BOBBIE GENTRY
Ode To Billie Joe/Touch ‘Em With Love
Raven CD
www.ravenrecords.com.au
Of course Ode to Billie Joe – Bobbie Gentry’s debut album from 1967, centres on the mystery-laden title track, a huge hit at the time and the basis of a mid-70s movie. But the album’s opener is the one more people need to know about: ‘Mississippi Delta’ is a funky rocker that features some gritty guitar, a swinging beat, and Gentry’s husky vocals. Gentry is a talented songwriter, but on Touch ‘Em With Love (’69), her fifth and best overall album, she mostly worked up renditions of others’ material. Her spot-on version of Bacharach & David’s ‘I’ll Never Fall in Love Again’ was another hit for her, and she also shows a deft vocal touch doing ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’ and ‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy’. The title track, written by the same team of Hurley/Wilkins who penned ‘Preacher Man’, is an arresting slice of Southern soul that kicks off the record nicely. Still, the finest track here is a Gentry original: ‘Seasons Come, Seasons Go’ which combines reflective lyrics with a rolling, mid-tempo beat and Gentry’s sultry singing.
Bobbie was something like a Dusty Springfield from the Delta in her prime, equally comfortable singing thought-provoking folk, orchestrated pop, swampy soul, and down-home country. She is also one of the more enigmatic characters in popular music history – a one-time Philosophy student whose two marriages lasted a combined 14 months, she has been living in quiet seclusion, not performing and not talking to the media, since the late ’70s.
Brian Greene
THE JESTERS
Cadillac Men – The Sun Masters
Big Beat CD
Drawing majorly from the twin influences of R&B and rockabilly, The Jesters were young rebel rockers from Memphis who included Sun supremo Sam Phillips’ son Jerry on rhythm guitar with older brother Knox capturing the sounds on tape. He recalls The Jesters’ sound as ‘unplanned raw energy’ – I agree wholeheartedly.
In 1966 they produced this mighty collection of rockin’ sounds, evoking cool ‘50s Sun sides alongside distinct echoes of Howlin’ Wolf and The Johnny Burnette Rock‘n’Roll Trio, especially in the crazed lead guitar playing of Teddy Paige. Perplexingly, only a souped-up remake (there’s two versions here) of ‘Cadillac Man’ made it onto disc, with the legendary piano/vocal man Jim Dickinson replacing Tommy Minga’s vocals and wailin’ harmonica.
Other cuts were just as deserving of release while the group existed, just listen to ‘Get Gone Baby’, their fine rendition of Carl Perkins’ ‘Boppin’ The Blues’, and my favourites the truly wild ‘What’s The Matter Baby’ and the Bo Diddley-styled raunch (in ‘Cops‘n’Robbers’ mode) of ‘Strange As It Seems’.
Also included here and of importance to garage fans are the four cuts from The Escapades, also fronted by Minga circa ’66. The most famous of these is the incredible Pebbles organ-punker ‘I Tell No Lies’, though the others are all particularly fine genre-defining examples too. More must-hear excavations from Big Beat!
Lenny Helsing
KENNY & THE KASUALS
1966-68 The Singles… Plus
Missing Vinyl LP
www.veamusic.com
One of the Texan garage era’s most consistent acts, these local stars achieved garage-psych nirvana and chalked up a hit along the way with their anthemic 1967 single ‘Journey To Tyme’, but that’s only part of their appeal. If the fuzzy and edgy ‘Chimes On 42nd Street’ (their final 45) ploughs a similar area to their classic, Kenny and his boys earliest sides focused on moody Brit Invasion styled ballads and enjoyable garage frat dancers, driven by excellent foot to the floor drumming, atypical garage guitar breaks and smart teen vocals. The later gentle psych folk of ‘When Was Then’ even portrayed them as a very able Simon & Garfunkel styled vocal act.
Unreleased gems from the Eva albums include the excellent snot fest ‘Things Getting’ Better’ and ‘Revelations’, which sounds not unlike The Standells’ finest moments.
Varied in tone and always good…essential garage fare.
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills
QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE
Live At The Fillmore 4th Feb 1968
Voiceprint CD
www.voiceprint.co.uk
That’s the problem with Quicksilver live albums: you wait ages for one and then five turn up at once. Yes, Voiceprint – for reasons I can barely begin to fathom – have seen fit to simultaneously issue a series of previously unreleased sets of prime vintage on-stage Quicks recorded during their regular stands at the Avalon and Fillmore ballrooms between September ’66 and April ’68 – roughly the time it took them to get enough tracks down in the studio to fill their studio debut.
This, chronologically the third instalment and a double to boot, is the best entry point for scaredy cats and novices alike, capturing the fine if inconsistent SF quartet at a point where they seemed as happy playing songs as they were trading licks over interminable Bo Diddley and Howlin’ Wolf staples. Indeed, fiery readings of early gems ‘Dino’s Song’, ‘Pride Of Man’ and ‘It’s Been Too Long’ are highlights here, alongside Quicks signatures ‘Who Do You Love’ and ‘Mona’.
The sound quality’s not at all bad either but the packaging does the band few favours.
Andy Morten
THE TUNEFUL TROLLEY
Island In The Sky
Now Sounds CD
www.nowsounds.co.uk
You’ve heard it all before: A bunch of talented teenagers get together and create musical magic that no one gets charmed by at the time, to be recognised as a “lost classic” or coulda-been shoulda-been some 30 years after.
In the case of these particular Long Island kids, one of Jay’s Americans, Sandy Yaguda, did hear enough to sign them up for JATA Enterprises, arrange a Capitol contract and even produce their sole 1969 album himself. Of references such as Beatlesque rock, Beach Boysesque harmonies, fuzz guitars or garage pop sensibilities, it’s only the first one that isn’t that obvious. To these ears, the range of influences stretches far wider. Stand-outs include The Idle Race-like toytown-ish popsike pair of ‘M.A.C.K.’ and ‘Uncle Joe’s Armada’, the Sell Out-era Who quirk of ‘Written Charter’, or the Kinky ‘My Apple Pie’. All more than tuneful.
Goran Obradovic
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Breakaway: The Songs Of Jackie DeShannon 1961-67
Ace CD
www.acerecords.com
This latest release in the wonderful singer-songwriter series features many of the fine compositions Jackie DeShannon composed either alone or with Sharon Sheeley, Jimmy Page and Jack Nitzsche as a contracted writer for Liberty’s subsidiary Metric Music. The range of artists covering Jackie’s songs is staggering, ranging from soul singers (Irma Thomas’ ‘Breakaway’, Barbara Lewis’ ‘Stop That Girl’) to early rockers (Duane Eddy’s ‘Guitar Child’, Rick Nelson’s ‘Thank You Darlin’’) and rock groups (The Bandits’ ‘I Remember The Girl’ and The Boys’ ‘Splendour In The Grass’).
Some of these tracks are very rare like ‘There’s Gonna Be A Fight’ by Dick Lory who was in fact one of Jackie’s favourite producers, Dick Glasser and ‘In My Time Of Sorrow’ co-written with Jimmy Page and produced by him for Gay Shingleton. Containing copious notes by Jackie and rounded off by the inclusion of ‘Only You Can Free My Mind’ a previously unheard demo from 1967 by the lady herself, this comes highly recommended.
Pat Curran
various artists
Do Wah Diddy – Words & Music by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry
Ace CD
www.acerecords.com
Most of these were not hits in the UK and some that were eventually hits were cover versions such as the title track via Manfred Mann. Nonetheless this is pretty great stuff, starting with the Carl Wilson led Beach Boys doing a fine version of the Ronettes’ I Can Hear Music and then following that up with the Drifters’ immortal I’ll Take You Where The Music’s Playing, this latter a staple of the “beach music” scene in the Carolinas and in Georgia. The other notable hits are Lesley Gore’s Maybe I Know, The Ad Libs’ He Ain’t No Angel and the Down South regional smash that was You Should Have Seen The Way He Looked At Me by the Dixie Cups. Although the Greenwich-Barry trademark has gone down in 1960s’ pop history next to Goffin-King, Mann-Weill and even Lennon-McCartney for every unpolished and relatively unheard gem such as Hanky Panky by The Summits there are a few question marks such as the ghastly Fleetwoods’ Every Little Beat and Vic Donna’s bizarre I Won’t Be Me Anymore. Nonetheless this is a fine sample from a long gone era.
Sid Griffin
VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Golden Road: The Electric Coffee House Volume 2
Psychic Circle CD
This second volume of Psychic Circle’s US mid-60s folk-rock series is every bit as good as its predecessor. One or two inclusions such as The MC2’s ‘Smiling’ or 3’s A Crowd’s ‘Bird Without Wings’ are West Coast soft sike rather than folk-rock, good as they are, but otherwise everything is on the money.
The Woolies, Rogue Show, The Kind, The Last Draft, Raintree, Bob & Kit and Morning Sun are some of the unfamiliar names you will encounter and enjoy here.
Garage-friendly stylings from Robin Kingsley (the stage name of Ian Whitcomb’s brother) rub shoulders with the smoother SF friendly vibes of The Happy Medium and the PF Sloan-ish Jimmy Satan’s ‘What’s It All About’. Overall, a very good mix and one well worth your investigation.
Paul Martin
VARIOUS ARTISTS
I Gotta Be Me: 20 Garage Missiles From The USA
Psychic Circle CD
Here‘s a second instalment of largely uncompiled American mid-tolate ’60s garage 45s from Psychic Circle (the first being the Who Needs Tomorrow collection).
There are 20 nuggets here, all of which are worth your ear time. Stylistically they range from the post-twist stomp of King Charles & The Counts ‘Salt ‘n’ Pepper’ and crooner gone trendy-bendy Jack Eden’s ‘It’s Only A Dream’ to the unissued at the time ’67 acid rock acetate of Hex’s ‘Doubt’ (issued as a blink and you’ve missed it 45 in the ’90s) and Group Axis’s wacked out take on ‘Smokestack Lightning’.
In between, choice fuzz-tone escapades are embarked upon by such unknowns as Kevin Coughlin who supplies the title track, Bobby Simms & The Simmers (‘Big Mama’) and Bobby Saint Clair (‘Fool That I Am’). It’s an ear-festival all the way and a sound investment.
Paul Martin
VARIOUS ARTISTS
It Came from the Beach
Ace CD
www.acerecords.com
The subtitle, “Surf, Drag And Rockin’ Instros From Downey”, tells you exactly what has come from the beach. Downey was the Southern Californian studio/label that created surf classics like The Chantays’ ‘Pipeline’ and The Tumblers’ ‘Boss’. Such tunes have been comprehensively comped, so this CD collects 29 several slightly less famous early ’60s tunes in a similar style. Lots of instrumental approaches are covered, especially several ripping, snorting, squawking sax-led stompers, some atmospheric, moody guitar laments and plenty of dancers with the required quotient of reverb and twangggg. The bands are mostly teens, too young to sign their contracts. The Rumblers have six tracks, The Pastel Six four, with two apiece for The Rumblers, Hustlers, Blazers, Nevegans and Chevells. The wonderfully monickered Sir Frog & The Toads win the best band name award.
The packaging is excellent, with a 20 page booklet full of photos and covers of hot rod magazines. Compiler Brian Nevill supplies detailed and thoroughly researched liner notes.
Phil Suggitt
Various Artists
Mad Mike Monsters Volumes 1-3
Norton Records
www.nortonrecords.com
Mad Mike Metrovich was a much-loved Pittsburgh deejay on WZUM radio back in those early 60s days when playlists hadn’t yet exerted their stranglehold on what got played over the ether. So, instead of the current chartbound sounds and British Invasion goodies, Metrovich simply played exactly what he liked, running from The Sonics Psycho to the pseudo-Little Richard rock’n’roll of Little Ike to cuts with wondrous titles like ‘Mama Ubangi Bangi’, ‘Snacky Poo’ or ‘Oo-Ma-Liddi’ by artists Wikipedia doesn’t know ever existed, including Wild Child Gipson, Shane Kai Ray and The Ban-Lons. With an obvious preference for bizarre instrumentals and nonsense songs, Metrovich unearthed total obscurities, usually recorded in glorious lo-fi, and frequently boasting a distinctly ’50s novelty-rock’n’roll flavour. Over fifty of these delights appear here back to back with the bonus of a couple of radio spots for added period flavour. Devotees of the Cruisin’ albums will find this a particularly welcome blast.
Johnny Black
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Sounds Of She
Pet Records CD
Petrecords@hotmail.com
This is a great trippy-hippy, flowered-up femme fest! There’s a bunch of stuff that serious aficionados will be familiar with from the likes of Marcia Strassman, Sally Eaton, Caroline Hestor, The Ravelles and Barbara Keith. There are far more obscurities you are more unlikely to have come across however like The Enchanted Forest’s ‘The Word Is Love’ (“get, get up, get up and dance with a flower”!), Morningstarr, Teina, Ellen Margulies, Bunches ‘A Good, The Sugartownes and Kathy Gregory to name but a few.
There’s also the odd surprise such as the adenoid Keefe Sisters who produce a lilting soft psyche beauty in ‘Love Knows’ from their album of otherwise country music. The presiding sound is of course, very West Coast soft pop and as a collection works wonderfully. The usual Pet Records attention to liner notes applies. Buy with confidence.
Paul Martin
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Still Dead! The Grim Reaper’s Jukebox
Ace CD
www.acerecords.com
The second volume in Aces “death disc” series focuses on late ’50s/early ’60s US pre-invasion teen pop. The inclusion of acknowledged classics of the genre, such as The Shangri-La’s ‘Leader Of The Pack’ and The Whyte Boots’ ‘Nightmare’ only highlight the gulf in class between these classics and the less inspired also-rans like Little Caesar and The Cadets, who comprise the bulk of the compilation. A collection of songs about teen deaths might appeal to lovers of so-bad-it’s-good kitsch, and the artwork and Brian Nevill’s liners are interesting, but the trouble is that there are only so many cheesy, sentimental, cash-in production-line death tunes most well adjusted humans can take in one listening. In most cases there is no song behind the schlock. If the Reaper had any taste he would have condemned many of these artists to the awful fate of listening to their own 45s for eternity. Mainly of interest to die hard (ouch!) fans of early ’60s pop.
Phil Suggitt
GENE VINCENT
Born To Be A Rollin’ Stone: The Challenge Sessions 1966-68
Rev-Ola CD
www.revola.co.uk
Potent as the image admittedly was, there was considerably more to the Richard III of rock’n’roll than the limp, the leathers, the leg irons and the haunted physiognomy.
The common perception is that Gene Vincent was a spent force following the awful road crash in Chippenham in 1960, which did for Eddie Cochran. However, on the evidence of the tracks Gene recorded for the LA-based Challenge label in the mid to late ’60s, his spirit hadn’t been broken just yet. Gene jumps upon chiming folk-rockers like the title track, ‘Love Is A Bird’ and the great ‘Hurtin’ For You Baby’ with characteristic vigour, while ‘Ain’t That Too Much’ finds him utilising that brilliant signature motif – the orgiastic hyperventilating of a man engaged in the vinegar strokes.
Fate should have been kinder to Gene: as this proves, he was always the real deal.
Marco Rossi |
