Produced by Adrian Barber and recorded in New York, this mix of hippie folk, rock and pop with vocal harmonies has lyrics with religious or quasi philosophical content. Overall weak and better avoided. (Stephane Rebeschini)
These teen-punkers hailed from Concord in North Carolina and evolved out of the remains of two junior-high bands The Kings and The Night Raiders. Wild-Man is a fine example of the teen-punk genre and well worth a listen. Compilation appearances include: Wild-Man on Back From The Grave, Vol. 4 (LP) and Back From The Grave, Vol. 2 (CD).
Los Angeles was home turf for this mid-sixties outfit. Their first 45 was sorta lightweight orchestrated pop-beat and is best avoided. Their finest moment, Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go ?), is captured for posterity on Highs In The Mid-Sixties, Vol. 2 and Boulders, Vol. 8 (LP).
NB: (1) was pirated in 1991 and has been reissued officially on CD by Gear Fab (GF-131) 1999 and vinyl (Akarma AK 137) 2001. A very rare album recorded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It contains five original songs. All of side two is taken up with My Main Woman, a thirteen minute jam on which each band member shows his playing skills. Overall an interesting album which ranges from hard rock, guitar orientated jazz-rock, tinges of psychedelia and lots of drums. The sleeve notes mention that one track The Hutch was written during a live performance of the group at The Hutch in Vienna, West Virginia on 28th February 1971. Compilation appearances include: A.J.F. on Gear Fab's Psychedelic Sampler (CD). The band came from Latrobe, Pa. (Clark Faville / Max Waller)
A little known band from California. Back In My Arms has quite a poppy feel, and can also be found on Sixties Rebellion, Vol. 4 (LP & CD).
NB. (2) has been repressed. (1) and (2) have also been reissued on one CD by Fingerprint (CDTZ 2173).
From Newport, Rhode Island. Although their first album contains some impressive swirling organ work and occasional fuzztone guitar, its material, which is largely written by the band, lacks originality. The first 45 is taken from this LP. The second album is more imaginative. Tavares departed prior to its recording and the band became a foursome. It includes a version of The Moody Blues' Another Morning and the Moodies seem to have been an impoftant influence on the band. Although the album contains material of some commercial potential, with the self-penned Can't You See perhaps the strongest track and is clearly an improvement on their first effort, it still talls short of the grade. The second 45 is from this LP. Tangerine Zoo evolved out of The Ebb Tides, and Wayne Gagnon later played in an outfit called Wadsworth Mansion. Pebbles, Vol. 21 includes a version of one of their better tracks Nature's Children as by The Kidds, a previous incarnation of this outfit. For more information check out the bands website:- http://www.tangerinezoo.com
Based in Taos, an Arizona town famous for the several hippy communities which settled there in the late sixties, this quintet played a melodic mix of folk, country and blues with vocal harmonies and some decent guitars. Nothing essential. (Stephane Rebeschini)
Produced by Chad Stuart (of Chad & Jeremy), Tarantua were a Californian group strongly influenced by Zappa and jazz. Tracks like Electric Guru, Red Herring, Love Is For Peace, Peach, Fuzz And Peppermints have lots of acid organ, fuzz guitar and strange vocals and lyrics, plus various noises and onomatopeas. The single tracks are from the album. Oz Bach had previously been in Spanky and Our Gang and then in Wings, another californian group a la Mama and Papas who released an album for Dunhill. Thad Maxwell went on to play with country rock formations (Swampwater, Sierra) and Arlo Guthrie. For more information check the Tarantula website: http://www.spankyandourgang.com/ozbach/Tarantula.html (Stephane Rebeschini)
A rare album mixing early electronic music with psych sounds, it contains a cover of the Beatles' I Am The Walrus. Tartaglia also worked with Richard Christensen. (Stephane Rebeschini)
From West Palm Beach, Florida and another good double-sided debut 45. The 'A' side is a pleasant pop love song and the flip's a much wilder punker with some fine harmonica and guitar riffs. Robin Thompson played with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band in the '70s and now runs his own recording studio in Virginia. Compilation appearances have included: I Can't Explain This Feeling on Lost Generation, Vol. 1 (LP); Baby and Love Love Love on Florida Punk Groups From The Sixties (LP) and Sixties Archive Vol. 4 (CD); Baby on Teenage Shutdown, Vol. 14 - Howlin' For My Darlin' (LP & CD) and Psychedelic States: Florida Vol. 3 (CD). (Max Waller/Jeff Lemlich)
NB: (1) reissued officially on CD by Gear Fab (GF-121) 1999 and on vinyl (Akarma AK 122/2) as a double LP with four extra tracks.
NB: (1) and (2) released early 1971 as a double gatefold. The album was recorded live at the Nitty Gritty, Madison, Wisconsin on 18 March 1972. It's becoming sought-after by collectors. The songs are all originals and the band sound competent musicians. The music on side one for the most part is R & B/bar blues, certainly not for garage or psychedelic purists. Side two is more interesting - Angry With My Friend has some experimental guitarwork, Master Of The Arts is a good track and Guitar, as its title suggests, features some pretty frantic and melodramatic guitarwork. Certainly side two has its moments. The CD reissue comprises the 45 tracks and the live LP and provides a detailed history of the band. The Tayles were formed in 1966 after two members of Jeremy Wilson's previous outfit (the Canterbury's) were killed in a car crash. This determined the name of the successor band - geddit? The Tayles split in 1972 with members going onto the Shakers or the Beans, but they reunited as The Tayles in 1976. The name was finally retired in the late '70s and, as the Shakers again, they continued power-poppin' into the 90s. Bob Schmidtke passed away in 1984 and the band have dedicated the CD to his memory. Compilation appearances include: She Made Me That Way on Gear Fab's Psychedelic Sampler (CD). (Vernon Joynson / Max Waller)
NB: (1) reissued in France in 1972 with a PS (Jubilee 2C006-93296). Produced by Al Gorgoni and Chip Taylor, and designed to look like a bootleg, this album comprises the first recordings by James Taylor in 1967 whilst he was working the folk rock circuit with Kortchmar and O'Brien from the King Bees. Only seven tracks are included with Night Owl, Rainy Day Man (covered by Tom Rush on his Circle Game album) and two takes of the catchy Knocking Round The Zoo, complete with false starts and studio dialogue. Musically it can be compared to the Lovin' Spoonful or early Youngbloods. Kortchmar went on to form City and with O'Brien Jo Mama, before becoming a session man. Taylor signed a contract with Apple enjoying a successful singer/songwriter career in the '70s. Euphoria was a short-lived subsidiary of Jubilee and also released the album by Sum Pear. (Stephane Rebeschini)
From New York, an album with organ and female vocals, lying somewhere between psych and horn rock. (Stephane Rebeschini)
NB: (1) has been counterfeited on LP and CD. There is also a superior CD edition, released by band member Mike Lassandro - see main text for details.
Tea was another word for marijuana, so with a name like The Tea Company, it is clear what to expect from their sole album. It is an interesting effort, with the title track and ten-minute cut, Flowers outstanding. The latter sounds Beatles-influenced psychedelia, with high-pitched guitar notes superimposed upon a typical psychedelic backing. It sounds rather like an extended version of the ending to Strawberry Fields Forever. Aside from a slowed-down version of The Supremes' hit You Keep Me Hanging On, all the compositions are originals and some are full of the usual hippie cliches and social commentary, for example, Love Could Make The World Go Round and Make Love Not War. Their sole 45 contained shorter versions of two cuts from their album, with Flowers being a drastically edited and remixed version. The group, who were originally called The Lip-Tin Tea Company, came from Queens, N.Y. and evolved out of The Naturals. They played mostly in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut. Al Vertucci recalls:- "The Tea Company and all The Naturals stuff was done at Ultra-Sonic by Bill Stahl". Ultra-Sonic was "in Hempstead, L.I., and the owner/engineer was Bill Stahl who did all of the 'Fudge and Shangri-Las stuff there. One of the great engineers ever!! He did with four tracks what people can't do today with 48. The Tea Company LP (which was recorded on 8 tracks) was then re-mixed and ruined at A&R Recording, 7th Avenue in NYC by Mercury's Dick Corby." Frankie Carr's All Natural Band later turned up in 1977 with a same-titled LP on the Tribute label. The Tea Company album has also been reissued on CD by band member Mike Lassandro, and is superior to the counterfeit "no label" CD which is also in circulation. Anyone interested in getting the band-authorised copy should email mikecompu@yahoo.com who is selling copies for $15. The freaky hubbly-bubbly instrumental Don't Make Waves has also turned up on Buzz Buzz Buzzzzzz Vol. 1 (CD). You can also find Flowers (45 version) on A Heavy Dose Of Lyte Psych (CD). (Vernon Joynson/Max Waller w/thanks to Al Vertucci and Mike Lassandro)
A quartet from Pueblo, Colorado - home of The Trolls. Their best effort is considered to be Sweet, Sweet Sadie - a catchy pop-punker produced by Norman Petty. Somewhere between Paul Revere and Raiders and Sir Doug's She's About A Mover. The flip is a lame pre-beat teen ballad. Their second 45, Armful..., is a tame pop ballad distinguished only by its carnival theme and evocative merry-go-round keyboard sounds, but the flip is a surprisingly tight'n'bouncy novelty-cum-punker. Compilation appearances include: Sweet, Sweet Sadie on Monsters Of The Midwest, Vol. 3 (LP), Victims Of Circumstance, Vol. 2 (LP) and Victims Of Circumstance, Vol. 2 (CD). (Max Waller)
Originally thought to be from Sacramento, California, the band were actually headquartered in the Bay Area town of Alameda. They won the State Fair Battle of the Bands in 1966, thereby getting the opportunity to cut Weatherman. The 45, which is most notable for some fuzzy instrumental and a good vocal, got a lot of airplay in northern California in late 66 and the band consequently toured heavily in that area, with gigs with Grateful Dead, Music Machine, Mojo Men, The Seeds etc. The Second 45 didn't come out until early 68, by which time the group had split - only the Salazar brothers feature on the flip People Through My Glasses. Two unissued killers, Taxi Driver and No Time For Tears are also to be featured on an upcoming Nugget from The Golden State volume, however and today Rick Salazar's son Arion is the bass player in Third Eye Blind. Compilation coverage has so far included: all four sides on The Scorpio Records Story (CD) although the version of People Thru My Glasses appears here in remixed form, whilst the 45 version graces Psychedelic Experience, Vol. 3 (CD); Weatherman and Read All About It on Sound Of The Sixties: San Francisco Part 2 (LP); Weatherman on The Psychedelic Sixties, Vol. 1 (LP), Sixties Choice, Vol. 2 (LP), 60's Choice Collection Vol's 1 & 2 (CD) and The Cicadelic 60's, Vol. 4 (CD). It's most notable for some fuzzy instrumental and a good vocalist. Scorpio was a subsidiary label of Fantasy records. (Max Waller / Alec Palao)
An interesting San Jose-based group which existed for too short a time. Suzy Creamcheese is a superb slice of mayhem and dementia and has rightly become an acid punk classic on account of its inclusion on several compilations. All their material is essential stuff in any garage/psych collection. Compilation appearances have included: Suzy Creamcheese on Mayhem & Psychosis, Vol. 2 (LP), Pebbles Vol. 3 - The Acid Gallery (CD), The Essential Pebbles Collection, Vol. 1 (Dble CD), Pebbles Box (5-LP), Pebbles, Vol. 3 (LP), Pebbles, Vol. 2 (ESD) (CD), Acid Dreams - The Complete 3 LP Set (3-LP), Acid Dreams Testament (CD), Acid Dreams, Vol. 1 (LP), Trash Box (5-CD) and Great Pebbles (CD); From Day To Day on Sixties Rebellion, Vol. 6 (LP & CD), Filling The Gap (4-LP), Victims Of Circumstances, Vol. 1 (LP) and Victims Of Circumstance, Vol. 2 (CD); Haight Ashbury on 60's Punk E.P., Vol. 2 (7"), A Heavy Dose Of Lyte Psych (CD) and Boulders, Vol. 2 (LP). |
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