THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,401) The Standells — “Medication”
The lead-off track from the NOT FROM BOSTON Standells’s first LP in ‘66 is garage gold, a “great” song (Larry Tamblyn (the Standells), liner notes to the CD reissue of Dirty Water) that is “definitely the[ir] masterpiece!!!” (Oldschoolhero2006, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EWYyDOLfi7U&pp=ygUYVGhlIHN0YW5kZWxscyBtZWRpY2F0aW9u) “She does to me what other girls don’t do”
Richie Unterberger tells us that:
The Standells made number 11 in 1966 with “Dirty Water,” an archetypal garage rock hit . . . . While they never again reached the Top 40, they cut a number of strong, similar tunes in the 1966-1967 era that have belatedly been recognized as ’60s punk classics. . . . The Los Angeles band was actually hardly typical of the young suburban outfits across America who took their raw garage sound onto obscure singles recorded in small studios. They’d been playing L.A. clubs since the early ’60s, with a repertoire that mostly consisted of covers of pre-Beatles rock hits. Drummer (and eventual lead singer) Dick Doss had been a Mouseketeer on television, organist Larry Tamblyn was the brother of noted film actor Russ Tamblyn, and Tony Valentino was a recent immigrant from Italy. Gary Leeds [see #x] (later to join the Walker Brothers) was an early member (though he was replaced by Dodd). . . . [T]he group didn’t really hit their stride until teaming up with producer Ed Cobb . . . . who wrote “Dirty Water,” which marked quite a change of direction from their previous clean-cut image. In fact, the group didn’t even like the song, which took about six months to break into a hit. Considerably toughening their image, the group churned out four albums in 1966 and 1967, as well as appearing in (and contributing the theme song to) the psychedelic exploitation movie Riot on Sunset Strip. Cobb . . . also penned their other most enduring singles, including “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White,” “Why Pick on Me,” and “Try It” (the last of which was widely banned for its suggestive delivery). The group did write some decent material of their own, such as the tense “Riot on Sunset Strip” [see #162] and the psychedelic “All Fall Down[.]” . . . Dick Dodd went solo in 1968, the year they released their last single.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-standells-mn0000923618#biography
Here is the Chocolate Watchband’s ‘68 version:
Pay to Play! The Off the Charts Spotify Playlist! + Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock Merchandise
Please consider helping to support my website/blog by contributing $6 a month for access to the Off the Charts Spotify Playlist. Using a term familiar to denizens of Capitol Hill, you pay to play! (“relating to or denoting an unethical or illicit arrangement in which payment is made by those who want certain privileges or advantages in such arenas as business, politics, sports, and entertainment” — dictionary.com).
The playlist includes all the “greatest songs of the 1960’s that no one has ever heard” that are available on Spotify — now over 900 songs. The playlist will expand each time I feature an available song.
All new subscribers will receive a Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock magnet. New subscribers who sign up for a year will also receive a Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock t-shirt or baseball cap. See pictures on the Pay to Play page.
When subscribing, please send me an e-mail (GMFtma1@gmail.com) or a comment on this site letting me know an e-mail address/phone number/Facebook address, etc. to which I can send instructions on accessing the playlist and a physical address to which I can sent a magnet/t-shirt/baseball cap. If choosing a t-shirt, please let me know the gender and size you prefer.
Just click on the first blue block for a month to month subscription or the second blue block for a yearly subscription.
Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! / Off the Charts: 60s Rock Revelations😊 