Search - Cannibal & Headhunters :: Land of 1000 Dances: Complete Rampart Recordings

A Note From The Producer

Cary E. Mansfield | Studio City, CA USA | 09/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 18-track collection features their complete recorded output for the Motown-influenced East L.A.-based Rampart Records. It includes the original 12 songs from the 1965 release, plus six additional bonus tracks consisting of various singles, and the original unreleased long version of "Land Of 1000 Dances.""

Mid-60s East L.A. legends' debut album & singles

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 10/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This legendary East L.A. vocal group is probably better known for Wilson Pickett's top-10 re-use of their "Naa, Na, Na, Na, Naa" hook than their own lower-charting version of "Land of 1000 Dances." But as popular as Pickett's rendition has become, the Headhunters' original will always remain the "Louie Louie" of Eastside Latino rock - a favorite sing-a-long that captured indelible lightning-in-a-bottle. Though the band would never climb into the top-40 again, they remained a popular club attraction, waxed an album for Rampart, and tacked on some fine singles before calling it a day. Cannibal & The Headhunters were a vocal group that bridged '50s doo-wop and '60s soul, and recorded with a variety of backing musicians, including East Side legends The Blendells, and legendary sax player King Curtis and his band.



The album's cover versions no doubt made for great live entertainment, but on disc they often fail to distinguish themselves from the originals. Once you get past them, the album kicks into high gear with a slew of terrific Eastside originals that cross the group's doo-wop and soul roots. The foot-stomping "Don't Let Her Go" (a cover of The Romancers, whose original can be heard on Varese's companion volume "East L.A. - Rockin' the Barrio") proves to be just a warm-up for the dance workouts "Get Your Baby" and "Fat Man." The band's doo-wop vocals shine on "Strange World" and "Here Comes Love," and Chick Carlton's "Devil in Disguise" plays a "Hit the Road Jack" styled rhythm underneath Cannibal's pained vocal.



The CD's half-dozen bonus tracks are a real treat, including an unedited version of "Land of 1000 Dances" that restores its Isley Brothers styled gospel intro. The band's second single, "Nau Ninny Nau" is a knock of their debut, but a vocal hook that good deserved a second chance, and the band's third single "Follow the Music" features the sort of group harmonies that War would take up the charts a decade later. King Curtis and his band also support the cover of "I Need Your Loving" with tight, funky drumming and a nice horn chart.



Varese's come up with stereo masters for most (tracks 1-10) of the original album, and clean mono masters for the rest. As exciting as the stereo sounds, mono provides a better reminder of what these songs sounded like when they came blasting through an AM radio; and with both a stereo and mono version of "Land of 1000 Dances," listeners get both experiences with this CD. [©2005 hyperbolium dot com]"