In Dan’s Garage…#81

GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!!!! I thought I’d never get this edition of Dan’s Garage out, but after nearly two months of holidays, shopping and to top it off bad weather, I found a little time to spin a few discs and get this baby going. I really hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and holiday season in general. Now that 2013 is upon us I wish all the best to my friends and followers out there. I really didn’t get much in the way of material goods for Christmas this year, but happiness and smiling faces surely made up for it, and besides, I really do prefer the giving part than the receiving part. I did get one awesome gift from my lovely wife Red, a “leg lamp” ala “A Christmas Story”. Here’s a picture of the “major award” in my front living room window.… There were actually cars stopping in front of my house to get a good look at it. What a hoot. We also had a Christmas soiree in my “man cave'” where friends and neighbors got totally inebriated and made fools of themselves. In other words, a typical Christmas party. Before I continue with this post, I’d just like to thank everyone out there who left kind and thoughtful comments. They really make this blog worthwhile. I’d also like to add a comment about links that are no longer useful. I am up to 81 posts on this blog and that’s just the “Dan’s Garage” posts. Before MF melted down, I had re-upped EVERYTHING and it was quite a chore. Now I have to do it all over with Zippyshare and there is no guarantee they will hold. I’m looking for an alternative. It seems that if I encrypt things well enough MF won’t catch on. I’ll keep trying that route, but if you’re looking for files, please be patient. I’ll get to them as fast as I can and to be perfectly honest, I’m not exactly Speedy Gonzalez. There’s a guy out there and I believe he’s from The Netherlands, although I could be wrong, who has been taking my comps and posting them on his site. I’m somewhat flattered that people are sharing this, I guess, I mean, there are folks out there who take the mp3s and label scans from this blog and use them on on their own blogs and websites and on YouTube as well, and I really don’t have much of a problem with that. I use material from other sites as well (and I thank all for letting me do so), but this guy is going as far as changing the “covers” I made for the comps. That’s bullshit. While I am guilty of having downloaded files from this bloggers site in the past, (full disclosure here) it would have been nice if he just informed me of his intentions. I also understand you have to PAY to get the files. That’s extra total bullshit. My advice to all, is to just shun this blogger and never visit his site (http://rollhotrodroll.blogspot.fr). Enough of that stuff. I know it’s been a while and you’ve been anxiously awaiting this next post which I hope you’ll enjoy. God bless all of you. Have a beautiful happy warm Holiday, and best wishes to you on the upcoming New Year. See you in 2013!!!!!!!

Peck’s Bad Boys – Crazy World / Cloud 76 (1966) Tough, pounding two sided punker from The Bronx (that’s in NYC). I’d go into greater detail, but you can get the whole story by clicking this link HERE

Mae West w/ Somebody’s Chyldren – Shakin' All Over / If You Gotta Go (1966) Here we go again with the legendary Mae West “vocalizing” through a few 60s classics. This time we get a great version of Johnny Kidd’s signature tune, and I love the way she sings “Shakin’ All Ovuh”! The flip is a sort of freaked out version of Dylan’s “If You Gotta Go” All in all, not a bad effort from an aging Hollywood star. If only we could have gotten W.C. Fields to sing a few with her……..

Dick Whittington’s Cats – In The Midnight Hour / I Still Find You (In My Heart) (1966) Originally known as “Richie & The Fortunes”, the “Cats” were from Cleveland and backed “Bocky” from Bocky & The Visions quite often. Here they lay down a hard nosed version of Wilson Pickett’s hit backed with a typical Cleveland garage/greaser/do wop number.

Noblemen 4 – Hang It In Your Ear / I Hear Raindrops (1967) A Pittsburgh area band who had one other release. Great “frat rock” on the A side and a pretty good moody garage ballad on the B. You can read more about them HERE. Hard to believe this 45 is from 1967.

Roemans – Don’t / Miserlou (1965) A group from Florida who backed Tommy Roe (hence the name “Roemans”) on several tours including one that went to the UK. They released several 45s without Roe and this, their second, is a mixed bag. The A side is typical British Invasion whilst the B side is a wild insane version of Dick Dale’s “Miserlou”

Guilloteens – For My Own / Don’t Let The Rain Get You Down (1966) Best known as Elvis Presley’s favorite band, The Guilloteens were in fact a pretty good act. They had 45s on HBR and Columbia and continued performing till 1967 when they broke up.

Joey Paige – Gone Back To Tennessee (1964) I wish I knew more about this guy. All I could come up with was that he was involved with the Everly Bros., went to England and hooked up with the Stones somehow, came back to the US and released a few 45 one of which was supposedly produced by Bill Wyman. This isn’t the one, but it’s a pretty good rocker nonetheless.

Stuarts – Just A Little Bit More / Bringing It Home (1966) A Feldman, Goldstein, Gottehrer production that’s rumored to be the Strangeloves in disguise, kinda like “The Sheep”. Could be, because it sounds an awful lot like The Strangeloves only a bit nastier.

New Colony Six – At The Rivers Edge / I Lie Awake (1965) Before the New Colony Six became Chicago’s masters of wimp rock, they put out several great 45s including this, their second, which is emphasized by a driving Bo Diddley beat. The B side is no slouch either.

Bridge – I Don’t Think I’ll Call You / When You’re Gone (1966) Different from the Connecticut group, this bunch was from Mississippi, and had this one superb moody two sider.

Anglo Saxton – You Better Leave Me Alone / Ruby (1967) Although this came out on a Michigan label initially (it was re-released on Tower) it reportedly was a big regional hit in Nashville. “You Better Leave Me Alone” is a great sleazy slow tempo punk rocker with snotty vocals, but what gets me is their treatment of “Ruby”, the Kenny Rogers hit. They slow the whole thing down and add this folk rock element to it that makes it rather unique. Way better that the hit IMHO.

Oliver’s Heavenly Nest – Hey Bird / She And My Shadow (1969) I just had to throw in this nice slice of pop/psyche into the mix. Don’t know  much about this group. They may be from the New York area but I can’t say for sure……..

Ark – Poverty Train / Daily Reminder (1967) Another absolutely superb psychedelic 45 by a very obscure group from…..well I’m not sure where, but rumor has it they’re from Northern California. I’ve read comparisons to Clear Light but I think these guys are in their own little world. “Daily Reminder” is fantastic and “Poverty Train” is a great cover of a Laura Nyro tune. This one’s a real gem.

Equals – Lonely Rita / Softly Softly (1968) I love these guys! One of the few “integrated” bands of the 60s, they had a big hit with “Baby Come Back”, but they also had a whole bunch of other songs under their belt, most of them great freakbeat numbers. This two sider is a perfect example.

NRBQ – Stomp / I Don’t Know Myself (1968) One of the most beloved “indie” bands of all time. This was NRBQ’s first release when they were known as a “Quintet”.

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