Author Archives: georgefishman2

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”

191) Johnnie Taylor — “Watermelon Man” The Philosopher of Soul pours some soul into Herbie Hancock’s composition on this track from his ’67 album. Alex Henderson says that “[a]dding lyrics [to] Herbie Hancock’s ‘Watermelon Man,’ Taylor removes the song’s jazz elements and turns it into pure Southern R&B.” (https://www.allmusic.com/album/wanted-one-soul-singer-mw0000674917) 192) The Paupers — “Think IContinue reading “Johnnie Taylor — “Watermelon Man”, The Paupers — “Think I Care”, The Eyes — “When the Night Falls”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 9, 2021″

188) Them — “I Can Only Give You Everything” Them, actually Him – Van Morrison ‘66. The Nuggets II comp says that the single possesses a “magnificent, soul-stirring vocal, spawning a thousand garage-band imitators.” 189) The Brigands — “Would I Still Be (Her Big Man)” Richie Unterberger in All Music Guide calls this April ‘65Continue reading “Them — “I Can Only Give You Everything”, The Brigands — “Would I Still Be (Her Big Man)”, The Elastik Band — “In a Family Tree”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 8, 2021”

185) Gabor Szabo and the California Dreamers — “A Day in the Life” Yes, that “A Day in the Life”! Douglas Payne says that: [The album by the Hungarian guitarist] celebrates much of what was important to [him] — the new world of rock music, the lure of California and the hope and inspiration ofContinue reading “Gabor Szabo and the California Dreamers — “A Day in the Life”, The Caravelles — “New York”, The Sons of Adam — “Take My Hand”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 7, 2021”

182) Smokey Robinson and the Miracles — “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” Off his ‘70 album of “wedding” songs. As Andrew Hamilton says: A stunning concept album . . . that should have fared better. . . . Every selection is a wedding song, and Smokey caresses the lyrics like they were newborns. TheContinue reading “Smokey Robinson and the Miracles — “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy”, The Alan Price Set — “The House that Jack Built”, Shadows of Knight — “Bad Little Woman”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 6, 2021”

180) The Orange Seaweed — “Pictures in the Sky” B-side of the English group’s only single in April of ‘68. Dazzling pop-psych. 181) Willie Mitchell — “That Driving Beat” Grooving ‘66 song by trumpeter/bandleader (and later force behind Al Green) Mitchell.

177) Dr. John — “Mama Roux” Off of Dr. John’s debut album Gris-Gris (’68) — which Gabe Soria calls “the spookiest album ever recorded” (https://www.trunkworthy.com/dr-johns-gris-gris-spooks-us-the-hell-out/) — “Mama Roux” is a song that Alison Fensterstock described in Rolling Stone as a “co-composition with local New Orleans R&B star Jessie Hill” that is “spooky [and] snaky” andContinue reading “Dr. John — “Mama Roux”, The Koobas — “Barricades”, The Jelly Bean Bandits — “Say Mann”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 4, 2021”

175) The Bread and Beer Band — “Mellow Yellow” Groovy cover of Donovan by Elton John’s first band. “The album was planned for June of 1969, but cancelled, and the band put out on their own label in a handmade sleeve. . . . Reginald Dwight was enlisted by aspiring producer Tony King to joinContinue reading “The Bread and Beer Band — “Mellow Yellow”, The Voice — “Train to Disaster”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 3, 2021”

172) The Plastic Cloud — “Art’s a Happy Man” Sole album (‘68) by the Canadian folk-rockers. Expose yourself to Art. 173) Matthews Southern Comfort — “Something in the Way She Moves” No, not George Harrison’s song, but Iain Matthews’s (former lead singer of Fairport Convention). The song, off MSC’s ‘69 Second Spring album, has theContinue reading “The Plastic Cloud — “Art’s a Happy Man”, Matthews Southern Comfort — “Something in the Way She Moves”, Randy Newman — “Mama Told Me Not to Come”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 2, 2021”

169) Georgie Fame — “Seventh Son” Georgie’s version of Willie Dixon’s oft-covered classic reached #25 in the UK in December of ‘69. The video is such a guilty pleasure! Here is Dixon’s version: 170) Paul Jones — “Tarzan etc.” From the ex-Manfred Mann lead singer’s ’67 solo album. 171) The Music Machine — “Come onContinue reading “Georgie Fame — “Seventh Son”, Paul Jones — “Tarzan etc.”, The Music Machine — “Come on In”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 1, 2021”

166) Gloria Jones — “Heartbeat” The original “Tainted Love” singer and Marc Bolan girlfriend belts out this Ed Cobb (producer of the Standells and the Chocolate Watchband) song. Here she is on Where the Action Is from October ’66: Here’s the single: 167) Gordon Lightfoot — “The Way I Feel” From Lightfoot’s first album (anContinue reading “Gloria Jones — “Heartbeat”, Gordon Lightfoot — “The Way I Feel”, Bill Jerpe — “Help Me Home”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — September 30, 2021″

163) Golden Earring — “Daddy Buy Me a Girl” ‘66 single, appropriate for a band named Golden Earring. A real Dutch treat! 164) Jackie Lomax — “Sour Milk Sea” George Harrison wrote “Sour Milk Sea” as an advert for transcendental meditation (which the Beatles picked up in Rishikesh). Such a great song, and it didn’tContinue reading “Golden Earring — “Daddy Buy Me a Girl”, Jackie Lomax — “Sour Milk Sea”, The Creation –”How Does It Feel to Feel”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — September 29, 2021”

160) The Chocolate Watchband — “Are You Gonna Be There (At the Love In)” ‘67 single by the garage rock legends – they put it together in one day for the teen-ploitation classic The Love-Ins. IMDb describes the movie: “A college professor resigns in protest to the dismissal of student underground newspaper workers and laterContinue reading “The Chocolate Watchband — “Are You Gonna Be There (At the Love In)”, Boudewijn de Groot — “Cinderella”, The Standells — “Riot on the Sunset Strip”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — September 28, 2021”

157) Michel Polnareff — “Le Bal des Laze” Dark masterpiece by Michel with lyrics were by Pierre Delanoë — a commoner has an affair with an aristocrat and is to be hanged for murdering her fiancé. 158) The Brogues — “I Ain’t No Miracle Worker” The Nuggets comp calls this November ‘65 B-side from theContinue reading “Michel Polnareff — “Le Bal des Laze”, The Brogues — “I Ain’t No Miracle Worker”, Robbi Curtice — “When Diana Paints the Picture”and now for the songs — September 27, 2021”

154) Kaleidoscope — “The Sky Children” From the British psychsters’s ‘67 album, “a fairytale dream” full of “whimsical lyrics” (per Vernon Joynson, The Tapestry of Delights Revisited). It’s a close call, you be the judge: 155) Duncan Browne — “On the Bombsite” ’68 single (with lyrics by David Bretton) from an album that the CDContinue reading “Kaleidoscope — “The Sky Children”, Duncan Browne — “On the Bombsite”, The Merry-Go-Round — “Live”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — September 26, 2021”

151) Edwards Hand — “Banjo Pier” No apparent connection to Edward Scissorhands — the band emerged from Piccadilly Line. This song, from their first album (’69), was produced by George Martin. Richie Unterberger says that the album had “an ambience that captures something of the most innocuous side of the Swinging London/flower power era.” (https://www.allmusic.com/album/edwards-hand-mw0000836925)Continue reading “Edwards Hand — “Banjo Pier”, The Furniture — “I Love It Baby”, The Pretty Things — “Midnight to Six Man”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — September 25, 2021”

148) The Open Mind — “Magic Potion” MOJO says that this ‘69 song is one “whose frantic riff, demented drumming and furious guitar solos make many consider it to be the finest heavy psychedelic rock 45 ever produced in Britain.” Alas, the song was banned because of its too-obvious to deny celebration of LSD andContinue reading “The Open Mind — “Magic Potion”, Louise Forestier — “La Boulee”, Richard Twice — “If I Knew You Were the One”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — September 24, 2021”

145) The Nazz — “Open My Eyes” B-side of Philly band’s September ’68 single was a visit to Who-ville, reaching #112. The Nuggets comp says that it “was their crowning achievement, a dazzling power pop production that pits a tough, hard rock riff against soaring, Beatles-esque harmonies.” Todd Rundgren went on to bang on aContinue reading “The Nazz — “Open My Eyes”, Manfred Mann Chapter Three — “Happy Being Me”, The Pipe Dream — “January Girl”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — September 23, 2021”

142) The Temptations — “Message from a Black Man” A message song (’69) from the mighty Temptations whose message is even more relevant today than the day it was written. 143) The Lemon Drops — “I Live in the Springtime” The Drops’s only droplet (’67), only released in Chicagoland, but wow! 144) Billy Nicholls —Continue reading “The Temptations — “Message from a Black Man”, The Lemon Drops — “I Live in the Springtime”, Billy Nicholls — “London Social Degree”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — September 22, 2021”