Meet B Bumble and The Stingers CD

The Piltdown Men Meet B. Bumble & The Stingers - Nut Rockin' And Brontosaurus Stompin' CD

There was a time when instrumental groups ruled the UK's airwaves and regularly landed near the top of the charts. The Piltdown Men and B. Bumble & The Stingers were two particularly fascinating examples, both essentially studio creations assembled from the pool of Los Angeles musicians commonly grouped under the catch-all description of The Wrecking Crew. Although neither existed as a conventional touring band like The Shadows or The Ventures, both left a permanent mark on instrumental rock history.

Nut Rockin' And Brontosaurus Stompin' brings together the A and B sides of every 45 released by both groups between 1960 and 1962. In the case of The Piltdown Men, that means their complete recorded discography, while the B. Bumble & The Stingers selection includes every UK chart hit they achieved. Both groups scored with inventive adaptations of classical and popular material, and both were considerably more successful in Britain than in their native USA. From Brontosaurus Stomp and Fossil Rock to Bumble Boogie, Nut Rocker and Apple Knocker, this is instrumental pop with plenty of character.

With 32 tracks spanning the complete Piltdown Men catalogue and the full run of B. Bumble & The Stingers singles from the period, this is a superb snapshot of the instrumental boom of the early 1960s. Several tracks make their CD debut here, all mastered from the best possible sources. If the sound of vintage instrumental rock 'n' roll, pounding piano, novelty arrangements and gloriously eccentric titles appeals, this bonanza of early-60s sides is difficult to resist.