Before The Dawn

Urgh, this might be my last comp - it's getting harder and harder to make good comps. And this is kinda stinky. (I actually have a semi-cool comp coming up so hold the fort!)

Oh and on this I made a classic blunder - I jumped one volume: the last one I did was vol. 34 and now this is vol. 36! 

I know atleast two other series that made the same mistake; Sixties Rebellion (#13) and Psychedelic Unknowns (#10).

I would rate this set 6 on a ten-scale. But I did put in a lot of time to get a good flow, and all these songs are cherry-picked, and I have listened to it, thinking it was kinda nice.
Just don't want you to get you expectations too high.

Let's see what we have here.

NEXT STEP - I SAID NO

"..everywhere I go they say 'sad boy', but can't they see I don't want their sympathy.. I said nooo.."


TBM rates I Said No as a seven (7). The EPIC flip Rivers Of Hate gets a six (6).
If you have heard the flip you know how stupifyingly good it is, and if you haven't heard I Said No you might be excited to what you will hear.
I can tell you right now that I don't think it is nearly as good. Not on the same planet.
It is a somewhat pedestrian but cool folkrock jangler and serves as the poppy side of the 45. It is 2 years behind its times, Byrds did this in 1965, but hey - who cares nowadays.
At 1:25 a very crude Byrdsy solo emerges and you face will shine up.

You can hear Rivers Of Hate on my splendid comp Love Is Tuff.

(Marysville, CA) Oct '67
M.C.C 101067

BONDSMEN - I DON'T WANT YOUR LOVIN' ANYMORE

"..everybody knows you've been untrue.."

One of many Bondsmen; this lot hails from Massachussets.
I really dig this kind of laid back folkrock.
Some cute amateurish harmonies, a funny little drum-lick, some nice guitar.
I don't take much sometimes.

(Concord-Sudbury, MA) Jun '66
Fleetwood 4564

SHADOWS - TELL ME

"..tell me that you love me, baby be mine and you will have the world, tell me I can have your lovin' so fine and you will be my girl.."

Some swingin' mersey-esque beat meets standard American rock'n'roll.
It don't matter how much pop there is in the mix, when you pour it on a bunch of 60s kids from the states it always ends up rockin and a-rollin'. Beatles couldn't play rock'n'roll like this to save their life.
That said, this is pretty bland rock'n'roll. But I thought you might want to hear it.

(Hazelwood, NC) Apr '66
Switch (6-6390)

EARLY AMERICANS - I LOVE YOU (I WANT YOU)

"..then I realized, dreams do not come true, is that really you..?"

Wow, 1971! I would've guessed 1966.
Great moody tune.

(Bath, PA) May '71
Brenick-Flagg 1012

MESSENGERS - MY BABY

".. if I had my way, I'd have her and she would stay but, my baby's walking 'way from me.."

Oooooh yeaaaa...
This song is sooo cute..
You can find the (even better, much better actually) flip I've Seen You Around on Root '66, Teenage Shutdown Vol. 2 and Soma Records Story Vol. 3.
My Baby is a slice of very cool and slightly somber mersey-beat.

(Winona, MN) Jan '65
Soma 1427

KING'S ENGLISH - YOU COULDN'T SEE

"..you left trace of your memory imprisoned in my tortured mind.."

Some more crude jingle-jangle folk-rock to table 66 please!
Some serious dynamics here from soft-spoken words of self pity to downright hysteric shrieks of bitter sorrow.

And don't think we missed that you snagged a part from You've Lost That Loving Feeling - ballsy move!

(Bucyrus, OH) May '67
no label 400

WEE FOUR - GIVE ME A TRY 

"..I know how it's been for a girl like you.."


More inferior flips to classic garage hits! But I'd almost choose this over Weird. But only almost.

(Rochester, NY) Aug '66
Nu-Sound 6111 

XL'S - SECOND CHOICE

"..well, I knew all along that it would happen again.."

Wanna see what TBM wrote about this? "moody org-riff unison voc swinger" and rated it a 6. I think that is fair. A so-so effort and the better side of the 45.
It is also one of the cheapest singles on this comp, on popsike it fluctuates from 50 to 100 bucks
In  December of '68 they the released their second and last 45. A drum-thumping acid-punk monster with nails-on-blackboard fuzz. The flip to that supposedly sucks.

(Terre Haute, IN) Apr '66
Paro 100

PSYCHOPATHS - SEE THE GIRL

".. I'd give anything to see her walk through that door.."

Last year this puppy went for 349 bucks - totally worth it. Both sides sports seriously moody top-shelf garage. You can find the flip here.
This is one of the best songs on this comp, hands down.

(Aubindale, MA) Sep '67
David-Lloyd Co. (201,438/9)

BOSS BLUES - BEFORE THE DAWN

"..they say our love will soon be gone.."

Meeep, an overdose of heavy-frowning dramatic mood-pop. I'm sick of it now but I loved it the first 20 times I listened to it. I'm not sure what happens in the woods - I can't hear the words - but it must have been very dramatic indeed. Dramatic enough for me to name this set Before The Dawn.
(Redding-Ridgefield, CT) Dec '66
Direction 101

HANGMEN - THE GIRL WHO FADED AWAY

"..now the night is through and I find myself still thinking of you.." 

First recorded as the Reekers. Find the demo here.
BANG FOR THE BUCK! If you want you should be able to find this in the ballpark of 40 bucks. The top-side is the awesome swinging' punker What A Girl Can't Do.
Their next 45 - the mucho-cool Faces - is also around 40 buckaroonies. More bang for the buck!

(Washington, D.C.) Nov '65
Monument 910

JAGUARS - TWO CAN PLAY

"..now I know you've been out with some other one.."


A lot of hi-hat happening on this moody puppy. Rated 6 in TBM and righteously so.

(Columbus, OH) Apr '67
Mus-I-Col 

MICHAEL-JOHN & THE PENDULUMS - YOU'RE WRONG GIRL

"..you think no matter what you say I won't leave you..but you're wrong, girl.."


Another affordable 45. Don't pay more than $30.
This is the kind of song that most of the time is kinda "meh" but if you play at the right place at the right time the whole room lights up and you can smell roses in the distance and everything falls into place. Those songs are far and apart so give this more than one spin.

(Allen Park, MI) '66
Bob-Ke (121237/8) 

WILDE THINGS - CAN'T SEE THE SUN

"..the sun's gone and we've lost our way.."


You can find this and its (awesome!) flip on Crude PA Vol. 2. Very crude track.

(Whitemarsh, PA) '68?
acetate

MENACES - IF YOU WANT ME

"..I'm really nothing much.."


Phew, what a tearjerker. The flip is a silly mersey-esque pop-shuffle. Both rate 6 in TBM. I would argue If You Want Me is the winning side.

(Phoenix, AZ) '67
Dramel 22767

WE THE PEOPLE - ALWAYS LIES

"..even when I look into your eyes.."


Two years ago this went for $1415. It also gets a six in TBM but booooooyyyyyy..... This is not a six... This is.. something else completely.
It is just perfect. Best on the set.

(Boston, MA) '66
Seventeen 263/4


http://www.mediafire.com/file/5xar8jgya626ua4/036_Before_The_Dawn.zip/file

Love Comes, Love Goes

Love Comes, Love Goes

I picked these 16 songs from about 50-60 tracks I had piled together for this volume.

It took me ages to complete and I'm still not happy with it. Mostly because most of the songs are ripped from scratchy sources and fizzles and pops and what with the surface noise and such.

But if you were OK with Return Of The Walrus you should be OK with this.

I see this volume as the third in a trilogy that started with You Take Me For Rides and Walrus being the second.

And this set is a grower. I've been listening to it a lot, and all the songs benefits from repeated listening.
As I have stated many times before: just like psychedelia, moody garage needs a good setting. You need to let it breath. You need to invite it into your home, and you need that home to ready for all the moody gloom and doomy despair..
You can't just yank it out, slap it on and go about your day.
Think of it as an occasion.

Because this set is super-depressing. If you are into that kinda stuff you will be happy. Happy-sad.

So get some napkins, pour yourself a big glass of your poison of choice, close the door, shut the blinds, curl up in a fetal position and hit that play button. And get ready to cry..



MICHEL & THE FRENCH CANADIANS - CAUSE I BELIEVE

"ever since I was a boy I've given my life to you.."

"..vvvats why I say..." yeah Michael, vvvat is that you were sayin?
Super-tight 50s-ish rocker. Totally irresistible.

I think this was the only 45 this canadian band put out. On the flip you can find "Comfort Him"

I don't know where in Canada they resided, when this was released or the actual number.
Below represent the meager information I gathered. Sorry bout that.

(Canada) '65?
Danco 302?

CONTEMPORARIES - FOOL FOR TEMPTATION

"I remember everything you said, everything you used to do.."

Oh GAAAWD this is heavy.. The Contemporaries suck us down into a maelstrom of guitars, organs and cymbals.
The flip is a so-so instrumental.

(Wilmington, DE) Nov '66
Richie 672


TEMPOS - TWO TIMER

"breaking hearts is the only thing you know how to do.."

First time I heard this, I fell off my chair! It is that good. The sound is huuuuuge. I bet this is one of those one-mic-in-the-middle-of-the-room recordings.

(Sylacauga, AL) '66
Justice LP

JUST TOO MUCH - COME BACK

"and then I find that she's not coming back, now my whole world is painted black.."

The flip to the insane She Gives Me Time! Fan-duckin-tastic downer grinder. I has a little Heart Full Of Soul about it. So fucken cool. I heard this for the first time ever just a month ago!
It was for a long time a very hard 45 to track down - I think the flip She Gives Me Time that appears on Back From The Grave was mastered from an old mixtape.
I don't know how many there is in existence but the last I heard was 1 confirmed beat-up copy and maybe two more. Actually I think the rip on this is not from the beat-up cooy so there should be at least two copies..
But don't ever take my word for anything, ever. K? K..

(Los Angeles, CA) Jul '66
M-Gee 002

WILD THINGS - LOVE COMES, LOVE GOES

"they said love was a lie.."

Here come the tears. The flip to this 45 is moody too, but this one is the winner. Or, loser.

(New Castle, IN) Jul '66
Showboat 1516

SHADES OF DARKNESS - SHE AIN'T WORTH ALL THAT

"you think I'm gonna cry over you, you think I'm gonna die over you, you think I'm gonna mess my mind over you.."

Ooooh, yes baby! I hear one guitarist diggin hard on McGuinn's solo in So You Wanna Be A.. and goes flying on unchartered territory. 

Great girl put-down.

(Dunkirk, NY) Oct '67
Shades 71031

MIDNIGHT SHIFT - NEVER GONNA STOP LOVIN' YOU

"I'm gonna try to find somehow, try to make you love me now, cause I'm never gonna stop lovin' you.."

Believe it or not, but these guys could very well have bumped into The Psychedelic Stooges since both resided in Ann Arbor, Michigan and performed in 1967.
And even if there's no vacuum cleaner on this 45 (The Ig used to play one in '67), it is still a stark performance. It feels very Michigan-y. Great chorus.
The flip She's Gone Far Away is great too.

(Ann Arbor, MI) '67
M-S-I 126220

PALACE GUARDS - BETTER THINGS TO DO

"why should I trouble myself for a girl who never be mine.."

This was not the only cool song released 45 by the Palace Guards. The flip is equally cool and I suspect you've already heard No Comin' Back.
All in all they released 4 singles from 66 to 69.

I haven't been listening much to Beau Brummels, but it feels like they might be an influence here.
Great track.

(Metarie, LA) Jun '66
U-Doe 104


COUNTS - NOW YOU'RE GONE

"give me one reason.."

Super-heartfelt and very cool song. Flip is Old Man River which I strongly suspect sucks very hard.
Still wanna hear it tho..

(???) Oct '65
Teen 900

BEDLAM'S OFFSPRING - THE THRILL IS GONE

"the thrill is gone and I can't go on.."

Awesome kiddie-garage featuring the most precocious lyrics I've ever heard. I wouldn't be surprised if it was his dad who wrote the lyrics, probably with the kids mom in mind without the kid knowing it. Fantastically ironic if that was the case. One can only hope.

(New Rochelle, NY) '66
Bruno-Dean Rec. Studio


SHADOWS - SHE'S LIKE THAT

"every young man in town has had his poor heart broken.."

Aaah, dig that falsetto on the chorus! So cool! Nice jazzy guitar too.

(Hazelwood, NC) Apr '66
Gold Standard 189


REDWOODS - TELL ME

"do you want my love?"

Redwoods are ready to do anything to keep their love by their side. Azum jingly-jangly moody teen beat.
They shared label with a bunch of other cool acts, but I don't know jack-shit about Phalanx Records. You google.

(???) Dec '66
Phalanx 1030


TRUTHS - WHY

"whyyyy..?"

Not too shabby flip on this, but Why is whadditz all about. I feel a Byrds-y influence, especially in the bass-department and the guit-solo. But I don't know.
I have to say that it feels a little, just a tiny bit, ahead of its time - this is 1965 and they still sound soo soo bitter and cynical.

(Riverside, CA) Aug '65
Circle 953


TIDAL WAVES - SHE LEFT ME ALL ALONE

"what can I do?"

Tidal Waves released 3 45s on HBR, two in 66 and one in 67. This is their best.

(Detroit, MI) Jul '65
HBR 482


ESQUIRES - LONELINESS IS MINE

"I wish that I had a love of my own, a love that will never ever die - loneliness is mine.."

Ok, this time I can't say that this is better than the flipside because the flip is this. But I can tell you that this 45 has total playability. Both sides are totally awesome, even if the flip is godhead.

Esquires put out 4 45s on Glenvalley from 65 to 66.

(Irving, TX) Sep ' 65
Glenvalley 103


SHADOWS FOUR - YOU'LL BE THE BLAME



 Let's wrap this up with the ultimate downer track. We're not talking the usual depresso here, no we're talkin "one of these day you'll be the blame I took a nose-dive into this gas-oven" kinda track. Some heavy shit here goin on.
The whole song reads like a suicide letter and the swamped honking saxophone doesn't help.
Killer.

(Greenville, NC) Mar '66
JCP 1037

http://www.mediafire.com/file/s20cxs6ttcw2bm2/034_Love_Comes%252C_Love_Goes.zip/file

Return Of The Walrus

Return Of The Walrus




Ok, get up and get ready to get down with the latest installment of.. yeah, what is this series called?
Rip Records? Kill R'n'R? Sixties Garage Punk? Or just nothing maybe.

TRIGGER WARNING!
If you can't stand ultra-crude shit-fi, then stay clear.
This is not for the squeamish.
These bad puppies has been weeded out from their better-sounding siblings just because the fantastic qualities in the music gets lost if it stands too close to something better produced/recorded/pressed or whatever.
Well not everything sounds like Captain Dueseldorph (featured here).
It depends on your preferences, I 'spose.
Anyhoo, this has led to me having to lower the over-all volume. Don't ask me why. Just crank up that knob. Oh, and crank up the volume too.

I pulled a lot of stuff from Crude PA Vol. 1 (won't be revamping it anyhow) and Oil Stains Vol. 1 (won't revamp that one either).



Marauders - Just Times Between Us

"Remember that summer.."

Marauders kicks off this set with some bizarre driving up-tempo super-twangy surf ballad.
This is a pretty wicked 45, the flip is graced by the just-as-crude but even more bad-ass Warning (find it on the excellent Garage Punk Unknowns Vol. 8.)

The songs starts a little wobbly and dry and uhm, "dramatic" - ploinkploinploink - and then makes itself known to everybody in the room. Oh and the lead-guitar twangs itself into a frenzy, the guitarist is battling his instrument like it was a boa constrictor.
Things get a little hairy (at 2:40 to be exact) when he ventures from the original hook and start to solo a bit. Feels like watching an untrained baby giraffe walking a tightrope over the niagara waterfalls with no safety-net.
But after some serious nail-gnawing you see him reach the safety of the other side of the song.
No one died today.

(Granite City, IL) '66
Heads 9518


Intrepids - Run From The Sun

"...into the darkness of guilt and shame"

Some pretty bitter stuff being served here by the Intrepids.
Throaty singer, spindy organ, yammering choir and an overall well-played tracks.
The singer pretty much blasts his cheating and abusive girl for three minutes and then he's out.

Says Bolt:
Associated Recording Studios acetate - PA/NY 196?. Fantastic unreleased demo cut from a band allegedly from PA but recorded in New York in the famous Associated Recording Studios.

(Meanville, PA?) '6?
unreleased demo


Faces In The Crowd - Clouds Of Doubt

"You might have won if you stuck it out.."

This song makes me smirk. One gets the feeling that the singer's father has had some wise words to tell his son, who in turn have been so touched and inspired that he wrote a small poem and a folky ditty of his newly acquired wisdom.
But it is very sincere and almost sad.
Like the singer missed the inspiring point of the talk, and just took it as an "i'm fucked" and ran with it.

Apparently came in a picture sleeve which I haven't seen.

(Cleveland, OH) Sep '66
Del-Nita 60941


Savages - Quiet Town

"they say it's bad but we all know, it's the place were we can go at night.."

Real spooky bit here presented by the incomparable Savages (of The World Ain't Round fame).
I'm not going to dwell on this classic group too long.
But if you didn't know - Savages released an album in 1966 and three 45s (all great and pulled from the album).
Now - this was recorded in 1965, but can you hear the psychedelic qualities?
Or "cinematic" might be a better choice of word.
Because when I listen to this song, I silently float together with them, slowly observing the surrounding in the quiet town.
I feel like we are unknowingly dead ghosts drifting into this misty place all while its citizens shuts the windows and bar the doors.

(Bermuda) '65
Duane 1049


Blues Inc. - Tell Me Girl

"tell me babe, do you care..?"

A soft-spoken organ-driven ballad with a slight taste of Zombies. The singer must have shut himself inside a closet and curled up in a blanket.

(Fort Wayne, IN) Oct '66
Phalanx 1026


Half Beats - Should I

"no more will I wait for you, no more will I cry for you.."

A pretty nasty folk-rocky girl put-down with some glorious falsetto voices in the background, underlining the hopelessness in our protagonists situation.
He doesn't even sound sad, he's more sarcastic and fantastically bitter.
No saccarine here it is just plain wicked. The raw power of the song still holds water since Cheater Slicks covered this in 1995.
But they still don't find the biting sarcasm the original singer harbored.
And how could they? True teenage angst is inimitable.

(Chicago, IL) 1966
International Recording Co. acetate


Shan Dels - Please Stay

"that's all I've left to say.."

English is not my main language - as you might've guessed by now..
So I'm not sure but it sounds like the singer is trying to sound like he's from London or something.

Anywayz, Shandels recorded a bunch of so-so 45s - 4 of 'em - from '65 to '67.
They later morphed into Dry Well and recorded another 45 in '68 (find it on Relative Distance - hm, I might just revamp that..)

This was their first 45 and features the wonderful instrument cordovox. There not enough cordovox in sixties garage punk. You can get more of that medicine on their third 45 Shades Of Blue found on Nobody To Love on the excellent Teenage Shutdown series.

(Long Island, NY) '65
Showcase 404


Thorns - This Is The End

"I'll die without your love, to me this is the end.."

Do you remember Thorns INSANE I want you from The Dead And Forgotten?
Well, here's the (almost equally tense) flip.
I feel a strong surge of Zombies here too. A fantastic song and a fantastic acetate 45.

(Philadelphia, PA)
Sound Plus Studios acetate


Strawberry Tuesday - Return Of The Walrus

"I'm gonna get it, I'm gonna get it.."

Let's get stupid and get ourselves a fuckin walrus.
I feel this has a strong kinship to Mr. Zeppelin Man and (We All Love) Peanut Butter.
You can hear the snickering during the guitar solo so I'm not sure they're 100% serious with this tall tale.
But that does not matter one second, the only thing that matters is that this is epic supreme and you will probably hear it anytime soon at the in-crowd bar.
I don't think Strawberry Tuesday reached further from the stars since they pretty much disappeared after this. It was released on a LP sampler called Reading 1968. I haven't heard that album, but if it sounds anywhere near this masterpiece, I must seek it down.

(Reading, PA) '68
Empire Records WWR 868-586


Bright Image - People In The Town

"it's been so many, so many years have passed...."

Poor kid. Woman gone, he don't know where, people stare him down and constantly asks him where the heck she's gone. Sadists.
Jangly folk-rocker with some of the best use of wah-wah I've ever heard.

(Philadelphia, PA) Mar '70
Amigo 114


Starfyres - Captain Dueseldorph

"if you're ever down by the sea, take a look for me and Captain Dueseldorph.."

Get ready for some fizzling garage sounds!
C'mon, surely you must know this? One of my absolute faves - ever!
It wiggles, it wobbles, it makes you feel completely drunk outta your mind.
Of course - the shit-fi allure in this comes on like greek mythology sirens but that's not all.
It's heavy as FUCK, filled to the brim with atmosphere and even if the instruments are slightly out of tune, every note hits just where it's supposed to.
And it's not in your face. It is there - if you're lookning - but it mostly just floats in and out of the surface of reality like a submarine.
The flip is the hot punk No Room For Your Love, and you can find it here.

(Lansford, PA) '67
Burr 1001


Invictas - Do It

"i can't see we could ever be together even though you mean a lot to me.."

I don't know why I added the "a go-go" suffix, but accidents happen. I try to be as thorough as I can, but sometimes I fuck up. Which gives me greater understand for mis-info on old comps, and greater appreciation for the work Warren & co put behind his/theirs contributions to this comp-scene.
They really set the standard high.

Invictas released four fratty 45s (three on the Sahara label, and one PS on Bengel) from '65 to '67 and then fizzled away somewhere. Who knows where.

A really hard-rockin' soulful rocker with a glorious hook.
Love the ending.

(Rochester, NY) Jan '66
Sahara 110


Lost Ones - I Can't Believe You

"you always told lies, brought the water from my eyes.."

The Lost Ones makes sure the party don't stop with this ultra-crude pounder. Awesome drummer who probably played at the college marching band.

You can hear some dude callin some "oh no" and some "awww" and some "oh yeah" in the background.
Ace guitar solo.
(the back cover says "i don't believe you" - fuck!)

(Sarver-Butler, PA) '66
Mersey 002


Insane - I Can't Prove It

"I love you girl.."

Insane puts this set in yet a higher gear and rush in on the scene with some more pounding drums and wailing guitars and just rocks out for a full three and a half minutes. A lot a soloing and tomfoolery which must've been a hoot to dance to at the local hop.

(Terryville?, CT) Jul '67
Alien Associates 201, 347


Them - A Girl Like You

"with a love like ours we can turn our backs on the people, and the rules"

This is one of those songs that must have existed forever in the dna of the universe.
Everything is just perfect.
Pure perfection.
I can't write anything more about it.
Flawless.
Argh, such a romantic juvenile delinquent winner.
Ugh..

(Cincinnati, OH) Dec '64
King 5967


Immigrants - 225 Blues

"here's my hand, dear
I'm giving you my final adieu.."

Immigrants were a bunch of kids from various places around NY who went to collage in Kansas.
They recorded an album full with not-too inspired covers, but this one is a downer bomb.
225 Blues sounds like Rolling Stones circa '64 played on too low rpm.
And that is fantastic, one of my faves on this set.

(Salina, KS) 1966
Starburst Recordings ‎– SRA 9837

http://www.mediafire.com/file/d4cmh8dkp7ou53z/033_Return_Of_The_Walrus.zip/file

You Take Me For Rides

You Take Me For Rides

Fabulous Rumbles - The Truth Hurts More Than Lies

"Before we met I was lonely, then you came into my life

darling, you're my one and only, let me stay here by your side"

Great PS on this and an awesome way to kick of fthis (long overdue) set of songs.
Definately a grower, I just happened to have it in a playlist and it soon crept under my skin.
At first it was pretty 'meh' in my ears, but it is really a nifty little mersey-esque ditty.

Fabulous Rumbles released one more 45 in 1966 then lost the "fabulous" and just went with "Rumbles" and released 2 more 45's on Mercury in 1966 and 1967.

(Omaha, NE) Apr '65

Dad's 101

Try-Angle - Writing On The Wall

"I see you walking down the street, and for a moment our eyes meet

if that's the way you want it, that's the way it will be - you don't love me no more"

Try-Angle stops a little short from releasing a 2-sided killer, because even if both sides are epic in their own right, they just don't quite soar the hights of Dovers, Squires and Es Shades.
 Still - that is why I like it.
This rickety trolley is just rolling down the street with a dejected hollow sound without wanting to get too much attention.

Now, that is true downer garage right there!

(Franklin, IN) Nov '67
Orlyn 2553


Citations - The Day That She'll Go

"And now the time has come, I know
Today's the day that she will go"

What this jangler lacks lyrics-wise it makes up with crude naïve honesty.
This was their sole 45 and it has a pretty sorry flip. But I like this one.

(Lowell, MA) Jul '66

Pre-Sav Enterprises 122586

Hustlers - The Sky Is Black

"Every night I wait for your call on the phone, it's no good - for the sky is black. Ooh.."

The haunting gasp of the freezing desert wind's got nothing on Hustlers.
Steadily on the verge of dropping their instruments and break down in tears, Hustlers soldiers on and makes their way thru the horror of teenage angst.

(???) '67

Orlyn 1949


Seventh Cinders - You Take Me For Rides

"Don't try to change the way that I feel - I don't wanna love you if your love isn't real"

Now we're talkin'! The Seventh Cinders makes sure this set get rockin and the tears starts rollin!
I could talk endlessly about this track and its hauntingly crude-ee-ful cinematic qualities but I will settle with just pointing the way to when the singer dances thru the moonlit misty graveyard, hopping from headstone to headstone singing "I don't wanna love you.." in his most romantic falsetto.

(Midland Park, NJ) ??
Greezie 502

Dead Wunz - Til I'm Beside Her

"I lose just all desire, unless I am beside her"

Romantic loser mid-tempo ballad. Seems like it was written by some prince who lost his Cinderella at a dance where they danced until dawn and he.. well he refers to the winter and that he has no desire to live since she's gone. Cute.

(Chicago, IL) '67

Orlyn 5123

Fabulous Depressions - Can't Tell You

"My world's been a mess for a couple of years, I think that pretty soon I'm gonna break out in tears"

Oh my gawd this sounds so much like Action Woman, it's insane! Well, might be because the Fabulous Depressions hailed from Minnesota - just like Litter - and they might've picked up a trick or two.
Just sayin'.
And hey - check those drums! Dem drums and dat organ makes it all come together.

(New Ulm, MN) Jan '68
Madd 123167

Newports - Life Must Go On

"And wars will go on, and life must go on"

The Byrds seems to be lurking in the shadows in this grisly jangler. Even Dylan would probably frown at the gruesome imagery of the lyrics (who covers topics that sadly is as valid today as it was then.)

(Ormond Beach, FL) May '67
Zebb 155

Sounds Of Randall - Wasting My Time

"I've gotta know now!"

Looks pretty pedestrian on the surface but gets to you after repeated listening.
I can't put my finger on it. Might be some honest urgency goings on that is casting spells on me.

(Sunset, LA) Apr '66
Carl 101


Vandals - Mystery

"It's a mystery, I gotta find out"

Vandals put out 3 solid 45's (their second featured I Saw Her In A Mustang, which is supreme raunchness), this being their first. Mystery was released again on the Tiara label (which also put out Melvin by Belles) but in another version.
Pretty solid production, I must say. Atleast more solid than the relationship between the singer and his girlfriend because my friend - that mystery you can't figure out seems pretty easy to solve.

(Hollywood, FL) '65
Parole no #


Pushin' - Just Tell Her

"You may come within my world but I guarantee the sorrow"

Sweet jeezuzz! What heavy moods! What dark thoughts!

Pushin' is totally off the charts when it comes to their sound. This is from the heady days of heavy rock, glitzy glam, rising disco and ramalama New York Dolls/Iggy & the Stooges proto-punk fests where Ramones are waiting in the wings in steamy backstages oh, and cocaine and heroin and tits and ass and all that jazz..
But Pushin' is content with the soft and clunky sounds they make themselves without too much noise and neon lights and fast drugs.
You can HEAR that this isn't from 1966 but man, the song sounds it is coming straight out of a sixties New England garage.

(PS I listed this as Don't Tell Her which is wrong - it is Just Tell Her, nothing else.)

(CA) '73
ALA 4422


Hangmen - I'm Gonna Love You

"Til the end of time"

It is night. The studio is locked up. All is dark. No one is around. Ooorrr?
Hangmen slowly creeps in and begins to gently poke the instruments. When they are sure that they are alone they start to rock out in the most royal way.

Badum-dingdingdingding
"anyone there?"
dumdumdumdum
"I don't think so..?"
ploinkploinkploinkploink
"OK LET'S GO!"
IMMA LOVE YA BABY!

The guys later recorded as the Five Canadians who we all know and love.

(San Antonio, TX) 
Flo-Pin 101


Blue Condition - Lost Love

"She said there's no reason in trying"

Not as late as Pushin', but pretty late anyway, Blue Condition was a good 3 years past their time on this romantic ballad. Which is cool in my book. Which means they probably weren't dirty filthy hippies. Which is pretty cool too.
The flip to this is an insane slab of acid punk that probably renders this 45 costing top dollars and an arm and a leg.
That is, if you ever find it. I don't think there are too many in existence. Like, one. And I don't think the owner is about to sell it anytime soon.

(IL) Feb '69
Tersa 101


Apollos - Never Again

"I see the sand, I see the river, and my eyes shed a tear just like before"

Hold it! Hooold it!! I SAID HOLD IT GODDAMN IT!!!
This is so fuckin great!! If you can't dig this...I don..I ca.. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?!? HUH?!?!
What more could you possibly demand from a bunch of awkward pimply teens?
Fuck Dovers! OK? Fuck Squires, fuck Es Shades, fuck it all!

Now you fuckin come here, stand next to - HEY COME BACK HERE! FUCKER!
Now you stand here next to this kid, he's just come back from a tear-soaked stroll down the fuckin RIVER which he - IN TEARS - wrote a song about! And now you rate it. Yeah, you heard me. Read him what you rated it in TeenBeat Mayhem (now on sale). Ok kid, listen to what this geezer thought of your openhearted song about getting your heart broken and all that.
You don't wanna tell it to him? Ok I'll tell it to him.

Three. He gave you a three. On a fuckin ten-scale, he gave you a three.
The description of what a three sounds like is - SHUDDUP YES I HAVE TO TELL IT TO HIM! - is, and I quote, "dull and ordinary". Yes. So now you know kid, the next time you hear your heart break - that sound, ya know? That is dull and ordinary.

Heartless sons of bitches!

(South Bend, IL) '66
Orlyn 0984


Weeble Foxx - I'm Your Fellow Man

"People!!"

Folk-rock overload! Weeble Foxx has so many important things to tell that the mic barely can take them all in! But it sounds earnest and very important.
And that is good enough for me.

(Warren-Youngstown, OH) Jan '66
Mark I 4115


Tempters - I Will Go

"ooooh, ooooh"

This song absolutely hypnotizes me. It sways back and forth, it hums secret words I barely make out.
It is as if I don't really want to know more than that. It is here now, it has always been here and will always be here.
I don't even wanna know what it is all about.
I just love it.

(Hamilton, OH) Apr '66
Link 708

https://www.mediafire.com/file/ffxbqgjs44awaxj/032_You_Take_Me_For_Rides.zip/file