Various Artists

Something musically vital was happening in East Los Angeles when all-around entertainment guru Eddie Davis’ Rampart Records documented the fusion that became the West Coast Eastside Sound. Founded in 1961, Rampart Records is now celebrating its 58th anniversary with this box set collection. Rampart produced music unlike any other—rock & roll and rhythm and blues, but with a Mexican twist. The singles on this collection are from Rampart’s first 17 years, as the sounds changed from doo wop to R&B to garage to funk to disco. Hear East LA’s greatest hits from the West Coast’s longest running independent record company. Discover the amazing history and super-fine music from the classic Rampart Records catalogue, still going strong after 58 years!  
Among the gems heard on Land Of 1000 Dances is “Hector Parts 1 & 2,” a double-barreled, organ-driven instrumental by The Village Callers, which was heard on the soundtrack to Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino’s hit summer film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. 
Other top-flight Rampart acts surveyed include the storming, horn-driven garage soul unit The Blendells, whose cover of Stevie Wonder’s single “La La La La La” is a crate digger classic; R&B foursome The Atlantics, whose lineup included future ’70s love man Barry White; soul balladeer Ron Holden; The Soul-jers, the military-garbed duo of former Mixtures vocalists Philip Tucker and Delbert Franklin; Motown-styled vocal quartet The Four Tempos; Latin songstresses Didi Scorzo and Graciela Palafox; and funk / disco pioneers Eastside Connection. 
Hector Gonzalez, bassist of Eastside Connection, has overseen Rampart’s assets since Eddie Davis’ death in 1994 and co-produced Land Of 1000 Dances with Michael Minky.