(1958) PI 3535-A ''Bop Train'' Bill Justis & His Orchestra

STUDIO SESSION FOR BILL JUSTIS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
AT THE MEMPHIS RECORDING SERVICE FOR SUN RECORDS 1958

SUN RECORDING STUDIO
706 UNION AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
SUN SESSION: TUESDAY NOVEMBER 10-11, 1958
SESSION HOURS: UNKNOWN
PRODUCER - BILL JUSTIS
RECORDING ENGINEER - STAN KESLER

"BOP TRAIN"
Composer: - Bill Justis
Publisher: - B.M.I. - Justis Music Incorporated
Matrix number: - P 337 - Master (2:02)
Recorded: - November 10-11, 1958
Released: - 1958
First appearance: - Phillips International (S) 45rpm standard single PI 3535-A mono
BOP TRAIN / STRING OF PEARLS - CHA HOT CHA
Reissued: - 1997 Bear Family Records (CD) 500/200rpm BCD 15805-4-17 mono
THE SUN SINGLES COLLECTION - VOLUME 5

Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)
Bill Justis - Saxophone
Roland Janes - Guitar
Cliff Acred - Bass
Billy Riley - Bass
Richard Mateller - Trumpet
Jackie Thomas - Trombone
Vernon Drake - Saxophone
Sid Manker - Guitar
Keith Vann - Drums
Charlie Rich - Piano

"Bop Train" is another matter. Hidden on the B-side here and rarely reissued, this track is a gem that truly captures the hybrid spirit of Justis' music. The trouble is there's really nowhere to go after the first 12-bar verse. Its all been said. All that remains is to swap the soloing around until the clock on the wall tells us its time to wrap. In a true tough of class, rather than fade on somebody's solo, they return to the original guitar figure and the "Bop Train" rolls along the tracks until its out of sight. Fine work, girls.

The other nice story about ''Bop Train'' is a strange record that doesn't seem quite sure what it wants to be. It begins with a lovely, countrified 4-bar guitar intro in the key of B. Not many songs are in the key and there might not be another one on Sun. Then the band comes in playing a 120bar blues at a lazy rolling tempo with pleasant sax work by Justis in the style of Billy Vaughn. Only now they're in the key of A-flat. Huh? We never lose that 12-bar structure from here on. It's a train, rolling down the track, although the journey doesn't come to close to ''bop'' by anyone definition. (Then again, neither did Elvis when the critics called his music ''hillbilly bop'' back when he started). The first verse is led by the mellow sax. The next two-verses feature a lead guitar with a lot more edge and sting than any playing that comes before. This is as close to rock and roll as the record gets. Then there's one more sax-led verse (the Vaughn sound again) and we're out, back to that lovely hillbilly figure we started with. (HD) (SP)

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