Licorice Pizza: ... You Can Almost Smell the Rubber Burn

11/25/2006

... You Can Almost Smell the Rubber Burn

Never one to rest on my laurels, I thought I’d reach back about 40 years for today’s selections, which come from a Capital Records compilation titled “Shut Down.” There’s no date on the record, but the jacket notes refer to the title coming from “the current high-riding hit by the Beach Boys.” The “Shut Down” single was released in March 1963, so you do the math.

These are songs “about the fun, thrills and excitement of the road,” no doubt meant to cash in on the Beach Boys’ success at the time; “409” and “Surfin’ USA” were both Top 25 hits, and “Surfer Girl,” would soon break into the Top 10.

But this collection isn’t about the Beach Boys, although they are represented here. It’s about a time when gas was less than 50 cents a gallon, kids cruised the strips and hung at burger joints, and Detroit muscle cars ruled.

Other than the Beach Boys and Robert Mitchum, most of the artists here are one-hit wonders. I’ve tried to find links to more information where possible, but mostly the searches were in vain. Enjoy the music - it’s mostly in the rock-a-billy vein. The sound quality isn’t always so great; the songs came from a mono disk that is about 40 years old.

Wide Track.mp3 The Super Stocks
Thunder Road.mp3 Robert Mitchum
Hot Rod Race.mp3 Jimmy Dolan
Cheater Slicks.mp3 The Super Stocks
Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots.mp3 The Cheers
409.mp3 The Beach Boys