Monthly Archives: October 2021

230) The Sonics — “The Witch” 231) The Sonics — “Psycho” OK, you definitely knew about the Sonics if you lived in the Pacific Northwest in the mid-sixties. But their fame only extended regionally, which is a shame, because if any band can be said to have rocked, the Sonics ROCKED! Mark Deming cuts toContinue reading “Halloween with the Sonics Special Edition: “The Witch”, “Psycho”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 31, 2021″

229) Marvin Gaye — “I Got to Get to California” From Gaye’s ’69 album M.P.G. that yielded two big hits comes this overlooked gem, which Jack Egan called in Rolling Stone in August of that year “my particular favorite; Marvin again strides through the song, building the intensity as his voice goes through an exquisiteContinue reading “Marvin Gaye — “I Got to Get to California”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 30, 2021”

228) The Mops — “Asahi Yo Saraba” The Mops were Japan’s self-proclaimed first psychedelic band! They formed in 1966 as an instrumental group (like the Ventures) and, then, according to Discogs: In the summer of 1967 their manager visited San Francisco, and was very excited about the hippie movement. He brought a copy of aContinue reading “The Mops — “Asahi Yo Saraba”: Brace for the Obscurte (60s rock)! — October 29, 2021”

227) Blonde on Blonde — “Eleanor Rigby” From the stunning album by the Welsh band named after Dylan’s double LP. Bruce Eder says in All Music Guide that: The group took part in the Middle Earth Club’s Magical Mystery Tour, which brought them an initial splash of press exposure. They were also fortunate enough toContinue reading “Blonde on Blonde — “Eleanor Rigby”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! October 28, 2021”

226) Graham Gouldman — “The Impossible Years” I have taken “The Impossible Years” from songwriter extraordinaire (“For Your Love,” “Evil Hearted You,” and “Heart Full of Soul” for the Yardbirds, “Bus Stop” and “Look Through Any Window” for the Hollies, and “No Milk Today” for Herman’s Hermits) Graham Gouldman’s ’68 album The Graham Gouldman Thing.Continue reading “Graham Gouldman — “The Impossible Years”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 27, 2021”

225) The Mike Stuart Span — “Time”  Let me go out on a limb and dare say that this unreleased gem from a wonderful band from Brighton has quite profound lyrics. The Span started out as a soul band and morphed into psychedelia. They never “made it.” Vernon Joynson explains: [T]he BBC invited them toContinue reading “The Mike Stuart Span — “Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 26, 2021”

224) The Rumors — “Hold Me Now” The A-side of the LA band’s only single — one of only three singles issued by the label (Gemcor). Richie Unterberger says in All Music Guide that: Of the many obscure “Louie Louie” ripoffs that have been recorded over the years, “Hold Me Now” is one of theContinue reading “The Rumors — “Hold Me Now”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 25, 2021”

222) Room 222 Theme Song In honor of song #222, I present the theme song to the beloved TV show (for those of a certain age) Room 222, which aired from ‘69-‘74. As Nostalgia Central describes the series: Life at Walt Whitman High School – an integrated high school in Los Angeles – as seenContinue reading “Room 222 Theme Song: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 24, 2021”

221) Buddy Miles — “Them Changes” Bring on the funk! Title song from Jimi’s favorite Gypsy’s ‘70 album (see also #112). It was his highest charting song, reaching #62 in September of ‘71.

220) The Birds — “Say Those Magic Words” The Birds kill it again (see #33, #99) — and I am not talkin’ Alfred Hitchcock — with this ’66 A-side. The Nuggets II comp opines that: The Birds give the McCoys’ poppy original a lethal injection of mod aggression’s tough, confident vocals and . . .Continue reading “The Birds — “Say Those Magic Words”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 21, 2021”

219) Chris Lucey — “Girl from Vernon Mountain” A wonderful, haunting song and, if true, an incredible backstory. Richie Unterberger says in All Music Guide that Chris Lucey was “something of a mystery man of mid-’60s folk-rock.” In fact, Lucey was Bobby Jameson, a Sunset Strip folksinger who had turned to rock and roll afterContinue reading “Chris Lucey — “Girl from Vernon Mountain”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 20, 2021”

217) Lord Sitar — “I Can See for Miles” No, Klaatu fans, “Lord Sitar” was not George Harrison, rather, session guitar wiz Bill Jim Sullivan (who happened to own a sitar). He and his label were trying to cash in on the sitar craze in ‘68. Bruce Eder in All Music Guide says that: “OnContinue reading “Lord Sitar — “I Can See for Miles”, The Whispers — “Knowin’”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 19, 2021”

215) Susan Hampshire — “When Love Is True” Who knew that renowned English actress Susan Hampshire was a wonderful singer? Here is her A-side from July of ‘65. Per IMDb: “[H]er role in the 1967 BBC mini-series, The Forsyte Saga . . . made her famous and won her the first of her three EmmyContinue reading “Susan Hampshire — “When Love Is True”, The La De Das — “How’s the Air Up There”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 18, 2021”

212) Ike and Tina Turner — “Get It – Get It!”  ’67 single and ’66 album title track — smokin! 213) The Accent — “Red Sky at Night”  The Rubble comp calls this October of ’67 single by the lads from Yorkshire “staggering, with monstrous bone-crunching lead guitar and deaths-head voices that swirl out ofContinue reading “Ike and Tina Turner — “Get It – Get It!”, The Accent — “Red Sky at Night”, The Brain Train — “Me”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 16, 2021”

I love Oasis to death, but Noel has been known to “borrow.” See, e.g., I don’t buy some of the examples in this video “expose,” but you have to be an idiot to hear “How Sweet to Be an Idiot” and not say “wait a second . . . .” The late great Neil InnesContinue reading “FROST IN THE OASIS? SPECIAL EDITION: Thomas and Richard Frost/Dick Domane: Thomas and Richard Frost — “If I Can’t Be Your Lover”, Dick Domane — “Bad Dream”, Thomas and Richard Frost — “She’s Got Love”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 15, 2021”

206) Annie Philippe — “Pas de Taxi” Bouncy ‘67 single by the protege of Paul “Love Is Blue” Mauriat. In the song, a young lady is considering getting into a car driven by a not-handsome man because it is cold outside. Suddenly, a taxi arrives and saves her. The “morale: when you’re not very handsome,Continue reading “Annie Philippe — “Pas de Taxi”, The Honeybus — “Black Mourning Band”, The Dave Clark 5 — “When”: Brace for the Obscurte (60s rock)! — October 14, 2021″

203) Los Mac’s — “F.M. Y Cia” From Chile’s Sgt. Pepper’s. The Rising Storm says that: [The song] ha[s] what may be strident left-wing political lyrics [but] the vocals are pretty unintelligible, so it’s hard to say whether this is in fact a scathing indictment of United States media control in Chile or just anotherContinue reading “Los Mac’s — “F.M. Y Cia”, Vashti Bunyan — “Train Song”, The Scandal — “Girl, You’re Goin’ Out a My Mind”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 13, 2021”

200) Justine — “She Brings the Morning with Her” Melody Maker called this ’70 A-side “balm to the ears.” Yup. Johnkatsmc5 says: An odd British psych folk band comprised at their peak of three female vocalists and a couple male guitar players . . . American West Coast acid pop combined with rather staid EnglishContinue reading “Justine — “She Brings the Morning with Her”, The Easybeats — “Sorry”, Tom Parrott — “Hole in the Ground”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 12, 2021”

197) West Coast Experimental Pop Art Band — “Help, I’m a Rock” Mark Deming says that: “[WCEPAB was o]ne of the more offbeat acts to emerge during the psychedelic era . . . eclectic and ambitious enough to live up to their slightly clumsy moniker, capable of jumping from graceful folk-rock to wailing guitar freakoutsContinue reading “West Coast Experimental Pop Art Band — “Help, I’m a Rock”, Focal Point — “Lonely Woman”, Please — “Seeing Stars”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 11, 2021”

194) Les Irresistibles — “My Year Is a Day” ‘68 single by the American band, formed while living in Paris the prior year. The song is an English cover version of Dalida’s dramatic “Dans la Ville Endormie” and was their biggest success. It was released in the U.S. under the band name Arch of Triumph.Continue reading “Les Irresistibles — “My Year Is a Day”, Omega — “Gyöngyhajú Lány”, Ola and the Janglers — “That’s Why I Cry”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 10, 2021”