LISTEN-IN REVIEWS

 

LISTEN-IN REVIEWS

PREVIOUSLY ARCHIVED RECORD REVIEWS FROM MY OLD BLOG 'FLOWER BOMB SONGS'

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about obscure and in-demand ’60s garage and psychedelic singles over the years. All of the original blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from music magazines.

999 – ”Obsessed” / ”Change” (Albion ION 1011) April 1981

With a bit more of a push and promotion drive I reckon this early 80s single by 999 stood a chance at hitting the Charts. It peaked at #71 which meant it was only around for a few weeks before disappearing for good. 

”Obsessed” is a radio friendly number and for the time very much in vogue musically. It has quite a big sound, production by Vic Maile is (as usual) great and the spaghetti western style noise is neat idea and with a sound reminiscent of some groups who at the time were having success. Adam & the Ants and Tenpole Tudor come to mind.

The B-Side showcases two live tracks. A solid release that deserved better. Initial copies came housed in a laminated embossed sleeve and the buyer was treated to a free 999 patch. Later pressings were in a matt sleeve.

(18/02/20)

999 – ”I’m Alive” / ”Quite Disappointing” (United Artists UP 36519) June 1979

Yesterday I wrote about The Rezillos first single receiving the re-release treatment a couple of years after the original came out and here’s another group who enjoyed a similar blessing. 999 proved to be a popular outfit, especially around the London area and their debut disc ”I’m Alive” from August 1977 was well received.

Having signed to United Artists 999 released several singles from 1977 to mid 1979, nothing really took off for them in the charts despite some clever numbers with commercial appeal.

Their last release for United Artists was a re-release of their debut on the small indie label LaBritain, this time the cover art was changed, but not for the better. The new cover featured an action shot of 999 at a gig.

”I’m Alive” is a rock ’n roll number to my ears, not much of a ’77 punk sound but a controlled burst of energy. Their promo material at this time stated that they didn’t believe they were a punk band but simply a modern band. I totally get where they were coming from.

(17/02/20)

ALTERED IMAGES – ”Dead Pop Stars” / ”Sentimental” (Epic EPC A1023) February 1981 

Glasgow group Altered Images had some success in Britain during the early 80s with their quirky pop singles, none of which register on my site. Their debut disc however, is a worthy effort of post punk indie darkness. ”Dead Pop Stars” has great appeal although didn’t sell, probably way too none commercial for the Charts to start with.

Factor in the fact that Beatle John Lennon was murdered two months before the record was released and you’ve got something which is a little bit too much for the open mourning wounds and masses to deal with.

There’s a definite Siouxsie & the Banshees feel to this number, mostly in the rhythms of the drum patterns. Closer inspection of the label reveals that Siouxsie guitarist Steve Severin was the producer. After this record the group chose much more commercial material and with radio friendly appeal the mainstream beckoned.

(16/02/20)

THE JAM – ”Down In The Tube Station At Midnight” / ”So Sad About Us” / ”The Night” (Polydor POSP8) October 1978

This record by The Jam was released during the month that I turned 14 years old and I can well remember it being played on the radio, then seeing The Jam performing the number on Top Of The Pops. Indeed it was considered a successful record and achieved a Top 20 chart position.

The song relates a story of a commuter attacked and beaten up on a London tube train. The lyrics are graphic and caused DJ Tony Blackburn to complain that punk groups only write about violence. I very much doubt that any teenagers would listen to anything that square banged on about.

The other side has a remarkable cover of ”So Sad About Us” by The Who. This was a tribute to Keith Moon who had died a few weeks before the single was released. On the back of the cover there’s a picture of Moon from the 1965/66 era.

(29/01/20)

BLONDIE – ”I Know But I Don’t Know” (Chrysalis CDL 1192 ) 1978

I played ”Parallel Lines” for the first time in years the other day. I bought a copy back in the day, I was still a schoolboy and remember getting my mother to order it out of her Great Universal catalogue. A few years later a girlfriend asked to borrow it and well, we broke up and I never saw my record again!

Fast forward to 2020 and I’m seriously investing my time and effort on late 70s punk rock and new wave groups. Saw a copy going cheap and decided to buy another ”Parallel Lines” As an album it still holds up and sounds very commercial, especially the worldwide hits.

I was hoping an obscure gem would jump out between the grooves though and sure enough I wasn’t disappointed in Frank Infante’s ”I Know But I Don’t Know”

There is enough space for the group to really rock out during the number, the lyrics don’t mean a great deal but who cares. This track is solid and demonstrates that Blondie could really play with an edge and swagger.

(28/01/20)

THE INMATES – ”So Much In Love” / ”Tell Me What’s Wrong” (Radar ADA 29) September 1980

Here’s another magical number by The Inmates, this time it’s a Jagger – Richard composition from 1964. The latter didn’t use it for The Rolling Stones at the time but it was recorded by The Mighty Avengers who promptly got recognised and had a hit record.

Immediate label solo artist Charles Dickens also released the song as a single in early 1966 but his version flopped.

The Inmates offer a faithful rendition with their customary instrumental skill and solid vocals. Quite why this commercial sounding and radio friendly record wasn’t a hit is anyone’s guess. The best material sometimes falls through the cracks as everyone knows. The back of the picture sleeve has details of their month long British tour during October 1980.

(25/01/20)

THE INMATES – ”Love Got Me” / ”Jealousy” (Radar ADA 50) February 1980

’Love Got Me’ is a big production effort with brass but sadly didn’t do anything chart wise. Around about this period Bill Hurley suffered a breakdown and temporarily left the band. This probably hindered any chance they had left of being successful.

The flip ’Jealousy’ is a wild live performance from a gig at The Electric Ballroom, London on 27/10/79. All songs during the early period of their career were produced by the late Vic Maile. He had a good pedigree having worked with Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Motorhead and Dr Feelgood.

(25/01/20)

Searching for records in the North East 2019/20:

I’m up early and the weather is fine so I’ve decided to hang out with the ‘Good Lady’ and soon another record trip, this time to Sunderland. Hope to find something interesting. To get me in the mood I’m giving The Inmates ”The Walk” a spin.

AgeUK is a Charity Shop situated in Blandford Street and is well worth a visit if you’re ever in Sunderland. Almost everything is vintage from decades gone by. There is a ground floor selling mostly clothes, books, cameras and records.

Upstairs in split into three rooms and it’s ALL vintage gear up there. Everything that you can imagine, it’s a treasure trove of ornaments, picture frames, bags, toys, books, jewellery, hats, suitcases…..

Prices are a bit on the high side as a consequence. Could have walked away with a 60s Lava lamp which was working and had been pat tested but the £35 asking price put me off. I already own one anyway and in any case my mission was records, so I left it.

I was delighted to find a vintage 70s singles rack for £8 which will come in very handy when I start using my Spin-Clean Record Washer. Rack them high and dry them off! I also came away with ”Listen Here!” a Transatlantic label sampler released in 1968. The record looks in ’as new’ condition and for £10 I wasn’t gonna leave without it.

Next, I decided to walk up the road to the Park Lane area and to ”Hot Rats” situated on Stockton Road. For some strange reason I’ve never been inside before even though I’ve known about it for many years. It’s much smaller inside than I thought it would be and it’s like stepping back in time to some of those old school record shops I remember from the 70s and 80s. There are boxes full of records everywhere. The racks are well stocked mostly with Record Store Day albums and re-issues.

All fantastic mint condition and with decent prices too. I was on the look out for original pressings though. Hanging on the wall there were two Troggs original albums on Fontana. The back covers looked a bit grubby and brownish, probably came from a smokers home.

They had been signed by the West Country legends, no price on the cover which put me off, so I left them and continued my search. I was mainly looking for 70s punk records but there wasn’t much in the way of punk, plenty of heavy metal and Rock though. One guy was sitting on the floor rummaging his way through numerous boxes.

I came away with a couple of albums. A stereo pressing of a John Mayall collection on Decca called ”The World Of John Mayall” priced at £8 and I couldn’t resist obtaining a £3 copy of The Pretty Things version of”Eve Of Destruction.” I used to see this quite regularly back in the late eighties and nineties but never got around to buying it. I don’t know why they’re dressed like Motörhead though.

I reckon this put me off all those years ago. I got talking to the owner about the Pretty Things, so that was a bonus. Yeah, I’ll be back at Hot Rats again next time I’m in Sunderland.

Why is it always freezing and windy in Sunderland ??? The footy team must be playing at home too, plenty of red and white scarves draped around necks. Anyway, moving on to HMV in the Bridges Shopping Centre. I was requiring some poly-sleeves for album protection and they duly delivered. It’s the first time I’ve bought anything in that shop since I came away with a Nick Drake LP about five years ago.

Just as I was leaving HMV I got a text message from Argos in Washington to let me know my ’click and collect’ order from eBay had arrived. I had mostly finished looking around the shops for the day and decided to get the bus back to Washington to collect The Damned ”Machine Gun Etiquette” on the Chiswick label.

A lovely looking original pressing with the inner sleeve. At £20 it was another great addition to my punk archives.

On the 30th December, 2019 I decided to have a rummage around the record shops I knew existed in Newcastle. I’m sure there are more than the four places I visited but they’re the only one’s I know about. Record shops have come and gone over the recent years which is a shame considering we are now supposed to be living in an enlightened time of a vinyl resurgence.

So it’s off to Newcastle to look for records and a Soviet Union high velocity assault rifle e.g. AK-47. I’ll probably call into a Cafe for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. (the reason for the photo of The Damned album, my 1977 original pressing)

I received a ”Spin-Clean” record washer for Christmas and watched a couple of videos on YouTube just to give me an idea of how they worked. One of the top tips I came away with was that washed records should be placed back into brand new inner covers.

This makes sense. If you’re gonna take the time and effort to clean your records surely after care is a necessity. With this in mind my first port of call was HMV in Eldon Square. I was sure that I’d seen inner sleeves for LPs in here before but sadly my visit proved a disappointment and I left empty handed. I checked out some re-issues but there was nothing that took my fancy.

Next stop was the Grainger CD stall in the Grainger Market. I know from the last time I was in Newcastle, a few months ago, that they had a small selection of records too. I looked through the racks and there were plenty of albums that I could have took a chance on but decided to purchase only two. A mint Los Bravos in beautiful condition for £19, this is a 1966 mono pressing with glossy cover, the vinyl looks perfect.

On this you’ll hear commercial mod beat sounds, nothing outrageous, no freakbeat guitar, but well produced pop music. Nothing tops their hit version of “Black Is Black” though.

The other album was a copy of ”Gorilla” by The Bonzo Dog Band. It was cheap at £6 and is in excellent condition, the sound is great too. A first rate stereo re-issue pressing on the budget Sunset label in 1975. It’s a weighty disc too, not as I expected, I suppose I was expecting something flimsy and light. I have a couple of Bonzo singles and have never heard this album by them so I’m mostly new to their eccentric comedy sounds but I now know where The Beatles got their wackiness from on Magical Mystery Tour.

Got talking to Dave on the stall who said they had a few contacts and a really good one in Austria who they hope to work with and obtain some obscure European pressings in the future. Next time I’m in Newcastle I will visit Grainger CD for sure!

After my dig at Grainger CD I met up with the ‘Good Lady’ who had been looking around Debenhams for an hour. We went over to the Tyne Cinema for a cup of coffee and a fruit scone at their restaurant on one of the upper floors. The place was full of older people, mainly women so my kinda place. Can’t be doing with the younger trendy set, showing my age I suppose.

After being suitably refreshed I made my way to RPM Music. I’ve bought a couple of items here before and was sure they’d have something today for me. As it turned out I came away with a couple of cheap original pressings.

”Malpractice” by Dr. Feelgood is a record that I’ve somehow never bought and at £14 I wasn’t gonna leave without it.

Strange because I have numerous singles by them and know what to expect. The album is good, back to basics rhythm and blues with harmonica, several 60s cover versions from the Beat era and plenty of gritty Wilko Johnson originals. Love his guitar sound. In 1975 this must have sounded totally refreshing.

In their ”New Stock” section I found a copy of ”Don’t Be Concerned” by Bob Lind. This was the heaviest (as in weight) record I bought yesterday in the wild. Heavy Fontana ‘66 vinyl and the thick glossy card sleeve make this a winner. And for just £8, can’t get much for that money nowadays. Keeper copy for sure. Notable for his introspective folk number “Mr Zero” not the most commercial of tunes but that didn’t stop Yardbirds frontman Keith Relf recording a version.

I’ve been buying records from Windows since the 1980s so was confident that there would be something worthwhile today. They mostly specialize in re-issues and Record Store Day releases so their prices are usually high as a result. The first record to catch my eye was a compilation on Ace called ”Girls With Guitars Take Over!” which is a set featuring mostly 60s teen girl groups ravin’ cos they can. Love this kinda scene, rough, raw and full of energy. A points win overall for Kathy Lynn & the Playboys with their 1964 beat mover “I Got A Guy” but at £26 quite pricey.

Their singles bins are always worth a look and I came away with an obscurity on Fly Records. Vivian Stanshall continued my Bonzo link, this time he’s helped out by members of The Who on an obscure and rare 1970 release. Checking the back sleeve credits it appears that it was a “Record Store Day” release from earlier this year. Poor Vivian must have been lying in the box since April. Price £10

Another record in the bin was Derek & Clive with ”Punk Song” which is hilarious. They are just a couple of cunts (their words) with a joke punk song, taking the piss out of The Sex Pistols and others but mostly Johnny Rotten with the pronunciation of words and phrases. In Cockney it sounds like ‘cants’ they are just a couple of cants. Price £7

The time was just after 1.00pm now and Newcastle was starting to buzz and that’s a drag for a reclusive type. So it was time to split and back to “The Cave” ? only so much interaction in one day.

So there you have my vinyl haul today. £90 spent on items I’ve somehow never got around to adding to my archive. Dr Feelgood LP for instance has taken me about 40 years.  Anyway, when you already have 1,678,890 records it’s not easy to find missing pieces.

Sunderland Record Fair – 18th May 2019

I survived my first Record Fair in ten years. Forgot how much I hated looking through boxes with big hairy blokes breathing in my face and coughing on the back of my neck. I came away with a mixed bag of British Beat and West Coast Psych. So it wasn’t all a drag.

Sunderland Record Fairs used to be held at the Crowtree Leisure Centre but that building was pulled down years ago. They’re now utilising a room at Sunderland’s Museum & Winter Gardens. Quite a small room is used but there are sufficient stalls and dealers to make my attendance worthwhile.

I had a few wants in mind but came away without any of those but still managed to spend £90 on seven albums.

THE REVILLOS – ”Hungry For Love” / ”Voodoo 2” (Dindisc DIN-Z 20) August 1980

I’ve just finished reading a book about Johnny Kidd and the author mentioned that New Wave group The Revillos recorded a version of ”Hungry For Love.” For those of you who don’t know, the latter was released by Johnny Kidd & The Pirates during November 1963 and became a Top Twenty hit..

With this in mind I decided to track down a copy of The Revillos single and here it is!
The Revillos is a slightly more uptempo arrangement and includes a rather cheeky little 60s style guitar break. I love this version. Footage exists of the band performing ”Hungry For Love” on a kid’s TV Show. Seek it out on YouTube.

(30/03/16)

THE CLASH – ’Capitol Radio’ (CBS 7324) May 1979

Singles by The Clash were never far away from the turntable back in the late 70s and early 80s. I collected all of their 45s up to and including ’Bank Robber’ from 1980 then they started sounding ’Americanized’ to me so I ceased to be interested in them. I was so fickle back then and fortunately I’ve never changed.

This four song EP was released during May 1979 and did well, just missing out on the Top 20. Maybe Radio 1 started to play Clash records or something, although I never heard anything played from this at the time.

The best cut is ’I Fought The Law’ which I later discovered to be a cover version written by Sonny Curtis, who was a member of The Crickets. The Clash may have heard it from them but more likely by The Bobby Fuller Four.

’Capitol Radio’ is an extended version with mellow acoustic guitar intro with a reprise of ’I Fought The Law’ in which Joe Strummer goes all Jamaican. And I must admit that I started to cringe. For the art loving sleeve sect praise must be given for this cool pop art design based on the Daz washing power box.

(18/11/12)

THE JAM – ‘(Love Is Like A) Heatwave’/’Saturday’s Kids’ (Polydor DPQ 6185) 1979

Forget about the top side ’Heatwave’, a cover of the Motown song, soul ain’t my bag so I’ll quickly move on.

’Saturday’s Kids’ brings back a lot of memories for me, Weller’s lyrics are littered with working class references and things teenagers got up to in late 70s Britain. Being brought up as a kid on a North East Council Estate wasn’t easy so I can completely relate to this song.

Instead of going on holiday to Selsey Bill and Bracklesham Bay it was day trips to Whitley Bay and Redcar for me…

It took me a few years to finally understand the line:

”Dip in silver paper when their pint’s go flat.”

This is of course is a reference to getting out a wrap of speed, something I used to do most Friday and Saturday nights back when I was young and daft.

’Saturday’s Kids’ was not released as a single in Britain but can be found on the album ’Setting Sons’ – The 45 shown is my copy of a Japanese import.

(15/11/12)

THE JAM – ’Art School’ (Polydor 2383 447) May 1977

I don’t often post YouTube promo videos on my site but I’ll make the exception with this one from The Jam. It’s strange that they bothered making a promo when ’Art School’ wasn’t released as a single. It was however, the lead track on side one of their debut Polydor album. What a start!

’Art School’ would have made a great single and was ready made for the radio in dullsville England 1977. It’s a punchy three chord punk blast but quite obviously rooted in 60s beat. I hear freedom and rebellion in this song, youth was about to take over from those long haired bearded twats in progressive rock groups.

Hearing this now still makes me want to kick down some doors or break some windows just for the sake of it. But I’m now in my mid forties and I don’t think ’Er Indoors would be too pleased.

The line ”Don’t need permission for everything that you want” sums up Weller’s rebellion neatly. I was only 12 years old in 1977 when I first saw The Jam performing ’All Around The World’ on The Marc Bolan Show.

The image stayed with me ever since. I knew then that this was not the typical Top Of The Pops tripe I’d put up with for years. Plus my parents hated the ’noise’- that was it, enough said! It was noisy fast music for me.

(17/06/11)

THE ROMANTICS – ’Little White Lies’/’I Can’t Tell You Anything’ (Spider Records 101) April 1977

I can’t claim to be an expert on The Romantics, this is the only record I own by them. A quick browse on the internet confirms that this Detroit, Michigan four piece group started out during February 1977, there’s even a claim that they formed on Valentines Day (hence the name – The Romantics).

’Little White Lies’ was their debut 45 and is a band original (not the ultra great song by The Choir) and clearly demonstrates that The Romantics were going for that up-tempo commercial powerpop sound.

I dig the flip so much more with it’s Bo Diddley backbeat and harmonica bursts. ’I Can’t Tell You Anything’ has a neo garage sound and a sparse production that works well.

Sadly the skinny ties, black shirts and three button jackets were soon ditched. I’ve checked out some other Romantics songs on YouTube and after their initial coolness it seems that they grew their barnets into those awful big 80s hair monstrosities and started wearing even scarier naff 80s jackets with big shoulders and cheap lookin’ leather pants.

Their music during this period has also been infected with hideous eighties style production. Should have stayed in the garage boys.

(01/01/11)

RADIO STARS – ’Nervous Wreck’/’Horrible Breath’ (Chiswick NS 23) Oct 1977

I’ve already written about the first Radio Stars single  and during my research on their follow up ’Nervous Wreck’ found that some muppet had copied my scans and posted them on YouTube, without a credit I may add. This fucking infuriates me somewhat.

Back to this record then. ’Nervous Wreck’ was a small hit and broke into the Top 40 in early 1978. It’s a Chas ’n’ Dave type tune with a tinkling joanna and some naff female backing vocals. Not my cuppa T.

Far more interesting is the flip ’Horrible Breath’ credited to ’Feld’. This was the glitterest of all pixies, Marc Bolan. (real name Mark Feld)  He recorded this song with the title as ’You Scare Me To Death’.

Andy Ellison, the frontman of Radio Stars was lead singer with 60s mod group John’s Children who briefly had Bolan as a member so I guess they kept in touch.

When Marc Bolan’s hits dried up he fronted his own TV Show during 1977 and invited the Radio Stars on it to perform a couple of songs. 

(30/12/10)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about obscure and in-demand ’60s garage and psychedelic singles over the years. All of the original blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images of The Hamilton Streetcar.

MISTY WIZARDS – ’It’s Love’ /’Blue Law Sunday’ (Reprise 0616) July 1967

It’s classic double psych 45 sider time!!! The Misty Wizards were formed by Ted Lucas and Dick Keelan after their previous band The Spike Drivers disbanded. The latter also released a killer psychedelic 45 ’High Time’ / ’Baby Won’t You Let Me Tell You How I Lost My Mind’ on Om Records, then it got picked up by Reprise in 1966.

As you can see from the pic of The Spike Drivers the guys in the band were scared of razor blades, but don’t let those goaty beards put you off discovering their music cos it has the Expo seal of approval.

Back to The Misty Wizards…The song ’It’s Love’ is a classic flower psych tune with sitar (Ted Lucas got some coaching from Ravi Shankar on a visit to Los Angeles), finger symbols, clattering tambourine and just about anything else that made music in 1967 cool as fuck.

There is a line in the song ’Colored sights and sounds’ and it was that line that gave the world (or rather about 20 people from the garage punk forum my free CDR compilations ’Coloured Sights And Sounds’ that ran to 4 volumes.

The uncompiled ’Blue Law Sunday’ is also a personal favourite psychedelic raver. Surprisingly Fuzz, Acid and Flowers labelled this track dull??? What a bunch of losers because it is certainly not dull. It reminds me of perfect Sunset Strip garage psych music from 1967 with cool male/female vocals.

It’s got a magical guitar break over a one note bass line and primitive drums. It also contains a great lyric,

“Sometimes I think it’s better bustin’ rocks, At least you know where you stand.’

I guess Ted had some girl problems back then.

Reader comment:
great post, great write up. the spike drivers were/are amazing, remind me a little of mimi & richard farina’s ”beat” numbers total pre-hippy psychedelic folk/beatnik feel. interestingly (but not surprisingly) the spike drivers were friendly with Jan & Lorraine and Mr. Keelan went on (an up) to Canada to found Canadian folk-psych commune-band the Perth County Conspiracy.

He’s still active in the music scene up here and still plays a dulcimer given to him by Jan & Lorraine.

(28/06/07)

GRUMP – ’Heartbreak Hotel’ (Magic Carpet 45-901) 1969

Here’s an interesting remake of the Elvis Presley classic. I’m pondering over a release in 1969 or possibly 1970. If you know for sure please let me know.

What the ’King’ would have made of this cover is anyone’s guess. Perhaps he would have shot the record with one of his revolvers. I very much doubt the biker fuzz interpretation would have seen favour in Gracelands.

I dig it very much indeed. It’s a big wall of heavy psych fuzz and wah wah with screaming vocals. It would have fit nicely on one of those ’A Fistful Of Fuzz’ comps.

My copy of the 45 has ”Heartbreak Hotel” on both sides. I’m led to believe that some releases came with the song ”I’ll Give You Love” as the flip. Has anyone heard this cut?

(28/06/07)

THE KING BISCUIT ENTERTAINERS

Reader update:
I am in contact with Scott Ashley, co-leader of the King Biscuit Entertainers — formerly of the Seattle area, he is now based in Nashville where he continues to play professionally.

He only recently became aware of renewed interest in KBE music, and is now working to remaster all their tapes in digital format for possible CD reissue.

The band began as ”Genesis”, with one single [Window of Sand/Get Me To Chicago} released under that name before they discovered that at least two other groups — including the Peter Gabriel lot — were also recording under that name.

They thus became ”King Biscuit Entertainers” and then the abbreviated KBE. Scott tells me that he still wishes they could have remained ”Genesis” as he says ”I just liked that name”.

JIMMY CURTISS ’Psychedelic Situation’ / ’Gone But Not Forgotten’ (Laurie 3315) April 1967

Jimmy Curtiss was quite a well known singer songwriter in the mid to late 60s, even continuing his ’success’ into the 70s with TV Commercials.

It was ’Psychedelic Situation’ that got this New Yorker noticed though, even securing an underground hit in Germany. And here’s me thinking that Germans just grew strange ‘tashes and had ’mullet’ hair styles. Oh well, they may have some taste after all.

If you have any passing interest in ‘ bubblegum’ music you’ll already dig this record. For those of you who haven’t heard it before. It’s got the required bouncy rhythm and catchy melodies that most good bubblegum had. This ’hit’ even had the rather corny lyrics much loved by this genre.

’I’m in a kind of new dimension,
A kind of mind extension,
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,
Psychedelic, psychedelic situation.’

The flip ’Gone But Not Forgotten’ is also a catchy song with less of a bubblegum backing and more of a folk rock feel. Very simple but very commercial sounding.

For my particular taste though Jimmy’s falsetto vocals are a bit too much for me. It remains uncompiled but who knows it may surface on a future Gear!

Curtiss would later become a member of studio psych pop outfit The Hobbits. The latter released three LPs in the late 60s and lovers of soft psychedelia are advised to check out these records.

Perhaps their coolest song was ’Strawberry Children’ which was written by Curtiss and ’Down To Middle Earth’ a rather slow burning piece of psychedelia.

For the record ’Psychedelic Situation’ was compiled on the vinyl only Pebbles Volume 16.

(26/05/07)

SUNDAY FUNNIES – ’A Pindaric Ode’ / ’Whatcha Gonna Do (When The Dance Is Over)’ (Valhalla 671) March 1967

This is one of the my favourite garage psych 45s I own. ’A Pindaric Ode’ not only wins prizes for the cool song title it also basks in the glory of greatness for the way the singer delivers the song in a ’laid back I’m on acid’ kind of way. It also features over the top organ and spirals into a frenzy of backwards tape effects at it’s climax. A very cool song indeed.

The almost spoken lyrics are frankly incoherent mumblings and virtually impossible to decipher. But I think it’s about tripping on a grass verge and watching the world go by (something I enjoyed doing in my formative years in the 80s, ha,ha ha).

One of the few lines I can sort of make out is…

’I was gonna take a trip to flower heaven,
Now I’m gonna stay here till about seven.’

By the way The Sunday Funnies came from Altadena, CA and only released this one fabulous record. Flip the 45 over and you’ve got ’Whatcha Gonna Do (When The Dance Is Over) and the chance to listen to a brilliant up tempo mod swinger complete with background female vocals.
This song really moves.

Both songs were written by Chick Carlton.

The first time I heard ’A Pindaric Ode’ was on Pebbles Volume 7. It has since been compiled along with the flip on the CD East Side Sound Volume 1.

(16/05/07)

THE BUCANEER’S – ”You’re Never Gonna Love Me Anymore” / ”I’m A Fool” (Amigo RK-104) August 1966

Way back in the 80s I bought Pebbles Volume 9 and The Bucaneer’s song ’You’re Never Gonna Love Me Anymore’ really stood out for me on that comp. (Pebbles Volume 9 was a very strong release with some ultra cool cuts by the way – pity about the sound quality)

The Bucaneer’s were from Barrington, NJ and sadly only released this one 45. Both sides are classics but it’s the top side that wins out with it’s folk punk genius.

Dig that clattering tambourine and jangle guitar!! It also wins big style with the singer bragging about cheating on his girl twice before. Makes a change from all of those whiney losers who always seem to get dumped by the girl!.. ha ha ha, this one rocks.

The flip ’I’m A Fool’ is another great garage punker with a magical guitar break and I’m sure you’ll dig it if you’ve not heard it before. This time round the singer’s been dumped by the girl. Oh well, they always seem to win in the end. It has been compiled in the 80s on ’Return Of The Young Pennsylvanians’. I suspect that LP to be hard to track down now.

Song writing credits for both songs are R. Krause.

Thanks for the nice review. I’m Don, founder of The Bucaneer’s. We had a great run in the 60’s both before and after the record. Any questions may be directed to jdbevers@aol.com Thanks again.

(10/05/07)

THE DERBY HATVILLE – ’Turn Into Earth’ / ’You’ll Forget Me’ (Sea Ell 102) 1967

Here’s an interesting 45 from a band from Lubbock, Texas. They were discovered by C.L Milburn and he signed the band to his Sea Ell label out of Pasadena, Texas.

Other bands recording for Sea Ell included Knights Bridge, The Coachmen, Satyn’s Children and The Intruders.

Fortunately their recorded output including an unissued song was compiled on the Collectables CD from 1994 called ’History Of Texas Garage Vol 1.

Anyway, I digress. Back to this 45 under the spotlight. As you’re probably aware ’Turn Into Earth’ is a cover of The Yardbirds classic. Derby-Hatville deliver a very sombre version of the song with mournful vocals and it’s much more psychedelic than The Yardbirds cut.

I first heard this tune on Highs In The Mid Sixties Volume 12. When I started to collect garage 45s this one was high on my wants list because I loved it so much.

The flip ’You’ll Forget Me’ is classic garage band greatness with cool fuzztone guitar.

Song credits for ’You’ll Forget Me’ are Hicks-Boswell. Both sides of the record were produced by C. L Milburn.

(10/05/07)

KAK – Everything’s Changing (mono) / Everything’s Changing (stereo) (Epic 10383) 1968

Thankfully Kak have been well cared for by the re-issue market and their excellent album was compiled onto CD by Big Beat in 1999 titled Kak-Ola. The cool thing about this release was that not only did they re-issue the 1969 LP, but 45s and previously unreleased demos and live tracks. Well worth your investigation if you don’t already own the CD.

Kak hailed from Davis in California. The line up was Dehner Patten (lead guitar/vocals), Gary Yoder (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Joseph Damrell (bass) and Christopher Lockheed (drums). Yoder of course previously led The Oxford Circle whose punk 45 from 1966 ’Foolish Woman’ / ’Mind Destruction’ (World United 1002) is more than worth your interest.

The interesting thing about this Kak 45 under the Expo spotlight is that the shortened version of ’Everything’s Changing’ is in mono and was not present on the Big Beat round up and is technically uncompiled and unavailable elsewhere.

Coming in at 2 minutes 40 seconds it’s a much stronger version, typically louder and much more punchy as with most mono 45s. It more or less fades out at the end before the guitar soloing of the LP version (which is on the flip). I much prefer this ’radio friendly’ non hit record. I’d be surprised if it ever got past the promo stage.

(25/04/07)

Stone Country – ’Time Isn’t There (Anymore)’ /’Life Stands Daring Me’ (RCA Victor 47-9301) 1967

Excellent late 60s group of country rockers from California. Not sure what part of California exactly but their recordings were made in Hollywood.

Stone Country consisted of Dann Barry (bass), Steve Young (lead guitar), Don Beck (12 string guitar and banjo), Dennis Conway (drums), Richard Lockmiller (rhythm guitar) and Doug Brooks (also rhythm guitar).

Steve Young would go on to become a country rock star when Stone Country disbanded and Don Beck would later work with Dillard and Clark.

This was their first 45 for RCA Victor. They would release three more, as well as an awesome album in 1968. Well I think it’s an amazing album, very hard to categorise but I’ll have a go and say it’s psychedelic country (whatever that means) but you can get the picture.

Basically if you dig late period Byrds and in particular their Notorious Byrd Brothers phaze, you’ll dig not only the album but you’ll want to own their 45s as well.

The plug side of this 45 was the Dann Barry and Doug Brooks song ’Time Isn’t There (Anymore)’. It’s a beautiful country tinged psych tune full of harmonies and a wall of guitar sound. Pretty damned cool bass runs as well.

This song was recently compiled on ’turned-on’ CD Soft Sounds For Gentle People Volume 2.

The uncompiled ’Life Stands Daring Me’ again treads a country psych path and is just as good as the top side.

Notable for the closing raga guitar sound. This song was written by Don Beck.

It’s also worth mentioning that Stone Country were slated to do recordings and possibly appear in some scenes in the late 60s LSD comedy caper Skidoo starring Mickey Rooney and Groucho Marx.

Unfortunately this never materialized and all of the songs for the film were Harry Nilsson’s.

Hi…nice blurb about Stone Country there. I wonder if they were slated to make a 2nd album; I do know that a promo 45 exists in which the songs are ”Wheel’s On Fire” and ”Million Dollar Bash”, both of which were not on their first LP. I do really like their first LP although I could do without the syrupy-sweet ”Angelina”, but at least that cut’s at the end of the record.

(17/04/07)

AMERICAN ZOO – ‘Mr. Brotherhood’ / ‘Magdalena’ (Reena Records 1026) 1968

Another very cool double sided psych 45. American Zoo were a group of hip teenagers who recorded for Hollywood based label Reena. This picture of the band shows them looking extremely young and I suspect they never even went anywhere near an LSD tab. That being said, they made an exciting couple of psychedelic 45s.

’Mr Brotherhood’ written by Bill Hawkins was probably the top side, although both songs are strong. Can’t decide which I prefer, so I won’t!

This version appeared on Psychedelic Unknowns Volume 11 however, a longer cut was compiled on High All The Time Volume 2 (never heard this version so I’ll have to try and locate that comp).

’Magdalena’ has four name credits on the label, J. Martz, B. Bottrell, B. Hawkins and D. Daniell. This song appears to be non comp which is strange because it really is a fast paced psycher with cool instrumentation. In fact, the band are very competent musicians for youngsters.

(14/04/07)

HAMILTON STREETCAR – ”Confusion” / ”Your Own Come Down” (LHI 45-1206) Feb 1968

Second and last Hamilton Streetcar45 on the LHI label. After this record they signed for Dot Records and released a further three 45s and a neglected but interesting album.

’Confusion’ reminds me of early Cream records from 1966 (when they were still good). It’s fast tempo with excellent instrumentation and very well produced but still has a ’loose’ feel. A cool psychedelic rock record.

’I’ve heard you talk and I know you’re confused. You’re just hung up by the words that you use.’

’Your Own Come Down’ written by Ralph Plummer is a slower paced song with organ throughout. It’s a strange amalgam of styles. It has a strong Doors influence with a Spencer Davis Group ’Gimme Some Lovin’ organ rip. I dig this song very much indeed. Both songs appear to be uncompiled.

Hamilton Streetcar supported The Doors at the Phoenix Memorial Coliseum on 17th February 1968. Sunshine Company were also on the same bill.

Gig photos of Hamilton Streetcar from the Doug Hartley archive.
http://photoflashbacks.com/

Jay & MIchael & Ralph wrote ”Confusion” to be a ”B” side, as I recall for the flip side of ”Your Own Come Down” and yes it was ”inspired” by a recent Cream LP and does have that ”feel.” ,”Come Down” does have several obvious influences as well, the most obvious in fact being Country Joe & Fish as well as Spencer Davis.

Producer Hazlewood admitted, ”I just don’t know what to do with these guys, they’re all over the musical map and I never know what they’ll come up with next!” ( I know this stuff ‘cuz I was there.)

(08/04/07)

HAMILTON STREETCAR – ”Invisible People” / ”Flash” (LHI Records 17016) August 1967

Here’s an obscure and sought after psychedelic 45. Hamilton Streetcar hailed from Los Angeles and recorded two 45s for Lee Hazlewood’s LHI Record label. He also produced this record and the follow up ’Confusion’ / ’Your Own Come Down’ (LHI 1206)

’Invisible People’ starts off with a menacing organ riff then the bass, guitar and drums come pounding in to add more coolness.

This song is without question their most garage punk moment but it’s also got that hint of psychedelia that makes it a very memorable performance. Ralph Plummer wrote ’Invisible People’ and for those of you who don’t have an original 45 check it out on Highs In The Mid Sixties Volume 3.

The song is probably about dropping acid. Check out these lyrics.

”They’re gonna get you baby, They’re gonna make you invisible too.
You’re gonna walk around in the dark
And people are gonna trip on your transparent body.
I wouldn’t worry too much though,
It’s fun to be invisible. I know I tried it.”

Plummer was also responsible for the top side ’Flash’ This song is a laid back psychedelic affair with sound affects, swirling organ and weird whispering vocals near the end. ’Flash’ was compiled on Psychedelic Unknowns Volume 11. 

Reader comments:
I was a one time road manager for the Hamilton Streetcar at a time when Forrest Hamilton (Jazz drummer great Chico hamilton’s son) was the manager and the gigs were UCLA frat parties, all night Hullabaloo gigs(on the revolving stage) and my last gig with them was the night they opened for Jim Morrison and the Doors at the Cheetah in ’68.

I had been a high school friend of their drummer(one of many) Danny Fanz. I’ve always wondered what ever happened to Danny.

Hey rocknrole drop me a line if you read this. jabohrer@gmail.com…J, bass, Streetcar.

(08/04/07)

THE PINK FLOYD – ‘See Emily Play’ / ‘Scarecrow’ (Columbia DB 8214) June 1967

Most people should be familiar with the Pink Floyd classic ’See Emily Play’. It is quite rightly regarded as a psychedelic masterpiece. Most, if not all of Syd Barrett’s songs during this time period were.

So, I’ll focus instead on the flip titled simply ’Scarecrow’ although the song appeared as ’The Scarecrow’ on the LP ’Piper At The Gates Of Dawn’.

This delightful song did not have the full scale production of ’See Emily Play’.

Instead this is a very delicate and gentle song. Some people label this type of psych as ’toytown’ I’m not sure about that. All I know for definite is ’Scarecrow’ has a very minimalistic backing and shows more of Syd Barrett’s eccentric genius.

The song has a beautiful melody and the atmospherics are generated as much by the vocal delivery as the percussion and the mainly mellotron sounds.

After the last verse, so typical of Pink Floyd, a heavier feel ends the song with Waters’ bass guitar taking a moodier and menacing tone. Indeed one of the true great late 60s psychedelic 45s was released on Columbia DB 8214 and thankfully I own a copy.

(01/04/07)

Loos Foos And The Fiberglass Cornflake – ‘I Think I’ve Got You’ / ‘Bless Me Father’ (Ace Record Co ARS-135) Sept 1969

Here’s a weird 45! The top side ’I Think I’ve Got You’ and the one the band or record company thought would sound better on the radio is a pleasant enough pop song.

It has a ’soulful’ feel and above average vocals. It’s even an OK song but it doesn’t really do much for me. Maybe because of the ’soul’ vibe and soul just ain’t my cup of tea maan.

The flip however is more my scene. ’Bless Me Father’ is a cool psychedelic song with haunting organ, distorted guitar and wah wah…..it’s also blessed with some fuzz. This song has turned up on the CD only ’A Fistful Of Fuzz’ compilation in the late 90s.

Both songs were written by R. Sousa. I don’t know anything about the band apart from the rumour that they hailed from Rhode Island in New England, so any information will be appreciated.

’Bless me father for I have sinned.
And these are my sins.’

(01/04/07)

RANDY and the RADIANTS – ‘Peek-A-Boo’ / ‘Mountain’s High’ (Sun 395) 1965

Most garage freaks know the killer track ’My Way Of Thinking’ from this Memphis band that was released on Sun 398. It’s been comped a few times, firstly on Boulders Volume 9 and then the 2CD set Ya Gotta Have Moxie Volume 2.

However, the first 45 by Randy and the Radiants is a little known gem. ’Mountain’s High’ written by Dick St John is a primitive beat style number reminiscent of the early Kinks.

’Peek-A-Boo’ written by Bob Simon is my favourite cut out of the two tracks on offer. It moves along nicely and would have so much better with a devastating guitar break.

My advice would be to buy this record if you see it for sale, you won’t be disappointed.

(20/03/07)

The BAN – ‘Bye Bye’ / ‘Now That I’m Hoping’ (Brent 7049) 1966

This band started life in Lompoc, California and released a 45 as The Ban on Brent. They were comprised of: 
Tony McGuire (guitar,vocals), Oliver McKinney (keyboards), Frank Straight (bass) and Randy Gordon (drums)

’Bye Bye’ written by Tony McGuire is a great teen punker with eerie organ and tambourine frills and an amateurish guitar break.

Hear it on Garage Beat Volume 1.

The flip ’Now That I’m Hoping’ is a pleasant slow paced pop song, similar to The Zombies sound (at least to my ears) and remains uncompiled.

Tony McGuire left the band soon after to be replaced by David Zandonatti. They relocated to Los Angeles and changed their name from The Ban to The Now and signed for Embassy Records.

The NOW – ‘I Want’ / ‘Like A Flying Bird’ (Embassy C-1963) 1967

’I Want’ credited to all four members of the Now is a fabulous punk swinger with go go organ. Whenever I think of the 66/67 LA sound I hear this kind of groovy music in my head. I’m not sure if it’s ever been compiled.

’Like A Flying Bird’ is also a good song. It’s got a lovely melody and has far more in common with the baroque sounds of The Left Banke.

Just a great 60s pop record as far as I’m concerned.

After this one 45 for Embassy they left LA and travelled to San Francisco. There they changed their name once again, this time to Tripsichord Music Box. I’m sure more people have heard of this band as they released possibly the West Coast’s finest acid/psychedelic album of the late 60s. But don’t expect garage punk or baroque pop songs!

I rec’d this email from a contact who saw The Ban back in the 60s….

I heard The Ban twice when they performed at the Vandenberg Air Force Base Teen Center near Lompoc, California in late 1965 or early 1966. They were very impressive and in addition to ‘Now that I’m Hoping” and other material they covered almost all of the songs from Rubber Soul, which was quite a feat. 

Their single received some local airplay and I remember hearing it a couple of times on the school bus radio during early 1966 while completing my senior year at Lompoc High School. I always liked it, but that was the last I heard of The Ban and their song, although I remember seeing their bass player performing with another group, which may have been The Now – or Tripsichord – a year or two later at a dance in L.A.

I remember the Ban. I was at Vandenberg AFB and went to LOMPOC HS and Cabrillo HS. I remember the bass player, Frank Straight. It was a long time ago, but I recall they had a great sound.

(18/03/07)

THE OTHER SIDE – ’Walking Down The Road’ / ’Streetcar’ (Brent 7061) December 1966

Inextricably linked with The Chocolate Watchband — by virtue of a dizzying personnel swap in November 1965 — The Other Side are today far less known than their sister group, but were no less talented. the Other Side evolved from The Topsiders, a surf combo formed at Fremont, CA’s Washington High School in 1964.

The quartet included Jim Sawyers (lead guitar), Ken ”Toad” Matthew (drums, vocals), Tom Antone (bass), and David Tolby (born David Phelps; second lead guitar).

This line-up’s high-water mark was a mid-1965 appearance at a KLIV Battle of the Bands at San Jose’s Civic Auditorium. Joined briefly by rhythm guitarist Skip Spence, the Topsiders — upon Spence’s departure — adopted a new name.

Spence, drafted to drum for The Jefferson Airplane, gave Sawyers and company the alternate moniker that the Airplane had rejected.

Thus was the Other Side born, and the band began a whirlwind series of personnel shifts. Citing personal differences with Tolby, Sawyers — after a final show at the Oakland Civic Auditorium — accepted The Vejtables’ offer to replace Reese Sheets. Enter Edward Johnston ”Ned” Torney III, lead guitar of the Chocolate Watchband. Torney, whose keyboard and string-bending skills had been honed through an impressive succession of apprenticeships — including stints with future Remains member Barry Tashian and East Coast surf instrumentalists The Roadrunners — had already been asked to join The Other Side at an earlier November gig where both bands had played.

Torney decided to jump ship and take Sawyers’ place. His defection temporarily slew the Watchband, whose phoenix soon rose again from the ashes with Tolby (now calling himself Sean) in tow.

Meanwhile, original Watchbanders Jo Kemling (keyboards) and Danny Phay (vocals) followed Torney and joined the remaining two Other Siders: Matthew and Antone.

The new Other Side, runners-up at a KEWB-sponsored Battle of the Bands at the Oakland Civic Auditorium in late November 1965, gained the endorsement of radio DJ Johnny G, and the band began drawing huge crowds.

Stylistically, they emulated the British Invasion groups the Rolling Stones, Beatles, Animals, Yardbirds, and perhaps most notably, the Who.

From January to May 1966, however, Torney — drafted and stationed at Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco — was merely a weekend participant.

To help fill his shoes, Martin Van Slyke Battey (harmonica, guitar, vocals) came aboard. At this juncture, The Other Side shared billing with the pre-Creedence Golliwogs at the Brass Rail. Torney’s return in May 1966 made the quintet top-heavy and rendered Kemling superfluous.

His departure was soon followed by that of guitarist Alan Graham — pilfered from The Lord Jim Quintet — was recruited to assist on vocals. It was this line-up of The Other Side that cut the group’s sole recording, the single ”Walking Down the Road” b/w ”Streetcar”. ”Road,” a turbo-charged remake of an old Kingston Trio tune, features a jangly, dissonant bridge — conjuring images of a Keystone Kops paddywagon on acid.

”Streetcar,” a Who-inspired Battey/Graham original, had an intriguingly psilocybic middle eight as well, and compared favourably with Townshend’s best efforts on the My Generation LP. The session was engineered by Bones Howe at Hollywood’s Sunset Recorders.

A third Other Side original, believed lost, was also cut. ”Road” and ”Streetcar” subsequently appeared on the various artists’ compilation A Pot of Flowers (Mainstream S-6100; 1967 — reissued in the 1980s as part of Mindrocker, Vol. 10) and Sound of the Sixties: San Francisco, Pt. 2. Separately, ”Streetcar” showed up on Boulders, Vol. 2 and ”Road” on The ’60s Choice, Vol. 2.

With the arrival of Antone’s draft notice — and Battey’s departure — the Other Side took in bassist Wayne Paulsen and rechristened themselves Bogus Thunder.

The tumultuous saga of the Other Side is chronicled in Alec Palao and Judd Cost’s Cream Puff War magazine (number two, February 1993; Santa Clara, CA). ~ Stansted Montfichet, All Music Guide

(29/11/07)

The ARIEL – ’It Feels Like I’m Crying’ / ’I Love You’ (Brent 7060) 1966

I wonder why this 45 has never been commercially compiled before? ’It Feels Like I’m Crying’ is heavy on the reverb throughout. It also has folk rockin’ clattering tambourine but it ain’t no folk rock tune. This is a well produced 60s rocker. Maybe the punky guitar break hints at their past.

According to the liners of Back From The Grave – Part 1 CD, they changed their name to The Ariel from The Banshees. And The Banshees greatest no hit record was the 60s punker ’They Prefer Blondes’. The latter song was written by Jack Walters and he also wrote both songs on the Brent release.

’I Love You’ is a slow paced wimpy ballad. It’s nicely sung and arranged but it’s just too sappy for my tastes. I bet all of the chicks loved this side though. It was probably the A-side, it certainly sounds commercial enough to be an attempt on the local charts.

I’m guessing that The Ariel were still based in the South Bay area of San Francisco when this record was released.

The COLLECTORS – ’Make It Easy’ / ’Fat Bird’ (Warner Bros Records 7159) 1968

This blog entry completes the trilogy of Canadian psych bands with their record released on an orange label.

This time around it’s The Collectors from Vancouver with their third single but debut on Warner Bros, having released the previous two on New Syndrome in 1967.

’Make It Easy’ is a fast paced psychedelic rocker with killer guitar leads. This one has always been a big favourite of mine ever since I heard it in the mid 80s on the Edsel sampler ’Seventeenth Summer’.

The top side ’Fat Bird’ is a lot less frenetic but even less commercial. So I’m surprised it reached as high as number 99 in the Canadian charts. ’Fat Bird’ reminds me of US band The Charlatans with it’s West Coast vibes.

Curiously this 45 got released in Lebanon and it’s this label scan that is presented  here. Both sides were produced by Electric Prunes svengali Dave Hassinger.

(09/11/07)

THE CARNIVAL – ’Four Seasons’ / ’Out Of My Life’ (Columbia C4-2789) 1968

The Carnival from Kitchener, Ontario released three 45s in 1968 and all are worthy of investigation. The top side ’Four Seasons’ has been compiled on Fading Yellow Volume 6. This song is a pure Association rip with sunshine pop harmonies underpinned by a barely audible farfisa organ.

I wish this could have been louder in the mix. But the melody wins through. You can even forgive the corny flower power lyrics such as:

’All the flowers blooming,
It’s nice to be a human’.

later followed by:

’All the flowers dying,
Makes you feel like crying’.

Come to think of it I can’t forgive those lyrics….ha ha ha

The flip ’Out Of My Life’ is better. It’s classy bubblegum pop psych kinda similar to those fantastic Five Americans B-sides. I particularly dig the drum patterns, funky organ and summery ba ba bahh harmonies. This song is a winner.

The flip of their last 45 ’I’m Going Home Tomorrow’ was compiled on Fading Yellow Volume 3.

line-up:
Tim Hallman (piano)
Don Pellow (organ)
Bill Wells (bass)
Bob Brownscombe (guitar/vocals)
Mike Eberle (drums)

discography:
Doot Doot Doo Do / Dark Star (Columbia C4-2782) 1968
Four Seasons / Out Of My Life (Columbia C4-2789) 1968
I’m Going Home Tomorrow / Hi Ho Silver Lining (Columbia C4-2816) 1968

(05/11/07)

Michael Woodhead:
I knew Bob Brownscombe for several years before he died of a heart attack back in 1997. I have a copy of their album that was never released — Keil Heil Kelly. Some good stuff on it.

FIVE SHY – ’Freeloader’ / ’The Windmill’ (Columbia C4-2798) March 1968

Obscure Toronto band Five Shy secured a two single record deal with Columbia Records after winning the 1968 CNE Battle Of The Bands contest.

’Freeloader’ was primed as their breakthrough 45 in March 1968 but it appears to have sank without trace. It’s a shame because this song is a pleasant flower power mover, so typical of the late ’67 early ’68 pop psych sound.

’The Windmill’ is superior. This one is a mellow baroque slice of psychedelia with strings (I detected a harp) and cool trippy harmonies. Both sides could have been so much better without the ’muddy’ production.

The flip of Five Shy’s final 45 ’Try To Be Happy’ was the opener on Fading Yellow Volume 6.

(05/11/07)

The KINKS – Kinksize Session EP (Pye NEP 24200) 1964

Side 1
Louie Louie (R.Berry)
I Gotta Go Now (Davies)

Side 2
I’ve Got That Feeling (Davies)
Things Are Getting Better (Davies)

Here is the very first EP by The Kinks and this 1964 beat artefact is getting a hard one to locate in decent shape. None of the songs featured were part of the amazing debut LP released a few months earlier.

All cuts produced by the impressive Shel Talmy in glorious mono. The music just kinda bursts out of the speakers in rebellious glory. Seek it out….

(03/11/070

As Halloween is upon us once again here’s some aural garage action of my favourite 60s punk ’horror’ tune. This is what the liners of ’Back From the Grave’ – Volume 1 said about the song…

A truly cryptic song about an evil soul who cuts in on a teen couple’s fun at the local lovers lane. these Fort Worth legends started off their recording careers in ’63 but did not cut anything until ’65, when they cut ’Night Of The Sadist’. This was to be revealed on TIRIS, but their producer freaked out and had them overdub ’Phantom’, cuz ’Sadist’ seemed a little too touchy for squares.

(30/10/07)

THE TROGGS – ’With A Girl Like You’ / ’I Want You’ (Fontana 278 128 YF) July 1966

This 45 was the follow up to ’Wild Thing’ that was a worldwide hit. So it can be safely assumed that our heroes were at the height of their fame. So it’s always puzzled me why the hell they chose to have a photo shoot wearing their ’Christmas’ jumpers?!?

That gear just ain’t rock and roll….ha ha ha….Oh well, just as well that the Troggs out punked anyone on the planet back in ’66.

’With A Girl Like You’ written by Presley went to Number 1 in England and probably sold more copies on the strength of the previous hit.

It’s got the trademark Reg Presley half sung half spoken vocals with a simple yet effective melody. Sounds to me like they were just after a solid commercial follow up to ’Wild Thing’. Fortunately it worked, although I much prefer the punky flip.

’I Want You’ starts with a menacing plodding beat with Reg saying he ’Wants You’ and ’Needs You’. This guy really needs some girl action judging by the primitive sounds from his vocal chords.

How could any girl resist Reg Presley in this mood? And colouring the plodding primal beat are some killer guitar breaks. This is such a cool punker. Made sense that their US counterparts MC5 covered it.

(29/10/07)

LARRY and the PAPER PROPHETS – ’Can’t Sit Around’ / ’The Only Thing’ (Epic 5-10186) 1967

This 45 has been one of my favourite garage rockers for years but who were Larry and the Paper Prophets?

Were they a real band or a bunch of studio musicians crankin’ out a couple of tunes with some free studio time? If you know the details let me know…thanks

’Can’t Sit Around’ is a fast paced mover with fuzzy punk leads. This song was co written by Al Lawrence who was the singer with Teddy and the Pandas. He also produced both sides of the disc.

’Well I can’t sit around all day and wait for you,
There’s too many livin’ things I gotta do.
Now I want you to come along, you know it’s true.
But I can’t sit around all day and wait for you.

The flip ’The Only Thing’ is a little more subdued and folk rockish. This song was written by M.Barton.

I’m wondering if the Hugh McCracken who arranged both songs was the same guy who was the in demand New York session guitarist who later worked with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon and Steely Dan (among many others)?

’Can’t Sit Around’ was compiled on Glimpses Volume 3. If you don’t have that check both sides of the 45 out on Cavestones Volume 2.

(07/10/07)

GEOFFREY STEVENS – ’Grape Jelly Love’ / ’Do That Again’ (York Records 407) July 1967

When I bought this 45 I was expecting bubblegum. With a title like ’Grape Jelly Love’ that was a safe bet right? WRONG!
Geoffrey Stevens offers up two self penned pop psych classics.
’Grape Jelly Love’ has since turned up on Fading Yellow Volume 6.

I’ve checked their liners and Geoffrey Stevens is a complete mystery.

A search on the cool Searchin’ For Shakes database suggested a UK origin. I reckon this is completely wrong, but I’m open for jelly love, advice and information. Also when was the record released?

’Grape Jelly Love’ sounds like Paul Parrish songs from his ’The Forest Of My Mind’ LP on Music Factory. It’s a pop psych delight with trippy whispered vocals near the end. I really dig this tune. Very catchy and memorable.

The other side ’Do That Again’ is also very good with a similar sound and pop psych reverie. Delightful arrangement from Harold Battiste who had also worked with Cher. This track remains uncompiled.

The Geoffrey Stevens who wrote and sang these songs was my late brother. He wrote many songs dating back to the 1960’s. Bobby Darin and Noel Harrison cut records with some of my brother’s songs.

(06/10/07)

GARY WALKER and the RAIN – ’Spooky’ / ’I Can’t Stand To Lose You’ (Polydor 56267) January 1968

Californian, Gary Leeds was an early member of The Standells but left in 1963 before their debut LP for Liberty. He then teamed up with John Maus and Scott Engel who were gigging as a duo called The Walker Brothers.

Fame and fortune followed of course before Gary Leeds formed his own band in the Autumn of 1967 called Gary Walker and the Rain.

A cover version of The Classics IV song ’Spooky’ was their first 45. This was released in England in January 1968 but never did much chart action. However in Japan it was a different story. Gary Walker and the Rain were huge!!!

’Spooky’ is a very laid back tune with throbbing bass runs and soul mod vocals. It would have been better had it not been for those occasional weird sound effects. Don’t dig those at all. But I do dig the meandering lead guitar flourishes.

’I Can’t Stand To Lose You’ written by Gary Walker and Paul Crane is a mod rocker with soulful vocals sounding similar in sound and song structure to mod combos like The Smoke or The Action.
Both songs on this 45 were produced by Scott Walker.

line-up:
Paul Crane (rhythm guitar and lead vocals)
John Lawson (bass)
Joey Molland (lead guitar)
Gary Leeds (drums)

(01/10/07)

THE HERD – ”From The Underworld” / ”Sweet William” (Fontana TF 856) August 1967

This picture of The Herd was on the cover page of English weekly ’Disc and Music Echo.’ This copy dates from October 28, 1967.

The ’write up’ states that The Herd, whose ’From The Underworld’ went up to 7 this week, start a concert tour on Saturday with The Who, The Tremeloes and Traffic. Pictured here from the left: Gary Taylor, Andy Brown, Andrew Steele and (centre) Peter Frampton.

Organist Andy Brown said ’I can’t tell you the actual numbers we’ll be playing but we are definitely going for audience participation which we consider is very important. We want to give the audiences their money’s worth which we don’t think they’ve been getting of late – and on tour we think it’s essential to be visually entertaining as well as musically and vocally entertaining.

We’ve been working on a devastating 20 minute stage act we hope will show off just about everything we can do.’

It seems an age since I posted a record so today’s choice is The Herd with ”From The Underworld” released August 1967. Here’s what group member Andy Bown said about the number in RAVE magazine, September 1967.

”This song’s idea came from the Greek myth Orpheus. Structurally the song is multi-layered over a plainsong chant. It’s an extraordinary idea and a highly unusual disc, but we think it comes off and I hope it makes it.”

(13/09/07)

RANDY FULLER – ’1,000 Miles Into Space’ (Show Town 482) 1967

It’s interesting to see how folks perceived outer space back in 1967, before we had yet to even walk on the moon. Randy Fuller proudly proclaims to be “1,000 Miles Into Space” on this 1967 single – sadly, what probably seemed like a trans-galactic expedition to Randy barely puts him out of Earth’s atmosphere, and still a healthy 238,000 miles away from our Moon.

That’s not to take anything away from him – he probably just wants to take advantage of the popularity of “Star Trek”, which began one year earlier, and even if his figures don’t add up, he still creates a wondrously trippy little popsike masterpiece here. Sounds to me like he’s even invaded some of Gene Roddenberry’s sound effects vaults, because “1,000 Miles Into Space” opens with some wonderful 60’s space sound effects, before launching into the main riff with some cool tremolo wah wah guitar.

Randy even sings like he might be floating somewhere in space – and by that, he assumes there’ll be some lounge bars in Skylab, where his groovy mellow dinner club vocals bring to mind the soft pop psych stylings of Strawberry Alarm Clock or a really stoned Fever Tree ballad.

Lest you forget that he’s a full “1,000 miles into space” at any point during the song (and really, how could you?), the outer space sound effects library kicks in at the end of each verse, along with the trippy Syd Barrett wah wah licks. There’ s also some fuzz guitar too – wicked Byrds-inspired electric fuzz distortion – and the general vibe you get from this little gem is that, if Curt Boettcher had one of his late 60’s bands cover the Byrds’ “CTA-102”, it might’ve sounded a lot like this.

As it turns out, Randy’s impetus is simple. It’s love that’s sending him “1,000 miles into space.” Which, as an alternate to RP-1 kerosene, liquid oxygen and hydrazine, is a far, far less efficient rocket fuel. Next time, Randy, just go to Paris.

(05/09/07)

PAUL PARRISH – ’The Forest Of My Mind’ (Music Factory MFS-12,001) 1968

I’ve been pulling out some vinyl LPs from the EXPO67 archives at the weekend and this one from the porno ’tashed Paul Parrish got tons of plays. In fact I decided to master it to CDR in stereo. Bit of a challenge because I normally just master mono 45s.

If you dig Donovan you’ll need to get yourself a copy of this album. Don’t let the facial hair put you off. Just dig the music maan, it’s cool as fuck!

This guy has a soft mellow vocal and the songs are mini psych pop masterpieces with psychedelic orchestration, phazing and sound effects.

The song titles put you in the picture of what Paul Parrish is all about. My guess is that he’s a hippie nature boy.

Take your pick from ’English Sparrows’, ’Walking In The Forest (Of My Mind), ’The White Birds’, ’Flowers In The Park’ and a silky version of The Beatles ’You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.’ There’s even a funky cover of the soul standard ’I Can’t Help Myself’.

I don’t think Mr Parrish was a tripper in ’69, more of a spliff merchant….

Update: 12/11/13

According to an on-line source (MGM Studio archives) both sides of the single ’Walking In The Forest (Of My Mind)’/’The White Birds (Return To Warm Seas)’ (taken from the album) were recorded at MGM Studios, NYC on 13th March 1968.

album produced by Clay McMurray for Sussex Productions Inc.

Arrangements by Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey.
Recorded at Tera Shirma Studios, Detroit, Michigan.

Producer/engineer Clay McMurray is best known for Spyder Turner’s version of Ben E. King’s ”Stand By Me,” a Top 20 pop hit that peaked at number 12 on February 11, 1967.

McMurray is also known for co-writing (with Gloria Jones and Pam Sawyer) the classic ballad ”If I Were Your Woman.” McMurray produced the first hit version for Gladys Knight and the Pips when they were signed to Motown’s subsidiary Soul label.

The single went to number one R&B on January 23, 1971, and Top Ten pop in February 1971, going gold.

An album, If I Were Your Woman, was released April 1971 and included the excellent ballad ”I Don’t Want to Do Wrong” (Top Ten R&B) and covers of Sly and the Family Stone’s ”Everybody’s a Star” and Joe Cocker’s ”Feelin’ Alright.”  (AllMusic)

(03/09/07)

THE TWILIGHTS – ’Time And Motion Study Man’ (EMI 1 sided test pressing) 1967

Australian band The Twilights are a band I discovered in the late 80s when Raven Records put out a collection of their singles and better album cuts. I was knocked out by the great pop music on offer and don’t know why I’ve not really focused my attention on collecting their 45s.

The above test pressing of ’Time And Motion Study Man’ is the only one I’ve got so far. It’s a flower pop sitar killer with background psychy harmonies.

It all sound very English and probably was written during or straight after their return to Australia following a month long stay in England soaking up all of the influences.

They had a week long stint of gigs at The Cavern Club, Liverpool during this time and also listened in on The Beatles recording ’Strawberry Fields’ at Abbey Road, London.

(10/08/07)

FANTASTIC DEE-JAYS – ’Get Away Girl’ / ’Fight Fire’ (Tri Power TRB-421) 1966

The Fantastic Dee-Jays have been well documented over the years so I’ll keep it brief. Also this rare 45 has been re-issued on Get Hip in 1995. But there’s nothing like hearing the original mono 45, right?

The Fantastic Dee-Jays came from McKeesport, Pennsylvania and later became The Swamp Rats. The members on this Tri Power 45 were Bob Hocko (drums), Denny Nicholson (bass, vocals) and Dick Newton (guitar, vocals) all three would play in The Swamp Rats.

’Fight Fire’ is a cool folk punker with 12 string guitar buried in the mix over a pounding drum beat and tortured vocals.

The first time I heard this song was the cover by The Chesterfield Kings on their 1985 album ’Stop!’ That’s a really great cover as well folks.

The original ’Fight Fire’ was written by John Fogerty and Tom Fogerty when they were in The Golliwogs, and came out on Scorpio 405 in 1966. The Golliwogs would rename themselves Creedence Clearwater Revival of course.

Band original ’Get Away Girl’ is a fantastic 60s punk tune with selfish male to female put down lyrics. Just when you think it can’t get any better you’re ’punished’ by an outrageous 12 string guitar break.

”Get away girl, I don’t want you any more,
And now it’s my turn to watch you cry,
And now it’s my turn to watch you die,
And now it’s my turn to see you fade away.”

(10/08/07)

TRUTH – ’Chimes On 42nd Street’ / ’When Was Then’ (Mark Ltd MR 1009) 1968

The Kenny and the Kasuals story is well documented elsewhere, suffice to say that they were one of the top live attractions in the Dallas Fort Worth area with plenty of local hit singles and a pretty good LP called ’Impact’.

The band headed to New York in the summer of 1967 to play gigs and rustle up label interest but sadly the gigs were marred by arguments and a lack of label interest.

They returned to Dallas and singer Kenny Daniels was either sacked by the rest of the band or he quit or he was drafted depending on who was recounting the story.

The rest of the Kasuals with the addition of Dale Bramhall renamed themselves Truth and released this hard to find 45 on Mark Lee’s record label.

’Chimes On 42nd Street’ is psychy with freaky guitar sounds and a constant pumping bass line which is high in the mix.

I prefer the other side ’When Was Then’. This song is a slow paced, melodic psychedelic folk rocker. All the essentials are present such as tambourine, harmonica, tabla and classy acoustic guitar.
Both songs were written by lead guitarist Jerry Smith.

(10/08/07)

The Chocolate Tunnel – ’Ostrich People’ / ’The Highly Successful Young Rupert White’ (Era 3185) 1967

Era Records are mostly known for releasing soul 45s but they also issued records by garage punk kings The Lyrics, The No-Na-Mees and Ty Wagner. Era records also dipped their toe into the blossoming psychedelic scene and fortunately for us released this cool two sider by the strangely named Chocolate Tunnel.

Google ’chocolate tunnel’ and you’ll get hundreds of chocolate cake recipes that will have Willy Wonka slurping like there’s no tomorrow. But I did manage to find out some relevant information about the band.

According to Gerry Blake from The Avengers who knew Kenny Johnson and Jerry Ritchey, The Chocolate Tunnel hailed from Bakersfield, California and not Los Angeles as stated in Fuzz Acid and Flowers.

They only managed this one 45 on Era. Both songs also had a release on the smaller label In-Sound. So I guess enough records were shifted for Era to get interested.

’Ostrich People’ is a bass heavy production with what sounds like backwards strings in the mix. I particularly dig the trippy vocals especially the whispered ’ostrich people’.

There is also some menacing fuzz guitar closing the song. I think the lyrics tell the tale of how people avoid confrontation and ’hide their heads in the sand’ in much the same way as Ostriches are prone to do… it has nothing to do with those weirdo tribes people from Zimbabwe who have two toes on each foot. Try buying cuban heel boots for those things.

’The Highly Successful Young Rupert White’ is musically very similar with the same heavy bass and fuzzy guitar. This tune however, has the added attraction of tambourine flourishes and an organ break. Again the vocals are trippy and in parts whispered.

Both songs were written by Kenny Johnson and Jerry Ritchie. Bob Hopps is credited for ’Rupert White’ only.

Both songs were arranged by Gary Paxton and produced by his Company the Bakersfield International Productions.

As a footnote I can tell you that Eternity’s Children covered ’The Highly Successful Young Rupert White’ but their version was called simply ’Rupert White’. Check it out on their 1968 Tower 45.

Canadian band The Privilege also released a song called ’Highly Successful Young Rupert White’ (Capitol 72530) in 1968. I’ve not heard this but assume it’s the same song. If anyone knows for sure please let me know.

(30/07/07)

The Jagged Edge – ’How She’s Hurtin Me’ / ’You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down’ (Gallant GT 3017) June 1966

The Off-Set – ’Xanthia (Lisa)’ / ’A Change Is Gonna Come’ (Jubilee 45-5542) 1967

Here are 4 excellent songs by a bunch of teens from Brooklyn, New York. The first record on Gallant sold quite well in New York. ’How She’s Hurtin Me’ is in my top ten folk rockers list.

Both sides were written by Drew Georgopulos. Credits on label read A. Georgeopulis. Is this a typo?

Fortunately no one cares because it’s a sparkling jangler with rattling tambourine and a teen punk guitar break that pretty much elevates the song into my top ten folk rock list.

I’m surprised that it’s only been compiled once before on From The New World back in the 8os. This was a vinyl only release. ’You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down’ is more garagey and far less tuneful but still good none the less.

The band changed their moniker to The Off-Set for their next release a year later on Jubilee. Another cool song, again written by Drew Georgopulos is ’Xanthia (Lisa)’ This one is a psychedelic effort with weird noises, jangly guitar, finger cymbals and plodding bass. Almost Byrdsian but on a much smaller budget of course.

The other side written by S. Cook is back to the jangle folk rocker mode with what sounds like an opening barrage of fuzz bass. All four songs were produced by Cis-Trans Production team.

Band members on these two 45s were:

Elliot Ingber (vocals)
Harley Wishner (bass)
Kenny Bennett (drums)
Art Steinman (lead guitar)
Drew Georgopulos (rhythm guitar)

(30/07/07)

The Grateful Dead – ‘Cream Puff War’ / ‘The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)’ (Warner Brothers 7016) 17th March 1967

This was the first Warner Bros single released by acid rock legends Grateful Dead. If you think the Dead were mostly boring 5 hour stoned guitar solos and tedious songs about nothing in particular, then you’d be almost right. They did have their moment of sheer brilliance and this 45 was it.

’Cream Puff War’ is almost garage punk. I say almost because it was produced by Dave Hassinger. He produced bands such as the Byrds, Love, Jefferson Airplane, Rolling Stones and Electric Prunes, so you ain’t gonna get garage from this guy.

He was too good a producer. However, if the Grateful Dead had a budget of $100 and 2 hours studio time and produced it themselves (like most teen punks) I reckon this single would have sounded a raw garage punker and would now be adulated by every garage nazi in the world.

Here’s some useless information about ’Cream Puff War’. This song has only ever been played in live performances 5 times. I got this statistic from some Dead Head site.

The flip ’The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)’ is more psychedelic and just as good. This 45 version is a different mix to that used for the album released a few months later.

Band members on this record were:

Jerry Garcia (guitar/vocals)
Bill Kreutzmann (drums)
Phil Lesh (bass)
Pigpen (keyboards/harmonica)
Bob Weir (guitar)

The Grateful Dead rule on this disc….

(26/07/07)

Occasionally some home made, no budget CDR compilations are as good as they get. Paul Martin is responsible for one of my favourite comp series called Pop Cycles. These are excellently mastered with top grade sound quality and come with well researched liners.

Paul is the person behind this comp called Sweetness & Light, Hot ’n’ Heavy. The concept behind this release is to start with the more AOR late 60s /70s releases. The kinda music that your parents probably dug and you hated. The set gradually gets more heavy and freaky and by the end your parents would hate it and you would be diggin’ it.

I would not have placed the ultra cool 1st Century in with the lite psych 45s. This one sticks out as being more of an underground psycher. I wished he would have added the flip ’Dancing Girl ’ as well. This has been compiled recently on Soft Sounds For Gentle People Volume 4.

Unfortunately their attempt at mastering the 45 for their CD release is well below average and still needs to be presented properly. (I’m pleased to say I’ve got a copy on route from USA to England as I write this)

On this CDR release the sound quality of all the tracks could have been tidied up a bit and the pops and clicks evident on some of the selections could easily have been removed with a little skill. (I was told this was a rush release) Fortunately the music is loud and proud and still blows away those Soft Sounds CDs.

Most of the Sweetness and Light half is pleasant enough music with the occasional fuzzy guitar and tambourine bashing. So my favourite cuts on the first half of the collection are 1st Century, Pastoral Symphony’s ’Love Machine’ (this one has got great ’skying’ and whispered vocals) and The Trixons ’Just Another Song’ (which is a bouncy song complete with sunshine pop ’La La La’s)

Things start getting more freaky and heavy by the mid point. Some of the cuts sound progressive especially Black Feather and Genesis. The Wildwoods ’I’m Dreaming’ is out of place as this song is a magical psychedelic song with lyrics such as

’Several flowers cover my towers by the hour’ and ’Now I know how I can get get high, smelling my flower’..

The Stony Brook People’s ’There’s Tomorrow’ is a fast paced mover with brass and psychy guitar meanderings.

There is also room for overlooked gems from Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape and the Bob Seger System. ‘Mustache In Your Face’ by Pretty will pretty much blow your mind with it’s heaviness if you’ve not heard it before.

A new discovery for me was The Flames ’Solitude’. This song is a six minute slow paced raga sitar fest ending with the line ’Close your eyes I want to sleep in your mind’….

Expect none of these bands to feature in the anticipated Teen Beat Mayhem.

(26/07/07)

CRIMSON TYDE – ’Fire’ / ’Neighborhood Girl’ (Kascade KK-101) 1969

This band appear to be undocumented. In all the years I’ve been buying original 60s records and receiving set sale lists from dealers I’ve never seen this one offered for sale.

So I assume copies are not exactly falling from the trees. Maybe it’s because the disc was released in 1969 that garage collectors the world over haven’t sought out this one?
Or maybe it’s because they cover Jimi Hendrix. Now that ain’t exactly a garage punk thing to do in some circles. I happen to love it of course!

’Neighborhood Girl’ was written by Ken Marvel who was only 16 years old at the time and played keyboards in Crimson Tyde.

The song sounds garagey and to me and could easily be mistaken for something recorded two or three years earlier. Some pleasing organ and a memorable touch of fuzz guitar elevate this one above the average.

The cover of ’Fire’ is brilliant. They sound like The Moving Sidewalks which of course is a cool thing. More fuzz guitar and psych leads. Nice organ touches also. This 45 is a winner.

The Crimson Tyde were probably from Beaumont, Texas.

(02/03/08)

THE MODELS – ’Bend Me, Shape Me’ / ’In A World Of Pretty Faces’ (MGM K13775) 1966

According to Fuzz, Acid & Flowers this version of ’Bend Me, Shape Me’ by The Models was the first and after it flopped The American Breed covered it and had a massive hit record.

Now that’s a cryin’ shame cos apparently The Models were in fact a group made up of Vogue models.

I would have preferred to see a bunch a pretty long legged cuties lip-synching to this song on You Tube than the totally squaresville American Breed.

Oh well, in my EXPO67 world I can dream about those swingin’ 60s chicks and what could have been.

This version of ’Bend Me, Shape Me’ has been psychedelicalized to the max. Producer Tom Wilson has set his controls to the heart of the sun and it’s a groovy freak-out.

The flip ’In A World Of Pretty Faces’ is a gentle psychedelic baroque ballad with harpsichord and strings ’n’ things.

Song writing partnership Scott English and Larry Weiss wrote ’Bend Me, Shape Me’ as well as other memorable songs such as ’Help Me Girl’ recorded by The Animals, ’Sweet Medusa’ by Bead Game, ’Hi-Ho Silver Lining’ by Jeff Beck and ’Pop Corn Double Feature’ by The Searchers.

(01/03/08)

RANDY S & The WESTWOOD PAPER – ’Haight Ashbury Blues’ / ‘Haight Ashbury Blues’ instrumental (American Gramophone Label 6-667) 1967

This 45 is of it’s time and as the title suggests is a hippie lament of how bad the once thriving Haight Ashbury became after all the pimps, losers and thugs moved in hoping to make money out of the San Francisco hippie scene.

The flip is an instrumental. I guess Randy Sparks didn’t have another song.

(01/03/08)

The CALIFORNIANS – ’Nausea Beast’ / ‘Glass Disguise’ (Crazy Horse 1318) 11/1969

Both sides are cool late 60s psychedelic guitar rock but the band remained a mystery until guitarist and composer of both songs on this 45 Richard Bastrup got in touch via a Yahoo psychedelic forum to fill in some details about The Californians.

They were formed by some former members of the Arnaheim based surf outfit The Avengers IV, who released the ’Real Cool Hits’ and ’Mrs Faruki’s Suzuki’ LPs in 1966 on the Mark 56 label.

When The Avengers IV split up in 1968 they reformed with some changes in personnel as The Californians.

As well as the Crazy Horse 45 they issued two further records on their own JR&J label in 1969.

’Stay’ / ’I Told You’
’Have You Ever Been Lonely’ / ’I Show To See’

The Californians also recorded material for an album but this remains unreleased. Here, they adopted the ’Big Band’ sound they believed would soon be back in vogue….it wasn’t!!!

Sometime in the early 70s they changed their name to The Good Guys and released a 45 in 1974 on Magnum West Records but split up shortly after.

(23/02/08)

SUMMER SNOW – ’Flying On The Ground’ / ‘Your Thoughts Have Wings’ (Capitol P 2031) 10/1967

Two sides of soft pop from a band calling themselves Summer Snow. ’Flying On The Ground’ is the Neil Young song that can be found on the Buffalo Springfield debut album but the song is titled ’Flying On The Ground Is Wrong’. I comped this tune on Gear! 4.

The flip ’Your Thoughts Have Wings’ has twee male/female vocals and is predominately acoustic guitar based. This song was written and produced by Rusty Evans and Dan Dalton.

Could this be the same Rusty Evans whose real name is Marcus Uzilevsky and was a one time New York folk singer from Greenwich Village? He changed his name to Rusty Evans and submerged himself in the flourishing psychedelic scene.

He led obscure psych band The Deep who released ’Psychedelic Moods’ in late 1966 then recorded as The Freak Scene of ’Psychedelic Psoul’ fame (or lack of)…

Rusty Evans then moved to L.A. and worked as a producer for the Take Six label and also had time to write ’I Dig Your Mind’ recorded by garage psych band The Nervous Breakdowns.

(23/02/08)

THE WHAT’S NEW – ’Early Morning Rain’ / ’Driving Wheels’ / ’Huckleberry Finn’ / ’The Last Thing On My Mind’ (Number One LOU 2013) 1966

The What’s New are relatively unknown in their homeland of USA and compilers have only recently unearthed their 45s but most of their cuts still remain uncompiled. They hailed from Orlando in Florida but had their records released only in France on the small Number One label after being offered a deal to record in Paris.

Their first four track EP release is very much standard folk rock fayre. All are cover versions and are polished efforts but none really stand out, a kind of ’play by numbers’ to my ears. Maybe they were playing safe for the French market.

THE WHAT’S NEW – ’Get Away’ / It’s Over Now’ / ‘Up So High’ / ’Daisy’ (Number One LOU 2014) 1967

The second and last EP is far superior in every way. Firstly all four cuts are original compositions written by Colin Scot and all are great except the throw away ’Daisy’.

’Get Away’ is a cool raga psych offering with what sounds like a sitar but in fact is probably a vox guitar making ’Eastern’ sonics. It’s also got some intriguing psychedelic lyrics in one of the verses:

’Like a tiny grain of sand
I go swimming through your hand.
Reaching out to hold the sky,
Birds with silver wings can fly’

’It’s Over Now’ is a wondrous slow paced Byrdsian slice of moodiness with trippy ringing guitar..

Maybe the best song The What’s New ever wrote is ’Up So High’ notable for a menacing fuzz intro and more raga psychedelia. It’s a killer song and highly regarded in garage circles.

I don’t have a clue what they were thinking about with ’Daisy’. It’s awful. Just like a very bad Hermans Hermits type ditty.

(22/03/08)

NOW – ’Having A Hard Time (Ain’t You Baby)’ / ‘Deja Vu’ (Cotillion 44005) 3/1968

Not to be confused with a band called Now who released ’I Want’ on Embassy Records. They went on to become Tripsichord Music Box.
This particular Now were probably a studio outfit.

’Having A Hard Time’ / ’Deja Vu’ 45 on (Cotillion 44005) was released in 1968 possibly as early as March. Both songs were written by Paul Selph and Tommy Rasico.

Paul Selph was a Memphis WMPS radio DJ.

Mr Flood’s Party released a song called ’Deja Vu’ also on Cotillion 44017. I’ve not heard this but it’s highly likely a cover version of Now’s original.

’Having A Hard Time’ was the plug side and is a laid back country folk tune not unlike the sound of Stone Country or even Crosby Stills and Nash.

(12/02/08)

THE BRIKS – ’Foolish Baby’ / ’Can You See Me’ (Dot 16878) April 1966

Here’s one of thee classics 45s of the mid 60s. It was originally released on the smaller label Bismark but was picked up by Dot for national distribution. Inexplicably, the record went nowhere other than healthy sales in and around Dallas.

Both sides are GREAT! ’Foolish Baby’ is a powerful garage rocker built around a Kinks like beat. The other side ’Can You See Me’ is a beautiful folk rock jangler.

Lead guitar player Richard Borgens later teamed up with The Truth

(11/02/08)

TRUTH – ’Chimes On 42nd Street’ / ’When Was Then’ (Mark Ltd MR 1009) 1968

The Kenny and the Kasuals story is well documented elsewhere, suffice to say that they were one of the top live attractions in the Dallas Fort Worth area with plenty of local hit singles and a pretty good LP called ’Impact’.

The band headed to New York in the summer of 1967 to play gigs and rustle up label interest but sadly the gigs were marred by arguments and a lack of label interest.

They returned to Dallas and singer Kenny Daniels was either sacked by the rest of the band or he quit or he was drafted depending on who was recounting the story.

The rest of the Kasuals with the addition of Dale Bramhall renamed themselves Truth and released this hard to find 45 on Mark Lee’s record label.

’Chimes On 42nd Street’ is psychy with freaky guitar sounds and a constant pumping bass line which is high in the mix. I prefer the other side ’When Was Then’. This song is a slow paced, melodic psychedelic folk rocker.

All the essentials are present such as tambourine, harmonica, tabla and classy acoustic guitar.

Both songs were written by lead guitarist Jerry Smith.

(10/02/08)

LES SUNLIGHTS – I Need You EP (Disques Vogue EPVB. 002) 1966

French band Les Sunlights appeared to have more success in Belgium. The EP pictured is the Belgium release. The French release is housed in a different cover. I prefer this moody shot of the band.

Les Sunlights were a typical Beat/RnB group and as with most bands of this ilk their repertoire was only half successful. The RnB numbers were pretty much solid efforts in the Kinks/Pretty Things sound but most of their beaty sides don’t warrant continued plays.

Best cut on the EP is a band original ’I Need You’ written by Bruno Cogoni.

(08/02/08)

BILLY JOE ROYAL – ’Hush’ / ‘Watching From The Bandstand’ (CBS 3044) 1967

Excellent cover of Joe South’s ’Hush’. In fact the latter produced this effort.

Billy Joe Royal hailed from Georgia in USA and had a few earlier hits, none of which I’ve ever heard. It appears that he also had some success and recognition in Europe, especially with the mods Northern Soul crowd.

I only bought this 45 cos I dig the desert boots Billy is wearing in this picture!

The flip ’Watching From The Bandstand’, again co written and produced by Joe South, is an uninteresting pop song with a soul vibe.

The 45 shown is the Dutch release.

(11/01/08)

JOHNNY HALLYDAY – A Tout Casser EP (Philips 437.428 BE) 1967

The title track from this 4 song EP sounds like a low budget ’Purple Haze’. It’s got the same guitar riff with added wah wah leads and of course Johnny Hallyday’s strong vocals. This is easily the stand out on this 1967 release and is from the French film soundtrack titled ’A Tout Casser’ (of course).

’Cheval D’Acier’ is also from the film soundtrack and kind of rips off The Beatles ’ Got To Get You Into My Life’. On both songs Hallyday was backed by English musicians Micky Jones and Tommy Brown.

These two Brits are perhaps better known as the due The State Of Micky and Tommy.
I really dig the pop psych of ’Quand L’aigle Est Blesse’.

Jim Sullivan gives the tune a baroque feel with the added strings and flute. The other cut on the EP ’Ma Vie A T’Aimer’ is a crooner style pop song and outside the bounds of all that is cool on my blog ’Renaissance Fair’. But no one can complain at getting three good songs from a 45.

Has anyone seen the film ’A Tout Casser?’

(07/01/08)

Los BRINCOS – ’Nadie Te Quiere Ya’ / ’You Know’ (Novola NOX-47) 1967

Spanish mods Los Brincos deliver two classy 60s pop tunes on this 1967 release. ’Nadie Te Quiere Ya’ sung in Spanish has a great production and the music leaps out of the grooves. The producer by the way was Larry Page who honed his skills on The Troggs.

’You Know’ is a mod swinger with fuzz. This time it’s sung in a kind of English.

Top marks also the graphics department for designing the cool sleeve.

(06/01/08)

The TROGGS – ’Feels Like A Woman’ / ’Everything’s Funny’ (Pye 4110) 1972

It’s 1972 and The Troggs have long since had their heyday and the hits have dried up. Now prog and glam rock is all around. Weird lookin’ blokes with long hair, beards, lipstick and glitter pasted on their faces wearing their girlfriend’s clothes is what’s happening!

So it’s with much relief that the Troggs still know how to rock like club wielding cavemen. ’Feels Like A Woman’ written by leader Reg Pressley is a long forgotten bone crunchin’, speaker shredding B-Side that will probably never feature on any Troggs ’Best Of’ collections. It’s just too damned tough and in your face.

Dig these lyrics:

I never thought you were groovy
I looked on you like a child.
I never dreamed you could move me,
Now you’re drivin’ me wild.

The top side ’Everything’s Funny’ sounds like what it is (ie) early 70s rock and roll with strings and things. Not my cuppa T but I’m sure others would be interested.
This is the French picture sleeve release on Pye.

(05/01/08)

MAQUINA! – ’Lands Of Perfection’ / ’Let’s Get Smash’ (Diablo D.B.1.S) 1969

Maquina! were a four piece band from the Catalan district of Northern Spain and this was their first 45. It’s got a big reputation on the European mod DJ scene, and quite rightly so. It’s also not an easy record to find in decent shape with the cover.

’Lands Of Perfection’ has a trippy hammond opening flourish in similar style to the groovier Brian Auger and The Trinity cuts. In fact, this is one of those great hammond organ dominated tracks. The singing is below average and is a bit wavery and high pitched.

Made sense that Maquina! would evolve into a prog/jazz outfit in the early 70s where those type of vocals would be better suited.

The song is a typical late 60s period piece that kinda ends with brass and a similar chord structure to ’Hey Jude’, everybody’s least favourite Beatles hit. But don’t let that put you off. This tune is a blast.

’Let’s Get Smash’ is the title on the label but I think the words have been incorrectly transposed in English by some Spanish bloke, probably more interested in fitting in a 3 hour afternoon siesta than getting a song title right.

So I reckon the proper title is ’Let’s Get Smashed’. Funnily enough there are few lines spoken in the song which is predominately an instrumental.

The following lyrics all indicate to a good old fashioned drinking session down the pub:

’What do you want fellas?’
’I’ll have a pint.’
’Get us a lime and bitter pet.’

All you need to know is the fact that ’Let’s Get Smashed’ is a fine up-tempo Small Faces type instro with snappy piano and a danceable mod beat, if dancin’ is your bag. Personally I think dancin’ is for women only. Men look like jerks doing it.

So, all in all, this 45 has two classy mod songs and a cool picture cover. I don’t mind spending ££££s on these type of artyfacts. By the way, both songs have never been compiled before which is a little strange!

(20/12/07)

Noel Deschamps – ’Ah, Si J’avais Pense’ EP (RCA Victor 86.162) 1966

French singer Noel Deschamps really delivers the goods with this ’66 EP of covers. The big action killer is of course ’Ah, Si J’avais Pense’.

In English, titled ’Would I Still Be Her Big Man’. For those in the know, you’ll be diggin’ The Brigands original version (check it out on Back From The Grave Volume 2)

The other decent cover is ’Curieux Docteur’. In English, titled ’I’m Your Witch Doctor’ Deschamps’ version isn’t in the same league as John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers, but it’s still a pretty good effort.

Top marks should also go to the designer of the EP sleeve. They just don’t make them as cool as this any more.

songs:
Ah, Si J’avais Pense
On Se Moque De Toi Laiise Dire
C’est Pas La Peine
Curieux Docteur

(19/12/07)

OLA & The JANGLERS – ’Surprise, Surprise’ / ’No No No’ (Funckler SO 42.813) 1966

Classy mod beat double sider from Swedish band Ola & The Janglers. Both sides rip with teen punk energy. They tackle The Rolling Stones’, ’Surprise, Surprise’ with gusto and I probably prefer the ’Janglers version. Fabulous hammond organ elevates this on a one way trip to coolsville.

And just when you think it can’t get any better just flip the record over any get groovin’ to Christer Idering’s ’No No No’. Wow! more fantastic organ solos with raw vocals and punky beat guitar. This one is a mod dancer for the ladies…..

Both songs feature on their ’66 LP. Grab that if you can.

The cover of the pictured 45 is the Dutch release. The Swedish and Italian covers are different.

band:
Ola Hakansson (vocals, tambourine, maraccas)
Johannes Ohlsson (organ, piano)
Christer Idering (guitar)
Ake Eldsater (bass)
Leif Johansson (drums)

(12/12/07)

LOS ALBAS – ’A Little Bit Hurt’ / ’Quien Sera’ (Vergara 45.300-A) 1968

Here’s another interesting 45 from Spain. I don’t know anything about them at all, so if you do remember to let me know.

It appears that ’Quien Sera’ was the top side. Written by P.Beltran Ruiz, it’s sounds like a straight forward pop song with a soul vibe.

Unfortunately, it lacks a hook or a guitar break to make it interesting for me. Make no mistake though, it is a well produced record and it’s perfectly played and sung in Spanish. But to my ears, it’s just average.

The B-side ’A Little Bit Hurt’ is far superior. It’s a mod flavoured soul/beat mover with a chunky backbeat and strident bass. There is no organ fills or guitar break. Anyone of those would have made this song killer.

This track has English vocals.
By the way ’A Little Bit Hurt’ is a cover version. The original was by English band Julian Covey and the Machine. That version can be found on compilation LP Mod Meeting volume 4. I’ve never heard it so can’t offer a comparison.

(10/12/07)

Les 5 GENTLEMEN – L.S.D. 25 EP (Riviera 231 212) 1966

songs:
Qu’as-tu Katioucha?
L.S.D. 25
Je te veux
Olivier

I’ve liked pretty much everything I’ve heard by this Marseilles band (that’s in France for those of you with a geography bi-pass). All songs on this EP were written by bass player/vocalist Jean Fredenucci and three out of the four get my seal of approval.

’Qu’as-tu Katioucha’ is on my forthcoming Circles One comp. It’s got a commercial sound with an almost folk rock appeal.

BUT, this ain’t got no jangle, instead it has pleasant harmonica and organ fills. ’Je te veux’ is a mod swinger with cool organ. A very European sound. Not many USA garage bands went for this kinda mod sound.

’L.S.D. 25’ is perhaps my favourite 5 Gentlemen tune. I dig psych and this one is classy freakbeat verging on full blown psychedelia. Remember that the EP was released in 1966 so this French outfit were maybe ahead of the game in some respects.

’Olivier’ is a slow and plodding tune that doesn’t really go anywhere.

band members:
Jean Fredenucci (bass/vocals)
Francois Paoli (guitar)
Claude Olmos (guitar)
Guy Matteoni (organ)
Michel Donat (drums)

(09/12/07)

The JAY-JAYS – ’Come Back If You Dare’ / ’Don’t Sell The Sun’ (Philips JF 333 550) 1966

Hard to find 45 by Dutch band The Jay Jays, especially with this well designed 60s mod cover sleeve. The record thankfully lives up to the quality of the cover and is a two sided beat delight.

’Come Back If You Dare’ is a Kinks style beat rocker. I’m sure Ray Davies would have been proud to call this cut his own. What a killer mover and pure ’66. I love the line:

’You left my baby swimming in her tears.’

The flip ’Don’t Sell The Sun’ is a well produced and played acoustic ballad, once again with the right kinda cool moves that the Expo digs. This song reminds me of ’Now The Sun Has Gone’ by The Beatmen. Both cuts on this Philips release are exceptional.

(09/12/07)

LOS BRINCOS – El Pasaporte (Novola – 1 sided promo) 1967

Spanish mods Los Brincos really deliver with this ultra cool freakbeat ripper. They didn’t do much outside their native Spain but did manage to release a couple of 45s in England on the Page One label (home of The Troggs). The English version of ’Passport’ can be found in pretty good sound on We Can Fly – Volume 3.

I’m sure the Spanish sung version has never been compiled before. Look out for my new CD series titled Circles, coming soon. Why? because ’El Pasaporte’ will be on it.

Special note must also be made for the fabulous op-art promo sleeve that houses this magical 45. Designers take note. This is how cool a record or CD sleeve could be.

I’ve already mentioned We Can Fly – Volume 3 CD on Past & Present. Take a look at the cover of that thing and you’ll get what I mean. It’s fucking shit and looks like something your Granny would design.

(09/12/07)

LARRY TAMBLYN – ’Summer Clothes’ / ’Music For Summer Clothes’ (Sunburst Records 772) 1968

The Standells organist released this solo 45 after the ’Dirty Water’ cats had broken up. Don’t expect commercial garage on this record.

Larry (as he was billed on the label) serves up a lite psych tune. It’s interesting to note that he wrote the song. He wasn’t very prolific in The Standells. As far as I know his only appearance as a songwriter was with the ultra cool ’Mr Nobody’. This is possibly my all time favourite Standells rocker.

He certainly had an array of hip studio guys helping him with this Sunburst release. Ed Cobb is of course the notable producer of both The Standells and The Chocolate Watch Band.

The Engineers Bill Cooper and Richie Podolor had also previously worked with the Watch Band as studio engineers. Podolor wrote ’Expo 2000’ and ’Dark Side Of The Mushroom’. He also produced Iron Butterfly and Steppenwolf.

Arrangers Ethon McElroy and Don Bennett were also in The Chocolate Watch Band camp. As well as arranging for them they also co wrote cool songs ’Are You Gonna Be There? (At The Love In) and ’Gossamer Wings’. Don Bennett of course provided the vocals on some of the songs on the Watchband’s ’No Way Out’ LP.

The flip is an instrumental of ’Summer Clothes’

(04/12/07)

SOLE SOCIETY – ’Wait For You’ / ’Hard Road’ (Trump Records 373) 1969

Sole Society were an obscure outfit from Louisville or at least that’s what the seller told me when I bought this rare 45 off him.

It also came with a hand written note from band leader David Wood’s Uncle.

The note was addressed to Allan Ramsey who was an original member of Gary Lewis and the Playboys.

Anyway, the message goes on to ask Allan Ramsey for his thoughts on the 45 and the Uncle also mentions that his nephew David Wood (who wrote ’Wait For You’) was disappointed with the production the studio did on it especially his vocals that are buried in the mix.

Oh well, ’Wait For You’ sounds OK to me. It starts off ripping ’Soul Kitchen’ by The Doors then goes off on a psych rock tangent with a very cool fuzzy guitar break.

The flip is ’Hard Road’. This is a cover of Deep Purple’s progressive instrumental titled ’Wring That Neck’ and is on their ’The Book Of Taliesyn’ album from 1968. Only the track was called ’Hard Road’ on the American release.

Both sides are uncompiled.

(08/06/08)

THE MOONRAKERS – ’Trip And Fall’ / ’Time And A Place’ (Tower 222) April 1966

45s by The Moonrakers are always sought after especially the garage and folk rockers released on Tower Records. The band hailed from Denver, Colorado and evolved out of a surf band called The Surfin’ Classics.

Maybe as a surf act they became connected with songwriter Roger Christian. He co-wrote several noteworthy songs for The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean including the classics ’Dead Man’s Curve’ and ’Sidewalk Surfin’.

He must have ventured into the production side of things as well because he co produced both Moonrakers originals on this disc.

’Trip And Fall’ is a melodic light weight pop tune written and sung by keyboard player Denny Flannigan. Flip it over to hear the folk rockin’ ’Time And A Place’. This song was written and sung by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Veeder Van Dorn.

The Moonrakers that recorded for Shamley were very different. Most of the original line were gone and the songs were all about bothering God.

(07/06/08)

THE ROVIN’ FLAMES – ’Seven Million People’ / ’Bo Diddley’ (Tampa Bay Records BC-1111) June 1966

Bo Diddley died this week aged 79. I don’t have any of his records but realise that his simplistic rhythm ’n’ beat was a template used by many English groups from the early/mid 60s such as The Animals, The Rolling Stones, The Pretty Things and The Yardbirds etc etc.

Scores of teen beat combos from USA also had the Bo Diddley influence, maybe none more so than The Rovin’ Flames from Tampa, Florida. This essential 45 by them not only has the ultra cool folk jangler ’Seven Million People’ on the A-Side but flip it over to hear their song dedicated to him.

(05/06/08)

THE SCANDAL – ’There’s Reasons Why’ / ’Girl, You’re Goin’ Out’a My Mind’ (Pepper 432) December 1967

Pleasant two sided flower power 45 by Memphis, Tennessee band The Scandal. This was their only record and they sadly broke up in early ’68 when singer songwriter Len Renfro joined the Navy.

It’s a shame that this band were a short-lived outfit because both sides were original compositions and they definitely had the potential to create even more coolness.

Fortunately, both songs are available on compilations: You’ll find ’There’s Reasons Why’ on The Electric Coffee House. The flip ’Girl, You’re Goin’ Out’a My Mind’ on Fading Yellow – Volume 3.

line-up:
Len Renfro
Bruce Smith
Carol Ferrante
Kathy Thornton

(03/06/08)

THE SCENE – ’Scenes (From Another World)’ / ’You’re In A Bad Way’ (B.T. Puppy Records 533) 1969

’Scenes (From Another World)’ was compiled years ago on a vinyl only compilation called Psychedelia – Volume 4. The liners indicated an American or perhaps even an Australian band.

It turns out that The Scene were from Montreal, Canada. They sadly only released this one 45 then were gone.

’Scenes’ is a catchy slice of psychedelia with soaring harmonies and brass and sounds more like a throwback from the Summer of ’67. It also later turned up on the comp Fading Yellow – Volume 6.

The flip ’You’re In A Bad Way’ is a more laid back hippie trip and I gave it an appearance on Gear! Volume 2.

other info:

The Scene line-up:
Truly Noland
Michael Ship
Marty Simon
Danny Zimmerman

B.T. Puppy Records was a label formed by members of The Tokens and is a take off on RCA’s label with Nipper the dog. B.T. Puppy Records had some big hits with harmony band The Happenings in the late 60s.

The Engineer on both Scene songs was Wally Sheffey. He also engineered James Taylor’s ’Original Flying Machine’ LP and The Fifth Estate records.

Long time ago but I wrote and produced the Scene record! I’m glad someone enjoys it. Any interest in a deal Email menshepx@gmail.com Neil Sheppard

(01/06/08)

The EQUALS – ’I Can See But You Don’t Know’ / ’Gigolo Sam’ (President Records 6102201) 1970

The Equals were a fairly successful, racially mixed English 60s band who mixed ska/reggae with pop but towards the end of their career got a tad more freaky. Take this 45 for instance.

There’s no way on earth ’I Can See But You Don’t Know’ could have been a hit record. Although recorded in June 1970 it sounds like a relic from the underground scene from ’66.

It’s a fuzzed up killer with constant handclaps and a raunchy backbeat. Must have sounded pretty damned dangerous for the times. (late 1970 was a barren desert of long haired prog rock and weird theatrical bollocks…

It has been compiled before in dubious fidelity on Electric Sugar Cube Flashback Volume 2.

The flip is ’Gigolo Sam’ and this one does sound like it belongs in the early 70s. It’s got proto glam rock riffs and dumb lyrics. In other words it’s GREAT but not as good as the top side.

Both sides were produced by Edward Kassner who set up President Records in 1966.

(06/04/08)

THE GOSPEL – ’Redeemer’ / ’I Won’t Be Sad Again’ (Vanguard Apostolic VRS 35084) 1968

This 45 is a product of the late 60s religious vibe that seemed to be rubbing off on a whole load of rock musicians and hippies to varying degrees. It doesn’t take much investigation on the label to know that this record will have some kind of message.

After all the band is called The Gospel and the song is ’Redeemer’. Look a little bit deeper and the label is full of weird looking cherubs, the label itself is Vanguard Apostolic and the publishing company is Epiphany.

These guys were not on the road to following the Dark Side that’s for sure.

The music on both sides of the disc is terrific. ’Redeemer’ is a hippie psych gem with perfect musicianship. It’s kind of loosely based on The Yardbirds tune ’Tune Into Earth’ with that strange Gregorian(esque) vocal delivery.

The flip ’I Won’t Be Sad’ sounds much more in the traditional folk format with banjo and fiddle but the hippie laid back approach gives it a late 60s feel.

I dug out some info about the 45. Both songs were written and produced by John Townley. He had previously performed guitar duties in the impressive New York group The Magicians.
To my knowledge The Gospel have not been compiled before.

I am pretty sure that this 45 is by the Family of Apostolic whose 1968 double album has both tracks on it. This album also has one brilliant eastern psych out ”Dholak Gheet” as well as a number of folk rock gems. As ever great to read so many brilliant articles, your blog is the best!!!

(05/04/08)

The LIME – ’Love A Go-Go’ / ’Soul Kitchen’ (Westwood 12367) 1967

The Lime were a group of teens (three of them brothers) from Akron, Ohio. Their youth did not stop their ability because ’Love A Go-Go’ is a very professional sounding swingin’ pop song with a slight soul influence.

Very classy musicianship throughout with an insanely commercial hook.

’Love A Go-Go’ was picked up by Chess Records for national release and they added a different B-Side in ’Hey Girl’.

The flip on the Westwood release is a cover of The Doors classic ’Soul Kitchen’. It’s no where near as good as the original but it’s still a competent effort none the less. They even get to sing ’Getting Stoned’ after altering a few of the lyrics in the song.

(29/03/08)

The LEAVES – ’Lemmon Princess’/’ Twilight Sanctuary’ (Capitol 5799) 1967

This was the final 45 by The Leaves and sadly ignored by the record buying public back in ’67. The band were more or less disintegrating in the studio while recording these songs and others for their album on Capitol Records titled ’All The Good That’s Happening’.

I wonder if they would have hung around together if this 45 was a hit?

’Lemmon Princess’ is a psychedelic pop song while the other side ’Twilight Sanctuary’ is more in keeping with their earlier work but with a country rock feel. It reminds me of The Byrds.

Jim Pons would quit soon after the release and take up bass guitar with The Turtles then Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention.

Bobby Arlin would start a power trio called The Hook.

By the way the Producer for The Leaves during their short stay with Capitol Records was Nick Venet.

He also produced records for The Beach Boys, Stone Poneys and Mad River.

(28/03/08)

KENNY WAYNE & The KAMOTIONS – ’How Should I Feel’ / ’The Day When The Sun Goes Down’ (Candy CA-1011) 1969

I’ve had this 45 in my archives for a while. Picked it up for a small fee because it was pretty much trashed. I’ve seen labels in worse nick before but the vinyl itself shows real bad marks and scratches.

I doubt that it’s been in a sleeve for years or one of those deep south hicks was making out with his sister on top of the record.

Anyway, I was gonna use both sides for a Gear! compilation but despite my best remastering efforts there’s just too much noise. And I’m a perfectionist so will not compromise my high standards and use noisy records despite rarity or something that is sought-after.

Kenny Wayne and The Kamotions were from Shreveport, Louisiana and both of these cuts were on their album ’In Motion’ but these mono 45 sides ain’t seen the light of day on any comp before.

This is a shame because they’re both excellent. ’The Day When The Sun Goes Down’ is a moody ballad. Kenny sure is missing his girl. There’s a constant hammond organ adding to the overall low key feel of the song.

’How Should I Feel’ also starts off all moody, again with cool hammond but then really picks up pace and starts to groove in a late 60s style. There’s a memorable wah wah guitar break. Kenny’s gruff vocals make this one a winner all round.

(27/03/08)

The RAVES – Mother Nature’ / ’Mister Man’ (Smash S-2088) April 1967

The Raves hailed from Brooklyn, New York and released three 45s on Smash. All are great garage pop classics with a slight bubblegum sound.

Their debut 45 ’Mother Nature’ is a pounding fast paced fuzzy popper with eastern promise. The flip ’Mister Man’ treads similar ground. Both sides are insanely catchy and would have obviously sounded cool coming out of those small 60s radios because they are very well produced and mastered loud.

The producer for The Raves was Ron Haffkine. He was also producer for another New York band The Gurus. He also produced and managed Dr Hook & the Medicine Show. They of course became simply Dr Hook by the start of the 70s.

The RAVES – ’Don’t Chop Down My Tree’ / ’Think Of Your Love’ (Smash S-2105) July 1967

By their second release The Raves were if anything even more commercial sounding. Can’t believe these two records were not big hits. I’d call this punk bubblegum. Way better than that watered down poppy stuff that followed in 1968/69….

’Think Of Your Love’ is genius.
A final 45 appeared on Smash (S-2162) in 1968 titled ’Everything’s Fire’ / ’Sing Children Sing’. I’ve not got this record but I’ve heard ’Everything’s Fire’ and it’s an overload of wah wah.

This time though it’s a heavier sound with trumpet….. I gotta get myself a copy sometime.

(24/03/08)

The WILL-O-BEES – ’If You’re Ready’ / ‘Shades Of Gray’ (Date 2-1543) 1968

Good two sided 45 from a three piece band that I think came from New York. Fuzz, Acid & Flowers give a Chicago base but perhaps that’s because The Will-O-Bees cover ’If You’re Ready’ which was originally done by a band from Chicago called The Pride And Joy. They were formally called The Del-Vetts of course.

The Will-O-Bees version is a solid effort, quite punky with some great bass lines high in the mix and a garage guitar break that is just not long enough.

The other side is also a cover version. This time they tackle The Monkees ’Shades Of Gray’ from their Headquarters LP. It’s a pleasant flower power style attack but still a bit rough around the edges.

Believe it or not, they were actually from Richmond, Indiana. Their management team was based in NYC, so people assumed that was where they originated.

(23/03/08)

MOSS LYNCH – ’Nine To Five Disease’ / ’Where’s The Freedom’ (Trip Universal T-80) 2/1971

I haven’t been able to find out anything about Moss Lynch other than the fact that the label Trip Universal was a Miami, Florida Company. So perhaps Moss Lynch hailed from this area.

Both sides of the disc have a vague country influence. It appears that Moss has a big problem working for the ’big boss man’. ’Nine To Five Disease’ is full of lyrics with hippie ideals…check out the opening lyrics to the song:

’Hey all you businessmen please
Don’t fill me with your disease.
Cool money, sure to please.
Sell your soul to the man
For a buck if you can’.

Well I guess this was 1971 but I’m sure Moss eventually sold his soul to the man. but there’s no harm in trying to ’stick it to the man’.…

The flip ’Where’s The Freedom’ again has Moss Lynch standing on his hippie soap box preaching to a seemingly uninterested congregation about the need to stop killing creatures, particularly birds and fish.

Reader comments:
moss lynch was from revere, massachusetts, died around 1995,

jack nicoloro the producer is alive and living in watertown ma.jack nicoloro was from arlington ma. haven’t seen him in years. the record was recorded in miami fla around 1971

Moss Lynch died 6/13/92. I am his widow Linda. My son, Moss Jr. found this and sent it to me.

(22/03/08)

KEK’66 – ’Angela’ / ’Na Na Na’ / ’You Treated Me Bad’ (Guerssen SG003) 1996

When Dutch garage beat band The Kliek split in the early 90s lead singer Robert Muter formed a new band strangely called Kek’66. He played lead guitar in his new combo and recruited Stefan Steutel on drums and Marc De Regt on bass.

I’m certain this three song EP is all covers but I can’t place the bands who were the originators of these songs. If anyone knows let me know…thanks.

The pick of the EP is ’Angela’.. clocking in at 1:48 it’s pretty short but sometimes short works. This is a pleasant beat number and sung in Spanish.

Reader comments:
’You Treated Me Bad’ was originally by the JuJus. It’s been comped many times, most recently on ’Scream Loud – The Fenton Story’ double CD, which no self respecting garage head should be without.

Kek66 did a great version of ”You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down” right down to the solo. Very cool. Mark sent me an MP3 ages ago, don’t have it any more. Would love another copy. Has that been comped?Art Steinman, Lead Guitar, The Jagged Edge aka The Off-Set

(21/03/08)

BUDDY MERRILL – ’Without My Lover’ / ’Escondido’ (Accent ACS 7260) January 1969

Every so often I take a chance on a record and hand out $5 for a 45 I know nothing about. Take this record for instance. I was aware that Accent put out majestic records by The Human Expression but who is this Buddy Merrill? I’d never heard of the guy before.

So I bought this on the strength of the label. But what a cool side ’Without My Lover’ is. Wow!!!….yes that’s three exclamation marks from the Expo.

It’s an instrumental and starts of slow paced with what sounds like a moog and wah wah guitar. It’s not punked out wah wah ala Stooges but nice and gentle, almost meandering, sounding very space age.

The strings really add to the tunes greatness. Roger McGuinn would love this because it’s got a similar Byrdsian raga rock/space rock sound evident during the ’Younger Than Yesterday’ sessions.

I’m picturing Buddy in his best paisley shirt, slim leg black Levis, chunky square buckle belt and cuban heels in the studio laying this tune down after dropping some LSD.

Because after 1:15 seconds the fuzz kicks in (I’m thinking at this point the acid starts to work in his head) and it turns into a killer psychedelic groover with more wah wah guitar, only bolder and louder.

Then just like a sudden storm, calm is restored once more with the gentle moog and strings. Fucking class instro……

I’ve since researched Buddy Merrill and realise that he’s a famous guitar slinger in USA but rarely went psychedelic…

(19/03/08)

THE TRILLIUM – ”Queen Alice” / ”News” (Mr G Records G-813) June 1968

Obscure band from Rochester, New York. The Trillium were not even worth a mention in Fuzz, Acid & Flowers!!! The plug side ’Queen Alice’ is a outstanding English style pop psych with 12 string guitar and compact organ. The tune is very catchy and memorable.

Vinyl only re-issue label Dig The Fuzz compiled this song on Incredible Sound Show Stories Volume 14 and they suggested a West Coast location for the band. That comp is long gone and out of print by the way.

The flip ’News’ is another slice of Englishness. The singer sounding just like Ray Davies. It’s a perfect Kinks like whimsical pop song. I really dig the echoey ending on this…cool production.

Both sides have writer credits of V.Bearce and T.Davis.

Noticed this one while looking for additional info on this group. The Trillium were indeed from Rochester, NY and were led by a guy named Terry Davis who was around 17 at the time this was released (around 1968).

Ironically, he (Davis) ended up as part of my former band The Riviera Playboys in 2005 and played with them briefly, did a tour of Germany with them and left shortly after.

I saw a few old news clippings about the group and as I recall, Davis was regarded as somewhat of a prodigy. He wrote, sang, played guitar, bass, and keyboards. Dan F.

(18/03/08)

49th BLUE STREAK – ’Fire’ / ’Foxy Lady’ (MBM Productions 1947) 1969

Two sided heavy psych onslaught with a massive amount of fuzz guitar and echoey production are on offer here.

I wonder if Jimi Hendrix ever heard these cover versions? I’m not sure many people back in ’69 ever got to hear this record.

MBM Productions were a small local label from Crowley, Louisiana. They also released the awesome Sunshine Reigns 45.

(17/03/08)

CATCH – ”Catch” (Dot DLP 25956) 1969

One of the rare occasions when a band’s best song was not released as a single unfortunately happened to Catch. The album cut ’Crash And Burn’ is easily their finest moment. Perhaps it was their only moment!

The long player on Dot is not a memorable affair. There’s just too much late 60s hippie rock with a country vibe and unwanted orchestration to hold my interest. ’Crash And Burn’ on the other hand is a cool psychedelic fuzz rocker reminiscent of Steppenwolf in full flow.

Catch were reportedly from the California region. Their album was produced by J.R. Shanklin who worked with Nilsson. Two singles were released from the album with a shortened version of ”Storm” perhaps the pick.

Members Mike Collings and Roger White moved onto a White Whale label group called Feather after their time with Catch.

singles:
”I’m On The Road To Memhis” / ”Amber” (Dot 45-17277) July 1969
”Storm” / ”City Ditty” (Dot 45-17304) September 1969

(17/03/08)

SNOW – ’Caterpillar’ / ’Where Has My Old Friend Billy Jones Gone’ (Epic 5-10425) 1968

What the hell is ’Caterpillar’ all about? This is one helluva weird slice of experimental psychedelia. The intro utilizers studio trickery then it’s straight into a trippy soundscape of other-worldly male/female vocals and instrumentation.

The lyrics are bizarre and the song has barely got a melody or structure.

The top side ’Where Has My Old Friend Billy Jones Gone’ is sadly forgettable. Both cuts appear on their album.

(11/03/08)

The TOW-AWAY ZONE – ’Shabd’ / ’Searchin’ (Epic 5-10369) 1968

Research suggests that The Tow-Away Zone were from San Leandro, California. Check out their previously unissued cut ’Away Girl’ on the recent Big Beat CD ’You Got Yours!’ that compiles East Bay Garage 1965-1967.

With ’Shabd’ The Tow-Away Zone certainly don’t sound like a garage band. This song is a loud and trippy guitar fest with a big nod to English band Cream. It was written by bass player Randy Molitar and guitarist Phil Franks.

The A-Side is a cover of the Leiber and Stoller tune ’Searchin’. It’s an interesting funkadelic attack that leaves me wantin’ more. This band definitely had the talent to make more records than they did.

Thanks for the kind words. We just lost our lead guitarist Bjorn Nyman, a great Friend and Guitarist to the end. We will miss him with all of our hearts . Until we meet again… Your Friend, Phil

Thanks for posting our message. Phil Franks- The Tow Away Zone. bambino95621@yahoo.com

(10/03/08)

1ST CENTURY – ’Looking Down’ / ’Dancing Girl’ (Capitol Records P 2135) March 1968

I’m sure 1st Century were a studio outfit and probably a one off 45 deal for former Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs guitarist Ray Stinnett. He wrote both sides of this obscure single.

’Looking Down’ is a killer sitar psych pop song with chunky bass runs. I particularly dig the line…

’Looking Down
Looking down in still water.
I am the ship
And I am the voyager’.

The other side ’Dancing Girl’ is another slice of psychedelia with a strange mix of flute and sitar…I don’t think Ray Stinnett was on tea and biscuits when these two songs were recorded.

The producer was Don Nix who also worked with Gary Lewis & The Playboys, George Harrison and John Mayall.

(09/03/08)

THE LOLLIPOP FANTASY – ’Waiting For A Dream’ / ’It’s a Groovy World’ (Era Records 3193) late 1967

I love these kind of records from USA when nothing is known about the band etc. I’ve checked a couple of reference books and this outfit are a mystery. Who knows how they ended up recording a 45 for Era Records?

’Waiting For A Dream’ written by Tony Young is a pleasant pop psych tune with finger cymbals and flute. It floats along in an Association kind of way.

Those looking for danger and fuzz need to look elsewhere because you’re not gonna find it on this disc.

’It’s A Groovy World’ written by Jory Richards has the same vibe and is possibly the more commercial sounding side. I dig this lite psych, especially the vocal harmonies. This is most definitely a record for the Summer of 1967.

(08/03/08)

MORNING GLORY – ’Need Someone’ (mono) / ’Need Someone’ (stereo) (Fontana F-1613) May 1968

Hippie rock is the order of the day here with two versions of Bob Bohanna’s song ’Need Someone’. The extended stereo version coming in at 4:28 was on Morning Glory’s LP ’Two Suns Worth’. However the edited mono version @ 2:31 was only available on this promotional 45 released by Fontana. Even then, most copies had another album track ’I See The Light’ on the flip.

Morning Glory may have come from the San Francisco area although their album was recorded at a studio in Hollywood and produced by Abe Kesh who also worked with Blue Cheer.

John Cale engineered.

line-up:
Gini Graybeal (vocals)
Bob Bohanna (bass)
Larry Gerughty (organ)
Daniel NuDelman (lead guitar)
Allen Wehr (drums)

Larry Gerughty previously played keyboards in Butch Engle & The Styx.

(08/03/08)

LOS FLECHAZOS – ’Ella Me Hace Enloquecer’ / ’Kinky Boots’ (DRO 1D08294) 1991

Long time favourite Spanish mod band Los Flechazos released this 45 on DRO in 1991. As with every non English vocal band, I ain’t got a clue what the guy is singing about. Luckily it doesn’t detract from this short burst of modness.

The production is maybe a little too clean for most tastes especially the drum sound. I dig the hammond though and because of that sound I’m posting the song on my blog.

’Kinky Boots’ is a go go style instrumental with hammond and is for the most part based on ’Till The End Of The Day’ by The Kinks.

(18/02/08)

THE OTHERS – ’Bitter Bells’ EP (Misty Lane Records 026) 1995

This split EP with The Thanes was given away free with garage fanzine Misty Lane – issue 16. Only 500 copies were pressed. Maybe I’ll cover the great Thanes tracks at a later time. Whilst I’m diggin’ my Others records I’ll give them some publicity.

’Bitter Bells’ is a memorable cover of the Neal Ford and the Fanatics song. They get this moody 12 string jangler down on record perfectly. It surely sounds like a relic from ’66.

The other cover they tackle is by 5 P.M. The original of ’How Many Days’ can be found on the Arf Arf compilation release ’No No No’

(17/02/08)

THE OTHERS – That’s Your Problem’ / ’You Don’t Believe Me’ (Zebrah Records 004) 1996

I’ve long since forgiven those Romans for invading England then raping and pillaging my fellow countrymen 2000 years ago. So I salute Rome band The Others as being my favourite Italian band.

This 45 on small Belgium label Zebrah Records was limited to 500 copies so is a future collectable.

Previous releases on Zebrah Records were by The Purple Merkins, The Ultra 5 and 50 Foot Combo.

Both sides of this record are cover versions done in The Others usual style of care and attention. ’You Don’t Believe Me’ is of course The Pretty Things folk jangler and the other side is a version of the Splinter-Tax ’66 tune ’That’s Your Problem’….

Songs recorded at Delta Studio, Rome on 13th May 1996

line-up:
Bruno Apostoli (bass and background vocals)
Giuliano (drums)
Fabrizio (guitar)
Massimo del Pozzo (lead vocals, 6 & 12 string guitar, harp)

Bruno and Massimo are responsible for cool Italian fanzine ’Misty Lane’

(16/02/08)

The NUTHINS – ’Thoughts And Visions’ / ’You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’ (Twist Records 23) 1999

The last record ever released by English band The Nuthins is a sparkling two sided slab of coolness. ’Thoughts And Visions’ is fabulous with lots of fuzz action.

Got to dig the production on this also by someone simply called Justin.

The flip is of course The Beatles tune. Here The Nuthins stay faithful to the original and really do the song justice. This 45 has the Expo seal of approval if anyone is in doubt.

line-up:
Richie (drums)
Bob (organ)
Marcus (vocals on ’Thoughts And Visions’)
Andy (bass)
Mojo Mills (guitar and vocals on ’You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away)

(15/02/08)

The PRIMATES – ’I Ain’t Like You’ (Voxx 200.034) 1986

This fuzzed up slab of primate mayhem is from their LP ’We Are The Primates’…Seek and you shall find my garage friends. I’ll focus on this song which is true teen punk genius and for my money way better than an awful lot of so called ’classics’ from the ’66 original teen punk bands. ’I Ain’t Like You’ was written by guitarist Ted Edlefsen and singer Erik Bluhm.

The Primates were originally from Youngstown, Ohio but moved to Los Angeles sometime in 1985. They were obviously spotted by the Voxx crowd and a 12 track album was released the following year, produced by Greg Shaw and Brett Gurewitz.

Other than this small bit of information I know nothing about the band but would love to know more! This record got played a ton of times in the mid 80s by myself and The Mourning After crowd.

line-up:
Brian Corrigan (drums)
Ted Edlefsen (guitar and fuzz)
Erik Bluhm (vocals, tambourine, maraccas)
Brett Miller (bass)

Reader comments:
Hey,We weren’t really from Ohio. We were from Manhattan Beach, Calif. Same area as Black Flag, the Descendents, Red Cross, the Last. Red Cross gave us their old amps and we played with them sometimes.

We played Seeds and Stooges and Flamin Groovies tunes then. By ’84 we were heavy into garage and got laughed at at school for wearing Beatle boots and turtlenecks. Brett went out with Melanie from the Pandoras so we hung out with them a lot.

Brian left and we got Eric from the Leopards (I think) for a couple shows and then Gene from the Miracle Workers for a little while. On Aint Like You Ted used the built in fuzz on his Vox guitar and an old Vox fuzz pedal that he ”borrowed” from the Morlocks.

We hated the production then because we thought the producer used too many mikes. Sky Saxon was there when we recorded it, smoking pot with us. It’s an anti-parent record.

Hi, We were from Manhattan Beach. I was in The Primates, but I got kicked out due to poor guitar skills. Boo hoo. Such is life.

I was in the band before this record came out. I never played live with them outside the garage. I was out before they conquered the clubs.

I am a little relieved that they didn’t become rich and famous like The Beatles; I would be another Pete Best. I wrote Sometimes She, though the band added the last verse since the song was too short.

This song was not credited to me. And, like the other blogger said, we were considered unusual to the 80’s Manhattan Beach crowd.

I am glad I had the experience of being friends with these guys because Manhattan Beach was pretty dull at the time.

(13/02/080

The THREE O’ CLOCK – ’Baroque Hoedown’ mini LP (Lolita 5003) 1983

I’ve been reminiscing about the start of my obsession with the 60s and my mind was cast way back to 1983 when I picked this album up by the Three O’ Clock. It was around 1982/83 when this ’obsession’ really took hold.

Prior to this time period I’d listened to The Beatles and The Kinks but I was more interested in 70s punk. But i think my mind was all shook up with psychedelia when I first saw ’The Unguarded Moment’ promo video in ’82 on an English rock show called ’The Old Grey Whistle Test’.

After witnessing The Church and their cool promo, paisley shirts and a Rickenbacker 12 string, there was only one path to follow.

Trouble is, this obsession 26 years later has probably cost me about £100,000 on records and CDs. That’s probably how much I’ve laid out since seeing those Church guys on TV. (ha ha ha)

Anyway, back to The Three O’ Clock. This mini LP was probably the 2nd or 3rd neo psych/garage album I ever bought. The first was definitely The Church debut then it could have been The Chesterfield Kings ’Here Are The….’

Even after all these years ’Baroque Hoedown’ is a mighty fine collection. I still have no idea what a ’Cantaloupe Girlfriend’ is, the cover of ’Feel A Whole Lot Better’ is fantastic, so is the cover of Pink Floyd’s ’Lucifer Sam’.

And I haven’t even mentioned their interpretation of ’Sorry’ originally done by The Easybeats of course. This one rocks!!

What a fuckin’ cool record. Also reading the liners I noticed that Will Glenn of The Rain Parade played violin on ’Marjorie Tells Me’….

(29/12/07)

The INMATES – ’Dirty Water’ / ’Danger Zone’ (Radarscope ADA44) 1979

I’ve been diggin’ into a box of my 45s labelled ’70s’ and have had some pleasure listening to all these fantastic records I bought when I was growing up in the 70s. Back then, as a teenager the English music scene was of a very high standard (unlike today).

Lot’s of bands ’made it’ or got signed for one off deals. Luckily for us, most of these 45s are quite common and it ain’t very hard locating copies in decent shape.

Over the course of the next month or so I’ll post some of my favourite English 70s/very early 80s records. And if I have time, I’ll post MP3s mastered direct from vinyl.

The Inmates were a popular band for maybe one year then kind of faded from the ’scene’. Their trademark sound was very much the British Invasion sound circa 1964-66. 

’Dirty Water’ of course is a cover of the Ed Cobb classic. No doubt The Inmates heard The Standells version on the original Nuggets LP and decided to cover it themselves.
This version is a powerful RnB onslaught with the words altered for a London band (ie) ’down by the River Thames’.

The flip ’Danger Zone’ is also a cover. This time the Wilson Pickett soul/RnB tune gets a late 70s make-over.

The band logo and sleeve of the ’Dirty Water’ 45 was designed by Phil Smee (Bam Caruso/Rubble fame)

THE INMATES – ’The Walk’ / ’Talkin’ Woman’ (Radarscope ADA47) 1979

’The Walk’ was a small hit in England reaching number 36. This was The Inmates only chart action. Again, they chose covers to update. They also appeared on English TV show Top Of The Pops performing this. It was a pretty good performance with singer Bill Hurley doing his best Mick Jagger impression.

THE INMATES – ’Love Got Me’ / ’Jealousy’ (Radarscope ADA50) 1979

’Love Got Me’ is a big production effort with brass but sadly didn’t do anything chart wise. Around about this period Bill Hurley suffered a breakdown and temporarily left the band. This probably hindered any chance they had left of being successful.

The flip ’Jealousy’ is a wild live performance from a gig at The Electric Ballroom, London on 27/10/79.

All songs during the early period of their career were produced by the late Vic Maile. He had a good pedigree having worked with Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Motorhead and Dr Feelgood.

(22/12/07)

THE BOGEYMEN – ”You Are On My Mind” / ”Candy” (F.F.Fascination Records 004) 1992

The Bogeymen hailed from the French town of Angouleme but their sound is very much a total rip of English band The Prisoners, who appear to be a massive influence.

This was their first 45 and is pretty hard to track down these days. ’You Are On My Mind’ is a sort of soul mod work out with groovy organ. Laurent Bauer’s vocals are excellent and are sung in English.

’Candy’ is much more R&B influenced and has it’s roots firmly in the mid 60s English scene. I dig this one much more than the top side. Nice use of maracas that gives the sound that authentic touch and the fast pace of the song just never lets up.

line-up:
Laurent Bauer (vocals, guitar, organ and harp)
Olivier Quinot (drums)
Philippe Traversat (guitar)
Yvee Le Diraison (bass)

More records would follow this debut 45 (I may write about some later) before Laurent Bauer would form The Lost Minds.

(19/08/07)

THE BACKDOOR MEN – ’Out Of My Mind’ / ’Magic Girl’ (Tracks On Wax 006) 1985

Hip combo from Stockholm, Sweden. One look at the ultra cool sleeve and you just know these guys are gonna deliver the goods. It’s very rare that grumpy lookin’ mods with a way cool image are not just as classy on record. Thankfully The Backdoor Men were as good as any 80s band.

’Out Of My Mind’ written by Ingemannson/Jelinek is a bit of a Prisoners rip with an intro full of feedback they then burst into life with punky vocals from Jelinek, some searing guitar and background organ.

I would have liked the guitar break to be longer but that’s just a minor complaint. This song rocks big time and is one of the best neo garage tunes of the 80s.

’Magic Girl’ written by Ingemannson is a psychedelic mass of echoey vocals, guitars and background organ. It’s a sound that The Backdoor Men would not indulge in again. Nor would Jelinek and Ingemannson next band The Creeps.

line-up:
Hans Ingemannson (rhythm guitar, background vocals)
Robert Jelinek (lead guitar, vocals)
Stefan Nilsson (bass, background vocals)
Ismeal Samie (drums)

production by Stry Terrarie who also contributed organ parts.

(19/08/07)

THE BEATKINGS – ”Sitting On My Sofa” / ”I Don’t Mind” / ”I Just Want To Make Love To You” (King Bee Records) 1995

Wow, here’s a way cool garage punk 45 from Groningen, Holland. The top side is one of the BEST Kinks covers you’ll ever hear. A wall of guitar feedback introduces ’Sitting On My Sofa’ then the mod riff kicks in, add gruff vocals from Jeroen De Jong, sprinkle some garage screams before a fuzz solo and you’ve got an instant 90s classic.

The other side contains two more covers. The first is James Brown’s ’I Don’t Mind’. The Beatkings interpret this song so much better than The Who did on My Generation album. The soul vibe of the song is retained but to me it sounds more beaty.

Willie Dixon’s ’I Just Want To Make Love To You’ is also given a cover treatment. This ones a fine R&B workout with strong powerful vocals, harmonica and a dirty guitar sound.

This 45 obviously has the EXPO67 seal of approval. Buy it if you see it up for sale.

info:
Songs were recorded at Studio 44, Groningen on 24th June 1995.

The record is in glorious mono for that authentic touch.

The Beatkings were:
Jeroen De Jong (lead vocals, bass, harmonica)
Koos Keus (drums)
E.J. Kloosterboer (guitar and production)

(16/08/07)

THE DAWNBREAKERS – ’Sea In A Shell’ / ’Remember’ (Blink Records 2001) 1999

If your particular bag is melodic ’67 psychedelia and I’m thinking of bands like Yankee Dollar, MC2 or Neighborhood Children then you’ll flip for these guys.

By all accounts this was a band made of ex players from The Optic Nerve, Vibrasonic, The Vice Barons and The Bees although I’ve only been able to establish a definite Vice Barons connection (Marky Connell). So if anyone knows for sure let me know.. thanks.

’Sea In A Shell’ is just how I dig my neo psych. There is constant 12 string and fuzz action throughout. On top of this heady brew is lilting and echoey female vocals. You could easily mistake this as a long lost 1967 gem. It has a very authentic sound. There is a killer 12 string raga break just like those McGuinn interludes from the Younger Than Yesterday sessions.

’Remember’ is similar in style but not as cool as the top side. It’s still impressive though and a worthy B-side. Both songs were written by Chris Maes.

My record came with a business card so I assume they were a gigging band or were after another record deal. It’s a shame that this 45 was their only output because they had a lot of talent and a unique sound for the late 90s.

info: The 45 was recorded at Caron’s basement during May 1999 and their contact was an address in Brussels, Belgium.

band members:
Chris Maes (Hagstrom 8 string bass)
Simon Jones (12 string Mosrite guitar, Vox fuzz guitar, tambourine)
Genevieve Nevin (Farfisa organ, vocals)
Marky Connell (drums)

Reader comments:
Yes it is Simon Jones of Vibrasonic playing on The Dawnbreakers single & what a great record it is, I love it.

The Dawnbreakers was only a recording band, there were no live shows done. Chris Maes was previously in Belgian band The Bees & Marky drummed for The Vice Barons, don’t know about The Optic Nerve ?

I met Chris when we were both playing in another band in Brussels, I was playing the drums & she was the bassist, we both left that band & she had some songs she wanted to record & asked if I`d play guitar on them, there were 2 other tracks recorded at the same time as the ones on the single but as far as I know they weren’t released.

(16/08/07)

THE WYLDE MAMMOTHS – ’Help That Girl’ EP (Crypt 45-3) 1988

This Swedish four piece were formed by ex Crimson Shadows member Peter Maniette and they offer the listener an updated R&B cocktail with just a hint of folk rock for added coolness. They certainly impressed Tim Warren enough to offer them a record deal on his Crypt label.

’Help That Girl’ EP was The Wylde Mammoths second single. All four songs are good to great and all hint at the sound of 60s bands like The Downliners Sect and The Pretty Things. ’Help That Girl’ sounds like a 1965 R&B punker, ’Nothing I Can Do’ is pure 1966 garage with a good guitar break, ’You’ is another 1965 R&B groover but ’In My Lonely Room’ is a slow tempo bluesy tune with a guitar riff borrowed heavily from Mouse and the Traps ’Public Execution’.

I reckon the R&B tracks would have been elevated to essential if they had used maracas and/or harp.

other info:
The seven inches of pleasure was recorded on the 14th and 15th of November 1987 at Nybro Studio in Stockholm. But not released on Crypt until 1988.

band members:
Peter Maniette (guitar/vocals)
Patrick Emt (bass)
Stellan Wahlstrom (drums/tambourine)
Per Wannerberg (guitar)

(14/08/07)

THE UNEXPECTED – ’Maybe’ / ’You Movin’ / ’I Need Your Lovin’ (Trouble And Tea Records 002) 1998

Pretty good three track EP by this Spanish folk rockin’ band on Trouble & Tea Records. They also released 45s by other Spanish mod bands The Blackbirds and The Mistakens. These are also worth your time. I’ll probably write about The Blackbirds later.

I also dig the name of the record label. This must be as a nod to the mod classic by Manfred Mann called ’Trouble and Tea’… too much of a coincidence otherwise!

All songs on this EP are sung in English. There’s a choice cover version of Gene Clark’s ’You Movin’ which was recorded by The Byrds in their very early studio sessions but never released at the time.

My favourite song is the closer ’I Need Your Lovin’ which is a fast paced beat pounder and sounds very Beatlesesque from their 1964 era.

The record was recorded at Odds Studios in Xixon, Spain.

(14/08/07)

The SOMELOVES – ’Melt’ / ’Jack Robinson’ (White Label Records K1015) 1989

The label states ’This is a real pop recording’ and I ain’t gonna argue with that. ’Melt’ is a classic.

The Someloves by 1989 were in effect Don Mariani (ex Stems) and Daryl Mather (ex Lime Spiders) plus assorted session players. This release was their third single. I’ll most likely review the others at a later stage, because they rock as well.

’Melt’ is a power pop gem with a glorious guitar hook that sticks in the mind. It’s also got a wah wah guitar solo that slays. This music is superior to almost anything that was released in those dark days of ’89 when the most I could hope for was average punk from a tired and almost extinct garage revival. Dom Mariani is a legend make no mistake about that.

This track was included on The Someloves LP ’Something Or Other’. The flip ’Jack Robinson’ was not part of that album and is only available on this record. It’s an OK pop song but not a patch on the top side and I personally don’t care much for the drumming which is a basic plod by numbers. Could have done with more dynamics. Maybe the production just sounds too clean for my tastes.

other info:
These two songs were recorded in June/July 1989 at Planet Studios, Perth and produced by Mitch Easter and John Villani.

players:
Don Mariani (vocals, lead guitar, 12 string guitar)
Darryl Mather (guitar)
Robbie Scorer (drums)
Tony Italiano (bass)

You’ve obviously got very similar tastes to my own, ranging through both garage and great pop. I bought all my SomeLoves stuff at Pier Platters in Hoboken, right from the earliest single.

However, it was this later stuff that really defined what the band would be, since it wasn’t until the Stems had split that it became a full-time thing.

As I recall, however, my favorite was always ”Girl Soul”, which evidently had its origins as a Stems’ song which never was completely finished.

(14/08/07)

THE MOFFS – ’Another Day In The Sun’ / ’Clarodomineaux’ (Citadel 012) Feb 1985

During the mid 80s Australia were the leaders in the pack for psychedelic bands and The Moffs on their early records were one of the best. ’Another Day In The Sun’ starts with a killer guitar intro. The riff will stay with you long after the record has finished. It builds slowly into a moody mass of guitar noise before slipping softly away with gentle piano.

It’s a very well produced record. I remember reading many articles and reviews about The Moffs in England’s guitar band magazine ’Bucketfull Of Brains’.

The flip side is the strangely named ’Clarodomineaux’. This cut has a garagey groove, almost funky with the drum beat. To me this one sounds like some of those early Stone Roses tunes but years before they released anything.

It’s also got a weird, almost baroque mid song interlude with female vocals before kicking back into the garage groove. It’s a difficult song to pigeon hole. All I know is that I dig it!

The Moffs were:
Tom Kazas (vocals, songwriter)
Nick Potts (organ)
Alan Hislop (drums)
David Byrnes (bass)

producer: Chris Logan

THE STEMS – ’Let Your Head Rest’ /’Don’t Let Me’ / ’Tears Me In Two’ (Zero Hour 001) 1990

The Stems are and always will be in my top 5 bands of all time. They join The Byrds, The Beatles, The Electric Prunes and Love. Wow, they’ll probably be embarrassed being in that company but there you go.

Back in the mid 80s they kicked every neo garage bands arse and delivered classic punker after classic punker.

Also in leader Dom Mariani they were blessed with a talented songwriter and someone with the best mushroomed head of hair this side of 1966.

I loved them and they were MY band. In my little corner of England, The Stems spread their Australian sunshine and I lapped up every sun ray.

Those days I was a young teenage long hair with a turtle neck, black Levis and Chelsea boots and these Aussies looked just like me!!!

This record came with a Stems Illustrated Biography and contained rare tunes unavailable elsewhere. ’Let Your Head Rest’ is killer garage punk with fuzz, tremolo, caveman drums and punk attitude.

I find it amazing that this track was left in the vaults and never released until they had disbanded. It was recorded during their first sessions in 1985. Even to this date ’Let Your Head Rest’ has never surfaced on CD.

The flip are demo versions of songs that were released. These were recorded in 85/86. 

(28/06/07)

PLASTICLAND – ’Flower Scene’ / ’In My Black And White’ (Midnight Records MID 4510) 1985

Plasticland were one of those bands from the 80s that certainly struck a chord with me. It wasn’t that common that neo bands from USA would be influenced by 60s Englishness. Most bands those days followed the garage punk tradition.

This Milwaukee band had been releasing 45s on various labels for five years before ’Flower Scene’ came out on Midnight Records. What you get on this record are two excellent psychedelic tunes and over the top psychy lyrics.

’Flower sceptre explodes tonight
It showers the hall with liquid light
There’s a bubble blowing in the air
There’s a bubble blowing out down there
Flower scene’…..

The flip ’In My Black And White’ again favours 60s English psychedelia style. Not the twee examples but the paths The Creation or The Who created during 1966.

According to Glenn Rehse this song was featured on the soundtrack to the film River Of Rags, an art piece produced and directed by 4TA.

Both songs are band originals written by Rehse and Frankovic. Also another bit of useless information for you, scribed in the dead wax of ’Flower Scene’ is the message No Flowers No Scene….. 

(10/05/07)

THE JAYBIRDS – ”Happy Day” / ”It Wasn’t Right” (Ilsa Records 69009) 1999

Austrian band The Jaybirds are well worth your efforts in tracking down their records. These are becoming harder to locate especially the early EPs on Ilsa.

This Vienna based neo R&B band’s passion was the mid 60s English blues influenced combos and their early recordings are faithful to this type of music.

Fortunately almost all of the 45 tracks were band originals and immaculately conceived sounding like long lost treasures from 1964/65.

One look at their cool mod image and bowl haircuts means that these guys are gonna take themselves seriously. This record contained two surprising covers of very obscure bands from 60s Austria.

’It Wasn’t Right’ was first recorded back in 1968 by a 3 piece group called Expiration, who were considered the Austrian ’Cream’.

The song doesn’t sound like Cream what so ever. It’s got a ’mod’ sound but not the soul sound if you know what I mean? More in keeping with English legends like Fleur de Lys or The Attack. Anyway, you’ll dig the swirling organ that’s way up front in the mix and the cool guitar break.

’Happy Day’ was originally recorded by Charles Ryder’s Corporation. Charles Ryder, also known as Karl Ratzer was the former lead guitarist of The Slaves.

The Jaybirds really pull this cover out of the bag with a more soulful approach, again with nice organ flourishes and good solid musicianship and vocals. It’s quite a powerful performance.

hi, the record was released in late 98. the organ part was played by a friend of ours called znarf huber who received unfortunately no credits on the record….but in the end I think we all didn’t receive any credits on that – no idea why…cheers patrick ”jaybird” nagl

(20/03/07)

THE OTHERS – Can’t Help But Cry EP (Twist 36T 017) 1997

 What did the Romans ever do for us? or something like that, was a famous quote from Monty Python Film ’The Life Of Brian’…Well apart from roads and sanitation they gave us The Others in the mid 90s!

I completely LOVE The Others. I’m a sucker for 12 string jangle and these guys used it in abundance on their records. I was so glad I discovered them by reading Italian fanzine Misty Lane, and they could well be my all time favourite neo garage psych group.

This 4 track EP came out in ’97. Your loss if you’ve never heard it so be sure to track it down. The first track is ’Can’t Help But Cry’. This is fast paced 12 string mayhem with a cool backbeat. It really is excellent folk punk showing that these Italian hipsters were on their game when this was recorded live at Delta Studios in Rome.

A cover of ’Elevator Operator’, the Gene Clark classic follows next and it’s a faithful rendition of the song with plenty of 12 string action and fuzz leads. The vocals are crisp and polished.

Side B kicks off with ’Do You Believe What I Say?’ This song is firmly set somewhere in a 1966 garage. It could be The Leaves! This time around we are not treated to jangle but fuzz and punky attitude. There is a cool lead guitar break mid way through.

’You’ll Never Know’ is again backed with 12 string and pleasant vocals. Could almost be a ballad. All songs, apart from the Gene Clark cover are band originals written by Massimo del Pozzo. He also produced the songs along with Bruno Apostoli.

(18/03/07)

44. THE MAKERS – Here Comes Trouble EP (Estrus ES744) 1993

Crude three track EP from Spokane, Washington band The Makers. Every bit as rabid and badly recorded as some of those original North West 60s bands. They sure look the part on the cover with their neat white jackets, black jeans and beatle boots.

It must have been a sight when they turned up for gigs in the 1965 Pontiac hearse (pictured)

The Estrus label on the 45 proclaims ’Estrus High Fidelity’. The music on the disc is anything but ’high fidelity’…it’s lo-fi garage rock and roll, Back From The Grave style. I’m sure that’s what they were aiming for anyway.

The highlight for me is the track ’Nobody Gonna Break My Soul’…it’s a perfect ’66 style punker.

tracks on EP:
I Can’t Stand It
The Mantis
Nobody Gonna Break My Soul

(10/04/08)

45. THE LEATHER NUN – Desolation Ave EP (Wire Records WRMS 007) 1985

Here’s another instance where I only own one record by a band. I’ve never even heard anything else by Swedish band The Leather Nun.

I did go to one of their gigs in 1986 but can’t remember a thing. Mustn’t have been that impressed.

I plucked this 12” EP from the shelves today and remembered why I probably paid to go and see them. ’Son Of A Good Family’ is great punk rock. It’s a mix in equal measure of The Stooges with The Ramones but with a half spoken half sung Lou Reed vocal delivery.

The Leather Nun named themselves after a London stripper and once shocked their audience by showing a porno movie at a concert. They didn’t do this at the gig I went to otherwise I would have remembered!

songs on EP:
On The Road
Son Of A Good Family
Desolation Avenue (full length version)

(09/04/08)

46. THE MINDERS – ’Right As Rain’ / ’Up And Away’ (Earworm 38) Sept 1999

I’ve got a few 45s by The Minders, I’ve even bought ’Hooray For Tuesday’ LP but don’t know a great deal about them other than they hail from Portland, Oregon.

’Right As Rain’ is my favourite Minders song simply because of the use of the Echoplex.

(09/04/08)

47. REDD KROSS – ’Mess Around’ (Way 6066 CD single) 1997

Long time going band from Los Angeles or are they? I’ve not read anything about them since the album ’Show World’ in 1997. This was a single lifted from that fine album which is full of modern day rock songs played with bags of melody and pop hooks.

(08/04/08)

48. THE REVOLVING PAINT DREAM – ‘Flowers In The Sky’ / ’In The Afternoon’ (Creation 002) Feb 1984

I can still remember buying this record from a shop in Sunderland. I probably bought it during the week it was released, which according to information from an online source was 25th February 1984.

Only 1000 were produced and is rare and sought after. It featured Andrew Innes who went onto Primal Scream, Christine Wanless and the Jasmine Minks’ Dave Musker on keyboards.

The wraparound picture sleeve was printed by Bobby Gillespie also later to be in Primal Scream and the sleeves were folded by Alan McGhee himself as was typical of all the first twenty ’Creation’ 7” releases.

’Flowers In The Sky’ is a frenzy of guitar feedback and distortion. It’s certainly psychedelic and this sound was ahead of it’s time especially in England. The Rain Parade and The Dream Syndicate were experimenting with this kind of psych in USA around about the same time I suppose but I’d heard nothing like it in my country.

The grass is green in the fields for you
The grass is green in the fields
Its red and green, its orange and blue
The grasses are there for you (cause I love you)

The flip ’In The Afternoon’ is more of the same trippy psychedelia. It could almost be an extension of the top side but this time the vocals are female.

One for the shoegazers…..

(08/04/08)

49. THE CLIENTELE – ‘(I Want You) More Than Ever’ / ‘6 A.M. Morningside’ (Elefant Records ER-217) Dec 1999

Whilst I take my leave from the 60s for the next couple of months I’m gonna post fifty 45s that were released after 1975 that I recommend.

I’ve got good taste and an ear for coolness so fear not my regular readers this ain’t gonna be the ’end’ of Renaissance Fair, more of a journey into the unknown (maybe).

In at number 49 is this marvellous record by English band The Clientele. It’s the only record or CD I own by them (not sure why I’ve not investigated further??)

Anyway I was in one of the local record shops in Newcastle and bought this as a new release back in 2000. Not that I knew what to expect or anything, I just took a liking for the cover….

(I Want You) More Than Ever is a very fresh sounding melancholic pop tune that brings those special Curt Boettcher songs to mind. This has a lovely melody, really beautiful.

The flip ’6 a.m. Morningside’ is just as good, perhaps even more mournful. It comes across like a mix of ’Sunday Morning’ (Velvets) with 1968 period Donovan.

The Clientele sound 60s and they probably don’t even mean to.

(07/04/08)

50. THE KLIEK – ’Sandra’ / ’House Of Stone’ (Twang! Records TS 130662) 1992

I’m not sure if these scary cats wearing those even scarier clothes would entice the random record buyer into purchasing this 45.

Just look at how that top hat tries to evade the blokes head sitting centre. The last time I saw a top hat that small it was racing around a monopoly board.

Fortunately I knew all about The Kliek. They just happened to be the best Dutch beat group since the 60s. ’Sandra’ is a beat punk offering and at 2:19 is a short blast of coolness. It was written by singer Robert Muter, who would later form his new band Kek ’66 after the demise of The Kliek.

The flip ’House Of Stone’ is a cover of The Grass Roots garage punker from 1966. Couldn’t possibly compete with the original but it’s a pleasant blast. Almost note for note interpretation. Could have done with more fuzz though.

(07/04/08)

THE BARRACUDAS – ’I Can’t Pretend’ / ‘The K.G.B. (Made A Man Out Of Me)’ (Zonophone Z17) 1981

Outstanding double sided garage rock inspired 45 by my all time faves The Barracudas. The top side is the Robin Wills original ’I Can’t Pretend’. It’s only vaguely 60s though. It has the appealing commercial hooks of prime time ’66 but this has a more 70s punk attitude.

’The K.G.B. (Made A Man Out Of Me)’ is just as cool with a killer punk beat and a very nice guitar break. I really dig Nicky Turner’s drumming on this track.

This song was not part of the ’Drop Out With The Barracudas’ LP released on Voxx Records in 1982 so maybe many of you won’t have heard it before.

The Barracudas skirted with UK chart fame with ’Summer Fun’, even appearing on TOTP. I finally saw this TV action a few years ago and was astonished how bad Jeremy Gluck was.

He must have took a few too many lines of speed in the ’Green’ room or something that evening?

Line-up:
Jeremy Gluck (vocals)
Nicky Turner (drums)
Robin Wills (guitar)
David Buckley (bass)

’The K.G.B. (Made A Man Out Of Me)’ was recorded at Manchester Square Studios.
’I Can’t Pretend’ was recorded at Rockfield Studios.

(31/08/07)

KNAVE – ’Bachelor’ / ’Candy’ (Detour Records DR037) 1996

’Bachelor’ is a storming hammond mod floor filler but ’Candy’ is a disappointment. I think the pic cover is excellent.

The modsters threads are hanging nicely on the wall above his bed, there are nude pictures on the wall as well as a band shot of The Who and records and dirty plates litter the floor. ha ha ha ….

Here’s what the cover liners said about the band….

From the depths of London we’ve seen many a great young band, but after listening to this 45 rpm gem, you can write the majority of ’em off.

Recorded at London’s legendary Toe-Rag Studios, you know exactly what yer gonna get. Great hammond fuelled, 60s influenced, lyrically brilliant, in yer face wonderment.

Jon-Paul Harper is renowned for his excellence with a pen and is pretty good on the ’ol guitar too. The one and only Trevor French has a voice that any budding young vocalist would die for, taking you back to the days when Steve Marriott packed the Palladium.

With the bass talent of Steve Duffield, alongside Paul Newman’s crazy hammond antics and the retiring young Stephen Mason thrashing that kit, they travel the world in their well known and much loved ambulance. Knave are the band to keep your eyes on…..

There’s nothing like self promotion but the production by future White Stripes Producer Liam Watson is good, very good!!!

(30/08/07)

The MOURNING AFTER – ’She Means Nothing To Me’ / ’Day Tripper’ (Detour Records 072) 1999

This was The Mourning After’s third and final release on the Detour label. In fact it has proved to be their final ever 45 which is a shame because I think they finally got a sound down on vinyl that does them justice.

So many of their previous releases have been hampered by ’modern’ production. I’m something of a purist and modern production doesn’t do much for me at all.

Still, The Mourning After were never a purist band. Hell, they very rarely did any cover versions live. Chris Blackburn always had enough crypt kickers of his own. And that my friends is where The Mourning After were ahead of the game in some respects. The original line up really rocked in the live domain.

’She Means Nothing To Me’ starts off with pumping bass lines before rockin’ into the some cool guitar and organ. I also dig the background female vocals that really add a sinister touch. Listen out for the killer guitar break. This may also be Chris’ strongest ever lead vocal.

The flip is a version of The Beatles tune ’Day Tripper’ and is the only cover they’ve released on record.. This time around it’s Fee’s chance to shine. I really dig her vocals. It’s a shame this was the first and last time they were used.

Nice to see them still using a Mourning After logo I designed for them way back in the 80s. This was meant for the drum kit but it looks good revolving around my turntable at 45 r.p.m.

For anyone interested, The Mourning After are playing with The Frank Gannon Trio at a night of garage, surf, trash rockabilly & sleaze at the Town Mill, Mansfield on easter Sunday night.Matt, Worksop (2009)

(30/08/07)

THE JAYBIRDS – ’Save My Soul’ / ’King Lonely The Blue’ / ’Shake’ / ’Baby I Need’ (Animal Records S040) 1996

Perennial favourites at Expo67 HQ are of course The Jaybirds. On this obscure and now hard to find EP on Animal Records, the Austrian purists take some freakbeat pills and turn in four classy scorchin’ snarlers.

’Save My Soul’ originally by The Wimple Winch is a note perfect rendition, almost identical to the original with the slow build up before cruising into thunderous freakbeat punk, closing with some cool fuzzy wah wah.

A Tim Rose cover ’King Lonely The Blue’ is next up and is again firmly centred around prime ’66 mod/beat. It’s a very purist approach.

These guys certainly know how to get ’that’ sound. Nice soulful vocals struggle to be heard over the throbbing bass and fuzzy punk guitars.

The second side of the EP starts with a cover of the often covered ’Shake’. This is a song I’ve never had much feelings for. Just too souly for me.

Fortunately The Jaybirds turn it into a rave-up and come off sounding like The Sorrows.

’Baby I Need’ once again flicks on the freakbeat switch. I’ve got no clue if this is an original or not. If anyone knows for sure let me know….thanks

The Jaybirds recorded these four tracks at EKM Studio, Vienna in November 1996 and according to the sleeve notes the songs were live favourites and the band decided to record them soon after the release of their acclaimed LP ’Going Our Own Ways’.

hi there, this record was recorded in 96/97 during the recording sessions for our second lp, but it was released in the end of 99. the song ”baby i need” is an original of the british freakbeat band ”the kingpins” from 66.cheers patrick ”jaybird” nagl

(28/08/07)

30. The GREEN TELESCOPE – ’Face In A Crowd’ / ’Thoughts Of A Madman’ (Wump Records BIF 4811) 1986

This was the second and last 45 by Edinburgh’s Green Telescope. After this record they would change their name to The Thanes Of Cawdor then shorten that to The Thanes.

I love this 45. Both sides are killer. ’Face In A Crowd’ written by Lenny Helsing is a frantic beat punker complete with caveman screams, reedy organ and a nice touch of maracas. To me this sounds more like Dutch punk as opposed to American garage. It’s a great song whatever the influence!

The other side is a cover of the 1967 no hit wonder by The Nomads. Yes they had the balls to tackle (pun intended) ’Thoughts Of A Madman’. Not only that but in my opinion it is far better than the original.

Lenny won’t thank me for this or agree but his 60s garage punk vocals are amazing. Hold on to your hat when the fuzz kicks in at 1 minute 20 seconds….

Both songs were recorded at Roslin Glen Studios.

Lenny Helsing recently contacted me with the line-ups of The Green Telescope when recording the 45s reviewed.

The line up for the Wump release was as follows:
Lenny Helsing (lead vocals/fuzz guitar/maracas) 
Bruce Lyall (organ) 
Alan McLean (bass)
Mal Kergan (drums)

Reader comments:
I played with The Nomads that originally recorded ”Thoughts Of A Madman”. I also co-wrote the song. I am interested in obtaining a copy of The Green Telescopes version.

I already have a version by an Australian band (The Philistines). I also understand that a band in New York (U.S.A.) recorded a version of the song but I don’t know the name of the band.

I tried contacting lenny via facebook but to no avail, unfortunately. I loved the green telescope 45s in the 80s and still play them regularly, plus the tunes they recorded for the otherwise-lame ’waking dream’ comp.

And also remember them recording a superb session for andy kershaw’s radio 1 show, which included a great version of ’square root of two’ by the nightwalkers. i think a green telescope retrospective is long overdue. i may start hassling re-vola and sundazed et al to give it a go.

(28/08/07)

THE CRIMSON SHADOWS – ’It’s Cold’ / ’I Want You To Leave Me’ / ’Night Of The Maniacs’ (Mystery Scene EP) 1987
 
Snotty teen punks from Sweden who were short lived, released a couple of records, drank beer, played a handful of gigs then fell out before splitting for good.

The tracks on this EP were never released when they were around. The recordings were made at Siljans Studio on the 13th and 14th September 1985, apart from the throwaway ’Night Of The Maniacs’ which was recorded in Peter Maniette’s kitchen.

’It’s Cold’ written by Mans Mansson is the gem here. It’s a very sloppy punker full of bum notes and with some good garage vocals from Jens Lindberg. It really stands out. Could possibly have been a ’proper’ 45 had they stayed around long enough.

line-up:
Henrik Orrje (harmonica and tambourine)
Peter Maniette (farfisa and vox)
Mans Mansson (guitar and vocals)
Johan Maniette (drums)
Jens Lindberg (bass and vocals)

(28/08/07)

The NUTHINS – ‘Girl Has Gone’ (Larsen Recordz FZ010) 1995

I’ve rescued this killer from a free CD given away with Larsen Fanzine No10. ’Girl Has Gone’ is a frantic folk punker with magical 12 string jangle and farfisa organ. The bass and the jangle try and out do each other. Both fighting for prominence.

I remember telling Mojo Mills years ago via a letter (pre email days) that The Nuthins should have released this as a single.

He advised me that he did regret not using it. Sadly The Nuthins are no more but the good news is that ’Girl Has Gone’ lights up my eyes every time I play it.

I’m gonna review another guitar/organ pounder by The Nuthins at a later date.

(28/08/07)

The MOCK TURTLES – ‘Time Between’ (Imaginary Records LP 004) 1989

Here’s a classic cover version of The Byrds song ’Time Between’. This cut was part of the mostly great collection put together by Imaginary Records of modern day bands paying their respect to the greatest ever American 60s band.

I can’t say I dig The Mock Turtles (I don’t own any of their records nor have felt the need to do so. They were part of the English indie scene in the late 80s early 90s that did nothing for me) however, they certainly did a crackin’ interpretation of this Chris Hillman tune.

They turn the song into a 12 string jangle fest without any hint of the country rock Hillman’s original has. Midway through the coolness they strangely throw in a few lines from ’Why’ but it works!
The vocals are pretty good also. This is easily my favourite track on this LP.

(28/08/07)

LOS COVERS – ’I Try’ / ’Can’t Stop This Feelin’ / ’Nothing to Say’ (Thunder Pussy 007) 1995

Spanish mod band Los Covers appear to have a fixation with their English heroes The Small Faces and The Spencer Davis Group in equal measure.

I can take or leave ’Can’t Stop This Feelin’ and ’I Try’ which are a little bit too souly for my tastes but ’Nothing To Say’ fits my criteria nicely.

This one sounds much more R&B but retains that element of soul ala Small Faces. It’s also got a swirling organ sound that I know plenty of people dig!

line-up
Xoel Lopez (guitar and vocals)
Nacho Mora (bass)
Marcos Collantes (drums)
Patricia Keina (organ)
Recorded and mixed at Odds Studios, Gijon on 29th October 1995.

Produced by Felix Dominquez

Reader comment:
The covers mutated in Elephant Band, singer and bass player was in the new band. They edited two records, i posted the first …For a Cold Days in our blog http://18rodas.blogspot.com/

(27/08/07)

The FROSTED FLAYKES – ’Waste Your Time’ / ’Rockin’ Rhythm’ (Midnight Records 4507) 1984

Ensconced in my favourite Midnight Records picture sleeve (not hard because they were usually rubbish) is this crudely recorded double sided garage 45 by New York band The Frosted Flaykes.

Both songs in fairness are virtually the same. One has vocals the other is an instrumental.

But both have that raw 60s trashy style that I don’t normally go for but they win me over with the cover which is Grrrrreat!! as Tony The Tiger would say.

’Rockin’ Rhythm’ is a fuzz blast and I dig the fuzzzz.

The line-up on The Frosted Flaykes only 45 were:
Jordan Tarlow (guitar and pan?…told you it was primitive)
Mike Chandler (harmonica)
Fast Freddie (drums)
Joe (bass)

Jordan Tarlow later played with The Outta Place, The Morlocks and the late 80s line up of The Fuzztones.

Mike Chandler co-wrote some songs for the Fuzztones and later became lead singer of The Raunch Hands.

Reader comment:
I remember buying this one, at Midnight itself, I believe. I used to use ”Rockin’ Rhythm” for promos for my radio show as an undergrad in the mid-80s.

These days Chandler’s back in NYC and singing (and playing harmonica) with the VERY cool Chandler & the Chasers, as well as shaking the maraccas (and vocalizing on a couple songs) with Edison Rocket Train (led by Raunch Hands’ drummer Mike ”Sharky” Edison).

(25/08/07)

The LYRES – ’Boston’ / ’Shake It Some More’ (Norton Records 45-020) 1993

I’m not the biggest Lyres fan around and have only maybe got about half of their recorded output but I dig this 45 a lot.

’Boston’ is of course the Gene Clark demo song that The Byrds overlooked for their debut album. Here, The Lyres strip it back to the bones (not that there was much ’flesh’ on the original) and create a garage rocker.

It’s certainly a basic plod but I think it works well because it has a primal beat, heavy bass lines and the mono man’s Vox Continental organ (which is a cool sound).

Mid way through ’Boston’ the band decide to play ’Dirty Water’ by The Standells (ha ha ha) it’s like two great songs for the price of one and all about their home town of Boston.
’Shake It Some More’ is another garage rock tune and I’m sure I’ve heard it done by some other band.

The writer credit is ’Sheridan’ and it could be an original by Dutch Beat band The Jay Jays. I’ll do a bit research and confirm later?

Also the band on the cover is obviously not The Lyres. Can anyone confirm who these country looking hicks were on the picture sleeve? The bass player looks like one of those scary inbreeds from 70s film Deliverance.

line-up:
Jack Hickey (guitar)
Jim Janota (drums)
Rick Coraccio (bass)
Jeff Conolly (vocals, keyboards and tambourine)

Reader comment:
Definitely one of my favorite Lyres’ singles from after Jeff moved back to Boston in 1990.

I’ll never forget that first show after he came back from San Diego… It was at the Rat in mid-November of ’90 and I drove a couple friends up from NYC. The place was jammed. Supposedly a bigger crowd than they’d ever had.

(24/08/07)

THE JAYBIRDS – ’Hold On I’m Coming’ / ’Just a Loser’ / It’s Too Late’ / ’You Don’t Have To Tell Me’ (Ilsa Records 69007) 1996

Here’s the second of my Jaybirds reviews. I wrote about one of their killer 45s months ago. Locate it in one of the monthly archives.

This cool set of Austrian mods are purist all the way. Just take a look at the cover, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s fabulous.

There are four tracks on this EP, two covers and two originals from Bernhard Gold. The Jaybirds really come good on both covers. ’Hold On I’m Coming’ first done by Sam and Dave and written by David Porter sets the scene and that scene is mod soul and the kind I can listen to. 

’Just A Loser’ has always been a personal favourite. First done by John Smith and the New Sound (I think). Their version was a ’biggish’ hit in most parts of Europe in 1968 but it did nothing in their native England.

If the first side of the EP had a soul vibe going on, the second has a purist R&B approach. I dig this so much and I’m sure you will too. ’You Don’t Have To Tell Me’ pays a massive debt to The Sorrows with the same punk R&B as my mid 60s heroes.

All songs were recorded at the famous TOE-RAG studio in London in May 1995.

line-up:
Bernhard Gold (vocals and harp)
Norbert Payr (lead guitar)
Markus Zochling (bass)
Patrick Nagl (rhythm guitar)
Thomas Schmitzberger (drums)

hi, this one was recorded during one night in londons toe rag studios during a small tour in 95.patrick ”jaybird” nagl

(22/08/07)

LOS IMPOSIBLES – ’Judy’ EP (Animal Records 021) 1995

Here’s a very cool four track EP by Madrid band Los Imposibles. During the 90s Spain had a massive amount of neo 60s bands each covering their chosen path such as mod, garage and psychedelia. Los Imposibles fit into a mod pop category.

’Judy’ is a band original and is a pleasant enough pop song but for me it just sets up the next track which happens to be one of my favourite Traffic songs ’Paper Sun’. Fortunately, they are able to carry the cover version off with some neat sitar sounding guitar and swirling organ.

The second side of the EP offers up ’Groovin’ & Movin’, a groovy mod instrumental with funky hammond organ and some brass. I would have preferred killer fuzz guitar solos, but I suppose this will do.

’Peppermint Frappe’ is another mod tune following the same template as the previous track. You could be mistaken for thinking this was some tune from a 60s soundtrack.

Los Imposibles released more records after this in a more Beatles vein.

line-up:
Paco Poza (vocals, guitar, organ)
Javier Palomo (bass)
Gonzalo Lagarto (drums)

All tracks recorded at the Green Drum Studio, Madrid in December 1994.

(19/08/07)

19. THE BERRY PICKERS – ’Watcha Tryin’ To Do’ / ’All Aboard’ / ’Wee Wee Hours’ (Dionysus ID 074506) 1987

According to Timothy Gassen’s recommended reference book titled ’The Knights Of Fuzz’, The Berry Pickers were from Hollywood in California. They obviously named their band after their hero Chuck Berry. Two of the songs on this record are Berry covers. Both are solid efforts but the authentic R’n’B of ’All Aboard’ is a particular success.

’Watcha Tryin’ To Do’ is an original composition written by guitarist Jack Lopez. It’s a lo-fi R&B take of Jagger’s Stones, circa 1964 but without their budget or the studio muscle Decca could provide. The song still works.

There are two things I dig about The Berry Pickers. The most important being that they did their own thing when most of the ’underground’ scene were going ’garage’ or ’psych’….they chose to represent the Blues and pulled it off for such a young band.
And secondly they made the cool decision to record in glorious mono.

line-up:
Dan Herrera (drums)
John Vetter (bass)
Jack Lopez (guitar)
Jeff Alexander (vocals/harmonica)

Tracks recorded November 25th, 1986 but released in ’87.

(07/05/08)

20. FORTUNE & MALTESE and The PHABULOUS PALLBEARERS – Sonic Sounds From Seattle EP (Dionysus ID0745102) 2000

This band from Kalamazoo, MI are one of my favourite bands of all time and that’s a high compliment to make but hey, it’s true. They fuckin’ rock and leader Freddy Fortune has an awesome garage punk vocal delivery, full of angst and spit.

’Sonic Sounds From Seattle’ is an EP made up of four songs, two originals and two covers. Side A opens with a killer version of ’Girl, Go Run Away’ originally done by The Bedforde Set. It’s far superior than the original in every way, better vocals, classier instrumentation and the production slays the Bedforde Set.

’You Watch The Road’ could be my fave Fortune and Maltese tune. It’s a garage swinger with dumb lyrics just the way they should be. Fab organ weaving in and out of the punk lead guitar frills. Dig the rave-up ending of the song….

’The sidewalk scene in this whole City,
Is crawlin’ with girls who look so pretty.
The clothes they wear are causin’ a minor sensation,
Doesn’t leave much to my imagination’.

The B-Side opens with a Mysterians like organ dominated go go instrumental titled ’Don’t Question Me’. This one would be hip for those 60s hippie chicks dancin’ in those Sunset Strip cages. The EP closes with a rockin’ version of ’Jump, Jive and Harmonize’ originally by Thee Midniters.

You need this record.

Trivia:
All songs recorded July 29th, 1998 in Seattle, Washington at Kearney Barton’s Audio recording Inc.

(05/05/08)

21. THE CYNICS – ’No Way’ / ’Dancin’ On The Wall’ (Get Hip GH-101) 1987

One of the most famous 80s garage bands to emerge from those forgotten times were The Cynics from Pittsburgh. They had the talent to release scores of 45s and plenty of studio albums so their work should not be that difficult to pick up twenty odd years after their show of hands.

’No Way’ recorded in June 1986 but not released until ’87 is a garage fuzz punk blast with no let up. The label states ’recorded in anger’ and I ain’t gonna argue with that assessment. This Kastelic-Kostelich creation will have you tearing up the town knifing every hillbilly in sight. Don’t worry though, there will still be enough of those thick pig shit eaters to appear on the Jerry Springer Show.

The flip ’Dancin’ On The Wall’ is another demented fuzz winner with cool fucked off vocals. The Cynics take no prisoners that’s for sure. This track is not on the LP Blue Train Station.

(05/05/08)

22. THE MYSTIC EYES – ’My Time To Leave’ / ’From Above’ (Get Hip GH-102) 1987

Hailing from Buffalo, New York The Mystic Eyes were an unlikely looking garage band but they perfectly blended 12 string jangle with a crude backbeat on their classic ’My Time To Leave’.

It’s an anthemic number and very commercial sounding that would have done well in the indie charts had it got any exposure.

the flip ’From Above’ is a Q65 cover and has that cool folk rock groove with more jangle, acetone organ and casual vocals, almost spoken in a way. Singer Bernard Kugel is strangely putting on a fake Dutch accent as per the original. It’s also a non LP cut.

line-up:
Bernard Kugel (vocals, guitar)
Craig Davison (bass, organ)
Eric Lubstorf (6 and 12 string guitar) died 1998
Scott Davison (drums)

(05/05/08)

23. SICK ROSE – Double Shot (Electric Eye EES 18) 1987

Italian 80s garage legends The Sick Rose released this two single assault in one smart package called ’Double Shot’ in 1987. And it’s a classic of the genre and well worth adding to your collection.

They cover two choice punkedelic songs. ’Nothin’ originally done by The Ugly Ducklings and ’My Time’ by The Golden Dawn. But it’s the originals by bass player Maurizio Campisi that stand out from the rest.

’It’s Hard’ is a fast paced punker with fuzz guitar and reverb. The organ is buried deep in the mix, would have preferred this to be louder. The best song is ’When The Sun Refuses To Shine’. Thankfully, the organ is high in the mix and as such this track is a garage punk swinger.

All songs are sung in English.

(04/05/08)

24. CHARIOT – What If I Run Out Of My Pills? (Munster MRCD 146) 1998

Here’s another rare CD single to make my Top 50 of recommended post 1975 ’45s’ to add to your collection. This time it’s a collaboration of musicians calling themselves Chariot.

They were formed by ex Posies Ken Stringfellow and Brian Young, Javier Escovedo (ex Zeros and True Believers) and Pat Fear from White Flag. Their mission was to play straight ahead rock and roll with a 60s pop slant, also embracing country rock and power pop.

This CD single is worth tracking down because it’s almost like a full album coming in at a full 26 minutes. So it’s gonna be money well spent if you can find it. It will be difficult though because only 550 were pressed.

tracks:
What If I Run out of My Pills?
Nos Vemos Por Ahi
Un Poco de Animo

CD bonus Live on The Crayola Blaze Show with interviews and cuts such as the Choir’s ’I’d Rather You Leave Me’, ’Another Day Passes By’, ’Black Is Black’ and ’Un Angel Del Fuego’

CHARIOT PERFORMING ”PEACE OF MIND”, ORIGINALLY RECORDED BY COUNT FIVE IN 1966.

THIS VERSION TITLED ”UN POCO DE ANIMO” WAS ONLY AVAILABLE ON THE LIMITED EDITION CD SINGLE RELEASED IN 1998.

(03/05/08)

25. TYRNAROUND – ’Want Of A Rhyme’ / ’Hello Or Goodbye’ (Polyester LUV 5) 1987

This is an essential 45 if you’re into psychedelia. The Tyrnaround were from Australia and formed in 1985. Both of these tracks were recorded in 1986 but not released until the following year.

’Want Of A Rhyme’ is easy on the ear pop psych, but the killer on this disc is the adventurous B-Side ’Hello Or Goodbye’….This one really recaptures Syd Barrett and the acid era Beatles perfectly. All the elements are present and the trippy time changes especially elevate the song to beautiful highs.

line-up:
Ken Gardner (keyboards)
Michael Phillips (vocals) died 1999
Peter Fidler (guitar)
Leigh Underhill (bass)
Gavin Gray (drums)

(01/05/08)

26. LOS NEGATIVOS – ’Moscas Y Aranas’ / Un Dia Especial’ (Victoria VIC-301) 1986

Brilliant cover to compliment an outstanding 45. This band were the business all right. They had obvious 60s influences but added a mix of their own and sound very similar to my all time favourites from Australia The Stems.

’Moscas Y Aranas’ powers along at a high tempo with piping organ, loud bass and cool guitars slashing all over the place. The flip ’Un Dia Especial’ is more of a guitar psych trip with a ’modern’ production sound. If I was to compare it I’d have to line it up alongside those cool early Rain Parade records.

This 45 will be a hard one to locate but fortunately both songs were taken from their album ’Piknic Caleidoscopico’.

Unfortunately, when this does come up for sale you’ll have to fork out about $100…. I’m sure I read a couple of years ago that a Negativos collection on CD was in the works?

In fact, Mushroom Pillow republished ”Piknik” in CD three years ago. The reissue came with a lot of extras (new mastering, demos, video clips & a terrific booklet in spanish) and worths every cent it cost. I think it’s difficult that the other band’s discs will be reissued but, who knows? Wonderful blog yours. Cheers

(26/04/08)

 27. LOS NEGATIVOS – ’Pasando El Tiempo’ / ’No Soy Yo La (Psicoastenia)’ (Victoria VIC-303) 1986

I’m staying in Spain for a few more 45s by a band from Barcelona called Los Negativos. They were a big hit in Spain but nowhere else and are largely unknown and their first couple of garage pop singles are now sought after and hard to find.

’Pasando El Tiempo’ is a commercial pop song with jangle, it’s pleasant enough but the flip ’No Soy Yo La (Psicoastenia)’ is a brooding garage pop side with immediate appeal.

It’s gotta be said that they had a pretty good 60s psych image as well.

(25/04/08)

28. LOS FLECHAZOS – Los Flechazos EP (Detour Records DR043) 1996

I wrote about this cool Spanish mod band months ago, check out the archives. This time I’ll highlight their ’must get’ four track EP released by small indie label Detour Records.

All songs are sung in English which is a big help for me cos I don’t know the Spanish lingo and I ain’t got a clue what they’re singing about. Two of the songs are Flechazos originals written by band leader Alejandro Diez, although the mod rocker ’Pretty Sight Of Sorrow’ is co-written by bass player Paco Vila.

The two covers are interesting. They tackle ’Good Thing’ in a good way but it can’t match the original Paul Revere and the Raiders version. But their attempt at ’Dream In My Mind’ is a killer. For those of you who don’t know the song it was originally done by English freakbeat legends Rupert’s People.

Plus points also must go to Detour Records for the excellent cover (front and back)….

tracks:
One More Try
Good Thing
Pretty Sight Of Sorrow
Dream In My Mind

(25/04/08)

29. THE LAZY SUNDAYS – ’A Shade In The Light’ / ’Gong With The Luminous Nose’ (Subterfuge Records) 1996

Out of the Madrid warmth come The Lazy Sundays. I rate this 45 as their best for a few reasons. First of all the cover graphics are fantastic and the sleeve is made of very thick card, just like those mid 60s English EPs.

Also because the top side, ’A Shade In The Light’ an original by Christophe Albero & Juan Ribas, is a psychedelic delight with ’skying’, a trippy hammond solo and gritty psych lead guitar.

The other side is a memorable cover of The Fleur De Lys song ’Gong With The Luminous Nose’.

The other reason to add this record to your collection is that ’Gong With The Luminous Nose’ is only available on this single. It was not on their album ’The Texture And The Flavour’….

(24/04/08)

31. THE TRYFLES – ‘(Had Enough Of) Your Lies’ / ’When I See That Guy’ (Midnight Records MID-4513) 1985

One of my favourite bands of the 80s were the awesome Headless Horsemen led by bassist/singer/songwriter Peter Stuart. Well, that talented musician’s earlier band had been the rather crude and primitive sounding Tryfles from New York.

I’m saying crude because I don’t think the mediocre production helped much. If you dig crude and primitive The Tryfles are for you.

The tunes on both sides are rips of 60s garage bands. ’When I See That Guy’ pinches The 13th Floor Elevators most famous opening riff….

(23/04/08)

32. VIBRASONIC – ’Don’t Leave Me Tired / ’The Unloved Insane’ (Target Records TGT006) 1992

Both sides of this record are trippy mind blowers with fuzz, sitar, distortion and eerie sound effects. I’m amazed that a band could get this sort of sound in 1991 when it was recorded.

The Vibrasonic were just two English musicians, Victor K. Fitch and Simon Paul Jones although the strangely named Dr Daryl Bowers played organ on ’The Unloved Insane’….
This is psychedelia of the highest order.

Great band! one of my favourites from back in the day. You can read a short interview i did with the band here:http://www.geocities.com/r_prest/vibrasonic.htmlRP

(20/04/08)

33. LES INCAPABLES – ’1234 Success’ EP (Teen Sound 004) 1997

Here’s a wonderful record for all of you vinyl hounds out there to track down. It was one of the earliest outings on Italian Teen Sound Records outta Rome so may be a tricky one to add to your collection.

Les Incapables were a Montreal, Canadian garage band that had a liking for their garage punk to be mixed with surf. The added touch of a spooky Vox continental organ gave their sound an authentic ’66 style. Plus the playing is of a crude nature.

If someone ever gets around to compiling a 90s Back From The Grave compilation this band would be on it.

tracks on EP:
Jezabel
Twist-A-Rita
Pauvre Fou
Drag-A-Hula

(20/04/08)

34. THE INDIKATION – ’Tu Manipule Ma Tete’ / ’Jaqueline’ / ’Indikation Ye Ye’ (Larsen LZ 068) 2002

Sadly The Indikation broke up in 2007 but at least they left three incredible 45s and a pretty good album behind. Their singles are really where the action is though. This was their first 45 on the French label Larsen.

The Indikation hailed from Norway but the top side of this record ’Tu Manipule Ma Tete’ is sung in French. It’s a mod mover with a commercial beat that could easily have been accepted by the kids if they ever knew where to find decent music.

’Jacqueline’ follows in similar mode but is perhaps not as instant on first listen but repeated plays make this another strong track.

’Indikation Ye Ye’ is a swingin’ instrumental in Small Faces style and it’s this track I’m putting forward as the crowd pleaser. Buy this EP if you ever see it for sale but it’s now a hard one to score.

(19/04/08)

35. THE BACKDOOR MEN – ”Going Her Own Way” / ”Dance Of The Savages” (FAB Records BM-S 002) 1986

This was Swedish band The Backdoor Men’s second and last 45. Robert Jelinek and Hans Ingemansson would later reform as The Creeps.
’Going Her Own Way’ written by chief songwriter Ingemansson is a 12 string jangle delight and reminds me of those cool pop ballads by The Rolling Stones circa 1965/66…

The other side ’Dance Of The Savages’ is a surf punk instrumental showing their garage side. This one has a strange opening of backwards tapes. The organ led pounder hints at the sound The Creeps would adopt on their fabulous debut album. Sounds a whole lot like The Prisoners.

Not only did The Backdoor Men have the songs they also had the ’way-out’ image to back up their greatness……

(19/04/08)

36. THE ESCALATORS – ’The Munsters Theme’ / ’Monday’ (Big Beat NS87) 1983

 London’s Escalators were the alter-ego of psychobilly band The Meteors…. Psychobilly sucked big time and was unfortunately popular in England for about a year until people realised how shit it was.

Thankfully, The Meteors got a little bit of garage in their soul first with a cover of The Electric Prunes ’Get Me To The World On Time’ under the guise of The Clapham South Escalators (Clapham South is a London Tube Station) then they released this Munsters Theme cover as simply The Escalators.

Reader comment:
for a start this aint the meteors. its the escalators….by this time this 45 was recorded the meteors were on another line up. the escalators were a band formed of x meteors of a band of its own.

(18/04/08)

37. THE VELVET CRUSH – ’Gentle Breeze’ / ’Party Line’ (demo) / ’On My Side’ (Bobsled 15) 2000

Under-rated band The Velvet Crush released this three song CD single on Bobsled Records. ’Gentle Breeze’ is taken from their album ’Free Expression’ but the other two tracks are only available here. Pleasingly all cuts are in MONO. Seems strange that a modern band would do such a thing.

The music is mellow country rock with a definite late 60s Byrds feel, their earlier work is much more indie rock with jangle.

By the time of this release The Velvet Crush were down to a duo of Paul Chastain and Ric Menck. Production duties were by Matthew Sweet……DIG IT!!!!

Reader comment:

are you sure the version of Gentle Breeze is the same as on the LP ”free expression”? I have an early version which was released on a Creation EP in the early 90s (Post-Greatness EP) and in my records the two versions (2000 7 inches and 1992 12 inches) are similar, with a less cleaner sound than the free expression lp version

(17/04/08)

38. THE STAIRS – ’Weed Bus’ EP (Go Discs GODCD 63) 1991

Here’s a first for ’Flower Bomb Songs’. The first ever YouTube video uploaded to my blog. Hope you all dig it.

Back in 1991 there wasn’t a lot of new bands to listen to in England. However, a four piece Liverpudlian set were. Perhaps The Stairs were our best kept secret, not that ’Weed Bus’ (a song about smoking pot) would ever get played on the radio!

This 4 song CD single is now very rare and sought after. All tracks are worth a listen. My favourite is probably the jangly ’Flying Machine’…

The Stairs only ever recorded in MONO and on this promo video they sound like The Rolling Stones but look like The Chocolate Watch Band. A mix that couldn’t possibly fail…but somehow it did.

(14/04/08)

39. THE BREADMAKERS – ”Continental Cool” EP (Farniente Records 001) 1996

If you dig your R&B authentic without the influence of garage look no further than The Breadmakers from Victoria, Australia. It’s a shame that they chose a crap name for their band and an even bigger shame that the cover of this EP is second rate. Just as well that the music contained within is excellent.

The musicianship and production stand out as does the best song on the EP ’Searchin’ For Cool’… if The Breadmakers were searchin’ for cool they definitely found it with this song and EP as a whole.

tracks:
Searchin’ For Cool
Bordeaux Wine
Yeah Yeah Baby
Blues For An Olive

(13/04/08)

40. THE UNHEARD – ’Don’t You Stand In My Sunshine’ / ’I Don’t Believe’ / ’I Don’t Want Anything But You’ (Kavern 7 Records K7-007) 1987

Continuing my trip through the dark recesses of my record collection, post 1975 releases, I pulled this three song EP out of an Australian box…. The Unheard were a group of four garage teen punks and their record was probably ’unheard’ in the late 80s.

I dig the fact that they preferred to have a picture of a tone-bender fuzz box on the front cover of their record, with a very small pic of themselves on the back of the sleeve. And it’s for that reason I’m giving them number 40 slot on my ’Flower Bomb Songs’ Top 50 chart.

All three songs are fuzz punkers with barely a tune to write home about. ’I Don’t Believe’ is perhaps their best.

Ah my friend Pat Brownlee is/was the vocalist/keyboard/rhythm guitarist for this outfit. He’ll be amused to see this here. I’ve sent him the link.

Neat! By the way, they went well on into the 90s and were a very cool live act around Sydney, and the south coast of NSW. Their cover of the Sonics’ Psycho really rocked.

(13/04/08)

41. THE POPPEES – ’Jealousy’ / ’She’s Got It’ (Line Records 6.14383) 1985

This copy is the re-issue on German label Line Records (they also released those Mindrocker compilations). This 45 originally came out on Bomp Records in 1978.

’Jealousy’ is a merseybeat influenced rocker displaying their obvious love for Hamburg era Beatles. There’s plenty of ’Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’s’ and a cool guitar break. The other side is a cover of Little Richard’s 1956 song ’She’s Got It’…. Both sides of the disc were produced by Flamin’ Groovies Cyril Jordan.

I once read that The Poppees could have been contenders but they blew their chance with a major label (Sire) and split up shortly after in late ’78.

Please be advised of a rare reel tape discovery in Los Angeles: the unreleased debut album of The Poppees. This 12-song tape includes 1 of the group’s 2 singles on Bomp Records, ”If She Cries.”

The songs are definitely performed by The Poppees and are not from their splinter period where they became the alternate group, The Boyfriends.

The Poppees tape was found with a stack of other reel tapes, apparently from a radio station, from groups including: Yard Trauma; The Brood; The Boss Martians; and others.

The tape is being researched for transfer and release—30-plus years later after the original recordings. The Poppees performances are found original and sparkling; fans will find their 3 decade wait was not in vain.

Standout tracks include, ”Somebody Loves You” and ”You’d Never Leave.” All The Poppees Best, Mark Matlock Andromeda International Recordsandrointl@earthlink.net

(12/04/08)

42. THE ULTRA 5 – Back In The Savage Garden EP (Zebrah Records ZR 003) 1996

The Ultra 5 were similar sounding to their major influences The Fuzztones. Judging by their attire they also shared the same bag of skulls, voodoo beads, monsters and graphic design ideas.

This four track EP has it’s moments and it’s here because they covered ’The Streets Of Your Town’ originally done by Country Joe And The Fish on their 1968 LP ’Together’…. Any band that covers a Barry Melton song deserve my attention.

tracks on EP:
Hit & Run
Right Is Wrong
Down Below
The Streets Of Your Town

The Ultra 5 were from New York but this was a release on a small Belgium label, limited to 500 copies. 

(12/04/08)

43. THE PLIMSOULS – ’A Million Miles Away’ / ’I’ll Get Lucky’ (Shaky City Records BMP 134) 1981

Undeniably great Rickenbacker enhanced jangler by The Plimsouls. They had been around since the late 70s but ’A Million Miles Away’ dates from 1981. It featured in a movie from ’83 called ’Valley Girl’….not much into non 60s films (unless the late great John Candy makes an appearance) so I’ve never seen it.

(11/04/08)

THE UNCLAIMED – Phunt Walk (Hysteria Records HLP-1300) 1983

Looking every inch a ’Music Machine’ for the 80s, The Unclaimed released a powerful punkadelic mini album titled ’Primordial Ooze Flavored’ on Hysteria Records in early ’83. It sold out straight away but got a welcome re-release on the Dutch label Resonance in ’87.

Here’s their cover of ’Baby Elephant Walk’…. written by Henry Mancini. The Unclaimed have changed the title to ’Phunt Walk’

Sylvia Juncosa recently got in touch after reading my blog entry about The Unclaimed. Sylvia was responsible for the authentic and at times wild reverbed farfisa organ bursts throughout the songs on the mini-LP ’Primordial Ooze Flavored’.

She has a website here… http://www.sylviajuncosa.com/home.php

Hi – Sylvia Juncosa here – I played keyboards on this recording. Needless to say, it was a very welcome surprise to find this page! I’m sure Shelley Ganz will be well pleased also. Real cavemen don’t have computers though, so I’m gonna have to send him smoke signals or something. – sylvia

(2008)

Readers of my blog should know by now that I have a great deal of time for neo garage and psych bands especially those cool combos I was into during the heyday of the mid 80s.

I’m always delighted to exchange emails with musicians from those GREAT groups of that glorious decade. It’s a decade that was pretty much shit of course if you didn’t know where to look and were swamped by that awful MTV bollocks and hair bands.

Stick with the 80s underground and you’ll realize the 80s were not as fuckin’ embarrassing as you probably thought. (unless you WERE into those annoying metal/goth/indie/pop groups)

Here’s my all time faves The Royal Nonesuch (there’s plenty of past posts and photos on my blog – check the old labels)…Fortunately they made a promo video of a song called ’She’s So Satisfyin’…It was originally done by mid 60s garage punkers The Apparitions…check out the original on Bosshoss’s G45 Unwaxed CD set. This promo video was shown on a Canadian Music Channel…..

Just like the original, The Royal Nonesuch never had this song released on a 45. It was meant to be their third single but for whatever reason it just didn’t happen. What a shame. It was compiled on a recent vinyl only comp titled ’Thee Cave Comes Alive’ on Action Records….

reat stuff- I loved TRN back in the day, too.But look what I found on YouTube: a fyne version of the very same song by the Untamed Youth from Audrey Moorehead’s It’s happening show

(06/07/08)

01 THE STEMS – ’Tears Me In Two’ / ’Can’t Resist’ (Citadel CIT 013) 11/1985

Well, here’s my number 1 after taking seven weeks of writing and uploading various covers, pics and sometimes an MP3s to get to this point. I’ve enjoyed every minute because it’s given me a reason to raid all of my record boxes marked neo garage and revivalism.

The Stems were an incredible band and couldn’t really fail with the song writing skills of leader Dom Mariani. They were short-lived but I think they were correct to break up the band when they did. Many groups go on far too long and become jaded. Others of course would never have the skill or talent to record an albums worth of material but never the less did so.

Anyway, back to this disc. This was The Stems second 45 on the collectable Citadel label outta Darlinghurst, Australia. ( a friend of mine managed to somehow obtain a Citadel T-shirt back in the late 80s…very envious of that item I can tell you)…

Saleswise, ’Tears Me In Two’ sold out and got to Number 1 in the Australian Indie charts. It reached the shores of Britain in 1986 but only as an import from a few shops in London.

It’s notable for it’s constant fuzz attack and Richard Lane’s opening scream introducing one of the very best garage punk songs of the 80s.

Everything is RIGHT about this record, even down to the simplistic art pop picture cover.

There’s a promo video of The Stems performing ’Tears Me In Two’ looking every inch ’The Knights Of Fuzz’….

The flip ’Can’t Resist’ is a fast tempo fuzz rocker, this time sung by Mariani.

I’ll sum this 45 up in one word….ESSENTIAL!…..

It’s odd you praise the songwriting skills of Dom Mariani but then post a song written and sung by Richard Lane. I liked the few songs he wrote more than Dom’s actually. Heads Up their new album isn’t too bad either.

iT WAS WRITTEN BY MATTHEWS ACTUALLY THEIR BASS PLAYER i BELIEVE

(24/05/08)

02. THE BARRACUDAS – ‘(I Wish It Could Be) 1965 Again / ’Rendezvous’ (Zonophone Z11) 11/1980

They were remnants of London’s second or third wave decaying 70s punk scene, only The Barracudas were not punk rock, more like surf punk (at least that’s how the music came out sounding).

’1965’ written by guitarist Robin Wills, is their classic ode to a better time where girls were pretty, wore mini skirts and most everything was hip.
Check out these lyrics where Wills name drops, in a brilliant way, all that is cool in ’65.

’Jan and Dean
Y’know what i mean.
Surf City, Drag City, Folk City, Motor City, Hit City number one.
Fun City: Fun Fun Fun.
Chewy, Chewy. Yummy, Yummy and Louie, Louie.
Shindig, Hullabaloo. Bandstand and Where The Action is too.
Eight Miles High, Take a Trip.
Hope you flip.
Raw and Alive in ’65.

The flip ’Rendezvous’ is another cool surf punker where a poor surfer boy has been left waiting over an hour for his girl to turn up to meet him on a date. Fuck that, I would have given her 10 minutes tops!

Two brilliant songs on one brilliant 45. Plus you get to check out just how great The Barracudas looked on the picture cover. England’s long lost band.

(23/05/08)

03. THE HEADLESS HORSEMEN – ’Gotta Be Cool’ EP (Resonance 45-8820) 1988

New York band The Headless Horsemen may just have been the most talented outfit of the garage revival scene during the mid to late 80s. All of their releases are essential listening and shouldn’t be that difficult to track down, unfortunately several major killers have never seen the light of day on CD.

This really is a sad case of events. A quality band like The Headless Horsemen should have had the re-issue treatment by now!

After playing their debut album ’Can’t Help But Shake’ at least once a week in 1987 I couldn’t believe my eyes when I flicked through the record boxes in my local vinyl shop the following year and pulled out a brand new record by these guys. Sadly it wasn’t a full length album but a four song twelve inch record. Ha, remember the good old twelve inch record of the 80s..

’Gotta Be Cool’ is a Flamin’ Groovies type rocker with punkadelic guitar by Elan Portnoy who had been previously ’cool’ in The Fuzztones….

’Ya gotta stay with me if you wanna be cool’….

’See You Again’ follows next and the mood and pace slows down somewhat but the angst does not. Got to applaud the musicianship and general ’tightness’ of The Headless Horsemen, no doubt honed by their frequent gigs in New York. According to a write up in ’Kaleidoscope’ – issue 3 they had an effervescent stage show, an ear for a good hook as well as a good joke.

Side 2 opens with a Peter Stuart (ex Tryfles) original called ’Miles Above’. It’s a meandering folk rock tune with a jangle burst of greatness. Things get all a rockin’ next with the Larry Williams favourite ’Bad Boy’….I of course knew this song first from The Beatles cover. Don’t think I’ve ever heard the original come to think of it?!!

The Headless Horsemen recorded at Brill Buildings in New York and had access to vintage 60s equipment. They list the instruments used on the back cover of this record and if you’re a musician it will make your brain hurt.

Michael Maltese:
The Headless Horsemen have long been a favorite of mine and remain so. Even wrote a fan letter back in 1988 and still have my glossy 8×10. Well done, all around!

The Headless Horsemen were an amazing live band back in their day. I recall many a night in divey places seeing them play in NYC in ’86-’89.

Yep, they were amazing. Peter did lead vocals throwing the craziest bass parts around… and they were great guys too. That sleeve with Nuns and Teisco May Queen silhouettes have defined my ideas of what’s cool in guitarland ever since – along with the iconic Vox Phantom and Teardrop shapes, of course, courtesy of Elan’s previous band: the Fuzztones.

I kept in touch with Peter for a while and he dropped by at the rehearsal room of my old band, the Ace-Tones, when he was on tour (with Bianca ‘Bob’ and Flystrip). Did some songs together… must’ve been 1992 or something. Almost twenty years ago and I STILL play that kind of music!

(22/05/08)

04. FORTUNE & MALTESE and the Phabulous Pallbearers – ’Leave No Stone Unturned’ / ’Time Has Gone’ (Get Hip Records GH-212) 1997

Long time admired band Fortune & Maltese and the Phabulous Pallbearers turn all folk rock on us with this great two sider on the collectable Get Hip label.

’Leave No Stone Unturned’ is the more commercial side with ringing jangle guitar recalling the likes of The Turtles. They made a promo video for this song and it was released on the Knights Of Fuzz DVD a couple of years ago. It’s also been uploaded on YouTube.

The flip ’Time Has Gone’ has a tougher folk punk sound. Freddy Fortune’s snarl has never sounded better than on this.

(21/05/08)

05. THE ROADRUNNERS – ’I Believe’ EP (Uppers UMD-87102) 1997

I’m not too sure what they put into the water in Sweden but every so often that country unleashes a talented purist garage band as good, if not better than any other.

Take Stockholm band The Road Runners for instance. What kinda time capsule did they emerge from? And just look at their complete purist image on the sleeve of their debut single. I love bands that make an effort. Image is very important don’t you think?

The single was released as a five song CD with their finest moment ’I Believe’ in both stereo and the superior mono mix.

All songs are originals, all are written by lead singer Peter Carlsson except ’Come Here Honey’ which was written by guitarist Joakim Dimberg.

All songs are worthy of your interest especially ’I Believe’….an R&B shaker that moves roughshod over the melody of ’Keep On Running’….all of the other tracks are like long lost out-takes from ’Get The Picture’ era Pretty Things….

An essential release.

(20/05/08)

06. THE MISANTHROPES – ’Why Do You Treat Me So Bad?’ / ’Waiting For You’ / ‘(I’m Gonna) Waste My Time’ (Get Hip Records GH-108) 1988

Place this beast of a 45 on your turntable remembering to set the speed to 33, place the needle on the run-in groove, crank up the volume and prepare for lift off……a bendy guitar opening turns into crude snotty garage punk with attitude…. the singer is full of pissed off fury.

He wants to know why his girl ’treats him so bad’ and he wants to know NOW or some cheatin’ bitch is gonna get slashed. ha ha ha…..

Cue fuzz, hand claps and another cool lead guitar solo and The Misanthropes are done until you turn over the platter for the two song B-side.

’Waiting For You’ and ‘(I’m Gonna) Waste My Time’ can’t match the opening assault of ’Why Do You Treat Me So Bad’ but they sure as hell still hit the part of my brain that says to me ’pick up an axe and do some damage to squares’….

This is the only record The Misanthropes released so like their 60s counterparts they will be remembered as a one record, no hit wonder….

They hailed from Harrisburg, PA by the way.

Ahhh nostalgia. Two of these cats were previously in a very groovy Harrisburg, PA 60’s Pretty Things/Dutch beat styled r&b group called the Cool Italians, who sadly never made it into a studio…

(19/05/08)

07. THE TELL TALE HEARTS – ’Circus Mind ’ / ’Flying’ (Nevermore Records 1810) 1989

San Diego band The Tell Tale Hearts are a well known outfit among 80s garage followers but perhaps this record, limited to 800 copies on Nevermore fell under your radar. ’Circus Mind’ was a very obscure Pretty Things single but hidden away on a B-Side.

Here The Tell Tale Hearts deliver their finest ever moment turning a mellow late 60s song into a magical folk rock killer complete with harmonica, a steady Byrdsian rhythm and excellent lead vocals.

The flip ’Flying’ a Stax/Swart original is also magical. It’s a kind of slow paced musical composition with a pleasant organ break and soft drum work. I wish they never broke up and followed this path more often.

’Circus Mind’ was recorded at Hit Single Studio 1989.
’Flying’ was recorded in Yucaipo 1989 but not mixed and completed until 1993.

line-up:
Bill Calhoun (lead vocals, harp)
Mike Stax (bass)
Ron Swart (organ)
Jon Mckinney (rhythm guitar)
Carl Rusk (lead guitar on ’Circus Mind’)
Paul Carsola (drums on ’Circus Mind’)
Craig Packham (drums on ’Flying’)

(18/05/08)

08. THE FUZZTONES – ’Nine Months Later’ / ’You Must Be A Witch’ (Situation Two SIT 61) 1989

’Nine Months Later’ is a scuzzy psycho trash rocker. The chorus gloriously rips off ’Hang On Sloopy’….but I don’t think the Goths would have noticed (ha ha ha)….yes, for some strange reason those puny faced vampire lovers seemed to dig this line up of The Fuzztones. Well they did in England, maybe it was because of their association with The Cult and The Damned?

The flip is a cover of ’You Must Be A Witch’ originally done by The Lollipop Shoppe of course. The Fuzztones version is a kind of heavy metal bash, far too polished. But I suppose they were signed to a major and had more studio time.

Got to mention the perverse single sleeve designed by Rudi Protrudi. The young pre school infant girl wearing sexy gear would have the Rozzer’s banging on Rudi’s backdoor here in the UK in 2008. We gotta protect our fuckin’ cherubs.

The other side of the sleeve shows a baby boy in Fuzztones T-Shirt and crocodile tooth necklace sobbing his eyes out. It’s gotta be the oldest looking nine month old baby I’ve ever seen. He’s even had time to grow a black mop top. A classic cover all the way.

Production by 60s legend Shel Talmy.

(17/05/08)

09. THE EARLY HOURS – ’I’m Drained’ / ’Hard Feelings’ / ’The Girl I Haven’t Met’ (Screaming Apple SCAP 40) 1996

’I’m Drained’ is easily the best song The Early Hours wrote and probably the only record you need to own by them. Not that the rest of their material is bad it’s just average garage pop and unfortunately singer songwriter Kirk Pohl has a weak vocal range, not that this had harmed almost every garage band in the past.

’I’m Drained’ is a killer tune made even better by Sean Carthew’s lead guitar riffage. The drums work well and the added touch of tambourine make this song way above average.

The two songs on the flip can’t match the A-side and are quickly forgotten.

Recorded and mixed by Tom Thorpe at Bonsai Studios, Perth, Western Australia October 1995.

(17/05/08)

10. THE RAIN PARADE – ’What She’s Done To Your Mind’ / ’Kaleidoscope’ (Llama Records DK 002) 1982

Los Angeles band The Rain Parade were the best psychedelic band on the planet up until the release of ’Explosions In The Glass Palace’. After this scorching mini album the decline set in and the consistency was gone. The album ’Crashing Dream’ on Island rarely sparkled.

It’s their early work that made them appeal to my senses. It was obvious that they merged Byrdsian & Pink Floyd’s lysergic moves with a modern pop twist. They were not just about wearing ’66 garage threads and haircuts like so many of the bands that followed.

’What She’s Done To Your Mind’ is an earlier take. Very much rougher around the edges and including original drummer Michael Murphy. The version on ’Emergency Third Rail Power Trip’ is a more polished performance. Either way, it’s a tremendous pop jangle tune.

The flip ’Kaleidoscope’ is the same version as the album cut. This time around The Rain Parade offer a slow paced acid psycher. I can’t imagine any other band in ’82 recording this type of sound. Only maybe Plasticland?

They were every bit as good live as on record when I attended their gig in December 1985 at The Riverside Club, Newcastle. It was perhaps my favourite ever gig. They were outstanding and brought along an authentic liquid slide projector that dappled shades, shapes and colours onto the stage.

(16/05/08)

11. THE TYME SOCIETY – ’When I See Her Eyes’ / ’I Gotta Know’ / ’Marion The Painter’ (Butterfly Records BUT-05) 2001

I’m not sure if The Others have quit for good? Hopefully a reader can leave a message with some details. Fortunately the leader of The Others Massimo Del Pozo has formed another brilliant garage band for me to enjoy.

This three song 45 on the collectable Spanish label Butterfly Records is a killer 12 string jangle and punk fest of the highest order.

All songs have a farfisa organ backdrop weaving in and out of the fuzz and jangle. real cool stuff.

Of particular interest is the ’New England Teen’ style moodiness of ’I Gotta Know’….this one will send a shiver up your spine with it’s perfection. ’Marion The Painter’ is a raga rock instrumental. All songs sung in English.

The recordings on this disc were made in Rome at Alien Studio, December 2000 and mastered at Delta Studio a few months later……buy it while you can.

(16/05/08)

12. THE CHESTERFIELD KINGS – ‘I’m Going Home’ / ’A Dark Corner’ (Mirror Records VRP-2062) 1982

This was the Chesterfield King’s fourth 45. The previous three are very hard to track down but this one regularly crops up on ebay so there’s no excuse for not adding it to your collection.

Both sides are perfect covers of ’66 garage punkers, sounding like they were recorded back in those glorious days.

’I’m Going Home’ is a Stones inspired rocker with harmonica and snarl. check out the original by The Choir. This tune was on The Chesterfield Kings album ’Here Are The….’ Strangely, this album is now out of print and has never been re-issued or digitalized to CD.

’A Dark Corner’ is the psychedelic punk obscurity originally done by The Bourbons. The Kings probably recorded this song around the same time as their album recordings but maybe this track was left off the long player to fill a B-Side.

Easily my most favoured line-up of this Rochester garage band and one of only two bands I ever wrote to back in the 80s. And how about the look of the record label? Purist ’66 or what!!!

I’m blown away that you’ve got this gig flyer posted here! This was the first gig I’d ever seen either The Cynics or The Chesterfield Kings live. I believe it was 1987 and I met the guys from The Cool Italians (later to become The Misanthropes) there for the first time who’d road-tripped all the way from Harrisburh, PA to Hoboken, NJ (a good 3 hour drive).

(14/05/08)

13. THE STEPFORD HUSBANDS – ’Why Aren’t You There?’ / ’Yeah!’ (Cryptovision Records BR 11-1) 1984

This record just reeks of lo-fi garage punk attitude even down to the disgracefully cheap sleeve. Well, that’s if you can call it a sleeve. More like a slip of paper with a black and white image of two Red Indians probably nicked from National Geographic.

At least the music on the disc is bang on the money. ’Why Aren’t You There?’ is a crude ’Back From The Grave’ type punk outing with basic instrumentation and drums that sound like the guy is banging on some cardboard boxes.

The Stepford Husbands on this release were Dave Amels from NYC and Englishman Gary Thomas. Cryptovision label Boss Mike Linn helped out on drums.

’Yeah!’ was more or less recorded live in the studio. It’s a groovy organ dominated instrumental with a fab guitar solo and sax. Instead of the sax I’d have gone with some fuzz.

Other information: ’Why Aren’t You There?’ was compiled on 80s garage collection ’Declaration Of Fuzz’ and Cryptovision Records also put out 45s by The Mod Fun and The Optic Nerve.

Brilliant band, they had a few other 45’s in the 80’s (including a cover of The Eye’s ”I’m Rowed Out”) on Dave & Gary’s shortlived Cryptvision label (also home of some mod Fun & Optic Nerve releases).

(13/05/08)

14. THE OTHERS – ’Can’t Tell You Lies’ EP (Screaming Apple SCAP 043) 1996

I’ve written about Rome band The Others several times before, check out the archives. They are the best thing to come outta Italy since spag bol. You need this EP if you have a liking for the jangly side of garage.

Four songs of 12 string magic for the listener to feast on. The two originals by leader Massimo del Pozzo are excellent. EP opener ’Can’t Tell You Lies’ is a delight and the folk punk of ’Today ’n’ Tomorrow’ is as sweet as a Summer breeze.

The other tracks are covers. ’I’ve Been Waiting’ was originally done by Dutch beat band The Fallouts. It was compiled on an old 80s vinyl LP titled ’Havoc From Holland’. I’ve not heard the original before but it will be a killer judging by The Others copy.

The other cover is ’In A While’ by The Pictorian Skiffuls. This fragile folk rocker has been a firm favourite of mine for years.

line-up:
Massimo (vocals, 6 & 12 string vox guitars)
Bruno (bass, backing vocals)
Fabrizio (Hofner guitar)
Guiliano (Ludwig drums, tambourine)
additional harpsichord by Emilio.

All songs sung in English. Dig! The Others, they’re what’s happening.

(12/05/08)

15. THE JAM – ’Funeral Pyre’ / ’Disguises’ (Polydor POSP 257) May 1981

From 1979 to the end of 1981 The Jam were my favourite band. Back then I pretty much worshipped everything they had done to this point. Paul Weller was the voice of the youth (ie) teenagers like myself out for doing teenage things like smoking dope, playing football, getting off with girls if we were lucky, or just getting drunk under a tree on a few cans of cheap Kestral.

Their songs seemed to mean a lot to working class kids especially lads, hell they even covered songs by The Kinks and The Who and ripped off The Beatles on their previous single ’Start!’..

After ’Funeral Pyre’ I more or less gave up on them cos they turned too souly and by now I’d discovered The Byrds so it was ’case closed’.

However, ’Funeral Pyre’ was The Jam’s last GREAT 45. It was like nothing they had ever recorded before nor would they indulge in this kind of tortured mysterious rock again.

The pounding bass riffs from Bruce Foxton allied with the frenetic and prominent drum work from Rick Buckler and the obscure lyrics from Weller really made this song stand out for me. I’d never heard anything like it before.

It reached Number 4 in the UK Charts but that position was more or less taken for granted on pre-sales alone. So the rest of the public just didn’t get it and it quickly fell down the chart placings, only hanging around for 6 weeks. This was probably viewed as a disaster for the band themselves but musically it was a triumph.

The promo video for ’Funeral Pyre’ was also creepy and almost entirely shot in the darkness of night in some woods with kids wandering around with burning torches looking for things to set ablaze. A touch of The Wicker Man here.

The flip ’Disguises’ is a totally cool cover of The Who obscurity. The Jam make it sound even more psychedelic than the original with the echoey production and more especially with the backwards guitars.

(11/05/08)

16. HOODOO GURUS – ’Like Wow – WipeOut’ / ’Bring The Hoodoo Down’ (Big Time BTS-1588) 1985

For some strange reason The Hoodoo Gurus didn’t get a place in The Knights Of Fuzz book? Can’t think why, maybe it was because the Hoodoo’s became quite a ’big’ band in the late 80s. I suppose I left them behind after the ’Blow Your Cool’ LP in 1987.

Anyway, back to this disc from ’85. The top side ’Like Wow – WipeOut’ is modern day garage rock. Caveman stick work, slashing guitars and pounding bass make this the standout track on the album ’Mars Needs Guitars’..

’Bring The Hoodoo Down’ is non LP. This time the production is a bit too 80s for my taste. It’s just too clean and ’modern’ sounding. It’s got a great guitar solo though.

The Hoodoo Gurus played a gig in my home City, Newcastle at The Riverside Club on the 28th November 1985. I’ve got several photo’s from the gig I took. Two are shown below for the first time on the internet.

From memory, they put on a great show. Around about the same time period they appeared on a music show from Newcastle called ’The Tube’, and for me it was one of the only highlights in the entire run of the programme. They fuckin’ killed the audience with their loud guitars and primitive rockin’. I’m sure it will be on YouTube somewhere.

(10/05/08)

17. DM3 – ’Making Time’ / ’TV Sound’ (Get Hip Records GH-180) 1994

The talented and much admired musician/songwriter Dom Mariani formed a new band for the 90s called Dom Mariani Three or DM3 for short.

Casual listeners must know that Mariani was the leader of the fabulous Stems in the mid 80s and then The Someloves at the end of that decade. His next venture was more guitar rock orientated showing of his lead and riffarama guitar skills.

’Making Time’ is a mediocre cover of The Creation classic. Not sure why DM3 chose to cover this? There’s no way they could better the original. Far superior is the Mariani/Mather original ’TV Sound’….what a great rocker this is, one of the best tunes DM3 ever came up with.

line-up:
Dom Mariani : Vocals, Guitar
Pascal Bartolone : Drums
Tony Italiano : Bass, Vocals
Iain Campbell : Guitar, Vocals

(09/05/08)

18. THE DUKES OF STRATOSPHEAR – ’You’re A Good Man Albert Brown’ / ’Vanishing Girl’ (Virgin Records VS 982) 1987

Everyone and their dog must know by now that The Dukes Of Stratosphear were XTC in disguise. Although at the time I didn’t realise this but soon sussed out the details when I bought their first LP. Alias names were also used and so were song writing credits etc.

Anyway, the top side ’You’re A Good Man Albert Brown’ is one of those late 60s English psych cockney knees-up type charmers. Only I ain’t charmed in any way, just not my scene. Don’t know why this song was chosen as a single when they had much better ones to pick from?

This 45 is in the list because of the rather brilliant flip ’Vanishing Girl’. It recalls mid 60s Hollies pop magic with a stunning melody.

(08/05/08)