Monthly Archives: April 2022

410) New Colony Six — “Love You So Much” Another Chicago classic, this cute/sweet romantic A-side with “jangly proto-power pop guitar and . . . helium-enriched [and possibly-sped up] vocals” (Jeff Jarema’s liner notes to the The New Colony Six at the River’s Edge comp) was released at the end of ’66. It reached #2Continue reading “New Colony Six — Love You So Much”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 10, 2022″

409) The Buckinghams — “Song of the Breeze” Wonderful, wistful ‘68 B-side and album track by Chicago legends the Buckinghams. A song of the breeze for the Windy City. Bull Dahl writes that: Backing Dennis Tufano’s buoyant lead vocals with prominent harmonies and punchy soul-styled brass, the group came across the wistful “Kind of aContinue reading “The Buckinghams — “Song of the Breeze”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 9, 2022”

408) Hat & Tie — “Finding It Rough” This ’67 B then A-side is an “absolutely classic fuzz guitar driven slice of British psychedelia from 1967 [and a]stoundingly obscure”(https://bestmusicofalltime.wordpress.com/2020/08/02/hat-and-tie-finding-it-rough-1967/) Another sad song with a buoyant melody — I’m finding it irresistible. David Wells’s* liner notes to the Let’s Go Down and Blow Our Minds compContinue reading “Hat & Tie — “Finding It Rough”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 8, 2022”

407) The Sorrows — “Take a Heart” Primal freakbeat — as the Nuggets II comp says: “Compelling. Unusual. There was no precedent for [it] when . . . released in August 1965. The throbbing bass-and-drum pattern pulsates with sexual tension, egged on by spiky guitar outbursts, while [the] vocals drip with menace and foreboding. .Continue reading “The Sorrows — “Take a Heart”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 7, 2022”

406) The Perth County Conspiracy — “Lace and Cobwebs” CitizenFreak: The PCC was “[a] true legend of . . . psych-folk rock”. http://www.citizenfreak.com/titles/295575?fbclid=IwAR1i6ppj2qI_l68lfBp0bqNSFUFwxlN3qmVROJO_bf0J0OaKd36s55xzi_k. And its “Lace and Cobwebs” is as beautiful as can be. But where did the PCC come from? Michelle Dionne, Dawn Edwards and Jaimie Vernon write that: Taking their name from theContinue reading “The Perth County Conspiracy — “Lace and Cobwebs”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 6, 2022”

405) Chuck Jackson — “Lonely Lonely Man Am I” From Jackson’s ’68 Motown album Chuck Jackson Arrives, this is a great song by Norman Whitfield, Eddie Holland, and Eddie Kendricks. The Velvelettes did it first as “Lonely Lonely Girl Am I.” The Tenptations did it. Jimmy Ruffin did it. But only Chuck Jackson made itContinue reading “Chuck Jackson — “Lonely Lonely Man Am I”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 5, 2022”

404) Prufrock — “Whisper of Love” From ’67, this song is a truly wonderful plea for reconciliation to a departed lover. RD Records, the label that enabled us to hear this treasure 40 years after its recording, proclaims of the album it rescued that: Here is another lost and unreleased at the time Californian psychedelicContinue reading “Prufrock — “Whisper of Love”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 4, 2022”

403) The Sunsets — “The Hot Generation” Hot ’67 A-side was the theme to the Australian surfing movie The Hot Generation. Mike Stax says the song “is a relentlessly upbeat celebration of [Australia’s] surfin’ lifestyle”. (http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2012/07/various-artists-hot-generation-1960s.html?m=1) Richie Unterberger describes it as “surf-cum-mod.” (https://www.allmusic.com/album/hot-generation-1960s-punk-from-down-under-mw0000660957) The Pandoras did a fantastic 80’s punk version. Anyway, the Sunsets wouldContinue reading “The Sunsets — “The Hot Generation”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 3, 2022”

402) John Williams — “Can’t Find Time for Anything Now” No, not that John Williams — I’m talkin’ about the one who hung out with Jimmy Page! This ’67 B-side is exquisite baroque pop and I think we can all relate (even though David Wells’ liner notes to the Come Join My Orchestra comp ofContinue reading “John Williams — “Can’t Find Time for Anything Now”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 2, 2022”

401) The Spiders — “Day Tripper” Joe Cocker, please step aside. Richie Havens, please sit down. Noel and Liam, please get outta here and bicker somewhere else. Elton, stage left (Happy birthday, though!). Today, I am featuring the greatest cover version of a Beatles song ever recorded — “Day Tripper” by the Spiders. And I’mContinue reading “April Fool’s Day Special Edition: The Spiders — “Day Tripper”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 1, 2022”