The Strikes - Rockin’ - 1957 Rock N Roll - Imperial X5446

Great Rock N Roll number from 1957 on Imperial. This is a two sider 45! An a bit cheap single so its an must have item. The Strikes, from Graham, Texas, were a sextet of college students who recorded innovative rockabilly during their short career (1956-57). They were a self-contained group who wrote their own material. Though they didn’t have much success at the time, their music was discovered by European fans during the rockabilly revival of the 1970s and has been heavily reissued since (including unissued tracks). A second session, on February 17, 1957, again yielded an Imperial single (“Rockin’” c/w “I Don’t Want To Cry Over You”) and a track that would remain unissued for several decades (“My Poor Heart” first appeared on the LP “Imperial Rockabillies, Vol. 3” in 1980). As far as we know, only “I Do” (a ballad) remains unissued from the few sides that the Strikes recorded for Joe Leonard. Their career lasted only 18 months. In September 1957, Willie Jacobs was drafted into the Army and the band split up. All members pursued a career outside music. Only Don Alexander, who had gone into broadcasting, maintained a songwriting relationship with Leonard and he recorded one single for Lin in January 1959 (“Knee Shakin’”/“She Giggles”) that came out under the name Don Terry. “Knee Shakin’” is a good rocker (the backing includes Hal Harris, Link Davis and Doc Lewis) and would also be recorded by Andy Starr in 1961.