Here's a real goodie from Music Mentor Books, following on from their publications 'Elvis & Buddy–Linked Lives' and 'On The Road'. This latest offering looks back on all the visits by American rock'n'roll performers between the years '56 to '72. Naturally all The Crickets' various UK tours are included from their first ground-breaking tour with Buddy in 1958, through the highly successful November 1962 package with Bobby Vee but minus J.I., the 1964 ballroom and club tour of July '64 with J.I., but minus Jerry Naylor, the pretty low key visit by J.l.,Glen D. and Sonny in July 68, and the triumphant return in December '72 by Sonny, Glen D. and J.I together with Rick Grech.

Compiled and very well written by respected rock'n'rolI journalist Ian Wallis, each tour is looked at in depth and it all makes for good reading. topped off by the great cover shot of a sweaty Gene Vincent and Sounds Inc. onstage. Looking back to the 50's, as well as Buddy and Co., you may recall (depending of course on your age) the first tours by US rock'n'rollers also included Bill Haley & The Comets, Freddie Bell & The Bellboys, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, Charlie Gracie. Jerry Lee Lewis and the pretty obscure LiI' Abner and R.B. Shaw & His Melody Mountaineers (?).

In the 60's we were really spoilt for choice; in 1963 alone, we had Johnny & The Hurricanes, Brian Hyland, Little Eva, Gene Vincent, Tommy Roe, Chris Montez (who had The Beatles opening for them), Brenda Lee, Del Shannon, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cymbal, Bob Luman, Johnny Thunder, Freddy Cannon, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Dion, Johnny Burnette, Duane Eddy, The Shirelles, Bobby Rydell, Gary 'US' Bonds, and Johnny Cash who played two gigs at Irish Social Clubs.

Not all of the acts who toured may have been your fave rave of the time, but it's interesting to see who actually did come over. Some acts simply came to do some promotional TV appearances or just one solitary gig but are all accounted for here and even those visits that fell through are detailed. Of the other more interesting names who came over were Mitchell Torok, Big Joe Turner, Clyde McPhatter, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Rose Maddox, Delbert McClinton, The G-Clefs, Arthur Alexander, Buddy Knox and Waylon Jennings. Elvis did once of course set his feet down on British soil and this is also included. Well illustrated with photos, show programmes, concert tickets, etc. and to make your reference easier there's a summary of visits by artists together with indexes of venues, names, song and album titles and film and show titles. Don't be put off by the slightly high price, like me you'll find this book pretty absorbing as well as a constant source of reference.

John Firminger, Crickets File (January 2004)

A huge amount of effort has been expended on this book... If you ever saw any rock'n'roll personality or group on stage within the period stated, details will be here. Even if you didn't, the author brings the shows to life with his informative comments and background information – it is far more than a mere listing of venues and artists. The book is well illustrated... and the cover features a great shot of a sweaty Gene Vincent in a typical pose. I predict this book will be an indispensable work of reference for rock'n'roll fans for years to come.

Tales From The Woods (January 2004)

A wonderful book... stunning stories of the Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis visits.

Fire-Ball Mail (January 2004)

This is a book that you'll be referring to over and over again.

John Firminger, The Beat (January 2004)

Such a neat idea, you wonder why no-one thought of this before... This is without doubt an indispensable book for anyone who was ever able to see any of the US legends live on stage in the UK.

Twangsville (February 2004)

Congratulations to Ian for putting together and producing a very well researched book.

Bill Beard, The Eddie Cochran Connection (February 2004)

How timely this is. As we look ahead to the big Five-O for rock 'n' roll, along comes a glossary of the first fundamentalists to dispatch their new fangled tango over the pond. Only problem is, taken as a whole, the content of The UK Tours 1956-72' is kind of hard to believe. Don't get me wrong, what I'm getting at is that when you're confronted with the sheer amount of stars who in fact made it across the Atlantic, you have to pinch yourself to accept it really happened. I mean it's mind numbing to be informed that during the latter weeks of 1963 alone, fans could have taken in Gary 'US' Bonds, Johnny Burnette, Freddy Cannon, Johnny Cash, Bo Diddley, Duane Eddy, The Everly Brothers, Bob Luman, Roy Orbison, Little Richard, Tommy Roe, Bobby Rydell, Del Shannon, Dee Dee Sharp, The Shirelles. Johnny Thunder and Gene Vincent. All depending, of course, if you had the wherewithal for the tickets, plus a reliable means of transport to get to the gigs. Even allowing for this proviso, I doubt very much if there's anyone around who actually witnessed the entire shooting match. The author has thus trawled tirelessly through reams of music papers, spoken with as many of the artists as possible, and probed those fortunate enough to have been present at the shows in order to garner the necessary detail to form his book. A Herculean task indeed.

Some of the biggest surprises come right at the beginning. In September 1956, midway through a Jazz Festival Weekend at Butlins in Clacton, the UK was blessed with its first American rock n roll visitors. Are you ready for R.B. Shaw & His Melody Mountaineers? It would seem that this curiously-named outfit were commandeered from a nearby USAF base, where they were appearing at the Officers' Mess. To the relief of the Bohemian traditionalists who were present at the holiday camp, this was a one-off performance. The first actual tour per se by a quasi-American rock n roll act is logged as having taken place just a few months later. That was when an equally obscure character known as Little Abner played dates in Brighton and London followed by a week of variety at the Empire Theatre in Edinburgh. His real name was Abner Kenon, a suave jump blues vocalist (he recorded for Ormond and Jay-Dee) who was ambitiously billed as 'Harlem's King Of Rock & Roll'. The thread becomes a good deal easier to follow beyond this point, and a pattern begins to unfold. All hail the arrival of the big guns – Bill Haley & The Comets, The Platters, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, etc.

In terms of chronology each specific year is given its own chapter, the most barren period for some reason being 1959 and the most fertile spread jointly across 1963 and 1964. Ian's flowing text is peppered with many delightful idiosyncrasies, several of which occurred during the unprecedented days of the early '60s. For starters he makes reference to rockabilly hero Lou Josie, who toured (using the nom de plume of Jimmy King) as a member of B. Bumble & The Stingers in 1962. The following year, at the time of his somewhat remote return to the British Isles, Johnny Burnette arrived in the country sporting a black eye. We are reliably informed that this fashion accessory was supplied by a boxing kangaroo with whom Johnny had been sparring on an Australian TV show. Then there's the wry disclosure that when The Isley Brothers made their UK debut in 1964, their shows were compered by comedians Syd Little and Eddie Large. In a pertinent aside, Ian mentions how a bogus set of Isley Brothers could later be seen performing in the North of England. Several chapters in fact delve into this irksome subject, particularly those frequent instances when phony Drifters, Platters and Coasters were cropping up all over the place. Most intriguing of all is the revelation that engagements were undertaken by a group masquerading as Ruby & The Romantics. Even more bizarre is the evidence that this brazen fivesome had been booked to replace The Crickets on a summer tour. The classic instance when the subterfuge finally backfired, is highlighted in the chapter covering 1970. That was the year when reggae artist Horace Faith was dramatically unmasked at a Lancashire night club, after spending several evenings trying to convince the audience he was Gary 'US' Bonds. How telling it is that in the current climate, all he'd have to do would be to add the words 'A Tribute To...' and the ruse would become legit.

How Ian's done it I do not know, but in addition to itemizing all the venues played, he has been able to locate many relevant photographs, credit the support acts (an education in itself), the comperes, the promoters, attendance figures, reviews and even set lists. About the only thing he hasn't done, and it's not difficult for the reader to work out from the text, is to determine that the old warhorse 'What'd I Say' stands as the most oversung show closer of all time. The most functional thing about this laudable publication, is that it can be viewed as a source of reference, a casual read or even a personal timeline. Thanks to the info in Chapter Six, I am now able to affirm that my first encounter with an American rock 'n' roll star (Gene Vincent at the Royal Hall in Harrogate – he was wonderful) took place in May 1961. I'm sure that just a mention of the venues is enough to conjure up images of debauched youth for many a reader. I distinctly remember playing a game of snap one time with 'Daring Doreen' in the dressing room of the California Ballroom, Dunstable. Then there was that sinful evening spent drinking hot chocolate with 'Wanton Wanda' after a show at Scunthorpe Baths. If only my mum knew...

As a precious reminder of just how many American big beat stars have traversed the length and breadth of the British Isles to promote their music, this compendium of the rock n roll highway is an essential addition to any bookshelf. Congratulations to all concerned, and I sure wish Ian well as he embarks on Part Two of what could well turn out to be a trilogy.

Stuart Colman, Now Dig This (February 2004)

I expected this to be reasonably interesting but basically a reference book rather than a good read. How wrong I was. For the first time in ages I read a book from cover to cover.

Alan Taylor, Pipeline (February 2004)

This is my kind of book - made for nuts who love to read lists and study discographies. Music Mentor have established a reputation for fine books for a small market, with. for example, Fred Rothwell's Chuck Berry session file, 'Long Distance Information' (reviewed in B&R 161), a book you'Il keep referring to over the years. My guess is Music Mentor will never get rich but they'll make a lot of people happy – including deserving authors who would probably never be considered by a mainstream publisher. Also, appearing under this imprint should ensure the book wont get remaindered three months after publication

So, what is it? It's just what the cover says, a pretty well complete listing of tour dates, with fascinating accompanying notes, of every US r&r artist to tour the UK between 1952 and 1972. It also contains contemporary photos, illustrations of posters and the like – and if that doesn't sound engaging, just do what I did and go straight to a tour you remember seeing, and check out whether it's the way you remember it. Fan Wallis has it pretty well nailed down. Of course, when someone's done this much work it would be churlish to mention a missing dale – but I'll churl away and mention a Crickets' club appearance in June 1968 just off Regent Street, London. It was so badly attended due to poor publicity that the audience (me, Fran Clements and one other fan) were outnumbered by the group. The reason for this was probably something to do with the tour being organised by one Roy Tempest, best known for his Original Drillers, and Original Coasters' packages. As we found out. the word 'Original' didn't refer to the status of the group so much as the name of the group, which Tempest had cleverly registered ('The Original Drifters') in order to get around the Shoddy Goods Act. If anyone complained, "Hey they're not the Drifters', they were told. "They weren't advertised as the Drifters, they're the Original Drifters.' Clever bastard.

Sometimes it was even worse and shows were cancelled, an Everly Brother completed a tour solo, and entire packages – and the money seemingly 'disappeared' in the middle of a list of dates when overambitious promoters got it completely wrong. But still they came back for more, and if we got to hear about Gene Vincent being in some grotty club, along we went to see if he could still cut it. Sometimes he did (summed up by the great cover photo with Sounds Incorporated) arid sometimes – well, I can't remember.

I enjoyed the book mainly because of the memories it did bring back – good and bad – of the great artists we were able to see in the 50s and 60s. This thanks to promoters who – to judge from the programme notes and mis-spellings – probably knew nothing about the people they booked, but somehow happened upon a winning combination that filled the halls by advertising current chart stars, accompanied by legends. Thus Clyde McPhatter 'supported' Bobby Darin (who got the bird) and Duane Eddy, and Bo Diddley more than complemented the Everly Brothers (and was watched from the wings by the Rolling Stones at the show I attended). And the poor Brits at the foot of the bill – who can forgot the shower of pennies and insults that greeted the appearance of the Swinging Blue Jeans as we all waited for Chuck Berry and Cart Perkins to take the stage in 1964? It's great to be able to look these appearances up in the indices at the back of the book and then check the details. There's an index for venues, summary of visits listed by artist. and index of names. even an index of song and show titles. What a treat – I'm sick of books without a bloody index!

Anything in the book for blues aficionados? Well, not too much. Doctor Ross's American Blues Festival in October 1965 tour is included, apparently because later he was a bit of a cult hero among the rockabilly crowd. but although Bo, Chuck, Fats and Richard are covered in depth. most of the references to 'hard' blues artists tend to be relegated to a mention in passing – so we need another book to detail the American Blues Tours of the UK.

Ian Wallis is apparently working on a sequel covering the 70s-onwards rock'n'rollers, which may turn out to be just as interesting as we reach the era of more obscure acts coming over thanks to the advent of Weekenders and the like.

I had better leave it there I have to go and see a man about a trademark. Maybe 'The Original Rolling Stones' would be worth registering.

John Beecher, Blues & Rhythm (February 2004)

An incredible book... Meticulously detailed and inclusive.

Fred Dellar, Mojo (April 2004)

A book that does exactly what it says on the cover. Here, in one exhaustively researched tome, are details of every UK visit undertaken by an American Rock'n'Roll act during the music's heyday. Dates, venues, photos, posters and accounts of the gigs themselves ... Wallis even includes visits for TV appearances and tours that were mooted but never actually took place!

Whether you were there or not, this is a fascinating study of an otherwise undocumented aspect of Rock'n'Roll history. The price tag is hefty for a paperback. but if you share Wallis's obsession with detail I guess money will be no object when it comes to what is beyond doubt the definitive word on the subject.

Douglas McPherson, Classic American (April 2004)

This seems a fairly ambitious subject, but Wallis' research seems pretty thorough. It also seems as though he must've been an avid fan during this whole period, or else interviewed a num¬ber of them extensively. Probably both. Most of the descriptions of shows seem to come more from personal experience than from newspaper or trade publication accounts. In any case Ian has managed to run down song lists and reviews of a typical show for most of the important tours by major US artists. And reading the account it becomes even more clear why Gene Vincent is so revered in Europe when his career in the States fizzled fairly quickly. If anyone was Commander-In-Chief in the war to keep Rock'n'RoIl alive during the '60s as Rock and Pop styles along with self-indulgent pseudo art were elbowing it out of the way, Gene was the man, at least in England and France. Anyhow, this is a fascinating account, and work is underway on the next volume to cover the rest of the 70s and the 80s. Possibly it will become a trilogy in which case we might find out what would be said of my own trip to the Hemsby Weekender! Considering what English and European support did for keeping careers alive for Gene, Carl Perkins, Ben E. King, Del Shannon and others, this is a very important chapter of the history of Rock'n'Roll – now laid out for your enjoyment in this fine book. And, if one of your questions might be "how does the book rate Creedence Clearwater Revival", the answer is top marks for carrying the torch of real Rock'n'Roll. Many times I've stopped someone railing about San Fran¬cisco hippie music and asked which Bay Area group they think was most successful on the charts. Creedence, hands down. What the people want (or wanted then anyhow) is Rock'n'Roll! Recommended!

Marc Bristol, Blue Suede News (Spring 2004)

This is just the book for anyone who went to see any visiting American rock 'n' roll act in the distant past, and has it fixed in his or her memory that it was on such a date, at such a venue, only to find out just how the memory plays tricks.

Running in chronological order from September/October 1956 (R.B. Shaw & His Melody Mountaineers(!?), and Lionel Hampton) the book takes in all that could loosely fall into the category of rock 'n' roll, or the music which gave birth to it. This covers everything from Dr. Ross to Hampton at one end of the scale (neither really rock 'n' roll), to Neil Sedaka and Bruce Channel at the other (neither actually rock 'n' roll at all!)

But, in between these two extremes there is a lot of very interesting information on all of the visiting US rock 'n' roll acts. There is a short passage about each tour, and all the dates and locations are then listed. Author Ian Wallis really brings home just how little real live US rock 'n' roll actually got to these shores until 1957, and then we had the biggest US acts touring with a comedian, a juggler, and a performing dog act (I exaggerate!); but in post-war Britain the R&R tour was a completely different thing to the big US rock 'n' roll packages.

This is a vital reference book for all researchers into live rock 'n' roll, and for those who saw them, and would like to know just where and when. One to add to your reference library.

Dave Clarke, Juke Blues (Spring 2004)

Promoter Don Arden had a seriously hard image, and even today when his name is mentioned, it's accompanied by knowing looks. Fans of rock and roll, however, as Ian Wallis points out in this comprehensive account of UK rock and roll tours during the Fifties, Sixties and early Seventies, have reason to be very grateful to Mr. Arden. His tactics may have been sharp, but he promoted some of the greatest rock and role package shows in Britain at a time when the music was seriously threatened by Beatlemania: Jerry Lee Lewis, Sam Cooke, Conway Twitty, Little Richard and Gene Vincent were just some of the major names who rode in on the Arden train.

The research undertaken by CMP contributor Ian Wallis in this first detailed survey of rock and roll tours is, frankly, jaw-dropping. For months (years?) he has studiously pored over newspaper and specialist journal accounts for reviews of shows, so that we know, for example, that the safety curtain had to be dropped during a riot at a Jerry Lee gig in Cardiff, and that Johnny Preston struggled with ballads but "had the girls screaming" at Cradle Of Love and Running Bear. However, he doesn't tell us whether the comperes on a 1964 lsley Brothers tour were funny or not – actually, as they were Syd Little and Eddie Large, I already know the answer.

And having comedians on a rock and roll package was typical of how anachronistic the lineup used to be in those days. Often, they were based on the old variety shows, with a mix of entertainment. For instance, fans eager to catch Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers in 1957 had to sit through variety acts such as the Hassani Troupe, George & Bert Bernard and the George Carden Dancers before the lovable delinquents took the stage. Likewise, that same year Freddie Bell and his Bellboys topped a bill that included a French harmonica trio and, bizarrely, Mike & Bernie Winters. (For trivia fans only – a regular compere in the 1950s was Dickie Dawson who married Diana Dors and later became a huge television star in the States hosting Family Feud.)

Wallis presents the tours in chronological order, giving the dates, venues and promoters, who included in the earlier years veteran showmen like Arthur Howes, Harold Davison and Lew & Leslie Grade. He also date-checks TV appearances.

Snippets: Des O'Connor was support on Buddy Holly's 1958 tour; top seats at the Gaumont, Wolverhampton to see Chris Montez, Tommy Roe and a new group called The Beatles cost 9/6d (that's 47½ pence in new money); Elton John, then only known as Reg Dwight, opened for Little Richard in London in 1966 with his band, Bluesology; Jeff Beck's group, with Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, were so under-rehearsed on a 1967 Roy Orbison tour, they were kicked off after the first night; Bill Haley & The Comets had to make a run for the dressing room at the Royal Albert Hall in 1968 after fans invaded the stage.

Of course, Jerry Lee Lewis's infamous aborted visit of 1958 is covered, as is Eddie Cochran's tragic death in a car crash in 1960. However, perhaps the most sorry figure in the book is Gene Vincent, a rock and roll genius who toured so frequently in the UK, he even bought a home here. His later years, ill and barely able to perform, make grim reading. However, I enjoyed the story of how Vincent circumvented his lack of a work permit by performing from the stalls rather than the stage

Country music events are covered in part, depending on the artist and their association with rock and roll. Johnny Cash is here: his first ever tour comprised a couple of Irish venues in London and Manchester in 1963, but in 1966 Mervyn Conn foresaw the emergence of a viable country music audience by bringing him back for a full tour, although it apparently did not include London. (By the way, Conn's co-promoter on the '66 Cash tour was Joe Collins who, although not revealed in the book, was Joan's dad.) Conn also brought Wanda Jackson in for her UK debut as part of a Capitol Records country music tour in 1970. Her guitarist at the time was Mike Post, who I believe is the same man who went on to become a successful composer of TV themes including The Rockford Files and Hill Street Blues.

One area that Ian dwells on is the bogus groups that often visited Britain. For example, The Fabulous Platters who toured in 1968 did not feature one original member of the hitmaking quintet. The Drifters also suffered the same dishonesty. (Most of these dubious promotions were run by Roy Tempest, although Ian is quick to point out that in many cases the music was very good, even though not authentic).

As if not content with citing all the shows that did take place, the author documents all those that failed to materialise, despite announcements in the press. One such was the great Las Vegas legend Louis Prima, now revered, along with his sax player Sam Butera, in the best rock and roll circles.

American Rock'n'RoIl – The UK Tours is the work of a consummate fan and authority, and adds a vital missing link to the already vast archives of rock and roll literature.

Craig Baguley, Country Music People (July 2004)

The book might easily have been something of a trainspotters' guide to who sang what and where in the UK during the gold and silver eras of rock'n'roll. It's not. It's a well-written, completely absorbing journey behind the scenes of the ups and downs of pop music and its performers as they ride ever-changing trends. Some of those that started on the highest note of all eventually hit the basement, and this study of live performances paints the clearest picture of their decline... The detail is wonderful. Even the events that didn't take place are illuminating. Tommy Sands backed out of his tour for fear of flying, Jerry Lee Lewis was hounded back home after three shows because he had scandalously just married his 13-year old cousin... This densely populated book of chronological information and anecdotes is a compulsive page-turner.

Record Collector (November 2004)

We have never met, but your wonderful book, American Rock'n'Roll: The UK Tours 1956 72 unlocked the door to so many great memories.

From the Acknowledgements in Extreme, the biography of Sharon Osbourne (daughter of promoter Don Arden), published 2005.