Information about mostly obscure garage, R'n'B, Mod & psychedelic 45s 1964-72 and beyond especially neo garage bands.
Other cool sixties ephemera will be added occasionally
About Me
Expo67
Expo67ville, United Kingdom
Avaiable now are the following compilations:
CIRCLES 1-4 & GEAR! 10,11,12. Ask for details.
If you were in a band mentioned on my blog why not contact me for some 'Talk Talk'
COLINLSD1967@MSN.COM
TIMEBOX - 'Gone Is The Sad Man' (Deram DM219) Nov 1968
Timebox released several 45s during the the period 1967-69 but all (apart from the small hit 'Beggin') flopped. They even recorded a collection of songs in 1968 for an album called 'Moose On The Loose'. Unfortunately, Deram did not release it at the time.
All of those unreleased songs, aswell as the Deram 45s were compiled by Deram in the late 90s on 'Timebox - The Deram Anthology' CD. This CD is now deleted and has become something of a collectors item.
The lazy and laid back psychedelic 'Gone Is The Sad Man' was the B-Side of 'Girl, Don't Make Me Wait'.....the follow up single to 'Beggin' which had reached number 38 in the UK Charts. It flopped.
the line-up on the record was:
Mike Patto (vocals, guitar) Ollie Halsall (vocals, guitar) Clive Griffiths (bass) Chris Holmes (keyboards) John Halsey (drums)
Most of the Timebox line-up reformed in the early 70s as prog rockers Patto. Ollie Halsall would also add guitar parts for the Rutles album and of course John Halsey became Barry Wom (Ringo) in The Rutles.
TIMEBOX - Gone Is The Sad Man
Researching Timebox and in particular their amazing 'Walking Through The Streets Of My Mind' I found a rather special blog called strangely 'Sir Henry@Ed Debba'.... Check it out for some ultra rare and obscure British psych 45s from the late 60s...
THE FLOWERPOT MEN - Blow Away (unreleased 1969 recording)
'Blow Away' was first issued on The Flowerpot Men retrospective LP 'Let's Go To San Francisco' which was released on C5 Records in 1988. It then appeared on the CD RPM put out in 2001 titled 'The Psychedelic World Of The Flowerpot Men'.
'Blow Away' is a wonderful Byrdsian jangle. This version is the extended mix that was recorded for the unreleased 'Peace' album in 1969. The album never happened because The Flowerpot Men's contract with Decca expired after several flops following the hit single 'Let's Go To San Francisco' in September 1967.
Listen out for the drones, slide guitars and 12 string.
The main stays of The Flowerpot Men were John Carter and Ken Lewis. They also wrote 'Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James' for Manfred Mann, 'Sunshine Girl' for Herman's Hermits and perhaps more famously 'My World Fell Down' recorded by Sagittarius.
By mid 1965 Donovan was a household name in Britain but he didn't become the world renowned psychedelic soothsayer until the release of the album 'Sunshine Superman'.
I'm not gonna go in for a track by track analysis of this breakthrough LP. If you're into psychedelia you'll know all about it anyway. The absolute killer psych interlude is 'Three Kingfishers'. Here, Donovan goes for the Indian raga sound with sitar, tablas and trippy lyrics.
It's documented elsewhere that Shawn Phillips played sitar on 'Three Kingfishers' but he's not given credit on the album cover. Twelve king fisher birds shall you have Dive and swim in the ripples of your laugh. Oh, I dreamed you were a Jewel Sitting on golden crown on my head, my head, my head. Look at the tiny oceans in-my hand Waves of liquid colours touch the sand. Oh, I dreamed you were a jewel Sitting on golden crown on my head, my head, my head.
DOWNBEAT - 25 Independent Singles From The Netherlands CD
I was playing The Thanes CD 'Downbeat And Folked Up' at the weekend (which is amazing by the way) and was really taken by their cover of The Sparklings'Now It's Your Turn To Cry'.
I don't have the original 45 but it was compiled in great sound from the mono single on 'DownBeat' some years ago. Folks into Dutch beat really need to get this CD. Not everything is GREAT, infact some cuts would force Vincent van Gogh to cut his other ear off if he was still alive.
The 24 page booklet that comes with this collection is very impressive. Maybe one of the best I've seen coming as it does with excelent information, sleeve pics and band photos. Here's what the liners said about The Sparklings.
'This band came from the prolific Amsterdam scene. 'Now It's Your Turn To Cry' was released twice on two different labels in 1966. Once on 7Up then again on CNR. It's an organ powered tormentor and is simply stunning with it's knife-sharp fuzz guitar and a very strong melody line'.
01 SAMO REDS - YOUNG MAN STORY 02 SAMO REDS - UNDER SWEET PLAID 03 SUNBEATS - LOVE WON'T COME MY WAY 04 ANTOINE - CONTRE ELECUBRATIONS PROBLEMATIQUES 05 LES 5 GENTLEMEN - JE TE VEUX 06 LES 5 GENTLEMEN - DIS-NOUS DYLAN 07 JOHN MAYALL & THE BLUESBREAKERS - I'M YOUR WITCHDOCTOR 08 LOS BRINCOS - NADIE TE QUIERE YA 09 LOS BRINCOS - YOU KNOW 10 LOS BRINCOS - THE TRAIN 11 MOODY BLUES - CITIES 12 JESS & JAMES - NOTHING BUT LOVE 13 JOHNNY HALLYDAY - MAL 14 DUKE OF BURLINGTON - 30.60.90 15 SULLIVAN - LES PALAIS DE L'ORIENT 16 DINKIES - CIRKLES 17 LOS BRAVOS - EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY 18 VI-BI - FESTA SUAU 19 MAQUINA! - LANDS OF PERFECTION 20 ROB HOEKE R'n'B GROUP - DOUBLE CROSS WOMAN
£5 each...payment by Paypal...contact me for details. Each volume limited to 25 copies only. CIRCLES - VOLUME FOUR.......AVAILABLE NOW!
01 LES SUNLIGHTS - PLUS D'AMIS 02 EDDY MITCHELL - TU NE PEUX PAS 03 RONNIE BIRD - ELLE M'ATTEND! 04 SANDY COAST - SUBJECT OF MY THOUGHTS 05 SANDY COAST - I'M A FOOL 06 OLA & THE JANGLERS - LAND OF 1000 DANCES 07 OLA & THE JANGLERS - THINKIN' OF YOU 08 LOS BRINCOS - MEJOR 09 JACQUES DUTRONC - J'AI TOUT LU, TOUT VA, TOUT BU 10 KLAN - WAIT AND SEE 11 KLAN - MELODY MAKER 12 MERSEYS - SO SAD ABOUT US 13 LES JETS - L'INVENTAIRE 14 LES JETS - LA RECONTRE 15 PINKERTON'S COLOURS - MAGIC ROCKING HORSE 16 MICHEL POLNAREFF - L'AMOUR AVEC TOI 17 LOS MITOS - SI TE ACUERDAS 18 JOHNNY HALLYDAY - A TOUT CASSER 19 SWEET FEELING - ROCK ME BABY 20 TROGGS - FEELS LIKE A WOMAN
Each disc @ £5....all selections properly mastered direct from original vinyl 45. CIRCLES - VOLUME THREE ......AVAILABLE NOW!
01 LES SUNLIGHTS - C'EST FINI 02 RONNIE BIRD - FAIS ATTENTION! 03 ANTOINE - JE DIS CEQUE JE PENSE ST JE VIS 04 TONY JACKSON GROUP - YOU'RE MY NUMBER ONE 05 NOEL DESCHAMPS - PASSE, PASSE TON CHEMIN 06 LES 5 GENTLEMEN - L.S.D. 25 07 JOHNNY HALLYDAY - N'Y CROIS PAS 08 LES PROBLEMES - DODECAPHONIE 09 JAY JAYS - DON'T SELL THE SUN 10 JACQUES DUTRONC - L'IDOLE 11 LES PROBLEMES - ON S'EN FOUT 12 MICHEL POLNAREFF - TIME WILL TELL 13 SOUL AGENTS - I JUST WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU 14 JOHNNY HALLYDAY - NOIR C'EST NOIR 15 BLACKBURDS - PROMENADE 16 MARK LEEMAN FIVE - BLOW MY BLUES AWAY 17 LES JETS - LA CORNEMUSE 18 JACQUES DUTRONC - HIPPIE HIPPIE HOURRAH 19 C.S.S. - WHOLE LOTTA LOVE 20 C.S.S. - BOOM BOOM
Each disc @ £5... contact me for details about payment. Limited to 25 copies. Once they're gone that's it! CIRCLES - VOLUME TWO...... AVAILABLE NOW!
01 KLAN - ALREADY MINE 02 JAY JAYS - COME BACK IF YOU DARE 03 LOS BRINCOS - I TRY TO FIND 04 OLA & THE JANGLERS - SURPRISE, SURPRISE 05 SOUL AGENTS - DON'T BREAK IT UP 06 SESSIONS - LET ME IN 07 LES 5 GENTLEMEN - QU'AS-TU KATIOUCHA 08 NOEL DESCHAMPS - AH, SI J'AVAIS PENSE 09 OLA & THE JANGLERS - NO NO NO 10 LES 5 GENTLEMEN - HOSANA 11 MICHEL POLNAREFF - NE ME MARCHEZ PAS SUR LES PIEDS 12 EDDY MITCHELL - RIEN QU'UN SEUL MOT (SATISFACTION) 13 LOS BRINCOS - EL PASAPORTE 14 LES SUNLIGHTS - I NEED YOU 15 LOS ALBAS - A LITTLE BIT HURT 16 BILLY JOE ROYAL - HUSH 17 BLACKBURDS - ABSOLUMENT HYDE PARK 18 MAQUINA! - LET'S GET SMASHED 19 TAGES - FUZZY PATTERNS 20 JOHNNY HALLYDAY - VOYAGE A PAYS DES VIVANTS
A collection of mid 60s European modernism and beat action mastered in expodelic 67 sound. Limited to 25 copies. When they're gone that's it!
For sale @ £5 each disc. Payment to my Paypal account. Contact me for further details.
SIMON DUPREE & THE BIG SOUND - 'Kites' / 'Like The Sun Like The Fire' (Parlophone R 5646) Oct 1967
When I was about 10 years old back in the mid 70s, my Uncle gave me a handful of singles because he no longer needed them. Included in the pile were records by The Beatles, The Kinks, The Searchers, Slade and this one by Simon Dupree & The Big Sound.
'Kites' always made me feel wierd probably because the melody was playing on my mind. I'd never heard anything so exotic sounding before and the strange background noise held me captive. It wasn't until many years later that I discovered I'd been listening to psychedelia and the strange background noise was made by a mellotron.
Simon Dupree & The Big Sound were from Portsmouth, England. They consisted of three brothers. Ray Shulman, Derek Shulman and Phil Shulman. They had previously been in local bands called The Howling Wolves and The Road Runners. They were joined by ex ClassicsTony Ransley on drums and Pete O'Flaherty on bass.
It won't have escaped your attention that no one in the band was actually called Simon Dupree. This was a name dreamed up by their Manager who also brought them the song 'Kites' to record. By all accounts the band hated the song and didn't want to record it but changed their minds when they had the opportunity to record and produce the disc at the famous Abbey Road studios in London. The recordings took place sometime in September 1967, only months after The Beatles had completed the album Sgt Pepper. Fortunately for Simon Dupree & The Big Sound they were able to use the obscure instruments that The Beatles had utilised on Pepper such as the mellotron, finger symbols, woodblocks and they also added the strange wind effects.
So what had been something of an ordinary love ballad 'Kites' blossomed into a flower power and completely 'turned on' slice of psychedelia. The flip 'Like The Sun Like The Fire' is also another cool psych track with plenty of mellotron.
Simon Dupree & The Big Sound carried on with limited success until late 1969 before disbanding. The three Shulman brothers then formed a new band called Gentle Giant in 1970 and moved into progressive rock territory.
THE SHOTGUN EXPRESS - 'I Could Feel The Whole World Turn Round' EP (Columbia ESRF 1864) 1966
Short lived mod pop band from England probably best known for featuring Rod Stewart before he became famous with The Jeff Beck Group then The Faces. 'I Could Feel The Whole World Turn Round' was released in England on 21/10/66 and is the only song where Stewart's vocals are employed. The flip is an organ dominated mod swingin' instrumental titled 'Curtains' and is essentially a Peter Bardens solo effort.
The flip of their follow up 45 'Funny 'Cos Neither Could I' is also a mod go-go instrumental titled 'Indian Thing'. This was compiled on Rubble Volume 2 back in the 80s.
The Shotgun Express certainly had some future stars in their ranks. Alongside Rod Stewart, The Shotgun Express also boasted the skills of the previously mentioned Peter Bardens who is best known for his work with 70s progressive rock band Camel. Bardens died in 2002.
Guitarist Peter Green and drummer Mick Fleetwood were briefly in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers before forming Fleetwood Mac. Bass player Dave Ambrose would quit The Shotgun Express in early 1967 to join The Brian Auger Trinity.
Singer Beryl Marsden was also lead vocalist for all girl band The She Trinity. SHOTGUN EXPRESS - I Could Feel The Whole World Turn Round
One of the most cherished 45s in my record collection is 'I Think I'm Down' by The Harbinger Complex. It's an inspired piece of mid 60s rock and roll. For me, this song has all the thrilling elements I crave when I listen to American garage rock.
Just listen to that immense fuzz guitar riff. It still sends shivers down my spine after all these years of playing it.. I wrote about the song months ago. Feel free to check out the blog entry in the archives.
HARBINGER COMPLEX - I Think I'm Down
It was absolutely delighted that lead singer from The Harbinger Complex, Jim Hockstaff happened upon my blog and actually sent me an email thanking me for his bands exposure. Wow! this group from Freemont, California could, and in an ideal world should have been contenders. They most definately had the talent to release more records than they did.
Of course I emailed Jim back with a few questions to compliment Mike Dugo's previous interview some years ago. Fortunately Jim replied back and with his permission I've posted details here.
Q1. The Harbinger Complex sound is a potent mix of Rolling Stones raunch and Byrdsian jangle. It's a heady brew that I really dig.Was your 'sound' intended or did it just come out like it did in the 'mix' as it were. I've read an online interview you did with Mike Dugo that the British Invasion bands inspired you. But were you 'influenced' by any American bands? How about the folk rock edginess of The Beau Brummels?
I wasn’t aware at all of the interest in the work of our band and the many others of the San Francisco East Bay and elsewhere of that period until relatively recently. It has been a delightful surprise. As you observed, we were huge fans of the Byrds, Dylan, Van Morrison, Eric Burdon and the Animals as well as the Beatles and Stones and covered many of their songs in our live performances.
We worked constantly on weekends at schools, dance halls clubs and arenas. We opened for many now legendary acts such as Them, The Yardbirds, Big Brother, Neil Diamond and many more. We were aware of the Beau Brummels, Association, Seeds, Moby Grape, and a host of others but we definitely eschewed the pretty sounds for something angrier and more rebellious.
We played the Byrds constantly and the power of the twelve string was awesome. Yes there was an intentional effort to duplicate or build on the edgy punch of Dylan, the Byrds and the Stones. With the power of our Fender double fifteen inch “Dual Showman” amplifiers we could overwhelm the largest of venues at that time. It’s a wonder I have my hearing intact.
Q2. I first became aware of the Harbinger Complex via The Chesterfield Kings when they covered your song 'Time To Kill' on their debut LP from 1982. It's very faithful to the original. Are you aware of this?
I recently heard the clip from the Chesterfield Kings and loved it! What a compliment to our homely little tune.
HARBINGER COMPLEX - Time To Kill
Q3. How did the record deals with Brent and Amber come about? Were they just one off single deals?
I’m a little hazy about the record deals. I think it just sort of happened. We were naïve kids and it all just took us by surprise. We did have a strong reputation in the East Bay and had a lot of exposure.
Q4. All Harbinger Complex songs are Hockstaff-Hoyle compositions. Was your songwriting partnership similar to the Lennon-McCartney one, in that it didn't matter who actually wrote the song, it would still be credited jointly? Or did one person come up with the music while the other wrote the lyrics?
Bob had just returned from Nam and he possessed a smoldering fire that reflected in the lyrics (“Time to Kill”). Yes we collaborated together and separately, giving each other equal credit as the songs emerged. The energy of our group was never captured on the records we made with the possible exception of 'I Think I’m Down'.
Lysergic Acid played a role as well in our thinking and playing!!!
Q5. I've read online a few times that the 'Pot of Flowers' LP could get an official release on Big Beat. Are there any 'unknown' Harbinger Complex songs in the vaults they could perhaps include aswell? Either way, it would be amazing to get to hear those songs from the master tapes.
I’ll have to dig a little to answer the questions about other cuts. We did a number of recording sessions that never went anywhere, such as Fantasy Records, notorious for exploiting groups at that time. I hope this was helpful.
Thanks again for your interest. If there is anything else I can do to support your efforts let me know…it has been a long time ago…All the best to you Colin.
The HARBINGER COMPLEX - 'I Think I'm Down' / 'My Dear And Kind Sir' (Brent 7056) August 1966
A garage band from Fremont, CA, The Harbinger Complex are best remembered for their 1966 fuzz-punk classic "I Think I'm Down" (Brent 7056). The quintet centered on lead vocalist Jim Hockstaff and his songwriting partner B. Hoyle III. Hockstaff's Dionysian exploits -- the siring of several love children -- got him banned from Fremont's Washington High, yet his musicianship inspired student Jim Sawyers (later of the Topsiders, Other Side, Vejtables and The Syndicate of Sound -- to hone his own nascent guitar skills. The Baytovens and The Harbinger Complex backed Paul Revere And The Raiders at an Oakland Auditorium concert in April 1966, and both headlined again at a KRFC-sponsored gig at the College of San Mateo on October 15th. The Hockstaff/Hoyle composition "I Think I'm Down" is kick-ass proto-punk at its finest. Its folksy flip side, "My Dear and Kind Sir" is a genteel slice of 19th century Americana -- the Harbinger Complex equivalent of the Byrds' "Oh! Susannah."
Another 1966 single effort by the group, "Sometimes I Wonder" b/w "Tomorrow's Soul Sound" (Amber 8999), lacked the confident punch of the Brent 45's A-side. In 1967, Mainstream Records (which owned subsidiary Brent) released a various artists compilation album titled A Pot of Flowers which featured both sides of the Brent single and two new Hockstaff-Hoyle tunes ("Time to Kill" and "When You Know You're In Love"). "Kill," with its Vietnam double entendre, is somewhat pedestrian, while "Love" is sparkling, syncopated, and snappy. A Pot of Flowers (Mainstream S-6100) was reissued in the 1980s as part of Mindrocker Volume 10. "I Think I'm Down" has also appeared on the compilations Nuggets, Volume 12: Punk, Part 3, Sound of the Sixties: San Francisco, Part 2 (with its flip side, "My Dear and Kind Sir"), and Rhino's four-CD box set: Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968. ~ Stansted Montfichet, All Music Guide
OK, I got lazy just like the majority of bloggers and pinched the above entry from All Music Guide. Here's where the Expo takes over.
'I Think I'm Down' is one of the most fabulous slices of Rolling Stones inspired 45s you'll EVER hear. It's a complete Jagger and Co rip from start to finish with a fuzztoned punkadelic riff that will eat it's way into your Sandoz LSD 25 induced mind. Could this song be any better? The answer is NO!!!
'My Dear And Kind Sir' is a slow paced folk tune and is the perfect flip after the rush of 60s punk of the A-side. Classy acoustic guitar chords with sweet Byrdsian harmonies deliver another winner. Hey man, just get this 45...it kills!
By the way, both sides of The Harbinger Complex's 45 on Amber have been mastered perfectly onto CD on my favourite commercially released comp of 2007...Big Beat's 'You Got Yours!'
THE ROLLING STONES - 'Get Off Of My Cloud' / 'The Singer Not The Song' (Decca F.12263) Oct 1965
Great 45 to follow up the massive world wide hit 'Satisfaction'.... It was recorded on the 6th and 7th of September 1965 and released as a single in the UK on the 22nd October. How's that for a quick turnaround? I'm assuming The Rolling Stones were touring the USA at the time of recording because they used RCA Studios in Hollywood.
According to Mick Jagger he wrote the lyrics for 'Get Off Of My Cloud' and Keith Richard came up with the melody. Jagger's vocals are particularly impressive on the song and pretty much every US garage front man was influenced by either his singing style or to a lesser extent (thankfully) his daft dancing in the glory years that followed. Here's a photo of Keith Richard taken by Bent Rej in September 1965 at The Hilton Hotel in London.
Readers of my blog should know by now that I have a great deal of time for neo garage and psych bands especially those cool combos I was into during the heyday of the mid 80s.
I'm always delighted to exchange emails with musicians from those GREAT groups of that glorious decade. It's a dcade that was pretty much shit of course if you didn't know where to look and were swamped by that awful MTV bollocks and hair bands. Stick with the 80s underground and you'll realize the 80s were not as fuckin' embarrassing as you probably thought. (unless you WERE into those annoying metal/goth/indie/pop groups)
Here's my all time faves The Royal Nonesuch (there's plenty of past posts and photos on my blog - check the old labels)...Fortunately they made a promo video of a song called 'She's So Satisfyin'...It was originally done by mid 60s garage punkers The Apparitions...check out the original on Bosshoss's G45 Unwaxed CD set. This promo video was shown on a Canadian Music Channel.....
Just like the original, The Royal Nonesuch never had this song released on a 45. It was meant to be their third single but for whatever reason it just didn't happen. What a shame. It was compiled on a recent vinyl only comp titled 'Thee Cave Comes Alive' on Action Records....
THE ASSOCIATION - 'Blistered' (London HA-T 8305) 1966
Los Angeles harmony pop band The Association won't be the first band to name drop to a garage rock collector. But their harmony pop approach certainly is a sound that I dig. The Association may not be freak rock but they're essential listening just the same. A collection of their early 45s and obscure album tracks made a welcome addition to my collection a few years ago in the form of Rhino's Anthology CD set. Seek and you shall find my friends.
Their first album 'And Along Comes Mary' was released in July 1966. The material was produced by pop psych mastermind Curt Boettcher and engineered and recorded by Gary Paxton at his Homewood Studios in Hollywood. The vocals were laid down at Columbia Recording Studios.
Gary Paxton produced my all time favourite garage psych band The Avengers. Check out my interviews with Avengers band members in the links where they speak highly of Gary Paxton's skill and enterprise in the studio. All of the material on The Association album was laid down by premier L.A. session musicians, including Mike Deasy who released records in his own right as The Flower Pot and Friar Tuck and His Psychedelic Guitar. Other players happened to be Lee Mallory, Butch Parker, Jerry Scheff and Jim Troxel. Association member Jules Alexander was on the basic tracks as well, but other group members were only used to contribute overdubs.
A song from the album 'Blistered' is featured on my blog. It's an uptempo rocker with harmonica and was hidden on side 1 of the LP and is represented here because it never features on any Association collections. It wasn't written by any band member but credited to E.Wheeler. I've mastered the song direct from my mono copy of 'And Then - Along Comes' on London (the UK release) It was not included on the 1992 Rhino 2 CD set titled 'Just The Right Sound' or the 80s set released by Edsel Records titled 'Golden Heebie Jeebies'.... THE ASSOCIATION - Blistered
RESEARCH - 1-6-12 - 'In Research' (Flick City FC 5001) 1968
I first became aware of the strangely named Research 1-6-12 back in the 80s when I heard 'I Don't Walk There No More' on Highs In The Mid Sixties - Volume 3. This was a song I repeatedly played and when I started collecting original 60s vinyl, Research 1-6-12 were high on my list for investigation.
As it turned out 'I Don't Walk There No More' is probably their best song with an immediate impact (well it was for me)... The album released on Flick City, based in Sunset Blvd, Hollywood is a patchy affair with three throwaway songs. Those are 'The Grass Is Greener' a hippie lament about smoking pot, 'John' an awful load of shite about playing a guitar or reading a newspaper on (funnily enough) the toilet and 'Lookin' In The Toaster'...the least said the better.
However, the rest of the cuts on the album will sink in after a few plays. 'Omar' is a trippy psych tune probably about a drug pusher called Omar, the single 'Can You Baby' / 'Lip Smackin' Good' are excelent and I really dig the gentle & laid back hippie psych of 'The Feeling' and 'Highway Song'....the latter in particular is a keen insight into the hippie dream 'gone wrong' ....the singer tells the tale of a young kid travelling to San Francisco to the 'live the dream' only to lose all of his money, having to sell the coat off his back for an upper, then hitch-hiking his way back home in the country..
Most of the songs were joint Morrie Yess/Dick Bozzi collaborations. Yess would drop out of the music industry when Research 1-6-12 flopped to become a Rabbi whilst Dick Bozzi went into Radio, eventually becoming an arranger for A&M Records. RESEARCH 1-6-12 'Highway Song'
G45 UNWAXED - Unreleased 60s Garage Kuts From Acetate....
It's taken a while to mention this monster 2 CD set on my blog but it's now time. For several years now, Bosshoss66 has been providing flacs, MP3s, label scans, information and advice to 60s punk worshippers around the Globe. His collection of previously unreleased songs has been painstakingly remastered in sound Taliban Approved BHQS6. Not many people in the world could get acetates sounding THIS good.
There is no doubt in my mind that Bosshoss is a world leader in vinyl to CD restoration. The sheer depth, clarity and detail dredged from these battered old acetates is mind blowing.
The set comes in two Parts. The first Volume contains 'Back From The Grave' style teen punkers where fuzz, more fuzz and a little bit more of that fuzz action is priority for these spotty faced kids and fucked up teen spirits. In between some of the kick ass garage rants is the odd depressing slow paced moaner.
There's just too many highlights to mention. My favourite cuts on this side are The Nightcrawlers menacing 'Want Me'...The Fanatics organ pounder 'I Believe and 'I Don't Want To See You' by The Blue Embers. Just don't sharpen your knives when listening to these fuzz howlers cos you'll probably wanna go out on the town and slay the first guy who looks at you funny.
Side 2 is filled to the brim with folk punkers, jangle and uptempo lo-fi pop. It's a less hectic side and maybe listeners will enjoy this collection more than Side 1. There's some cuts I've known for years but these acetates sound better and in some cases are different takes than the released versions. There's an alternate take of the well known 'Run Run Run' by The Gestures and an absolutely spine tingling earlier mix of The Fanatics'Bitter Bells'...hear this song for the first time with the original backing vocals.
G45 Unwaxed is now long gone, so if you missed the ticket to ride last year I'm affraid you're gonna have to kick yourself in the arse a thousand times...I'm a reviewer not a trader.
This is a flyer I designed for my old pals garage band The Mourning After. Back in the late 80s and 90s they had a mix of musicians from Sheffield and Newcastle. Original keyboard player Kevin Teasdale was the Geordie.
I remember this gig very well. The Broken Doll was a gloomy pub on the outskirts of Newcastle that usually put on punk bands. They had a small stage upstairs and this is where The Mourning After performed every time they played the pub.....on this occasion 07/04/90.... Other 60s influenced groups who played The Broken Doll were The Off-Hooks, The Sinister Urge, The Thanes, The BeatPack and Dead Flowers. The Tripmakers were a French band that came over for a few gigs. I'm sure they supported The Mourning After in Edinburgh a few days earlier.
The poster/flyer was inspired by a Pebbles cover of course and the wording 'Love Special Delivery' (abbreviation LSD) was knicked from the song recorded by 60s garage band The Fire Escape.
MOURNING AFTER - Rain On Me(from the album on Mystic Beat 0013) 1991
THE SPIKE DRIVERS - 'Baby Won't You Let Me Tell You How I Lost My Mind' / 'High Time' (Reprise RA 0535) 1966
Wow, call the Rozzers. There's four bearded and be-tashed loner types possibly looking for trouble or at least thinking about pinning the homely looking hippie chick down and plying her with some acid tabs... OK, I may be mistaken.
The Spike Drivers released this brilliant psychedelic 45 in late '66. Both sides are essential and the American issue should be easy enough to pick up but you could have a problem locating this German picture sleeve release. Gear! 13 will compile both tracks.
Richard Keelan and Ted Lucas would go on to form Misty Wizards after one more Spike Drivers single 'Strange Mysterious Sounds' / 'Break Out The Wine' on Reprise the following year.
***check out The Misty Wizards review in the archives***
It's about time a label did the good thing and collected the works of The Collectors including their earlier incarnation as The Classics and put together a retrospective CD including all 45 sides and choice album cuts. Perhaps the best Collectors compilation was put together by Edsel but that was in the 80s and it was vinyl only. OK if you're a vinyl freak like me but these days most folks don't have a turntable.
'Lydia Purple' has always been my favourite Collectors song. It's a very haunting tune, almost classical but with that West Coast psych vibe running throughout. It was produced by Dave Hassinger who had previously set the controls for The Electric Prunes. The song was not a band original and they didn't really want to record it but did so at the insistance of Hassinger who claimed it suited their style and they needed a hit. At the band's insistance, session musicians were used and big time Californian players Larry Knechtel and Jessie Erlich were recruited to play piano, harpsicord and cello.
The flip 'She (Will O' The Wind)' is also GREAT and is a band original.
related info: A promo video of The Collectors performing 'Lydia Purple' is currently on YouTube and Giant Crab also recorded the song.
Continuing my folk rock entries this past week or so are the legendary Byrds. This song was recorded in October '65 and is credited to McGuinn/Crosby, although Roger sings lead vocals.
'Wait And See' was included on Side 2 of the album 'Turn Turn Turn'. It's not a song that gets any exposure on Byrds 'Best Of's' but I dig it all the same. Magical 12 string jangle makes this tune a winner.
TIMEBOX - 'Gone Is The Sad Man' (Deram DM219) Nov 1968
Here's what the liners said about The Sparklings. 
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The recordings took place sometime in September 1967, only months after The Beatles had completed the album Sgt Pepper. Fortunately for Simon Dupree & The Big Sound they were able to use the obscure instruments that The Beatles had utilised on Pepper such as the mellotron, finger symbols, woodblocks and they also added the strange wind effects.
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