Like Dynamite to your Brain

2010-09-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

Just listed this Australian Garage killer record for sale. Check it out at my Gemm site:

http://sloopjbrecords.gemm.com/

Records For Sale

2010-08-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

I'm selling a bunch of my records on GEMM!

60's Soul, Beat, Freakbeat, Mod, UK, Dutch, Swedish, Australian, New Zealand. Lots of good stuff for good prices. I'll be listing more and more stuff as the days go by. Thanks for looking at this blog. I'll also take offers on any of the records listed here. Thanks again!

A sample of records for sale:

Sorrows - Take A Heart - Dutch Picture Sleeve
Billy Joe Royal - Mama didn't raise no fools - Rare 60's Soul
Last Straws - Woman of Gradual Decline - Rare OZ Beat
Outsiders - Strange Things Are Happening - Rare Dutch Beat
Formyula - Nature - Rare NZ Pop-Psych
Changin' Times - How Is The Air Up There - US Garage

And much more!

Here's the link:

http://sloopjbrecords.gemm.com/

Jay-Jays

2010-01-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Jay-Jays started out as an instrumental band in the Hague (Holland) in 1960 and were then called the Jumping Jewels. They changed their name in late 1965 and started releasing some great Beat-Punk-R&B singles. They were know as the Kinks of Holland. The 45 I bring you today has them moving toward a more Mod-Psych sound (check out the weird flute intelude about 3/4 way through). It contains what Beat-Garage collectors for years dreaded, horns. As the Pebbles Vol. 23 liner notes for the Jay-Jays put it, "Later singles contained an awful horn section." I think there are so many interesting, inventive, overlooked GREAT records because of this avoidance of anything containing horns and this is one of them. And check out that fantastic picture sleeve. Listen to the B-Side below.

Jay-Jays - 'Cause You're Mine, Babe

They release 7 singles an one amazing LP. More to come from these guys.

Herman's Hermits

2010-01-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

That's right, Herman's Hermits! These guys had some fantastic releases in their later years. This one is from 1967 and I'm featuring the B-Side. This was actually the B-Side to their last US top 20 hit "Don't Go Out Into the Rain (You're Going to Melt)" and was not released as a 45 in the UK. The above picture sleeve is a dutch release. Moonshine Man has a great Beatlesque Taxmanish sound. Museum is also good and was written by Donovan.

Listen to both sides here:

HERMAN'S HERMITS - MOONSHINE MAN
HERMAN'S HERMITS - MUSEUM

Mystrys

2009-10-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

For the next halloweenish track we hop over from New Zealand to Australia.

The Mystrys were from Melbourne and released this insane recording in May of 1966.

The band, I kid you not, claimed to be from another planet. Ziggy Zapata, the lead guitarist, describes on his web page what he calls "A Stupid Gimmick" as follows:

"Michael Kopp decided that this Aussie supergroup had to be different, so in a flash of utter stupidity, he devised probably the silliest gimmick of them all. The band members would claim to come from another planet, have preposterous sounding alien names and their identities would literally remain a complete mystery. With his usual flair for the dramatic, Kopp predictably named the band The Mystrys.

Ziggy, whose contrived alien name was Kuff (don't say it backwards) and the boys wore outrageous futuristic outfits and even worse, green velvet hoods with only eye and mouth holes."

You can read the rest of the outrageous story HERE.

Listen to it here:

MYSTRYS - WITCH GIRL

Larry's Rebels

2009-10-26T21:53:00.001-07:00

Larry's Rebels from Auckland, New Zealand released a bunch of 45's from 1964 through to 1969. They recorded this 45 "Halloween / Everybody's Girl" on a trip to Melbourne, Australia in 1968. Everybody's Girl reached #6 in the New Zealand Charts.

The track included here was the intended A-Side, but didn't reach the charts in Australia or New Zealand. But it's a great song dedicated to the spookiest day of the year coming up soon.

Here comes Halloween...

LARRY'S REBELS - HALLOWEEN

You can read much more about the band HERE.

Salas Brothers with the Jaguars

2009-09-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

Obviously a follow up to the great "Farmer John" by the Premiers. These young kids from Easy LA later played with El Chicano and morphed into Tierra. Listen to it below.

SALAS BROTHERS WITH THE JAGUARS - THE RETURN OF FARMER JOHN

Phantoms

2009-07-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

A history of the band (in Dutch), but with great photos and record scans is HERE.

Also, from the liner notes for Beat Express #1 (The great 10 inch series from Op-Art Records):
Band members were lead guitarist Ad v.d. Ven; bass player Wally Soute, founder of the Phantoms Ronald v.d.Horst (guit), drummer Fred Grundlach and Marty van Rooy (voc). The band achieved national fame with “I’ll Go Crazy,” which got to number 11 on the hit parade, followed by “Tormented,” which only got to 25. They even managed to release a true LP that, like the singles, appeared on Omega Records.The Phantoms were regularly seen on TV (Tienerama) and even performed in Belgium for the program “Tienerklanken.”

Listen to the nice melodic dutch beat of Tormented below.

PHANTOMS - TORMENTED

Beautiful Daze

2009-07-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite Garage-Psych records ever! I'm not sure which compilation I first heard it on, but it was instantly a mind blower for me.

I'm not sure if there has been much dug up on this band, but if there has been please let me know. The J. Greek listed as one of the songwriters is thought to be the former member of Seattle's Wailers. Also, I believe this 45 is from 1967. Anyway, the important thing is the music, and how amazing it is! Listen to it below.

BEAUTIFUL DAZE - CITY JUNGLE

Troggs

2009-07-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

I assume most of you know the Troggs, so I'm not going to go into their history. Plenty of info on the internet.

This is a pretty obscure Troggs track. Released as the B-side to their Hip Hip Horay 45 and included on the "Mixed Bag" LP from 1968. It's a great song with all of the attitude of some of their earlier tracks that seemed to be lacking during this time. It has a great freakbeat sound and has that brilliant simplicity that made the Troggs great. Listen to it below.

TROGGS - SAY DARLIN'!

Chanceliers

2009-07-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

French Canadian band that released at least 8 singles from 1966 to 1968. They also released an LP in 1967. Michel Pagliaro, the vocalist went on to have a successful pop career in Canada. This is a great tough track sung in French. Fantastic Guitar, bass and drums! I love the slow down and stops then the drums crashing back in. The other side is a pretty boring version of "I'm your puppet" sung in French as well. Listen to the killer side below.

CHANCELIERS - LA GENERATION D'AUJOURD'HUI

Twilights

2009-07-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Australian bands, the Twilights were one of the top bands of the sixties in the land down under. You can read all about their history at the great Milesago website HERE.

If you love sitar, you'll love the track "Time and Motion Study Man", which was actually the B-Side. The A-Side "Younger Girl", written by the drummer, Laurie Pryor, was a huge hit for the band. The song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London and the Milesago site explains, "melancholy and evocative, with Terry's innovative use of the variable volume pedal (as employed previously on The Beatles' "Yes It Is"). It's a measure of The Twilights' pre-eminence on the Aussie rock scene by this time that it became the group's biggest hit to date."

Sorry, even though the record looks perfect, it sounds a little scratchy. Listen to both sides below.

TWILIGHTS - TIME AND MOTION STUDY MAN
TWILIGHTS - YOUNG GIRL

Note: Sorry for the huge break in posts. I plan to post regularly from now on.

Short '66

2009-02-05T21:27:00.000-08:00

Great Beat-Mod band from Amsterdam. They had at least 8 singles during their career. Heavily influenced by the Mod and Psych bands from the UK. They started in 1966 (hence the name) and I think only lasted until 1960 or 1970. The song featured here is a pure Mod/PopArt/Freakbeat effort.

Here's a great promo card:

Lots of good stuff by these guys! This is one of my favorites.

Listen here:
SHORT '66 - GOOD WEEKEND

Hedgehoppers Anonymous

2009-01-31T22:05:00.000-08:00

A beat band from the UK who were originally called The Trendsetters then The Hedgehoppers in 1963/4. They added the Anonymous in 1965 when Jonathan King became their producer. Their first release (Good News Week) became a big hit in the UK. In my opinion that first 45 and their next 2 releases were mediocre beat/folk efforts. Then in August of 1966 they released this monster (which criminally went nowhere in the charts). Great full Mod/Freakbeat sound on this one. Give it a listen below.

HEDGEHOPPERS ANONYMOUS - DAYTIME

Terry Dean and the Nitebeats

2009-01-29T22:27:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice beat record from New Zealand. This was the bands first release from early in 1964. The song featured here was written by the UK songwriting team of John Carter and Ken Lewis (who also had the band Carter-Lewis and the Southerners). The song was also recorded by The Cicadas from Australia and I believe was originally done by the Marauders in the UK.

There's a great history of the band with some fantastic pictures HERE.

Listen here:
TERRY DEAN AND THE NITEBEATS - ALWAYS ON MY MIND

Mark Four

2009-01-26T21:52:00.000-08:00

Here's a surf influenced garage record from a band called the Mark Four. They were probably from Los Angeles and had an earlier release (Pacific Challenger 1002) with a nice surf style vocal tune called Swingin' Hangout. This one is more in the Garage vein and I believe was released in 1966. Pretty inept. Just listen to that bad start by the drummer. I love the guitar sound though.

Listen here:
MARK FOUR - FORGET IT BABY

Jets

2009-01-23T11:13:00.000-08:00

Great melodic driving Dutch beat!

Not much info on the internet (at least in English). Here's what Pebbles Vol. 23 had to say about them:

"This 5-piece combo was from Utrecht and had a hit with the Changin' Times/Crispian St. Peter song 'Pied Piper', which stayed in the Dutch Top 40 for 15 weeks. 'I Was So Glad' is the B-side. 'Worker In The Night' is another great one by them. The Jets were one of the best live bands, there were wild happenings at their shows. And they even had records released in Japan!"

There's also some great pics HERE.

Listen here:
JETS - WORKER IN THE NIGHT

Big Three

2009-01-18T10:46:00.000-08:00

Legendary early UK Beat group. In my opinion, still very underrated today, their records are great and really reflect the time. Their "Big Three at the Cavern" EP is fantastic and really captures the sound from those Cavern days. Although many say their studio recordings don't really capture their wild sound, I believe the track I've included here is an exception. "Cavern Stomp" sounds pretty wild to my ears and I think all you Mod DJ's out there should give it a spin at your next club night.

Here's a few more tidbits about The Big Three:
1. They were managed by Brian Epstein, but were allegedly dropped from his management because of their wild antics.
2. Their drummer, Johnny Hutchinson, drummed for The Beatles for a brief period between Pete Best and Ringo in 1962.
3. The original lineup lasted only until November 1963 and the band was completely disbanded by early 1964!

Check out "Cavern Stomp" here:
BIG THREE - CAVERN STOMP

Brincos

2009-01-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

Los Brincos were one of the top bands in Spain in the 1960's. They released several 45's and LP's throughout the 60's and a brilliant Psych-Progressive LP in 1970 (Mvndo Demonio Carne). This 45 is from 1967 and has a very "Who" feel to it. I've included the track "The Train" (sung in English) below.

LOS BRINCOS - THE TRAIN

Romancers

2009-01-13T21:20:00.000-08:00

Here's one of the Romancers, from East LA, singles from 1966. This one, as far as East LA bands goes is a bit different in that it's pure 60's jangly rock. Most of the East LA Chicano bands tended toward Doo-wop, soul and funk, including the Romancers, but in 1966 Max Uballez was writing some amazing garage and 60's pop. Both sides are great, but "She Gives Me Love", I think could and should have been a hit.

The Romancers were one of the earliest of the 60's East LA Chicano bands and again I defer to Mark Guerrero's page for an excellent history of the band HERE.

ROMANCERS - SHE GIVES ME LOVE
ROMANCERS - TAKE MY HEART

Union Jack

2009-01-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

Not much info out there on this band. I know they were Belgian and I'm pretty sure this 45 was released in 1970. They had at least one other release around 1969-70 also on Fontora records. Lady Masham is a great Pop-Psych track with super FUZZ guitar. Any further info on the band is welcomed.

Listen to it here:
UNION JACK - LADY MASHAM

Gremlins

2009-01-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

Here's one from the great New Zealand band the Gremlins. This 45 was the follow-up to their big (#2) hit "Coming Generation". Unfortunately it was a total flop in the charts. To my ears though it's a great song which complains how the older generation just doesn't understand the new generation ("They don't like the clothes we wear and they don't like our longer hair"). You can read a good history of the band HERE.

Listen here:
GREMLINS - UNDERSTAND OUR AGE

Be sure to pick up the CD: The Gremlins - The Coming Generation: The Complete Recordings 1965-68

Preparations

2009-01-07T16:01:00.000-08:00

Although a pretty blatant rip off of the "Cool Jerk" riff, this is a fantastic record. It's hard to sit still still while listening to this one. From New York City and released in 1968. Get up and do the GET-E-UP! Yeeehaw!

PREPARATIONS - GET-E-UP (The Horse)

Blue Chips

2009-01-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

Good UK Mod Beat 45! I really like both sides of this 45. It's fairly primitive UK Beat with a touch of soul. I don't know anything about these guys except that they had 3 45 releases, this one in 1965 and two in 1966. Here's some additional info from the liner notes from the "Doin' The Mod, Vol. 2" compilation:

The Blue Chips were allegedly discovered on the Northern club circuit by Adam Faith's songwriter Johnny Worth (which suggests some in-joke at work here - after all, the other Worth/Faith proteges were the Roulettes!). The impressive uptempo blue eyed soul of "I'm On The Right Side" was the A-side of the first of their three singles cut for Pye between October 1965 and July 1966.

Listen to both sides of this 45 here:
BLUE CHIPS - I'M ON THE RIGHT SIDE
BLUE CHIPS - YOU'RE GOOD TO ME

Bernadette and Her Swingin' Bears

2008-12-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

Here's a great novelty record that was based on the Hanna Barbera hit TV show Yogi Bear. I'm not sure why they chose this as a subject matter, since there seems to be no relation to Hanna Barbera. I guess they were just trying to capitalize on the popularity of the cartoon. Anyway it's a great cheezy, catchy track from the great novelty record era. I also love the label, which I'm sure was made to attract "the kids". Check out the track below.

Bernadette and Her Swingin' Bears - Crazy Yogi

Tykes

2008-12-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a raw dutch beat 45 that was released in April of 1967. The Tykes started in 1963 as the Rocking Tigers playing rough bluesy rock and roll but changed their name in 1966. The Tykes were known as an underground band in Holland even within the relative obscurity of Nederbeat. This was their first single and it was produced by Robbie van Leeuwen of the Motions. The B-side, "Hey Girl" is the KILLER track here. The A-side is a cover of the John Mayall and Eric Clapton (Bluesbreakers) penned track. Check out both sides below.

Oh and check out that sleeve!! Is that guy about to make himself sick!?!? It's pretty amazing that someone looked at it and said, "Yeah, that's the perfect shot for the record sleeve." Crazy stuff!

TYKES - HEY GIRL
TYKES - DOUBLE CROSSIN' TIME

Thee Midniters

2008-12-24T17:32:00.000-08:00

Thee Midniters are my favorite East LA band. The diversity of their releases is amazing. They could do full on Soul, Latin, blasting Garage, catchy instrumentals, sweet ballads, funk, psych, you name it. I would recommend picking up the book "Land of a Thousand Dances" where you can read about them and many other east LA acts.

I've been trying for a while now to get all of Thee Midniters records, both 45's and LP's. There's a couple that remain elusive but especially the Whittier (W-511) release "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" / "Making Ends Meet", even in far from Mint condition this 45 will easily reach over US $500 or more on eBay. The 45 I've posted here, although not even close to being that expensive, is very hard to find.

So here's a super rare one from Thee Midniters from 1967. It's beyond me why this track didn't make it to the Greatest Hits CD that came out a few years ago. It may not be their best, but it's certainly an excellent track. Kind of an unusual record for them since their early stuff mixes Latino Soul and Garage in the best way possible and their later stuff mixes in some funk. This record is purely Garage/Psych/Pop and very much sounds like 1967 but at the same time they still don't lose that Midniters edge. Listen below.

THEE MIDNITERS - BREAKFAST ON THE GRASS

Note: I'm not sure why I didn't also record the other side "Dreaming Casually", but will on the next recording session and add it here. It's a great dreamy ballad in the American Chicano Rock tradition.

UPDATE: Jan 7, 2009: Here is the track "Dreaming Casually" as promised. These types of tracks are the bread and butter of East LA and Chicano rock in general.

THEE MIDNITERS - DREAMING CASUALLY

Note: The above mp3 is from a kind of crackly 45. I would suggest buying THEE MIDINTIERS GREATEST HITS CD for better quality and support one of the greatest bands EVER!

Tony Worsley

2008-12-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

It's been a little while since I posted something, so I thought I'd post two somethings. "Something" and "Something's Got A Hold On Me", the A and B sides of the Tony Worsley release QK-1241 on Sunshine Records (Australia). This 45 was released in February of 1966 and the "Something" side deserves to be comped and I love the tuff guitar throughout the song. Great version of the classic on the other side too! Listen below.

Read about Tony at the fantastic Milesago website HERE.

TONY WORSLEY - SOMETHING
TONY WORSLEY - SOMETHING'S GOT A HOLD ON ME

Bintangs

2008-12-18T18:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a great Dutch Beat/Psych 45 with an equally great cover.

The Bintangs started as early as the late 1950's and were know as the Rocket Dynes and then the Black Phantoms before becoming the Bintangs in the mid 60's. They released several great 45's from 1965 to 1968 (and continued up until today). This is their 5th 45 release from 1967. It's a great song with the crashing freakbeat sound and the weird little flute and vocal interlude in the middle of the song.

"Please Do Listen" to it here:
BINTANGS - PLEASE DO LISTEN

You can check out their complete discography at their website HERE.

New Arrivals

2008-12-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

The New Arrivals were from San Jose, CA. They released 3 45's and all were Soutbay Productions, but some were "Macy's, Seven-Up Recordings" as this 45. Great melodic Garage-Folk! Check out the story of the band HERE. Listen to both sides of this 45 below.

Also, be sure to pick up the CD "Finally".

NEW ARRIVALS - JUST OUTSIDE OF MY WINDOW
NEW ARRIVALS - LET'S GET WITH IT

John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers

2008-12-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

Here's John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers very first 45 from 1964. Fantastic R&B from the early Mod days before Eric Clapton joined the band. Before this, in 1963, Mayall was in an R&B band called Syndicat. They were inspired by Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated and they played at the Twisted Wheel Club in Manchester. After this, John moved to London, got a day job, and started the new band, the Bluesbreakers. The song from this single clearly reflects his frustration at working during the day and most likely staying up in to the wee hours of the night practicing or playing with the band at the R&B club "Klooks Kleek". Here's the lyrics at the start of the track:

Every morning bout half past eight,
My Wife awakens me says, "Don't be late",
Get to the office, try to concentrate,
My life is just a slow train, crawlin' up a hill

So I stop one day to figure it out,
I'll quit my job without a shadow of a doubt,
To sing the blues that I know all about,
My life is just a slow train crawlin' up a hill.

I think he knew what he wanted to do with his life, and and the fact that he had an epiphany, wrote a song about it for his first single, and went on to become an R&B legend is pretty amazing.

Anyway, what a great early UK R&B Mod track from one of the guys who was there at the beginning. Listen to it below:

JOHN MAYALL - CRAWLING UP A HILL

Deejays

2008-12-11T20:21:00.000-08:00

From the 60's Swedish Pop Music Magazine Bild-Journalen. This is one of the flexidiscs they released along with the magazine. This one (#5) features The Hounds, The Deejays and Anita Berggren. I've included the Deejays track. What a great Mod Freakbeat track that was only released (in the 60's) on this Flexi.

The Deejays members were all British and the band started in England, but resided, recorded and had several top 10 hits in Sweden. Read a short history of the band, plus a complete discography HERE.

Listen to it here:
DEEJAYS - INSIDE MY MIND

Jimmy Norman

2008-12-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

Tough R&B from 1962 with a great raw sound. The intro is fantastic, especially when he says, "THIS IS ME...".

Without going into a long history (that's what Google is for) and details I'll just give you a brief snippet from the NPR site:

Singer and songwriter Jimmy Norman has been an R&B institution for over 50 years. He played with Jimi Hendrix in New York's Greenwich Village, wrote the lyrics for "Time is on My Side" -- later a hit for the Rolling Stones -- and sang with the Coasters for three decades.

The song was written and the record produced by Soul legend H. B. Barnum. Listen to the track below:

Jimmy Norman - I Don't Love You No More

Golden Earrings

2008-12-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

First of all, check out those haircuts, Ha! One of the best bands from Holland in the 60's who of course went on to have hits in the 70's and 80's after dropping the "S" and calling themselves Golden Earring. In the 60s they released a slew of singles and 5 LP's. They are apparently still playing in 2008. This is one of my favorites from 1967, listen to it below.

GOLDEN EARRINGS - SOUND OF THE SCREAMING DAY

Sunday Group

2008-11-24T21:29:00.000-08:00

On the A-side we have a great danceable organ instrumental which was co-written by the late Barry White along with Jack Stern. Here's some info that was included in the "It Came from the Garage! Nuggets from Southern California" compilation on Big Beat:

"The Sunday Group, who were the Hustlers from Whittier, California in disguise. Add to this another illustrious name, not normally associated with garage punkers and folk-rockers, the Love Walrus himself, Barry White. Barry produced the Bobby Fuller 4 after he left Downey, and before he started getting his teeth into his more famous early sub-Motown productions, he actually wet his production head on Lakewood Boulevard at Downey on the Rumblers and the Hustlers!"

On the B-side is a crude garage track which in my opinion is an attempt to (as they say in the UK) take the piss out of garage music. Listen to both sides below!

SUNDAY GROUP - PINK GRAPES
SUNDAY GROUP - EDGE OF NOWHERE

Lollipops

2008-11-23T20:06:00.000-08:00

From Copenhagen, Denmark they got their start at a talent show when they were 9, 10 and 11 years old. They continued from there and grew in popularity in Denmark, and also became very popular in Sweden. They released tons of 45's throughout the 60's and also several albums. Here they are in 1968 doing a great 60's pop tune called "Marry Her Tonight". More to come from the Lollipops!

LOLLIPOPS - MARRY HER TONIGHT

Laurie Wade's Cavaliers

2008-11-20T19:53:00.000-08:00

From Sydney, Australia, they had 4 45's released on the CBS label and they're all good. Like so many of these great Australian bands, they started as a Surf/Instrumental band and recorded a great 45 for the Linda Lee label, "Cloudburst / The Phantom Guitarist", which can be heard on the Big Beat Compilation "Board Boogie - Surf and Twang from Down Under".

This was their third 45 for CBS and was released in 1966. It's a real killer moody track with great primitive guitar and vocals. This track was also featured on the Pretty Ugly Vol 1 LP and CD, which is essential listening. Listen to the track below.

LAURIE WADE'S CAVALIERS - THE COLOUR OF HER EYES

Mr Ed Music Round up Blog

2008-11-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

For some reason when I add this blog to the Blogs I Like section, it doesn't link correctly and I can't figure out why. Anyway, check out this great Blog:

Mr Ed Music Round up Blog!

Matadorerne

2008-11-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

Here's a Danish beat band that started in 1964 and released several singles and at least 3 LP's. This 45 is their 3rd from 1965. Their name translates to "The Matadors" in English. My Situation is a great track and if you take away the Danish accent, this sounds almost like an American garage record. What a great picture sleeve too. There have been 2 CD compilations of all of their tracks in recent years which you should be able to find online. Hear the track below.

MATADORERNE - MY SITUATION

Ian & the Zodiacs

2008-11-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a great one by the UK Beat band Ian & the Zodiacs on the German Star Club Label from 1966. It was also released on Fontana in the UK. The band enjoyed great success in Germany. They recorded 3 albums that were released only in Germany and had an LP released in the US as well. This 45 is one of their best with that great frantic freakbeat sound and a killer FUZZ riff. Hear it below.

IAN AND THE ZODIACS - NO MONEY, NO HONEY

Jennie Jordan

2008-11-15T22:27:00.000-08:00

Here's Jennie Jordan on Jamie Records from 1962 urging kids to start a new fad involving not a dance, but tongue twisters?!?

Listen to it here:
JENNIE JORDAN - TONGUE TWISTIN

Shanes

2008-11-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

The Shanes were one of Sweden's top 60's beat bands along with the TAGES and the MASCOTS who I have also posted to this blog. You can read about them (along with some other Swedish 60's bands) HERE.

This is their fifth 45, and was released in 1965 and it was their most raw R&B 45. Listen to it below.

SHANES - I DON'T WANT YOUR LOVE

Stay tuned for more Shanes!

Good Feelins

2008-11-11T21:37:00.000-08:00

The Good Feelins were a 60's Garage band from the neck of the woods that I grew up in, the Inland Empire in California. Although noted as being from Riverside in the liner notes on Pebbles Vol. 9, they were actually from San Bernardino. They recorded this 45 in 1967 and it was released nationally by Liberty Records. Of course as with so many garage records, it sank without a trace only to be revived many years later by obsessive record collectors. Listen to it below.

GOOD FEELINS - I'M CAPTURED

They also recorded a second 45 which was released in 1968 on Rock-It Records with the AMAZING track "Shattered". Anyone have a spare copy for sale??

Colored Rain

2008-11-10T19:57:00.000-08:00

I'm usually not a huge fan of cover versions of songs, especially when it's a song I've known and loved by the original band. In this case though, I'm not going to say it's better, but I think it's just as good. This version of "Gimme Some Lovin'" was recorded by the Colored Rain, a Canadian band as far as I can tell, in 1969 and released in 1970. It's a killer danceable version of the classic that really grooves along. Of course, the song was written by Stevie Winwood and recorded and released in the UK by the great Spencer Davis Group. It's also interesting that the bands name was Colored Rain, as this was a song by Stevie's later group Traffic, except they spelled it without the "u", as in "Coloured", even though they were Canadian(?). Again though, most importantly, listen to the track below and just dig that fuzzzzz!

COLORED RAIN - GIMME SOME LOVIN'

Loot

2008-11-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

When I first bought the English Freakbeat Vol. 1 LP way back when, this was one of the songs that hit me in the head like a brick. From that first chopping frantic guitar slash to the end, this is one of the songs that I truly equate with the "Freakbeat" sound. The Loot were from the UK, but seemed (as many bands such as The Smoke and The Creation) to have more success an popularity in Germany. Above is the German Hansa Picture sleeve for this release. Here also is the insert that came with the 45 (in German) which lists the band members and their ages:

Here are the liner notes that were included in the English Freakbeat Compilation:

The Loot has several strong connections with the Troggs; bandmember Dave Wright was one of the original members of that band, and "Baby Come Closer", from the first single, was later recorded by the Troggs. Also, their label, Page One Records was owned by Troggs manager Larry Page; and Ronnie Bond, the drummer for the Troggs produced many of the songs by the Loot. Three members of this band were previously in the Soul Agents, featured on English Freakbeat, Volume 2.

Finally, and most importantly, listen to the track here:
LOOT - BABY COME CLOSER

More to come from the Loot!

Mixers

2008-11-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

In keeping with the Beatincks post this last Wednesday, here's another European band doing a cover of a Soul track which I first heard by the Artwoods. This time it's "Keep Looking", which was first recorded by the great Solomon Burke. This version by the Mixers was most likely influenced by the Artwoods version.

The Mixers were from Sweden and I can't find out much else about them. Keep Looking was included on the "Who will buy these wonderful evils Vol 2" and this is all they had to say about them:

The Mixers from Norrkoping proclaimed that they had the answer to all the problems in life on their 2nd 45 "Keep Looking", released in 1967. They never came close to fame and fortune in swinging London but at least got to tour Eastern Germany. The gigs were well paid but the Mixers weren't allowed to leave Germany with their earnings so they spent it on fun and drink.

I've also included the B-Side, "I'd Like to Know" which wasn't included on the compilation. Listen to both sides below.

MIXERS - KEEP LOOKING
MIXERS - I'D LIKE TO KNOW

REPOST: Chaparral Trio

2008-11-07T17:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a re-post of my first post for this blog with a much better sound file and picture. Here's the text of the original post:

From Houston, Texas. Not much information about this band. This had to be my first post since the title of my Blog uses the lyrics of the incredible track posted below. The only info on this band I could find is as follows (from Fuzz, Acid and Flowers):

"This Houston Trio of brothers also performed as the Chaparrals. And in the late '60's they released the mellow lounge styled "Without You" and buried this throbbing blues psych number (Roxanne) on the B-Side. Written by George Hill IV (who also wrote the A-side)."

Believe me, the A-side is not so good. Note: The record label is Houston spelled backwards. Also, this track was included on the fantastic compilation, "A Deadly Dose of Wilde Psych" from Arf! Arf! Records.

Listen to the track here:
CHAPARRAL TRIO - ROXANNE

Beatnicks flipside posted

2008-11-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

By request, I've posted the A-Side of the 45 from the Beatnicks post a few days ago. It's an INSANE Psych/Soul/Prog (!?!) version of the Holland-Dozier-Holland Soul classic. Scroll down or go to the post HERE.

Sunday Funnies flipside posted

2008-11-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

As I promised on my October 4th post of the Sunday Funnies, I have included a sound file for the flipside titled "A Pindaric Ode". Go here to listen: SUNDAY FUNNIES FLIPSIDE

Contributors of Soul

2008-11-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Great sixties soul track from the Contributors of Soul on the New Miss label out of New York City. And what a great contribution this is! Listen to it below.

CONTRIBUTORS OF SOUL - LOOK WHAT YOU DONE FOR ME

Alexander's Timeless Bloozband

2008-11-06T22:55:00.000-08:00

Alexander's Timeless Bloozband were from San Diego, CA and the band included Charles Lamont, who wrote this song and apparently also released a solo LP. I have the Self Titled LP as well, and in my opinion this is the best track. Strong gritty vocals and I love the organ. I believe this was recorded "live" in the studio. This 45 was released in 1967.

Listen to it here:
ALEXANDER'S TIMELESS BLOOZBAND - LOVE SO STRONG

Beatnicks

2008-11-05T21:02:00.000-08:00

This band may be the band from Holland who also went by the name "The Beatniks" as this record was released in Holland in the late 60's, maybe as late as 1969. It's possible though that this band is from Norway as there was an active band in Norway with this name. In any case, it's a great record. Included here is a fantastic version of the song written by N. Neville aka Allen Toussaint. I know this song which I first heard from the mighty Artwoods. It surprised me when I first heard this track since I didn't think anyone could match the energy of the Artwoods on this song. Check it out and see if you agree.

Note: Does anyone know if someone, and if so who, originally recorded this song???

Listen here:
BEATNICKS - I FEEL GOOD

The A-Side by request:
BEATINCKS - REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE

UPDATE: I've been clued in via the comments on this post that the song was originally recorded by Benny Spellman, see the history from the GREAT blog Funky16corners by clicking HERE.

Sunny and the Sunliners

2008-11-02T13:55:00.000-08:00

A great track from Sunny and the Sunliners from San Antonio, Texas. Sunny Ozuna, the leader of the band has a long history in music, and I believe is still performing today. They started as Sunglows and Sunny and the Sunglows and started releasing records as far back as 1959. This 45 on the Tear Drop label was released in 1964. The A-Side, "Out of Sight - Out of Mind" made it to #71 on the Billboard Top 100. Flip it over and you have the track I've included here. Amazing danceable Chicano Soul! Sunny is deservedly a legend in San Antonio, and this is just one of the reasons why.

Listen to it here:
SUNNY AND THE SUNLINERS - NO ONE ELSE WILL DO

Blue

2008-11-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

Alas, Halloween is over and I'm feeling kinda blue because of it, so I thought this would be the perfect post. If you're blue too, this jangly Garage Record might snap you out of it.

I can't find a thing about this band. Side 2 seems to be an original composition and lists the entire band (I assume) as the songwriters, they are:

Fred Lampropoulos
Jerry Seare
Aaron Boswell
Scott Peterson

Side one is a really good version of the Who classic with the title, "Sad 'Bout Us".

Hear both sides of the 45 here:
BLUE - ANYTHING FOR YOU
BLUE - SAD 'BOUT US

Any further info on the band would be appreciated.

Halloween 45's Part 2

2008-10-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Lord Luther aka Luther McDaniels was born in Panola County Texas and started singing gospel at an early age. In the mid 50's he started a Doo Wop group, the 4 Deuces. They recorded a few singles in 1956 including the hit single W-P-J-L. They were based in California. After the group disbanded in late 1956, he continued recording and releasing records under the name Lord Luther. This was his second solo release in 1958, and what a great one it is. The scary sound effects and his smooth vocals make this one of my favorite Halloween Novelty 45's. I've actually had this record since I was a kid as it was my dad's, who bought it at Gillette Records in Colton, CA.

Check out this cool 45 here:
LORD LUTHER WITH THE KINGSMEN - (I WAS A) TEENAGE CREATURE

Here's another record I really love. One side (or technically both sides) have a beatnik novelty song and the other side, posted here, is a Halloween Novelty track. What could be better than that? Aside from this single, there was an entire album released which you can see HERE. Bob worked on a ton of TV and music projects throughout the 50's and 60's which you can search for on Ye Olde Internet. For now, check out this fantastic track:

BOB MCFADDEN AND DOR - THE MUMMY

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Halloween 45's Part 1

2008-10-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

First of all, what a fantastic label. It's one of my favorite 45 record labels of all time. Of course I don't know anything about the band, but I have a hunch(back), get it. Anyway, after a little research I noticed that Johnny Bond's 45's also listed "Red River Songs" as the publisher, so there must be a connection, plus Johnny's band was the Red River Valley boys. What do you think? Most importantly though, listen to this great track below.
TONY AND THE MONSTROSITIES - IGOR'S PARTY

Here's another great Halloween Novelty 45. This one's been on several comps, but if you haven't heard it you must listen, and be sure to stick around for the ending.
BOBBY PLEASE AND THE PLEASERS - THE MONSTER

Stay Tuned for Special Halloween Posts!

2008-10-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

In the next 2 days I'll be posting some Halloween Novelty records, so be sure to check back!

Nicky and the Shouts

2008-10-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

Nicky and the Shouts, from Holland, released 3 excellent beat singles in each of the three years from 1965 to 1967. This is their first and it oozes with that fantastic ringing Dutch Beat sound. Both sides are great.

Listen to both sides here:
NICKY AND THE SHOUTS - DON'T BE A FOOL
NICKY AND THE SHOUTS - IT'S TIME

Mersey Makers

2008-10-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know and can't find any info on this band except for the fact that they were from Canada. Great mersey beat style original songs!

You gotta love the lyrics. Part of "C'mon":

"The chicks are wild and so is my group
and you won't even have time to be blue"

Listen to both sides of the 45:
MERSEY MAKERS - C'MON
MERSEY MAKERS - DAY AFTER DAY

Flies

2008-10-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

From Melbourne, Australia, the Flies were a popular beat group. They won a battle of the bands in early 1964 which got them noticed. They went on to be the house band for the Melbourne club, Pinocchios. They started doing gigs in Sydney, where they were arrested for vagrancy for having hair to their shoulders.

The Flies Line-up:
Ronnie Burns (vocals, guitar)
Peter Nicol (guitar, vocals)
John Thomas (guitar)
Themi Adams (bass)
Hank Wallis (drums)

Their first single release, "I'll Be In Love With You" / "Tell Her That" (RCA 101586) was well received in Melbourne, but didn't receive much notice outside the city. Their second single "Doin' The Mod" / "Ain't That Just Like Me" (RCA 101618) was released in June 1965 and the A-side became their theme song. The B-side is an excellent effort of the beat standard.

After leaving the Flies in August of 1965, Ronnie Burns started a solo career and had several hits in the sixties including the fantastic "Exit Stage Right" and "Coalman". Many of his songs were written by the Brothers Gibb of the Bee Gees. He went on to have several hits in the 70's as well.

Listen here the second 45 and "Do the Mod":
FLIES - DOIN' THE MOD
FLIES - AIN'T THAT JUST LIKE ME

Note: The original version of "Doin' The Mod" was by Vandyke and the Bambis, an obscure British beat R&B band.

Also check out this video (after the Flies performance, watch Ronnie Burns during his solo career almost get torn to pieces by fans on stage):

Lenne and the Lee Kings

2008-10-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

How has the B-side, ("Always and Ever") of this record never been on a compilation? (As far as I know). A cover of this amazing track was included on the Dutch Beat Explosion CD by the group Midnatt Fryan (which apparently means "Midnight Fire" in Swedish(?), but they're a Dutch band). This is the original version and was written by Lenne Broberg and Bengt Dahlén, the singer and lead guitar player of the Lee Kings.

Although they started out as Lenne and the Lee Kings, they soon shortened their name to just the Lee Kings. They were one of the best and most popular Swedish beat groups. They released at least 14 singles, 2 EP's, and 2 LP's between 1965 and 1967. There have been a few CD's released in recent years, and well worth it if you can find them.

Check out this killer track:
LENNE AND THE LEE KINGS - ALWAYS AND EVER

Lynne Randell

2008-10-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

Lynne Randell's family moved from Liverpool, England to Australia when she was 5 years old. When she was working as a hairdresser in a salon at age 14, where she would sing while doing hairstyling, she was approached to sing at a party. She was promptly given the chance to make a demo. She went on to become a pop star in the mid-60's in Australia and released several records. She was given the moniker "Little Miss Mod" because of her clothing and perfectly bobbed hair. Later in 1967, she had a huge hit with "Ciao Baby" and toured with The Monkees and the Jimi Hendrix Experience where she met and dated Davy Jones for a short time. On the American tour she also went on after Ike and Tina Turner. How intimidating that must have been.

Sadly, Lynne passed away on June 8, 2007.

As far as her recordings are concerned she had much success in her native Australia, but also had hits, as mentioned above, that gave her international success. Later, in the 1970's the B-Side to her big hit, "Stranger In My Arms" became one of the top spins on the Northern Soul scene and still commands big dollars. The US copy came with a great picture sleeve.

The record included here seems to be somewhat of a mystery. I can't find much information about it and I'm not sure where, or in what year it was recorded. I believe it is a US only release. It doesn't show up on the Milesago discography linked below. There is one assumption that I can make and that is that Lynne at one point married a record executive and moved to Los Angeles, so the record was possibly recorded during this time. One thing I do know for sure is that it's a fantastic version of the song also recorded by Petula Clark and The Action. With it's thumping bass and intense vocals it became an instant classic in my book.

Listen to it here:
LYNNE RANDELL - WASN'T IT YOU

Also, check out an extensive history and discography at the MILESAGO website HERE.

If you have any info on this record, please leave a comment!

Premiers

2008-10-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

Great East LA combo that had a HUGE hit in 1964 with "Farmer John". This gave them the chance, as teens, to tour across the country and open for bands like The Rolling Stones and The Kinks. They also produced some other fantastic records and this is one of my favorites of the East LA recordings.

Again for a history of an East LA band, I defer to Mark Guererro's site HERE.

Check out the amazing energy fueled track "Little Ways" here:
THE PREMIERS - LITTLE WAYS

Tages

2008-10-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Tages were one of the top, if not the top, bands in Sweden in the 60's. After winning a battle of the bands competition in 1964, they shot to stardom and had a string of #1 and top 10 singles in their native country. They began playing Mersey style beat, but I believe really developed a unique sound. This 45 from 1967 shows the Tages sound at it's best. Much more to come from the Tages on this blog.

Listen here:
TAGES - THOSE RUMOURS

Also, read a short history of the Tages, and see some great photos HERE.

Ramrods

2008-10-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

This band, also know as the "Rockin' Ramrods" were one of the top mid 60's groups in New England, but didn't receive much success in the rest of the country. They released several singles from 1963 to 1966. This is an early attempt at psychedelia. Be ready for the "explosion" a little over half the way through the song, and the ending is pretty unique as well.

Listen to it here:
RAMRODS - FLOWERS IN MY MIND

Check out their MySpace Page which includes a link to buy their CD.

Joe Tex

2008-10-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

One of the Soul greats, Joe Tex had a long and successful career. He was born Joseph Arrington Jr. in Texas in 1933. He started recording in the mid 1950's and kept it up until his death in the early 1980's.

Here's a track from 1968, one of his many for Dial records and one of my favorites.

Listen here:
JOE TEX - BABY BE GOOD

Shakespeares

2008-10-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

There's lots of conflicting information about this band but I think I have it sorted out. They were apparently originally from Rhodesia where they were know as the Dynamites, but moved to Belgium in late 1964 and changed their name to the "Shake Spears". The only discography I could find listed this record as released in 1977(?), but it was obviously recorded in 1967/8. A great overlooked track by the band who also had the amazing "Burning My Fingers" from 1968 which was included on the "English Freakbeat" series.

Check out the track here:
SHAKESPEARS - HOW DOES SHE LOOK

Thunderbirds (Singapore)

2008-10-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

From Singapore, this band had a #1 hit there with the A-side of this single, "My Lonely Heart". I've included the B-side here as it is a fantastic mod-beat sounding track. And just listen to that frantic solo! The Thunderbirds were:

Derrick Fitzgerald (lead)
Harvey Fitzgerald (vocals, rhythm)
William Wee (bass)
Freddie Tan (drums)

Also, check out this site for a picture and more info.

Listen to "Hey, Girl!" here:
THUNDERBIRDS - HEY, GIRL!

Astro-Notes

2008-10-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

Fantastic Frat Dance Record with a great riff. The song "Monkey Workout" was written by Frank Carabetta from Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs but I have no idea what his involvement in the band was. Released on Dot Records in 1964.

Listen to it here:
ASTRO-NOTES - MONKEY WORKOUT

Lords (NL)

2008-10-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

There were lots of bands in the 60's called The Lords. This band came from Amsterdam, Holland and released 6 singles from 1963 to 1966, this being the last. Amazingly (as far as I know) the A-side of this fantastic 45 has never been on a compilation. The B-side "Day After Day" has been comped, and is probably the grittier track which I first heard many years ago on Pebbles #23 [The Continent Lashes Back!] LP, but I actually prefer the more melodic A-side. Judge for yourself. I've included both tracks below.

LORDS - IN THE CITY
LORDS - DAY AFTER DAY

P.S. - Special thanks to Anja and Henk who besides unfortunately writing their names on the cover, took pretty good care of this record.

Dig, like, some nutty Beatnik 45's

2008-10-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

There were tons of novelty beatnik records released in the Late 50's and early to mid 60's. Beatniks were all the rage with Maynard G. Krebs, from the Dobie Gillis show and many more beatnik appearances thrown in to popular culture. Naturally this also transferred to the music industry. The first 45 I've listed (pictured above) is from Barbara Evans. Barbara was a "teen" style singer in the 50's and 60's. Dig this crazy record with the unforgettable lyrics:

He's got a motor scooter painted red and white
and when he comes to call at night
we don't go riding underneath the moon
cuz he likes to ride it in the living room

Listen here:
BARBARA EVANS - BEATNIK DADDY

This next 45 comes from the Caps, a white Rock & Roll R&B band from Akron, Ohio. It's a great reworking of the Three Little Pigs, done beatnik style. AND trust me, stick it out for the ending, like, crazy!

Dig it here:
CAPS - THREE LITTLE PIGNIKS

B.Z.N.

2008-10-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

This band has had a loooong career, and I assume many line-up changes. They've released at least 40 albums and numerous singles from the late 60's up until today. They've been very popular in Holland throughout the years as well. For the interests of this Blog, this is likely the only posting you'll see from this band. This is their very first single on Polydor Records from 1968. Classic Dutch Beat-pop! Also note the error (DO'NT) on the cover.

Listen here:
BZN - MAYBE SOMEDAY

Doo-Rights

2008-10-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

I can't really say to much about this record as I can't find any information except of course it was released on Double Shot Records out of LA, so the band is likely an LA (or at least California) band. This is the same label that had some big hits in the 60's from Brenton Wood and the legendary Count Five from San Jose. This is a Canadian copy of the 45 which is Orange, which is strange as I'm so used to the characteristically yellow color of the Double Shot releases. I love this record with it's great mid-60's R&B Soul sound and the perfect background vocals. It has an element of that great East LA sound I love so much.

Listen to it here:
DOO-RIGHTS - YOU'RE MY GIRL

Note: This track was included on the "Double Shot of Soul" compilation from Kent records.

Randy Van Horne and the Tigers

2008-10-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for 50's and 60's novelty records. They tend to take you back to a more innocent time, yet also a much more politically incorrect time by today's standards. This record is a good example of that. The vocals go back and forth between male and female. The male part extols the virtues of a female walking figure while the female part is the opposite, with exchanges like:

Male: Getta load of those curves...
Female: That's fat!

The Randy Van Horne group was a working vocal group in the 50's and 60's and was responsible for the vocals on many Hanna Barbara recordings including the themes for The Flintsones, Jetsons, Huckleberry Hound Show and many others. They also provided vocals for several recordings for Esquivel and Martin Denny. They were apparently the quintessential space-age pop vocal group.

Dig the sound file for the crazy Randy Records R-71 release here:
RANDY VAN HORNE AND THE TIGERS - GET A LOAD OF THAT WALK

Sunday Funnies

2008-10-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Great record from this East LA band. As you can see on the label, Valhalla Records is listed as "A Subsidiary of Valhalla Petroleum Co." which I believe was a chain of gas stations in the area. The label was distributed by FARO, which released many great East LA records. The songs were written by Chick Charlton of the Majestics, another East LA band, but I'm not sure if this was a later band he was in, or if he just wrote the songs. Any additional info would be appreciated.

Anyway, here is the great track, "WHATCHA GONNA DO (When the Dance is Over)"

SUNDAY FUNNIES - WHATCHA GONNA DO

As promised, here is the other side of this 45, an attempt at psych also written by Chick Carlton:
SUNDAY FUNNIES - A PINDARIC ODE

Downliners Sect

2008-10-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

The mighty Downliners Sect have been written about extensively. They even have their own Wikipedia page with links to their story.

I've included the A-Side of their second 45, "Little Egypt / Find Out What's Happening" from 1964, along with the above scan of the Swedish Picture sleeve. Listen to it here:

DOWNLINERS SECT - LITTLE EGYPT

The Soul Sisters

2008-10-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

The Soul Sisters were Tresia Cleveland and Ann Gissendanner. They released several 45's and an LP for Sue Records from 1964 to 1968. This is the B-side of their 1966 single (Sue 140). It's a great, 100mph, pounding soul tune. Listen to it below.

SOUL SISTERS - FLASHBACK

The Black and Blues

2008-10-02T21:47:00.000-07:00

The Black and Blues were a late 60's garage / psych band that hailed from Indiana and had 2 fantastic 45's. Some believe that these may be two different bands, so if you have any evidence of that let me know. The first track is a scorching fuzz laden track from 1968 entitled "Come To Me".

The second 45 (pictured above) is a more Pop-psych track entitled "Candy Castles", but in my opinion is just as good. Hear both tracks here:
BLACK AND BLUES - COME TO ME
BLACK AND BLUES - CANDY CASTLES

Mascots

2008-10-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

The Mascots were one of the greatest and most popular beat bands of the 60's in Sweden. They had many top 10 hits in Sweden and they issued at least 20 singles and 2 LP's.

The Mascots were:

Stefan Ringbom (guitar, vocals)
Gunnar Idering ( guitar, vocals)
Anders Forsslund (bass, vocals)
Rolf Boffe Adolfsson (drums, vocals)
Kjell Jeppsson (drums)

This is a great one from 1966, "Nobody Crying / We Should Realize"

Listen here:

MASCOTS - WE SHOULD REALIZE
MASCOTS - NOBODY CRYING

Stay tuned for more from the fantastic MASCOTS!

Hector Rivera

2008-09-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

Great Latin Soul Track! Hector Rivera was from New York and this track made it to the R&B top 40 I believe. Check it out:

HECTOR RIVERA - AT THE PARTY

The Knack

2008-09-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

The 60's Mod band The Knack came from Ilford, a London suburb. The father of one of the members was the Kinks road manager. This connection led to their first 45 release on Decca (F12234), "Who'll be the next in line/She ain't no good" in 1965 which can be heard on Deram's "The Beat Scene" and "The Mod Scene" respectively. They released 6 singles all together, their best being, in my opinion, the great "It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day)/Time Time Time", pictured here. Note that this 45 was produced by Larry Page, manager/producer of the Kinks and the Troggs, who also set up his own label "Page One" and produced some really amazing records in the mid to late 60's.

Listen here:
THE KNACK - IT'S LOVE BABY (24 HOURS A DAY)
THE KNACK - TIME TIME TIME

I've also included the A-side of their 1966 Piccadilly single, "Stop! (Before You Get Me Going)/Younger Girl".

Listen to it here:
THE KNACK - STOP (BEFORE YOU GET ME GOING)

Ronnie and the Pomona Casuals

2008-09-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

I love the East L.A. sound and collect records from these great bands of the 60's. The bands tended to mix 60's rock (garage) with soul to come up with a fairly unique sound. One of the things I also love about these bands is that although they were predominantly latino, in truth, they were made up of a melting pot of all of the races growing up in L.A. at the time. Ronnie grew up in Pomona (near where I grew up) but most of the other band members were apparently recruited from Damien High School in San Dimas.

But hey, Mark Guerrero has an extensive history on his website: Ronnie & the Pomona Casuals

One highlight of particular interest though is the following:
"According to Ronnie, "I Wanna Do the Jerk" was written by Arthur Lee of the legendary L.A. psychedelic band, Love. Ronnie and one of the other members of Love assisted with the writing of the song, which was not credited on the album."

Check out the track here:

RONNIE & THE POMONA CASUALS - I WANNA DO THE JERK

The Rayders

2008-09-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

See the history of the band here:

The Rayders story

Fantastic 45 from New Zealand of great jangly beat! This track has never been on a compilation as far as I know. Somewhat similar sound to the great Australian band, The Black Diamonds. If you love that sound, take a listen below and you'll be blown away.

P.S. - If anyone knows where I can get an original copy of the LP let me know!!

RAYDERS - I CRY

Incredible

2008-09-20T23:21:00.000-07:00

Great Dutch Beat record! Fantastic picture sleeve! In the same vein as legendary Dutch bands such as the Outsiders and Q65. They recorded for the same label (CNR) as the Outsiders. "She Died" is a dark brooding song about trying to deal with the loss of a girlfriend(?). The band started as the Sounding Rockets in 1963 and changed their name to Incredible in 1967. This is their only released material.

I've also included the A-side which is pretty typical of Dutch 60's music of the time, which I really love and you are liable to hear more of if you follow this Blog.

Listen here:

INCREDIBLE - SHE DIED
INCREDIBLE - UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS

Chaparral Trio

2008-09-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

From Houston, Texas. Not much information about this band. This had to be my first post since the title of my Blog uses the lyrics of the incredible track posted below. The only info on this band I could find is as follows (from Fuzz, Acid and Flowers):

"This Houston Trio of brothers also performed as the Chaparrals. And in the late '60's they released the mellow lounge styled "Without You" and buried this throbbing blues psych number (Roxanne) on the B-Side. Written by George Hill IV (who also wrote the A-side)."

Believe me, the A-side is not so good. Note: The record label is Houston spelled backwards. Also, this track was included on the fantastic compilation, "A Deadly Dose of Wilde Psych" from Arf! Arf! Records.