Untuned wonders

Some garage songs are so primitive it's almost ridiculous, other can seem like barely having been practised before the band have entered the recording studio. There's no doubt that the price for rental of a recording studio when cutting a record can put a big pressure on highschool teenagers, who rather would let the guitar stay out of tune, than to have to pay for the next hour of studio time. Don't forget either that unless your band was named The Beatles, in the 60's most recordings were done live, with perhaps an overdub of vocals(and in some occurrences a lead guitar). Sometimes this can lead to a directness and a healthy nervousness, that could lead to an interesting recording. Not having ambitions for global success, ain't no obstacle for a killer recording either - far from - check out for example the joy of playing to Dean Carter in their cover of Jailhouse Rock(with the strangest(and funniest) harmonica technique I've ever heard, that probably would ruined their chances of commercial success), when the guitar solo gets off. You can practically see the grin of the guitarist, when the madness reveals. Here is some of the best there is..

Dean Carter - Jailhouse Rock(1967)

Champaign, Illinois, USA, Milky Way 886m-0111
(listen here)

Belles - Come Back(1966)

North Miami Beach, Florida, Tiara 100
(listen here)

It seems that the bass player's E-string has gone totally out of tune. The funny thing is that in addition the bass is so loud in the mix, that it's by far the most dominating instrument. The melody though is something of the best I've heard. Listen to this song more than two times in a row, and be prepared to let it haunt you the entire night.

The Starfyres - Captain Dueseldorph(1966)

Lansford, Pennsylvania, USA, Burr 1001

(listen here)

Making sounds with glass bottles was always fun. This static background "singing" is unlike anything else put on record. The lyrics isn't bad either.. "I bought myself a submarine".. "If you're ever down by the sea, take a look for me... Captain Dueseldorph"..

Modds - Leave My House(Previously Unreleased)

Poplar Bluff, Missouri, USA
(listen here)

Fighting in the band, or a ego trip from the guitarist and vocalist? I'm having a wild guess that the the vocalist and lead guitarist are the two on the left in the picture above.
This recording make "Raw Power" sound well balanced volume wise. There's nothing bad to say about the fuzz-sound and the guitarist's enthusiasm however.

Jack The Ripper - One Way Streets(1966)

Zanesville, Ohio, USA, Sunrise 103
(listen here)

A hilarious cover of the Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages original.
Sounds like the lyrics are partly improvised when the mother of the vocalist comes into the practice-room/studio and nags them about that the dinner is ready. Great mix between the dark tale of Jack The Ripper and a fight with mum.

The Rats  - The Rat's Revenge Part 1(1963) og Part 2(b-side)
Akron, Ohio, USA, Black Cat 502
(listen here)

The name The Rats' was only used for this single. Their real name was The Decades. As The Decades they released "C'mon Pretty Baby"(Janie JL 10645/10646) in 1964.
There's two parts of Rat's Revenge splitted on the a and b-side. That the year of release is as early as 1963 for such a rough garage-punk song is quite unique. The highlight is when one of the Rats says "Don't play with your feet this time", in Part 2, where a somewhat flawed start on the guitar solo, is answered with a disgusted grunt.

"I like you. And when Eric Von Zipper likes someone, they stay liked."

The song is based upon the Beach Party(1963) movie, having a total of 4 follow ups, where the Ratz was a not too bright motorcycle gang, led by Erik Von Zipper.

Sur Royal Da Count & The Parliaments - Scream Mother Scream(1967)

USA, Villa Yore 606

(listen here)

Not much to add other than that these guys were seriously into not being serious. If you listens beyond the jokes it's actually a brilliant song.

The Barking Spyders - I Want Your Love(1966)

Dallas, Texas, USA, Audio Precision 45001

(listen here) 

Not too bothered with tuning the bass guitar, this group get right to it. And even if the bridge almost collapses, they keep going. The vocalist are great, and reminds of an even more laid back cool and sedated version of Lou Reed.

And last but not least, the king of garage rock: The Keggs - Girl.

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.

Brian and The Rolling Stones

A scene from Clockwork Orange? Or the nastiest band in the UK?

Known as the most outrageous band in the world in the 60's, the Rolling Stones came to be known as the anti-Beatles, and in the early parts of the decade, little likely to become the pride of the British invasion. Before Andrew Oldham would manage the band, the guitarist and harmonica player Brian Jones would be the front-man and manager of the promising rhythm & blues band.

"We piss anywhere man"

Stoned was the b-side of Stones 2'nd single "I Wanna Be Your Man"(Decca 7-7052) , released in 1963. The first song credited to Nanker Phelge, as they would after the session inform their room-mate James Phelge(the guy who spit at neighbours, naked with his underwear on his head) at their home in Edith Grove with big cheeky grins.

The infamous nanker grimace aka the Innsmouth Look.

Brian and Mick back in their union days, making sure Jimmy Hoffa was never to be found.

Jack Tar Harrison Hotel, Clearwater, Florida 1965, where Keith and Mick would write Satisfaction, after Keith wake up after dreaming about the riff.


The Rolling Stones reveals their new vocalist. Brian: "He's good but he ain't no Mick Jagger".

From a photo session of the unreleased album "Could You Walk On The  Water?", that was later to be called Aftermath having a different set of songs.

Track list meant for "Could You Walk On The Water". Never made a release because of the controversial title, except on bootlegs:

"19th Nervous Breakdown"
"Sad Day"
"Take It Or Leave It"
"Think"
"Mother's Little Helper"

"Goin' Home"
"Sitting On A Fence"
"Doncha Bother Me"
"Ride On Baby"
"Looking Tired"

 

My favorite interview on the Stones. Not thanks to some of the ridiculous questions asked.

Bored to death

Bored to death, part 2

Brian: "I like the queen, she make a good toothpick."

To be continued.....

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.

The Spiders

Vincent Furnier(Alice Cooper) - Vocals
Glen Buxton - Lead Guitar
Michael Bruce - Rhythm guitar
Dennis Dunaway - Bass
John Speer - Drums

Vincent is by now a rather well known Detroit'er, while the rest of the Spiders came from Phoenix, Arizona where also the band was located around 1965.
That year the original version of "Don't Blow Your Mind" was recorded for the Mascot label(Santa Cruz SCR 10,003) and pressed in a run of 500 copies, with the swinging "No Price Tag" as a b-side.

The a-side is some of the crudest fuzz-punk tracks ever recorded in 1965(released later in 1966), with Vincent spitting out the lyrics with a voice sounding like it's had razorblades for breakfast, and a guitar with a fuzz-pedal stepped to the max for a extra primitive and rough effect.

The single has become a rather sought after collectors item, probably because the band used to toss copies to the audience from the stage, with the result often being that the now so rare copies would be stamped in pieces. How many copies that is left by now is still unclear.

 

 

 

An alternative version of "Don't Blow Your Mind" was recorded in 1966, and released for the first time on a 7" from Sundazed records. 

 

A bootleg EP "Battle Of The Bands" with "No Price Tag" and "Don't Blow Your Mind" by "The Spiders" on the a-side, and the great psychedelic tracks "Wonder Who's Loving Her Now"(a-side, released 1967) and "Lay Down And Die, Goodbye"(b-side) by The Nazz on b-side was released, probably in the 80's.

The Nazz kept the same line-up as The Spiders, except for Neil Smith taking over the drums for John Speer. The band would also re-localize to Los Angeles. Later  The Nazz would be known as The Alice Cooper band.  

 

A version of "Don't Blow Your Mind" was performed live in Toronto, 1969, by Alice Cooper, with new lyrics, better known as "Freak Out Song" on several bootlegs.

 

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.

Jimmie Logdson

Jimmie Logdson(no room for his rocket)

Back in 1948 a gentleman named Jimmie Logdson from Panther, Kentucky, started playing his guitar on WLOU radio, in Louisville. He was a big Hank Williams fan, and so would hire a guitarist and fiddler for playing some hillbilly music at the local clubs.

In 1951 he cut his first single named "It All Over But The Shouting", while he in 1952 got to open for his idol Hank Williams. Some more records where cut until 1955, before he took to the bottle.

Sobering up 2 years later, in 1957, he cut 2 singles, one more noteworthy than the others. Instead of the usual hillbilly style out of the slender man came a hard and sleazy rocker named "I Got A Rocket In My Pocket"(released in 1958 under the name Jimmy Lloyd), which probably could have given Iggy Pop and James Williamson of the Stooges something to think of, just about 15 years later(Stooges toured with "I Got A Cock in My Pocket" in 1973/1974). This was the first and only time Jimmie would record anything like this.

Story more or less stolen from "Unsung Heroes Of Rock'n'Roll" by Nick Tosches. The book is recommended to anyone!

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.