The Deuce Coupes - The Shut Downs

I've got to be completing my Crown Records collection by now. This is the same gist: a few instrumentals amongst some pretty good vocal tracks, backed by Jerry Cole and a whole lot of engine sounds. I can't say that any of these really stand out to me, but it's still a solid enough album. I know y'all go nuts for anything surf or drag related anyway, so it's not like anything I say about it really matters. Here, see what Pipeline magazine has to say:

For the “Shut Downs” album I was already pretty aware how it was going to sound before the needle touched down into the grooves, having previously heard to rest of the Crown hot-rod releases – and I wasn’t wrong ! Acclaimed studio sessionman Jerry Cole was once again the uncredited main force behind the long-player and his distinct single-layer vocals, coupled with his rhythmic guitar and an accompanying sax, are the most noticeable factors in all of the label’s auto releases – and in fact, such is the similarity between each offering that I’m sure many of the melodies are simply adapted and re-used accordingly (it’s just that I haven’t worked out which ones they are yet …). Yes, they sound under-produced and fairly basic … but each release does manage to stick one or two tunes in the memory bank and they’re all worth a listen – but not one after the after for sanity’s sake.
In the instance of this particular album it’s the opening number, “With My Baby”, that gets the feet tapping and makes you wonder where on earth you've heard it before (answer - Cole rewrote it and included again on the later album by the Winners - see elsewhere) whilst the subsequent track has Cole clearly thinking in Dick-Dale-mode … and that’s not a bad thing …

By the way, this is not to be confused with the Del-Fi records Deuce Coupes. In fact, I'm not entirely sure whether the artist here is The Deuce Coupes or the Shut Downs.

Anyway here's a link to it and a tracklist

Side A

1. With My Baby
2. 36 Window Coupe
3. Two Fast Cars
4. Starters Nightmare (instrumental)
5. Oil on the Track

Side B

1. Body By Fisher
2. Turn Her On Buddy
3. Goin, Goin, Gone (instrumental)
4. Goggles Got A Hole In It
5. Deuce Coupes

The Hot Rodders - Big Hot Rod

Yet another Jerry Cole/Crown Hot Rod release, but really despite the budget label I think this is a fantastic album, better than yesterday's post with The Winners and on par with some of the more established surf classics. Not only are all the instrumentals fun in some manner, but the vocal tracks are as well. In fact, I'd say that without a doubt the standout here is "Spirit of America' in which an exploitation-film-style monotone voice tells you about an 11' tall, 60' long unbeatable dragster between evil laughs. This is the weird stuff y'all, and if nothing else this is worth it for that track alone

Side A:

1.  On the Track
2. Fine 39
3. 27 tub
4. Super Charged
5. The Screamer

Side B:

1.  Red Hot Rod
2. Spirit of America
3. Drag Shoot
4. Wild Willys
5. The Creamer

GET IT HERE

The Winners - Checkered Flag

The Winners are another of the many Crown Records surf/drag budget albums that (according to this blog) had Jerry Cole behind them. I love Jerry Cole dearly and at first the word "budget" seems a little unfair for this album, as it's all pretty competent and even has some songs that I'd call a lot of fun. But when considered alongside other Crown records budget releases (I found this alongside The Hot Rodders - Big Hot Rod (probably next up on this blog) and a few others), you'll find that they recycle songs from one album to the other. They're played differently, but it's pretty funny to see them attach so many different names to "Hey Bo Diddley". 

But if we take a look at what this album is, first I'd like to include the review from the flea market vendor who sold it to me (who had some pretty kickass old hot rod magazines too), "I think it's just a recording of a bunch of hot rod race track sounds". I knew he was wrong but I still thought "YESSSSSSSS". And sure enough, there's plenty of that interspersed throughout

We're looking at about half and half vocal and instrumental tracks. The vocal tracks, even though I've gained a pretty big love for hot rod vocals, are nothing special or even particularly funny. I think this album really gets fun right on the second side with "down lok", "up lok" and the real choice cut "Cops and Rodders". Three points to whoever can identify the real names of some of these, listening to all these Crown releases has kind of gotten me confused.

Side A:

1. Drop That Flag
   
2. Uptown Model A
3. Big Boss Man
4. Checkered Flag
5. Stick Shiftin

Side B:

1. Wind Her Up
2. Runnin Second
3. Down Lok
4. Up Lok
5. Cops and Rodders

GET IT HERE

1.