Rivers, Johnny / Greatest Hits And More!
Album: Greatest Hits And More!   Collection:General
Artist:Rivers, Johnny   Added:Jun 2011
Label:Soul City Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2011-12-11 Pull Date: 2012-02-12
Week Ending: Jan 22 Jan 8 Jan 1 Dec 25 Dec 18
Airplays: 1 1 2 2 1

Recent Airplay
1. Feb 16, 2024: KZSU Time Traveler
Baby, I Need Your Lovin'
4. Feb 04, 2022: KZSU Time Traveler
Baby, I Need Your Lovin'
2. Jan 19, 2024: KZSU Time Traveler
Summer Rain
5. Dec 31, 2021: KZSU Time Traveler
Summer Rain
3. Nov 04, 2022: KZSU Time Traveler
Poor Side Of Town
6. Dec 14, 2018: Traditions
Midnight Special

Album Review
MC Dizzy Jackson
Reviewed 2011-12-07
Legendary rock ‘n’ roller, first to record ‘Secret Agent Man’, interpreted many classics and made many of them hits. Was the first to play at the famed ‘Whisky A Go-Go on the Sunset Strip. Sounds of ’50’s r’n’r, Motown, r & b, country, blues. All songs are standouts with great playing throughout. N0 FCC’s.

*My Favorites*: Every song.

1. (2:32) Mid. ‘Memphis’, Chuck Berry song. Live. Done much like Berry original with that down beat, vocal delivery like Berry’s. Nice.
2. (3:08) Fast. ‘Maybelline’, Chuck Berry classic. Live. Driving, with female backing vocals, great piano solo, gets really gospel-like. Killer.
3. (2:45) Mid. ‘Mountain Of Love’. Classic r & b, bluesy number Rivers did back in ’64. Female backing vocals, harmonica.
4. (4:43) Mid. Midnight Special’, Traditional, done more up-tempo than many other versions. Rivers original used as theme song for ’70’s music show of the same name. Driving, with hip horns, nice guitar soloing by Rivers, organ. Funky and bluesy. Killer.
5. (2:15) Mid. ‘Seventh Son’ Willie Dixon classic. Live. Rivers does this like Mose Allison’s version back in the mid-’60’s. Rockin’ barn-burner with female backing vocals, cool guitar, pounding beat with lots of cymbals.
6. (3:06) Mid. ‘Secret Agent Man’ by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri, Rivers’ sidemen. They were hired to write this for the ’60’s spy show. Live version, done like original. Surfish, with some killer guitar work, killer beat. Awesome, dude.
7. (3:06) Mid. ‘Poor Side Of Town’ Rivers / Adler song. Country / Motown sound, very different from other Rivers tunes, became his first #1 song. Strings, easy beat, female backing vocals.
8. (3:09) Slow / Mid. ‘Baby I Need Your Lovin’ Four Tops classic. Done faithfully to the Tops’, very soulful with tambourine strikes, female backing vocals. Beautiful.
9. (2:48) Slow. ‘Tracks Of My Tears’ Smokey Robinson classic. Retains that Motown sound. Strings, plodding beat. Very nice.
10. (3:36) Slow / Mid. ‘Summer Rain’ Classic by James Hendrix. Dreamy, has a bit of that ’60’s psyche sound. Horns, drums, guitar, bass, cool.
11. (2:34) Mid. ‘Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu’ Huey Piano Smith classic. Although not quite as ‘down south’ as other versions, it’s a strong number with killer piano, drums, backing vocals, handclaps.
12. (4:03) Slow / Mid. ‘Slow Dancing’ ’70’s classic, very country and soulful. Heartfelt guitar lead, plodding beat, soaring strings.
13. (3:34) Mid. ‘Down To Louisiana’ Rivers take on Muddy Waters’ ‘Got My Mojo Working’. Bluesy with slide guitar, piano, plodding beat with tambourine strikes.
14. (3:29) Slow / Mid. ‘New Home’ Eric Bibb song. Very bluesy with nice slide guitar, lots of cymbals, female backing vocals, organ. Great stuff.
15. (3:21) Slow. ‘I Put A Spell On You’ Screaming Jay Hawkins classic. Ominous with spacey organ, mean guitar, hypnotic beat. Great.
16. (3:35) Slow. ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ Traditional done by everyone. Rivers does it very hauntingly and spare, vocal, guitar, bass, minimal drums. Nice.

Track Listing
1. Memphis   9. Tracks Of My Tears
2. Maybelline   10. Summer Rain
3. Mountain Of Love   11. Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu
4. Midnight Special   12. Slow Dancing
5. Seventh Son   13. Down To Louisiana
6. Secret Agent Man   14. New Home
7. Poor Side Of Town   15. I Put A Spell On You
8. Baby, I Need Your Lovin'   16. House Of The Rising Sun