Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! / Off the Charts: 60s Rock Revelations😊

The Jynx — “How”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 29, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,571) The Jynx — “How”

A mysterious UK band gave us a ‘64 beat classic and then disappeared. Vernon Joynson says “[n]o other details known”. (The Tapestry of Delights Revisited) Thankfully, 06m.jones can tell us that the Jynx was “[a] group from Birkhamstead who won a beat contest and the prize was to record their song.” (https://www.45cat.com/record/db7304) How has “How” not been covered a million times?

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Los Brincos — “Cry”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 28, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,570) Los Brincos — “Cry”

I’ve played their star-making B-side (see #1,172), here is the power ballad (if there even was such a thing in ’64) A-side by “The Spanish Beatles”.

Diego Manrique writes:

[T]he Spanish answer to The Beatles[,] Los Brincos were Spain’s first truly pop band and their songs, image and attitude represented a needed breath of fresh air in a stale music scene and a country under a dictatorship. . . . There’d been young bands in Spain since the late 50s, but they were limited by the lack of good instruments, scarce information and the lack of liberty under Franco’s regime. Usually, these bands played cover songs of foreign hits and only released 4-song EPs. Suddenly, Los Brincos took it to another level: they wrote their own songs, and introduced themselves with an amazing debut LP supported by two EPs and two singles (until then a rare format in Spain). Novola, the recently created pop subsidiary of Zafiro, funded the adventure. Everything seemed rather impressive, from the looks – Spanish capes, shoes with bells – to the claim that they were going to cause “Brincosis” . . . . Obviously, the point of reference was The Beatles, although with clearly nationalist aspects, such as the clothes or the reference to flamenco. There were, of course, no anti-establishment intentions: Juan Pardo’s father was a navy admiral, long hair was not allowed. They’d travelled around the world – Antonio Morales, aka Junior, was born in The Philippines . . . . However, their music vocation caused a drama within their conservative families, with the exception of Manolo, brother of the actor Agustín González. Making fun of that opposition, for a while they thought about naming the band Las Ovejas Negras (“The Black Sheep”). However, they had genuine rock credentials: they had been members of Los Estudiantes and the very strong Los Pekenikes; both Juan and Junior had recorded as solo artists. . . .

https://munster-records.com/en/producto/los-brincos/

Stranger Than Known says:

With their catchy good day sunshine feel + evident sense of humour . . . their music manages to conjure up a more innocent and optimistic era. Which is not bad when you consider that for many Spaniards “the swinging 60s” completely passed them by. Many rock records, films and books were censored or banned and there was no freedom of speech or official opposition to the government. Any form of protest could get you locked up, beaten up or even killed. . . . This seems to make Los Brincos’ achievement all the greater. . . . When I first came across [thr band] . . . I heard the same bright harmonies and perfect pop craftsmanship that can be heard in [The Beach Boys, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Mama and Papas, and The Turtles]. For me Los Brincos deserve a place in the great 60s pop pantheon . . . . In the 1960s Spain was a corrupt fascist dictatorship morally propped up by a Catholic church with an obvious antipathy towards the new “liberal” rock/pop culture . . . . Spain was cut off and the climate was conservative and claustrophobic. . . . Such was this moral rigidity that even the Beatles were not warmly welcomed by the Spanish authorities when they played Madrid in the summer of 1965. Ringo Starr’s abiding memory of playing in Spain . . . was of policemen beating up their young fans. However, despite all this, and rather amazingly, Spain actually had a thriving beat group scene in the 60s. . . . Los Brincos, who were known in Spain as the “Spanish Beatles” (they even had their own version of Beatlemania called Brincosis) were probably the most successful Spanish band of the decade. Over the 6 years they recorded (1964 – 1970) they had string of hits and left behind a body of work which, although varied, and, on occasion, a little too saccharine coated for me, . . . contain[s] some rather glorious 60s powerpop highlights. . . . Their first album . . . [‘64’s] Los Brincos [comtaining “Cry”] comes over as a kind of 60s garage rock classic. It mixes influences as varied as R’n’B, Doo-wop, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Surf and even proto punk and around half the songs are sung in English. . . . Like the great 60s UK bands they took something essentially American and merged it with their local culture to create something fresh.

https://strangerthanknown.blogspot.com/2013/09/los-brincos-glorious-60s-garage-beat.html

As to the band’s early history, Aloha Criticon tells us:

Los Brincos were created in Madrid in 1964. Fernando Arbex . . . had played as a teenager in a duo with Rafael Castellanos before joining the group Los Estudiantes in 1960. Four years later he met Juan Pardo . . . former Pekenikes, at the Norba nightclub, with whom he planned to form a new group. In this way, Arbex, as singer and drummer, joined the guitarist and vocalist Pardo . . . . [and added] vocalist and guitarist Antonio Morales, “Junior” . . . and Manolo González, bassist . . . brother of the actor Augustin Gonzalez. . . . Thanks to Luis Sartorius, a close friend of Arbor for having been part of Los Estudiantes, they managed to attract the attention of the Zafiro label to record in Novola, where they contacted the representative and producer Mariní Callejo. Unfortunately, Sartorius died in a traffic accident . . . .

https://www.alohacriticon.com/musica/grupos-y-solistas/los-brincos

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The Applejacks — “What’s the Matter Little Girl”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 27, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,569) The Applejacks — “What’s the Matter Little Girl”

A delightful British Invasion charmer from a band (see #973) that was the first from the Birmingham area to join the hit parade. But they get no respect! Richie Unterberger says that “[w]hile their discs had peppy harmonies, they were on the whole among the wimpier fare of the British Invasion fare” and “[t]he overwhelming bulk of their material . . . was pleasantly bland or downright boring” (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-applejacks-mn0001169341), and Vernon Joynson called them “wimpy” too! (The Tapestry of Delights Revisited) Not fair!

Unterberger tells us:

A minor British Invasion group that had three hits in the U.K. . . . Their jaunty, lightweight pop/rock could have easily been mistaken for that of a Merseybeat combo, though they actually hailed from the town of Solihull, near Birmingham. The sextet also attracted more attention . . . due to the presence of one female member, Megan Davies, on bass. . . . Forming in 1961 as the skiffle trio the Crestas, the band soon expanded their personnel, moved into electric rock, and changed their name to the Applejacks the following year. Decca issued their first single, “Tell Me When[]” . . . [which] made it to number seven in the U.K. They were fortunate enough to procure “Like Dreamers Do” from Lennon and McCartney when they met the pair at a television rehearsal. . . . mak[ing] it to number 20 in the British charts. . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-applejacks-mn0001169341

Nostalgia Central adds:

[I]n 1960, guitarists Martin Baggott and Philip Cash were in a church youth club skiffle group called The Crestas. Drummer Gerry Freeman persuaded Megan Davies, a fellow Sunday School teacher (and later his wife) to come in on bass. Adding organist Don Gould in 1962 the band went forth as The Jaguars, specialising in instrumentals. . . . The following year [they added] singer Al Jackson . . . . On the look-out around Birmingham, Decca A&R man Mike Smith visualised The Applejacks in their bright red smocks as harbingers of a ‘Solihull Sound’. Hunting around publishers’ offices, a commercial vehicle was found to launch this plan – “Tell Me When” . . . .

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-a-to-k/artists-a/applejacks/

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Ola and the Janglers — “Blow My Blues Away”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 26, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,568) Ola and the Janglers — “Blow My Blues Away”

Sweden’s Ola and the Janglers (see #196, 323) give us a killer cover of a Mark Leeman song. They were founded in Stockholm in 1962 and are most well known for being the first (though certainly not the last!) Swedes on the US Billboard top 100 chart (reaching #82 with Chris Montez’s “Let’s Dance” in ‘69). But they were much more than that. Swedish Pop History tells us (courtesy of Google Translate) that:

The breakthrough for Ola & The Janglers came in 1965 when their second single “She’s Not There” was released . . . . This cover of the Zombies[‘s] song went up to . . . 10th place . . . . Of the six singles released in 1966, five ended up [in Sweden’s top 10]. . . . [They] were now one of Sweden’s four biggest pop bands together with The Hep Stars [see #929], Shanes and Tages [see #286, 1,282, 1,353, 1,358]. The band’s enormous popularity with thousands of young teenage fans in the audience created almost hysterical events at the pop band’s gigs in the Swedish folk parks. During the years 1966 and 1967, Ola & The Janglers stood at the absolute top. Two LPs and five singles were produced and released in 1967. Despite the England tour and songs played on Radio Luxemburg and not least the hit with “Let’s Dance” in 1969, Ola & The Janglers never broke through abroad.

https://www.svenskpophistoria.se/OLA%20AND%20THE%20JANGLERS/info.html

Richie Unterberger gives the Janglers a mixes write-up:

[L]ike numerous Continental bands, they were pretty derivative of British and American rock trends. Even stacked up against other long-lived Swedish bands of the era, such as Tages, they don’t stand up as among the best, or certainly among the more original. Still, for the most part, they have an enjoyably competent period sound, more influenced by the moody, keyboard-driven sound of the Zombies than many groups were. . . . There are too many non-notable covers of American rock and soul hits, but even some of these have bashing energy that make them a little better than you’d expect . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/album/1964-1971-mw0001958206

“Enjoyably competent” — I want that to be my epitaph!

All Music Guide tells us about Mark Leeman:

A popular attraction in London’s clubs, the Mark Leeman Five made their debut in January 1965 with the Manfred Mann-produced ‘Portland Town’. Mark Leeman (b. John Ardrey . . . .vocals/guitar), Alan Roskams (lead guitar), Terry Goldberg (keyboards), David Hyde (bass) and Brian ‘Blinky’ Davison ( . . . drums) showed an impressive, almost ‘progressive’ grasp of R&B. This was confirmed on their next single ‘Blow My Blues Away’, but by the time of its release Leeman had been killed in a car crash.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mark-leeman-five-mn0000832175#biography

Here are the Mark Leeman Five:

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Tuesday’s Children — “Summer Leaves Me with a Sigh”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 25, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,567) Tuesday’s Children — “Summer Leaves Me with a Sigh”

Here is a “dreamy psych Byrds meets freakbeat fuzz guitar affair” (happening45, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gLC-mNhFScY&pp=ygU7VHVlc2RheeKAmXMgQ2hpbGRyZW4g4oCUIOKAnFN1bW1lciBMZWF2ZXMgTWUgd2l0aCBhIFNpZ2jigJ3SBwkJhAkBhyohjO8%3D), “Beatlesque mod rock” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/strange-light-from-the-east-the-complete-recordings-1966-1969-mw0000575123), “irresistible . . . . [m]elding one of [singer Phil] Cordell’s yearning harmony pop melodies with a forceful fuzz guitar arrangement from Mick Ware, [that] could have been a perfect end of the season hit had it not been buried” on a B-side. (Stefan Granados, liner notes to the CD comp Strange Light from the East: The Complete Recordings 1966-1969)

Richie Unterberger tells us of the Children:

Tuesday’s Children grew out of the group Steve Douglas & the Challengers, who formed in North London in 1964. The following year they changed their name to the Prophets, recording some tracks with legendarily eccentric British producer giant Joe Meek that never got released. After singer Steve Douglas left, the three remaining members — guitarists Phil Cordell and Mick Ware, as well as drummer Derrick Gough — added bassist Paul Kendrick and changed their name to Tuesday’s Children. For their first three singles, the group’s figurehead was Cordell, who sang lead and wrote most of their material. After his departure in the summer of 1967, the group carried on with new keyboardist Bob Hodges, Ware becoming the principal singer and songwriter. Although some of their releases got airplay on British pirate radio, Tuesday’s Children never broke through commercially, and changed their name to Czar by the end of 1969, issuing a progressive rock album under that name the following year.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tuesdays-children-mn0000941740#biography

British Music Archive adds:

Tuesday’s Children were formed in 1966 by Phil Cordell, Mick Ware and Derrick Gough who had been in a North London band called Steve Douglas and the Challengers who later changed their name to The Prophets. The Prophets did some recording with producer Joe Meek, but nothing was ever issued . . . . When Steve Douglas and Freddie Fields left, the remaining members reformed the band as Tuesdays Children. Paul Kendrick subsequently joined on bass guitar. Tuesday’s Children were signed to E.M.I. in 1966. Their debut single (“When You Walk In The Sand”) was written by Phil Cordell . . . and it was released on the Columbia label . . . in August 1966. . . . [It] was in the [pirate station] Radio London Fab Forty for 2 weeks, no. 39 on 7th August 1966 and at no. 27 on 14th August 1966. . . . Radio London also owned Pall Mall Music who published the Phil Cordell songs that were the first 3 Tuesday’s Children singles. Phil Cordell quit Tuesday’s Children in summer of 1967 and subsequently had solo hits as Springwater. . . .

Notes adapted from original texts written by Bob Hodges and Mick Ware, http://www.britishmusicarchive.com/artists/tuesdays-children/

Mick Ware recalled that “We were on tour with this band — I can’t remember their name — but in this band was a sax player who happened to be a girl. So when we got home, Phil got together with this girl — whom he later married — and left the band and his wife, all at the same time.” (liner notes to the CD comp Strange Light from the East)

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Roek Williams and the Fighting Cats — “I’ll Cry”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 24, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,566) Roek Williams and the Fighting Cats — “I’ll Cry”

Another lost Beatles ballad from ’65? Nope, just another uncanny and irresistible ‘65 replica, this time by the Dutch Buddy Holly. It reached #40 in the Netherlands.

Ondergewaardeerde Liedjes/Underrated Songs tells us (courtesy of Google Translate):

[Roek] Willemze . . . joined The Fighting Cats [in 1961]. The band attracts attention partly because of the bespectacled singer who therefore has strong similarities with Buddy Holly. The participation in a talent parade results in a radio debut and performances abroad. The first two singles flop, but with “I’ll Cry” they score a hit (one week at number 40 in the Top 40). . . .The successor is the Dutch-language “Kom Terug En Dans Met Mij” (“You’ll Never Walk Alone”) and a justified miss, despite the fact that the guitar work is nice. “Please Don’t Go Away” is a perfect example of Merseybeat, but the Netherlands does not warm to it. The boring and indolent “Take Your Time” becomes their biggest hit, but it does not reach higher than the 32nd place. On the advice of Veronica’s Rob Out, they change their name to Roek’s Family and score a big hit with “Get Yourself A Ticket”, which just misses the Top 10. The song is known for its groaning and the repetition of the melody (à la “Hey Jude”). A few more singles follow, but the band runs out of steam and splits up. Roek focuses on solo stuff and producing. The band (with Will Luikinga and Richard de Bois) continues as Ginger Ale with singer Koen Merkelbach (ex-Names And Faces, Dean Alan Set and George Cash). Only since then, they do score two big hits (“The Flood”, based on Bizet’s Pearl Fishers) and the bland “Scoobidab”). Roek then makes a single with ex-Masker Jaap de Groot as Mike & Michael. They make four singles in 1971 and 1972, but only “A Star” makes it into the charts (4 weeks with a top at #23).

https://ondergewaardeerdeliedjes.nl/2021/08/03/roek-williams-the-fighting-cats-ill-cry/

Last DoDo adds that:

[The] Amsterdam band [was] founded by the brothers Rick and Frans Beekman. Active between 1961 and 1968. Initially, the sister of the Beekman brothers acts as a singer, but she is soon replaced by singer Roek Williams, known as the Dutch Buddy Holly because of his striking glasses. The first performance with Williams is in the summer of 1961 at a Talent Parade of the Amsterdam Minerva Pavilion. The band plays for the first time on the radio with the popular program De Wigwam. After performances in the Netherlands, Italy, France and Germany, the first single “You Walked Away” is released in 1963, a song that is influenced by the Merseybeat. The Fighting Cats provide the support act for the Dutch tour of the British Tornados. The Dutch single “Kom Back En Dans Met Mij” is released on Polydor, a translation of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. The single did not become a hit and the band made a few more singles for the Delta label with more accessible repertoire. [T]here is still no success, the name is changed to Roek’s Family in 1968. When . . . Roek Willemze leaves Ginger Ale becomes the new band name. . . . Band members: Rook Willemze: vocals, Ronny Bühre: bass, Richard De Bois: drums, Rick Beekman: guitar.

https://www.lastdodo.com/en/areas/362113-roek-williams-the-fighting-cats

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The Quiet Five — “Tomorrow I’ll Be Gone”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 23, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,565) The Quiet Five — “Tomorrow I’ll Be Gone”

I’ve played the A-side (see #676), here’s the B-side, the band’s “only ‘cool’ track”, “a great Mod Beat raver” (teabiscuit, https://www.45cat.com/record/r5273), “a quite tough Merseybeat-flavored number”. (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/when-the-morning-sun-dries-the-dew-mw0000516568)

Richie Unterberger gives us some band history:

[The Quiet Five] ma[d]e the lower reaches of the U.K. charts . . . releas[ing] half a dozen singles in 1965-1967 (one in the U.S. only) in various styles showcasing their accomplished vocal harmonies. The best of these, their debut, “When the Morning Sun Dries the Dew,” [see #676] was written by guitarist/singer Kris Ife for Marianne Faithfull. While it[] . . . would have been appropriate for [her] . . . the Quiet Five ended up releasing it themselves, and it did nudge just inside the British Top 50. . . . Some of their work had fleeting similarities to other pop-oriented acts of the British Invasion, such as the Fortunes, Peter & Gordon, and the Tremeloes, but they never established too strong an identity of their own. . . [T]hey also backed Faithfull on a 1965 EP. . . . Ife left the group in 1967 to record as a solo act with MGM, and is best known for the late-’60s single on which he covered Joe South’s “Hush,” as this was the version that inspired the big cover hit of the same song by Deep Purple.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-quiet-five-mn0000896096

45cat.com adds that:

A London based group of musicians formed the Trebletones in 1961 . . . . Learning there was another Trebletones, [what are the odds of that?!] the group became The Vikings. . . . The Vikings’ manager, John Smith, had wanted a group he had seen, Patrick Dane and The Quiet Five, to turn professional. The group were not interested in touring, so the entire group was dropped and the Vikings group was brought in as replacements. . . . Kris Ife had written “When the Morning Sun Dries the Dew” for Marianne Faithfull, but the song was considered to have hit potential, and the group were brought to Abbey Road Studios to record it . . . . Upon release, it charted at number 45. A cover of Fats Walker’s Honeysuckle Rose”, the second release, failed to chart. “Homeward Bound” from . . . Simon and Garfunkel . . . followed, but only achieved a chart placing of 44 as it met with competition from Simon and Garfunkel’s own version that went to Number 9. . . . The group moved to CBS records for one last single and then called it quits.

https://www.45cat.com/biography/the-quiet-five

Oh, and their bassist was the great Richard Barnes (see #7, 1,105).

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René & His Alligators — “I Can Wait”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 22, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,564) René & His Alligators — “I Can Wait”

A lost Beatles ballad from ’65? Sounds like it, except it comes from a formerly instrumental Dutch group that was big in the Netherlands. The moral of the song? Girl, don’t worry, René is not going to walk away.

The band’s website notes that (courtesy of Google Translate):

In 1965 it is time for a different approach. René decides to sing his own compositions. The Nederbeat songs released in this year “She Broke My Heart” and “I Can Wait” were even released in England, but unfortunately the sales figures were rather disappointing.

https://www.reneeandthealligators.com/home_biografie_ra_4.html, https://www.reneeandthealligators.com/Q home_biografie_ra_5.html

As to René and his Alligators, Renee-Alligators Artists Club tells us (courtesy of Google Translate):

René and his Alligators was founded in 1959 by, according to many . . . the best guitarist in the Netherlands: René Nodelijk. . . . [H]e managed to score many instrumental hits including the radio staples “Guitar boogie” and “In the mood”. The band has taken on several forms in the decades of its existence. . . . The history of this famous band goes back to the mid-fifties; as (The Hague) Rocking Sensation Boys they belong to the first rock ‘n roll groups of the country. The group existed from 1956 to 1959 . . . . In 1959 the[y] became the backing band of Rein de Vries, which led to conflicts. René left the band and formed his own group, The Alligators. . . . As René & his Alligators they participate in a talent show in which the Rocking Sensation Boys and several renowned . . . bands also participate. They win and become formidable competitors . . . . The group consists of: René Nodelijk (guitar), Pim Veeren (bass), Ton van de Graaf (guitar), Richard van de Kraats (drums). In 1960 René Nodelijk is proclaimed ‘Netherlands roughest rocker’ but Tuney Tunes nevertheless states that he is ‘definitely not a hoot’ but studies guitar and violin at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In that same year the first single appears . . . “So Mad”. In November 1961 the group leaves for West Germany for three months. It does not work out and the group returns home without bassist Pim Veeren, who switches to the Crazy Rockers . . . . He is replaced by Ruud Schoonewelle. Between 1964 and 1967 the line-up changes constantly. . . . In this instrumental era, this legendary band from The Hague had a lot of hits. Especially “Guitar Boogie” also known as “Alligator Boogie” has become a standard work in Dutch pop history. In that period up to 1967 they had many more hits: “Limelight”, “Gipsy Rock” (1962) – “Heisser Sand”, “In the Mood”, “Guitar Boogie” (1963) – “La Comparsa”, “Two Guitars”, “My Happiness” (1964) – “Black Swan”, “Dansevise”, “Telstar” (1965) – “Eurovisie Mars”, “12th Street Rag”, “She Broke My Heart” (1966). In 1967 the LP Guitar Boogie is released. . . . In 1977, singer Renée (the wife of Rene Nodelijk) joined the group and changed the name of the band to Renée. From 1978 onwards, the group did well and they broke through at home and abroad and were often seen on television with international hits . . . . Renée opts for a solo career. After a few years, she joins the re-established Alligators, who now operate as Renée & the Alligators.

https://renee-alligators.artiesten.club/index.htm, https://renee-alligators.artiesten.club/biografie.htm

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The Hellions — “Tomorrow Never Comes”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 21, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,563) The Hellions — “Tomorrow Never Comes”

This “slab of sunshine fun” (Kingsley Abbott, liner notes to the CD comp Ripples, Vol. 1: Look at the Sunshine (British Summer Tyme Pop)) was the second A-side from the Hellions (see # 1,500), a pre-supergroup with future members of Traffic, Spooky Tooth and Family.

Brumbeat tells us of the Hellions:

The Hellions were formed in 1963 when Jim Capaldi . . . got together with guitarists Gordon Jackson [see #1,261] . . . and Dave Mason . . . . The early Hellions line-up tried several bass guitarists before Dave Meredith . . . was chosen . . . . By 1964, the Hellions were becoming well known around Worcester . . . . The[y] “turned professional” and accepted an engagement at the famous Star Club in Hamburg, Germany in August of 1964 as backing group to Walsall singer Tanya Day . . . . The working conditions at the club were gruelling but the hard work paid off and the band became a much tighter unit due to the long hours of performing. Sharing the same hotel as the Hellions were fellow Midlanders The Spencer Davis Group [see #1,427] whose young vocalist Steve Winwood, found much in common musically with Jim Capaldi and Dave Mason. Following their return from Germany, The Hellions soon established a reputation as a musically proficient act and they were hired to provide backing to visiting celebrities such as Adam Faith [see #1,274] and Dave Berry [see #554, 778, 887, 955]. By the end of 1964, the group had made the right connections to secure them a residency at the trendy “Whisky-A-Go-Go Club” in London. While performing there, The Hellions were seen by visiting American record producer Kim Fowley [see #89, 449] and songwriter Jackie De Shannon [see #1,202] who was at that time writing hits [like “When You Walk in the Room”] for The Searchers [see #352, 394, 636, 1,278]. Jackie was impressed enough by the group to offer them a song to record and helped to arrange a contract for the Hellions with Piccadilly Records, a subsidiary of Pye. The Hellions first single . . . “Daydreaming Of You”, composed by De Shannon, was produced by Kim Fowley . . . . but neither it or two following underrated singles recorded by the band in 1965 managed to reach the charts. . . . The Hellion’s work schedule remained busy and they soon went on a UK tour to back the notorious American vocalist P.J. Proby [see #1,186]. The line-up was increased to five when John “Poli” Palmer . . . joined the band on drums later in the year which allowed Jim Capaldi more freedom to front the band as their lead vocalist. By 1966 with business expenses mounting, The Hellions moved back to Worcester, but the local music scene had changed while the group were away in London. Their record company issued a final Hellions single . . . but under the group name of The Revolution (the band did not find out about this until after the single’s release). By this time, Dave Mason had left to play guitar with a few other local groups while earning extra money working as a roadie for The Spencer Davis Group. Undaunted, Jim Capaldi brought guitarist Luther Grosvenor . . . into the line-up and the band’s name was changed to Deep Feeling . . . .

http://www.brumbeat.net/hellions.htm

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Thor’s Hammer — “If You Knew”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 20, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,562) Thor’s Hammer — “If You Knew”

This wonderful uptempo Beatlesque number naturally enough comes from Iceland’s Beatles! — “I was in U.S. Navy stationed at Keflavik in 1967-68 and these guys performed on the base many times. We called them the Icelandic Beatles.” (EdFertik, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bd_GIpJEn4&pp=ygUlVGhvcuKAmXMgSGFtbWVyIOKAlCDigJxJZiBZb3UgS25ld-KAnQ%3D%3D) Richie Unterberger has described “If You Knew” as “gutsy Merseybeat”, “the hardest Merseybeat or early Hollies”. (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/thors-hammer-mn0000584715/biography, https://www.allmusic.com/album/from-keflavik-with-love-mw0000211096) The band was Hljómar (The Sound of the Chords) (see #518, 910) in Iceland, and Thor’s Hammer in overseas markets.

Richie Unterberger recites Thor’s saga:

Thor’s Hammer was the most notable ’60s Icelandic rock band . . . . In part that’s because they were able to record in London for Parlophone, and even get a solitary 45 released in America in 1967. . . . In the mid- to late ’60s, they made quite a few recordings, the best of them in a ferocious mod, British Invasion style reminiscent of the early Who and sub-Who groups like the Eyes. . . . Thor’s Hammer formed as Hlijomar . . . in Keflavik, Iceland, in 1963. In a small, isolated country that didn’t even have television in 1963, a rock band of any kind was a novelty. They became extremely popular [there] and began recording for the Icelandic market in 1965, also supporting some visiting British acts on their Icelandic tours. They named themselves Thor’s Hammer for English-sung recordings made in London and released on the Parlophone label.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/thors-hammer-mn0000584715

Mike Stax adds:

Their initial releases were sung in their native tongue, but the group and their record company quickly realized that to export the group’s popularity, they would need to sing in English and adjust the band’s name accordingly. In late 1965 Thor’s Hammer traveled to England for recording sessions which included ones for tracks that were to be used in an upcoming movie starring the band, called Umbarumbamba. . . . The song was released on an EP, issued in conjunction with the movie in the fall of 1966. The film was something of a flop, however, and the record consequently sold poorly. Though the band’s popularity was fading in their home country, they pursued their international ambitions with a 1967 single for Columbia Records. However, the single — cut by U.S. session men, with the band’s vocals added later– sank without a trace. In Iceland, the group’s career . . . eventually recovered and they thrived in a more progressive vein until their final split in 1969.

liner notes to the CD comp Nuggets II (Original Artyfacts From The British Empire And Beyond 1964-1969)

Now, Umbarumbamba wasn’t a feature — only 15 minutes long, it is a “stylized account of an Icelandic country dance.” (https://www.icelandicfilms.info/films/nr/783) Supposedly, the film has never been screened since. Well, I want to see it! If anyone reading this has done so, let us all know!

I am not sure what Umbarumbamba means — Google Translate tells me that it’s English equivalent is Umbarumbamba.* Maybe one problem here is that Iceland doesn’t have the best international marketers — naming their country Iceland when it is so beautiful while Greenland gets to call itself Greenland (what a joke)! Maybe if they had named it Ummagumma, it would have been a blockbuster.

* Interestingly, Google Translate notes that the word means “thinness” in Nyanja. Wikipedia tells us that “Chewa (also known as Nyanja) is a Bantu language spoken in Malawi and a recognized minority in Zambia and Mozambique.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewa_language)

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The Blue Rondos — “Little Baby”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 19, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,561) The Blue Rondos — “Little Baby”

I’ve played the B-side (see #351), here is the “utterly magical” (Joe M’Geek, https://www.45cat.com/record/7n15734) A-side by the Blue Rondos, “[a] classic gem which never got the credit deserved”. (Joemeeksyoungestfan, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQw9BnDKrs8) “The melody is buoyant and you can hear all those Roy Orbison comparisons in the vocals, but its those little dark intervals that sets this song apart and keeps its burrowing in my ears!” (The Listening Post Blog, https://thelisteningpostblog.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/song-of-the-day-blue-rondos-little-baby/) “[I]f this turned up now . . . found in an attic as an unpublished early Roy Orbison we would all be fooled – absolutely no question” (michaelwhittaker5432, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srZ6pzmAJmM) It would have fooled me!

The song was produced by Joe Meek. Who was Joe Meek? Little Steven says “Who was the craziest record producer of all time? Joe Meek was his name . . . .” (https://www.undergroundgarage.com/shows-699-690/show-693-joe-meek). See the movie (yes, there was a movie). David Wells tells us that:

[G]roup member Roger Hall . . . recalls that they approached Joe with a demo of their best song, the moody “Little Baby”, penned by their lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and harmonica player Mickey Stubbs. Meek was so impressed that he became the group’s manager, and the song was rerecorded as their first release. “We couldn’t believe [it[ when Joe played it back to us”, admits Hall. “We never sounded remotely that tight live! Joe was convinced it’d be a hit . . . but it never quite took off.”

liner notes to the CD comp Joe Meek Freakbeat: You’re Holding Me Down: 30 Freakbeat, Mod & R&B Nuggets

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The Golden Earrings — “Call Me”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 18, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,560) The Golden Earrings — “Call Me”

Don’t call Debbie Harry, call the Golden Earrings (see #63, 163, 319, 1,215, 1,504)! They gave us this uncannily Beatlesque ballad on their second LP — Winter Harvest — written by founding guitarist George Kooymans. The Earrings are my favorite British beat group . . . from the Netherlands! But not only could they sound just as if they had washed up on a bank of the Mersey, a feat in and of itself, they also wrote great songs. Unlike some groups, they didn’t have the luxury of having Lennon and McCartney donate to the cause. The Earrings have earned a lot of good will in my book — everything that happened in the 70’s is forgiven! As Mark Deming writes:

Golden Earring were hailed as one of the hottest new bands in America when the song “Radar Love” . . . was released in 1973. Funny thing was, Golden Earring were hardly a new band; while they weren’t well known outside the Netherlands, in their native Holland they were major stars who had been scoring hits for eight years.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/just-earrings-mw0000454482

Deming writes of Winter Harvest that:

[T]he Golden Earrings still sounded like a crack British Invasion-era outfit who had made a wrong turn somewhere when they cut . . . Winter Harvest, but they were inarguably a stronger and more ambitious group a year after releasing their debut. All 14 songs on Winter Harvest were originals (primarily written by bassist Rinus Gerritsen and guitarist George Kooymans) and the stylistic range of this collection is noticeably wider . . . exploring sounds and styles the band had not pursued before. [and t]hey could also rock harder than ever before . . . . The Golden Earrings clearly had the confidence to try new things when they recorded Winter Harvest, and with good reason — they sounded good on Just Earrings, but they’re tighter and sharper here, hitting a more consistent groove and making the most of the possibilities of the studio. Gerritsen began playing keyboards as well as bass on these recordings, and the added tonal colors serve the material well, and vocalist Frans Krassenburg had picked up a lot of nuance after a year of steady recording and performing. If Just Earrings was [their] Please Please Me, Winter Harvest is their Rubber Soul, an album that masterfully consolidates their old strengths while revealing many new ones. . . . [It] remains impressive more than four decades after it was released.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/winter-harvest-mw0000850313

Of the Earrings, Kieron Tyler tells us:

They were always melodic . . . their music combined the tough chunkiness of The Who and The Kinks with the minor-key, brooding melodies of The Zombies. . . . Where bands like the rough-hewn Outsiders [see #615, 664, 1,218] defined the edgy sound of Amsterdam, the more polished Golden Earrings defined the sound of The Hague. . . . The[ir] roots . . . lie in The Tornados, a band formed by 13-year-old George Kooymans and 15-year-old Marinus Gerritsen in 1962. . . . An instrumental outfit, their repertoire included Shadows and Ventures numbers. . . . The Hague . . . was stuffed with rock ‘n’ roll bands and competition was tough. . . . [The] boom was fuelled by bands made up from Indonesian immigrants. Indo-Rock had been born. . . . After the British Tornados’ Telstar became a Dutch hit in late 1962 . . . . the band chose The Golden Earrings, from the standard that Peggy Lee had a hit with in 1948. . . . [B]y the end of 1963, it became clear that the shifting musical climate meant the band would have to incorporate vocals. Frans Krassenburg became their singer in early 1964. . . . The[ir] break came in July 1965 . . . . Freddy Haayen saw the band at their regular venue Club 192 . . . . [and] said he worked for Polydor Records and that he wanted to record them. Actually, he was an architecture student who also worked as a trainee at Polydor’s warehouse. The Golden Earrings didn’t know this and duly turned up . . . to record four tracks . . . . Haayen had made good on his bluff and scored a deal with Polydor. Released in September, “Please Go” . . . reach[ed] number 10. . . . In September they played with The Who; November saw them teamed up with The Kinks. . . . [T]he band[‘s] first album, Just Earrings[, r]eleased [in] November 1965 . . . showcased the band’s supreme confidence. . . .

The Golden Earrings were riding high in 1966. Their first three singles had been massive Dutch hits, and the previous year had seen the release of their classic debut album . . . . [They] were already making records that should have been heard beyond the borders of their native Holland. . . . Winter Harvest marries a tough mod-beat approach to sensitive minor-key melodies, merging The Small Faces’ kineticism with the moody sensibilities of The Zombies. The sound was unique to The Golden Earrings, a band that carved their own niche from the start While other Dutch legends like Q’65 [see #108, 557, 913, 1,164, 1,227, 1,356] and The Outsiders were unhinged and freaked-out, The Golden Earrings focused their energies on structure and songwriting. . . . A year [after Just Earrings] they were riding high after three hit singles[, a]ll . . . kinetic numbers that relied on driving rhythms to make their mark. When the next single arrived in late August 1966 it became clear The Golden Earrings were absorbing the new textures that could be applied to pop. . . . [with] “Daddy Buy Me A Girl” [see #163]. . . . [I]n late November when it was announced that rhythm guitarist Peter de Ronde had left the band. . . . Continuing as a four piece . . . the band immediately began recording . . . Winter Harvest . . . . [which] was a quantum leap. There were no cover versions, and no songs that had already been issued as singles. . . . Overall . . . the sound was of a band that were in total control and utterly confident. . . . They played dates in Stockholm and Hamburg just before the release of Winter Harvest, and also licensed the album to Capitol Records in America. . . . But they didn’t find an American audience . . . . Back home, “In My House” and “Smoking Cigarettes” were extracted . . . as a single coupling in April 1967. As usual it was another massive Dutch hit. The single was followed by the departure of vocalist Frans Krassenburg. His replacement was Barry Hay, the frontman of Hague band The Haigs [see #138] . . . .

https://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2011/11/the-golden-earrings-just-ear-rings-1965.html, https://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2011/12/golden-earrings-winter-harvest-1966.html

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The Mockingbirds — “How to Find a Lover”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 16, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,559) The Mockingbirds — “How to Find a Lover”

Maybe he’s gonna buy you a mockingbird, but he couldn’t buy Graham Gouldman’s [see #226] Mockingbirds a hit. This “very catchy” (HorseMouth, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/the-mockingbirds/how-to-find-a-lover-my-story.p/) “strong, upbeat pop song [is] made distinctive by the stop-and-start arrangement and unusual jangling guitar hook behind the chorus”. (Mike Stax, liner notes to the CD comp Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts From The British Empire And Beyond 1964-1969) It was the band’s final A-side, and “[w]hile Gouldman didn’t write [it], it’s very much suited to his style, and . . . you can probably file it under freakbeat for its garage-y approach and psych-tinged chorus.” (HorseMouth, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/the-mockingbirds/how-to-find-a-lover-my-story.p/) It was written by Peter Cowap, later of Herman’s Hermits (see #300, 613, 639, 841).

Mike Stax tells us:

Graham Gouldman’s worldwide success as a songwriter had completely overshadowed the activities of his own group . . . . While that band continued to release records, Gouldman’s best songs were earmarked for proven hitmakers like The Hollies, Dave Berry, and Herman’s Hermits, and he was embarking on a sporadic solo career. . . . Soon after [“How to Find a Lover”‘s] release, the group disbanded . . . .

liner notes to Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts From The British Empire And Beyond 1964-1969

Dave Thompson gives us some history:

The Mockingbirds were formed by Graham Gouldman in late 1964, following the breakup of the earlier Whirlwinds. The lineup included two fellow members of that band, bassist Bernard Basso and guitarist Steve Jacobsen, plus drummer Kevin Godley from another recently disbanded Manchester group, the Sabres. The stage was set for perhaps Britain’s greatest should have but didn’t band of the mid-’60s. Throughout that period, after all, Gouldman was writing some of the most successful and individual hits of the entire decade — but not one of them brought the Mockingbirds success. Their bad luck commenced immediately. Signing to Columbia, the Mockingbirds announced their debut single would be “For Your Love,” a song Gouldman wrote in the changing room of the men’s clothing shop where he worked. Columbia, however, had other ideas; they rejected it in favor of another Gouldman original, taped on the same day, “That’s How It’s Gonna Stay.” It bombed, even as the rejected song resurfaced on the same label, courtesy of the Yardbirds, after Gouldman hand-delivered it to the band in their dressing room at a London gig. A second Mockingbirds single, “I Can Feel We’re Parting,” went nowhere, even as the Yardbirds soared high with further Gouldman compositions “Heartful of Soul” and “Evil Hearted You.” The Hollies scored with his “Look Through Any Window,” but a Mockingbirds single for Andrew Loog Oldham’s Immediate label, “You Stole My Love,” sank without trace. The group became the regular warm-up band for BBC television’s Top of the Pops, which was then being filmed in Manchester, and Gouldman himself spent more time on the U.K. chart during 1965-1966 than anyone outside of the Beatles/Rolling Stones. Jeff Beck, Cher, the Shindigs, and Herman’s Hermits all recorded, or were preparing to record, Gouldman compositions, with Peter Noone recalling, “Graham wrote “No Milk Today,” “Listen People,” “East West,” “Ooh She’s Done It Again”; he was just a phenomenal songsmith. I mean, everything he played to me, I loved. And it’s the construction. We turned down Carole King songs and Neil Diamond songs, but we never ever turned down a Graham Gouldman song.” He was mystified by the Mockingbirds’ lack of success, and Gouldman himself admits that he was baffled. Signing to Decca, two further singles, “One By One” and “How to Find a Lover,” went nowhere, and Gouldman reflected, “I was writing songs for everybody and anybody, but everything the Mockingbirds recorded was a failure and everything I gave away was a hit. Gradually I realized that the Mockingbirds weren’t going to make it, that there was some vital chemistry lacking.” He broke up the band in mid 1966 and prepared to launch a solo career — he also joined the Mindbenders [see #496, 1,253] for a short time before linking with that band’s Eric Stewart as owners of the Strawberry Studios setup. Drummer Godley, meanwhile, teamed with fellow ex-Sabre Lol Crème in the duo Frabjoy and the Runcible Spoon [see #968, 1,147], before they, too, became part of the Strawberry setup. In 1972, the four then combined as 10cc.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mockingbirds-mn0001271382#biography

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Edwin Starr — “I’m Still a Struggling Man”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 16, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,558) Edwin Starr — “I’m Still a Struggling Man”

This ’69 A-side by Edwin Starr (see #693) is a “jewel[]” that “feature[s] one of Starr’s most moving vocal performances, and in its lyric was the distant precursor to the musical/social vision that would burst forward full-force on Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Goin On’ — it’s still a love song, but is laced with bitter images and a social awareness that makes it all the more poignant. ” (Bruce Eder, https://www.allmusic.com/album/25-miles-mw0000653604) It was considered a disappointment sales-wise — reaching #80 (#27 R&B). No Starr “War” here!

Steve Huey tells us about Starr:

[Charles Edwin Hatcher] formed a doo wop quintet called the FutureTones while still in high school . . . . but Starr was drafted into the military in 1960, stalling the group’s momentum. When he returned in 1962 . . . he wound up joining Bill Doggett’s group as a featured vocalist . . . . Two years later, Starr wrote what he felt was a surefire hit in the spy-themed “Agent Double-O-Soul,” and left . . . to sign with Ric Tic Records . . . . [It] hit the R&B Top Ten later in 1965, and just missed the pop Top 20. . . . [He] return[ed] to the Top Ten a year later with “Stop Her on Sight (S.O.S.).” Motown head Berry Gordy subsequently bought out Ric Tic and took over its artist roster . . . . Starr [had] his biggest hit yet in 1969’s “25 Miles,” which reached the Top Ten on both the pop and R&B charts. . . . When he returned to the studio, it was with producer Norman Whitfield, who’d been reinventing the Temptations as a psychedelic soul act. . . . [and] had co-written a strident anti-war protest song, “War,” for the Temp[tations, but] Motown didn’t want the group to take such an aggressive stance. Whitfield recut “War” with Starr, and the resulting version was arguably the most incendiary song Motown ever released. It zoomed to the top of the pop charts in 1970 . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/edwin-starr-mn0000046727

Michigan Rock and Roll Legends adds:

Doggett’s manager, Don Briggs, . . invited [Hatcher] to join the combo . . . . After hearing Edwin’s voice, Briggs told him that he would be a star some day and said that he should use the name ‘Starr’ with the extra ‘r’. Starr traveled with Doggett’s organization for two-and-a-half years and gained valuable road experience. “If you’d done something wrong,” Starr recalled, “Bill would play a little riff on his organ, which meant you would be fined five dollars. One night he introduced me as Edwin Starr and played a riff, so I knew my new name would cost me five dollars.”. . .

We had like three or four days off in New York,” [Starr] told writer Bill Dahl. “I went to the movie while I was there, and the movie happened to be Goldfinger . . . . watched the movie like three times, and then went back to my hotel room . . . . I came up with ‘Agent Double-O-Soul’.” Starr went to Doggett and told him that he wanted to record his new song, but Doggett didn’t think he was ready for a solo career and advised him to wait a year. “I said to him, I can’t wait a year”, Starr recalled to Dahl. . . . [“]it’ll be old hat.” Convinced that his secret agent song was a surefire hit, Starr quit Doggett’s group . . . . [It] went all the way to # 8 on the Billboard R&B chart and reached # 21 on the Hot 100. . . .

During the 1980’s, Starr moved to England where he was a hero on the Northern Soul circuit.

https://michiganrockandrolllegends.com/index.php/mrrl-hall-of-fame/326-edwin-starr

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Piero Umiliani — “Bob And Hellen”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 15, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,500) Piero Umiliani — “Bob And Hellen”

Get ready for an “overload” of joyful and exuberant “coolness” (OakHillAcademy, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j9ruA_skKro&pp=ygUnUGllcm8gVW1pbGlhbmkg4oCUIOKAnEJvYiBBbmQgSGVsbGVu4oC) from “one of the unsung heroes of soundtrack music”. (Efrén del Valle Peñamil, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/piero-umiliani-mn0000240758#biography) Italy’s Piero Umiliani “[i]ncorporat[ed] styles like jazz, easy listening/lounge, rock, funk, and bossa nova to a genre largely dominated by orchestral scores . . . penn[ing] some of the most outstanding film music from the ’60s and ’70s with over 150 titles under his belt.” (Efrén del Valle Peñamil again)

Richie Unterberger writes that:

Piero Umiliani isn’t nearly as well known as Ennio Morricone or Nino Rota, in part because the films he scored haven’t been widely seen outside Italy. But he was also an Italian soundtrack composer who was prolific during the ’60s and ’70s . . . . Umiliani’s . . . [scores are characterized by] unpredictable, imaginative eclecticism. . . . favor[ing] the playful, whimsical side more than Morricone and some other high-profile Italian film composers do. There’s a collision of elements that most listeners would think rare to find used in combination with each other, like go-go jazz, cheesy organ, dreamy European easy listening music, and bits of pieces from mariachi, twangy rock guitar, spy themes, chirpy (sometimes downright goofy) incidental vocals, and what would later come to be known as space age bachelor pad grooves. . . . [I]t’s consistently entertaining and grin-provoking . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/album/pieros-pleasure-the-touch-of-piero-umiliani-mw0000476885

Umiliani’s website tells us of his life (courtesy of Google Translate):

Piero Umiliani was born in Florence . . . [in] 1926. . . . At sixteen, he began [working] for the daily newspaper Il Nuovo Giornale di Firenze, an experience that brought him satisfaction but also some trouble when in an article he praised American jazz music, which at the time was opposed and defined at best as “negroid”. Maestro Pippo Barzizza, who in those years broadcast American hits on Radio Firenze, passing them off as Italian songs with invented titles, read the article and wanted to compliment the author, obviously in great secrecy. [At t]he appointment . . . a very excited Piero would listen to Maestro Barzizza conduct “Il Ruggito della Tigre” which was none other than the famous “Tiger Rag” . . . . [His] career as a reporter was abruptly interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War. . . . [He] preferred to tune in to Switzerland whose national radio dedicated half an hour every evening to Duke Ellington. The passion was born, but getting those records . . . was almost impossible, to the point that many shopkeepers would chase away the kids who dared to ask for “that rubbish”. In 1944, with the arrival of the Allies, he found work as an improvising pianist in a club frequented by Americans . . . . Having graduated in law in 1948 from the University of Florence . . . to respect his parents’ wishes . . . he enrolled at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory where he graduated in Counterpoint and Fugue in 1952. . . . His closeness to the Americans and the discovery of their music made a decisive contribution to his training as a jazz pianist and in 1951 he moved to Milan several times to record two albums . . . the first in bebop style ever recorded in Italy. . . . In 1954 Piero and other jazzist friends left for Norway where they played for over six months in the clubs of Oslo. The Masseglias jazz band . . . gains a certain notoriety . . . . [He] returned to Florence . . . and then moved to Rome, encouraged also by Claudio Gambarelli, the first publisher to print pieces of his compositions for jazz bands. The capital of Italy (…and of Italian cinema) welcomed him in the best way. The brothers Paolo and Emilio Taviani entrusted him with the music for their documentary Pittori in Città, the first experience of music for images for the musician. . . . In 1958 the director Mario Monicelli contacted him for the composition of the soundtrack of the film I Soliti Ignoti. . . . the first Italian soundtrack entirely in jazz. The film was nominated for an Oscar in the foreign language film section and . . . a new era began for Umiliani and for the world of soundtracks. The red thread between jazz, cinema and the Florentine maestro continues with titles such as L’Audace Colpo dei Solti Ignoti (1958), where Chet Baker ‘s trumpet bursts in[,] with Smog (1962) again with Baker and the great vocalist Helen Merrill, Una Bella Grinta with Gato Barbieri ‘s sax and Accattone by Pier Paolo Pasolini. . . . Umiliani’s versatility leads him to confront all musical styles working with great directors for films of all genres. Thus came the music for Il Vigile (1958) by Luigi Zampa with Alberto Sordi, A Cavallo della Tigre (1962) by Luigi Comencini with Nino Manfredi, La Celestina PR by Carlo Lizzani in 1964. In that same year Umiliani, who had just won the critics’ award for best Italian jazz album with Piccola Suite Americana, founded the Omicron record label with which he produced the first three . . . in a long series of soundtracks . . . intended for use as background music for radio and television productions. . . . Between the end of the 60s and throughout the 70s Umiliani worked on films that are now cult films such as 5 Bambole per la Luna d’Agosto . . . La Ragazza dalla Pelle di Luna . . . and Svezia, Inferno e Paradiso . . . for which Umiliani composed the famous “Mah Nà Mah Nà”, up to La Pupa del Gangster with the excellent couple Marcello Mastroianni and Sofia Loren . . . . Since the time of his first recording successes the maestro began to work for radio and television. . . . [H]e hosted the programs Moderato Swing (1961) and Fuori l’Orchestra (1963) which brought jazz into all Italian homes . . . . And it was television that made Umiliani climb the charts all over the world when “Mah Nà Mah Nà” became the theme song for the famous . . . Muppets Show in 1969 . . . by Jim Henson.

http://www.umiliani.com/piero_umiliani.html

Wikipedia includes an excerpt from Umiliani’s diary (courtesy of Google Translate):

In the 1940s I lived in Florence. One day I saw a record in a little shop called Hot & Bothered published by a New York label. In Italy, at the time, nobody knew who Duke Ellington was and listening to that kind of music was forbidden, illegal, to the point that if you were discovered you could even end up in jail! The war broke out and I remember that every time I played Mood Indigo on the piano I told myself that it was the most beautiful piece of music ever written. Such a sweet melody, so different from everything I had listened to and played until then… When, finally, the American troops arrived in Florence they brought the V-discs. That’s how I discovered the rhythm and the sound of this music.

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piero_Umiliani

Oh, Umiliani wrote “Bob and Hellen” (and the rest of the soundtrack) for the apparently forgettable (except for the music) 1969 Italian/German private detective film La Morte Bussa Due Volte/Blonde Köder für den Mörder/Death Knocks Twice. Janiojala explains:

In it, a wealthy businessman, Francesco Villaverde, who suffers from mental issues, strangles Mrs. Ferretti, the beautiful wife of another businessman, on a beach after they make love. The murder is witnessed by two criminals who then blackmail Francesco’s wife to get some property they desire from her. Two private eyes try to prove that Francesco murdered the woman on the beach, so they use a young blonde (the daughter of one of the detectives) to pose as bait for Francesco to kill. An obscure soundtrack to an obscure Italian-German crime thriller from just the end of the decade. (And not a very critically lauded thriller either). . . . [T]he album itself . . . do[es] everything right. . . . It’s a soundtrack that I am just endlessly enthralled by, without-fail every time that I put it on.

https://janiojala.wordpress.com/2022/03/07/janis-60s-list-24-piero-umiliani-la-morte-bussa-due-volte-1969/

Here is version #2 from the soundtrack (instrumental):

Here is version #3:

Here is version #4 (instrumental):

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I Shall Be Released: Powder — “Grimbley Leitch”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 14, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,556) Powder — “Grimbley Leitch”

(see #789)

Before Thomas and Richard Frost had a minor hit and created one of the great lost albums of the 1960s (see #209, 211, 247, 385, 595, 775, 967), these two Who-obsessed brothers had ignited Powder (as in gunpowder), the first and greatest U.S. Who-inspired mod band, and gave us another of the great lost albums of the 1960s. Notice a trend here? “Grimbley Leitch” is a power pop psych gem that “possess[es] an unbridled energy and sense of fun”, being “a tongue in cheek tribute to Ray Columbus; the line about bagpipes refers to ‘I Would Rather Blow a Bagpipe’, the Kiwi singer’s poor attempt at a novelty hit.” (Alec Palao, liner notes to the CD comp biff! bang! powder)

Mark Deming gives us the story:

After the Beatles broke big in America in 1964, plenty of young American rockers began following the lead of their peers in the U.K., and very few did so with greater enthusiasm than Powder, a California-based combo whose explosive style was rooted in their enthusiasm for the Who, the Small Faces, the Creation . . . . [G]uitarist Richard Martin, aka Richard Frost, . . grew up in San Mateo, California, not far from San Francisco. Frost became a rock & roll fan at an early age, and had already played in a handful of local acts with his brother Thomas Martin (aka Tom Frost) when the British Invasion struck in 1964. The Frost Brothers formed a band called the Newcastle Five, whose jangly style was informed by the new British sounds and early folk-rock. The Newcastle Five were playing clubs in San Francisco when they were spotted by Ray Columbus, a rock & roll singer from New Zealand who had come to the United States in hopes of advancing his career. Colombus invited the Newcastle Five to be his backing band, and the new combo took on a new name, the Art Collection. . . . and released [with Columbus] a fine example of fuzztone proto-punk, “Kick Me,” [see #1,014] in 1966 . . . Columbus didn’t stay with the group long, and as the first waves of the San Francisco psychedelic sound began to appear, the Frost Brothers relocated to Los Angeles in search of an audience for their louder, wilder sounds. . . . [They] caught a lucky break in 1967 when they were hired to be Sonny & Cher’s backing group for a nationwide tour. In addition to a well-paying road gig, th[is] . . . gave the[m] connections with Sonny Bono, who had launched his own music production concern, Progress Production Company, with producer Denis Pregnolato. . . . Progress signed them to a deal, and the group cut an album . . . with Bono and Pregnolato as producers, that they planned to lease to Atco Records. However, the deal went sour when Progress demanded the publishing rights to the songs, and the album was shelved. Powder soon broke up . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/powder-mn0001251845/biography

Kieron Tyler talks more of their sound:

Crescendo follows crescendo, and power chord follows power chord. For The Who, “I Can see for Miles” was the apex of this style. But this is not The Who. Instead, it is a band from California called Powder whose shelved album from 1968 was crammed with thrilling, British-influenced gems. . . . [that] filtered a British sensibility through an American outlook. . . . Martin confirms that “we were Who fanatics and got hold of the My Generation album before it was released in the States. People used to think we were from Britain because of our stage attire.”

https://theartsdesk.com/new-music/reissue-cds-weekly-powder

And Alec Palao provides a vivid description: “Rich and Tom read the British mags like Rave, dressed in dandified threads brought directly from Carnaby Street . . . dug the latest hip UK sounds on import-only singles and albums . . . . and were forever being asked by fans whether or not they were from England.” (liner notes to the Biff! Bang! Powder CD comp)

Oh, what could have been. Derek Anderson:

Sonny Bono pitched the potential album to the wrong man. Sonny choose to take Powder’s recording to Atlantic Records’ Ahmet Erteugen. However, he was better known for jazz, R&B and soul. Only later, would Atlantic Records become a rock label. . . . So, it’s no wonder . . . Erteugen didn’t show any interest . . . . Following the disappointment of the recording sessions, Sonny and Cher’s management team decided to concentrate on Chastity, a film starring Cher. Powder were meant to contribute some of the music. However, in early 1969, drummer Bill Schoppe quit . . . . decid[ing] to wander down the spiritual path that was proving popular in San Francisco. . . . Powder’s biggest mistake was turning down Mercury Records to sign for Sonny and Cher’s management team. That must have seemed like an opportunity of a lifetime. It proved not to be the case.

https://dereksmusicblog.com/2014/12/10/powder-ka-pow-an-explosive-collection-1967-1968/

And Kieron Tyler:

All it’s possible to think is “how did a band this great, this melodic and this potent escape attention at the time?” . . . After looking at their contemporary context, it becomes clear why Powder didn’t attract widespread attention. They simply didn’t fit in. . . . Rich Martin (later Frost) declares “we revelled in not conforming to the San Francisco sound – it was a badge of honour and a bit of rebellion against what was popular.” . . . Powder played San Francisco but weren’t part of the ballroom scene. They were suburban and definitely not hippies. . . . Musically, the San Francisco narrative for 1967 was . . . dominated by lengthy songs, jamming and a general looseness. . . . The kinetic, sharp-edged Powder were something else. Their heads were filled with neon visions of a concise mod-pop rather than notions of soundtracking journeys to inner space.

https://theartsdesk.com/new-music/reissue-cds-weekly-powder

Here’s an alternate take:

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Buffalo Springfield — “Expecting to Fly”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 13, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,555) Buffalo Springfield — “Expecting to Fly”

Off of Buffalo Springfield’s second LP and reaching #98, here is “perhaps the most beautiful melody Neil Young would ever create and the most ethereal singing from just about anyone of his era” (serendipity_, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/the-buffalo-springfield/expecting-to-fly-everydays/), “perhaps Neil’s best and certainly most haunting song” (Glicksman1, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s8EUL-O3hRA&pp=ygUkYnVmZmFsbyBzcHJpbmdmaWVsZCBleHBlY3RpbmcgdG8gZmx5), “perhaps one of the most underrated songs in the history of rock and roll”. (metaspherz, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s8EUL-O3hRA&pp=ygUkYnVmZmFsbyBzcHJpbmdmaWVsZCBleHBlY3RpbmcgdG8gZmx5). Perhaps.

The “brilliant” song “employed lush psychedelic textures and brooding, surrealistic lyrics that stretched rock conventions to their breaking point.” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/buffalo-springfield-again-mw0000198017) It is “extraordinarily beautiful . . . . a haunting, delicate experience, with Young’s cracked-falsetto vocals at their sweetest and most plaintive . . . a fragile ballad of loss, of regret for someone leaving, and for all the things remaining unsaid” (Martin Crookall, https://mbc1955.wordpress.com/2021/12/06/the-infinite-jukebox-buffalo-springfields-expecting-to-fly/), “an extraordinary early masterpiece . . . a beautiful, melodic, lushly orchestrated, deeply melancholy meditation on loss and failed relationships that showcased an astonishing level of artistic and temperamental maturity for somebody aged only 22 years”. (the needlefish, https://theneedlefish.com/2023/11/19/songs-of-the-day-buffalo-springfield-bluebird-expecting-to-fly/)

“Expecting to Fly” “still gives me chills”. (metaspherz, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s8EUL-O3hRA&pp=ygUkYnVmZmFsbyBzcHJpbmdmaWVsZCBleHBlY3RpbmcgdG8gZmx5) “No matter how many times I listen to this song, it always sends a shiver up my spine.” (coloradoyeti3091, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s8EUL-O3hRA&pp=ygUkYnVmZmFsbyBzcHJpbmdmaWVsZCBleHBlY3RpbmcgdG8gZmx5) Me too.

Matthew Greenwald writes that:

One of Neil Young’s most beautiful and graceful early compositions, “Expecting to Fly” was indeed a surprise to many listeners, especially juxtaposed along such scathing compositions as “Mr. Soul.” Young’s sense of craft and the ability to accurately convey the bittersweet emotions of the end of a relationship are positively spellbinding. Built around extremely simple and subtle chord changes, and a melody and feel that recall the early work of Tim Hardin (both Stills and Young were huge fans), it’s one of Young’s finest early works. Recorded with session arranger Jack Nitzsche during one of the periods when Young had temporarily left the Springfield, it was and is (for all intents and purposes) his first solo work. The recording and Nitzsche’s string arrangement (which has been described as “Phil Spector on acid”) fit the song’s grandeur and sense of grace perfectly. Young was to explore similar emotional avenues with orchestral arrangements down the road, but “Expecting to Fly” is possibly his finest work in this idiom.

https://www.allmusic.com/song/expecting-to-fly-mt0006261156

Live ’68:

Live ’69:

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The Artwoods — “Goodbye Sisters”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 12, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,554) The Artwoods — “Goodbye Sisters”

“A great [’65] R&B Freakbeat rocker” (VinylAddict5, https://www.discogs.com/master/924706-The-Art-Woods-Goodbye-Sisters-) by the incredible Artwoods (see #58, 845, 1,241). Yes, they were founded by Art Wood — Ronnie Wood’s older brother — and were a top touring UK R&B band. Alas, their success never translated to record. As Andrew Darlington writes: “Every sixties name-group started out with covers-based sets, from the Beatles and Rolling Stones through the Kinks and the Who. But by 1966 they’d all evolved to a predominant reliance on original material. Despite the odd ‘B’-side, the Artwoods found themselves stranded on the wrong side of the culture-shift.” (http://andrewdarlington.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-art-of-artwoods-story-of-cult-mod.html) And Len writes that “[i]n contrast to the commercially-successful but artistically-bankrupt pop sensations of the UK’s 1960s beat era there was a small hardcore of bands in the UK who couldn’t get arrested record-sales-wise but whom other musicians would cross continents to catch playing live.” (https://therisingstorm.net/the-artwoods-art-gallery/)

Bruce Eder tells us more of the Artwoods:

The Artwoods[‘] . . . . following was confined to the clubs they played, despite releasing a half-dozen singles and an LP during their four years together. Art Woods . . . had been involved with the London blues scene almost from the beginning, as an original member of Blues Incorporated . . . . He was the backup rhythm singer in the band’s early lineup . . . [and] he also had a group of his own that he fronted on the side, called the Art Woods Combo. They later became the Artwoods in 1963 and Jon Lord later joined along . . . . [T]hey joined Decca Records’ roster in 1964. The Artwoods’ early records are some of the most fondly remembered British R&B singles . . . . Their sound was as steeped in soul and funk as it was in blues, which set them apart from many of their rivals. . . . [T]hey had a virtuoso lineup . . . . [and] a top stage attraction. Club audiences always knew they were good for a great show and the band loved playing live. Ultimately, in fact, the group’s success in touring and their love of playing live may have hurt them. They had no problem playing hundreds of gigs a year at venues like Klooks Kleek in Hampstead and dozens of lesser clubs for the sheer enjoyment of it, but they earned relatively little money doing it. At the same time, their singles never seemed to connect . . . . Their failure as a recording outfit is inexplicable upon hearing the singles — they weren’t strong songwriters, to be sure, but when covering American-style R&B, their records were soulful, funky, and played not only well but inventively; close your eyes and it seems like they were the U.K. answer to Booker T. & the MG’s. And the vocals . . . were attractive and memorable and sounded authentically American. And, in contrast to a lot of other British bands of that period, they did manage to capture something of their live sound on those records, which made them very potent. . . . A series of label switches in 1967 to Parlophone and then Fontana gave them some furtive success on the continent (in Denmark, of all places) and after four years of hard work, the Artwoods called it quits after a brief foray under the name the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-artwoods-mn0000033079/biography

Oh, and Darlington reminds us that Deep Purple’s Jon Lord cut his teeth with the Artwoods:

[A]lthough focused on R&B and Soul, [John Lord’s] virtuoso organ-flourishes were already nudging towards the beginnings of more ambitious prog-Rock projects. . . .

Lord was their strongest writer, but he still saw himself primarily as their keyboard-player. . . . After the demise of the Artwoods Jon admits “I had nothing to go to and for eight or nine months I did not work apart from a few sessions to pay the bills.” He was even touring-MD for the Flowerpot Men . . . . [who] hit no.4 on the chart with “Let’s Go To San Francisco[“] . . . . Bassist Nick Simper was also with the Flowerpot Men, and through him, around the end of 1967, Jon met Ritchie Blackmore, the core of the first Deep Purple . . . .

http://andrewdarlington.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-art-of-artwoods-story-of-cult-mod.html

Live on the BBC:

Live in Poland:

Here are New Zealand’s La De Da’s:

Here are Denmark’s Defenders:

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The Soul Explosion — “Oh Baby Please”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 11, 2025

“Oh Baby Please” starts at 7:41.

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,553) The Soul Explosion — “Oh Baby Please”

Oh baby, “Oh Baby Please” should have been big, big, big! A Granadilla Music press release puts it well: “Detroit? Chicago? Well, no not at all. This 1968 [LP] comes from a German band playing some lush and dynamic soul pop with an emotionally exalted vocal style that reminds a bit of Tom Jones at times.” (Sonnenmensch, https://www.discogs.com/master/896386-The-Soul-Explosion-Soul-Fire)

Marios enthuses:

One of the great mysteries of late ’60s psychedelic soul music! Though only released on the German exploitation market in 1968, this exceptional album may very well be the work of an American studio outfit (or Americans living in Germany?), performing exclusive songs written by well known US composers s.a. Martin Siegel and Scott English. The material is rather diverse, but most of the music here is high quality soul music, often . . . with scorching psychedelic guitarwork and/or swirling organ parts. But there also are traces of pop and you even get a Dylan-esque slice of folk-rock. Odd, exciting and unique!

https://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-soul-explosion-soul-fire-1968.html

The Granadilla Music press release for distributors tells us that:

The songs range from powerfully onward grooving booty shakers to striking melodic tunes with great chorus lines that enlighten your spirit. When you take a listen you will realize these folks had a sense for the classic beat music of just a few years prior to this release and they really manage to lay down a steaming performance on this style actually already outdated back then. But since the Sould Explosion spice up everything with a dark and brooding back street club atmosphere at the right moment, they could do what they want and always sounded exciting and fresh. I could not have told the difference between these krauts and any popular British or North American act in their genre. There is passion, sheer lust, a wild and animalistic drive and an ongoing groove that will mesmerize you. Technically this is a really solid group that knows to let loose when it is time to but mostly keeps the energy flow under control. . . . It might be one of these typical exploito bands that were only studio projects done by the same musicians on several occasions for good money to be sold in the bargain bin to a willing audience. . . . [But] the music that appears on Soul Fire strikes your deepest inner self and sets your spirit aflame. The melodies are amazing and if you go and check the rhythms you will end up shaking without a chance to escape the everlasting pulse. This should have been enormously big. Think of later day Animals, the Four Tops and the Equals all thrown into a mixer on full throttle, you might get something of a similar quality. Oh, Baby, c’mon shake it with me, yeah!

Sonnenmensch, https://www.discogs.com/master/896386-The-Soul-Explosion-Soul-Fire

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The Truth — “Who’s Wrong”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 10, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,552) The Truth — “Who’s Wrong”

This infectious ’65 mod A-side is “a snarling self depreciating slab of UK Freakbeat” (Mod Zeb, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bFt2IAwUUDk&pp=ygUVdGhlIHRydXRoIHdobydzIHdyb25n) that “boasts some gutsy guitar work and a good melodic hook” (Mark Deming, https://www.allmusic.com/album/whos-wrong-mod-bedlam-1965-1969-mw0002809900), “a wonderful mixture of fuzz guitar, driving beat and booming vocals . . . . perfectly fitted for Top 40 radio”. (Kevin Rathert, https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2015/06/the-truth-whos-wrong-mod-bedlam-1965.html) Unfortunately, “[d]espite the quality of the song and performance the single . . . failed to chart.” (Kevin Rathert again) Looks like the UK kids couldn’t handle the Truth! (see #877)

As to the Truth, All Music notes:

Hairdresser Steven Gold met future singing partner Francis Aiello while cutting the latter’s hair. Taking their name from a favourite Ray Charles’ song, “Tell The Truth”, the duo scored a UK Top 30 hit in 1966 with their debut single, an opportunistic cover of “Girl” from the Beatles’ Rubber Soul . . . . Although the Truth drew plaudits for “I Go To Sleep”, written by Ray Davies of the Kinks, it emphasized the Truth’s inability to acquire exclusive material. Subsequent singles included “Walk Away Renee” and “Sueno”, originally recorded, respectively, by the Left Banke and Rascals, but when such releases failed to chart the duo abandoned their brief pop career.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-truth-mn0000184718

Mark Deming adds that:

Aiello and [Gold, later] Jameson . . . . were faces on the mid-’60s U.K. mod scene, frequenting the right clothing stores and hitting the right nightspots. . . . [But t]he record industry didn’t put much stock in the Truth’s mod persona, and ended up treating them like any other pop group trying to make their way onto the charts. While [Aiello and Gold] wanted to model the Truth after Sam & Dave or the Righteous Brothers, the closest they got to a hit was a polished cover of the Beatles’ “Girl,” and though they could handle pop as well as blue-eyed soul (in some cases better), their belated reputation as mod heroes is the product of a few stray tracks rather than the entirety of their catalog. The Truth released just seven singles during their five-year lifespan . . . . “Baby You’ve Got It,” “She’s a Roller,” and “Baby Don’t You Know” suggest the Truth were not at their best trying to sound like soul shouters . . . . Meanwhile, Aiello and [Gold] sounded very much at home harmonizing on slicker pop productions, and their covers of “I Go to Sleep,” “Walk Away Renee,” and “I Can’t Make It Alone” are more than satisfying.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/whos-wrong-mod-bedlam-1965-1969-mw0002809900

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