Introduction

Hip To Be Square is a blog where Johnny Vallis shares his interest in all things musical.

Best-known as 'The Man of Many Voices', popular Canadian entertainer Johnny Vallis is also a much-respected music historian. Devoting time as The Canadian Rep. for The Internet's Rockabilly Hall Of Fame (www.rockabillyhall.com) since 1998. A crowd-pleasing professional entertainer since age 15, the British Columbia native has also provided musical insights for magazines such as American Music Magazine (Sweden), Big Beat Of The 50's (Australia) Keep Rockin (Chicago, USA) Blue Suede News (Seattle, USA). Johnny has also been a consultant with such books as The Blue Moon Boys (The Story Of Elvis Presley's Band) and the A-Z of Buddy Holly along with writing liner notes for CD projects released by the Hydra, Harkit and Bear Family labels.

With this very special release commemorating the 100th anniversary of its sinking, we imagine the songs that would have been played and sung based on popular tunes of the time.

These are the ORIGINAL ‘black wax’ cylinders featuring the original artists performing their best sellers.

With an original essay by Canadian writer, Johnny Vallis, a specialist in music of this era, and full track details and mini biographies of the artists, this is a handsome,  impressive and timely release which will transport you back to a very different time of Music Hall (Variety) that no longer exists.

More Information: www.harkitrecords.com/titanic.html

Jimmy Spellman Project

This CD was a real joy to put together. Enjoying many Rock and Roll (Sanford Clark, Al Casey, Jimmy Dell) and Country artists (Newton Brothers 'Wayne Newton', Loy Clingman) from the Arizona area I searched out Jimmy Spellman. My first interest in Spellman's music was a record I had on 78 "Give Me Some Of Yours (And I'll Give You Some Of Mine)" - a song about kisses, honestly. Then I discovered him on a rockabilly CD with "Doggone It." After searching him out I found out that he was still living in Arizona with his wife of 40 plus years. With the resent discover of the demos and unreleased songs, there was finally enough material to do a full length CD. Sadly, Jimmy Spellman's music is quite rare, but with the right promotion at the time, some of these recordings could have been in the Top 40. Click on the promo link and enjoy the music of Jimmy Spellman, a true Arizonan gentleman.

Bear Family Records Promotion Sheet (Clickable link):


1-CD Digipak (4-plated) with 40-page booklet, 28 tracks. Playing time approx. 58 minutes. - For the first time all of Spellman's Viv, Dot, Vik, Rev, and Redstart recordings in one package, with Al Casey featured on guitar. As usual, Bear Family goes all out with the best high quality visual graphics with Digipac packaging and high end digital sound by original Audio Recorders engineer Jack Miller. Includes unreleased tracks, plus six song demos. Extensive liner notes by Johnny Vallis and Arizona Music historian John Dixon. -- On September 20, 2004, Jimmy Spellman was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Best known for his rockin' 'Doggonit' on Dot and series of primitive country classics cut for Lee Hazlewood's Viv label, this cult favorite has also been honored by the Madison Square Garden Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, alongside such notable local talents Duane Eddy, Jimmy Dell, Sanford Clark, Al Casey, Chuck Mayfield, Wayne Newton and Loy Clingman. -- Despite a central role in Phoenix, Arizona's fertile rockabilly scene of the 1950s, Jimmy Spellman's musical career has never been examined in-depth. That changes with Bear Family's comprehensive package, collecting for the first time all of Spellman's well-regarded Viv, Dot, Vik, Rev and Redstart recordings. Spellman was the first artist chosen to record for Hazlewood's Viv Records imprint in 1955. Before hitmakers Sanford Clark and Duane Eddy, Hazlewood spent more time and money on Spellman as the conduit for his early compositions. In his short aix years of recording (1955-1960), Spellman covers the Country, Rock and Pop styles of music with class.