
Tommy Steele |
8 |
Amanda |
Tommy Steele |
9 |
Light Up The Sky |
Tommy Steele |
10 |
Photograph |
Tommy Steele |
11 |
One Times One |
Tommy Steele |
12 |
Butterfingers (Alternative Take) |
Tommy Steele |
13 |
Number 22 Across The Way |
Tommy Steele |
14 |
Nairobi (Live) |
Tommy Steele |
15 |
Wishing Star |
Tommy Steele |
16 |
Tommy The Toreador (Alternative Take) |
Tommy Steele |
17 |
She’s My Baby |
Tommy Steele |
18 |
(The Girl With The) Long Black Hair |
Tommy Steele |
19 |
Shiralee (Live) |
Tommy Steele |
20 |
Swaller Tail Coat (Live) |
Tommy Steele |
21 |
Singing The Blues (Live) |
Tommy Steele |
22 |
Family Tree |
Tommy Steele |
23 |
Thanks A Lot I’ve Had A Ball |
Tommy Steele |
24 |
Drunken Guitar |
Tommy Steele |
25 |
Touch It Light |
Tommy Steele Featuring Benny Hill |
26 |
The Truth About Me |
Tommy Steele |
27 |
Marilyn Screen Test: Number 1 Spanish Romance |
Tommy Steele |
28 |
Bonus: Butterfingers (Film Version) |
Tommy Steel & The Steelmen |
29 |
Bonus: It’s Fun Finding Out About London |
Billie Anthony |
Disc 3 |
|
|
Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
Come On In |
Tommy Steele |
2 |
Rock Around The Town |
Tommy Steele |
3 |
Singing The Blues |
Tommy Steele |
4 |
Butterfingers |
Tommy Steele |
5 |
Come On, Let’s Go |
Tommy Steele |
6 |
Deck Of Cards |
Tommy Steele |
7 |
A Lovely Night |
Tommy Steele |
8 |
A Handful Of Songs |
Tommy Steele |
9 |
(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear |
Tommy Steele |
10 |
Setting The Woods On Fire |
Tommy Steele |
11 |
My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It |
Tommy Steele |
12 |
Frankie And Johnny |
Tommy Steele |
13 |
Jacques D’iraque |
Tommy Steele |
14 |
Little White Bull |
Tommy Steele |
15 |
You Were Mine |
Tommy Steele |
16 |
What A Mouth (What A North And South) |
Tommy Steele With Michael Wilding |
17 |
Nairobi |
Tommy Steele |
18 |
Hound Dog |
Tommy Steele |
19 |
Peggy Sue |
Tommy Steele |
20 |
Rain, Rain, Rain |
Tommy Steele |
21 |
Tommy The Toreador |
Tommy Steele |
22 |
(It’s Gonna Be A) Great Day |
Tommy Steele |
23 |
Tonight |
Tommy Steele |
24 |
Stagger Lee |
Tommy Steele |
25 |
Maybellene |
Tommy Steele |
26 |
Good Morning / There Once Was A Man |
Tommy Steele |
27 |
Let Me Sing And I’m Happy |
Tommy Steele |
28 |
Seven Little Girls (Sitting In The Back Seat) |
Tommy Steele |
29 |
Bonus: 1957 Royal Variety Performance Extract |
Tommy Steele featuring Gracie Fields |
30 |
Bonus: Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer |
Tommy Steele |