ALAN MERRILL
''DOUBLE SHOT ROCKS''
APRIL 29 2003
68:11
1/I Love You So
Arthur Alexander / Jon Tiven/3:07
2/You Better Move On
Arthur Alexander/4:00
3/Johnny Heartbreak
Arthur Alexander/2:56
4/Anna
Arthur Alexander/2:55
5/In the Middle of It All
Arthur Alexander/3:02
6/Old John Amos
Arthur Alexander / Thomas Cain/2:30
7/From Now On
Arthur Alexander/3:05
8/Everyday I Have to Cry Some
Arthur Alexander/3:05
9/I'd Do It over Again
Arthur Alexander/2:35
10/Genie in the Jug
Arthur Alexander / Spooner Oldham/2:51
11/Fever
Otis Blackwell / Eddie Cooley / John Davenport/3:08
12/Paralyzed
Otis Blackwell/2:51
13/Home in Your Heart
Otis Blackwell / Winfield Scott/2:39
14/Hey Little Girl
Otis Blackwell/3:22
15/Don't Be Cruel
Otis Blackwell / Elvis Presley/2:16
16/Handy Man
Otis Blackwell / Jimmy "Handy Man" Jones/2:41
17/Great Balls of Fire
Otis Blackwell / Jack Hammer/2:13
18/Daddy Rollin' Stone
Otis Blackwell/3:08
19/On That Powerline
Otis Blackwell/3:42
20/Brace Yourself
Otis Blackwell/2:37
21/Breathless
Otis Blackwell/2:49
22/Let's Think About It
Arthur Alexander / Jon Tiven/3:38
23/It's All Over Now
Bobby Womack / Shirley Jean Womack/3:01
Kenny Aaronson/Bass, Vocals (Background)
Arthur Alexander/Vocals
Cheryl Beattie/Vocals (Background)
Frank Black/Vocals (Background)
Gary "U.S." Bonds/Vocals (Background)
Richie Cannata/Sax (Tenor)
Cheryl Beattie/Vocals (Background)
Crispin Cioe/Sax (Baritone)
Mickey Curry/Drums, Percussion
Jimmy Destri/Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
Larry Etkin/Trumpet
Laurence Etkin/Trumpet
Steve Ferrone/Drums, Percussion
Donnie Fritts/Keyboards, Piano
Bob Funk/Trombone
Arno Hecht/Sax (Tenor)
Michael Hill/Guitars
Ronnie Johnson/Vocals (Background)
Mark Knopfler/Guitars
May Pang/Vocals (Background)
Alan Merrill/Guitar, Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Vocals
Laura Merrill/Vocals (Background)
Sarah Nagourney/Vocals (Background)
Spooner Oldham/Keyboards
May Pang/Vocals (Background)
Graham Parker/Vocals (Background)
Sir Mack Rice/Vocals (Background)
Muzz Skillings/Bass
Todd Snare/Drums, Percussion
Chris Spedding/Guitars
Jon Tiven/Arranger, Guitars, Slide Guitar
Sally Tiven/Bass, Vocals (Background)
Uptown Horns
Tony Visconti/Vocals (Background)
John Waite/Harmony, Vocals (Background)
Mitch Weissman/Bass, Vocals (Background)
REVIEW
by Dave Thompson
Anyone who ever clocked Alan Merrill's vocals with glam rock geniuses The Arrows back in the mid-1970s, and thought they detected a hint of American R&B lounging around the edges, probably wrote it off as a trick of the light. Certainly, they could never have expected Merrill to follow through (eventually) with this, a 23-song tribute album to Arthur Alexander and Otis Blackwell, recorded with ex-Yankees frontman Jon Tiven, and dropping so neatly into the very heart of the songs that one wonders precisely what else Merrill has tucked away in his quiver.
First and foremost, Double Shot Rocks' closest living relative is Denny Laine's Wings-powered tribute to Buddy Holly, Holly Days. There's the same sense of simply rolling through the songs for fun, of relaxing into the words and rhythms, and of caring less for slickness and studio trickery than for the sheer joy of singing and playing such great songs.
The most ignorant neophyte on earth, after all, will recognize most of them, from old Rolling Stones and Beatles albums, from sundry classic soul compilations, from simply tuning in to oldies radio and letting the memories wash over them. And that is precisely the effect that Double Shot Rocks has -- a summery breeze, a drifting daydream, an hour spent in the company of some of the most soulful, romantic and beautiful songs ever written; all delivered with such gentle honesty (and, occasionally, corking guitars) that, the moment it's over, you'll want to hear it all over again.
BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Leggett
Alan Merrill has had a long and varied career as a pop musician on three continents. Born Allan Sachs, the son of singer Helen Merrill and horn man Aaron Sachs, singer, guitarist, bassist, and songwriter Merrill played in several bands in Greenwich Village as a teen before moving to Japan, where, as a member of the group the Lead, he signed a recording deal with RCA Victor Tokyo in 1968. The Lead had one big hit in Japan, "Aoi Bara," before breaking up, leaving Merrill as a solo act. He recorded two albums in 1970 and 1971, Merrill 1 and Alone in Tokyo, becoming a huge star in Japan's domestic market, working as a TV host and soap opera actor as well as recording music. Tired of being viewed as a "teen idol," Merrill formed the glam rock group Vodka Collins with drummer Horoshi Oguchi, recording the enduring Tokyo-New York album for EMI Records, which spawned three hit singles, including a beautiful Merrill composition, "Sands of Time." Merrill left Vodka Collins to form the Arrows in the U.K. in 1974. Among the groups' hits was the first version of "I Love Rock N Roll," later an even larger smash for Joan Jett. Merrill continued his television appearances in Britain, hosting a weekly series called The Arrows Show. When punk hit, the Arrows broke up, and Merrill formed the band Runner, recording the self-titled Runner for Island Records in 1978 before returning to the States, where he joined Rick Derringer's band. He released a solo album on Polydor in 1985, then joined Meat Loaf's band for a pair of albums. He had a recurring part in the HBO series Encyclopedia Brown, and began working with producer Jon Tiven in the Jon Tiven Group. Demand for a Vodka Collins reunion brought him back to Japan for three reunion albums by the band in the late 1990s. In 2002 Merrill released a 22-song solo project called Cupid Deranged, which was in essence a career retrospective. A holiday album, A Merrilly Christmas appeared that same year. A double-album tribute to songwriters Arthur Alexander and Otis Blackwell, Double Shot Rocks, saw release in 2003, followed by another solo project, Aleecat, in 2004.
DoWnLoAd
''DOUBLE SHOT ROCKS''
APRIL 29 2003
68:11
1/I Love You So
Arthur Alexander / Jon Tiven/3:07
2/You Better Move On
Arthur Alexander/4:00
3/Johnny Heartbreak
Arthur Alexander/2:56
4/Anna
Arthur Alexander/2:55
5/In the Middle of It All
Arthur Alexander/3:02
6/Old John Amos
Arthur Alexander / Thomas Cain/2:30
7/From Now On
Arthur Alexander/3:05
8/Everyday I Have to Cry Some
Arthur Alexander/3:05
9/I'd Do It over Again
Arthur Alexander/2:35
10/Genie in the Jug
Arthur Alexander / Spooner Oldham/2:51
11/Fever
Otis Blackwell / Eddie Cooley / John Davenport/3:08
12/Paralyzed
Otis Blackwell/2:51
13/Home in Your Heart
Otis Blackwell / Winfield Scott/2:39
14/Hey Little Girl
Otis Blackwell/3:22
15/Don't Be Cruel
Otis Blackwell / Elvis Presley/2:16
16/Handy Man
Otis Blackwell / Jimmy "Handy Man" Jones/2:41
17/Great Balls of Fire
Otis Blackwell / Jack Hammer/2:13
18/Daddy Rollin' Stone
Otis Blackwell/3:08
19/On That Powerline
Otis Blackwell/3:42
20/Brace Yourself
Otis Blackwell/2:37
21/Breathless
Otis Blackwell/2:49
22/Let's Think About It
Arthur Alexander / Jon Tiven/3:38
23/It's All Over Now
Bobby Womack / Shirley Jean Womack/3:01
Kenny Aaronson/Bass, Vocals (Background)
Arthur Alexander/Vocals
Cheryl Beattie/Vocals (Background)
Frank Black/Vocals (Background)
Gary "U.S." Bonds/Vocals (Background)
Richie Cannata/Sax (Tenor)
Cheryl Beattie/Vocals (Background)
Crispin Cioe/Sax (Baritone)
Mickey Curry/Drums, Percussion
Jimmy Destri/Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
Larry Etkin/Trumpet
Laurence Etkin/Trumpet
Steve Ferrone/Drums, Percussion
Donnie Fritts/Keyboards, Piano
Bob Funk/Trombone
Arno Hecht/Sax (Tenor)
Michael Hill/Guitars
Ronnie Johnson/Vocals (Background)
Mark Knopfler/Guitars
May Pang/Vocals (Background)
Alan Merrill/Guitar, Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Vocals
Laura Merrill/Vocals (Background)
Sarah Nagourney/Vocals (Background)
Spooner Oldham/Keyboards
May Pang/Vocals (Background)
Graham Parker/Vocals (Background)
Sir Mack Rice/Vocals (Background)
Muzz Skillings/Bass
Todd Snare/Drums, Percussion
Chris Spedding/Guitars
Jon Tiven/Arranger, Guitars, Slide Guitar
Sally Tiven/Bass, Vocals (Background)
Uptown Horns
Tony Visconti/Vocals (Background)
John Waite/Harmony, Vocals (Background)
Mitch Weissman/Bass, Vocals (Background)
REVIEW
by Dave Thompson
Anyone who ever clocked Alan Merrill's vocals with glam rock geniuses The Arrows back in the mid-1970s, and thought they detected a hint of American R&B lounging around the edges, probably wrote it off as a trick of the light. Certainly, they could never have expected Merrill to follow through (eventually) with this, a 23-song tribute album to Arthur Alexander and Otis Blackwell, recorded with ex-Yankees frontman Jon Tiven, and dropping so neatly into the very heart of the songs that one wonders precisely what else Merrill has tucked away in his quiver.
First and foremost, Double Shot Rocks' closest living relative is Denny Laine's Wings-powered tribute to Buddy Holly, Holly Days. There's the same sense of simply rolling through the songs for fun, of relaxing into the words and rhythms, and of caring less for slickness and studio trickery than for the sheer joy of singing and playing such great songs.
The most ignorant neophyte on earth, after all, will recognize most of them, from old Rolling Stones and Beatles albums, from sundry classic soul compilations, from simply tuning in to oldies radio and letting the memories wash over them. And that is precisely the effect that Double Shot Rocks has -- a summery breeze, a drifting daydream, an hour spent in the company of some of the most soulful, romantic and beautiful songs ever written; all delivered with such gentle honesty (and, occasionally, corking guitars) that, the moment it's over, you'll want to hear it all over again.
BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Leggett
Alan Merrill has had a long and varied career as a pop musician on three continents. Born Allan Sachs, the son of singer Helen Merrill and horn man Aaron Sachs, singer, guitarist, bassist, and songwriter Merrill played in several bands in Greenwich Village as a teen before moving to Japan, where, as a member of the group the Lead, he signed a recording deal with RCA Victor Tokyo in 1968. The Lead had one big hit in Japan, "Aoi Bara," before breaking up, leaving Merrill as a solo act. He recorded two albums in 1970 and 1971, Merrill 1 and Alone in Tokyo, becoming a huge star in Japan's domestic market, working as a TV host and soap opera actor as well as recording music. Tired of being viewed as a "teen idol," Merrill formed the glam rock group Vodka Collins with drummer Horoshi Oguchi, recording the enduring Tokyo-New York album for EMI Records, which spawned three hit singles, including a beautiful Merrill composition, "Sands of Time." Merrill left Vodka Collins to form the Arrows in the U.K. in 1974. Among the groups' hits was the first version of "I Love Rock N Roll," later an even larger smash for Joan Jett. Merrill continued his television appearances in Britain, hosting a weekly series called The Arrows Show. When punk hit, the Arrows broke up, and Merrill formed the band Runner, recording the self-titled Runner for Island Records in 1978 before returning to the States, where he joined Rick Derringer's band. He released a solo album on Polydor in 1985, then joined Meat Loaf's band for a pair of albums. He had a recurring part in the HBO series Encyclopedia Brown, and began working with producer Jon Tiven in the Jon Tiven Group. Demand for a Vodka Collins reunion brought him back to Japan for three reunion albums by the band in the late 1990s. In 2002 Merrill released a 22-song solo project called Cupid Deranged, which was in essence a career retrospective. A holiday album, A Merrilly Christmas appeared that same year. A double-album tribute to songwriters Arthur Alexander and Otis Blackwell, Double Shot Rocks, saw release in 2003, followed by another solo project, Aleecat, in 2004.
DoWnLoAd
