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"The Memorial Album" (1970)
The first compilation of Kidd's work came four years after his untimely death and came from France, a country that warmed to British Rock and Pop artists as they were often more accessible than their US counterparts, the journey being that much shorter. This release was compiled by Jaques Grimbot, Serge Dumonteil and George Collange and was commissioned by the Buddy Holly Memorial Society.
This release was the first of three French compilations during the 1970's (the second was "You're Cheatin' Heart" and the superior double LP set "Johnny Kidd, Rocker"). Seven of the groups' hits are here with the exceptions of "You Got What It Takes" and "Always And Ever". Like the UK Starline release this set kicks off with the original "Shakin' All Over" but finishes side two with the often-overlooked re-make from 1965, a completely different animal from the one laid down five years previously and enables the fan to evaluate the changes on the UK Rock / R&B scene in a short space of time.
The opener for the second side is the equally rare "Send For That Girl", presumably the single release at that. Intriguingly, it made an appearance on "Johnny Kidd, Rocker" but in its native mono format, which indicates that at least a copy of the master tape existed in the late seventies. The track had to be reclaimed from disc for the 1992 "Complete" 2-CD collection. Among the rest of the tracks is a fair smattering of significant flipsides, counting "I Can Tell", "So What" and "Doctor Feelgood" amongst them. All in all an excellent "Best Of" for Kidd's debut album which probably kick-started the Old Country's parent label EMI into issuing their own collection the following year. As with the other tracks it is presented in the "simulated stereo" found on the UK Starline release (Kidd's UK debut) from 1971.
NEW - This album has been re-released as part of the Johnny Kidd Memorial Album/Your Cheating Heart re-release (on Amazon), also available from Beat Goes On.
(Many thanks to Robert Crewsdon for the info.)