Thursday, August 04, 2005

The 1910 Fruitgum Co.: Baby Bret/When We Get Married (Buddah BDA 146)


Whether you're a fan of the bubblegum sound of the Kasenetz-Katz production team (and I am a fan), you have to admit that sometimes they would have some interesting B-sides. Often, they were toss-offs, but buried within those toss-offs are some sides that aren't without interest. Case in point: This 1910 Fruitgum Co. single, "When We Get Married," is definitely not in the same league with their bouncier hits like "Simon Says," "Goody Goody Gumdrops," "Special Delivery," "1-2-3 Red Light" and the rest. In fact, it's more like something the Brooklyn Bridge would've done. They really piled on the syrup on that one. If that's your thing, tune in. But turn the record over to "Baby Bret" and you get something unusual: a surf-ish instro with space-age sound effects. And a very tasty surf-ish instro at that. I say "surf-ish" because if you're expecting surf instros a-la The Chantays, you'll be disappointed. But you can also be surprised if you were expecting more of the bubblegum sound. And you'll also be delighted to find that this is a really cool little item. Kasenetz-Katz were always doing these throwaways and in this case, the throwaway is definitely more interesting than the hit. Imagine that.

Oh, by the way, if you ever get the chance to flip over "Simon Says," do so, because its b, "Reflections Through The Looking Glass" is a cool piece of trippy psychedelia. Yes, friends, little gems can sometimes be found in the strangest places.

No comments: