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For over five decades Chas McDevitt has been a key figure
in British popular music. In common with the legendary
Lonnie Donegan, Chas was a major player in the mid-50s
Skiffle phenomenon and is now widely regarded as official
custodian for the genre he helped bring to the fore. As
with Lonnie, Chas and his band were one of the first British
acts to break America when the now-classic Freight Train
hit the US charts in late '57, a feat virtually unheard
of for UK artists at that time. It's hard to exaggerate
the influence Skifflers such as Chas had on jump-starting
the turgid UK music industry, in readying grey, post-war
Britain for Rock'n'Roll and all that would come in its
wake. In short, Chas was a pioneer and once established
within the burgeoning rock/pop scene, enabled others to
get their start. The early 60s brought a change in direction
when, with his then-wife Shirley Douglas, Chas embarked
on a more Country-flavoured sound. 1972 saw the release
of their first President album comprising contemporary
and vintage material, and in 1976, as the Rock'n'Roll
revival took hold, Chas turned in Takes Ya Back, Don't
It, a nostalgic tribute to the influences that helped
hone his unique style.
Comprising 29 tracks - more than half of which make their
CD debut here - Freight Train Takes Ya Back! brings together
two albums' worth of recordings taken from 1972's Old,
New, Borrowed And Blue and the aforementioned Takes Ya
Back, Don't It, with a selection of lesser-heard bonus
tracks drawn from Chas McDevitt's mid-60s' Columbia period.
This stunning package also includes the 1972 reworking
of Freight Train, rated by Chas as his best version to
date. Under the musical direction of Gus Galbraith, their
first album showcases a variety of songs from pop hits
of the day such as Rose Garden and Everything I Own to
folk standards like Tom Dooley and Walk Right In, whilst
Takes Ya Back, Don't It revives Rock'n'Roll favourites
like Kansas City, Bloodshot Eyes and the Skiffle anthem
Rock Island Line amongst others, with Chas ably assisted
by session stalwarts Joe Brown and Wizz Jones to name
but two.
Boasting superior packaging, bonus tracks, detailed liner
notes, rare photos and memorabilia, Freight Train Takes
Ya Back! is the first time both of Chas McDevitt's President
albums have been available in their entirety on one CD
- a must for all fans of this trailblazing Skiffle great.
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