In Dan’s Garage…#114

Hi all!!!! Well it’s been a while since I last posted and as this all too familiar tale goes, I’ve been busy as hell. The entire month of October was full including a very snazzy out of town wedding and several other events that kept me occupied. I just got back from a crazy wonderful vacation in the Dominican Republic that was to say the least, fantastic. If you ever get a chance to visit Punta Cana, I highly recommend it. Beautiful sand and beaches, warm weather, and the people are fantastic. Cigars aren't bad either but if you visit I suggest you purchase in the duty free shops at the airport. MUCH cheaper than the “tourist” spots.     In an effort to get this one out I’ll be rather brief. Records are piling up, and I’m having a difficult time sorting things out at the moment. This post is somewhat short (only 24 tracks) mainly because I finished a box and hit a wall. I really don’t want to put sub-par material on this blog, at least in the “Dan’s Garage” comps, so I’m considering moving that stuff over to “Dan’s Leftovers” a blog that I’ve sadly neglected since I started it. I may do a “one single at a time” format there and just post pics with a link to a sound file. This will be for a bunch of stuff that I've obtained that falls into the pop/schlock/weird category. It doesn’t matter if its good or if it sucks, I’ll post it and comment accordingly.    This one starts off with some fairly traditional stuff and takes a sharp left turn into weird territory. I hope you all enjoy, it’s good to be back.

Gregory Dee & The Avanties – The Slide / When Will I Be Loved (1965) Another classic from one of Minneapolis’ best bands. “The Slide” is a great dance number and the flip is a nice cover of the Everly’s “When Will I Be Loved”

Roadrunners – Roadrunner Walk / Tell Her You Love Her (196?) I’m not sure when this Michigan based 45 came out, but it definitely sounds like early sixties, although one source says it may be from 1968. I doubt it…

Peace & Love – “New” 96 Tears / Come On Up (1969) Not sure where this crew is from, but the “New” 96 Tears sounds a lot like the old one. Not bad though, at least they didn’t screw it up. Funky cover of “Come On Up” on the flip.

Fabulous Farquahr - Sister Theresa's East River Orphanage / My Eggs Don't Taste The Same Without You (1968) A folky/psychedelic group from Boston that had a couple of LP’s and shortened their name simply to Farquahr in 1970. This is a decent two pop/psych two sider.

Ford Theatre – Wake Up In The Morning / Time Changes (1969) A group out of Massachusetts, they weren’t exactly part of the “Bosstown Sound” but had a similar approach to their playing. A great psychedelic two sider.

Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus - Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run) (1968) Almost definitely a studio group, this 45 is pretty good, mixing typical bubblegum arrangements with some snotty vocals. I like.

Strawberry Alarm Clock – Barefoot In Baltimore / An Angry Young Man (1968) One of many 45’s this group released, but unlike the pop/psych sounds of “Incense & Peppermints” this is a very polished pop effort that doesn’t sound anything like their mega-hit.

Sunrise Highway – Goin’ To California / The Love Game (1968) Not exactly sure where these guys are from, but my best guess would be they were a New York  City studio group. Here they do a version of “Goin’ To California” that I featured by the Boys From NYC on IDG #17. Quite a different arrangement.

Love Affair – Someone Like Me (1968) A nice soulful B side from a British group that had some success in the late 60s

Magic Lanterns – Friscoe Annie (1970) A British group that was rumored to have Ozzy Osbourne as one of their members, but he was confused with bass player Mike “Oz” Osborne. Mostly a pop group, they did have this somewhat heavy B side in 1970.

Scot Richard Case – I’m So Glad / Who Is That Girl (1967) Superb two sider from one of Detroit’s finest bands. DIG IT!!!!

Ormandy – Sparrow’s Corner / Good Day (1970) While we’re in Michigan let’s check out Ormandy, a group from Lansing, MI who played gigs with a lot of the great groups from the area including The Stooges and the probably rubbed elbows with Scot Richard Case as well. Kinda cool mix of psych, pop, and soul. Word has it that their sax player ended up in Bob Seger’s band.

Glass Harp – La De Da (1972) The Glass Harp from Youngstown, OH were quite popular in the late 60’s early 70’s and featured guitar whiz Phil Keaggy. They sort of straddled a line between progressive jam type rock and British pop with a healthy dose of Christian lyrics thrown in (Keaggy would go on to be big in the Christian music scene). This one sounds as if it could have been on Abbey Road, a good example of their British influences.

Mother Earth - Good Night Nelda Grebe, The Telephone Company Has Cut Us Off (1969) A San Francisco group that originated in Texas, listening to this will obviously remind you of Janis Joplin. Two of the members were in The Wig, one of my favorite Texas bands.

Banchee – Searcher’s Life (1971) Banchee released two LP’s, one in ‘69 and the other in’71, both featured great heavy guitar riffs. This song is from their second LP “Thinkin”.

HERE

In Dan’s Garage…#113

Hi Y’all! I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer this year, mine was incredibly busy yet quite fulfilling. Lots of stuff going on. Keeping it very brief this time around but we'll catch up on life in the next post. Enjoy this one and enjoy the the upcoming fall season! Accents – Road Runner / Why (1966) One of Minneapolis’ greatest bands. They had nine 45s released on different local labels such as Garret, Twin Town, and Bangar. Ronnie & The Devilles – Tragedy / Oh Love (1965) Ronnie & The Devilles were a local band from Memphis that teamed up with Alex Chilton and eventually became The Box Tops who’s mega hit “The Letter” shot up to #1 in1967. These guys do bear a passing resemblance to The Gentrys, another group out of Memphis. Them Other Brothers – Be A Good Little Girl / Just Forget ‘Em (1964) A neat combo of teen pop and British Invasion sounds by none other than country great Mac Davis and what I would presume to be a bunch of good studio musicians. Michael & The Messengers - Midnight Hour / Up Til’ News (1967) Michael & The Messengers were a group out of Milwaukee that had a minor hit with a cover of The Reflection’s “Just Like Romeo & Juliet”. This is their second 45 a nice cover of Wilson Pickett’s “Midnight Hour”. At least they didn’t pick “Mustang Sally”. New Lime – That Girl / She Kissed Me (With Her Eyes) (1966) A group out of the Cincinnati / NW Kentucky area that had a bunch of very good 45s on several different labels, mostly Counterpart. This one got national exposure on Columbia, but alas, The New Lime never hit the big time. Unknowns – Tighter (1967) Supposedly associated in some way with Paul Revere & The Raiders, this 45 actually sounds just like them, so who the hell knows?????? Greek Fountains – Blue Jean / Countin’ The Steps (1966) A group from Louisiana that had a half dozen or so 45s, this one is the only to make it on a major label. John Fred & The Playboy Band – Up And Down / Wind Up Doll (1967) Typical blue eyed soul from John Fred & His Playboy band, with a touch of psychedelia. “Up And Down” is really good, and The Music Explosion covered this song note for note with different lyrics and called it “Can’t Stop Now” (IDG #39). Iron Butterfly – Unconscious Power / Possession (1967) Whoa. Forget “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, this, the first 45 by this classic band is for my money THE BEST. Two ultra cool psychedelic acid rock numbers that literally define the genre. DIG IT!!!!!! Giant Sunflower - What's So Good About Goodbye / Mark Twain (1969) Let’s lighten things up a bit with The Giant Sunflower, one of the great wannabe “Flower Power” groups that never quite made it. Both sides are superb. Grapefruit – Elevator / Yes (1968) A great combo that was part of the fledgling Apple Music Ltd. enterprise. It should be noted that songwriter and bassist George Alexander, was born Alexander Young, the older brother of The Easybeats’ guitarist George Young, and elder brother of Angus & Malcolm Young of AC/DC fame. Sounds a bit like the Easybeats don’t it???????? Fat City – City Cat (1969) Well this one is really interesting. This 45 is Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert who would go on to soft pop fame with The Starland Vocal Band and have a hit with “Afternoon Delight”. Go figure….. Crowd+1 – Circles / Most Peculiar Things (1969) This 45 from 1969 is a nice example of how pop bands were trying to glean some influence off the Beatles’ “White Album”. The ‘A’ side is a good example. This Fort Worth, Texas band would eventually shift personnel and become Bloodrock who had a sizable hit with D.O.A. Gross National Product – Cover Girl / That’s What I’ll Do Now (1970) A group out of Baltimore that was rather obscure and had only two 45s. Stone Country – Wheels On Fire / Million Dollar Bash (1968) These guys saw fit to not only cover Dylan’s classic “This Wheel’s On Fire” (and do a very nice job I might add), but they also covered “Million Dollar Bash” as well. HERE

In Dan’s Garage…#112

Greetings one and all!!! I hope you are all enjoying the summer months as much as I have but I must say it goes by way too fast. Soooo busy these days attending affairs and being a grandfather(“Papa Dan to my granddaughter!) which has kept me on my toes over the past couple of months, not that I’m complaining. During rest periods I like to get a few records ripped and when I have a spare hour or two I’ll write this blog which I hope you are all still digging on! This post is a good one with several obscurities that are tough to nail down. Enjoy.

Underbeats – Annie Do The Dog / Sweet Words Of Love (1964) The Underbeats were one of Minneapolis’ most popular groups rubbing elbows with the likes of The Trashmen and Gregory Dee & The Avanties. This is a great example of what was popular in Minnesota at the time.

Vibratos LTD – I’ll Be Back / Something Else (1965) The Vibratos LTD. were a big deal in Phoenix, AZ along with other local bands like P-Nut Butter and Floyd & Jerry and The Counterpoints. This 45 is a great lo-fi garage take on The Beatles’ classic “I’ll Be Back” with a cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Something Else” on the flip.

Sound Of Phyve – Shame Shame (196?) Here’s a mystery. I can’t find any real concrete info on this group but my guess, judging from the label, would be that they were from the southeast. Good garage/R&B/Soul type sounds here…..possibly a “Beach Music” band?????

Spirit – Man Enough For You Baby / No Time To Rhyme (1966) Another mystery, although what little info I got was this was an act from NYC. Deadly cool two sider with great fuzz guitars on the A side and a haunting mid-tempo garage rocker on the B.

Cherokees – It’s Gonna Work Out Fine / I've Got Something To Tell You (1965) An Australian group from Melbourne that had several records released through their short career. This one is an interesting example of how a small label like this one (Gary) would license a group like this in the hopes of possibly cashing in on the beat invasion of the times. There were scores of 45s like this released in the US.

Fogcutters – Casting My Spell / I Want Your Love Again (1966) Featured on IDG #27 & 67 this group ‘s origins were in Colorado, but they relocated to California where some of the members formed The Fantastic Zoo.

Fred Gartner & The Ferraris – A Good Girl Is A Pretty Girl / All The Young Girls (196?) Here’s another stumper. Real lo-fi fare from a bunch of garage greasers that were most likely from Ohio, probably Columbus, but that’s just an educated guess given that this 45 was pressed at the immortal Rite Records Co. based in Cincinnati.

Hoppi & The Beau Heems – I Missed My Cloud (1966) Back in IDG #104 I feature Hoppi and his gang doing a number called “When I Get Home” which sounds like more than a passing resemblance to Jim Morrison and the Doors. On this earlier 45 they decided to copy “? Mark & The Mysterians”. I think both decisions were genius.

King James & The Royal Jesters – I Get A Feeling / Girl (1968) Here's one that I know a bit about! Plato records was based in Milton, WV and had their records pressed by QCA in Cincinnati. King James and his crew were from Point Pleasant which was in the middle of West Virginia, but close enough to Milton and Cincinnati. A great 45 driven by a cool organ and vocals. For some in-depth info click HERE.

Pedestrians – Think Twice / Snyder’s Swamp (1966) I love Fenton Records. I just wish I had more of them because it had quite a few killer bands on their roster. Tis one’s not exactly a killer, but is great IMHO. The Pedestrians were from Grand Rapids and apparently this 45 was #1 for quite a while in that area as well as hitting the charts in other parts of the country. For more info click HERE.

Psychopaths – Till The Stroke Of Dawn / See The Girl (1966) As I’ve said before, I don’t generally do re-issues unless they merit inclusion because they’re almost as scarce as originals or they are just killer 45s like this one. I remember seeing this in it’s original state on a set sale list back in ‘86 or so and passing on it because the seller wanted a whopping $12 for it. What a mistake that was!!!! From Boston.

Plasma – How Many / A Night Like This (196?) Here’s another dead end. I tries Googling this but came up with lots of medical sites and a bunch explaining how a plasma TV works. All I’ve got to go on is the label which looks like it was pressed in the northeast. That's as good as it gets. The record?? The A side starts off with some mellow jazzy guitar riffing and goes into a mid-tempo moody number. The B side is even moodier.

River Deep – Take A Ride / Shelly Tell Me Why (1969) This same song was featured in IDG #89 by Pawnee Drive simply titled “Ride”. This one has a slightly different mix and a different B side as well.

Robbs – Next Time You See Me / I Don’t Feel Alone (1966) The Robbs had a slew of 45s in the mid to late 60s and were mostly a great mix of pop harmonies, folk rock, and a bit of garage/psych. All are worth seeking out.

Shillings – Wild Cherry Lane / Strawberry Jain (1969) The Shillings from Allentown, PA had four 45s that ranged from moody punk, to folk rock, to the bubblegum pop featured on this one. These guys must have liked fruit a lot.

HERE

In Dan’s Garage…#111

Hello friends and followers! It’s been a busy time around here and I wish I could get this thing out more often, but I had some spare time on my hands this weekend because of the unusually cruddy weather, and the fact that my lovely wife has gone away to Sodus Bay for an overnight with some of the neighborhood ladies.Hooray for me.I wanted to get a nice stogie in last night but it was so freakin’ cold I couldn’t stay outside for more than 20 minutes so I had to settle for a quickie smoke on the patio.    Today’s post is the second “transitional” one if you will in that it is mostly “new” records that I’ve acquired since I first started this blog. The eight or nine “original” boxes have all been ripped (with the exception of some rotten tomatoes and an entire box of what I consider “common” stuff) so we now enter into a new phase of the operation. I’ve got lots of interesting titles to post ranging from straight up garage to psych/pop so stay tuned. I hope everyone enjoys the upcoming summer and here's some music to celebrate that.

Bossmen – Here’s Congratulations / Bad Girl (1965) Saginaw, Michigan’s Bossmen were famous for having Dick Wagner as their Singer, songwriter, guitarist. Dick (who has quite a resume) would then go on to form The Frost a much heavier act and then play guitar on Lou Reed’s legendary “Lou Reed” live LP as well as playing with Alice Cooper.

Sammy King & The Voltaires – If You Can Find Someone To Love You / Past Caring (1964) From what I gather, Sammy King and The Voltaires were a British band that played with The Beatles and Stones in the early sixties, mostly as a supporting act and they also reportedly backed up Cilla Black as well. Sammy King would write “Penny Arcade” for Roy Orbison, a song that went big in The U.K. and Australia, but only dented the charts here in the U.S.

Hatchet Men – I’ll Give You Love / I Must Be In Love (1964) Tough garage from a group that is presumably from somewhere in New York although I can’t confirm that.

2 Of Clubs – Walk Tall Like A Man / So Blue Is Fall (1966) Linda Parrish and Patti Valentine were a singing duo from the Cincinnati, OH area that released several 45s on Fraternity most notably this one which reached the charts in 1966, and an excellent version of “Heart”. Solid girl group sounds here.

Ray Pilgrim & The Beatmen – Kissin’ Cousins The Activators – Have I The Right (1965) Here’s a nifty find! While the U.S. had the “Hit Records” label (as well a few others “Hit Parader” etc.) Australians could find budget sounds via “Golden Fleece” petrol stations, so not only could you fill up the Vauxhall, but you could walk out with some pretty hip records as well!

Distant Cousins – Let It Ring (1965) Larry Brown and Raymond Bloodworth were a singing songwriting duo that released some excellent beat/pop 45s as The Distant Cousins, this being their first. Great vocals and a pretty good band backing them up as well. This duo must’ve worked closely with Bob Crewe as writers as their credits show up on Richard And The Young Lions’ “Open Up Your door”.

Grass Roots – Things I Should Have Said (1967) One of many Sloan/Barri  songs recorded by The Grass Roots. This stacks up as one of their best.

Lords Of London – Sit Down Dance / Broken Heart C.O.D. (1966) One of two “Lords Of London”, this one being from Colorado and the other being Canadian. This group had two 45s on Domain Records and there is some question as to whether they evolved into the psychedelic group “Dragonfly”. More info is HERE.

Neil Christian – She’s Got The Action / That’s Nice (1966) Big beat sounds from Neil Christian. Miki Dallon gets the writing credits on this one as well as the flip side.

Off-Beats – Mary / You Tell Me (1966) Ultra short three chord two sided garage rocker from a group that was once The Children (of “This Sporting Life” fame) and Somebody’s Chyldren.

P-Nut Butter – What Am I Doing Here With You / Still In Love With You Baby (1966) A very popular Phoenix, AZ group that had this one released on Tower records as well.

Music Machine – The People In Me / Masculine Intuition (1966) I know we’ve all heard this one before, but it’s so good I couldn’t resist!

Bleus – Milk And Honey / Leavin’ Lisa (1968) Blue eyed soul with a touch of bubblegum from a group out of Alabama. Recorded and produced by Eddie Hinton at the famous Muscle Shoals studio with members of The Allman Brothers playing on it as studio musicians.

Cups – Good As Gold (1968) Written by Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle while they were presumably staff songwriters for what was then a young Apple Corps. Real good arrangement on this record with some heavy guitars and a cool organ as well.

Fredric – Five O’Clock Traffic / Red Pier (1968) Grand Rapids, MI was home to the Fredric who recorded this 45 as well as a very cool LP in 1968. This 45 was also released on the nationally distributed Evolution label so it’s somewhat easy to track down. Both sides are excellent psyche

Haymarket Riot – Nine O’Clock (1968) One of several “Haymarkets” out there, this bunch was reportedly from Monroe, MI, and it’s tough to determine whether this group is related to any of the others. Solid psyche with good fuzz guitars and a touch of sax in the background.

Sweet Marie – Remember Mary / Don’t You Understand (1970) Originally based in Southern California, The Sweet Marie headed over to Hawaii where they became rather popular and recorded this and one other 45 on the Yard Bird label. All of their material is really good psychedilia with a passing resemblance to The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

HERE