New Release - The Backbeat Jivers "Steamin' On" Review

The Backbeat Jivers are now into their third year of playing as a band. They are relatively new to the scene as we know it so you may not have heard of them; if you haven’t yet, once this new CD does the rounds you surely will!


The Backbeat Jivers are a four piece with Joe Putnam on Lead Vocals and Lead Guitar, Bryan (Ossie) Osbon on Rhythm Guitar and Backing Vocals, Vic Walker on the Double Bass and Nigel Barber on the Drums.


If you’re a fan of Rockabilly then the opening track ‘Steamin’ On’ written by Joe Putnam is a great one for you. The intro has a similar vibe to Ray Campi’s Rockabilly Man which has been covered by various bands over the years making it a well known scene song which without any doubt ‘Steamin’ On’ could easily become. Just like ‘Steamin’ On’ Joe has written another track with also features on this CD, Track 9 - ‘Mama’s Story’, this song starts with a solid guitar intro and once that’s met with the rest of the instruments a real jiver begins to form. Most of you wouldn’t have heard this song yet but after 4 minutes you’ll be swaying around as if you’ve known it for years.


Some of those songs that you will have known for years also feature, like Carl Perkins – ‘Honey Don’t’, Joe Turners – ‘Boogie Woogie Country Girl’ and Hank Williams – ‘Jambalia’, but after listening to them you’ll be referring to them as The Backbeat Jivers as they add their own style to each of the songs, for example with Track 2 ‘Flip, Flop and Fly’ where the pace of the song has been increased making it faster than Joe Turner’s original, this along with the Guitar featuring as the dominate instrument gives it a hard Rockabilly feel unlike the original slow tempoed jiver. 


Whether you’re a bopper or a jiver you’ll find the beat you need within the re-mixed and tweaked classics; the bass and drums provide the thud any bopper would be after, and the overlaying guitar helps to provide a milder sound making that jive beat easy to find. But if you’re after a stroll or a smooch, that’s covered too with a great up-tempo stroller in ‘Brand New Cadillac’, and for all you love birds there’s ‘Teenager in Love’.


The Backbeat Jivers, as it says in the insert booklet, firmly believe in keeping Rock ‘n’ Roll fresh and alive, they do justice to the classics but add a punch to make them current providing a much fuller well balanced sound. The 3 Backbeat Jiver originals all have hints from Rock ‘n’ Roll and Rockabilly classics so they’ll be easy to connect too. Overall this is a solid sounding CD; it contains some of the best of the past, and some promising tracks of the future.


It’s Brand New and Available Now!
FT154 - The Backbeat Jivers - Steamin’ On