Drummer Earl Palmer was one of the most important and prolific studio session musicians of all time.

In 2000 he was among the first session musicians to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

When he died, in 2008, one obituary noted: “His list of credits read like a Who’s Who of American Popular Music of the last 60 years.”

This 34 track collection takes a close look at Palmer’s session work between 1949 and 1962, with the focus on hit records which he played on during this period.

His early New Orleans sessions feature Fats Domino, Lloyd Price, Shirley & Lee, Smiley Lewis, Little Richard etc, together with his subsequent West Coast sessions including Ricky Nelson, Bobby Day, Ritchie Valens, Eddie Cochran, Bobby Darin, Duane Eddy and many others.

Fats Domino - The Fat Man

Lloyd Price - Lawdy Miss Clawdy

Shirley & Lee - Feel So Good

Smiley Lewis - I Hear You Knocking

Little Richard - Long Tall Sally

Lee Allen - Rockin' At Cosmo's

Roy Brown - Let The Four Winds Blow

Thurston Harris & The Sharps - Little Bitty Pretty One

Bob Luman - Red Hot

Ricky Nelson - Boppin' The Blues

Larry Williams - Slow Down

Bobby Day - Rockin' Robin

Johnny Otis Show - Willie & The Hand Jive

Eugene Church & The Fellows - Pretty Girls Everywhere

Ritchie Valens - La Bamba

Ernie Fields & His Orch - In The Mood

Eddie Cochran - Somethin' Else

Chan Romero - Hippy Hippy Shake

Danté & The Evergreens - Alley Oop

Bobby Vee - Devil Or Angel

Dinah Washington - Love Walked In

Barbara Dane - I'm On My Way

B. Bumble & The Stingers - Bumble Boogie

The Sims Twins - Soothe Me

Bobby Darin - You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby

Gene McDaniels - Tower Of Strength

The Champs - Limbo Rock

Sam Cooke - Twistin' The Night Away

Ketty Lester - Love Letters

Duane Eddy - The Ballad Of Paladin

Timi Yuro - What's A Matter Baby

The Tijuana Brass - The Lonely Bull