Ace has two volumes of vocals by the Fireballs that cover most of the combo's output, but recent investigations into the Norman Petty vaults have uncovered a slew of unissued material, the cream of which is gathered on This CD. It CD focuses on the tougher side of the Fireballs studio career during the mid-1960s, as they came to terms with the impact of the British Invasion, and made some fine beat group-styled recordings of their own. Featured are rockin' covers of items by the Knickerbockers, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Beach Boys and others. As an added bonus, the enhanced portion of the CD features color footage of the Fireballs performing three songs from a Texas TV pop show circa 1968, including "Bottle Of Wine."
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Fireballs vocalist Jimmy Gilmer is to the fore, indulging his love of folk rock on superb versions of 'Codine' and 'Thunder & Lightnin'', not to mention an alternate version of the group's swansong hit 'Bottle Of Wine'. Original Fireballs frontman Chuck Tharp also weighs-in with 'Tough Times', a 1964 session where he is backed by his former bandmates. Most tracks on "Firebeat!" are making their debut on CD, and the sound quality on all is second-to-none, showcasing the masterful production skills of Norman Petty. Also features punchy, guitar-fuelled workouts on 'Kansas City' and 'Summertime Blues', and strong British-flavoured original material such as 'Never You Mind' and 'Come To Me'.