From Deseret News archives:

Rocker revels in old rockabilly

Published: Friday, Sept. 29, 2006 12:00 a.m. MDT

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Lee Rocker, solo artists and bassist for the Stray Cats, said he took his time recording his new album "Racin' the Devil."

"The last studio album I released was 'Bulletproof' back in 2003," Rocker said by phone from Nashville, Tenn. "I was able to write songs, record them for a couple of weeks, and then sit on them for a few months, and then go back and change them, rewrite them or just redo them.

"I listened to them in my car, in my home, whereever I was. It was a nice experience, and the album turned out nicely."

Rocker said the first song he wrote and recorded for the 12-track CD was "Race Track Blues." "I was on tour and had a stop over in San Francisco. I took a notebook to Bay Meadows, a horse track about 20 miles south of San Francisco. I had written notes about what I saw. I found the notebook one day and looked at the notes and put together a song.

"It was an interesting experience. I'd never been to a horserace before, and it was just like the movies when people would throw their tickets up in the air."

The last song Rocker recorded for the album was actually written more than 20 years ago by Stray Cats bandmate Brian Setzer — "Rock This Town." "I was just messing on a beat and a bass lick with my drummer Jimmy Sage one day in the studio. "I was singing 'Rock This Town' because I didn't have any other lyrics written down. As the jam progressed, I realized that there was something there. So we decided to redo the song."

Rocker said that experience was the sort of thing he's been doing throughout his career. "I've always wanted to expand what people thought rockabilly music is about. I like to surprise people and bring new elements in.

"I mean, my heroes — Gene Vincent, Elvis and Carl Perkins — have done this music the best it has ever been, but I don't want it to come to a standstill. I want to continue making new music in the style."

Rocker said he does his research and loves all the old rockabilly songs, but he is always looking for something new, no matter how old the recording is. "It's a great feeling when I find an obscure song that was recorded back in the 1950s. It's always exciting to find something like that."

In fact, Rocker's knowledge of vintage rockabilly landed him an important gig. He wrote the liner notes to Rhino Records' four-CD rockabilly box set, "Rockin' Bones." "I was fortunate to be a part of that project. I listen to that box a lot.

"But I also listen to other artists who aren't necessarily rockabilly artists. I like the new Bob Dylan album and I like Neil Young's new one, too.

"But my goal is to continue to expand my sound and keep making music."

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