HEY!!! Happy Father's Day y'all. I had a very busy weekend hanging drywall yesterday(yawn), but the highlight was seeing Booker T. And The M.G.s here in Rochester Friday night at our annual "Jazz Festival". I gotta admit it was pretty cool and after nine years, it was the first time I ever attended. The bonus was that this particular event was FREE. You know something??? The M.G.s came out most likely as they always have... A Guitar, Bass, Drums, and a B-3 Organ. It sounded as fresh and as vital as anything I've ever heard. Which brings me to this... (here comes my rant) "rock" music totally sucks these days. Yeah. I know, here comes the... "but Dan, you're just an old fogey and you don't 'get it' " line. HEY! I got yer "old fogey" shit right here asshole. If someone played a "Coldplay" or"Nickelback" tune for me today, I wouldn't be able to tell one from another. That's because there is NO difference between the two. At least back during the British Invasion, we could tell the difference between The Beatles, The Kinks, The Yardbirds,The Animals, The Dave Clark 5, and even Freddie And The Dreamers!!! Not that it really makes a difference because "rock" has become so homogenized. There really is nothing noteworthy anymore. I don't know what the big hoopla is/was about the White Stripes either. Hell, The Cramps and the Flat Duo Jets were doing no bass player shit 20 years ago fer Chrissakes. What's with the Strokes??? Are they even still a band? All their songs have that same beat. What the fuck??? The Seeds played the same shit over and over again 44 fucking years ago, and they're still getting no credit!!!!! These guys are held up these days as "garage rock icons". What a crock of shit. Then there's the "pop" horseshit. Oh God, who the hell is this "Lady Gaga"??? I thought when Madonna got old and wrinkly we were finally rid of that crap, but here comes another bleach blond "on the edge" doing "outrageous things" selling more garbage to gullible people the world over. Iggy was pulling down his pants and spreading peanut butter all over himself back in '73, and he NEVER got any real accolades, except from people who really knew better and weren't treating Rock & Roll like a can of vegetables on a grocery store shelf. THAT WAS ON THE EDGE!!! THAT WAS OUTRAGEOUS!!!! Whew. Glad I got that out of my system! Sorry, just a little ornery today. I've also got a few choice words for the people out there who are bashing "nostalgia" like it was an STD or something, but I'll save that rant for later.... In the meantime, enjoy this latest installment of "In Dan's Garage". Number 36 that is......
Velveteens - Ching Bam Bah / I Feel Sorry For You Baby (1965)
All I know about this 45 is that it's from Fort Worth, TX, one of the most active scenes in the entire US. This makes a great addition to anyone's monkey/gorilla play list!
Avengers - When It's Over / You Can't Hurt Me Anymore (1965)
The first 45 issued by these Bakersfield, CA legends, whose "Be A Caveman" is one of the greatest garage tunes ever, and truthfully, almost defines the entire genre. This one is a great Invasion styled piece.
Cruds - On Lover's Lane / Bright Lights (1965)
While not quite as obnoxious a moniker as "The Electric Toilet", The "Cruds" are certainly in good company. These songs are about a loser who can't get his act together, either with his date on "Lovers Lane", or just an evening out on his own.
Gestures - Don't Mess Around / Candlelight (1965)
"Run Run Run" is the most familiar tune from this Mankato, MN quartet, but they did release this two sided follow up a few months later, and in my opinion is just as good. The flip is a take on Chuck Berry's "School Days".
Derrik Roberts - A World Without Sunshine (1965)
There's a few "oddballs" in this edition, and this is certainly one of them. Derrik Roberts sounds like a crooner trying to be hip, maybe a little like Gene Pitney (who I think is AOK). A pseudo protest song with some interesting changes.
Warlocks - The Temper Tantrum / I'll Go Crazy (1966)
Woo Hoo! I'm all for new dance crazes, and this one is right up my alley!!! These guys go nutso on both sides of this as they do a nice cover of James Brown's "I'll Go Crazy" on the flip.
Mick & The Shambles - Lonley Nights Again / Girls, Girls, Girls (1966)
Wow! You know how much I like "moody" stuff right? Well this is at the top of the heap baby! From Philadelphia (I guess), this two sided gem was released nationally on the Verve Folkways, though that label was reserved for folksier ventures....
Spidells - Find Out What's Happening (196?)
Most likely a studio group from Nashville 'cause the flip is a decent soul number, but doesn't much like the tune presented here, a good country influenced garage rocker.
Camel Drivers - Sunday Morning 6 O'clock / Give It A Try (1966)
*SIGH* I'm so "on the fence" about this one. On the one hand, it's a cool pop/psych two sider that moves along nicely, on the other hand, it's got those irritating horns, most likely courtesy of "Artie Fields" their "producer". Hey Artie, you shoulda kept yer grubby hands off this one, because without you it might have been near perfect, ya asshole.
Lazy Eggs - I'm Gonna Love You / As Long As I Have You (1965)
I don't know why anyone would call themselves The "Lazy Eggs", hell I don't know why anyone would call themselves "The Electric Toilet" either, but this Detroit combo delivered at least two 45s that I know of, and both are great.
Petula Clark - Heart (1965)
Sure. We all know Pet Clark and those great hits she had in the mid sixties, but at first I was unaware that she did this before the Remains covered it, and became one of my all time favorite songs. The Remains were pretty savvy I guess, knowing much more than anyone else at the time.
Us - You Say / Somewhere In The Morning (1968)
Sometime after the Night Crawlers of Mankato, MN (boy that town is getting a lot of airplay in this edition) broke up, lead singer Barry Gillespie rejoined with some old "pre Night Crawler" pals to start this group and re-release the classic "You Say". A very nice version in my opinion....
Crystal Junkyard - Fire On My Street / Mary's Little Lamb (1970)
Nice pop/psyche from a Nashville based group.
Spencer Davis Group - After Tea / Looking Back (1968)
The Spencer Davis Group took quite a hit in 1967 when Steve Winwood left to form Traffic, but they soldiered on with keyboard player Eddie Hardin, and guitarist Phil Sawyer. The results of this lineup change were pretty good as they dabbled in everything from this fine psych pop tune, to the R&B flip side "Looking Back", which was also done by John Mayall.
Californians - Nausea Beast / Glass Disguise (1969)
Apparently no one in this band was from California, but they were produced by Brian Ross, mastermind behind The Music Machine (with Sean Bonniwell of course), The Light, and a host of other fine acts from the mid 60's. Real great guitar work and nice stereo effects are a highlight of this cool psyche 45. I guess the A side is about some real hideous chick that the singer can't get away from at school. Genius.
UNKNOWN DO WOP GROUP
I found this in a bunch of 25¢ 45s about 25 years ago and I'm still mystified as to who this is. It's most likely a group from Rochester, but who the hell knows??? It sounds like three vocalists and a guitar, but it's tough to tell if there's anyone else in the background. I only put one side on. I thought that would be enough......
Get it here
Mick & The Shambles - Lonley Nights Again / Girls, Girls, Girls (1966)
Spidells - Find Out What's Happening (196?)
Camel Drivers - Sunday Morning 6 O'clock / Give It A Try (1966)
Lazy Eggs - I'm Gonna Love You / As Long As I Have You (1965)
Petula Clark - Heart (1965)
Us - You Say / Somewhere In The Morning (1968)
Crystal Junkyard - Fire On My Street / Mary's Little Lamb (1970)
Spencer Davis Group - After Tea / Looking Back (1968)
Californians - Nausea Beast / Glass Disguise (1969)
UNKNOWN DO WOP GROUP
Get it here
WoW!
ReplyDeleteLooks like another GREAT selection!
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing these fantastic comps.
ReplyDeleteI've found that as I delve deeper into any particular genre, I begin to be able to identify finer distinctions between the artists. I wouldn't recommend delving deeply into pop rock music of the past 10 years. But if you did, I'm sure you'd find you could easily distinguish between the different bands, if you didn't go crazy first.
You can distinguish between countless 60's garage rock bands because of your vast knowledge on the subject, not because there was more variety back then!
.. just to pick up with the last comment: it's not variety that's missing (we got even too much of fake variety) it's originality, attitude and one thing that distinguished the garage groups: it was music made by passionate youngsters (and not by old farts at record companies) to be played whenever youngsters would meet (and not in shopping malls, boutiques and on radio stations that pretend to be hip). In other words: it was "our" music, it had a "message" (be it only "Girl / I want / to be with you / all of the time") and it had a meaning whereas nowadays music seems to be specially conceived for ringtones. Even though, right now, we call it garage or trash, the real trash is today's pop music which has lost even the slightest meaning....
ReplyDeletekeep on playing the real stuff Dan!
MichaelVee
I gotta' agree with ya' on today's so-called "music". Seems like fake electronic crap with no particular melody or "hooks". just monotonous warbling. I just don't get where the talent part is? I just think 90% of it is just throwaway trash. Five years from now nobody will even remember the songs much less the "artist". Sadly, movies are just as boring to me. Last movie I saw in a theatre was "Great Balls Of Fire". Maybe I am just an old fogey. lol No way, my feet still tap and I just love a great rocker or a drum solo. Thank goodness for this and some other blogs that let me hear so much I missed. Thanks Dan!
ReplyDeletejust fabulous
ReplyDeletefor out of USA
THX
You hit the nail the the head. Not much more to add except hopefully all all of humanity will wake up. Can't wait to unzip this, thanks!
ReplyDeleteWoW!
ReplyDeleteDid you just add that rant at the top or did I miss it before? I could not have said it better if I had spent weeks writing it!
Thank you!
I just love your compilations. Thanx
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more about how horrible "rock" is today. There's no originality, no effort. It's all just old men in suits sitting in fancy offices thinking of what kind of crap they're gonna force down the throats of the masses today. It's horrible. But your comps - they're great. Nice mix of name bands and unknowns. Real music. When you could differentiate between artists. It's all great. I'm here every week for my fix. Thank you. Rado
ReplyDeleteDid you know that Pet Clark wrote the music for "Heart"? (Georges Aber wrote French lyrics for a version called "Le coeur qui bat", which I think was actually the original) and Tony Hatch did the English lyrics.
ReplyDeleteYes I do! In fact,I have a French EP with Le "coeur qui bat" and three other songs. My wife and some of my friends really "dislike" Petula Clark and I don't know why. They all hate "Downtown", and I think it's one of the best pop songs of the 60's, or ever for that matter. Well...I guess there's no accounting for taste......
ReplyDeleteI won't go on about it because lots of you have indeed hit the nail on the head, but we really have to place the blame on the corporate people. Once they got wind of what was really going down in the underground, be it garage, pop, soul, funk, whatever, they were right there to cash in on the craze and subsequently wring the life out of it until it became pure drivel, or should I say bullshit. I think if groups were still able to be creative with no limits like censorship, etc. (remember the PMRC), then maybe there would still be a REAL underground.
ReplyDeleteAside from all that, thanks again for another great looking set. Always appreciated and always enjoyed.
Wow, the Warlocks? That wouldn't happen to be the Warlocks out of San Francisco ca. 1965ish, who soon afterwards changed their name to The Grateful Dead?
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong.
re: Petula Clark
ReplyDeleteI rather liked her in spite of myself -- I'm normally a Grateful Dead/Pink Floyd kind of guy -- although "Downtown" was a bit overplayed on the radio. I liked "I Know A Place" much more, myself.
Just a quick word to say thanks for all your comps. I'm a follower :)
ReplyDeletejust found yr site and am amazed... love the rant about the new bands... as a freelance writer i find myself writing about today's "celebrities" and bands and wondering (a) who the hell they are and (b) what exactly have they done ?? these days, you can be famous just for being well... famous... but enough of that... great site, i'll be back!
ReplyDeleteDan -
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful / thankful for your blog and the sounds you share. Great stuff!
As an old codger myself, I think you're making the typical mistake of old codgers in your rant. There's a ton of music of all varieties being made out there. Sure, a lot of it is pap, like all commercial music, but there is ethereal music, heavy music, funky music, freaky music, great music of all kinds being made by "kids" today.
You can call it derivative, if you want to find ways to dismiss it, but how can this generation make music that would satisfy you? Either it sounds nothing like the music you like, and thus you wouldn't choose to listen and figure out its value, or it sounds something like the music you like and it's "derivative" or "just like what so and so did twenty years ago." I love the music you share, but most of those bands weren't doing something new in terms of style, they were just creating new songs with their particular band quirks leading to different sounds - just like today's musicians. Every older generation drops this rap on younger people, and it sounds the same every time - either "we did this before" or "that crazy/crappy sound you guys are listening to isn't MUSIC".
Sorry to get on a soap box on your blog, and thanks again for your great sharing.
Whitney
The Gestures' "Don't Mess Around" is a real killer !
ReplyDeleteThanks Dan.
Nice little feature about The Californians here.
ReplyDeleteSeems they were "formed by some former members of the Anaheim based surf outfit The Avengers IV, who released the Real Cool Hits and Mrs Faruki's Suzuki LPs in 1966 on the Mark 56 label."
listening to the tracks as I read your thoughts on them = super rich experience. Thanks, dude.
ReplyDelete