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Saturday, April 20, 2013

In Dan’s Garage…#86

86 front
Hi Y’all! With all the super duper crazy shit that’s been going on here in  the good ol’ USA these days, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to offer up some good “wholesome” entertainment for you. So please, turn off the evening news for a while and indulge in some cool sounds from the 60s and 70s. You deserve it.

Blue Beats – Born In Chicago / I Can’t Get Close (To Her At All) (1966)
blubeets
We heard these guys in the last edition of IDG doing a nice garage/pop 2 sider. They stick to the same formula on the B side of this follow up, but try their hand at some gritty Yardbirds style blues on the top. The A side was written by Nick Gravenites who’s work was extensively covered by the likes of Janis Joplin, Mike Bloomfield, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Electric Flag, and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band who most famously covered “Born In Chicago”.

Saints – Out In The Street / Please Don’t Leave Me (1966)
saints
Not to be confused with the Aussie punk legends, these guys were (or at least the label was) from suburban Chicago. Absolutely nothing is known about this band except for the location and the fact that they attempted a Who cover. The flip is a nice Invasion styled ballad which is somewhat crude and inept as well. In other words, a GREAT 45!

Tears – Weatherman / Read All About It (1966)
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A fantastic Bay Area group that released one other 45 in 1968, but this one here is a standout, featuring way cool fuzz guitars and terrific vocals.

Agents – Gotta Help Me / Calling An Angel (1965)
agents
A West Coast group that sounds like they cashed in on the Byrds hype at the time by aping “Mr. Tambourine Man”, turning it sideways a bit, and changing the subject matter to girls (naturally). Genius.

Beaten Path – Doctor Stone / Never Never (1966)
beaten path
I’m not exactly sure if this is the same group from Reading, PA that delivered the awesome “Original Nothing People”, or if they are from Brooklyn, NY as some people claim, but either way this is an excellent version of the Leaves’ song. The label says that this was featured in the Warner Bros, film “The Cool Ones” (which I’ve yet to see by the way…) but The Leaves were the band that actually were featured in the flick, so it’s kind of like some “false advertising” if you will. In any case, I consider this to be the “superior” version. Only because I’ve heard it a gazillion times and it’s pretty much etched into my brain…..

Fantasmics – Wild One / Heaven Or Hell (1966)
fantasmics
A group from Manchester, NH that melded some Sir Douglas vibe with Bo Diddley. Nice combo.

Uptowners – She’s Mine / Down The Pike (196?)
uptowners
Another take on “Willie & The Hand Jive”, this one from Fort Worth, TX. The flip is an early 60s style sax driven instro.

Liverpool Five – Cloudy / She’s (Got Plenty Of Love) (1967)
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We all know the story on these guys. Here’s another example of how they could take a song and truly make it their own. “Cloudy” is schmaltz but you gotta admire the way they tackle it and turn it into something cool, and I do like Paul Simon and think this is one of his better songs. “She’s Got Plenty Of Love” was a song from The Peeps and they slow it down and turn it into a moody classic. Genius.

Harrison – Rejected Me / There’s Time (196?)
harrison
Another mystery group, this time from Minneapolis, MN. Not sure of the date either. It could possibly be from as late as 1970 but who knows for sure????? Excellent brooding garage with a prominent organ.

Act Of Creation – I’ve Just Seen You / Yesterday Noontime (1967)
act of creation
Holy Cats!!!!! Talk about sheer psychedelic GENIUS!!!!!!! This 45 is among the best in my humble opinion (as far as psychedelic songs go) because it embodies everything great about what is “psych”. Fuzz guitar, a dreamy double tracked harmonized vocal, some weird percussion in the background. Ahhhhh…perfect. Especially the bridge and it’s exit. Everything about this 45 is FANTASTIC! Why these guys didn't get any fame is beyond me.

Trend – Shot On Sight / Boyfriends And Girlfriends (1966)
trend
I’m not exactly sure of this group's history, but from what I gather, it’s an early effort of Mike Giles who at the time was in the “Trendsetters Limited” and eventually would go on to form “Giles,Giles & Fripp”, one of the great British psych bands that ended up as King Crimson.

Living Daylights – Live For Today / I’m Real (1967)
living daylights
There’s an interesting story with the famous song that is on the A side of this 45. Although it’s most associated with The Grass Roots, who did an excellent version of it, it originally was written and recorded by The Rokes (I’ll get to that one in the future) with Italian lyrics entitled “Piangi Con Me’ or translated as “Cry With Me. The Living Daylights actually were the first to release this great song, (beating out the Rokes) but alas had no real luck with it. The Grass Roots took care of that issue just days after this was released in the USA.

Skapegoat – Good Times, Bad Times / Annabel Lee (196?)
skapegoat
Another mystery group, this time presumably from California, but I really can’t say for sure. They offer up a heavy rendition of the Stones’ “Good Times, Bad Times” on the A side and a cool heavy psych original on the flip.

Wild Cherries - You Know What Cha Want / Baby I See (1971)
wild cherries
Hailing from Iowa, these guys were originally known a s “The Plastic Mushroom Band” and had some records released on local labels. They eventually changed their name to “Wild Cherries” managed to get a recording contract with powerhouse label Kapp, and put out this one excellent 45 in the early 70s. Check their story out HERE.

GET IT HERE

23 comments:

  1. MERCI

    perfect for my sunny sunday

    RV

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  2. Awesome set! I'm in awe that you're on #86.

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  3. Thank you Dan for sharing your love and assion with us :) You and your comps are appreciated. Wayne

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  4. Thank Dan. Great set as always.

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  5. Excellent as ever Dan...Cheers!

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  6. Dan, you are a wise man. If only the world had more people like you. Here's to gettin' 86ed.
    Thanks again

    scott

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  7. Wild timing! I just listened to "Piangi con me," "Passing thru Grey," and "Let's Live for Today" by The Rokes for the first time this weekend. It's strange enough to hear Brits sing in Italian, much less with lyrics such as "Passing thru Grey" has. We're fortunate "Let's Live for Today" won out in English.

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  8. i would enjoy if you came to listen the garage sound of our new EP. We're a french band so excuse my english.
    Again big thanks to Dan for his great work, i don't kinow how many times i've listened to the Dan's garage 43rd playlist :)

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  9. Fantastic! As usual. Thanx a lot for sharing your astoning collection. I'm a big fan of sixties punk and a huge fan of you !

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  10. I'd love to hear these sets but I can't find your password

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    1. Most of these files have no password. Many of them have been deleted by Mediafire. I'm working on re-upping all of them.

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  11. You're doing god's work.

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  12. Dan is there anyway I could get in touch with you for some research help. I am looking for a 45 rpm single that a Rock n Roll band from upstate NY " The Road Runners" cut back in 1969. This group is not the one from the syracuse area Thanks in advance. Great work!

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    1. You can e-mail me at truebelievers@rochester.rr.com.

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  13. Some amazing stuff on here.

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  14. Wow.. there is some great stuff here! I am surprised this all just comes out of your garage! I don't ever thing you would find this much stuff in my garage in Ottawa! I wish though! thanks for sharing all these great things!

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  15. I used to have Living Daylights' 45. Their take on "Let's Live For Today" is good, but the flip side, "I'm Real", is even better. G. Watt-Roy, the writer, is related to Norman Watt-Roy, the bassist for Ian Dury and The Blockheads.

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  16. With respect to the "Saints" on Summit 402, the band was from the Park Forest, Illinois area. The flip side (Please Don't Leave Me) was intended to be the hit as the band wrote the song. I saw these guys live back in the day, if you're interested in a photo of the band I have one, just let me know how to send it to you.

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    1. I'd love to se it! dfrank03@rochester.rr.com

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  17. The Saints were indeed from Park Forest IL. One of the Saints went on to rock and roll fame as lead singer of the Call - Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago. He attended Rich East High School when the Saints were formed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Been

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  18. The Skapegoats' "Annabel Lee" isn't an original - it's an Edgar Allan Poe poem set to music.

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