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.
Tales –Someone Like You/ Rockin’ Suzanna –MAM 93 (1973 UK)
On the B side of a commercial poppy affair by Roger Holman and Simon May comes this enjoyable Rolling Stones pastiche. Rockin’ Suzanna is a great Jagger mimic job. It has all the Jaggerisms down pat over a Down The Road Apiece/Route 66 chugging machine. Nifty guitar too…Imagine a 1972 Stones track without the smack. I’m not sure if Tales was an actual band or not. Is the Christie credit related to John Christie which could underline a De Sykes connection?
Hi I have just listed 67 singles on ebay in time to replenish the coffers in time for Utrecht. Some pretty nifty titles all with sound clips. Including this cute Glam era update of the Spector sound...
Mongolords –Slight Recession Blues/Pardon Me –Ganesh R 2885 (1974 US)
Slight Recession Blues is a neat novelty lo-fi Boogie ditty with a Punky edge –just think of Savoy Brown mixed in with the Velvet Underground (check the end part…) it also features some cool Stones-like lead breaks. The overall effect is nice and scuzzy. The Mongolords were out Virginia and the singer was 15 at the time but I am not sure if anything else was released. As relevant today as it was then-Yeah Man –KEEPING IT REAL!
Mushroom –(I’m Going Back To) Where I Belong/ Crying For You –HELP ZH 50164 (1971 Italian issue)
With a title like Crying For You, you might expect a soppy boring number, but be prepared for the explosive performance ahead. Bombastic toms introduce this stupendous Bonehead Hard Rocker, it all ends up like a wilder and more primitive Led Zep. The guitars are complete killer and I love the use of slide under the cutting lead breaks. Phew…The A side is not quite at the same level; but Where I Belong is a catchy hash-smoking number featuring more fine guitar interplay Mushroom were from Amsterdam and this was their only release. The line-up: Ed van Steijn (voc, org) Joop van Waveren (gtr) Ton ten Hage (flt) André Koning (b) and Cocky Akkerman (dr). In 1970 Koning was replaced by Wilbert de Gooyer. Steijn and de Gooyer later played in Rembrandt (nothing released). Cocky also played on his brother's first solo LP Talent For Sale, but we won’t hold that against him.
Here’s a real obscurity. The band was probably from Ohio as they recorded at Owl Studios, but queries sent have been left unanswered…Also the date is a bit of a mystery. I would like to think mid-70s, but it is likely to be later. Anyhow Marilyn is a raucous rocker with lo-fi New Wave feel albeit with a mighty bite... Fireball is my favourite of the two tracks it has a Raw Power feel melding Garage and Hard Rock ethics - The drums thump, the vocals screech and the guitars ooze filth. A real killer and heavy performance to be cherished…Please I need info on this cracker!!!!
Hear a full version of Marilyn
Hear a full version of Fireball
Note it has since been confirmed that the single was released in 1974 -more news soon, but in the meantime feast your eyes on this delightful snap of the band
James Hogg –Lovely Lady Rock/Happy Sad –Regal Zonophone RZ 3054 (1972 UK)
Produced by Chris Thomas, Lovely Lady Rock was the first of three singles released by James Hogg (AKA Robert Ashong) on Regal Zonophone. The song itself depends heavily on its high riff content and the neo-Rockabilly cum Hard Rock/Tough Glam approach. It’s a great hard hitting rocker, although perhaps lacking a chorus as the track is full frontal with no real melodic relief. The B side is another tight rocker very much in a similar vein.
Flamin’ Groovies –Shake Some Action/ I Can’t Hide –Philips 6078505 (1976 NL)
It’s not often worth buying a record for its cover alone, but this is an occasion where the sleeve truly justifies the means. It is especially worth it when you consider that this is the Capitol 1973 version with Ron Greco on drums and not the 1972 Rockfield version that can be found on the SSA LP. It’s a mystery as to how this version was used Holland in 1976, was it intended or not? Someone, somewhere should know…
Tales from the vaults…Once known as Bullet, John Du Cann, John Gustafson, Paul Hammond and original singer Harry Shaw, later had to rename themselves Hard Stuff to fend of litigation from a US band of the same name. This version of Jay Time is significantly different from the opener on Bulletproof with extra lead guitar play and different vocal parts, but I can’t say if this is the same version released last year by Angel Air on Bullet's Entrance to Hell compilation. This is part of a small haul of Hard Stuff/Bullet acetates that I recently acquired
Incredible Hog –Lame/Tadpole –Dart ART 2026 (1973 UK)
Funny, I always passed by looking into Incredible Hog. Perhaps this was due to originally mixing them up with the god-awful Blodwyn Pig in terms of name and LP cover art. However Lame distances itself from any Prog Porky leanings with this fine Glam/Hard Rock crossover with finger snapping in lieu of handclaps, but featuring some great HEYs during the stomping parts which also feature some pure Eddie Phillips (Creation) guitar moves. Tadpole is also worth hearing, but is more intricate and hasn’t got the upfront dumbness of Lame. More Porky Prime Cuts to be discovered include much of the Hogback n’ Pig output on CBS.
Although Teddy Palmer, Memories or Fran O’ Toole had notable forays into the Glam field, Ireland never produced much in the way of pure Junkshop genius such as Hector, Pantherman or Daddy Maxfield did on celebrated occasions. The fact is that in order to make a living; many acts depended on the Showband lifeline as was the case here with Tweed. However, there are no horns on 6 Days and it’s a jaunty and pleasing number with a nod to Jeepster and it includes a snappy fuzz part. The production also has a nice line in compression. This was their first single and they later to signed to Polydor with Ed Welch producing one single and Paul Lynton and Jeremy Paul (Hector!) involved on anotherhttp://www.irishrock.org/irodb/bands/tweed.html
The Great Grannies –Sugar Man/Facts of Life –Corridor Records 45-301 (1965 US) Sugar Man falls somewhere between a classic Girl Group sound and a “Girls from The Garage” performance juxtaposing Fuzz with Bee hives up-to-the-mic vocals. It’s an infectious ditty (dum dum ditty) and although not reaching the heights of The Tammys (Egyptian Shumba), it definitely hits the spot in my book. It looks like the band was comprised of 3 sisters and came out of Odessa (Texas). 47 years on they are no doubt grannies in their own right, but as to their current greatness....who can say?
Organised by the same people as Utrecht, the Amsterdam fair is of course smaller in size. However it’s a vibrant fair with a steady stream of buyers with dealers from Germany, France, UK, Belgium (and Holland). Smaller but perfectly formed, 3 hours was sufficient to see what I needed to instead of the usual 30 hours required at Utrecht. So call it a stop gap between November and April...
Not a mind-blowing haul as there was no unsuspecting German dealer with 10.000 singles to jump upon during unloading, however I was pleased to get a good condition copy of BZN’s Rock & Roll Woman, most sleeves you see of that one are always ripped and written upon.
In a few hours I'll be here...nice and early and probably with no sleep. A quick visit tp the Lowlands as a stop gap before Utrecht after the crap as usual VIP Olympia fair in London -Only 1 LP!
Cromwell –Stomp, Stomp, Stomp/Nothing Left To See –Cromwell DOS 118 (1974 Ireland)
Cromwell were a Irish band who released 1 LP and 5 singles at the time with Stomp Stomp Stomp being their 2nd release. They were surely asking for trouble calling themselves Cromwell - pretty Punk Rock in attitude...Music-wise you could call this Bonehead-lite with a touch of Glam, but they probably meant none of it. The bass is loud in the mix and omnipresent. The guitar is more pop, although it does cut through at times, but the drums and vocals are at the forefront of the stomping. All in all there is an exuberance and candidness which is most appealing...not to mention the explosion. Once again they were asking for trouble; another sign of the times...
Bulldog –Emanuelle Nera / Robin Hood –Blue Jean BJ 603 (1975 Italy)
EXPLOITATION-A-RAMA! Ok Black Emmanuelle (Emmanuelle in Africa) wasn’t quite “Debbie Does Cannibal Holocaust”, but it did feature Laura Gemser... Written by Italian singer and B movie soundtrack provider Nico Fidenco, it’s a fun compendium of 70s trash grooves. The B side is where the true Junkshop action resides. Written by ex CasualsAlan Taylor, Robin Hood is a gritty Heavy Glam rocker albeit with tongue caught in a Bubblegum cheek. Alan was also behind the other Bulldog single –the VERY silly Doggy Doggy also on Blue Jean
Rockids -She's A Cartoon/ Young and Sexy - TKO 007 (1979 US)
Also from out of 1979, but lost somewhere between bar band shenanigans, Hard FM Kiddie Bubblegum and Powerpop genius, comes this insanely catchy first single from New Jersey’s Rockids. They had a chorus and certainly knew how to use it...The B side Young and Sexy starts off a bit scarily then becomes some sort of Power Pomp Punk Rocker...Strange. Their other single Candy Kiss is also worth the detour, but it’s She’s A Cartoon which will hook itself into your brain forever. You have been warned...
Blu Maxx - O’ Come All Ye Faithful/ Rev It Up –Brother Studio BS -19 (1979 US)
To start the year here’s a real Powerpop gem of which only 500 were ever pressed.The opening of Rev It Up is one of the most evocative intros ever with twin lead guitars recalling Wowii at their best. The track then turns into a perfect lesson in maximizing the minimum where nothing is superfluous and where a simple chord structure and infectious melody rule the roost. The lyrics spell out SOCAL existentialism Bob Shank:“The whole point of "Rev it Up" was to celebrate the "Southern California Beach Living" lifestyle. Our singer Gary worked in a Surf Shop, was an avid Surfer with hundreds of girlfriends. He looked like a Japanese soldier who wasn't told the war was over. But charisma and charm oozed from his pores...”
The A side O’ Come All Ye Faithful is a punked-out festive ditty akin to The Yobs but with added gritty guitar moves. The track actually received a good amount of local airplay on KLOS and KMET in the Los Angeles at the time“Come All Ye Faithful was on LA FM drive time radio for 3 weeks. We were living the dream...” (BS)
The band line-up was Gary Haraguchi (vocals), Bob Shank (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Bill Shank (Bass), Gordon Sims (Guitar), Carl Jensen, (Drums). Following the single, in 1980 Geoff Guerrero added his Rick 6/12 and Vocals to the mix. Blu Maxx had been in existence quite a few years before their only single BS: “Gordon Sims and I got our roots in instrumental Surf Music. We saw all the heavies .. Dick Dale, BelAires, Chantays, and The Ventures.We saw the change first hand. We were 1967 highschool graduates. We saw Sonny and Cher, the Turtles, Yardbirds, Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. We did a lot of "herbal" jams back then. (Summer of Love). We started BluMaxx because there was a sudden influx of good venues, and sound engineering was coming of age. We felt we had a cool sound that went back to Real Surf Music, not The Beach Boys style, but real South Bay Surf...”
Recorded between 72 and 74 Superman Boogie and Short In My Brain are fully realised proto punk riff-heavy melodic numbers, like The Stooges transplanted to California in a bid to get on the radio. These tracks shine beyond the parameters of the limited recording facilities. BS: “Superman Boogie was my second song written in a herbal haze in 1970. My first was The Family Visits Saturn. A Timothy Leary tribute in 1969...”
Blu Maxx at Pier 52, Hermosa Beach, California -Bob Shank and Gordon Sims
Following Blu Maxx, Bob formed Holy Joe“an Alt Rock experience fashioned on the Garbage model...Leah Sharp was an able front with her Big Voice and Courtney Cox good looks! Today Holy Joe has had new life in Russia and Ukraine...”.Holy Joe was Tim Edmondson, Darren McClung, Leah Sharp and Bob Shank. But what of Blu Maxx?
BS:“I have managed to stay connected with all but Gary. Rumour has it he is living on various sofas in Hawaii!
Holland’s Silence max out on the snotty attitude with this great 2-sider. Mother’s game is tough and crunchy with some amusing lyrics “ I have a cup of tea and a piece of pie..” “I’m riding in a train in vain, yes baby it’s your mother’s game....” (sic). There’s a neat tempo shift at the end with a dual lead which is most effective and probably a Hans Van Hemert touch. Devil Woman is like a proto-punk Communication Breakdown which reminds of Pantherman in its vocal delivery. It also has a spooky middle break and some clumsy drumming. Not much is known about Silence. They were from Dordrecht (home to the Zipps and Inca Bullet Joe –another fine Hans Van Hemert production) and although Hans has good recollections of his Dump or Cardinal Point productions, his recall of these sessions are lost in the mists of time. HvH: I don’t remember anything about Silence, I just have some recognition of the recording...The reason might be that at that time I didn’t feel I was a skilled producer yet….” This appears to be the 2nd Silence release (The Future of Our Sister Felicity being the first?). The recording session took place on the 23rd of January 1971 and also included covers of Gimmie Shelter and Paranoid, but as far as I can see these seem to be unreleased
Rock Co.Co –Rokoko Man/ Happy and Smiling –Polydor 2041516 (1974 Germany)
Rock Co.Co is probably one of the silliest concepts ever. OK, it may be Dorksville Central but the performance and sleeve just reeks of attitude...er not really, but it’s still worth perhaps 30 seconds of your precious time. It’s as corny as a joke in a Xmas cracker. If anyone is churlish enough to slag this one off, just shut up and be amazed by the phasing and the multiple key changes and wonder why The Left Banke never attained such heights and shied away from embracing the concept so fully. PS: I have a spare and 2 other singles by this band...Why? Because I CAN!
Gary Steel Sound –Go Go Girl/I’ve Got A Feeling Coming On –Zel-la JHEPM 131 (1973 UK)
Mesmerising total obscurity from the Midlands... Go Go Girl (sounds like Goo Goo Girl to these ears) is a driving hypnotic rocker of the highest order. The chugging guitar is pure Mick Green (Pirates) tight as can be with a cutting lead break with saxes played like Kazoos. File in the same section as Mr Union Railway Man (Mississippi), Hey Hey Jump Now (One Hit Wonders) and Monopoly’s Gone Tomorrow. The B side is a slower tune with Hammond and striking Wah Wah stabs. The chorus is particularly strong. Zel-La (Zella) was a studio in Edgbaston, but beyond this who knows...
Hear a full version of Go Go Girl
Hear a full version of I’ve Got A Feeling Coming On
Navajo – Frisco Bay/ Love and Hate –Musicor MU 1449 (1970 US)
Jan & Dean –Fan Tan/ Love & Hate –Jan & Dean 11 (1967 US)
No particular reason for this post except for finding this great B side by Navajo. It’s a subdued but captivating little ditty which got me hooked when I first heard a snippet a few weeks back. The near prog stabs add a weird touch, they surprise but are strangely fitting. The single is easy to find cheaply online and the A side is OK too. Love & Hate by Jan & Dean is from one the early post accident sessions, where a recuperating Jan Berry brought in some West Coast luminaries to help bring his hummed vocals and visions to fruition. These sessions have recently been collated by Rhino on the exemplary Carnival of Sounds LP. I originally heard Love & Hate on a double bootleg probably in the early 80s and it never ceases to make me smile. So who wins the battle of the B sides? Does anyone have an acetate of Girl You’re Blowing My Mind for sale by any chance?
5 years on from Painter Man (The Creation), Shel Talmy revisits a similar theme along with I’m An Artist sharing comparable simplistic but to the point chord changes. The outcome is somewhat like a updated melodic Freakbeat outing which is as catchy as hell. The diminished chord under the I’m An Artist refrain is a neat touch and the whole track drives along nicely. The B side Flag is also worth listen as it’s an uptempo rocker with a semi Born To Be Wild riff, but overlaid with harmony vocals and some underlying fuzz. There’s next to nowt to be found on Porky, they were presumably British, but it looks like this single was only released in the US.
Well for once I had a good excuse to be in a foreign land, which allowed me to pick up some singles. Madrid still has a good selection of shops all within walking distance. The institution that is Mellocoton is still up and running. The best finds were down the stairs at Mitrailletta.Bangladesh and Babel are also worth visiting. Our second gig was in Leon and wouldn't you know it, there was a record fair there on Sunday...talk about being blessed.It was a small fair, but I picked up the Armada and Brakaman singles which I was turned onto. Armada has clumsy lyrics that make up part of its charm, but it's an infectious and rocking little ditty from 72.. Brakaman is a heavy one...
Hear a full version of Armada -People (Summer Song)
More singles...Crecent Street Stompers is in fact Moonquake!
The Key single is a good one. A bit like Wish You Were HereBadfinger, but with some intriguing twists and turns. It appears that their 1978 LP was only released in Germany. The single is the lead off track in any case
Spontaneous Corruption –Freaky Girl/Looking Glass of Time –Philips 40528 (1968 US) Released in ’68 this single is a miraculous obscurity by the wonderfully named Spontaneous Corruption. Trogg-like in its snarly sleazy heaviness, Freaky Girl is certainly one of the earliest examples of Pure Bonehead. It has it all from the fuzz to the Neanderthal He Man lyrics and delivery. It’s amazing to think that Philips took a chance with this along with Blue Cheer the same year. Looking Glass of Time is also very memorable, rampant although not quite as intense as the A side, but with an added touch of Psychedelia. Spontaneous Corruption hailed from Ohio and featured Kenny Hamlin on guitar with Danny Sheridan on bass and Ger Giancola on Drums. This was their sole release.
Rain –Rock is Dead (But it Won’t Lie Down)/Life Passes By –Ariola 16013 AT (1975 German issue)
Rock is Dead (But It Won’t Lie Down) is a catchy commercial Pop ditty with an underlying Glam Thump. It’s a typically bright Bickerton/Waddington composition with a performance which would be as much at home on TOTPS as on the chicken in a basket circuit. Rain featured Stephanie De Sykes and Simon May, but the rest of Rain’s output on Bradley’s is somewhat more insipid, so Rock is Dead should be recognised at their defining Purepop moment.
Hear a full version of Rock is Dead (But It Won’t Lie Down)
The last day and another 5 hours going up and down the aisles on a mopping up operation. Although an obvious purchase, it was time I actually bought my 2 favourite Outsiders singles. Big Jeffries is in fact the Belgian Jeffries who's 1974 single I reviewed a few weeks back.http://purepop1uk.blogspot.com/2011/11/jeffries-do-you-feel-allright.html Definitely a fat Elvis vibe...
So all in all another good trip to Utrecht -roll on April!
Another pretty good haul today, including one biggie...
Highlights include a German issue of The Revolution of EmilianoZapata's Nasty Sex with the aptly named Shit City on the B side. You don't normally equate Noel Redding with BubbleGlam, but Rollercoaster Kids is like The Carvells covering Cockney Rebel! Again The French Hector combines the A sides of both UK singles, a clever idea!
Holland had the great idea of having the entire Halo of Flies (Love It To Death) on a single. Found both the UK and German copies of the Trevor White at Da Capo. Since the tragic death of owner Michel, the shop has stayed open and it's still well worth a detour. The Silence single is killer with Devil Woman riffing it out in fine Communication Breakdown fashion nicely produced by Hans Van Hemert...
