THAT'S ALRIGHT MAMA

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Another band which has appeared on Moscow rockabilly scene in the 80s was THAT'S ALRIGHT MAMA. Having named, undoubtedly, after the very first Elvis Presley's song "That's Alright Mama", the guys managed to make some noise, before burning up and later gaving life to new bands.
In the original lineup 8 men played! So the group in due time got good. But the history of ensemble roots deeper. At the end of 1987 a group musicians (including keyboard player) and manager broke away from the GREASE DREAM, the second Russian rockabillies after the MISTER TWISTER.
They became a part the MAMA. At first vague dates for punters with two bass players, keyboards and horns on stage were played.
By the beginning of 1988 a set of the people rectified, and they were people who could be called more or less valid musical organism. As a result the lineup was reduced to a quartet the most flexible outfit, but without damage in expressive means.

This foursome turned out to be:

Mikhail Shcherbakov — vocals/rhythm guitar
Oleg Ivanin — lead guitar (MEETING ON ELBA)
Andrew Shalev—  bass
Rifan Ganiyev
drums

The guitar player Ivanin knew the bass player Shalev from childhood: 9 years prior to forming the band they went in for of table tennis together. Mike Shcherbakov, a stylish rockabilly singer knows music well and performs, specializing in rockabilly rarities. The quartet quickly became known due to the absence stylish bands in Moscow, which can be seen now. It was necessary for them to play for large audiences, but club culture in the country then did not exist as such. There were only hostels, factory and college clubs, where alcoholic drinks was not sold, and the musicians earned nothing. They managed to play there, basically, on holidays. And as a rule "to pay for" the rehearsing space. The money at national holidays were only paid to big variety stars.
THAT'S ALRIGHT MAMA toured in 1988 Kutaisi (Georgia), Tchernovtsy (Western Ukraine), and in 1989 played a minifestival in Moscow Palace of Youth (МДМ), held under the aegis of Chuck Berry birthday, where the cream of the Moscow traditional scene performed. But for a couple of one-odd hard rock bands the stage was rocked by the then unknown bluesrock FREE STYLE (now STAINLESS BLUES BAND), rockabillish danceing&singigng street conglomerate CONFIDENTIAL SUPPER, visitors from Kharkov a COUNTERBALANCE, OLD GUARD, THAT'S ALRIGHT MAMA, GREASE DREAM and MISTER TWISTER.

Unfortunately, THAT'S ALRIGHT MAMA left no recordings, except for a couple of demos, gathering dust in tables of its participants. And there was something to listen to: Oleg Ivanin is a versatile guitar player with a smashing technique, capable of playing any kind of solo - from his favourite Gary Moore and Blackmore to Steve Ray Vaughn and Brian Setzer and Jango Reinhardt. He never remained idle, perfecting his skill either in restaurants, or in rather interesting bands (art rock duo with Boris Deart and the swinging PIJONY lately). However with the beginning of phonogramme concerts in the country, reorganization, disorder of the Soviet Union and change of a musical style the demand for live bands fell short, and MAMA started to fall apart: Oleg Ivanin left in 1991 to play blues rock in some joint and the others crawled apart. 
In 1989 a young a rockabilly fan Sergey Kooteynikov started coming to dance at MAMA's shows. Soon he had mastered a double bass and became the member of the band. Besides he very much wanted to sing and began to sing back vocals. All this dragged till 1996 until Kooteynikov had formed his own outfit GREAT PRETENDERS, where he sang together with Shcherbakov at first. 
THAT'S ALRIGHT MAMA remained a trio with rather a weak guitar player till 1997, before Shcherbakov left for Canada.

© "Рокабиллисвинг" 2001

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