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
I'm off to Holland tomorrow, spending Saturday at the record fair in Utrecht. Hopefully I'll return with a mountain of garish picture sleeves...In any case, I don't expect to post anything before Tuesday. In the meantime -take care! All the best Robin
The Mad Hatters –The Humphrey Song/Loving You Ain’t Easy – Epic S EPC 4151 (1976 UK)
The Mad Hatters were in fact Mike Batt with Chris Spedding and this song was based on a very popular 70’s advert for Unigate Dairies. The Humphreys were red and white straws (or more probably milk drinking elemental spirits) who “humphreyed about” nicking other peoples’ cow juice. Mike Batt beefed up his original Humphrey March into this very weird single that somehow adds its own sinister spin. The chorus and the near subliminal ghostly whispers are positively eerie … Here is a link to more information on the original campaign including some videos of the original adverts: http://www.trp.dundee.ac.uk/images/humphrey/humphrey.html
Watch out, watch out, watch out, watch out –there’s a Humphrey about!
Stud Leather – Cut Loose/ Emma Louise –Seabird 63002 (1974? French issue)
OK, you’ve got to look beyond one of the most ugly sleeves ever as Cut Loose is a frenetic primitive Punker powered by slap-back echoed drums, raw guitar and a simplistic piano pounding. The track builds and builds and the vocals get wilder, ending in near hysterics. The track finally turns into a wild cacophonous Freak Out concluding in a final explosion…Hallelujah indeed - it’s totally bonkers! The B side is more like a late 60’s mild Psych Pop number and is a haven of sanity in comparison. Again not much of an indication who this was. The single was released on Dart in the UK and both tracks were written by Roger Cook and Alan Kerkham. Thanks to Ryohei of Warehouse in Japan (http://www.ware-h.com) for doing a trade for this.
Matayo –Matayo/ I like Rock ‘N’ Roll – RAK 222 (1975 UK)
Matayo is in fact Paul & Barry Ryan and this gem of a track is hidden on the other side of a truly ghastly Disco-Funk workout. I guess The Arrows beat them in the title race; so here they only LIKE Rock ‘N’ Roll whereas you can only really love or hate it… I like Rock ‘N’ Roll is a Rocker, but it really takes you somewhere else entirely as well. The strange and eerie production is superb –the massed choir and churchy organ are positively drowned in reverb and give the song a real hypnotic feel. Somehow I think of The Raspberries on Quaaludes or it could have fitted on that first Eric Carmen album if only Eric was hanging out with Alex Chilton at the time. The organ drone is perhaps Paul Ryan’s touch as he went for a similar effect on his Natural Gas single (Maple Annie MA 107), but whoever was responsible, kudos are due all round. Paul and Barry Ryan released another single under this pseudonym –Can anyone recommend it?
I didn’t have the heart to edit the track, so click on the title to enjoy it in its full glory!
Thomas Dean –Oh Babe/ Same –Privilege PVA 7001 (1974 US)
Released on TerryManning’s Privilege label, Oh Babe is a fine slice of US Anglophile Glam. Thomas Dean is in fact Thomas Dean Eubanks who was in Rock City with future Big Star members Chris Bell and Jody Stephens (the Rock City album was issued on Parasol a couple of years ago). Oh Babe is pure T.Rex meets Memphis Tennessee, the vocals and attitude are true Brit, but the addition of the Memphis horn arrangement after the solo drops the track somewhere in the Mid Atlantic. My copy is a promo, but the regular B side Try A Little Harder can be found on the Rock City CD and sounds like an outtake from Big Star’s Radio City album.
Warwick –Let’s Get The Party Going/How Does It Feel –RAK 211 (1975 UK)
Once again I was alerted about this single in an issue of BompMagazine over 30 years ago! I still cherish those magazines as they have turned me on to so many great releases and those reviews still stand as a great benchmark of quality and taste. Anyhow Let’s Get The Party Going is a sumptuous Glam update of the Wall of Sound, to my ears it would have been a great follow up to Hello’s Star Studded Sham single as produced by Phil Spector. The sound is wonderfully full with its mass of strummed acoustics over which the power chords shimmer and shine. The wonderfully deep toms sound like timbales and the bed of backing vocals surround and support the fine lead vocal and you are left with a breathtaking-goose-bum- inducing all time classic. It’s truly a crime that it didn’t get the airplay at the time and become the huge hit it deserved to be.
Lady is an OK rocker in a Free/ Humble Pie sort of way, but It’s the B side where the interest really lies. The title makes you think of an obscure Freakbeat/ Psych number, but as it’s from 1973, we are left with the equivalent: An obscure Glammed up obscurity. The vocals recall Sweet at times and the obligatory handclaps are there, but there is a weirdness in the arrangement and production that envelops the performance ( dig those vary-speeded vocals) and drops the song into some sort of Psych/Glam mish-mash. The poppy chorus is more like a middle 8 and only happens once after the solo, the song then turns into Be Bop A Lula and you’re left wondering what the hell it was all about! Another period curio produced by Kaplan Kaye.
Puzzle –Houla/ Do You Feel The Pain –Jam 1 (1972 UK)
Do You Feel The Pain is a 60’s style Garage Punker with a Farfisa or Vox Continental organ to the fore. Again it’s one of those out-of-sync-with-the times releases in the same bag as The One Hit Wonders “Goodbye” or Just Plain Jones' “Crazy Crazy”. Do You Feel The Pain is a bit restrained and doesn’t quite set the world alight, but at least it rocks out more than The Inspiral Carpets! The A side Houla kind of reminds me of The Hombres’Let It All Hang Out or The Yachts with a little Steam added in. This seems to be the first ever release on Jam and it’s produced by Kaplan Kaye. Expect some more from him soon…
Click on title for snippets of Do You Feel The Pain and Houla
The Electric Banana –Groovy Baby Bubblegum Music/I’ll Have to Live My Life Without Music –RCA 1931 (1970 UK)
And so on to something sweet and ever so sickly to start the weekend off… Groovy Baby Bubblegum Music is suitably emasculated and tries hard to push all the right buttons- It certainly does what it says on the tin! Sure it grates, but you can’t ignore its smarmy charm –or can you? Anyhow both sides a written and produced by one Anthony King. I presume it’s a UK production as the B side is published by RAK, but I can’t find any other clues on this release. To compensate, I promise to Ying the Yang and find something extremely hard and heavy for the next review!
Sparky –(Do You Remember That) Summertime Woman/You Gotta Have It Sometime –UK Records UK 16 (1972 UK)
The question is-how much more Troggs can you get? The answer is none more…Summertime Woman is simply an incredible Troggs facsimile from 1972 (even though it sounds like’66). It has that same pervy reptilian crawl that permeates some of the best releases from Reg and co. The Ocarina may replaced by a bluesy harp, but the illusion is perfect. The other side is also cool with its Gonna Make You vibe and blistering lead break.
Dust –Rebound/Pieces -20th Century Records BTC 1009 (1975 UK)
Not to be confused with the US power trio (with Mark Bell) of the same name, this version of Dust was possibly from Wolverhampton. Rebound is a fresh sounding slice of Glam Pop with more than a nod to 10CC (check out the Rubber Bullets rhythmic chug and the backing vocals).The single has a great production by Tony Atkins, who’s name has been appearing frequently on many recent purchases (Galahad, Thunder Road etc…) and is becoming something of a trade mark of quality or at least a name to look out for. Not as boisterous as other Black country Glam merchants, Rebound is a fine Pop tune –enjoy!
Capt. Groovy And His Bubblegum Army –Capt. Groovy And His Bubblegum Army/ Dark Part Of My Mind –Super K AZ 10694 (1969 French issue)
This is an insanely great release from the Kasenetz –Katz stable (with a little help from Ritchie Cordell). I read a review of this single in an old Bomp over 30 years ago and it’s only now that I got a copy and it’s even better than I imagined. The A side is a fuzzed up heavy Bubblegum killer tune with dark overtones. Imagine the Ohio Express on Ketamine stomping around in jackboots with a rallying call for the Teen masses to enroll - Yes, we are talking about Bubblegum fascism here! It’s just perfect from start to freak out finish. The B side Dark Part Of My Mind is another psyched out ditty but without the hooky call to arms. AWESOME !!! (As our American cousins would say…)
Just came across this compilation on the Web. It looks like it’s vinyl only. As it’s a bootleg, they haven’t included the artists for copyright reasons, can anyone fill in the gaps and confirm some of the artists? I especially would like to know who did Zap N Cat. Here is a link where there are sound clips for each song. I am in no way recommending its purchase, side 2 is pretty weak, but it’s there…
Thanks to James and Steve for filling in the gaps!
Side 1
1) Rebels Rule –Iron Virgin 2) Good Time Fanny –Angel 3) Rock To The Jukebox –Peter D Kelly 4) Beautiful Child –Buster 5) Zap N Cat -The Bubbles 6) Standing In The Road –Blackfoot Sue 7) There’s A Raver Coming Home –Sisters
Side 2
1) Will You Stop That -Ruby Pearl 2) Cigarettes Women & Wine –Chicory Tip 3) The Apple And The Arrow -Silver Pony 4) Right On –Zappo 5) Hot Rod –Willy Zango And The Mechanics –This version has a voice-over –my copy doesn’t…Is this a recent ”improvement”? 6) Peter Gunn -Thunder Road (to be confirmed) 7) Vanessa’s Luminous Dogcoat -Edwina Biglet And The Miglets
Marrakesh –The Prodigal Son Returns/Let Me Down Easy –Bell 1325 (1973 UK)
The Prodigal Son Returns opens with an intro lifted from The Easybeats’Good Time, the vocals in the verse are quite raspy and the chorus recalls T.Rex in much the same way as Chunky or Hobnail. It’s not Glam per se, but a memorable straightforward Pop Rocker that I often find myself returning to. Their previous single I Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight (Bell 1315) is also good, but more in a Pop vein with a slight Faces feel.
Sonny And The Sovereigns –School Is Out/Walm Jetz –Rare Earth C006-95809 (1974 German issue)
A minor entry which updates 1964 with the Glitter sound. It has a monster drum heavy production, but the corny melody (that owes a heavy debt to Lipstick On My Collar) definitely grates. The B side is more enjoyable as it’s an instrumental version. I especially like the mumbled humming that replicates the Glitter Band baritone sax sound. The label mentions that this is a “ British recording for Tamla Motown” and it’s co-produced by P. Anders. I was wondering if this could be Peter Anders who with Vinnie Poncia was behind The Tradewinds and tons of 60’s New York produced stuff. It would make sense sonically, but not sure on that one.
PS: On closer inspection of the cover photo; it looks likes the guy has sideburns and they seem to be turning grey…a bit unsettling that!
Galahad –Rocket Summer/Elephant Stomp –Bell 2008 150 (1973 German issue)
This should be filed under tripped out Glam! Galahad is a studio creation from Gerry Morris and producer Tony Atkins. This duo were involved with countless obscurities including Boulevard, Cymbaline, Blunderbuss, Geoff Whitehorn and were behind the great Gerry Morris Psych/pop single Only The beginning with its ace B side Sunflower. Anyhow Rocket Summer is a slow-paced fuzzed groover with psychedelic inclinations, note the HEYs with the backward reverb effect and they most definitely go into uncharted territory with the Spinal Tap –like voice-overs. The B side is a psychedelisized Glam instrumental swamped in cavernous reverb. Keep on stomping with the mushrooms lads…
Hamlett –Where’d The Day Go?/ Vampire Man –Pye 45PY.4180 (1972 French issue)
An interesting obscurity from 1972. Where’d The Day Go? is a pleasant female-fronted breezy pop number, but it’s The B side that really interests us here. Whereas the A side is light and fluffy, Vampire Man is dark and nasty. It has a boogie /straight rock feel to it, but the vocals and general atmosphere take it somewhere else entirely. It has nifty slide guitar licks and a chorus that breaks up the brooding threat of the verses. I’m not sure if this even got a UK release or if the band ever did anything else. Vampire Man was written by Cozzi and Bell and produced by Nat Kipner if that’s any clue…
The Dazzlers –Lovely Crash/Feeling In Your Heart –Charisma CB330 (1979 UK)
With an intro recalling Pezband’s Love Goes Underground, Lovely Crash is a rare occasion where the UK was on a par with the US in terms of delivering a true Power Pop gem. The song construction is not totally perfect as you have to wait a long time before they unleash the song’s glorious chorus, but Lovely Crash is The Dazzlers’ defining moment of pure pop bliss. Their album is OK and worth seeking out, but this song works best in this format…singles rule!
Ning –Machine/More Ning –Decca DL 25452 (1971 German issue)
This is completely nuts! Not sure where to file this as its Part Glam/ Bubblegum/ Heavy Rock and Prog with a bit of Suicide thrown in for good measure. With it’s pumping heartbeat rhythm, riff borrowed from The Music Explosion’s Little Bit Of Soul and a singer who sounds like a constipated Lemmy, this is one weird artifact. Machine was written by “Berry” and as it’s published by Sparta Florida, it’s most likely to be Mike Berry who was also behind the Ordinary Boy/Ride A Black Sheep single by Small Wonder (see review June 25th)
Vulcan -Much Too Young (Sept. 16th) Brother Susan -Ride Ride Ride + See My Fingers Fly (Sept. 12th) Sweeney Todd -Roxy Roller (Aug. 30th) Frankie And The Phantoms/ Smiffy -Rock 'n Roll Band +See You Later (May 30th)
The sound clip above is an edit of the 3 versions: 1) Bonnie St. Claire 2) Funky Family 3) Wild Angels.
Bonnie St. Claire –Clap Your Hands And Stamp Your Feet/Catch Me Driver –Philips 6012283 (1973 NL) Bonnie St. Claire And Unit Gloria did the original version of this great song written by producer Peter Koelewijn. It’s a classic girl song that only a bloke could write! The production is superb and Bonnie’s performance really delivers. What a babe…
Funky Family - Clap Your Hands And Stamp Your Feet/ Allright –Vogue B 4264 (1973 French Issue) …and speaking of babes, it’s hard to beat a blonde in hot pants clutching a sub-machine gun! Funky Family were probably a German band and they did a pretty good cover from a male point of view, which kind of misses the point. Your version may be better, but our picture sleeve wins out...Nicht wahr?
Wild Angels - Clap Your Hands And Stamp Your Feet/Wild Angels Rock And Roll –Decca F13456 (1973 UK)
The Wild Angels started out in the late 60’s as a purist Rockabilly band, but by the time they signed to Decca they opened up to more general rockin’ material. Their Out At Last LP from ’72 is great with mean covers of Brand New Cadillac and I Fought The Law sitting nicely next to some choice originals. I’m sure there was some gritting of teeth as they sold out by going all out for a hit. However they really deliver a high octane rockin’ performance of this song admirably produced by a young Martin Rushent.
I've just added 2 more soundclips: Plastic Feet -Big Blond Baby (Aug. 18th) and be sure to check out J.C. Livingstone -Momma Was A Steamroller Lady (June 30th)
Shelby –Motorbike Girl/ Cirrus – Vogue 12121 (1975 French issue)
Sometimes it’s safer to stick with an UK issue in a plain sleeve! However if you able to look beyond those 70’s ‘taches, there’s a fine tune lying within. Shelby are better known for their Duane Eddy tribute (Dance With The) Guitar Man that appeared on the Boobs: The Junkshop Glam Discotheque CD last year, but this is, in most ways, a more enjoyable release. It starts off nice and crunchy with handclaps and twangy guitar and crosses into Surf/ Glam territory for the catchy chorus. The high pitched vocals that somewhat spoiled Guitar Man are mostly under control here and although we could have done with a bit more in the motorbike sound effect department, this ends up being a good find.
Finally you can all get to hear Grudge's I'm Gonna Smash Your Face in, just click on the link below. then go back to the original Grudge Post (May 9th) for the full review and to hear the A side -When Christine Comes round.
Just Plain Jones –Crazy Crazy/Should Have Stayed With Mary –CBS 7480 (1971 UK)
Now this is a real corker. Crazy Crazy is a raucous Garage Punk Stomper sounding like it came out of the Mid West in ’66 (and not the UK in 1971). The hand claps and stomping feet also somehow create a link between Frat Rock and Glam. What is it with singles that don’t fit in their relevant time periods at the moment? –first Barry Rolfe and now this! Another surprise is that the group featured DJ and all round personality MikeRead…Enjoy the snippet!
Barry Rolfe –Look The Business/Molly Molly –Philips 6006331 (1973 UK)
Look The business is an aggressive rocker oozing Punk attitude. It’s really surprising that this came out in 1973, upon hearing you would swear it came out 4 years later. The mix is rough and ready and it comes across as a one take wonder (note the missed snare hit at the start of the 1st verse). The shouted vocals are on the verge of breaking up and the blistering guitar break is pure Detroit. It’s Pretty amazing stuff. The B side is a good rocking track as well but a bit more subdued. Barry Rolfe released Going Up on Philips the following year, but it doesn’t strip the gloss like this one. Who the hell is this guy? It looks like there’s also another single called Beam Me Aboard Mr. Spock, but I dread to think that he was a Trekkie, albeit a Punked out one…
Click below for sound clip
More info on Barry Rolfe: Barry Rolfe was also known as Nicky Rolfe - did a couple of singles in'75'/76 for Bell. He was hooked up with Peter Solley (who played keyboards on loads of things all through the seventies, including Yellow Dog) and himself wrote Dracula's Daughter forThunderthighs. It looks like Look The Business was reissued in '76...
Not one to be to be put off by a blown head gasket, I finally ventured out of the house and went on public transport all the way to Croydon to spend a couple of hours at Beanos. Now Beanos are closing down soon and all their singles are HALF Price! The singles I picked up today included: Axe –People Come People Go (OK rocker, not as glammed out as their version of Monie Monie), TheElectric Banana –Groovy Baby Bubblegum Music (er...groovy bubblegum!), The Bubblegum –Little Red Bucket (Vanda &Young!), Buster –Pasadena (Vanda &Young too!), Kristine Sparkle –Hokey Cokey (Much better B side –Baby I Love You), Third World War –Ascension Day (Brutal Prol. Rock in Pic. Sleeve), Brotherly Love –Public Enemy No.1 (Probably the same version as by Son Of A Gun), Fumble –Million Seller (Great Buddy Holly inspired pop gem. I forgot about this single -We used to open the set with the B side Get Up in my first band back in 75/76. Get Up was also part of the inspiration for The 'Cudas -1965 Again), Fumble –Rock’n’ Roll School, Bitch –Wildcat (not as good a song as Good Time Coming) and Wellington –Alright I’ll See You Tonight ( great with a really good Get It On cop) and a few misses not to be mentioned…Anyhow the average cost was under £3, so I recommend getting down to Beanos before Xmas. Expect reviews of some of these over the next few months...
Crunch –Let’s Do It Again/Not Tonight Josephine –Youngblood International DL 25 636 (1974 German Issue)
Produced by Eddie Seago, Let’s Do It Again is a real hoot! You can just imagine a dance floor full of line-dancing Bovver boots stomping it out to this one. If only all Disco music was like this…enjoy! Currently available on the Velvet Tinmine comp - RPM 251
A few more clips have been added: Trevor White (May 3rd), Stanley Frank (April 29th) and April (Aug 31st)
Bitch – Good Time Coming/ At The Party –WB K16235 (1972 UK)
You can consider this an unofficial episode of My version is better than yours –Just go back to August the 14th to find out for yourself which version cuts the Mustard for you…
Anyhow Bitch released the original version of this great song and it’s a steaming gung ho straight-ahead Rocker, whereas Mustard slowed it down and added an insane stomping Glam dimension to it. Bitch sound like they were inspired by Creedence Clearwater Revival (especially Pagan Baby) for Good Time Coming and the singer is a great shouter in the tradition of John Fogerty. Both sides have a surprisingly snarly feel as well which gives these songs a real edge.The B side is a fine Stonesian Boogie and the band really get down and dirty. It also features a great vocal, fuzzy electric piano and a terrific lead break. Bitch were originally from Auckland, and changed their name from The Cleves upon relocating to the UK. They released at least one more single under the Bitch moniker (Wildcat) and recorded an album –but I’m uncertain if it ever got a full release.
Oh and while you’re at it - go check out the fantastic Natural Man by the Marcus Hook Roll Band posted June 8 (the second post titled: Marcus Hook Roll Band and William Shakespeare pics) Just click on the heading just above the picture of the single –Enjoy!
Hi We are having a few gremlins to iron out on the editing side (thanks Lou!) but in the meantime if you go back to August the 14th -I can assure you that you will have a Good Time Coming...
Hi Over the next few days I will be adding sound clips to some of the previous reviews, but it will take time and there's a lot to cover! New reviews will also have sound clips, which may mean that I will slow down the rate of new reviews while this is being sorted out...but it will be worth it!
Hi There is one major ingredient missing that would make this blog so much more...SOUNDCLIPS! Now my CDR machine has recently died and I haven't looked into software and hardware to convert vinyl into soundclips onto my PC (which is getting really past it -always running out of virtual memory). I also don't have anywhere to upload the clips to.
Idea number 1: Is anyone interested in receiving a cassette of songs that have been or are about to be reviewed and convert and upload them somewhere?
Idea number 2: I find a way to make the clips and I would just need somewhere to upload them.
I think I prefer not uploading complete songs but having 1 minute samples as tasters...The real magic is finding vinyl copies of this stuff. I am open to discussion on this matter though.
Anton –Shot Down In Action/ Mine All Mine – Spark SRL 1120 (1975 UK)
Shot Down In Action starts in pure buzz saw apocalypse mode with loud fuzz guitar, and pounding drums (much like Indian Dancer). It is an exhilarating intro, that's pure Troggs, but the initial excitement fades as the song pans out. Oh, it’s a pretty good song and performance , but you can’t help feel disappointed as the first few seconds promise so much more. It ends up being a piano based stomper with an intricate arrangement and a funky middle section, and you're left waiting for the guitar to be turned back up and for the pounding toms to return- but they won’t…. The B side is a weak ballad, so time to go back to that intro again!
Abacus –Indian Dancer/Be That Way - York Records YR 207 (1974 UK)
Opening with sustained lead guitar, Indian Dancer powers along with crunchy guitar, fuzzed out booming bass and pounding drums with ancillary handclaps and tambourine. The track deserves to be played LOUD for full effect, just let those damn toms toms thud their way into your brain. The song is dead simple and the chorus is nothing short of incessant! Is there anything else on York Records that worth looking out for? I have a single by Winston –I Won’t Let Anna Go/ Brother Jim (YR 212) that starts out pretty good until it gets ruined by a naff chorus. There was another band called Abacus from around the same time and I’m pretty sure that they’re not one and the same. The other Abacus seemed to have been German and released an album and at least a couple of singles.
Wellington –Catch Us If You Can/Superstar –Concord Con 031 (1974? UK)
Catch Us If You Can is an enjoyable lively and frenetic pop rocker with a pounding piano and thumping drums. The chorus is also hyper catchy: Here comes the man in the black sedan, Catch us if you can man, catch us if you can Here comes the guy with the supersonic high, Catch us if you can man, catch us if you can It might aspire to be an outright Glam rocker, but the piano and earthy feel bring it closer to Staveley Makepeace/ Lieutenant Pigeon territory. Although they really get going during the guitar solo, it still lacks that extra edge to turn it into a complete classic. The mid tempo B side is one of those “to make it in the music business” songs and is nicely produced. Once again , any info is most welcome...
