Phil Harvey: Bumbershoot/Willy Boy (Imperial X5583)

Phil Harvey is actually Phil Spector and you know who Phil Spector is, do you not? You know, The Ronettes, The Crystals, the murder trials, the wall of sound, all that stuff. Well, you don't exactly associate the name Phil Spector with rockin' instrumentals and yet, that's exactly what these are. This record came out in 1959 when ol' Phil was starting to make a name for himself (His production of The Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is To Love Him" was a hit the previous year) and surprise, surprise, they're both kinda swingin'. "Bumbershoot" puts more emphasis on the guitar and has got a couple of inept solos, while "Willy Boy" trots out the hot sax and lets it go for a few riffs. Of course, it wouldn't be too long before all those hits started comin', but if you're sick of those songs, floppin' this on the turntable might just come as a shock to you. But trust me, it's rather good.