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Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were pivotal figures on the R&B scene of the early 50s and most especially during the rock n roll era of the late 50s and early 60s, as they developed and applied their talents as songwriters and producers to provide a string of hits for some of the most important artists of the time. So significant were they that their work became the subject of the hit revue Smokey Joes Cafй, which ran extensively on Broadway and in London's West End during the 1990s. This 58-track collection comprises hit versions of all of their songs which charted during the key first decade of their career, and includes recordings by Elvis Presley, The Drifters, The Coasters, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, The Robins, Ben E. King, Wilbert Harrison and many others. Elvis was perhaps the most renowned hit performer of their songs, scoring No. 1s with Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock and Don't, although The Coasters were the most prolific hit-makers with their material. The anthology includes five US pop No. 1 s, nine US R&B No. 1s, and two UK No. 1s. Because of space limitations, not every hit version of each song is included - there were, for instance, four charted versions of Kansas City, but it is a thorough and highly entertaining slice of quality R&B, rock n roll and pop that captures the zeitgeist of the era.
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