1.Settin' the woods on fire 2.Feel so bad 3.Put the blame on me 4.Who can I count on? 5.Gunnin' for the dog 6.My life, my love 7.Circle rock 8.Troublesome bay 9.Let's start all over again 10.Cruisin' 11.While I'm away 12.Nightfall
Matchbox
Matchbox are probably Britain's most commercially successful Rockabilly band, having scored a string of hit records in the early 1980's with songs like 'Rockabilly Rebel', 'Midnight Dynamos', 'When You Ask About Love' and 'Buzz Buzz A Diddle It'. After playing on Britain's Rock 'n' Roll scene for a few years in the late 70's, they replaced original singer Wiffle Smith with the more charismatic Graham Fenton, and soon their Rockabilly sound was climbing high in the charts around the World! 'Settin' The Woods On Fire' is perhaps the most important Matchbox album. It was the first to feature Fenton's great vocals, and it was the album which gained them enough popularity and attention to achieve major international success. Many would say that it is their best work. Matchbox meanwhile have retained a massive cult following around the world and have continued to play live and release top quality material.
I remember this album well. Up until this time, Matchbox had been what we derogatorily termed a 'rockandrollabilly band', but when Wiffle Smith left and Graham Fenton joined, the band went into hibernation. At this time, the Rollin' Rock 'limping beat' sound was hugely popular in the clubs, and Matchbox re-emerged with a new Rockabilly sound that managed to capture this on stage. They were a revelation! This album was recorded around this time, and is a lot less 'commercial' sounding than their later hit material. It's an important part of the British Rockabilly story, preceding the Polecats and Stray Cats. It was originally issued on the Chiswick label, an offshoot of the Ace Label.
Matchbox with early rockabilly recordings.