Ray Gant & The Arabian Knights - Chattanooga Walk

A few weeks back, Brain blogged the Watson & the Sherlocks single on the Soulville label out of Harrisburg, PA. Now here's a record released on the sister imprint, Jay-Walking. Many of the labels' acts were from the Harrisburg area but several came from other parts of the country. Such is the case with Ray Gant, who may have been from Tennessee, although that bit of sleuthing could be limited to the title of his record. His backing band here could well have been locals though.

As you may have guessed, "Chattanooga Walk" is a dance record. Right away, you know you're in for a mover, with some groovy organ and a bit of funky guitar. Gant starts in,

"I was down in Tennessee about two weeks ago
They was doin' a dance I ain't never seen before
Chattanooga Walk is its name
All down south y'all, they all doin' the same"

Then, the chorus comes in, with female backing,

"Can you do it? (can you do it?)
Ain't nothin' to it (ain't nothin' to it)
Chattanooga Walk (yeah, Chattanooga Walk)
All right! (yeah, Chattanooga Walk)"

After another verse, Gant starts a spoken part on how he ran into a certain someone and showed him how to do the dance.

"Well I was down in Chattanooga, I ran acroos a guy I think y'all know
His initials is J.B. That's right, Mr. James Brown, lord have mercy
I had something up on him this time though
He asked me how I did my new dance called the Chattanooga Walk
And I showed him how, just like this here, ugh!
Lord have mercy, ugh!"

Here, I'm picturing Gant imparting his wisdom on Mr. J.B. It conjures up a picture - Gant doing some smooth moves and the Godfather of Soul taking it all in. Probably never happened but it's fun to think about.

The song is available on Get Hip's 2001 Soulful Sounds of Soulville compilation of records from the two labels.

The Raiders - You've Gotta Have A Man/Take It Slow

Here's a record out of Corey, PA that sounds like it's from about 1964. The RCS website confirms that, listing it as 1963/64. They also show an earlier Raiders 45 on the same label, "Miss You Baby"/"Downbeat" from back in 1960. That's a bit of a gap but apparently the only two Raiders' releases.

"You've Gotta Have A Man" has what might be deemed an early garage sound. In fact, it's somewhat similar to what another band of Raiders were doing about the same time, so maybe frat rock is a better fit. It's a basher, with a stompin' dance beat, a cool guitar break and quite a lot of organ. The song is an original credited to band member Jerry Williams. Williams is also given label credit as the lead vocalist, although there's some trading off and even a bit of harmonizing. There's also one good scream.

The other side is an instro called "Take It Slow". It is indeed slower than the topside but moves along at a nice, mid-tempo pace. And as on side one, the instrumentation is guiatrs, organ and drums. In fact, the drumming is oustanding on both sides of the record, courtesy Dave Lillie. Here, we're treated to a lot of high-end cymbal bashing. Lead guitarist Gilbert Scouten penned the tune.

The Raiders sound like they were a tight outfit. I can picture them playing a lot of frat parties and teen dances. Considering their first record came out in 1960, they had a lot of time to hone their craft. And hone they did.

Joe Dodo and The Groovers: Groovy /Goin' Steady(RCA Victor 47-7207)

If you can picture this 45 being played at a go-go club with a well-endowed stripper shaking her gifts of nature, you ain't too far off. If it sounds like it could've been comped on one of the "Las Vegas Grind" series, that's because it is. (See www.cryptrecords.com for more info.) So why am I reviewing it? Because it's so delectably cheesy and fun.

It's weird seeing this on a major label, but it's true. This 1958 release opens with a piano intro that suggests Floyd Cramer, but soon something a bit more demented kicks in. A twangy guitar and a slow, but kickin' beat come in and then we get a sleazy sax riff that David Rose could've had in mind when he wrote "The Stripper," before a heavy female moan comes in and a low-down voice intones "Groovy!" Repeat sleazy sax riff, repeat heavy moan, repeat "Groovy!"

Then we get this chorus that goes "Groovy, groovy, groovy, groovy, groovy, groovy, groovy, groovy, groovy!" followed by another blast of sleazy sax. Then, the chorus repeats the groovies, followed by another sax bit and then a female voice sexually growls, "Groovy!" Then we go back to the sleazy sax riff and, well, you can guess the rest. There's also a blastin' sax solo to bridge things a bit.

Judging by the title, "Goin' Steady" sounds like it might be some ballad. But, no, it's another piece of weird rockin' dementia a la "Groovy." This time, it's got "Goin' Steady" repeated in goofy male vocals and chipmunky female vocals, plus a bit of "Baby, baby, babe, I'm goin' steady with you!" All of that is accenuated by similar guitar, sax, piano and drum mayhem, except that this time, it's opened up by a snazzy bass line.

Here come those words again: demented, sleazy, trashy, crazy, wild....but adjectives alone aren't enough to describe this thing. You'll just have to hear it for yourself, and realize just how lame the times we live in truly are.

The Fabulous Raindrops: People Need A Beat /El Putty (Infal IN-147)

This has to be one of the strangest records I've ever run across.
The label says it's from Commerce City, Colorado and it appears to be a Spanish-American group judging by the songwriting credits on both sides. Whoever had this before me wrote on the sleeve "Psycho Psoul." Crude soul is more like it. But that's only one side.

Let's talk about the instrumental other side ("El Putty") first. How to describe it? Think Mexican Link Wray after a few shots of straight tequilla in a dingy bar just over the Rio Grande. There's lots of hoopin' and hollerin' in the background while the guitar player strums away like a drunken mariachi and the drummer keeps up with him as fast as he can. It may not be as wild as I described it to your ears, but that's what I thought about when I listened to it. This side is labeled the "Ranchera" side.

The "soul" side is called "People Need A Beat" and it's indeed go a lot of funk to it. It's also got a lot of jerky wah-wah guitar and crazy organ going on, too. In fact, that wah-wah and organ dominate the first half of the song, making it sound like some kind of improvisational jazz-rock piece. In the interim, the drummer is doing all he can to keep the beat, but guitar and organ plow him under. Then, surprise, surprise, we get vocals, friends! We get a few lines ripped off from Sly and the Family Stone's "Dance To The Music" before everything just suddenly comes to a cold stop.

So, why does this strike me as strange? I don't know. It just feels like the kind of record bar bands would make to just give away to their friends or something. Do I like the record? Yes.
Do I think it comes from way out of left field? No question.

The Shades LTD: Frog Hunt On Mars/Fragile Fruit (Lark LR-1063)

Ah yes, another two-fer from the land of the way out there. I'm not completely sure, but I think this bunch might have come from Florida. But as far as I'm concerned, this might as well have come from another planet, which makes it more than worthy of your time.

Let's see: you get a surf instrumental and a garage punker here, both of them a bit crude. "Frog Hunt" is the instrumental side. It's got a medium beat with crude Ventures-style guitar strumming and an offbeat guitar riff that does indeed give the impression of being on a hunt for Martian frogs. The playing is a bit amateurish, but that's why I like it. You can picture these kids having fun with their rudimentary instrumental skills in their garage.

The crude playing continues on the vocal side, only this time it's got more of a frat vibe. A farfisa joins the mix and the singer shouts the chorus as "Strawberry.....raspberry....Jack Berry," while singing something about a man trying to steal some kid's fruit. I think that's what he's singing, but I can't make out the words at all. He shouts everything at the top of his lungs and it still comes out to be mumbling.

See? I told you this was out of the ordinary. Plus, both songs clock in at approximately 3:30 minutes. But what the hey, the charm is definitely there and that's what matters, jack. At least it matters to me.

Doc Rand and His Purple Blues: I Want You (Yeh I Do)/I Need A Woman (Lance No. 106)

This here item comes from a New Mexico label known amongst garage collectors (I believe The Lincoln Street Exit and the Fe Fi Four Plus Two were both on this label), but this is a bit different than what you might expect. In fact you might call it blue-eyed soul with a hard funk edge. I call it pretty damn good. I'll review both sides together because they both have pretty much similar qualities.

One thing's for certain: the band really cooks on both sides of this thing. Funky guitar, rumbling bass, a drummer that can keep the beat AND slam the heck out of his drums and cookin' horns are the recipe here. And they can work it out with the best of them.

What shoots this into blue-eyed soul territory is the singer. He does his very best James Brown imitation, even going for the "OWW's" on "I Want You (Yeh I Do)." But he ends up sounding like some kid doing his James Brown imitation for his school's talent show. (You can even imagine him doing the boogaloo to the delight of the cheerleading squad!)

Surprisingly enough, it does work here. The band's got a way of sweeping the vocalist right along with them. Both songs here are really good workouts that have a bit of charm to them. And that's about all I can really say.

Alvin Cash & The Crawlers - Twine Time/The Bump

I spent this morning listening to my stash of Alvin Cash 45's on the Mar-V-Lus label. Between 1964 and 1967 Cash made eight singles and an album for the label, encompassing over 20 tracks in all. Most everything he recorded was designed to get people on the dance floor and the bulk of what he did falls into the good to great range. After Mar-V-Lus went belly up, Cash continued to make excellent records for a variety of other labels right on into the 1970's.

What's a real shame is that no Alvin Cash retrospective CD exists, at least not legally. I'm not sure what the hang up might be but I, for one, would love to see Cash properly reissued. It'd be a joy to have all of his best tunes in one tidy package. Despite owning several of his singles, I'd certainly fork over for such a disc.

Today, I could have picked any of Cash's records to write about, at least the ones in my collection. They're pretty much all worthy of attention and not likely to do much damage to your pocketbook in the process. I initially selected "The Bump" because it's a personal favorite, probably the toughest sounding record Cash made for Mar-V-Lus. "Twine Time" was his biggest hit, making the national top 10 in early 1965. But despite its hit status, most people have probably either never heard it or haven't heard it for nearly 40 years because of oldies radio's refusal to stray beyond their patented safe playlist.

"Twine Time" was Cash's first single for Mar-V-Lus. And after its success, he proceeded to release variations on the theme ("Do It One More Time (The Twine)" and "Un-Wind The Twine", both good records). It's a fine, mid-tempo r&b groover, with organ, subtle horns, a bit of guitar and a nice sax break. It's mostly instrumental, with Cash interjecting a few words here and there. Overall, it's one cool cat.

On the flipside is "The Bump", an up-tempo and tougher sounding affair. Here Cash and band pick up the intensity and give us a big beat. The vocals are shouted and the sax break wails. Cash winds things up by giving a shout out to various locales (e.g. Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans and so on). Everyone's doing "The Bump" or they should have been. Track this one down and you can do it too.

In addition to the "Twine Time" variants, Alvin Cash made a bunch of other dance records for Mar-V-Lus, from "The Barracuda" to "The Penguin" to "Doin' The Ali Shuffle". One or more are bound to be future blog material. Stay tuned.

Les Sauterelles: Janet /I Love How You Love Me (IT. Columbia/EMI SCMQ 7001)

Can you say FREAKBEAT MAYHEM?!? I bet you can. Especially when you lay "Janet" on your ears! But we'll get to that in a minute.

Les Sauterelles were a Swiss group (or were they German? Their offical website was written in German, but the English translation implied that they were Swiss) that put out this as their third single in 1966. And you already knew I was going to say it's a winner, didn't you? You're smarter than I think you are.

You'll note, though, that the A-side is a cover of a song made famous in America by Bobby Vinton and The Paris Sisters, called "I Love How You Love Me." Before you think this is going to be schmaltzy pop, try playing it first. You'll discover a Beatles-meets-Byrds-all-covered-with-fuzz version that moves along quite nicely, despite some cheesy harpsichord and keyboard bits. You know how the saying goes about judging a book by its cover, so give it a chance, folks.

Even with that, "Janet" is still where the real action is. It opens with a jerky bass line that soon gets plowed over by pounding drums, sneering fuzz guitar, wailing harmonica and punky vocals that tell is it's once again girfriend putdown time.
The band goes all out on this one, cranking the volume up to bone-crushing level and leaving you feeling like a cat in the headlights of an oncoming truck. Now we're really talking, kids!
"Janet" is truly an explosive piece great teen rock 'n' roll madness. Call it freakbeat if you want, but don't forget to call it great!

NOTE: The copy I have is an Italian pressing with an EMI company sleeve. A picture sleeve exists of this also. You can see for yourself at the group's official website at www.sauterelles.ch/. I'd advise you to do a Google search for Les Sauterelles first, as they have links to translate the site from German to English. But if you can stand broken English, the story's all there, along with lots of great photos and pciture sleeves, plus info on what the band's doing now. It's definitely worth a look.

Iron Butterfly - Unconscious Power

You think that you know a band. You think that you can write them off totally and then you go and discover something like this. To be perfectly fair, my knowledge of the Iron Butterfly songbook is pretty limited. But why wouldn't it be, after a certain 17 minute slugfest was deemed their high water mark by so many?

"Unconscious Power" appeared on Heavy, the first Iron Butterfly album, making it pre-"you-know-what-what-what". And while I wouldn't exactly label it garage rock, it comes pretty darn close. It has crisp, rat-a-tat drumming and loads of cool organ work, while the guitars sort of stay in the background. It has a nice, high end, trebly sound. The vocals are pretty much what they'd be on later recordings but work reasonably well in this case. Maybe that's because the song is fast, nay danceable even and the singer doesn't have to resort to caterwauling at all. And all of this gets wrapped up in a mere 2:29, about 15% of the time it took them to choke out "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". There, I finally said it.

Dizzy Gillespie: Don't Throw Your Back Outa Whack/N.A.T.R.A (Limelight L-3079)

Now, where did this come from? I mean, we all know that Dizzy Gillespie was one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time, do we not? Well, here he is, doing a novelty record. You heard right: a novelty record.

On "Don't Throw Your Back Outa Whack," Gillespie doesn't play his trumpet. Instead, he sings...rather well, too, in a Louis Armstrong kind of way...about the dangers of doing all those 60s dances, like the Monkey, the Swim, the Boogaloo and the rest. Actually, he thinks they're all swingin' dances to do and he sings this over a band track that includes piano, bass, drums and a little guitar. But he warns you not to forget a natural fact. "FREEZE!" The band pauses for a second. Then, he sings "Don't throw your back outa whack" as the band resumes to kickin' it out. He also offers little pearls of wisdom such as the foregoing:

When you do the Freddie,
just make sure your body's ready.

When you do the Swim,
Keep your head above water.
And when you do the Mouse,
Keep your mouth shut like you oughta.

We flip the record over for "N.A.T.R.A." (don't ask me what that stands for) and we find piano, drums and bass in full swingin' mode once again. And this time, we get Dizzy blowing out some righteous trumpet action which is what he was known for anyway, right? And there's some sax that makes itself known, too. Now, for you jazz fans, this may be more like it. For people like me, though, the little diversions are interesting, too, so my vote goes for keeping your back in check.

Jimmy Merchant: Skin The Cat (Bo-Mar 5002)

Could somebody please answer a question for me? Is this the same Jimmy Merchant that was a member of Frankie Lymon's Teenagers? Constant searches on Google and Yahoo turned up nil and all I could really find out is that this was comped on "Shakin' Fit." So, if anyone's reading this blog now and knows the answer, please tell me. I'd sure appreciate it, and all this searching is giving me a headache.

I can tell you for sure that "Skin The Cat" is a groovy little number. But cat lovers and PETA supporters, beware! You may not appreciate the implied "animal abuse" that goes on here. At 1 a.m., a certain alley cat is rattling garbage cans and disturbing our singer. At 3 a.m., he's screeching on a backyard fence. At 5 a.m., he's scratching the singer's hound! His response is always the same:

I pulled on my pants and grabbed my bat,
I'm goin' outside to catch that cat,
I'm gonna skin the cat.
Skin the cat.
Skin the cat.
Hit 'im with a bat!

See, I told you cat lovers to watch out! Personally, I love dogs, so it doesn't matter to me.

But what ought to matter to you more is the fact that this thing is funky! It's accenuated all the way through by some really killer jerky guitar playing. That guitar jerks and twangs from beginning to end. And Mr. Merchant's a pretty good soul shouter.
In short, you can't lose on the dance floor with this one....just make sure there aren't any PETA members around.

The John Barry Seven: Long John (Capitol F 4212))

Long before John Barry achieved lasting fame as a composer of film scores ("Midnight Cowboy" and many, many James Bond films (such as "Goldfinger") among his many credits), he was rocking out in his own swingin' combo, pumping out hits in Britain. This item here from 1959 is one of the Seven's very few (only?) releases here in the states and quite a rolicking piece it is.

I'm referring, of course, to "Long John." The other side, called "Snap 'n' Whistle" is kind of innocuous, but if you're in the mood for a solid instrumental, "Long John" is your ticket. In fact, it opens with a drum-roll sounding like a train going at full speed. And with that, the band is off to full rocking, with twangy guitar, thumping bass and a double horn riff that completely swings out. We get that train-like drum roll a couple more times and a couple of key changes, but not once do we lose an ounce of energy. The rockin' continues right up to the end when all the musicians stop to a dead halt. What a rush!

Oh, by the way, one of Barry's earliest scores is for a 1960 British juvenile delinquency film called "Beat Girl." Apparently, the theme song to that is only available as part of an EP shared with Adam Faith, one of the film's stars. From what I understand, it's a big collector's item. Guess that's another one to add to the "Holy Grail" list. We'll see.

Willie White: 99 Beef Steaks (Shaw 45-104)

Whenever I go looking for 45s at shows or flea markets or used record stores, sometimes I'll find an item that looks interesting or looks like something I might like. I'll pick it up and take it home and play it once, maybe twice, and if it doesn't strike me right off, I'll file it away either to get rid of it or discover it later and find that I like it after all.

That's what happened when I found this 45. I can't begin to tell you how long it sat around in my collection. One day, as I was looking for stuff to get rid off, I pulled this out and played it. To my big surprise, I really dug it. In fact, it became an immediate fave. Therefore, it remains a proud addition to my 45 library to this day.

I don't know anything about the artist at all, but it sure sounds like there's two singers on this record, as the song has got a call-and-response nonsensical vibe of sorts. Let me see if I can illustrate:

Singer #1: "Hey-nanny-ninety-nine-beef-steaks"
Singer #2: "Hey-nanny-ninety-nine-beef-steaks"
Singer #1: "How-many-ninety-nine-beef-steaks"
Singer #2: "How-many-ninety-nine-beef-steaks"
Singer #1: "I said, eeeny-meanie-gypsy-weenie"
Singer #2: "Eeeny-meanie-gypsy-weenie"
Singer #1: "Ooh-mah-cum-bah-le"
Singer #2: "Ooh-mah-cum-bah-le"
(can't make out the part that goes here)
Singer #1: "Baby, won't you treat me right?"
Singer #2: "Baby, won't you treat me right?"
Singer #1: "Girl, you ain't doin' right."
Singer #2: "Girl, you ain't doin' right."
Singer #1: "I"
Singer #2: "I"
Singer #1: "Love"
Singer #2: "Love"
Singer #1: "You"

Okay, well I hope you get the idea. The accompaniment is a steady little Northern Soul (I really hate that phrase, but I can't think of any other way to describe this, so bleahh!) groove with blasting horns, swank bass pound and a cool guitar break to top it all off. Check the archives on Dave The Spazz's "Music To Spazz By" show on WFMU (www.wfmu.org), as he has played this several times. Otherwise, do whatever you have to do to seek this little dandy out. You may be surprised.

The moral of this story is: sometimes you don't know what you've got until you're about to throw it out.

Martini's - Hung Over/Late Late Party

Today's record is from Memphis. It's a pair of soulful instrumentals and unlike the up-tempo fare that I usually feature, these tunes are nice, slow grooves. I'm not sure of a year of release but there's a definite 1960's Memphis soul sound present. I'd guess it dates from somewhere around 1965. The Martinis probably weren't a working band. The songwriters and, in this case, probably the players are listed on the label. I'm betting it's a bunch of session guys.

"Hung Over" is the better of the two sides. It has organ, percussion and a funky guitar. There's also a bit of sax. It conjures up images of a smoky cocktail lounge in the wee hours of the morning. It's similar to what Booker T. and the boys were doing over at Stax, only not as heavy on the bass and it's seamier. It even features the sound effect of a guy getting sick, right in the middle of it. Guess they don't call it "Hung Over" for nothing.

The flipside is called "Late Late Party". The instrumentation is similar to "Hung Over", only not as funky and less steamy. And nobody loses a meal on this side. But then, you can't have everything, can you?

Junior Wells - Shake It Baby!/(I Got A) Stomach Ache

A couple of weeks ago, Brian wrote up a Junior Wells record. Being a fan of Wells myself, I thought that I'd yak a bit about a personal favorite. As Brian mentioned in his review, there doesn't seem to be a good Junior Wells online discography. The best I can tell, Wells recorded for Vanguard between his stints with Bright Star and Blue Rock, making today's selection approximately a 1967 release.

"Shake It Baby!" is a funky, up-tempo, blues based dance tune. Wells starts off with a "hey!", a "lookin' good" and a few other formalities before getting to the meat of the matter,

"Shake it baby, shake it baby
Shake it baby, I'll buy you a diamond ring
If you don't shake it baby, ain't gonna buy you a doggone thing"

"Shake it baby, I'll buy you a beautiful dress
Shake it baby, I'll buy you a beautiful dress
If you don't shake it now baby, you ain't gonna have no happiness"

Sounds like he lays it right on the line. He continues, during the refrain,

"And when I walk, you walk
And when I talk, you talk
And when I sleep, you sleep
And when I eat, you eat
And when I fight, you fight
Come on, come on, come on, come on"

It's do as I say AND as I do! Junior delivers his lines over punchy drumming and an incredibly funky guitar, probably played by Buddy Guy, who co-wrote both sides of this record with Wells.

Over on the other side, "(I Got A) Stomach Ache" begins with sparse instrumental accompaniment and Wells singing "Ooch, ouch, ooch ouch, I got a stomach ache". This side is more of a groove, with Junior continuing on to sing about a woman who looks good no matter what she's doing. And that guitar is back, this time earning a break of its own. It's a good number but no match for the flipside.

The record itself is fairly sought after. I've seen a copy or two go for over $100 on eBay. I don't remember what I paid for mine but it wasn't anywhere close to that range. I guess that I got lucky.

Dean Carter: Jailhouse Rock/Rebel Woman (Milky Way MW-011)

Can we get another "EEEEEYOWWWWWWW!!" here? Here's yet another five-star, 2-sided monster! This one comes from a wildman from Danville, Illinois who also recorded such killer sides as "Mary Sue" and "Run, Rabbit, Run." (As a matter of fact, 28 of Mr. Carter's sides can be yours if you can locate the Big Beat CD "Call of the Wild." Norton or Crypt should be able to point you in the right direction.)

At any rate, you may already be familiar with "Rebel Woman" from its exposure on the "Pebbles" series. If not, strap yourselves in and be prepared to be assaulted with an attack of loud fuzz guitar and Carter's tough, snarling vocals as he sings the praises of the title femme.

But you better get yourselves into the nearest straitjacket when you endure what is perhaps the most insane version of the Elvis Presly classic ever recorded. Machine-gun drumming, morse-code sounding keyboards and fuzzy, twangy guitar only begin to paint this picture. Carter's vocals here sound as if he'd just escaped the nuthouse and is bent on destroying everything and everyone in his path like an out-of-control tornado. Top it off with a completely off-the-wall guitar solo and if your head ain't bent by the time this thing is over, you must really be as dead as the fluroescent lights over your office cubicle.

I mean, both sides of this thing are way up there in the monster category, but that "Jailhouse Rock" cover is so over-the-top it's out of this stratosphere! It's beyond wild! It's beyond crazy! It's beyond unbelievable! And I wouldn't have it any other way!

Otis Redding: Shout Bamalama/Fat Gal (King 45-6149)

YEEEOWWWW!!!!!! Can we say MONSTER 2-SIDER here? Yes, friends, this is what it's really all about! Not only is this the first 45 from one of the greatest soul men of all time, but it's a stellar example of a 45 in which both sides smoke, smoke, SMOKE!!! No smooth stuff here, nosireee! This is pure pedal-to-the-floorboard rhythm & blues black rocker stuff!

A little attempt at history first: This was originally released on the Orbit label (Orbit 135) as by Otis Redding and the Pinetoppers. Years later, King picked it up and reissued it, which is the label you see here. Now, my Goldmine Price Guide to 45 RPM Records lists King's issue as 1968. Either way, copies of this are a bit pricey. I got my King 45 off eBay for $30, while I've seen copies of the Orbit release go as high as $300.
(NOTE: I'm going to assume the Orbit and King releases are the same recording until someone tells me otherwise).

But enough of that record collector mumbo-jumbo. It's whats in the grooves that count and both sides of this have got the grooves! "Shout Bamalama" begins with the voices of the band laughin' and kickin' it before Otis goes "Hold it! Hold it!" Then, he lets go with that world-famous deep Southern soul voice of his and the band zaps you with lightning force, complete with wild,honkin' sax and bass so rumbling you'd swear there was an earthquake in your living room. Otis fires off the first shot like this:

Deep down in Alabama,
Shoutin' bamalama,
Way down in Louisiana,
Well, well, well,
nobody's gonna set 'em down.

Then, he lets go with a couple of crazy stories like this one:

Lord have mercy on my soul,
How many chickens have I stole?
One last night and the night before,
I'm goin' back to try and get 10 or 'leven more!

And on and on until the final fade less than two minutes later. But up until then, Otis' raw vocals and the band's merciless soul attack leave you gasping for breath and giving the song a well-deserved "WOW!"

But Otis ain't through with you yet! "Fat Gal" delivers 2:10 minutes more of that same intensity, with more honkin' sax and rumbling bass than mortal man deserves. This time around, Otis warbles about the unfortunate gal of the title who has to "wiggle when she walk." His delivery here is as raw, yet tuneful as before and is only enforced by the burnin' hot band complete with crazy guitar and a couple of scorchin' sax solos.

Need it be reiterated what was to happen after this? You know, all those great Volt sides and the plane crash that took him and 4 members of The Bar-Kays, the great legacy he left behind and all that. This, people, is where the seed was planted. And it was growing wild and rough. In fact, this is probably the rawest Otis Redding sides I've ever heard, until the "experts" point me in the "right" direction. But even if they do, this 2-sided masterwork ranks as a true all-time fave, fat gals, stolen chickens and all. Oh, and let's not forget the preachers and the bear, either. (Listen to "Shout Bamalama" and you'll get that last one.)

Mickey Murray later recorded a version of "Shout" that's okay, but Otis' original version still cuts it to smithereens. Sorry, Todd.

The Champs: 3/4 Mash/Mr. Cool (Challenge 9180)

Now, we all know The Champs will always be remembered for "Tequilla," right? Well, the story didn't end there. Like countless others, they never quite matched that smash, but they were in there trying. As late as 1963, they recorded (to my ears, anyway) one of the very best instrumentals ever, "3/4 Mash."

But first, we must briefly discuss "Mr. Cool." It's a pretty typical rocker for these guys and it has a sort of Spanish flavor to it with its guitar riff and "la la la la la" vocals. It kind of strikes me as something Lawrence Welk would've done if he were leading a rock band. Yes, it's mediocre. The drums are pretty loud, though.

Now, for the real meat. "3/4 Mash" starts off with a low, grumbling voice announcing its title. And then, the waltz-time beat kicks in with a sleazy guitar and pounding bass moving up and down the scale and back. Next, the saxes blast their way in and with that, the cast is set. It's a two-and-a-half minute film noirish romp through dark backalleys and disreputable strip clubs where anything can happen and does. Plus, this thing is LOUD! You can almost imagine sirens off in the distance as the bullets fly.

Well, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but when an instrumental is this good, sometimes it can arouse images in your head. One can imagine this on one of those "Las Vegas Grind" comps, or maybe the soundtrack for a black & white B movie about some down-on-his-luck heel on the run from the mob. That's how good this one is, friends. It's definitely one of my personal faves and I think I've almost worn out my copy. But life can be that way, y'know?

The Mystic Five - Sultan's Holiday

Here's a record that scores a big goose egg on the ol' web-o-meter. I can't find a single reference to it anywhere on the net. Well, okay there's one thing but it's mislabeled. More on that in a bit.

I don't know a thing about the Mystic Five or its record. It sounds like it's from the late 50's/early 60's. "Sultan's Holiday" is an instrumental that starts with some good drums, then the horns kick in. There's some nice sax that gets a chance to solo for a bit and then the guitar gets its chance to play the lead. All of this is delivered over a bed of cool percussive sounds. Speaking of which, the drums take the lead after the guitar and then the horns come back in to play the main theme. Nice record and mighty obscure, it seems.

The one reference I did find on this disc is from yet a another WFMU playlist. This time the program is Fool's Paradise. The playlist mislabels the band as the "Mystics" but it's indeed the same song, as the show can be accessed in real audio. "Sultan's Holiday" is the first tune played, right after the show's theme song. The show itself sounds terrific. Give it a listen.

The Dovells: Bristol Twistin' Annie (Parkway P-838)

It's time to visit The Dovells once more. Whereas in a previous entry, we had the sequel to "You Can't Sit Down," now we go back a little earlier for the sequel to their first big smash, "The Bristol Stomp." And as can be expected, it's got the same fast beat as "Stomp" but there's definitely a bit more studio polish this round. That said, it's still a swingin' number.

You all know about the endless amounts of sequels we continue to get to movies, right. Well, the record business, especially in the 50s and 60s, was not immune to sequel-itis. It was a common practice to produce a sound-alike of the previous hit for an artist or group's follow-up. The idea was, if it was a hit the first time, something similar would also be a hit, such as The Swingin' Medallions' follow-up to "Double Shot of My Baby's Love," "She Drives Me Out Of My Mind."

Often, though, the sound-alike would be more like a continuation of the last record. Countless examples of this include Chubby Checker's "Let's Twist Again" and "Let's Limbo Some More," Bobby Freeman's "S-W-I-M," Shelly Fabares' "Johnny Loves Me," Dee Dee Sharp's "Gravy" (for her Mashed Potatoes)and on and on. Which brings us to The Dovells. This "Stomp" follow-up came shortly after "Do The New Continental" and did about as well as that one did, peaking on the Billboard charts at #27.

The gist of the song can be adequately summed up by its first verse:

She's got a shape like Rin Tin Tin
and has a face like my Uncle Ben
But when she's doing the twist of the bop
Everybody calls her the Queen of the Hop
Bristol Twistin' Annie
Lay your twistin' down!

And there ya go! They take a little break for a quick sax solo, but for the most part, it's the guys singing the praises of this dance hall queen. Like most sequels, it's not as boss as its predecessor and it's certainly not my favorite Dovells record of all time, but it still hangs in there on its own anyway and sometimes that's more than enough.

Max Falcon: Money Back Guarantee (Fraternity F-903)

Hmmm, this is interesting. I did a little searching around on Google and the only thing I can find on this guy is that he's a Canadian artist. So, how on earth did he end up on Cincinnati, Ohio-based Fraternity records? And how did this get released in the U.S. one month before it was released in Canada? According to the RCS Discography listing on Mr. Falcon, this was released in December 1962 on Fraternity, then released in January 1963 in Canada on Barry. Go figure.

Whatever the reason, what we have here is a pretty decent rocker. It doesn't quite rank as killer, but it does move quickly and efficiently like a well-oiled machine. Falcon's vocals are appropriately edgy and the back-up band gives it their all. Can't ask for better than that, especially since this is another flea market find for a buck.

Anyhow, the man in the song went to the store of love and got himself a girl. Old Cupid tells him that if he doesn't like her, just bring her on back for the refund. Hmm, sounds like white slavery to me, but oh well. He's more than satisfied and he's gonna tell her that he loves her "when the light's turned way down low," so who's to argue? Just sit back and wait for the hoppin' sax solo.

Ah, for such an innocent time to come again..........but then again, maybe not. I'd hate to have to worry about putting all that Brylcream in my hair. Oh, what the hey, I'm rambling. All you need to know is that this is a good 'un and that's the truth, daddy-o!

The Group, Inc.: Like A Woman/Just Call Me Up (Staff BP-177)

And now, we make it an Indiana three-fer! This particular item comes from Gary, the same place by the lake that gave us a certain group of Jacksons. (We won't go any further than that.) It comes from Staff Records, the same label that also gave us that rarer-than-your-grandma's-dentures Back From the Grave 2-sider from The Aztex' "I Said Move" and "The Little Streets In This Town." Lastly, this is two sides of crude teen angst just for you.

Take a listen to "Just Call Me Up" and you'd think the kids had barely had enough time to rehearse the thing before they recorded it. There's a point before the guitar break where it's obvious that they're stumbling to stay on track. They do manage, but just barely. I'm not saying it's completely inept or anything, just not tight, that's all. Despite all that, though, it's actually a pretty darned good teen punk mover.

"Like A Woman" is even better. Here we have a strong example of girlfriend putdown in which the crude guitar playing only enhances it. And you get three guitar breaks for the price of one. Since this is the A-side, it sounds like the kids decided to use whatever minimal instrumental prowess they had and just go all out. That they did, and the result is a teen punk classic good enough for "Garage Punk Unknowns" or maybe a future "Teen Blast" comp. What I'm saying is, if "Like A Woman" isn't comped, it should be. (It may be, but I don't have the time to follow those things, so if you feel like filling me in, please do.)

Should we rack this one up as a fave? Yes, I think we should. And I'm keeping it. So there!

The Chosen Few - Lucille/It Just Don't Rhyme

Keeping with the Indiana theme, here's another record from the Hoosier State. This one is a 1960's garage rock disc by the Chosen Few, a band I've seen listed variously as from Muncie, Anderson and Indianapolis. I believe this is also the same Chosen Few that went on to record singles for the Talun label, release a late 60's album on RCA and later become Limousine and finally the Faith Band in the 1970's. Today's record dates from 1967 and is the band's second release on the Denim label. Alas, their early singles are quite elusive, so I haven't heard the first Denim record.

The a-side here, as listed on the label is "Lucille". It's a remake of the Little Richard classic. It won't make you forget the original but is quite good in its own way. This version is an r&b influenced pounder, designed to get you up on your feet. It has a big beat, some nice organ work and lots of wailing harmonica. You're also "treated" to the same live audience sound effects present on all of those Kingsmen albums. And an announcer comes on at the beginning and says, "And now to turn you on, we present the Chosen Few!". He sounds like the guy who did the voiceovers on all of those 60's radio spots for Coke. You know, the one who'd say something like, "The Fortunes on about Coca-Cola".

Over on the flipside, we have what I consider to be the main attraction of this record. "It Just Don't Rhyme" has a lot of the same attributes as "Lucille". It's tailor made for dancing, with lots of organ and a shot of rhythm & blues. In fact, listening to this record, I can imagine the Chosen Few were a really hot live attraction, playing lots of sweaty, hip-shakin' dance floor fillers. "It Just Don't Rhyme" is heavier on the guitar and is what I assume a band original. The lyrics aren't very clear though. I've listened to it countless times and still can't decipher most of the words. All I can tell for sure is that the singer knows a girl whose mind and body don't go together. I assume that means she looks older than she acts but not sure. The words aren't too important though. The song itself is more than compelling enough to hold my interest. It was comped on one of the Michigan volumes in the Highs of the Mid-Sixties series of all places. Like a lot of garage compilations, I guess that one's not long on accuracy.

The Dawnbeats: Midnight Express/Drifting (Amp 45-8520)

This one comes to us from Columbus, Indiana, which is about 30 miles south of Indianapolis, where I live now. It's got two sides of instrumental madness with two speeds to fit whatever your mood is.

We'll start with "Drifting" first, because it's the slow side. There was a dance back then called "The Stroll" (immortalized by The Diamonds, of course) and this song had to have been crafted to fit that dance. Starting off with a stuttering guitar and moving into a more straightforward raunchy guitar setting, the melody is punctuated by a sax riff, followed by a cool guitar solo, followed by the same sax riff to the conclusion. Come to think of it, this kind of gives you the impression of just drifting along, going aimlessly through the dark night.

"Midnight Express" is the super-speed side and it's balls-out all right. We open with a piece of guitar twang followed by guitars, bass and drums going BUMP! BUMP! (pause) BUMP! BUMP! after which the rhythm section starts kicking in. This opening repeats itself before finally guitar, bass and drums are all operating on all cylinders, hitting the tracks at thundering speed. The sax man comes in and blows a righteous solo and disappears. The raw guitar-bass-drums madness riccochets along until we BUMP! BUMP! (pause) BUMP! BUMP! to a close. Ride's over. Everybody off.

Both songs clock in at 1:59 according to the label. Coincidence?
Who knows? Who cares? Either get on and enjoy the ride or wander along in the shadows. It's your choice.

Mel Taylor: Bang Bang Rhythm (Warner Brothers 5839)

Here we have the drummer of The Ventures stepping out on his own on one of a handful of things he recorded for Warner Brothers (and maybe a few other labels that I'm not aware of). Taylor's powerful drumming helped give Don, Bob and Nokie a real edge on hits like "Walk, Don't Run," "Lullaby of the Leaves" and, my personal fave, "The 2000 Pound Bee, Parts 1 and 2." (Technically, that last one only made the lower reaches of Billboard's Hot 100 in 1962, but what the hey? That's close enough to being a hit for me.)

Taylor definitely keeps a steady beat on this mover, letting go with several rapid-fire drumrolls throughout. But what's strange is that the girlie chorus who sing the lyrics are not credited anywhere on the record. I mean, mostly instrumental artists like Al Casey, Duane Eddy and Dick Dale usually had a girl group credited whenever they had lyrics on their songs. For some weird reason, Mel does not. Also notable is that someone named Blaine is credited as a co-writer. Could that be master session drummer Hal Blaine by any chance?

Anyway, the song itself is quite a mover. As I said earlier, Taylor propels the beat along as a loud racket of horns and fuzz guitar pound out the melody. And the uncredited girls sing lyrics like this:

He's gonna bang, bang, bang
on that drum
He's gonna bang, bang, bang
till he turns you on.

And:

Hear him on the radio
See him on a TV show
BEAT IT!
BEAT IT!
LOUDER!
LOUDER!
LOUDER!
LOUDER!
(followed by a machine gun drumroll)

Yep, you can just picture the chickies in their mini-skirts and go-go boots wiggling to this one alright!

Mel Taylor is, doubtless, one of rock 'n' roll's all-time greatest drummers in my book, so it's interesting to hear one of his solo attempts. That it's as good as it is is a pleasure. He takes his place with folks like Sandy Nelson, Hal Blaine and Ronny Kae in the pantheon of drummers who made great 45s on their own. And, of course, his Ventures work will always shine through.

Whoever had this promo copy before I did wrote "No" on both sides. Must've been some station manager. He's probably retired or dead by now anyway.

The Golden Toadstools - Silly Savage

Here's a record that gets several mentions around the net, on sale lists, playlists and with the occasional narrative. It looks though that next to nothing is known about the Golden Toadstools. It seems consensus that this record was their only release. Other bits and pieces list them as New York based and as a bunch of white guys playing on this funky release. Not that any of that really matters too much.

All that counts is that "Silly Savage" is a pretty tremendous record. It has snappy drumming, generous amounts of organ and some really funky guitar. Calling it uptempo hardly does it justice. It's fast, fast, fast! Outside of hoots, hollers, cat calls and the occasional whistle by the band members, the only lyrics are when the music stops for profundities like,

"Chuck Berry, strawberry, cranberry and dingleberry, baby!"

And, a bit later,

"Possum pie, tater pie, moon pie and pot pie"

Heavy, heavy, stuff! The next time through, there aren't any lyrics. Instead, we're treated to still more organ, followed by those snappy drums and then the funky guitar cuts loose and goes a mile a minute. Just try and keep up! Pretty soon, we return to the poetry reading,

"James Brown, big around, on the ground with raw sound boys!"

Or at least that what it sounds like to me. After a bit more instrumental workout, the song ends with the words, "You silly savage!" Yes indeed.

My copy of the record is promotional, with "Silly Savage" on both sides, so I can't comment on whatever was on the flip. Odds are though, I'm better off having both sides of this one to wear out.

The Charles: Motorcycle (Calliope 138)

It's real hard to imagine something like this, The Charles' only single, ever becoming a hit, especially in 1966 when it was originally released. Why? Well, it tells the story about the escapades of a rather violent biker. Here's just a sample from the lyrics:

I killed a man,
Right where I stand,
It was a nasty scene.

From where I said,
I smashed his head,
My getaway was clean.

Then later, it's "boots and whips/old lady flips/ballin' in the sack." See what I mean? I mean, the times they may have been a-changin', but there were still a lot of squares in charge back then, if you get my drift.

Whatever the outcome, "Motorcycle" is still an ace cut. With a pounding beat, throbbing keyboards and killer guitar solos, it's bound to scorch your brain a bit should you get too close. And it was certainly out there enough to be comped on "Scum of the Earth, Volume 1." That right there ought to tell you something.

So, find this record and return to the days of old when bikers terrified the land and one wrong move in front of the Hell's Angels could get you into serious trouble. Just like now, come to think of it.

The Fireflies - Stella Got A Fella

Some fun for a Friday. I got this record in a big box of stuff I bought in St. Louis last year. When I got home, I learned that the flipside of this was a sizable hit in 1959, a song called "You Were Mine". Too bad that side is instantly forgettable teen crooner stuff. It's the kind of thing you'd listen to once and never wish to hear again. That's what makes "Stella Got A Fella" such a great surprise. You'd never guess it was the same bunch of guys. But this happened a lot. A group would put a mushy ballad on record and hide something great over on the b-side. Then, voila, here it is waiting to be discovered all these years later.

Lyrically, "Stella Got A Fella" has a very common theme - guy likes girl, girl finds someone else, guy ain't happy. But this is no sad little pouter. From note one, you're in for a treat, with rockin' guitar and a very danceable beat. The guys in the band are whooping it up throughout the song and there are two guitar breaks, with the first being an extended one! Funny thing, a few seconds into that first break, the sound engineer turns down the volume. Poor guy had probably made one too many records like what's over on the a-side of this and couldn't handle it when these guys really cut loose. And cut loose they do. Yeesh, what a racket! The tune, less than two minutes in length, fades during the second break. You're left wanting more. And you got it, with a mere placement of the tone arm.

Group Axis: Not Fade Away/Smokestack Lightning (Atco 45-6642)

Here's something a bit interesting: a garage rock cover of a Buddy Holly song that's actually produced by his old producer, Norman Petty. (I am more than aware that Petty co-wrote the thing in the first place, so don't remind me.) And it's not a bad cover at that. As a matter of fact, it's got a real nice AM radio vibe to it that you could picture kids swingin' to it by the pool while the DJ's playing it. Of course, I'm talking about "Not Fade Away," which almost feels like bubblegum until a crushing guitar break comes in and conquers all midway through.

Side two's got another cover, this time of the Howlin' Wolf standard previously done justice by The Yardbirds. Group Axis' cover is not quite as raucous as Clapton's Yardbirds, but they definitely hold their own quite nicely. The teen vibe is gone in favor of a heavy psych vein, characterized by swirls of organ, tougher vocals and a killer fuzz guitar solo that closes things out.

I believe this was their only single, but don't quote me on that. But it should be relatively easy to find and should only set you back a fiver at the most.

Riders of the Mark: The Electronic Insides And Metal Complexion That Make Up Herr Doktor Krieg/Gotta Find Somebody (20th Century Fox 45-6694)

WHEW! How's that for the title of an A-side? Well, if you guessed that it's hard and crazy psych, you are correct! But you also get a tasty garage punker on the flip, so you get the best of both worlds here.

But first, let's get to the crazy psych. "The Electronic Insides, etc." opens up with the thud of a bass followed by lots of wild keyboards and electronic effects and a fast drumbeat A heavy layer of fuzz guitar is then plopped over the whole mess as the singer sings some kind of science fiction tale or something. I wasn't paying attention. I was too busy letting my head soak in the morass of whacked-out psychedelic heaviness, which may just be your reaction, too. (You can hear this song on the "Beyond the Calico Wall" compilation.)

And now, let's get to the garage punker. The drummer kicks it off and the farfisa and guitar take over with the singer going through the motions of finding a chick to be his. You know the drill. Before it's all over, there's a really cool guitar break with a touch of fuzz. Don't know if this has been comped, but it oughta be.

As far as I know, this is The Riders of the Mark's only 45 and it came out in 1967. But you get two perfectly good winners with this one, so that ought to make you feel a little better about draining your beer money away again.

The Church Mice: College Psychology On Love/Babe, We're Not Part of Society (House of Guitars L-43)

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you punk rock before anyone knew what it was! I mean, this has it all: snotty, gnarly vocals, ultra-primitive drumming that foreshadows The Velvet Underground's Maureen Tucker, loud, crazy guitar and a general do-it-as-we-go-along vibe. If you think you've never heard anything quite like this, you're probably right.

This 1965 record from Rochester, New York is the work of a band that featured one Armand Schaubroeck. Schaubroeck would later put out a series of avant-garde rock albums in the late 70s with such titles as "A Lot of People Would Like To See Armand Schaubroeck....DEAD!" and, best known of all, "Ratf**ker." On this record, with his fellow Church Mice in tow, Schaubroeck ended up laying down a precursor to all the underground rock, punk rock, new wave and alternative rock that would follow.

Don't believe me? Then, flip on "Babe, We're Not Part of Society." Staying with a virtual two-note structure, Schaubroeck snarls out with a tiger-like rasp, "Well, I love you......and you love me......Babe, I guess we're not part of society." Already the Velvet Underground comparisons come to mind with the primitive drums, but then we've got punk rock coming up with Schaubroeck's off-kilter vocal. The drummer loses the beat toward the end and the band doesn't end the song as much as stop. If this doesn't point to all that low-fi stuff we saw in the 90s on all those indie labels, I don't know what does.

"College Psychology on Love" is equally crazed. And there's that word "primitive" rearing its ugly head again. I'm probably not finished using that word in this review, but it really does fit here. We go for three chords, this time with a chunky guitar riff played on the upper frets. "Me and the Church Mice wrote this song about college psychology," Schaubroeck snaps. "And we put it on record." And let's be thankful they did.

And what exactly are their thoughts on the psychology of love? Well, maybe these lyrics can fill us in:

If a hippie comes up to you,
and says he wants to make you,
break you,
forsake you,
What'cha gonna do?
Gotta think it through.

Uhhh, yeah.

Well, in all my attempt to describe this record to you, I don't think I've fully captured it. How can I? You'll have to seek it out and hear it for yourself, because it's truly one-of-a-kind. And I definitely mean that in a good way. As a matter of fact, it's one of my favorites, especially due to the weird charm of the whole thing. Not to mention the audacity of a record in 1965 sounding like this. Some of you will think this is garbage. Others will think it's genius. I know which side I'm on.

Gary (U.S.) Bonds - Copy Cat

Gary (U.S.) Bonds began his recording career in 1960 for the Legrand label. He made a string of records for the label, including several that made the national charts. His huge hits "New Orleans" and "Quarter To Three" are about his best known and are both rock and roll classics. But perhaps nothing else he did was wilder or any better than his 1962 single, "Copy Cat".

The song clips along at breakneck speed, with a clobbering beat and Bonds' most intense, shouted delivery. And while it's not as crudely recorded as "Quarter To Three" (what else could be?) "Copy Cat" is pretty lo-fi in its own right, with Bonds' vocal surely pushing the needle far into the red. The sax break goes a mile a minute and we're quickly back for the next verse. And, while we're at it, the female backing chorus, as opposed to the norm, is most excellent here and doesn't detract from the proceedings one iota. Man oh man, this thing just smokes!

"Copy Cat" is also pretty notable for its lyrics. The song is about the "copy cat" recording artists of the day. Bonds lays it on pretty thick,

"Hey, little copy cat
I think you ought to know that
Copy cats just don't last long
And they'll soon have to go"

"Well, I said, yeah
Yeah, yeah, little copy cat
Why do you copy me
Why can't you find
A style of your own
And, baby, just let me be"

"I said, yeah, yeah, yeah
Little copy cat
Just who do you think you are
You copy everything I do
Right down to my Jaguar"

He then goes on to call out a couple of the big stars of the day during the chorus,

"I'm talkin' 'bout Chubby
I'm talkin' 'bout Bobby
Now what'd I say"

Chubby would, of course, be Chubby Checker, who based his career on aping the great Hank Ballard, beginning with his mega hit version of Ballard's "The Twist" in 1960. There were a lot of guy's named Bobby around at the time but, based on the balance of the lyric, Bonds must mean Bobby Darin, who charted with a version of Ray Charles' all-time classic, "What'd I Say" in early 1962. Towards the end, Bonds name checks Leon, Freddie and Curtis. I'm not exactly sure to whom he was referring in those cases. Any theories?

Gary (U.S.) Bonds was always as much a rock and roller as he was an r&b artist. He obviously influenced Bruce Springsteen, who helped bring him back into the fold in the 1980's. Another set of pupils were the New York Dolls, who had a go at his "Seven Day Weekend". They also seemed to lift the chorus of "Copy Cat" for their "Who Are The Mystery Girls". At least it sounds that way to me. Anyhow, "Copy Cat" is a great, great song and, while not his most common 45 for Legrand, shouldn't set you back much dough when you do locate a copy.

The Gypsies: Jerk It (Old Town 1180)

Sometimes when you're hunting for 45s at flea markets, you take your chances. That was the case when I nabbed this one. The copy I found is badly scratched and plays really rough and noisy (which is isn't helped by the fact that it's a styrene pressing to begin with). But that doesn't make it any less worth hearing, thank goodness. In fact, this piece of 1965 girl group pop is a raucous soul shaker that happens to be arranged by J.J. Jackson, of "But It's Alright" fame. Also, The Gypsies would change their name to The Flirtations and climb to #34 in 1969 with "Nothing But A Heartache." The production here is big and bold and the girls almost sound angelic as they sing "Jerk it! Jerk it, jerk it, baby!" while the lead singer shouts at the top of her lungs. What can I say? I'm hooked. And I'm now on a quest to find a better copy. Said it before, I'll say it again: a record collector's work is never done.

Little Richard: Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes/Stingy Jenny (I Got What It Takes But It Breaks My Heart To Give It Away)(Brunswick 55377)

WELL, AWW-REET! Here we have the one and only Mr. Richard Penniman, the original rock 'n' roll wildman, still slammin' it out in the mid-sixties. One thing needs to be kept clear: even though Little Richard's star power wasn't the same as it was in the previous decade, he was still recording lots of great sides of raw soul. Upon his return from a brief spell in the ministry, Little Richard recorded the spectacular "Bama Lama Bama Loo" for his old label Specialty, before going on to record for Vee Jay ("It Ain't Whatcha Got," "I Don't Know What You Got But It's Got Me"), Modern ("Baby Don't You Want A Man Like Me"), Okeh ("Poor Dog"), Brunswick and Reprise.

This, of course, is one of the Brunswick 45s and it's a two-sider in the fullest sense. Both sides are pure all-out boot-stompin', hip-shakers guaranteed to get you out on the floor in no time. Both of them show that while Little Richard's sound may have changed with the times, he was still as wild and crazy as ever, hollerin' up a storm and pounding his piano into dirt.

Interestingly enough, "Stingy Jenny" was written by the man Little Richard claimed was an inspiration to him, Esquerita, credited here as Eskew Reeder. As Richard hammers the keys over a funky beat, he tells the story of a stingy woman who refuses to give her man bail money. Even better is "Baby, Don't You Tear My Clothes," in which Richard pleads with his baby to love him, but please, please, please don't tear his clothes! This one ups the ante quite a bit with the addition of some great lowdown guitar work that's pushed up high in the mix. (FYI, "Baby" is comped on the very fine "Downtown Soulville" comp available from Crypt.)

Of course, this is yet another record going into the "Should Have Been A Monster Hit" file. But that just leaves it up to you, dear listener, to seek this out as well as all the other Little Richard gems you haven't heard yet. But if you haven't heard Little Richard before, well, you're reading the wrong blogsite!

The Mad Men - Do The African Twist (Part 1)/(Part 2)

Figured it was time for something really good and funky. And whoo, does this ever fit the bill! "Do the African Twist" is an uptempo shouter, with some really cool guitar work.

The singer starts out tellin' us he wanted to Boogaloo or do the Funky Broadway but now he's gonna show us the African Twist, cause it's easy to do! His voice is laid down over a funky, funky beat and he lets out a piercing scream that'd make James Brown blush. What a hot record! It's over within a couple of minutes but, over on part 2, the proceedings continue. This time, we're treated to a mostly instrumental affair, with some wailing sax. Mere words don't do this record justice.

Info on this record is fairly scant. It looks to be from 1967 or '68. The Gamble label had some big hits but somehow this one got lost in the shuffle. Do yourself a favor though and track down a copy.

The Sindicate: Hangman (The Music Box NR-3816)

This somber little piece tells the tale of a man found guilty of shooting a man without a trial. He escapes. "Two years on the run can turn a man bad and make him believe in Hell," the singer intones. Now, this might sound like some kind of Lorne Green spoken-word western thingy, but it's not. It's actually got more of a teener garage groove going for it. There's no fuzz or anything, but there's a pretty good strong fast beat to propel it along, plus some decent farfisa and guitar. It closes in waltz-time with a two-note riff where the group tries to sound spooky. This comes from Pennsylvania, and from the sound of it, seems like it came out either '67 or '68. It's also one of my most recent eBay finds and it set me back quite a bit of cabbage. Why, I don't know. I mean, it's a good record, but not a killer one. When will I ever learn?

Darrell McCall - (What'll I Do) Call The Zoo

Here's a little fun to start the week. Darrell McCall is a traditional country & western artist held in high enough regard to rate a sprawling five CD box set via Bear Family. He managed to record a rocker or two early in his career, like today's selection from 1961. And let's just say that I'm happy he did. "(What'll I Do) Call The Zoo" rates with me.

The song opens with a drumbeat, followed by some rock and roll guitar. Then, McCall starts vocalizing thusly,

"Well a mean ol' gorilla knockin' at my door
A big alligator crawlin' 'round on my floor
A-peekin' in my window is a big baboon
He was out celebratin' with an ol' raccoon
Oh me, golly gee, what'll I do, call the zoo!"

It continues with two more verses chock full of animal references. Stylistically, it's not too dissimilar from Bobby Darin's "Splish Splash" but is more rockin' and even has a cool guitar break.

"Call The Zoo" was written by Benny Joy, who made a few great records in his own right. It doesn't look as though he recorded this one himself but The A-Bones released a version on their excellent 1996 album Crash The Party, a platter full of Benny Joy tunes. It's recommended, as well as Darrell McCall's claim to rock and roll fame.

The Dovells: Betty In Bermudas/Dance The Froog (Parkway P-882)

In the realm of early 60s dance records, some of the liveliest ever made had to have come from The Dovells. Look at their track record: "The Bristol Stomp," "Do The New Continental," "Huly Guly Baby," "You Can't Sit Down" and this one, which immediately followed their smash vocalization of Phil Upchurch's previously instrumental mover.

In fact, "Betty In Bermudas" has the exact same feel that "YCSD" does: ultra-frantic beat, out-of-control organ, wild, over-the-top vocals, the works. Like similar sound-alike follow-ups from other artists, it didn't fare as well as its predecessor, only getting to #50. But that doesn't make it any less boss. Okay, it's about a hot chick in shorts that drives the guys nutzo. Now shut up and do the froog.

Funny I should mention that, as the B-side implies you to do that particular. And once again, The Dovells and their back-up band go at it at 100 m.p.h. and dare you not to get caught up in the hurricane of dance fever that's headed your way! In fact, I prefer this side over the hit because it's even more frantic. Either way, though, you get two great sides of early 60s full-throttle dance rock 'n' roll.

If I may make an observation, the Dovells' label-mate Chubby Checker (I think they even shared the same management, but don't quote me on that) may have had the bigger success with all his twist records, but to me he always seems seems to sound a bit restrained on his recordings, while The Dovells were much wilder. Am I the only one who thinks so? Am I wrong? What do you think? Or do you?