Category Archives: Uncategorized

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 830) The Collage — “Driftin’” Ethereal B-side and album track from the Collage (see #415, 678). Unterberger gives us some history: Part of the idea behind the formation of the Collage was to emulate the Mamas and the Papas’ lineup with a two-man,Continue reading “The Collage — “Driftin’”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 18, 2023″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 829) H.P. Lovecraft — “The Drifter” This Chicago band put the LSD in Lake Shore Drive, and in a folk classic. Richie Unterberger says that “[t]he . . . vocal blend was particularly stirring on the[] cover[] of ‘The Drifter’ (penned by folkieContinue reading “H.P. Lovecraft — “The Drifter”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 17, 2023″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 828) Roger Nichols and a Small Circle of Friends — “The Drifter” The Friends’ (see #631) final A-side (with “Trust” on the flip side (see #136, as covered by the Peppermint Trolley Co.)) “failed to make a commercial impact.” How it wasn’t aContinue reading “Roger Nichols and a Small Circle of Friends — “The Drifter”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 16, 2023″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 827) Johnny Adams — “Real Live Living Hurtin’ Man” This ‘ 70 A-side was “ironically written by a pair of female songwriters, Margaret Lewis and Myrna Smith. . . . [It is] classic southern soul.” (The Vintage Soul Machine, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJJNAWp-x5A) Michael Petitti saysContinue reading “Johnny Adams — “Real Live Living Hurtin’ Man” Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 15, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 826) Oscar — “Join My Gang” This ’66 A-side was a little ditty, “a light, jaunty little piece of pop” (Anorak Thing, https://anorakthing.blogspot.com/2016/04/great-obscure-uk-60s-sides-oscar-aka.html), that Pete Townshend penned for Paul Oscar Beuselinck/Paul Dean/Oscar/Paul Nicholas. Oscar’s father Oscar, was, for a time, The Who’s solicitorContinue reading “Oscar — “Join My Gang”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 14, 2023″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD Three killer versions of a traditional folk tune. “900 Miles from My Home” is “a lament of a traveller far from home that is from the beginning of the last century or earlier” (https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/fivehundredmiles.html), “the old folk tale of the hobo roaming far,Continue reading ““900 Miles” Special Edition: Bob Dylan/Dion/Esther & Abi Ofarim: Bob Dylan and the Band — “900 Miles from My Home”, Dion — “900 Miles”, Esther & Abi Ofarim — “900 Miles from My Home”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 13, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 822) Ten Years After — “50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain” “Love me 50, 000 miles beneath my brain.” A cool number from Ten Years After (see #607) with insanely trippy lyrics. Guitars Exchange — or is it Guitar Sexchange? — calls it “classicContinue reading “Ten Years After — “50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 12, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 822) Taos — “20,000 Miles in the Air Again” A Taos, NM commune gives us this “phased psychedelic boogie” (Nik, http://therisingstorm.net/taos-taos/) from an LP of “mellow, unpretentious, good-natured rural rock. . . . catchy, with sweet vocal harmonies. . . . [b]lending acousticContinue reading “Taos — “20,000 Miles in the Air Again”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 11, 2023″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 820) Almond Lettuce — “Twenty Weary Miles” A delightful, rollicking music hall-y number by a totally obscure British band that gets no respect. Vernon Joynson says that the band released “two awful singles [that] are often described as psychedelic but seem far fromContinue reading “Almond Lettuce — “Twenty Weary Miles”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 10, 2023″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 810) Soul Inc. — “60 Miles High” On this ’67 B-side, the Louisville sluggers go “a full 52 miles higher than The Byrds”! — (happening45, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fJPzmqrjg0) with this “jangly mid-tempo dose of hip psych” (Tony Sanchez (with the help of Mike Stax), linerContinue reading “Soul Inc. — “60 Miles High”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 9, 2023″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 818) Mitch Ryder — “I Believe (There Must Be Someone)“ Truly great blue eyed soul from the Motor City’s Mitch Ryder. Ryder has been inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame (https://rbhalloffamemarksms.com/inductees/) and not the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,Continue reading “Mitch Ryder — “I Believe (There Must Be Someone)”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 8, 2023″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 817) Big Jim Sullivan — “Translove Airways (Fat Angel)” Jimmy Page and Big Jim Sullivan were the two towering session guitarists of Swinging London. Big Jim also mastered the sitar and recorded two albums of sitar-ploitation headswirlers (see #217). On this ‘67 albumContinue reading “Big Jim Sullivan — “Translove Airways (Fat Angel)”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 7, 2023″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 816) Syd Dale — “The Hell Raisers” The great British music library composer Syd Dale (see #395), an NFL films go-to, gives us a tune hell-raisin’ enough to be the theme of a 60’s sexploitation flick, Doris Wishman’s 1966 film Another Day. AnotherContinue reading “Syd Dale — “The Hell Raisers”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 6, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 815) Alessandro Alessandroni — “Bandidos” Spaghetti western ecstasy from a friend and collaborator of Ennio Morricone — from the 1967 movie Bandidos directed by Massimo Dallamano as Max Dillmann. (https://www.discogs.com/release/2578148-Egisto-Macchi-Bandidos-Colonna-Sonora-Originale) As Tom Seldon tells us, in the movie: Renowned gunman Richard Martin isContinue reading “Alessandro Alessandroni — “Bandidos”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 5, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 814) The Fallen Angels “I’ll Drive You From My Mind” I can’t drive this “haunting” (https://psychedelic-rocknroll.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-fallen-angels-its-long-way-down.html?m=1) slab of psych from my mind. It is the album’s “creepiest number . . . [with] dark shadows, whispered vocals, and splashes of sitar”. (Dave Furgess, https://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/1714/)Continue reading “The Fallen Angels — “I’ll Drive You From My Mind”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 4, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 813) Edwards Hand* — “Hello America” The melody and arrangement of this amazing song by the UK psychsters (see #151, 663) is a total rip-off of Neil Diamond’s “Coming to America”! Wait a second, this song came in ‘70 and “Coming” came inContinue reading “Edwards Hand — “Hello America”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 3, 2023″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 812) Milton Kelley — “Small Town Boy” Timeless and touching ’70 folk-rock straight outta the legendary Two:Dot studios in Ojai [California]. The song sounds like it could have been written yesterday. Worth Point calls Kelley’s album Home Brew “a blend of folk/psych &Continue reading “Milton Kelley — “Small Town Boy”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 2, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 811) Neo Maya/Episode Six — “I Won’t Hurt You” If great songs deserve convoluted tales, this pop psych gem, spooky and unforgettable, has got one. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (see #197, 488) recorded two great versions of the song, andContinue reading “Neo Maya/Episode Six — “I Won’t Hurt You”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 1, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 810) The Millennium — “5 A.M.” Sunshine pop* went supernova with the Millennium (see #397, 506, 586, 662), a 60’s sunshine supergroup that created Begin, the greatest sunshine pop album ever recorded. Begin cost more to make than any other album from ’68Continue reading “The Millennium: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 30, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 785) Heinz & The Wild Boys — “I’m Not a Bad Guy” A wild freakbeat version of a Crickets tune — OK, post-Buddy Holly Crickets, but still the Crickets! On the Flip-Side tells us that: “I’m Not a Bad Guy” was written byContinue reading “Heinz & The Wild Boys— “I’m Not a Bad Guy”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 29, 2023”