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.
Tom Hartman –Sunshine Woman/A Little More –Stateside 006-92595 (1971 Portuguese issue)
Sunshine Woman is a real killer single by the erstwhile Aerovons main man and is quite a departure from the usual Beatles/Aerovons fair one would expect. Starting off with pure Jumping Jack Flash riffage, the loud track then gallops along is fine fashion, until it stops dead in its tracks only to be re-launched with real panache with some blistering lead guitar. The song’s brevity and catchy chorus all add in making this a real Fuzz Rock classic. A Little More is closer to what you might expect as it is in line with his previous Abbey Road excursions...Watch out for a very obvious Beatles steal in this one.
So...the last day. Time for one last 5 hour circuit to get around all the dealers. Picked up the last batch and then home Today's crop: Tinsley -My Brother Mary. Released on Pye in '71, imagine the Kinks singing about cross-dressing in 67 rather than 1970. Nice one Tom Hartman -Sunshine Woman. Belting melodici fuzz rocker by the Aerovons singer in 1971. Really really good -review soon Carl Simmons & Rockhouse -Everthing's Alright. He who recorded Madeline (as by Dick Turpin) in revamp of old Mojos tune.OK-ish MC5 -Kick Out The Jams -French pic sleeve Easybeats -Music Goes Round My Head. Back by Goo Times in nice Dutch sleeve Quartet -Joseph -OK Psych Prog with John Kongos like number on flip
A day of consolidation, not a mass buying spree. The trains weren’t running to Utrecht due to a fire, so the fair was more subdued today. Let's see what tomorrow brings...
Patty Flabbies’ Coughed Engine-Billy’s Got A Goat –fun Bubblegum –Resnick and Levine...
Ransome Head -Sing –the intro fuzz is devastating, then the level drops somewhat...
Slowload-Big Boobs Boogie –Future Fruit Eating Bear in full frontal stoopid boogie masterpiece
Stevie Wright –Evie parts 1, 2, 3- Nice Dutch sleeve
The Heartbreakers –No Scene At All –OK Kiwi Pub Rock/Pop on Vertigo
Elliott” they asked me to be the next Dylan, but I refused and they chose Springsteen instead”Murphy –Last of The Rock Stars. Still a great song in nice French pic sleeve
OK, so I set the time for 6am on my alarm in order to get to the fair for 7am, but somehow I didn’t actually set the alarm...so I slept until after 9am. In fact it doesn’t matter at what time you arrive...there is just so much to find. Anyhow I WILL set it for 6am tomorrow. We’ll see what happens... A nice bunch of records today: Buzz –The Rock Roller Coaster. Never knew that there was a UK release. Supposedly Geoff Appleby forbade it being released in the UK and it was thought that it was only released in Germany –NOT true! Heart –Hang On. Their first single Shakane –Down Down Down Shakane –Love Machine Mersey Kids –Keep on Rockin’ –Love this one. Melodic French pop rocker lost in time... Matchmakers –Thank You Baby, Baby Make Me Happy -2 singles by the Mark Wirtz led Bubblegum merchants Crabby Appleton –Go Back –Heavy powerpop with Michael Fennelly. To be shelved next to my French copy Lee –Come on Back To Me –companion to their Back in the USA single by a UK/ Belgian combo who supported the NY Dolls back in ’73. The full story coming soon. Crossbones –Shakin’ All Over Jeronimo -He Ya –adequate cover of JJ Light tune Shocking Blue –Good Times. One of the last (or the last?) single by this Dutch rock institution. Good cover of The Easybeats tune Nightmare –Great Balls of Fire –German pic sleeve Beano –Little Cinderella –nifty German sleeve Dummy –Dummy Boy –Camp Nederglam. The Bear Brothers –Red Shoe Trucken/ Bondiago –Great German pic cleeve. God these guys were proud of their look... Big Wheel –Shake a Tail Feather –French pic sleeve Casuals –Tara Tiger Girl –nifty German pic sleeve on this more Move than The Move ace track. Les Sauterelles –Station on Third Avenue –Swiss band covering the unreleased (at the time) Easybeats classic Sandwich –Kookie –nice purple vinyl on this bubblegum high point from the Silly Milly Krauts Hush –Oh Me, Oh My –later German issue (1976) with different B side BZN –Rolling Around The Band –very Creedence... City Surfers –Powder Puff +Beach Ball -2 fine mint copies. Ace Surf/ Hot rod creations by Terry Melcher with Jim Mcguinn involvement Bismarck –Shotgun Express –good N’ Heavy Marz –Slow Train –fine Kraut Boogie UFO –Prince Kajuku –I have a certain fondness for early UFO, haven’t owned this one since I was 12... Big Secret – Ride Captain Ride –Enry and July on cute dance Glam number The Equals –I can See But You Don’t Know –Cracking Freakbeat De Cylinders –I Wanna Get Married –nice original on CNR of this Dutch Powerpop classic Mammoth –Hanna Banana –the B side is more than a steal of Little bit of Soul Matchbox –Don’t Shut Me Out/ Rod –Nice German pic sleeve, Crazy B side Mick Jagger –Memo from Turner –again another fab German pic sleeve Beagle –The Things That We Say –from 1992!!!! I still like their first album and why not have this track on a 45? Long Tall Ernie And The Shakers –Motor Man EP. Been looking for this for 3 years. Finally... Killing Floor –Call For The Politicians. Good heavy Boogie call to arms The Times –Sexy Lady –like a more meaty Bay City Rollers... Choc –I Want You To Be My Girl –never seen this Dutch pic sleeve before on Pink Elephant Bonnie St. Claire –Knock On My Door/ Do You Feel Alright. What is an Utrecht fair without a bit of Bonnie? Lovely knitted outfits on this German pic sleeve. The B side should have been the A side in my humble opinion –you be the judge:
And so it begins... As far as pre-fair goes, the usual visit to Da Capo was on the menu. As I now have a Netbook and portable record player with me...I give you the sights and sounds as they happen –talk about dedicated!
Fandango –High Class Girl –Good pseudo Glam production by Tony Atkins (Galahad etc...) Mandi Wilson –Ray of Sunshine –echoey Girl Pop. Nice motorbike sleeve Teenager –Baby Hold On –Dutch Pop Blue Swede –Silly Milly –BuggleGlam –same track as by Sandwich The Biggles –Paula –Interesting moody number. Both tracks written by Corgan (as in The Booby Trap single) , which is in fact a pseudonym for Jaap Eggermont, Joey Valentine –Going To The Movies –Bright Glam/Eurovision crossover Lally Stott –Jakaranda –Good groove on A side, while the B side is a real popsyke opus Napoleon Jones –Lazy Love –Spectorian Soul with 74 tendencies Johnny Prowse –Days in September. On the Bumble label, the B side steals the show in fine Kinks fashion Strange Bros Show –Right On – Feldman/ Gottehrer...not much more to report Linda Kendrick –Sympathy for The Devil –Intruiging take on the Jagger/Richards Satanic majesty –see review elsewhere on the blog Girlie –Hello Hello. The perfect mix of Luv meets The Runaways...
Here we go again... ready to immerse myself into the comforting madness which is Utrecht...I'll be able to report back while I am out there...so watch this space!
BTW, I went to the Olympia "Mega " VIP Fair in London on Sunday...and after 3 hours, I didn't find a single record...
King Harvest –Jumping Jack Flash/ Jumping Jack Flash Part 2 –RCA 101922 (1971 Aus)
No, NOT the Dancing In The Moonlight mob, but a bunch of Melbourne Freaks led by a Kiwi singer...The A side is a fine raucous version of JJF with a reptilian slimy vocal and tight/yet loose backing. The guitars start to cook on the A side, but the real guitar freak-out feast is to be found on Jumping Jack Flash Part 2 with killer Wah Wah which pretty much approaches Fun House mode. King Harvest was around long enough to actually release 2 singles, the first being a cover of Wichita Lineman, god knows about that one -the mind boggles...King Harvest were fronted by singer Leo de Castro with Jim Doyle, Duncan McGuire, Mark Kennedy and Steve Yates
Volt Rush Band –Love To You/Love’s Gone Today –Red Rock 101 (1977 US)
Try a blindfold test on this one...The fuzzed up guitars could place the recording in Texas circa 1967 (there is a mention on the web of this sounding like The Moving Sidewalks –which is true), the energetic vocals and lead guitars have a certain Detroit 1970 feel to them and the recording techniques and energy levels come close to an undiscovered 76 Punker. Anyhow during its short running time, Love To You pulverises with its dual blitzing lead guitars, cutting riffage and high velocity delivery.There is no information to be found on this act, the B side is soft rock and has no relation to the A side- there is nothing quite like lost love to deflate a performance... Information please!
Donnydale-Thank Goodness For The Rain/ Oh Yeah –Pioniyo Pio 1 (1970 US)
Late California bummer-in-the-summertime pop/rock from an L.A. duo whose stylistic atavism certainly ran deeper than their haircuts, smiles and paisley shirts... While recent comparisons to Big Star aren’t necessarily off-base given the crunchy guitars, druggy production and label name (Pioniyo is the Native American term for sacred, ceremonial peyote), any attempt to brand Donnydale as early purveyors of Power Pop is definitely a revisionistic reach, miscasting the band as something they almost certainly were not.
This is not to say there is still not much to enjoy in the slightly cloudy downer sounds that make up Donnydale’s lone single (the mellotron is a really nice touch). It is, instead, to say that what these guys were likely aiming for was a sound more closely attuned to the styles of Laurel Canyon than say Ardent Studios, not that it matters and not that it makes Oh Yeah any less hummable. Thank Goodness For The Rain has its merits too, not least the similarity between its guitar line and the Move’s China Town. More coincidence, unless Donnydale are/were actually time-travelers...
Many thanks to Collin for the review and for alerting me to this jewel allowing a pre-emptive purchase!
Hear a full version of Thank Goodness For The Rain
The Boppers –Dancing in Rocket City/ Cleveland Dolls –Kare KS 106 (197? US)
Get in line for The Boppers Invasion! Another great but unknown single from the 70s... Dancing in Rocket City is a short and succinct bopping Bubblegum Pop/rock number with fun space bleeps and the track is as catchy as it is cute. The Boppers certainly had something of a Stones fixation as exemplified by the lyrical content on the A side and the Gimme Shelter lead guitar moves on the B side - Cleveland Dolls which rocks out more and perhaps gives a clue of the band’s provenance. The Kare record label was run of Columbus Ohio and although still listed in the business directory, the phone number is now disconnected. So any other source of info on this band out there?
