| Sonics - The Witch EP As the revitalized Sonics traverse the globe thrilling audiences with their visceral brand of rock'n'roll, Big Beat presets a very special vinyl-only release from this the legendary Northwest garage band. The Witch EP collects four gems from the group’s quintessential Etiquette catalogue, and features for the first time on wax, the rare “switchblade” version of ‘The Witch’, with Larry Parypa scraping metal across his guitar strings to menacing effect. Also making its vinyl debut is the full-length recording of the band’s bloodcurdling ‘Psycho’ direct from the studio master tape. In recent years the Sonics’ pounding take on Richard Berry’s ‘Have Love Will Travel’ has become their biggest box-office item, having appeared upon countless TV commercials and soundtracks around the world. Rounding out this very special Witch EP is the original, classic take of the title cut. Housed in a handsome sleeve featuring a rare colour picture from an unused session intended to promote the original Witch single, shot by famed Northwest photographer Jini Dellaccio, The Sonics’ Witch EP is an essential item for any fan of this unsurpassed rock’n’roll combo. By Alec Palao (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2013 | CD | 15.00 € |
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| The Wheels - Road Block Rave ups don’t come any wilder than ‘Road Block’ by the Wheels, who keep the party going on this CD of their complete output, 1965-1966. Tough, shouting R&B vocals and crunching riffs from Belfast’s other great combo. ‘Road Block’ and ‘Bad Little Woman’ are garage-beat classics of which anyone raised on American “Pebbles” albums will be very familiar. The Wheels, however, were not American; they were from Northern Ireland. Yet their band original ‘Bad Little Woman’ was picked up by Chicago garage deities the Shadows Of Knight, and in contrast they covered Paul Revere & the Raiders’ ‘Kicks’. Don’t even get me started on the feral intensity of their beat-punk opus ‘Road Block’. Big Beat’s new Wheels collection comprises the A and B-sides of their three singles, released across 1965 and 1966, plus the remaining sessions they cut at Regent Sound; this is their album, its great period design making up for the fact that these talented young men didn’t get to release one first time round. Like many who have bought Big Beat releases over the past 20 years, I came to the label knowing I would find great garage, beat and psych. Now the Wheels are in the company of the Beau Brummels, the Chocolate Watchband, the Zombies and Thor’s Hammer. And by heck, they deserve it. Anyone who has bought releases by those artists will adore the Wheels. Steaming out of Belfast’s Maritime Hotel (an R&B hotbed on par with the Crawdaddy in Richmond and Newcastle’s Club A’GoGo), where they graced the stage with friend Van Morrison and his similarly clued-up Them, before moving on to an obsessive following in the glamorous environs of Blackpool. The Wheels lived their lives to the full, playing wild shows, popping pills and adapting R&B to their own means. Under the tutelage of industry bigwig Phil Solomon and producer Tommy Scott, they issued singles on Parlophone and turned heads with their long hair (or, in Brian Rossi’s case, bald head). It looked as if the charts would be theirs. Unfortunately, their sound and songbook may have shared too much with Them’s; Van and his gang stole the Wheels’ thunder and fashions changed fast. In hindsight, the magnificent punk/R&B attack of ‘Road Block’ rivals anything the toughest US garage bands recorded, ‘Bad Little Woman’ was a really decent song, their choice of covers was inspired and there’s no denying their musicality or Rod Demick’s wild-but-soulful vocals. Okay, the Wheels were a beat band versed in R&B and they didn’t make an album like “Revolver” or sell many records, but by Jove they were exciting. The 12 tracks here are testament to that. By Jon “Mojo” Mills (Ace Records) |
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Big Beat Records 2012 | LP | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Get Ready To Fly 26 mindbending late 60s tracks produced by Norman Petty You’d better fasten your seat belts because once this flight takes off, you’ll never come down! So you’re wondering why Norman Petty, producer extraordinaire and champion of rockabilly music in the 1950s has his name on a “psychedelic” compilation? The simple answer is that although Petty's main interest and focus was on music that may have been a little tamer, he still had a hand in just about every genre possible. If you were lucky enough to take the trek to Petty’s Clovis, New Mexico studio, Norman would make you sound… GREAT! He took his incredible production, arranging and editing skills and transferred them with amazing precision into the psychedelic realm. With bands like the Frantics, Hooterville Trolley, Group Axis, Butter Rebellion, Intricate Blend, Apple-Glass Cyndrom and The Cords, how can you go wrong? Get Ready To Fly isn’t just a cameo collection of psychedelic tunes with Petty’s production as the common thread. And although the term “pop-psych” spans a pretty wide realm, this particular collection features a mind-boggling selection of 26 phenomenally-crafted songs with a bit of a hard-edged fuzz appeal. Get Ready To Fly truly doesn’t have a bad cut on it, and the overall quality of the selections is well… unbelievable! Alec Palao has done it again, culling master tapes from another darkened vault and turning them into a highly polished audio eargasm, equipped with the requisite fuzz guitars, sitars, backwards tracking and haunting vocals required for a 73 minute flight like this. With full access to Petty's archives, the candidate list for this volume was immense, the net result being that about two thirds of the entire collection has never appeared on any compilation before. And about half of those were NEVER even released, just collecting dust in the Petty vaults for almost 40 years. Get Ready To Fly has something for every lover of late 1960s psychedelic music, whether you're a grizzled collector or a novice, so don’t hesitate for a second to pick this one up. It’s been a long time since a collection this solid has been released. By Ben Chaput (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2012 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| Balloon Farm - A Question Of Temperature / Hurtin' For Your Love Fantastic repro 45 of 60's Garage-psych single with cool picture sleeve art! Colour vinyl |
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Get Hip Records 2011 | Single/EP | 9.00 € |
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| Blues Magoos - Electric Comic Book The Blues Magoos launched their recording career with the LP Psychedelic Lollipop. The equally impressive Electric Comic Book refines the band's mix of rock ’n’ roll and day-glo psychedelia. That punchy yet playful approach animates such distinctive numbers as “Pipe Dream,” “Rush Hour,” “There’s a Chance We Can Make It” and “Albert Common Is Dead.” Sundazed’s new vinyl edition also features a replica of the original comic book that was packaged with the album’s original pressings. This ’60s garage-psych nugget is now available from Sundazed on High Definition Vinyl, sourced from the original Mercury-label stereo masters, with the colorful original cover art meticulously reproduced. In their '60s heyday, the Blues Magoos were one of the first garage-punk bands to achieve mainstream success, and one of the first to embrace psychedelia. Early in their existence, the Bronx-bred quintet's high-energy live sets made them a popular attraction on the Greenwich Village club scene. Once they began making records, they quickly emerged as one of one of the earliest and most inventive exponents of the psychedelic sound. The band's 1966 debut album Psychedelic Lollipop and its 1967 followup Electric Comic Book, are two of that period's most beloved and enduring albums. |
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Sundazed Music 2011 | LP | 20.00 € |
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| Blues Magoos - Psychedelic Lollipop The Blues Magoos launched their recording career with a major smash, hitting the Top Five with the brash garage-punk anthem "(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet." That tune is just one of the multiple pleasures of Psychedelic Lollipop, notable as one of the first albums (along with the 13th Floor Elevators' debut) to use the word "psychedelic" in its title. The band balances swaggering proto-punk attitude, a Beatlesque pop sensibility and adventurous acid-pop experimentalism on such tunes as "Gotta Get Away," "One by One" and "Love Seems Doomed." And the Magoos' high-energy workouts on James Brown's "I'll Go Crazy" and John Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road" rank with the greatest versions of those much-covered garage-band standards. This ’60s garage-psych nugget is now available from Sundazed on High Definition Vinyl, sourced from the original Mercury-label stereo masters, with the colorful original cover art meticulously reproduced. In their '60s heyday, the Blues Magoos were one of the first garage-punk bands to achieve mainstream success, and one of the first to embrace psychedelia. Early in their existence, the Bronx-bred quintet's high-energy live sets made them a popular attraction on the Greenwich Village club scene. Once they began making records, they quickly emerged as one of one of the earliest and most inventive exponents of the psychedelic sound. The band's 1966 debut album Psychedelic Lollipop and its 1967 followup Electric Comic Book, are two of that period's most beloved and enduring albums. |
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Sundazed Music 2011 | LP | 20.00 € |
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| Oscar & The Majestics - No Chance Baby ! For anyone with an overindulged appetite for '60s garage compilations, Oscar & the Majestics must seem like old friends. Certainly, that’s the way we feel about ‘em. In Sundazed’s exhaustive dig through the prized USA & Destination Records catalogs (2131 South Michigan Avenue: 60's Garage & Psychedelia from USA and Destination Records LP/CD), no other act—and that includes hit makers like the Buckinghams and Cryin’ Shames—came close to the coverage afforded Oscar Hamod & the Majestics. If the group had left more than five tracks in the USA vaults, no doubt we would have included more. Well, that was before Oscar opened up his vast personal archives, undisturbed for over 40 years, allowing for this first-ever collection of his complete ‘60s output. This includes the band’s best known USA sides, like the impossibly cool, fuzzed-out “Soul Finger”, as well as ultra-rare, Oscar-pressed singles (including the first official reissue of “House of the Rising Sun 1969”; an over the top rearrangement that suffers no shortage of Oscar-fuzz/Oscar-attitude. Most rewarding of all, this set unleashes the unreleased “Baby Under My Skin” and “I Feel Good”; both seriously Kinky krunchers from the USA era. As a bonus, we blow the lid off the untold history of Mr. Hamod & his rockin’ crew in a package also crammed with vintage photos and rare 45 label scans |
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Sundazed Music 2011 | LP | 20.00 € |
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| The Ideals - The Gorilla / Mo Gorilla Five star 1963 Chi-Town Simian Stomper b/w the original followup fracas! Be zorch, daddy-o – GO APE! On banana yellow wax! |
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Norton Records 2011 | Single/EP | 6.00 € |
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| VA: - Before The Fall - 24 Prelapsarian Cuts f evidence were needed that all music is connected, this collection could well be it. You might think Australian punk, proto-Krautrock and Sister Sledge could only co-exist on a compilation called “Now That’s What I Call Utterly Unrelated”, but actually, beyond “Before The Fall”’s basic conceit, a few fragile connections start to present themselves. Henry Cow acted as support on a Captain Beefheart tour. Beefheart’s style was significantly influenced by bluesmen such as Leadbelly. Leadbelly and Pete Seeger hung out in 40s New York. What else? ‘There’s A Ghost in My House’ and ‘Jungle Rock’ were both hits years after their original release. Fall fans wouldn’t automatically associate ‘The Mummy’ and ‘Transfusion’, yet listening to the originals reveals both as satire at the expense of the beatniks. ‘Transfusion’, like ‘Kimble’, owes much of its uniqueness to the innovative use of sound effects. ‘Kimble’ and ‘People Grudgeful’ are connected thanks to the fractious relationship between the artists concerned. ‘Grudgeful’ and ‘$ F--oldin’ Money $’ both play parts in stories of apparently unscrupulous label bosses. ‘$ F--oldin’ Money $’, ‘Rollin’ Danny’, ‘Transfusion’ and ‘Pinball Machine’ were all the work of artists who died before their time, some a little more before their time than others. It’s fun to spot these connections but, as a Fall fan, I wouldn’t pin too much significance on them. Mark E Smith covered Monks’ tracks without even knowing their titles. He’s covered others without, by his own admission, being able to track down the publishing rights, knowing all the lyrics, or in the case of ‘War’, even remembering the tune. So while in some cases these originals will seem very familiar to Fall fans – the relative commercial success of ‘There’s a Ghost In My House’ and ‘Victoria’ is probably attributable to the fact the Fall didn’t muck about with the originals too much, while Smith’s vocal on ‘Mr Pharmacist’ is remarkably similar to Jeff Nowlen’s original – others are interesting as starting points for very different Fall readings. These originals also demonstrate a lack of Smith snobbery towards music to which other contemporary bands would rapidly turn up their noses. Pop, blues, prog and daft novelties are all accorded the same respect, or lack of it. As a fan of 60s garage, the Monks, Other Half and Sonics cuts on this collection were very familiar to me, but the journey into other genres has been a bit of a revelation. The habit of lifting rocksteady/reggae melody lines for retooling on other tracks led to a diverting trip which started with ‘People Grudgeful’ and took in related tracks such as ‘Longshot’, ‘Jackpot’ and ‘People Funny Boy’. Comparing versions of ‘Bourgeois Blues’, dipping a toe into the ocean of trucking music – all of this I would never have found myself doing had it not been for the cross-genre nature of Mark E Smith’s eclectic tastes. By Dan Maier (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2011 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| Rationals - Fan Club Album For fans of the shiny black stuff, Big Beat is proud to present two different LPs by Ann Arbor’s finest, the Rationals this month. Last year’s “Think Rational!” compilation, the first legitimate repackaging of this storied combo’s mid-60s sides for the legendary A-Square label, was very warmly received indeed. The group’s distinctive brand of garage soul, so long the pride of their native Michigan, finally got the “respect” (pun intended) it deserves. And so, for the aficionados we offer these two extra special vinyl editions. The “Fan Club Album” is legendary in collector circles as one of the rarest 60s garage artefacts known to man – only three test pressing copies are confirmed to exist. Consisting of unreleased outtakes from the band’s earliest sessions in 1965 and 1966, the longplayer was intended as a farewell “thank you” to the groups loyal fanbase by the band’s producer and mentor Jeep Holland, when he parted ways with the Rationals in late 1968. Save for one cut, this reissue reprises the album’s original tracklist and running order, and comes with a new, fully illustrated sleeve. In fact two tracks (the instrumentals ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ and ‘Strawberry Jam’) and several of the versions do not appear on “Think Rational!” and are thus exclusive to this release. At the height of their popularity, there was much consideration of a Rationals album. Jeep even gave the project a title – “A-Soulin’ We Go With The Rationals”. Though the band recorded several of the selections Jeep had mapped out for inclusion, the record never came to fruition. But our “Out On The Floor” compilation approximates its contents, by collecting together the best material from the Rationals’ mid-60s garage-soul heyday, including such signature tunes as ‘Leavin’ Here’, ‘Temptation’s ‘Bout To Get Me’ and their big regional hit, ‘I Need You’. Mostly recorded at sessions in 1967 and 1968, when the beloved Michigan quartet was at the top of its game, it’s both a groovy spin for the hardcore Rats fan, and a power packed introduction for those who have yet to discover the blue-eyed magic of the mighty RATIONALS. By Alec Palao (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2010 | LP | 17.00 € |
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| Rumblers - It's A Gas Boss! When Californian group the Rumblers hit the American charts with their single ‘Boss’ in February 1963 the word, used locally by the surfing community to describe anything they regarded as cool, was adopted by teenagers across the nation. This word-association with surf culture, and the concurrent success of the group’s label-mates the Chantays with their Top 5 hit ‘Pipeline’, led to the Rumblers being classified by many as a surf group. But this was far from the truth. With Joe Houston’s ‘All Night Long’ as their theme song they were a sharp R&B band, described by their bass player Wayne Matteson as a black group with white skin: “We did a lot of James Brown tunes … We dressed well, and we had all of our songs choreographed.” Naming themselves after Link Wray’s 1958 hit ‘Rumble’, the group’s first release paired the instrumentals ‘Stomping Time’ and ‘Intersection’ on the small Highland label which secured them sessions at the famed studio in Downey, California attached to Wenzel’s Music Town record store. Here, a take-off of the Strangers’ 1959 hit ‘Caterpillar Crawl’ evolved into the number they named ‘Boss’. And no wonder it became a hit, the opening bars carry one of the all-time catchiest intros. A frantically whammied low note from guitarist Mike Kelishes precedes a four-to-the-bar bass drum beat that is developed into a hypnotic riff by bass guitar, building in intensity as first guitars and then sax join in. Half a dozen bars of primal pounding and you’re hooked. Simple, but oh so effective. A couple of early Rumblers compilation CDs have long since become sought after collector’s items, but “It’s A Gas!” surpasses them all by being a far more comprehensive selection. And in true Ace fashion it is taken direct from the best sources bringing vastly improved sound quality. The accompanying booklet features an informative essay from compiler Brian Nevill telling the full story of the group plus loads of never-before-seen pictures from the collections of the Rumblers themselves. In addition to the best of the group’s singles for Downey and Dot and selections from their “Boss” LP, there are CD debuts for both sides of the Highland single and a later 45 released under the name of the Interns. If that wasn’t enough there are no less than 10 tracks new to a Rumblers CD including four totally unreleased recordings in the shape of ‘Warhead’, ‘Why Did You Make Me Cry’, ‘Freight Train’ and ‘Strawboss’. With all their best in one package, “It’s A Gas!” is the definitive collection of the Rumblers and is a compilation that surf and instrumental fans will find irresistible – it’s a boss gas, man! By Alan Taylor and Dave Burke of Pipeline, the rock instrumental magazine (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2010 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| Tandoori Knights - Gomper / 2120 South Michigan Avenue |
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Norton Records 2010 | Single/EP | 6.00 € |
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| The Gaye Blades / The Girls At Dawn - Ruby Tuesday / That Girl Belongs To Yesterday |
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Norton Records 2010 | Single/EP | 6.00 € |
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| VA: - Bo Diddley Is A Songwriter In his long and illustrious career, the late Ellas McDaniel portrayed his alter ego Bo Diddley as many things – a lover, a gunslinger, crazy, even a lumberjack would you believe (and as this is Bo we’re talking about, you would…) One thing that Bo seldom if ever proclaimed himself to be is ‘A Songwriter”. But over a period of 10 years, Bo crafted some of the most memorable songs of the rock ‘n’ roll and R & B era, including numerous Hall Of Fame perennials which many will be unaware are his songs. For instance, there can be few on this planet who’ve never heard at least one version of “Love Is Strange” – it was featured in ‘Dirty Dancing’, one of the most popular and biggest grossing films of all time, for goodness sake! How many of the thousands of young people who own that soundtrack album also know that the same man who wrote it also wrote “Mona” a 1990s UK chart topper for Craig McLachlan, and “No No No”, a Top 10 hit in 1993 for reggae artist Dawn Penn (both songs appear here, in other versions, under their real titles ‘I Need You Baby’ and ‘She’s Fine, She’s Mine’ respectively…). Not many, I’ll wager. Bo is so well known and loved as an R & B legend that his songwriting skills tend to get overlooked in comparison with his fabulous recordings. He may be seen by some as a left field entry in Ace’s ongoing ‘Songwriter Series’, but once the CD popped into the player, it won’t take but a few minutes (as his Chess colleague Chuck Berry once wrote) to realise that he’s here on merit, and not just because everyone at Ace loves Bo Diddley. Of course, anyone who lived through the R&B and British Beat boom will be familiar with any number of E. McDaniel copyrights – both those Bo wrote, and those that were written for him by others. And there’s considerably more variety to Bo’s songwriting than some might initially think. OK, so he did put together more numerous variations on the ‘shave-and-a-haircut, six-bits’ rhythm. But Bo’s catalogue of compositions also embraces doo-wop (‘I’m Sorry’), teen pop (‘Love Is Strange’, ‘Mama Can I Go Out’) proto-surf (‘Bo’s Bounce’), humour (‘Pills’) 12 bar blues (‘Before You Accuse Me’) straight ahead R&B (‘I Can Tell’, ‘Diddy Wah Diddy’) and so much more besides. As well as recording his songs, many of our stellar cast of artists were major league Bo fans and, indeed, most of those who are still around continue to be. The fact that the recordings on our CD span a period of 50 years gives a strong indication of the timelessness of his work as a writer – hardly surprising when his own early recordings still sound like they were recorded yesterday. If there’s still any shadow of doubt in your mind that Bo Diddley IS a songwriter, buy this CD immediately and let its contents rid you henceforth of such foolish supposition! By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2010 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - The Best Of Golden Crest 2CD Ace Records’ link with Golden Crest dates back to 1993. That was when I travelled to picturesque Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, to discuss a licensing deal specifically for the Wailers’ enduring hit instrumental, ‘Tall Cool One’, which duly appeared on “The Golden Age of American Rock’n’Roll, Vol 6” (CDCHD 650). Label-founder Clark Galehouse had died 10 years earlier, so his daughter Shelley came along with her trusted adviser – none other than the great but notorious Hy Weiss of Old Town Records. I couldn’t believe my “luck” in coming up against one of the sharpest and most conniving minds in the business. Eventually I ended up with two contracts: one for Ace; the other in marriage to Shelley. Through the years Ace has released the “The Fabulous Wailers” (CDCHD 675, a classic and still a solid seller); “On The Road With Rock’n’Roll” by Mando and the Chili Peppers and “Golden Crest Instrumentals” (now deleted); plus quite a few individual tracks. Other reissue labels have licensed Golden Crest masters, from rock’n’roll, rocking instrumentals, doo wop and teen to classical. Now, at last, we have this first-ever “The Best Of Golden Crest” collection, which draws on singles aimed primarily at the Top 100 charts in the peak rock’n’roll years from the parent label and its subsidiaries Shelley, DeWitt and Yorkshire. Out of the 48 tracks here, no less than 35 are new to Ace CD with almost half new to CD anywhere. By virtue of its location in Huntington Station, NY, Golden Crest was well placed to trawl talent from Long Island (including Queens and Brooklyn), also New York and New Jersey. But the label made its mark when ‘Tall Cool One’ by the Wailers, from the Northwest area, hit the Top 50 charts on Billboard and Cash Box in 1959 and then again in 1964. As a result of the Wailers’ success, Galehouse tapped into other Northwest acts Clayton Watson (Lord Dent), the Mad Plaids, the Chessmen and Lola Sugia. A further wellspring of satisfying recordings in an R&B vein (but with no hits) emanated from record lady Lillian Claiborne of Washington, D.C. So, what new-to-CD tracks are there to savour? From the Claiborne stable, try the three New Orleans R&B-influenced Calvin Ruffins and the spot-on Little Willie John soundalike Johnny Stewart with ‘Come On And Love Me’; the attitudinal ‘Bug Out’ by the Seven Teens and more teen pop from the Three Graces and the Montells; ‘Why Did You Tell Me?’ by anguished R&B’er Cartrell Dickson; the superior soul of ‘Girl’ by the Bluestyle with Carl Vanterpool; singles by jazz masters Coleman Hawkins and Carmen Leggio; the splendid bonus track, ‘New York City Blues’, by Larry Dale & his Houserockers (with Bob Gaddy and Jimmy Spruill), written by UK author/Juke Blues writer Dave Williams; and, of course, the three “new” Wailers cuts from their very first 1958 session. To round off this double CD, there is a highly attractive booklet detailing the label’s history and featuring its innovative picture 45s and picture sleeves. For all the diversity of music genres released, Golden Crest Records was still part of the marvellous cartel of independent labels that contributed so much to the rock’n’roll era. And it shows in these 48 tall cool ones. By John Broven (Ace Records website) |
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Ace Records 2010 | CD | 23.00 € |
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| VA: - You Tore My Brain ! - Unissued Sixties Garage Acetates Vol 5 Clobberin’ fifth volume of brutal unissued garage crunchers |
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Norton Records 2010 | LP | 13.00 € |
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| Rationals - Think Rational ! 2CD To borrow the title of their lone Billboard Hot 100 entry - #92 in late 1966 - it’s really all about “respect”: the enduring respect that the mighty Rationals enjoy amongst fans and fellow musicians from Michigan rock’s golden era. Cherished by a devoted fan base, the pioneering Ann Arbor quartet were top dogs in the state, and those that experienced the Rationals in their prime share an emotional bond to the combo that the rest of us can never fully comprehend. However, the recorded evidence, as presented on our long-awaited deluxe 2 CD Rationals anthology, speaks for itself. “Think Rational!” collects together for the first time the sides the Rationals cut between 1965 and 1968 under the auspices of their manager and mentor, the enigmatic Hugh “Jeep” Holland. Right from the start, the Rationals were somehow more mature than the average teenage garage band. The Kinks and the Zombies moves heard on early singles morphed into the full-blooded garage soul of their 1966-68 era, whereby the Rationals became the American analogue to the Small Faces or Winwood-era Spencer Davis Group. They sported a muscular, dependable rhythm section in Terry Trabandt and Bill Figg, further fuelled by the incisive, corrosive southpaw lead/rhythm of Steve Correll, and fronted by the multi-faceted abilities of Scott Morgan, one of rock’s most unselfconsciously authentic blue-eyed soul voices. Ultimately, only the lack of a prolific songwriting team held them back. It is as interpreters that they are best remembered. The band’s two most successful records were covers of Otis Redding’s ‘Respect’ and Chuck Jackson’s ‘I Need You’. The unique arrangement of the former suffers from over-familiarity with Aretha’s subsequent chartbuster; the heartbreaking tenor of the latter could hush the crowd at even the famously “high energy” Grande Ballroom in Detroit – no less than Jackie Wilson informed the band, “you guys just cut Chuck!” Thanks to Jeep’s instruction, the Rationals’ arrangements of R&B stage faves such as ‘Leavin’ Here’, Little Richard’s ‘Poor Dog’ and Sam Hawkins’ ‘Hold On Baby’ are definitive. And their reading of ‘Temptation’s ‘Bout To Get Me’, as heard here, is pure, soulful magic. A great sense of personal satisfaction comes with the release of “Think Rational!” Over a decade in the making, the band members had long despaired of seeing their best work gain legitimate release, so it is a tremendous honour for me as compiler to see the project to fruition, with all the rightful pieces in place. In addition to all the Rationals singles on A-Square and Cameo, we hear the rare promo 45 cut for a Detroit mens clothing store, as well as tracks from the legendary1968 fan club LP (two known test pressings), for a total of almost twenty unreleased tracks, along with a jam-packed 24-page booklet. “Think Rational!” indeed finally accords the Rationals the “respect” that they have so long deserved. Note: we hope to feature the Rationals’ post-A-Square recordings in a subsequent Big Beat package. By Alec Palao (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2009 | CD | 23.00 € |
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| VA: - 2131 South Michigan Avenue 2CD Though the ’60s garage band explosion was felt in every corner ofthe country, the local uprising of talent in Chicago thrived unlike anywhere else. The Windy City had the perfect infrastructure in place; from a booming population of teenagers, to hip music stores in every suburb, a proliferation of teen clubs willing to take their money, and a powerhouse radio station (WLS) equally up to promoting local bands. When it came to giving local groups a shot at 45 rpm fame, no Chicago label—not even the hallowed Dunwich Records—was more prolific than USA Records. USA’s Jim Golden was such a strong supporter of Midwest talent that he started up a second label focused solely in this area, Destination Records. A quarter century into the CD age, it’s hard to believe these pivotal labels have never been properly anthologized. Until now, that is! Sundazed once again arrives to the rescue with an exhaustive dive into the pure, undiluted garage side of USA and Destination Records; tapping into everything from priceless artifacts from the Lost Agency, the Foggy Notions, and Park Avenue Playground to label hitmakers the Buckinghams, the Cryan’ Shames, and the Flock at their most rockin’. There’s so much impossibly great music on these labels, we had to expand this collection to 40 tracks. The album artwork is stuffed with rare photos, band bios, and an interview with the legendary Jim Golden. For a full course of Chicago ’66 garage at its finest, look no further than 2131 South Michigan Avenue: 60’s Garage & Psychedelia from USA and Destination Records! |
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Sundazed Music 2009 | 2-CD | 35.00 € |
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| VA: - Destroy That Boy ! More Girls With Guitars “Destroy That Boy!”, the sequel to 2004’s “Girls With Guitars”, delves into the world of garage femmes and all-girl bands in a quest to prove that females of the species do indeed rock, roll and even snarl. In the post-Beatles beat boom, many an impressionable lass was inspired to take guitar in hand and toe the line with their male counterparts, with at least 160 touring female bands in the USA alone. A select few hit the recording studio to leave their aural mark on the decade, from which Ace has melded the cream of crop with some solo sisters to create another healthy 24-track dose of girl garage goodness. This time old Blighty has its share of representatives, including fully-fledged female groups She Trinity and the Liverbirds. She Trinity – whose original members hailed from the UK, Canada and the USA, hence their somewhat confusing moniker – appear with their first and last (and most acclaimed) singles. The Liverbirds’ success was limited to their adoptive home of Germany, where they recorded two albums of R&B and rock’n’roll covers, three of which are showcased here. Schoolgirl duo the Termites get their pincers into a Stones classic, while South African ex-pat Sharon Tandy and Coventry’s Beverley Jones give out some gutsy performances too. From across the Atlantic, alluring society girls the What Four open proceedings. The cover shows the Debutantes from Detroit, whose talents and glamorous image scored them a far-eastern tour and gigs alongside Motown’s finest. Another pivotal group was the Feminine Complex, formed by lead guitarist and songwriter Mindy Dalton, who achieved the rare feat of releasing an LP, but here we’re treated to two demos, including their wonderfully lo-fi version of the Monkees’ ‘(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone’, cut in their first incarnation as the Pivots. Elsewhere come the Starlets with an attitude-soaked take on ‘You Don’t Love Me’, Swedish bombshell Ann-Margret with both decks of her single for Lee Hazlewood’s LHI label and Raylene Loos and her cohorts the Blue Angels, who contribute a rollicking rendition of ‘Shakin’ All Over’. The Girls (nope, not the same gang as on “Girls With Guitars”) debut with an unreleased cut produced by Sly Stone, while woe betides the man on the receiving end of Aussie Toni McCann, who let’s rip with ‘No’. Jack Nitzsche protégée Karen Verros kicks off the mid-section with, a fuzz-laden mind-blowing gem written by Donovan. Project X (whose line-up included Scott McKenzie) delights with a jangly folk-garage affair and Cheryll & Pam wax lyrical in ‘That’s My Guy’. British Invasion off-shoots the Lady Bugs’ ode to the American fraternity is a hilarious romp and the wiggy Fondettes pay tribute to the mop-headed boys who started it all. Much more info on these artists is to be found in the glossy feature-packed booklet, which includes interviews with Jan McClellan of the Debutantes and Beverley Jones. So let the girls blow the dust of their guitars yet again and take a trip down to the tougher side of girl-groupsville. By MATT MEEK (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2009 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Get Off My Back ! - Unissued Sixties Garage Acetates Vol. 1 these originally unreleased recordings present a treasure trove of garage killers! All selections were recorded 1964-67 but none were released at the time. |
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Norton Records 2009 | LP | 13.00 € |
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| VA: - I've Had Enough ! - Unissued Sixties Garage Acetates Vol. 4 these originally unreleased recordings present a treasure trove of garage killers! All selections were recorded 1964-67 but none were released at the time. SPECIAL ALL NEW YORK EDITION! |
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Norton Records 2009 | LP | 13.00 € |
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| VA: - Mad Mike Monsters Vol. 1 - A Tribute To Mad Mike Metrovich The wildest 45s discovered and popularized by enigmatic Pittsburgh hoo-doo DJ during his primo prime years 1964-67, compiled into three sets of instant party mashers! Massive gatefold LPs tell the story of the Mad One in his own words, complete with tons of memories from his many local fans, while the CD packs deliver the same in a pocket-size format! Absolutely staggering array of sounds from this Norton icon! All sizzle, no gristle! This is the first volume. |
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Norton Records 2009 | LP | 13.00 € |
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| VA: - Mad Mike Monsters Vol. 1 - A Tribute To Mad Mike Metrovich The wildest 45s discovered and popularized by enigmatic Pittsburgh hoo-doo DJ during his primo prime years 1964-67, compiled into three sets of instant party mashers! Massive gatefold LPs tell the story of the Mad One in his own words, complete with tons of memories from his many local fans, while the CD packs deliver the same in a pocket-size format! Absolutely staggering array of sounds from this Norton icon! All sizzle, no gristle! This is the first volume. |
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Norton Records 2009 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Mad Mike Monsters Vol. 2 - A Tribute To Mad Mike Metrovich The story continues in this massive gatefold second volume |
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Norton Records 2009 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Mad Mike Monsters Vol. 2 - A Tribute To Mad Mike Metrovich The story continues in this massive gatefold second volume |
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Norton Records 2009 | LP | 13.00 € |
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| VA: - Mad Mike Monsters Vol. 3 - A Tribute To Mad Mike Metrovich Third gargantuan volume wraps up the bio notes (or does it?) on this posh inaugural trio trib to Mad Mike Metrovich! |
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Norton Records 2009 | LP | 13.00 € |
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| VA: - She Was So Bad - Unissued Sixties Garage Acetates Vol. 2 these originally unreleased recordings present a treasure trove of garage killers! All selections were recorded 1964-67 but none were released at the time. |
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Norton Records 2009 | LP | 13.00 € |
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| VA: - Train To Nowhere -Unissued Sixties Garage Acetates Vol. 3 these originally unreleased recordings present a treasure trove of garage killers! All selections were recorded 1964-67 but none were released at the time. |
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Norton Records 2009 | LP | 13.00 € |
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| VA: - We're Gonna Change The World ! High-Definition 180 gram GOLD Vinyl LP During the peak years of the ’60s garage band wave, Pete Wright was one of the nation’s top independent record promotion men. His records were not only hits on Chicago’s crucially important WLS but also in small markets throughout the Midwest. Whether in the Windy City or in these smaller outposts, he was tipped off to tons of untapped local talent. So much so that launching a record label was the next logical step. Thus was born Quill Records, a short-lived but supremely cool label heavily indebted to the garage band sound. This definitive overview collects only the most rockin’ sides from the label; from the Malibu’s who manage to outdo their idols the Animals, at least in pure unbridled energy, to the Skunks who on their overdriven, fuzzed-out cover of “Do the Duck” could be mistaken for a UK mod/freakbeat act. And that’s just for starters in a set of teen rave-ups from the likes of the Delights, the Commons, Ltd., Chances R, the Riddles and more. If the appearance of the Don Caron Orchestra in the track listing causes serious head scratching amongst the more discerning of you garage connoisseurs, well, we couldn’t help ourselves. Their “Hot Pastrami” may be the most scorching sax ’n’ reverb instrumental you hear all year. This set also includes rare photos, label scans and extensive liner notes (with interviews from both Pete Wright and many of the bands). |
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Sundazed Music 2009 | LP | 19.00 € |
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| VA: - You Heard Them Here First - Rock's Icons Before They Were Fa Everyone has to start somewhere, even famous rock stars. Not many of them achieved stardom with their first record. That’s the theme of “You Heard Them Here First”, a collection of two-dozen cuts by big name acts, all recorded before anyone knew them from Adam. Take Arthur Lee, wigged-out lynchpin of the band Love, who in his early dues-paying days briefly fronted an obscure instrumental combo. The MGs were a big noise in Memphis, but few folk in Los Angeles got to hear the L.A.G.s. Now’s your chance. Or Marty Balin, who, long before Jefferson Airplane took off, tried his hand at teen idol-dom, seemingly unaware the world already had a Gene Pitney, a Ricky Nelson and a Bobby Vee. Who knew? Everyone knows the Righteous Brothers, but not many are familiar with Bill Medley’s previous group the Paramours, blue-eyed Coasters clones extraordinaire. Motown kyboshed the Mynah Byrds’ chances of stardom by cancelling the release of their single; no one knew who Neil Young and Rick James were at the time. Young’s later back-up band Crazy Horse recorded in earlier guises too, amongst them the Rockets, while the Beefeaters osmosed into the Byrds, Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal started out in an unknown group named the Rising Sons and Gram Parsons cut his teeth in the International Submarine Band. Bob Dylan knew a good thing when he heard it and he heard it in Levon & the Hawks, who teamed up with him and changed their name to the Band. The Pigeons found few takers until they slowed things down and re-launched themselves as Vanilla Fudge. Hear all these bands here. Danny Lee, anyone? We know him now as genius songwriter Dan Penn. What about Link Cromwell? Where would Patti Smith be without Lenny Kaye? How does Mark Robinson grab you? Just a quick listen is all it takes to identify the unmistakeable bass voice of Lee Hazlewood. Nilsson’s first chart record dates from 1969, but he’d been scratching around in the music biz for years by then, writing songs for the Ronettes, singing demos for Little Richard and recording singles under pseudonyms like Bo Pete. Collectors will tell you it’s invariably the records made by well-known artists before they were famous that are the hardest to find and the most expensive to buy. Expect to fork out over £500 for an original copy of ‘Liza Jane’ by Davie Jones with the King Bees, the fabled first single released by the lad who grew up to David Bowie, for example. By purchasing this CD, you save yourself a small fortune and get pre-fame recordings by Lou Reed, Joe Cocker, Cher, Mike Nesmith, Peter Frampton, J.J. Cale, Warren Zevon and P.F. Sloan thrown in for good measure. BY MICK PATRICK (ACE RECORDS) |
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Ace Records 2009 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| GOOFIN' RECORDSIN LAHJAKORTTI - HELPPO JA VAIVATON LAHJA ! lahjakortin saat haluamallesi summalle. minimi 10;- maksimi summaa ei ole. Lisätietoja ? Soita 09-7733113 tai meilaa info@goofinrecords.fi Lahjakortti on voimassa vuoden ostopäivästä eteenpäin. |
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lahjakortti 2008 | CD | 30.00 € |
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| Jesters - Cadillac Men - The Sun Masters The Jesters' crazed mid-60s recordings are the ultimate in deranged genius. Dig them all here, alongside 1966 cuts from related Memphis garage band the Escapades ! |
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Ace Records 2008 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| Johnny Tedesco - Rock Del Tom Tom 1961 latin rocker from argentina |
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Floridita Records 2008 | CD | 9.90 € |
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| Mojo Men - Not Too Old To Start Cryin' Quality garage-soaked pop and folk-rock from the future hitmakers of"Sit Down I think I Love You". All titles are previously unissued |
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Ace Records 2008 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - A-Square (Of Course) The Story Of Michigan's Legendary A-Square Records. 25 tracks |
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Ace Records 2008 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Don't Press Your Luck 60s Connecticut sounds. Garage and psych howlers from the vaults of Trod Nossel Studios 1966-1968. |
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Sundazed Music 2008 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Sing Me A Rainbow - A Trident Anthology 1965-67 2CD Mid 0s San Francisco had its own Brill Building in North Beach's Columbus Tower, home of Frank Werber's Trident Productions. This is the brief but fascinating story of the Trident stable, filled with great pop, garage and SF folk rock sounds |
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Ace Records 2008 | CD | 25.00 € |
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| Sonics - Busy Body - Live in Tacoma 1964 Live at the Red Carpet (9/64) and Live at the Tacoma Sports Arena (11/64). 15 tracks |
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Norton Records 2007 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| Sonics - Busy Body - Live in Tacoma 1964 |
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Norton Records 2007 | LP | 13.00 € |
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| Sonics - Here Are The Sonics ! vanhan Etiquette LP:n uusintajulkaisu nyt CD:nä |
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Ace Records 2007 | CD | 12.00 € |
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| VA: - Ain't I Hard ! Sunset Strip 60s Sounds ! Garage & Psych from Viva Records. |
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Sundazed Music 2007 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - It Came From The Garage 24 tracks garage rockers from Downey Records 1964-1967 |
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Ace Records 2007 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Now Hear This ! |
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Ace Records 2007 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - You Got Yours ! East Bay Garage 1965-1967 24 tracks grungy garage rock at its finest. |
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Ace Records 2007 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| Don & The Good Times - So Good 19 tracks |
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Rev-Ola 2006 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| Midnighters - In Thee Midnite Hour !! Pounding East LA rock n' roll! Original Whittier recordings of this legendary group's mid sixties stompers, collected together in one mad set for the first time! NO BALLADS!! Killer after killer of loud, tense, massively attitudinal teenage howlers- prime cut slammers that ram the Stones into a hot, crowded bullpen wearing long red capes and little else! For the first time, the universe outside East LA can dig the majestic slam of THEE MIDNITERS! Instant party never had it so good! |
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Norton Records 2006 | LP | 13.00 € |
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| Sonics - Busy Body / The Witch Recorded Live At The Tacoma Sports Arena, November 27, 1964. Nice picture sleeve |
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Norton Records 2006 | Single/EP | 6.00 € |
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| VA: - Garagemental Cuca Records Story Vol. 2. 26 tracks sixties garage punk rockers |
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Ace Records 2006 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| Chimney Sweeps - Devil Girl For the first time on wax, here's a dozen crude, unissued 1966-67 garage recordings by Australia's answer to the Alarm Clocks, the truly remarkable Chimney Sweeps. These guys never boasted a release during their short "career" (they played maybe 15 gigs tops) and were totally unknown even amongst top Australian collectors until recently. The twelve sides include wild originals like Lies, Lies and the demented Cold Fish ("she ain't no gold fish!") plus three cool covers — their dragged-through-a-ditch take on the Rolling Stones' Grown Up Wrong must be heard to be believed! The big crunch is capped by a '66 stab at the title song by the Sweeps' earlier incarnation, the Cobwebs. Features a full band bio, whacked out group photo (the only one!) and a buzzin' dozen garage killers! |
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Norton Records 2005 | LP | 13.00 € |
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| VA: - Garage Beat '66 Vol. 4 - I'm in Need 20 tracks |
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Sundazed 2005 | CD | 19.00 € |
