Author Archives: georgefishman2

440) Alex Harvey — “Roman Wall Blues” Exquisite B-side and title track from Harvey’s ‘69 solo album, with lyrics courtesy of W.H. Auden. Yes, a sonnet by W.H. Auden about a Roman soldier! Why didn’t Pink Floyd ever give this a spin? All in all you’re just another brick in the Roman wall blues. OrContinue reading “Alex Harvey — “Roman Wall Blues”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 7, 2022”

439) Barry Gibb — “This Time” Matt Collar writes that “[t]he Bee Gees’ tempestuous personal relationships led to their 1969 breakup, and when the band members stopped working together, Barry turned to thoughts of a solo career [as did Robin and Maurice (see #353, 354)]. He began recording an album, which was supposed to be calledContinue reading “Barry Gibb — “This Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 6, 2022”

438) Haymarket Riot — “Trip on Out” “Trip on Out” is the A-side of the Riot’s only single (’68), an “ear scorcher” and an “[e]xtra strength fuzz overload from an Enid, OK sextet of teenage misfits.” (The 30 Seconds Before the Calico Wall! garage comp), and an “absolute monster[].” (Vol. 6 of the Pebbles garageContinue reading “Haymarket Riot — “Trip on Out”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 5, 2022”

437) Galliard — “And Smile Again” Here is a soothing UK Renaissance folk-prog charmer. Jazz Rock Soul says “’And Smile Again’ is folksy and plaintive; [Geoff] Brown, affecting an Ian-Anderson-like tone, wraps vocal melodies around the accordion-laden, acoustic-plucked arrangement”. https://jazzrocksoul.com/artists/galliard/. Renaissance Festival anyone?! As to Galliard, LPCDReissues tells us Formed in the Midlands in 1969Continue reading “Galliard — “And Smile Again”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 4, 2022″

436) The Hardy Boys — “Long, Long Way to Nashville” “Nashville” is no bubblegum thing, it’s actually a really cool and sophisticated country/sunshine pop track from Wheels, the ’70 sophomore album by the Hardy Boys. Yes, the Hardy Boys! Greg Ehrbar writes that: Everyone connected with Saturday morning television and the recording industry sat upContinue reading “The Hardy Boys — “Long, Long Way to Nashville”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 3, 2022”

435) The Plague (UK) — “Looking for the Sun” ’68 A-side from the only single by the uber-mysterious band — not to be confused with the Canadian Plague (see #248). 23 Daves writes: “Looking for the Sun” [is] chiming and subtle [with an] eerie and doomed feel. . . . By the time Decca launchedContinue reading “The Plague — “Looking for the Sun”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 2, 2022”

434) The Honeybus — “I Remember Caroline” Another glorious track from the glorious Honeybus (see #6, 52, 207) — from the ’70 album Story. Sooty Chimney calls it “McCartney worship at its finest” (https://www.dreamchimney.com/tracks/12420) and Kingsley Abbott says “I Remember Caroline recalls the Fab Four’s hit sounds and feel”. (https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/story) All true. As to theContinue reading “The Honeybus — “I Remember Caroline”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 1, 2022”

433) Rock Workshop — “Spine Cop” Sean Trane calls “Spine Cop” a “steamy instrumental . . . where the horns offer a Chicago-highway to [the] wailing guitar. Enthralling and exciting stuff.” (https://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/artist/rock-workshop). Rock Workshop’s first album (’70-’71) was “a bold attempt at fusing what would be termed rock jazz as opposed to jazz rock.”(https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rock-workshop-mn0000831923) WhateverContinue reading “Rock Workshop — “Spine Cop”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 30, 2022″

432) Carla Thomas — “More Man Than I’ve Ever Had” George Starostin calls this killer track from Carla’s ‘69 album Memphis Queen a “funk-pop anthem.” He goes on: [T]he gentle and romantic Carla Thomas is beginning to learn the basics of lusty, carnal music — still not quite up to the standards of Bessie Smith,Continue reading “Carla Thomas — “More Man Than I’ve Ever Had”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 29, 2022”

431) The Ides of March — “My Foolish Pride” As Clark Besch notes, “with 1967’s [A-side] “My Foolish Pride,” we get the first taste of the layered horn sound to become the [IOM’s] trademark in a few short years.” (http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-ides-of-march-part-2.html?m=1) The culmination of that sound was, of course, “Vehicle”, the band’s #2 hit in 1970.Continue reading “The Ides of March — “My Foolish Pride”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 28, 2022”

430) Marianne Faithfull — “In the Night Time”dd Dr What more can be written about Marianne Faithfull? The last song of her’s that I featured was the B-side of her last big hit (’65) (see #111). “In the Night Time” is a gorgeous, haunting rendition of a song by Donovan (that he would release asContinue reading “Marianne Faithfull — “In the Night Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 27, 2022″

429) The Action — “Little Boy” Let me repeat my–, er, let Matt Collar repeat himself (see #393): The term “lost classic” is applied liberally and often erroneously to unreleased recordings that resurface years later in a maelstrom of hype. However, for . . . the Action, the term is not only justified, it isContinue reading “The Action — “Little Boy”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 26, 2022″

428) Billy Nicholls — “Life Is Short” It has been too long since I’ve featured a cut from one of, if not the, greatest “lost” albums of the ’60’s — Billy Nicholls’ Would You Believe (see #2, 64, 144). As David Wells says, “lost classic is a much abused term amongst pop historians, but it’sContinue reading “Billy Nicholls — “Life Is Short”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 25, 2022”

427) The Lewis & Clarke Expedition — “Blue Revelations” The rousing flip side to the LCE’s ’67 “hit” (reaching #64) “I Feel Good (I Feel Bad).” Richie Unterberger calls “Blue Revelations” a “gorgeous folk-psych rocker . . . with . . . enchanting reverbed guitar and harmonies”. (https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-lewis-clarke-expedition-mw0000842184) Richie wasn’t so kind about the restContinue reading “The Lewis & Clark Expedition — “Blue Revelations”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 24, 2022”

426) The Peppermint Trolley Co. — “Pat’s Song” A beautiful baroque break-up song from the incomparable PTC (see #54, 136, 318). Taken from their sole album, which Beverly Paterson aptly describes as: [T]he self-titled platter was padded to the ceiling with layers of sweet soaring harmonies stacked neatly atop pastoral textures, glistening melodies and exoticContinue reading “The Peppermint Trolley Co. — “Pat’s Song”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 23, 2022″

OK, get your mind out of the gutter — I am referring to George as a triple threat: performer, songwriter, and producer! 423) George Harrison — “Beautiful Girl” George demo’d this beautiful song for his All Things Must Pass triple-album magnum opus, but didn’t finish/release it until ’76’s 33 & 1/3. I find his hauntingContinue reading “George Harrison Three-Way Special Edition: George Harrison/Doris Troy/Jackie Lomax: George Harrison — “Beautiful Girl”, Doris Troy — “Gonna Get My Baby Back”, Jackie Lomax — “The Eagle Laughs at You”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 22, 2022″

422) The Beatles — “Lucille” John Lennon famously almost blew out his vocal chords belting “Twist and Shout” on the Beatles’ debut album. As Ultimate Classic Rock recounts: “Twist and Shout” is beloved for its blemishes: John Lennon’s voice is moments away from disintegration — a raw snapshot of a singer wrestling a rock song inContinue reading “The Beatles — “Lucille”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 21, 2022″

I couldn’t decide which version of this rare gem I love better — the original by Canadian Tom Northcott or the cover version by the Explosive from the UK — so I am featuring them both. So sue me. I’ll hire Tom Northcott to defend me (pro bono, I hope) — he became a lawyer!Continue reading “Thorns in the Garden Special Edition: Tom Northcott/The Explosive: Tom Northcott — “Who Planted Thorns (in Miss Alice’s Garden), The Explosive — “Who Planted Thorns (in Miss Alice’s Garden)””Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 20, 2022″

419) Bobby Christian — “Boogaloo” This song is shagadelic, baby! If you loved Quincy Jones’ “Soul Bossa Nova”, you’ll love Bobby Christian’s “Boogaloo.” Jason Ankeny tells us: Bobby Christian quit school at 14 to join Chicago bandleader Louie Panico . . . . [and] rose to national prominence in 1938 after joining the famed PaulContinue reading “Bobby Christian — “Boogaloo”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 19, 2022”

418) The Nerve — “Magic Spectacles” Magical ’68 pop psych A-side from a Hampshire band discovered by Reg Presley. Acolytes of the Troggs? Trogg-lod-ytes! Discogs tells us: F[irst] Mark Faine And The Fontains, the[n] . . . The Children . . . . In 1967 they signed to Page One Records. Label owner Larry PageContinue reading “The Nerve — “Magic Spectacles”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 18, 2022”