The Spinett label, which operated in New Orleans around 1959, was somewhat of a semi-serious hobby for Frankie Ford and his manager Joe Caronna. This informality would lead to some lively and memorable New Orleans rock and roll. The liner notes point out that many of the sessions sounded like a garage band version of Huey Smith and the Clowns, a most accurate observation, as many of players (Mac Rebennack, Roland Stone, Ford and Smith) were Ace Records alumnists.

Spinnet’s first release the fabulous “Chinese Bandits” by the Cheerleaders, (Rebennack, Jerry Byrne and Ford) was the label’s biggest hit and set the wacky tone for the label. The “Chinese Bandits” were the 1958 LSU football team’s defense, “A lemon brick wall that stopped touchdowns… chop, chop.” LSU football fever was such that it created an unprecedented demand for the single. Initial pressings of the 45 had a plain label with the song titles hand printed on it because the stores couldn’t wait for proper labels to be printed.

Huey Smith continued the tongue-in-cheek Spinnet attitude when he surreptitiously recorded “Lumumba” and “Angola” as Snuffy Smith. “Angola” was a clever stop time instrumental that employed an electric Wurlitzer piano. That same piano drives the bizarre “Lumuba,” where Smith reveals ways to solve the problems in the Congo and conclude the cold war.

Another Spinett high light was Roland Stone’s “Preacher’s Daughter” which was a rocking variation of the often heard “Junco” Partner.” Of the four Bobby Lonero tracks, the best is “Little Brother Tom” which is out of the Coasters bag. Both of the Johnny Meyers tracks are fine medium tempo renderings but the Louis Hayward coupling sounds like a drag queen on a bad hair day.

The Three Stooges was another studio group (Jerry Byrne and Rebennack), recorded “Your My Girl” perhaps the craziest song in the Spinet catalog. After starting . like a funeral dirge, the band hiccups the tempo and blasts away on a New Orleans shuffle. Rebennack’s off-the-wall lyric’s (“Frankenstein wanted you for his wife, but Jack the Ripper stabbed you with his knife.”) are worth a second listen.

Night Train again succeeds in uncovering some rare but very enjoyable New Orleans music. This one’s definitely worth investigating.