Monday, May 26, 2008

The Beeds - "You Don't Have To"/"Run To Her" (Team)


This here item is what we, in the record collecting racket, call a two-sider. And it's quite a surprise, too. I picked it up at a flea market, expecting it to be average bubblegum, considering it's on a Buddah subsidiary, Team, and bears the marking "A Product of Kasenetz-Katz Assoc." Well, you get two different flavors here: one side of punchy bubblegum goodness, the other a folk-rock cut with a nice garage pop feel. Try 'em both.

What little information I've been able to gather comes from the blog Flowering Toilet (floweringtoilet.blogspot.com). And even they weren't able to gather much, other than that the record comes from 1968 and is one of two 45s the group released. (The other, "Love Hurts"/"You're Wrong," released on the actual Buddah imprint, is from 1971.) The writer-producer credits, Norman Mazarro and Buddah vet Jimmy Calvert (Calvert also arranged both songs) lead me to believe that this was a studio concoction, but nothing can be confirmed at this point. A reader to the blog mentioned that the group was originally called The Cat's Meow and hailed from Long Island. Other than that, The Beeds remain shrouded in mystery.

Now, on to the record itself. "You Don't Have To" is the punchy bubblegum side, not too dissimilar to anything bearing the Kasenetz-Katz seal, but with a slightly harder edge. It all but screams out "bubblegum" as it hits your ears from the opening drum roll and the repeated chorus "You don't have to if you don't want to/And you know you won't have to if you don't care." But it's pumped up with juicy rhythm guitar and pounding drums that blend in with the somewhat nasal vocalizing. You can picture some kid in 1968 jumping up and down messing up his bedroom as this comes on the AM transistor radio.

While I am not a big fan of the poppy side of garage, I have to admit that "Run To Her" is really starting to grow on me. Its sad lyrics tell of adolescent confusion and unrequited love. The singer knows that his girlfriend is leaving on a midnight plane never to return, so he's asking the girl's best friend what he should do. Should he run to her and tell her how much he loves her? He tells his tale of woe under a melancholy arrangement complemented with ringing accoustic guitars and popping organ. It's 2:15 of sheer garage pop joy. At least I think it is.

Either way, you win with this one.

Comments, please.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Run to Her" just could be the most perfect folk-pop song ever recorded. It's got it all: the absolute quintessence of late-'60's good-timey pop. Interesting tidbit about The Cat's Meow... hopefully someone can confirm. K&K also snapped up another great NYC group, The Scoundrels, to record their Lt. Garcia's Magic Music Box project.

Anonymous said...

both of these songs are incredible, Thanks
chuck
nashville tn

EXPO67 said...

I've had this 45 for years and it's a complete winner. Even the psychedelic label looks like a piece of art.

I first 'run To Her'in the 80s when it was comped on Mindrocker Volume 8. The liners state that the record was released Autumn 1968.

Unknown said...

a great double,ta very much!

zocotopo said...

please re upload the songs

TomSea said...

Yes, the Beeds were The Cat's Meow, on Decca Records. They left Decca and went to Buddah, thus changing their name. They hailed from Staten Island/Long Island, NY. I grew up with the lead guitar player, who now owns and operates "Long Pond Studios" in Pennsylvannia. After 40 years, we are in the studio 'playing around' with the old stuff. Seems the Cat's Meow tune, "LaLaLu", made it big in Europe, as I paid $42 for the single from Germany, and gave it to "Pete" the lead guitarist as a gift.
TomSea

sweetbeats™ said...

I have got the Album Buddahs Pop Explosion and You Don't Have to is on there...loved that track for over 20 years...stunning tune..thanks for the info Jason

sweetbeats™ said...

PS Is there a link as I want to hear the bside?

Flowerpower said...

How can I hear this? Please re-upload.

Richard Martinis said...

Hi I'm Richard Martinis I was the rythem guitarist in The Cat's Meow and The Beeds. The group members were; John Ventura, Pete Carver, Richard Martinis, Les Margo and Jay Stewart. I was in the band from 1967-1970.

Unknown said...

This is Chelsea Martinis. My dad is Richard Martinis, a guitarist for The Beeds. I love "Run To Her" and listen to it often. It reminds me that not only is my dad cool now, but he clearly always has been. Rock on, Daddy-o!

Spike said...

This was actually a #1 single in Mexico in 1970.

Unknown said...

Hi ur dad and my friend were both in the band

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Hi ur dad and my friend were both in the band

Unknown said...

Hi Richard Lester the song writer for love is over read this and wanted to know where you guys are I am jus friend glad to find you thanks

Unknown said...

Hi Richard Lester the song writer for love is over read this and wanted to know where you guys are I am jus friend glad to find you thanks