Janis Martin and Elvis Presley - Janis and Elvis (review)
Janis Martin and Elvis Presley - Janis and Elvis (El Toro; ETCD 1015)
reviewed by Michael Macomber
When RCA Victor dubbed their new teenage singing sensation, Janis Martin, “The Female Elvis,” they weren’t just whistlin’ Dixie. While the title was undoubtedly bestowed upon her as a promotional gimmick, Janis Martin had two very important traits in common with labelmate Elvis Presley. First, she was a remarkable talent. Second, she was a rockabilly pioneer.
Born March 27th, 1940 in Sutherlin, Virginia, Martin was playing guitar and singing by the age of 4, was winning regional talent contests by the age of 8, and was signed to RCA by the age of 15. Her 1956 debut single, “Will You, Willyum,” backed by the self-penned “Drugstore Rock And Roll,” was a toe-tappin’, finger-snappin’ classic. The influence of her rhythm and blues idols, Ruth Brown and LaVern Baker, was apparent in her confident vocal attack and her self-possessed style.
For the next 2 years, Martin stormed the rock n’ roll scene, appearing on American Bandstand, The Today Show, The Tonight Show, and at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. She also received a Most Promising Female Vocalist award from Billboard Magazine. Sadly, Martin’s stint with RCA came to an end in 1958, when the powers that be discovered their teenage rockabilly prodigy was not only secretly married, but also recently pregnant. She was immediately dropped from the RCA roster.
This did not mean, however, that RCA was done capitalizing on Martin’s talent. That year, they put out an 8-song 10″ LP, “Janis and Elvis,” with 4 songs each from Janis Martin and Elvis Presley. The disc was released only in South Africa, under the Teal label, and was supposedly an attempt to recover studio and other expenses Martin still owed to RCA. When Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, found out about it, he immediately got the disc pulled. With very few copies ever pressed, the “Janis and Elvis” LP has since become a much sought after and highly prized collectible.
El Toro’s reissue adds 18 additional tracks, for a total of 9 from Martin and 17 from Presley. The two artists sound fantastic together. Although they never performed side by side onstage, and in fact only met briefly during their time at RCA, their styles seem made for each other. Martin’s shimmy-shakin’ “Let’s Elope Baby” is the perfect intro to The King’s “Baby Let’s Play House.” On “One More Year To Go,” Martin shows herself to be every bit as adept as Presley at delivering a heartfelt rock n’ roll love ballad. “Barefoot Baby” finds Martin rattlin’ the rafters and bringin’ down the house with all the force of The King at his most electrifying.
From legendary Presley sides like “Mystery Train,” “You’re a Heartbreaker,” and “How Do You Think I Feel,” to less well known but equally kickin’ Martin sides like “Little Bit,” “Will You, Willyum,” and “My Boy Elvis,” this disc vibrates with the excitement and power of early rock n’ roll at its finest.
The alternate takes on “I’m Left, You’re Right” and “Little Bit” are fun too.
