V.A. - Unlock The Lock: The Kent Records Story Vol. 1 1958-1962 (2015)

Our series of acclaimed overviews of the labels originally owned by the Bihari brothers has already featured RPM and Flair. Now it's the turn of Kent to receive the Ace treatment. In 1958 the brothers closed down all their existing imprints and incorporated Kent as their sole singles label. Initially offering a mixture of musical styles, the label quickly became a home for West Coast R&B as its predecessors. Kent existed until 1972 when the Bihari family pulled out of front-line record production. This first 2-CD set covers approximately the first years of the label and will be followed by another 2-CD set covering the remaining years in 2016.

TRACKLIST

CD 1
1. B.B. King - Why Do Everything Happen To Me (2:52)
2. Danny Boy - All Of Me (2:34)
3. The Barker Brothers - Hey Little Mama (2:10)
4. Etta James - 'Baby, Baby' Every Night (2:24)
5. Don Cole - Sweet Lovin' Honey (1:48)
6. Flash Terry & His Orchestra - On My Way Back Home (2:42)
7. Lee Denson - Devil Doll (2:03)
8. Sonny Knight - Madness (2:44)
9. Van Robinson - Basis Of Rock 'N' Roll (Take 1) (2:30)
10. Chuck 'Tequila' Rio - Bye Bye Baby (2:00)
11. Artie Wilson - That's My Baby (2:15)
12. Floyd Dixon & His Orchestra - Dance The Thing (2:39)
13. B.B. King - Please Accept My Love (Undubbed Version) (2:37)
14. Jesse James - Red Hot Rockin' Blues (2:20)
15. Betty & Dupree - If It Ain't One Thing (2:19)
16. Van Robinson - You You You (2:42)
17. Jesse James - South's Gonna Rise Again (1:54)
18. B.B. King - Worry Worry (Take 1) (2:58)
19. The Senders - The Ballad Of Stagger Lee (3:19)
20. Hadda Brooks - The Thrill Is Gone (Take 1) (4:46)
21. B.B. King - The Fool (2:39)
22. The Senders - Everybody Needs To Know (2:23)
23. Jesse Belvin - (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons (2:15)
24. B.B. King - Mean Ole Frisco (Take 2) (2:29)

CD 2
1. B.B. King - Sweet Sixteen, Pts. 1 & 2 (6:13)
2. Jimmy Witherspoon - Your Cheating Heart (Mono) (2:55)
3. Jimmy Nelson - Unlock The Lock (2:43)
4. B.B. King - Good Man Gone Bad (Mono) (2:48)
5. Hadda Brooks - Tomorrow Night (Overdubbed Version) (2:48)
6. B.B. King - You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now (Take 4) (3:27)
7. Charlie Owens & The Sensational Ink Spots - Diane (3:36)
8. Tony Allen & The Wanderers - If Love Was Money (2:02)
9. B.B. King - Bad Case Of Love (Take 1) (2:23)
10. Billy Ray - Texas Queen (3:15)
11. Tony Allen & Group - Dreamin' (2:41)
12. Joe Houston - Doing The Twist (2:39)
13. Little Joe Hinton - Get In The Car (2:37)
14. Etta James - Crazy Feeling (Aka Do Something Crazy) (3:20)
15. Little Joe Hinton - The Whip Twist (2:32)
16. Pat Hunt - Goodnight My Love (2:28)
17. Teddy Reynolds - Do You Wanna Twist (2:06)
18. Billy Ray - Playboy (2:25)
19. The Classicals - Camel Caravan (2:32)
20. Hal Davis - Without You (2:03)
21. Bobby 'Blue' Bland - Love You Baby (2:25)
22. The Newports - The Wonder Of Love (2:09)
23. Bobby Sanders - Maybe I'm Wrong (Ext. Version) (2:25)
24. B.B. King - Mashing The Popeye (2:49)