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This fills in another of the gaps on our strand of R&B and country collections associated with Acrobat’s highly popular “America’s Greatest Hits” series, this one focusing on the top R&B records in the US Billboard charts during 1955. This great value 104-track 4-CD anthology includes, with the exception of certain records which are unavailable for inclusion due to copyright restrictions, just about every record which peaked during the year in the published Top 10 “Best Selling Retail Rhythm & Blues Records” and “Most Played Juke Box Rhythm & Blues” charts. It was a fascinating time in R&B, with different strands of the genre creating the musical landscape from which rock ‘n’ roll was already emerging – Bill Haley’s “Rock Around The Clock”, Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti”and Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” were hits during this year along with hits by the likes of Fats Domino, Big Joe Turner, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley and Ruth Brown that were rock ‘n’ roll in all but name. There are numerous doowop groups like The Platters, The Penguins, the and The Clovers, sophisticated vocalists like Dinah Washington and Roy Hamilton, the electric Chicago guitar blues of B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed and Little Walter and even a pop interloper in Pat Boone, doing one of his covers of R&B hits. As with all these collections, it provides a window onto a dynamic and exciting musical environment, and includes a number of unfamiliar names and recordings of which even enthusiasts of the genre may not be too aware, and which will be welcome additions to their collections. It contains a 12,000+ word booklet featuring background notes on every record as well as full discographical and chart information.
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