Dan's Garage: January 2013

Greetings friends and followers! I hope everyone’s New Year is going well so far. Mine is rather dreary right now with the bitter cold weather and all, and the fact that my beloved New York Giants missed the NFL playoffs this year and I have to watch teams that they either beat the crap out of (San Francisco), or got beat up by (Baltimore), slug it out in what is the biggest sporting event of the season (here in the good ol’ USA that is…). Someone at work got real excited that Beyoncé was the half time show. I wonder if she’s going to lip-sync or not???? Maybe she’ll trip on stage like Madonna did last year (or was that the year before???) Personally I could give a shit about half time shows. Most, or rather all of them suck ass, even if the acts are decent guys like The Who or Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. I think they ought to have Paul Revere & The Raiders do it sometime, even if he is a Las Vegas schmuck now,at least he’d be better than Beyoncé lip-syncing her bullshit. Does she even really sing??? If it didn’t say BEYONCE in front of it, would you actually know it’s her????? Seriously, I can’t tell the difference. I don’t want to sound like an old fogy but who the hell is “Nickelback” and what do they really sound like???? As my good friend Chuck Irving would say… “they’re a generic alternative rock band” and that is what we have today my friends. “generic music”. It’s really sad. Us “older” Rock & Roll fans have slogged through some of the worst commercial crap in the history of humanity, but think about it, were “The Partridge Family” as bad as everyone thinks they were??????? How about The Osmonds, all clean and Mormon like? I listen to that stuff nowadays and marvel at the craftiness of it all. Something lost in today’s music.

I just did one of those stupid Facebook surveys that asked how many “influential” albums you had in your collection, and I was surprised (well I shouldn’t have been) how much CRAP there was in their “selection”. One of the offending “LPs” was “Dexy’s Midnight Runners” who’s “Come On Eileen” video was famous for the mere fact that they didn’t wear any underwear while filming it. Holy SHIT STAIN BATMAN!!!!!! When I got to that part of the survey I knew it was a pile of horse dung.

But seriously folks. To say that music, in the “Rock & Roll” sense, is evolving is folly. Rock & Roll is not dead by any stretch, but it has run it’s course in my humble opinion. What is heard nowadays is some mish mash of influences stirred up in a commercial pot and sold like Duncan Hines cake mixes on a grocery shelf. Which one do like?? White or Fudge?? Eventually there will be young people who will truly carry the torch of Rock & Roll into the mainstream again, kind of the way that guys like Harry Connick Jr. carried Frank Sinatra’s torch into the new millennium of “pop stars”. It will happen. It always does

That is not to say that there are no GREAT Rock & Roll acts out there today. They are just “under the radar"and the savvy amongst us go looking for them instead of having them handed to us on a silver platter. It’s weird. We used to wait for the next big thing on the radio, and usually it would be something that was actually fresh, even if we weren’t “down with it”. Nowadays we just wait for people like Lady Gaga and Justin Beiber to go away. Justin Beiber or David Cassidy???? Think about it.

OK! Enough of that rant. I want to thank everyone out there for supporting me during this “transition” period where the feds are really cracking down on internet piracy. I’ll say it again. Blogs like this are the least of their worries. Go fry some BIGGER fish please. I’m thinking people sharing Katy Perry’s newest is what you want to watch out for. To quote Adam Corrolla, she really does “look like she’s always thinking about something stupid” Now there’s a REAL talent folks!!!!!!! Sorry, I got off track again. Old links will be replaced in time. Don’t hold your breath, I will eventually replace them all, but it is VERY TIME CONSUMING. I wish there was a quicker way but there really isn’t.

I can’t believe there’s 82 volumes here!!! WOO HOO!!!! I always thought I’d be finished after 50, but I think I’ll be well over 100 by next year. I’m glad everyone is enjoying what I do here, and I just want to give a shout out to the locals who follow this blog . I know who you are. Come see me sometime at a gig and we’ll have a drink together. In the meantime enjoy the latest offering. Adios!

Thee Midnighters – Whittier Blvd. / Evil Love (1965)

East L.A’s finest rumble through two classics on one 45. Areeba Areeba!!!!

Bartholomew +3 – She’s Mine / You’re Not There (1965)

A rather obscure act from Montreal, Canada who had a few other 45s. Nice moody folk/rock offering here.

Fenians – Got A Feeling / Tonight’s The Night For Love (1965)

I gave my best shot at trying to find some info on this 45, but all I came up with was a website that led me to some horrific hacker’s site. YOW! Anyway…I can tell you that The Fenians were arranged and produced by Tony Harris, who’s “Superman” is featured on IDG #9, so it’s quite possible that these two bands are the same.

Richie Dennis & The Group / Forever And A Day (1966)

Another dead end on this one also. Very moody folk/rock with some nice “group” vocals propping it up and a thumping bass as well.

Bachs Lunch You Go On / Will You Love Me Tomorrow (1966)

I’m not exactly sure who the Bach Lunch was, but this 45 was produced by Carole King and features a cover of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” as the A side and a wonderful pop/psyche number titled “You’ll Go On” as the flip, the featured song here. “You Go On” was apparently penned by Rick Philip and Dave Palmer who were members of The Myddle Class who also had a couple of classic 45s released on the same label so it may be possible that they were the backing band on this excellent 45.

Love Ins – Red Light, Green Light / Groove Me (1968)

Let’s jump to ‘68 where The Love Ins, most likely a “studio” group recorded this very nice bubblegumish 45.

Carpetbaggers – Let Yourself Go / Just A Friend (1966)

Another dead end *sigh*. Good “protest” rock that apparently was produced by novelty song king Ray Stevens. I wonder if this is actually him singing this…….

Joys Of Life – Descent / Good Times Are Over (1967)

Look at these guys. a bunch of nice clean Midwestern boys from Indiana who got a break by releasing a 45, and on a major label no less. “Good Times Are Over” is typical Midwestern R&B a-la “The Fabulous Flippers” and other groups from the same region, but what sets this 45 apart from the rest is the flipside “Descent” which is featured here. Holy crap, talk about a tale of two bands. While “Good Times” is generic blue eyed soul, “Descent” is about as nasty a garage/punker can be. The Lyrics say it all… “You say my ways they weren’t the same, you criticized my looks but baby I can’t seem to stop those evil actions. By lying and any other means you made me prince of public scenes” and it continues from there. A tale of a guy who’s girl is so nasty, he has to shame her…”Now I’m the king and you’re the pawn, I can see you looking on, jealous of my new love and my freedom”. It gets better, but I’m sure after a few spins you’ll get the picture. A masterpiece.

Pretty Things – Progress / Buzz The Jerk (1966)

The Pretties at their “soul” best. Real cool “mod” sounds here, and the horns really don’t mess up the A side at all.

Shady Days – Little Girl / That’s How Strong My Love Is (1967)

This actually is the Chicago band, The Revelles with a different moniker. “Little “Girl” is a lightweight folk rocker, whilst “That’s How Strong My Love Is” is a lightweight soul rocker. All kidding aside, this is a terrific two sider.

Just Rita – Tomorrow Is Another Day (1967)

A Chicago area singer who had quite a bit of media backing via Billboard ads, but it looks like she really flopped big time, as well as her label. This 45 is a cool sitar inspired psychedelic song. Do a Google search on her and find some interesting Billboard ads and articles.

Springfield Rifle – I’ll Be Standing There / Will You Love Me Tomorrow (1968)

A Pacific NW group who had a slew of 45 in the mid sixties including this Zombies inspired number and a very cool moody version of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”. Oops! I put two of these one here????? DOH!!!!

Company Front – I’m So Happy Now / Not Today (1968)

A Kentucky based pop group with awesome vocal harmonies, do justice to a Young Rascals tune.

Hamilton Streetcar – Confusion / It’s Your Own Come Down (1968)

Oh, so cool garage/psych from the guys who gave us “Invisible People”. This was their second 45 on LHI before they became a poppier band and released an album on Dot. These guys should have made it big and it’s a shame they didn’t.

Equals – Baby Come Back / Hold Me Closer (1968)