“Porky’s” Is Back! “Revenge” Soundtrack Features George Harrison, Dave Edmunds, Robert Plant, More

“Keep an eye out for the funniest movie about growing up ever made,” read the poster to 1982’s raunchy comedy Porky’s. It depicted the eye of a Peeping Tom, looking onto a woman showering. “You’ll be glad you came!” Despite – or more likely, because of – its puerile humor, the modestly-budgeted teen sex comedy Porky’s became a runaway hit and spawned two theatrical sequels by 1985. The third Porky’s film, Porky’s Revenge, was the least successful, grossing just $20 million compared to the first movie’s $100+-million take. But if the film hasn’t endured, its soundtrack certainly has, thanks to the efforts of its chief contributor, Dave Edmunds. Varese Vintage has reissued Porky’s Revenge for the first time in a decade on a new, remastered compact disc.

The Porky’s films took place at Florida’s fictional Angel Beach High School, casting a raunchy eye on the not-so-squeaky-clean 1950s. Whereas the first two movies were scored with era-appropriate oldies, Welsh rocker Edmunds was approached to contribute an original soundtrack for the third film. Unlike director James Komack’s movie itself, Edmunds’ soundtrack featured an all-star cast. He enlisted Jeff Beck, Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, Clarence Clemons, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and one true 1950s hitmaker: Carl Perkins. The icing on the cake was a rare appearance by none other than George Harrison. Serving as a de facto “house band” for the project was Chuck Leavell on keyboards, Kenny Aaronson on bass and Michael Shrieve on drums.

Edmunds performed four songs himself – two originals and two revivals of classic hits. In the former category, the album’s opening track, “High School Nights,” blended a rock-and-roll spirit with a decidedly eighties modern production style recalling Edmunds’ collaboration with ELO’s Jeff Lynne on the album Information. Edmunds’ pulsating instrumental “Porky’s Revenge” was another gleaming creation seemingly intended to give a contemporary touch to the otherwise nostalgic album. His two covers, of Bobby Darin’s “Queen of the Hop” and Bobby Freeman’s “Do You Want to Dance,” were in the back-to-basics, straight-ahead rock-and-roll style that Edmunds perfected with his band Rockpile.

The typically flashy guitar hero Jeff Beck delivered an affectionately straightforward take of Santo and Johnny’s 1959 laconic hit “Sleepwalk,” and Carl Perkins revisited his own “Blue Suede Shoes” with all of the fire he had back in 1955. (Perkins and Edmunds had previously worked together on the Class of ’55 album which reunited the Sun recording artist with his pals Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison. Edmunds was among the guest musicians on that project.) Willie Nelson surveyed “Love Me Tender,” co-written by another famous Sun alumnus, Elvis Presley, in a new recording helmed by Class of ’55 producer Chips Moman. The Fabulous Thunderbirds, on the cusp of their breakthrough with the Edmunds-produced Tuff Enuff, offered up the brash “Stagger Lee,” and Robert Plant joined Edmunds on guitar, Paul Martinez on bass and Phil Collins on drums as The Crawling King Snakes to tackle Charlie Rich’s “Philadelphia Baby.” Clarence Clemons visited Angel Beach High by way of E Street for Henry Mancini’s deliciously menacing “Peter Gunn Theme.”

The most remarkable track on Revenge, though, was undoubtedly George Harrison’s premiere of a then-unheard Bob Dylan song. “I Don’t Want to Do It” was written by the Bard of Hibbing back in 1968 but was unreleased at the time of Harrison’s soundtrack recording. The former Beatle had been experimenting with the song as far back as the All Things Must Pass sessions in 1970, and nailed it for Porky’s. (An alternate mix of the song was released as a single; the standard soundtrack version appears here.) “I Don’t Want to Do It” was also notable for its appearance during what would end up a 5-year recording hiatus from Harrison, between his studio albums Gone Troppo and Cloud Nine.

After the jump, we have more details on the new Porky’s Revenge, plus order links and the complete track listing with discography!

Release Round-Up: Week of April 22

Joe Satriani, The Complete Studio Recordings (Epic/Legacy)

The guitar whiz’s complete studio output from 1986 to 2013 is collected in a 15-disc box set or chrome-domed USB head! (Amazon U.S. /Amazon U.K.)

ABBA, ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits – 40th Anniversary Edition (Polydor/UMe)

Two best-selling ABBA compilations, 1992’s ABBA Gold and its 1993 sequel More ABBA Gold, are paired up with a third disc of single B-sides. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Yes, The Yes Album (Panegyric)

The prog group’s breakthrough third LP gets expanded and remixed in surround by Steve Wilson, who worked similar magic on Close to the Edge and XTC’s Nonsuch.

CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
CD/BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

XTC, Skylarking: Corrected Polarity Edition (Ape House)

Speaking of XTC, the band’s Todd Rundgren-produced 1986 effort, presented with intended album art and running order (with “Dear God” integrated into the track list), was remastered for vinyl in 2010; now, that superior presentation makes its way to CD. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Toto, Toto / Hydra / Turn Back (Rock Candy)

Get ready to “Hold the Line” with these new remasters from Rock Candy of Toto’s first three albums (their debut includes a 12″ mix of “Georgy Porgy”).

Toto: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Hydra: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Turn Back: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Various Artists, Porky’s Revenge: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Varese Sarabande)

The third, flop installment in the Porky’ franchise nonetheless had a killer soundtrack assembled by Dave Edmunds and featuring contributions from George Harrison, Jeff Beck, Willie Nelson and more. Joe’s full article will run later today! (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Still “Subtle as a Flying Mallet”: Dave Edmunds’ Wall of Sound Classic Returns in Expanded Edition

From the first notes of “Baby I Love You,” the opening track on Dave Edmunds’ 1975 album Subtle as a Flying Mallet, the listener is assaulted with a Wall of Sound – thunderous drums, sleigh bells, echo, et cetera.  But Spectorian pomp was just one tool in Edmunds’ box.  For Subtle as a Flying Mallet, Edmunds brought his stamp of originality to the songs of Phil Spector, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles and The Everly Brothers.  Now, the album (which produced two U.K. Top 10 singles with “Baby I Love You” and “Born to Be with You”) is the recipient of a generously expanded edition from Cherry Red’s RPM label.

Welsh lad Edmunds first rose to prominence as one-third of Love Sculpture, championed by influential DJ John Peel for an audacious reworking of Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance” that cracked the U.K. Top 5 in 1968.    By 1970, Edmunds had successfully transitioned into producing, helming Shakin’ Stevens’ and the Sunsets’ A Legend, and scoring a hit for himself with a cover of Smiley Lewis’ “I Hear You Knocking,” a No. 1 U.K./No. 4 U.S. hit.  It was included on Edmunds’ solo debut entitled Rockpile, on which he was joined by John Williams of Love Sculpture on bass.  The multi-instrumentalist Edmunds played nearly everything else himself, with Andy Fairweather-Low, B.J. Cole and Terry Williams making musical cameos.  Rolling stones gather no moss, and the restless Edmunds even took a stab at acting, accepting a role opposite David Essex, Adam Faith, Keith Moon and Larry Hagman in Michael Apted’s 1974 music-filled film Stardust.  That same year, Edmunds was enlisted to produce the band Brinsley Schwarz, and he formed a lasting relationship with Nick Lowe, who shared his revivalist sensibility.  Together, Lowe and Edmunds drove the folk-country-rockabilly group in a forward-thinking direction that foreshadowed what would be considered New Wave.  In 1976, the two men would also form their own on-again, off-again group by the (familiar) name of Rockpile.

There’s more after the jump, including the full track listing with discography, and an order link!

What The World Needs Now Is Rockbeat Records

Billy Vera, Alberta Hunter and Jackie DeShannon may not have terribly much in common at first glance.  But they’re just a few of the artists coming your way thanks to Rockbeat Records.  Yes, there’s a new player in the catalogue field, and their slate of reissues proves that they’re ready to make a big impression!

Founded by Arny Schorr of S’more Entertainment and distributed by eOne, Rockbeat counts among its team an alumnus of Rhino Records.  James Austin, the former Vice President of A&R at Rhino, serves in the same capacity at the up-and-coming label.  Rockbeat promises “the release of enhanced CDs and vinyl and the creation of reissues and compilations on a variety of music genres.”  The label is making good on that promise with a diverse group of artists and releases, all of which can be found at its website.  These include releases in genres ranging from blues and country to folk and adult contemporary.  Among the enticing albums already available or in the pipeline: Billy Vera’s career anthology The Billy Vera Story, Alberta Hunter’s Downhearted Blues, Carole King’s Pearls: The Songs of Goffin and King, Quicksilver Messenger Service’s self-titled debut, Dave Edmunds’ Rockpile and Ike and Tina Turner’s Festival of Live Performance.

One upcoming title isn’t a reissue, but should be of great interest to a number of our readers nonetheless.  Jackie DeShannon’s last studio album was 2000’s You Know Me on the Varese Sarabande label.  Since then, fans of DeShannon have had to content themselves with numerous reissues of her original albums as well as anthologies of her finest work.

Rockbeat has just announced the September 27 release of When You Walk in the Room, a newly-recorded collection of some of DeShannon’s greatest hits and personal favorites.  Much like a great catalogue reissue can cast a vintage recording in a new light, DeShannon intends to do the same with the stripped-down acoustic reworkings of her familiar songs.  Guitar, voice and bass are the order of the day, with occasional flourishes of electric guitar or subtle strings. The eleven tracks include both those written by DeShannon (“Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” “Bette Davis Eyes”) and those in her songbook written by others but popularized by Jackie (Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “What The World Needs Now,” Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono’s “Needles and Pins”).

When You Walk in the Room is a particularly timely release, coinciding with DeShannon’s 2011 induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.  That august institution is currently chaired by Jackie’s contemporary, Jimmy Webb, with Hal David a Chairman Emeritus.  The album isn’t an exercise in recreating the sounds of yesteryear (though DeShannon’s voice has more than held up over the years) in the style of Squeeze’s Spot the Difference or America’s The Hits, but rather an intimate recasting of some cherished compositions, more in the style of Randy Newman’s Songbook volumes.

Hit the jump for more on Jackie DeShannon and Rockbeat Records!

Lowe and Edmunds, Live: Rockpile “Live at Montreux” Arrives On CD

Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremner and Terry Williams, individually, are among the most accomplished artists to come out of the “pub rock” scene. Joined as Rockpile, they are a true rock legend. Though the band only recorded one album, 1980’s Seconds of Pleasure, under its own name, the Rockpile sound is instantly recognizable.  It graced solo LPs by Edmunds and Lowe as well as tracks by Mickey Jupp and Carlene Carter (then Lowe’s wife). Eagle Records will on August 22 release on CD the first-ever Rockpile live album, taken from the band’s 1980 performance at Montreux.

The Rockpile name first surfaced in 1970 on a Dave Edmunds solo LP and was used when Edmunds toured in support of the album as “Dave Edmunds and Rockpile.” Terry Williams, on drums, was among the members of that touring band. Around the same time, Nick Lowe was making waves as a member of Brinsley Schwarz. When Edmunds was enlisted to produce the band in 1974, he and Lowe realized their common sensibility, and pushed the folk/country/rockabilly revivalists into a forward-thinking power pop style, a forerunner of New Wave. The Rockpile lineup was formed shortly thereafter but record company politics kept it from being much more than an on-again, off-again concern; Lowe was the first artist signed to Stiff Records, while Edmunds recorded for Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label. Still, Rockpile played on albums by both Lowe and Edmunds including Lowe’s first two solo LPs and Edmunds’ Tracks on Wax 4 and Repeat When Necessary. In 1980, Edmunds was extricated from his Swan Song contract and committed to a Rockpile album proper, Seconds of Pleasure.

Hit the jump for more, including the complete track listing of the new set!