Search - Dorsey Burnette :: Great Shakin Fever

DORSEY PERFECTION

john szotowski | ottawa, ontario Canada | 04/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"BEAR FAMILY HAS DONE IT AGAIN WITH THIS FABULOUS DORSEY BURNETTE CD. THE TRACKS ARE DELICIOUSLY RAW, WITH SOME VERY, VERY RARE SONGS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE SONGS HAVE BEEN TRANSFERED OVER TO CD SO WELL THAT I'M BEGINNING TO WONDER: WHO WAS BETTER - DORSEY OR HIS BROTHER JOHNNY. A DEFINITE MUST FOR ROCK-A-BILLY FANS."

One of rock & roll's unrated songwriters

Max Brand | Toronto, Ontario | 06/09/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A lot of people today don't know who Dorsey Burnette is. He was in one of of the greatest authentic rockabilly bands during the 1950's with his Brother Johnny, The Rock n Roll trio. After they split Johnny & Dorsey decided to move to Los Angeles to become songwriters and as a result they ended up writing songs for Ricky Nelson who scored a couple of Johnny & Dorsey tunes that became hits like It's Late. In around 60 Dorsey went to ERA records and scored his only major hit, Tall Oak Tree which he was going to give to Ricky who turned down. He had another one called Hey Little One which is definately my favorite Dorsey Burnette song, Glen Campbell in 1968 had a hit with that song even though his rendition doesn't come close to Dorsey's original. In early 61 Great Shakin Fever was going to be another follow up hit for Dorsey that didn't dent the Charts but this was Drsey rockin out on this one which maybe with a different arrangement it could've perhaps charted in the top 100. Now as for the album This album consisted some sides he did with ERA which apparently were A & B sides the other was a whole album he did with Dot which surprisingly it really didn't do much but this was Dorsey at his best almost becoming a soul singer in it's own right between Jackie Wilson & Elvis but the world really didn't get what Dorsey was trying to do so after one Album Dot dropped him and Dorsey would record for several oher labels which had it's share of moments but it'll be in 1970's that Dorsey finally started to chart records most of them in the Country Charts. There are even some unreleased stuff he recorded that didn't appear on Dot album as well some demo's he did around 60-61. Dorsey certainly does deserve some acolaides as a great songwriter who certainly wrote good music during his time alive."