Author Archives: georgefishman2

258) Reparata and the Delrons — “Take a Look Around You” Here is a wonderful ’65 B-side by the Delrons. They got together in ‘62 (the year I was born!) at St. Brendan’s Catholic School in Brooklyn (where I was living!). As to their name, Mary O’Leary, their first lead vocalist, explained that their managersContinue reading “Reparata and the Delrons — “Take a Look Around You”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 22, 2021”

257) Kaleidoscope — “Please” No, Ashiya, not that Kaleidoscope. This is a ‘67 single from an American band founded by multi-instrumental super-session player (and future leader of El Rayo-X) David Lindley. Lindsay Planer says in All Music Guide that: [Kaleidoscope] synthesized rock & roll with roots and world music, first yielding Side Trips [on whichContinue reading “Kaleidoscope — “Please”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 21, 2021”

256) Justine — “See Saw”  Another wistful and gorgeous song from the all-too-short lived Justine (see #200). Clem of Nazareth perfectly captures the band and the song: Justine were short-lived and quickly forgotten, but the band did manage to put out one really charming and intoxicating record, especially if you’re one of those kind ofContinue reading “Justine — “See Saw”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock) — November 20, 2021”

Earlier this year, Chris Willman noted perceptively in Variety that: How is it that the most idiosyncratic major songwriter of our lifetimes also came to be the most covered? Bob Dylan may be full of songs that are personal, peculiar and sometimes inscrutable, but if anything, that’s made them even more of a magnet forContinue reading “Bob Dylan Cover Special: Them — “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue”, Ben E. King — “In the Midnight Hour/Lay Lady Lay”, Johnny Cash — “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 19, 2021″

252) Montage — “Desiree” OK, please don’t walk away — even you, Renee: this shimmering baroque number was written by the Left Banke’s driving force, but isn’t performed by the Left, rather by four guys from Jersey (even though the Left had recorded it first, after the songwriter had left the Left but wrote itContinue reading “Montage — “Desiree”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 18, 2021”

251) The Electric Banana — “Grey Skies” As I said regarding song #94, the Banana’s “Alexander,” the group was the Pretty Things in disguise, making some much needed money by providing songs for films trying to be hip. David Wells’s liner notes to The Complete De Wolfe Sessions comp explain that: [The] Swinging London phenomenonContinue reading “The Electric Banana — “Grey Skies”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 17, 2021”

250) The Del-Vetts — “The Last Time Around” I don’t honor the Del-Vetts because they hail from my hometown of Highland Park, Illinois, a semi-tony Chicago suburb on the shores of Lake Michigan. OK, it doesn’t hurt. And had they been from Winnetka, it would be a cold day in hell. . . But enoughContinue reading “The Del-Vetts — “The Last Time Around”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 16, 2021”

249) Parliament — “Oh Lord, Why Lord/Prayer” This is where it all began for Parliament (well, it really all began in 1955, but this was the first album). Alongside all George Clinton’s glorious ribaldry and side-splitting antics, the Wizard of Odd drops “Oh Lord,” a stunning “gospel lament . . . [Parliament’s] most reverent andContinue reading “Parliament — “Oh Lord, Why Lord/Prayer”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 15, 2021”

248) The Plague — “The Face of Time” If ever there was a group named for our times . . . A-side of the first of two singles (‘66) by the group all the way from Thunder Bay, Canada. The Plague later evolved into the Lexington Avenue and Jarvis Street Revue variants. Songwriter/singer/sax player TomContinue reading “The Plague — “The Face of Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 14, 2021”

247) Thomas and Richard Frost — “With Me My Love” This A-side to their second single (‘69) and putative album track is my blog’s second selection from Visualize, THE great lost American album of the sixties. Richard Frost’s commentary: “The record didn’t do well for us.” I guess I can’t blame Andrew Loog Oldham forContinue reading “Thomas and Richard Frost — “With Me My Love”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! –November 13, 2021″

246) The Buzz — “You’re Holding Me Down” The legendary Joe Meek produced this song, the A-side of the Edinburgh band’s only single (’66). “Down” is “a frantic piece which almost borders on total mayhem at times” (Vernon Joynson), “a beehive orgy of frenzied guitars” (Richie Unterberger in All Music Guide) with an “almost psychoticallyContinue reading “The Buzz — “You’re Holding Me Down”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 12, 2021″

245) Nick Garrie — “Queen of Spades” Randy ‘68 A-side by the incomparable St. Nick.

244) Chamaeleon Church — “Blueberry Pie” The Church was a short-lived Boston pop psych group that formed in ’67, released an album in ‘68 and disbanded after a brief tour. Two of its members then joined Ultimate Spinach. Oh, and the Church’s drummer was Chevy Chase. Yes, the “I’m Chevy Chase and you’re not”/SNL/Clark GriswoldContinue reading “Chamaeleon Church — “Blueberry Pie”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — November 10, 2021”

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″