Well Now Dig This!

The Jodimars - Well Now Dig This! - BULLDOG Records BDL 1031
Originally CAPITOL Records 1955-1957

Side A
Well Now Dig This
Dance The Bop
Let's All Rock Together
(Boom Boom) My Bayou Baby
Eat Your Heart Out Annie
Lotsa Love

Side B
Rattle My Bones
Rattle Shakin' Daddy
Clara-Bella
Midnight
Cloud 99
Later

In 1955 just as Bill Haley and the Comets were becoming the biggest stars of the latest thing, rock 'n' roll, three members of the band quit over a pay dispute. Joey D'Ambrosia (sax), Dick Richards (drums) and Marshall Lytle (bass) decided the way to make some real money was to form their own band, so they signed to Capitol as The Jodimars, (the name made up from the first few letters of each of their first names). Dick switched from drums to vocals and they drafted a new drummer and two guitarists. They recorded six singles for Capitol of good time up beat rock 'n' roll not that dissimilar to their former boss. During this time they had a few minor hits and were one of the first rock 'n' roll bands to take up residence in Las Vegas showrooms. In 1958 the band broke up and the guys started other careers, Joey became a casino pit boss, Marshall went into real estate and Dick became a movie actor.

In 1989 Joey, Dick and Marshall came to the UK and performed as the Jodimars at a rock 'n' roll weekender in Brean Sands, Weston Super Mare. Supplemented by members of the Stargazers, they played for about an hour and tore the place up. It was an amazing concert (I was there!), they played for about an hour and gave it their all, a real high energy show. The atmosphere was electric, the next band had to wait a while for the clapping and cheering to subside before they could go on. As if that wasn't enough, they came back on a little later in the evening as the Comets for another amazing show, and bought the house down yet again. Not bad for three guys in their mid to late fifties! This concert was the only time they played as the Jodimars since the 1960's although they toured for many years as the Comets. Their set as the Comets was filmed (by the BBC I think) and although I remember watching it and trying to find myself in the crowd, for some reason I didn't video it (idiot). Surprisingly though, footage of the Jodimars set is on YouTube (clip below).

Here's 'Let's All Rock Together', 'Eat Your Heart Out Annie' and as a bonus, them performing 'Well Now Dig This' at Brean Sands 1989 (I'm in the audience somewhere)........