PAISLEY VISIONS: LISTEN-IN REVIEWS

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Everly Brothers over the years. All of the original Everly Brothers blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from weekly teen music magazine ‘Fabulous’.

THE EVERLY BROTHERS – ’Somebody Help Me’ (Warner Bros W 1708) July 1967

During mid 1967, the Everly Brothers released a collection of songs that would pretty much all get a mention on ’Flower Bomb Songs’. Their sound had definitely been influenced by psychedelia but their dalliance was not full blown acid psych but harmony pop with some touches of lysergia.

I doubt very much that Don and Phil were into the chemical trips but that didn’t stop them creating some beautiful music such as ’Bowling Green’, ’Talking To The Flowers’, ’Mary Jane’ and ’Mercy, Mercy, Mercy’.

With ’Somebody Help Me’ they rocked out with a mod take of the Jackie Edwards song better known as a Spencer Davis Group hit. Listen out for the fuzztone guitar that is a constant throughout giving this recording an edge of coolness.

(01/07/12)

THE EVERLY BROTHERS – ’Good Golly Miss Molly’ (Warner Bros 1676) January 1967

It’s strange to think that the Everly’s were bucking the trend in 1967 but they were. Everywhere was going psychedelic and day-glo with regards to album covers but they opted for a moody black and white shot for the front sleeve of ’The Hit Sound Of’. They were even recording old 50s / early 60s hits such as ’Blueberry Hill’, ’Oh, Boy!’ and ’The House Of The Rising Son’.

The clever thing that the Everly’s did was to update those songs with a mod/beat touch utilizing some very tasty hammond organ and thunderous bass lines and guitar riffs on most of the songs.

None worked better than the killer version of ’Good Golly Miss Molly’ which would make those Euro mod DJs freak-out if they knew where to look. It was never used as a 45 which was an oversight. Sometimes record company’s didn’t know their arse from their elbow.

(01/07/12)

THE EVERLY BROTHERS – ’Glitter And Gold’ (Warner Bros W 1620) January 1966

By 1966 the Everly’s were more or less ignored in their home country USA, but in Britain they were still huge pop stars. ’In Our Image’ is a solid album with some absolute gems including many that became 45s including ’Leave My Girl Alone’, ‘(You Got) The Power Of Love’ and ’The Price Of Love’.

’Glitter And Gold’ written by the prolific Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil was an obvious choice of a single in Britain but it never was. By now fuzztoned guitars were being used to colour their rich sounding harmonies.

The album liners written by Stan Cornyn suggested.

”Their voices…their harmony…that’s their image. It lifted them out of back country Tennessee obscurity and rode them into the big town in matching Cadillacs. Their sound is more immediately identifiable than The Green Hornet’s third gear.”

(01/07/12)

THE EVERLY BROTHERS – ’Lonely Weekends’ (Warner Bros W 1578) March 1965

This early 1965 release saw the Everly’s recording R’n’B songs written by the likes of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles and Leiber & Stoller but with their touch of harmony of course. Their versions of ’That’ll Be The Day’, ’Mabellene’ and ’Slippin’ And Slidin’ are particularly good.

Most interesting for me is their recording of Charlie Rich’s ’Lonely Weekend’ which I know from The Remains. The album was recorded in Nashville.

(01/07/12)

THE EVERLY BROTHERS – ’Lonely Avenue’ (Warner Brothers W1605) August 1965

(updated entry from 08/07/07)

This morning I paid a visit to my favourite vinyl dealer who sells records from a stall at Chester-le-Street market. I usually come away with something and this morning was no different. This little beauty by The Everly Brothers cost me £10 and it’s stone mint. It didn’t look like it had ever been played. It plays like a dream. Perhaps the reason I’m so pleased to add this copy to my collection is the fact that it is in glorious mono. All previous re-issues have used the stereo mixes.

This LP from the Everly’s catches them in beat mode and I must say the album is a genuine must have for anyone into 65/66 beat and RnB. All songs except the original ’Man With Money’ are late 50s/early 60s covers.

I really dig the original version of ’Man With Money’. This was the flip of the hit 45 ’Love Is Strange’ and I’m in no doubt this is where obscure English freakbeat bands like The Eyes and The Wild Uncertainty heard the song first. Both bands made the song into a mod killer. The Who also covered ’Man With Money’ but their version remained unreleased until it was placed on ’A Quick One re-issue CD by Polydor in the 90s.

Other stand out’s on Beat & Soul is the cover of ’C.C. Rider’ I wasn’t expecting fuzz guitars but classy fuzz action is what you get. Rockin’ versions of ’Walking The Dog’, ’Money’ and ’Hi Heel Sneakers’ also get the EXPO67 seal of approval. The melancholic downer, ’Lonely Avenue’ is a personal favourite.

I’m not sure if this music could have sounded dull because after all the Everly’s used session greats such as Glen Campbell, James Burton, Sonny Curtis on guitars, Billy Preston on piano, Leon Russel on keyboards, Larry Knechtel on bass and Jim Gordon on drums.

(11/06/12)

THE EVERLY BROTHERS – ’The Collector’ (Warner Bros WS1620) July 1966

This superb album by The Everly Brothers is an essential addition to anyone’s record collection. Their move into the beat era sound was a requirement during this period in music history where the 50s and early 60s rock’n’rollers would be and often were left behind if they didn’t move with the times.

The Everly Brothers were helped greatly on this recording by English hit makers The Hollies. Eight of the songs on ’Two Yanks In England’ are Hollies tunes and it is believed that some of the Hollies provided instrumentation. I’ve also read that Jimmy Page was responsible for the killer guitar break during ’Hard, Hard Year.’

The weird and wonderful ’The Collector’ was written by Sonny Curtis and is the same song released by an American group called The #1 on Kapp Records. They were previously called The Blue Beats.

“I’m a collector of beautiful things.
I capture and keep them and pin down their wings.”

reader comment:

Contrary to popular beliefs The Hollis did NOT play on these sessions at all! The London sessions were done at Decca Studios and feature Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones bass, Andy White drums, Arthur Greenslade keyboards, other personnel unknown. The rest of the sessions (The Collector was one) were done at Hollywood United studios A and feature the Wrecking Crew (James Burton, Glen Campbell)

(10/06/12)

EVERLY BROTHERS – ’Love Is Strange’ EP (Warner Bros 1445) 1965

I’ve written about the Everly Brothers a couple of times on ’Flower Bomb Songs’ over the years and here’s a moody picture of them dressed in black on this terrific four song EP from Portugal. Each cut is killer folk-rock ’n’ roll with their beautiful harmonies. They’ve still got their late 50s/early 60s haircuts but the music on this EP is the up to date ’65 sound.

’Man With Money’ influenced several English mod groups and was recorded by The Who and The Eyes that I know of. There must be more, I’m sure.

(19/05/12)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about Del Shannon over the years. All of the original Del Shannon blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s music weekly ‘Record Mirror’.

DEL SHANNON – Thinkin’ It Over’/’Runnin’ On Back’ (Liberty LBF 15061) April 1968

During September 1967 Del Shannon started recording songs that would make up his psychedelic album ’The Further Adventures Of Charles Westover’, considered by many to be his finest work and an album of baroque psych beauty.

The first fruits of these ’Westover’ sessions resulted in the release of ’Thinkin’ It Over’/’Runnin’ On Back’- both sides were strong contenders for a hit but the top side ’Thinkin’ It Over’ written by Shannon/Beau James failed to sell.

These recordings were produced by Dugg Brown who also worked with hippie group Southwind. In fact Del recorded a song called ’New Orleans (Mardi Gras)’ which was written by Southwind bass player Jim Pulte.

DEL SHANNON – ’Gemini’/’Magical Musical Box’ (Liberty LBF 15079) June 1968

This double sided piece of psychedelic magic is my all time favourite Del Shannon single and is perhaps his most difficult one to find. I had this in my eBbay search engine for a solid four months before someone offered it for sale.

Fortunately for me I only had a couple of competitors interested in buying it and my bidding power managed to kill off their interest.

Hardly any of ’The Further Adventures Of Charles Westover’ albums exist in MONO as only stereo copies were sent to the shops for sale. So the best place to hear these great songs in glorious MONO is via this 45.

’Gemini’ is an absolute gem. I actually feel sorry for Del Shannon that no one was really interested in buying his records back in 1967/68 as he was clearly a master of his talents with the killer songs to match.

’Magical Musical Box’ is stunning baroque psychedelia. There isn’t a finer example, it’s just simply beautiful. It’s got a very trippy feel to it and the lyrics are somewhat unnerving and full of paranoia – pure sonic bliss

DEL SHANNON – ’Sweet Mary Lou’/’Comin’ Back To Me’ (Stateside SS 8025) September 1969

This is my final Del Shannon record under the spotlight. I hope you’ve all enjoyed my uploads, all written on the spot while listening to Del.

He more or less had a year out as he was crest fallen that his psychedelic genius hadn’t been recognised and it’s been written that he felt ’washed out’ during this period in time. It is known that he kept himself busy producing a group called Smith and writing songs with Brian Hyland.

He was tempted out of the wilderness by Dunhill Records and started recording his own songs again. Only a handful of these recordings found their way onto singles, ’Sweet Mary Lou’/’Comin’ Back To Me’ being the first.

These are both late 60s rockers with great hooks and vocals. Produced by Steve Barri and Joel Sill at Western Studios in Hollywood during April 1969

(12/07/13)

DEL SHANNON – ’She’/’What Makes You Run’ (Liberty LIB 55939) January 1967

Killer version of ’She’ and as much as I love The Monkees I’ve gotta say that Del Shannon’s earlier version is far superior. His vocals really cut through with some menace as he spits out some lines. Great organ sound and pure Sunset Strip, but no-one was listening.

Max Crook was also back in the groove and brought along his musitron to the sessions at Hollywood Sound Recorders during November 1966.

Production by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart for Screen Gems Inc. The flip ’What Makes You Run’ is perfect pop and was recorded some time prior to the Boyce and Hart sessions.

DEL SHANNON – ’Mind Over Matter’/’Led Along’ (Liberty LIB 10277) June 1967

Del embraced the psychedelic tinged pop music that was spreading around the world at a zealous pace in 1967 and in my opinion this period of his career produced his best artistic work.

A chance meeting in London with Andrew Loog Oldham, producer of The Rolling Stones, reaped dividends when he was asked to record some songs with him at Olympic Sound Studios in London.

Much of the material brought to the studio was written by Immediate songwriters including Billy Nicholls and Jeremy Paul Solomons. By the end of the four day recording sessions Shannon had enough songs for an album but any plans to release a long player were scrapped when ’Mind Over Matter’/’Led Along’ flopped.

Most of the songs proposed for an album were never released during the 60s and it wasn’t until the late 70s when they were retrospectively compiled on an album called ’And The Music Plays On’

DEL SHANNON – ’Runaway’/’He Cheated’ (Liberty LIB 55993) October 1967

One last single was released in 1967 from the London sessions, an updated and slower version of ’Runaway’. This is my Dutch release and it’s MONO with overdubbed applause. A version exists without the applause.

The record proved to be another flop in most countries around the world apart from Australia where it went Top 20. ’He Cheated’ on the flip is exclusive to this record. All other ’Runaway’ releases had ’Show Me’ as the B-Side.

(12/07/13)

DEL SHANNON – ’I Can’t Believe My Ears’/’I Wish I Wasn’t Me Tonight’ (Stateside SS-494) March 1966

Two sides of completely dated early 60s pop. It was 1966 and this kind of fluff had little chance of being a hit. Back in ’62 Del’s fans would have lapped this kind of sound up, but not now.

’I Wish I Wasn’t Me Tonight’ is slightly more interesting with it’s opening ’Tired Of Waiting For You’ guitar rip-off.

Even Del Shannon hated this record and admitted that it was a necessary evil to get him out of his contract with Amy Records.

He owed them a single but didn’t want to use any of his own creations so recorded a couple of cover versions.

DEL SHANNON – ’The Big Hurt’/’I Got It Bad’ (Liberty LIB-55866) April 1966

Free from Amy Records, Del Shannon signed to Liberty Records. He had the opportunity to sign for a new indie label called Colgems but decided he needed a big label to get his music back in the charts. He would still work with his friend Tommy Boyce though and indeed cut one of his songs ’She’ in November ’66.

’The Big Hurt’ deserved to be a big hit record with it’s huge production sound by Snuff Garrett & Leon Russell and the eerie ’phazing’ effect only available on the mono take.

The flip ’I Got It Bad’- a Shannon original sees him once again in ballad mode but with the required updated ’66 sound.

Both sides recorded at RCA Studios, Hollywood, February 1966.

DEL SHANNON – ’For A Little While’/’Hey! Little Star’ (Liberty LIB 55889) June 1966

Shannon goes all folk-pop with the excellent ’For A Little While’ notable for a stunning vocal performance, he even manages to mimic the gruff vocals of Barry McGuire on a couple of occasions during his song – one for the kids on the Sunset Strip but they weren’t listening.

The flip ’Hey! Little Girl’ is dated pop and would appeal to his long time fans. Both sides recorded at RCA Studios, Hollywood and another Snuff Garrett production.

DEL SHANNON – ’Under My Thumb’/’She Was Mine’ (Liberty F-5590) August 1966

One of the best Rolling Stones cover versions of ’Under My Thumb’ you’re likely to hear with Del’s vocals a match for anyone’s. It’s a tough remake that faithfully keeps to the original sound, instrumentation laid down by the top Hollywood session players.

Production on both sides credited to Del Shannon and arranged by George Tipton who is perhaps better known for his work with Harry Nilsson. He went onto arrange the all time classic ’Everybody’s Talkin.’

Not sure of the reason but ’Under My Thumb’ was not released as a single in Britain.

(10/07/13)

DEL SHANNON – ’Mary Jane’/’Stains On My Letter’ (Stateside SS-269) March 1964 (UK Chart #35)

Today is the start of a run through most of Del Shannon’s single releases in Britain from 1964 to 1969, starting with this one – Still very much in teener ballad mode. ’Mary Jane’ was the plug side but I think the flip ’Stains On My Letter’ is more interesting – Del has got the ’girl blues’ real bad and as he writes to her his tears are dripping on the paper. Keep your cool Del, she’ll be all yours tomorrow without having to turn on the waterworks.

Backing band The Royaltones.

DEL SHANNON – ’Keep Searchin’ (We’ll Follow The Sun) /’Broken Promises’ (Stateside SS-368) January 1965 (UK Chart #3)

Del’s last big hit in Britain and more or less the end of any of his records hitting the top 40 ever again. (Apart from the next release ’Stranger In Town’)

Both sides recorded at Bell Sound Studios, New York during October 1964

DEL SHANNON – ’Stranger In Town’/’Over You’ (Stateside SS-395) March 1965 (UK Chart #40)

Both songs recorded at the October 1964 sessions that produced the previous big hit ’Keep Searchin’ – this cut was intense and moody with a dramatic production by Harry Balk….The flip ’Over You’ is also a cool number.

This was the last time Del made the Top 40 in Britain probably because by mid ’65 the kids wanted beat groups. Solo guys from the late 50s and early 60s were no longer in vogue.

DEL SHANNON – ’Break Up’/’Why Don’t You Tell Him’ (Stateside SS-430) June 1965

Both sides recorded at Bell Sound Studios, New York during March 1965 – ’Break Up’ features Del Shannon’s trademark vocals and a backbeat of clattering tambourine, some crunchin’ guitar and an organ solo sounding like Max Crook’s musitron, but I don’t know for sure if it was thee musitron from the ’Runaway’ days in 1960/61.

DEL SHANNON – ’Move It On Over’/’She Still Remembers Tony (Stateside SS-452) Sept 1965

Hard driving ’65 rocker with the teenbeat sound, this cut made an entry in ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ and can be found on one of those ’Teenage Shutdown’ compilations.

Definitely Del Shannon’s edgiest song which sadly flopped. According to his friend Dan Bourgoise, Del was so depressed that his records were no longer getting in the charts that he actually thought about quitting the music business during this period.

He also remembered Del throwing a box of ’Move It On Over’ singles into Gun Lake, Michigan. It’s now a sought after disc and one of the most difficult of his to find on Stateside.

(09/07/13)

DEL SHANNON – ’And The Music Plays On’ (Sunset Records SLS 50412) 1978

If you’re a fan of Del Shannon’s late 60s period when he was recording beautiful but ignored psychedelic baroque pop this is an album for you.

Most of these unreleased gems (a few managed to gain a release via 1967/68 singles) have recently been unearthed once again on a CD titled ’Home And Away’ – the title of the proposed album at the time but Liberty Records decided they didn’t like the material Del had recorded so it never saw the light of day.

This album on Sunset Records, a label from England, came out in 1978. Bearing in mind that at this point in time England was all about punk rock and new wave groups I’m not sure if this release would have ever been noticed or written about in the music press. Who wanted to buy old music from the 60s? So once again, the greatness of Del went unnoticed.

Things have moved on now of course and Del Shannon has seemingly become fashionable once again, and I for one am absolutely delighted. I consider him to be a genius with one of the best male singing voices of the 60s.

I could have selected any song on this album to represent it as the quality throughout is superb. Each and every cut has it’s merits. I’m gonna go for ’Cut And Come Again’ because it was never released as a single and wrongly lay in the vaults for over ten years before being released on this LP.

The song was written by Billy Nicholls, who was an Immediate signing and released some records in his own right. Billy actually recorded his own version of ’Cut And Come Again’ but the song was retitled ’Come Again’ You’ll find it on his ’Would You Believe’ album.

(08/06/13)

DEL SHANNON – ’This Is My Bag’ (Liberty LBY-1320) 1966

The first recordings Del Shannon laid down for his new label, Liberty Records, are present on this disc from early 1966. By now he had relocated to Los Angeles and was utilizing the cream of the crop session musicians and had on board pop producer Snuff Garrett. Also in his corner was in demand engineer Dave Hassinger.

Overall, ’This Is My Bag’ is a rather patchy affair with remakes of ’Oh, Pretty Woman’, ’Action’, ’Kicks’ and ’When You Walk In The Room’- I’m not too keen on the soul pop of ’The Cheater’ or Del’s self-penned mushy ’Hey! Little Star’ but ’The Big Hurt’ is a classic and was released as a single, another original tune ’For A Little While’ is also a solid pop song in which Del mimics Barry McGuire’s gruff vocal attack in parts of the song..

My site is really all about what I’ve coined ’Flower Bomb Songs’ and that usually means the recording has at least some of the following: it’s from Los Angeles circa 1965-1968, is no longer than three minutes, has pure pop harmonies, folk-rock jangle, lysergic panache and some subtle fuzz, although the fuzz is not of primary importance.

Therefore the song I’ve chosen to wave Del’s flag from ’This Is My Bag’ is his jangly remake of the classic Jackie de Shannon penned ’When You Walk In The Room’ which is a gem and displays his killer vocals. Classic folk-rock – Del, I salute you.

(03/06/13)

DEL SHANNON – ’Total Commitment’ (Liberty LRP-3479) 1966

Del Shannon’s mid to late 60s albums appear to have been overlooked and I’ve been guilty of that too, but not any more. This year I made it my mission to collect Del’s back catalogue from 1964 onwards, I may delve into his pre-1964 recordings at a later stage but for now it’s his beat, pop and psych period that burns bright in my mynd.

Back in ’66 things were moving so quickly in the music industry that it must have been so hard to keep up with the ’now sound’ for old rockers from the early 60s who had previously enjoyed major success but were now considered ’un-hip.’

Del took to the changes of style with ease but sadly his record sales never matched his ’Runaway’ period.

’Total Commitment’ from 1966 is an absolute gem with worthy versions of some of the hits of the day including ’Red Rubber Ball’, ’Under My Thumb’, ’The Pied Piper’, ’Summer In The City’, ’Sunny’, ’Time Won’t Let Me’ and ’Where Were You When I Needed You’.

There are two self-penned compositions on side two, ’Show Me’ and ’What Makes You Run’, both stunning pop songs by the way. ’Show Me’ sounds similar in song structure to the unreleased ’Stand Up’.

Here are some of the liners from the back of the album written by Dan Bourgoise:

And what does total commitment mean, you might ask. Why was it the title of this album? The real meaning is complex. It cannot be explained. It’s a feeling, a state of mind.

Listen to the tracks of the album while staring at the cover and then you will begin to understand that Del Shannon is totally committed to his music. Total committed to entertain you.

Del Shannon IS Total Commitment.

Here’s Del’s take on the folk-rock boom that was sweeping Los Angeles during 1965/66. After all the place was the epicentre of jangle. His version of ’Where Were You When I Needed You’ is magical with fantastic vocals, production and of course 12 string jangle.

(02/06/13)

DEL SHANNON – ’Stand Up’ (Liberty Records) 1966

Del may be sporting his late 50s early 60s mutton chops and what must be the largest sunglasses in the world but that didn’t stop him writing and recording the GREAT ’Stand Up’ in December 1966.

It was never released in the 60s (the liners of the CD ’The Further Adventures Of Charles Westover’ don’t say why) – it’s amazing that something sounding so ’radio friendly’ was never released at the time.

The song was recorded at SRS Studio in Hollywood and produced by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart.

Tommy Boyce and Del Shannon would sadly commit suicide in the 90s by shooting themselves in the head.

(02/08/08)

Over three months during the period November 2013 to February 2014, I celebrated the fifty year anniversary of the important Beat Scene during 1964 by reviewing some of the celebrated discs.

The cover and record label scans have been deleted when I moved my blog over to WordPress, but the words survived.

THE ANIMALS – ’Baby Let Me Take You Home’/’Gonna Send You Back To Walker’ (Columbia DB 7247) March 1964

This was the debut Animals 45 from early 1964 and before I was born. Not a bad start for a new rhythm and blues group and it almost cracked the Top 20.

I prefer the flip ’Gonna Send You Back To Walker’ which was a song they adapted from a Timmy Shaw composition titled ’Gonna Send You Back To Georgia’.

It’s all about a dollybird who is obviously getting on Eric Burdon’s nerves so much so that he threatens to send her back home to Walker.

For those who don’t know, Walker is a rough suburb of Newcastle where Burdon was born.

Back in the 60s, I imagine Walker was a grim place to live. It’s not very nice these days. I went through it on a bus back in the Summer on my way to Tynemouth – put it this way, I wouldn’t like to live there!

THE ANIMALS – ’I’m Crying’/’Take It Easy’ (Columbia DB.7354) September 1964

’I’m Crying’, a fast paced beat swinger was the follow up to ’The House Of The Rising Sun’ and went Top 10 in Britain – Of course this song smokes, there is footage of The Animals performing this on YouTube. Seek it out.

The flip ’Take It Easy’ is another Burdon/Price original that brings the pace down somewhat after the frantic top-side. This one is more bluesy and perfect for the gritty vocals of Eric.

THE APPLEJACKS – ’Tell Me When’/’Baby Jane’ (Decca F.11833) February 1964

I’ve only got one Applejacks 45 so don’t know what their other records are like but the driving beat of ’Baby Jane’ is a keeper. Pity it lost out as a B-Side.

The song was written by Ray Cane and Peter Dello, who went on to form Honeybus.

THE ANIMALS – ’Boom Boom’ EP (Columbia ESRF 1632)

Four song EP from France January 1965 (recorded ’64). Somehow this found it’s way to Chester-le-Street and I bought it from my local record dealer man. Nice to see that Alan Price is still sort of smiling. In the next couple of months he’ll quit the Animals to go solo.

There is a live performance of ’Club A Go-Go’ on YouTube which was the name of the venue in Newcastle where the Animals were the house band until they relocated to London in early 1964. (song written by Burdon and Price about the Geordie club)

songs on EP:
’Boom Boom’
’Club A Go-Go’
’Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’
’Roadrunner’

THE HOLLIES – ’Little Lover’

From The Hollies first album (January 1964) so it was most likely recorded in late 1963. Classic up-tempo beat rocker which has quite a surprising hard edge. This is probably more like how they sounded at gigs during 63/64 period before they started recording pop songs.

THE SEARCHERS – ”Play The System’ EP (PYE NEP 24201) November 1964

The Searchers recorded ’The System’ for a film of the same title starring Oliver Reed. So it’s a required disc for that beat tune, which was never on any of their albums.

Check out the trailer for the 1964 film ”The System” on YouTube cos it’s cool and very British.

THE BEATLES – ’Can’t Buy Me Love’/’You Can’t Do That’ (Capitol 5150) March 1964

Two sided 45 of merseybeat rockers released on The Beatles American label, Capitol Records. ’You Can’t Do That’ was written by John Lennon and is seemingly about his jealousy towards a girl.

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON – ’Lonesome Cabin’/’The Goat’ (PYE International 7N.25268) October 1964

Some more blues, this time Sonny Boy Williamson – another record released during the month that I was born – coolsville. UK pic sleeve from Lenny Helsing.

’Mr Anello’ – Here’s Manfred Mann with an overlooked harmonica driven R&B instrumental, taken from the album ”The Five Faces Of Manfred Mann” (HMV CLP 1731) 1964

THE ANIMALS – ’The Animals Is Here’ EP (Columbia SEGO 8374) December 1964

Awesome first EP from The Animals showcasing their hard edged R&B. ’I’m Crying’ = killer song

CHUCK BERRY – ’No Particular Place To Go’/’Liverpool Drive’ (PYE International 7N.25242) May 1964

Time for a bit of Chuck Berry from 1964 – those PYE International ”R&B Series” 45s are just perfect. Seek ’em out for some primal R&B from American artists that influenced virtually all of the hard beat and R&B English groups circa 1962/65.

THEM – ’Baby Please Don’t Go’/’Gloria’ (Decca F 12018) November 1964

Dutch picture sleeve of a two sided R&B pounder.

There is a video clip of Them on Ready Steady Go miming to ’Baby Please Don’t Go’ as recorded by Van and and the band with some session men including Jimmy Page on rhythm guitar. Them’s Billy Harrison played the distinctive lead.

’Gloria’ was Van Morrison’s paean to teenage lust – the simple but hypnotic guitar riff was adopted by thousands of aspiring garage bands in America a couple of years later.

The SWINGING BLUE JEANS – ’You’re No Good’/’Don’t You Worry About Me’ (HMV POP 1304) May 1964

Classic ’64 merseybeat, top 3 in the UK

’You Make Me Feel Good’ is the other side of the big hit ’She’s Not There’.

Cool beat ballad, but long forgotten nowadays. Could have been a single in it’s own right.

THE ZOMBIES – ’She’s Not There’/’You Make Me Feel Good’ (Decca F.11940) July 1964

Zombies 45 reviewed in NME July 1964 as follows:

”A pounding medium pacer from new group The Zombies. The boys have a distinctive sound, with intriguing solo phrases by the lead singer, and attractive vocal blends in the unison passages.

The drummer and bassist are pretty solid, too. I’d have tipped it for a hit if the material was stronger. Even so, it must still stand a chance.”

THE DENNISONS – ’Walking The Dog’/’You Don’t Know What Love Is’ (Decca F.11880) April 1964

For every beat group that broke through nationally there were hundreds that didn’t. The Dennisons, from Liverpool were one such combo that had the talent, the image but not the luck or push to go to the next level.

Maybe they should have picked the storming merseybeat of ’You Don’t Know What Love Is’ as the A-Side here instead of the Rufus Thomas cover ’Walking The Dog’ – shame that the former was lost in action on the flip.

Ben E King wrote ’You Don’t Know What Love Is’ and the story goes that he gave the song to The Dennisons to record after being impressed by them during the gigs they shared.

The drummer became an actor and starred in a British soap opera called ’Emmerdale’. All members of The Dennisons have died. Now that’s weird.

DAVIE JONES & THE KING BEES – ’Liza Jane’\’Louie, Louie Go Home’ (Decca F 13807) Sept 1978

This is a re-issue of the first ever record that David Bowie appeared on with his group Davie Jones & the King Bees. The original 45 came out on Vocalion and was released in June 1964.

Original copies are valued in the current Record Collector price guide at £1600. The re-issue is obviously not as expensive but still hard to find and is valued at about £30.

’Liza Jane’ is a decent R’N’B romp with some bite but did not sell very well leading to the group being swiftly dropped from the label. The flip ’Louie, Louie Go Home’ is a cover of a Paul Revere & the Raiders tune.

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.

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)

DAVE BERRY – ’My Baby Left Me’/’Hoochie Coochie Man’ (Decca F.11803) January 1964

The next Dave Berry release was this wonderful double sided power pack of R&B but after the difficulties his backing band The Cruisers had in the studio last time out, Producer Mike Smith decided to employ session men. So among the musicians used were a young Jimmy Page and Big Jim Sullivan.

’My Baby Left Me’ is the song popularised by Elvis but here Dave Berry adds some of the English beat magic that was everywhere in Britain during 1964 to update the tune into a beat killer. Listen out for a stellar guitar break from Page that leaves the listener wanting more.

The flip ’Hoochie Coochie Man’ was also pretty good and it’s a single well worth tracking down. Despite the obvious improvement on the debut 45 ’Memphis Tennessee’, this one fared less well in the charts reaching a disappointing #37.

DAVE BERRY – ’The Crying Game’/’Don’t Gimme No Lip Child’ (Decca F.11937) July 1964

The top side ’The Crying Game’ was a huge hit for Dave Berry, reaching #5 in Britain. It’s an introspective beat ballad written by Geoff Stephens, who managed Donovan at the time. Not a tune though for Berry to enthral the audience with his ’human sloth’ moves.

’Don’t Gimme No Lip Child’ is a tough sounding R&B swinger with killer harmonica throughout which was contributed by Jimmy Page, as was the electrifying guitar. It’s a shame Dave Berry didn’t record more hard hitting beat instead of the orchestral ballads that would litter his catalogue in the years to follow.

DAVE BERRY – ’Dave Berry’ EP (Decca DFE 8601) November 1964

It was a busy time for Dave Berry at the end of 1964 with a debut album and this first four song EP released during November. The latter had two exclusive tracks not on the album with readings of Jack Scott’s ’Me-O-My-O’ and Fats Domino’s ’If You Need Me.’

’Me-O-My-O’ is a bluesy outing with some wailing harp and is my favourite track from the EP. All songs are worthy though and Berry was certainly on top of his game during this period.

THE BEATLES – ’Long Tall Sally’ EP (Parlophone GEP 8913) June 1964

Total greatness – The Beatles rockin’ ’64 style with cover versions of ’Long Tall Sally’, ’Slow Down’ and ’Matchbox’ done in their ’merseybeat’ style.

The other song on the EP is a John Lennon original, ’I Call Your Name’ was a song he gave to Billy J Kramer before The Beatles recorded it.

It says on the back cover – ”A new release by John, Paul, George and Ringo is more than just a disc – it is a national event!”

Man, how good is Ringo’s drumming in ’Slow Down’? Especially at the end when he does this mad left-right-cymbal roll!!! GEEEZER!!!!!!!!!

Genius EP! I don’t say it lightly but their version of Sally I think stands up to Little Richard’s. That second guitar solo break just explodes!

The Beatles were also a MUSIC machine! Yes, the early Stones and Pretties records were wilder per se, and anyone who knows me knows how much I love those records, but there’s a power in the Beatles’ music, they were SO GOOD!! Listen to their version of Money, John’s lead vocal, but also Paul and George’s backing vocals… it’s just really powerful.

THE BEATLES – ’A Hard Day’s Night’ EP (Parlophone GEP 8920) November 1964

All four songs on the EP were selected from the full-length album that was released in July 1964 and they’re split evenly between wistful ballads and driving rockers.

I’ll pick out Paul McCartney’s romantic ballad ’And I Love Her’ as my particular favourite here . It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London over three days in February ’64 then mixed in stereo and mono in June.

check out the footage from ’A Hard Day’s Night’- ACE!

THE BEATLES – ’Can’t Buy Me Love’/’You Can’t Do That’ (Parlophone R 5114) March 1964

Two sided 45 of merseybeat rockers released on The Beatles American label, Capitol Records.

’Can’t Buy Me Love’ was written by Paul McCartney and recorded during January 1964 at EMI Studio in Paris. ’You Can’t Do That’ was written by John Lennon and is seemingly about his jealousy towards a girl.

THE BEATLES – ’I Feel Fine’/’She’s A Woman’ (Parlophone R 5200) November 1964

’I Feel Fine’ has one of the all time classic beat riffs and is possibly one of the first times feedback was recorded on vinyl.

THE BEATLES – ’A Hard Day’s Night’/’Things We Said Today’ (Parlophone R 5160) July 1964

NME review July 1964

Here it is, at last: the long awaited title song from The Beatles’ film ’A Hard Day’s Night’. I’m sure every NME reader already has a copy on order, so you don’t need me to advise you to buy it.

But just go through the motions, let me tell you that it’s a bouncy finger-snapper, with a pounding beat and catchy melody. The spotlight is on John, though Paul joins him in one or two passages, and there’s an intricate guitar solo by George. Plus the group’s usual distinctive, wistful feel.

I dig the beat flip ’Things We Said Today’ written by Paul McCartney during May 1964 while he and then girlfriend Jane Asher were on holiday in the Caribbean.

THE HOLLIES – ‘(Ain’t That) Just Like Me’/’Hey What’s Wrong With Me’ (Parlophone R 5030) May 1963

I couldn’t highlight The Hollies beat singles from 1964 without mentioning their ’63 releases as well. Prior to their first 45 in May 1963 they were talent spotted by a Parlophone assistant producer Ron Richards while appearing at The Cavern in Liverpool.

‘(Ain’t That) Just Like Me’ and the flip ’Hey What’s Wrong With Me’ are decent beat tunes and quite frantic and less polished than you’d usually expect from The Hollies pop material. The lead guitar breaks on ‘(Ain’t That) Just Like Me’ are held back somewhat when they should have been let loose. The tune was an old Coasters song from a few years earlier.

’Hey What’s Wrong With Me’ is an Allan Clarke – Tony Hicks original. The single reached number #25 in the charts and obviously got the group some exposure.

THE HOLLIES – ’Searchin’/’Whole World Over’ (Parlophone R 5052) August 1963

Next release saw The Hollies with a much more safer sound with a couple of beat songs that don’t appeal that much to me. ’Searchin’ is another Coasters tune that is boring but the flip ’Whole World Over’ is much better and in my opinion should have been the top side. It was written by Graham Nash – Allan Clarke.

There’s nothing much on this record to compete with The Beatles or The Searchers but it faired better in the charts than their debut 45, reaching number #12.

During this month, original drummer Don Rathbone quit the group and was replaced by Bobby Elliott.

THE HOLLIES – ’Stay’/’Now’s The Time’ (Parlophone R 5077) November 1963

’Stay’, written by Maurice Williams became the first Hollies top ten hit, reaching number #8 and was included on their debut album released in January 1964. The song had been a big hit in USA for Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs in 1960, reaching the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

’Now’s The Time’ is an up-tempo beat number penned by Graham Nash – Allan Clarke which was included on the film soundtrack of the 1963 movie ”It’s All Over Town” starring The Hollies in a sequence performing the song.

THE HOLLIES – ’Just One Look’/’Keep Off That Friend Of Mine’ (Parlophone R 5104) February 1964

The Hollies first single of 1964 was the commercial beat number ’Just One Look’ which is arguably the first single to have their trademark appeal of jangly beat pop with harmonies. The song had been a hit for Doris Troy in America.

The flip ’Keep Off That Girl Of Mine’ is standard beat fare, written by Tony Hicks and new drummer Bobby Elliott. The Hollies had a huge hit in Britain with ’Just One Look’, reaching number #2.

THE HOLLIES – ’Here I Go Again’/’Baby That’s All ( Parlophone R 5137) May 1964

’Here I Go Again’ is great Hollies beat with the song hitting the UK top 5, settling at number 4 in the charts. The song was co-written by Mort Shuman who wrote hits recorded by The Small Faces (’Sha La La La Lee’) but is probably best remembered for the songs he wrote for Elvis (’Little Sister’ and ’Viva Las Vegas’) and in France for Johnny Hallyday.

’Baby That’s All’ is pleasant beat that could have been an A-Side in it’s own right.

THE HOLLIES – ’We’re Through’/’Come On Back’ (Parlophone R 5178) November 1964

For the first time both sides of a 45 were Hollies originals. ’We’re Through’ is back to up-tempo tunes driven along with some inspired drumming from Bobby Elliott. The flip ’Come On Back’ utilizes some harmonica and is great beat music. I feel that the lead guitar is held back somewhat though as this tune could have really taken off with a blistering solo.

In my opinion this was The Hollies best single of their 1963/64 period. It reached number #7 in the charts.

THE ESCORTS – ’Dizzy Miss Lizzy’/’All I Want Is You’ (Fontana TF 453) March 1964

The Escorts played at Liverpool’s Cavern Club during the same period as their friends The Beatles. Indeed they beat their rivals at being the first Mersey group to record Larry Williams’ classic ’Dizzy Miss Lizzy’.

The Escorts version has a youthful teenbeat sound with a crisp backing. According to the liners of the long outta print Escorts retrospective on the Edsel label, band members Terry Sylvester and Mike Gregory dismiss the 45 citing the lack of production skills by Jack Baverstock.

Despite a tour with Gene Pitney, Billy J Kramer and Cilla Black to promote their debut record, The Escorts never charted in England. At least they had some sharp suits and boots and one of my favourite band logos from the 60s.

DUFFY POWER – ’It Ain’t Necessarily So’/’If I Get Lucky Some Day’ (Parlophone R 4992) February 1963

Killer mod 45 that was released in 1963 but is captured in my ’64 round up because it just oozes greatness and was perhaps ahead of it’s time.

’If I Get Lucky Some Day’ is classy bluesy mod with bursts of hammond organ. It’s believed that Big Jim Sullivan added lead guitar to this recording. Shame it was lost on the B-Side.

DOWNLINERS SECT – ’Find Out What’s Happening’/’Insecticide’ (Columbia DB 7415) November 1964

1964 was quite a successful year for the Downliners Sect, they didn’t really hit the big time or anything like that but ’Little Egypt’ was a decent seller.

’Find Out What’s Happening’ was the ravin’ follow-up and it was popular enough to get them a spot on TV Show ”Ready Steady Go” (I’ve never seen this clip before, don’t even know if the tape still exists?)

The flip ’Insecticide’ is more intense R&B with wailing harmonica. Don Craine is basically telling his girl that if she leaves him he’s gonna ’insecticide’ her – I doubt that he means spraying her with some insect killer either.

THE KINKS – ’You Really Got Me’/’It’s All Right’ (PYE 7N.15673) August 1964

This one needs no introduction, hard driving 60s rock complete with tense vocals and a killer distorted lead guitar solo – Wow, it burns!

One of the most influential songs of all time.

THE KINKS – ’All Day And All Of The Night’/’I Gotta Move’ (PYE 7N.15714) October 1964

The follow up to #1 hit ’You Really Got Me’ was ’All Day And All Of The Night’, another Ray Davies penned rocker relying on a similar power chord riff. Ray doesn’t sound as pissed off on this one but it still smokes.

The hard driving beat of ’I Gotta Move’ on the flip is another gem that may not be as well known to the casual listener…. have a listen to greatness.

THE KINKS – ’Kinksize Session’ (PYE NEP 24200) November 1964

A month after I was born the first Kinks EP was released.
The back sleeve advertises their debut album. None of the four songs on this EP were on the album so it’s a must have item for your Kinks collection!

’I’ve Gotta Go Now’
’I’ve Got That Feeling’
’Things Are Getting Better’
’Louie Louie’

THE KINKS – ’Kinksize Hits’ (NEP 24203) January 1965

The next Kinks EP was released a couple of months later in January 1965.
It gathered up the previous two hit singles complete with B-Sides.

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Searchers over the years. All of the original Searchers blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from monthly music magazine ‘Record Collector’.

THE SEARCHERS – ”Umbrella Man” / ”Pussy Willow Dream” (Liberty 15 159) November 1968

The Searchers disc ”Umbrella Man” came up in conversation earlier this week. This one dates from late 1968 and was written by Kenny Young. Classy orchestrated pop but by now The Searchers were totally ignored in Britain although it faired better in some European countries especially Germany.

Not at all well known, the UK release on Liberty is both sought after and hard to find. The German ”Umbrella Man” is easier to locate and comes housed in a picture sleeve.

(30/03/17)

CHRIS CURTIS – ’Aggravation’/’Have I Done Something Wrong’ (Pye 7N 17132) June 1966

Here’s an obscure 45 by ex Searchers drummer Chris Curtis, released on Pye a few months after he quit the hit making beat group. It’s uptempo mid \’66 mod beat with background female vocals, plenty of tambourine, brass and strong vocals.

Too bad ’Aggravation’ wasn’t a hit in England, the record seems to have stalled in no-wheresville just like so many other 60s records. I’m sure Chris Curtis had the songs and the tough vocals to succeed as a solo star after The Searchers but with this flop his recording career was over and he moved into production work until 1969, then quit the music industry for good.

The 45 is sought after especially the Dutch picture sleeve release.

(20/11/10)

TONY JACKSON with THE VIBRATIONS – ’Bye Bye Baby’/’Watch Your Step’ (Pye 7N.15685) Sept 1964

Soon after Tony Jackson was ousted from The Searchers he got together a backing band called The Vibrations and this was their first single released on Pye in September 1964. It eventually climbed to it’s peak of 38 in the charts and gave Jackson a small hit and exposure on teen shows like Ready Steady Go.

’Bye Bye Baby’ is a cover version of a Mary Wells hit on Motown but this time up-tempo beat music is added to the soulful mix. The flip ’Watch Your Step’ was recorded by many 60s groups and could easily have been the A-side.

(11/10/10)

THE SEARCHERS – ’When You Walk In The Room’/'(I\’ll Be) Missing You’ (Pye 7N.15694) Sept 1964

This single by Liverpool group The Searchers was released exactly 46 years ago, way back in September 1964 and a month before I was born.

They had been releasing successful beat singles since mid 1963 but my main interest in them is their 12 string jangle moments combined with those faultless, crisp harmonies. ’When You Walk In The Room’, written by Jackie de Shannon reached top 3 in England and made them Merseybeat stars.

The flip ‘(I’ll Be) Missing You’ is more commercial jangle beat.

(14/09/10)

THE TONY JACKSON GROUP – ’You’re My Number One’/’Let Me Know’ (CBS 202039) Feb 1966

Back in March 2007 when one man and his dog used to visit my blog I wrote about Tony Jackson and included a rare photo from the 1966 Teenbeat annual.

I can’t understand how The Tony Jackson Group (previously called Tony Jackson with The Vibrations) failed to be household names in England. Sadly each release sold less and less leaving their record label no choice but to drop the band.

’You’re My Number One’ is a fantastic beat jangler loaded with pop hooks and melody. It harks back to Tony’s days with The Searchers. They had the sound The Byrds ’borrowed’ and called folk rock but that’s another story. Next up will be some Searchers music! The flip ’Let Me Know’ is also impressive jangle beat.

(13/09/10)

TONY JACKSON with the Vibrations – ‘Love Potion No.9’/’ Fortune Teller’ (Pye 7N.15766) 1965

After leaving success behind with The Searchers, Tony Jackson formed his own band and signed for Pye. It was a risky decision. After all, The Searchers were very popular in England and Europe.

According to Jackson, he wanted to sing much ’harder and more beaty numbers.’

’Love Potion No. 9’ was Tony Jackson’s third 45 release. The previous two singles sold moderately but were not huge sellers. This cover of the Leiber and Stoller song again flopped. The flip ’Fortune Teller’ is a pounding R’n’B killer with cornball lyrics. The first version I ever heard was way back in the 80s when I bought The Fire Escape LP. Their version pales in comparison.

Here’s a moody looking band shot of Tony Jackson and the Vibrations. This picture came from a Teenbeat annual.

(17/03/07)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Who over the years. All of the original Who blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s music magazine ‘Beat Instrumental’.

THE WHO – ”Happy Jack” / ”I’ve Been Away” (Reaction 591010) December 1966

This is a Pete Townshend composition all about a small man who lives in the sand in the Isle of Man. So work than one out. Roger Daltrey’s singing gets plenty of help from a ”la-la-la-ing” chorus, and there are shades of the old Who as Keith Moon really gives his drums a bashing in the background. Great disc.
(Rave magazine review – January, 1967)

UK Chart Position: 3

(19/04/17)

THE WHO – ’So Sad About Us’ (Polydor 2383 147) December 1966

My somewhat irregular trip through my album collection continues with The Who’s second studio long player ”A Quick One” released on the 3rd December 1966. It more or less coincided with the release of their EP ”Ready Steady Who” which came out on 11th December 1966 on Reaction Records.

My copy of the album is the limited edition stereo re-issue released in West Germany on Polydor during 1981. The LP sleeve was designed by Alan Aldridge who was an exponent of the Pop Art movement.

The album has been reviewed hundreds of times over the years and information exists in music guides, online sites, blogs and magazines. My aim is to focus on one particular song from the set and provide as much information about it here as I can. My song of choice and one which has been one of my very favourite Who songs is the Pete Townshend composed ”So Sad About Us”, his poignant pop song about a break up and the emotions he experienced, common with us all during such a moment.

”Apologies mean nothing
When the damage is done
But I can’t switch off my loving
Like you can’t switch off the sun.”

(03/06/14)

THE WHO – ’Substitute’/’Instant Party’ (Reaction 591001) March 1966

1966 was the year when The Who left Brunswick Records and Shel Talmy behind, although the drawn-out battle over the recording contract became a complicated mess. The Reaction label was set up by Managers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert as an independent label within the Polydor organisation and the newly recorded ’Substitute’ was to be their first 45 for the new label.

’Substitute’ is such a great pop song by Townshend. As soon as the opening acoustic guitar hook bursts from the speakers and is joined by that clattering tambourine, well it’s just a treat for the ears. The lyrics are clever and funny in equal measure.

The flip ’Instant Party’ is a re-recorded version of ’Circles’ and is a faster take. According to my reference guide Pete Townshend took over as The Who producer although the label indicates ’A New Action Production’

The single was a top 5 hit in England and numerous TV performances exist of The Who performing the song.

(04/10/10)

THE WHO – ’The Kids Are Alright’/’The Ox’ (Brunswick 05965) August 1966

By the time Brunswick released ’The Kids Are Alright’ in August 1966, The Who had moved on musically. Both of these songs were recorded in October ’65 and were stage favourites but mysteriously the public failed to respond by purchasing the single and it flopped to number 41 in the charts.

’The Ox’ is a frantic instrumental mainly showing off John Entwistle’s powerful and loud bass runs. It featured Nicky Hopkins on piano. According to reference guide ’The Complete Who Chronicle’ it was based on ’Waikiki Run’ by The Surfaris.

(04/10/10)

THE WHO – ’A Legal Matter’/’Instant Party’ (Brunswick 05956) March 1966

The later Who releases on Brunswick including ’A Legal Matter’ are now highly sought after by collectors. This 1966 single written by Pete Townshend is average by mid 60s Who standards (the version by The Litter is superior) and only crawled to number 32 in the UK charts but the B-side is the Shel Talmy produced ’Instant Party’ re-recorded for the Reaction label and renamed ’Circles’.

(27/09/10)

THE WHO – ’My Generation’/’Shout And Shimmy’ (Brunswick 05944) Nov 1965

’My Generation’ ensured The Who’s immortality. The song is a very provocative statement and explodes with fucked off teen rebellion. The sound is washed in distortion and feedback.

I’ve got a really great Who book called ’The Complete Chronicle of The Who 1958-1978’ and it comes highly recommended. A funny story is retold confirming that just before the release of this 45, Roger Daltrey had a punch up with Keith Moon after he flushed The Loons stash of drugs down the toilet. Daltrey was then fired from the group but was re-instated weeks later after he meekly apologised

’My Generation’ rose quickly up the charts, eventually reaching it’s highest position of number 2.

I’ll not post the hit side because if you don’t know this song you shouldn’t be on my blog. So, here’s the flip ’Shout And Shimmy’ which was written by James Brown and was indeed a single he released in 1962.

(03/09/10)

THE WHO – ’Anyway Anyhow Anywhere’/’Daddy Rolling Stone’ (Brunswick 05935) May 1965

The follow up Who single was the aggressive pop art number ’Anyway Anyhow Anywhere’ which is full of arrogance and bravado. Check out the song credit (Townsend, Daltrey) because this was their first and last collaboration. From what I’ve read in the past Daltrey changed Townsend’s verses to toughen the song up to suit his pissed off temperament, hence his co-credit!

The Who started wearing ’pop art’ clothes around this time, Townsend in his Union Jack(et), medals and badges, Moon with his target T-Shirts and Daltrey created makeshift designs on his sweaters using black tape. They also draped Union Jack flags over their speaker cabinets.

The flip ’Daddy Rolling Stone’ probably suited their soul crowd more than the disorder and chaos of ’Anyway’.

(01/09/10)

THE WHO – ’I Can’t Explain’/’Bald Headed Woman’ (Brunswick 05926) Jan 1965

I can’t believe it’s taken me three and a half years to make my first blog entry regarding London group The Who. Now that’s a crime. So the first place to start will be with their debut 45 as The Who, they had a 1964 single as The High Numbers called ’Zoot Suit’.

Pete Townsend wrote ’I Can’t Explain’ when he was 18 years old and according to the man himself it was more or less based on The Kinks klassic ’All Day And All Of The Night’. That may be so but ’I Can’t Explain’ is a powerful introduction to Who music and the mod kids thought so to by buying plenty of copies to land the disc a Top 10 place in the charts.

Townsend has also admitted that Jimmy Page laid down rhythm guitar. Shel Talmy produced although his name credit is not on the label.

(31/08/10)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about Dave Berry over the years. All of the original Dave Berry blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s music weekly ‘Record Mirror’.

DAVE BERRY – ’And The Clock In The Steeple Struck 13’ (Decca LK 4932) 1968

My look at the best Dave Berry recordings ends with a cut from his 1968 album simply titled ’68’. The majority of songs on this are soulful ballads and gentle pop, which is not my scene. For some reason the early 60s raver ’My Baby Left Me’ is included, surely that is a mistake. It’s a bit like The Beatles placing ’Long Tall Sally’ on the ’White Album’ (ie) from a past and earlier dimension.

The toytown pop psych charmer of ’And The Clock In The Steeple Struck 13’ is a classic if you like this twee English genre, although this does have a dark edge with lyrics like,

”With one small fox upon their heels
A pack of hounds tore through”

I don’t know where this particular song came from as it’s not something you’d associate with Dave Berry. I’m glad he recorded it though as it’s a classic waiting to be discovered.

(27/09/12)

DAVE BERRY – ’Do I Still Figure In Your Life’/’Latisha’ (London 45-LON-20038) April 1968

1967 proved to be commercially unsuccessful for Dave Berry in Britain but he was still a huge star in Holland. Much of his music post ’66 is not ’Flower Bomb Songs’ worthy, falling short of any excitement for my particular taste in music. He released several 45s but in the twee pop ballad vein with soul moves.

Much more interesting is ’Latisha’ hidden away on the flip of ’Do I Still Figure In Your Life’. The song is a rare excursion into psychedelia and probably his only psych effort, although I could be wrong as I haven’t heard everything he recorded.

Interesting trippy guitar and some cool vocal phrasing. Classy with quite a sparse production job by Dick Rowe.

(26/09/12)

DAVE BERRY – ‘Fanny Mae’ (Ace Of Club Records 1218) 1966

The studio album ’One Dozen Berrys’ (as the title suggests) has twelve songs, equal part R&B ravers and beat ballads. As usual, the ballads are not dangerous enough for me but the R&B movers like ’Hey Little Girl’, ’Round And Round’, ’Casting My Spell’ and ’I Love You Babe’ are impressive.

Best of all is the Buster Brown cover ’Fanny Mae’, recorded by the latter in 1959.

Here, Dave Berry sticks to a traditional blues format. Great tune, shame it wasn’t a single. The cover of the album shows the mysterious Berry dressed in black wearing a chunky silver bracelet. Such a cool look.

(25/09/12)

DAVE BERRY and the CRUISERS – ’If You Wait For Love’/’Hidden’ (Decca F.12337) February 1966

Next up under the microscope is a long forgotten B-Side called ’Hidden’ which is credited to Dave Berry and the Cruisers. By 1966 Berry’s backing band The Cruisers were made up of completely different musicians than the original Cruisers from the early 60s period.

’Hidden’ is a folk rock gem with some cool moody vocals that float above the twangy guitar leads. Total coolsville and for my money, the last truly great 45 side that Dave Berry recorded, although the psych tinged ’Latisha’ is excellent.

(24/09/12)

DAVE BERRY – ’I’m Gonna Take You There’/’Just Don’t Know’ (Decca f.12258) October 1965

The next Dave Berry single to come under the ’Flower Bomb Songs’ spotlight is the huge pop sounding ’I’m Gonna Take You There’ which would have sounded amazing coming out of those small 60s transistor radios. Such a big and powerful production job by Mike Smith, who of course helped create hit songs by The Tremeloes and Love Affair.

’I’m Gonna Take You There’ was written by Graham Gouldman who wrote many hits for The Yardbirds and The Hollies of course and was a member of a little known beat outfit called The Mockingbirds. The single was not a hit in Britain although it did sell well in some countries on the Continent, especially Holland.

(23/09/12)

DAVE BERRY – ’This Strange Effect’/’Now’ (Decca 23.641) July 1965

In my opinion ’This Strange Effect’ is Dave Berry’s greatest musical achievement. Such a fabulous moody song by the enigmatic singer which was written by Ray Davies specifically for Berry. This is confirmed in October 2012’s Record Collector magazine in an interview with Davies.

”Yeah, I wrote that in Melbourne, Australia on our first world tour. But I had it in mind for Dave Berry. It’s a lovely thing. He’s a star. He’s got this Northern accent but he looks like something out of a Western; such a great look. And he had a really good stage presence. I wrote that with him in mind. I’m so pleased he could do it”.

Surprisingly, ’This Strange Effect’ failed to light up the charts and scraped into the top 40, although it faired better in some European countries, hitting the top spot in Holland and Belgium.

The flip, ’Now’ is pure pop with a catchy riff throughout and is a sound that Dave Berry should have experimented with more.

(22/09/12)

DAVE BERRY – ’Can I Get It From You’ (Decca DFE 8625) June 1965

The second and last Dave Berry EP was released in June 1965 and I’m not sure what he was thinking of recording this tame 60s pop music tinged with soul. In my opinion it’s a poor release with Dave going all soppy with these four love songs. I’m sure some people will like these sounds but I just can’t listen to souly stuff, I just don’t get it.

I remember buying this EP and was bursting with anticipation to hear some long forgotten beat and R&B killers but was extremely disappointed with the contents. This sounds like it was released with teenage girls in mind to lap up his every word.

tracklist:
Can I Get It From You
Why Don’t They Understand
Always, Always (Yesterday’s Love Song)
He’s With You

(20/09/12)

DAVE BERRY – ’Little Things’/’I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail’ (Decca F.12103) March 1965

’Little Things’ was a huge hit for Dave Berry in the Spring of ’65 and cemented his status as a pop star in Britain and most European countries especially Holland. The song is a radio friendly beat number with a strong vocal performance from Berry complimented with some twelve string acoustic guitar from Jimmy Page.

I prefer the more uptempo R&B numbers so flip this one over for the The Kinks like ’I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail’. The production is a bit neat and tidy. It could have been better with a more ’dangerous’ approach with perhaps a killer Page guitar solo and no female backing singers. Never mind though, this will do.

(19/09/12)

DAVE BERRY – ’Me-O-My-O’ (Decca DFE 8601) November 1964

’Me-O-My-O’ is a bluesy outing with some wailing harp and is my favourite track from the EP. All songs are worthy though and Berry was certainly on top of his game during this period.

(17/09/12)

DAVE BERRY – ’The Crying Game’/’Don’t Gimme No Lip Child’ (Decca F.11937) July 1964

(15/09/12)

DAVE BERRY – ”My Baby Left Me” / ”Hoochie Coochie Man” (Decca F.11803) January 1964

’My Baby Left Me’ is the song popularized by Elvis but here Dave Berry adds some of the English beat magic that was everywhere in Britain during 1964 to update the tune into a beat killer. Listen out for a stellar guitar break from Page that leaves the listener wanting more.

I made my own YouTube video but it has been blocked in virtually every country around the World. I don’t know why, but I’ve found a performance by Dave Berry of ’My Baby Left Me’ from Shindig, March 1965. Over a year since it’s release in the UK!!

USA were WAY behind the scene during the early/mid 60s.

(13/09/12)

DAVE BERRY AND THE CRUISERS – ’Memphis Tennessee’/’Tossin’ And Turnin’ (Decca F.11734) September 1963

Not a great deal of information is on the internet about Dave Berry and I certainly don’t recall many column inches in the trendy music magazines or fanzines over the years. So, I’ve decided to focus on Dave Berry and the Cruisers on Flower Bomb Songs.

I’ll highlight Dave’s R&B and beat tunes rather than the many teen love ballads that he recorded.

He was actually born David Grundy but by his teens became obsessed with rock’n’roll performers like Elvis, Gene Vincent and of course Chuck Berry. He changed his surname to Berry after his hero.

It seems fitting then, that Dave Berry and the Cruisers’ first single, issued in 1963, was the Chuck Berry rocker ’Memphis Tennessee’. I’ve always found it quite funny that the early beat groups from England covered so many USA rock’n’roll songs about places that they’d never been to. I doubt whether this combo had ever been much outside of Yorkshire, never mind hanging out in Memphis.

The song is a decent effort for ’63 bearing in mind that production during the early 60s wasn’t exactly dangerous and in the ’red’. That freakbeat style was still some way off.

According to the liners of the Dave Berry RPM CD from 2009, the session for both sides took over eight hours to complete, which was a long time those days. It’s been suggested that his backing band The Cruisers struggled in the studio environment, although they were reportedly killer on stage.

The session was eventually completed with session drummer Bobby Graham from Joe Brown’s Bruvvers. Backing singers were girl band The Breakaways. The single reached #19 in the UK.

(11/09/12)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Beatles over the years. All of the original Beatles blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s teen magazine ‘Pop Weekly’.

THE BEATLES – ’Yellow Submarine’/’Eleanor Rigby’ (Parlophone R 5493) August 1966

It’s been several months since I wrote anything about The Beatles but thought it appropriate to post ’Eleanor Rigby’ today. The song was recorded during two sessions on 28/04/66 and 29/04/66, exactly 45 years ago!

’Eleanor Rigby’ deals with depression, loneliness and death, subjects that were not normally associated with a pop song but The Beatles were so unique and ahead of their competitors during 1966/67. Indeed, Paul McCartney is known to favour his work on Revolver above most other material.

A double string quartet was used to build the ambience of this lament for lonely people and producer George Martin utilized violins, violas and the cello to great effect. These instruments were recorded very close to the microphone to give that dense aural texture, something never before tried according to Beatles Engineer Geoff Emerick.

(30/04/11)

THE BEATLES – ’Hello Goodbye’/’I Am The Walrus’ (Parlophone R 5655) Nov 1967

On this very day in 1967 (5/9/67) The Beatles met up at Abbey Road and started recording John Lennon’s amazing ’I Am The Walrus’, a song he’d written whilst tripping on acid, the weird and wonderful gibberish (ie) lyrics seem to back this up.

This line is very English of course.

We don’t have pale white skin for nothing.
”Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun.
If the sun don’t come, you get a tan
From standing in the English rain”

The song was completed during sessions at the end of September ’67 with overdubs of violins, cellos, clarinets and horns. I’m not sure why it was relegated to a B-Side but ’Hello Goodbye’ was chosen to be the scheduled A-side when the 45 was released during the last week of November ’67.

(05/09/10)

THE BEATLES – ’Ticket To Ride’/’Yes It Is’ (Parlophone R 5265) April 1965

I thought it was time again to post some Beatles music so I flicked though my copy of ’The Beatles Recording Sessions’ to check out details of songs they were busy recording in a February during the 60s. I stopped at the year 1965 and noticed that my four heroes were in Abbey Road Studios laying down one of my favourite songs ’Ticket To Ride’ during mid February, 1965.

According to the notes the afternoon session lasted five hours and they didn’t stop until the song was complete. ’Ticket To Ride’ was written by John Lennon but there was a whole load of input by Paul McCartney. He played both bass and lead guitar, including the characteristic opening sequence. Ringo’s outstanding drum pattern was also Paul’s idea.

(24/02/10)

THE BEATLES – ’It’s Only Love’ (Parlophone GEP 8948) rec. June 1965

The Beatles ’Yesterday’ EP was their eleventh extended 45 and was released in March 1966. All of the songs appear on the album ’Help’ offered to the mass market in August 1965, so I’m a bit puzzled why this EP was released some 8 months later.

’It’s Only Love’, the John Lennon original from this EP is a sweet and mainly acoustic led love ballad with flourishes of tambourine. Simple and melodic, they just don’t make ’em like this anymore.

(06/11/09)

THE BEATLES – And Your Bird Can Sing (Euro Bootleg CD) 199?

This mix of ’And Your Bird Can Sing’ was recorded at the end of April 1966 but it was not the final version that ended up on the album Revolver.

During the early 90s many bootleg Beatles CDs turned up for sale at various Record Fairs I attended in England and the sound quality and packaging were all of a high standard. This was a time before the legit Beatles Anthology releases were on the market so Beatles fanatics like me would snap them up usually for £15 each (just to hear different mixes of many classics)

I don’t know how the bootleggers got this music but I wasn’t gonna ask questions. Another version of ’And Your Bird Can Sing’ did indeed turn up on The Beatles – Anthology 2 in 1996 with some members of the band having a fit of giggles near the end of the take.

This different version on my blog does not have the giggles and is better without them. This is where The Beatles were copying the sound of The Byrds – a jangle delight.

(05/11/09)

THE BEATLES – ’What You’re Doing’ (Parlophone PMC 1240) rec. October 1964

Paul McCartney’s wonderful song ’What You’re Doing’ (recorded during the month I was born) was hidden away on side 2 of ’Beatles For Sale’ album released in December 1964, just in time for Christmas. It was a song that took The Beatles 19 takes to perfect before George Martin decided that it was good enough for release!

It’s notable for two things. First the song doesn’t have a chorus as such and relies on it’s melodic verses. And secondly, George Harrison playing his Rickenbacker 12 string. The jangle beat action was a new sound that The Byrds thankfully explored the following year.

(03/11/09)

THE BEATLES – ’Long Tall Sally’ EP (Parlophone GEP 8913) June 1964

It’s been awhile since I posted something by The Beatles but I prompted myself to showcase this EP when I realised it was released in June 1964, exactly 45 years ago!! How scary is that?

It’s a great four track EP where The Beatles really let go with rockers they often performed on their way up to super stardom at The Cavern in Liverpool. The song that always sticks out for me is the John Lennon original ’I Call Your Name’. This song was given away to Billy J Kramer to record in the Summer of 1963.

Obviously Lennon still thought it could work for The Beatles and it was earmarked for the film ’A Hard Day’s Night’ but the track was never used.

The recording of ’I Call Your Name’ was completed and mixed in March 1964 and it eventually saw a release on this EP a few months later.

(21/06/09)

THE BEATLES – ’Paperback Writer’ (Odeon MEO 119) French EP 1966

This four track EP was released on the French label Odeon in mid ’66. What a great cover, and a record I bought years back at a Record Fair in Sunderland of all places.

’Nowhere Man’ and ’The Word’ were recorded in October 1965 and were eventually slotted on to the album Rubber Soul. The other two tracks are even more special. ’Paperback Writer’ and ’Rain’ were recorded during the Revolver album sessions in April 1966.

Both songs were selected for the Parlophone 45 and omitted from Revolver. Imagine these two cuts on Revolver instead of the ’throw-away’ (IMO) ’Yellow Submarine’ and ’Good Day Sunshine’.

(27/07/08)

THE BEATLES – ’Can’t Buy Me Love’ / ’You Can’t Do That’ (Parlophone R 5114) March 1964

Everyone on the Planet would have sold their Granny to be as famous and talented as Lennon and McCartney. They really were way ahead of the pack in every respect. ’Can’t Buy Me Love’ was recorded on the 29th January 1964 at the EMI studios in Paris. Why Paris? Well, The Beatles were in France touring during this period.

’You Can’t Do That’ was recorded on the 25th February 1964 at Abbey Road, London. This Lennon rocker is notable because it was the first time George Harrison used a Rickenbacker 12 string guitar on record.

(25/12/07)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Johnny Kidd & the Pirates over the years. All of the original Johnny Kidd & the Pirates blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s teen magazine ‘Fabulous’.

JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES – ”The Birds And The Bees” / ”Don’t Make The Same Mistake As I Did” (HMV POP 1397) February 1965

Last week I enthused about Jewel Atkins’ waxing of ”The Birds And The Bees.” A cover version by HMV’s Johnny Kidd & The Pirates has a much fuller and more lavish styling – with dual tracking, chanting and organ. but lacks the character of the original. The stamping beat’s not so contagious, either. Solo voice for the orthodox mid-shaker ”Don’t Make The Same Mistake As I Did.” (NME review – February, 1965)

We tackled the Jewel Atkins’ American hit last week and thought it was good enough for the charts. Now comes Johnny Kidd, and his chances on this catchy, blues orientated number must be at least as strong. We hope so, good group sound going, with plenty of fire in the lyrics. A foot tapper with more than average appeal.

Flip is a fair enough beat ballad, sung well, but if I’d been the top side would probably have been lost (Record Mirror review – February, 1965)

Johnny Kidd (vocals)
Johnny Weider (lead guitar)
Johnny Spence (bass)
Frank Farley (drums)
Vic Cooper (keyboards)
recorded 05/02/65 – 15/02/65

(07/08/16)

JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES – ”Whole Lotta Woman” / ”Your Cheating Heart” (HMV POP 1353) October 1964

The old Marvin Rainwater hit is given a beaty fast treatment via Johnny. Tune doesn’t come too well, and an organ helps things along. Good vocal but not his best disc. (Record Mirror review – October, 1964)

When Marvin Rainwater scored a No. 1 hit with his self penned ”A Whole Lotta Woman,” it was essentially a C&W number. Now HMV’s Johnny Kidd & The Pirates transform it to the R&B idiom. A bouncy medium fast shaker, with the boys maintaining a driving beat and organ prominent in the backing, it’s totally different from the original. But stands up to the adaption admirably. And Johnny’s in sparkling form.

Another country speciality, Hank Williams’ ”Your Cheating Heart” is here handled as a big beat ballad, with a thundering rhythm and organ again supplying the R&B quality. (NME review – October, 1964)

Johnny Kidd (vocals)
Mick Green (lead guitar)
Johnny Spence (bass)
Frank Farley (drums)
Vic Cooper (keyboards)
recorded 06/04/64

(07/08/16)

JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES – ”Jealous Girl” / ”Shop Around” (HMV POP 1309) June 1964

Attractive harmonies from HMV’s Johnny Kidd, singing in unison with The Pirates in the medium twister ”Jealous Girl.” The effect – combined with the plaintive quality of the material, vibratos, vocal gimmicks and twanging guitars gives it a pronounced Mersey sound.

Easy on the ear with an ideal beat for dancers. I’m very surprised that Johnny’s last disc didn’t make it, maybe this will do better. Johnny adopts more of an R&B approach to the solo voice ”Shop Around.” Plodding monkey type beat, with organ. (NME review – June, 1964)

A tuneful rather plaintive number from Johnny, with much more commercial appeal than his last disc. It’s an ultra commercial Liverpool styled danceable beater with some good vocalising from Johnny, and plenty of multi tracking. Flip is the old Miracles’ number given a good treatment by Johnny and the Boys. (Record Mirror review – June, 1964)

Johnny Kidd (vocals)
Mick Green (lead guitar)
Johnny Spence (bass)
Frank Farley (drums)
Vic Cooper (keyboards)
recorded 14/05/64

(07/08/16)

JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES – ”Always And Ever” / ”Dr. Feelgood” (HMV POP 1269) March 1964

In 1964 Johnny Kidd added keyboard player Vic Cooper to his Pirates backing group. It was back to their R&B sound. ”Always And Ever” reached #46 in the Charts but it’s the B-Side ”Dr.Feelgood” that gets my interest.

Take that colourful Neapolitan song ”Santa Lucia,” add an English lyric and an exciting twist beat, dub the lead voice into a dual track and provide a chanting group in support and you come up with ”Always And Ever” by Johnny Kidd & the Pirates on HMV. The blend of attractive melody and highly commercial beat combines into an irresistible sound – a sure fire hit for Johnny.

That evergreen R&B speciality, ”Dr. Feelgood,” pops up again on the flip, with Johnny making a pretty convincing job of it. (NME review – February, 1964)

Johnny’s newie doesn’t have the crashing beat of his last few, but after a few plays the insistent version of the oldie sounds like a hit of the first order. Well presented and well performed and a lot different from what Johnny’s fans may expect.

Flip is a beaty version of the ever popular R&B number. (Record Mirror review – February, 1964)

Johnny Kidd (vocals)
Mick Green (lead guitar)
Johnny Spence (bass)
Frank Farley (drums)
Vic Cooper (keyboards)
recorded 13/01/64

(06/08/16)

JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES – ”Hungry For Love” / ”Ecstasy” (HMV POP 1228) November 1963

I reckon Johnny Kidd can count on another hit with ”Hungry For Love” (HMV). Similar in style and tempo to his ”I’ll Never Get Over You” smash. It’s a pleasing melody with fascinating harmonies and Beatle like vibratos. A good follow up which thoroughly deserves to catch on.

Johnny’s treatment of ”Ecstasy” inevitably invites with the Ben E. King original. It’s an absorbing melody and, with The Pirates giving strong support, Johnny takes a most commendable stab at it. As a B-Side this one rates highly. (NME review – November, 1963)

Following up their surprise success comes this one that WON’T be a surprise success. It’ll be a success all right, but we all know this time. A power packed number with loads of the old clanging guitar backing, and some fair old vocal work from Johnny. It has a polished Liverpool type tune and should be a big hit.

Johnny has a go at the recent Ben E. King U.S. Chart noise-maker. It’s a good number and Johnny makes a good potent job of it, with some fair old guitar work again. (Record Mirror review – November, 1963)

”Hungry For Love” was also recorded by The Searchers and was part of their album ”Sugar And Spice” and was also used the lead song on their January 1964 EP. The song was then revived in 1980 when pop punk group The Revillos covered it and released it as a single.

Johnny Kidd (vocals)
Mick Green (lead guitar)
Johnny Spence (bass)
Frank Farley (drums)
recorded 11/10/63

(06/08/16)

JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES – ”I’ll Never Get Over You” / ”Then I Got Everything” (HMV POP 1173) July 1963

In 1963 the British music scene was more or less taken over by the Liverpool sound in the wake of The Beatles. As the record companies were ignoring the brand of R&B produced by Southern group, feeling it to be too rough to be commercially viable, Johnny Kidd switched to a pure Merseybeat sound for his next two releases. ”I’ll Never Get Over You” reached #4 in August, 1963.

It’s some time since Johnny Kidd & The Pirates made an impression on the Charts, but they’ve a chance with ”I’ll Never Get Over You.” Johnny is a powerful, impressive singer who makes the most of this very commercial beat number – much of it is sung as a group vocal. ”Then I Got Everything” is again a beat number, successful in overall effect if not too imaginative in detail. On the HMV label. (NME review – June, 1963)

From the hitmakers comes a rather powerful with the familiar Kidd sound. It’s a many tracked vocal with a fair lyric and tune from the ”Shakin’ All Over” gent. He’s got a good voice, and this one may be a hit for him. Appealing, medium tempo, big beat sound. Again well performed. More of the distinctive guitar sounds on the flip, it’s a gospel number with a lot of appeal and it’s probably the better side. Turn it over fans. (Record Mirror review – June, 1963)

Johnny Kidd (vocals)
Mick Green (lead guitar)
Johnny Spence (bass)
Frank Farley (drums)
recorded 16/05/63

(05/08/16)

JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES – ”A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues” / ”I Can Tell” (HMV 45-POP-1088) December 1962

The coupling of Arthur Alexander’s ”A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues” and Bo Diddley’s ”I Can Tell” was a classic double A-Side, once described by Spencer Leigh as marking ”the transition from British Rock & Roll to Merseybeat.”

By the end of 1962, rhythm and blues was becoming popular in Clubs all over the country. Kidd and his new Pirates made a wise move by cutting ”A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues” / ”I Can Tell”. The latter, and my favourite side, is notable for Mick Green’s searing guitar solo. Shame that the single scraped up the Charts settling at #48 but it remains an important disc, being one of the earliest true British R&B records to get anywhere in the Charts.

Johnny Kidd (vocals)
Mick Green (lead guitar)
Johnny Spence (bass)
Frank Farley (drums)
recorded 26/09/62

(05/08/16)

JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES – ”Restless” / ”Magic Of Love” (HMV 45-POP-790) September 1960

”Restless” was a modest hit by the standards of ”Shakin’ All Over”, reaching a disappointing #21 in the Charts. Once again it showed Johnny Kidd’s intensity as a vocalist over a rockin’ beat.
Both sides were written by Kidd (co-credit for Watmore on ”Restless”) and for the first time, they are credited on the record to him as ”Kidd” rather than his former surname Heath.

The disappointment of the record Chart wise scuppered his proposed promotional visit to America. Who knows would could have been for Johnny Kidd & the Pirates if that trip had materialised.

Johnny Kidd (vocals)
Joe Moretti (lead guitar)
Alan Caddy (second guitar)
Brian Gregg (bass)
Clem Cattini (drums)
recorded 05/09/60

(04/08/16)

JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES – ”Shakin’ All Over” / ”Yes Sir, That’s My Baby” (HMV 45-POP-753) June 1960

Backed by his own group, The Pirates, Johnny Kidd has waxed ”Shakin’ All Over”, Johnny has the ability to sing in a particularly sinister fashion, with a coldly clinical approach. Which is quite an asset, because it makes a distinguishing feature to pick him out from the other singers.

This individual style also adds to this particular song an extra degree of power, making the casual listener give his full attention. A deliberate song with a steady beat that could do well. The sinister gives way to the enthusiastic on the flipover, a racey version of ”Yes Sir, That’s My Baby.”
Good entertainment. (NME review, 10/06/60)

”After all, I think the secret of the record’s success is to be found primarily in the lyric. You see, it’s very simply constructed and easily memorised. From this point of view it has a sort of nursery rhyme appeal about it.”

”You know, there’s quite an amusing story behind the number, and how I came to write it. When I was going around with a bunch of the lads and we happened to see a girl who was a real sizzler, we used to say that she gave us ’quivers down the membranes’. It was a standard saying with us, referring to an attractive girl.”

”Well, that phrase stuck with me, because I saw in it a new single on the old familiar shakes routine. I can honestly say that it was this, more than anything, that inspired me to write ”Shakin’ All Over.” (Johnny Kidd, NME 12/08/60)

Johnny Kidd (vocals)
Joe Moretti (lead guitar)
Alan Caddy (second guitar)
Brian Gregg (bass)
Clem Cattini (drums)
recorded 13/05/60

(03/08/16)

JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES – If You Were The Only Girl In The World” / ”Feelin” (HMV 45-POP-674) December 1959

The second Johnny Kidd single was one of his favourite songs ”If You Were The Only Girl In The World.” This Music Hall standard went down well at gigs but after the previous rockin’ single ”Please Don’t Touch” it was a let down and simply didn’t sell.

As such it’s not that easy to find nowadays. My copy is a white label demo. It appears that someone in the past has pressed out the middle for a Juke Box then regretted the decision and sellotaped it back in place!

Far superior is ”Feelin” on the B-Side. This rocker with powerful guitar work and mean vocals would have been a much better choice for the single. I’m sure it would have been a fine follow up to the classic ”Please Don’t Touch.”

”Feelin” was an instrumental composed by ex Freddie Heath Band member Pete Newman. Johnny Kidd liked it so much that he rearranged it and added lyrics.

recorded at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios on the 2nd November, 1959

Johnny Kidd (vocals)
Alan Caddy (lead guitar)
Johnny Gordon (bass)
Tony Doherty (rhythm guitar)
Mike West and Tom Brown (backing vocals)
drummer – unknown.

(03/08/16)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Merseybeats over the years. All of the original Merseybeats blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s teen magazine ‘Girl’.

THE MERSEYBEATS – ”I Stand Accused” / ”All My Life” (Fontana TF 645) December 1965

There is something about this track that I find fascinating. It certainly isn’t the melody – there’s not really a tune you can whistle. Maybe it’s the intriguing lyric which holds the attention, or perhaps it’s that insistent thump beat which persists throughout – together with an underlying tinkling effect.

More likely, it’s a blend of all these factors. In any event, it’s a disc that’s well worth hearing, and one which must stand a chance.

Flip: Tempo slows for this wistful number. Not so forceful as the top side, but more melodic. Mainly solo voice, with harmony and handclapping support. (NME review – December, 1965)

Kit Lambert production for the recent hit-makers and a song that has a load of power, a repetitive quality that is very commercial and some first rate vocal touches. It builds well, too, holding the interest at a mid-tempo styling. Should be a sizeable hit. (Record Mirror – December, 1965).

Charted: 38

(17/08/16)

THE MERSEYBEATS – ”I Love You, Yes I Do” / ”Good, Good Lovin” (Fontana TF 607) September 1965

Produced by Who co-manager Kit Lambert it has a rater dated sound. A James Brown song but lacking impact. (Record Mirror review – October, 1965)

A change of style for The Merseybeats showcases them in a beat-ballad, ”I Love You, Yes I Do, ” belted on a deep echo by the leader with ’oh yeah’ falsetto chanting and humming. Crashing drums and a plodding thump beat complete the backing.

Rather a strange disc, really – a blend of sweet corn and the Liverpool sound! But it’s a strong melody and a powerful performance, which should be more than sufficient to sell it. Fontana label.

In complete contrast is the wild ravin’ rocker ”Good, Good Loving,” with raucous guitar work, handclaps, shout style vocal and enthusiasm a-plenty. (NME review – October, 1965)

Charted #22

(11/08/16)

THE MERSEYBEATS – ”Don’t Let It Happen To Us” / ”It Would Take A Long, Long Time” (Fontana TF 568) May 1965

In some respects, The Merseybeats remind me of The Searchers – possibly because their harmonies are subdued and not overbearing. On Fontana, they offer a soothing rockaballad with a lilting beat and captivating guitar figure, ”Don’t Let It Happen To Us.” More appealing than punchy, and could do better than their last.
”It Would Take A Long Time” is a happy-go-lucky jog trotter with a country feel, featuring the lead singer. (NME review – May, 1965)

Difficult one to predict right now…..but The Merseybeats certainly do a very good job on it. The old Shirelles’ number, slightly strained after effect-wise here. Good beat. Certainly a good song. (Record Mirror review – May, 1965)

(11/08/16)

THE MERSEYBEATS – ”Last Night” / ”See Me Back” (Fontana TF 504) October 1964

Technically, ”Last Night” (Fontana) is one of the best discs The Merseybeats have yet recorded. But they may have difficulty climbing high with it, due to the current intense competition from other groups. A mid tempo shaker with a typical Liverpool sound – vibrant unison vocal, strumming, pounding beat, and ear catching harmonies – it has a melody that grows on you. I wasn’t so keen at first, but after three spins I\’d changed my mind.

An even more strident sound for ”See Me Back.” The heavily insistent beat is irresistible, but the melody takes a back seat. (NME review – October, 1964)

Latest from the frilly Liverpool team is again on the ballad kick. It’s a plaintive soft shuffle beater with a build-and-build sound and tender vocal work in strange contrast to the bizarre appearance. Heavy slow beat and good tune. Obviously a hit. Flip is a solid thumper with a medium pace beat and fair tune. (Record Mirror review – October, 1964)

Charted #40

(11/08/16)

THE MERSEYBEATS – ”The Merseybeats” (Fontana) June 1964

On to The Merseybeats, who turn in a surprisingly versatile performance all the way. Why surprising? Simply because it’s easy to get the wrong impression about a group’s capabilities purely from singles. On this powerful collection, the boys really ring the changes.

There’s a stack of originals. But also things like Richard Tauber’s old big-tenor song ”My Heart And I”, Rodgers And Hammerstein’s ”Hello, Young Lovers”, Irving Berlin’s ”The Girl That I Marry”.

Off we go, ”Milkman” is perky, brisk, written by Tony Crane and Johnny Gustafson. A nice opener. But ”Young Lovers” really swings, with lead voice galloping a beat laden track. ”He Will Break Your Heart” next, followed by ”Funny Face” – a new song of that name.

A talkie-sort of opening which is quite effective. ”Really Mystified”, with it’s hand-clapping insistence, comes off well at mid tempo. Then comes ”The Girl That I Marry”, delicately harmonised, utterly different – and compulsively satisfying.

”Fools Like Me” has a country styled approach. Then comes ”My Heart And I” – unusual. Sam Cooke’s ”Bring It On Home To Me” gets a rather inferior treatment mainly because they can’t find the true Gospel feeling. ”Lavender Blue” gets an efficient Sammy Turner type treatment. ”Jumping Jonah” rocks like crazy and ”Don’t Turn Around”, a Lee Stirling number, is a good finale.

Summing up: Colleague Norman Jopling says: I think a little more care could have been taken over some of the slower tracks. Then it could have been a similar level to, say, the Stones or Beatles LP.
And I say: I think it’s an excellently varied set. I was knocked out by their efforts to create (a) versatility and (b) originality. (Record Mirror review – June 1964)

(10/08/16)

THE MERSEYBEATS – ”Wishin’ And Hopin” / ”Milkman” (Fontana TF 482) July 1964

Dusty Springfield is enjoying a chart success in the States with Burt Bacharach – Hal David number ”Wishin’ And Hopin,” and I’m quite sure The Merseybeats will do so in this country. Although not written specially for them, it’s a melodic and subdued rockaballad of the type they do so well.

Unusually conceived clipped staccato phrases, it develops into a lilting theme well suited to this group’s hushed-voice approach. The rhythm is compelling, with tambourine prominent. Should do well!

An orthodox twister of no outstanding merit apart from it’s insidious beat, the Tony Crane – Johnny Gustafson composition ”Milkman” nevertheless makes an adequate B-Side. On Fontana. (NME review – July, 1964)

The Bacharach – David number is given a smooth ballad treatment from the lads who put a lot of genuine feeling in it. A different sort of ballad sound with a powerful build and build sound. It’s already a hit for Dusty in the States, and it must be a very big one for this competent group here.

Flip comes from their LP and the film ”Just For You”. It’s a jaunty light-hearted beat ballad with a good danceable beat. (Record Mirror review – July, 1964)

Charted #13

(10/08/16)

THE MERSEYBEATS – ”Don’t Turn Around” / ”Really Mystified” (Fontana TF 459) April 1964

Another in the ballad vein from the team who are growing in popularity every week. It’s a good song, better even that ”I Think Of You”, and it should do at least as well in the charts. Good stuff and well performed. These lads are the Liverpudlians with a difference. Flip is a beatier number with good vocal work and an organ backing up heavily. (Record Mirror review – April, 1964)

It took about eight weeks for The Merseybeats’ ”I Think Of You” to register in the charts, but I’m confident their follow up ”Don’t Turn Around” (Fontana) won’t take nearly as long. It’s another captivating melody by the same composer as their current hit, Lee Stirling.
This new one doesn’t have such a pronounced Latin beat as it’s predecessor, but I particularly like the piano trills which offset the vocal phrases. What a refreshing change to hear a subdued Liverpool sound!

The unison vocal ”Really Mystified” is not outstanding material. But the boys still manage to inject personality into this medium twister. (NME review – April, 1964)

Charted #13

(09/08/16)

THE MERSEYBEATS – ”I Think Of You” EP (Fontana TR 17423) March 1964

Someone once said ”You can’t be sure of anything any more.” The speaker wasn’t making particular reference to the world of Big Beat, but he might well have been. However, it’s an accepted fact that The Merseybeats have come, and they’ve come to stay!

We knew they were here to stay as soon as their first disc, ”It’s Love That Really Counts”, hit the charts – the first ballad-styled record by a group to get there and stay there since ”beat” became a household word.

They followed this superb number with an even greater hit – ”I Think Of You”, the feature number of this EP. The first inkling of the future of this disc was when The Beatles, who made up the panel on ”Juke Box Jury”, voted it as a resounding hit! Proving them right, The Merseybeats coasted easily into the Top Ten with their Latin-styled winner.

songs:
”I Think Of You”
”Mister Moonlight”
”It’s Love That Really Counts”
”The Fortune Teller”

(09/08/16)

THE MERSEYBEATS – ”On Stage” EP (Fontana TE.17422) March 1964

We knew they were here to stay as soon as their first disc. ”It’s Love That Really Counts”, hit the charts – the first ballad-styled record by a group to get there and stay there since ”beat” became a household word.

The impact of this first disc was phenomenal. They were featured on top beat shows on television, including ”Go Man Go!” and ”Ready Steady Go!”. Their appearances at such top clubs as Manchester’s Oasis required that sure trade-mark of success – police protection! Their first appearances on AR-TV’s ”Ready Steady Go!” caused such excitement that they were immediately contracted to make a return appearance, featuring the exciting numbers to be heard on this EP.

Charted #2

songs:
”Long, Tall Sally”
”I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry”
”Shame”
”You Can’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover”

(08/08/16)

THE MERSEYBEATS – ”I Think Of You” / ”Mr. Moonlight” (Fontana TF 431) December 1963

The successful group get another gentle type ballad on this number and the boys sing very well. There’s a good sound here, and the whole thing is packed with appeal. It may not make the twenty, but it should partially repeat the success of ”It’s Love That Really Counts.”
Flip is an atmospheric beater. (Record Mirror review – December, 1963)

Charted #2

(08/08/16)

THE MERSEYBEATS – ”It’s Love That Really Counts” / ”The Fortune Teller” (Fontana TF412) August 1963

Newcomers to the Fontana label are The Merseybeats with ”It’s Love That Really Counts.” Pleasant surprise is the leisurely nature of the number. The melody, too, is particularly attractive. ”The Fortune Teller” is faster, beatier, and more in keeping with the Mersey sound. Unfortunately sound is all it’s got: the song itself is weak. (NME review – August, 1963)

Guess where this group comes from! Group vocal vie with lead guitar and somehow melt and mould the lyrics – above average – to suit their own purposes. Lacks the really powerful beat but it’s a well handled debut for all that. Melody is slightly complex but not too tricky to retain, nut-wise. Their harmonic ideas are quite excellent.

Flip is a lot faster and shows, again, that this group are not content to stick entirely with the current trends. They don’t mind a touch of the experiments. (Record Mirror review – August, 1963)

Charted #24

(08/08/16)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Nashville Teens over the years. All of the original Nashville Teens blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s music magazine ‘Fabulous’.

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’I’m A Lonely One’ (New World NW 6002) 1972

By the time the very first Nashville Teens album was released in 1972 they had effectively disbanded. This was a strange release on New World as it contained some old hits like ’Tobacco Road’ but mostly misses in the form of ’All Along The Watchtower’ and ’Biggest Night Of Her Life’,

The outstanding cuts were reserved for Side 2. Here, the casual listener was probably bewildered by the tripped out psychedelia of ’I’m A Lonely One’ and the strange ’Ex Kay One Lx’. The beautiful acid folk reverie of ’Day And Night’ is a pure joy, so to is the delightful ’Widdicombe Fair’.

These four songs probably date from 1968 and were unreleased at the time. ’I’m A Lonely One’ b/w ’Ex Kay One Lx’ would have made a perfect psych single. It’s a crime that they weren’t released at the time.

A radically different version of ”Widdicombe Fair” to that which appeared on the posthumous LP released on New World in 1972. While the LP version mines a deep trance acid folk furrow, the single version only released in Hungary on Qualiton in 1970 on 45 is a heavier funk rock take

(15/12/12)

ARIZONA SWAMP COMPANY – ’Tennessee Woman’/’Train Keeps Rollin’ (Parlophone R5841) May 1970

Back in the Summer I reviewed every one of The Nashville Teens Decca singles, but at the time I was missing a couple of pieces of the jigsaw that I required to give an even broader picture of their sounds. One such item was their only release for Parlophone under the alias of Arizona Swamp Company.

I’m not quite sure why the band decided to change their name for this single. Perhaps it was a contractual thing? Whatever the reason, it didn’t really matter as the 45 bombed out of site. The record wasn’t a big seller and as such is scarce and does not show up for sale too often.

’Tennessee Woman’ is a belter of a tune, a typical late 60s rocker with great energy and a memorable chorus. Should have been a hit as it really had everything going for it. The flip ’Train Kept Rollin’ is another powerful rocker with an absolute killer lead guitar rave-up. Easily the equal of The Yardbirds version and my favourite.

’Train Keeps Rollin’ was compiled on Rubble 13 ”Freak Beat Fantoms” – although it’s not really ’freakbeat’ but late 60s/early 70s rock and blues.

(10/12/12)

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’All Along The Watchtower’/’Sun-Dog’ (Decca F 12754) March 1968

By 1968 the hits had well and truly dried up for The Nashville Teens and this 45 just happened to be their last Decca release.

It flopped of course but I don’t know how. Their version of Bob Dylan’s ’All Along The Watchtower’ is a classy rendition with it’s full production sound by Vic Smith (Vic Coppersmith-Heaven) and pulsating psych guitar leads. Maybe the public just weren’t ready for this sort of bluesy psychedelia yet. The Jimi Hendrix Experience released a version seven months later in Oct ’68 and had a big hit with it.

The flip ’Sun-Dog’ is a traditional blues song but with the bands own lyrics. Even the producer Vic Smith gets a credit. It’s a typical early 1968 blues wailer and an indication of the direction the English music underground was going in.

(21/08/12)

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’The Biggest Night Of Her Life’/’Last Minute’ (Decca F.12657) September 1967

A neat two sided pop psych release was the next Nashville Teens single to completely miss the charts. ’The Biggest Night Of Her Life’ was a Randy Newman song notable for some ’bendy’ production techniques from future Jam producer Vic Smith.

The flip ’Last Minute’ is a group original, written by vocalist Arthur Sharp and is a much more instant mod beat effort sounding like their previous couple of records recorded by Shel Talmy.

During August 1967, and just before the release of this single, the NME reported that lead guitarist John Allan and bassist Pete Shannon were leaving The Nashville Teens. Shannon was replaced by Neil Korner.

(20/08/12)

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’I’m Coming Home’/’Searching’ (Decca F.12580) March 1967

The classy mod pop of ’I’m Coming Home’ quickly followed the release of ’That’s My Woman’ probably to coincide with their European tour to Germany and Hungary during April/May ’67. Not sure how this didn’t dent the charts in Britain but I suppose it was obvious by now that the beat boom groups from 1964 had now either broken up or moved onto experimental psychedelia. The Nashville Teens were no doubt thought of as relics. Time and tastes moved on quickly in the mid 60s.

As The Nashville Teens didn’t have a songwriter it must have been tough for them. Shel Talmy’s production skills definitely raised their sound to another level. The flip ’Searching’ is of course another cover version but this one is a treat. Once again, reviews in the music press were positive but lack of radio play and promotion meant that another flop was on the cards.

(18/08/12)

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’That’s My Woman’/’Words’ (Decca F.12542) January 1967

1966 proved to be the start of The Nashville Teens commercial decline. They no longer occupied positions in the charts and their last two singles were no great shakes. Fortunately, they were a very professional and solid outfit as a gigging band and had just come off the road touring Great Britain with The Small Faces and The Hollies. That would have been some line-up.

The Nashville Teens changed their producer to pop art svengali Shel Talmy and the first fruits of this association was the thunderous fuzz rocker ’That’s My Woman’ which was a back to basics stormer full of attitude. This is where it’s at and it should have been a hit for them. The single got very favourable reviews in NME and Record Mirror. Sadly, the record flopped.

’Words’ on the flip is my spotlight choice. It’s an up to date mod mover with brass flourishes. The production by Shel Talmy is first rate and the song really hits a groove that I dig.

(16/08/12)

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’Forbidden Fruit’/’Revived 45 Time’ (Decca F.12458) August 1966

Earlier in the year drummer Barry Jenkins left The Nashville Teens to replace John Steele in The Animals. He remained with Eric Burdon in the ’new Animals’ when the latter embraced psychedelia with a new line-up.

Jenkins was replaced by Roger Groom who was the original Nashville Teens drummer during their stint in Germany. The change was reported in NME during April 1966.

’Forbidden Fruit’ was also recorded by The Mark Leeman Five and is not a very good song in my opinion. Rather corny and mundane. Just when aural freakbeat fireworks were being released by English groups in ’66 The Nashville Teens could only muster this. The flip ’Revived 45 Time’ is no better and is a strange 50s throwback. Definitely their poorest release to date.

(14/08/12)

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’The Hard Way’/’Upside Down’ (Decca F.12316) January 1966

The Nashville Teens chose an Ashford, Simpson and Armstead song as their first single in 1966. ’The Hard Way’ is a mod soul effort and should appeal to those with a liking for that genre. It sounds a tad like The Action.

The other side ’Upside Down’ is more in keeping with their beat sound but hardly sets the world alight. The group were interviewed in Record Mirror at the time slating The Mark Leeman Five for recording and releasing ’Forbidden Fruit’ during January ’66. This was going to be the next Nashville Teens 45 but it was held over in favour of ’The Hard Way.’

(13/08/12)

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’I Know How It Feels To Be Loved’/’Soon Forgotten’ (Decca F.12255) October 1965

Although chart success proved to be on the wane in 1965, this single flopped for instance, The Nashville Teens had cameo parts in movies ’Go Go Mania’ and ’Gonks Go Beat’. They were also in demand on the gig circuit and enjoyed a sizable following.

Sadly, ’I Know How It Feels To Be Loved’ failed to get much notice and as such is an overlooked disc. The song is a departure from their usual crunching R&B sound, this time around preferring a baroque pop arrangement with harmonies. Some reviews at the time likened it to The Byrds but I don’t hear that at all. The harmonies are certainly not tight enough and there ain’t no Byrds style ’65 jangle.

The song however, is a lost pop gem and I’m pleased to give ’I Know How It Feels To Be Loved’ some exposure on Flower Bomb Songs. ’Soon Forgotten’ is another pop effort but like the title suggests the 45 was soon forgotten.

(11/08/12)

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’The Little Bird’/’Whatcha Gonna Do?’ (Decca F.12143) April 1965

The last Nashville Teens record to hit top 40 was ’The Little Bird’, an excellent beat ballad written once again by John D. Loudermilk. The strange thing about this release was that the same song was recorded by Marianne Faithfull and released at the same time. Both were Decca artists, so in effect they were competing against each other.

Producer Andrew Loog Oldham was also involved with both acts and explained his thoughts on the ’clash’ of the singles in Record Mirror during May ’65. It turned out that Marianne Faithfull’s version was more successful, eventually reaching top 10 whilst The Nashville Teens stalled at number 38. Things like this meant a lot back in the 60s.

The flip is ’Whatcha Gonna Do?’, a wonderful beat rocker with a compelling guitar break. The song was written by songwriters not in the band. I think the lack of a songwriter was a problem for The Nashville Teens and is probably why they never released a studio album in Britain during this period.

(11/08/12)

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’Find My Way Back Home’/’Devil-In-Law’ (Decca F.12089) February 1965

The third Nashville Teens single was another powerful R&B mover recorded in NYC during December 1964. This working visit broke their agreement with regular producer Mickie Most who decided to cut his association with the group.

’Find My Way Back Home’ was described in NME as ’a compulsive finger snapper’. They certainly don’t describe records like this in reviews nowadays. The flip ’Devil-In-Law’ is a novelty beat tune and not something to spin that often.

The Nashville Teens were probably still popular at this stage in early 1965 and sales were solid but the record stalled at number 34.

(07/08/12)

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’I Need You Baby’ EP (Decca DFE.8600) January 1965

The first and last The Nashville Teens EP was released in January 1965 to retain the momentum of their previous top ten singles.

The thing with EPs back in the 60s was that they were not aimed at the charts, they even had a limited pressing. With this in mind The Nashville Teens offered four purist R&B covers. ’I Need You Baby’ is better known as ’Mona’ and many groups recorded that song of course.

I’ve read elsewhere that ’Parchment Farm’ was considered for their debut single. Everything on this EP is pretty damned good and would suggest that The Nashville Teens had the sound but not necessarily the teeny-bop image or more importantly the songwriter to go to the next level.

(05/08/12)

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’Google Eye’/’T.N.T.’ (Decca F.12000) October 1964

The follow up Nashville Teens single after the amazing ’Tobacco Road’ was another John D. Loudermilk composition titled ’Google Eye’. It’s a decent enough effort and reached top ten in Britain but is a little bit too novelty for me. For those of you out there who don’t know what google eye means, well it’s a catfish found in USA. I’m surprised the song hasn’t been used to advertise the Google search engine before? You read it here first if that ever happens.

Far superior is the flip ’T.N.T.’ an absolute R&B belter notable for it’s tough vocals and killer guitar break. Remember, that this song was recorded in 1964 and you’ll realise that The Nashville Teens out powered the rest at this stage in their careers including The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds.

During September of ’64 they toured Britain with Billy J. Kramer and The Yardbirds and their exposure continued with support slots to The Animals throughout October and November.

In mid 1964 The Nashville Teens travelled to New York for a ten day visit and they appeared on Murray The K Kaufmann’s Christmas Show at The Paramount Theatre in NYC. Due to visa problems the group were unable to travel to other parts of America.

(04/08/12)

THE NASHVILLE TEENS – ’Tobacco Road’/’I Like It Like That’ (Decca F.11930) June 1964

One of the earliest R&B groups from England during the beat boom were The Nashville Teens. They formed some time in 1961 (according to the liners on the back of their one and only EP release) when vocalists and founding members Ray Phillips and Arthur Sharp got together soon to be joined by John Hawken (piano), Pete Shannon (bass), Mick Dunford (guitar) and Roger Groom (drums).

This line-up travelled to Germany in 1963 and worked at Hamburg’s renowned Star Club. After making a name for themselves as a tight and energetic unit they were asked to become backing band for Jerry Lee Lewis on his ’Live At The Star Club’ LP.

Mick Dunford and Roger Groom were replaced on their return to Britain by John Allen and Barry Jenkins respectively. Thus the 1964 line-up was settled along with a contract with Don Arden who came in as The Nashville Teens Manager. He got them prestigious backing band gigs with the touring Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. They even recorded with Carl Perkins on his Brunswick single ’Big Bad Blues.’

The Nashville Teens debut 45 ’Tobacco Road’, written by John D. Loudermilk, became an instant classic and reached #6 in the charts. I’ve read that Loudermilk was inspired to write his song after reading a novel titled ’Tobacco Road’ by Erskine Caldwell. This book was published in 1932 and chronicled the living conditions of poor whites from the southern States in America.

The Nashville Teens rip the original version to shreds with their potent brand of R&B with it’s vicious backbeat, boogie piano, pounding rhythm and nasty vocals. The production of Mickie Most adds echo to the drums and guitar which really beefs up the overall sound.

The flip ’I Like It Like That’ is tame beat by comparison.

(03/08/12)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Merseys over the years. All of the original Merseys blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s music magazine ‘Fabulous’.

CRACKERS – ”Honey Do” / ”It Happens All The Time” (Fontana TF 995) January 1969

This rarity by Crackers were The Merseys is disguise! Quite why they changed their name for this single, which turned out to be their last, is unknown. My educated guess is simply because as The Merseys their records since ”Sorrow” had more or less been ignored. Maybe their name was passe in 1969 and so a change to a more suitable one was required.
Sadly for The Merseys nothing changed. ”Honey Do” flopped and they were no more.

”Honey Do” was recently compiled on the CD only ”Fairytales Can Come True” Volume #2. The flip and for me, more interesting side, is the soothing pop tune ”It Happens All The Time” written by Tony Crane.

(25/08/16)

THE MERSEYS – ”Lovely Loretta” / ”Dreaming” (Fontana TF 955) July 1968

It’s been a couple of years since The Merseys appeared in the Chart, but – with sufficient exploitation – this could well restore them. Pounds along at a rip-roaring pace, with tambourine emphasising the beat, and trumpets adding depth to the backing – and there are frequent outbursts of cheering to conjure up a party atmosphere.

Spirited support is provided by the Funky Bottom Congregation – which turns out to be Dave Dee & Co, Julie Felix and several others. An extremely commercial disc. (NME review – July, 1968)

There’s a star-studded (Dave Dee, W. Fontana, Beaky, Tich etc) on this, lumped together as the Funky Bottom Congregation – alone worth the price of admission, folks. The song is fair enough, one supposes, though it’s not a stand out. But the production is healthy, alive and could restore the two lads to the charts. Happy-go-lucky. Flip: fair enough. (Record Mirror review – July, 1968)

(23/08/16)

THE MERSEYS – ”Penny In My Pocket” / ”I Hope You’re Happy” (Fontana TF 916) March 1968

This could easily be a hit; good song, and a welcome return for the duo after a year off the disc scene. Harmonica added. Just missed a tip, but I feel I’ll be proved wrong (Record Mirror review – March, 1968)

(23/08/16)

THE MERSEYS – ”The Cat” / ”Change Of Heart” (Fontana TF 845) June 1967

The Merseys sing a little song of jealousy on this rock-a-beater item with them in fine vocal form. It has a good tune and a grow-on-you appeal. Nice. And should give them their first hit since ”Sorrow.”
Flip: penned by Tony, features some barrel-house piano, a stomping beat and soft vocals. (Record Mirror review – June, 1967)

A David and Jonathan composition – and a real pile driver it is, too. Am exhilarating thumper, with an absorbing lyric which makes up for what it lacks in melody. The Merseys generate an intriguing vocal sound, often taking off into flights of falsetto. A wild, twangy, instrumental passage completes a disc that has all the hallmarks of a hit. But I have to be cautious about it\’s chances, as the group’s been out of the limelight for a while.
Flip: a bouncy, jog trotting rhythm, highlighted by tinkling barrel-house piano. Almost in the Good-Time style. Again, a commendable vocal blend. (NME review – June, 1967)

(22/08/16)

THE MERSEYS – ”Rhythm Of Love” / ”Is It Love?” (Fontana TF 776) November 1966

In some ways, the strongest yet from the duo. Lyrics praise the swivel-hip movement of a girl walking and the boys create some devious but exciting vocal movements. Builds well at fast tempo and doesn’t let up on atmosphere. Highly commended.
Flip: a fair enough beat ballad but rather rambling. (Record Mirror review – December, 1966)

(21/08/16)

“Sorrow” – unissued version

’Sorrow’ was discovered on the ’B’ side of The McCoys ’Fever’ by a guy called Ray, who worked for Kit and Chris. He said we had to listen to it ’cause there was something about it that he thought could be turned into a great record. It was a very Neil Young type of vocal and too country and western sounding. We loved it. So I rearranged the harmonies and decided to add a strange vocal line that was sung after the main line and that was it, we knew we had a winner.

We’d got Jimmy Page, Jack Bruce and Clem Cattini to play on it in a small studio in Denmark Street. We changed it again and then got a bigger band, including John Paul Jones (Jack Bruce couldn’t make it to the second session), Jimmy Page, Clem Cattini, Benny Green and many more infamous musicians and did the song live at CBS Studios in New Bond Street, London.

This version remained in the vaults but can be found on the CD ”Unearthed Merseybeat”

The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and the Troggs stopped us getting to number one but they were all classic records and we realized that at the time. To this day I still like ’Sorrow’ and have never got fed up or bored with it. (Billy Kinsley).

(21/08/16)

THE MERSEYS – ”So Sad About Us” / ”Love Will Continue” (Fontana TF 732) July 1966

I like the way The Merseys always succeed in maintaining a strong melodic content, despite the fast moving pace. This is such a catchy tune that it opens with a la-la chorus, before breaking into an absorbing vocal blend.

Storms along at a stirring pace, accentuated by tambourine and cymbal crashes, plus brass in the deep background. A Pete Townshend number which deserves to be big.

Flip: Tempo slackens to slightly under medium pace. This has a pronounced plaintive feel, and a rippling accompaniment with a clavioline effect. (NME review, July 1966)

Pete Townshend song, faintly reminiscent, but a strong, repetitive line about it. The boys get a big, rather brash sound going, building well – The Phil – Dennis arrangement is cleverly designed to off-shoot the voices. A compulsive, odd worded, hit sound all round. Flip is gentler but also sound. (Record Mirror review, July 1966)

(20/08/16)

THE MERSEYS – ”Sorrow” / ”Some Other Day” (Fontana TF 694) April 1966

The Merseys were two hip cats from Liverpool who formed out of the ashes of The Merseybeats when they disbanded in early 1966. Tony Crane and Billy Kinsley achieved a big hit with their first single ’Sorrow’ which peaked at number 4 in England.
Pictures from this period show them in cool mod threads and even cooler haircuts.

’Sorrow’ was originally recorded by American group The McCoys (and written by The Strangeloves) but with a sort of folk rock arrangement. Their version was hidden away on a B-side. Thankfully, The Merseys rescued the song and transformed it into mod pop genius with a groovy hip and new sound adding brass. An earlier take (without brass) and featuring Jack Bruce and Jimmy Page remained unreleased until recently.

The flip ’Some Other Day’ is a Crane/Kinsley original and is more perfect mod pop. Both sides were produced by Kit Lambert.

”With your long blond hair and your eyes of blue,
The only thing I ever get from you is sorrow”

(23/09/10)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Small Faces over the years. All of the original Small Faces blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s music magazine ‘Music Parade’.

THE SMALL FACES – ”My Mind’s Eye” / ”I Can’t Dance With You” (Decca F.12500) November 1966

The Faces should have no trouble following up their number one hit ”All Or Nothing” with this lyrical, beaty and seasonal Steve Marriott – Plonk Lane composition. The story line is a deep well thought out comment – far more philosophical than ”Sha-La-La-La-Lee” ever was and Marriott handles it gently with the rest of the group zinging behind him.

A nice hymn based chant rides the song out finally on a Christmas-like note. The Faces are definitely aiming for a wider audience with this disc and full marks for their courage.

Flip ”I Can’t Dance With You” is a groovy hang up in the Billy Preston bag which should satisfy wilder fans.

UK Chart Position: 4

(27/05/17)

THE SMALL FACES – ”All Or Nothing” / ”Understanding” (Decca F.12470) August 1966

A powerful drum intro by Kenny Jones, then the Faces are off on a medium-paced, but still explosive entreaty for ”All Or Nothing”. Gone is the incredibly happy mood of their past two great hits, and the Faces are in soul searching groove, reaching into themselves, sparing neither vocal chords nor guitar and drumming ability. It’ll be another smash for Steve, Plonk, Mac and Kenny.
(Record Mirror review – August 1966)

”All Or Nothing” was played as the requiem at Steve Marriott’s funeral in 1991.

UK Chart Position: 1

(27/05/17)

THE SMALL FACES – ”Hey Girl” / ”Almost Grown” (Decca F.12393) May 1966

Up-tempo belter, with some great singing from Steve Marriott, perhaps the boys’ best yet. They get such a big instrumental sound, with concise beat going. Don’t worry about the lyrics concentrate on the catchiness, melodically. Flip is equally big sounding, good guitar, instrumental.
(Record Mirror review – May 1966)

Steve Marriott said in a radio interview with Brian Matthew for the Saturday Club Radio Show.
”Hey Girl” was written in a hotel room at six in the morning.”

UK Chart Position: 10

(27/05/17)

THE SMALL FACES – ”Sha-La-La-La-Lee” / ”Grow Your Own” (Decca F.12317) January 1966

The Small Faces third single went Top 3 during the early months of 1966. It was released late January. Written by Kenny Lynch, it’s a great little pop number with throwaway lyrics but with a memorable hook line and instant appeal. The record made them a household name, got them very popular with the girls and a teenybopper tag.

The B-Side is a raver – blissful Hammond organ mod instro.

UK Chart Position: 3

(25/05/17)

THE SMALL FACES – ”Whatcha Gonna Do About It” / ”What’s A Matter Baby” (Decca F.12208) August 1965

Debut disc raver from The Small Faces which delivered a knock-out mod punch on it’s way to reaching #14 in the UK Charts. ”Whatcha Gonna Do About It” is heavily inspired by Solomon Burke’s ”Everybody Needs Somebody To Love”. Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane had already come up with the melody but had no lyrics. These were provided by Ian Samwell who is best known for writing Cliff Richard’s big hit ”Move It”

The song features unmatched vocals from Marriott and hammond organ from original member Jimmy Winston who would leave to follow a solo career.
The other side ”What’s A Matter Baby” is a solid beat number with soulful vocals.

There are numerous versions of ”Whatcha Gonna Do About It” including 1967 takes by American groups The Litter and The Evil. Over in Sweden, The Best may have recorded the fastest version and The Tages the slowest. Seems to have been popular in Scandinavia as both The Hitmakers and Joe E Carter & the Group recorded it in Denmark.

Speaking of a really good version there is of course Tom Thumb from New Zealand (which was coupled by an even cooler You\’re Gonna Miss Me) and then there\’s a cool live performance by The Remo Four from Beat Club in Bremen.

UK Chart Position:14

(23/05/17)

THE SMALL FACES – ”Small Faces” LP (Decca LK 4790) May 1966

How did the Small Faces get their name?
Just one look at them is sufficient to see that they do indeed have small faces.

The Small Faces were formed in the East End of London, and within ten weeks of their formation had a SMASH hit with their record ”What’Cha Gonna Do About It”.

Even at this early stage in their career they were acclaimed as the most exciting group on the scene,
It took the Small Faces many months of hard work developing their own unique sound to produce this, their first LP.

The tracks on this album represent the Small Faces as they like to be heard.

Steve Marriott – lead guitar and vocals
Steve was born in Stepney. He first played ukulele, and then graduated to the guitar. He played a star part in ”Oliver” at the age of twelve, and then went on to play parts in films and on television.

Ronnie ”Plonk” Lane – bass guitar and vocals
Ronnie, or ”Plonk” as he is usually known, was born in Plaistow, East London. He started work in a fair-ground, and it was there that he took up the guitar.

Kenny Jones – drums
Kenny was born in Stepney. At the age of 14 he obtained a second hand drum kit and taught himself to play. He worked in a musical instrument shop until the Small Faces were formed.

Ian ”Mac” McLagan – organ, guitar and vocals
Ian was born in Hounslow. First of all, he played guitar with a semi-professional group, then switched to organ, and is now rated as one of the leading organists in the country.

(21/05/17)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about John Walker over the years. All of the original John Walker blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s music magazine ‘Rave’.

JOHN WALKER – ”If I Promise” / ”I See Love In You” (Philips BF 1612) October 1967

A sparkling disc from John Walker, which personally I prefer to his previous hit ”Annabella”. It’s a real blues-chaser, with a bouncy Latin-flecked rhythm, emphasised by a delicious rippling guitar figure, flute and tambourine. And there’s a fat, fruity brass section adding depth to the accompaniment.

A rip roaring slap happy song it receives a lively personality treatment from John, who goes up still further in my estimation as a result of this effort. Don’t think the song has got what it takes to make the No.1 spot or even 2 or 3…….. But it’s zest, polish and uninhibited gaiety are enough to make it a comfortable hit.
FLIP: A bluesy approach to this beat-ballad, enhanced by organ, pizzicato strings and solo guitar. Sung with sincerity and deep emotion. Appealing!
(NME review – 21/10/67)

It’s not often that I hear a song once and really flip over it, but that’s what happened to me with ”If I Promise”. Tom Jones was going to do this as a single a few months ago, but he was on his ballad kick at the time, and this is not a ballad. It was once recorded in the States by Jerry Reed, but I’ve given it a smoother kind of arrangement. Hope everyone likes it.
(John Walker – RAVE magazine – November 1967)

Another disappointment this week is John’s follow-up to ”Annabella” which I thought was pretty and liked. I don’t really think his voice is terribly suited to this light, fast material. He sounds vaguely uncomfortable throughout the record.
It has a lovely opening with warm guitar and a shuffling South American rhythm, and it does start off well, especially that very American trick of soft double tracking and gentle brass. But the chorus lets it down a bit. Maybe it’s one of those records that insinuates itself with you.
(Disc & Music Weekly review – 14/10/67)

Guitar intro and John sings rather subtly most of the way…nice sprightly tempo and a good song, featuring parts of duetting with himself. Every bit as strong as his original solo item and a cert for the charts. Nice arrangement too and backing.
FLIP: Self-penned and moody old love song. Very well performed.
(Record Mirror review – 21/10/67)

UK Chart Position: None

(07/10/17)

JOHN WALKER – ”Annabella” / ”You Don’t Understand Me” (Philips BF 1593) July 1967

It must have been very hard for John Maus late of Walker Brothers fame to decide what sort of song to choose as a first solo single, therefore congratulations all round because this is very nice and I like it. Which really surprised me in a funny way as people had said ”Oh it needs lots of plays and you won’t like it when you first hear it, but it will grow on you,” which is often what people say when they really mean it’s not a very good record.

Well, this is all breathless and the tune is very much like ”Sunny.” An odd little song about how he loves her and she mustn’t take any notice of the boy who’s after her, it all ends suspended in mid-air. I like listening to it and John’s voice has an uncertain charm which endears me to the record more.
(Penny Valentine review – Disc & Music Echo – July, 1967)

UK Chart Position: 24

(28/05/17)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Rolling Stones over the years. All of the original Rolling Stones blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s music magazine ‘Rave’.

THE ROLLING STONES – ”Their Satanic Majesties Request” (Decca TXS 103) December 1967

The material The Rolling Stones recorded for their psychedelic album ”Their Satanic Majesties Request” was cut between February to October 1967 and was the first to be produced by the Stones themselves after Andrew Loog-Oldham quit.

I bought my copy of the album in the late eighties and I must admit that I wasn’t that impressed by the package as a whole, probably because at the time I was mostly listening to mid sixties teen groups from America via the usual compilations. Over time, and with my tastes in music slightly changing, I’ve grown to really enjoy this long player from start to finish.

I’ve heard from fellow record collectors and read in various magazines that the album got panned by the critics at the time, even Jagger and Richards weren’t that keen on it. Recently though. ”Their Satanic Majesties Request” has seen something of a resurgence and reviews are more favourable.

Since I started buying vintage 1960s magazines and music weeklies seriously a few years ago I tend to focus on album and single reviews and all of the latter that I’ve read in Disc & Music Weekly, NME and Record Mirror have been very favourable so I’m a bit puzzled about who in fact these so called ’critics’ were?

UK Chart Position: 2

(06/09/17)

THE ROLLING STONES – ”2000 Light Years From Home” / ”She’s A Rainbow” (Decca 79.016) 1967

Today’s happenin’ blast of 1967 British psychedelia is this mellotron infused acid creation ”2,000 Light Years From Home” by the Stones. The lyrics were supposedly written by Mick while he was eating bowls of porridge inside Brixton Prison following his conviction for drug charges in June ’67.

The equally brilliant psych ballad ”She’s A Rainbow” on the other side, making this 45 a vinyl slab of nirvana.

”Have you seen her all in gold,
Like a queen in days of old?
She shoots colours all around
like a sunset going down.
Have you seen a lady fairer?”

This is my French copy. It was never released in Britain!

(10/05/16)

THE ROLLING STONES – ’Not Fade Away’/’Little By Little’ (Decca F11845) Feb 1964

Such was the fast moving and ever changing music industry in the 60s, the third Rolling Stones UK 45 was recorded and released in the very same month. An amazingly quick turnaround.

’Not Fade Away’ was another cover version. This time the band raided the Buddy Holly vaults for this rather pulsating Bo Diddley style harmonica and maraca shakin’ beat mover. According to the liners of ’The Rolling Stones – Singles Collection’ wig totin’ convicted murderer Phil Spector played maracas on both songs on this single. Gene Pitney played piano on the flip ’Little By Little’.

The single hit the Number 3 spot and a month later the debut LP was released but the Stones first tour of the States was months away and I hadn’t even been born yet!

(28/03/10)

THE ROLLING STONES – ’I Wanna Be Your Man’/’Stoned’ (Decca F.11764) Nov 1963

The follow up Rolling Stones single was a cover of ’I Wanna Be Your Man’ by The Beatles. Legend has it that Andrew Loog Oldham bumped into John Lennon and Paul McCartney in London who were rehearsing in the next street to where the Stones were busy in Kingsway Studios. Thirty minutes later John and Paul were singing ’I Wanna Be Your Man’ to The Stones, a song Paul McCartney had recently written for Ringo to sing.. The rest is history as they say.

The Stones recorded it for their next 45 and it did better than ’Come On’, reaching Number 12.

The flip is a moody R&B quasi-instrumental where Jagger talks over the music. A very unusual recording for ’63. The songwriting credit is ’Nanker, Phelge’ – the nom de plume for Rolling Stones songs when all band members shared equal input.

(27/03/10)

THE ROLLING STONES – ’Come On’/’I Want To Be Loved’ (Decca F.11675) June 1963

The very first Rolling Stones 45 coupled together a Chuck Berry song (’Come On’) and a Willie Dixon effort (’I Want To Be Loved’) – both sides were recorded in May ’63 at Olympic Studios, London and produced by Impact Sound. The latter was Andrew Loog Oldham and Eric Easton’s production Company.

The Stones had been together for about year before this studio date although Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts hadn’t been part of the original line-up since the formation. At this stage I’m not sure if Jagger and Richards had any of their own songs, ’Tell Me’ was their first and that had to wait until January 1964 to be recorded.

’Come On’ was the A-Side and is standard R&B fair with some neat harmonica by Jagger or Jones? The harp playing on both songs on this 45 is great..

I dig the flip ’I Want To Be Loved’ more than the top side.

From some sources I’ve read the single didn’t get that big a push but sales were brisk and the record eventually reached number 21.

(26/03/10)

THE ROLLING STONES – ’Money’ (Decca DFE 8560) Jan 1964

It’s been a while since I posted anything about The Rolling Stones on my blog and seeing as though I’ve got some spare time on my hands while ’Er Indoors’ makes my tea, I’m gonna write about Brian’s band.

This was The Rolling Stones first ever EP, and was released in January 1964, although the music on offer was recorded in June and November 1963. At this point in their career the band were very much an unknown quantity outside England and Brian Jones still called the shots on the choice of material to record.

Every song on this disc is a cover version and the sounds are rough around the edges. The English beat kids lapped up the release of course sending it to the Number 1 spot, prompting Decca to unleash The Stones debut LP that followed in April 1964.

The back of the cover sleeve has some uncredited liners giving a brief description of the band, when they formed, influences etc.

”Their approach to their music is far closer to the brash, hard-driving Chicago style rhythm and blues than the majority of the groups currently riding the beat wagon, and it is probably this refusal to compromise their music to match the ’current sound’ that has gained them their legions of fans”

(25/03/10)

THE ROLLING STONES – ’Get Off Of My Cloud’ / ’The Singer Not The Song’ (Decca F.12263) Oct 1965

Great 45 to follow up the massive world wide hit ’Satisfaction’ – It was recorded on the 6th and 7th of September 1965 and released as a single in the UK on the 22nd October. How’s that for a quick turnaround? I’m assuming The Rolling Stones were touring the USA at the time of recording because they used RCA Studios in Hollywood.

According to Mick Jagger he wrote the lyrics for ’Get Off Of My Cloud’ and Keith Richard came up with the melody. Jagger’s vocals are particularly impressive on the song and pretty much every US garage front man was influenced by either his singing style or to a lesser extent (thankfully) his daft dancing in the glory years that followed.

(08/07/08)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Mindbenders over the years. All of the original Mindbenders blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s music weekly ‘Record Mirror’.

THE MINDBENDERS – ”The Letter” / ”My New Day And Age” (Fontana TF 869) September 1967

A cover version of a current U.S. hit, this is the Mindbenders’ most commercial single for some time. It’s an upbeat swinger that bounds along with fire and enthusiasm, but still manages to incorporate a catchy tune and a cute lyric.

Their version is polished and immaculately handled, with crisp brass, lush strings and pleasing harmonies.

FLIP: The boys pump out an absolute thundering beat on this track. Not a great deal of melody, but plenty of interest in the lyric and the backing cellos.
(NME review – 09/09/67)

Cover of an American hit and the clean-cut sound of the boys should see it into the charts. Strings behind, and a strong beat….and the harmonies are clean and straight forward. Song may not prove as big as I think it will, but certainly the Mindbenders should make the charts. FLIP: Rather brash instrumental opening and fair enough material.
(Record Mirror review – 09/09/67)

This was a big hit in the States for an American group recently. From what I can remember of that recording I rather prefer this which really deserves to give the Mindbenders their long awaited hit.
It’s a rather simple tune with simple words about how he’s just got a letter from his baby and he’s going home. Good for him. The best production job the group have ever had.
(Disc & Music Weekly review – 09/09/67)

UK Chart Position: 42

(17/09/17)

THE MINDBENDERS – ”Schoolgirl” / ”Coming Back” (Fontana TF 877) November 1967

Everyone will know The Mindbenders hit ”A Groovy Kind Of Love” but few will realise that afterwards their singles got progressively wigged-out, including this no hit wonder ”Schoolgirl” from late 1967.

I doubt many would have even heard the record never mind bought it, because as was usually the case, the squaresville BBC banned ”Schoolgirl” for it’s lyrical content about teenage sex and pregnancy. Perhaps this is why The Hollies version, recorded during February 1967 was never released at the time. They would have known that being regarded as a pop group, under-age sex was always gonna be a difficult concept to sell on a record. The Standells also recorded a version!

Regardless of all of the idiotic notions ”Schoolgirl” is a memorable song, written by hit-maker Graham Gouldman, who also produced both sides of the disc. Gouldman would become a full time member of The Mindbenders in 1968.

For reasons unknown to me, The Mindbenders re-recorded ”Schoolgirl” for this single release. They recorded it earlier in the year and that version can be heard on their ”With Woman In Mind” album released during April 1967. This single cut has wah-wah guitar and strings and is perhaps a little more psychedelic.

The B-Side ”Coming Back” is also great inventive pop psych featuring not one but three fade-outs and is non-album and very obscure.

Promotional singles sent to Radio Stations and the music press featured a glossy fold out picture sleeve showing a blond go-go girl wearing a school uniform.

(13/08/16)

WAYNE FONTANA AND THE MINDBENDERS – ’She’s Got The Power’ (Fontana TE 17449) 1965

This beat band were from Manchester and after a couple of hit singles split in two with Wayne Fontana going solo and The Mindbenders continuing as a three piece.

The big world wide hit was ’Game Of Love’ which is the opener on this EP but for I’ll go for the obscure flip ’She’s Got The Power’ to highlight here. This EP was the only place to hear this song because it did not feature on any UK album or single release at the time. This song may well be as ’beaty’ as they ever got!

(02/04/10)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Yardbirds over the years. All of the original Yardbirds blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used images scanned from ’60s music weekly ‘Record Mirror’.

THE YARDBIRDS – ”Glimpses” (Epic BN 26313) July 1967

It’s always been a mystery to me why EMI decided not to release the album ”Little Games” by The Yardbirds. I have read that it was a likely move because recent singles had all flopped and their popularity in Britain was ebbing away. This explanation seems a little harsh and ultimately British fans were oblivious to some quite brilliant and awe inspiring moments like ”Glimpses”.

With this number The Yardbirds attain some serious third-eye territory with a mesmerizing mind-blower. Listen out for way-out guitar, effects, sitar, other worldly recitation and all meshed together with a psychedelic gregorian chant.

”Energy radiates from the source
The life around us is but a reflection of our own.”

(12/03/18)

THE YARDBIRDS – ”Five Live Yardbirds” (Columbia 33SX 1677) December 1964

the Yardbirds ravin’ R&B set from 1964.
Record nerd information:
First pressing, Blue/Black label, flipback sleeve….Columbia 33SX 1677…£250 in Mint nowadays.

I bought this last year for £50. It’s in EX condition, no crackle, plays great and sounds wild. Top mono copy. This was The Yardbirds debut album, a record of a Marquee gig taped in mid March 1964 while Eric Clapton was still in the group. It contains many R&B standards, played in an atmosphere of raw excitement.

(06/09/17)

THE YARDBIRDS – ’Little Games’/’Puzzles’ (Columbia DB 8165) April 1967

The first fruits of the Mickie Most liaison with The Yardbirds came with this single from 1967 that failed to chart. As a consequence it’s probably their most difficult UK release to find. Also it should be noted that the group had lost Jeff Beck at this point in time and were now a four piece.

’Little Games’ appears to get more acclaim and it does have some interesting swinging London lyrics:

”Parties in Chelsea flats
Mixing with kinky cats.”

I much prefer the psych rock charged flip ’Puzzles’ complete with some killer Page guitar flashes and an excellent vocal performance by Keith Relf.

Despite ’Little Games’ having a commercial pop appeal and the group still having obvious potential to create much more experimental pop music it sadly turned out to be The Yardbirds final UK release.

’Sweet Josephine’/’Think About It’ was scheduled as a single and acetates were manufactured. Columbia even gave it a serial number of DB 8368 but for whatever reason this proposed 45 was shelved in Britain although it did appear in other countries around the world.

(20/07/12)

THE YARDBIRDS – ’Happenings Ten Years Time Ago’/’Psycho Daisies’ (Columbia DB 8024) October 1966

The Yardbirds had gone from a blueswailing R&B outfit to a full blown psychedelic guitar rock band in the space of two years. It helped of course that they were able to draw on the talents of twin lead guitarists Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, the latter having recently joined the ranks.

This particular line-up of The Yardbirds was short lived and only a handful of recordings exist apart from these two ’66 pearls of psych. ’Happenings Ten Years Time Ago’ didn’t go down too well with the kids and it failed to crack the top 40, which in those days was a disaster.

Underneath the loud duelling guitars listen out for the spoken lines that apparently were said to Beck by a Doctor at a VD clinic in Hammersmith,

”Pop group are yer? Why yer gotta wear long hair?

I’ve read elsewhere that John Paul Jones played bass guitar on this track.

I find the flip ’Psycho Daisies’ just as intense. It’s a fast paced psych rocker with a mention of Hollywood glamour girl Mary Hughes. English psych group Apple covered this one, you’ll find it on their album ’An Apple A Day.’

(20/07/12)

THE YARDBIRDS – ’Over Under Sideways Down’/’Jeff’s Boogie’ (Columbia DB 7928) May 1966

The Yardbirds hit the top 10 once again with the self penned ’Over Under Sideways Down’ which is a bit of a throwback to their earlier R&B movers but of course the Jeff Beck raga tinged guitar sound makes it very much a ’66 swinger.

The flip ’Jeff’s Boogie’ is indeed another blues instro shuffler and somewhat of a calming influence after the psych beat of the other side.

Soon after the release of this 45 original bass player Paul Samwell-Smith left The Yardbirds to concentrate on production and was very successful of course with the early records by Cat Stevens. He was replaced by long time friend of the band Jimmy Page initially on bass guitar but soon after switched with Chris Dreja enabling him to become the second lead guitarist alongside Jeff Beck.

(19/07/12)

THE YARDBIRDS – ’Shapes Of Things’/’You’re A Better Man Than I’ (Columbia DB 7848) March 1966

According to Record Collector both sides of this incredible single were recorded at Studios in USA whilst the band were on tour there in late 1965. Sun and Chess studios were mentioned. At the same time they cut versions of ’The Train Kept A Rollin’ and ’I’m A Man’

’Shapes of Things’ became The Yardbirds fourth Top 3 single in a row. Listen out for an amazing Jeff Beck psychedelic guitar break. Remember that this song was recorded in late 1965 – The Yardbirds were so far ahead of the game it’s mind boggling really.

The flip ’You’re A Better Man Than I’ is commercial enough to have been the top side. Indeed this Mike Hugg song was covered by many American garage and psych groups in the mid 60s.

(18/07/12)

THE YARDBIRDS – ’Evil Hearted You’/’Still I’m Sad’ (Columbia DB 7706) October 1965

’Still I’m Sad’ has always been a firm favourite. With it’s introspective lyrics and dark moodiness over a constant and rather mysterious gregorian chant, The Yardbirds created a piece of work ahead of it’s time.

The eastern rhythms and chants are very experimental so say the least which gives ’Still I’m Sad’ a wondrous psychedelic feel. It’s astonishing to think that the song was recorded in mid ’65.

The top side and superlative ’Evil Hearted You’ was a big hit in England, reaching #3 but it’s the overlooked minor key greatness of the flip that finds it’s rightful place on my site.

(18/07/12)

THE YARDBIRDS – ’Heart Full Of Soul’/’Steeled Blues’ (Columbia DB 7594) June 1965

Another example proving that The Yardbirds were somewhat ahead of their time was their next single release, the Graham Gouldman penned classic ’Heart Full Of Soul’ in June 1965. It’s one of the earliest examples of Eastern music being mixed with the rock format.

The Yardbirds recorded a version of this using a sitar but the results were deemed not good enough for commercial release. Instead, Jeff Beck used a fuzz box with his guitar to recreate the exotic sounds. It still sounds psychedelic to me though.

The flip ’Steeled Blues’ is a blues instro by Jeff Beck with Keith Relf’s harmonica bursts.

(18/07/12)

THE YARDBIRDS – ’For Your Love’/’Got To Hurry’ (Columbia DB 7499) March 1965

This was the breakthrough hit that The Yardbirds needed but it came at a cost with Eric Clapton leaving the group soon afterwards. He wanted to play R&B but the rest of The Yardbirds wanted to experiment with different sounds.

’For Your Love’ is certainly different and experimental. The use of harpsichord, played by Brian Auger was a perfect choice as it transforms the song into a genre that over time would be known as baroque pop. The bongos were played by session man Denny Piercey.

Jim McCarty’s drum beats lifts the band into a rock groove.

’For Your Love’ was written by Graham Gouldman who would become famous as a member of 10cc in the 70s. Curiously, the label states Gould. Could have been a spelling error I suppose.

The flip ’Got To Hurry’ was a group original and a vehicle for Eric Clapton’s blues guitar skills. It is believed that it was his performance on this instrumental that got him the job as new lead guitarist with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.

(17/07/12)

THE YARDBIRDS – ’Good Morning Little Schoolgirl’/’I Ain’t Got You’ (Columbia DB 7391) October 1964

The second single by The Yardbirds stalled just outside the top 40 and like their debut is quite difficult to find. Both songs have got the English R&B template that was very popular at the time but without a hit The Yardbirds would struggle to expand their horizons outside of the London area.

’Good Morning Little Schoolgirl’ is notable for a killer Eric Clapton guitar break that elevates the song above average. The flip ’I Ain’t Got You’ is a bluesy shuffle with another classy guitar break and harmonica by (presumably) Keith Relf.

I have scanned the pictures of The Yardbirds from my Teenbeat annual. I’ve never seen these pics anywhere else before. The old fashioned road lights being a relic of history. It’s funny seeing someone as serious as Eric Clapton holding one up with a smirk on his face.

(17/07/12)

THE YARDBIRDS – ’A Certain Girl’/’I Wish You Would’ (Columbia DB 7283) May 1964

The debut Yardbirds single was released six months before I was born. Both sides are choice R&B covers. Note that the label simply lists the group as Yardbirds…

Incidentally, the group got their name from some beat poetry by Jack Kerouac. Keith Relf liked the word ’yardbird’ Kerouac used to describe hobo’s who bummed lifts on trains across the States from old rail yards. Both songs were recorded during the first time The Yardbirds were inside a professional recording studio at Olympic Studios, near Baker Street in London.

(16/07/12)

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about The Byrds over the years. All of the original Byrds blog posts on my old website have since been deleted so no label scans or picture sleeves are available. Instead, I’ve used a splendid colour Byrds poster from ’60s music magazine ‘Muziek Expres’.

THE BYRDS – ’Wait And See’ (Columbia 9254) 1965

Continuing my folk rock entries this past week or so are the legendary Byrds. This song was recorded in October ’65 and is credited to McGuinn/Crosby, although Roger sings lead vocals.

’Wait And See’ was included on Side 2 of the album ’Turn Turn Turn’. It’s not a song that gets any exposure on Byrds ’Best ‘Of’ compilations but I dig it all the same. Magical 12 string jangle makes this tune a winner.

(26/06/08)

THE BYRDS – ’Mr Tambourine Man’ LP (CBS BPG 62571) August 1965

It’s been almost two years since I wrote about The Byrds on ’Flower Bomb Songs’ which is quite a long time not to mention my favourite group of all time. I recently remastered my original mono copy of their debut album on CBS. The sleeve is thick, folded and laminated. They just don’t or can’t manufacture record sleeves like they did in the 60s. Accept no substitute!

Leader McGuinn says:

”What I’m doing now is a continuation of my love for music. Superficially, the form may have changed slightly, but the essence is the same. In other words, the harmonies-fourths, fifths-are the same, as well as the kinds of rhythms that are used and the chord changes.

The instrumentation is changing somewhat to meet the nuclear expansion and the jet age. I used to like folk music, just straight folk music without electric guitar, drums and bass. I think that although the folk instruments are changing, it’s still folk music. Actually, you can call it whatever you like.”

Besides ’Mr Tambourine Man’, the other Dylan tunes they do are ’All I Really Want To Do’, ’Chimes Of Freedom’ and ’Spanish Harlem Incident’. Lately, when they do ’Chimes’ in a club, McGuinn announces ”We’d like to dedicate this next song to Donovan.”

’We’ll Meet Again’ they dedicate to Peter Sellers, Slim Pickens and Stanley Kubrick. ’The Bells Of Rhymney’ is dedicated to Pete Seeger. Initially, you get a great shock hearing this song about a Welsh mine disaster being sung this way, as you watch a few dozen people doing the twistfrugwatusijerk and the endless nameless variations. But as soon as you see how right it is you see the words become the thoughts of people who would never have heard those words from any other source.

Jackie De Shannon wrote ’Don’t Doubt Yourself, Babe’. Tunes on the album written by Gene Clark: ’I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better’, ’Here Without You’, ’I Knew I’d Want You’ and in collaboration with Jim McGuinn: ’You Won’t Have To Cry’ and ’It’s No Use’.

(15/09/13)

The Byrds – ‘All I Really Want To Do’ / ‘Feel A Whole Lot Better’ (CBS 201796) 1965

Not much more can be said about The Byrds right? After all they were perhaps America’s finest ever group during 1965 to 1967.

Their early 45s are timeless classics and do not sound dated at all. Every year there seems to be a band emerge on the scene with the jangly guitar, mop tops and Byrds swagger.

The 45 pictured is the mono UK release on CBS and boy does it play loud. In those days they really knew how to master records to vinyl!
’All I Really Want To Do’ was the top side of the record and was of course the follow up to ’Mr Tambourine Man’.

Sales were disappointing and the record stumbled into the top half of the thirties in the UK charts.
It’s a shame because it’s a cool cover of Dylan’s song. Maybe the bad press on the English tour halted it’s progress up the charts.

Flip the record over and you get Gene Clark’s masterpiece. What a killer performance ’Feel A Whole Lot Better’ is. Well, I guess you all know that anyway. This could possibly be my most played 45 of all time.

(17/03/07)

THE BYRDS – ’Mr Tambourine Man’ /’I Knew I’d Want You’ (CBS 1.922) 1965

The Byrds seminal debut record introduced folk rock as a musical genre to not only the Sunset Strip but to the world, as seen by this Dutch release in a smart picture sleeve. The promo shot of The Byrds used for the cover was taken on the same cold rainy day as the pic of the band below.

It’s one of the rare Byrds pics in which David Crosby is not wearing that awful green cape thing.
Anyway back to the songs on the disc. ’Mr Tambourine Man’, as everyone knows started the whole ball rolling for my favourite band but flip the 45 over to listen to a rather cool Gene Clark original.
’I Knew I’d Want To’ displays the trademark 12 string jangle and perfect harmonies.

Only Roger McGuinn from the band played on both tracks. All other instruments were handled by session men Jerry Cole (rhythm guitar), Larry Knetchel (bass), Leon Russell (electric piano) and Hal Blaine (drums).

Recordings took place in January 1965 with a release in the USA on April 12, 1965 – a wondrous moment in the history of music.

Comments:

I’m kind of at the stage where I rarely listen to Mr Tambourine Man now, because being a longtime Byrds fan I’ve heard it rather a few times. It is remarkable though. I Knew I’d Want You is completely fab, those harmonies are indeed pretty amazing. I think Crosby bought the cape after the success of Tambourine Man.

Someone (maybe Cass Elliot?) commented that it was really expensive and everyone was super-impressed, so he probably wanted to get some wear out of it, hence sporting it on not one but two album covers. Once he got past the cape phase though, he had some excellent fashion moments; the Montery Pop hats for instance.

Not that I mind the cape-look, per se, but he probably had a lot more to give, fashion-wise, before he settled on the familiar Crosby-look for the next four decades. Anyway, yes, a wondrous musical moment!

(27/09/08)

THE BYRDS – ’The Times They Are A’Changin’ (CBS EP 6069) Feb 1966

As my blog registers it’s 100,000 hit (not bad for a site linked virtually nowhere) and as we enter a new month and another Spring, I’ve decided to go all Byrds crazy and post nothing but Byrds until April is out.

This four song EP was released in England mid February 1966, although The Byrds recorded the highlighted song ’It’s No Use’ way back on the 14th April, 1965 (that’s 44 years ago! How scary is that!)

’It’s No Use’ is a Gene Clark/Roger McGuinn composition and perfectly encapsulates a Merseybeat/Sunset Strip musical miasma that my heroes were the masters at. PERFECTION.

(02/04/09)

THE BYRDS – ’Eight Miles High’ (CBS EP 6077) Oct 1966

The second Byrds EP released in Britain was just after the album ’Fifth Dimension’. This EP rounded up the previous hit singles in one neat package.

The pic sleeve is a lovely op art affair and uses an early photo of The Byrds. Indeed it was from the same photo shoot in a Los Angeles park where the fish-eye lens was used to such marvellous effect.

The only difference from this Byrds picture from the one used for the previous EP was that David Crosby and Chris Hillman had changed positions!

(04/04/09)

THE BYRDS – ’Turn Turn Turn’ / ’She Don’t Care About Time’ (CBS 1.897) 1965

By now The Byrds were well and truely Global Superstars and all European singles seemed to come housed in a picture sleeve. This release of ’Turn Turn Turn’ was the Dutch issue, probably sometime in October, 1965.

’She Don’t Care About Time’ was recorded in August, ’65 and is one of Gene Clark’s most reflective songs.

(06/04/09)

THE BYRDS – ’My Back Pages’ / ’It Happens Each Day’ (Cancelled Flytes Box)

I don’t know if any of the Sundazed Byrds box of singles called ’Cancelled Flytes’ are still for sale but if you ever see one my advice would be to purchase. The box was released in 2004 and brings together proposed Byrds songs that were produced in the studio by Terry Melcher, Alan Stanton or Gary Usher but for one reason or another each track would languish in the Columbia Records vaults for years and in some cases decades.

’It Happens Each Day’ is a David Crosby trip, recorded on the 7th December, 1966. It was left off the album ’Younger Than Yesterday’ in favour of lesser tracks IMO and was then slated for a possible B-Side to ’So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star’. But it was amazingly never issued at all until the late 80s on ’Never Before’.

No wonder Crosby would flip out at the way his songs were treated. This stress may have resulted in his rigorous walrus tash growth in the years that followed ’66.

(10/04/09)

THE BYRDS – ’Eight Miles High’ / ’Why’ (Columbia 4-43578) March 1966

Both songs on this 45 were recorded in January 1966 and go a long way in showing that The Byrds were innovators and probably the most important band in America.

The flip ’Why’ is a co-written song by McGuinn/Crosby and would have been good enough to be issued as a single in it’s own right. An earlier take of ’Why’ was recorded in December 1965 at RCA studios but this version was shelved and unavailable until the ’Never Before’ release in the late 80s.

The song was recorded a third time for inclusion on the album ’Younger Than Yesterday’. This album version is a lot tamer than the 45 recording.

(11/04/09)

THE BYRDS – ’I Wasn’t Born To Follow’ / ’Child Of The Universe’ (CBS 4572) Sept 1969

The first time I heard the song ’I Wasn’t Born To Follow’ was while watching the counter-culture film ’Easy Rider’. To say this tune blew my mind is an understatement. The prominent phazing in particular was a revelation to me.

It took me a long and hard search to track the song down but I eventually found it on the ’Notorious Byrd Brothers’ album. Remember this was the early 80s before any Byrds material had been re-issued and CDs where years away and Byrds information was at a premium.

The flip on the UK release is ’Child Of The Universe’ and again this song was featured on a film, this time ’Candy’. I’ve still not seen this movie but have the soundtrack LP.
Anyway, for Byrds completists this UK 45 is worth tracking down because the USA release went for ’Ballad Of Easy Rider’ instead.

(12/04/09)

THE BYRDS – ’It Won’t Be Wrong’ (CBS EP 5668) 1965

Four song EP released in France in ’65 just as The Byrds were starting to make an impression in Europe, despite lukewarm gigs in England. The songs on this EP are hardly essential but the cover makes up for this.

It’s a rare moment indeed to have David Crosby pictured without that horrible green cape, McGuinn is holding a rifle for some reason and Gene Clark is grinning like a Cheshire cat. Or should I say gurning. Maybe he’s just been told he’ll not need to board a plane for the next fortnight or something?

McGuinn’s original ’It Won’t Be Wrong’ is the pick of the bunch.

(13/04/09)

THE BYRDS – ’Don’t Doubt Yourself, Babe (CBS EP 6251) 1965

Neat four song EP released in France in late ’65 showing The Byrds in all their folk rock glory (ie) tight Levi jeans, beatle boots and bowl haircuts.

I’ve always had a liking for the ’Mr Tambourine Man’ LP cut ’Don’t Doubt Yourself, Babe’ written by Jackie DeShannon. According to Byrds Manager Jim Dickson this song was covered as a thank you to her because she was one of the very first professional songwriters to risk credibility by saying The Byrds were great and helped the band to get work.

It’s also one of the first Byrds recordings from April, 1965.

(19/04/09)

THE BYRDS – ’You Ain’t Going Nowhere’ / ’Artificial Energy’ (CBS 3411) 1968

Continuing my month long Byrds feature brings me to a song recorded in December 1967 but not released until April ’68 as both a single B-Side and the lead off track on the album ’The Notorious Byrd Brothers’.

’Artificial Energy’ is a song about speed and is notable for the phased brass and distorted vocals. Chartwise it flopped and McGuinn (according to the CD liners of ’Notorious’) didn’t rate the song very highly, especially the vocals.

It’s certainly one of the strangest Byrds recordings in their repertoire and a sound they never touched on again.

The sleeve pictured is the cover of the 45 released in The Netherlands.

(25/04/09)

THE JET SET – The Reason Why (Columbia KC 32183) 1973

Before The Byrds became The Byrds they had rehearsed and recorded demos at World Pacific studios as The Jet Set. This would have been sometime in late 1964.

Eventually these rehearsal tapes were released as ’Preflyte’ in 1969, then reissued four years later.

Any Byrds fan needs to hear these ’work in progress’ recordings especially for the many Gene Clark jewels. All of these performances sound like young teenagers mixing folk with beat and coming up with a sound that would dominate Los Angeles for the next couple of years.

(26/04/09)

THE BYRDS – Turn! Turn! Turn! LP (Columbia CL 2454) December 1965

Well, here it is. And about time, too.
Didn’t our old grannies wag their wise and withered heads and tell us that good things are worth waiting for?

This album was as long in the making as a President. But, as Jim McGuinn trusted it would, everything’s worked out all right. Personally, I think it’s a beautiful piece of work, and maybe The Byrds were right to linger over it. After all, a great album is to the 1960s what a piece of sculpture was to the Middle Ages. Isn’t it?

The Byrds think it should be, and I agree with them because I agree with them on most things. So do The Beatles, by the way. Two of the Fab Four came to the recording sessions at Columbia’s Hollywood studios when they could have been sprawling beside their Bel Air pool gazing at Joan Baez. Some choice.

Anyway, down from the hills rode George and Paul because they’d liked The Byrds’ ”Mr Tambourine Man,” and they know that a record like that doesn’t happen by accident, (”Ho,” John had said, ”The Byrds have something.” and the others nodded.) So there they were, At Columbia – bachelor Beatle two-some, denims and fringes and so much experience, heads bent up to pick up the sound-subtleties of the Los Angeles Byrds, whom The Beatles publicly named as their fave rave American group.

(17/01/15)

THE BYRDS – ”Younger Than Yesterday” LP (Columbia CL 2642) February 1967

”Thoughts And Words” is arguably Chris Hillman’s finest solo composition and I would even say that (in my opinion) it is a sonic art masterpiece. The melody and harmonies are wondrous then there are those interludes of eerie sitar-like sounds of backwards guitars. Sublime.

recorded: 6th December 1966

(13/02/15)

THE BYRDS – ”Fifth Dimension” LP (Columbia CL 2549) July 1966

The Byrds’ first instrumental “Captain Soul” emerged during a break between recording sessions when they were riffing on Lee Dorsey’s ”Get Out Of My Life Woman”.

recorded: 18th May, 1966

(14/02/15)

THE BYRDS – ”She Has A Way” (Murray Hill Records MH-70318) 1987

It seems a very long time ago since I wrote about The Byrds on my blog so that’s about to change today. Last week I bought ”Never Before” for the third time. I bought a vinyl copy in 1987 followed by the CD version a few years later when they were all the rage.

Foolishly sold my vinyl copy in the 90s and suffered BAD Byrds karma ever since – so bought another LP and now I feel so cleansed and refreshed. Back in the late 80s it was a revelation hearing previously unheard Byrds music from 1965/67. This was all pre-Sundazed of course and their constant re-issues etc.

I couldn’t believe just how killer ”It Happens Each Day”, ”She Has A Way” ”It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” ”Triad” – true stereo ”Mr Tambourine Man” earlier version of ”Eight Miles High”
The booklet is fab too, lots of pics.

I’ll focus on the sublime ”She Has A Way” – Like a number of songs from the ’Preflyte’ album of 1964 Byrds demos, this Gene Clark composition was re-cut for Columbia for inclusion on the ’Mr Tambourine Man’ album. It was left off to make room for outside material (see Dylan, DeShannon, Seeger).

(30/11/15)

THE BYRDS – ”Goin’ Back” / ”Change Is Now” (CBS 5300) 1977

I started day dreaming at work today and my thoughts drifted to the music of the Byrds. They’re my favourite group of all time you see. Only the Beatles and Love are at the same level. BUT that’s just my opinion of course. Anyway, I longed to play ”Change Is Now” when I got home and back to my beloved Technics SL-1200G

This song is a fine example of their magic. Moving through a country chorus it becomes a droning masterpiece with a way-out acid lift off to third eye territory with mystical mind explosions, backwards guitar, pumping bass, the harmonies, psychedelic bewilderment.

I was sure I had an original UK release on CBS but it’s gone! Or I never had it – that is the trouble when you’ve got an archive of about 8,000+ 45s!!! Hard to keep up with my collection. I only have this 1977 stereo re-press with ”Goin’ Back” as the plug side. Must change that soon with an original MONO copy

The Byrds are a creative zenith. They sit on thrones above the celestial sphere.

Four days after realizing that I did not have a ”Lady Friend” / ”Change Is Now” CBS mono 45 a copy arrived @ EXPO67 HQ this morning. I found this online at a record shop in Plymouth. Looks and plays GREAT. Sound is loud and dynamic. You just can’t beat 1960s mono 45s.

”Truth is real, truth is real
That which is not real does not exist.”

(13/10/17)

This Screaming Lord Sutch album has been in my ‘to play’ box for almost a year and was bought on a whim.

I’d previously read that it wasn’t much cop but I prefer to make my own mind up, so dug deep into my pocket for the £25 asking price. It had a sticker on the plastic album cover marked £7 off and also includes a CD copy of the album. The initials RSD 2019 were also visible.

I don’t take much notice of Record Store Day releases so didn’t know one way or the other if indeed this had been a special release. The label is Lilith. I hadn’t heard of them.

Today, I did some research on the LP and have found out that Lilith are a Russian re-issue label who specialise in 180 gram HQ vinyl albums. I don’t think we’ll ever hear much from them again considering Russia are destroying many Cities in the Ukraine, just because they can!

Recorded in Hollywood and London during May 1969, the tracks on offer here from Lord Sutch are as expected with luminaries Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Noel Redding and others at the helm . . . late ’60s heavy rock based on the blues.

The songs come in at around the three minute mark, which is a bonus – no snoozeville progressive numbers going on for a week and a day.

The big problem though is that the songs are nothing to write home about and Lord Sutch’s vocal prowess is limited and not suited to heavy rock. He’s certainly no Ozzy or Ian Gillan. Those two would have easily transformed these very basic Troggs-like rockers into something memorable.

So, in hindsight, I paid over-the-top for a sub-standard record. The musicianship is heavy and cool but the macho-man vocals are a destructive force, in a bad way.

The pounding ‘Purple Haze’ rip-off track ‘Smoke And Fire’ is probably the the best cut on the album with ‘Flashing Lights’ a close second. Other than those two though this is background music to annoy your neighbours and the street cats.

Screaming Lord Sutch should have just remained in his Union Jack painted Rolls Royce and driven around England until the petrol tank ran dry. He could then have left the motor where it stopped, and swanked about the nearest village wearing his fetching Regency psychedelic clothing. It would have been much more entertaining.

THE SMOKE RINGS – ’Love’s The Thing’/’She Gives Me Love’ (Prospect 101) 1966

The Romancers were a very popular East Los Angeles group playing mostly soul and pop music. From the material I’ve heard by them they didn’t really ’pound’ too much, apart from this garage rocker titled ’Love’s The Thing’ written by the Uballez brothers.

The Romancers disc was released on Linda Records during September 1965 but curiously it was re-released on Prospect Records with a name change to The Smoke Rings. The disc also got distributed on Dot.

The flip ’She Gives Me Love’ has their usual soul pop overtones.
But it’s the killer ’Love’s The Thing’ that gets in my L.A. Sounds, Select 50 and quite rightly so.

HIS MAJESTY’S COACHMEN – ’I Don’t Want To See You’/’Where Are You Bound’ (Gemini G-1004) Aug 1966

This combo, reportedly from Los Angeles, are a complete mystery to me. They’ve rarely had anything written about them and Fuzz, Acid And Flowers even failed to mention His Majesty’s Coachmen.

’I Don’t Want To See You’ is a jangle pop delight and brings to my mind The Dovers. The flip ’Where Are You Bound’ is more jangle sweetness but this time with organ and vocal harmonies. According to Teenbeat Mayhem this 45 was released August 1967 but the record is highlighted as ’a hit bound sound’ on this radio sheet from August 1966.

Both sides were written by Dennis Tracy and produced by Dick Shepp at Columbia Studio in L.A.

ARSA has this song charting for one week in Santa Barbara (KIST) in August 1966. Maybe they ploughed the same fields, so to speak, as The Dovers!

THE ASSOCIATION – ’Pandora’s Golden Heebie Jeebies’/’Standing Still’ (Valiant V-755) Nov 1966

The Association were virtually unknown in England during the 60s only denting the charts once with ’Time For Living’ (it reached number 23) and that was in May 1968. In other words none of their American sunshine pop hits such as ’Windy’ or ’Cherish’ got noticed.

The ethereal, eastern tinged ’Pandora’s Golden Heebie Jeebies’ was a risky choice for a 45 to follow ’Cherish’, being about as far out as The Association ever got. I happen to love this song as well as The Association so would never do an ’L.A. selected 50’ without them being in it.

Pandora’s was recorded at Western Recorders, Hollywood but the flip ’Standing Still’ (and the more likely tune with hit potential) was taken from the album ’And Then…Along Comes Mary’ from July 1966.

According to the liners from the Warners/Rhino double Anthology CD set, writer and singer Gary Alexander is quoted:

”Contrary to previous reports, Pandora’s Golden Heebie Jeebies was not about the Sunset Strip night club Pandora’s Box, but rather about Eastern spirituality that fascinated me at the time.”

Shortly after the single flopped Gary Alexander quit The Association and went to India to meditate and smoke banana skins. He returned with a new name…Jules Alexander Heavy. ha ha ha….it could only happen in the 60s!!!

Comments:

I had the pleasure of seeing the Association live a couple of years ago (and the smaller pleasure of the Lettermen on the same bill, and the even smaller still pleasure of Gary Puckett), and when I was having Russ Giguere sign my passport (I did not have anything useful for him to sign, and he said he would sign anything)

I asked him when the last time they had played Pandora’s Golden Heebie Jeebies live was. He seemed intrigued by the question, looked over to Jim Yester, they both stared at each other for a second or two, and he confidently responded ”about a million years ago.” So, there you have it. This song has not been played live since before the dawn of human history.

Lovely to run across this thread! I was in my late teens living in California during The Association’s brief but intense peak of creativity (i.e., their first two LPs). They were shunned by the hippies (as were the Beach Boys, their only rivals in the vocal harmony department).

That was the hippies’ loss. … I saw The Association play live twice — at the Monterey Pop Festival and at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, Ca., both in 1967. They were fine musicians, despite the role of ”The Wrecking Crew” on some of their recordings, and the second album, ”Renaissance,” clearly shows a supremely talented group at the height of its powers across the board.”Pandora’s Golden Heebie Jeebies” is probably their most powerful single track, immaculately structured and one of the greatest musical depictions of the ego-death-and-transcendence themes associated with LSD.

I would go so far as to call it one of the most outstanding songs of the 1960s — no small distinction. It’s a great shame that it is so little known. Thanks for remembering it!

THE SIN SAY SHUNS – ’All My Lonely Waiting’/’Rain Drops, Tear Drops’ (Venett Records V-108) 1966

According to the liners on the back of their album ’I’ll Be There – Live! at P.J’s in Hollywood’, The Sin Say Shuns formed in late 1965 and quickly made waves as the resident band at P.J’s holding down a record six month stand.

The energetic and overlooked garage beat of ’All My Lonely Waiting’ was their second 45 on Venett Records, a small label from Hollywood. This is a fantastic tune with it’s driving rhythm and some pretty wild stick action from Bobby Cottle. This is the work of a very tight and efficient outfit.

The flip ’Rain Drops, Tear Drops’ is a slow ballad.

Clark Lunde was in this line-up, sometimes as the lead singer. That is him at the left in your photo. Besides being the resident band at P.J.’s in Hollywood for a record six months, they also performed at Pacific Ocean Park (P.O.P.), a popular amusement park located in Venice, CA and at several U.S.O. shows in Vietnam among other places.

THE BECKETT QUINTET – ‘(It’s All Over Now) Baby Blue’/’No Correspondence’ (Gemcor 5003) Oct 1965

This combo were previously known as The Epics and gigged extensively in New Mexico (where they all came from). They even recorded some demos at the famous Norman Petty studios and sometime in early 1965, armed with these demos decided to seek the big time in Hollywood and look for a record deal.

Now calling themselves The Beckett Quintet they got a deal with a new Hollywood label called Gemcor and released this double sided winner in late ’65. The single must have gained airplay and shifted units because they were interviewed in KRLA Beat and picked up for national release by A&M. Strangely, the major label disc is very hard to find.

According to ARSA radio survey archive, the 45 managed to hit the top 30 on WLOF Orlando, Florida during October 1965.

The flip ’No Correspondence’ has been compiled several times (Pebbles, Garagelands, Journey To Tyme) and is a rudimentary garage classic. The top side and ’hit’ is a cover of ’Baby Blue’ and has that classic Los Angeles folk rock sound.

THE L.A. TEENS – ’All I Really Want To Do’/’Saturday’s Child’ (Decca 31813) July 1965

The L.A. Teens only released two singles, this one under review being the last. However, a Gary Usher website reveals that the band recorded these songs during May/June 1965 as well as three others that remain unreleased.

The titles of which are ’So Glad’, ’On The Road Again’ and ’Ann Marie’. It’s a shame that The L.A. Teens seemingly recorded material then broke up before the Sunset Strip action really took off because judging by the quality of songs I’ve heard they could have been contenders.

’All I Really Want To Do’, made more famous by The Byrds (they recorded their version in March 1965) is a pleasant enough folk rock version with jangly guitar (probably a 12 string) but I dig the moody punk protest of ’Saturday’s Child’ on the flip more.

THE MONKEES – ’A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’/’The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ (RCA Victor 66-1004) March 1967 – German picture sleeve

I couldn’t select 50 songs from Los Angeles without including The Monkees. You can love them or hate them but there’s no denying that they made perfect pop records (apart from those sappy ballads sung by Davy Jones).

At the start of 1967 and a couple of million record sales under their wide buckled belts, The Monkees decided that they wanted to be taken seriously and be a fully fledged group in their own right. They got together at Gold Star studios in Hollywood during January ’67 and recorded Mike Nesmith’s original ’The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ notable for it’s inclusion of a blissed out harpsichord break played by Peter Tork.

THE PREMIERS – ’Get On This Plane’/’Come On And Dream’ (Faro 624) Nov 1966

’Get On This Plane’ borrows heavily from the bass moves of ’I Can Only Give You Everything’ but the addition of fuzz transforms the beat into a powerful and hypnotic sting of aural pleasure. Just why records don’t sound as good as this any more fills my head with sadness.

Thankfully, forty years after the fact I can place this 45 on the turntable, crank up the volume and piss the neighbours off with some loud a gritty fuzztone guitar.

The Premiers hit big in 1964 with ’Farmer John’ but then slipped back down the pecking order. ’Get On This Plane’ was almost their last throw of the dice and was written by singer George Delgada and Max Uballez. Production was carried out by Standells member Larry Tamblyn and East L.A. face Eddie Davis.

The flip ’Come On And Dream’ written by Larry Tamblyn is a reflective piece with sweet background vocals, a clattering tambourine and acoustic guitar. I’m not sure why The Standells didn’t record this one?

THE TURTLES – ’She’ll Come Back’ (Decca DL 4751) May 1966

I’ve featured the marvellous Turtles on my site a couple of times before archives and they are without question one of the best ever groups from USA and in particular Los Angeles (you may have noticed that I’m gonna focus my attention for a while on L.A. bands or those from neighbouring parts of Southern California).

Here’s a long lost piece of brilliance called ’She’ll Come Back’ written by singer Howard Kaylan. It’s an essential raga folk rock gem with sombre jangle, a sound that some call ’moody’ but I just call ’class’. You’ll find it hidden away on the soundtrack of the film ”Out Of Sight”, a rather low budget beach movie.

”Don’t you worry my friend,
She’ll come back in the end”

TERRY RANDALL – ’S.O.S.’/’Tell Her’ (Valiant Records V-756) Dec 1966

Terry Randall is a bit of a mystery, although this killer protest 45 about the riots on Sunset Strip during November 1966 is a well known tune among garage hipsters. I first heard it on Highs In The Mid Sixties Volume 2 in less than stellar sound.

When I decided to collect original vinyl singles this record was one of the first on my ’wants’ list mostly because it’s got a swingin’ garage beat that I dig the most and there’s some great ’cop’ put down lyrics. And no youth digs the cops or the ’filth’ as they’re mostly known in the North of England…

’S.O.S.’ was a chart spotlight pick in Billboard trade magazine during December 1966.

The flip ’Tell Her’ is a teener ballad. Both songs were written by Randy Benjamin.

PETER FONDA – ’November Night’/’Catch The Wind’ (Chisa CH 004) March 1967

Here’s an obscure single by actor Peter Fonda on the equally obscure Chisa label set up by jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela and Stewart Levine. Both had a hand in producing some Peter Fonda sessions and enough material was recorded for an album, although only these two songs were ever released.

’November Night’ was written by Gram Parsons and can be found on ’Where The Action Is’, the 4 CD release of Los Angeles nuggets on Rhino. The other side is a cover of Donovan’s ’Catch The Wind’.

SONNY AND CHER – ’I’ve Got You Babe’/’It’s Gonna Rain’ (Atlantic AT 4035) July 1965

A Los Angeles retrospective would be laughed at without the inclusion of a Sonny & Cher song so flip over the mega hit ’I’ve Got You Babe’ and spin the B-Side ’It’s Gonna Rain’. The latter has a wonderfully incessant bass line that bursts through my JAMO dynamic d4e speakers and Bono’s gruff folk punk vocals really shine.

THE NO-NA-MEE’S – ’Gotta Hold On’/’Just Wanna Be Myself’ (Era Records 3153) Nov 1965

Fantastic double sided garage mayhem from The No-Na-Mee’s who are thought to hail from the Los Angeles area although that could be down to the label they were signed to. Era Records were a small indie label located in Hollywood and of course released genre defining moments by The Lyrics and Ty Wagner as well as lesser known delights by The Chocolate Tunnel and The Wizards.

information from a reader: My brother, Cliff Davis was in this band, he played rhythm guitar. Other members were Clayton Ice on keyboards, Rod Williams on drums, Doug Wareham on lead guitar, his brother Duane Wareham on bass. I hope I spelled everyone’s name correctly after all these years.

Yes they were from Modesto California. I remember how excited they were when they got back from L.A. after this recording. A highlight of this trip was when they were eating lunch and in walked Sonny and Cher! They also did a recording around this time as backup players for a duo, Jerry and Jan. I have all these records.

Judy Raney: Doug and Duane Wareham are my cousins. I spent many times either sitting in on their practices and going to performances. They were from the Modesto, CA area. I just chatted with Doug 2 days ago. They were an extremely talented group of musicians.

STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK – ’Sea Shell’/’Paxton’s Back Street Carnival’ (UNI 55093) Nov 1968

By late ’68 their turned on pop hits had all but dried up but Strawberry Alarm Clock continued to release records but with less fanfare than before and of course lower sales. That didn’t mean the quality of their music had dipped. I really dig the smooth vocals and sunshine pop of ’Sea Shell’ but this 45 is a must have for the flip ’Paxton’s Back Street Carnival’.

’Paxton’s’ was recorded back in 1967 as part of the album sessions after the big hit ’Incense And Peppermints’. For some strange and lazy reason it was resurrected as the B-Side for this 1968 flop. I say strange because Strawberry Alarm Clock had moved on musically and their personnel had undergone some changes, so using old material was a tad regressive.

’Sea Shell’ must have been a major none seller because it’s probably the most difficult SAC 45 to find. But you gotta seek it out for the mono flip. Way better that the stereo cut on the debut album.
’Paxton’s’ is a pure celebration of a psychedelic street carnival, the lyrics describing the trippy atmosphere and spirit of the hippie mood and frame of mind.

”Your eyes are sparkling
Your mind is moving fast
No need to hurry
The world won’t be floating past.
It will wait for you.”

THE GIRLS – ’Chico’s Girl’/’Dumb Song’ (Capitol 5675) 1965

It’s time for some girl garage action and none better than East Los Angeles combo The Girls who were teenage sisters ’discovered’ by Capitol Records and sponsored by Fender guitars.

They caused quite a stir in and around Hollywood with their tuff rock sound and played several high profile birthday gigs for ’A’ list celebs. The right contacts also enabled them to appear on TV Shows Hullabaloo and Hollywood A Go Go but sadly no tapes of these performances have surfaced on You Tube yet.

’Chico’s Girl’ has got a full production, it could be said that it’s a garage ’wall of sound’. The subtle use of fuzz is a great touch. The song was written by New York songwriting couple Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

THE AVENGERS – ”I Told You So” / ”Shipwrecked” (Star-burst Records 128) March 1966

One of the many delights of having a music blog, mostly dedicated to 60s garage and psychedelic groups, is that sometimes one of the members of a 45 I review gets in touch with me. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to have made contact with Greg Likins, Gerry Blake and Gary Bernard from the mighty Avengers.

The Avengers were from Bakersfield but recorded most of their music at Gary S. Paxton’s home studio in Los Angeles. ’I Told You So’ is a catchy garage rocker and deserved to be a hit. The label indicates a B-Side but the song appears to have been the favoured side. It was listed on the KAFY radio chart. It was written by Kenny Johnson who went on to form The Chocolate Tunnel.

’Shipwrecked’ sounds heavily influenced by Northern Ireland band Them, the vocal delivery is pure Van Morrison.

THE FLOWER CHILDREN – ’Mini-Skirt Blues’/’Marching Lovers’ (Castil Records 101) March 1967

With a group name like The Flower Children one would expect ’Mini-Skirt Blues’ to be soft flower pop with perhaps male/female harmonies. WRONG; these Flower Children, led by Simon Stokes have a punked up protest anthem on their hands, heavy on the organ, making the whole sonic concoction sound very Seeds like.

Mr Stokes has got his mini-skirt blues real bad. He’s almost spitting out the words in this rant. The flip ’Marching Lovers’ is more Sunset Strip groove with dumb lyrics and spooky organ.

The 45 also got a release on Allied Records. My copy on Castil Records shows 6 March 1967 stamped on the label. March ’67 may not have been the release date but it shows the record was clearly doing the rounds as early as this.

GYPSY TRIPS – ’Ain’t It Hard’/’Rock ’N Roll Gypsies’ (World Pacific 77809) Nov 1965

The Gypsy Trips were a folk rock duo comprising singer songwriter Roger Tillison and his vocal partner and sunset strip babe Terrye Newkirk. They both relocated from dullsville Oklahoma to the bright lights of L.A. and soon after cut the classic psych tinged folk rock winner ’Ain’t It Hard’ featuring the tripped out lyric:

”And your brother’s in the bathroom with acid in his head,
And there’s no place to go cos the town’s all dead.”

(I’ve read elsewhere that the lyric is ’acid in his hand’ but that’s not what Roger is singing in my mind)

’Ain’t It Hard’ was recorded by The Electric Prunes and released as their first 45 in May 1966.

OPUS 1 – ’Back Seat ’38 Dodge’/’In My Mind’ (Mustang 3017) May 1966

The cryptically named Opus 1 were a short lived, one single shot group outta Long Beach. Their star shone briefly over Los Angeles and their management even took out a full page advert announcing the release of ’Back Seat ’38 Dodge’ in a May 1966 edition of KRLA Beat.

This advert describes the new 45 on Mustang as ”Bewitching” and I can see why. It’s a swirling surf and garage punk mix with maximum echo in the production.

The flip ’In My Mind’ is just as good but this psychedelic medication is not as immediate. In the end though it didn’t matter because the single failed to sell in large quantities and today remains a sought after disc by 60s garage archivists.

Here’s a picture of a nonchalant looking Sonny Bono from the cover of KRLA Beat May 1966. He’s looking every inch the King of the Sunset Strip as he sits knowingly on his throne. Cher positions herself next to her master on the floor. He pats her head like he would a faithful companion. What a guy!

THEE MIDNITERS – ’Never Knew I Had It So Bad’/’The Walking Song’ (Whittier Records 504) Jan 1967

East Los Angeles had a host of great 60s groups and perhaps the most well known were Thee Midniters. They had a command of a wide range of musical styles but it’s their uptempo garage ravers that make the EXPO67 playlist.

’Never Knew I Had It So Bad’ is classic garage rock medicine complete with a snarling fuzztone tirade. The song has sadly evaded compilers apart from an outing years ago on ’A Journey To Tyme Volume 2’

SEAN & the BRANDYWINES – ’She Ain’t No Good’/’Cod’ine’ (Decca 31910) January 1966

Little is known about Sean and the Brandywines, indeed they only left this one Gary Usher produced 45 behind. According to ’Teenbeat Mayhem’ they were from Tujunga, California.

’She Ain’t No Good’ is a choice cover version originally recorded by London mods The Knack. The latter group were signed to Decca records in England so it’s not inconceivable that the song was given to their American associates for consideration.

Another London outfit The Clique also recorded ’She Ain’t No Good’ in 1965.

The other side (not sure which was the top side) is a fine folk rock rendition of ’Cod’ine’.

CLEAR LIGHT – ’Black Roses’/’She’s Ready To Be Free’ (Elektra EK-45622) Sept 1967

Los Angeles group Clear Light were previously called The Brain Train and under this moniker cut a rare 45, including a much rougher/garage version of ’Black Roses’ on Titan Records.

Maybe they decided to change their name to the hipper Clear Light (after a potent brand of LSD) because they started wearing longer hair, weird beards and love beads. Whatever the reason, their manager Bud Mathis touted the groups sounds around L.A. record labels and Elektra signed them up.

During the recording sessions with Elektra founding member Robbie Robison departed. However, he did play on perhaps their finest moment ’She’s Ready To Be Free’ which was recorded during April 1967. He’s also listed/credited on the back of the Clear Light album cover as Robbie Robison ”guru”.

’She’s Ready To Be Free’ was given exposure in the movie ’The President’s Analyst’ where Clear Light have a cameo appearance.

THE KNACK – ’I’m Aware’/’Time Waits For No One’ (Capitol 5774) Feb 1967

Capitol Records had high hopes for Los Angeles group The Knack, even dubbing them the ’American Beatles’ at one point and spending a fair bit of money promoting this debut single in trade magazines which came in a modtastic colour sleeve.

’Time Waits For No One’ is a catchy pop tune with a strong hook and melody and seems to have been the plug side, although ’I’m Aware’ was a hit in it’s own right in several states.

THE RUMORS – ’Hold Me Now’/’Without Her’ (Gemcor 5002) July 1965

IMO the best release on the short lived Gemcor label and it proved to be The Rumors only release which is a shame because they had obvious talent and a special garage pop sound. The mix of vox organ and surf tinged guitar are a heady brew but sadly nobody else thought so and the single went un-rewarded.

’Hold Me Now’ can be heard on the Nuggets box set from the 90s, the flip ’Without Her’ sounds even better.

THE EAST SIDE KIDS – ’Take A Look In The Mirror’/’Close Your Mind’ (Orange Empire Records OE-500) 1967

Popular Los Angeles group The East Side Kids played all of the major clubs on the Sunset Strip yet despite a clutch of 45s and an album on UNI they remain relatively unknown. Perhaps this double sided winner on the obscure Orange Empire label was their best release. It’s certainly their most psychedelic.

’Take A Look In The Mirror’ and ’Close Your Mind’ were co written by future Comfortable Chair member Bernie Schwartz. The East Side Kids (or at least most of the band) recorded a 45 as The Sound Of The 7th Son.

THE ASHES – ’Is There Anything I Can Do’/’Every Little Prayer’ (Vault V-924) 1966

Los Angeles folk rock group The Ashes formed in 1965 and polished their sound with a residency at a club called The Waleback in Santa Monica. By early 1966 they were signed to Vault Records, a small label owned by Jack Lewerke.

The Ashes cut several songs at Gold Star Studios, Hollywood all of which were produced by Richard Delvy from The Challengers. From these sessions ’Is There Anything I Can Do’ was selected as their debut 45. The full production sound with it’s Phil Spector meets The Byrds arrangement should have been a big hit but it didn’t sell and The Ashes had drifted apart by mid ’66, eventually morphing into The Peanut Butter Conspiracy.

THE ROOSTERS – ’One Of These Days’/’You Gotta Run’ (Progressive Sounds Of America PSA 1151) April 1966

Flower Bomb Songs favourites The Roosters hailed from Westchester, a suburb of Los Angeles. According to lead singer Ray Mangigian, this group of teenagers were hugely influenced by The Byrds and The Hollies in equal measure.

It’s not hard to hear how that influence created some fantastic folk jangle with beautiful harmonies. ’One Of These Days’ is the perfect embodiment of the Sunset Strip sound. The flip ’You Gotta Run’ is more 12 string jangle but this time is a mournful ballad of sorts. Both sides are KILLER all the way!

When I exchanged emails with Ray last year he claimed that their best moment as a group was performing as the backing band for Sonny & Cher in ’66 at Reb Foster’s Revelaire Club. Such was this Hollywood couple’s fame, they arrived at the Club’s parking lot by helicopter.

THE DAVID – ’I’m Not Alone’/’Sweet December’ (VMC V716) 1967

The David were a very talented group of teenagers based in the Los Angeles area led by singer/songwriter Warren Hansen. They had earlier 45 releases on 20th Century Fox before their manager Steven Vail created his own label VMC.

By all accounts The David album ’Another Day, Another Lifetime’ was a very costly affair with a big budget and songs that included elaborate string arrangements and eastern style orchestration. Favourable comparisons with The Left Banke have ensured that The David have enjoyed a cult following since the 60s.

Both cuts on this 45 were taken from the studio album and both feature their more garage sides, in particular the driving fuzz and farfisa led ’I’m Not Alone’.

BOBBY JAMESON – ’Vietnam’ (Tower DT-5083) 1967

Hollywood antagonist Bobby Jameson could have been a contender but his ability to piss the ’wrong’ people off meant that he\’d be left in the shadows of obscurity when his talent was far greater than many of those who succeeded in the music business during the Los Angeles folk rock and psych explosion.

’Vietnam’ is a very powerful anti-war protest song with a great Bo Diddley beat and furious vocals by Jameson. He sounds so fucking angry I believe every word he’s spitting out. ’Vietnam’ was released as a single but probably only as a promo and in very limited numbers. The label was Mira Records 208 – and is virtually impossible to find. In fact several noted record collectors have never even seen a copy.

Fortunately the song was included on the soundtrack album of ’Mondo Hollywood’, Carl Cohen’s cult film from late 1967.

THE BOBBY FULLER FOUR – ’I Fought The Law’/’Little Annie Lou’ (Mustang 3014) Oct 1965

Bobby Fuller hailed from El Paso, Texas but sometime during 1964 made the decision to relocate to Hollywood to try for the big time in the music business. His band achieved some success before Bobby Fuller died in mysterious circumstances.

Fuller was found dead with a petrol soaked rag stuffed in his mouth in July 1966. The LAPD ruled his death as a suicide, citing ’no evidence of foul play’.

’I Fought The Law’ wasn’t an immediate hit but the record slowly crawled up the charts and became an all time classic. The clean cut Bobby Fuller who shunned the ’long hair’ of the beat and folk rock groups had the appeal of a young Elvis Presley and had such a great voice.

For readers who don’t know the music of The Bobby Fuller Four you just gotta seek out the music because it’s all highly rated and I would say exceptional 60s rock and roll.

THE FLOWER POT – ’Black Moto’/’Mr. Zig Zag Man’ (Vault V-935) 1967

Songwriter and session man on many L.A records, Mike Deasy cut loose on his own with two 45s billed as The Flower Pot on Vault Records. You’ll also find releases by Friar Tuck and The Ceyleib People with heavy Mike Deasy involvement including his usual array of session cohorts a.k.a ’The Wrecking Crew’.

The flip of the record ’Black Moto’ is an LSD infused eastern raga drone heavily influenced by the more psychedelic and experimental efforts by Donovan. Quite what it all means, I don’t know. I’ll leave it up to the listener.

’Mr Zig Zag Man’ is a pleasant psychedelic pop song.

THE W.C. FIELDS MEMORIAL ELECTRIC STRING BAND – ’I’m Not Your Stepping Stone’/’Round World’ (Mercury 72578) June 1966

I’ve given ’Flower Bomb Songs’ exposure to this group’s other releases in the past so check out the archives for more information. This was their debut 45 and is a rockin’ early version of ’Stepping Stone’ produced by the erstwhile Norm Ratner who’s name crops up on many Los Angeles recordings.

The flip ’Round World’ is a folk rock gem.

This release was a Billboard spotlight release in a June 1966 edition.

THE GREEN BEANS – ‘(Don’t Give Me No) Friction’/’Superstition’ (Mercury 72504) Oct 1965

Whenever my girlfriend asks me to help her with the housework this cool song by The Green Beans comes into my head. ‘(Don’t Give Me No) Friction’ was produced by Mike Curb and according to Davie Allan’s official website he confirms that he played session guitar on both Green Beans 45s.

’Friction’ was famously covered by Australian cavemen The Missing Links.

The Green Beans released a follow up on Tower Records ’Who Needs You’/’Knock On My Door (Tap On My Window)’ and some copies came housed in a picture sleeve showing this outfit looking like 50s throwbacks with dodgy green rocker hair.

CARETAKERS OF DECEPTION – ’Cuttin’ Grass’/’X+Y=13’ (Sanctus SS-12) 1967

First of all, what a fucking GREAT name for a group!!! So it’s fingers crossed that such a fantastically named combo had the sound to match and I’m pleased to say that our forgotten heroes certainly had that.

The Caretakers Of Deception are believed to come from the Los Angeles area (at least the record label Sanctus guides me to L.A.) ’Cuttin’ Grass’ is an awesome garage hymn with manic surging hallucinogenic organ, primitive guitar and pissed off vocals. These opening lines are spat out by the vexed singer:

”It’s hard enough for me to see
When you’ve taken my eyes from me.
Thrown them in the filth on the street
You crush them on the floor”

The flip and cryptically named ’X+Y=13’ calms things down slightly but it’s still edgy 12 string folk garage of the highest order with lavish farfisa moodiness. I feel honoured to be able to listen to this greatness albeit via my bootleg from the ’garage greats’ 45 series.

THE HARD TIMES – ’Fortune Teller’/’Goodbye’ (World Pacific 77851) Nov 1966

Originally from San Diego, The Hard Times relocated in ’66 to Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills and took up residence in a house owned by Denny Doherty from The Mamas and the Papas.
They quickly established themselves on the Sunset Strip getting regular gigs at The Sea Witch eventually becoming the house band at The Whisky A Go-Go then at The Cinnamon Cinder.

The Hard times were also regulars on TV Show ’Where The Action Is’ and there is currently a lip synched performance of ’Fortune Teller’ from that show on You Tube as we speak.
’Fortune Teller’ reached the Top 100 in the Billboard chart at the end of December 1966 but no further success followed despite a well received studio album in ’67.

THE DOORS – ’Light My Fire’/’The Crystal Ship’ (Elektra EK-45615) May 1967

Being led by someone as mysterious and enigmatic as lead singer and front man Jim Morrison meant that The Doors could never fail. ’Light My Fire’ sold in millions making them a household name but were they any better as a unit than many of the other groups I’ve featured so far in this Los Angeles mix. The answer is no of course, The Doors were lucky to have Jim Morrison, he made the difference it’s as simple as that.

The flip ’The Crystal Ship’ has always had the knack to cast my mind adrift mainly because of the opening lyrics that set the tone for this strange and beguiling tune. ’The Crystal Ship’ would be perfect for a funeral.

”Before you slip into unconsciousness
I’d like to have another kiss
Another flashing chance at bliss
Another kiss, another kiss”

THE LEAVES – ’Hey Joe’/’Girl From The East’ (Mira Records 222) May 1966

Los Angeles group The Leaves hit the big time with their version of ’Hey Joe’ which they recorded three times, each one distinctly different from the other – the promo single, the stock single and the Mira 222 release (also the same version on their hastily released studio album).

The first version was cut as far back as November 1965 but for me it’s their 3rd attempt complete with a wild Bobby Arlin fuzztoned guitar break that is the winner. The flip is ’Girl From The East’, a pleasant folk rock ballad written by Hollywood face Bobby Jameson. He also cut his own ’Girl From The East’ and this choice original can be found on the Chris Lucey a.k.a Bobby Jameson album ’Songs Of Protest And Anti Protest’.

THE PALACE GUARD – ’All Night Long’/’Playgirl’ (Orange Empire Records OE-331) Aug 1965

Now for my favourite musical genre (ie) folk rock/12 string janglers and none better than this gem by The Palace Guard who mixed merseybeat with folk rock to rather great effect on ’All Night Long’ and achieved a deserved local hit in Los Angeles but remained unknown beyond southern California.

They were a big attraction in L.A, becoming the house band at the Hullabaloo Club in Hollywood despite wearing ridiculous Buckingham Palace style guard uniforms.

SOMEBODY’S CHYLDREN – ’I’m Going Back To New York City’/’Shadows’ (Uptown 727) April 1966

These teenagers from Los Angeles were originally known as The Offbeats and were led by whizz kid David Clark Allen. The band changed their name to the more happening Somebody’s Chyldren sometime in ’66 and released this fine 45 on Uptown.

’I’m Going Back To New York City’ is a powerful garage pop mover with some neat lead guitar, heavy bass and excellent production. The flip ’Shadows’ is a sweet psychedelic folk tune.

Somebody’s Chyldren had two songs, ’I’m Up’ and ’Marionettes’ on the ’Hellcats’ soundtrack released on Tower Records in 1967.

They were also Mae West’s backing band on her ’Way Out West’ LP. I’ve not heard the latter but I’ll be surprised if the resulting music is worthwhile.

Most of the members of Somebody’s Chyldren went on to form Marianne in the late 60s.

Somebody’s Chyldren were:

David Clark Allen
Dennis Trerotola
Paul Dobies
Ricky Cameron

THE BYRDS – ’All I Really Want To Do’/’I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better’ (CBS 201796) Aug 1965

The second Byrds 45 coupled a Bob Dylan composition ’All I Really Want To Do’ with the all time folk rock classic ’I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better’ by Gene Clark and I think it’s only right that this Byrds monster is number 1 on my L.A. mix.

’All I Really Want To Do’ is a different mix than the one that appeared on the LP ’Mr Tambourine Man’. Surprisingly, this 45 sold poorly in America especially after the million selling debut record. Soon after the single was released the B-Side was promoted as the A-Side with DJ copies issued on red vinyl. Maybe because Cher’s version of ’All I Really Want To Do’ was out selling The Byrds version?

The British seemed to dig it more and it reached number 4.

LOVE – ’7 And 7 Is’/’No. Fourteen’ (Elektra EK-45605) July 1966

The last ever recording session with the original line up of Love resulted in the cataclysmic ’7 And 7 Is’.
Arthur Lee wrote the song at the Colonial Apartments in Hollywood after rising early one morning while the rest of his cohorts were still asleep. The mystifying lyrics seem to touch on his childhood but I’ve read in some liners that it’s a song about an old girlfriend.

Johnny Echols once described ’7 And 7 Is’ as ”controlled chaos” and I must say I can hear why. The backbeat is so fast that drummer Alban Snoopy Pfisterer had to make over 20 takes to get it right.

When I was still a teenager (early 80s) I somehow discovered the music of Love and excitedly took the LP ’da capo’ to my friends house who was havin’ a beer and dope party. Everyone hated the record especially ’Orange Skies’, She Comes In Colors’ and ’7 And 7 Is’ because this piece of greatness had the improvised jazzy fade. The muppets just didn’t get it. Side Two never got played!

THE DOVERS – ’I Could Be Happy’/’People Ask Me Why’ (Reprise 0439) Nov 1965

The Dovers from Santa Barbara were virtually ignored back in the mid 60s and their fragile sounding folk rock was probably never heard by anyone except their loyal fanbase (if they had one). Lack of any promotion and decent gigs meant that The Dovers’ perfect moody teen jangle wouldn’t even be a footnote in the history books.

This twin spin, recorded at the famous Gold Star Studios was first released on the tiny Miramar label based in Hollywood. It was released on Reprise some weeks later. Frontman and songwriter Tim Granada had the talent and his band of Dovers had thee sound but it seems that Los Angeles and the important movers and shakers in the record industry were oblivious.

THE STANDELLS – ’Why Pick On Me’/’Mr. Nobody’ (Tower 282) Sept 1966

During 1966 The Standells could do no wrong with a big hit in ’Dirty Water’ and a sell out tour supporting The Rolling Stones. Their final release of ’66 was this great two sided punk gem, full of attitude and full of fuzz and that’s two of the main ingredients that ’Flower Bomb Songs’ constantly craves.

However, flip the hit ’Why Pick On Me’ over and become charmed by the instant raunchy fuzz punk of ’Mr Nobody’. This record has been an ever present on my turntable since the 80s. Being the outsider loner type I pretty much embraced ’Mr Nobody’ as my personal 60s punk anthem. I was that guy – Mr Nobody.

I know all of The Standells music has been re-issued and is easy to get but I’m surprised that ’Mr Nobody’ was never compiled (still hasn’t) back in the 80s heyday of garage compilations.

THE BONNIWELL MUSIC MACHINE – ’The Eagle Never Hunts The Fly’ (Warner Bros 1732) 1967

Pictured is my 80s bootleg LP of the second Music Machine album simply titled ’The Bonniwell Music Machine’. It’s a perfectly sounding copy in stereo, so much so that I’ve never felt the need to upgrade to an original.

The killer tune from said artifact is the breathtaking and innovative garage rock of ’The Eagle Never Hunts The Fly’ which is apparently about world poverty. Not only was Sean Bonniwell ahead of the game with his music he was 20 years ahead of Sir Bob Geldof’s ’Feed The World’ shindig.

’The Eagle’ has everything that any lysergically minded hipster would want from three minutes of music, pounding bass (natch), fuzztoned guitars (absa fuckin’ lutely), eerie organ (too right) and manic vocals (oh yeah!).

This great song was recorded by the original line-up of The Music Machine but after the band signed to Warner Bros, Bonniwell must have decided to apply his surname to proceedings.

”The eagle never hunts the fly,
Listen and I’ll tell you why.
Lives on the bottom of the sky,
That’s why”

THE SEEDS – ’Mr Farmer’/’Up In Her Room’ (GNP Crescendo 383) Jan 1967

Most copies of this Seeds release came with ’No Escape’ on the flip but this version had ’Up In Her Room’ on the other side of ’Mr Farmer’ as well as a picture sleeve if you were lucky.

Whenever I’ve seen clips of The Seeds on You Tube from various 60s TV Shows I’ve always been surprised at how weird Sky Saxon is. His performances and movements are strange to say the least. Maybe this was the appeal of The Seeds to many. I just knew he was different and The Seeds sound coloured my world back in the 80s.

Everyone knows their big hit ’Pushin’ Too Hard’, some may be even aware that ’Mr Farmer’ is the coolest but has anyone ever noticed or realised just how GREAT ’Up In Her Room’ is? The whole of The Doors first album appears to based on the bluesy ’organ heavy’ rush of this classic.

THE HUMAN EXPRESSION – ’Optical Sound’/’Calm Me Down’ (Accent AC 1226) Sept 1967

Having formed an alliance back in Westminster High School, south of Los Angeles, The Human Expression were still teenagers when they recorded their three classic 45s. ’Optical Sound’ was their follow up to ’Love At Psychedelic Velocity’.

’Optical Sound’ shows this teen band at the very limits of their capability, each musician stretching themselves as far as their ability will take them. The result is a magnificent broody acid psych masterpiece, full of strange and weird waves of sound, reverb and other worldly experimentation.

The Human Expression did not play that many gigs. According to the liners of the Collectables CD, they played the odd set at Gazzari’s on the Sunset Strip and a ’Battle Of The Bands’ contest.

THE SONS OF ADAM – ’Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day’/’Take My Hand’ (Decca 31887) Dec 1965

The Sons Of Adam could have been serious contenders for the Los Angeles royal throne had they stayed together longer than the brief period that they were a recording act. Guitarist and singer Randy Holden would quit the Sons after an argument (according to his website) and the band eventually fizzled out with drummer Michael Stuart turning up in a future line-up of Love. Holden of course went on to The Other Half then progressed to Blue Cheer.

’Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day’ captures The Sons Of Adam in rockin’ mood. The flip ’Take My Hand’ is another cool side with a neat guitar break which should have been a whole lot louder.

Although they were based in Los Angeles, The Sons Of Adam were regular visitors to San Francisco and gigged often at the Fillmore Auditorium and the Avalon Ballroom playing with the likes of Love, The Charlatans, Big Brother and the Holding Company and Quicksilver Messenger Service.

THE BEES – ’Leave Me Be’/’She’s An Artist (She Belongs To Me)’ (Mirwood 5503) August 1965

Here’s a rather nice double sided folk rock 45 to track down on Mirwood Records. Both sides are perfect examples of this genre and really it’s where it was at in L.A. circa 1965 after The Byrds and The Turtles started hitting big.

The Bees came from Los Angeles, California and became quite a popular live attraction around the L.A area playing local venues and private parties. They even were broadcast on TV show ’Hollywood A Go Go’ but I don’t know what song they played, so if anyone knows let me know.

Members of The Bees included George Caldwell and Robert Zinner who would go on to form W.C. Fields Memorial Electric String Band, John York played bass (he was in a later line up of The Byrds), Cary Slavin played drums (he later played in The Factory), Ron Reynolds (12 string guitar) and Peter Ferst.

The top side of their first 45 was the uncompiled ’Leave Me Be’ written by Robert Zinner. This one is a very pleasant up beat folk rocker with jangle. The flip is an excellent cover of the Bob Dylan song ’She’s An Artist” (She Belongs To Me). This has been covered many times before of course and perhaps my favourite ever version is by English band The Masterminds. Their version can be found on the Sequel CD An ’Immediate Alternative’.The Bees version can be found on Ya Gotta Have Moxie Volume 1. Produced by Norm Ratner.

A reader sent me the following update about The Bees… I have been doing a lot of research on the HOLLYWOOD A GO GO TV show and have the answer as to what songs the Bees performed on their only show performance on Nov. 9, 1965.

The second and third numbers they performed were ”She’s An Artist” and ”Leave Me Be” which were the A and B sides of their 45 single on Mirwood 5003. The first song they sang was the George Caldwell penned ”Mimi’s Song” which is of interest because George married Mimi who was a Gazzarri go-go dancer on the show.

THE ELECTRIC PRUNES – ’Get Me To The World On Time’/’Are You Lovin’ Me More (But Enjoying It Less) (Reprise 0564) April 1967

The third single by The Electric Prunes and follow up to the smash hit ’I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)’ was the ultra catchy ’Get Me To The World On Time’ – which is basically psychedelic effects (mind bending oscillations and tremolo) over a Bo Diddley beat.
For once this greatness was rewarded with another hit record. It even managed to climb the charts to number 42 in England.

The flip ’Are You Lovin’ Me More (But Enjoying It Less’ is just as good and has always been a firm EXPO67 favourite. Unless I get injected with monkey gland serum, change personality and start buying techno records, I should think that The Electric Prunes will remain in my top 5 groups of all time. Surprisingly, since I started ’Flower Bomb Songs’ in March 2007, this is their debut entry on my blog.

THE BUSHMEN – ’What I Have I’ll Give To You’/’Baby’ (Dimension D-1049) June 1965

Next entry in my Los Angeles select 50 for 2011 is this powerful double-sider from The Bushmen on the short lived Dimension label. They released records from 1962-65. The Bushmen were a four piece that included William D Lincoln and Hamilton Wesley Watt. David Potter may have been the drummer but I’m not 100% certain.

Check out the European picture cover of this 45, The Bushmen looked a motley crew. ’Baby’ is a raucous R&B blast of sonic bliss that screams outta my speakers and is a version of a song The Sorrows released in England during April 1965. Somehow The Bushman obtained a copy of this record and expertly recorded it adding a seedy mix of L.A. swagger.

The jangler ’What I Have I’ll Give To You’ sounds like a different outfit as the music is poles apart. This time around The Bushmen are in folk rock mood and produce another winner more in keeping with what was happening on the Strip.

William D Lincoln and Hamilton Wesley Watt also recorded material together in The War Babies, The Word and Euphoria. William D also wrote songs for The East Side Kids and collaborated with Bernie Schwartz on his studio album ’The Wheel’.

PACIFIC OCEAN – ’16 Tons’/’My Shrink’ (VMC Records V 738) February 1969

Another obscure psychedelic rock 45 released on VMC Records was this one by Pacific Ocean, both tracks having been culled from their album ’Purgatory’. It’s an album I’ve not heard but gets decent enough reviews on the net.

’My Shrink’ is a group original and is a short blast of late 60s groovy rock by a power trio with a certain charm (ie) not pretentious in any way. Gotta love that keyboard sound and psych guitar frills, reminds me of another Los Angeles outfit The Hook.

Line-up:

Tony Carr
Steve Rusty (drums)
Tony Harris
Ron Hensless
Edward James Olmos (keyboards/vocals)

MAGNUM OPUS – ’Up From The Sea’/’Nothing But Time’ (VMC Records V 737) late 1968

Here’s a very obscure psychedelic record by Magnum Opus on Los Angeles label VMC Records, a subsidiary of Vance Music Corp established by Steve Vail during late 1967. Their roster always recorded at Hollywood Sound Recorders.

However, I know nothing about Magnum Opus and bought this record years ago because The David recorded for the same label, so I decided to take a chance. ’Up From The Sea’ is a pleasing psych rock performance with hippie lyrics with the repeated line,

”We’re recently up from the sea.”

John Guess is credited on both sides of the label as arranger, producer and songwriter. So maybe no band existed and the fruits of labour on this 45 are a John Guess solo studio recording. He is probably the same person who engineered a VMC album by Dennis Olivieri called ’Come To The Party’. He is also credited as the engineer and producer of the 1971 album by Sundance.

OCTOBER COUNTRY – ’My Girl Friend Is A Witch’/’Just Don’t Know’ (Epic 5-10320) April 1968

This Los Angeles group had regional success with their debut 45 ’October Country’ (also recorded by The Smoke) and had in their corner Michael Lloyd of WCPAEB & The Smoke fame who wrote the majority of their songs, arranged, produced and played on all of their recordings.

Most of October Country’s music is lush orchestrated pop, a Michael Lloyd trademark of course, but ’My Girl Friend Is A Witch’ is something of a departure and a rather cool psych rocker. Lloyd re-recorded ’Witch’ in 1969 for feline cartoon Cattanooga Cats.

EDDIE HODGES – ’Love Minus Zero’/’The Water Is Over My Head’ (Aurora 156) Oct 1965

Eddie Hodges is probably better known as being a child actor from the late 50s/early 60s but having moved to Hollywood to be at the heart of the movie industry he found himself in Folk Rock City just at the right time and was signed up as a recording artist releasing several records that fall below my radar.

His cover of Dylan’s ’Love Minus Zero’ proved popular enough to get him an appearance on Hollywood A Go Go, the clip has survived and has been uploaded to You Tube. Eddie looks really neat and tidy and fairly uncomfortable to me as go go dancers weave their magic behind him.

Far superior is the surf styled folk rock beat of the flip ’The Water Is Over My Head’ written by Al Kooper and Irwin Levine. This tune would have been better suited as the plug side as it was for The Tokens and The Rockin’ Berries who had a Top 40 hit with it in England.

THE BYRDS – ’The World Turns All Around Her’ (Columbia PC 9254) recorded August 1965

Soon after arriving back home in Los Angeles after their 1965 UK tour The Byrds were in Columbia Recording Studios, Hollywood laying down tracks for their second LP.

One of the first songs they recorded was ’The World Turns All Around Her’, another Gene Clark gem that is a sadly neglected masterpiece. I always marvel at just how perfect The Byrds sounded on record and this song is simply pop at it’s purist.

’The World Turns All Around Her’ was released in December 1965 on the album ’Turn Turn Turn’ but somewhat surprisingly overlooked for 45 status.

THE DEVONS – ’It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue’/’Are You Really Real’ (Decca 31822) August 1965

The Devons were another likely Gary Usher studio project, he arranged and produced both sides, even writing the flip ’Are You Really Real’, a Dylanesque folk rock protest jewel.

The often recorded ’It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue’ has a sweet arrangement with some solid guitar and vocals, sounding a lot like The Searchers. It was a Billboard Chart Spotlight in the last week of July 1965 but appears to have gone unnoticed after this. Both sides have yet to see any compilation action and every reference guide I have fail to even mention The Devons. Something of an enigma.

THE TOADS – ’Leaving It All Behind’/’Babe, While The Wind Blows Goodbye’ (Decca 318470) Sept 1965

According to FA&F, The Toads originated from San Mateo, California but this 45 has the folk rock sound of Los Angeles all over it and was almost certainly recorded in L.A.

’Leaving It All Behind’ was written, arranged and produced by Gary Usher. Indeed he was also responsible for the Dylanesque flip ’Babe, While The Wind Blows Goodbye’ which was co-written by Raul Abeyta, a songwriting collaborator during his early sixties surf days. Maybe The Toads were one of his fictitious groups?

Whatever the true story, ’Leaving It All Behind’ is killer folk rock with resplendent jangle that appears to have been ignored for decades until the song was compiled and given title honours for a Misty Lane release.

THE TANGENTS – ’Hey Joe, Where You Gonna Go?’/’Stand By Me’ (Impression Records 111) April 1966

Folk rock standard ’Hey Joe’ was performed and/or recorded by countless 60s groups particularly outfits from Los Angeles. The Tangents were one such band who offered their version in April ’66 on the hip Hollywood label, Impression.

It’s been decades since The Tangents had any comp action, the last time was on Highs In The Mid Sixties #2. Their take is a straight forward folk rock interpretation with no frills. I’d like to have heard some tambourine in the mix for instance, but at least it’s way better than the horrendous version by The Byrds.

I’ve recently been in contact with Tangents bassist Terry Topolski and he kindly sent me this promo picture of the group from 1966. Terry confirmed The Tangents line-up as:

Bob Shelton, rhythm guitar & lead singer; Terry Topolski, bass guitar; Warren Brodie, drums; and Jim Janesick, lead guitar.

TIME OF YOUR LIFE – ’Ode To A Bad Dream’/’You Make Me Feel So Good’ (Ionic Records 101) Sept 1966

Time Of Your Life were an obscure group of teenagers from Long Beach, California whose claim to (none) fame was this super cool garage psych swinger on Ionic Records outta Hollywood. It has been confirmed from several online sources that the drummer in this combo was John Christensen who was also a member of Opus 1 of ’Backseat ’38 Dodge’ infamy. That record made my Los Angeles select 50 in 2010.

According to the liners of Fuzz, Flaykes & Shakes #1, the flip of this 45, a version of The Zombies tune ’You Make Me Feel So Good’ was actually by another group called The Town Cryers, but a mix up with the record labels meant that Time Of Your Life were credited with both sides.

This mistake was confirmed by noted garage expert MTM when I posed the question on the G45 Forum recently. He interviewed John Christensen some years ago and he suggested that The Town Cryers could have been an earlier Bob Renfro group. The latter wrote ’Ode To A Bad Dream’.

from left: Bob Shelton, rhythm guitar & lead singer; Terry Topolski, bass guitar; Warren Brodie, drums; and Jim Janesick, lead guitar.

JAN & DEAN – ’A Beginning From An End’/’Folk City’ (Liberty F-55849) December 1965

Jan & Dean were a successful duo from Los Angeles who recorded the surf hit ’Surf City’ in 1963, a brilliant song about a mythical place in Southern California full of beautiful girls, hot rods and rock ’n’ roll groups. By 1965 the kids on the Strip had moved on and the ’in’ sound was edgy protest/folk rock and Brit Invasion sounds. Jan & Dean’s response was ’A Beginning From An End’ which flopped, not even entering the Billboard Top 100.

The obscure and never mentioned flip ’Folk City’ is an apt entry into my Los Angeles select 50. The song is a re-write of ’Surf City’ with different lyrics, more akin with the musical shift in L.A from surf to folk rock. This would have made a much better A-side.

”I got a Hohner harmonica and a Vox 12 string,
Folk City here we come.
You know there’s lots of protest songs that I want to sing,
Folk City here we come.”

Both songs were included on the 1966 Jan & Dean LP ’Folk ’n Roll’

M.F.Q. – ’If All You Think’/’The Love Of A Clown’ (Warner Brothers 5481) November 1964

The Modern Folk Quartet were a group of pre Beatlemania folkies that formed in Honolulu but relocated to Los Angeles sometime in early 1963. Their popularity rose among the folk crowd and two albums followed on Warner Bros (I’ve not heard these). By late ’64 they were simply called M.F.Q. and had a more electric folk sound.

The sublime ’If All You Think’ sounds like a proto-type Association with some great harmonies and an arrangement from Don Ralke that I consider to be ahead of it’s time. Songwriter Jerry Yester was a well known face in Hollywood during this time and would later join The Lovin’ Spoonful when M.F.Q. disbanded in 1966.

THE MAMAS & the PAPAS – ’Strange Young Girls’ (RCA Victor RD-7834) September 1966

The Mamas & the Papas were the commercial face of the Los Angeles male/female vocal outfits and popularized the harmony folk rock and sunshine pop sounds from that region. Their popularity has probably meant that many underground 60s aficionado’s have snobbishly overlooked their greatness because songs like ’Monday Monday’ and ’California Dreamin’ are probably fixtures on Oldies Radio (I’m guessing this is so because I’ve never listened to the radio since the mid 80s)

Take the sublime psychedelic folk of ’Strange Young Girls’ for instance. It’s a brilliant observation of the sights, sounds and LSD on the Sunset Strip in 1966 and it would surely garner plaudits had it been recorded by more hip male/female vocal groups….too many to mention but you’ll all know where it’s at.

Check out these lyrics:

”Walking the strip
Sweet, soft and placid
Offering their youth
On the altar of acid”

”Colours surround them
Bejeweling their hair;
Visions astound them,
Demanding their share.”

’Strange Young Girls’ can be found on The Mamas & the Papas second studio album recorded during the Summer of ’66. Instrumentation was provided by Hollywood’s elite session musicians.

Hal Blaine (drums), Larry Knechtel (organ) and Joe Osborne (bass).

THE ARROWS – Apache ’65’/’Blue Guitar’ (Sidewalk Records 1) February 1965

The first record released on Mike Curb’s Sidewalk label, outta Hollywood, was this hard to find 45 by The Arrows. It eventually got a release on (Tower 116) and became a Top 100 Billboard hit.

On this disc Davie Allan hasn’t yet discovered the fuzz, instead he fires up his surf guitar to great effect. It’s an uptempo and loose version of ’Apache’ which was a number 1 hit for The Shadows in England during the Summer of 1960.

THE ROSE GARDEN – ’Next Plane To London’/’Flower Town’ (Atco 45-6510) August 1967

The Rose Garden were originally called The Blokes, a young group of Byrds obsessives going nowhere in the crowded Los Angeles music scene. Some time in late 1966 a young girl singer called Diane DeRose joined their ranks and a name change to a more ‘in’ name occurred.

The sunshine pop of ’Next Plane To London’ proved to be their only hit record, reaching the Top 20 on Billboard at the tail end of 1967. It’s a song notable for the ’airport voice’ instead of a guitar solo. The gimmick obviously worked although I’m not a great fan of the song. Far superior is the flip ’Flower Town’ recorded at the famous Gold Star Studios in Hollywood.

’Flower Town’ is a rewrite of ’Portland Town’, a traditional folk song, given to them by Kim Fowley after a chance meeting in his Los Angeles office. He managed and produced The Belfast Gypsies who recorded ’Portland Town’ so he knew the song well. My guess is that ’Flower Town’ is probably Los Angeles.

Line-up:
John Noreen (lead guitar)
Jim Groshong (guitar)
Bruce Bowdin (drums)
Bill Fleming (bass)
Diane DeRose (vocals)

THE SHINDOGS – ”Who Do You Think You Are” / ”Yes, I’m Going Home” (Viva V.601) June 1966

I don’t think I could have a Los Angeles teenage rock exposé without including The Shindogs, who were the ’house band’ on TV Show Shindig!

They had an ever changing line-up but when Shindig! was cancelled during January 1966, The Shindogs settled on a regular line-up and released some singles that were commercial failures although this 45 did break into the lower reaches of the Billboard Top 100.

’Who Do You Think You Are’ had the potential to be a real sunset strip garage swinger but the vocal arrangement, for me, really subdues the power and the song just fizzles out. Far superior is the 60s pop ’Yes, I’m Going Home’ on the flip.

James Burton (lead guitar) and Glen D. Hardin (organ) eventually went on to become part of Elvis Presley’s backing band.

THE MONKEES – ’Words’ (first version) October 1966

This is an alternate version of ’Words’, a Monkees B-Side recorded during October 1966 but never released until this take appeared on The Monkees CD ’Missing Links – Volume 2’ in 1990.

This original version differs from the released remake with it’s use of a flute solo instead of the Hammond B-3 organ and a psychedelic backwards tape section reminiscent of The Leaves recording from their debut studio album.

DARIUS – ’Sweet Mama’ (Chartmaker CSG 1102) 1969

I remember buying a bootleg copy of the Darius album back in the mid 80s and being decidedly disappointed with it but I suppose during that time I was only interested in 60s garage. I just did not know where Darius was at, yeah he looked a cool cat on the sleeve with his long hair and dressed in black but his music just wasn’t my scene.

Thankfully, over the years my tastes have changed somewhat and I highly recommend this set, full of Darius original songs and played beautifully by Hollywood’s finest session musicians, including Jerry Scheff (bass), Toxey French (drums), Ben Benay (lead guitar) and Mike Deasy (guitar) in other words Darius was back by Goldenrod. Check out their psych fest album also on Chartmaker.

The album was recorded at Harmony Studios, Hollywood sometime in 1969

Darius has a vocal style similar to Arthur Lee on some tracks and was obviously influenced by the Love sound. It’s a shame that the album sank without trace and even today Darius is largely unknown. German label World In Sound reissued it in 2001 with some bonus cuts.

RICHARD TWICE – ’Generation ’70 (Philips PHS-600-332) 1970

The obscure Los Angeles singer/songwriting duo Richard Atkins and Richard Manning, collectively called Richard Twice released a fascinating harmony/pop psych drenched long player in early 1970, most likely recorded at the back end of ’69.

’Generation ’70 leads off the album as the first track on side 1 and it’s a curious fuzz interlude that could have been quite heavy but the overall sound is mostly delicate with soft rock touches of harmonies and brass. It was chosen as the single to promote the album but I doubt it faired that well.

Not a great deal has been written about Richard Twice, although ’If I Knew You Were The One’, from this set was compiled on one of those Fading Yellow CDs.

One look at the credits on the back cover shows some heavyweight backing musicians with Drake Levin (Paul Revere and the Raiders) adding guitar and Mark Tulin (Electric Prunes) providing bass. Notable Hollywood sessionmen like Larry Knechtel, David Cohen and Rusty Young also provided their services.

The producer, Alex Hassilev was also the studio guy who produced the weird ’Cosmic Sounds’ LP by The Zodiac and The Electric Prunes connection continued with James Lowe being listed as associate producer and engineer. The music was recorded at Alex Hassilev’s Studio in Hollywood.

THE BOSTON TEA PARTY – ’Words’/’Spinach’ (Challenge 59368) June 1967

The Monkees version of ’Words’ was also released in most markets during June 1967, although they first recorded the song way back in October 1966. The demo version from Boyce & Hart was recorded even earlier during August ’66.

The Boston Tea Party version of ’Words’ probably pre-dates The Monkees hit having an earlier release on the small Los Angeles label Big Boss before being picked up by Challenge. Maybe the label should have considered ’Spinach’ on the flip, as their plug side as it’s a psych highlight with a freakadelic organ sound.

The Boston Tea Party originated from Burbank and were successful enough to release a few more 45s and an album on Flick Disc. I’ll probably write about the group again at some point but until then hear their ’Words’.

line-up:
Mike Deperna (keyboards)
Richard Deperna (bass)
Travis Fields (vocals)
David Novogroski (drums)
Mike Stevens (guitar)

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THE POOR – ’Feelin’ Down’/’Come Back Baby’ (Decca 32318) May 1968

The Poor were regulars at clubs and venues on the Sunset Strip playing at the legendary Ciros, PJ’s and The Whisky etc but seem to be one of those groups that still don’t get much praise and recognition. An earlier 45 ’She’s Got The Time’ got close to becoming a hit but subsequent material fared less well including this final single on Decca.

’Feelin’ Down’ from mid ’68 shows The Poor in a good light with the punchy bass and stabbing background organ. Some pleasant Association harmonies add to the sunshine pop sound. The song was written by Michael Brewer in 1966 while he was a staff writer for A&M Records. It was also recorded by The Black Sheep and released in January 1967 on Columbia.

The Poor broke up after this 45 flopped with Randy Meisner, Allen Kemp and Pat Shanahan joining Rick Nelson in Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band. Meisner then went on to Poco, then The Eagles. Kemp and Shanahan later joined New Riders Of The Purple Sage.

THE PEPPERMINT TROLLEY COMPANY – ’New York City’/’Spinnin’ Whirlin’ Round (Acta 45-835) 1969

There’s several sites on the net devoting space to The Peppermint Trolley Company and by now everyone who is a regular visitor to my site should own the Now Sounds CD release ’Beautiful Sun’ which compiles most of the Trolley sides plus rare and obscure 45s by their teenage garage outfits The Mark V, The C-Minors and The Intercoms.

By 1969 it was all over for the original members of The Peppermint Trolley Company. According to the CD liners, relations between the producer (Dan Dalton) and the band became strained and the Trolley decided to leave Dalton and reconvene as Bones.

That did not stop Dan Dalton recruiting Hollywood singer songwriter Bob Cheevers and session guitarist John Beland to continue under the guise of the Trolley and two further 45s on Acta were released in 1969.

The last record was ’New York City’ backed with the super cool sunshine pop masterpiece ’Spinnin’ Whirlin’ \’Round’ which was probably never heard at the time as it was lost on the B-side.

Sadly, this gem was not compiled on the Now Sounds CD at the request of the original Trolley members.

THE ZODIAC – ’ARIES – The Fire-Fighter’ (Elektra EKL 4009) May 1967

’Cosmic Sounds’ was a completely original album of pioneering electronic music by Mort Garson who composed, arranged and conducted all tracks with lyrics by Jacques Wilson. Ex MFQ member Cyrus Faryan provided narration.

Each song focused on the signs of the zodiac with album opener and moog/psych rock cross-over ’Aries – Fire-Fighter’ an instant winner. In fact the moog and weird sound effects dominate the whole LP. Of course, this strangeness could only have happened in the late 60s.

Astrology has become a religious force in our time.
And in this extraordinary album, the ancient signs of the zodiac
are hauntingly evoked in a celestial fusion of poetry, music and electronic effects. This is the love sound of the future.

M.F.Q. – ’Night Time Girl’/’Lifetime’ (Dunhill D-4025) April 1966

This is the second MFQ single in my 2011 Los Angeles select 50. Check out their early release ’If All You Think’ at number 32.

’Night Time Girl’ is adventurous folk/raga rock with a sound several groups were experimenting with during 1966/67. Here, the MFQ utilize a five string banjo and a Bouzouki to get that authentic eastern feel. The single sold reasonably well and got a mention in Billboard during April 1966 as a regional break out single.

The song was arranged and produced by the in demand Hollywood face Jack Nitzsche.

THE BEACH BOYS – ’Cabin Essence’/’Wonderful’ (Brother Records)

Brian Wilson called ’Smile’ his ”teenage symphony to God” but the 1967 project was never completed and eventually got shelved as Brian’s life and mind became increasingly more frazzled.

However, between dropping acid, playing with his bucket and spade in his sand pit built inside his Los Angeles mansion and stuffing his face with too many snacks between meals, he created some memorable tunes with the help from his friend and lyricist Van Dyke Parks and Hollywood’s finest session players.

’Cabin Essence’ at 3:30 minutes is a little too long to post so here’s the flip ’Wonderful’ from the 45 given away with a collectors edition of Mojo magazine last month.

Mojo: You spent time at Brian’s house during the Smile sessions. Brian told me he was having fun, and didn’t think there was any eccentric behaviour.

Al Jardine: ”It was a very drug induced environment and very alien to me, nauseating and uncomfortable. It was Brian’s slippery slope. I wasn’t trilled with Brian’s excursion into the world of acid.”

THINGS TO COME – ’Hello’/’Good Day’ (Warner Bros 7228) September 1968

The heavy psychedelic rock a la Cream is in evidence on the second and last Things To Come 45 on Warner Bros. Their first outing on this label was the excellent ’Come Alive’/’Dancer’ produced by the in demand Dave Hassinger.

’Hello’ is a sublime slow burner, written by bass player Bryan Garofalo and notable for some subtle psych guitar leads. Both sides were produced by David Crosby before he put together Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Garofalo went on to become a successful session player in the 70s and played with the likes of Jackson Browne, John Stewart, B.B. King and David Cassidy as well as many more performers.

I did some diggin’ on the net and found an online interview with Bryan Garofalo conducted in 1976.

Here’s an extract where Bryan talks about his time with Things To Come:

How did you meet up with Russ Kunkel to get into your group Id never heard of?

Well, Things To Come, the name came after. We both lived in Long Beach. The guy who was playing keyboards in the group I was with said, ”I know this drummer. You’ve got to hear him. He’s really great. Let’s go over and see him.” We went over to Russell’s house, an apartment house, and he set up his drums outside and started to play for us. He blew me away. Did this crazy solo for about 20 minutes.

So we just started playing, and we’ve been together ever since. It used to be called The Satin Five, we were The Barons, it was nuts. Then we got this crazy guy named Steve Runolfsson, a very far out person, he came up with the name Evil. So, for a while, that’s what we were called. Then, when we left Long Beach, we left Steve behind, and the four of us became The Things To Come and reopened The Whisky A Go Go. At the time we went up in ’68 it was all black, soul music.

Then Elmer Valentine decided to change it back into rock ’n’ roll and The Byrds, which at that time still included Chris Hillman and David Crosby, the original band, opened-up the changeover. We were the opening act for The Byrds, Electric Flag, Traffic, Cream, we were the resident band.
After we moved out, Chicago moved in as resident band. At that time they were called C.T.A.

Then there was Hourglass, who went on to be The Allman Brothers, and Duane was there. All these people staying in these little, shabby apartments and playing at The Whisky. This dumpy motel down the street. Bought our black leather pants! That whole thing was really neat for a while. We played all our own stuff, all original material, and very hard rock ’n’ roll. Real loud! Marshall stacks…..we purchased the amplifiers from Cream, actually. When they left they sold them to a musical service and we picked them up from them. CREAM printed on the back. Turn it up to ten and scream.

Was it through this residency that Warners picked you up?

Let’s see, how did we get that deal? There was a girl at Warner Brothers, Pat Slattery, who was a friend of my wife to be. Pat took some people from Warner Brothers to see us at The Whisky. They said, ”Give us a demo tape.” We did that and they said, ”That band’s great but the songs stink.” We said, ”Thanks!” We looked around for material and they gave us this producer, Dave Hassinger, and we cut some things with him and released a single.

Was this your first experience of the studios?

No. We had been recording all the time we had been in Long Beach. A good friend of ours, Dale Davis, had set up a studio at a place in Claremont, and we’d go up there, so we basically had some experience in there. We’d go up and try things, cut some stuff, but it still takes a lot of getting used to. Then, somehow, the guy that was managing Things To come (whose name remained nothing at the time), he was managing David Crosby and Peter Fonda.

He picked us up and that\’s how we got turned on to David. He listened to our stuff and he really thought some of it was good, so he said he would like to produce a couple of things on us. Warner Brothers was definitely into that, so we did a couple of cuts with David. The problems started with Stephen Stills. David was going to produce an album of us, then he got hung up with Stephen, and then they put together the Crosby, Stills and Nash thing. It has worked out for the best. Russell still works with David, and I still see him, but we never did do an album.

We just did four songs for them. I wrote one of them called, ’Hello’, Russell wrote another one called ’Come Alive’, the other two were obscure pickup tunes that we had done to appease the publishing people at Warner’s.

Could you listen to them now?

Sure, oh yeah, it doesn’t bother me. It’s terrible, disgusting, but it brings back great memories for me, all that stuff. I’ve still got all those demo tapes at my house, and every once in a while I get out of it and go and listen to these things and think, ’Oh, my God, listen to that stuff, would you believe it?’ Great times. It’s like listening to John’s records, you know. They’re wonderful. His songs are wonderful. We did these four or five days up at Lake Tahoe. Henry Diltz played banjo and harmonica, Russell played drums while I played bass and John played guitar. We’d go skiing all day, drink red wine and get totally shit faced, ski back down again, come back in and play in this lodge just for room and board. God, it was awful. Get sick, go home with no money, bad cold…..’
’We had a great time, dear!”

Eventually, your group ran it’s course…..

Yeah, it really did, it couldn’t go anywhere but into debt. We didn’t have any management. I don’t think it was ever really meant to be. There were so many outside influences on the whole thing that it had to stop. Russell and I both got married, and we really wanted to play, do other things, so we…..I shouldn’t say ”we”.

It was independent of each other, but it happened that we both split to get out there to see if we really could do it on our own. We started cutting demos for 15 dollars a song, that kind of stuff. People liked the way we played and that’s all it takes. If you can get heard, you can get the chance, and if you can do it, then you’ve got half a chance.

GIANT SUNFLOWER – “February Sunshine” / “More Sunshine” (Take Six 1000) May 1967

One of the most intriguing releases of 1967 was ’February Sunshine’ by The Giant Sunflower. This folk rock song was written by Pat Vegas and Val Garay, two musicians based in Hollywood. The hot new sound in Los Angeles at this time was pleasant laid back sunshine rock with the groups often fronted by a good lookin’ flower girl with long hair and love beads.

’February Sunshine’ has that pure L.A. sunshine sound and is just perfect ’67 fodder for the radio. The song was recorded by studio musicians and released on Take 6 Inc with the non-existent group name of The Giant Sunflower.

The recording was quickly snapped up by Lou Adler’s Ode label who got the song re-recorded. Out of interest The Rose Garden also recorded ’February Sunshine’ at Gold Star Studios, Hollywood and their version can be found on their album.

The new recording of ’February Sunshine’ was then released on Ode in USA. Lou Adler had a deal with Columbia Records to distribute his Ode product in other countries around the world.

THE RIPTIDES – ’Last Wave Of The Day’ (Tower DT-5083) 1967

During last years countdown of the Los Angeles music scene 1965-69 I included ’Vietnam’ by Bobby Jameson from the Mondo Hollywood film soundtrack but I wanted to feature an obscure surf cut by The Riptides from this LP for my 2011 select fifty.

The Riptides were a group of teenagers from Burbank. The following information is from Riptides keyboard player Bob Bennett.

”The Riptides were first formed from a band that was initially called The Mai Tai Five. It was composed of Bob Bennett, Phil Kasper, Ron Record, Tommy Howell, and Tom Rockriver. The basic musical content was surf music (note that most early surf music used saxophones-hence Tom Rockriver) and local garage band music.

We played some junior high dances at Jordan and elsewhere. But when we discovered that we could sing, and the Beach Boys were becoming popular we formed The Riptides after Rockriver left the band for a different type of music. Bob Bennett on piano/keyboards, Phil Kasper on Fender Jazzmaster guitar, Ron Record on Gibson ES 335 guitar, and Tommy Howell on a Ludwig kit. When we ran into a kid named Steve Schoen, who played bass, we were introduced to his mother who was a Hollywood type who had just written a song for a Christmas Supremes album.

She heard us and liked us. She said that she knew a guy who was just beginning to make it in the L.A music scene. He had just written two songs for Honda – ”You Meet The Nicest People On A Honda” and ”The Worlds Biggest Seller Is A Sporty Little Street Machine”. His name was Mike Curb.

Steve’s mother set up a meeting at her house and Phil and I played some songs that I had written and recorded on Ron’s Sony Reel to Reel. Curb liked what he heard and thus began a new direction for The Riptides. Curb wanted us to record a Beach Boy song because he had produced the hit song ”Little Honda” by The Hondells on Mercury.

So he gave us a demo of one of the future Three Dog Night singers, Danny Hutton. It was from an album by The Beach Boys and the song was ”Farmers Daughter”, written by Brian Wilson. We had a recording date set up and we practiced the song 897 times. When we went to the studio it was the studio that had recorded all of the Steppenwolf and Three Dog Night albums and hits. It was recorded in four track. The guitar solo in the middle of the song was performed by Richie Podolor who was also the engineer. He was married to Pricilla Paris at the time and did the solo on a Rickenbacker 12 string. Absolutely fantastic, probably the best recorded song was our first. Perfect, but nothing happened.

Next song was ”I Couldn’t Love You Again” written by Curb writer and friend Harley Hatcher. Hatcher’s name appears on a lot of the songs in street gang movies that were popular at the time. Our next effort was our only single released on Curb’s Sidewalk label. ”Sally Ann” which was a ”Barbara Ann” knock off written by Curb. The B side was called ”April” and was written by Curb writer friend Ron Abeyta. It was also recorded in four track and included a dubbed in horn section. The single bombed but it did make the John Burroughs Cafeteria juke box.

We recorded a song for the movie called Mondo Hollywood called The Last Wave Of The Day. It was written by Curb and it was a great song. The album was released on Tower, a Capital subsidiary.

After the bass player moved on to a low-rider band there was no bass in the song and it suffered as a result. We also had some background parts for that movie which included the sidewalk surfing/skateboarding scenes. The movie was terrible and very controversial at the time. Curb’s reputation suffered but not enough to stop him from eventually becoming California Lieutenant Governor.

Next we did two songs for the movie The Golden Breed. Curb had the backing tracks already done but he had Phil Kasper record a song called ”The Golden Breed” and Bob Bennett recorded a song called ”Hey Girl, What Turns You On”. The album was released in stereo on Capital. That was our last involvement with Mike Curb.

The Riptides would eventually break up, Ron Record got married at age 17, Phil and Bob went on to college and Tommy Howell went off into the sunset. Great times, fun stuff. Some of it still available on DVD.”

THE VENTURES – ’Ginza Lights’ (Liberty LBY 1323) June 1966

According to the liners on the back of The Ventures LP ’Go With The Ventures’, they’re described as the world’s number one instrumental group. I’m not gonna argue with that, I don’t know enough about instrumental groups to have an opinion.

This 1966 album has it’s moments and I especially like The Ventures original ’Ginza Lights’ which sounds like a surfadelic spy theme tune played on those Mosrite guitars The Ventures were famous for.
One look at the credits on the back cover confirms that Bruce Botnick performed engineering duties. He was of course The Doors and Love\’s engineer. He also co-produced ’Forever Changes’ with Arthur Lee.

KALEIDOSCOPE – ’Keep Your Mind Open’ (Epic BN 26304) June 1967

The Kaleidoscope were one of the most enigmatic and mysterious groups from Los Angeles whose music came across like a gypsy ensemble on acid. They utilized exotic instruments like saz bouzoukee, dobro, dulcimer, caz, oud and layered the Persian sound with keyboards, 12 string guitars, banjos and fiddles.

When I bought my first Kaleidoscope album in the mid 80s (the Edsel collection called ’Bacon From Mars’) I must admit I was perplexed and just didn’t understand where Kaleidoscope were at apart from some instant psychedelic jewels like ’Pulsating Dream’ and ’Keep Your Mind Open’.

’Keep Your Mind Open’ is from their debut album ’Side Trips’ and is one of their most instant songs with it’s laid back trippy sound and lysergic production. The song was written by bass player Christopher Darrow who also wrote the previously mentioned and classic acid/folk rocker ’Pulsating Dream’.

Although ’Side Trips’ was released in June 1967, the songs were recorded much earlier at Columbia Square, Los Angeles during November and December 1966.

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Wednesday, September 14, 2022

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