Author Archives: georgefishman2

243) James Carr — “Pouring Water on a Drowning Man” A ‘66 single and track from his debut album, “Pouring Water” reached #85 in November ’66 (#23 R&B). Steve Huey says in All Music Guide that: One of the greatest pure vocalists that deep Southern soul ever produced, James Carr is often mentioned in theContinue reading “James Carr — “Pouring Water on a Drowning Man”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 9, 2021”

240) Kate — “Strange Girl” This ’68 A-side was one of three singles by the London based group. Vernon Joynson says the song is “rather ordinary.” That is nuts. This haunting song was chosen to lead off the first volume of the fabled Fading Yellow comps, and it was a perfect choice. 241) Neil SedakaContinue reading “Girl, Uninterrupted Special Edition: Kate/Neil Sedaka/The July Four: Kate — “Strange Girl”, Neil Sedaka — “Cold Girl”, The July Four — “Frightened Little Girl”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 8, 2021″

239) Headstone Circus — “I Love the Wind” Another selection from the Headstone Circus. Singer Glenn Faria — who was in Bill Clinton’s class at Georgetown University — recalls that the Circus “was a fun band and we had some wild times during the late sixties. It was a great time to be alive, toContinue reading “Headstone Circus — “I Love the Wind”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 7, 2021”

238) Chicken Shack — “Some Other Time” The Chicken Shack was the Perfect band, until it wasn’t. The Shack was a British blues-rock band that rivaled Fleetwood Mac in popularity for a time and featured Christine Perfect on keyboards. But then, as Richie Unterberger says in All Music Guide: [S]he quit the music business toContinue reading “Chicken Shack — “Some Other Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 6, 2021”

237) Thoughts and Words — “Morning Sky” From Pandamonium comes . . . deep, calming Thoughts and Words. As Vernon Joynson says, “[Martin] Curtis and [Bob] Ponton had been the founders and mainstays of Pandamonium but, tired of record company inteference, resolved in 1969 to proceed as a stripped-down duo.” Bob Ponton himself recollects (inContinue reading “Thoughts and Words — “Morning Sky” Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 5, 2021″

236) Sandy Coast — “Back to the City” ‘69 B-side from Voorburg’s own Sandy Coast Skiffle Group, no make that Sandy Coast Five, no make that Sandy Coast Rockers, jeez, just call them the Sandy Coast. Of course, the Coast is most remembered for the time that Washington Redskins running back John Riggins told itContinue reading “Sandy Coast — “Back to the City”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 4, 2021”

235) Merrell Fankhauser & H.M.S. Bounty — “Things (Goin’ Round in My Mind)” Another selection (and single) from Merrell Fankhauser’s classic ‘68 album. I know it’s classic, because Merrell himself says it is “one of the rare, lost psychedelic gems of the late 60’s” (CD reissue liner notes). As Psychedelicbabymag.com reports: [The singles unfortunately] receivedContinue reading “Merrell Fankhauser & H.M.S. Bounty — “Things (Goin’ Round in My Mind)”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 3, 2021″

233) Bob Seger and the Last Heard — “East Side Story” 234) Bob Seger and the Last Heard — “Persecution Smith” Bob Seger was writing and performing garage rock classics in the mid-sixties? Who knew?! Well, if you lived in Detroit at the time, you knew. And offering a spot-on impersonation of Bruce Springsteen —Continue reading “Bob Seger and the Last Heard Special Edition: “East Side Story”, “Persecution Smith”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 2, 2021”

232) Paul and Ritchie and the Cryin’ Shames — “Come on Back”  The [Decca] Freakbeat Scene comp calls this ’66 B-side “one of the most exhilarating British records of the mid-to-late 1960s, a riot of manic vocals, frenzied guitar and florid organ playing.” Yup. The Real Life Permanent Dreams comp says it has a “magnificently neuroticContinue reading “Paul and Ritchie and the Cryin’ Shames — “Come on Back”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 1, 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”