Album Details
Title: Steampacket / First R&B Festival 1964
Artist: Steampacket
Label: B&C
Released: January 1, 1964
1. Back at the Chicken Shack
2. The The "In" Crowd
3. Baby Take Me
4. Can I Get a Witness
5. Baby Baby
6. Holy Smoke
7. Cry Me a River
8. Oh, Baby, Don't You Do It
9. Lord Remember Me
10. Introduction by Bob Wooler
11. Dimples
12. You're Gonna Make It If You Try
13. Mary Ann
14. Bright Lights, Big City
15. The The 2.19
16. Night Time Is the Right Time
17. Slow Walk
18. Highway 69
19. My Little Cabin
20. Bye Bye Bird
21. Mojo Working
The Roadrunners' earliest recorded output, You Can Make It If You Try
and Mary Ann, comes from the First Annual R&B Festival at
Birmingham Town Hall on February 28th, 1964. Organized by Georgio
Gomelsky, this one-night festival featured Sonny Boy Williamson backed
by the Yardbirds and supported by Long John Baldry and the Hoochie
Coochie Blues Band, the Spencer Davis Rhythm & Blues Quartet, and,
of course, the Roadrunners. The gig was recorded by Gomelsky, and this
somewhat low-fidelity album has subsequently been released by Charly
Records and on CD by Repertoire (Steampacket/First R&B Festival).
Incidentally, Rod Stewart (then roadie for the Hoochie Coochie Men)
also makes an early appearance on the album and the Roadrunners also
appear as part of the "All Star" jam through "Got My Mojo Working"
which closes the album. Around this time, the band were offered a deal
by a major record label. However, Mike Hart seemed reluctant to get
involved with "all this commercialism," and it fell through. The band
returned to Liverpool and added the two sax players Nick Carver and
Johnny Phillips, becoming a James Brown-style soul outfit. Following
the second Star Club album, the band returned from Hamburg and appeared
on one more disc, the Pantomania EP, which was made to raise money for
the University rag week in 1965. It includes their version of the Bobby
Bland classic "Cry, Cry, Cry" and a version of "The Leaving of
Liverpool." Mike Hart left shortly afterwards to pursue a solo career,
and the Roadrunners carried on for a while under the leadership of Pete
Mackey. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
