The Holiday Inn Label 100 Series Anthology “Slap-Back” (Rockstar Records)
A look back at the legacy of the Memphis, Tennessee-based Holiday Inn record label is provided for by Rockstar Records. Issued as a single CD and vinyl LP with additional CD, focus is given to the years 1961 to 1963, this collection of songs makes available for the very first time both sides of the sixteen 45 RPMs from the 100 series, complete with two promotional jingles. Odd as it may seem in today’s society that one of the biggest hotel chains founded during the 1950s and still in existence, Holiday Inn, decided to set up a record label. A novel idea without doubt, and one that saw several names from the world of rockabilly, for example, issue several of their wares. With Charles Kemmons Wilson responsible for establishing Holiday Inn, the hotelier also launched the record label of the same name along with Doyle Wayne Foster in 1961, the latter of whom unearthed the band The Roller Coasters who appear several times in their own right and supporting other artists throughout the album. Eventually, Sam Phillips of SUN Records took over the mantle of running the record label on behalf of Charles Kemmons Wilson and Doyle Wayne Foster due to the pair having other business ventures to contend with. The compilation, The Holiday Inn Label 100 Series Anthology “Slap-Back”, is identifiable in terms of its era with sounds of polished pop and rock ‘n’ roll, to sentimental ballads. It is the latter description that often frequents this album, and often excellent in terms of its execution with examples from Jimmy Foster (‘Where Could I Go’), back-to-back records from Tookie Collom with ‘You Torture Me’ and ‘I Could Love You’, Rusty Curry (‘Our Love Can Wait’), and Joe Fuller with ‘I’ll Forever Be Loving You’. As mentioned earlier, notable rockabilly artists were present on the Holiday Inn label with Frank (Andy) Starr and two songs, ‘Knees Shakin’ and ‘Evil Eye’, Buck Griffin with couple of self-written tracks, ‘Pretty Lou’ and the emotive ‘Girl In 1209’, to legend Charlie Feathers with ‘Deep Elm Blues’ and ‘Nobody’s Darling’. The Holiday Inn Label 100 Series Anthology “Slap-Back” from Rockstar Records provides an insight of a three-year period of 45 RPMs from an unusual foundation where obscure artists found their voice, in addition to established musicians continuing to express their creativity, making this collection a fascinating listen, but also a history lesson for those unaware of Holiday Inn’s additional venture into the world of music.
Nathan Olsen-Haines (Vintage Roots Records)
01 Holiday Inn Jingle (Uncredited) Holiday Inn (1950s)
02 The Roller Coasters Rim Shot Pt 01 (Roller Coasters)Holiday Inn 100 (1961)
03 The Roller Coasters Rim Shot Pt 02 (Roller Coasters) Holiday Inn 100 (1961)
04 Tookie Collom with The Roller Coasters You Torture Me (Ratcliff) Holiday Inn 101 (1961)
05 Tookie Collom with The Roller CoastersI Could Love You (Robin) Holiday Inn 101 (1961)
06 Jimmy Foster Stranger In Paradise (Wright, Forrest) Holiday Inn 102 (1961)
07 Jimmy Foster Where Could I Go (Jacobs, Tucker, Crane) Holiday Inn 102 (1961)
08 The Roller Coasters Wabash Blues (Meinkin, Ringle) Holiday Inn 103 (1961)
09 The Roller Coasters Slap Back (Roller Coasters) Holiday Inn 103 (1961)
10 Frank Starr Knees Shakin' (Alexander) Holiday Inn 104 (1961)
11 Frank Starr Evil Eye (Carrell) Holiday Inn 104 (1961)
12 Kenny Lund with The Roller Coasters Rip It Up Potatoe Chip (Robin)Holiday Inn 105 (1961)
13 Kenny Lund with The Roller Coasters Greenbacks (Richards) Holiday Inn 105 (1961)
14 Rusty Curry Tag Along (Wilkin, Burch) Holiday Inn 106 (1962)
15 Rusty Curry Our Love Can Wait (Matthews, Jr.) Holiday Inn 106 (1962)
16 Roller Coasters vocal Tookie Collom My Fraulein Cries For (Kilgore) Holiday Inn 107 (1962)
17 Roller Coasters vocal Tookie Collom You've Gotta Run Me Down (Roller Coasters) Holiday Inn 107 (1962)
18 Frank Starr Little Bitty Feeling (Alexander)Holiday Inn 108 (1962)
19 Frank Starr Lost In A Dream (Carrell) Holiday Inn 108 (1962)
20 Buck Griffin Pretty Lou (Griffin) Holiday Inn 109 (1962)
21 Buck Griffin Girl In 1209 (Griffin) Holiday Inn 109 (1962)
22 The Roller Coasters Spanish Twist (Roller Coasters) Holiday Inn 110 (1962)
23 The Roller Coasters Wild Twist (Roller Coasters) Holiday Inn 110 (1962)
24 Jimmy Foster Moving Up To Love (Dorman) Holiday Inn 111 (1962)
25 Jimmy Foster Hey Little Lover (Foster) Holiday Inn 111 (1962)
26 Stan Daniel Sweet Little Sue (Daniel, Moman) Holiday Inn 112 (1962)
27 Stan Daniel Confused (Crutchfield) Holiday Inn 112 (1962)
28 Stony Martin Rhythm Marie (Claunch, Feathers) Holiday Inn 113 (1962)
29 Stony Martin Talkin' About Lovin' (Claunch, Feathers) Holiday Inn 113 (1962)
30 Charlie Feathers Deep Elm (Noncredit) Holiday Inn 114 (1962)
31 Charlie Feathers Nobody‘s Darling (Noncredit) Holiday Inn 114 (1962)
32 Joe Fuller Big Black Engine (Keep, Eldred) Holiday Inn 115 (1963)
33 Joe Fuller I'll Forever Be Loving You (Matthews, Smith) Holiday Inn 115 (1963)
34 Table Toppers Talk To Me Baby (Uncredited) Klondike (1959)
35 Holiday Inn Jingle (Uncredited) Holiday Inn (1950s)
