Reviews of tasty and obscure hook-filled rock'n' roll releases (Glam, Heavy Bonehead Crunchers, Powerpop, Pop/psych,Garage, Surf, 60s Girl Group Rock)...Plus any quirky musings that tickle my fancy...
I created this blog in order to stimulate interest, share discoveries and encourage people to go out and search for the original vinyl. Hopefully this blog might also encourage labels to actually compile some of this stuff officialy.
Very sad to hear about the passing of Roger Cook. For readers of this blog he will forever be associated with the wild high energy slab of madness which is Cut Loose
He was so much more than this though. He made a fortune with Paul Raymond along with his career in comics - read the fine obituary here
More than anything he was a lovely and approachable guy.
He was happy and helpful when it came to featuring Cut Loose on Bonehead Crunchers 3 and having the single reissued in on a small label back in 2016.
It was so cool of him to pick me up in his green Bentley and to spend an afternoon at his his plush residence in Spain. He had a recording studio set up and was still actively involved in music with the Spanish version of X Factor.
Chorish (Sherish?)– Big Daddy – Emidisc Acetate – 27/06/1974 (UK)
Total mystery time, there’s absolutely nothing found about this anywhere. I thought at first that this would be an ode to the 70s wrestling star, but no, it's just some eager young ladies waiting for a big daddy to shake ‘em and take ‘em...
Production-wise it bears some similarities with the Angels Of Islington, but on a more adult theme
The production is actually spot on (3rd mix!). So who is this and who is behind it? Sounds like another hit that wasn’t even given the chance to be heard
Khristian Young – Boadicea/Sayonora – Surrey Road Records -PSR115 (1973 UK)
Khristian Young’s Boadecia is a hitherto unknown entry in the Junkshop Glam/Proto Punk cannon. The points of reference are that Barry Rolfe released a different version of Boadicea on the B side of his Beam Me Up Aboard Mr. Spock single.
The producer is one Bob Bloomfield who officiated across both releases.
I believe that Khristian is in fact Barry Rolfe. The Khristian Young version is much more cutting, but somebody forgot about the bottom end. It probably has the tinniest sound you will ever find, so it’s up to you to play with the equaliser!
Khristian’s version also has an extra snotty, sneering Punk delivery compared to the Barry version. I have added the Barry version to the video for comparison. The B side Sayonara is an earlier version of Molly Molly (B side of Look The Business). It has a wider sound with proper EQ, it’s a real driving slab chugging Glam. The backing is provided by Britania (here spelt as Brittannia) who released the Glamster Right Down The Line on EMI. All releases have the same publisher (Golden City Music) involved.
So there you go – is the case convincing that this is Barry Rolfe? He was good at playing ruses as he was also known as Nicky Rolfe on the 2 Bell releases.
Hear full versions of both Boadiceas and the B side Sayonora (in that order)
The Huntingtons – You Lose, I Win/ Is There a Way – Highland Records 1167 (1965 USA)
Now here is a real moody gem which seems to be completely under the radar. The performance on You Lose, I win exudes a real sense of doom and despair. The instrumentation is dramatic and the backing vocals sound like an open invitation to suicide with the vocalists appear ing to have already taken quite a few Mogadons to ease into the ride. There’s definitely a Surf reverb feels on the guitar, so this must be the first example of Surf Goth...
The B side, Is There a Way is slightly more upbeat in a Beatles kind of way, but the interplay between the acoustic and Fender/Mosrite guitar is very impactful and sounds like a stereo idea in a mono world…
At least 2 members - Joe Aguayo, Ray Luna were school friends at Huntington Park High School (class of ’63), so there is no relation to the other Huntingtons on Wasp or Yorkshire
Joy through despair!
Here a full version of You Lose, I Win/ Is There a Way
The 11 of the 11th is the day when the area goes
nuts in a very Dutch way…
But the record fair seems to take place each year over the
same weekend
So a more subdued affair at the fair, still some nice pieces
including the great Motions single. The Bugs are on the B side of the rather
weird Strangler in the Night.
So back to Den Bosch then for the mighty fair. The lay out is different for the November fairs as more dealers take part so it gets spread out over 2 immense halls. It seems were are talking about 700 dealers (compared to 500 in April)?
Hall 1
Hall 2
One of the benefits is that there is a wider variety of stuff to be found, the downside…well there is a wider variety of stuff to seek out!
A good first day, with one key want now happily owned. Yes we are talking about the Swinging Machine. I never noticed how it resembles The Squires Going All The Way. Especially nice to get it at a very reasonable price.
Another great one where I probably paid a bit over for was The Sevens.
The Green Beans in its glorious pic sleeve was another top find, in near perfect condition.
A fun one is the Stach De RolA Danish only single – or Prince Stash (Prince Stanislas Klossowski de Rola) friend of the Stones, a Swinging London happening and now a TIKTOK star.
Anyway a good first day. Saturday might be a bit more measured then I expect a return to quantity on Sunday. We’ll see…
Starlust – Lost N Found – Reminder Records REM 20 (US 2023)
Finally a release that tells the tale of the Steve Starlust saga with tracks recorded between 77 and 1980. After so many years was it worth the wait?
Read on…
The first side is a revelation as it features performances that remained unreleased until now .The chugging Sad Anita that opens the set can be considered a supremely melodic Cars number with a sprinkling of Velvet Underground New York sleaze. Tightrope Line continues in a similar vein with some great guitar interjections. The energy levels are then upped for Evil Woman which is fine riff rock comfortably poised within its Tuff Darts, Demons or Brats setting. I’m Going Home again fits perfectly with a near Heartbreakers vibe. You Are The Only breaks the pace and is a calmer spot which jangles and swoons to the senses. This proves to be a short respite before the wild and invigorating No Time For Love concludes this near perfect side.
If these tracks had been released at the time its repercussions would have been felt far and wide
Side 2 culls the four tracks released between 77 and 1980 as by Starlust and The Grapplers. All 4 of these tracks have increasingly been recognised by collectors and hip groovers as bona fide winners. I therefore refer you back to my initial reviews of these 2 platters.
As well as these 4 performances you will find another unreleased tune Just For One Night which feels a bit more intricate with more overt AOR leanings but still firmly positioned on the rougher edge of that spectrum
I am really glad that my initial review of The Starlust single led to Steve getting in touch with me with the next obvious step of introducing Steve to Jeremy @ Reminder which was the natural home for getting this stuff finally released. The package is also great with the sadly now bearded Collin Makamson writing the erudite liner notes.
Before buying the vinyl you can check out all the songs on the album here
Eskees – I’m Free/I Sure Miss My Friends – Self- release (US 1975)
Here’s a real obscure one, but a really great track that veers between riff rock, Glam and Powerpop. They certainly knew how to recognise and maximise a hook to its best effect with slashing guitars
The band were based in Las Vegas, but were an outgrowth of a band called The Esquires (yes, yet another one) from Belvidere, Illinois. The Esquires released the Am I To Blame / Pretty Little Blue Girl single on Feature in 1967. Pat Glass who wrote both sides, joined the Esquires in 1969, then moved to Las Vegas with the band changing its name to Eskees.
So that was it - the 3rd edition of the Den Bosch fair. It was a good fair, perhaps not quite a buzzy as November's, but that is often the case. Great stuff though
So I walked 77,138 steps, spent too much money and came back with some great titles.
I have now definitely made the jump emotionally from Utrecht to Den Bosch. The Thursday outdoor Utrecht fair is REALLY rubbish, cheap shit and clueless chancers, so I will refrain from stopping off at Utrecht on the way.to Den Bosch again. Utrecht you are now dead to me
What is missing from Den Bosch are large hotels within a short walk of the fair. Utrecht had the NH and Park Plaza where there was a great amount of socialising with other buyers and sellers. In Den Bosch everyone is spread out.
I ended up staying in a converted convent, that was actually really cool, however a 32 minute walk from the fair.
So the last day
Pick up of the bunch is the French Love EP. Old shop stock with the tab (languette) and seamingly unplayed, paid a bit too much, but it's now done.
Swedes...The Shakers improve on Thee Stones' original - still desperately missing Who Will Buy (These Wonderful Evils).
and a few Yanks... The UK McCoys demo is a highlight
One For The Boys was produced by Miki Dallon in the UK and shares similarities with contemporary singles such as Getting Hungry by Big Boy Blue as it features slight Barron Knight inflections without forsaking its Irish pedigree “The crack…”.
Now I had never heard the B side before and Salt Away is a revelation with a fully bloodied raucousness recalling acts like The Sensation, Brother Susan and other 1974 crunchers
Cold Touch – Ride to Live, Live to Ride – Splattered Records -Splat 30 (US 2022)
A few years back I was sent an obscure Gold Star acetate that set many a tail wagging.http://purepop1uk.blogspot.com/2018/06/cold-touch-ride-to-live-live-to-ride.htmlThe singer then gotin touch with me and once I heard there were further recordings, I contacted Reed at Splattered Records, as I knew this could be right up his street
Heavy and not so ‘umble, these lost recordings by Cold Touch hit the spot and would be positioned high in the Bonehead Parthenon. The recordings are basic but of high quality, rough with just the right amount of ready
The opening trio of Ride to Live, Greasepaint Widow and Derailed Ladies (what a great title!) set the scene of much of what is to come. Again, as demonstrated on the acetate singer Barry has an inimitable garble-warble which is quite remarkable in its uniqueness and character.
His vocal delivery is in perfect fit with the heavy powerful Thudding that underlines these gems. Land of The Foxes has a Love It To Death Alice Cooper feel to it.
Side 2 is more of a mixed bag with a saxophone which tarnished the acetate version of Ride to Live, making further appearances. I have always had an aversion to men sticking things in their mouths and blowing on them, although I am partial to a bit of harp – go figure! There are still gems on the 2nd side including Rock n’ Roll Star which somehow reminds me of Mogan Davis and His Winos! The 2nd side also includes several alternative versions of some of the best tunes from side one, however often derailed by the sax
If some of these songs had come out at the time, people would be clamouring about them in the same way as Seompi, Supachief or Purple Sun. If this album had been released privately back then it would certainly be commanding four figure sums nowadays.
All in all it’s still an essential release and full marks to Splattered records for releasing this, however for some reason there are no liner notes or any information on the band line ups or recording dates.
I was glad to have stuck around on Sunday as I made some great deals, often knocking off 50% on many items I was looking at over previous days
Perhaps the icing on the cake is The Emeralds - UK copies were housed in Dutch printed sleeve, such a cracker I only discovered a few months ago
Some other nice titles at reasonable prices
And yet more spares for my next list
So all in all, I think Den Bosch is making good sense. Things are different, so many of the old dealers and no longer present. 2 years of COVID and the change of location has meant that many old favourites have jumped ship. However there is some promising flesh blood, so it's all looking good for the future
Today, picked up a few singles, then got a lift for a furtive glance to check what was going on at The Collector/Antique fair at the old Jaarbeurs location.
Although there is a dedicated area for records/CDs, there were no more than 5-6 dealers, I still managed to pick up that elusive 2nd Belfast Gypsies EP at a bargain price
A good score at Den Bosch were these really clean Tages singles. The sleeves are usually in rough condition as the paper is very fragile.
along with some US titles.
Tomorrow I will be back at the Den Bosch fair, to make a few offers on some singles I had my eye on, then train-plane-home with my aged cheese and records
A pretty good day, no mind-blowing finds, but a fine and varied collection.
It started with a bit of Bootboy merriment
Then picked up some nice 60s stuff...Didn't know The Buffaloes
Perhaps the best find was this Tony Brook and The Breakers single, pretty wild stuff for 64
Some more 60s singles. Love that Kink's Party Line and the Johnny Kid (without patch) is also from Norway. The Portuguese Renegades features Thirteen Women. Got a nice upgrade on the Randy Fuller
....and finished off with a bit of Glam, mostly spares for my next list
The Den Bosch fair is just under a 30 minute walk from the City centre, so did 20.000 steps today and I now feel at least 14,000 of them. Had my eye on a few more singles, and still more to wade through tomorrow
So here we go again, now for the 2nd time of the "Utrecht" fair is at its new location in Den Bosch.
Stopped off at Utrecht for the outdoor fair. There seems to have been a change, several of the regular dealers (those with the more interesting singles) seem to have given up. Some hearsay of disagreements with the organisers...
So it was mainly cheap/overstock LPs and 1 euro singles which seemed to be on display here on the way to landfill
However I found the Sheephouse single with the rare Danish sleeve. Basically a few UK copies found their way to Denmark and a sleeve was produced locally. I had been after the sleeve for 15 years, so a nice surprise. Such a cracker with/without the sleeve
Last April, following the first visit to Den Bosch, I felt the jury was still out about the new location. Since the cancellations due to COVID and the full implementation of Brexit (hardly any UK dealers anymore) things are certainly different. Will report back each day
Kevin Buckingham – Paradise/Take Me Back – MA 7218- Self Release (AUS 70s)
Here’s a totally obscure Aussie release that was worth uncovering. First thoughts it sounds Welsh, well it’s got that Dave Edmunds chug doing on as well as a melodic Glam overlay reminding of another Welsh combo, The James Hogg Band (Everybody Smile). Albatross’s Rock and Roll Boogie Man also come to mind.
Although it has low production values, the performance really cooks and features not 1, nor 2, but 3 lead breaks!
Update: Kevin Buckingham was the guitarist for Melbourne-based band Dave and the Derros.
The A side is pleasant 70s Pop, a bit like a rural Pilot.
Kevin – where are you and do you have a better condition copy?
Han Shake – It’s Revolting – Pye Acetate (UK 1971/72?)
With a title like It’s Revolting, you probably expect a no holds barred Proto Punk venom spewing Trasher, but in fact you get something quite different. Han Shake (who him/they?) serve(s) up a breezy, catchy but driving ditty. Kind of like McGuiness Flint meets Badfinger with a touch burgeoning Glam. You can easily imagine the same tune in full raucous Junkshop trappings, instead of its stripped back low-key delivery. No idea at all who this could be, but it sounds like it belongs in 1971/72. The answers might be out there…
So today I returned to the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht instead of a 3rd day at the Den Bosch fair. Utrecht is half way between Den Bosch and the airport, so made a stop over for old time sake
In truth I had rumours that there would be some records as part of the general collector fair. I was even told that one dealer had 100.000 record on show
Well that was true on both counts. One area of the fair was taken over by a gated area where there were at least 100K records. However the whole approach was more like a supermarket/ prison, the staff all wore the same branded tops and what about the records? Well...
I spent about 20 minutes going through the alphabetised singles, went from W to S and found ZILCH
It was mainly 80s stuff, totally over-priced and crap that should be destined to landfill
Leaving the area in disgust, I then stumbled upon 3-4 dealers scattered around the main hall and found some nice stuff
Of particular note is The Riats. How did a Dutch band n 1967 end up recording 2 Velvet Underground tunes from the first album.
Although I missed the emotional and social buzz of Utrecht fair when I was at Den Bosch, I will reserve judgement in term of its merit and how special it might become. Change is never easy, so let's see what happens in November