Nobody had heard anything like it when Tommy Bruce crashed in to number 3 in summer 1960 with "Ain't Misbehavin'". Tommy's voice - a little bit Doctor John, a little bit Howling Wolf, but a whole lot Tommy - was unique, a gravely powerhouse totally at odds with the bland, modified tones which usually cluttered up the charts. Nowadays Tommy's version of Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin'" still sounds compelling and engaging, as fresh as the moment it first blared from the nation's radios. Although Tommy had only two more hits, that wasn't the whole story. He recorded throughout the '60s and waxed some real gems, compiled here for the first time. Check out 1963's driving "Lavender Blue" and 1964's "Over Suzanne" (an early writers credit for Pete Dello), where his gritty vocals compete with an equally gritty fuzz guitar. Tommy's 1965 version of "Boom Boom" was an inspired choice. His journey to pop stardom was masterminded by Barry Mason, who later became an internationally renowned songwriter, penning classics like Englebert Humperdink's "The Last Waltz", Tom Jones' "Delilah" and The Fortunes' "Here It Comes Again". Tommy had a habit of working with notable songwriters: his band The Bruisers featured Peter Lee Stirling, the writer of hits like The Merseybeats' "I Think Of You" and "Don't Turn Around". This is the first ever collection of Tommy's records, with only the top hit ever having made it to CD before now. A huge oversight as there remains today a large nostalgia following for this artist who is still to be seen live on numerous rock'n'roll and pop revival shows. Allied to this will be interest from 60's collectors in the beat and r'n'b sides. The collection spans Tommy's recording career 1960-1964, with the best of Tommy's Columbia recordings included, plus his singles for Polydor, RCA, CBS 1965-1968. The album title comes from Tommy's stage sign off "Now That's Rock'n'Roll".
Ain't Misbehavin' / Got The Water Boilin' / Broken Doll / I'm On Fire / My Little Girl / You Make Love So Well / I'm Crazy 'bout My Baby / Love, Honour And Oh! Baby / Babette / Honey Girl, You're Lonely / It's You / Buttons And Bows / London Boys / Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love / Two Feet Left / Lavender Blue / Let It Be Me / No More / Over Suzanne / It's Drivin' Me Wild / Boom Boom / Can Your Monkey Do The Dog / Monster Gonzales / Shakin All Over / Where The Colour Of The Soil Is Different