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.
Hi As I have picked up quite a few spare singles recently, I'm putting some of them up on ebay over the next few days: If you click on the title it should take you to the items. Already up are Bearded Lady, Capt. Groovy, Brother Susan and Killjoys. You can expect stuff by The Boston Boppers, Sisters, Go Go Thunder, Tiger Lily, Marcus Hook Roll Band and others to go up soon.
Dump –Baby Baby/Annabelle –Fontana 6013061 (1975 French issue)
Dump were a Dutch band from Alkmaar. Formed as The Dallics, following several different line up permutations they changed their name to Dallic Control before ending up as Dump releasing this double whammy Glam Cracker! Baby Baby is based on the kiddy song Alouette, (which explains the Pic cover), but adds heavy boot stomping and ends up sounding somewhat like an unreleased Sisters single. Whereas Baby Baby can irritate due to the repetitive main theme, Annabelle is an absolute corker and totally mad to boot…Starting off with what could be a cool 70’s cop show theme, the track goes completely nuts with phasing, zany backing vocals, a great over production which includes just about everything that could be brought into the studio and a very surprising edit (around the 2:10 mark).They definitely pull it off as the extremely catchy chorus keeps everything together, but you’re still left wondering what exactly hit you… Both songs were written and produced by Piet Souer and Hans Van Hemert who were the head honchos behind countless releases at the time including Mouth & McNeal and Cardinal Point. Hans also produced the first Q 65 album, so pretty Gouda pedigree, nee?
PS: Thanks to Jos for the background info.
Click on title to hear edits of Annabelle and Baby Baby
Although they had a awful name and sported the dodgiest flares, Bilbo Baggins still released some fine singles. Back Home is not quite as good as Saturday Night, but I hope you will enjoy the clip.
Normal service will resume around the 28th of December, in the meantime enjoy the mince pies or whatever cooks your goose…
Propeller were formed by original Rattles members Achim Reichel and Herbert Hilderbrandt and they released this fine single along with a self titled album in ‘71. Apache Woman is pretty raw, earthy and great fun. The lyrics are probably due to them watching too many Winnetou movies (Lex Barker!) with Apache Womenfolk dancing to the Union????, but the brutal stomping is most engaging. Devil’s Symphony is really wild as well with pounding piano in a Sonics kind of way…
Peter D. Kelly –Rock To The Jukebox//Brotherhood Within –DJM DJS.333 (1974 UK)
Loud Crunching Glam Stomper alert! Rock To The Jukebox may be formulaic, but it is great fun with its loud chopping guitars, handclaps and gang show backing vocals: ROCK!!!! The B side is truly horrible, so it would be appreciated if anyone knows if it’s worth seeking out his other singles –Hot Digitty Dog and Hard Road (Is this the Vanda &Young number?)
Downhill Racers –Lovin’ Pots/Lovely Vanessa –Ariola 17678 AT (1977 German issue)
Lovin’ Pots is a very commercial sounding Teen-Glam-Bubblegum number with a wonderfully bright and loud production. It all makes sense when you realise that the J. Lange who wrote and produced the A side is none other that Robert “Mutt” Lange. My guess is that this is a pure studio creation and the group probably didn’t exist. The B side sounds totally unrelated as it’s a delightful Psych/Pop number with more than a hint of Friends or Sunflower era Beach Boys. Written and probably sung by Pete Dello (Ex-Honeybus of I Can’t Let Maggie Go fame), Lovely Vanessa could have easily fitted on the Pete Dello and Friends album.
As I’m feeling a tad seasonal, I am giving away a free single! All you have to do is enter this simple competition..
The first person to name the artist who performs this mystery track, will win one of the singles below.
Choose from: 1) Catapult –Teeny Bopper Band –Pic Sleeve (VG/VG) 2) Bonnie St.Claire –Clap Your Hands and Stamp Your Feet –Pic Sleeve (VG+/ EX) 3) The Barracudas –I Want My Woody Back (2003 Munster reissue) (Mint) 4) Blackfoot Sue –Sing Don’t Speak (VG+) 5) Geordie –Can You Do It (EX)
The artist in question is well known and this perfect Power Pop/Glam track has been a long time personal fave, so it’s a good excuse to upload the full song.
All you have to do is post a comment with your answer along with your choice of single before 2 PM (UK) on Tuesday 19th December. I will then publish all the answers and declare a winner. The winner can then contact me via email (on the profile page) with their address details. I will then post the single on Wednesday.
Sting –Thief Of Baghdad/Stay, Goodbye –EMI C006-95604 (1974 German issue)
Thief Of Baghdad has an imaginative Red Bus production from Roberto Danova (who also had some involvement with Mungo Jerry and Geordie). Opening with a silly opening chant (bubble bubble bubble bah???) the song then shifts into Polka Glam mode until it breaks into a West Coast Sunshine Pop massed choir. There’s a lot crammed into the 2:58 and the result is rather splendid. The songs are written by Howman/Dare who also wrote and produced the last Wishful Thinking single in the 80’s. Apart from that, who knows…
Cobraa –Ride A Pony/The End Of The Day –EMI C006-30443 (1973 Germany)
Ride A Pony is a fun piece of nonsensical Space Rock Glam. Not sure what they were on about with their talk of riding sunbeams and ponies in space and time especially when I’m sure the band had their own Teutonic stallion with hosen schlange zu heimat! Anyhow it’s ends up sounding like a collision between Ride A White Swan and flipped out Bubblegum Krautrock with a cool fuzzed out lead break. Noch einmal und alle zusamen –ride a pony baby…
Ohio Ltd –Wham Bam/ Same –Buddah BOA 386 (1973 US Promo)
4 years after the amazing Captain Groovy And His Bubblegum army single, Kasenetz – Katz used the re-branded Ohio Express franchise to release this superb piece of Hard Glam/Boogie with its Get It On cop. The hooks and overall Bubblegum catchiness remain, but a much harder edge is added making this a real lost classic perfectly in sync with the best JSG singles released around that time.
Canyon –Top Of The World/Boogie Down Broadway –London HLZ 10500 (1975 UK issue)
The production duo then put their clout behind the unique single by Canyon. The approach is similar to Ohio Ltd, but it is now ’75 and we are moving closer to Ram Jam (Black Betty) territory with this fine hard rockin’ number. Not sure of the line-ups on these two singles or if they share any of the same crew, the songwriting credits give no indication of this one way or the other
Click on title for edits of Wham Bam and Top Of The World
OK, before you all go thinking I've lost the plot, please take the time to watch this video. I truly believe that this is one the best Pop promos ever. Go with the flow and enjoy the show... Click on title to watch the video
Click on the titleto go straight to a video of Bonnie and co performing Clap You Hands And Stamp Your Feet surrounded by factory workers with not a single hard helmet in sight. Other videos linked include a live version (80’s??) of the same song, a German version, a great video of Voulez-Vous plus a TV performance of Rocco. Bonnie St. Claire –what a major major Babe…
Hustler –Money Maker/ Boogie Man –A&M 00697511 (1975 Portuguese issue)
I was about to review Buzz’s Itchy Koo Koo, but then thought it was about time to supply some No Nonsense Heads Down Boogie for the weekend …So here you have it! Hustler were B list Boogie merchants and released a couple of albums at the time. Money Maker is probably their stand out track, but a couple of their other singles Get Out Of Me House and Little People are also pretty good. Nothing is superfluous here and Hustler certainly deliver...As the title of their second album says: Play It Loud!
Nimbus –Uriah’s On The Move/ Lollypop –Ariola 12238 AT (197? German issue)
Not sure who these guys are, but I presume they were English. Anyhow both sides are highly enjoyable examples of early 70’s Bubblegum Pop. Uriah’s On The Move is a sprightly number with a good full production (by Chris Andrews).The strings and horns are discreet but they add a nice touch. Lollypop is a pure unabashed Bubblegum treat and it’s hard to decide which song should have been the A side. There’s another Nimbus single on Polydor called All For The Love Of Stephen –anyone know if it’s the same band?
Revolver –But How I Love It/Down Down –Polydor 2041260 (1974? Germany)
But How I Love It is a delightful slab of Bubblegum Glam with an extremely catchy chorus, wisely repeated within the first minute. It’s a fine understated performance with breathy vocals, a simple Wah Wah part and Bolanish Toytown guitar licks. In fact the chorus really recalls T. Rex and I can guarantee that it will ingrain itself into your brain. You will definitely find yourself humming it after one listen in any case. The track loses it a bit with the middle eight, but the chorus is repeated often enough allowing one to easily overlook any slight flaws. The B side is also good, but in a more obvious mid 70’s rock mode.
The previous edit I uploaded was "mono electronically processed for stereo'" AND out of phase! Click on title to get the full stereo version!
It really is HUGE and the 6 hours I spent there were not nearly enough to get through it all and I was only checking out singles... It’s a great fair and a definite must for any record nut. Anyhow I picked up over 40 singles between the fair and Amsterdam. Here are some of the finds: Sandwich –Silly Milly, Nimbus –Uriah’s On The Move, Shabby Tiger –Slow Down, Mal Grey & Flight 56 –Look Out For Love, The Arzenboys –Bump My Head, Smoke –Sugarman, Mike Berry –I’m A Rocker, Zipps –Games People Play, Zig Zig Band –Rock &Roll Tonite, Crush –Today’s A Tomorrow, Worth - Don’t Say You Don’t (Vanda &Young), Gasolin’ –Rabaldersraede, Boston Boppers –Did You Get What You Wanted (Spanish Pic Sleeve), Saft –People In Motion, Bearded Lady –Rock Star, Daddy Cool (nice coupling of Hi Honey Ho and Eagle Rock), plus a slew of Lemming, Catapult, Limousine and Bonnie St. Claire singles. I’ll get back to posting reviews tomorrow probably starting with Revolver –But How I Love It
