So, my fervent hope is that I ripped and labeled these things properly, because each EP has eight titles per side (!), and because I ripped them out of order, thus necessitating the moving of MAGIX project tracks. This is always a risky process, which is why I made a backup, just in case things went wrong. It was then I discovered that I'd tagged sides BU-3AA and BU-3BB in reverse. Had to fix that. This stuff gets complicated.
So, the Waldrof Record Corp'.s Rock 'N Roll Jamboree (with the lone apostrophe preceding the N, this time) was, as far as I can speculate, a let's-get-the-most-out-of-our-catalog-before-the-buyout gimmick, the set apparently issued in four discs on at least two series. Mine is the series which starts with "BU-," and I have discs 2-4. Meanwhile, at Discogs, there's a CA- series. As we say in the "Brand X" collecting community, don't look for logic--it's not there. And, if we don't say it, we should.
I can't believe Enoch Light would have put his stamp of approval on a project this tacky, and since I tend to believe (without sufficient evidence) that, come sometime in 1957, Enoch was basically done with Waldorf ("Do whatever you like, guys"), I'll not blame Enoch for this sloppily engineered series, which offers sometimes comically truncated sound-alikes. There are blatant engineering glitches--mistimed edits, and even (on side 4AA) a pitch dip. Yet, for all the snarky things I could say about this set, it's incredibly entertaining. I mean, it's like a fast-forward through the world of Waldorf sound-alikes, from the days when the outfit's rock and roll covers sounded like big band relics, to the days (starting in 1957) when there was far greater pop chart verisimilitude, if I'm using that word correctly. By the time Waldorf's r&r tracks were actually sounding like r&r, Enoch was packing up to leave. Not to suggest that the Light-style r&r sound-alikes were anything but beautifully done and charming, but for most of its existence, Waldorf's r&r fakes were fakes in every sense of the word.
But, as I said, this is a very fun playlist, and I reckon that the sloppy editing only adds to the fun. We have no fewer than 48 tracks clocking in at about 51 minutes, so hold on to your seat! Not surprisingly, my copies, though they look fine, have their share of surface distortion. I don't think the crammed-together grooves helped in the graceful-aging department. So, expect some minor surface issues. Your ears will quickly adjust. I opted not to kill the treble, because I hate doing that.
There's no way I was going to type out all 48 titles, so please refer to the label scans below (and, of course, my mp3 ID tags). Somehow, I was able to cram all of the titles and artists on those tags, though I abbreviated when necessary. Link follows:
DONWLOAD: Rock 'N Roll Jamboree (Waldorf Record Corp. BU-2, 3, 4; poss. 1957)
