Spartans – The Waddle (1962)

Let’s kick off this new volume of IDG (can you sense an NFL reference there???) with a single that was co-written by Jeff Barry who with Ellie Greenwich (and others) wrote some of the greatest rock & roll songs of all time. I’m thinking in 1962 “The Twist” was a big dance craze, so Jeff maybe wrote this tune to start another one??? In any case, this novelty is pretty cool and features a dynamite honking sax solo.

Brian Poole & The Tremeloes – I Want Candy / Over The Mountain (1965)

Get this….In 1962 Decca records had to choose between these guys…and The Beatles. Guess who they picked??? Of course it has to be mentioned that Pete Best was the drummer for The Beatles at the time and if you’ve ever heard the stuff they recorded with Pete it’s, well…..lackluster at best (no pun intended). So Decca in their infinite wisdom picked Brian Poole & The Tremeloes because they were from London and were more “accessible” than the Beatles. OK, nice choice although we’ll give the bigwigs at Decca a thumbs up for finally landing The Rolling Stones, Them, and scores of other great groups. The Beatles however persevered and landed a contract with Parlophone Records and the rest is history. The Tremoloes certainly weren’t a bad band though as we can hear by their rendition of The Strangeloves’ “I Want Candy” which features some excellent pounding drums and a cool cheezy organ as well.

Bruins – Nobody But You / One More Try (1965)

I don’t have a lot of solid info on this group, but I know they were British, and it’s rumored that Creation guitarist Eddie Phillips was in this band and played on this record

Unit Four Plus Two – I Won’t Let You Down / I Was Only Playing Games (1965)

An ace effort by the group who gave us “Concrete & Clay”.

Mark IV – Hollow Woman / Better Than That (1966)

Long thought to be a pre - “Pure Prairie League” 45, it is actually a completely unknown band possibly from Connecticut. Great stuff on both sides.

Hangmen – Faces / Bad Goodbye (1966)

Unbelievably cool fuzz drenched psych-out from the same crew who gave us the legendary “What A Girl Can’t Do”

Gallery Production – All Your Love / Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It (1967)

A virtually unknown group except that they apparently were from Sacramento, CA. These guys were pretty versatile covering John Mayall on one side and The Buffalo Springfield on the other.

Spokesmen – Dawn Of Correction /For You Babe (1965)

This was probably the most blatant and popular attempt at an “anti-protest” song of which several were inspired by Barry McGuire’s “Eve Of Destruction”. The Spokesmen were a trio of songwriters who’s greatest claim to fame was “At The Hop” by Danny & The Juniors and “You Don’t Own Me” by Leslie Gore.

Playboys Of Edinburgh – Look At Me Girl / News Sure Travels Fast (1966)

A group from McAllen, TX that released a bunch of 45s on local and national labels. This, their second was covered note for note by Bobby Vee & The Strangers and I featured it on IDG #58.

3½ – Hey Gyp / Hey Kitty, Cool Kitty (1967)

An unknown garage band with what would seem to be a heavy R&B influence, although their first 45 “Don’t Cry To Me” (IDG #65) is one of my all time fave garage classics and sounds completely different from this release. They had four 45s total and I’ve yet to hear the other two.

Ever-Green Blues – Midnight Confessions / (Yes) That’s My Baby (1967)


THE ORIGINAL version of The Grass Roots gigundo hit and it’s a shame that the “roots” got all the kudos because theirs (Grass Roots) was a freakin’ note-for-note rip off of this record! I always thought these guys were from Florida because their “fan club” was based there, but as it turns out they were actually from Southern California.

Front End – Beverly / Go On Home (1967)

Another 45 on Smash Records produced by Steve & Bill Jerome who seemed to be responsible for a slew of acts including The Left Banke. The A side of this 45 is a real bubblegummy effort while the B side is definitely garage. I’ve yet to get any concrete info on these guys but I think the NYC area might be a good guess.

Fountain Of Youth – Livin’ Too Fast / (Angie Love Me) Make The Hurt Go Away (1967)

A Texas pop group who’s “Don’t Blame Me” is a garage/pop classic. They deliver more of the same on this two sider. Superb.

Bag – Up In The Morning / Down And Out (1968)

Jimmy Curtiss was the producer for this blue eyed soul/psych 45. This was most likely a NYC area group.

Bridge – Love Is There / Gotta Get Back (1970)

A New Haven, CT band that had one other 45 release in 1969 which I featured in IDG #78.

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Faron’s Flamingos – Let’s Stomp (1964)


I really dig these guys. They were what you could consider a typical Merseybeat group but judging from this one song that was released in the UK on Oriole, you can tell they were an amazing live act. I love the furious guitar solo and the general crazy vibe. A+ indeed. This and a bunch of other acts were on a compilation recorded in 1963 and released by Columbia Records in 1964 trying to cash in on The Beatles craze at the time. It’s worth searching out and it was also re-released in the 80’s but the actual name of the LP escapes me at the moment……… This was the A side of a single which featured Faron and……

Rory Storm & The Hurricanes – I Can Tell (1964)


The B side of the above 45. These guys were  famous for being the group that the Beatles got Ringo Starr from. Here they give a nice rendition of Bo Diddley’s “I Can Tell”.

Symbols – Don’t Go / One Fine Girl (1964)

A British group from Essex that was together well into the 70s yet only had a handful of releases including this their first which was produced by Mickie Most handler of such acts as Herman’s Hermits and The Animals.

Music Asylum – Yesterday’s Children / I Need Someone (1967)

I can’t find much info on this group, possibly a New York City area act. They turn in a real nice moody folk/rock-like two sider here.

6⅞ – Ski-Daddle / Ev’rybody’s Got A Home But Me (1966)

A 45 that isn't exactly garage, but has a real folky feel with lots of vocals and a “wall of sound” type production with tons of reverb. I thought this one was a real loser when I first picked it up but it slowly grew on me. No other info is available on this obscure band.

Gants – Crackin’ Up / Dr. Feelgood (1966)

An ace two sider by the great Gants from Mississippi. This was the follow-up to “Little Boy Sad”.

Merry-Go-Round – Where Have You Been All My Life / You’re A Very Lovely Woman (1967)

Led by the multi-talented Emitt Rhodes, The Merry-Go-Round had a rather short career but released a bunch of 45s and an LP on A&M. Rhodes would later record a critically acclaimed solo LP.

A Passing Fancy – People In Me / Spread Out (1967)

A great Canadian group that had some very cool 45s including the awesome “I’m Losing Tonight”

Playboys Of Edinburgh – Mickey’s Monkey / Sanford Ringleton V Of Abernathy (1967)

This Texas group was all over the place style-wise. Last post I featured “Look At Me Girl” a decent slice of country influenced folk/rock, but on this 45 they show two completely different sides. The A side is a nice cover of The Miracles “Mickey’s Monkey” and on the B they kinda do a complete 180.

Thee Prophets – Patricia Ann (1967)

A Milwaukee group that released an LP that was rather mixed in styles but this B side from it is pretty good. They were managed by Carl Bonafede who was a member of Chicago’s Buckinghams.

Seagulls – Death Of A Clown (1967)

A pretty good version of The Kinks / Dave Davies classic. I picked this up while visiting my brother in San Diego back in 1987 and didn’t think much of it then (probably because I paid more than it was worth at the time) but again, this one really grew on me.

Truth – Hey Gyp / Jingle Jangle (1967)

A British duo that had a hit with of a cover of The Beatles’ “Girl”, but not much afterward. Their cover of Donavan’s “Hey Gyp” is a nice bit of mod freakbeat. The flip on the other hand is a great version of The Troggs’ “Jingle Jangle” and although it’s kind of lightweight, I really like it a lot. One of my favorite songs.

Balloon Farm – Hurry Up Sundown (1968)

From the same group of studio gurus that gave us the CLASSIC “Question Of Temperature”. They tone things down a bit with this oh so cool lite psyche number. The flip (or A side if you will) is unfortunately complete garbage.

Music Explosion – We Gotta Go Home / Hearts And Flowers (1967)

One of nearly a dozen 45s released by this Ohio based group. This one’s a little more pop and also includes a spaced out instrumental flip side.

Nazz – Not Wrong Long / Under The Ice (1969)

One of the truly great bands to emerge from the late 60s, this, their third 45 is in my opinion their best. “Not Wrong Long” is power pop perfection while “Under The Ice” is a real heavy workout. Superb.

Rattles – The Witch / Geraldine (1970)

The Rattles were a very popular and prolific beat group from Germany and had quite a few personnel changes in their lifetime. By the time “The Witch” was released there were no longer any original members and with that their sound changed quite drastically as well. Lots of crazy guitar work and some sinister sounding orchestration made this a hit in 1970.

Syndicate Of Sound – You’re Looking Fine / Change The World (1969)

Speaking of personnel changes, by the time The Syndicate Of Sound got around to recording this Kinks/Animals covers, there was only one original band member. As you’ll hear, this record sounds absolutely nothing like the jangly garage sounds of “Little Girl”. Instead, it’s a very heavy late 60s sounding effort with lots of flashy guitar work.

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Chan Romero – My Little Ruby (1959)

I really dig this 45 by the legendary Chan Romero who wrote one of my favorite songs ever, “Hippy Hippy Shake”. This follow-up does not disappoint and is just as good as “Hippy”.

Underbeats – Book Of Love / Darling Lorraine (1966)

A very popular Minneapolis group that had a heavy group vocal/do-wop influence.

Astronauts – Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day (1965)

Before The Monkees recorded this song and released it on their debut LP in 1966, The Astronauts tackled this beast and gave it an incredibly snotty garage/punk delivery. The flip is merely an instrumental version of the A side. What a rip off!!!!!!

Beatin’ Path – The Original Nothing People / I Waited So Long (1966)

Total legendary coolness from a Reading, PA band that had this one release. I love the whole “recorded in a cave” type sound they get here. Real garage band stuff here my friends.

Beat Merchants – So Fine (1965)

The flip side of Freddie & The Dreamers’ “You Were Made For Me”. I guess Tower couldn’t come up with anything decent to put on the B side, so they let these guys loose with a great beat pounder that’s based on the Fiestas’ original. Actually, this 45 was released twice with the same catalog number. The first version was actually a Freddie & The Dreamers two sider.

Sean & The Brandywines – She Ain’t No Good / Cod’ine (1966)

An unknown California group that released this one spectacular 45 produced by Gary Usher. He may have been part of the group but I really don’t know for sure……

Standells - Mi Hai Fatto Innamorare (1965)

I’m very picky about re-issues but I think this one deserves inclusion. This was written by guitarist Tony Valentino who was a native of Italy and probably held a lot of sway in the release of this song, although I’m not quite sure when it was released and if it was a B side. In any case, Tony and the crew get real “Italian” here with a traditional Italian style intro featuring mandolins and all before busting into a great garage/pop number.

Remains – My Babe / Why Do I Cry (1965)

Oh my God. These guys are perhaps the greatest band to never to make it big. I don’t consider these guys a “garage” band because they’re too good. The Remains are the best band never to make it big from the 1960’s. Period. If any one is wondering why I feature the “My Babe” side here first, it’s because it was deemed the A side by the brilliant execs at Epic records, whilst the “B” side “Why Do I Cry” is the real gem here as we all know. “My Babe” is OK but pales in comparison to “Why Do I Cry”.

Rising Sons – Candy Man / The Devil’s Got My Woman (1966)

A group that included such greats as Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal. They released this one 45 in 1966 and they were considered one of the best bands in LA at the time, their sound being way ahead of their time and rivaling the popularity of the Byrds.

Sonics – You Got Your Head On Backwards (1966)

One of The Sonics’ best. Real brutal crunch on this one as well as being one of the best chick put down songs of all time. A+.

Los Bravos – Brand New Baby / Going Nowhere (1966)

I like Los Bravos, even if all their songs kinda sounded like “Black Is Black”. This two sider is especially good.

Bob Seger & The Last Heard – Heavy Music (part 1) (1967)

This was Bob’s last 45 to appear on Cameo Records before Cameo went bust, and Bob signed with Capitol. It’s too bad that the execs at Cameo didn’t stick with him, but of course how do you compete with a mega-label like Capitol? Anyway…This 45 is OK in my opinion, but pales alongside his earlier efforts. The flip is just a continuation of the same “groove” on the A side.

Seeds – No Escape (1966)

I love the Seeds. Mainly because they would use the same riff over and over again, and rather successfully I might add. The reason I include this most common of Seeds songs is that there are actually TWO versions. The one that everyone has a prominent reverb on the vocals, and this… a completely different mix altogether is pretty dry. The Seeds, or Crescendo Records, had a habit of releasing different singles with the same catalogue numbers. I featured this “same” 45 back in IDG # 18 where the flip of “Mr. Farmer” was “Up In Her Room”…

Fountain Of Youth – Don’t Blame Me (For Trying) / Take A Giant Step (1968)

These guys from Texas were once rumored to be the “test band” for The Monkees, but I don’t really buy that although they were on Colgems, and they did cover “Take A Giant Step”, and they did sound a little bit like them(The Monkees that is). This is their best 45 and I always was a big fan of “Don’t Blame Me” from when it was re-released on Boulders, but I must say, their version of “Take A Giant Step” is stunning to say the least. Almost near perfect pop perfection.

Chosen Few – Asian Chrome / The Earth Above The Sky Below (1967)

I featured their other 45 in IDG #99, but this is their crowning achievement. Real cool far/middle east style guitar ramblings that culminate in a wacked out fuzz and reverb drenched solo. The B side which has had little attention is pretty good as well.

Springfield Rifle – Left Of Nowhere (1968)

One of the best bands to come out of the Pacific NW in the late 60’. They concentrated on good arrangements and tight vocal harmonies.

Music Explosion – Where Are We Going (1968)

One of many 45s that this Ohio based band would release, including the great “Little Bit Of Soul”.

Bards – Never Too Much Love / The Jabberwocky (1968)

The Bards were a very popular Pacific NW, kinda like The Sonics and The Springfield Rifle, both featured in this post. These guys were lucky enough to land a recording contract with Capitol Records and release this interesting 45 that mixes some really good blue-eyed soul with a whacked out rendition of “The Jabberwocky”.

Lucifers Friend – Everybody’s Clown (1970)

Sooooo… let’s fast forward to 1970, where in Germany, a band called “Lucifer’s Friend” was conjuring up a mix of Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath type sounds. This 45 45 from 1970 is a good example of how psych crossed over with hard rock.

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Greetings friends to another edition of “Dan’s Garage”! I’ve been working on this one slowly while I took a week of for vacation and got myself quite busy with Thanksgiving holiday preparations. We usually do two of these affairs, one for my side, and another for my wife’s side. She has an especially large clan that mostly lives out of town so we do it the Saturday after the official Thanksgiving. Good fun and lots of food and drink band it really tires us out but it’s well worth it.

I’ve got the usual offerings today with a few novelty items thrown in for entertainment value. I know you all will enjoy it. I hope to get at least one more out before the end of the year so in the meantime enjoy this. Happy Holidays!

Butlers – Shop Around / It’s A Fine Time (1967)

Let’s kick things off with a nice garage rendition of this Motown classic that has some buzzy fuzz guitars thrown in. This was a “Chartbuster” production so my guess is that tis group was from somewhere around the Washington D.C. area.

Applejacks - You're The One For Me / I'm Gonna Send My Love (With Three Little Words) (1964)


The Applejacks from Birmingham, were somewhat unique in that they had a female bassist Meagan Davies, who was rather good by the way, unfortunately The Applejacks never quite caught on big although they did release several fine 45s including this one their third.

Cartees – 4 Quarters On The Football Field / Don’t Say Goodbye (1966)

Here’s one to get you going for those Saturday and Sunday football games. “4 Quarters” is basically a loose reworking of Dave Dudley’s “Six Days On The Road” done Beach Boys style with some rather, shall we say crude, cut and paste production techniques courtesy of Scotty Moore, Elvis’ legendary guitarist.

Pigmees – O Rang A Tang / The Whole World Knows When I’m In Love (1965)

I couldn’t get any info about this nutty 45. This sounds like it would fit in well on one of those “Big Itch” comps (for all I know it may have already). Maybe  a studio group from NYC??????

I Giganti – La Bomba Atomica (1966)

Another novelty of sorts, this time from an Italian group that released a slew of 45s from the mid-sixties into the 70s.

Creations – It’s Up To You / T’aint That The Truth (1966)

Don’t know much about this group, but I’d presume they were from somewhere close to Union, KY. Bothe sides are kinda lightweight garage.

Drafi – I Wanna Take You Home (1967)

More from this German hit maker.

Harpers Bizarre – Lost My Love Today (1967)

This song appeared four times on two different labels. The first was on Autumn credited to The Tikis, the next two were on Warner Bros. credited to the Tikis as well, this one was one of the flips to “The 59th Street Bridge Song” (also released twice) by Harpers Bizarre. A complete 180 from the light pop that Harpers Bizarre became known for.

Druids – Puffin / Old Willow (1966)

A bunch of nice clean cut fellows from Scranton, PA that had a decent folk rock sound. This was the second of two 45s.

Soothsayers – Please Don’t Be Mad / I Don’t Know (1966)

Great folk-rock from a Colorado group that would release one more garagier 45 that’s pretty tough to find these days.

Industrial Image – Put My Mind At Ease / Living In The Middle Ages (1966)

A group from Glen Rose, TX that had this sole release on Epic and both sides are excellent folk-rock with some superb harmonies. You can get some more in-depth info HERE.

Shanes – Chris Craft No. 9 / Time (1966)

A Swedish group who’s only release stateside was this re-working of Herman’s Hermits’ “Must To Avoid”. The flip is a cover of The Pozo-Seco Singers’ hit “Time”.

Hoppi & The Beau Heems – When I Get Home / So Hard (1967)

I love this 45! I would always tell people that this was an early Doors demo and they'd fall for it. This guy (and the band) do a really good job mimicking their sound, complete with a cheezy keyboard solo!

Baroques – Iowa, A Girls Name / Mary Jane (1967)

Real trippy stuff here from a popular Wisconsin group. They had two 45s and and album released on Chess Records. How they ended up on America’s pre-eminent blues label is anybody's guess.

Hunger! - Mind Machine / She Let Him Continue (1969)

Great psych-rock from a band that relocated from Portland, OR to LA. Their LP is somewhat of a collectors item, but these tracks are two of their best.

Skunk Foot – Mexico City / Eternity Is Truth (1971)

A band from Mattydale near Syracuse. Although this ones from 1971, it’s got an earlier 60s feel to it. Not bad.

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Rockin’ ‘R’s – Heat / Nameless (1959)

Here’s a really beat up disc to start things off this time around by The Rockin “"’R’s who also had the great “Crazy Baby” on the same label. Somehow, all the pops and scratches make this 45 sound better.

Citations – Everybody Philly (1965)

Well, I’m not exactly sure who this group is, probably a studio bunch but there's  one source on line that claims their British. I’m not sure. What I do know is that the name “Nilsson” appears on the writing credits and if I had to make an educated guess it would be that Harry Nilsson co-wrote this side and the other guys obviously took some credit for it. If you ask me it sure sounds like him right down to the layered background vocals that are obviously the same as the lead vocals. Somehow there are no references to Nilsson being involved with this. Perhaps I’m wrong????????

Uniques – Run And Hide / Goodbye, So Long (1966)

One of the most prolific groups to come out of Texas in the 60s, the Uniques had 17 releases on Paula records that stretched into the early 70s (although some were re-releases). This is tied for my favorite with “You A’int Tuff”. Joe Stampley went on to become a star in country music.

Sip & Smoke – My Friend / Look What Your Love Did To Me (1966)

A completely unknown duo from what I would presume to be the NYC tri-state area. That would be NYC, New Jersey, Long Island, perhaps Connecticut? It was real tough finding any info on these guys who give us a sort of Everly Bros. type thing only more garage-like with some ambient organ fills.Nice.

Beagles – I Wanna Capture You / Looking For The Beagles (1966)

Interesting. The Beagles were actually a cartoon developed by Total Television, the same bunch that gave us “Underdog”, “Tennessee Tuxedo”, “Klondike Cat”, and a host of other characters that many of us grew up with during the 1960s. This was clearly an attempt to cash in on the Beatle craze going on at the time and the music is surprisingly good, eschewing typical bubblegum sounds for some very decent mid 60s Rock & Roll. Both sides of this 45 are pretty good and the song featured in the video is even better in my opinion. They did release an LP on Harmony Records (a subsidiary of Columbia) but I’ve never heard the whole thing. I’d love to though.

Rebounds – (I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone / Since I Fell For You (1966)

The Rebounds from Columbus, OH won a battle of the bands and got to record this 45 on Tower along with a version of “Little Black Egg” that never got released. This was doing fine on the local charts until a band called The Monkees released it shortly after and ran away with all the accolades. More info HERE

New Colony Six – I Confess / Dawn Is Breaking (1966)

One of the all time great two-siders, this was their first and arguably their best, although my personal favorite is “At The River’s Edge”.

Ian & The Zodiacs – This Empty Place / So Much In Love With You (1965)

Ian & The Zodiacs were a popular Liverpool act that were mainstays at The Star Club in Hamburg but unlike The Beatles never had any real prolonged success. They were very good though and had a great guitar sound but compared to their contemporaries and were somewhat more “lightweight” than the others.

Sopwith Camel – Treadin’ (1967)

Here’s a group that’s tough to put a finger on. On the one hand they were one of the mainstays in San Francisco’s mid sixties scene hanging with such acts as Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Great Society, The Charlatans, and The Grateful Dead. This 45 though is a sort of schizophrenic affair with the A side “Hello Hello” being one of those goodtimey Lovin’ Spoonful styled things that to my ears just falls flat. I have to be honest that type of thing never caught on with me. The flip on the other hand is a great folk rocker worthy of any of their rival Bay Area groups.

David Bowie – The London Boys / Love You Till Tuesday (1966)

When I bought this 45 back in the mid 80s (1986 to be exact), I bought it solely with the intention of keeping it for a collectors item. At the time I was suffering from a severe case of  “garage band myopia” and would not even consider plopping this down on my turntable for a listen. Until about 25 years later. Is it great. Nah. But it sure as hell is compelling. I never knew that this was some sort of homage to “Mods” with all the pill popping and the peer pressure to just want to be liked and to belong to something. Yeah..I’ve been there.

Roosters – The Rooster Song / Lost And Found (1968)

A group from Utica, NY (my stomping grounds) that released this 45 on Krishna Records which was also affiliated with Kama and Buddah which they released a version of “I Wanna Do It” (no relation to the nationally distributed label). These guys made the rounds at all the local high schools and colleges including Hamilton, Cornell, Ithaca, Etc. Not recorded at The “Appollo” but actually was recorded in the studio with fake crowd noises provided by the band themselves! Get more info HERE.

Guilloteens – Dear Mrs. Applebee / I Love That Girl (1967)

The second last 45 released by this Memphis, TN group and certainly a clear departure from the 45s they released on HBR. They take a somewhat bubblegum-like turn here but I think both sides are excellent nonetheless.

Moby Grape – Omaha / Someday (1967)

Wow what a great song this is. It’s a mover from beginning to end with some real nifty guitar work as well. These guys should have been legends and were far better than most west coast groups at the time. It’s a shame.

Xtreems – Substitute / Facts Of Life (1967)

Both sides of this 45 exhibit some of the most over the top fuzz guitar I’ve ever heard on any record, as well as some crazed wah-wah pedal work at the end of the flip side. The lead guitarist made sure he could show off all those newfangled electronic guitar gizmos on this one!!!!!

Simon Stokes & The Night Hawks – Jambalaya / Big City Blues (1970)

Simon Stokes had a long career starting in the early sixties and which I believe continues to this day. This 45 released in 1970 is a re-make of a 45 released on HBR in ‘66 and they couldn’t be any more different. Jambalaya sounds like it gets the “Honky Tonk Woman” treatment, but “Big City Blues” is a standout with superb guitar work and awesome vocals courtesy of Simon including some blood curdling screams at the end. DIG IT!

HERE

Swinging Blue Jeans – Good Golly Miss Molly / Shaking Feeling (1964)

One of my all time favorite bands ever. The Swinging Blue Jeans were from Liverpool, and like The Beatles did time at The Cavern Club and similar venues. They specialized in doing great upbeat covers of Rock & Roll standards like the A side here, but they also had several excellent originals like “ Shaking Feeling”, the B side of this great 45.

Drafi Deutscher & His Magics – Come On Lets Go / Shake Hands (1964)

I never realized how many Drafi 45s I really had until I started pawing through my collection in order to get this blog going! This was one of his first releases although I can’t say for certain, but It definitely came out before “Marble Breaks and Iron Bends” his most popular song from the 60s. I like this one with it’s half German, half English delivery which is probably why London saw fit to release it in the States. Interesting.

Wild Ones – Never Givin’ Up / For Your Love (1966)

A pretty good effort by this New York City band whose other releases are featured in IDG #39 and #93.

Link Wray – Turnpike USA / Weekend (1963)

Here's a little instrumental interlude from the great Link Wray who churned out a ton of this stuff on Swan records well into the 60s. Link had a real knack for making his tunes sound exactly like the title suggested. We love you Link!!!!

Michael & Henry & The Sentrymen – Tag-A-Long / Another Chance (1965)

Tough to pin down a date or any concrete info on this moody lightweight garagey obscurity. I couldn’t even get any info on “Carlson International Pictures” which I’m certain had some real blockbusters in it’s heyday.

String & The Beans – Come Back To Me / When I Get That Feeling (1966)

A great two sider from Birmingham, AL. The A side is a moody ballad with a KILLER guitar solo and the B side is up-tempo and just as good. Check out some real in depth info HERE.

Druids – It’s A Day / A Man Should Never Cry (1966)

The first of two 45s by this group from Scranton, PA. Both are decent folk-rock.

B.J. Thomas & The Triumphs – Candy Baby (1966)

B.J. Thomas’ band before he hit it big doing Bacharach/David songs like “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head”. This one, originally released on Huey Meaux’s Texas based Pacemaker label is the flip of a Hank Williams cover of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” which apparently was somewhat of a hit and propelled Thomas’ career. Obviously I would have preferred he did more stuff like this, but what the hell do I know?????

Distant Cousins – Stop Running Around Baby (1966)

A duo from New York City that had several 45s that mixed pop with some garage as we can hear on this 45.

Jamie & The Blackhawks – Candy Man / What You’re Doing To Me (1966)

A group from the Memphis area led by Jamie Isonhood who was a session musician before he started up The Blackhawks that as far as I know released this sole 45, a rendition of “Candy Man” backed by an original. Read up on Jamie’s history HERE.

Richard & The Young Lions – Open Up Your Door / Once Upon Your Smile (1966)


One of the all time great, classic garage 45’s from the 60’s. Richard & The Young Lions were from Newark, NJ and had a somewhat intricate and complicated history as they developed from several local acts. It’s rather interesting that the guys who wrote “Open Up Your Door” were the same guys who wrote the Distant Cousins 45 that we hear earlier in this set. Both were Bob Crewe productions and have very similar production values. If you want the whole story of this band check out their website HERE.

Standells – Riot On Sunset Strip / Black Hearted Woman (1966)

The Standells are what many consider the “benchmark” fro garage bands. Although they had great production and had their records released on a major label, the snottiness and bad attitude in their songs cannot be denied.This 45 is perhaps their best two sider in my opinion

Stained Glass – If I Needed Someone / How Do You Expect Me (1966)

The first 45 released by this underappreciated group from San Jose. On the A side they do a decent rendition of George Harrison’s “If I Needed Someone” with a bit of folk-rock styled harmonica thrown in. The B side is a terrific brooding ballad that laments how lousy girls and relationships can be. Genius.

Last Word – Can’t Stop Loving You (1967)

A pretty good group based in Florida that recorded several 45s in a few different styles from psych to soul. This one leans heavy on the psych side with some cool guitar riffs.

Syn – Grounded / Created By Clive (1967)

Here’s the group that included guitarist Peter Banks and bassist Chris Squire who would eventually become Yes, perhaps one of the most revered and vilified of all the “progressive” rock groups depending on which side of the fence you sit. I went to a Yes concert once and actually fell asleep. That’s the extent of my comments on them, but The Syn were a fantastic Mod/Psych group and “Grounded” is a classic as well as “14 Hour Technicolour Dream”, a true masterpiece.

Whether Bureau – Why Can’t You And I / White And Frosty (1968)

A 45 that I cannot for the life of me find any info on probably because every time I Google this I end up with endless pages from the National Weather Service or some other related website. I do know that it was arranged by Al Gorgoni a “Brill Building” session guitarist, and this could just be a NYC studio group. Both sides are nice dreamy psychedelic numbers with great vocal harmonies and cool organ.

HERE

Hi Y’all! With all the super duper crazy shit that’s been going on here in  the good ol’ USA these days, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to offer up some good “wholesome” entertainment for you. So please, turn off the evening news for a while and indulge in some cool sounds from the 60s and 70s. You deserve it.

Blue Beats – Born In Chicago / I Can’t Get Close (To Her At All) (1966)

We heard these guys in the last edition of IDG doing a nice garage/pop 2 sider. They stick to the same formula on the B side of this follow up, but try their hand at some gritty Yardbirds style blues on the top. The A side was written by Nick Gravenites who’s work was extensively covered by the likes of Janis Joplin, Mike Bloomfield, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Electric Flag, and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band who most famously covered “Born In Chicago”.

Saints – Out In The Street / Please Don’t Leave Me (1966)

Not to be confused with the Aussie punk legends, these guys were (or at least the label was) from suburban Chicago. Absolutely nothing is known about this band except for the location and the fact that they attempted a Who cover. The flip is a nice Invasion styled ballad which is somewhat crude and inept as well. In other words, a GREAT 45!

Tears – Weatherman / Read All About It (1966)

A fantastic Bay Area group that released one other 45 in 1968, but this one here is a standout, featuring way cool fuzz guitars and terrific vocals.

Agents – Gotta Help Me / Calling An Angel (1965)

A West Coast group that sounds like they cashed in on the Byrds hype at the time by aping “Mr. Tambourine Man”, turning it sideways a bit, and changing the subject matter to girls (naturally). Genius.

Beaten Path – Doctor Stone / Never Never (1966)

I’m not exactly sure if this is the same group from Reading, PA that delivered the awesome “Original Nothing People”, or if they are from Brooklyn, NY as some people claim, but either way this is an excellent version of the Leaves’ song. The label says that this was featured in the Warner Bros, film “The Cool Ones” (which I’ve yet to see by the way…) but The Leaves were the band that actually were featured in the flick, so it’s kind of like some “false advertising” if you will. In any case, I consider this to be the “superior” version. Only because I’ve heard it a gazillion times and it’s pretty much etched into my brain…..

Fantasmics – Wild One / Heaven Or Hell (1966)

A group from Manchester, NH that melded some Sir Douglas vibe with Bo Diddley. Nice combo.

Uptowners – She’s Mine / Down The Pike (196?)

Another take on “Willie & The Hand Jive”, this one from Fort Worth, TX. The flip is an early 60s style sax driven instro.

Liverpool Five – Cloudy / She’s (Got Plenty Of Love) (1967)

We all know the story on these guys. Here’s another example of how they could take a song and truly make it their own. “Cloudy” is schmaltz but you gotta admire the way they tackle it and turn it into something cool, and I do like Paul Simon and think this is one of his better songs. “She’s Got Plenty Of Love” was a song from The Peeps and they slow it down and turn it into a moody classic. Genius.

Harrison – Rejected Me / There’s Time (196?)

Another mystery group, this time from Minneapolis, MN. Not sure of the date either. It could possibly be from as late as 1970 but who knows for sure????? Excellent brooding garage with a prominent organ.

Act Of Creation – I’ve Just Seen You / Yesterday Noontime (1967)

Holy Cats!!!!! Talk about sheer psychedelic GENIUS!!!!!!! This 45 is among the best in my humble opinion (as far as psychedelic songs go) because it embodies everything great about what is “psych”. Fuzz guitar, a dreamy double tracked harmonized vocal, some weird percussion in the background. Ahhhhh…perfect. Especially the bridge and it’s exit. Everything about this 45 is FANTASTIC! Why these guys didn't get any fame is beyond me.

Trend – Shot On Sight / Boyfriends And Girlfriends (1966)

I’m not exactly sure of this group's history, but from what I gather, it’s an early effort of Mike Giles who at the time was in the “Trendsetters Limited” and eventually would go on to form “Giles,Giles & Fripp”, one of the great British psych bands that ended up as King Crimson.

Living Daylights – Live For Today / I’m Real (1967)

There’s an interesting story with the famous song that is on the A side of this 45. Although it’s most associated with The Grass Roots, who did an excellent version of it, it originally was written and recorded by The Rokes (I’ll get to that one in the future) with Italian lyrics entitled “Piangi Con Me’ or translated as “Cry With Me. The Living Daylights actually were the first to release this great song, (beating out the Rokes) but alas had no real luck with it. The Grass Roots took care of that issue just days after this was released in the USA.

Skapegoat – Good Times, Bad Times / Annabel Lee (196?)

Another mystery group, this time presumably from California, but I really can’t say for sure. They offer up a heavy rendition of the Stones’ “Good Times, Bad Times” on the A side and a cool heavy psych original on the flip.

Wild Cherries - You Know What Cha Want / Baby I See (1971)

Hailing from Iowa, these guys were originally known a s “The Plastic Mushroom Band” and had some records released on local labels. They eventually changed their name to “Wild Cherries” managed to get a recording contract with powerhouse label Kapp, and put out this one excellent 45 in the early 70s. Check their story out HERE.

GET IT HERE

Swinging Blue Jeans – Hippy Hippy Shake / Now I Must Go (1964)

I had to do it. One of my all time favorites even though it’s been played to death, but it was in the stack and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick start this edition. The flip is seldom heard by the way…….

Nightcrawlers – Little Black Egg / You’re Running Wild (1966)

Another familiar cut and one of the most often covered songs by garage bands in the sixties.

Roy Junior – Victim Of Circumstances / Looks Like The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (1966)

One of the great snarling garage/punk songs of the 60s. This 45 is kinda weird in that It’s one of those Rock & Roll-Country crossovers. Don Gant was a bigwig at Hickory Records and worked as a song writer for Acuff/Rose as well as being an artist himself. The song here was written by Don Turnbow who was probably an in house writer like Gant and has the distinction of writing the classic “Hipsville 29 B.C.” which brings me to wonder if this is The Sparkles backing ol’ Roy on this track. Hmmmm???

Pretty Things – Cry To Me (1966)

The Pretty Things released “I Can Never Say” twice. Once with “Honey I Need” on the flip, and the other with this bluesy R&B classic.

McCoys – Say Those Magic Words / I Wonder If She Remembers Me (1967)

The McCoys certainly need no elaborate introduction. Hang On Sloopy” is practically the anthem of the state of Ohio, and IS the anthem of Ohio State University. The McCoys had a nice run back in the mid to late 60s recording and releasing a slew of singles on Bang Records and later some real good psychedelic stuff on Mercury. This one, from ‘67, is a standout and was also a well known song by Britain's The Birds which featured a young Ron Wood on guitar at the time. There's some debate as to which is the better version. Many prefer The Birds’ rendition but I like this one.

Plunkers – Hippy Lippy Goosey / Night Time Love (1966)

Not sure where this one’s from. I think L.A. maybe????? In any case, it’s sort of a novelty song, but it has a real good band providing backup to a goofy sounding vocalist.

Johnny Fever – Zombie (1967)

Here’s a real mystery. To this day I’ve speculated on what , or who the hell “Johnny Fever” was. I know he was a character in the mid-seventies sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”, but this isn't the same guy. “Zombie” is a novelty song…..I guess, but it’s so freakin’ cool that it goes beyond that, with it's fuzzy guitars, spatial production, and the guttural “ZOMBIE” at the end of the chorus. Some out there have asked to hear the flip. Take my advice….you don’t want to even bother. It’s total pop crap and sounds kind of like Johnny Mathis. Wait……do you think?????? Nah.

Lost Souls – Artificial Rose / Sad Little Girl (1967)

A popular group from Dickenson, North Dakota they had two releases and this was one of them. This 45 was originally issued on the local Dawn label and was then picked up by Liberty for national distribution. Read more about them HERE. 

New Hudson Exit – Come With Me / Waiting For Her (1967)

The New Hudson Exit have the distinction of being guitar virtuoso Phil Keaggy’s group before he joined Glass Harp and then went on to fame making Christian music. Both sides of this showcase his talents, but they’re so different. The A side is blue eyed soul with some intense riffing and the flip is a rather lightweight psyche/pop number.

Standells – Try It / Poor Shell Of A Man (1966)

Can the Standells make a crappy record????? They may have, but I’ve yet to hear it.

Unchained Mynds – Going Back To Miami / We Can’t Go On This Way (1968)

A group from LaCrosse, WI that tackles Wayne Cochran’s classic song. They do a stand up job too! The flip is kind-of well…good but pales compared to the A side.

Paupers – Think I Care / White Song (1967)

One of the most popular of all Canadian bands in the late 60’s. Unfortunately, they had relatively little output consisting of a handful of 45s and a couple of LPs.  This 45 version is distinctly different than the LP version.

Hangmen – Dream Baby / Let It Be Me (1968)

Washington D.C.’s Hangmen are most famous for their song “What A Girl Can’t Do” a garage/punk classic. On this 45 they cover two early sixties classics by Roy Orbison and the great Everly Bros. giving both the late sixties psychedelic treatment.

Orange Colored Sky – Sweet Potato (1969)

An L.A. pop group that had several LPs and 45s in a mixture of styles. This ones a hard hitting blue eyed soul tune.

New Survivors – The Pickle Protest / But I Know (1968)

An unknown group from Kansas led by Tony Teebo who I assume wrote and sang lead vocals on this interesting  novelty two sider. I love this one because even though it’s a late 60s effort, it still retains that ultra-cheezy Farfisa organ driving the whole thing.

Koobas – The First Cut Is The Deepest / Walking Out (1969)

This band from Liverpool were contemporaries of The Beatles but unfortunately didn’t have nearly as much luck as their “paisans”. Hell, they didn’t even have as much luck as The Swinging Blue Jeans!!! That being said, they did leave us with some more than worthy beat music, and in their latter stages took on a more psychedelic feel as evidenced in this fantastic two sided slice of freakbeat.

HERE

K-Otics – I’m Leaving Here / Double Shot (1965)

Super solid two sider from an Alabama group. They recorded this at Sam Phillip’s studio in Memphis shortly after the Swingin’ Medallions cut their version of “Double Shot”, but apparently this one got released first. The A side “I’m Leavin’ Here” is tough garage with a distinct “Kinks” feel to it while their rendition of “Double Shot” is superior to the Medallions version IMHO.

Lewallan Brothers – Tough He Was / That’s All (1965)

An Arizona group that had several 45s on different labels, all pretty good. This is a moody two sider with some cool reverb laden vocal harmonies on the A side.

Others – (I Remember) The First Time I Saw You / Lonely Street (1965)

The second of three 45s released by this band from Rhode Island who’s “I Can’t Stand This Love, Goodbye” is a bona fide garage classic. This one here is a bit more subdued but great nonetheless.

Paul Revere & The Raiders – SS 396 / Corvair Baby

Cyrkle – Camaro (1966)

In 1966 GM laid out this nifty promotional tool featuring Paul Revere & The Raiders blasting out a couple of odes to two the coolest cars from the 60’s, The Chevelle SS and The Corvair. While the Corvair wasn’t nearly as muscular as the Chevelle, it certainly oozed hipness regardless of what Ralph Nader had to say about it. As for the songs, SS 396 is definitely garage/pop with a distinct surf/drag flavor to it and Corvair Baby is much of the same. This one’s relatively easy to find so if you see it in a dollar bin or for cheap on EBay, snatch it up. As for the Cyrkle’s “Camaro”, I believe it was released about a year later with SS 396 as the flip side in order for Chevy to give some extra publicity to their new “Pony Car” that was competing with Ford’s Mustang. If I had to buy a car based on the songs laid out here, I’ll take the SS 396 hands down as it seems that GM tried to market the Camaro to women given the somewhat lightweight sound of the song. Maybe I’m wrong because the Camaro turned out to be one of the toughest muscle cars in history.

Liverpool Five – Heart / I Just Can’t Believe It (1965)

You gotta hand it to The Liverpool Five. Almost every 45 I have is great even though they were mostly covers, but they had a way of rearranging things perfectly and making the songs their own, like this version of Petula Clark’s “Heart” which is one of my favorites.

Johns Children – Smashed! Blocked! / Strange Affair (1966)

A “Strange Affair” indeed! John’s Children’s claim to fame were that they were once described as the “worst band ever” and included Marc Bolan in one of their lineups. The record here was essentially a studio concoction by producer Simon Napier-Bell but I must say it’s entertaining as all hell!

Sneekers – Soul Sneaker / Sneaker Talk (1965)



Another corporate attempt at trying to promote a product. Apparently, there was a brand of sneakers in the 60s called “Mr. Sneeker” and this record was supposed to sell millions of them to teenagers wanting to keep up with the latest fashion craze. Although this is a “novelty” 45, I give the “band” a lot of credit because both sides of this record are really rocking and I especially like the B side “Sneaker Talk” with it’s cool guitar riffs and weird time signature.

Kiwis – John / Oopy Doopy Sam (1967)

I tried getting some concrete info on this group, but came up short. Here’s another example of a “story of one’s life” song backed by a sort of novelty tune in the same mold of say...”Reflections Of Charles Brown”, only more up-tempo. There’s little info on the disc itself so it’s difficult to get any info on production, etc. These guys do sound like they’re British, possibly Australian, or maybe like the kiwi itself, from New Zealand??????? Let me know if you have any info on this band!

Unrelated Segments – Cry, Cry, Cry (1968)

Oh yeah…one of the all time greats! The Unrelated Segments were from the Detroit area, and shared S.V.R. record duties with such bands as The Tidal Waves, The Gruve, & The Unknown. This is perhaps the rarest of the three Segments 45s and definitely the most desirable. I was fortunate to find a nice copy in the early days of digging through Fat Chucks WSAY stockpile.

Velvet Underground – White Light, White Heat / Here She Comes Now (1967)

I’m not going to try to break down the history of The Velvet Underground or even try to explain their evolution as a band because I’m not an expert and I’ll leave that to others who are more in-tune to what these guys do. This is, though, a fantastic 45 culled from the “White Light / White Heat” LP and I guess was supposed to get promoted somewhere, but The Velvets were mainly an album oriented band so it’s kind of rare to see 45s from their LPs. This must have really freaked out a lot of mainstream DJs in back in the day who may have spun it, well, it probably freaked out nearly everyone who heard it for that matter. Apologies for the beat up nature of this 45. I found it in a 25¢ bin full of musty dusty scratched up records back in the 80s.

Zombies – I Must Move / She’s Coming Home (1965)

Compared to most of the British Invasion acts of the 60s, The Zombies stand out as perhaps the most cerebral of them, releasing a bunch of 45 on Parrot records before they moved on to the Date label. I can’t say for sure how many were released on Parrot but there’s at least a half a dozen and the only smash hit was “She’s Not There”. “Tell Her No” did get up on the charts, but not nearly as high as “She’s Not There”. The rest were relative flops on the charts and it’s a shame because those so called “flops” are better than the hits! This was their third USA release and it’s a genius two sider that reflects The Zombies style perfectly.

Will-O-Bees – It’s Not Easy (1967)

A nice folk/pop trio from Chicago who was produced by Bill Traut of Dunwich Records. They released several 45s including a great version of The Pride And Joy’s “If You’re Ready”.

Mixed Bag – You’re My Girl, I Say / Round And Round (1971)

Occasionally I’ll come across a 45 that definitely sounds likes something from the 60s, but then I’m surprised to discover it was actually released in the 70s. Such is the case with The Mixed Bag. Both sides sound like their from late 60s sessions, the A side being somewhat on the bubblegum side, but with some cool echoed background vocals and a compact organ blasting in the background. The B side sounds like something off The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour LP. If anyone has any info on this group please give us a shout.

Son’s Of The Keystone Kops – I Laughed, You Cried / Chain Gang Man (1969)

One of the very first requests I got when writing this blog was for this 45 and I told him or her (I don't recall) that it was in a box somewhere and would get to it when it popped up. That was 5 years ago. Sorry for the delay, but we here at Dan’s Garage Central fly by the seat of our collective pants and we are a somewhat disorganized lot. I just reach for boxes of records that aren't in any particular order and start grabbing bunches and firing away! Seriously though, I really apologize for the delay, and don’t feel that I’m ignoring a request in any way shape or form, it’s just the way I roll. I will be improving things in the coming months though, as I’ve almost completed burning my original 8 or 9 boxes in the next post or so. There's BUNCHES of 45 I’ve acquired since the onset of this little project and I keep getting more monthly so stay tuned. Son’s Of The Keystone Kops were presumably from Los Angeles and were label mates with Hunger!, another fine group from the area.

Iconoclast – Hung Up (1973)

Readers of this blog know that I often include records from the 70s that are worthy of inclusion and I think this is one of them, although it definitely straddles a fine line between garage/psych and hard rock. Iconoclast was a band from Pittsburgh that released this cover of “Hung Up” which was previously recorded by their paisans The Racket Squad, another Pittsburgh group. Iconoclast’s take on it is pretty much the same only with a hard rock delivery and an obligatory “drum solo” at the end.

HERE

Hi everyone! I think I’m going to keep things simple today. Winter still hangs on here in Upstate NY and it’s been unusually frigid for the month of March. Aside from that we’re still rolling along here at Dan’s Garage central and as long as the 45s keep rolling in, I’ll be sharing them with you. Since spring is right around the corner and summer is on it’s way, I was planning a special post of sorts that touches on the subject of summertime food, specifically, hot dogs and hamburgers, and where to get the best. I know many of you out there have your local favorites, but I just wanted to share the Rochester, NY dining experience which I think is somewhat unique. In the meantime enjoy this latest offering…..

Lulu – Shout (1964)

At the ripe old age of 15, Lulu belted out this rollicking version of he Isley Bros. “Shout” and for my money is perhaps the best next to the original.

Harvey Russell & The Rogues – Shake Sherry (1965)

Harvey Russell was from Cleveland, OH and was known as “the singing cop” because he really was an actual police officer and played up that angle throughout his career. He teamed up with local combo The Rogues to lay down this raw version of The Contours’ “Shake Sherry”.

Fourmost – You Got That Way / How Can I Tell Her (1964)

Managed by Brian Epstein, The Fourmost were one of several Liverpool groups he dealt with and as such, they recorded a couple of Lennon-McCartney songs, specifically “Hello Little Girl”, and “I’m In Love”. This one is an original by guitarist Brian O’Hara with a flip penned by Carter and Lewis who were in the….

Ivy League – Graduation Day / Tossing And Turning (1965)

A British vocal trio that originally featured John Carter and Ken Lewis, two of Britain's most prolific songwriters.

Jamie & The Jury – Fooling Around / My Kind (1965)

A group from Southern California that featured front man Jamie Browning. You can read the whole Jamie & The Jury story HERE.

Muffins – Subway Traveler (1967)

I have to admit being completely ignorant as to who Tim Moore is, but apparently he recorded several solo LPs and rubbed elbows with Frank Zappa, Keith Richards, Peter Tosh, Michael MacDonald, and a bunch of other famous LA cats. This Kinks influenced 45 is the sole release by this excellent group.

Shadows – I Met A Girl / Late Night Set (1966)

A nice two sider from Hank Marvin & Co. The A side is a vocal as well.

Next Five – Talk To Me Girl / Mama Said (1966)

A classic from Milwaukee, WI. They truly exemplified garage/pop with “Talk To Me Girl”. They had a few other 45s as well which I will feature in future posts. For a more in-depth view of this band go HERE.

Russ Damon – Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong (1965)

Russ Damon was actually a guy named Les Ledo who recorded a lot of Do-Wop stuff in the late 50s and early 60s. He had several other records using this name as well as records by the name of Jimmy Lee on ABC Paramount. This one’s a B side and it’s a pretty good protest type folk rocker.

Swingin’ Yo Yo’s – Do Something / Have You Ever (1966)

The same Memphis group that recorded the awesome “Gotta Find A New Love” on Goldwax. This one’s a bit tamer but good nonetheless. They had to add the “Swingin’” to their name to avoid some kind of legal conflict.

Will-O-Bees – If You’re Ready / Shades Of Gray (1966)

We heard from this group in the last post and here’s another 45 that they released on Date, this time areal good two sider featuring a couple of great covers of the Pride & Joy’s “If You’re Ready” and The Monkees’ “Shades Of Gray”. Both are excellent.

Luv Bandits – Mizzer-Bahd (1967)

A completely unknown group that released this one and only middle eastern flavored, fuzz drenched, acid tinged 45 in 1967.

Neal Ford & The Fanatics – That Girl Of Mine / I Have Thoughts Of You (1967)

A later bubblegum flavored 45 from this Houston, TX group.

Happy Medium – Fair One / Poison Apples (1967)

Another unknown group with a cool psychedelic two sider.

Blues Magoos – I Can Hear The Grass Grow (1968)

Here’s an awesome take on The Move’s classic and the last they’d release on Mercury. Afterward they moved in a heavier direction…..

Fireballs – Groovy Motions (1968)

The Fireballs had a lot of success in the early 60s as an instrumental combo but as the decade progressed with Beatlemania and the British Invasion, psychedelic rock, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, etc. their popularity waned although they still were a band through it all, until they recorded and released “Bottle Of Wine” in 1967, a really good song that was done in a Creedence style although I’m pretty sure it wasn’t intentional. Well, at least that what it reminds me of…anyway…they kept on keepin’ on and released this “psychedelic” gem in 1968 replete with cool stereo effects!

Litter – Feelings / Silly People (1969)

The Litter from Minneapolis had a ton of releases most notably “Action Woman” the song that kicked off the entire Pebbles series. They would record three LPs, two of which were released on local labels and one which was released on ABC’s “progressive” subsidiary Probe. The next two 45s  featured here were from their last LP “Emerge”, a heavier, hard rock effort, although not too far off from what they were doing in the first place.

Litter – On Our Minds / Blue Ice (1970)

More of the same from The Litter.

HERE

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

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

Hi y’all! Getting sick really has it’s ups and downs. On the down side, you generally feel like crap, cough and sneeze a lot, and are pretty tired most of the time. On the up-side, I get out of doing chores and have lots of spare time to get this blog going! YAY!!! The weather has been blazing hot these past few weeks and after a shaky June, summer finally feels like it’s here to stay for a bit and I do hope you’re enjoying yours! On a side note, I believe that all the bad links to the “In Dan’s Garage” posts have been converted and re-upped so download to your hearts content. I still have to work on the “Obscure 60 Garage” posts yet, but they’ll be up soon. As usual I’ve assembled a veritable potpourri of sounds here from Soul to Prog Rock so get ready for an eclectic hour or so of music. Have a great summer out there, keep in touch, and most of all ENJOY!

Tommy & The Rivieras – Detroit City / Messin’ With The Kid (1966)

Let’s kick things off with some real blue eyed soul from Connecticut. On the top side they sound a whole lot like Mitch Ryder, and on the B side they do a nice version of Messin’ With The Kid, complete with a “Satisfaction” riff thrown in for good measure!

Keith Dennis – Almost Grown / Lawdy Miss Clawdy (1965)

I’m not sure who Keith Dennis is, but I can tell you that it was originally released on Ibis records, and was arranged by Jimmy Messina as well.He was involved with at least one other on that label. Nice covers of two great rock & roll standards.

Trolls – They Don’t Know / There Was A Time (1966)

The Trolls from Chicago were an interesting band as they mixed very nice pop vocals with some pretty slick guitar work.

Turtles – Guide For The Married Man (1967)

I came across this one in the box and included it because it’s one of my favorite songs and movies as well, featuring Walter Matthau and a very young Robert Morse who can be seen these days on TV’s best show “Mad Men”.

Steve Carpenter – You’re Putting Me On / Something Good Is Gonna Happen (1967)

Interesting 45 from a virtually unknown singer.

Children Of Paradise – Hey! You Got Something / What Am I Doing Here (1966)

A bunch of New York City folkies including Happy and Artie Traum as well as Eric Kaz who wrote this. Apparently this was the only “rock” effort by any of these guys. “Note: There is no malfunction with my turntable in regards to “Where Am I”. The song oddly slows down and speeds up on the record. Maybe the guy that mastered it was falling asleep and was leaning on the tape machine??????

Keith Allison – Action, Action, Action / Glitter And Gold (1966)

Texas born Keith Allison was a very talented guy who sang this theme from the afternoon TV show “Where The Action Is”  back in the mid 60’s. He was most likely backed up by good pals Paul Revere & The Raiders whom he eventually joined and made many recordings with. The B side of this is a stunning version of Glitter And Gold.

Roman Rebellion – Every Groovy Day / The Weather’s Getting Bold (1967)

Some nice Italian-American boys from the New York City area. They had another very similar sounding 45 on Mr. G records, and that’s all I know.

Thorinshield – Life Is A Dream / The Best Of It (1967)

This L.A. trio serves up some dreamy folk tinged psychedelia on both sides of this 45. They had an LP which I hear is rather good.

Willie Hobbs & The Dirte Four – Gloria (1969)

Willie Hobbs was a black soul singer not unlike Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett, but this rendition of Them’s “Gloria” deserves inclusion here because it’s so freakin’ good. Although it gets the “deep soul” treatment from Mr. Hobbs, it retains a garage-like quality because of it’s sparse instrumentation.

Fountain Of Youth – Liza Jane / Witness People (1969)

A group that hailed from the great state of Texas, they released four 45’s all excellent. The B side “Witness People” is a standout track though, and is a heavy psyche classic. I read somewhere once that they were the “test” group for Monkees songs, but I think that was just a rumor.

Gandalf – Golden Earrings / Never Too Far (1969)

When I bought this 45 from Fat Chuck’s stash, I was strictly looking for “killers”, but even then I knew this psych masterpiece was a winner. Supposedly from NY, they recorded one LP and this masterpiece of a single came out of it.

Rugbys – You, I / Stay With Me (1969)

A Louisville, KY group that recorded an LP and released several 45s as well. This ne is a great example of “heavy psyche”. One of the first 45s I ever bought.

Bulldog – Man Of Constant Sorrow / Inner Spring (1971)

An Australian “Prog-Rock” group that released this one very obscure 45.

Wigwam – Call Me On Your Telephone / Wishful Thinker (1970)

A Finnish Prog-Rock group that featured Englishman Jim Pembroke on lead vocals. This 45 was taken from their second LP “Tombstone Valentine” (with help from Michael Lloyd, the guy who gave us The Cattanooga Cats. Go figure….) which was produced by legend Kim Fowley. Apparently he thought they were going to be the next Beatles and took a chance. Although they didn’t succeed in that endeavor, they left us with some excellent psychedelic rock.

GET IT HERE

   Greetings friends and followers! You know, summer has been fairly decent this year, although we’ve had what I consider an abundance of rain, but it hasn’t been a complete washout. We had a massive heat wave in July (well for these parts anyway), and now were settling into a very comfortable weather pattern. Great for sitting on the patio and smoking fine stogies, drinking fine beer, and sipping fine whiskey or wine, so here are 28 “nuggets” so to speak, that are finely suited for such activities. You could actually rename this series, “Music To Enjoy The Finer Things In Life By”, or “Music To Grill By”, or whatever your favorite activity is at the moment. It all works.
   As usual I’ve compiled whatever ends up in my hands at the moment, and I came across a few 45s that were posted as a comp titled “60s Uncovered”. That was my first foray into digital conversion of 45s and the results were OK at best. Some of those 45sw have been re-converted and have been added to this comp. I think the results are a definite improvement. So please, enjoy your summer afternoon or evening digging what I’ve put forth here, and have fun wherever you are!

Boys Next Door – There Is No Greater Sin / I Could See Me Dancing With You (1965)

An Indiana based group that were originally known as the Four Wheels. They melded solid Beach Boys style harmonies with a folk rock flair as evidenced in “There Is No Greater Sin” quite possibly one the finest examples of songwriting in this genre ever. I really think it’s that good. Excellent arrangement and perfect harmonies. Oh yeah, the Beach Boys tribute on the flip is no slouch either.

Strange Loves – I’m On Fire / Love, Love (1964)

We all know the Strangeloves from great classics like “I Want Candy” and “Night Time”, but before they had those essential hits, they released this Jerry Lee Lewis rip-off backed with a solid teen rocker.

Twilighters – Shake A Tail Feather / Road To Fortune (1966)

These guys were from Cleveland and have no relationship to the group from Plattsburgh, NY.

Adlibs – Neighbor Neighbor / Lovely Ladies (1965)

A tough sounding mystery group from the U.K. gives this R&B classic a good workout.

Wild Things – I’ll Taste Your Lips / Summer’s Gone (1967)

A great moody folk rocker by another group from Cleveland, OH. They also released the great A.C.I.D. (Another Colored Ink Drawing).

Romans – He Don’t Love You / I Just Had To Fall In Love (With You) (1966)

The Little Rock, AK group that released the very cool “You Do Something To Me” (IDG# 42), switches over to a funky soul sound on the A side of this sophomore effort. The B side is a decent moody ballad.

Leaves – Too Many People / Girl From The East (1966)

One of the great bands from LA in the mid-sixties. They were the first to cut a version of Hey Joe! and theirs is considered by many to be THE definitive version. Founding member and bass player Jim Pons would go on to join The Turtles and later play with The Mothers.

Cole & The Embers – Hey Girl / Love Won’t Hurt You (1967)

Here’s a truly great 45 (IMHO) by a band from Kirkwood, MO. The A side is a great mover with some nifty Hammond B-3 sounds and the flip is a cool moody number. You can read more about these guys here.

Human Instinct – Death Of The Seaside (1968)

The Human Instinct are from New Zealand and have been active in some way since they formed in 1966. “Death Of The Seaside” was the flip of "A Day in My Mind's Mind" which was released by Deram in the UK, but this promotional U.S. issue has the same song on both sides. I’ve never seen a copy with “A Day” on it, so it may have never been released here. They went on to release a classic hard psych LP titled “Stoned Guitar” and continue playing to this day.

Catfish Knight & The Blue Express – Web Of Trouble / See Saw (1968)

I’m not sure who Catfish Knight was but this record followed up “Deathwise”, a crazed, fuzzed out psychedelic tune that’ll get featured in a future post. This one here is a moody laid back song backed with some blue eyed soul.

Elation Fields – Light Side Table (1968)

Nice, light pop/psyche with a prominent 12 string guitar produced by Dick Wagner. They were from the Flint, MI area and probably were pals with the likes of Terry Knight & The Pack.

Pawnee Drive – Ride / Break My Mind (1969)

Fast moving bubblegum from what I would assume to be a studio group. This was also released on Bell 791 as River Deep with a different flip.

Racket Squad – The Loser (1968)

Formerly known as The Fenways, these guys released two LPs that were hit and miss. This 45s A side is pretty good and features some slick special effects on the organ and guitar as well.

Shy Guys -  Rockin' Pneumonia And The Booga Loo Flu /  You Are My Sunshine (1967)

A group from the LaCrosse, WI area tackle Huey ’Piano’ Smith’s classic with a cool prominent Farfisa organ driving the whole thing, as well as some horns. The flip is a take on the standard we all know so well.

Rich Dodson – Stone Blind (1972)

I included this latecomer because I think it’s a pretty good tune that fits in nicely with what we do here at Dan’s Garage Central. Rich Dodson had somewhat of a hit in Canada(his home country I might add)  with “Julia Get Up” the flip side of this record, but he is probably best known for writing the AM rock hit from 1971 “Sweet City Woman”, a huge hit for his band The Stampeders.

Wizard – Come Away / A Familiar Story (1970)

This was the sole 45 released by this Montreal based trio.

GET IT HERE

Holy smokes! It feels like forever since I last did this. Did everyone have a good summer? Mine was pretty busy, and I wish I had a lot more leisure time to do fun things like get this blog out more frequently! The best thing about the end of the summer is that the NFL starts up, and Major League Baseball is winding down towards the playoffs and eventually the World Series in October. It doesn’t look too good for the Yankees this year, too many injuries, poor pitching, and that debacle with A-Rod (I personally can’t get rid of this guy soon enough) makes for a lousy season, although I’m quite surprised they did better than expected. As for my beloved New York Giants, they started their NFL season with a sloppy performance in a game which they could have won. Oh well.
  I really can’t believe that I’ve gotten up to 90posts so far and there’s a whole bunch more to come! I’m very grateful to the 200+ friends that have signed on through Google to follow this blog, and as Gomer Pyle would say…"thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! and SHAZAM! we’ve gotten over 350,000 hits on this baby! Keep those mice clicking!
  As usual, I’ve gathered up a nice little potpourri of sounds here that range from straight up garage, to whimsical psyche. I hope everyone enjoys it. Thanks again for all the kind words and keep the comments coming. It’s a great ego boost!

Clefs Of Lavender Hill – Stop! Get A Ticket / First Tell My Why (1965)

The first 45 released by these Miami, FL legends, and arguably their best, although they had excellent output throughout their short career. They recorded an album that Date records never released. Those assholes.

Me And Dem Guys – Black Cloud / Come On Little Sweetheart (1965)

From Jackson, MI (not Grand Rapids), these guys had a very complicated existence recording for several labels including this one, which was named after a chain of clubs that they were booked at in Michigan. Both sides of this 45 are great frat-garage/rock. If you want to read an in-depth story of the band click HERE.

“You Know Who” Group – Roses Are Red My Love / Playboy (1965)

Ahhhh….here we go again with the “You Know Who” group, as if to say that they were The Beatles or something in disguise. What a hoot! Four guys in Lone Ranger masks yeah, yeah, yeahing, and Ooooohing all over their records trying to fool impressionable young teens hungry for “Liverpool” like sounds into thinking it was The Fab 4 incognito. The genius behind all of this was a savvy guy named Bob Gallo (a nice Italian boy), a producer engineer, and entrepreneur who’s credited with either producing or engineering some of Rock And Roll’s greatest hits including The Crest’s “Sixteen Candles”, & Wilbert Harrison’s “Kansas City”.

Countdowns – Skies Will Be Happy To See You / She Works All Night (1967)

A rather obscure bunch from Holyoke, MA gives us a lightweight, yet solid two sider from 1967.

Pretty Things – Honey I Need / I Can Never Say (1965)

Oh so very cool 45 by The Pretties, and in my opinion their BEST. Yeah….better than Rosalyn, LSD, or, Come See Me. It’s the understated nature of it all, with the 12 string acoustic guitars backed by that pounding rhythm section. Truly great.

Seeds – Try To Understand (1966)

The Seeds are a real chore to try to figure out in regards to their output on GNP Crescendo. “Pushin’ Too Hard” was released twice with different B sides and this example is from the second release. Sky delivers the familiar “Oohhh”s on this one like he did on “Can’t Seem To Make You Mine”.

Syndicate Of Sound – Rumors / The Upper Hand (1966)

The Syndicate’s follow up to the awesome “Little Girl”. I really like this one better than “Little Girl”, although the B side is kind of non the blue eyed soul side.

Avengers – Everyone’s Gonna Wonder / Take My Hand (1967)

I remember when I bought this 45. I was at a record show in Albany, NY at the Sheraton Hotel and it was a rather huge affair because there was a featured appearance by Peter Tork of The Monkees and Bobby Hart (of Boyce And Hart of course) and it was months before the big hyped up Monkees reunion of the 80s. All I remember was that they did a short performance and Tork sang “Shades Of Gray”, and I don’t know what the hell Hart did. I got some stuff autographed and I don’t want to say that Tork was a dick, but he seemed a little fed up with the Monkees thing only wanting to sign TWO items. I guess I don’t blame him. There were a lot of what I call “Star Trek” types with junk like Monkees cards and lunch boxes, et,al. Anyway thanks Pete. Oh yeah..the record show. I’m plowing through mounds of 45s and come across this one and said HOLY SHIT THE AVENGERS! thinking it was the “Be A Caveman” guys.Well…I was wrong. I guess this group was out of Wellington in New Zealand and weren’t exactly a group of garage punkers, but a pop band. I HATED this 45 for the longest time thinking I got sandbagged, but after a while it grew on me. Very finely crafted pop from the mid 60s.

Coloring Book – Smokestack Lightning / You Make Me Feel Good (1966)

Slow, tense version of the Howlin’ Wolf classic with an eerie 12 string guitar and harmonica in the distant background. The flip gets the same treatment. From California.

Distortions – Behind My Wall / A Love That Loves You (1966)

This is what we here in these parts call “meaningful folk rock”. The A side sort of reminds me of “I Am A Rock” lyrically. Very pretentious but with a naïve quality that I like. From Birmingham, AL

Fountain Of Youth – Day Don’t Come / Sunshine On A Cold Morning (1968)

Superb pop/garage/psyche by a band from Texas. All their other releases are worth seeking out. “Witness People” is featured on IDG #88.

Grains Of Sand – Nice Girl / Drop Down Sometime (1967)

Yup, the same guys that did “That’s When Happiness Began” on Valiant Records. This one’s not quite as aggressive though, yet it has a “Lovin’ Spoonful” quality to it.

Truth – I Can / A Day Like Today (1968)

Supposedly a group out of Chicago, but I really can’t say for sure. Excellent organ driven psyche.

Thorinsheild – Lonely Mountain Again (1968)

Another offering from this LA psyche trio. Also featured in IDG #88

Window Frame – You Have The Choice / Before And After (196?)

Geez…try doing a search on these guys. All I get are links to home improvement projects. Anyone out there got any info on this decent psyche 45 from Michigan??????

GET IT HERE

I haven’t got much to say today, mainly because an extremely NASTY virus infected my computer (courtesy of my loveable son) and has put me in a foul mood. But I did get it fixed so’s I can get this here post out. So please, enjoy this day’s offerings, and keep smiling!

Bobby Kent & The Kentones – Don’t Go’way / Summertime Is Through (1959)

Let’s start off with an early rocker from the Salem, MA area. A side is a great mover and the B is typical teen heartthrob fare. Booby Kent’s real name was Bob Kassiotis and was apparently from Lynn, Ma.

Johnny & The Jays – Baby Do / Lugene (1960)

I can’t say I know the complete history of this particular rocker, but it was also recorded by Jackie Lee Cochran and was never released except for the acetate making a couple of appearances on various comps. A nice up-tempo rocker backed by another teen crooner.

Chartbusters – Why / Stop The Music (1964)

The second 45 by these D.C. legends, and they follow up “She’s The One” with another Invasion styled doozy. The flip was written by Big Al Dowling who they backed up as the Poe Kats back in the 50’s.

Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas – Bad To Me / Little Children (1964)

OK, I know this is not garage or psyche or anything related (well I stand corrected, they were a “beat” group), and yeah, it’s a common 45, but this was in the stack and I played it and…you know what??? I’ve heard countless CDs over the years proclaiming superior sound, and re-mastered this, and digitally enhanced that, and the whole argument that digital music is better than pure analog music (e.g. VINYL), and that you don’t have to deal with pops and scratches and BLAH BLAH BLAH. Well I’m here to say…FUCK CDS!!!!!!!!!. I hate those fucking things. You know what happens when a CD gets scratched?? IT’S FUCKED! You can’t play the goddamned thing anymore and it skips even worse than a piece of scratched vinyl does. Plus the sound is usually horrendous. It’s all tinny and there’s a general ice pick to the ear quality about it. Ever hear a copy of “Please Please Me” by the Beatles on VJ Records in pure mono? It’s glorious. Even with the pops and scratches, which is why I included this here 45 in this post. I played it and it just sounds so good in all it’s monophonic glory. Scratches and all. Sorry for the vulgarities, but I had to get that off my chest……..whew! Oh, yeah, Billy J. was from Liverpool (actually nearby Bootle) and a pal of the above mentioned Beatles. He was rather successful for a bit, but couldn’t keep up with the changes that the late 60s brought about. His handful of hits are excellent IMHO.

Fenways – Humpty Dumpty (1964)

Pittsburgh’s Fenways are probably best known for backing up the Vogues who also recorded a version of this tune probably using The Fenways as a backing band for that one as well. This “solo” effort, if you will, is different from the Vogues track.

Leaves – Hey Joe / Funny Little World (1965)

Released twice by Mira records, this is the second and more famous version of the song.There is a bit of debate as to which version is better, but I think both are great. The fist one might be a bit “garagier” than the second as it lacks the prominent fuzz guitar of the second.

Leaves – Get Out Of My Life Woman (1966)

Another one by the Leaves, this time something a little more soul influenced. I swear I have a version of this same 45 in one of my boxes that is a different mix with some atrocious horns tacked on to it.

Vejtables – I Still Love You / Anything (1965)

The Vejtables were one of the finest acts to come out of the Bay Area in the mid sixties before the Haight/Ashbury hype became prominent. They, along with other folk rock groups like The Beau Brummels and We Five created a unique sound that was somewhat different than their SoCal counterparts in LA. Both sides of this 45 are great and it’s too bad they never got the exposure they deserved. Drummer Jan Errico would eventually quit and join The Mojo Men who had a minor hit with Stephen Stills’ “Sit Down I Think I Love You”.

Combenashuns – What’cha Gonna Do? / Hey! Uncle Sam (1966)

All I know about this somewhat lo-fi 45 is that they were from Bethlehem, PA. Anyone out there know more????

Life – Snake Bite / One O'clock Noon Time (1967)

A group that was based in Auburn, AL, they formed in college and travelled up to Memphis and recorded this neat two sider at Hi studios. I could tell you more, but if you click HERE, It’ll take you to a very nice blog that’ll give you tons more info than I can offer.

Happy Return – To Give Your Lovin’ / I Thought I Loved Her (1969)

I found a little bit of info on this group from St. Louis. The band members consisted of Steve Noack (vocals, lead guitar), Tom Noack (rhythm guitar), Jim Cunningham (organ), Jimmy Albright (bass), and Rich Carroll (drums). Apparently Norman Petty was involved in this affair as it shows up on a website of Norman Petty Productions. Nice fuzzed out heaviness on the A side with a much softer B side.

Movers – Leave Me Loose / Birmingham (1969)

Another hard edged 45 from ‘69. Pretty good for something that came out so late in the decade. From New Port Richey, FL.

End – Shades Of Orange / Loving, Sacred Loving (1968)

Long thought to be The Rolling Stones incognito because of Bill Wyman’s involvement, it appeared on many bootleg LPs before people finally realized they were in fact NOT the Stones. Their debut 45 which is more ‘mod’ than psyche can be found on IDG# 25.

Genesis – Angeline / Suzanne (1969)

I’ll just politely point out that this is not the British super group, but an entirely different crew from the USA. They recorded an LP which was a mixed bag of pop and psyche, but this heavy number really stands out.

Hype – Waiting For The Man / White Light, White Heat (1970)

Well, this 45 appeared in my stack and I wasn't sure whether to include it or not. For those who are unaware, The Hype was a band that was formed by David Bowie in 1970, and were sort of a bridge between Space Oddity and Hunky Dory, although you can hear what was to become the basis for Ziggy Stardust on both sides, which are covers of two famous Velvet Underground songs. Band members were Mick Ronson [guitar], Tony Visconti [bass] and John Cambridge [drums] as well as Bowie who played rhythm and sang vocals (naturally). The Hype never really had many performances except for a few appearances on the BBC which is where these recordings were most likely taken from. This 45 is obviously some sort of a bootleg and I’m including it here more for historical value, although I must say they’re both excellent performances and don’t really seem too out of place. I thought this was some kind of super rarity, but it turns out it really doesn’t fetch very much $$$ on the market.

get it here

The Mighty Hannibal – Jerkin’ The Dog (1965)

This is definitely NOT a garage or even psyche 45, but what a lot of people consider “Northern Soul”, a genre that’s getting a lot of attention these days from collectors, and one that is fetching huge bucks for what are considered “rare” records. Personally, I don’t get it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of soul music and R&B, although I don’t collect those types of records, but many of these pieces are commanding prices way in excess of $1000, well above and beyond their garage “counterparts”.
  I love this 45 though because it not only has tremendous soul mojo, but also evokes somewhat of a garage feel as well, with it’s very sparse instrumentation (no horns), and the general groove of the song. If there ever was a “crossover” record, this would be it.

Roy Head & The Traits – Apple Of My Eye / I Pass The Day (1965)

Meanwhile, back in San Antonio, TX, white guys like Roy Head were singing “blue eyed soul” songs like this ace 45, his follow up to “Treat Her Right”

Captain Zoom – Long Tall Texan / I Really Want You (1965)

From what I gather, these guys were not from Texas, although they do an excellent mimicking of The Sir Douglas Quintet, but were from Richmond, CA, the Bay Area, and had at least two other 45s on A&M. Ironically, KBOP is a radio station from the Dallas, TX area.

Gants – Road Runner / My Baby Don’t Care (1965)

The Gants were from Greenwood, Mississippi and unlike other groups from the deep south, they emulated the British Invasion as well as anyone in the USA. They especially had a great knack for doing excellent cover songs as well as a few superb originals like “My Baby Don’t Care”, the flip of this classic two sider.

Teddy & The Pandas – Bye Bye, Out The Window / Once Upon A Time (1966)

A very popular group from Boston that had several 45s and an LP on Tower records.

Wild Ones – Come On Back (1966)


These are the guys who did the original version of “Wild Thing”, in a style reminiscent of Bob Dylan as opposed to the hard rockin’ version made famous by The Troggs. This was their second to last 45 which was oddly released on the Sears label (as in Sears-Roebuck) and was most likely some kind of promotional item sold through the department store.

Court Jesters – It’s All Right / Dance For Me (1967)

Danny Jordan and Tommy Wynn were both members of The Detergents whose “Leader Of The Laundromat” was a hit in 1964. They went on to do other projects but in between they recorded two 45s as The Court Jesters for Roulette. This is one of them. Not bad really, but definitely more pop than garage.

Hysterics – Won’t Get Far / That’s All She Wrote / Why Should You Treat Me This Way / Everything’s There (1966)


I generally don’t post reissues on my blog, mainly because I prefer to show off my “original” pieces, but sometimes (only twice) I cheat and replace the vinyl tracks with digital copies, mainly because the original has so much surface noise that it totally distracts from the song, or in this case, a reissue that is actually quite rare and includes an entire body of work by one of history’s best garage bands. I remember the first time I heard “Won’t Get Far” (on Boulders Vol. 1) and thinking that the singer had a real problem with his girlfriend, and was definitely letting his aggression loose in the studio. Real genius stuff here. The Hysterics were from Southern California, and released two gems, both included on this reissue EP which apparently is pretty hard to get these days.

Kinetic Energy – Suzie Q / Margaret Ann (1969)

These guys were from Houghton located on the upper peninsula of Michigan very close to Wisconsin and Canada. They released one 45 on the Minneapolis based label Studio City as simply “The Kinetics”. They later augmented their name and released this real heavy take on the Dale Hawkins classic with a flip side that reminds me of Procol Harum.

Los Rockin’ Devils – Mi Carcachita / Azucar, Azucar (1970)

Los Rockin’ Devils were a band from Tijuana, Mexico that had an extremely prolific career recording records for a Mexican audience hungry for American Rock & Roll. They specialized in covering the hits of the day and singing them in Spanish, and had an exceptionally raw delivery as evidenced on these two covers. One a Stones hit and the other a rather amusing rendition of the Archies’ biggest hit!

North Atlantic Invasion Force – Black On White / The Orange Patch (1968)

An excellent group from Connecticut that had several other 45s.

Challengers – Hear My Message / I Wanna Hold You (1970)

A decent group from Milwaukee, WI that also released the legendary “Take A Ride On The Jefferson Airplane” 45 on Night Owl records.

Rush Hour -  Before I Die / Set Me Free (1969)

A Chicago group that takes the Vanilla Fudge formula and applies it to an outstanding flanged out original, and a cover of The Kinks’ “Set Me Free”

Syndicate Of Sound – Brown Paper Bag / Reverb Beat (1970)

Best known for their huge 1966 hit and garage anthem “Little Girl”, The Syndicate Of Sound had several somewhat unsuccessful follow-ups including this one released early in 1970. This is actually a pretty good record, and some have said that they were trying to catch the same feel as fellow Bay Area legends CCR.

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Happy Thanksgiving!!!! I’ve been rather busy lately (as usual) and have slowly been packing away at this post for the last month, but I figure since I have all my leaves raked up (well..most of them anyway) and the snow blower at the ready, and a turkey in the oven, and nothing to do for the next few hours, I thought I’d at least start this post. We got a nice blast of snow here yesterday and it kinda feels more like January around here than late November, but I suspect that things will moderate somewhat over the next week or so. Anyway…I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season. I figure I’ll have at least one more post before Christmas, hopefully two or three, but as you dig into turkey, potatoes, pie, etc… enjoy this latest offering!

Adam Faith & The Roulettes – It’s All Right (1964)

Adam Faith was a huge teen star in Britain and had a number of hits, mostly in the pop style. When Beatlemania hit he sort of had to catch up with the times and hired The Roulettes to back him up on this classic beat raver.

Bill & Will – Goin’ To The River / Let Me Tell You Baby (1964)

A group from Albany, GA had this one release on Chicago’s Checker label. Real crude Blues/R&B sounds that are at least a year ahead of their time.

Gary & The Night lights – Sweet Little Sixteen / Take Me Back (1965)

A while back I swore this was the last Seeburg 45 I had left in my collection to post. I WAS WRONG! This another one by Gary & The Nightlights who would later morph into The American Breed and had a huge hit with “Bend Me, Shape Me” as well as a great version of “Mindrocker” Not sure if there’s any more of these jukebox 45s left so I'm making no promises this time.

Sandals – 6 Pac / Theme From Endless Summer (1964)

Late 60’s surf sounds from the same guys who recorded the fantastic “Tell Us Dylan”.

Pacers – You Got Me Bugged / Sassy Sue (1964)

An interesting 45 because these same two songs were featured on an LP by a phony group called The Buggs that released an LP called “Beetle Beat” under completely different titles.

Illusions – The World Outside / I Don’t Believe It (1965)

One of many Illusions lurking around during the 60s. I was going to save this one for a “pop” post but I figured I’d mix things up with this mélange of surf and soul. Probably one of the “Beach Music” groups from the south east.

Nashville Teens – Find My Way Back Home / Devil In Law (1965)

So as I was perusing through this “handful” of 45s I discovered that five of them were on either London Records, or one of their subsidiaries. I love that label!!!!!! Whether it’s the blue “stock” label (lots of Stones 45s on that on in my collection) or that bright swirly orange thing that graces some of the finest records ever to be released in the 60s. London certainly had quite few cool labels under their distribution including Deram, Seville, Coliseum, Chapter One, Hi, M.O.C., and literally dozens of others. Here’s a sampling of a few starting with the Nashville Teens, a fantastic group that never really got it’s due outside of their colossal hit “Tobacco Road”. Much of their output was really good R&B or their unique interpretation of folk/blues.

Moody Blues – And My Baby’s Gone / From The Bottom Of My Heart (1966)

One of the last to feature Denny Laine before he left and the Justin Hayward/John Lodge era began (which I love by the way...)

Ragamuffins – Parade Of Uncertainty / Hate To See A Good Thing Have To Go (1967)

A group from Greenwich Village that released two 45s on Seville, both fantastic folk/rock efforts.

Truth – Sueno / Old Ma Brown (1967)

A British freak beat group tackles a really good Rascals tune.

Us Too – I’ll Leave You Crying / The Girl With The Golden Hair (1967)

A Cincinnati group that recorded two versions of this A side, this one being the latter. You can read an in depth story of Us Too right HERE.

Layng Martine Jr. – Surabian Lament / Pick All The Flowers That You Can (1967)

We featured Layng in IDG #14 doing a somewhat fuzzy teen pop number. This time he goes raga with a cool eastern influenced psych/pop two sider. Layng continued on after this with a very successful career writing song in Nashville.

Whispers –Knowin’ / My Long And Sleepless Night  (1967)

Good two sider of psych/pop on the A side and a very subdued yet tense garage tune on the B that has no electric guitars in in it. Produced by Warren Schatz who also worked on many projects in the 60s and 70s including Richie Dean’s fantastic “Time” on Tower.

Danish Lost & Found – The First Cut Is The Deepest (1969)

A group from Copenhagen takes on the often covered Cat Stevens song and while it’s not as intense as The Koobas’ version, it’s pretty good. A helluva lot better than Cheryl Crow………..

Blue Cheer – West Coast Child Of Sunshine / When It All Gets Old (1969)

Let’s end this Thanksgiving feast with one of the last 45s to be issued by Blue Cheer on Philips records. By now Leigh Stephens had left the band as was replaced by Burns Kellog on keyboards and Randy Holden on guitar, and with Stephens went the ultra heavy proto-metal sound that defined their first two LPs. This 45 is a complete departure from that with a much more mainstream psych/rock sound.

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