The Collins Kids

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I want to hear and see more of Lorrie and Larry Collins, brother and sister teen rockabilly act from the 50s. I fell out of my chair when I heard "Mercy" on Rhino's Loud, Fast and Out of Control, with Lorrie sounding like a hopped up, underage Neko Case . And hearing Larry rip through "Whistle Bait" cinches it. They had to retire when Lorrie eloped. How cool is that? Has anybody seen a video of their TV appearances, like the Tex Ritter show?

― Curt, Monday, 25 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Everybody come and taste the possum that I shot--let's have a party!"

― Curt, Monday, 25 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Their version of "Shortnin' Bread" is boss! God, I'd love to see a video of their TV appearances, they were amazing.

― Arthur, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Is Phil their father. Was he an Easy Lover that night and spawned some offspring?

― remdog, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Hey! I have like tenth generation tape that has some town hall party footage. they play "lookin back to see" and "hot Rod" and weird version of "peggy sue" as well as some boss duelin guitar between Larry and Joe Maphis. Larry keeps running around with that huge double guitar...it's super hot. Theres a record of some of those shows called "on TV". The box set on bear family is pretty much worth it (even though it's just 2 cds)

― ian, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I've just found that a March PBS documentary, "Welcome to the Club - Women of Rockabilly", will include a segment about Lorrie! (Wanda Jackson, too.) The link is:

http://www.planetrockabilly.com//modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=a rticle&sid=61

There's a commercial VHS that has four half-hour Town Hall Party shows, but I've also seen mention of bootleg videos compiling possibly dozens of their appearances.

― Curt, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

nine years pass...

did they really only release one single together in the '60s, or is thsi discography incomplete? it seems like Columbia tried for a couple years to market Larry as a teen heartthrob crooner à la Ricky Nelson, but his solo career never came to anything (imho he could've had a lot of success as a session guitarist), and apparently Lorrie didn't have a career of her own unless you count a few solo tv performances. I guess it's just as well that they never committed their dire covers of "Ticket to Ride", and "Like a Rolling Stone" (search youtube for "collins kids" + "shindig" if you have a strong stomach) to record, because it seems like they really jumped the shark by 1965.

their reunion performances (1993 onward) are A++ though, judging by some of the youtube clips I've been watching. I mean...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcl4sQMoJjk

― every time you touch me (I get hives) (unregistered), Thursday, 12 May 2011 01:40 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLP_tNoXcjo

― every time you touch me (I get hives) (unregistered), Thursday, 12 May 2011 01:43 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8Di8jXb0Bk

― every time you touch me (I get hives) (unregistered), Thursday, 12 May 2011 01:46 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PzdPyorO5s

― every time you touch me (I get hives) (unregistered), Tuesday, 17 May 2011 15:25 (fourteen years ago)

two years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9fl3kBz8kA

― We Shield Millions Now Living Who Will Never Die (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 22 March 2014 19:48 (eleven years ago)

Aargh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9fl3kBz8kA

― We Shield Millions Now Living Who Will Never Die (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 22 March 2014 19:48 (eleven years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-njkrGwT6Y8

― We Shield Millions Now Living Who Will Never Die (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 22 March 2014 19:53 (eleven years ago)

I love The Collins Kids.

― Hinklepicker, Saturday, 22 March 2014 22:31 (eleven years ago)

Never listened to them before today. Just know them from the Rick Nelson connection and the rather complicated Johnny Cash situation.

― We Shield Millions Now Living Who Will Never Die (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 22 March 2014 22:42 (eleven years ago)

Don't know much about them myself but a friend made me a compilation of their stuff a while back and I play it regularly. So much joy and excitement in the playing.

― Hinklepicker, Saturday, 22 March 2014 23:07 (eleven years ago)

i like their version of bi mir bist du schoen they do on town hall party

the boy isn't really much of a guitar player but he's not energy. almost too much. he's like a spinning top sometimes. his sister was a few years older, i think, and about two feet taller.

― espring (amateurist), Sunday, 23 March 2014 09:35 (eleven years ago)

he's GOT energy

― espring (amateurist), Sunday, 23 March 2014 09:35 (eleven years ago)

there was a single disc compi of their material put out in the Charley rock'n'roll series that was reissued about 3 years back. I may have mentioned it in this thread already, but haven't read right through.

― Stevolende, Sunday, 23 March 2014 21:51 (eleven years ago)

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