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.
Bad Luck –Le Motard/ Terre de Feu –self-released 144.018 (19? Switzerland)
“I’m a biker, not a delinquent” goes the chorus of this misplaced slice of not so-hell-bent-for-leather Biker Thug Rock. The fact that the band came from Yverdon a centre for watchmaking in Switzerland rather than Hicksville Oregon or Detroit partly explains their safe positioning. However why does the singer spout theses inanities with such venom, why do the guitars roar louder than any Japanese bike ever could? Why is the performance so bestial and why do they sound like they really MEAN it man?. Information will probably become available soon. A colleague will be posting “information” wanted posters in the local bars in downtown Yverdon. I am sure the single was financed by the local motorbike shop and to add extra Swissness they were also sponsored by the local insurance company! BTW, you could be mistaken in thinking the band was called Moto Systeme, but that name appears to have been the shop.
The likely lads were Guy Niederhauser, Claude-Alain Humberset, Eric Fitze, Cannon Mayerat and Olivier Staempfli. They appear to have been members of the Les Dragons motorcycle club based in Les Tuileries - Shudder…
Now the first thing I have to say, I have a deep love and fascination for The Easybeats. Their UK period is for me a prime example of an artist at the height of its powers (in my opinion from 1966 to 1986 Vanda & Young were on a creative run to matching anything by Brian Wilson, Ray Davies, or Lennon & McCartney).
Now back in March I was in Paris and wandered down Rue Keller to pop into Born Bad.
I looked up and on the wall was a copy of Easy Fever volume 2. This great Aussie Easybeats EP features a perfect running order of Happy Is the Man/ You Me, We Love/ Saturday Night / All Gone Boy . Although released in January 1968 it features the European sleeve of the Good Friday cover.
Now although the record was VG+, the sleeve was very tatty. In fact I was even doubting that it was the original cover, but some sort of composite stuck together. So I passed on it, but then ended up regretting the lack of purchase. So upon my return I scoured ebay as well as having it listed in my searches. I sent emails to various Australian dealers and acquaintances but nothing showed up. Then 2 weeks ago I received and email notification: It had a appeared as a reasonably priced BIN from an Australian dealer:
Yes, BUT…no record, Just a sleeve is great condition. Then I remembered my visit in Paris back in March…
So here I am on the 25th of May back in Paris, only thing is that the guys at Born Bad have broken their partnership up. For some reason the record shop has moved to where the clothes shop was (Rue Saint Sabin) and the clothes shop has moved to where the record shop was in Rue Keller.
So of course I pop record the record shop, hoping the EP was still there, but no...
The guy tells me that the EP was on sale or return and all SOR records are still in the basement of the clothes shop. So I go to the other shop, get soaked in the rain, and lo and behold, they tell me that they no longer have the SOR records!. Aaaargh. However they said the record was likely to be back at the record shop. So, I start to walk back and the street is now closed off by the police, so I have to make a detour and somehow try to find my way back. I get there and after a couple of phone calls, the EP is produced!
On closer inspection, I realise it is in fact an original sleeve, but in very poor condition held together by tape.
Tomorrow I return to London. I expect a package from Australia to have been put through the letter box, and hopefully by 1pm tomorrow, I will have a fine copy of the record and a fine copy of the sleeve for the one of the most perfect EP ever created….
Now why do I do all this may you ask?
BECAUSE I CAN!
Now sing along with me…All Gone Boy, I’m an All Gone Boy…
Tears –Stranger in Town/Ollie –Gazell C286 (1974 Sweden)
Great double-sider culled from the first Tears LP. Ollie has the essence of 1972 Sweet but put through a Crunching Glam blender, while Stranger in Town is a tad more sophisticated but still packs a mighty wallop. Although there were primarily known to have released 3 LPs (the first 2 are essential purchases), it is now becoming apparent that more singles were released at the time. Now, I still haven’t seen proof that the influential God Save The 45 was released as a single…still waiting and hoping for confirmation on that.
Sublime Deluxe –Chose Molle/ Donne-Moi Ton Corps Juste Pour Le Sport –Flamaphone 781807 (1979 France)
Is it Punk? is it Glam? Is it Transgender Plastic Punk? Most certainly and most likely –yes... Featuring loud beefy guitars and affected vocals, Chose Molle is a hilarious take on Wild Thing. Don’t worry if you don’t speak any French, you’ll get it without missing a thing (or chose as the case may be…). The B side is more Plastic than Bertrand ever was - Pogo Pogo Pogo…!
I don’t want to get my fingers too sticky, but at a glance it looks like Sublime Deluxe is in fact the creation of one Claude Puterflam who was in Système Crapoutchik amongst other ventures. Brave lad...
Hear a full version of Chose Molle
Hear a full version of Donne-Moi Ton Corps Juste Pour Le Sport
