#1 Bop Bop Ba Doo Bop (Classroom Hop)

Recorded September, 1956 in Hollywood, California. This rocker tells about everyone in school — including the teacher — being captivated by rock and roll, and they're all doing the Classroom Hop. (You may have noticed that Brian Setzer and the Stray Cats' "Fishnet Stockings", which was recorded in 1981, sounds a lot like this track. Bill Millar said in the liner notes of the Bear Family CD" That'll Flat Git It! Volume 12, Rockabilly from the Vaults of Imperial Records ". . .the Stray Cats plagiarized a Williams number and called it 'Fishnet Stockings'.")

#2 Cat Talk

A favorite among Rockabilly fans, Cat Talk was recorded in November 1955 at Jim Beck's studio in Dallas and released in the Summer of '56. The song uses a lot of the popular teenage language of the day. In Europe, this is probably Lew's most popular recording. Cat Talk has been recorded by various artists, including the Ace Cats, Johnny and the Roccos and Whistle Bait.

#3 I Saw You Crying in the Show

Issued in November 1958 on Dot's Hamilton label. Lew changed his name to Vik Wayne for this release. This track was recorded as a demo at Nesman's Studio, in Wichita Falls, Texas (where Lew went to college) in July 1958, and it featured a college student on lead guitar. This cut was selected to be released on the 45 because it turned out to be better than the version cut later that year at a session in Nashville with name musicians. (The Nashville cut is track #16.)

#4 Centipede

Recorded in Hollywood for Imperial in Winter 1957, the record got a Billboard Pick of the Week. In some areas of the nation, teenagers created their own dance for the song — the Centipede Crawl. Centipede has also been recorded by other artists including Restless, The Blacktop Rockets and Bill Stuve.

#5 My New Pink Suedes

Not previously issued. Recorded at Jim Beck Studio, in Dallas, in late 1955. Considered lost for decades, the old 78 acetate was found in storage by one of Lew's sons on Christmas day, 1998. The first evolution of the song was written in late 1954, called My One Button Roll. Because of the influence of the first signs of pink clothing, which became the rage in 1956-57, the song was re-written in the Spring of 1955 and the name changed to My New Pink Suedes. The song was not included in the November 1955 Imperial session in Dallas, but was to be recorded at the "next session." Lew didn't want to wait for the "next session" to have the song recorded, so he cut a demo and started submitting it to various record companies — as well as Imperial — in December 1955 to get another artist to record it. Then, a couple of months later, Carl Perkins' Blue Suede Shoes came out and that was the end of the line for My New Pink Suedes. Lew Chudd, head of Imperial Records, said there was room for only one suede shoe song and the first one out was it.

#6 I'll Play Your Game

Recorded in November 1955 at Jim Beck's Studio in Dallas and released in March 1956 on Imperial. This rocker has never been re-issued previously because Imperial listed it in their county series. Other releases of the Imperial Rockabillies collection used tracks from Imperial's rock and roll series.

#7 All Through the Night

Not previously issued. A bluesy number, this is a demo recorded at Nesman's in Wichita Falls, Texas in May 1957 with only piano backing by Fred Bridges, co-writer of the song.

#8 Something I Said

Recorded in September 1956 in Hollywood and released on Imperial in October 1956. The song was written in 1953 as a country song (the original recording is track #24 on this CD). Many consider this to be Lew's best record. This song has also been recorded by Mystery Train, Restless, Bill Stuve, Ray Condo and the Ricochets (two different versions), Amy Crenshaw & the Crosstown Boys and the Starlighters and Luky Liretti & the Thunderstorms.

#9 Gone Ape Man

Recorded at Jim Beck Studio in Dallas in November 1955 and released on Imperial in the Summer of 1956. This song was titled after a popular teen phrase of the day, a hallmark of many of Lew's lyrics.

#10 Rock & Roll School

Not previously issued. Recorded in the fall of 1957 as a demo at Nesman's Recording Studio in Wichita Falls. This track features just Lew with acoustical guitar backing, but the compelling rhythm is contagious.

#11 Cat Talk (original "cat music" recording)

Not previously issued. This is a classic example of 1954 Texas "cat music" which combined the influences of what was then called race music and hillbilly/country. This original version of the song was recorded in June 1954 at Jim Beck's Studio in Dallas. At this rare "cat music" session, Lew recorded the song along with three others — "Teenagers Talkin' on the Telephone," (#13 on this CD) "Cool It Ramon" and "Little'un" (the last two are lost). It demonstrates the true early "cat music" sound with street lingo of the day. Backed by a combo of sax, steel guitar, piano, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass and drums — which was radical instrumentation at that time.

#12 Abracadabra

Recorded for Imperial in Hollywood in September 1956 and released in January 1957. Fun and snappy, this song has a New Orleans rhythm and feel. Also recorded by Bill Stuve — primarily a blues and jazz artist — who has recorded blues/rockabilly versions of three of Lew's songs.

#13 Teenagers Talkin' on the Telephone

Not previously issued. Recorded in June 1954 at Jim Beck's studio in Dallas. Like Cat Talk (#11 on this CD) this is one of the two remaining tracks from Lew's first "cat music" session. A haunting beat, it contains lots of popular teenage lingo of the day.

#14 Don't Mention My Name

Recorded for Imperial at Jim Beck Studio in Dallas in November 1955, and released in March 1956. A lover instructs his sweetie, "baby if you talk in your sleep, Don't Mention My Name."

#15 The Girl I Saw on Bandstand

Recorded in Nashville at Bradley Recording Studio in September 1958 and released on Dot's Hamilton label, backed with I Saw You Crying in the Show (track #3), in November 1958. Tells the story of a teenager who is excited about one of the girls he saw on Dick Clark's popular TV show, "American Bandstand." Floyd Cramer is the band leader and pianist on the session which also uses background voices. Lew's name was changed to Vik Wayne for this release.

#16 I Saw You Crying in the Show

Not previously issued. Recorded in the same session as track #15, The Girl I Saw on Bandstand, in September 1958 in Nashville. Track #3, the original recording of this song cut in Texas with great guitar picking and without background voices, was released as the flip side to The Girl I Saw on Bandstand.

#17 Between Classes

Not previously issued. Teenage romance. Recorded in the same demo session with Rock and Roll School (track #10) at Nesman's Studio in Wichita Falls in July 1957. Lew accompanies himself on acoustical guitar.

#18 Manager of the Flying Purple People Eater

Not previously issued. This demo was recorded at Nesman's Studio in Wichita Falls, Texas in late May 1958. A fast-paced answer song to Sheb Wooley's hit recording of that time, The Flying Purple People Eater. Lew accompanies himself on acoustical guitar, with a vocal group backing.

#19 Ba-Ba-Baby

Not previously issued. A rocker, this demo was recorded with only acoustical guitar backing at Nesman's Studio in June 1958, along with I Like the Way (track #21).

#20 Teenage Tears

Not previously issued. Recorded late May 1958 at Nesman's studio, Lew accompanies himself on acoustical guitar on a heart-tugging demo of a teen ballad about a teenager having to cry on the inside when he's hurt by his baby because he can't let anyone see him cry. Lew wrote the song in February 1958 while he was on a 20 mile march when he was in the Army stationed at Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas.

#21 I Like the Way

Not previously issued. With acoustical guitar backing, Lew sings about how he likes the way his baby does things. Recorded in June 1958 at the same demo session with track #19, Ba-Ba-Baby.

#22 You're Not My Baby This Year

This is the recording that took 40 years to complete — and it's a bonus track. A demo of this song was recorded at Nesman's in July 1958 and again at a master session for Dot in Nashville in September 1958. Lew was never satisfied with either recording and the Nashville master was never released, and is now lost. In April 1959, Lew had a new backing track recorded at Le-Drene Productions studio in Dallas with guitar, bass, drums, piano and background voices. But he never got around to laying his vocal track. The tape was misplaced and Lew forgot about it. Phil York, a former music business associate who owns Yorktown Digital Works, in the Dallas area, located the tape several years ago, but Lew had no interest in it at that time. However, at Phil's studio on January 12, 1999 — on Lew's 65th birthday and some 40 years after the backing tape was recorded, Lew sang the vocal track and completed the recording he had started 40 years earlier.

#23 Don't Mention My Name

Not previously issued. This is the original demo of the song which was later recorded for Imperial (track #14). Cut at Jim Beck's studio in Dallas in June 1955, along with demos of Cat Talk, Gone Ape Man and I'll Play Your Game. Only this track still exists from that session.

#24 Something I Said

Not previously issued. Recorded in October 1953 at Jim Beck's Studio in Dallas. This is the original country music version of the song — with cocktail style piano and guitar breaks. Lew had a band at that time and used the recording to demonstrate to club owners that his material could have a "ballroom" feel and that it was easy to dance to. This was Lew's last country session. He was 19 at the time. Three years later the song was recorded and released on Imperial as a rock and roll number (track #8).

#25 Please Don't Tell a Lie About Me

Recorded in June, 1953 at Beck's studio in Dallas, along with three other country tunes. This cut was released on Flair Records in April 1954, backed with I've Been Doin' Some Slippin' Too, track #27. The gist of this honky-tonk song is "If you don't tell a lie about me, then I won't tell the truth about you." The record label showed the artist as Lew Williams the Texas Drifter.

#26 Just For Tonight

Not previously issued. From the June 1953 country music session at Jim Beck's studio in Dallas.

#27 I've Been Doin' Some Slippin' Too

Recorded at Jim Beck's studio in Dallas in June 1953, released on Flair Records in April 1954. This is a fairly fast-paced novelty about a guy whose girl has been cheating on him, and he tells her that the laugh's on her because he's been doing some slippin' too. The record was backed with Please Don't Tell a Lie About Me (track #25).

#28 What're We Gonna Do?

Not previously issued. This country novelty song was recorded in October 1953 at Jim Beck's in the same session with Something I Said (track #24). This cut also mixes country with cocktail style piano and guitar breaks to demonstrate that Lew's songs could have a ballroom feel and were easy to dance to.

#29 I Cried Over You for the Last Time Last Night

Not previously issued. This is the final track from Lew's June 1953 country session at Beck's. Two of the cuts from that session (tracks #25 and #27) were released on Flair Records in April 1954.

©2005 Iffic Publishing Company