The Winners were actually Jerry Cole and company again recording under the guise of yet another moniker. What's refreshing about this release, however, is the number of original compositions. Unlike many of Cole's projects for Crown Records, a solid amount of material is distinct to this album. 

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When compared to the rest of his output, 'Drop that Flag' is possibly the best of Cole's vocal numbers. 'Uptown Model A' has some inventive background sax parts, and the tune really highlights the best part of Cole's vocal range. The infectious 'Big Boss Man' also has some uniqueness - you can even hear Jerry count in the band. 'Checkered Flag' is a great hot rod instrumental in which Cole experiments with some early (and extremely heavy) guitar distortion. This track would reappear on Cole's Guitars A Go Go as 'Mo Jo' without the car sound effects.  'Stick Shiftin'' falls back into familiar Cole territory, while the vocal 'Wind Her Up' has Cole doing his typical sing-songy take on the genre. 'Runnin' Second' is a rewrite of 'Buffalo Gals' and probably should have been called 'That's Our Hot Little Hot Rod' for how many times the phrase is sung. The same backing track with different lyrics can be heard on The Deuce Coupes' opening track. 'Down Lok' will sound familiar to Crown Records collectors as Cole had used the melody on a few other releases - though, on this occasion, Cole sweetens it with an unexpectedly wicked guitar solo. 'Up Lok' is a slow jam with Cole's signature electric glissando making the tune just interesting enough to elevate it above the more forgettable tracks. 'Cops and Rodders' is a new take on the familiar pentatonic pattern but, man - whoever arranged the horns on this did a phenomenal job!

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Checkered Flag is one of the better Cole Crown releases. In fact, it's actually the label's final hot rod-related project. It boasts some great guitar work and some surprisingly intricate sax lines. If you're going to pick a Jerry Cole Crown release up - this is a solid choice.