LISTEN-IN REVIEWS

 

THE NEW COLONY SIX – ’Power Of Love’ (Sentar ST-3001) September 1966

I’ve been writing about my records and ephemera since March 2007 and surprisingly I’ve never focused on The New Colony Six before. The other day I bought iZotope RX2 for $350. This is easily the best audio repair toolkit I’ve ever used. You may say at $350 it’s got to be!

Anyway, I decided to test iZotope RX2 on my mono LP of ’Colonization’ and the results almost made me fall off my chair, they were so good. So it seems a good time to write about The New Colony Six.

They released many singles during their existence which I won’t dwell on here with this entry as I intend to write about some of those 45s at a later time. At the moment I’m concentrating on my albums collection.

’Power Of Love’ is a cut from ’Colonization’ and was also used as a B-Side to ’Elf Song (Ballad of the Wingbat Marmaduke)’ released during September 1966.

’Power Of Love’ is what I consider a ’Flower Bomb Song’ because it’s a lovely jangly pop song and folk-rock janglers and anything 12 string Rickenbacker is my business….It’s a shame that this powerful pop jangler wasn’t the plug side of that single as ’Elf Song’ bombed. This would have been a much better bet for a hit.

(05/06/12)

MAX FROST & THE TROOPERS – ’A Change Is Gonna Come’ (Tower ST-5147) November 1968

Just who were Max Frost & the Troopers? I’ve been thinking about this question for the past couple of days. My theory is that they were a studio combo of Tower/Sidewalk employees who were making incidental music and writing and playing songs for exploito movie soundtracks that said labels released at will in the late 60s.

I’ve read that Davie Allan & the Arrows were responsible, Michael Lloyd claims that it was him and other members of West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band in an interview he did for Shindig magazine.

I’ve also read on 60sgaragebands.com that it was ex members of The American Revolution. Max Frost was probably a mix of them all just laying down instrumentation and adding vocals etc.

’Shape Of Things To Come’ became a surprise hit for Tower Records when the song was released as a taster for the film ’Wild In The Streets’ This prompted the label to release a full album of Max Frost & the Troopers material at the back end of 1968.

I think it’s an excellent album with some absolute gems such as the previously mentioned ’Shape Of Things To Come’, ’Lonely Man’, ’Try To Make Up Your Mind’ and my favourite ’A Change Is Gonna Come.’

’A Change Is Gonna Come’ has that special psych rock sound of Hollywood with it’s exciting groove, relentless backbeat and Association style harmony and flower power ’bah bah bah’s’…add into the mix some trippy organ interplay and it’s an instant psychedelic classic.

(05/06/12)

FARGO – ’Promises Of Love’ (RCA Victor LSP-4178) 1969

Here’s an updated entry I wrote about Fargo back in March 2008.

Fargo were a duo made up of Dean Wilden and Tony Decker based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Their album ’I See It Now’ on RCA Victor is a pop psych delight. Strong and memorable melodies and hooks run throughout the entire set of self penned songs.

Tony Decker had previously been in a group called The Tuesday Club. 

The Fargo album was recorded at Al Casey’s Music Room in Hollywood, California with help on guitar from Rick Cunha and on bass by Terry Paul.

Listening to the album they sound like a psychedelic Everly Brothers with their clever pop psych interludes with great musicianship, harmonies and jangle.

More people need to hear Fargo.

(04/06/12)

FEDERAL DUCK – ’Circus In The Sea’ (Musicor MM2162) August 1968

This is a fine album by a group of students from Pennsylvania that mixes elements of jazz, country and ’68 style progressive psychedelia. They never did have any singles released from the album as a promotional taster, so when it was released it no doubt went under the radar as very little seems to have been written about Federal Duck.

Musicor were a newish label based in New York and I found a clipping from Billboard confirming that they had moved into the rock group field after some years of releasing safe MOR. Federal Duck recorded their album at Groove Sound Studios, NYC.

’Circus In The Sea’ closes the album and is a quirky piece of psychedelia notable for it’s fairground noise intro. Most of the material was written by George Stavis.

Reader comments:
Such groovy artwork! Some years ago I was looking for a humorous book to read on holiday and found ‘Dave Barry’s Greatest Hits’ – just a series of funny observations on life by this American guy. Turns out he was the lead guitarist for Federal Duck!

He mentions a bit about it in a piece he writes about getting another guitar for himself at the age of 38.

He talks a bit about making the album and how his ”…band career ended late in my senior year when John Cooper and I threw my amplifier out the dormitory window…” etc.

It’s a good book anyway (published by Pan) but it added an extra dimension knowing he was in the band!

I always found the Federal Duck to be an excellent album, but very low key and slightly ”downer”. George Stavis later made a strange heavily psychedelic banjo album for Vanguard (”Labyrinths” 1969) with Tim Ackerman the Duck’s drummer, and then formed Oganookie with most of Federal Duck in Brookdale, California and they released a privately pressed live album.

(04/06/12)

ALL OF THUS – ’It’s Alright With Me’ (Century 27916) 1966 (re-issue Rockadelic RRLP 11.5)

I’ve read that All Of Thus were a group of teenagers from the New York area who were still at school when their album was cut and pressed in a small quantity of only 200 copies making it a very rare and sought after disc. Rockadelic Records re-issued the album in 1994 and even those are scarce and command a price tag of $50+

The album is a must for garage fans with teen punk versions of ’Walk On By’, ’Keep On Running’, a unique treatment of ’Bells Of Rhymney’ and group originals written by leader John Johnston.

One of the highlights is the pounding teen blast of ’It’s Alright With Me’ which absolutely slays the original by The Zombies. This barely controlled raver would have made a fantastic 45 with ’Bye Bye Baby’ on the flip. All Of Thus never did release any singles and it’s probably why they rarely get talked about.

After all, 60s garage freaks mainly collect 45s.

(03/06/12)

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION – ’Opus #1’ (Flick Disc FLS-45.002) July 1968

I’m currently taking a trip alphabetically through my LP collection and pulled out this one by The American Revolution on Flick Disc. They were previously called the rather dubious The Band Without A Name and even started recording this album under that moniker but by the end of the sessions they had been renamed The American Revolution.

One of the songs on the LP was written and produced by Michael Lloyd of WCPAEB fame. His ’Cold Wisconsin Nights’ could easily have fit on The Smoke album he worked on as it has that similar orchestrated pop psych sound.

Most of The American Revolution music contained on this disc is indeed sugar coated orchestrated pop with a hint of Los Angeles psychedelia. Mike Duggo interviewed bassist John Keith for his site.

It’s interesting to read that the group played very little part with the music as the instrumentation was laid down by heavyweight session players Carol Kaye (bass), Larry Knetchel (piano), James Burton (guitar) and Hal Blaine (drums).

Perhaps the best and most overtly psychedelic cut is ’Opus #1’ co-written by John Keith and singer Richard Barcelona. This is a pure Sgt Pepper trip with John Lennon style vocals, and laid back spacey vibes. What a cool song.

(03/06/12)

THE CHANGING TIMES – ’Cry’/’I’m Alone’ (Mark VII D-1013) 1967

This weekend I’ve had a mammoth listening interlude immersing myself in all six volumes of ’Texas Flashbacks’ on Antar. These compilations were released at the height of my vinyl comp collecting period 1986/87 and were re-releases of the same series that appeared on the Flashback label in dodgy graphics back in 1980.

I’ve not got any of the original vinyl LPs on Flashback but understand from various collectors that the sound quality was significantly improved on the Antar releases.

What isn’t something to debate amount is the actual music contained on this discs from Texas which is a mind-blowing brew of primal ’66 garage fuzz punkers and ’67 acid psychers with, you guessed it, fuzz.

It seems that every Texan teenage group had discovered a fuzztone and would use it to enhance their work.

Almost every song throughout the six volume set is loud unadulterated garage punk and psych apart from a little gem of a folk-rocker by The Changing Times called ’Cry.’ I wish I owned this 45 as it’s perfect in every way and is what I’d call a ’Flower Bomb Song’…

The Changing Times hailed from Waco, TX and ’Cry’/’I’m Alone’ was released on Mark VII sometime during 1967. It’s a fabulous folk jangler with fuzz guitar. This record would likely take at least $300 to secure providing one is offered for sale which doesn’t appear to be that often. Only one copy appears on popsike.

The Mark VII label also released records by The Knights Bridge Quintet, The Roks, The Twilighters and The Society. It would be a dream come true if someone was ever to release a Mark VII retrospective…

This particular Changing Times may have released an earlier single, ’Free As The Wind’/’We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’

(20/05/12)

THE FUGITIVES – ’Mean Woman’/’I’ll Be A Man’ (Columbia 4-43261) April 1965

There were many groups in the 60s calling themselves The Fugitives so researching this particular combo with such a common name proved a little tricky. It turns out that they were based in New York, some reference guides even suggest that group members came from Manhattan.

’Mean Woman’ has certainly got the ’new sound’ of the teenage beat group mixing Brit Invasion with some surf styled guitar leads. It’s a shame that this particular aural brew wasn’t produced more often as I think it’s very exciting, but as you know folk-rock was just around the corner (’Mr Tambourine Man’ by The Byrds was released during the same month/year) and the jangle/tambourine/harmony sound would be everywhere throughout 1965 and into ’66.

The flip ’I’ll Be A Man’ is straight ahead beat ballad that lacks the energy and punch of the fabulous ’Mean Woman.’ I found a small article in Billboard  from March 1965 indicating that The Fugitives had been signed to Columbia Records but as it turned out only one 45 was ever released on this label by the band.

The Fugitives then had a small hit record with ’Your Girl’s A Woman’ on Mala, with their new label even taking out a full page advert in Billboard. Both sides of this disc is pleasant pop and I can hear how the tune would be such a radio friendly sound during mid ’66.

Footnote: Brothers Evan and Ray Charmatz were members of The Fugitives. I’m fairly certain (after extensive research) that they changed their surname to Chandler at some point in time. 

Evan Chandler left the music business, probably before the 60s were out, and became a successful dentist to ’the stars’ in Hollywood during the 80s and early 90s. He even found time to screen-write and co-wrote the hit comedy film ’Robin Hood: Men In Tights.’

In 1993 Evan Chandler became embroiled with Michael Jackson after he accused him of sexual misconduct with his 13 year old son Jordan. There is mountains of information about this on the internet so I wont go into it on my blog. After all, it’s Evan’s 60s group The Fugitives that interests me.

Sadly Evan committed suicide in 2009 in his luxury apartment in New Jersey.

(17/05/12)

THE SOUP GREENS – ’That’s Too Bad’/’Like A Rolling Stone’ (Golden Rule GR5000) September 1965

This is one of those legendary garage 45s released by an obscure band whose exact details were lost in time. That was until MTM tracked them down recently and organised The Soup Greens material, including unreleased acetates, to be re-issued on Misty Lane Records operating out of Italy. (This is exactly what I did with The Roosters by the way, only I linked those guys up with Break-A-Way Records from Germany).

Anyway, back to The Soup Greens. It turns out that they were a three piece based in Brooklyn, New York. For so long they had been unknowns and only came to worldwide acclaim via Pebbles Vol 1. ’Like A Rolling Stone’ was the opener on side one of that compilation and many thousands of people would finally be aware of The Soup Greens and hear their teenage garage assault on Bob Dylan’s song.

This was in fact the B-Side of the only Soup Greens 45, released during late Summer in 1965. According to Dave Eagle, the flip ’That’s Too Bad’ was their chosen side for fame for fortune but despite a mention in Billboard and Cashbox trade journals as well as a handful of plays on local New York radio, it appears that few copies of the record sold and the boys would remain in obscurity.

line-up:
Lenny Matlin (farfisa)
Steve Tennenbaum (drums)
Dave Eagle (guitar/lead vocals)

(16/05/12)

THE SHAPRELS – ’Dare I Weep, Dare I Mourn’/’Rock-A-Boo’ (Chess 1993) June 1967

The Shaprels were a five man combo from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who have enjoyed several compilation appearances over the years with their debut 1966 merseybeat jangler ’A Fool For Your Lies’ and ’Dare I Weep, Dare I Mourn’ from 1967.

The group seem to have been complete unknowns outside of Milwaukee despite this release on Chess. According to information from ’Do You Hear That Beat’, The Shaprels never mingled much with their contemporaries around town.

’Dare I Weep, Dare I Mourn’ is a moody psychedelic blast with fuzz, tambourine shake and downcast lyrics about a lost love. The recorder (or whatever it is) gives the song a weird ’red indian’ vibe, kinda strange but I dig it.

The flip ’Rock-A-Boo’ is more of a garage rocker and can be found on a CD release called ’Die Today’. Both sides were produced by Chess staff producer Ralph Bass who also worked with label mates The Baroques.

line-up:
Jimmy Meier (vocals)
Bob Sczweda (lead guitar)
Tom Richards (rhythm guitar)
Bob Mehring (bass/organ)
Don Hrnjak (drums)

Reader comment:
I remember Bob we lived next door in Greenfield Wisconsin. Use to listen to them when I was a kid, his Dad was the manager and they practiced in the basement did not have a garage. I remember a fool for your lies. Tom

(14/05/12)

BLOOMSBURY PEOPLE – ’Witch Helen’/’Gingerbread Man’ (MGM K14158) July 1970

The Bloomsbury People were formed sometime in 1968 at the University of Wisconsin in Waukesha. Their first of two 45s was cut at Raynard and came out on Page Records during 1969. ’Have You Seen Them Cry’/’Madeline’ were both written by keyboard player Sigmund Snopek III and both cuts display psych prog moves, a sound becoming increasingly popular in the late 60s, especially in England due to groups like Cream and The Nice.

After appearing at the 1969 Midwest Rock Festival in West Allis they were talent spotted by Jim Croce who was managing The Carpenters and Randy Newman at the time. This led to a deal with MGM Records.

The Bloomsbury People cut enough songs for an album at Audio Finishers Studios in Chicago on 17th April 1970 and according to MGM’s studio records the songs were mixed at their L.A. studios where strings and horns were added, arranged by Dave Kennedy, who produced their first single on Page. It appears that the legendary Michael Lloyd was the A&R coordinator for the release.

An album followed during the Summer of 1970 with ’Witch Helen’/’Gingerberead Man’ selected as the single to represent the long-player.

’Witch Helen’ is a tasty psych rock effort with some strong lead guitar. Once again there is a definite progressive rock influence.

The Bloomsbury People don’t appear to have been around for that long after the release of the LP with no other releases on MGM. Sigmund Snopek III went on to record several solo albums then became a member of The Violent Femmes during the mid 80s.

line-up:
Sigmund Snopek III (harpsichord/piano)
Jon Wyderka (vocals)
Dennis Lanting (lead guitar)
Greg Janick (organ/sax)
Michael Du Jardin (bass)
Rick Harris (drums)

Reader comments:
I really appreciate your site’s notes about each band’s geographic background. As a former Wisconsinite, I love this story of Waukesha’s Bloomsbury People. I would like to make one clarification, however.

Although Snopek has played keyboards or other instruments on some of their tours and recording sessions, the members of The Violent Femmes are Brian Ritchie, Victor de Lorenzo and Gordon Gano, with Guy Hoffman replacing de Lorenzo for a while during the 90’s. Excellent website!

”Witch Helen” was written about a professor at UW-Waukesha.

(12/05/12)

SIDEWALK SKIPPER BAND – ’Strawberry Tuesday’/’Cynthia At The Garden’ (Capitol 2127) March 1968

Although The Sidewalk Skipper Band only released three singles during their short lifetime in the late 60s they are rightfully regarded with high esteem among collectors of psychedelic records, especially the all time great psych pop mover ’Strawberry Tuesday.’

They hailed from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and first attracted attention at Marquette University where they had regular gigs.

They managed to secure a recording contract with Capitol Records, who as a major label, had the necessary clout to get the group to a higher level but despite some promotion including a full colour sleeve showing The Sidewalk Skipper Band in their finest psychedelic gear, the record appears to have sank.

Despite this, a second 45 appeared on Capitol ’Seventeenth Summer’/'(Would You Believe) It’s Raining Flowers In My House’ during May 1968.

According to information from an entry in Billboard, all four songs were recorded in February 1968 at Universal Recording Studios, Chicago.

All four songs were written by members Dave McDowell (lead guitar/vocals) and Rick Novak (12 string guitar).

Other members included Brian Ballestrieri (hammond B3 organ) Joe Ballestrieri (bass) and Tom Jukem (drums)…

Recently and acetate of unreleased recordings has surfaced on the collectors market so they may be released at some point in time.

Also, a recording of Sidewalk Skipper Band playing live on ’Night Talk’, a radio show hosted by Doug Dahlgen is currently on YouTube. The group sound much ’heavier’ with a more prominent hammond organ sound. It probably dates from 1969.

The Ballestrieri brothers also discuss the new business enterprise at their club called The Stone Toad.

This later line-up is without songwriters McDowell and Novak as well as drummer Tom Jukem as Bob West (guitar) and Marc Balzac (drums) are listed in their place.

According to reference guide ’Do You Hear That Beat’ a third Sidewalk Skipper Band 45 was released in 1969 on Teen Town ’Sidewalk Skipper’/’Jeannie At The Circus’.

All four Capitol SSB sides can be found on Now Sounds’ ”Book A Trip: The Psych Pop Sounds of Capitol Records.” The CD sourced all of the tracks from the original master tapes.

(10/05/12)

THE TROPHIES – ’Baby Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’/’Everywhere I Go’ (Kapp K-714) November 1965

I’ve had both Kapp 45s by The Trophies for years but it’s only recently that I decided to research the group because not a great deal has been written about them and they seem to have side-stepped the compilers.

The Trophies hailed from Brattleboro, Vermont and got together sometime in 1963, before the British Invasion in other words. Their first outing on vinyl was ’Walking The Dog’/’Somethin’ Else’ on (Nork Records 79907/8) recorded in early 1964. It was a very popular record in their locale reaching the #1 spot on both WBZ and WMEX in Boston.

 This local hit record obviously created a buzz and The Trophies were signed to Kapp Records and Laurence Weiss became their producer. The first Kapp release was the group original ’Baby Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’/’Everywhere I Go’ – all members of The Trophies were given a song-writing credit on the label.

’Baby Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’ is an up-tempo beat mover driven along by harmonica and a Ringo style backbeat. According to Richard Erikson (who informed me by email) this song was written by Tom Howes who played lead guitar.  He also dubbed in the harmonica part.

Tom passed on in  2006. 

The flip ’Everywhere I Go’ brings the pace down somewhat and is a pleasant beat ballad.

The Trophies final release on Kapp was ’Leave My Girl Alone’ a classy pop hit in the making, only I think it sank without trace.

The song was covered by the Everly Brothers and was the B-Side of their ‘(You Got) The Power Of Love’ 45 on Warner Brothers. The song was co-written by Kenny Lynch who enjoyed some success in England during the mid ’60s.

’You’re the Queen’ on the flip of The Trophies record was written by member Tom Howes and has a beaty sound with a controlled guitar break and tambourine. The Who like background harmonies add an English edge.

Line-up:
Jack Dunham
Paul Olbum
Richard Eriksen
Wayne Harvey
Tom Howes 

(07/05/12)

THE ONION RINGS – ’I Feel Teardrops’/’She’s Gonna Cry’ (Blue Onion BO-102) 1967

The Blue Onion label owner was Dale Davis and he wrote both songs on offer on this beautifully haunting double sider by The Onion Rings. So, perhaps the latter were in fact Dale’s own group.

Whatever the precise details The Onion Rings were likely to be from Cleveland, Ohio.

Strangely, they didn’t warrant a mention in FA&F and information in other publications I’ve researched and also the internet have not provided me with any facts.

’I Feel Teardrops’ is a fine folk-rock interlude tinged with psychedelia. The addition of brass enhances the sound in this instance producing a moody lysergic soundscape. Both songs were compiled on my Gear! Volume 6 compilation years ago.

(06/05/12)

UNCLE SAM & the WAR MACHINE – ’Spy Girl’/’Hold On’ (Blue Onion BO-103) September 1967

It is believed that the fabulously named outfit Uncle Sam & the War Machine hailed from Massachusetts and as far as I know this was their one and only shot at stardom – not that any kind of recognition appears to have been forthcoming.

The A-Side was ’Spy Girl’, a rather neat psychedelic pop tune with bubblegum intent. The lyrics indicate that the ’spy girl’ in question was possibly Emma Peel from British TV Show The Avengers.

’Hold On’ is an immaculate slow paced and mournful folk-rocker. I’d like to know more about this combo but information is scant to say the least. Thankfully, the Blue Onion label were around to release such a gem of a 45.

Reader comment:

Followed your post on YouTube…..hoping to hear Spy Girl here, I’ll keep looking….I used to follow this band back in the mid Sixties when they were called the Challengers, from Springfield MA. They were primarily a cover band (a very talented and tasty cover band) and apparently changed their name when they released this record.

(06/05/12)

THE WILD THINGS – ’Summer’s Gone’/’I’ll Taste Your Lips’ (Blue Onion BO-101) 1967

The Wild Things are believed to have hailed from Willoughby, Cleveland, Ohio and released two singles on the short lived independent label Blue Onion. Check out the distinctive logo on the label with tears coming from the onion’s eyes…neat!

’Summer’s Gone’ was the first release on Blue Onion. I’m not sure why they chose this slow ballad as the ’A’ side because the moody folk-rock of the flip ’I’ll Taste Her Lips’ is clearly the superior song.

Other releases on Blue Onion were by The Onion Rings, Uncle Sam & The War Machine, The Road and a second 45 by The Wild Things. Their ’A.C.I.D’ can be found on Psychedelic Experience Volume 3.

(03/05/12)

THE WOODS – ’Can’t Seem To Get Over You’/’Broken Marionette’ (Triumph Records 62) 1965

This is a very obscure disc with no mention in FA&F or BW’s Garage Price Guide but I’ve done some digging and it seems likely that The Challengers drummer, Richard Delvy had some input along with The Clee-Shays lead guitarist, Ed Fournier. The latter wrote the wonderful moody folk-rocker ’Can’t Seem To Get Over You’

Producer, Richard Delvy also worked with several Los Angeles outfits during the mid 60s including The Ashes, The Starfires, The Clee-Shays, The Other Half, Colours, Hamilton Streetcar and other outfits such as The Outsiders, Grateful Dead and The Great Scots. I’m sure there will be many more.

Triumph Records also released 45s by The Starfires, The Clee-Shays and The Great Scots. But who were The Woods? Maybe someone will get in touch with details. The flip ’Broken Marionette’ by the way is light beat pop and was written by Arthur Resnick and Kenny Young.

Update from Surfcityproductions: (Richard George) 

The WOODS were Richard George, John Mead, and Ray Duron and performed under the personal management of Richard Delvy.

They also recorded (with Jim Crouch) under the names of the WOODIES and the SPARTANS, as well as providing vocals for the CHALLENGERS and SAM RIDDLE.

SESSION INFORMATION Year: 1965 Label: Triumph (a subsidiary of Richard Delvy Productions) Studio: Sunset Sound, Hollywood Engineer: Brian Ross-Myring Producer: Richard Delvy Vocal Arrangement: Richard George Orchestral Arrangement: Richard Delvy Writer: Ed Fournier Flip Side: “Broken Marionette”  

Other Recordings by the WOODS: “Ninth Street Beat” (TV theme) “Hawaii” (“Aloha a Go Go”) As the WOODIES: “Go Go, Little Scrambler” (Triumph) “Poor Boy” (Triumph) “Do You Wanna Dance?” (GNP Crescendo) “Count Me In” (GNP) “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter (GNP) “Tired of Waiting For You” (GNP) “Summer Sams” (Sam Riddle commercial) The Challengers at the Teen-Age Fair (GNP) As the SPARTANS: “Count Me In” (Polydor) “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” (Polydor)  

The WOODS performed extensively on TV (including KHJ’s “Ninth Street West”, “KCBQ Rocks”, and the nationally syndicated shows “Ninth Street Beat” and “Aloha a Go-Go”) as well as live concerts in Southern California (including the First Annual Surfers’ Stomp, the Hollywood Palladium, the Redondo Beach Pier, and the Teenage Fair).

(29/04/12)

THE COUNTDOWNS – ’She Works All Night’/’Skies Will Be Happy To See You’ (WG Records WG-1) June 1967

Simple and effective up-tempo teenbeat without any of the studio embellishments like fuzz, wah-wah or sound FX you’d expect from something released in mid 1967.

I doubt if anyone but the group themselves laid down the instrumentation, in other words no professional studio musicians.

The drummer at times is all over the place but he manages to keep everything together, although he was probably exhausted by the end of the take.

Teenbeat Mayhem! lists The Countdowns with a South Hadley Falls, MA location. As far as I know only ’Skies Will Be Happy To See You’ has been compiled before, on one of those ancient Gone albums from the mid 80s.

(08/12/12)

THE DISTANT COUSINS – ’Let It Ring’/’To Have And To Hold’ (Dynovox 203) March 1965

The Distant Cousins were NYC based duo Larry Brown and Raymond Bloodworth. They met while serving with the U.S. Army Signal Corps and soon discovered that they had a love for and similar tastes in music. It appears that the British Invasion sounds of beat rockers and in particular slow beat ballads were their niche.

’Let It Ring’ recalls English groups like The Poets and The Tremeloes with it’s up-tempo beat, strummed acoustic guitars and bursts of harmonica. This was about as exciting as The Distant Cousins ever got on record.

They offered their more beatsville songs to Richard and the Young Lions, although the flip ’To Have And To Hold’ is very much soft pop and was indeed a Young Lions flip side.

Brilliant Dynovox label design by the way if you haven’t noticed.

(31/10/12)

Paul Payton:
To Have and To Hold, a pretty acoustic-guitar-based song, was the original A side. We gave it a little airplay at WBRU in Providence when it was new. Very nice. I didn’t remember Let It Ring till I just played it; it seems better than I remember it.

THE COMFORTABLE CHAIR – STARS IN HEAVEN (Ode 212-44005) November 1968

I have found an entry in Billboard circa November 1968 advertising this album as a new release. It was probably released at the same time as their second single, although various reference guides give a 1969 release.

The album is a varied bag of songs ranging from psychedelic rockers (previously reviewed 45s) and slightlydelic ballads. Another stand out song though and perhaps my favourite Comfortable Chair song is the trippy ’Stars In Heaven’.

’Stars In Heaven,’ despite the song title, sounds quite disturbing and somewhat sinister with it’s heavy bass drone and gregorian style chant, reminiscent of The Yardbirds ’Turn Into Earth’… 

line-up:
Bernie Schwartz (lead vocals)
Barbara Wallace (lead vocals, woodwinds and percussion)
Gene Garfin (guitar)
Tad Baczek (keyboards)
Gary Davis (bass)
Greg Leroy (lead guitar)
Warner Davis (drums)

(18/10/12)

THE COMFORTABLE CHAIR – ’I’ll See You’/’Now’ (Ode ZS7 112) October 1968

A second Comfortable Chair single quickly followed their debut ’Be Me’ but it appears to have remained in obscurity ever since. Both sides were again taken from the long player with the psych rocker ’I’ll See You’ pushed as the A-Side.

The marching drums intro gives way to ringing guitar and hippie woodwind instrumentation. Several West Coast groups favoured this style along with the combination of male/female vocals. For that reason I’m surprised that the 45 was not a hit record. It appears to have gone unnoticed, even in Los Angeles.

Another huge surprise is the fact that The Comfortable Chair are still largely unknown probably due to the fact that none of their songs have ever appeared on psych compilations over the years. 

(17/10/12)

THE COMFORTABLE CHAIR – ’Be Me’/’Some Soon, Some Day’ (Ode ZS7-109) August 1968

After the release of the Adrian Pride single on Warner Bros in late 1966, Bernie Schwartz appears to have been without a record label but was still just as active writing songs that were recorded by various Los Angeles outfits during 1967. Check out 45s by The East Side Kids, The Yellow Payges and The Power.

1967 also saw the formation of Bernie Schwartz’s next project, The Comfortable Chair which was largely made up of L.A. ’flower power’ hippies devoted to transcendental meditation. The group started writing songs and were talent spotted by John Densmore and Robbie Krieger from The Doors.

Ode Records then offered the group a record deal in 1968. I have found a couple of entries in Billboard trade magazine from July ’68 confirming the signing as well as information that The Comfortable Chair would be appearing in the Hollywood film ’How To Commit Marriage’ which was made in 1968 but not released until the following year.

’Be Me’ is probably the most immediate track from their album with it’s funky groove and powerful hammond organ sound. The sonic frenzy of the freak-out ending is way too cool. An edited version of this song appeared in ’How To Commit Marriage’ showing the group in their vibrant psychedelic clothes…

The flip ’Some Soon, Some Day’ is also taken from their album.

Reader comments:
I have always thought that the Comfortable Chair album was rather patchy (most of the best tracks are on the 45’s), ”How To Commit Marriage” is well worth watching next time it’s on UK TV, if only to see Bob Hope dressed as a hippie! There is clear footage of a 7 piece Comfortable Chair (one of the actresses ”sings” with them).

I have seen it mentioned that Jim Morrison sings backup on the album, but I fear that it is just wishful thinking…

The official website for The Comfortable Chair is http://www.comfortable-chair.com, if you’re interested. Jim Morrison did not sing on the album but John Densmore did play drums on one track.

Agreed with Keith B, but I must add that ”Some Soon, Some Day” is one of the most beautiful songs committed to tape during those heady creative times. The vocal blend is exquisite, the instrumentation is delicate, and the ending still sends shivers down my spine. These guys deserved a far better fate than total obscurity.

(16/10/12)

ADRIAN PRIDE – ’Her Name Is Melody’ / ’I Go To Sleep’ (Warner Bros 5867) Oct 1966

For those of you out there in 60s pop psych land please direct your mind and ears to this brilliant piece of raga psychedelia by future Comfortable Chair leader Bernie Schwartz. For reasons known only to himself he recorded the classy ’Her Name Is Melody’ as Adrian Pride.

Coolsville wavery vocals wrap around the hypnotic raga melody. This one is out to blow minds but probably got no radio plays so was a wasted trippy experience. I only found out about this gem after it was compiled on Rhino’s ’Hallucinations’ CD set in 2004.

The flip is a cover of The Kinks ballad ’I Go To Sleep’. This version has echoey production and a dreamy feel to it. The production by the way was by label mates Don and Phil Everly.

I rec’d an email from Bernie Schwartz recently (Oct 2007) and he confirmed that the name Adrian Pride was made up by producer Phil Everly. Bernie can’t recall the reason why.

updated post from 25/09/07

Paul Payton:
It did make it to the radio – I’m proud to have played it on WBRU in Providence and WHCN in Hartford. Good sides – and thank you for the exposure on all the Comfortable Chair tracks; ”Some Soon, Some Day” is an all-time fave.

Also, Bernie Schwartz’s solo album has the incredible rave-up ”Follow Me.” That one would be worth posting, too. Keep up the good work!

One of the first 60s garage comps I bought was ’Attack Of The Jersey Teens’ in late 1984 or early ’85. I would have bought this in the same order from Funhouse Records with other acclaimed garage comps ’Back From The Grave Volumes 1 & 2’.

To say those three comps had an impact on my life is an understatement. I was always fascinated by the picture on the front of the ’Jersey Teens’ comp. Look at those young lads. The lead guitarist was 14 years old at the time. His lead guitar breaks on The Young Monkeymen 45s are killer.

I just LOVE this comp and it’s been one of my very favourite collections for almost 30 years. Amazing how time flies. When I started collecting 45s in earnest about 10 years ago I decided to focus some of my attention on the discs released by groups from the small State of New Jersey.

I’ve acquired quite a few over the years including most from ’Attack Of The Jersey Teens’…..

There are plenty other cool 45s by the likes of The Satyrs, The Yorkshire Puddin’, The Trees, The Bucaneers’s, The Abstract Sound, Galaxies IV and The Myddle Class…plus others…

Now that I’ve completed my MILAN project I’ve been inspired enough to create an expanded 2CD set of ’Attack Of The Jersey Teens’….It will be my next homemade creation for January 2013.

(01/09/12)

TOMMY RAYE – ’You Don’t Love Me’/’Don’t Let Me Be The Last to Know’ (Pen Records 351) 196?

I’m kind of out of my comfort zone with this 45 as I didn’t know anything about Tommy Raye until I did some investigations today. It seems that Tommy sometimes went by the name of Tommy Tucker to confuse me even more. I know the song from Sonny & Cher.

What I do know is best represented by my ears and feel for music. ’You Don’t Know Me’ is a solid mod R&B mover with some tasty guitar and organ interplay. Tommy’s soulful vocals are just right for the laid back vibe, only he’s singing about the fact that his girl doesn’t love him any more so maybe he should be sounding a bit more pissed off. Perhaps he’s glad she’s gonna do a runner?

The song writing credit is given to Willie Cobbs, he released his version of the song back in 1961. Truth is certainly stranger than fiction as we sometimes know and it appears than the originator of the song is Bo Diddley. He wrote the song but it’s original title was ’She’s Fine, She’s Mine’ releasing it on Checker Records back in 1955.

Pen Records operated out of Memphis Tennessee. I’m not sure if Tommy Raye had this released on XL Records first, then on Pen Records but I’m sure those with a better knowledge than me will confirm one way or the other.

Advertised in Billboard July 11, 1964. It entered the Cash Box single chart (looking ahead) as #143 on August 8, 1964 (peaking the following week at #141).JC

(13/07/12)

PINNOCHIO & THE PUPPETS – ’Fusion’/’Cowboys and Indians’ (Mercury 72659) 1967

This record is most definitely my favourite find of 2012 and I’m delighted to add it to my collection. When The Teddy Boys were either dropped by their label or simply decided to try something mind-blowingly psychedelic with a different name, they came up with this impressive two sided instrumental.

’Fusion’ is perhaps what it suggests in the title. It’s a fusion of western rock music with eastern raga, a heady combination when you hear the results. The flip ’Cowboys and Indians’ is another fine psychedelic piece, this time with a surf guitar riff. An absolute killer of a 45 in my opinion.

After this one-off release on Mercury the group changed their name to Mortimer and had some success with a couple of singles and an album on Philips.

Both sides of the disc were arranged by Lou Adessa. I did a little research on the latter and he was responsible or at least co-wrote two Flower Bomb Songs worthy tunes that were recorded by The Cyrkle and Paul Revere and the Raiders.

His songs ’Camero’ and ’SS 396’ were manufactured by Columbia Records and supplied to Chevrolet Car Dealers and given free to customers who test drove the new 1967 Camero……”The Swinging Chevy Circle”…..  

line-up:
Bob Ronga
Guy Masson
Tom Smith
Tony van Benschoten  

(11/07/12)

THE WEIRD STREET CARNIVAL – ’The Inner Truth’/’The Subterranean Edible Fungus’ (Copra Record CO-2305) 1968

I’ve had this great 45 for years but for some reason never got around to writing about it until now. I did some internet searching and found out that Garagehangover got there first almost six years ago to the day. Check out the group pictures and information from various group members.

The Weird Street Carnival were based in Mt Kisco, NY and actually started performing together back in 1964 but it took several line-up and moniker changes before they were able to raise enough funds to get into a recording studio in 1968.

The top side was the Dylanesque and strangely named ’The Subterranean Edible Fungus’. It was confirmed by group member Rick Garfinkel that they were almost called The Subterranean Edible Fungus but decided to call the song that title instead.

Far more interesting to me is the garage psych flip ’The Inner Truth’ written by Producer George Thorn-Fragos. The haunting organ sound giving the song it’s eeriness. None of the group were into lysergic psychedelics, the song just came out this way!

(10/07/12)

UNITED NATIONS – ’In My Dreams’/’Cause I Love You’ (Cha Cha Records C-771) 1966

This is an obscure 45 from Chicago that may have been the work of a duo. Both songs are credited to Bob Economous and William Archibald (his surname is miss-spelled on label).

’In My Dreams’ is perhaps the more immediate side which is a pleasant and slow paced folk rocker. It also borrows heavily from The Beatles ’You Won’t See Me’, the ’Rubber Soul’ album cut. In fact I’d go as far to say that it’s a blatant steal.

I’m sure The Beatles legal team would have been involved had this record become a hit of any sort.

(09/07/12)

THE CHOIR – ’When You Were With Me’/’Changin’ My Mind’ (Roulette R-7005) January 1968

The sound on both sides of this disc is a long way from the superlative sounds on ’It’s Cold Outside’/’I’m Going Home’ which must rank as one of the very best two siders of all time. The Choir struggled to repeat the success of that record and by the end of 1967 were recording music that was commercial pop.

’When You Were With Me’ is a strong orchestrated pop song with some brass flourishes. The rich textures of the vocals makes it stand along some of the more introspective Left Banke tunes. The flip ’Changin’ My Mind’ is in the same pop style and reminds me of late period Beach Boys. Strangely, this song did not get compiled on either of Sundazed releases ’Choir Practice’ or ’Psychedelic Microdots Volume 3’ where The Choir have five of their songs intact.

Reading the liners of ’Psychedelic Microdots’ it appears that The Choir did not play their instruments on these songs, instead Roulette used session musicians. Jeff Jarema describes ’Changin’ My Mind’ as unmentionable!

(08/07/12)

RILEY WYLDFLOWER – ’The Smog Song’/’Electric California’ (Beacon Records BCN-1) 196?

When I reviewed The Gentle Soul 45 ’Tell Me Love’ a member of the group, guitarist Riley Wyldflower, sounded like an intriguing musician to find out more about. As a consequence, I’ve been trying to find his record ’The Smog Song’/’Electric California’ for the best part of a year.

I finally managed to track down a copy last month for $45. It’s condition wasn’t the best, it had definitely seen better days and looked like it hadn’t been in a protective sleeve for decades. It’s also on blue vinyl. Thankfully, it may look dog eared but it plays rather well.

’The Smog Song’ is what I would call ’hippie blues’ and I’m in no doubt that both sides of the disc were recorded after Riley’s stint with The Gentle Soul. Probably late 1968 or 1969.

The song is notable for the spoken intro of a news reader describing that people in the City were collapsing with smog poisoning. Maybe the city in question is San Francisco?

The other side ’Electric California’ is much more experimental and was written by B. Boatman. I did some research on the producers/co-songwriters Boatman and Shryock but didn’t come up with much. G. Shryock may be the producer that power pop group 20/20 used for their 1978 recordings.

It appears that Riley Wyldflower’s real name is Riley Cummings. He hooked up with Peter Tork and played with Tork’s group in 1968-69.

Striking out on his own, he formed a group called ’Peter Tork And/Or Release’ with girlfriend Reine Stewart on drums (she had played drums on part of 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee), Riley ”Wildflower” Cummings on bass and – sometimes – singer/keyboard player Judy Mayhan. 

Tork said in April 1969, ”We sometimes have four. We’re thinking of having a rotating fourth. Right now, the fourth is that girl I’m promoting named Judy Mayhan”. ”We’re like Peter’s back-up band”, added Stewart, ”except we happen to be a group instead of a back-up band.”

Release hoped to have a record out immediately, and Tork has said that they did record some demos, which he may still have stored away somewhere. 

According to Stewart the band were supposed to go to Muscle Shoals as the backing band for Mayhan’s Atlantic Records solo album Moments (1970) but they were ultimately replaced. They mainly played parties for their ”in” friends and one of their songs was considered for the soundtrack to Easy Rider, but the producers – who had also produced Head – eventually decided not to include it.

Release could not secure a record contract, and by 1970 Tork was once again a solo artist.”
 
thanks to Eric Bluhm for the info regarding the Peter Tork connection. 

UPDATE:

In June 2013 I was contacted by Riley Wyldflower’s sister Lisa Mattioni. Lisa kindly sent me a photograph of Riley and information relevant to this rare 45. 

My brother, Riley, wrote ”The Smog Song” to call attention to the lack of air quality in Los Angeles in 1967. Being the 60’s, it was also a tongue in cheek reference to smoking marijuana.

I have a photo of him, standing in the hills overlooking LA in a gas mask that he’d intended to have put on a cover for the 45 rpm record that you have.

Reader comments:
May I be bold enough to suggest that it might be the production team of Bill Boatman and Gordon Shryock who were tied in with the Gary Lewis, Leon Russell – JJ Cale crowd in Los Angeles and Oklahoma. Regards – Jason Odd

A great track and a real obscurity, the comments on Easy Rider were interesting, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s ”Find The Cost Of Freedom” was written to be the closing song on the film, but Steve Stills and Peter Fonda argued over copyright, and finally Fonda called his pal McGuinn to come to the rescue with ”The Ballad Of Easy Rider”…

Another character who was supposedly involved in the Release project was Joey Richards (who co-wrote ”For Pete’s Sake” with Tork), and under the alias Jory Richards was the mastermind behind The Lollipop Fantasy.

(07/07/12)

SONNY & CHER – ’So Fine’ (Atlantic 587006) April 1966

The follow up Sonny & Cher studio album ’The Wondrous World Of’ didn’t take too long to follow it’s million selling predecessor and it\’s got plenty of tracks to get me interested in including fine versions of ’Summertime’, a Kinks cover ’Set Me Free’ and a version of ’Leave Me Be’ originally recorded by The Zombies.

The last cut on side two is something of a surprise though. ’So Fine’ has them at the 60s rockin’ best and it’s a direction they should have experimented with more often. The song was recorded much earlier in 1964 by English R’n’B group The Beat Merchants.

Once again, Gold Star Studios in Hollywood were used and according to the back cover credits, Sonny Bono arranged and produced all of the material.

(01/07/12)

SONNY & CHER – ’You Don’t Love Me’ (Atlantic ATL 5036) August 1965

Sonny & Cher had a sprinkling of ’Flower Bomb Songs’ and over the years they have appeared before with ’It’s Gonna Rain’, read about that B-Side and ’Look At Us’ album cut and a Cher solo 45 was highlighted.

’Look At Us’ sold millions worldwide in it’s day but is a mostly watered down, radio friendly version of the folk-rock boom that was all over Los Angeles during 1965. It’s with that in my that it’s no surprise that the kids were whipped up into a frenzy to buy anything Sonny & Cher during this time.

Tommy Raye’s cool R&B tune ’You Don’t Love Me’ gets covered and for my money is the best track on the album. It’s got the perfect ’65 sound with that all important echo. crunching guitar and bass noise that we’ve come to expect from most things recorded at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood.

(01/07/12)

THE ALLIES – ’I’ll Sell My Soul’/’Burning Flask’ (Valiant Records V-748) September 1966

Valiant Records had the knack of releasing the odd thunderous garage swinger and straight after releasing the soft pop of ’Cherish’ by The Association the label unleashed this L.A. band’s non hit wonder.

Mystery surrounds The Allies and little is known about them but over these two sides the band had the talent and the power to make a deep impression on me. ’I’ll Sell My Soul’ is perhaps their most famous song.

It’s been compiled a couple of times but the folk punk intensity of ’Burning Flask’ has not surfaced before.

originally posted 30/01/10

THE KINGSMEN – ‘(I Have Found) Another Girl’ (Wand WDM 675) January 1967

The Kingsmen from Portland, Oregon, need no introduction but a little known beat rocker from their ’Up And Away’ album probably does. ‘(I Have Found) Another Girl’ was a group original written by Dick Peterson and Barry Curtis but was strangely never released as a single despite it’s glowing review from Mel Shayne, their Manager, on the back of the album cover.

Here’s what Mel wrote:

‘(I Have Found) Another Girl’ which has hit potentiality, combines a wild pulsing beat with a strong harmonic blend. The tune was written by Dick Peterson in collaboration with Barry Curtis, currently serving in Vietnam, whose original berth with The Kingsmen is being held for his return.

(13/06/12)

RAINBOW – ’4 Leaf Clover’ (GNP Crescendo GNPS 2049) August 1969

This is a curiosity by a group called Rainbow who self produced this album for GNP Crescendo and in W. David Mohr had someone who could write their songs. All cuts are self penned apart from a wimpy version of ’I Just Want To Make Love To You’ which just doesn’t work slowed down to walking pace.

The album sounds like what it is. Basically a bunch of Californian hippies messing about in the studio. Some of this makes for interesting listening such as the stoned ’Midnight Candle’ but some, including the piano led instrumental ’After The Storm’ had me almost falling asleep. At one point I was looking around for the cat to play with, it was so tedious.

I like short snappy songs, anything over the three minute mark is unnecessary which made it difficult to chose a track to upload as most of them go beyond this. ’4 Leaf Closer’ is about as close as you’ll get to a straight ahead pop song from Rainbow. It’s actually quite pleasant and one of their best.

I found out via Billboard that the Rainbow album was released during August 1969. Every source I’ve read gives this as a 1968 release which is incorrect.

(09/06/12)

ELLIE POP – ’Watcha Gonna Do ’Bout It’ (Mainstream S-6115) 1968

Before I started collecting original 60s garage/psych 45s I spent decades buying (mostly) original and re-issue albums and one of my early purchases was this obscurity by Ellie Pop on Mainstream Records. This album is hard to find and commands a decent price tag but it was re-issued a few years ago and should now be available to a larger audience at last.

In my opinion Ellie Pop were treading their own path in 1968, there’s no fuzz, no psych touches, no 1968isms of heavy guitars and keyboards. What you get is a collection of beautifully constructed pop songs that suggest a big Anglophile influence, in particular mid-60s period Beatles. They sound similar to say The Merry-Go-Round or The Left Banke but without the baroque touches. Just pure pop, or should I say Ellie Pop.

Virtually every review I’ve read online or in Shindig for instance, fails to mention that ’Whatcha Gonna Do ’Bout It’ is a cover of a Hollies cut they recorded in 1963 for their debut album ’Stay With The Hollies.’ Ellie Pop wrote all of their own tunes except this one!

I’m not certain where Ellie Pop hailed from or even the full names of the group members but it has been suggested elsewhere that they were from Detroit. Maybe someone can confirm this?

Readers comments:
Ellie Pop is a fabulous pop album, but for sure the group are really obscure (I have seen pics of the group one with four members and another with five).

They came from Roseville, Michigan and Bill Long was their guitarist and they played the Village Pub and the Grande Ballroom in Detroit. They changed their name to Featherstone and later to the Macomb Delfonics.

”What’cha Gonna Do About It” is a 1964 song by Doris Troy. Her real name was Doris Payne. Songwriters : Payne / Carroll. The Hollies covered it.

(06/06/12)

THE BACHS – ’Nevermore’ (Ro-To PR68-1044) 1968

’Out Of The Bachs’ by The Bachs is a legendary album by a group of teenagers from Chicago. Few copies were ever made, maybe as few as 150 copies, making this one of the most sought after slabs of vinyl for 60s garage collectors.

Original copies go for insane prices when they come up for sale, we’re talking many thousands of US Dollars.

Fortunately, the album was re-issued in small quantity in the early 90s on Del-Val, then a couple of years later on Flash (my copy shown). It was officially re-issued on Gear Fab back in 2005 but reviews suggest that the sound on this is not so hot.

My copy on Flash is a bootleg and plays approx 2% too slow due to a mastering mistake by the Del-Val label.

Some years ago Patrick Lundborg sent me a needle burn of an original on Ro-To so I have no need to upgrade my Flash label copy, which I must admit sounds decent to my ears anyway.

’Nevermore’ from ’Out Of The Bachs’ is a fragile, minor key folk rock hymn that is one of my favourites from the set. Despite the crude production and engineering which makes for it’s ’demo’ sound the whole album of self penned songs is pretty much all killer if you dig this kind of bag.

(06/06/12)

THE BELLTOWERS – “Day Breakaway”

About a month ago Paul from The Belltowers sent me a promo CDR of their soon to be released album on Twenty Stone Blatt…called ”Day Breakaway”.

Be prepared to be completely blown away by this group of Rickenbacker guitar slingers. Pure jangle, tambourine and harmony heaven. All songs group originals, they simply soar away on their beautiful clouds of melody….fabulous backbeat by Tom…total coolsville.

congrats to Paul, Marshall, Eddie and Tom for creating such a piece of purepop.

Can’t wait for the official release which I’m told will be early next year…It’s sure to get rave reviews. Just remember you heard it here first.

(28/12/12)

THE CHURCH – ’The Unguarded Moment’/’She Never Said’ (Carrere 2081) 1982

I can’t believe it’s taken me almost six years of writing/researching entries for ’Flower Bomb Songs’ to finally get around to posting one of my all time favourite songs by a contemporary group. ’The Unguarded Moment’ by The Church became something of a ’life changer’ when I first heard it sometime in 1982.

I was seventeen years old and had gradually moved from 70s punk rock to listening more to 60s groups. I didn’t know it at the time but I suppose my tastes in music had become more vibrant, colourful and sophisticated. I wanted to hear folk rock and psychedelia.

Trouble being that no contemporary groups were playing what I wanted to hear in 1982. That was until my head was turned around and my mind turned on by a psychedelic rock group from Australia called The Church.

I remember seeing their official promo video for ’The Unguarded Moment’ in late ’82 on ’The Old Grey Whistle Test’…they had it all as far as I was concerned. Four cool looking lads with killer haircuts, paisley shirts, jangly 12 string Rickenbacker action, mysterious lyrics etc. Best still….they were happening RIGHT NOW and I needed their records real bad but no one in my Town was selling them…

I managed to obtain the UK Carrere release via mail order from a record shop in London and read somewhere that their first album was due to be released in some parts of Europe. I quickly made my move and secured a copy and it’s probably become one of my most played albums by a non 60s group.

I tried to get my mates into The Church but no one was interested. I was pleased in a way because it made The Church even more important to me. The more obscure the better was my motto back when I was a teenager. I loved the fact that virtually no-one had ever heard of them in Britain, at least not until ’Starfish’ was released in 1988.

’The Unguarded Moment’ was first released in the UK during April 1982 b/w ’Busdriver’.

The single was then re-released with a different B-Side during September 1982. Those new songs were ’An Interlude’ and ’The Golden Dawn’, the latter a none LP track. I then located a release from West Germany with another B-side, this time ’She Never Said’.

The Church were a very important group for me back then, like I said, they were a ’life-style-changer’.

(29/11/12)

FELT – ’Penelope Tree’/’A Preacher In New England’ (Cherry Red 59) June 1983

By 1982 I had discovered 60s groups (apart from the well known ones) and in particular West Coast outfits like The Byrds, Love, Turtles etc…I was only 16 years old and no one of my age group was interested in these groups or the 60s sound….pre internet, fanzines and glossy hip music magazines that write about such things….I’m telling you, it was a lonely place I inhabited.

I was immediately attracted to the folk jangle sound and would listen to my one and only Byrds album for hours. I was also enthralled by the folk-rock sound of Simon & Garfunkel.

It was only natural that I’d take an interest in indie groups from England that used 12 string guitars or jangle to colour their sound. I can’t remember how I discovered Felt, John Peel probably played ’Penelope Tree’ or something as it was this 45 that I located first.

Felt were an ignored English indie guitar band from the early/mid 80s. They were hopelessly unfashionable at the time but have now received some acclaim in recent times.

At the time I thought the title of the A-side was strange but have since sussed out that Penelope Tree was a 60s swinging London fashion model. Playing the record for the first time in years it sounds even better than I remembered it to be.

The flip ’A Preacher In New England’ is a guitar instrumental written and performed by Maurice Deebank. He was a classically trained guitarist and it showed on this performance…Jangle soundscape…really beautiful. For some reason the song wasn’t even listed on the sleeve (front or back).

One of the best early 80s records by an English band for sure.

(updated entry from April 2008).

Keith Bickerton comment:
A lovely choice Colin from the vastly under rated Felt, I have the 12” of this which has another Deebank track (and fab as well!) ”Now Summer Spread It’s Wings Again”.

There are a lot of great guitar instrumentals on Maurice’s solo album ”Inner Thought Zone”, but my favourite Felt track is ”Evergreen Dazed” from their 1st album ”Crumbling The Antiseptic Beauty”.

So, by 1979 I had began my obsession with vinyl records, problem being of course that I was still at school and ’earning’ £3 per week pocket money. I probably was able to add to my meagre record collection at the rate of three or four singles per month.

My small local Town had a Woolworths and they sold records as long as they were Top 75. They didn’t stock anything not in the charts.

I quickly discovered their box of records that housed ex chart singles that nobody seemed to want that much any more.

These were selling at a token price of 20p, sometimes even less. I think they were happy to get rid of old stock.

Good news for me as I was able to afford more records. After school, I would call into Woolworths and snap up ex chart punk and new wave singles at a bargain price.

Around about this period I packed in buying football weekly ’Roy of The Rovers’ in favour of music weeklies like NME and Sounds.

By the end of 1981 I had accumulated a decent little collection for a 17 year old. If you call about 50 odd singles and a handful of LPs decent… Anyhow, I was happy with it.

I’d also discovered that the streets of Sunderland Town Centre were a veritable oasis of record shops. I’m not kidding, but back then there seemed to be a record shop on every street. It was in some of these shops that I managed to acquire many of the old 1977-78 punk singles by groups that I’d only read about in NME.

Some shops such as ”Volume”, ”Pet Sounds” and ”New Record Inn” plus one or two others stocked unknown one-off indie releases on small labels.

These shops had a huge influence on me. Most of my spiky jangly pop 45s were bought from ”Volume” during the early 80s. Some are pictured….Felt, The Icicle Works and The Cure……plus many more….They were the first shop to stock garage revival discs and cool comps like ’Pebbles’, ’Highs In The Mid Sixties’ and many records on the French Eva label.

I now had a couple of hundred records bought by 1984…all as a teenager…..but by now I had discovered 60s garage punk and psychedelia. Also the so called mid 80s ’paisley underground’ scene from Los Angeles…..my direction had changed.

Keith Bickerton comment:

It is great to see a mention of the best weekly – Sounds. They started a little shakily but soon hit their stride. N.M.E. was too cool for it’s own good, and Melody Maker still wished it was 1972…

But Sounds was great – specially for 45’s. Every Friday after work, I would go to the Rough Trade shop and but 4 or 5 of Sound’s top picks: Felt, Colors Out Of Time, the Prefects, Crispy Ambulance, Dangerous Girls. Soft Boys, Psylons, Brainiac 5 and countless others. What a time!

(02/11/12)

True it’s a dream, mixed with nostalgia

For several months now I’ve been touched by nostalgia or is it really strong pangs of melancholy? Either way, my mind has been filled with happy memories of my childhood, school days and especially how records have pretty much shaped the way I’ve lived since I was a teenager.

You’ve got to understand that I’m not a musician and can barely shake a tambourine in time. I’ve never tried but you get my gist. I’ve never wanted to learn how to play a guitar, I’ve never wanted to write songs. All I’ve ever wanted to do since about 15 years old is to collect records. Yeah, CDs came around in the late 80s but I’ve always preferred vinyl.

The fact that I’m not a musician has probably heightened my desire to collect these vinyl artifacts. I consider the vinyl 45 to be an art form.

I’m an artistic / autistic kind of guy and with a record not only do you get some music (which is aural art) but you get a graphically designed sleeve. Good or bad, it’s still art and someone has designed it.

I also dig record labels, especially those labels from indie garage band releases during 1965-67…..No one can ever beat some of those, so it’s pointless trying.

I suppose my nostalgia has gathered pace because I’ve recently turned 48 years old, and that is middle aged by anyone’s standards. 1977 was a huge year for me. During October of ’77 I became a teenager. Not only that but I’d discovered The Jam via a Marc Bolan TV Show simply called ”Marc”….The Jam, dressed in their black suits, skinny ties and displaying short haircuts (everyone seemed to be a fuckin’ bearded hippie those days) were on the first show broadcast in August 1977…they played their new single ”All Around The World”…..WOW, this sound is what I wanted more of.

I was still only 12 years old but I thought they were the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Even better than the Banana Splits, and they were good. The Jam definitely got me interested in music. I started listening to Radio One virtually every day, most of the stuff they played during this period didn’t appeal to me, only the odd snotty punk rock record stood out. Mike Reid was probably my favourite DJ, he seemed to play more punk and new wave that the others.

Sadly, as I was too young, I didn’t have enough money to buy records yet. I had to be content with listening to the radio. What little pocket money I got was spent on Subbuteo teams and Panini football stickers. I collected the full set of World Cup 1978….

I bought my first records in 1979 with some birthday money. They were The Jam ’Setting Sons’ and Blondie ’Parallel Lines.’ But I was mostly buying singles because they were much cheaper than albums for a kid on a couple of pounds pocket money per week.

Reader comments:

C: Oh yes, it was SO exciting, wasn’t it?! Being of similar vintage, I relate to that whole thing of saving up pocket money to buy singles and the absolute thrill of seeing the early punk bands on TV.

The radio had a big influence on me – John Peel of course and Radio Luxemburg gave me my first real exposure to it all. Also just seeing your copy of the Cost of Living EP in that photo – blimey, that brought back some memories, haven’t seen that in ages… I’m sure you probably know already that I agree about the artwork on records too. A massive part of the whole feel about a vinyl purchase was the sleeve.

EXPO67: It was a marvellous time to grow up as a teenager…I started listening to John Peel in 1980 and would tape his Festive Top 50s. Kid Jenson’s show from 8.00pm until 10.00pm was always interesting too.

I’ve touched on this period in my life a few times on my blog but I’m gonna focus on my teenage years and the records that shaped me until about 1983 when I discovered 60s garage and psychedelia…I took off in a different direction then.

I’m looking forward to playing and scanning these records. Then mastering the vinyl to a wav file then uploading songs to YouTube…

C: That’ll be great. Interestingly I took a similar path – it was around 1983 too that I started tuning into more obscure 60s stuff and when I first heard bands like The Eyes on the UK comps like Perfumed Garden, and then the US rarities on Choc Soup For Diabetics etc… before digging into the back catalogue of Pebbles, Nuggets, etc.

All that sounded so fresh and not quite like anything I’d heard before, in just the same way that punk had. (It helped that I worked in a record shop from ’83 to ’87 too, which enabled me to check out a lot of stuff I might not otherwise have been able to!)

(01/11/12)

THE OTHERS – ’Cry’ (Misty Lane Records 038) 1996

A rather stunning rendition of ’Cry’ by The Changing Times was recorded by Rome’s The Others in the mid 90s. I’ve highlighted this excellent combo on ’Flower Bomb Songs’ several times over the years and quite rightly so, because they deserve greater recognition.

’Cry’ can be found on a collectable 10” mini-LP on Misty Lane that showcases The Others mastery of mid 60s folk-garage. Don’t let their dodgy image on the cover put you off (they’ve gone overboard with the dark shades) as the beautiful 12 string jangle and wholly authentic ’66 sounds will leave you stunned considering The Others recorded this 30 years after the folk-rock explosion of the Sunset Strip and beyond.

(24/05/12)

KING MIDAS – From The Pipeline EP (Perfect Pop Records 16) 1994

Gloriously infectious pop psych from Norwegian band King Midas.

They may have originated from Oslo. One look at the puddin’ bowl haircuts on the cover as well as the trippy hand drawn sketch that occupied the back sleeve of the record means we’re in for a treat. these boys are out to impress and they certainly do.

’From The Pipeline’ is a Syd Barrett era Floydian psycher with lovely harmonies and a hook that journeys to the centre of your mind or should that be mynd. This is a classy pop psych symphony and it’s unbelievably from ’94!!!

The next track on the EP ’Magic Book’ sounds a little different and my ear picks up a sunshine pop vibe with a definite late 60s American influence. Again there is lush harmonies and swirling organ in the mix.

Side 2 opens with ’Magic Lovecraft’ and is more garage than psych. I prefer the more psychedelic side of King Midas though. The closer ’Sir Francis Drake’ is back to cool UK styled 60s psych, almost toy town stuff. Some nice instrumentation and bendy guitar sounds abound.

King Midas released a follow up EP the following year on Magical Jack Records titled ’In Philicord’ but alas I’ve not heard it. With so many underground European records now impossibly rare the chances of finding ’From The Pipeline’ or ’In Philicord’ are virtually nil. They just never turn up and when they do the prices are high.

band info:

Ando Woltman (Lead vocals, guitars)
Pierre (bass)
Stephen Martin (drums)
Sonny (keyboards, vocals)
All songs were produced by Tom Trobraten

(updated entry from 16/08/07)

THE GREEN TODAY – ’Natural Rhyme’/’Find A Way’ (Kaleidoscope Flexi Disc) Dec 1986

One of the best contemporary groups I’ve discovered recently were undoubtedly Orlando, Florida outfit The Belltowers. They perform a melodic and harmonious jangle rock that has been my staple diet for decades.

During the course of my Belltowers investigations I became aware that at one stage ex Green Today members Paul Mutchler and Ken Chiodini were also in an early line-up of The Belltowers. I’d heard of The Green Today before via an 80s compilation called ’The Exploding Underground’….

I then found out that both Paul and Ken started another group called The Lears when The Green Today broke up in 1987. Fantastic, I said to myself……

I’ve been a huge fan of The Lears for many years and had all of their 45 releases. Things started to make sense. The jangle Rickenbacker from Paul Mutchler had been a pleasant constant in ALL three groups.

A few months ago I decided that I wanted ’Flower Bomb Songs’ to concentrate much more on revival groups and although I’ve already written about The Lears before I plan to update those entries over several blog entries, starting today with The Green Today!!

The Green Today started life as Stumble and after a couple of changes settled on a line-up of:

Ken Chiodini (drums/vocals), Paul Mutchler (guitar/vocals) Martin Everett (bass).

Soon after, a new name was required and the guys went for The Green Today after Paul looked at The Beatles LP ’Yesterday And Today’ and liked the way it was written. All three liked the colour green…..hence Green Today.

’Natural Rhyme’, written by Paul Mutchler has his signature 12 string jangle and is a real languid Byrdsian treat. The sound is full and vibrant and belies the fact that this was a three piece outfit. 

Mark Michel is credited as producer on the flexi-disc but during the interview from Kaleidoscope Issue 1, the group also thank John Link for help during the recording process.

’Find A Way’ is an up-tempo rocker with a definite nod to The Meat Puppets and The Minutemen (popular 80s indie groups), especially the bass runs. However, the jangle is still present. Here’s what Paul had to say in the Kaleidoscope interview.

”I listen to The Beatles, The Byrds and Roger McGuinn. I’m definitely a big McGuinn fan. I think I’m the only person besides McGuinn who plays 12-string constantly now!

I’ll always be a 12-string picker. I like 6-strings but….if I get one It’ll be like yeah, I’ll play that two songs a set”.

Another song by The Green Today was released on late 80s compilation ’The Exploding Underground’ on (Direct Hit Records DHLP 1001).

’Thoughts Before’ was recorded in 1987 and is a seriously great Byrdsian rocker circa their raga rock experiments on ’Younger Than Yesterday’, but at over four minutes is too long too post here. Check it out on my YouTube Channel.

Discography:

Stumble ’The Leaves Are Turning’ (9 song cassette) 1984
The Green Today ’The Green Today Demo’ (5 song cassette) May 1986
The Green Today ’Natural Rhyme’/’Find A Way’ (flexi disc Kaleidoscope issue 1) Dec 1986
The Green Today ’Thoughts Before’ (Direct Hit Records DHLP 1001) 1988

additions from Ken Chiodini:

The Green Today ’Greener Than Elvis–Greener Than the Beatles!’ Live at Below Zero
May 23,1987. Ltd Qty of 100 given away to the 1st 100 people to sign our mailing list.

The Green Today ’The Green Today Demo'(6 song Cassette)’ Tracks 1-4 April 1987. Tracks
5 and 6 released as a flexi in Kaleidoscope issue 1.

The Green Today ’Tracks That Go Nowhere’/’I Hear Every Word’ (Orlando Fl Compilation on Figurehead Records called ’The Vessels Had Life’. 1987

Comment:
Hi, I’m Ken the drummer from all the above mentioned. Here is an update/addition on the discography. The Green Today ‘Greener Than Elvis–Greener Than the Beatles!’ Live at Below Zero May 23,1987. Ltd Qty of 100 given away to the 1st 100 people to sign our mailing list.

The Green Today ‘The Green Today Demo'(6 song Cassette)’ Tracks 1-4 April 1987. Tracks 5 and 6 released as a flexi in Kaleidoscope issue 1.The Green Today ‘Tracks That Go Nowhere’/’I Hear Every Word’ (Orlando Fl Compilation on Figurehead Records called ‘The Vessels Had Life’. 1987 – Cheers! Ken Chiodini

(15/01/12)

THE LEARS – ’I Won’t Remind You’/’A Flash Of Light’ (Susstones IMS-581) 1993

After Green Today disbanded Paul Mutchler and Ken Chiodini teamed up with Dennis Dalcin (editor of Kaleidoscope fanzine and the individual resposible for the Exploding Underground compilation) and bass player Steve Rybko during the Summer of 1990.

It took almost three years before The Lears released any vinyl but eventually a debut 45 came out on Susstones, a  Minneapolis label noted for taking an interest in 60s influenced outfits. Other Susstones releases include singles by The Funseekers, Manual Scan and The Shambles.

’I Won’t Remind You’ is fine fast paced Byrdsian raga jangle with a psychedelic tinge. The Byrds influence cannot be denied and I’m sure McGuinn would really dig the efforts of The Lears with this gem written by 12-string Rickenbacker picker Paul Mutchler.

The flip ’A Flash Of Light’, written by Dennis Dalcin cleverly combines jangle with a Bo Diddley beat…..an unusual combination but it works.

Interesting to note that the name The Lears derives from 60s aircraft the Lear Jet. Roger McGuinn was a noted enthusiast of the plane and wrote ’2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)’ as a tribute to it’s manufacturer John Lear.

Reader comment:
excellent single! I  didn’t know about the name of the band! Dennis was also in the early 80s in a band called The Shades that did a single for fans of powerpop / Jam / Who

(16/01/12)

THE LEARS – ’Comin’ Home Today’ (Misty Lane Records 016) Feb 1994

One of the earliest releases on Misty Lane Records was the four track EP called ’A Web Of Mystery’. This showcased songs by The Overcoat, The Others, Lust-O-Rama and The Lears.

The folk jangle rocker ’Comin’ Home Today’ is the highlight from the disc and sees The Lears veering into ’Notorious Byrd Brothers’ territory with it’s vague ’country’ influence. Listen out for some pleasing and authentic folk rock harmonies, just like it was 1967 again.

(19/01/12)

THE LEARS – ’4 x 4’ EP (Lollipop Shop LSP 002) August 1994 

On this four song EP The Lears have certainly executed the 1966 Byrds sound to perfection. The music on offer is a veritable overdose of 12 string jangle. The rough and basic production puts their sound in the folk garage box of tricks.

The best song on the EP is the terrific Paul Mutchler original ’Then You Want’. This cut would easily fit on ’The Notorious Byrd Brothers’. It’s a modern day classic. Brilliant 12 string Rickenbacker action, simple but effective drums and Byrdsian harmonies. This could almost be McGuinn and Crosby. They’ve kissed and made up!!!

’Thimble Full Of Puzzles’ is an extra-ordinary raga rock instrumental. Yet again it’s a 12 string jangle collision course and we’re on the road to Columbia Studios, Hollywood and Gary Usher is at the controls…For some reason this track was not included on The Lears retrospective CD on Get Hip. Not sure why….it’s killer.

All in all folks this is a priceless EP record by The Lears. If you dig Byrdsian magic add this artifact to your collection if you ever see it for sale.

When I originally posted this entry on my site Dennis Dalcin got in touch with the following information:

”Dennis Dalcin here of The Lears…I just wanted to add to the information provided. 

Paul wrote the music for ”Annabel Lee” which is a poem by Edgar Allen Poe. ”Thimble Full Of Puzzles” came from a riff that had been going round my head for days before we jammed this out as a band.

So I came up with the title and riff and everyone else contributed their parts to it. I’m really glad to hear that you liked it!! 

It didn’t get included on our Get Hip CD because we wanted to let people hear another song by the band that had not previously been released. 

All these songs were recorded in a garage with a Tascam 4-Track cassette recorder (as was all of our Get Hip CD). Add to that it was our first attempt at recording the band.

We actually recorded the majority of a second CD in a real 24-track studio that has all the power we had live, but couldn’t get on the 4-track recordings. Since Paul has no desire to see those tracks released I doubt that it will ever see the light of day.

Too bad really because it sounds so much better than any of our other recordings! Oh well, such is life! Keep on rocking!”

songs on EP:
I Saw You
Annabel Lee
Then You Want
Thimble Full Of Puzzles

Recorded September 1991
Remixed and Remastered September 1993
Released August 1994

(19/01/12)

THE LEARS – Her Magic Smile’/’Don’t You Know’ (Misty Lane Records 028) 1995

Perhaps the most well known song by The Lears is the Dennis Dalcin original pop charmer ’Her Magic Smile’.

’Her Magic Smile’ has the signature Rickenbacker 12 string jangle sound but The Lears are no mere Byrds imitators. This song reminds me of The Rain Parade but with a garage edge.

The 45 was recorded at King Snake Studios, Sanford, Florida in 1995 with a new line-up of Paul Mutchler, Mark Dewey, Dennis Dalcin and Suzy Wolfe

update from Dennis Dalcin – January 2010:

”Wow! I was so surprised to see my old band’s single included on your great blog! I’m Dennis Dalcin (guitar/vocals) with The Lears. Both of these songs are ones that I wrote & sang lead on.

These were ever only very rough mixes and NOT the way we really wanted them to sound. We were asked by Massimo of Misty Lane Records if we would allow him to release these as a single on his label. We were glad to finally have something recorded in a real recording studio get released. 

Our our previous releases were from recordings done on a 4-track machine that Paul Mutchler had, and they were recorded in a garage! They were true garage recordings! I too believe we never reached our peak musically before the band split after first Paul then I moved back to Clearwater/St Petersburg respectively.

Thanks for your support of The Lears!!”

(21/01/12)

THE LEARS – ’You Don’t Believe Me’ (Corduroy Records CORD007) 1995

The compilation ’Not So Pretty’ was put together by Corduroy Records in Australia to showcase contemporary groups of the mid 90s performing classic songs by the legendary Pretty Things.

The Lears contributed the jangly ’You Don’t Believe Me’ from The Pretty Things 1965 album ’Get The Picture’. The song was a no-brainer for The Lears to cover and was perfect for their folk garage sound.
The song was not compiled on The Lears CD retrospective.

This is as great as I hoped it would be. Another great Lears tribute track is ”The Byrd That Couldn’t Fly” on the Gene Clark tribute CD ”Full Circle”.

(22/01/12)

THE LEARS – ’The Story So Far’ (Get Hip 1058CD) 1997

By the time Get Hip Recordings released The Lears CD the group had already disbanded. It’s an essential CD to add to your collection because it contains most of the early 45 sides (apart from ’Thimble Full Of Puzzles’ and the Pretty Things cover ’You Don’t Believe Me’).

As well as the singles, previously unreleased songs are present including recordings made at King Snake Studio and Hitmaker Studio sometime in 1995.

The new songs seem to indicate a more experimental and psychedelic approach that The Lears seem more than capable of indulging in especially on mindblowers like ’Electric Mushroom Voyage’ and ’Thee Iguana Theme’.

The ultra great folk jangler ’Then You Want’ (easily my favourite Lears tune) was given the honour by Timothy Gassen to appear in MP3 format on his ’Knights Of Fuzz’ CD-ROM.  You can hear this on my YouTube Channel. That’s The Gruesomes pictures on the cover by the way…not The Lears.

(22/01/12)

THE TYME SOCIETY – ’Leaves Are Turnin’ Brown’/’Wonderin’ Why’ (Psych-Out Records 45007) 2000

Following the demise of The Others Massimo del Pozzo formed a new group called The Tyme Society who also played a brand of ’66 folk garage, so in all honesty they sounded just like The Others, especially as both outfits had Massimo’s distinctive vocals and utilized jangle.

This was The Tyme Society’s first release on the small indie label Psych-Out Records. It was pressed in a quantity of 500. Both sides are del Pozzo originals and were recorded at Delta Studio in Rome during February 2000.

A great yearning folk rocker, that really gets to me every time I hear it. Another great record on Psych-Out Records is the fabulous album ”A Yellow Dawn” by Astral Weeks

(08/01/12)

US & THEM – ’Summerisle’ EP (Fruits de Mer Vol. 20) October 2011

Us & Them really deliver the goods with this stupendous four song EP of Paul Giovanni covers taken from the soundtrack of an early 70s cult movie from Britain called ’The Wicker Man’….Quite simply, along with Kes, one of the best films ever made and easily THEE best soundtrack.

It must have been an impossible task to reproduce the brilliance of Giovanni’s original acid-folk songs but Us & Them really capture the macabre sounds and eerie mood of them all.

The perfect musicianship and the addition of mellotron and dulcimer into the mix create brilliant new interpretations of ’Corn Rigs’, ’Gently Johnny’, ’Fire Leap’ and ’Willow’s Song’.

The record was at first released in the usual Fruits de Mer quantity of 500. These sold out within a week, so an additional 200 copies were pressed which also sold out immediately.

The label design shows a psychedelicalized picture of the famous Alan Wicker…ha ha ha…hilarious.

(07/01/12)

US & THEM – Us & Them EP (Fruits de Mer – vol. eight) December 2009

One of my ’discoveries’ of 2011 were Swedish duo Us & Them, Anders plays all instruments and Britt sings like a Nightingale. This three song EP was released in a quantity of 500 by new English indie label Fruits de Mer during December 2009 and every copy sold within weeks, indeed this record is already commanding bids above $50 on eBay.

The music on offer is acoustic based; very haunting textures are formed within their aural soundscapes. The lush dreamlike patterns are brushed with colours of melancholy and it’s obvious that Us & Them have perfectly mastered the late 60s’ early 70s acid-folk sound from England.

’Dialogue’ also known as ’I Want To Be Alone’ is a version of Jackson C Frank’s folk gem from 1965. Anyone choosing his work to interpret has got to be taken seriously.

That guy influenced many a folk troubadour including Nick Drake, but is largely unknown and forgotten.

Other covers follow with ’Home To Stay’ originally recorded by Tudor Lodge. The other side of the disc has a quite brilliant version of ’Julia Dream’ by Pink Floyd interwoven with an olde English traditional lullaby called ’All The Pretty Little Horses’. 

(02/01/12)

HERMAN’S HERMITS – ’Museum’/’Last Bus Home’ (MGM K13787) July 1967

One of the most unlikeliest 60s groups catching the psychedelic wave must have been Herman’s Hermits. They’re not a combo that has attracted much attention at EXPO67 HQ but I recently undertook a project to collect the more enterprising Donovan cover versions from 1965-1970 and someone suggested that I should check out ’Museum’ recorded in 1967 by the Hermits.

I must admit that I was blown away by their version. It’s a super rendition and it surely must go down as one of their finest. As far as I know ’Museum’ sank without trace (at least in England). It appears that the song was lost on their usual teeny-bopper girl fans and of course the psych underground wouldn’t have touched the Hermits as they were considered way too uncool for them.

The flip ’Last Bus Home’ is also good and is another tune with a psychy feel, this one being a little ’Revolveresque’. The UK release had ’Moonshine Man’ on the B-Side. 

(15/03/13)

PETER & GORDON – ’Lady Godiva’/’Morning’s Calling’ (Columbia DB 8003) September 1966

I’ve not got any other Peter & Gordon record in my collection apart from this single from September 1966. Peter & Gordon have always sounded way too wimpy for my tastes and their squaresville image didn’t help either.

However, I was hipped to this 45 by Mole from The Higher State last year and I’m glad he waved their flag. The top side ’Lady Godiva’ hit the top 20 in the UK but I’m far more interested in the hidden gem on the flip. ’Morning’s Calling’ is a wonderful folk-rock jangler, written by the duo themselves.

I’m wondering if I’ve missed out on any more of their recorded underground sounds.

Reader comment:

Wonderful track – you don’t need to hear The Beatles or REM after this – all their work is tied up in this 3 minute masterpiece! I always (mistakenly) thought this was an A side, but I think all the rest of their stuff was pretty disposable folk duo meanderings.

Many thanks for post, the original 45’s sound is infinitely better than any re mastered version – the vibrato/reverb on last ring off is what we draw breath for………….regards Ian B

(26/01/13)

MANFRED MANN – ’Up The Junction’/’Sleepy Hollow’ (Fontana TF 908) February 1968

Manfred Mann were asked to compose the film music for UK movie ”Up The Junction” and as one would expect it’s a marvellous soundtrack of jazz, mod and psych moves that add greatness to an already cool film.

According to the liners of the ’Up The Junction’ CD on r.p.m. most of the incidental music was composed by keyboard player Manfred Mann and songwriter Mike Hugg. Only this song featured all members of the group.

The theme tune ’Up The Junction’ is a beautiful psychedelic pop nugget full of key changes and harmonies with stunning production. This song was recorded at the Philips Studios, however, the other material was recorded over a couple of days at Advision Studios in London, during late October/early November 1967.

The flip ’Sleepy Hollow’ did not feature on the movie soundtrack LP and was recorded during January 1968.

Unbelievably, the single flopped and as such remains one of Manfred Mann’s most elusive 45s especially with the picture sleeve.

(21/12/12)

THE COMMANCHES – ’Missed Your Lovin’/’Tomorrow’ (Hickory Records 45-1264) February 1964

The Commanches released this record in Britain on Pye 7N 25609 in February 1964 and it somehow managed to get a release in America on Hickory.

By ’64 The Beatles had conquered our old colony and Hickory Records must have been keen on some of that merseybeat action because they also released singles by The Overlanders.

The A-Side ’Tomorrow’ is very much tepid merseybeat, the singer has a crooning style similar to Elvis. Quite boring stuff actually.

The best side is ’Missed Your Lovin’ and was obviously lost on the flip. This is classy beat angst with a couple of killer lead guitar breaks….

The Commanches had previously backed singer Bobby Allen on a 1964 Fontana single titled ’Half As Much As You’/’So In Love With You’ but stepped out on their own with this 45.

Curiously ’Missed Your Lovin’ was written by Bobby Allen.

 Updated from 31/12/08

PINKERTON’S COLOURS – ’Magic Rocking Horse’/’It Ain’t Right’ (Decca F.12493) September 1966

Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours had a hit with their first single ’Mirror Mirror’ but by the time of their third release it seems that Decca were not going to extend their contract unless ’Magic Rocking Horse’ was a hit. It wasn’t of course, and Pinkerton’s Colours as they were now known, signed a recording deal with Pye Records.

Perhaps the UK record buying public weren’t ready for the whimsical pop melodies of ’Magic Rocking Horse’ although it probably received little or no air time upon it’s release. The song title lived on though in the form of a title for a Rubble compilation on Bam Caruso in the 80s.

’Magic Rocking Horse’ was also recorded by Plasticland, an 80s psych band from USA. I actually heard their version before the original. Come to think of it, back then I probably thought that the song was a Plasticland tune.

The flip ’It Ain’t Right’ is an excellent beat ballad and may have been the better bet for a hit.

(18/12/12)

SVENSK – ’Dream Magazine’/’Getting Old’ (Fontana 272 354 TF) August 1967

Despite the Swedish sounding name Svensk were a duo from Southern England. Roger Hopkins and Jason Paul met one another in Bournemouth in early 1967 and started writing songs. They impressed Larry Page at Page One Records enough to sign them up to his label.

The duo were promoted as ’the two new beautiful people on the block’ and their debut single ’Dream Magazine’/’Getting Old’ was marketed heavily throughout Europe. Several countries released it with a picture sleeve showing Svensk in a recording studio.

My copy of the 45 is the Spanish release, other countries adopted different graphics but more or less the same image. The single was released on Page One in Britain but Fontana in other areas.

Both sides are excellent psych pop, ’Dream Magazine’ is notable for the unique church organ sound. I’ve always had a fondness for the more laid back ’Getting Old.’   

Svensk had another shot at fame with a follow up single but it went nowhere and they split up. Roger Hopkins formed his own production company and moved into marketing and T.V. commercials.

(15/07/12)

THE SPECTRES – ’We Ain’t Got Nothin’ Yet’ (Piccadilly 7N 35368) February 1967

Prior to becoming famous as Status Quo in the 70s Francis Rossi’s outfit were a struggling South London outfit called The Spectres. They released four beaty mod singles on Piccadilly that went nowhere despite strong arrangements and solid production. In fact all four singles had the potential to be hits if their label had promoted The Spectres to any kind of degree.

After their fourth flop ’Almost But Not Quite There’/’Wait Just A Minute’ in June 1967,  it was decided to add an extra guitarist in Rick Parfitt and have a name change. First to Traffic which obviously led to arguments with Steve Winwood’s outfit but give good exposure with front page coverage in Melody Maker.

The Spectres were forced to give way and became firstly Traffic Jam then Status Quo and of course subsequently having a huge hit with ’Pictures Of Matchstick Men’.…

’We Ain’t Got Nothin’ Yet’ is one of The Spectres more garage sounding recordings. Here, they offer a fine reading of The Blues Magoos 1966 hit in USA.

By the way, The Spectres’ Piccadilly 45s are virtually impossible to find and if they do turn up they’re very expensive and sought after. The best place to find them all intact on vinyl is ’Quo-tations Volume 1’ on PRT Records which was released back in 1987. The sleeve was designed by Bam Caruso head Phil Smee.   

(01/07/12)

ART – ’Flying Anchors’ (Island ILP-967) December 1967

After The V.I.P’s and before Spooky Tooth there was the short lived psychedelic rock group, simply named Art.

They’re virtually unknown outside English 60s psych collectors and they’ve rarely threatened the compilers apart from the song ’Supernatural Fairy Tale’ which can be found on a Rubble LP.

Most of the music contained on ’Supernatural Fairytales’ is of a heavy psych nature with elements of the darkness that Black Sabbath would reap on their first album. ’I Think I’m Going Weird’ is pretty much two years ahead of it’s time.

’Flying Achors’ is very hypnotic with what sounds like a mellotron giving it that lysergic eeriness over an acoustic guitar. Close your eyes and drift off somewhere with this…

”Sitting by a stream,
I begin to dream.
Flowers kiss my feet,
That can be so sweet.”

The stunning album cover was created by Granny Takes A Trip boutique designers Michael English and Nigel Weymouth who, with Art producer Guy Stevens were Haphash & The Coloured Coat and it was indeed Art that provided the music for their album.

Art would change their name to Spooky Tooth after this album seemingly went unnoticed.

line-up:
Luther Grosvenor (lead guitar) he had previously been a member of The Deep Feelin’ and The Hellions
Mike Harrison (vocals/keyboards)
Mike Kellie (drums) after Spooky Tooth he was the drummer for The Only Ones
Greg Ridley (bass) quit Spooky Tooth and joined Humble Pie in 1969….died 2003

Steve Marriott produced Supernatural Fairytale.

(17/06/12)

THE BEE GEES – ’Please Read Me’ (Polydor 582012) July 1967

It’s obvious on this album that the Gibb brothers had a major infatuation with The Beatles with songs like ’Turn Of The Century’, ’Red Chair Fadeaway’, ’In My Own Time’ and especially the Lennonesque ’Please Read Me’ which is pure ’Revolver’ era John and hardly ever gets a mention. But it’s now a ’Flower Bomb Song’.

The Bee Gees ’1st’ was recorded over three weeks during March/April 1967 at IBC Studios, London….the home of Cream, The Small Faces, The Who, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and many others. Every song is an original Gibb tune, quite astonishing as all three were still teenagers.

Each and every song is both complex and imaginative. Checking the back of the LP sleeve for information it’s quite clear that the brothers had lysergic minds at this point as the songs they arranged on the album such as ’In My Own Time’, ’Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You’, ’Craise Finton Park Royal Academy Of Arts’ and the brilliant ’Please Read Me’ are the long-players most trippy forays into the psychedelic.

Barry is lead vocal on this one but just listen to those three part harmonies.

Vince Melouney played lead guitar with the group. Back in Australia he had previously been a member of Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs and led his own outfit The Vince Melouney Sect.

Drummer Colin Peterson was also from Oz.

(16/06/12)

ELLI – ’Mister Man’ (Dig The Fuzz DIG038LP) unreleased recording 1966

Sometimes, for reasons now lost in time, certain songs remained in the 60s vaults until they were excavated and released decades later by re-issue labels. Dig The Fuzz did just that with a fine collection of songs recorded by Elli Meyer.

Elli was born in Calcutta, India but moved to London.

According to the liners, Elli’s profession was as a painter & decorator but in his spare time was lead singer in various London groups starting in 1962 with The Eagles, then The Nutrons, then The Madhatters and finally in 1966 with The Infernos.. 

Elli then teamed up with song writing team Mike Finesilver and Peter Ker and it was their songs that Elli recorded during 1966-1970. Demos were cut at Pathway Studios, London with Finesilver on bass, Ker on lead guitar/flute, Vincent Crane on keyboards and Drachen Theaker on drums.

E.M.I. liked what they heard and signed Elli to Parlophone and during February 1967 ’Never Mind’/’I’ll Be Looking Out For You’ was released. ’Never Mind’ is a classic pop psycher but failed to chart and may have been overlooked in favour of a new Beatles 45 released on Parlophone the same day, namely ’Penny Lane’/’Strawberry Fields’.

Which brings me to ’Mister Man’. If ever a song deserved to be released as a single it was this one. According to the liners of the Dig The Fuzz LP, ’Mister Man’/’My Lady Of Love’ was slated by E.M.I. to be released on Parlophone in mid ’67 but due to a shake-up at the Company involving Elli’s A&R man schedules were changed including the next Elli release which was eventually shelved.

Fortunately, the master tapes survived so ’Mister Man’ can be heard in perfect sound. Listen out for Elli’s soft, almost lazy vocal style over a jazzy psych backbeat and Vincent Crane’s impressive hammond organ flourishes.

footnotes:

My favourite aspect when writing about obscurities is being involved in research and trying to fill some blanks in the story…

Elli Meyer – Throughout his life Elli struggled with diabetes and eventually died because of the condition in 2001. His last recordings dated from 1970 so perhaps Elli went back to work as a painter & decorator after his brief and ignored period in the music industry.

Mike Finesilver and Peter Ker also wrote and produced songs during the 60s for other outfits including The Love Sculpture. They then released ’Happy Miranda’/’It’ (Instant Records) in 1969 as The Excelsior Spring.

Both were also part responsible for ’Fire’ recorded by The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown. By the late 60s Mike Finesilver was running Pathway Studios in London which would be the studio of choice for the punk and new wave groups such as The Damned, The Clash, The Police and Elvis Costello.

Drachen Theaker – ’Drachen’ is (I’m told) German for Dragon so that takes care of the unusual forename. He was the drummer with The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and guested on the skins for Love during their ’Four Sail’ recordings. Drachen died of a brain tumour in 1992.

Vincent Crane – He was responsible for the demonic hammond organ as a member of The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown then heavy progressive outfit Atomic Rooster. It seems that Vincent was a manic depressive and he died of an overdose of painkillers in 1989.

(15/06/12)

update from January 2009

Belfast born George Best was one of the greatest footballers of all time. Shame he played for Manchester United (a team I loath….not that hard being a Leeds United supporter)…
BUT, George Best had a surname that couldn’t have been any more appropriate because he simply was the BEST.

With his silky skills and pop star good looks he quickly became a 60s icon and was once dubbed the ’fifth’ Beatle. He went through so many dolly birds, usually Miss World’s (it is written that he shagged three different Miss World’s during his playing days)…..

Unfortunately he liked a good old drink and didn’t know how to stop until it killed him in 2005.

Still, my blog ’Flower Bomb Songs’ acknowledges George as an all time footballing hero and an unforgettable face of the 60s and 70s.

So did the BBC, when in 1970 they documented his lifestyle and included a song called ’Belfast Boy’ by ex Sorrows lead singer Don Fardon.

Reader comment:

Nice story of Georgie Best, as people liked to call him back during those years. I was born in 1961 & am now 53…my father was a well heeled sportsman himself, playing, football, cricket & golf, as a young man, during my fathers heyday, he played for our local football club (Chelmsford City) & the Saracens on a Sunday.

Our family were Green Grocers & as I remember my father had many footballer friends who often visited to stock up on fresh fruits & vegetables.

Greats like Jeff Hurst, Brian King (goalie), Jimmy Greaves & George Best…those were the magical days of football, when these guys played for the love of the game…not like today for a high salary only & an ego to go with it…many fond memories of the 60’s & 70’s, a superb time in football history.

With so many fabulous players. God bless them all & thank you so much for the opportunity. With kindest regards. Sincerely, Nicholas Scott Barker (PS) yes its probably true George Best was one of the greatest players on the pitch during his heyday. Peace.

(07/05/12)

MIKE WALLACE – ’Daffodil’/’Early Morning Bird’ (Major Minor MM 668) 1970

Most lovers of late 60s English underground psych will be familiar with an earlier Mike Wallace 45 on Polydor Records ’Natural High’/’Mandarin’ and a pleasing pop psych double sider it is too.

I never realised that Mike Wallace had another overlooked and obscure 45 released on Major Minor until I found a copy late last year. This record has a similar pop psych approach with an obvious Donovan influence.

’Daffodil’ is lyte pop with orchestration, a perfect lazy Summer’s day sound. Sadly no one was listening or cared and the record has remained in obscurity until I’ve resurrected it today.

’Early Morning Bird’ is also an engaging lyte pop dream, but more acoustic and folk rock than ’Daffodil’. I love this type of sound. Mike Wallace rules…

Reader comment:
Hello – I knew Mike in London in the early 1970s. Sure its the same chap – he had a mini with a Union Jack on the roof! Daffodil was always a favourite at gigs. I wonder where you are now Mike?

(27/01/12)

JASON CREST – ’Hold On’ (Tenth Planet TP041) 1999

Second time out for London group Jason Crest on ’Flower Bomb Songs’… This is their radio session rendition of ’Hold On’, a song that was recorded by several English underground groups including Ipsissimus, Rupert’s People and Sharon Tandy (backed by The Fleur de Lys).

Jason Crest recorded ’Hold On’ in November 1968 for radio broadcast although I’m sure this song and others were never played on the radio at the time and were just used as audition tapes to assess their suitability for live broadcast. The mastertapes were found gathering dust in the late 90s in their former manager’s attic.

(25/01/12)

TREV GORDON – ’Love Comes And Goes’/’You’re An ’E’ Type’ (Pye 7N 17113) May 1966

I reviewed Trev Gordon’s second 45 ’Floating’ last year and readers got in touch with some information about this obscure recording artist.

Some time ago I tracked down his debut single on Pye Records and both sides are just as ’English pop’ sounding as ’Floating’, maybe more so with a strong Donovan influence. On ’You’re An ’E’ Type’ Trev Gordon cunningly describes his girl as a Jaguar sports car…hilarious.

(02/07/11)

PAUL NICHOLAS – ’Reggae Like It Used To Be’/’Lamp Lighter’ (RSO 2090 185) March 1976

Paul Nicholas is best known in Britain for his acting roles in theatre and on TV, although few people probably realize that he was a member of Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages in the early/mid 60s. Soon after he became a solo performer releasing several singles as Paul Dean and Oscar.

He then moved into acting in the late 60s playing lead roles in stage productions of Hair and Jesus Christ Super Star.

Curiously, in 1971 a Paul Nicholas 45 was released in some European countries. ’The World Is Beautiful’/’Lamp Lighter’. This single did not get a release in England.

However, in 1976 Paul Nicholas started releasing records again in the UK and ’Reggae Like It Used To Be’ reached #17 in the charts. As you can imagine the majority of recordings in 1976 were terrible and not worthy of my investigations or breathing space on my site.

The flip ’Lamp Lighter’ is a memorable late 60s early 70s rocker with a tinge of psychedelia. This song happened to be the flip of that 1971 European release I mentioned earlier and sounds like it was recorded from even earlier.

’Lamp Lighter’ was written by Paul Nicholas (label shows Paul Beuselinck which was his birth name) and moves along nicely with those basic drum beats, wah-wah guitar and some fuzz. The song is short and in my opinion ends far too quickly. The guitar solo in the outro sounds great and I could have listened to more.

(26/06/11)

DANTALIAN’S CHARIOT – ’Madman Running Through The Fields’/’Sun Came Bursting Through My Cloud’ (Columbia DB 8260) September 1967

The short lived psych group Dantalian’s Chariot released their one and only record during the Summer of ’67. The epic ’Madman’ is now rightly regarded as one of the finest recorded examples of English psychedelia with it’s heavy use of studio trickery such as backward tapes, fade-ins, weird sound effects and a trippy dream sequence.

Despite being well received, including a ’Single Of The Week’ in Disc & Music Echo, the 45 bombed, along with (as it turned out) any hope of Dantalian’s Chariot releasing a follow up.

The gentle psych of the flip ’Sun Came Bursting Through My Cloud’ is beautiful sonic lysergia that is just right for June in England.

As I write this (here in Old Blighty) we’ve had heavy overnight rain and indeed the sun is now bursting through the clouds. An absolutely perfect mellow ballad.

”Sunlight came bursting through my cloud
Breaking daylight through the misty shroud.”

(25/06/11)

THE ATTACK – ’Hi Ho Silver Lining’/’Any More Than I Do’ (Decca F.12578) March 1967

The Attack, led by teenage lead singer Richard Shirman, were one of London’s premier white soul groups. They got a deserved repution on the live circuit playing hard driving soul covers (that were unknown at the time in England) at hip hang-outs like The Marquee and Blaises. However, on record, they were a different kind of combo delivering art-pop psychedelia and blistering beat music (now tagged freakbeat).

A debut 45 ’Try It’/’We Don’t Know’ released in January 1967 surprisingly flopped. Soon after, The Attack recorded their second single for Decca in February and according to Richard Shirman (interview in Ugly Things #25) they all thought that ’Hi Ho Silver Lining’ would have been their break through pop hit.

Sadly, delays at the pressing plant meant copies of the record were slow to hit the shops and Jeff Beck’s version stole a march and became a huge hit.

The Attack’s version of ’Hi Ho Silver Lining’ is at the very least a match for Jeff Beck’s and with a proper advertising campaign and organised distribution would surely have brought The Attack a deserved hit. As it was, the record stalled although John Peel played the flip on a regular basis on his pirate Radio London show where he utilized ’Any More Than I Can Do’ as one of his jingles.

’Any More Than I Can Do’ is a freakbeat classic with a blistering guitar break from an eighteen year old called Davy O’List. According to the liners of the Bam Caruso/RPM CD ’The Attack – About Time’, O’List was approached by John Mayall to become one of his Bluesbreakers when he was hustling around the London talent for a new lead guitarist.

That job never materialized and he eventually ended up in The Nice after The Attack’s first line-up of the group broke up soon after this 45 flopped. Drummer Alan Whitehead returned to Marmalade.

(23/06/11)

MANDRAKE PADDLE STEAMER – ’Strange Walking Man’/’Steam’ (Bam Caruso PABL 033) June 1985 – original release on (Parlophone 5780) May 1969

I’ll continue my ”Made In Britain” series of reviews with this fabulous record by a group of teenagers from North London calling themselves Mandrake Paddle Steamer. The core members of the group formed at Walthamstow Art College in 1968 with an influence of and a love for American West Coast psychedelia and the hippie ethos.

line-up:
Brian Engel (vocals)
Martin Briley (lead guitar/vocals)
Paul Riordan (bass)
Martin Hooker (farfisa)
Barry Nightingale (drums)

After securing regular gigs at the Asgard Club in Streatford their reputation grew but were somewhat fortunate to find that a demo tape of a song called ’October Country’ had made it’s way to EMI. They were sufficiently impressed to invite Mandrake Paddle Steamer to one of their studios to make a set of demos of their original material.

This then led them to a record deal with EMI where they were teamed up with producer Rob Finnis and engineer Jeff Jarrett at Abbey Road studios during February and March 1969 to record ’Strange Walking Man’ and ’Steam’.

’Strange Walking Man’ is an absolute classic example of late 60s UK psychedelia tinged with a progressive edge. I first heard this mindblowing song on the Bam Caruso re-issue pictured.

This 45 was released in mid 1985 and I bought it because of the psychedelic front cover. I thought anything housed in a cover like that had to be wyld….and I was right of course (as usual).

According to the notes written on the sleeve of this re-issue single, Mandrake Paddle Steamer insisted on playing every instrument during the sessions. They refused all attempts by the producer to use session musicians.

Rob Finnis (producer) did however splice a tape of music played by sessionmen playing ’Maybe Sunday’ by The Incredible String Band as an end coda of the song that completely adds to it’s psychedelic appeal.   

As is usually the case with new groups Mandrake Paddle Steamer got no publicity for their new single on Parlophone. According to bass player Paul Riordan they wanted the record to come out on Harvest Records and that total advertising was one three inch advert in Melody Maker the week of release in May 1969.

The group recorded four songs for John Peel’s ”Top Gear” Show in April 1969.

These were as follows:

“The Ivory Castle Of Solitaire Husk”
“Cooger and Dark”
“The Janus Suite”
“Senlac Lament”

Bootlegs exist containing these songs (I’ve not heard them) but the sound quality is by all accounts appalling and dubbed from second or third generation tapes.

Mandrake Paddle Steamer also released a Swedish only single ’Sunlight Glide’/’Len’ on Parlophone. According to the liners of Psychedelia Volume Two (The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke) released on Tiny Alice Records during the early 90s, both songs were written by the film producers of ’Skottet’, a 1969 Swedish film. The music was produced by Brian Engel. This single came out under the moniker Mandrake.

Mandrake Paddle Steamer were no more by the end of 1969 but members did continue in the music business. Martin Briley and Brian Engel recorded an album as members of The Liverpool Echo in 1973.

Briley then joined Greenslade for a short time before moving to New York in the 70s becoming a session musician for Meatloaf and Mick Ronson.

He then had a hit record with ’Salt In My Eyes’ as a solo performer in 1983. It hit the Top 40 on Billboard.

Brian Engel joined MOR group The New Seekers in the 80s and even wrote a couple of songs used in The Muppet Show.

Paul Riordan moved into recording film library music and TV commercials. When Nick Saloman conducted his interview with him in 1991, Riordan confirmed that he was gigging with his own band called The Disciples at venues such as Dingwalls and the Mean Fiddler.

sources:
Ptolemaic Terrascope #23 (1997)
Bam Caruso 45 release 

(22/02/11)

THE VILLAGE EAST – ’Building With A Steeple’/’Tumblin’ Down’ (MGM K13774) July 1967

Years ago a song called ’Building With A Steeple’ by The Eighth Day turned up on one of those soft sike collections called ’Fading Yellow.’ For me, the song was an immediate stand-out and I bought a copy when I started collecting 60s psych 45s.

What appears to be less known is the fact that The Eighth Day version was a cover, the original recorded by a long forgotten group called The Village East during mid 1967. Both versions are cool. It appears that it’s just one of those instantly memorable flower pop songs from the summer of love. The original version uses brass instrumentation.

I do not know where The Village East hailed from but this was the only record they released. It may have come out on a small local label before the MGM release. Who knows for sure? It just seems strange to me that a young hippie group would go straight onto a major label like MGM.

The group were even overlooked in the expanded/updated ’Fuzz, Acid and Flowers’ guide.

’Building With A Steeple’ and the classy flowery folk-rock winner ’Tumblin’ Down’ on the flip were written by Ronnie Dante and Gene Allen. ’Tumblin’ Down’ and this version of ’Steeple’ still remain uncompiled and perhaps someone reading my blog entry could do the honours, as it’s a shame the songs have not been recognised yet.

Ronnie Dante became the lead vocalist with cartoon band The Archies but his best record was a bubblegum psycher called ’Janie Janie’ released on Columbia Records….a hard record to find, I’m still looking!

(08/04/13)

THE BEATEN PATH – ’Doctor Stone’/’Never Never’ (Jubilee 45-5556) December 1966

Information on The Beaten Path is scarce to say the least. When Sundazed compiled ’Doctor Stone’ on their ’Psychedelic Microdots’ CD in the early 90s they too were at a loss. It is believed that The Beaten Path hailed from Brooklyn, NY but as far as I know details of the band members are unknown.

’Doctor Stone’ is a cover version of an original song from The Leaves. This remake utilizers bongo percussion and is a tad softer around the edges with a pronounced Bo Diddley beat and tremolo guitar. The compiled version of the song on the Sundazed comp is the stereo mix from the mastertapes. I much prefer the single mono mix which I’ve uploaded to YouTube.

The slow and ’out of date’ love ballad ’Never Never’ on the flip is less exciting and sounds like a completely different group, it won’t be of course!

Both sides were arranged by John Abbott who is probably best known for his work with The Left Banke. He arranged most of their songs and also played session bass guitar for them.  

(05/04/13)

THE CLIQUE – ’Splash 1’/’Stay By Me’ (Cinema Records C-001) July 1967

Quite a lot of information exists online about The Clique so I won’t dwell too much on their history only to confirm that most of the group were in The Lavender Hour of ’I’ve Got A Way With Girls’ fame but after the latter broke up The Clique were formed out of their ashes.

From what I’ve read The Clique were a very popular outfit in Houston/Beaumont, Texas and this first 45 on local label Cinema Records proved successful enough to get Scepter Records interested to release and promote the single throughout USA. Some copies were on the Wand label but they’re extremely hard to find.

’Splash 1’ is an excellent version of the 13th Floor Elevators trippy ballad. Here, The Clique give a slightly faster take and the use of keyboards adds to the mix. It should have been a nationwide smash but it didn’t really cause much of a stir outside of Houston where it was a top selling number one hit. 

(01/04/13)

TINO AND THE REVLONS – ’Lazy Mary Memphis’/’I’m Coming Home’ (Dearborn Records D-530) September 1965

This combo had been releasing singles since the early 60s but none of them are ’Flower Bomb Songs’ worthy, I’ve checked out some early recordings on YouTube and they mostly sound like Buddy Holly and that just ain’t my scene.

My interest in them obviously lies with their Dearborn Records releases with ’I’m Coming Home’ maybe the pick of the bunch. The A-Side ’Lazy Mary Memphis’ is forgettable,

I haven’t even bothered to re-master it to the digital format. According to what I’ve read online, this side was a decent size hit in New York, so much so that it’s believed that the group relocated from Michigan to NY.

Far superior is the garage style rocker on the flip. I wonder if this side ever got played during the 60s? Probably not, as the radio stations were all a little square back in ’65 and only played top sides. ’I’m Coming Home’ is a fast organ and guitar mover that really swings.

Tino and the Revlons proved popular enough for Dearborn Records to release an album which by all accounts is a decent effort of originals and cover versions. I’ve not heard anything from it but maybe it deserves a re-issue. Probably one of the few remaining 60s albums not to get the re-issue treatment.

According to the albums liners Tino and the Revlons consisted of:

Tino (vocals)
Hoot Gibson (drums)
Johnny Caoloa (lead guitar)
Cheech (keyboards)

so who played the bass guitar?

During my research I found out that Tino was murdered in Jamaica in January 1983.

Some local thugs were mugging his wife, Tino stepped in to defend her but was then stabbed to death. I found an online newspaper report which I’ve added with this entry.

Reader comments:

Tino and The Revlons was actually from Upstate NY, the capital district area including Troy and Albany. They played local bars and toured mainly on the east coast. Every year in the late 60s and early 70s they appeared on the local MS (Jerry Lewis) telethon- almost considered the house band in the later years.

They were very popular on the local scene and played a lot of covers from many of the 60’s British invasion bands and 50’s rockers. I think there are still some band members active on the local scene in the upstate area.

Sometime in the mid to late 60’s a black organist from Troy (a graduate of Troy High) that I sort of remember as ”TB” played with Tino and the Revlons. I know he played with Tino at Eugene’s Side Door on Western Ave and I think he went on to do organ backup for a female singer (I sort of remember Maria Elena or something like that).Any idea who TB was and if he is still around Troy?

(26/03/13)

THE BLACK SHEEP – ’It’s My Mind’/’Arthur’ (Columbia 4-43666) May 1966

Here’s a group from La Canada, CA that seem to have slipped under most people’s radar, including me. I bought this single recently on a whim mainly because it was on the Columbia label and the serial number put it somewhere in mid 1966.

I’m glad I made the purchase because ’It’s My Mind’ is an excellent folk-rock jangler with an unusual spoken intro and fits perfectly on ’Flower Bomb Songs’ site…The flip ’Arthur’ is a choice rhythm and blues instro with pumping bass runs and screeching harp. The lead guitarist also lays down some solid lines….think teenbeat Butterfield Blues Band and you’ll get the picture.

Quite how this only got a score of ’3’ in ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ ?? once again demonstrates to me that some of the old sages had no ears.

I’ve also noted that The Black Sheep had two other 45s so I’m hoping to add those to my collection some day. This release, and their first of two on Columbia, got some publicity with mentions in Billboard and a full page advert in Cash Box in June 1966. The latter had some vital information about the members of Black Sheep and their line-up:

Michael Mongeon (rhythm guitar)
Buddy McCabe (bass)
Dean Pedersen (drums)
Mark Harman (vocals/organ)
Joe Masterson (lead guitar)

The producer of both sides of this disc was Jerry Riopelli who was a member of The Parade and had also produced music by The We Five and later, the excellent Brewer & Shipley material.

(25/03/13)

THE SURFARIS – ’Hey Joe Where Are You Going’/’So Get Out’ (Decca 31954) June 1966

The Surfaris need no explanation on Flower Bomb Songs as everyone has probably heard their big surf hit ’Wipe Out!’ but what isn’t that well known about them is that in their later years The Surfaris developed a tough folk rock sound.

I suppose this change of direction was necessary to survive in an ever changing music scene. Surf would have been considered yesterday’s papers in mid 1966.

It is believed that The Surfaris were one of the very first groups in the World to record ’Hey Joe’, in fact I’ve found a few debates on different forums where this particular topic has been discussed. Was it The Leaves? Was it The Surfaris? Who knows for sure?

The Surfaris probably recorded their version of ’Hey Joe’ in late 1965, this may even be pin-pointed to November 1965. Gary Usher, it seems asked David Crosby if he could lay down a recording in the studio with The Surfaris. It’s believed that Crosby was the musician who discovered this song. He had plans to record it with The Byrds, which of course they did with somewhat disappointing results.

Far more interesting for me is the ultra cool flip ’So Get Out’ which sees The Surfaris adopting an exciting mid 60s rock ’n roll style of sound.

Quite a tough sounding minor key lament and one which deserves more recognition. I love it when these experienced and professional bands decided to get with the hip sound because they usually delivered the goods.

(21/03/13)

THE GREEK FOUNTAINS – ’Buy You A Chevrolet’/’What Is Right’ (Montel-Michelle M-983) December 1966

Baton Rouge, LA was the home of The Greek Fountains, considered by many to be the number one group in the City. They were certainly prolific and released six singles on various labels in less than two years. You’d think that was virtually impossible but not for The Greek Fountains.

’Buy You A Chevrolet’ (more widely known as ’Hey Gyp’) is a cover of one of Donovan’s more direct songs and was attempted by many combo’s during the mid 60s. I’d wager that none were as energetic than this killer version with it’s Yardbirds style rave-up, snotty vocals and harmonica.

The flip ’What Is Right’ sounds like a completely different group and may have been something of an experiment coming across as bizarre country & western. Think Flying Burrito Brothers on acid.

The 45 got a mention in Billboard as a new release during December 1966.  

(18/03/13)

THE LEATHER BOY – ’Jersey Thursday’/’Black Friday’ (Parkway P-125) December 1966

If one ever needed proof that Milan a.k.a. The Leather Boy was a genius look no further than this obscure 45 on Parkway Records. I’m not convinced that it was actually released, I’ve never seen any evidence such as the label (either promo or stock copy) and no mention of the release in any of the trade magazines of the time. Long time record sleuths have never turned up any copies.

My copy is a white label test press with handwritten information on a blank label. It appears that the release would have been Parkway P-125. According to ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ this serial number would have meant a December 1966 release.

I bought this recently from a Swedish record dealer. It appears that the disc originated from a dealer operating out of NYC who stated that he’d had this record in his collection for decades. I’m so glad to add this piece of wax to my collection as I tend to home in on psychedelia.

’Jersey Thursday’ is a psychedelic infused baroque masterpiece with acid dripping from the grooves. The production is quite outstanding, Milan adds to the eeriness with his unique vocal delivery. This is one of those amazing songs that remain undiscovered for many years, in this case decades, before it’s light shines brightly.

’Jersey Thursday’ is a Donovan penned composition by the way, but Milan takes the song to another level….a psychedelic level.

It appears that Milan had days of the week on his mind as the flip is ’Black Friday’…this time around there is yet more sumptuous baroque aural delight, it’s a backdrop of pumping bass runs, groovy organ and robotic drumming…..this will take your mynd to places of inner delight…total bliss.

Reader comment:

Hi Colin. I´m betting the NYC dealer (well, New Jersey) was cwbparker. I bought mine from him some years ago. He recently had another one up for auction. All three copies have the exact same handwriting. They look dead alike.

I wonder how many copies he’s got. The only person ever to say he actually owns an original with a printed label is GG/Buckeye. Cheers, Thomas.

Thomas – I bought my copy from Jens L who advised me that it originated from a NYC record dealer. I assumed it came from cwbparker.

(10/03/13)

KEVIN SHANE – ’Come Morning Time’/’I’m Gonna Change’ (World Pacific 77907) 1968

This one is a bit of a mystery. I’ve done some research but can’t find out a thing about Kevin Shane. So who was he and did he record anything before or after this 45 on World Pacific? If anyone knows please get in touch.

The big sound of ’I’m Gonna Change’ is often described in sales lists as a ’mod dancer’ (whatever that means?) I just call it a well produced 60s pop mover with some strings and things.

I’ve heard this type of mod sound by the short-lived Shotgun Express from England. Which leads me to wonder if Kevin Shane is English, as this kind of bag doesn’t sound like American pop to me even though it’s on a label out of Los Angeles.

Tommy Amato wrote both sides of the disc. The top side ’Come Morning Time’ is a little bit too twee for me.

(01/03/13)

THE NEW PHOENIX – ’Give To Me Your Love’/’Thanks’ (World Pacific 77884) 1967

The Hard Times either changed their name to the more psychedelic The New Phoenix or by the time of recording this song in October 1967 only singer Rudy Romero remained.

’Give To Me Your Love’ is a stunning flower pop assault on the senses with some lovely harmonies and a memorable melody. Mama Cass Elliot produced and it’s quite clear that she brought along some of the Mamas & The Papas magic dust to the sessions.

The group did not have another song ready to record so an instrumental version named ’Thanks’ was tagged on the B-Side.

Reader comment:

Loved, loved these guys. They played Frenchy’s in Hayward and I will never forget them!

(23/02/13)

THE JOYRIDE – ’His Blues’/’Land Of Rypap Papyr’ (World Pacific 77888) 1968

The third and final Joyride 45 was the vocal harmony instro ’Land Of Rypap Papyr’ which sounds almost like some lysergic nursery rhyme without words, just cascading harmonies. Quite a unique sounding tune with an unbelievably complex arrangement and not something that would be bought by the masses. No chance that this could have been a hit.

Far more commercial is the superb flip ’His Blues’ written by Association member Jules Alexander. This is a typical Los Angeles flower power sound with some lovely acoustic guitar, male/femme vox, tambourine and eastern style sitar. Check out the line below which indicates that we’re going on a trip….

”He’s gonna get some strychnine poison
And mix it up with some S.T.P”

I’d love to know more information about Joyride so please get in touch if you can shed some light on this obscure group.

(20/02/13)

THE JOYRIDE – ’The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine’ (World Pacific 77883) 1968

Next up for The Joyride was a cover version of ’The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine’, originally recorded in 1966 by Simon & Garfunkel. It featured on their ’Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme’ album and would also be selected for the B-Side of ’The Dangling Conversation’.

The message of the song was Paul Simon’s cynical view of advertising but I don’t think The Joyride bothered too much about pushing any particular message as their version is sweet L.A. harmony pop and perfect flower power sounds for 1968.

Once again, the vocals are inspirational with some neat guitar. Clark Burroughs adds in some studio trickery into the mix. Absolute pop perfection. I don’t know how this wasn’t a hit.

Both sides of the disc had the same song.

(18/02/13)

THE JOYRIDE – ’The Crystal Ship’/’Coming Soon’ (World Pacific 77877) 1967

There were several harmony flower psych groups from Los Angeles after the initial folk-rock boom that still, to this day, have yet to receive any sort acclaim. 

The Joyride are one such group that are still unknowns, none of their songs have ever been compiled, although their sounds have circulated among psych-pop fans for several years.

It is believed that The Joyride were a studio recording outfit put together by former Hi-Lo’s member Clark Burroughs who probably had the pick of available musicians in L.A. as well as enough studio time to create such beautiful sounding flower pop.

The Joyride’s first 45 was a stunning version of one of The Doors best songs ’The Crystal Ship’. In my opinion the arrangement by Don McGinnis is as good as anything pieced together by the lauded Curt Boettcher (and that’s saying something).

All of The Joyride’s material bring to mind another classic Los Angeles male/fem vox outfit The M.C. Squared. So if you dig those guys you’re sure to flip on out to The Joyride.

(16/02/13)

SUNDAY SERVANTS – ’Who Do You Love’/’I’m Puttin’ You On’ (World Pacific 77825) April 1966

The Sunday Servants were duo Skip Knape and David Teegarden but with this 45 had a great deal of input from J.J. Cale who did just about everything from production, arranging, engineering and coming up with the backwards guitar break on ’Who Do You Love.’

This often covered blues song has never sounded so hip but I doubt many people would have heard it outside Los Angeles. According to the liners of ’Aint It Hard’ (Sundazed compilation) The Sunday Servants were not just a studio outfit but played some gigs around the City during 1966.

(28/01/13)

RAGA AND THE TALAS – ’My Group And Me’/’For Old Time’s Sake’ (World Pacific 77847) Sept 1966 

This folk-rock double sider was the work of Jackie deShannon, who wrote and produced both sides. It is believed that Raga and the Talas were a studio based outfit fronted by Jackie’s brother Randy Myers.

I’ve no doubt also that they derived the group’s name from the Ravi Shankar album titled ’Raga And Talas.’ Ravi was a World Pacific label recording artist.

’My Group And Me’ is catchy folk-rock with a driving beat and probably sold well in Los Angeles, the epicentre of 60s jangle. I think the flip ’For Old Times Sake’ is just as entertaining. 

(23/01/13)

THE SANDELLS – ’Out Front’/’Scrambler’ (World Pacific X-405) March 1964 

The Sandells recorded several 45s for World Pacific but are probably better known for their folk rocker ’Tell Us Dylan’ under the name The Sandals. However, this early 1964 single is a double sided instrumental swinger with sound effects.

Both sides feature loud motorbike revving before the group rip into some up-tempo surf guitar style rockin’ and remain uncompiled but I’m not too sure where these instros would fit. Certainly not on a garage comp.

Richard Bock is named on the label as producer. He was mainly known for producing West Coast jazz and indeed set up the Pacific Jazz label. Not sure what he would have made of The Sandells.

Keith Bickerton comment:

The Sandells guitarist John Blakeley was later a member of Stoneground, also in Stoneground were former members of the Beau Brummels, Tongue and Groove the Immediate Family and Indian Puddin’ and Pipe. They briefly lived in England and appeared in a Hammer horror movie.

(21/01/13)

During the Summer of 2012 I decided to collect as many records by Milan a.k.a. The Leather Boy as I could find. I already had a fair number in my collection but decided to concentrate my efforts on the songs he wrote for other groups.

It took me about four months to track down obscure 45s by  The Chanters, The Doughboys, The Unclaimed, Ice Cream and The Downtown Collection. I also added a few released as World Of Milan.

Milan had his own style, even when other groups recorded his songs, I could detect Milan in the mix. He definitely followed his own path of ideas and was unique.

I made six CDs and sent some contacts a copy. All I asked for was a small donation to cover my costs and the shipping etc.

Since I compiled this set, Milan has had his story told in the latest Ugly Things.

Maybe one day his work will be compiled professionally by a re-issue label, but until then here’s a retrospection of Milan’s work remastered direct from original vinyl and NOT sourced from crappy lo-fi sounding MP3s.

(23/12/12)

THE MODS – ’Ritual’/’Everybody Needs Somebody’ (Revelation VII) 1965

The Rolling Stones influence is obvious for all to hear on the 60s garage classic ’Ritual’ by a group of New Jersey teenagers calling themselves The Mods. Not the greatest name for a band but it’s one that many USA groups happened upon during the first wave of the British Invasion.

’Ritual’ is a group original but the flip ’Everybody Needs Somebody’ is a cover version. So too was their first 45 on Revelation VII released some months before this one. The Mods reverb guitar version of ’Satisfaction’ can be found on Back From The Grave – Volume 2. This record came in a picture sleeve showing the boys crouching down next to a sports car.

(23/12/12)

LINK CROMWELL – ’Crazy Like A Fox’/’Shock Me’ (Hollywood Records 1107) March 1966

My recent ’New Jersey Fragments’ 5 CD set is no longer available, I only made six copies and they all went to good homes within an hour or so of advertising them over on my Opulent Conceptions blog. Any future CD sets I compile will only be highlighted there, so bookmark the site.

I’ll write about some of the 45s featured on ’New Jersey Fragments’ over the next few weeks. One such record was this decent folk rock protest disc on Hollywood Records.

Link Cromwell was in actual fact Lenny Kaye (of the Nuggets comp fame) and some studio cats from Associated Recording Studios in Times Square, NYC.

At the time of the recording in late 1965, Lenny Kaye was residing in North Brunswick, NJ. I don’t know if the release caused any big waves outside of his home town, probably not, but for me it’s a neat little jangly folk rocker with an obvious nod to Sonny Bono.

(22/12/12)

THE TRASHMEN – ’Same Lines’/’Hanging On Me’ (Tribe Records 45-8315) April 1966

I can’t begin to tell you how much their hit ’Surfin’ Bird’ annoys the shit outta me. I simply detest it, some records have that impact on me and that is certainly one of those. It took me over 30 years to buy a Trashmen record as I thought they’d all have the same kind of dumb novelty approach, especially judging the song titles…..’Bird Dance Beat’, ’Ubangi Stomp’ and ’Bird ’65’….I’ve never heard these and don’t wish to.

’Same Lines’ is happening though. I first heard it on the comp ’Mayhem and Psychosis Volume 3’ and thought it was a real gone winner.

Pissed off Dylanesque rants with a repetitive riff. The singer just ain’t happy with life and I can see why as his girl and everyone else is giving him the ’same lines.’

The flip ’Hanging On Me’ is a superb folk-rock jangler and is still surprisingly uncompiled. The Trashmen should have explored this type of music much more often. It appears that they broke up soon after this Tribe Records release.

Mark Charron who wrote ’Hanging On Me’ was a prolific song-writer and his material was recorded by B.J. Thomas and The Partridge Family.

(09/12/12)

THE COUNTDOWNS – ’She Works All Night’/’Skies Will Be Happy To See You’ (WG Records WG-1) June 1967

Simple and effective up-tempo teenbeat without any of the studio embellishments like fuzz, wah-wah or sound FX you’d expect from something released in mid 1967. I doubt if anyone but the group themselves laid down the instrumentation, in other words no professional studio musicians.

The drummer at times is all over the place but he manages to keep everything together, although he was probably exhausted by the end of the take.

Teenbeat Mayhem! lists The Countdowns with a South Hadley Falls, MA location. As far as I know only ’Skies Will Be Happy To See You’ has been compiled before, on one of those ancient Gone albums from the mid 80s.

(08/12/12)

LINCOLN ST. EXIT – ’Who’s Been Driving My Little Yellow Taxi Cab’/’Paper Place’ (Lance Records 109/110) June 1967

The Lincoln St. Exit were a group of teenagers from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their singles are sought after especially the one on Ecco ’The Bummer’/’Sunny Sunday Dream’, but this cool two sider on Lance Records ain’t too shabby either.

Lance Records was run by Dick Stewart who also produced this 45. He was a member of local group King Richard & the Knights who had three singles on Delta.

It’s believed that ’Paper Place’ was based on popular TV show Peyton Place. Both sides were officially re-issued  back in 2000 from the masters by Bacchus Archives.

The EP also contained both sides of The Fe-Fi-Four Plus Two screamer ’I Wanna Come Back From The World Of LSD’/’Double Crossin’ Girl’.

(06/12/12)

ALIAS JADE – ’Why’/’On The Road Blues’ (Vintage Records SCV-1139) 196?

This record has had me stumped for years, nothing is written about Alias Jade on the internet (at least I’ve not found anything) and my many guide books do not list it.

I’ll take an educated guess and say that Alias Jade were a Canadian outfit (the record was manufactured in Canada) also the DJ sleeve the 45 came in states Toronto.

Both sides are late 60s psych rock with a loner vibe complete with wah-wah guitar, hammond organ and it appears to be sung by a hippie type crooner who sounds like he’s been smoking none filter cigarettes for years and downing a bottle of Jack Daniel’s before bed time. I’m not sure that his vocals fit this type of rock music.

The record is a stereo pressing, indicating late 60s, possibly early 70s release

(01/12/12)

 THE PLYMOUTH ROCKERS – ’Girl From The North Country’/’Roll Over Stephen Foster’ (Valiant Records V-729) October 1965

Both sides of this disc are pure ’Flower Bomb Songs’ with that gorgeous folk-rock sound, so typical of USA 1965. I actually held off from putting this track on my recent ’Dylanisms’ compilation because it was lined up for my forthcoming Valiant Records 2CD set.

It’s believed that The Plymouth Rockers were from the State of Arizona, some online sources have even suggested Phoenix. How they came to record two singles for Los Angeles label Valiant Records is uncertain but it’s clear that the group possess the ’65 Sunset Strip sound.

’Girl From The North Country’ is a fabulous version of the Bob Dylan tune. I actually heard a version of the song by The Blue Things first before I’d even heard Dylan’s original. The Plymouth Rockers certainly capture that sound I love and need to hear daily. The flip ’Roll Over Stephen Foster’, a Tim Rose composition, has a much more aggressive jangle folk-rock attack..

Both songs have never appeared on any compilations in the past.

Readers comments:
Colin – I know there were a bunch of Plymouth Rockers. I have also heard that this band was from the Phoenix area. Do you know from where the Plymouth Rockers that recorded Brown Eyed Handsome Man/Around and Around for Warner Bros. happened to be? Not the same band is it? Thanks in advance, See you On The Flip-Side.

Morgan – The record you speak of is the same Plymouth Rockers. ”Around And Around” / ”Brown Eyed Handsome Man” was released in November 1964. They are listed in ‘Teenbeat Mayhem’ as being from the AZ area, nothing more specific.

Thanks Colin. I see the Addrisi Brothers — who wrote That’s When Happiness Began for The Grains of Sand (the next release on Valiant) – also wrote Walk A Lonely Mile, the flip of the Plymouth Rockers’ Don’t Say Why.

The Plymouth Rockers’ producer emphatically told me that the group was formed in Los Angeles. They played Tucson on New Year’s Eve 1965 and ”Don’t Say Why” got some airplay in Phoenix (appears as ”Hit Bound” on a 1966 KRUX radio survey), but he says none of the members were from Arizona and he didn’t know of any other links to the state. A couple of the guys turned up later in the group Summerhill on Tetragrammaton.

Matthew Moore was a member of The Plymouth Rockers. He joined later the Psych Band ”Moon”

(31/05/13)

THE LORDS – ’She Belongs To Me’/’On The Road Again’ (Valiant Records V-725) September 1965

The Lords are a mystery, virtually nothing has ever been written about them although they did get a mention in both ’Fuzz, Acid and Flowers’ and ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ but it appears that their line-up is a mystery and both sides of their one and only 45 have yet to see a compilation appearance.

’She Belongs To Me’ and ’On The Road Again’ are successful Bob Dylan cover versions done in the folk-rock style with 12 string jangle, clattering tambourine and in the case of ’On The Road Again’ some sneering vocals and harmonica.

Hopefully one day someone from the group will read this review and get in touch.

Reader comment:
Hi I stumbled on this on YouTube and commented there as well. My father is the person singing on this song. ”The Lords” AKA \”The Lords of London” and AKA The Bundys were originally from Durango, Colorado (a different band from Toronto called themselves The Lords of London also a couple years later, not the same band).

The members were my father Tommy Beuten guitar and vocals, Gerry Jimerfield guitar and vocals, Rodger Jones bass and vocals or Jerry Schoenfeld bass and vocals and Sid Levell Drums.

I have stumbled on two other songs on you tube they did as the Lords of London ”Little Lonely Summer Girl” and ”Stay Away”. Do you have a post of the B side?? Thank you Darrell Beuten dbeuten@aol.com

(30/05/13)

THE MOTLEYS – ’Louisiana’/’I’ll See Your Light’ (Valiant Records V-724) September 1965

The Motleys are believed to have originated from Los Angeles, I’d like to think that they were a group in their own right but they may have been simply a studio creation fronted by Barry DeVorzon who founded Valiant Records.

’Louisiana’ was co written by DeVorzon and is a pleasant folk-rock made pop rocker with a fabulous guitar break which was re-hashed from The Lost Ones song ’Little Annie’ (also co-written by the same song writing team).

The flip ’I’ll See Your Light’ is a superlative folk-pop winner with some compelling vocal harmonies and a dramatic edge. It’s a curio that both sides remain uncompiled. I’ll make them available on my Valiant Records 2CD compilation coming soon.

A second 45 was released on Valiant during March 1966, this one appears to be quite difficult to locate. ’You’/’My Race Is Run’ can be found on those horrible ’Turds On A Bum Ride’ comps.

(27/05/13)

THE LOST ONES – ‘Trouble In The Streets’/’Little Annie’ (Valiant Records V-721) August 1965

I’m a sucker for 60s style instros so it comes as no surprise that I’ve got this 45 by The Lost Ones tucked away in one of my record boxes. I haven’t been able to establish if they were a group working the Sunset Strip or if The Lost Ones are merely a studio creation working away on possible incidental music for exploitation films.

’Trouble In The Streets’ is an organ charged instro with reverb and snappy tambourine throughout and ends with wailing police sirens….super cool this one and is strangely the same backing used for Cory Wells and the Enemy’s ’Sinner Man’.

The flip is almost as good especially the kickin’ lead guitar break. Another curio emerges as the instro was used in ’Louisiana’ by The Motleys, another Valiant Records label recording group.

(25/05/13)

CORY WELLS AND THE ENEMYS – ’Sinner Man’/’Say Goodbye To Donna’ (Valiant Records V-714) April 1965

I wrote about The Enemys way back in October 2009, go here for the posting that includes label scans of all future releases after this one and a band picture. At that time I did not have their first 45 released on Valiant but credited as Cory Well & The Enemys but have since added a copy to my collection last year.

’Sinner Man’ is quite an intense rocker with crunchy Ventures style guitars, organ twists and clattering tambourine. The vocals are moody and perfect for the backbeat, I’d say killer early 1965 Sunset Strip beatsville.

I’m not certain if the group had secured their residency at the Whiskey A Go Go at this point.

(25/05/13)

DENNY PROVISOR – ’It Really Tears Me Up’/’She’s Not Mine Anymore’ (Valiant Records V-728) October 1965

Here’s a real sort after 45 from Denny Provisor, and quite rightly so in my opinion. ’It Really Tears Me Up’ is a forceful folk-rocker with jangle and is pure Sunset Strip style ear candy. The vocal attack is akin to the gruff tones of Barry McGuire….an absolute killer and pure ’Flower Bomb Songs.’

The flip ’She’s Not Mine Anymore’ is a soul tinged pop ballad that holds my interest.

Denny Provisor released a few earlier singles which I’ve not heard. Both do not feature in Teenbeat Mayhem which leads me to believe that they lack the garage or teenbeat sound.

He ended up in a later line-up of The Hook and played for many years with The Grass Roots.

(21/05/13)

THE LITTER – ’Distortions’ (Warick WM-671) 1967

One of my most played 60s garage albums has gotta be ’Distortions’, over the years I’ve listened to this many times, too many to remember. Strange how it never seems to get much praise amongst collectors and 60s freaks, often overlooked in favour of releases by The Shadows Of Knight or The Chocolate Watch Band etc…

I’ve got a 70s re-issue on the Warick label bought mail order from Funhouse Records back in the mid eighties. The album has been re-issued/bootlegged many times since on labels like Eva and Arf Arf. I recently read that Sundazed were gonna re-issue ’Distortions’ on vinyl and no doubt if it ever gets a release I’ll be first in line to buy another copy.

Here’s some history about The Litter (taken from the booklet of the CD release on K-Tel)

In the mid 60s members of two Twin Cities rock bands merged and became The Litter. From The Tabs came the guitars of Dan Rinaldi and Bill Strandlof. They were joined by two departing members of The Victors, keyboard/vocalist Denny Waite and bass player Jim Kane.

While attending a local teen band contest at the Minnesota State Fair they met drummer Tom Murray and The Litter was born.

What set The Litter apart from the other local groups at the time was their focus on album cuts and obscure material by the ’British Invasion’ groups (The Yardbirds, Small Faces, The Who).

While playing around the Twin Cities they came to the attention of producer/songwriter Warren Kendrick who took the group into his studio in late 1966 and recorded their first three songs. Two of them, ’Action Woman’ and ’Soul Searchin’, were originals written by Kendrick. The third, ’A Legal Matter’ was a cover of a Who song. ’Action Woman’/’A Legal Matter’ were chosen for the single and released in 1967 on the Scotty label. The 45 got excellent reaction in the Twin Cities.

Around this time St. Paul native Tom ’Zip’ Caplan had returned from a year long stint in Los Angeles where he was doing studio work and cutting demos with songwriter Larry Loofbourrow. Caplan knew bassist Kane from earlier days when ’Zip’ played guitar with local favourites The Escapades, Froggy & His Friends and The Accents.

Shortly after a gig at St. Paul’s Prom Ballroom, Bill Strandlof left The Litter and ’Zip’ Caplan was asked to join the band as lead guitarist, solidifying the line-up. By then the ’Action Woman’ single had broken out of the Twin Cities and was getting airplay throughout the Midwest.

This led to bookings at a couple of clubs in Chicago’s Old Town district. Their live performances were very well received and led to many more appearances and a large following in the Windy City.

Their next logical step was to cut an album. The group utilized both Dove Recording Studios and Warren Kendrick’s Lake Street Studio as they began work on the songs and sounds that would eventually become ’Distortions’.

Three tunes ’Action Woman’. ’A Legal Matter’ and ’Soul Searchin’ were already in the can. ’Somebody Help Me’ (Spencer Davis Group). ’Whatcha Gonna Do About It’ (Small Faces) and ’Rack My Mind’ (The Yardbirds) were songs that had gotten great reaction live, so studio version were recorded.

’Codine’ was a Buffy St. Marie song the group had been playing for some time, so it was included as the album’s one slow number. The group learned ’I’m So Glad’ from Cream after sharing the bill with them at the New City Opera House in Minneapolis. A cover of The Who’s ’Substitute’ was paired as a medley with a ’Zip’ Caplan original called ’The Mummy’ (inspired by the Boris Karloff movie).

They had been closing their gigs with a chaotic version of The Yardbirds ’I’m A Man’. That song was therefore chosen to close the album.

’Distortions’ was released on the Warick label in 1967 to exceptional response. As momentum built, a second single ’Somebody To Love’/’I’m A Man’ was also released on Warick. Touring escalated to a national level and included venues like The Peppermint Lounge in New York, The Cheetah in Los Angeles and everywhere in between.

(18/05/13)

THE TROPICS – ’You Better Move’/’It’s You I Miss’ (Laurie LR-3330) February 1966

’You Better Move’ is probably the most sought after Tropics 45 among vintage garage punk collectors. This scorching harmonica wailin’ punker first came to my attention in the 80s when it was compiled on ’I Was A Teenage Caveman’ and quite naturally is favourably rated in ’Teenbeat Mayhem.’

The rarely heard folk-rock ballad ’It’s You I Miss’ on the flip is a gem and is perfect for ’Flower Bomb Songs’….this one comes straight outta The Searchers songbook….coolsville…

John Luxury:
The Tropics were the best band I`ve ever seen! I opened for them twice, once in Jr High with my band at the Attic in Bessemer, and in college with my band Elijah. Also really great guys!

(09/05/13)

THE TROPICS – ’This Must Be The Place’/’Summertime Blues / Land Of A Thousand Dances’ (Columbia 4-44248) August 1967

This tough sounding garage offering from The Tropics on Columbia is becoming more sought after these days and it’s price appears to reflect this.

’This Must Be The Place’ is something of a fuzz raver and at under two minutes is gone before the listener can catch breath.

The flip is a mix of two songs that I’m not that keen on who ever remakes them especially ’Land Of A Thousand Dances’ which is total boresville but both songs were live favourites at gigs. I would have preferred another original song.

The group actually won a recording contract with Columbia Records after coming out on top in an International Battle of the Bands held in Chicago. Their previous release ’As Time’s Gone’/’Time’ is much more legendary, maybe one day I’ll own a copy.

Production was handled by famed jazz saxophonist and producer Teo Macero who stayed mostly within the jazz and orchestrated music field for Columbia but also worked on the ’Graduate’ soundtrack for Simon and Garfunkel.

I wonder what he made of these teenagers with their trebly guitars and fuzz. 

(07/05/13)

THE TROPICS – ’Tired Of Waiting’/’Talking ’Bout Love’ (Malaco 2003) January 1969

This was the final Tropics single released in the 60s and gone is their garage and folk-rock jangle sound of earlier releases replaced with the progressive heavy dirge sound made popular by Vanilla Fudge.

I’m not convinced by their heavy reading of The Kinks classic ’Tired Of Waiting’ although it got a major thumbs up in a Cashbox review..

”Time back Kinks hit returns in a progressiv-ized rendering that could give the side another hot run on the pop sales lists. Track may score.”

The heavy organ and fuzz of the flip ’Talking \’Bout Love’ is far superior and still remains uncompiled. If and when any label decides to create a comp of Vanilla Fudge influenced 45s I’m sure this one will feature.

Months later and towards the end of 1969 The Tropics changed their name to White Witch. Their line-up to begin with was:

Beau Fisher (bass)
Ron Godert (vocals)
Bobby Shea (drums)
Buddy Richardson (guitar)
Buddy Pendergrass (keyboards)   

(05/05/13)

CONLON & THE CRAWLERS – ’I Won’t Tell’/’You’re Comin’ On’ (Marlin 45-16006) March 1967

Charlie Conlon was the singer/songwriter and bass player for The Nightcrawlers who had a big hit with ’Little Black Egg’ in 1965. According to the liners of the Nightcrawlers CD on Big Beat, Charlie was asked to leave the group in late ’66 because he was causing some friction, preferring to hang out with his girlfriend than rehearse.

He duly left The Nightcrawlers and relocated from Daytona Beach, Florida to Miami, where he was attending University and formed a new group called Conlon & The Crawlers. This combo only released two 45s on the Marlin label which are very good indeed and yet surprisingly they haven’t enjoyed much attention.

’You’re Comin’ On’ is a broody fuzz punker whilst the other side ’I Won’t Tell’ is clearly influenced by Conlon’s earlier hit ’Little Black Egg’….Both songs were produced by Steve Alaimo.

(26/04/13)

FROM THE NEW WORLD – American Folk-Rock, Volume One, 1965-69 (Strange Things STZ 5004) 1990

I’ve been playing this classic 60s folk-rock compilation on a regular basis this month, even spending some hours mastering the vinyl to the digital format. It sounds very impressive, according to the liners on the back of the cover Phil Smee used mostly original 45s, mentioning that some mastertapes were long since missing.

I doubt that he had access to any of the mastertapes.

Since I bought this LP way back in 1990 I’ve purchased most of the 45s used, they’re not that hard to find, especially from American dealers.

Some are a little tricky though. I’ve still not managed to find a copy of ’Forever Eyes’ by Peabody or The Palace Guard ’A Girl You Can Depend On’…..I must rectify those missing pieces from my jigsaw as I’d like to own every single used on this comp.

Some 60s freaks collect their ’Back From The Grave’ style punkers but I’m mostly interested in folk-rock janglers and for my money, ’From The New World’ is one of my favourite all time collections

Over the years I’ve even exchanged emails with band members from some of the groups featured….. Art Steinman from The Jagged Edge and John Darmiento from The Chozen Few….I got some cool information from them both, they couldn’t believe anyone would be interested in their long forgotten records from the flipped-out decade. 

I wonder why Strange Things never got around to compiling a volume two?   

Side 1
     1. The Webs -  You Pretty Fool
     2. The Fountain Of Youth -  Take A Giant Step
     3. The Shaggs -  Ring Around The Rosie
     4. The Palace Guard -  All Night Long
     5. Corporate Image - I'm Not The Same
     6. Christopher & The Chaps - They Just Don't Care
     7. Peabody - Forever Eyes
     8. The Peppermint Trolley Co. -  Baby, You Come Rollin' Across My Mind
     9. The Left Banke -  coke ad
 Side 2
     1. The Sheppards -  When Johnny Comes Marching Home
     2. The Onion Rings -  I Feel Teardrops
     3. Uncle Sam & The War Machine - Hold On
     4. Dave & The Customs - I Ask You Why
     5. The Penthouse 5 -  In His Shadow
     6. The Jagged Edge -  How She's Hurtin' Me
     7. Evil Encorporated - All I Really Wanna Do
     8. The Chozen Ones -  How Many Times
     9. The Palace Guard -  A Girl You Can Depend On

(22/04/13)

Valiant Records, an independent record label from Los Angeles released some interesting 45s between 1965 – 1967. I’ll list a selected discography of the records with the 60s garage, folk-rock, sunshine pop and psychedelic sound…

My plan is to create a compilation of these discs which will probably become 2 CDRs. I’ve got most of the selected 45s but still need to add those marked *

COREY WELLS AND THE ENEMYS – ’Say Goodbye To Donna’/’Sinner Man’ (714) 1965
LOST ONES – ’Trouble In The Streets’/’Little Annie’ (721) 1965
CANADIAN CLASSICS – ’I Don’t Know’/’Gone Away’ (723) 1965 *
MOTLEYS – ’I See Your Light’/’Louisiana’ (724) 1965
LORDS – ’She Belongs To Me’/’On The Road Again’ (725) 1965
DENNY PROVISOR – ’It Really Tears Me Up’/’She’s Not Mine Anymore’ (728) 1965
PLYMOUTH ROCKERS – ’Girl From The North Country’/’Roll Over Stephen Foster’ (729) 1965
ASSOCIATION – ’One Too Many Mornings’/’Forty Times’ (730) 1965
GRAINS OF SAND – ’She Needs Me’/’That’s When Happiness Began’ (736) 1966
PLYMOUTH ROCKERS – ’Don’t Say Why’/’Walk A Lonely Mile’ (737) 1966
MOTLEYS – ’My Race Is Run’/You’ (739) 1966 *
ASSOCIATION – ’Along Comes Mary’/’Your Own Love’ (741) 1966
STARBUCK & the RAINMAKERS – ’I (Who Have Nothing)’/’Let Your Hair Hang Long’ (743) 1966
ASSOCIATION – ’Cherish’/’Don’t Blame It On Me’ (747) 1966
ALLIES – ’I’ll Sell My Soul’/’Burning Flask’ (748) 1966
LOOKING GLASS – ’Silver And Sunshine (How Wonderful My Love)’/’If I Never Love Again’ (750) 1966
LEE MALLORY – ’That’s The Way It’s Gonna Be’/’Many Are The Times’ (751) 1966
PEPPERMINT TROLLEY COMPANY – ’Peppermint Train’/’Bored To Tears’ (752) 1966
WEST COAST BRANCH – ’Spoonful’/’Linda’s Gone’ (753) 1966
FASTEST GROUP ALIVE – ’The Bears’/’Beside’ (754) 1966
ASSOCIATION – ’Pandoras Golden Heebie Geebies’/’Standing Still’ (755) 1966
TERRY RANDALL – ’S.O.S’/’Tell Her’ (756) 1966
ASSOCIATION – ’No Fair At All’/’Looking Glass’ (758) 1967
FASTEST GROUP ALIVE – ’Lullabye’/’5:15 Sports’ (759) 1967
COLLECTORS – ’Old Man’/’Looking At A Baby’ (760) 1967
LEE MALLORY – ’Love Song’/’Take My Hand’ (761) 1967
ART GUY – ’Teenage Millionaire’/’Where You Gonna Go’ (762) 1967

(19/04/13)

P.F. SLOAN – ’From A Distance’/’Patterns Seg. 4’ (Dunhill 45-D-4024) January 1966

First time on ’Flower Bomb Songs’ for the prolific singer/songwriter P.F. Sloan and I don’t quite know why it’s taken me so long! It’s fair to say that Mr Sloan had greater success from his songs when other groups were recording them, which is a very strange situation indeed.

’From A Distance’ is a perfect example of commercialized folk-rock and should have been huge in ’66 but I don’t think it sold that well, apart from in a handful of US States. I believe it was a big hit in Japan though where P.F. Sloan always maintained a high level of worship….at least according to the liners of the Big Beat retrospective CD titled ’Here’s Where I Belong’…..a recommended release that regular visitors to my website will enjoy.

The oddly named flip ’Patterns Seg. 4’ is quite an obscure song and was not compiled on the previously mentioned CD release. This cut is a Dylan inspired word play, though not in the slightest a political rant but a tongue-in-cheek humorous pastiche…..

(17/04/13)

BILL SODEN – ’An Echo In Your Mind’/’Rainy Day’ (Compass CO-7004) April 1967

Every now and again I hear a song that really eats away into my mynd, this one by Bill Soden, because it’s so beautiful and created by a singer/songwriter that is so obscure that even in 2013 hardly anything has been written about him.

I first heard Bill Soden on a Fading Yellow compilation when his sitar infused folk psycher ’My Mermaid And Me’ was given some deserved acclaim. I’ve since did some research and over ten years ago Mr Soden was located by someone from the yahoo group ’spectorpop’ and some pickings of information was gleaned from him.

It turns out that Bill Soden hailed from New York and released several 45s on different labels between 1967-69 that went nowhere. He even recorded under the alias of Jessie Cochran but I’ve found no releases by this name.

Both sides of this 1967 disc on the fledgling Compass label are recommended, but for me, the stand-out is the exquisite ’Rainy Day’ on the flip. This has a stunning melancholic melody dripping in the orchestrated psychedelic folk sound that would become popular in late ’67 when David McWilliams had a big hit with ’The Days Of Pearly Spencer’…

Bill Soden was ahead of his time, shame that few would have heard ’Rainy Day’ back then because as I mentioned earlier this was a B-Side.   

Susan Christie kicks off her ”Paint A Lady” album with this song… her voice is perfect for this song… Thanks for the info on the writer.

(14/04/13)

THE EIGHTH DAY – ’Building With A Steeple’/’Glory’ (Kapp K-916) May 1968

The Eighth Day hailed from Ohio (originally called The Sons Of Liberty) and after signing with Kapp Records starting recording songs that would make up their one and only album. I’ve not heard the latter but I’m led to believe that there are a couple of stand out cuts amongst a great deal of light pop filler.

I’ve already covered the original version of ’Building With A Steeple’ by The Village East that was released in July 1967. Almost a year later in mid 1968, a version by The Eighth Day was unleashed to the public that went to no-wheres-ville.

Perhaps the times had moved on from the Mamas and the Papas influenced sunshine pop and this kind of sound was no longer in vogue. Whatever the reason, ’Building With A Steeple’ most definitely captured the hippie sound for me with it’s glorious male/female vox, acoustic guitars, clavas, bah bah bah harmonies and lyrics about meditation.

“There’s a place where I can go when I’m feeling very low.
When my mind is all hung up with worldly cares
I go there.”

Both sides of this disc were produced by the same team that worked with The Village East with Ronnie Dante and Gene Allen taking care of the controls. Arrangement by Artie Butler. Truth be told both versions sound almost identical….

The Story of the 8th Day as told by Sons of Liberty band leader, Frank DeFede. (written by John Fluharty)

I heard that a man from Cadiz, Ohio, Joe Gorlock, who had a club called Club 22 had music connections in New York City and that he was involved in helping Bobby Vinton getting his start. I called Mr. Gorlock to set up an audition at his club for The Sons of Liberty, and told him that we were interested in recording and making the big time. Another band, the Opus 4, were regulars at Club 22 and had a single at the time called ”5 Minutes To Train Time”.

So we went to Cadiz to the Club 22 for an audition. Mr. Gorlock really seemed impressed, especially with the vocals, and later on while we were jamming around on some originals, he called someone on the phone. I asked him what that was all about and he just said; ”Oh nothing! I was just letting someone hear you!”

The Sons of Liberty became regulars at Club 22 and over a period of a few months heard about some people from New York that were pretty big in the music business. The company was called Fireplace Productions and the producer was Bob Feldman of Hang on Sloppy, and I Want Candy, fame. The song writers were Gene Allen, who wrote many of Bobby Vinton’s songs, and Ron Dante, who was the voice behind the Archies hit Sugar Sugar, and then went on to produce Barry Manilow.

The next day, while the group was all together at a practice at Glenn Reasner’s house, the phone rang and it was Mr. Gorlock asking for me. I’ll never forget that day, how excited we were. He said, ”Do you remember when I was holding up the phone?” One of his contacts in New York City liked the vocals he was hearing and he said that we needed to rent a u-haul and drive up to New York City as soon as possible for a live audition.

Within a few days we were on our way to New York City. John Rasz borrowed his dad\’s car and we hitched up the trailer. When we got there, we were directed to an audition hall that must have been like eight stories up a narrow flight of steps. I still remember it like it was yesterday. Gene Allen and Ronnie Dante were there to audition us. We sang our hearts out doing a lot of originals. When we were done, they came up to us and said that they absolutely loved our voices and that they were going to sign us. It was that quick.

The producer’s added two terrific female singers, Melanie Ross, and Nancy Petite, both from Cadiz, Ohio. The girls were also associates of Joe Gorlock. They wanted to put together an act to compete with The Mamas and Papas, and felt they could sell the act to a major label. They changed our name to The 8th Day.

We then spent several months in New York. At first our parents paid for the hotel. We stayed at the President Hotel, right across from Mama Leone’s famous Italian Restaurant. It was located at 48th west Broadway, just a half a block off of Broadway. We were only a few blocks away from the famous Brill Building where we would go to rehearse everyday. Fireplace productions, owned by Bob Feldman was located right next door to Liber Stollerman, the famous writers and producers of major hits. We used to go in there often and look at the awards etc. on the walls.

Jay of Jay and the Americans would come into Fireplace productions and listen to us. One time he was kind of rubbing his arms. I asked him what was wrong and he said, man you guys give me goose bumps. He loved our vocals.

After a short while, perhaps a few weeks, we went into Mayfair studio and recorded a demo of Brandy and Raining Sunshine with just a guitar and vocals. It sounded unbelievable. Feldman, and the writers were most excited about it. However, they said that we sang so well that they felt it would be best if we auditioned live for the major record companies

I remember auditioning for Capital, Mercury, Decca, and many others including Kapp. Every one of the companies offered to sign us and they were actually trying to outbid each other. Finally Kapp records gave the best offer, which included a full color 45. This was the deal breaker. This 8th Day was the first group in history to get a full color release on their first record.

The contact also included a complete album deal, with full orchestration with one of the up and coming great arrangers, the now legendary, Artie Butler.

They music tracks were recorded at Bell Sound, which was and may still be one of the famous studios in the World. We added the vocals later at Mayfair Studios. We spent the entire summer in New York City . Things started to sour as we couldn’t understand why it was taking so darn long to complete this album. It was just ridiculous.

Glenn Reasner was only 16, and he needed to get back into school. The other thing that was frustrating was that we wanted to do our own songs. Davy didn’t get to sing any of his raw rock songs that he was so good at. We were young and impatient. They did tell us to just take it slow and that all of that would happen for us in time.

It was the end of summer and we had driven all night to get back up to New York City after a labor day weekend at home. We got in late and missed rehearsal, and showed up at the studio just in time. Our voices were rough as we just woke up. Feldman was not happy. After a some words, the SOL minus Jim Brandilino and the girls, who decided to stay, left Mayfair studios and headed home.

They told us that we would regret this some day. Joe Gorlock got The Opus 4 to replace the Sons Of Liberty. They recorded five more songs to finish the Album. The album was finally released, and the SOL got no credit for any of it. However there are six songs that are on the album that are clearly the SOL, and featured below on this page.

Additionally, when the 45 came out, the SOL photo was used. This was taken at Central Park and it was suppose to be the main song for the album called Raining Sunshine. That is why we are holding up the umbrella’s.

The Opus 4 were saying that they re-recorded all of our songs, but that is not true. You can clearly hear Davey, Glenn, and me especially on Brandy, and Raining Sunshine. Also, I spoke with Nancy and Melanie about this during our 40-year reunion concert, and they said that they definitely did not re-record anything.

In fact, she said that the group was never the same after we left. Feldman was always upset with the Opus 4 vocals, he especially did not like Rob Parrisi’s voice. Which is something as he went on to write and produce one of the biggest hits ever at that point in time, ”Play That Funky Music White Boy” when in the group Wild Cherry.

We stopped on our way home to get gas and John asked me, what the heck did we just do. I said we quit. We just looked at each other, shook our heads and got back in the car.

The SOL was pretty much shot then for a while. I finally got us back together and booked us time at Gateway Records in Pittsburgh and we recorded three of my songs, (Love Babe, There’s A Little Girls, I Should Go to The Doctor) and one of Davey Buhl’s songs (Do You Need Someonel).

Sometimes I regret that we left New York City, but we came back and went on to do our own material. We did very well for a local group with no backing to be able to get Love Babe played and number one on many charts in the valley, and even in Huntington, WV, Arkon, OH. etc. I had even heard of it getting Air Play in Florida and California. The record died though as I didn’t know how to get distribution at the time.

According to Melanie and Nancy, they never made a dime. They actually got to be number one in some cities, but as I remember the Bill Board Charts only showed the Hey Boy as getting into the top 100 or maybe it was the top 50. It never went any higher.

(Note: None of the songs made the top 100 at least in Cash Box). The SOL was pretty much stuck as we tried to get out of the contract, but they held us up for six years.

Dave Buhl and I went to Nashville. I went on and had a few songs published by Screen Gems Music, and I was about to get a recording contract with Screen Gems, but then gave up on the music business. I headed home to get married to Linda Shaffer, and to get a real job at Weirton Steel and then later at Sears.

Davey Buhl stayed a little longer than me as he was able to get a recording contract and an album deal with a producer name Bob Tubert. Davey even cut one of my songs on his album called ”You Don’t Need To Make Me Happy.”

I am happy to say the SOL was one of the only groups in the valley to have such an interesting story to tell. We were only like 16 – 20 years old and got further than really anyone else I know of around here. Who knows, if we would have stayed, I think the rest of the album would have been better. The girls told me that they never got along with the Opus 4, as they did with us.

If we would of stayed things may have turned out differently. Raining Sunshine would have been the single, and then followed up with Brandy. They also recently told me that we were scheduled to go on the Ed Sullivan show, but when the new group didn’t do that well that was cancelled.

What happened next! (By John Fluharty from a conversation with Nancy Petit and Melanie Ross and emails from Jim Brandolino)

After the breakup, the Opus 4 and the three remaining original members of The 8th Day (Jim, Melanie and Nancy) completed the album. Six of the songs were done by the original group and five by the replacements. Melanie and Nancy said that Ronnie Dante did a lot of singing on the final five cuts. He was the main writer of all the songs recorded by The 8th Day (Teamed with George Allen)

Ron Dante was lead singer for The Archies, whose recording of Sugar, Sugar was the #1 hit of 1969. But he was also lead singer (actually, all the singers!) on The Cufflinks’ Tracy, which was in the Top Ten at the same time that ”Sugar” was in the top spot. Enough about Ronnie now back to the 8th Day.

We can deduce that the first single was supposed to be Raining Sunshine. Note the umbrella’s in the full color photo taken in New York’s Central Park. The actual first release, Hey Boy! (The Girl’s In Love With You!) did quite well in several eastern and mid-western markets. The magazine Record World gave it a bullet predicting The 8th Day as a group to watch.

The 8th Day played concerts in Ohio, New York, Tennessee and Illinois. They headlined a show with Billy Joe Royal and Bobby Goldsboro at the Grand Old Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. They were featured on shows with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Tommy James and the Shondells, The Vogues, and others.

The 8th Day possibly would have gone much further if Dave Kapp had not sold his record label to MCA. Kapp was committed to making The 8th Day one of America’s top groups. But then he sold the label. After the sale, MCA stopped all promotions and things fell apart. Before the year was over both Nancy and Melanie were married and had started families.

If the original group with the SOL had stuck with The 8th Day, the first release may have been earlier and a bigger success before MCA took over. We will never know.

45 Discography:

”Hey Boy (The Girl’s In Love With You)” / A Million Lights” (Kapp K-862) October 1967
”Raining Sunshine” / That Good Old Fashioned Way” (Kapp K-894) February 1968
”Building With A Steeple” / ”Glory” (Kapp K-916) May 1968

Reader comment:

I am originally from Follansbee, WV and also played in many bands in the Upper Ohio Valley until I moved to North Carolina 30 years ago. I remember the Sons of Liberty and The Eighth Day very well and am glad that neither group has been forgotten.

Soon as I heard ”Mess Around” by the Opus IV (drummer Bill Gunion was the first person I ever met who had ”outrageously” long hair and actually made a record), and I remember ”Love Babe” on Gateway getting a lot of airplay in the area.

Of course I thought it was going to be a super-duper smash….but it was on Gateway for goshhakes.

I own all recordings by the Opus IV (but not the Epiks…don’t know if they ever made one), the Sons Of Liberty, and The Eighth Day (singles AND the album).

I ultimately played saxophone in a disco band called Whyte Lyte Rhythm Band for a couple of years, chasing Wild Cherry’s tail on the 2000 Club circuit…usually them on Fridays or Saturdays and us on Thursdays or Fridays).

I also ended up being primarily a bass player and have played in a LOT of country, blues, bluegrass, etc. bands. Thanks for the memories!

(09/04/13)

BILLY J. KRAMER & THE DAKOTAS – ”Town Of Tuxley Toy Maker Part 1” / ”Chinese Girl” Polydor International Production NH-591014) April 1967

I bought this record recently from an Australian record dealer for the mod beat flavoured B-Side ’Chinese Girl’, which incidentally, is nothing like Billy J. Kramer’s usual pop efforts. Maybe by 1967 Billy knew that his days as a successful pop singer were numbered if he didn’t embrace the new hip sound that was happening in Britain during the mid sixties.

His backing band were still The Dakotas who provide a crunching backbeat on ’Chinese Girl’ which was co-written by Mick Green and Robin MacDonald. Kramer’s vocals are perfect and really add to the killer mix of mod and freakbeat.

The A-Side is a beautiful toy-town psych interlude that is most interesting to me.

Someone calling himself ’twerptwo’ added the following comment on YouTube. I don’t usually do this but because the information provided is so good I’ll share it on my blog.

”Town of Tuxley Toy Maker Part 1” was The Bee Gees first recording session in England after they had relocated from Australia. The song, written by Barry, Robin and Maurice features all three on backing vocals with the recording taking place in March 1967 at IBC Studios in London.

The orchestra was arranged by Bill Shepherd with Robert Stigwood as producer. Stigwood had merged his Robert Stigwood Agency with Brian Epstein’s company and both Billy J. Kramer and The Bee Gees were NEMS artists at this time.

The song had previously been recorded in late 1966 by Australian vocalist Jon Blanchfield LK 1662, with The Bee Gees also on backing vocals, prior to their move to the UK.

(11/05/14)

CURIOSITY SHOPPE – ’Baby I Need You’ / ’So Sad’ (Deram DM 220) November 1968

I bought a re-issue or bootleg of this the other day. It was offered for sale years ago then disappeared. I had it in my eBay search engine for years hoping that it would be re-listed, then suddenly it reappeared as a BIN for £7.

It sounds killer, really heavy vinyl too, labels are perfect….lovely solid centre. If it’s a bootleg it has been made with extreme care and attention to detail.

So what about the group? Curiosity Shoppe were a five piece, no-hit wonder from Liverpool and only released one single. According to the CD liners of Deram’s ’Psychedelic Scene’, Curiosity Shoppe played The Cavern and had a loyal following but were virtually unknown outside of Merseyside.

”Baby I Need You” is a hammond organ driven pounder that builds to a rave-up ending and is similar to Deep Purple’s take on ”Hush”…intense.

The flip ’So Sad’ is non comp, which is very strange as it’s also a winner. The sound is a slow blues burner with hammond and soulful vocals.

Over the years ’Baby I Need You’ has been compiled on Broken Dreams #1, Rubble #14 and The Psychedelic Scene. Hardly anything has been written about them. The only ephemera I have where Curiosity Shoppe are highlighted is in the early 90s fanzine ’117’, issue #3.

(12/05/14)

TURQUOISE – ’Steel Glass’/’Hello Bill’ (Arcade ARC-101) 1967

Here’s an obscure Californian 45 by a group of outsiders from Oxnard, Ventura County. It was their debut record and also a first for the Arcade label. Some information has surfaced over the past year or two about Turquoise after ’Steel Glass’ and ’Hello Bill’ were uploaded to YouTube.

FA&F advised that they were originally known as Captain Speed and went by this name for a longer period than that of Turquoise. No reason was given as to why there was a need for a name change, perhaps it was one of the conditions after signing with Arcade Records.

Both sides are heavily influenced by The Doors with that eerie Ray Manzarek organ sound high in the mix.

Surprisingly, only ’Hello Bill’ has been compiled. This was years ago on a psychedelic collection titled ”Seeds Turn To Flowers Turn To Dust.”  

Turquoise released a follow up single ’Beautiful Death Dealer’/’Sunflower Mama’ (Arcade ARC-102) which appears to be extremely rare. Very few copies have surfaced but both have been uploaded to YouTube by a respected psych collector/writer.

Note that the legendary Kim Fowley has a co-production credit with Tom Ayres.

Members of Captain Speed / Turquoise at one time or another were:

Bill Payne (keyboards) he may not have performed on their recorded output and would later form Little Feat.
Bruce Barlow (bass) went on to a group called Commander Cody.
Dan Gustafson (drums)
Tim Pearson (vocals)
Steve Smith (guitar)
Luther Tatum (keyboards)
Howard Dumble (?) co-writer of ’Steel Glass’

(21/04/14)

Reader comments:
I’m currently interviewing various ex-members of this group for a magazine article. They adopted the name Turquoise for the 45s as Captain Speed was deemed too ‘druggy’ a name for radio airplay. They were a popular group around Santa Barbara, and ‘Hello Bill’ was a minor hit in the area.

They were managed by Jim Salzer and appeared as opening act for many of the concerts he promoted at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, appearing with the Seeds, Love, The Doors, The Yardbirds, The Grateful Dead and many other big names of the day.

Howard Dumble wasn’t a member of the group, but was a friend of singer Tim Pearson, both of whom originated from Bakersfield. Luther Tatum was the keyboardist on the 45s, Bill Payne joined up later.

The later line up also featured Nick Hoffman on guitar, who had previously played with a later line up of The Dovers.

Luther Tatum is an artist, musician and the owner of Big Heart Slide Company.

THE PARAMOUNTS – ’You’ve Got What I Want’ (Edsel ED-112) 1983

The Paramounts were an underrated beat combo from Southend who formed during the early days of the beat era in Britain and actually released their first record on Parlophone during December 1963.

’Poison Ivy’/’I Feel Good All Over’ went top 40 and was the beginning and the end of chart success for The Paramounts.

The best place to hear the group’s music is via the early 80s retrospective on Edsel Records called ”The Paramounts – White Shades Of R’N’B” – all of their single sides plus three unreleased cuts are represented.

One of these previously unreleased cuts is their pounding version of The Sorrows classic ’You’ve Got What I Want’, which really moves along at a blistering pace and has some cool vocals by Gary Brooker which he spits out in a savage way.

I don’t know why The Paramounts decided not to do anything with ’You’ve Got What I Want’ as it’s clearly a killer version. Maybe the timing wasn’t right or something. After The Paramounts last studio recording during July 1966 at Abbey Road Studios in London, they broke up, then reconvened with a new sound and name….Procol Harum…’A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ was released during May 1967 on Deram Records.

(22/09/13)

DDDBM&T – ’Save Me’/’Shame’ (Fontana TF 775) November 1966

This was the seventh single by DDDBM&T and hot on the heels of the enormous #2 hit ’Bend It’…. ’Save Me’ is annoying pop written by Howard Blaikley, who also wrote many of the hits for The Herd…

Far superior is the mod beat pounder ’Shame’ on the B-side written by the group. Don’t know why they relied on so much outside material when their own songs are so far out.

(08/07/13)

CHRISTOPHER COLT – ”Virgin Sunrise” / ”Girl In The Mirror” (Decca F 12726) January 1968

This performer is a complete mystery to me and I suspect he was for the people who compiled Rubble #17 as their liners don’t reveal anything about Christopher Colt at all.

The B-Side ’Girl In The Mirror’ is equally compelling. I recently acquired this 45 and it’s currently valued at about £40 (Record Collector Price Guide 2014). As you know this is just a ’guide’ price, expect to pay a lot more if you ever find a copy for sale.

’Virgin Sunrise’ is a beautiful homage to a British Autumn morning and the evocative lyrics really colour the scene of a new or ’virgin sunrise’ superbly. The song is pure psychedelic period Donovan, full of charm and completely beguiling.

”I feel the breath of the morning
Tops of the trees are warmed with the sun.
Everything ’round me is waking,
Chimneys feeling the day has begun.”

I can confirm that Christopher Colt is indeed is Chris Simpson Of Magna Carta …….how do I know? He is a good friend and confirmed it to me.

(06/07/13)

THE CALIFORNIANS – ’Golden Apples’/’Little Ship With A Red Sail’ (CBS 2663) April 1967

This is such a fantastic record by The Californians, an obscure and unknown group from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England.

They were probably unheralded during the late 60s but must have had enough about them as they released eight singles on three different labels between early 1967 to late 1969.

Most of these releases were harmony pop but on a few sides The Californians pressed the ’lift-off’ button and were elevated to the psychedelic clouds in the sky. ’Golden Apples’ was their debut 45 from April 1967 and is an eastern tinged psych nugget with their beautiful harmonies. They were no doubt greatly influenced by The Association and The Beach Boys, not only in their band name but stunning music..

’Golden Apples’ was compiled on Rubble Volume 17 but the harmony pop of ’Little Ship With A Red Sail’ has not troubled the compilers. This record is not easy to find and is quite sought after amongst fans of the Brit psych genre.

(28/06/13)

THE BAROQUES – ’The Baroques’ (LP 660) originally issued on Chess Records 1967

I’ve been enjoying this album by The Baroques who were a hot new psychedelic group from Milwaukee and signed to Chess Records in 1967. I bought this album back in the late 80s from Crash Landing Records, it’s not an original but probably a bootleg. There’s a sticker on both sides of the label claiming a ’limited edition collectors item.’

What is strange is that the front cover has mono printed bottom left of the sleeve, however, the record itself is a stereo pressing.

Looks like whoever put this out were playing some games. The music sounds excellent though so I can’t grumble at all. The picture of The Baroques on the cover is pure acid with the eerie doll’s head a genius addition to the line-up.

The more I listen to this album the better it becomes, it’s a real grower with some very strong original material mostly written by guitarist and lead singer Jay Borkenhagen.

My pick from this disc is the folk-psych winner ’There’s Nothing Left To Do But Cry’ which I reckon would have made a stunning single backed with the impressive raga drone of ’Purple Day’….

This is what Jay Borkenhagen said on the back sleeve liners…

”Our songs are our own idea of not what is happening, but what we think should be happening.”

line-up:
Dean Nimmer (drums)
Rick Bieniewski (bass)
Jay Borkenhagen (guitar / vocals)
Jacques Hutchinson (guitar / vocals)

(17/06/13)

THE MASTERMINDS – ’She Belongs To Me’/’Taken My Love’ (Immediate IM 005) September 1965

This week I was really pleased to find a copy of this one and only 45 by The Masterminds…they were a beat group from Liverpool who were one of the first groups to be signed by Andrew Loog Oldham to his newly formed Immediate label.

Sadly, this record went to nowheresville and The Masterminds soon broke up. Guitarist/vocalsist Joey Molland then became a member of The Iveys who would change their name to Badfinger who were a bit more successful.

I’m not sure if Joey Molland was lead singer on this. It has been suggested that Jimmy Page played lead guitar on both sides…It’s surprising that few English groups recorded Dylan’s songs in 1965/66…several American garage bands covered ’She Belongs To Me’ though….and others of course!   

The other side ’Taken My Love’ is a slow moody beat number with a dramatic vocal ending…sounds like they were on the same kind of path as The Poets.

It’s a shame The Masterminds didn’t record any more music as their one and only release shows great promise…I wonder what could have been in ’66..

Both sides were compiled on a late 80s, early 90s CD titled ’The Immediate Alternative’ …I played it the other day and let’s just say that the digitizing technology wasn’t that great in 1990…the music sounds like it’s had the life sucked out of it.

(15/06/13)

WIL MALONE – ’Wil Malone’ (Morgan Blue Town B.T. 5005) re-issue

Don’t let the lysergic lettering or the unbelievably garish outfit that Wil Malone is wearing on the album cover misguide you to think that tripped out psychedelia is housed within. Granted, some of the songs have some clever psych studio FX but the music to my ears is introspective pastoral folk with baroque embellishments.

All of the songs have at least some acoustic guitar, oboe, cello, flute and euphonium. Wil Malone’s vocals are wistful and dreamy which paints each of his own compositions.

The album was originally released in July 1970 on Fontana but sold poorly, maybe only a few hundred were bought by collectors and as such an original copy commands upwards of £1,500.

Fortunately, Record Collector magazine here in the UK re-issued the album a couple of years ago in their Rare Record Club limited to 750 copies. It was only available to order via the magazine and sold out in months.

I’ve chosen ’Catherine Wheel’ to represent the long-player which comes highly recommended.

Soon after this release Wil Malone took up arranging full time and has been in hot demand for decades.

By the way he was a member of English pop psych outfit The Orange Bicycle who released several records on Columbia and Parlophone during the mid to late 60s.

(01/06/13)

THE GUN – ’Race With The Devil’/’Sunshine’ (CBS 3764) October 1968

The Gun evolved out of High Wycombe group The Knack, who incidentally released six singles on labels Piccadilly and Pye. None of these proved successful but most sides are worth hearing especially the hard driving mod sound of ’She Ain’t No Good’ and the psych pop charmer ’The Lights On The Wall.’

Sometime during late 1967 The Knack changed their name to The Gun and over the course of the next six months or so had several changes in their line-up. They appear to have decided to continue as a powerful three piece with brothers Paul and Adrian Gurvitz with drumming responsibilities by Louie Farrell.

Their first single for CBS was the hard rocking ’Race With The Devil’ that introduced a powerhouse approach tinged with prog especially with the weirdly wonderful screams from Paul Gurvitz. It sounds like a strange combination of Cream and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown but it worked and ’Race With The Devil’ went Top 10.

The flip ’Sunshine’ is just as good with a more laid back acid rock vibe notable for an incredible lead guitar solo that brings the song to a close.

What an absolute killer debut 45. It proved to be one of those ’one hit wonders’ and despite other releases The Gun never again achieved any chart success, but that ain’t no big deal as The Gun rule and were one of the first groups to record what would be called ’heavy rock’….

Reader comment: 

Looks like Adrian had that ginger Afro goin’ for him even then [:)]. And The Gun begat Three Man Army, then The Baker Gurvitz Army, and then (deep breath!) The Graeme Edge Band featuring Adrian Ben Gurvitz. Ya gotta love the 60s & 70s.

(30/04/13)

THE ACTION – ’Action Speaks Louder Than’ (Dojo LP03) 1985

The missing link between The Action and Mighty Baby were the five fully fledged recordings from mid 1968 that remained in the can for almost twenty years. That was until they were released as a mini LP by Dojo in 1985.

It’s still the best place to hear these recordings by the way. When Big Beat re-issued the first Mighty Baby album on CD back in ’94 they tagged on all five songs contained on ’Action Speaks Louder Than’ but believe me you need this Dojo vinyl to hear them in far superior sound.

It’s believed that The Action recorded these songs at Morgan Studios in Willesden some time during the Summer of 1968 and not long after singer Reggie King departed to pursue a solo career. By this time they had added two permanent new members, Ian Whiteman (keyboards, flute, vocals)…he also played on the ’Rolled Gold’ sessions, and blues guitarist Martin Stone who had earlier played with The Savoy Blues Band.

All five songs were written and probably sung by Ian Whiteman and despite the fact that they were demonstrations and not meant for release they’re full of sparkle and a late 60s vibe not unlike the late period Small Faces tunes. I don’t think they sound like demos at all, way too good.

Maybe they just needed some more mixing or something. I’m no expert but the songs sound ready for release to me or maybe I’ve just listened to raw 60s garage punk for 30 odd years so I know what ’rough’ really sounds like…

songs on ’Action Speaks Louder Than’

Only Dreaming Dustbin Full Of Rubbish
An Understanding Love
My Favourite Day
A Saying For Today

***** for some reason Dojo used a picture of The Action from 1967. The blond haired Reggie King (centre) was not part of these recordings. Having said that, their art Department made a splendid job with the image, tinting it pink on a black background giving the sleeve an almost blacklight luminescence *****  

(31/03/13)

THE ACTION – ’Rolled Gold’ (React CD-001) 2002

This CD is such an important document to fans of UK psychedelia and is also a must for those interested in The Action to fully understand that they were much more than just a Motown/soul cover band.

I’ve read several interviews by former members of The Action, usually in various fanzines (including the gloriously titled ”Brian Cant’s Pants”) that by mid 1966 they were experimenting with LSD and embracing the West Coast sounds from America.

This change of direction from the mod/soul sound to psych was evident in their final Parlophone single ’Shadows And Reflections’ and it’s flip ’Something Has Hit Me.’

Sadly, they were dropped by Parlophone and spent the second half of 1967 without a record deal….just when the world was going day-glo. It turned out that The Action would never release any further records as no record deal was ever secured.

For decades it was known that The Action DID record more music in late 1967 and early 1968 but these songs were merely demos that the band briefly used to try to get a record deal. I’ve read that they hoped the recently formed Polydor label would be interested. Another label mentioned in Big Beat’s Mighty Baby CD was Marmalade Records which Giorgio Gomelsky was setting up…..alas no takers.

Fortunately for fans these rare recordings finally achieved a release 35 years later on Reaction Recordings. This CD is now long out of print and quite hard to locate. They have printed a photo of the MONO demo tape box that reveals a date of 3rd May, 1968.

There is no indication that the unreleased album would have been called ’Rolled Gold’ but all songs contained on this release are listed and are presented in their original running order.

In my opinion the music sounds fabulous as it is although I’m sure it would never have been released in this ’unfinished’ state in 1968…..they were just demonstrations and The Action were a professional group of musicians. It’s a huge shame that George Martin couldn’t have worked his magic on these songs at Abbey Road Studios at the time. 

There’s not a bad track on the CD, everyone is a psych treat…..the acid and new member Ian Whiteman certainly added to The Action sound making them far more of a potent force than they were as a soul group…..they must have been amazing at gigs playing this kind of swag.

My pick is the stunning psychedelic rocker ’In My Dream’ which would have made a spectacular single.

”Wash my mind
I can see.
In my dream
What a scene”.

(30/03/13)

THE ACTION – ’The Ultimate Action’ (Edsel ED 101) 1980

I’m going through a huge Action phaze at the moment, a group who I’ve had a rather love/hate relationship with for many years. I still much prefer their later material, such as their last UK single on Parlophone, that being of course ’Shadows And Reflections’/’Something Has Hit Me’ from June 1967, and their unreleased demos from 1968 which are WAY superior than most of their Parlophone records.

I’m not fixated with soul music, it’s just not my bag. That’s probably why I’m not that keen on the first four Action singles except for the songs ’Never Ever’, ’I’ll Keep On Holding On’ which I CAN listen to because it’s pop-art mod with crunchy guitars and in my opinion slays the original. 

’Hey Sha-Lo-Ney’ is also superb with it’s cool 60s guitar riff….. but I can do without ’Land Of A Thousand Dances’, ’Since I Lost My Baby’ and the unreleased ’Harlem Shuffle’ which is compiled here on this Edsel collection.

I just wish The Action recorded more music like ’Hey Sha-Lo-Ney’ instead of the Motown/soul covers….if they had done, I think they would have broken through the underground and into the charts….the 60s mods probably preferred buying the original Motown releases than copies from a blue eyed soul group.

’Something Has Hit Me’ is a killer with Association style ’bah bah bah’s over a crunchy mod rhythm, scattergun drums and Reg King’s vocals are a treat….the slightlydelic fade out is a hint that The Action were moving into a much more trippy area and it’s a shame that they were dropped by Parlophone and George Martin’s AIR productions when ’Shadows And Reflections’/’Something Has Hit Me’ flopped.

The liners for this Edsel compilation were written by Paul Weller in 1980. If you can’t afford the original Action records this is the best place to find their 1965-1967 recordings on vinyl and in glorious MONO.

(29/03/13)

THE BOYS – ’It Ain’t Fair’/’I Want You’ (PYE 7N.15726) 1964

I recently bought this sought after record by The Boys, although I usually don’t bother with records in only VG- condition I made an exception with this 45 for two reasons. The first one being that it’s quite rare and secondly, soon after the release of this record The Boys changed their name to The Action and would eventually become the mod gods of London.

Both sides are neat 60s beat, the kind of sound that was dominating the charts in 1964. It was recorded then released a couple of months after The Boys returned from Hanover, Germany. They had been there playing a local club for six hours each night, six days a week for several months.

Once back in England they recorded two Reg King originals both produced by Kenny Lynch. The record came and went without any chart action but it did give them enough of a buzz to become the support band for The Who at The Marquee during 1965.   

For a long time it was believed that Pete Watson, on guitar, did not perform on these recordings and joined the band when they became known as The Action, however it has been confirmed within the recent Action book ”In The Lap Of The Mods” that he did partake in the sessions…..

This means the line-up on this disc was:

Reg King (vocals)
Alan King (lead guitar)
Pete Watson (rhythm guitar)
Mike Evans (bass)
Roger Powell (drums)  

(28/03/13)

CALUM BRYCE – ’Love-Maker’/’I’m Glad’ (Conder PS 1001) 1968

This is such an AWESOME record but I feel like such a flake because I know nothing about Calum Bryce. I’m assuming that he was a solo performer but then again I see that ’Love-Maker’ has three surnames in the credit, including the producer of this disc, Howard Conder.

The latter, incidentally, probably coughed up the cash for the record to be manufactured and released on his own label, Conder Music.

Howard Conder was a drummer in various 60s groups including Joe Brown and the Bruvvers and The Baron Knights.

’Love-Maker’ has that typically British mod backbeat with monstrous bass guitar lines, vaguely trippy guitar and some studio FX.

What a sound they created with this one. So powerful and above all else memorable. How was this not a hit record?…..you all know why of course…..small indie label with no promotion = a long lost rarely heard jewel. 

An original of this 45 will now fetch anything between £400 to £600, they hardly ever get offered for sale though!

Recently, I found out that some enterprising soul has bootlegged a copy and this is what I’ve added to my collection. Sound quality and vinyl used is first class……just like ’Love-Maker’ itself.

Reader comment:
I really like this song and I’ve been told too that it apparently started out as an advert jingle for Woodpecker Cider, where the bit that became ‘Love maker love maker’ was originally ‘Woodpecker woodpecker’! Though I’ve never heard it!

THE AMERICAN FOUR – ’Stay Away’/’You I’ll Be Following’ (Norton 7N7) 2006

This single released by Norton Records collects a couple of pre Love demos from 1965 and is an essential nugget for fans of that superb group. I don’t know how many copies were pressed but I’m sure they’ll still be around.

Both songs are Arthur Lee originals with an interesting run through an earlier take of ’You I’ll Be Following’ when the group were billed as The Grass Roots. Of major interest to 60s garage fans will be the rather crude demo of ’Stay Away’ recorded under the moniker of The American Four.

According to Johnny Echols, the name The American Four was proposed because of the influx of British bands during 1964/65. Arthur Lee wanted it to be known that his band were American which of course went against the then current trend of US combos calling themselves after something English/British.

’Stay Away’ was recorded in Buck Ram’s living room. He was the Manager of The Platters and had a studio set up at his home in North Hollywood. It’s certainly a primitive demo recording and sounds like it was a one take job, especially the guitar break, which is all over the place.

***bonus points to Norton Records for giving this release number 7N7***

(07/09/17)

THE FANTASTIC DEE-JAYS – ’Love Is Tuff’/’Just A Boy’ (Stone Records 44) 1968

This is the second time out for The Fantastic Dee-Jays on Flower Bomb Songs, read about their ’Get Away Girl’/’Fight Fire’ elsewhere on my blog. According to ’Teenbeat Mayhem’, ’Love Is Tuff’ was released by their former Manager Terry Lee sometime in 1968, although both sides date from 1965.

Two great folk-rock sides are on offer with the mournful jangler ’Love Is Tuff’ just edging out the Beatlesesque ballad ’Just A Boy’ on the flip. I really dig both songs though and I’m pleased to give the single some exposure despite it’s ’bootleg’ status.

(09/09/13)

SUNNY SYDE EXPRESS – ’Nothing At All’/’Love Hides Inside’ (FBP TFB-891) 1968

I know nothing about Sunny Syde Express but looking at the label I’ll make a sensible guess and say that they were probably from Muskagee, Oklahoma. The music is not 60s garage, or psych, or underground or amazing or anything that trips you out, despite the promising name of the group.

Both sides are slow paced pop, dominated by what I think is a Hammond B-3 but it ain’t got no grooviness I’d associate with a hammond. It sounds like the organ every Working Men’s Social Club in the North East used in the 60s/70s..

’Nothing At All’ was written by Joe Roark, ’Love Hides Inside’ was written by Don Price. About half an hour of research has revealed no information at all. I also did some checks on producer Frank Brock but once again, nothing.

Sunny Syde Express will remain a mystery for now.

(29/08/13)

THE GUESS WHO? – ’His Girl’/’It’s My Pride’ (King KG 1044) December 1966

From Winnipeg, Canada, The Guess Who? created a fuzztoned rhythm and beat pounder with ’It’s My Pride’ that most likely went unnoticed because it was hidden away on the B-side of a lite soul tinged pop number called ’His Girl’, which incidentally didn’t make the cut for Sundazed’s Guess Who CD retrospective some years ago.

’It’s My Pride’, written by Randy Bachman, has since gained recognition after appearing on many compilations since the mid 80s and is now rightfully regarded as one of the finest garage sides to come out of Canada during the 60s…

(29/08/13)

THE STREYS – ’She Cools My Mind’/’I’m Feelin’ Lovey’ (B-W Records 635) August 1968

This is an absolute crackin’ 45 by The Streys, a combo from Wooster in Ohio. It turned out to be their one and only release which is a great loss at it’s obvious that they had something really going with these two songs.

’She Cools My Mind’ is an urgent guitar and organ raver with a cool lead guitar break that takes the song to another level. It was originally compiled back in the late 80s on Pebbles Volume 16. I’ve got Freddy Fortune to thank for hippin’ me to a seller who was offering mint copies of the disc for sale last year.

The flip ’I’m Feelin’ Lovey’ is also good, this time though the sound is a little more relaxed with some pumping bass runs and classy organ embellishments. The production adds some echo.   

(28/08/13)

THE SURF SUNS – ’I Can’t Stop It Now’/’Still In Love With You Baby’ (Ben Records 6745) 1967

I love the name of this group, The Surf Suns, has a fantastic ring to it, but don’t expect surf rock from these boys. Not a great deal has been written about The Surf Suns, although a picture of the group has surfaced on the excellent blog 60s Indiana band szene, and it’s confirmed that New Haven, Indiana is where this group of teenagers hailed from.

’I Can’t Stop Now’ is fragile folk-rock with that magical signature sound of the jangling guitar. I keep expecting it to take off with some fuzz but it’s all very restrained and quite poppy. Instead of harmonies the Surf Suns add ’bah, bah, bah’s…

On the other side of the 45 is a version of The Beau Brummels tune ’Still In Love With You Baby’ which is a good effort. They were certainly a talented group, but this is their one and only release.

(26/08/13)

THE UNIQUES – ’All I Took Was Love’/’It’s All Over Now’ (Paula Records 299) March 1968

The Uniques were a prolific group for Paula Records and released many records on the label, some of which fall under my radar. They were from Springhill, LA and were a very popular combo in that State during the mid 60s.

On one of their late period singles was an interesting version of ’It’s All Over Now’, originally recorded by The Valentinos then The Rolling Stones in mid 1964. The Stones version is probably the most famous one of course.

The Uniques version adds some fuzz guitar and has a combo organ sound throughout…..neat!

(26/08/13)

THE WRENCH – ’The Day Is Hard’/’You’ll Understand’ (Dore 824) 1969

Here’s an obscure 45 by The Wrench on the Dore label. Not a great deal has been written about The Wrench (they are not mentioned in ’Fuzz, Acid And Flowers’) and both sides of this release are non compiled. However, MTM notes in his ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ book that they hailed from the State of California.

’The Day Is Hard’ is a crude trippy number with a primitive backbeat laced with jangle guitar and wah-wah. The vocal delivery is languid and has both male and female members taking lead. Both sides were written by Gary Scott, so he may have indeed handled the vocals.

’You’ll Understand’ is similar in sound but is perhaps more melodic with a dreamy almost lysergic sound. It’s the kind of psych ballad that I usually seek out for regular listens.

This is the only record I have that was released on the Dore label but I’ve heard others by The Syndicate, ’My Baby’s Barefoot’ and Opus Five, ’Coming Home’/’Haight (In Haight Ashbury) Street.’ 

Reader comment:

Both sides have been compiled on the 2018 Make Mine Mondo! release on ACE. ”You’ll Understand”, heard without reading the release notes ahead of time, would be hard to distinguish from various lo-fi releases in a similar vein from around the turn of the 21st century. In that sense, it came across to me as far ahead of its time.

Though, rather than this release being ahead of its time, the listening experience more objectively considered demonstrates more recent lo-fi artists’ familiarity with, and hauntologic attempts to invoke, obscure 45s of the original lo-fi era.

(25/08/13)

MUSIC EMPORIUM – ’Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo’/’Times Like This’ (Sentinel 4-501) November 1968

This four member group from Los Angeles were one of the many underground psychedelic groups from the State of California who seemed to go unnoticed at the time but have gained an enormous reputation since the 60s.

Music Emporium recorded an album of self composed songs during late 1968 at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood. These recordings were only demonstrations with the intention of sending the music to record labels in an attempt to secure a deal.

However, Sentinel Records were so impressed with the demo album they released it in small quantity in 1969. From what I’ve read, the members of the Music Emporium weren’t impressed that the album was released without them having the opportunity to change some things and perhaps re-record the vocals on some of the songs.

In my opinion the record sounds perfect as it is in it’s ’demo’ form. Only 300 LPs were pressed in 1969 but it’s seen many bootlegs over the years. Fortunately, Sundazed Records secured the mastertapes and remastered the music for an official re-issue in 2001.

Sentinel released a single before the album and in November 1968 ’Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo’/’Times Like This’ came out in small quantity. The single is hard to find and isn’t offered for sale that often.

’Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo’ is a blistering organ dominated psych rocker with some mindbending acid lead guitar runs and far out vocals, the buddhist chant like male/female harmonies are particularly impressive.

More information about Music Emporium can be found on The Active Listener.

(24/08/13)

THE ASCENSIONS – ’All Alone’/’Forget It’ (Gemini G-100) March 1967

Out of Philadelphia, PA came The Ascensions. Little has been written about them, indeed, ’Fuzz, Acid And Flowers’ didn’t even list this combo.

The top side is a soulful ballad with cornball lyrics about a girl. This would have got the boys nowhere fast in Philadelphia I’m sure.

The other side ’All Alone’ is where it’s at and will surprise many who haven’t heard it before especially the persistent fuzz which pounds away. No melody or vocal prowess to write home about, just a kid and a fuzz box, but this scores heavily with the 60s garage fraternity. 

(14/08/13)

LAWRENCE – ’You Ain’t Tuff’/’Taste Of Honey’ (RBE B520) 196?

I know of three version of the garage punker ’You Ain’t Tuff’, the original recording was by The Uniques and another gritty and equally hip remake was by Lindy Blasky & the Lavells. The other and much more obscure ’You Ain’t Tuff’ was recorded by Lawrence. Which begs the question, who was Lawrence?

According to ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ the recording is from somewhere in Texas but apart from that no other information is provided, not even the year of release which I suspect to be sometime during 1966.

Lawrence delivers a decent version but it’s not in the same league as the one’s we all know. It’s still a good effort though and has some memorable rasping harmonica but the vocal delivery isn’t tuff enough.

The flip is also good, a cover of ’Taste Of Honey’ recorded by many 60s outfits including The Beatles and The Hollies. The song dates from the late 50s and was originally an instrumental piece used in a British play that eventually made it to Broadway. It was then used in a 1961 film of the same title.

(13/08/13)

THE POP OVERS – ’Time’s Run Out’/’Tar Paper Sack’ (Toppette 45-1020) 196?

I don’t know anything about this group and they appear to be virtual unknowns apart from an entry in ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ which confirms their base as Los Angeles. The indie record label shows a Covina address so maybe they can be pinpointed to that location.

Got to love the label logo and phrase ”Toppette Tops ’Em All!”

’Time’s Run Out’ has a Who like intro that quickly moves into garage pop mode with some swingin’ farfisa and male/female vocal harmonising that recalls some of those Neighb’rhood Childr’n songs. The flip ’Tar Paper Sack’ is ’rock-less’ folk music.

If anyone knows more about this mysterious group please get in touch.

(12/08/13)

THE FRONT LINE – ’Got Love’/’I Don’t Care’ (Atlantic AT.4057) December 1965

San Rafael, CA was the base for The Front Line, a short lived group of outsiders who only released one single, then were gone….but not forgotten.

I first heard ’Got Love’ back in the 80s on the ’Mayhem & Psychosis’ compilation and thought it was killer. It’s a short (under two minutes) and snappy garage swinger which doesn’t let up from the blistering intro. The fuzztoned guitar and uptempo pace together with the quick vocal responses make for a thrill ride that can be described like the sound of The Yardbirds on some speed pills.

The Front Line were originally called The Turtles and obviously dropped that name when the latter hit the big time and so The Front Line were born. Three recordings exist cut for Trident Recordings. These remained unreleased until Big Beat compiled them on the CD ’Sing Me A Rainbow.’

Earlier takes of ’Got Love’ and ’I Don’t Care’ along with another previously unknown song ’Need You No More’ which sounds great and is something of an R’N’B punker with fierce guitar and harmonica bursts.

Sometime during the Summer of 1965 The Front Line signed with Hollywood duo Charlie Green and Brian Stone (who managed Sonny & Cher) and they re-cut ’Got Love’ and ’I Don’t Care’ during August which became their one and only release.

line-up:

Gary Phillipet (bass)
Dennis Lanigan (harmonica, organ)
Jim Brewer (rhythm guitar)
Rex Larsen (lead guitar)
Bill Bowen (drums)

After The Front Line called it quits Gary Phillipet continued in the music business with Copperhead followed by Earthquake. Drummer Bill Bowen rattled the skins for The Sons Of Champlin.

(11/08/13)

THE SHEPPARDS – ’When Johnny Comes Marching Home’/’Poor Man’s Thing’ (Impact Records 1018) August 1966

I first heard ’When Johnny Comes Marching Home’ on a 60s folk-rock collection from the late 80s called ’From The New World’ and it ticked all the right boxes so I needed to buy an original copy of the 45. This proved difficult as it seemed to be quite hard to find, however I managed to secure my copy a couple of months ago.

The top side is an updated folk-rock version of an old song believed to have been written during the American Civil War. The Sheppards add some toughness and jangle, very cool interpretation. It was also compiled on ’Garage Punk Unknowns’ Volume 5.

Another gem can be found on the flip. ’Poor Man’s Thing’ is a tough folk punker with some cutting vocals, this singer is pissed off that his girl has chosen another guy over him. All ain’t lost though as the singer is not gonna hang around and go all wimpy.

Hell no, he’s got another chick lined up already.

”You’ve got another feeding you a line
He’s got money and a car and looks real fine.”

followed by ”I ain’t waiting for you no more.”

(10/08/13)

THE PONY EXPRESS – ‘(I Dream Of) Pennies’/’What You Done Done’ (Reprise 0650) December 1967

Who were The Pony Express and where did they hail from? That’s a question I’ve been asking myself today and despite some research have failed to solve this little query.

They got a mention in ’Fuzz, Acid & Flowers’ who confirmed that they released at least two singles on Reprise. The first one listed is ’What Is Wrong With Our Love’/’Big Brown Eyes’ (Reprise 0603) from June 1967 and this one reviewed from December 1967.

‘(I Dream Of) Pennies’ is finely balanced on the cusp of innocent naive sunshine pop and psychedelic trippiness. It glides along on a perfectly summery Sesame Street type bouncy rhythm, until you notice the trippy distorted background vocals. Some decent harmony sighs at the start of the break.

The flip ’What You Done Done’ is slightly more beaty with tougher vocals but with sunshine pop ’bah, bah, bah’s…a strange and effective mix of Association pop with garage. I don’t think The Pony Express have been compiled before.

Walt Meskell was associated with the 70’s teen idols the DeFranco Family.

(27/07/13)

THE GRETTA SPOONE BAND – ’Close Your Eyes’/’I Do Believe You’re Dreaming’ (Pompeii 45-66694) 1968

Here’s another record I bought back in 2005, at the time nothing was known about the weirdly named Gretta Spoone Band but since then group members have been located and their story has been told here.

They were quite an odd-ball Dallas bunch and if this record is anything to go by, sounded nothing like their contemporaries from Texas. In fact I think the lo-fi sound is very unique. Hopelessly uncommercial with little or no chance of any chart success but it’s a personal fave of mine.

’Close Your Eyes’ has a late night pop psychedelic feel to it with it’s floaty charm, hazy melody and metronomic rhythm. Reminds me of the sound on those late 60s Capitol albums by the likes of Gandalf and The Common People.

’I Do Believe You’re Dreaming’ also holds my interest and apparently is about a man who talks to birds.

(27/07/13)

EDGEWOOD – ’Ain’t Had No Lovin’ (mono/stereo versions) (TMI Records ZS7 9011) 1972

I bought this 45 back in 2005 and was gonna use it on one of those u-spaces compilations but never got around to doing so. Only today I decided to do some research on Edgewood.

They were from Memphis, Tennessee and were around long enough to record an album called ’Ship Of Labor’ so they may have made some waves back in their hometown. ‘Ain’t Had No Lovin’ is laid back west coast style hippie rock circa early 70s and in places goes a bit jazzy which of course reminds me of Spirit.

My record has a mono and stereo version but stock copies have ’Silent’ on the flip.

Three members, David Beaver (keyboards), Steve Spear (bass) and Jim Tarbutton (guitar) were part of a later line-up of The Gentrys. Also in Edgewood were Joel Williams (drums), David Mayo (keyboards/guitar) and Pat Taylor (guitar)…various members took lead vocals on the album.

The album version of ’Ain’t Had No Lovin’ clocks in at 4:40 so the edited single version is over two minutes shorter, no doubt to get radio play.

TMI Records stands for Trans Maximus Inc and was the name of Recording Studios run by Steve Cropper. The record label lasted from 1971-1973.

(27/07/13)

BOB RAINS and ADMIRAL STRANGE – ’Wastin’ My Time’/’She Feels Like Sunshine’ (Kapp Records K-2098) 1971

Obscure one here by the weirdly named Bob Rains and Admiral Strange, ’Wastin’ My Time’ starts off like Sonny & Cher’s ’The Beat Goes On’ but then quickly turns into a great slab of stompin’ biker psych rock with the addition of some fuzz guitar. Dig the heavy riff too.

The flip ’She Feels Like Sunshine’ is slightlydelic pop and a pleasant sound indeed.

I’ve not been able to find out much about the group, very little information exists in the guide books I have and even less information has been posted online. So for now, Bob Rains and Admiral Strange will remain a mystery.

Production is credited to Dan Dalton who is perhaps better known for his work with the amazing Peppermint Trolley Company.

(27/07/13)

THE IN-KEEPERS – ’Daily News’/’Everytime’ (RCA 47-9713) 1969

I don’t know much about The In-Keepers apart from knowing that they released two singles on RCA during 1969 that probably didn’t get passed the promo stage.

I’ve did some digging and it appears that the composer of all four Inn-Keepers songs spread across two singles was Steve Burnett.

He was the leader of a male/female folk rock group called The Swingin’ Six who enjoyed some local fame. It’s believed that they hailed from New England.

The Swingin’ Six released a single on Decca called ’Pack Your Bag’ and an album titled ’For The First Time’..

’Daily News’ is an interesting song that will appeal to soft-sike fans…

THE IN-KEEPERS – ’That Was Just His Thing’/’The Cobweb Threads Of Autumn’ (RCA 74-0229) August 1969

”God created man,
God created woman
And they created.”

Religion and late 60s psych collide with this creepy number…trippy Association style la-la-la’s, fuzz, sinister voice, strings and brass flourishes…all this equals ’Flower Bomb Songs’ worthy…

I reckon The In-Keepers would have looked like cool hippies with shortish hair but with black goatie beards in black threads and wearing crimson rosary beads around their necks….

The flip ’The Cobweb Threads Of Autumn’ is a sunshine pop effort that’s real tight and well produced. Curt Boettcher fans will dig this one.

Just out of interest, the producer for both In-Keepers 45s was Pierre Maheu who also produced the garage classic ’Gotta Get Some’ by The Bold.

(27/07/13)

M.H. ROYALS – ’She’s Gone Forever’/’Tomorrow’s Dread’ (ABC Records 45-10907) March 1967

This is a record I’ve added to my collection this week. I’ve got their second and last 45 on ABC, the jangle beat of ’Old Town’ a personal fave.

M.H. Royals were from Chicago and judging by their records specialized in beat music with jangle. ’She’s Gone Forever’ is a decent mover (compiled on the CD ’Total Raunch) while the flip ’Tomorrow’s Dread’ is a worthwhile pop ballad..

(27/07/13)

CAST OF THOUSANDS – ’Country Gardens’/’The Cast’s Blues’ (Amy A-11.056) 1969

Wondrous trippy psych from early 1969 by Cast Of Thousands, believed to be from Ardmore, OK…(according to ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ although this 45 is not listed in that Guide).

’Country Gardens’ reminds me of The Byrds for bringing the psychedelic into the country and wouldn’t have sounded out of place on ’Notorious Byrd Brothers.’

It’s a trippy, breathy country pop song with banjo and stoned echoed out vocals. The flip ’The Cast’s Blues’ isn’t really blues at all but a super psychedelic instrumental with rockin’ piano and some turned on echoed twangy sitar or something similar, very exotic.

(27/07/13)

THE APPLETREE THEATRE – ’What A Way To Go’/’Lotus Flower’ (Verve Forecast KF 5082) 1968

Simply put, ’What A Way To Go’ is one of the most stunning psych pop songs I’ve heard with a melody and vocal harmonies equal to anything within that loose 60s genre. The Appletree Theatre were a hip brotherly duo of Terry & John Boylan from New York who recorded an album called ’Playback’ in late 1967 very much influenced by the psychedelia The Beatles were exploring.

The fab four would have killed for a song as beautiful as this.

Their other 45, ”Hightower Square”/”Who Do I Think I Am” is excellent too. Terrance Boylan would revisit ”Who Do I Think I Am” on his Alias Boona LP.

One of the Boylan brothers also wrote songs that were recorded by Los Angeles group The Hamilton Streetcar.

Keith Bickerton:

This is a fabulous track from a fabulous album, bought from Harrods on a school day trip to London in 1968. I have arranged to have ”What A Way To Go” played at my funeral.

The other song I want to be played at my funeral is ”Remember” by the Association.

(26/07/13)

FIVE MAN ELECTRICAL BAND – FIVE MAN ELECTRICAL BAND (CAPITOL ST-165) February 1969

Previously known as The Staccatos it seems that they wanted to change their name to something much more hip. They also travelled to Los Angeles sometime in 1968 to record the songs for this obscure and very interesting pop psych album on Capitol.

Most of the songs were written by the talented Les Emmerson, including the marvellously complex ’Five Man Electrical Band’ which is my focus song from the set. I used this song on my series of comps I called Gear! check it out on Volume 1 if you bought a copy.

Excellent vocal harmonies and melody wrapped up in this tune, almost like it’s three songs within one. Imagine The Beach Boys mixing elements of The Association and you’ll get my drift.

Also on this album is an updated take of their classic pop psycher ’Half Past Midnight’.…at least it sounds different to the mono 45 mix from mid 1966. They even perform a cover version of ’You’re Gonna Lose That Girl’, so an album for Beatles completists to check out.

(20/07/13)

THE COLLECTORS – ’Looking At A Baby’/’Old Man’ (Valiant Records V-760) March 1967

One of the many great groups of the 60s were The Collectors, well at least they are in my world. They don’t appear to have received that much attention in fanzines and the trendy music magazines over the years, many of their vocal harmony pop psych songs have never been compiled before, making them even more of a mystery I suppose.

Back in the mid 80s Edsel put out a ’Best Of’ LP collection but that was almost thirty years ago!

I’ve written about The Collectors before, go here for enlightenment. ’Looking At A Baby’ surfaced on the Rhino CD ’Hallucinations’ back in 2004. What a fabulous compilation that is, I can’t believe it’s almost ten years since this came out. But disheartening that they never dug even deeper in the WEA Vaults for another ’Hallucinations’ set…

According to the liners The Collectors signed to Valiant records in January 1967 and recorded both songs on this disc at Columbia Studios in Los Angeles. ’Looking At A Baby’ was a deserved hit in Canada but no where else.

The flip ’Old Man’ is a reflective psych cut with inspired vocals harmonies. At this point in their career The Collectors were the equal of The Association, a group with similar vocal harmony dynamics.

(22/06/13)

BIT ’A SWEET – ’Hypnotic 1’ (ABCS-640) LP May 1968

Continuing my infrequent posts from my album collection, I present to the unsuspecting reader ’Hypnotic 1’ by Bit ’A Sweet….They were formally called The Satisfactions and were one of the premier bands in the NY area, mostly known as a blue-eyed soul act…

Their album on ABC is a top $$ find and so expect to pay a premium price for a copy…mine is stereo, I don’t know if any mono albums are out there, quite possibly, but I’ve not seen one.

Bit ’A Sweet’s most famous cut is the psych garage classic ’Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind’ on MGM but it seems that they fully embraced the new psychedelic rock sound for their 1968 album ’Hypnotic 1’ which is full of worthy mind-bending experimentation where the band utilize electric sitar, oscillators, primitive synths and trippy phasing. There is MUCH to please the psych head.

I’ll focus on The Beatles cover version of ’If I Needed Someone’, which is correctly credited to George Harrison on the label but sadly listed as a Lennon-McCartney song on the back cover of the album.

I think it would be difficult to make a bad version of ’If I Needed Someone’ as it’s a stupendous folk-rock tune. Here though, Bit ’A Sweet turn it into a tripped out piece of psych and make it their own. Such a slowed down killer cool version.

No expense seems to have been spared creating this work with assistance by Steve Duboff, who I know from The Changin’ Times, he is listed as providing additional keyboards, percussion and wrote several of the songs on the album. String arrangements by Jimmy ”Wiz” Wisner, I’ve seen his name credited on many releases.
The thick card sleeve includes a neat lyric insert.

I don’t think the album sold in any quantity, it may have done reasonable in NY but not beyond their location. Copies of the album are scarce that’s for sure but I believe there’s been a recent CD reissue.

A white label promo single was taken from ’Hypnotic 1’ with edited versions of ’2086’/’A Second Time’ and is another release for collectors to seek out.

line-up:
Mitch London (bass, percussion, vocals)
Russell Leslie (drums, vocals)
Dennis DeRespino (keyboards, guitar, vocals)
Jack Mieczkowski (guitars, electric sitar, vocals)

(22/06/13)

THE LAST FIVE – ’Kicking You’/’Weatherman’ (Wand 1122) May 1966

Here’s an interesting Brit Invasion style beat record by The Last Five, a combo from Hartford, Connecticut. As far as I know this was their one and only release.

Checking ARSA for details, it’s confirmed that the single was a top 40 hit in Hartford so I’m surprised that no other releases happened for them. Perhaps unreleased recorded material exists somewhere?

Both sides of this disc were written by Bill Matychak who went on to form a late 60s outfit called Buffalongo. They were the originators of the often covered song ’Dancing In The Moonlight.’

Reader comment
The group was a high school aged combo from West Hartford, Connecticut. The single was released the first week of April, 1966.Members included Rick Smith, Bill Matychak, Ron Verosic and Bernie Kornowitz. The group lasted through most of 1967, with a couple of replacement members. No other recordings.

(15/12/13)

THE FIELDS – ’Bide My Time’/’Take You Home’ (UNI 55106) February 1969

Heavy psychedelic rock by The Fields, a group based in Los Angeles.

’Bide My Time’ has the languid, bluesy late 60s guitar style of that tyme with a more laid back stoner on the flip.

The mono single version of ’Bide My Time’ is much shorter by at least a minute than the album version, clocking in at 3:16.

Prior to releasing records as The Fields they were called W.C. Fields Memorial Electric String Band, then simply ESB.

The Fields recordings were produced by Bill Rinehart of The Merry-Go-Round.

line-up:
Patrick Burke (bass)
Richard Fortunato (guitar)
Steve Lagana (drums) 

(15/12/13)

THE TIFFANY SHADE – ’Would You Take My Mind Out For A Walk’/’One Good Reason’ (Mainstream Records 677) December 1967

Psychedelic rock group from Cleveland, Ohio…who’ve recently had some exposure in Ugly Things #26 and four of their songs were compiled on ’All Kinds Of Highs’ CD, including the fabulous ’Would You Take My Mind Out For A Walk’.

(15/12/13)

THE LONDON KNIGHTS – ’Go To Him’/’Dum Diddlee Dee’ (Mike Records MK-4200) 1966

A certain amount of mystery surrounds this disc with some on-line sources suggesting that The London Knights were a group from Los Angeles. The latter information was probably taken from the liners of the CD release ’Hot Generation’ that came out on Big Beat.

’Go To Him’ was co-written by American songwriter Artie Wayne who had arrived in Britain from the States sometime in 1965 to compose songs for various labels. He was joined by Bess Coleman, who was working as a songwriter as well as being one of The Beatles’ press Officers.

It is believed that a beat group called The Foursights from Leicester recorded ’Go To Him’ for EMI but it was never released in Britain and somehow made it’s way to USA and was released on Mike Records under the name of The London Knights.

’Go To Him’ is an atmospheric minor-key masterpiece with chiming guitars and eerie background harmonies. Lyrically it’s about betrayal. It’s simply superb, and reminds me of the finer moments of The Searchers and early Poets. It was first compiled back in the mid 80s on Cicadelic Volume 5 ”1966 Revisited”, then a few years ago on ’Fading Yellow Volume 11”

The song was also recorded by other groups back in ’66. From Australia, Ray Brown & the Whispers, who’s version can be found on the previously mentioned ’Hot Generation’ CD and The Tymes Children, a garage combo from Salem,OR.

The flip ’Dum Diddlee Dee’ is a huge let down and not really worth mentioning in the same breath as the classic jangle pop of ’Go To Him’.

(14/12/13)

THE STAINED GLASS – ’A Scene In Between’ (Big Beat) 2013

This CD collection of obscure cuts by The Stained Glass is out on Big Beat now!.. Got my copy earlier this week and it’s a winner.

There are plenty of previously unreleased songs by this San Francisco group including 6 tracks by The Trolls (pre Stained Glass).  The last live cut is excellent…’2010 South Michigan Avenue’…the group get into a psychedelic rock groove…
 
If you’re into psych tinged baroque pop then this CD will be your bag! I’ve read that only 1500 copies were made so you’ll have to act quick.

(06/12/13)

THE ROGUES – ’Wanted: Dead Or Alive’/’One Day’ (Living Legend LL-723) December 1965

My mission in life is to collect as many mid 60s folk-janglers as possible because this particular genre of ’garage’ is without doubt my favourite and has been since first discovering The Byrds way back in the mysts of tyme circa 1982.

Here’s a 45 I picked up recently……The Rogues……

Both sides are great but the most famous is ’Wanted: Dead Or Alive’ which is heavily based on ’Hey Joe’…and is simply folk-rock heaven…this was before the formation of The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band…

(04/12/13)

THE TROPICS – ’As Time’s Gone’ (Guerssen Records 120) November 2013

At Last!! a vinyl best of collection by Tampa Bay/St Petersburg teenbeat sensations THE TROPICS. I’ve been waiting decades for someone to do this and much praise goes to Spanish label Guerssen Records for making this happen.

Many thanks to Alex Carretero for sending me a copy…these guys at Guerssen work fast and put together quality re-issues. 

Choice thick card sleeve design, colours and fonts used. The REAL deal….black and white mono throughout = coolsville….heavy vinyl…what more do you want? just BUY a copy and impress your square friends.

Fabulous cuts throughout with some fine previously unreleased tracks including folk janglers ’Laughing Again’ and ’The Prism’…these two are killer and very much in the same vein as ’For A Long Time’ and ’Black Jacket Woman.’

Congrats on a SPLENDID release…

(03/12/13)

NEAL FORD & THE FANATICS – ’Good Men’ CD on Big Beat

This is a highly recommended CD release by Neal Ford & the Fanatics, a group from Houston, Texas. I’ve already got their singles and the studio album on Hickory Records but there’s even a load of unreleased recordings for me to dig…

There are seven previously unreleased cuts from the 1966/67 period when they were one of the hottest combo’s in their locale, including five number 1 records on the local Houston charts.

These long lost and previously unreleased recording are all KILLER and are easily on a par with the more familiar songs, including the brilliant ’The Seasons’ and a fuzz fuelled original version of ’Every Night A New Surprise’ (instro) written by original keyboardist Steve Ames. Amazing that these two tracks remained in ’the can’…

’Every Night A New Surprise’ was later recorded and released by The Moving Sidewalks…

(01/12/13)

THE MAMA’S AND THE PAPA’S – ’If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears’ (Dunhill Records D50006) March 1966

To say that The Mama’s and the Papa’s defy vocal and visual description has to be the biggest understatement of the year – and, for that matter, of next year as well.

There are four of them, and they come in all shapes and sizes. They live in a nutty world of semi-existentialism, of cuckoo-clocks and antique lampshades, of beat-up old cars and Indian boots, of longish hair and longer hair of folk-singers and not-so-folk singers, of Lou Adler and Lovin’ Spoonful’s, and primarily of Mamas and Papas, which in point of fact they are not.

John is the acknowledged leader; a tall thin, gaunt person who takes everything very seriously and would probably perpetrate a rather bewildered executive image were it not for his mildly dignified, but perennially poverty-stricken appearance.

He has played and sung his way around Greenwich Village and other significant musical areas with and without his three partners. He has an usually creative mind which has been evident on the many songs he has written, several of which are featured in this album.

His fellow Papa is Denny, an insolently handsome young Canadian, who is nonconformist in that he originally entered our offices clean-shaven, but wearing black leather, and has since taken to wearing expensive sports clothes, only with a beard.

His philosophies conform to the standard folk dream in many ways, the main difference being that they are neither idealistic nor illogical. If we were talking in terms of sex symbols and full page colour pin ups and potential Marlon Brondos and John Lennons, we would select Denny to play the role. But we’re not. So we won’t.

It would be hard to say which of the two Mamas is the more striking. Michelle is certainly the more mysterious of the two. She is a lissom, blonde, vision-with-a-voice who doesn’t say very much, but just looks at you waif-like, sylph-like or what-ever-adjective-you-care-to-dream-up-like.

She was once a model, and in her own way is still a model. And you haven’t seen anything until you have seen her smile.

To end up with, there is Cass. You couldn’t really end up with anything else. She collects antiques, talks freely about art and Bob Dylan, loves Whispering Paul MacDowell, has travelled the land in satirical revues, wears cute little gold-rimmed glasses and, like the others, lives for today, buddy, ”Cos tomorrow may never happen.”

She is large and lovely, benevolent and broad minded, cynical and maybe sinful….who knows? Ask her.

The Mama’s and the Papa’s are all descendants of Traditional Authentic Folk Groups. One was in The Big Three, which for a long time ruled the folk scene in New York. Another was in the Halifax Three. A third – or perhaps it was a third and a fourth – were in a very big group called The Journeymen.

They have travelled all over the States in various capacities, and they recently returned from a trip to the Virgin Islands. Here they spent their time as one should spend one’s time if one is a Mama or a Papa. Cass became a waitress for a short while, and finally joined the others who had set up camp in the foliage, and were passing the time lounging around on the beach enlightening the natives to American pop culture.

When the governor of the islands decided that they were not contributing too much to the everyday problems of running an island, he suggested that they move on to conquer fresh pastures – and this they are doing.

Their first record ’California Dreamin’, waxed prosperous on the bullet-riddled charts. Their highly unusual contrapuntal harmonies – which is flannel for different vocal lines sung on top of each other – plus John’s unique vocal arrangements, plus the unusual approach of the whole bunch, provided a healthy filling for a gap on the musical landscape which has remained void even in these enlightened days.

Some of the songs in this album are new; others will be familiar. All are good. They become great when performed by The Mama’s and the Papa’s.

Denny’s poignant lead vocal on ’Monday, Monday’ transforms a clever song of many intricacies into a work of beauty which becomes disarmingly simple. The bawdy, vaudeville analysis which Cass inflicts upon ’I Call Your Name’ projects The Beatles song in an entirely new light, John and Paul, one feels, would approve.

To describe the gentle harmony obtained by Michelle and Casson the extraordinary ’Got A Feeling’ as ’soft and silky’ would not only be inadequate, but also slightly inaccurate. ’Feathery’ would be a better word.

And on the swinging, swaying ’You, Baby’ you have that old ’Good Time Music’ feel as it was born to be felt.

In short, The Mama’s and the Papa’s emerge as one of the more stimulating groups of the era. They experiment; they create; they construct; and most of all they communicate.  

A liner can only stand so many superlatives and hyperboles without becoming trite. This one has already utilized more than it’s fair share. It only remains for you to extract the record carefully from the sleeve, play it, and then see if you believe what you have just read. And if you believe your eyes and your ears, then you’re not only going to believe this album – you’re going to be saving your nickels for the next one.

(original liners by Andy Wickham)

Producer: Lou Adler

Engineer: Bones Howe

Musicians: P.F. Sloan, Hal Blaine, Larry Knechtel, Joe Osborn, Peter Pilafian, John Phillips.

(24/11/13)

SONNY CURTIS – ’The Collector’/’Destiny’s Child’ (Viva V-607) January 1967

’The Collector’ is a haunting psychedelic ballad that simply allows your mind to drift away….however, the lyrics are very dark and possessive and somewhat creepy.

According to Allmusic, Don Everley handed Sonny Curtis a novel called ’The Collector’ and he wrote his version into a song. For some strange reason this song has never been compiled as far as I know.

The Everly Brothers and a group calling themselves #1 also recorded ’The Collector’…..sublime.

(22/11/13)

THE WORLD OF MILAN – ’One Track Mind’/’Shades Of Blue’ (Brunswick 55298) June 1966

Milan a.k.a. The Leather Boy released several records during the mid to late 60s, all of which sank into oblivion. Shame he didn’t get the success his unique songs deserved at the time.

This 45 is not one of Milan’s most readily accessible releases and is not that easy to find, although it does show up on lists occasionally.

’One Track Mind’ is the more garage side and has been featured on a Quagmire CD but the flip ’Shades Of Blue’ is uncompiled. I actually prefer this side. Melancholic sounds with, maracas and flute…

(21/11/13)

BOB RAY – ’Initiation Of A Mystic’ (Soul City SCS-92007) 1969

This rather splendid late sixties album has completely slipped me by for decades.
Bob Ray was one half of the duo calling themselves Bob & Kit releasing a 45 on HBR Records. He then was a member of the equally cool Thorinshield.

Bob Ray is clearly inspired by Donovan on his solo effort even down to the way he sometimes pronounces words. Backing is by Hollywood’s studio greats, Jim Gordon, Larry Knechtel, Joe Osborne, Jim Horn and Hal Blaine.

I’ve just YouTube uploaded the dreamy ’Live Today’….

Maybe one day this album will see a vinyl/CD re-issue.

liners inside the deluxe gatefold sleeve:

When the world has divided itself and each stands strongly upon it’s own way,
The word will come forth to recognise these divisions….

(17/11/13)

THE UNCALLED FOR – ’Masters Of War’ (Cicadelic CIC-980) 1986

This cut was included on the compilation ”The Cicadelic 60s Volume 5 – 1966 Revisited”, the compilers claimed that ’Masters Of War’ and ’Since You’ve Been Gone’ were previously unreleased demo takes by The Uncalled For.

However, according to ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ both sides were released as a 45 on Dynamic Sound by a group calling themselves The Un-Called For. It’s got to be the same outfit?

’Masters Of War’ is a folk-rock rendition of the Bob Dylan song about the Cold War. They keep it faithful to the original adding jangle and echo.

The Uncalled For hailed from the Manchester-Tullahoma area of TN and had a release on Laurie Records. Their ’Do Like Me’ was compiled on Pebbles Volume 8.

(29/09/13)

THE SQUIRES – ’Going All The Way’/’Go Ahead’ (Atco 45-6442) September 1966

I found a copy of this all time great 60s garage 45 last year, for a reasonable price too. From memory, I think I paid about $125 for it, which is probably the going rate, although it can sale away on eBay (as usual).

I’m sure most people who visit my blog will know this record. Both sides featured on the early volumes of Pebbles from the late 1970s. And as I mentioned in my previous entry ’Going All The Way’ was voted third best garage single of all time, behind ’It’s A Cry’n Shame’ by The Gentlemen and ’You’re Gonna Miss Me’ by The Thirteenth Floor Elevators.

(26/09/13)

THE SQUIRES – ’I Can’t Do It’ (Crypt Records LP-008) 1986

I’ve already featured The Squires before when highlighting ’Rink Bash’, another one of their demo recordings. Since then I’ve managed to find a copy of their all time great 45 ’Going All The Way’/’Go Ahead’ on Atco. I’ll have to focus on that record another time. By the way, ’Going All The Way’ was voted the third best garage song of all time in ’Teenbeat Mayhem’.

The folk jangling ’I Can’t Do It’ was recorded at the same session as the Atco songs but never released in the 60s. This tune is very similar to ’Go Ahead’ and could easily have been selected as a single in it’s own right. Maybe the band were hopeful of a follow up release, although the Crypt liners don’t mention this.

Mike Bouyea: ”We piled into the car on April 26th, 1966 early in the morning and drove off to the Big City from Bristol, CT. We walked into the Capitol studio in New York and set about re-recording ’It’s The Same All Over The World’ to see if we could improve on it.

We didn’t go in thinking about putting out a 45. What happened is we finished the one song so fast and we’d paid for a few hours of recording so we decided to make up some more to fill in the time. We actually were pretty damn efficient , writing, practicing, and recording 7 more songs in the remaining time”.
(from the liners of the Crypt Records release)

(23/09/13)

THE SYSTEM – ’He’s In Love With Himself’ (Get Hip GHAS-5012) 1997

I’m really enjoying my focus on ’Flower Bomb Songs’ at this present time bringing previously unreleased and possibly unknown (to many) recordings from the mid to late 60s. One of my all-time favourites is ’He’s In Love With Himself’ by The System.

When Get Hip Records released their stupendous double album set ”Free Flight” (Unreleased Dove Recordings) they did not know the name of the combo from an acetate marked ’I Just Don’t Know/’He’s In love With Himself’ and on the Get Hip label they were simply marked ?

Since the Dove Recordings were released the name of the band has been unmasked as The System, a five piece group from the Edina/Hopkins area of Minnesota. Both sides of the acetate were recorded at the Dove Recording Studio in Bloomington.

The killer fuzztoned garage psych cut ’He’s In Love With Himself’ was slated as the B-Side but sadly for whatever reason, no commercial release occurred, and The System would remain relatively unknown and unheard in the 60s. 

(21/09/13)

THE BRIKS – ’Heart Full Of Soul’ (Cicadelic LP 978) 1986

If you’re a rock and roll fan, and man who isn’t? you are sure to be turned on to this swingin’ album on Cicadelic Records titled \”Texas Punk: Volume 8” featuring The Basement Wall and The Briks.

The Briks were the stars of ”Texas Punk: Volume 7” and are represented here by six songs recorded live at Northwood Country Club in 1967. It’s clear from the material that The Briks had a British Invasion fixation covering hit songs by The Kinks, Cream and The Yardbirds.

’Heart Full Of Soul’ is particularly impressive with some killer lead guitar by Jamie Herndon.

(20/09/13)

THE PASTELS – ’Yeah, I Wanna Know’ (Texas Archive Recordings TAR-2) 1982

In the midst of the skyscrapers, humidity and urban sprawl of Houston during the mid to late 1960s an intense music scene developed which produced many of the great ’60s era Texas rock groups – from The Moving Sidewalks to The Fever Tree.

The local clubs, recording studios and the sheer size of the city made for a quality music scene that contained dozens of talented bands.

’Houston Hallucinations’ is composed of unreleased material by some of the lesser known, though equally good groups.

The Pastels (or Charlie Romain and the Pastels as they were locally known) were not a well known combo but the previously unreleased rocker ’Yeah, I Wanna Know’ showcases their style. This song has that distinctive Texas sound.

They released one 45 on the Push label, ’Weird Sounds’/’I Can Tell’ in 1968.
’Weird Sounds’ is based around the riff of ’Oh Yeah’ and is included on ’Houston Hallucinations.

(18/09/13)

THE CHAPARRALS – ’One More Time’ (Cicadelic LP-979) 1986

In late 1964, four freshmen at North Texas State University formed The Chaparrals. They had known each other previously in High School. Wayne Rossee and Steve Karnavas attended Richardson High School, Jamie Bassett, Bryan Adams and Chuck McKay – Highland Park. The band rehearsed for four months building a repertoire of 30 songs.

By June of 1965, they hit the road and headed for Florida, stone cold, with no connections for any clubs.

Miami was The Chaparrals first stop, where they played a few small clubs for a short while. After Miami, they headed up the east coast of Florida and landed a good job in Orlando. The job was in the cocktail lounge of a bowling alley called ”Southland Lanes”.

They became the house band for six months, playing six days a week with an extra matinee on Sunday. Monday was an off day. The Chaparrals played four hours a night doing all covers.

At ”Southland Lanes” The Chaparrals added a new member, Tommy Cashwell, who played keyboards. Tommy was instrumental in helping the band perfect their club act. After their stint at the bowling alley, the boys decided to hit the road again.

Due to Tommy’s connections with the Sizemore booking agency, the band was able to get gigs in Augusta and Macon (Georgia), Lexington (Kentucky), Knoxville (Tennessee), Southbend (Indiana) and Niles (Michigan).

It was in Niles that Tommy tried to get the group to start playing military bases and plunge further north, reaching as far away as Maine. The rest of the band wasn’t too keen on this idea and opted to return to Texas. It was here that Tommy parted with the group.

In the winter of 1966, The Chaparrals arrived in Dallas, they added a new keyboard player, Vernon Womack from Waco, to replace Tommy. Having perfected their act, they became very popular locally.

At various times they were the house band for places such as ”Disc A Go-Go” (Cedar Springs and Oak Lawn), ”The Pirates Nook” (Elm Street and Carroll) and ”The Three Thieves” (Lovers Lane and Inwood) where the band opened for The Music Machine and The 13th Floor Elevators on separate occasions.

During 1966, The Chaparrals recorded the songs included on ’Texas Punk 1966: Volume 7’. Unfortunately the band was unable to attract the attention of any local or national record labels.

The Chaparrals kept on playing in Dallas, throughout 1967, occasionally going on the road to Austin, Houston and Oklahoma. By 1968, though, they were hungry for a change of pace.

The band decided to try their luck out in California, which of course was where the music scene was booming. Their first stop was Los Angeles, but they felt totally out of place with the psychedelic sounds in vogue at the time, besides they were unable to get any decent bookings at the major clubs such as ”The Trip”, ”Ciros” or ”Pandoras Box”.

Next stop was San Francisco. It was here that the band finally split up, with Jamie, Chuck, Vernon and Wayne heading back to Texas. Steve stayed on and formed a new band called The Snakes with Cecil Cotton (former lead singer with The Briks).

line-up:
Steve Karnavas (drums)
Wayne Rossee (lead guitar)
Vernon Womack (keyboards)
Jamie Bassett (bass, harmonica)
Chuck McKay (lead vocals, rhythm guitar)

******information taken from the liners of ’Texas Punk 1966: Volume 7’******

(17/09/13)

THE ARROWS – ’Apache ’65’ (Tower T 5002) 1965

They call themselves The Arrows and their exciting instrumental sound of ’Apache ’65’ started them on the path to hitsville. Here, in their first album, they prove that their first bull’s eye was not just one lucky shot.

The style that’s attracting all the admiration is built around the funky guitar of Davie Allan, a young but extremely successful Hollywood studio musician who decided he would rather make music with his own group. The writing, pulsing rhythm of The Arrows is supplied by Steve Pugh on electric bass, Larry Brown on drums and Paul Johnson on rhythm guitar – an expert combination as you can hear for yourself.

Their musical approach is that The Arrows play their own arrangements in their own distinctive way, whether they are doing a new tune like ’Twine Time’ or an old favourite like ’Red Roses For A Blue Lady’.

And it sounds like their approach has turned out to be a sure formula for success!

(16/09/13)

THE PERILS – ’Hate’/’Baby, Do You Love Me?’ (Velva Records V-7484) October 1966

A recent purchase was this obscure 45 by The Perils, from Hart in Texas. At $100, the record wasn’t cheap, but it looked unplayed when I made the purchase and it sounds great. Not much information about The Perils exists online or within the reference books I’ve got so if anyone knows more about them get in touch!

’Hate’ is a sinister sounding garage punker which is quite basic in it’s construction. The singer ain’t a happy bunny and he fucking hates his girlfriend for some reason.

”Hate you girl,
I don’t want you girl
I don’t need you girl,
I hate you girl.”

’Hate’ was compiled back in the 80s on ’Texas Flashbacks Volume 4’ but as far as I know the flip, ’Baby, Do You Love Me?’ remains unknown. This one is a fratty number with a fast tempo but sadly without any guitar break that would have made it much better….. but it’s worth a listen.

(14/09/13)

THE CENTURYS – ’And I Cried’/’Catch Me Fast’ (BB Records B-4002) 1967

This record is quite sought after amongst 60s garage collectors and it was a recent purchase for me. I don’t know how many were pressed in 1967 but my copy looks like new, so was pleased to add it to my archives.

The Centurys were a mid 60s combo from Lebanon, PA and this was their last 45.

According to details online they broke up due to the draft and lack of success. Previous singles on Renco and Swan were equally good albeit with a primitive lo-fi production especially on the Renco releases.

Back in the mid 80s Bona Fide released a four song EP titled ”The Renco Demos” in a rather cool picture cover. The Centurys certainly look the part in their tight jeans and slicked back hair.

’And I Cried’ is a classy fuzz punker with organ which was compiled decades ago on ’Return Of The Young Pennsylvanians’. The flip ’Catch Me Fast’ is a pleasant Beatlesesque rocker with harmonies and remains uncompiled.

(13/09/13)

THE NEWBEATS – ’Top Secret’/’So Fine’ (Hickory 1436) February 1967

The Newbeats were a three piece pop combo based in Nashville and were arguably Hickory’s most successful act. They released numerous 45s during the 60s but this is the only one I own. I would never have known about it had the record not been highlighted in ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ as possessing the ’garage sound’.

’Top Secret’ is a memorable rocker with coolsville fuzz guitar and falsetto lead vocals. The back-up vocals sound great also. The Newbeats probably had other tunes that would fit the bill on ’Flower Bomb Songs’ but until I suss out the the diamonds from the diamoniques the fuzztoned belter that is ’Top Secret’ will have to do for now!

(12/09/13)

THE EPICS – ’Louie Come Home’/’Give Me A Chance’ (Zen Records 202) April 1965

The Epics possibly came from the Bakersfield area of California, although that is my educated guess concluded because producer Leo Bowden had a recording studio in Bakersfield. This was their only release.

’Louie Come Home’ is a frat style version of Richard Berry’s ’Louie, Louie’ with a combination of gruff style vocals mixed with falsetto. At first I didn’t like this song that much but over time it’s grown on me. I first heard this one on the 80s compilation ’Highs In The Mid Sixties – Volume 1’.

I actually bought this 45 for the flip ’Give Me A Chance’ which as far as I know remains uncompiled. The song is a crude mersey beat influenced number. The label provides a credit of four surnames: Dumble, Ward, Concelez and Iger. Maybe they were the guys in The Epics?

(11/09/13)

THE YELLOW PAYGES – ’Never See The Good In Me’/’Sleeping Minds’ (Showplace WS-216) 1967

Another new addition this week is this record by The Yellow Payges, a group from Los Angeles who were regulars at venues on the Sunset Strip.

This was their debut disc from ’67 on Showplace, a subsidiary of Cameo Parkway. ’Never See The Good In Me’ has some tasty ’sitar’ leads and a quick tempo. Find it on Mindrocker Volume 11.

The pace is slowed right down for ’Sleeping Minds’ on the flip….this one has strings and things, sort of a baroque pop sound.

(25/01/14)

THE MAGIC CYCLE – ’Doctor Lollipop’/’Where Where You When I Needed You’ (Giant Records GR-904) January 1968

Here’s a new 45 addition to my collection by a group from Toronto, Canada. They would later drop the ’Magic’ from their name and would end their existence as The Cycle.

I’ve got their Tamarac Records album from 1970 but never realised it was the same band until I started doing some research.

’Doctor Lollipop’ is decent pop psych and was a small hit in Canada, reaching number #68 but they’re more than likely virtual unknowns outside of their locale.

The flip ’Where Were You When I Needed You’ is a cover of the Sloan-Barri folk-rocker, best known as being recorded by The Grass Roots.

(25/01/14)

THE TUNEFUL TROLLEY – ’Island In The Sky’ (Now Sounds) original release 1969

I’ve bought a couple of CDs this month, both on the Now Sounds label. First one under the spotlight is the album by The Tuneful Trolley. I’ve got one of their 45s in my collection ’Sunny Days’/’My Apple Pie’, but had never heard this studio album before, so took an effort to track it down.

The Tuneful Trolley were discovered and championed by Jay and the Americans.

Listening to this CD confirms to me that they were primarily a pop psych outfit with a knack for writing and performing solid Beatlesque rock.

With a sizeable following in their home base of Long Island, New York, The Tuneful Trolley released ’Island In The Sky’ in 1969 to national indifference, this despite containing all the elements of an instant smash.

The album is a glorious atoll with landscapes of fuzz guitars, oboes, melodic Beach Boys harmonies with a garage edge. The boys were all still in their mid teens when the material was recorded.

(25/01/14)

THE BASSETTS – ’A Little Love From You’/’So Bad’ (Mercury 72624) October 1966

The new additions to my record collection in 2014 continue with this one from The Bassetts, who hailed from Long Island, NY. An online source suggests that they were assembled by Tony Amato, Artie Kornfeld and Steve Duboff. This 45 was their only release.

The top side was a rather novelty type tune called ’A Little Love From You’, written by the Kornfeld-Duboff partnership. It doesn’t register with me, although by all accounts it was a small hit in their locale.

Far superior is the fuzztoned beat of the Tony Amato original ’So Bad’. Comes complete with a cool ’66 guitar break. Both sides are uncompiled. 

(17/01/14)

LAWSON & 4 MORE – ’Smart Bird’/’If You Want Me, You Can Find Me’ (Ardent/Big Beat) 2013

This combo were from Memphis, TN and featured future engineer/producer Terry Manning. The fuzz laden ’66 punker ’Smart Bird’ is previously unreleased and makes it’s debut on this slab of  vinyl. The vocals are full of snarl and may have been considered too un-commercial to release as a single. 

The other side is the Stonsey ’If You Want Me, You Can Find Me’ and was indeed their first single in 1965. Copies of the record came housed in a picture sleeve. I don’t know if this re-issue is the same mix as the ’65 cut.

Both songs were written and produced by Jim Dickinson.

(16/01/14)

DENISE – ’Boy, What’ll You Do Then’/’Chaos’ (Wee Records/Big Beat) 2013

Big Beat have recently began a series of vinyl only releases in limited quantity of rare and/or previously unreleased cuts. The first one under my spotlight is ’Boy, What’ll You Do Then’ by Denise Kaufman who would then go onto form SF group The Ace Of Cups.

Original copies are very rare and exchange hands for several thousand dollars, which is obviously outta the reach of most collectors. This is one reason to pick up this splendid re-issue before it becomes sold out.

The other reason being of course, that’s it’s a killer 1966 garage put-down, sung by a girl and aimed at her former boyfriend. This chick has been scorned.

The Big Beat re-issue used the even rarer second mix of the recordings which are wilder.  

(13/01/14)

THE SEMI-COLONS – ’Beachcomber’/’Set Aside’ (Cameo Parkway C-468) April 1967

For those who don’t know, The Semi-Colons were in fact ? and the Mysterians. Why Cameo Parkway released this 45 as The Semi-Colons is probably lost in time but if anyone knows be sure to contact me or leave a message.

’Beachcomber’ was first recorded and released by Bobby Darin in 1960. His original version is a slow piano instrumental. The Semi-Colons on the other hand whip up the tempo somewhat and transform it into a ’67 go-go dancer.

The flip ’Set-Aside’ can be found on the debut ? and the Mysterians album ’96 Tears’. This is quite a slow instro that doesn’t really go anywhere, although I do dig the guitar. Both sides were produced by Cameo Parkway staff producer Neil Bogart who would go onto Buddah Records and work on many hits during the bubblegum era.

(12/01/14)

LCS and the BISHOPS FOUR – ’It Doesn’t Seem Fair’/’I’m Gonna Show You Mary’ (Sevens International SI-1006) January 1970

Here’s a mystery group that I know nothing about with an even more puzzling 45. According to ’Teenbeat Mayhem’, LCS and the Bishops Four hailed from New Boston in Texas. Other information suggests that this record was released in 1970.

Both sides, most definitely have a late ’67/68 sound, so perhaps that was when the recordings took place but for whatever reason, the record didn’t come out until a few years down the line.

According to the soybomb database LCS and the Bishops Four cut ’Midnight Hour’ for a 1967 compilation on Normandy Records titled ”Battle Of The Bands” suggesting that the group were active at that point in time. I’ve not heard this album but the database indicates that it’s a live recording.

This brings me to this disc on Sevens International. ’It Doesn’t Seem Fair’ seems to be loosely based on the Monkees song ’She’. It’s quite a moody piece with echoey vocals and jangle, with subtle keyboards. Not the best production I’ve ever heard, the sound is a bit on the muddy side but the melody is a memorable one.

The top side ’I’m Gonna Show You Mary’ is great sunshine pop that brings to mind ’Trust’ by The Peppermint Trolley Company. Classy touch of baroque Beatlesesque brass, killer melody and strong vocals. I’m a little more than surprised to find out that both sides are non-comp so I’ve created a YouTube upload highlighting the jangler ’It Doesn’t Seem Fair’. 

**** Ricky England, lead guitarist from LCS and the Bishops Four recently contacted me with the following information ****

You are correct the band is from New Boston, Texas.
The record was made in 1968. 
line-up:
Lyndel Strippling (vocals / trumpet)
Bill Ratcliff (drums)   
Danny Wilson (bass) 
Ricky England (lead guitar) 
(12/01/14)

THE SEEDS – ’A Thousand Shadows’/’March Of The Flower Children’ (GNP Crescendo GNP-394) June 1967

By 1967, The Seeds had fully embraced psychedelia although they called their brand of music at this point in time ’flower music’. This 45 showcases their new style of flower music perfectly.

The top side ’A Thousand Shadows’ deserved to be a hit but the fuzz laden eerie sounds failed to spark much interest, even for the teens and twenties of Los Angeles.

Perhaps even more flipped out is the the child-like nursery rhyme ’March Of The Flower Children’ which pushes the boundaries even more.

Both sides can be found on their ’Future’ album, interestingly, both cuts were produced by Marcus Tybalt who was indeed Sky Saxon.

”March, march, march with me
Past the crooked forest
Through the field of flowers
Away from all the dragons
Where the sky is painted golden yellow
Come on along and go with me through the fairy castle now
Come on along and go with me”

(11/01/14)

THE NEIGHB’RHOOD CHILDR’N – ’Behold The Lilies’/’I Want Action’ (Acta 45-828) July 1968

I remember way back in the mid 80s buying a bootleg copy of The Neighb’rhood Childr’n’s album and being totally knocked out by the mesmerizing psychedelia. It sounded like nothing I’d ever heard before merging Jefferson Airplane vibes with tripped-out Seeds like compact organ bursts.

Fast forward nearly thirty years later and I’m buying my first Neighb’rhood Childr’n 45, which no doubt will lead me on into collecting all of their single releases.

The Neighb’rhood Childr’n were based in San Francisco during the mid to late 60s and played many gigs supporting the major players with perhaps their biggest gig being an opening slot with The Who & Iron Butterfly at the Sacramento Civic Auditorium.

So what about this particular 45 under the spotlight? Both are non-LP with the flip ’I Want Action’ being a departure in their sound with soul influence using brass. Not my cuppa tea.

Way superior is the top side ’Behold The Lilies’ which is summery baroque psych with orchestration and is unsurprisingly just what the title suggests……viewing colourful lily flowers growing in a field..

’Behold The Lilies’ was written by singer/organist Dyan Hoffman although the label states her forename as Diana (possibly a misspelling).

(09/01/14)

THE MORE-TISHANS – ‘(I’ve Got) Nowhere To Run’/'(I’ve Got) Nowhere To Run’ (Peak Records P-4453) September 1967

This group are believed to have formed in Bloomington, Minneapolis and during the mid sixties built up a considerable reputation as a live group performing throughout Minnesota. Sadly, their recording legacy is just one single on Peak Records recorded at Dove Studios.

‘(I’ve Got) Nowhere To Run’ is a fantastic rocker with 12 string guitar and intricate harmonies all encapsulated in just over two minutes of charged coolness. The song wasn’t even composed by one of The More-Tishans! That honour goes to school friend called Mark LeBoutillier.

Maybe The More-Tishans didn’t have any more decent original songs available on the day they entered Dove Studios as the flip is just the instrumental version of the same song. Bit of a cop out if you ask me.

My copy of the 45 has the label on the wrong side of the disc which was obviously spotted before it was sent to radio stations etc as someone has scribbled ’vocal’ and stamped ’plug side’ on the ’instrumental side’. The ’vocal side’ plays the instrumental.

Over the years the song has been made available on a couple of Sundazed releases, namely the CDs ’Psychedelic Microdots #1’ and ’Garage Beat #2’.

(08/01/14)

SAGITTARIUS – ’I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City’/’I Still Can See Your Face’ (Together T-122) September 1969

This year I’m going to attempt to write about every vinyl record I purchase in 2014, these items will be labelled ”2014” (obviously). I’ve been quite active as a vinyl collector already and have several titles to review. First up is the final single by pop psych outfit Sagittarius.

’I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City’ was written by Nilsson and is a sublime merge of country & western with harmony pop psych. The layers of rich harmonies with pedal steel guitar and the unusual sound of the Moog synthesizer produce a sublime sound.

This song was not on their second and last studio album ”Blue Marble” so is obviously one to track down. The flip ’I Still Can See Your Face’ written by Gary Usher is another country/pop psych master craft which can be found on the previously mentioned long-player. 

(07/01/14)

PEABODY – ”Days Of Rest” / ”Forever Eyes” (Busy-B 7) January 1968

I’ve finally managed to locate this 45 by New Orleans group Peabody and it’s taken quite some time, rarely appearing on eBay or collector sales lists leading me to believe that it’s one of the rarest Busy-B releases.

The simply beautiful folk-rock tune ’Forever Eyes’ was compiled way back on ’From The New World’, a compilation I wrote about some time ago. For fans of the folk-rock and baroque pop sound this album is essential.

The other side of the 45 ’Days Of Rest’ appears to have been the plug side, I’m only assuming this based on the ”X” marked on white label promos. This side is less immediate but still good. Both songs were written by Mike Presti who prior to joining Peabody was a member of The Zoofs.

’Days Of Rest’ can be found on a CD compilation from 1990 and was released on the Strange Things label which was put together by Phil Smee, no doubt in conjunction with his magazine of the same name from the late 80s.

According to Mike Presti (in an interview given to 60sgaragebands.com) he confirmed that Peabody were formally called Lady Chatterley’s Lovers but changed their name to Peabody during late 1967.

The line-up for Peabody was:

Mike Presti (lead guitar)
Mike Chassaniol (lead vocals)
Gary Furlow (rhythm guitar)
Clark Vreeland (drums)
Nick Buck (organ)

Sadly, Clark Vreeland, who became a well known musician in New Orleans during the 70s/80s died recently (26/12/13) aged 62.

His ex-wife contacted me a couple of days ago and sent me a fabulous colour photo of Peabody, which I’ll share here. Clark is pictured at the front wearing a cap and a claret scarf.

(01/01/14)

MORTIMER – ’Dedicated Music Man’/’To Understand Someone’ (Philips BF 1664) May 1968

This group were from New York but recorded all of their material in London during the early part of 1968, maybe the location they used rubbed off on Mortimer as they sound very English indeed.

’Dedicated Music Man’ is an out and out classic psych pop tune with memorable bass runs that remind me of Paul McCartney’s, classy vocal harmonies and a melody to match. Don’t know why this wasn’t huge in ’68 but it wasn’t, and Mortimer would reflect on what could have been.

My UK copy is quite rare and doesn’t show up too often, the USA release (March 1968) came housed in a picture cover. Most of these copies used ’Dedicated Music Man’ on both sides with a mono and stereo mix. The UK release has ’To Understand Someone’, another fine pop nugget but without the immediacy of ’Music Man’.

Prior to recording as Mortimer the group released a 45 as Pinnochio and the Puppets.
And before the latter, they were known as The Teddy Boys and released several fine singles, non of which have appeared on my blog yet but I intend to change that soon.

Both sides of this disc remain uncompiled.

(30/12/13)

SURDY GREEBUS – ’Nothing New Under The Sun’/’The Red Room’ (Josie 45-983) 1967

I’ve had this strange sounding record for several years and did a little research at the time of purchase but found nothing. It appeared that Surdy Greebus would remain a mystery. However, earlier this month I took the record out of the box and remastered both sides then checked the internet hoping that some information had surfaced since my last search.

Sure enough the Buckeyebeat website have unearthed their story, indicating that Surdy Greebus were quite popular in their home area of Cincinnati but virtual unknowns outside of their usual confines apart from the odd gig in Louisville, KY.

’Nothing New Under The Sun’, written by Eugene Katona (ex Them – not the Northern Ireland group) is perhaps the safer song and was chosen as the ’plug side’ although I don’t think it sounds that commercial. It’s a folky mix of pop and psych but not really any particular bag, they generate quite a unique sound for 1967.

The flip, ’The Red Room’ is very weird with strange rhythms and backwards guitar. I’ve got no idea what the song is about but it must mean something. Think of The Lovin’ Spoonful mixing it up with the strangeness of Frank Zappa and you might get the idea.

I recently made contact with Surdy Greebus member Eugene Katona and I asked him about his time in the group.

”I was there with Stu Levy, Seymour Duncan, West Davis Tom Hogeback and Paulla Zalla.  You are correct. We were very popular and like a bright flame we burned out quickly. The band lasted just over a year. 

Seymour went to California and started Seymour Duncan Guitar Pickups Inc. Stu finished Medical School with his then girl friend and future wife Chris and they both moved to Portland Oregon and worked for Kaiser Permanente.

West and Tom went to Alaska and managed Resorts and went fishing  (caught huge Halibut) and hunting etc., Paula remarried and works with her church helping those in need. West now has moved near Albany New York and resides with Celeste Plowden, a lovely gal, and he still makes music and just released a CD called ”Life Like Parts”,which is very good.

Seymour Duncan, of course, played lead guitar & other guitar parts. Stu Levy played Rhythm Guitar. Tom Hogeback played Bass. West Davis played drums and I played 12 string Guitar and assorted other instruments.

We also had an electric harpsichord and Paula played that along with another guy. 

Every one sang and we often had 4 & 5 part harmonies such as on ”No where man” and ”And your bird can sing”. Stu Levy sang all Jimi Hendrix songs. West Davis sang The Left Bank songs ”Just Walk Away Rene” & ”Pretty Ballerina” West had a beautiful, high tonal, voice.

We often had acapella rehearsals in hallways & bathrooms, anywhere with a bit of echo or reverb, to make sure our harmonies were perfect and people who happened by while we were rehearsing in acapella were amazed at what they heard and that is partly how our following grew.

You might want to post the flip side ”The Red Room” just to demonstrate the psychotically weird side of the band. We had no fear whatsoever.”

I found some Surdy Greebus gig adverts from the University of Cincinnati.

These adverts are from a late 1967 edition of the University’s weekly newspaper.

(30/12/13)

THE NOVA LOCAL – ’Nova 1’ (MCA MUPS 377) 1969

The Nova Local have featured on ’Flower Bomb Songs’ before when I reviewed their debut single ’If You Only Had The Time’. For the purpose of having everything about The Noval Local in one place on my blog I’ve copied that entry from February 2011 with this posting.

I was recently delighted to acquire an original copy of The Noval Local. I’ve bought this a few times over the years on dubious bootleg vinyl and CD but there’s NOTHING as good as a vintage copy on vinyl.

The copy I managed to find, at a reasonable price, is the rare UK release on MCA. This stereo album was released sometime in 1969 in Britain, which is a little strange as The Noval Local had long since disbanded the previous year.

’Nova 1’ was first released in USA on Decca during April 1968 and appears to have missed out on any attention at the time, which is a shame as the material is first rate, varied and interesting.

The original songs are really strong psychedelic contenders including the lysergic and West Coast sounding opener ’$5 A Ticket’ which kicks the album off in fine style. The listener expects it’s gonna be one long trip.

Another winning original song is the very Lovin’ Spoonful(esque) ’A Visit From It, The King’ this then leads into some brilliant tripped out psych with versions of ’Tobacco Road’, ’Hitch Hike’ and ’Morning Dew’.

These three songs alone are worth buying the album for.
Dig the seriously far-out psych leads on ’Morning Dew’ especially. Actually, I’ve decided that The Nova Local sound more like a ’67 English psych group than American. Maybe that’s why their album got a belated release in England.  

The orchestrated and dreamy ’Forgotten Man’ was compiled in the late 80s on ’Baubles Volume 1’ and is probably where I first heard anything by The Nova Local. Other songs to receive the compilation treatment include the non-album ’Games’, which was the flip of ’If You Only Had The Time’, ’Other Girls’, another non-album flip side, is avaiable on ’Wyld Sydes Volume 5’.

other information:

Randy Winburn (rhythm guitar / vocals)
Joe Mendyk (lead guitar)
Cam Schinhan (organ)
Jim Opton (bass)
Bill LeVasseur (drums)

Phil Lambeth (guitar)
B.B. Saunders and Elliot Mazer (producers)

From Buffalo Billycan,

”This band were students at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Their album, which was recorded in New York in December 1966, is definitely worth investigating and is a minor collectable. Its very Anglophile sound garnered it a U.K. release, although the band had split by April 1967.

Bassist Jim Opton told U-Spaces:- 

”We were a band that was making a pretty good living playing fraternity parties around the campus, and a few cellar clubs in Chapel Hill. My fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha, was sponsoring a charity concert for our scholarship fund, and we decided to go for broke that year and book a big name. 

We contacted William Morris Agency in New York, and booked Chad and Jeremy. We needed an opening act, so I booked my own band… got us real cheap. The deal was that Rob Heller, who was with the Morris Agency would come and hear us play. He signed us immediately after the concert. A week later he hooked us up with Elliot Mazer, who became our producer. Elliot also worked as a song peddler for E.B. Marks Music, who published the music.

We got a recording contract with Decca, I don’t know how, but Rob put that deal together with Elliot, and the next thing I know, we are in the studio with all kinds of famous people that had us in awe for the first 35 seconds or so. I do know that somebody thought we were kind of special, because the studio was absolutely closed to visitors while we were there, and we were not allowed to take home raw tape to play for anyone. 

We did a lot of things that were pretty advanced for our time. Listen carefully to Morning Dew for example. The strange vocal effects were done by feeding the vocals through a Leslie Tone Cabinet from a Hammond B3. Also, the bass lead is the first bass feedback lead I think I can remember in a rock song.

I blew up the amp doing it!! Cost me $750 (a LOT of money I didn’t have in 1966)!! But, it was a hell of a lick. The album was essentially recorded by five of us: Randy, Bill, Joe, Cam and me. Phil had departed for law school. I believe he is alive and well, and practicing law in Charlotte, N.C.”

”Actually, there is one little piece or two of rock and roll history that goes with that album. It was the first ever recorded using the very new, and relatively unknown, Dolby NR System. It took up a good size room at the time. The engineer for the album, Fred Catero, was also the engineer for Simon and Garfunkel.”  (thanks to Paul Jacob Boller)

THE NOVA LOCAL – ’If You Only Had The Time’/’Games’ (Decca 32138) May 1967

Decca Records had a lot of faith in teenage group The Nova Local offering them an album deal and taking out a full page colour advert in Billboard trade magazine in May 1967. A couple of singles were also released, ’If You Only Had The Time’ is on the long player but the flip ’Games’ is not.

By all accounts the group formed at Chapel Hill College in North Caroline and quickly established themselves on the local circuit but outside of NC they were virtually unknown.

’If You Only Had The Time’ is a delightful pop psych tune written and sung by Randy Winburn who now goes by the name Rand Winburn.

THE NOVA LOCAL – ’John Knight’s Body’/’Other Girls’ (Decca 32194) September 1967

The second and last Nova Local single paired ’John Knight’s Body’ with the garage pop of  ’Other Girls’. Both songs were written and sung by Randy Winburn.

’John Knight’s Body’ is quite a weird little pop song with it’s jaunty rhythm in stark contrast with dark lyrics about someone being framed for a murder he did not commit and pondering his life in a prison cell while waiting on death row for execution. Heavy shit for a pop record.

Reader comment:

I found the Nova Local LP in a thrift store some months back and I too thought they were British upon just reading their name; imagine my surprise…

It’s a great great record and I listen to it A LOT. As a perhaps-interesting aside, I had already heard ”If You Only Had The Time” sampled into a hip hop song by Dangerdoom long before I bought this record. The sample wasn’t credited that I remember, but it’s unmistakable.

(27/12/13)

LANCELOT LINK AND THE EVOLUTION REVOLUTION – STUDIO ALBUM (Probe SPBA 6258) November 1970

I had no idea about this classic psychedelic bubblegum combo until recently being turned on to their super sonic sounds. Fronted by a cool bunch of hippie chimps in all of their far out threads.

Checking the songwriter credits on the label surprised me somewhat as every nugget was written and probably sung by Steve Hoffman who people may recognise as the leader of The Mystic Astrologic Crystal Band.

Meet the band:

Lance Link: Our hero and Secret A.P.E. is the group’s lead guitarist. He’s a native of California and lives in a ranch house in Tarzana. Lance is a Scorpio, and is four feet tall in his stocking feet (he spent two years as a pre-med student and is violently against vivisection.)

Mata Hairi: Lance’s co-agent, is the group’s sex symbol. She’s a Virgo, weighs 48 pounds and is three feet two inches tall. She lives in a Beverly Hills Estate formally owned by Johnny Weismuller. Her ambition is to own a cloth coat – she hates fur.

Sweetwater Gibbons: is the creative genius of the group, playing all keyboard instruments. He’s just under three feet tall and, with his wide grin, flashing teeth, and floppy ears, he stands out in any crowd. He majored in Zoology in college and inherited his musical talent from his father who was an organ grinder.

Bananas Marmoset: is the drummer and hails from Thousand Oaks, California. He’s the oldest of nine children – all of who look alike. He digs listening to groovy music and his faves are Three Dog Night, Steppenwolf and the ever popular Thelonius Monk. He’s afraid of heights and hates haircuts.

(21/12/13)

THE LEAVES – ’Girl From The East’/’Get Out Of My Life Woman’ (Mira Records 231) September 1966

According to ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ the song ’Girl From The East’ was used on three different 45s by The Leaves.

It first appeared on (Mira 222) as the flip of ’Hey Joe’, then was used as the flip of ’Too Many People’ (Mira 227) and finally on (Mira 231) possibly having A-Side status on this disc backed by a version of Lee Dorsey’s ’Get Out Of My Life Woman’.

This is one of my recent additions and I was delighted to obtain it for the folk-rock winner ’Girl From The East’ which has some pleasant backing harmonies.

The original version written and recorded by Bobby Jameson is a much slower stripped down interlude with plaintive jangle and soul searching vocals. Both GREAT!

(20/12/13)

THE CHYLDS – ’I Want More (Lovin)’/’Hay Girl’ (Giant Records 101) May 1967

Here’s a super 60s teenbeat double sider on Giant Records. The Chylds were from Canton, OH and were very popular in their area. So much so that a huge label like Warner Bros were impressed enough to sign them up and release this disc on their label in July ’67.

Both sides really MOVE with an R’N’B/soul crunch, seemingly very much influenced by Paul Revere & the Raiders with a coolsville Mysterians organ buzz.

(19/12/13)

THE GESTURES – ’Run, Run, Run’/’It Seems To Me’ (Stateside SS 379) January 1964

Mankato, Minnesota, was home to the four teenagers who made up The Gestures. Originally known as The Jesters, they changed their name rather suddenly – record presses actually halted to make adjustment after the unexpected discovery that another group of Jesters already existed.

’Run, Run, Run’ combines soaring Mersey-ish harmonies with surfish reverb guitar licks and an energetic, fast driving delivery. Released October 1964 by the Minneapolis based Soma label, it was a huge regional hit. Nationally it hit Billboard’s Top 50, but Soma was a small operation, unable to keep up with the demand and give the record the distribution it deserved.

The Gestures released only one more single before going their separate ways. (liners from Nuggets Box)

The scan shown is my British release on Stateside which came out during January 1965 and is quite a difficult 45 to find.

(18/12/13)