Various: Motor Psycho – Lux & Ivy Feel The Need For Speed

Various: Motor Psycho – Lux & Ivy Feel The Need For Speed (Righteous / Cherry Red Records)
CD | DL
Rel Date: 11th April 2025

After just a sole release in 2024 I was concerned that Righteous Records had run its course, but out of the early chaos of 2025 comes Motor Psycho – Lux And Ivy Feel The Need For Speed, another compilation of obscure rockabilly, doo-wop, and deranged chancers this time bundled together under the theme of exotic cars and eccentric road travellers.

Opening up with Conny & The Bellhops 1960 debut single Shot Rod, which came out via Damon Records from Kansas City. Conny was actually Edgar M. Conrad, III, quite who his Bellhops were has been lost in time – Shot Rod is an absolute rock ‘n’ roll stomper, a frantically chugging guitar riff held in place with a rich bass over which some insane piano competes with some stonking brass and neat vocal harmonies prior to collapsing into an Elmer Fudd style splutter, which leads you into Curtis Gordon who released Draggin in 1956; Gordon had been trying to gain a hit since his debut in 1952, despite supporting Elvis Presley on tour success had eluded him, dropped by his label then picked up by Mercury, Draggin was his third attempt for the label – the speeding engine start, then a bizarre studio wobble before the standard rockin’ rhythm kicks in, Gordon’s voice is decent, though the entire track is hampered by the failed efforts of the recording engineer to get any of the levels in even a remotely usable fashion – a better effort is the self-released Ford And Shaker from James Gallagher, though it seems even he wasn’t confident in the track as he demoted it to the B-Side of Are You The One.

Sammy Masters penned Pink Cadillac in 1956 having returned from serving in the Korean War, and alongside his Rocking Rhythm put the single out on the 4-Star label, an original 10” 78rpm will set you back the best part of £100 – Patsy Cline had a minor hit with his Turn The Cards slowly, but despite Pink Cadillac having everything going for it, the twists the turns, the crooner vocals and wildcat yelps the single sold poorly; onto Joyce Green who changed her choice of paint colour and put out the brilliant Black Cadillac in 1959, her vocals ring out, the guitar riff strips said paint whilst a piano clatters away – remarkably the track failed to sell and it became her sole release; it wasn’t until the early 80’s that the track became respected when it was picked up in the UK rockabilly scene. Doye O’Dell’s Diesel Smoke should be familiar to most, if not for the surf guitar lead, and Doyes over-sized cowboy hats then for the ridiculous 16-wheeler airhorn that punctuates the track! Don Cole released the magnificent Squad Car in 1961, as befits the title this instrumental has a dark underbelly, with some decidedly twisted guitar work that hints at later 60’s psychedelia, the track didn’t sell well – as such copies trade for in excess of £40 for an acceptable item; Betty McQuade’s Midnight Bus is another standout gem – Betty hailed from Brisbane, Australia but was actually born in Paisley, Scotland. She was the vocalist for The Thunderbirds who were one of the first rock ‘n’ roll bands in Australia; Midnight Bus was her debut solo effort courtesy of the Melbourne based Astor label; Betty has a fine voice, dark with a warmth that had me thinking of a Dusty Springfield, though the track itself whilst having that 60’s folk pop vibe has a very welcome shadowy element.

Hot Rod Lincoln from Charlie Ryan & The Timberline Riders is one of those novelty rock ‘n’ roll records that the world could do with these days; a raw rockabilly belter that like Doye O’Dell’s effort has insane honking car horns littering the track, whilst Charlie almost always wore his ten-gallon hats at a jaunty angle! Wheels was released back in 1958 from the implausible titled Sonny Sheets with Floyd Terry, The Pirates and The Frantics, a doo-wop harmony vocal ups its pace to keep up with the swinging beat and honking sax, whilst Faron Warmer takes us to Crusin Central – little is know about this one, even the release date has been lost to time, though Faron’s only other release came out in 1966, so its going to be there or thereabout; it’s a great track, though its pretty clear Mr Warmer had been listening on rotation to Bobby (Boris) Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers mega hit Monster Mash.

(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 is given a piano based jazz workout by its writer Bobby Troup, its interesting to hear the original of this standard, though I was more interested to note Bobby was married to second wife Julie London up to his passing in 1999. Little Sylvia aka Robinson (née Vanterpool) put out Drive, Daddy Drive in 1952, the song is of its time, though its clear Sylvia had a powerful voice which went onto grace the Bo Diddley classic Love Is Strange; Robinson herself later in life was the founder and CEO of the pioneering hip hop label Sugar Hill Records, and produced both Rappers Delight and The Message. In 2022, she was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame having been known as the Mother of Hip Hop.

The Storey Sisters were a vocal duo from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Members were Ann and Lillian Storey who both getting writing credits on their debut Bad Motorcycle the title referencing one of Jocko Henderson’s famous catch phrases. Released for the Cameo label in 1958, the record did well gaining releases in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada; its genius, from the matching white prom dresses the girls wore to the high-pitched over excited lyrics that have some fantastic over-extended vocal refrains just to fit the song structure, and the harmonised “brum, brum” delivery – love it! The Playmates with The Hugo Peretti Orchestra focused on a cars horn for Beep Beep – this one starts out sounding like something from the original Charlie & The Chocolate Factory soundtrack before the motor gets some gas… staying in character, and careers to a conclusion some two minutes later.
Ray Burden brings things to a stop with A Hot-Rodders Dream, the only picture I could find of Ray has him looking like a preppy college kid which is contrary to this wobbly voiced belter, complete with over the top studio effects that clearly the engineer was incapable at setting the correct levels for… and all the better it is to for that defect, this one coming out via the Adonis label form New York in 1960.

Once again, Righteous has trawled the darkest recesses of nascent rock ‘n’ roll to unearth some absolute, yet unknown classics of the genre; a welcome return to the labels long running series – let’s hope 2025 sees a few more coming our way.

Various: Motor Psycho – Lux & Ivy Feel The Need For Speed – album review