collage

collage

Saturday, July 3, 2010

In Dan's Garage...#38


Greetings one and all!!! I'm getting this one out a day early 'cause my lovely wife "Red" and I will be doing some Fourth Of July activities this weekend out at nearby Port Bay here on the lovely shores of Lake Ontario.Eating, drinking, fishing, boating...well you get the picture, and the bonus is that it's going to be up near 90° today and tomorrow! Woo Hoo!!!! I'd like to thank all of you who have made contributions to this blog with valuable info on some of these bands that have been featured here. I try to do my best to get proper information on this stuff, but I do have to split my time between recording records, editing, scanning....well you get the picture. The contributions from you, make this your blog as much as mine, and I really would like to thank everyone once again. Speaking of comments, no post has ever generated as much feedback as my "rant" from IDG #36. Most of it was positive and wholeheartedly agreed with my take on today's bland offerings, but one reader took me to task for being a typical "old codger" who hates everything the "younger generation" does (I'm paraphrasing here) and who is basically suffering from some kind of "garage band myopia". Look, I appreciate the comments positive AND negative, but let's make one thing perfectly clear. I am NOT an "old codger". Being 49 years old does not make me ready for Depends and the "early bird special". I don't even drive a Buick. I know there's young people out there making good music, the problem is, where the hell are they, and who the hell are they???? There are some excellent groups here in Rochester, but the vast majority of the great music makers here are 30+ in age. Most of the "young musicians" are doing what I call the "tattoo and piercings" thing. And as for the "old codgers" like me, they've all drifted onto this "Americana" bandwagon like it's the next big thing. Old heavy metal popsters are getting praise heaped upon them for their "vision" and their "versatility" for this. Don't get me wrong here. I love Johnny Cash, but I'm not gonna start dressing like him or some guy from The Grand Old Opry who hasn't shaved for a couple of days. I'm not some kind of guy who hates everything that's not sixties either. I collect records(45's specifically) from the 50's, 60's, and early 70's and this blog is dedicated to that particular passion of mine. That being said, I by no means spend my entire life listening to garage and psychedelic music from that era. I'm a huge Frank Sinatra fan, the stuff he recorded on Capitol records is some of the best music of that or any era for that matter. Songwriters like Cole Porter and Sammy Cahn don't exist anymore. Those people were truly great. I'm also a Burt Bacharach nut. EVERY hit that guy wrote in the mid sixties to early seventies with Hal David touches a nerve because those hooks and melodies were not only great, they stick in your mind like glue. I was a child of the 70's. I started playing guitar in 1973. The sounds that really influenced me during that period go from AM pop to hard rock. The Allman Bros Live At Fillmore East was the first LP I ever played solos along with, on my cheapo Stella acoustic. I've attended dozens of concerts. I've seen The Grateful Dead, and I've seen Ray Charles, and pretty much everything in between. I could write a book about this, but the upshot is that I've tasted EVERY style of music there is out there, so I have a reference point on which to base my opinions. I've dug everything from Elvis to Miles Davis. They are not based on the outlook of someone who hates everything except for "garage" (and I know a LOT of those people), but someone who hears what is being done today, and comparing it to EVERYTHING ELSE I've ever listened to, and I must stand by my position. Most of what's out there these days really sucks ass. I'll use Country is a perfect example. Does anyone reading this think Kenny Chesney is any good?  I mean, he may have "talent", but to me he's a guy with a muscle shirt and a cowboy hat churning out cans of waxed beans. My main point was that today's mainstream music, whether it be Rock, Country, R&B, and even Jazz to an extent has been HOMOGENIZED for the masses. It's kinda like Budweiser beer (oh God now I've insulted the "Bud" fans...), it's watered down crud advertised as something great. Give me something with some body and character please. That's the way I like my music. I don't want to scare anyone away, so keep the comments coming. positive and negative. Enjoy this blog and anything else you like on this 4th of July weekend (even if you're across the "pond"). 
Love, Dan


Fabulous Counts - Money (196?)
Here's a real inept, blasting version of this Motown classic. This Philadelphia group probably shouldn't be confused with the late 60's funk outfit from Detroit.

Four - If You're Eyes Say Love (1965)
Probably from the Nashville area, this ones a cheezy teen crooner with some real lo-fi production.

Jimmy Stokley & The Exiles - It's Alligator Time / A Game Called Hurt (1965)
This Richmond, KY group has a long and interesting history. They started in 1963 and continued into the 70's with lead singer Jimmy Stokley, and had a hit called "Kiss You All Over" as simply, "Exile". Around 1983 they became a country group and continued into the 90's when they eventually broke up. This one's a great, greasy pounder with wild honkin' tenor sax.

8th Wonders Of The World - You You Yeah / Who Cares (1965)
An obscure, yet wonderfully inept garage/beat group from who knows where. These guys were in full British Invasion "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" mode when they recorded this one.

New Breed - Green Eyed Woman / I'm In Love (1965)
The best of their four 45s in my opinion. From Sacramento,CA.

Pat Farrell & The Believers - Gotta Find Her (1967)
From Hamburg, PA, this 45 was originally released as "The Razors Edge" on Kingston, but due to a band name conflict, they changed it to Pat Farrel & The Believers. They had one other 45 on Diamond, "Bad Woman" which is a killer and a little tougher to locate than this one here....

Beau Brummels - Don't Talk To Strangers / In Good Time (1966)
I can't say much about these legends except that this is their finest folk rock moment, and stands up to anything in that genre.

New Colony Six - Cadillac / Sunshine (1966)
Terrific Bo Diddley beatin' two sider from these Chicago greats. If I'm not mistaken (and I may very well be), these were non-LP cuts.

Tony Turow - What I Think About You / Who Cares For You When You're Down (196?)
Ummmmmm.......this one here....well, I'm not sure what to make of it. The unknown Turow sounds like a lousy lounge singer, yet is backed up by what seems to be a four piece (guitar, bass, drums, and tenor sax) rock & roll/r&b group, but the drums and especially the bass are very prominent. The production is real lo-fi and someone forgot to give the backup singers a mike. Not exactly garage, but it certainly has a "garagey" vibe to it, but I wouldn't exactly call it R&B either. This is a real strange one, and I've never seen another copy of it, not that it matters any, because I'm pretty sure collectors won't be scouring E-bay for this one any time soon.

Don & The Goodtimes - Big Big Knight / I'll Be Down Forever (1965)
As we all know, Don Gallucci played the infamous intro to Louie Louie when he was a member of the Kingsmen. After he left, he formed Don & The Goodtimes and released a number of 45s in various styles, most of them pretty good. In this case they had to answer back to the Kingsmen's homage to "The Jolly Green Giant", by extolling the virtues of Ajax Cleanser's "Big Big Knight", who rode a white horse and made housewives across the USA very happy for making their laundry whiter than white...it truly was "stronger than dirt"...

Endd - Out Of My Hands / Project Blue (1966)
Great garage from LaPorte,  which lies between South Bend, and Chicago, and which may explain the cover version here of the Banshee's great "Project Blue".

Fenwyck - Iye / I Wanna Die (1967)
The same crew that gave us the great "Mindrocker". This one is a little less on the "trippy" side, and is a hard driving folk rocker.

Group Love Corp. - Love Corporation / Should I (1967)
One side is credited to"Group Love Corp." and the other to "Love Corporation", but I think we can all agree that both sides of this fantastic garage/psyche 45 from Tulsa, are indeed the same band. Where are you???????

Jaguars - Black Is Black (196?)
Recorded at the "famous" Fame studios in Muscle Shoals, AL, I'm guessing these guys were one of those "beach music" groups from the south specializing in "blue eyed soul". I really love this song, and these guys do a stand up job which is why I included it.

Lavender Hour - Hang Loose / I'm Sorry (1967)
Super cool, movin' A side on this one from Houston, TX. The ballad B side ain't no slouch either. These guys cut the famous "I've Gotta Way With Girls" that became one of The Chesterfield Kings' best and most enduring covers. If you guys are reading this...I still love ya!!!!

Underground - Satisfyin' Sunday / Easy (1966)
 Let's end this with a real nice folk rocker by a group that I know nothing about. The interesting fact about this 45 though, is that the A side was pressed at 33 RPM, so when you play it, it sounds like the Chipmunks. I knew something was not right so I slowed it down and....Voila! There it was. This 45 was pretty typical of what Mainstream/Brent records we're putting out in those days.

Get it HERE
 



17 comments:

  1. "I don't even drive a Buick."
    Friggin classic.
    You got about 10 years on me, but it's the same thing. In addition to other things, i will always love the music i grew up with.
    I'll be 80 years old and still listining to The Misfits and shaking my fist at the 'damn kids these days' and their rotten good for nothing music...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dan,

    I share your advanced age, still, music is music and crap is crap (profound eh?). I don't download , but I do enjoy your comments on bands. Keep on spreading the gospel, even tho there will always be posters who believe the sun revolves around their chosen music.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Absolute total 100 percent coolness!! "Out of My Hands" by The Endd is one of my favorite moody garage records ever. The vocalist sounds so much like a stoned John Lennon. Thanks for a great (as always) set.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey Dan, maybe you don't know about those great youngsters:

    - The Willowz: I saw them live here in Bordeaux the same week-end as The Zombies and The Standells and let me tell you: they won this battle of the bands !

    - The Soft Pack: their album is excellent garage-noisy-pop.

    - The Draytones: well, they sound like it's still 1965... but they still are young 21st century english men !

    - Even the last album of the "mainstream" MGMT is really good music !

    But I must agree with you that what is called today "R&B" really sucks when compared to glorious 60's Rythm'n'Blues !

    I just turned off my computer for 5 minutes (I sware) and I'm already 3 Dan's Garage late !

    Thanks again for the music.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks Dan, looks like another great volume. And have a great 4th od July!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yeah...great selection man...
    true comp of killers here.

    Keep it up

    ReplyDelete
  7. The Plebs were an early offshoot of the Nashville Teens. Singer Terry Crowe and guitarist Mick Dunford, ex-members of the Nashville Teens, were part of the core of the group with bassist Danny McCullough. They only ever cut one single, "Bad Blood" b/w "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You,," in 1964, which actually managed a U.S. release on the MGM Records label, and they also turned up as Jerry Lee Lewis's backing band in the movie Be My Guest. Dunford later became a key performing and writing member of Renaissance and McCullough was subsequently a member of Eric Burdon & the Animals.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The Plebs were an early offshoot of the Nashville Teens. Singer Terry Crowe and guitarist Mick Dunford, ex-members of the Nashville Teens, were part of the core of the group with bassist Danny McCullough. They only ever cut one single, "Bad Blood" b/w "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You,," in 1964, which actually managed a U.S. release on the MGM Records label, and they also turned up as Jerry Lee Lewis's backing band in the movie Be My Guest. Dunford later became a key performing and writing member of Renaissance and McCullough was subsequently a member of Eric Burdon & the Animals.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for another volume Dan. I agree with you about today's mainstream music, I find most of it to be just awful.

    That being said my favorite CD of 2010 so far is the self titled release by The Above from Brooklyn, N.Y. Fantastic CD full of garage rock. They are clearly inspired by the music you and I love.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Pat Farrell aka Pat Sickafus told me that Joe Kolsky of Diamond records picked their group name and Pat hated the name Pat Farrell. He also told me a story relating to going with Joe Kolsky to have the second single mastered. I should try to see if I still have that email handy....

    BTW he later changed his name to Pat Garrett and opened a sheepskin shop in PA, where he also had an amphitheater. He still regularly performs, too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey Dan,

    Thanx for the music.

    You don't have to justify yourself and your music taste to anyone, man.

    In my household, music rules and it doesn't matter how old it is or what style it is, good music is good music and that's where it begins and ends. My four year old son sings all the songs he hears in kids films like the chipmunks and shrek (both recent and classic), but he always asks for "Here Comes The Sun" and "Penny Lane" by the Beatles on the stereo, and those songs, while I love 'em, are nearly 10 years older than I am.

    Great music is timeless. The problem is nobody devotes enough time to it...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Seems Zarak's Records had such high hopes for Tony Turow's "What I Think About You" that they took out a little ad in the Dec. 12, 1964 Billboard!

    The ad ID's the label as HQed in Washington, DC.

    Spent some time trying to nail down The Underground once and for all, but couldn't find anything definitive. However, all four of the released 45 sides by The Underground on Mainstream Records were penned by Larry O'Keefe and Jerry Lee Wright. That duo also wrote three sides released on International Artists 45s in Jan-Feb '66: both Johnny Williams and Frankie Lee recorded their "Another Love" on IA 103 and 104, respectively, and Frankie Lee also did their "I Love the Go-Go Girls" on IA 104. This would seem to nudge the compass Texas-ward somewhat, but it's tenuous. Both songwriters have other titles in the BMI database. Maybe it'd help if we knew more about Johnny Williams and Frankie Lee, but they too are unknowns!

    ReplyDelete
  13. The link is down for #38.
    MultiUpload just has a link to RapidShare, which says the file isn't there.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dan, please leave a msg whenever #38 is back up. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thx 10'000 times..

    ReplyDelete
  16. Just to kick the can a little farther down the road re: The Underground, a commenter on the Flower Bomb Songs blog also notes a Texas connection, saying "The Underground were from Houston, TX. This was recorded at Andrus Studios around the same time as the Elevators were recording there."

    Anyone interested in pursuing this can contact the "Wired for Sound" blogger for any more info that he/she may have.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Two more items on The Underground:

    Here's a link to a music poll in the 2/12/67 edition of the Houston Post which confirms that The Underground were indeed from Houston. (Sadly they didn't finish in the top 3, so their elusive picture was not shown in the followup article.)

    https://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/54498915?access_key=key-ju8im8qb4v5pwvojbzn

    And this link is to a Houston Post column dated 3/12/67 which refers to a recording session by The Underground and indicates that one of their female singers was none other than future country star K.T. Oslin, who was then using the name Kay Oslin.

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/55044668/nowsound-03-12-67-e

    ReplyDelete