In Dan's Garage...#39

Whew! Is it freaking hot here in New York! Last summer we broke all sorts of records for having the coldest July ever, and this year it feels like....well....it feels like summer. And that's a good thing. People always whine to me about the heat, but I have to remind them about what's facing us come winter time, and it aint pretty. I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. I've been kinda busy the past week or so just enjoying the nice weather, and the band has been rather busy also. Two gigs in one weekend! I think that was a first. I'd also like to thank all of you who added info in the comments section, and who've given me a thumbs up for this little effort. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!

Al Michael & The Capers - Twist Every Witcha Kinda Way / Say You'll Be Mine(1962)

 Let's face off with this rockin' r&b number from what I would assume to be a Baton Rouge, LA group. Great honkin' tenor sax, and a bunch of gals doin' some cheezy backup vocals. The flip sounds like some nice swamp pop.

Dino & The Dell Tones - Sticks And Stones / The Living End (1966)

 Lets move west to San Antonio, TX where Dino And The Dell-Tones serve up a frantic version of this Ray Charles classic. The flip is a cool bluesey guitar instro.

Dudes - What A Releif, It's All Over (1966)

I'm gonna shift gears here with a real folky type thing. Actually it's pretty much on the pop side of things, but it's cool in my opinion. This group was led by Gil Guilbeau who had a very long career and appeared on a slew of records from the 50's to the present. Here's a link to his story.....

Galaxies IV - Let Me Hear You Say Yeah / Till Then You'll Cry (1965)

A terrific group from Trenton, NJ, whose "Don't Lose Your Mind" is a psychedelic classic. This one here is a straight up punk raver with a great garage ballad flip.

Medallions - Leave Me Alone / She'll Break Your Heart (1967)

Originally thought to be a group from Wisconsin, The Medallions were actually from Oak Park, IL, a suburb of Chicago. The A side is perhaps one of the best girl put down songs ever. Those dopes at Fuzz, Acid, & Flowers have this listed as a cover of The Knaves' killer cut, but it's obviously a completely different song. Read more about this group and their spin-offs here.

Michel & The French Canadians - 'Cause I Believe / Comfort Him (1965)

Here's a great record from Montreal that features Michel, a kind of teen crooner, if you will, backed by a solid garage, almost rockabilly, group. I dig that whacked out spacey echo that permeates the entire song....

Teddy Boys - Jezebel / It's You (1966)

A genuine, bona fide garage classic!!!! This group from Hyde Park, NY had a great guitar sound and put out three other fine 45s. Their cover of the Kinks' "Where Have All The Good Times Gone?" can be found on IDG #22.

Wild Ones - Wild Thing / Just Can't Cry Anymore (1965)

Here's a 45 with a very interesting story. The Wild Ones (who weren't particularly "wild" by the way...) were a group out of New York City that came and went quietly. They released an album and a rather common (but good) 45 on the Sears label with a pic sleeve. The interesting part of the story is that this is the original version of the sixties classic, that propelled The Troggs to stardom, and made this tune an oldies staple. It's most interesting to note that it was written by Chip Taylor whose real name is James Wesley Voight, brother of actor John Voight. Chip wrote several rock and country hits in his career among them "Angel Of The Morning" by Merelee Rush, and "I Can't Let Go" by The Hollies. While this isn't as tough sounding as the Troggs' version, it has a Dylanesque quality to it which is very different.

Embers - Evelyn / And Now I'm Blue (1967)

A mystery group that sounds like it's from the south. Both sides of this folky/fuzzy 45 are pretty good, and it's relatively common.

Fabulous Pharoahs - Hold Me Tight / Sometimes I Think About (1967)

Wild fuzz and cool B-3 organ highlight this 45 from Newark, DE, which lies just outside of Wilmington and Philly. Dig the catalog number. 36-22-36! You can read a detailed story about these guys HERE.

Group Axis - Smokestack Lightning / Not Fade Away (1969)

According to "Fuzz, Acid, & Flowers", (and believe me, take their info with a large grain of salt), they were a West Texas group who based themselves in L.A. The Texas part makes sense because this was produced by Norman Petty, and was most likely recorded in his Clovis, NM studio. Both sides are great.

Music Explosion - Sunshine Games / Can't Stop Now (1968)

More great bubblegum with snotty-like vocals from the crew who brought us "Little Bit Of Soul"

Eyes Of Blue - Supermarket Full Of Cans / Don't Ask Me To Mend Your Broken Heart (1967)

Here's a 45 that I truly love. This is one of those records that strikes a nerve, not because of it's crudeness, wildness, or some other "garagey" attribute, but because both sides are such good songs. A perfect example of British mod/blue eyed soul.

Dave Berry - Latisha (1968)

One of the last, of many 45s released by this British Beat legend. On this tune, he goes "freakbeat" with some excellent results.

Waters - Mother Samwell / Day In And Out (1969)

Let's end this party with a freaky, phased out 45 from Louisville, KY. This was actually a local hit and was picked up for national distribution by HIP records out of Memphis. The flip is pretty damn good too!

Get it HERE.