In Dan's Garage...#46

 

I just got done painting a ceiling this morning. Do you know how messy that is???? Right now my face is speckled with teensy white dots all over the place, not to mention all the drywall dust that came tumbling down when I prepped it for a coat. It gets in your hair, up your nose. A real mess. Why am I mentioning this??? Because  this little blog o'mine  keeps me sane and prevents me from going ballistic on a wall, or something that might break easily. Just joking. I did do the ceiling today, but I thought I'd add those thoughts for dramatic effect and some comic relief. Now it's time to relax and dig into another pile of cool 45s. I'm still working a few bugs out of my system here and I'm getting things nailed down. I've acquired a piece of new software that really does a nice job keeping the pops, crackles, and that annoying "fizzy" sound to a minimum without sacrificing fidelity. I may go over the entire catalog with this thing, and if I do I'll keep you posted on re-ups. In the meantime check out this edition and feel free to tell me what you think. Enjoy!

Thee Midnighters - I Found A Peanut (1966)

Yeah! Look at this 45. It's hammered, but the grooves contain one of the coolest tunes ever! I guess "I Found A Peanut" is an old children's sing a long thing, but I don't ever remember hearing it or singing it to my kids. Basically a guy is hungry, looks in his pocket, finds a peanut, eats it, gets sick, and DIES!!!! What the hell is THAT all about???

Birdwatchers - Then You Say Boh Bah / Put A Little Sunshine In My Day (1967)

A rather prolific Miami, FL outfit that released a slew of 45s in various styles, but mostly sticking to a pop formula. This one is a good example.

Countdowns - You Know I Do / Strange Are The Shadows (1965)

I love "Fuzz, Acid, and Flowers". It describes this 45 as an "undistinguished effort", but thinks bands like "Coyote" are "worth investigation". Sheesh, gimme a break please. These guys may not be "genius", but they're far more worth investigating than stuff like Coyote. This Iowa City group went on to become Uncle And The Anteaters.

Black & Blues - Bye Bye Baby / Come To Me (1968)

I love this one! A great mix of garage/punk and good production. From Indiana.

Great Scots - The Light Hurts My Eyes / You Know What You Can Do (1966)

In my opinion the best 45 put out by these Halifax, Nova Scotia legends. Awesome, tough vocals, great guitar work, and excellent production make this one a top-notch winner.

Pickwicks - Apple Blossom Time / I Don't Want To Tell You Again (1964)

Moving on, we have here The Pickwicks from Coventry who give us this nice, if rather lightweight peice of British pop.

25th Hour - Love Is ABeautiful Thing / It's Called Life (1968)

This southern blue eyed soul group takes an interesting stab at The Young Rascals' "Love Is A Beautiful Thing". Both sides have horns, but they're not too bad.

Tropics - This Must Be The Place / Land Of A 1000 Dances-Summertime Blues (1967)

The second 45 released on Columbia by this Tampa, FL group. Dig the two guitars soloing against each other!!!!

Poor Boys - Still Love You (196?)

More blue eyed soul from a totally obscure group from who knows where.

Sapians - Love Ain't Makin' It No More / Ask Yourself Why Babe (1965)

OOOHHH!!! This has to be one of the coolest 45s ever. If you're into garage slop/grunge then this ain't your bag. But if your into tough, well crafted 60s garage, then this one's for you. Both sides of this gem are awesome. It's too bad this Newburgh, NY group didn't put out an album of this stuff.

"Us Too" Group - The Only Thing To Do / The Way It Must Be (1967)

A very popular group from Cincinnati, OH. Great garage/pop on this one.

Power Plant - She's So Far Out She's In (196?)

A great, but relatively unknown 45 that was most likely a studio group headed by Baker Knight, a musician from Birmingham. Alabama who had a very prolific career writing, performing, and producing songs from rockabilly to garage to country. This one is done in a "Sir Douglas Quintet" style. Dino, Desi, & Billy" would also do this one too.

Wylde Heard - Stop It Girl / Take It On Home (1967)

Another fantastic garage two sider from the Midwest. "Stop It Girl" has great, wild guitar riffs, while "Take It On Home" sounds a lot like the Left Banke. Not a bad thing if you ask me....

Herbie's People - Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. Jones / Residential Area (1967)

 The same as the Manfred Mann hit, except the Manfred's replaced "Mr. Jones" with "Mr. James". It's too bad they got beat on this deal, I like this version much better, and the flip is a superb British psyche affair with intense fuzz guitars.

Pack - Next To Your Fire / Without A Woman (1968)

 While the story of Terry Knight and The Pack is rather complicated one, you can't deny that this 45 by "The Pack" was a precursor to Grand Funk Railroad. 

Dream Police - Living Is Easy / I'll Be Home (In A Day Or So) (1970)

An interesting 45 from a band that would upon break up, enter into two of Britain's more popular groups, The Average White Band, and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. I would have joined up with Alex Harvey in a heartbeat.....

Get it HERE 

In Dan's Garage...#45

Wow. When I started this blog back in January of 2009, I thought I would just share a few tapes and records, and offer a little bit of insight and opinion on the subject of “obscure” music from the 60s and a few of those sounds that crept it's way into the 70s. Now I've posted 45 volumes of this Dan's Garage thing as well as the Obscure 60s series and I don't see an end in the very near future, although I've slowed down somewhat due to other pressing issues like home improvements, work, football, baseball, etc. All in all it's a great hobby because I finally get my say on this subject, I get to turn people on to cool sounds, and I've gotten back into the record collecting thing which I kind of ignored for about 20 years. Once again I'd like to thank the folks out there who post comments and add valuable info on these groups featured here. You are all very important contributors and your input is invaluable. Also, please check out the other blogs listed on this page. Some come and go (unfortunately), but everything there is top notch stuff in the coolness dept. and I rate them all very highly. Enough said. Let's get down to business….

The Spats - Gator Tails And Monkey Ribs / The Roach (1964)

The Spats were a seven piece group from California who released a bunch of 45s and an LP in the 60s including the classic"She Done Moved", and "Tell Ya All About It Baby". This, their first, is a real frat rock/R&B style two sider. The top is kinda like "Louie Louie" and the flip is a great cover of Gene & Wendell's "The Roach".

Penetrators - Coming Home Baby / Guitar Boogie (196?)

A real obscure lo-fi instrumental/garage band possibly from Pennsylvania. Nice surfy number on the A side and a rework of "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" on the flip.

Look Outs - Roll Over Beethoven (1965)

Most likely the same as group as The Curiosities and The Seeburg Spotlite Band, here the Seeburg "house band" goes through a pretty decent version of the Chuck Berry classic.

Uncle 'Na Anteaters - I Wanna Be Happy / Lover Boy (1966)

An earlier effort from this Iowa City group. This one is real garagey and not quite as pop oriented as the one featured in IDG #44.

Mike Rabin & The Demons - Head Over Heels / I'm Leaving You (1965)

Superb R&B/Freakbeat single from Manchester, UK. Mike Rabin was reportedly also in the Toggery Five.

Sonics - The Witch / Keep A' Knock'in (1964)

 This one came up in my box and although it's been heard and comped time and time again, I just couldn't resist. It's soooo gooood!

Scoundrels - Come Home With Me / La Bola (1966)

 A moody one from a NYC based group. They had two other good 45s on ABC including the terrific "Up There"

Bobby Lile & The El Montes - (I'm Gonna) Breakaway / Man Of The World (1965)

 Although Bobby Lile's name comes up on some Patsy Cline credits and some teener 45s, I can't get any concrete info on this nice garage/pop single. 

Rockin' Rebellions - Don't Let Go / Anyway The Wind Blows (1967)

Great two sider from Birmingham, AL. The top side is a great Bo Diddley cover and on the flip they take a stab at Zappa's "Anyway The Wind Blows". GENIUS!

Cyrkle - Money To Burn (1966)

 The Cyrkle were famous not only for their hits "Red Rubber Ball" and "Turn Down Day", but for being the only American group managed by Brian Epstein. This, their third 45, shows that as well as playing light breezy pop tunes, they could play something a little tougher sounding.

lyme & cybelle - Follow Me (1966)

 Known as the starting place for legendary songwriter Warren Zevon and it shows too. This is a perfect piece of mid sixties folk rock.

Little Bits Of Sound - Girls Who Paint Designs / What Life's About (1967)

 A little known group from Long Island, but they left us with a very good two sider.

Fire, Rhythm, & Smoke - Fire And Rhythm / Sissies Place (19??)

 I did a search on this one and all I could come up with were links to smoke alarms. Apparently, "Sissies" must've been a real hot spot in downtown Nashville (no pun intended), but when I Googled the address, all that it shows is the convention center parking garage!!! The band on this 45 is OK, but the singer sounds kinda like Captain Beefheart on steroids. Judging from the label and the fact that it's a stereo 45, I'd say this is a very late 60s effort, or possibly even an early to mid 70s release.

Flying Machine - Maybe We've Been Loving Too Long (1969)

 An offshoot of Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, they had a big hit here in the US with "Smile A Little Smile For Me" of which this is the flip. A real nice psych/pop number and quite underrated in my ever so humble opinion.

Beau Allen - Give Me Your Love / What A Love Can Do (1970)

 Although this is from 1970, Beau and his band didn't lose that great mid sixties vibe on this 45. From Vidalia, GA, home of the finest and sweetest onions in the world.

Legendary Stardust Cowboy - Paralyzed / Who's Knocking At My Door (1969)

 Well, I just had to do it. I'm not sure if you can call this garage, or country for that matter, but I'd definitely call it demented. Play this when you want to chase Yes and Genesis fans out of your house. Play this in your car when you're on a really bad date. In fact just play it when you want to get rid of anyone undesirable. I understand T. Bone Burnette played drums on this.

Miki - When I Was 15 (1969)

 Let's finish with a great movin' freakbeat instrumental by the man who wrote "Take A Heart" by The Sorrows, Miki Dallon. This is very similar to the Sessions' "Let Me In".

Get it HERE