The Beachnuts - Iconoclastic Life

Iconoclastic Life(1967)

Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, USA, Showcase 9902

Re-released on vinyl on the compilations "I Was A Teenage Caveman" and "What A Way To Die". And on cd on "Hang It Out To Dry".

The band has nothing to do with Lou Reed and his band from his Pickwick Records days with the same name.

This killer song is starting with an intro almost identical The Who's "Can't Explain, while continuing more or less with those same chords, making a very simple rhythm witch is changing in intensity. To add to the rhythm & blues flavour there is also a simple train-simulating harmonica going through the verses. 

Here is the extremely passionate tale about the too common theme, love. However the execution is the key here, as the singer makes it no doubt how much he is longing for his girl. It's not about what he says, it's about how he says it.

First there is an aggressive opening were the vocals are screamed, then there's an excellent middle part. The mood calms down, and the voice is begging: "Girl... I'm going crazy without you, girl... you're driving me mad...understand...hold my hand..", until there's the demanding and manically screaming of: "I'm your man, I'm your man", before the rustiest and loudest scream ever put on tape are howled.

Then desperation sets in with... "don't leave me girl.. I need your love now".

While the song end with a screaming rage: "I'll cry I'll cry I'll cry, cry, cry cry...".

There's no metaphors, or quotes to clever philosophers or literature here, just adolescent lust. That guy sure loved this girl.

Might as well put a link to an interview with bass player Clyde Snyder here. Definitively worth a read.

The Keggs - Girl(1967)

The Keggs - Girl(1967) 
Detroit, Michigan, Orbit 20959/60

The song "Girl" is some kind of work. It's the b-side of "To Find Out", released in 1967. Re-released on the garage compilation "Back From The Grave Volume 6". The liner notes tells the story of a band from Detroit which was so unpopular that before each gig they had to change their name, otherwise nobody would come. Not more than 75 copies were pressed. All of them was given away to family and friends.

The playing is sloppy. The guitar is not tuned. But who cares? The primitive rawness is this songs strength, easier evidently for those into the garage or punk genre. The vocals are quite good, and mix with the out of tune band in an awesome way.

 

They sound somewhat like how a teenage Rolling Stones or Kinks would do after going on a months drunken bender, recording a demo, and not caring with the oh so dull thought that ruined the 70's: "what would the general public think about this?". Wish more bands could have had this mindset.

Little Toy Soldier

 In december 1966 David Bowie was gifted a test-pressing of The Velvet Underground & Nico by his then manager Ken Pitt who in turn had received it from Andy Warhol during a visit to The Factory in New York.

The Riot Squad. From Up Lef. Del Roll, David Bowie, Butch Davis, Rod Davis, Bob Flag, Croke Prebble.

Just after The Velvet Underground had released their first album The Velvet Underground & Nico(whitch would take almost a year from it's initial recording in April 1966), David Bowie (vocals) with The Riot Squad (Bob Evans - sax, flute / Croke Prebble - bass, vocals / Rod Davies - guitar / Derek Roll - drums / George Butcher - keyboard) would go into Decca Studios on 5th april 1967 to record some demos.

 With Gus Dudgeon as engineer the songs "Little Toy Soldier", a cover of VU's "I'm Waiting For The Man" and an instrumental of "Silly Boy Blue"(here is another version, most likely recorded with The Lower Third) were recorded. 

Little Toy Soldier borrows much from The Velvet Underground's excellent "Venus In Furs", the chorus is partially copied from the original. The song is a mix between Anthony Newley style children’s cartoon-pop and snarling vocals with a S&M theme in great Lou Reed style.

Gus Dudgeon is responsible for sound effects and gnome-laugh, something that lifts the song to the most bizarre work Bowie has ever done. Originally the song ends with "..and he beat her to death", but Gus would later add a long part of sound effects to create a chaotic climax at the end of the song.

The first of a long line of recordings of VU's "I'm Waiting For The Man".

Little Toy Soldier(Albino Records AL 7153, 1983) is the name of the first known  bootleg containing the songs "Little Toy Soldier" and "I'm Waiting For The Man" from this session. In addition there is an early version of "Space Oddity", the first demo of "The Supermen"(whitch is going to end the album The Man Who Sold The World in 1970), "Right On Mother" and "He Was Alright"(early version of "Lady Stardust"). 

A copy of the original master tape with 7 versions of "Silly Boy Blue", 4 of "Little Toy Soldier" and 3 of "I'm Waiting For The Man" was in the early 80's given by Gus Dudgeon to a buddy of his. It would not be long before this bootleg would "mysteriously" appear in 1983.

Richard Pash & The Back Door Society

Richard Pash & The Back Door Society from Avon Lake, Ohio, USA, with the song "I'm The Kind". Released in 1967.