Bear Family's previous
Prisonaires compilation, with 26 tracks, was so lengthy that it seemed like the last word on this interesting but relatively obscure 1950s vocal group, especially considering they didn't release all that many records. This 28-song anthology -- little of which appears on that previous Bear Family collection -- emphatically demonstrates otherwise, and is a worthwhile supplement, even if it's yet more specialized in its appeal. Included are five alternate takes recorded in 1953-1954 during their time at Sun Records; four 1955 tracks issued by spinoff group (including lead singer Johnny Bragg) the Marigolds, among them the Top Ten R&B hit "Rollin' Stone"; and four other 1955 tracks by still another spinoff with Bragg, credited to the Solotones. Though the Sun material might not be different enough from previously released versions to excite interest among non-experts, the Marigolds and Solotones tracks find them moving into more modernized doo wop, particularly on the calypso-flavored "Rollin' Stone." There's even a determined stab at rock & roll in "Juke Box Rock and Roll." The pièce de résistance, however, has to be the material from an 11-song LP custom-pressed for philanthropist Garrison Siskin, probably recorded in 1961. Although the production and arrangements on that discovery are plain, the singing is beautiful and likely to be treasured by '50s black vocal group aficionados. The performances include versions of their hit "Just Walkin' in the Rain" and less predictable songs like
Larry Williams' "Bony Moronie," "When the Saints Go Marching In," and "Caldonia," as well as gospel numbers. Of most sociological interest are songs specifically written for Siskin and a Texan governor (the latter at the request of Tennessee governor Frank Clement), a necessary exercise when
the Prisonaires were dependent upon the favors of politicians and humanitarians for their privileges to perform and possibilities for parole. The accompanying 60-page booklet, by Sun Records expert Martin Hawkins, has in-depth research that would put many an academic thesis to shame. ~ Richie Unterberger