U.S. 1960s


Liza Minnelli (her hip, theatrical rendition of ‘The Debutante’s Ball’ is here) to Harry Nillson (who cut an entire album of Newman compositions), The Everly Brothers (their panoramic ode to ‘Illinois’), Bobby Darin and Claudine Longet (with her breathless version of ‘Snow’). Newman’s songs were also the vogue in


Britain during this period with the likes of Duffy Power,Alan Price (with the childlike ‘Tickle Me’) and Eric Burdon & The Animals (the pensive ‘Wait Till Next Year’) among others demonstrating their trendiness. Comprehensive liners and recording details add to the hoopla. Gary von Tersch


VARIOUS ARTISTS The Birth Of Surf Volume 2 Ace CD www.acerecords.com


Following on from the superb Volume 1, Ace continue with more hits and rarities from the evolution of surf music. Following the pattern of the first set


we get tracks by influential instrumental groups like The Ventures, The Wailers and the killer ‘Stampede’ by The Scarlets. Then, in chronological order starting with Dick Dale’s ‘Surf beat’ in 1962 through to ‘Golash’ by The Intrepides in ’65, we get a slew of reverb- drenched thundering beat classic instrumentals. Standouts include ‘Point Panic’ by The


Surfaris, ‘Monsoon’ by The Chantays and a wonderful version of ‘Malaguena’ by The Trashmen, best known for their manic ‘Surfin Bird’. Six rare tracks new to CD include ‘The Thing’ by Jim Messina & The Jesters, the great ‘Crash’ by The Creations and ‘Cloudburst’ by The Kan Dells. Roll on volume three.


Pat Curran


VARIOUS ARTISTS The London-American Label: 1961 Ace CD www.acerecords.com Until the mid-60s, Decca subsidiary London


VARIOUS ARTISTS Unissued Sixties Garage Acetates Volume One: Get Off My Back! Volume Two: She Was So Bad! Volume Three: Train To Nowhere! Volume Four: I’ve Had Enough! Norton LPs www.nortonrecords.com


This tidy bundle of newly-issued slabs, each bereft of liner notes and graced with a solitary group photo and a bunch of label shots on the


rear, harks back to a time when not too many of these obscurities could be found in record shops or on mail order lists – no online purchasing provision like the norm of today was available. Fast forward through umpteen Back From


The Grave, Fuzz, Flaykes & Shakes and Teenage Shutdown series and we think we know it all when it comes to US ’60s garage. Those wise in such ways, and anyone yet to


56


was the UK’s recipient of the vast majority of US independent label output, including Atlantic, Motown, Sun, Imperial and many others. Arguably the


only two major ’50s stars not on London were Presley and Holly. Consequently this 28 track collection


contains many premier league names including Jerry Lee, Fats Domino, Del Shannon and Duane Eddy. It’s impossible to please anyone familiar with the era but compliments to excellent sleeve note writer and co-compiler Tony Rounce for a fair try, mixing the obviously great (Eddie Cochran’s ‘Weekend’, Roy Orbison’s ‘Cryin’’, Ben E’s ‘Spanish Harlem’, the original of ‘Sweets For My Sweet’ by The Drifters) with the interestingly obscure (Al Tousan AKAAllen Toussaint, Mirriam Johnson AKA Jessie Colter). Because it was ’61, several tracks unsurprisingly involve the twist. Overall, this is the proverbial curate’s egg. John Tobler


VARIOUS ARTISTS Mr Success: The Bert Berns Story Volume 2 1964-1967 Ace CD www.acerecords.com


Ace’s second volume in their tribute to the genius of Bert Berns culminates with the March 28th 1967 sessions that yielded Van Morrison’s ‘Brown


Eyed Girl’ and Erma Franklin’s original version of ‘Piece Of My Heart’. Alongside tracks by Wilson Pickett, The Drifters and Garnet Mimms, the collection features original versions of Solomon Burke’s ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’ and Don Varner’s ‘Mojo Mama’ (the inspiration for Edwin Starr’s ‘25 Miles’), The McCoys’ unedited version of ‘Hang On Sloopy’ and an unreleased take of ‘I Got To Go Back’ from Otis Redding’s penultimate session, all of which highlight Berns’ golden ear


sample the rampant valedictions of such teenage rock ’n’ roll spirits should take heed of Norton’s latest. Volume One thrills with plentiful fuzz and


organ shenanigans, with ‘Want Me’ by The Night Crawlers, issued as a recent 45 on Feathered Apple (and reviewed in Shindig! a few issues back) being one of the best, a terrific spine-tingling punker. An unknown Ohio combo also inspires with the vertigo-inducing ‘She’s In Another World’. Bedlam’s Offspring (like a few other names) appear more than once and supply tough kid-garage balladry that’s both crude and charming. Already garageland royalty,The Apparitions ecstatically saw at your brain with ‘She’s So Satisfyin’’ and are among the show-stealers of Volume Two. Also up there with the best incendiary Texas ’66 punk scenesters are The Briks with ‘It’s Your Choice’. The stylishly inventive ‘Free As The Wind’,


cut by The Method for Rochester’s Fine imprint, and the baleful beauty that is Texas folk-punker ‘Bitter Bells’ by The Fanatics count as true gems on Volume Three. The final set, given over to New York groups, closes with ‘Zippered Up Heart’ by The Reign, fronted by


The Noble Men enjoy a day off.


future punk icon Johnny Thunders. Afforded a bigger, Morton/Spectoresque production this great teen-rocker could’ve sold heaps. With such a wealth of barely-heard tunes,


and many cuts that snag the garage snot perfectly, one hopes we’re still far from scraping the bottom of the garage barrel. Lenny Helsing


for soul, gospel, and rock. The detailed liners, contemporary ads and


reviews, and recollections from various participants also put the work of this unheralded, almost forgotten legend into perspective. Jeff Penczak


VARIOUS ARTISTS Soft Sounds For Gentle People 5 Pet CD


petrecords@hotmail.com


Yep, it’s back and fans of the previous volumes will not be disappointed. The theme is still West Coast soft pop and psychedelia and the


selection quality is still as pleasing as ever. One or two choices may be familiar (The


Rainy Daze’s ‘Blood of Oblivion’ for example) but the majority I’ve never come across. Stix & Stonz advise you to “fix your head with Mexican red” on ‘Take A Bus’ whilst Bentley Road’s chorus to ‘Kill The Cobra’ is spat out with uncharacteristic aggression for this type of group. Misty Morn’s ‘Summer Sunshine’ is a sedative by comparison and The Capes Of Good Hope’s ‘Lady Margaret’ is a raga gem. The usual synoptic liners are present and


with second volumes of the sub-series He And She, Sounds Of She and Mystic Males promised shortly, the future’s looking soft. Paul Martin


VARIOUS ARTISTS You Heard It Here First Volume 2 Ace CD www.acerecords.com


Ace’s themed compilations – be it soul, pop or garage – have reached something of a Godly plateau of late and this second instalment


of their “Who did the original version of…”


series is one of the best yet. ‘Hush’, ‘Love Of The Common People’,


‘Higher And Higher’, ‘Sorrow’ and ‘Different Drum’ are amongst the stone classics on offer – but it’s Billy Joe Royal, The Four Preps, The Dells, The McCoys and The Greenbriar Boys who are the performers. Barry McGuire’s ‘California Dreamin’’ was released just weeks before The Mamas & Papas’ hit and features the same backing track, adorned with Cass & Co’s backing vocals, but it’s still fascinating to hear. As is The Outsiders’ take on ‘Bend Me, Shape Me’, rougher and more soulful than The American Breed’s and a million miles away from Amen Corner’s. The usual superlative liner notes, packaging


and oodles of memorabilia make this nigh-on essential for pop fans and historians alike. Andy Morten


ZALMAN YANOVSKY Alive And Well In Argentina Rev-Ola CD www.revola.co.uk


Littered with ’60s studio trickery and mischief and characterised by its spirit of wild invention, it’s clear Zal wasn’t taking himself entirely


seriously when he set about working on this his one and only solo album. Recorded in 1967 in the wake of his departure from The Lovin’ Spoonful and originally released the following year on Buddah, this hugely welcome reissue follows the template of the album’s ’71 vinyl reissue on Kama Sutra which added the Jack Nitzsche-produced single ‘As Long As You’re Here’ which, true to the spirit of the times, came with a backwards instrumental version of the song on the B-side. Elsewhere, other attractions include a lively


reworking of ‘Little Bitty Pretty One’, the surreal jug band-esque excursion of the title track, Zal’s take on John Sebastian’s ‘Priscilla Millionaira’, the manic ‘Hip Toad’ and the spectacularly warped instrumental psych-out that is ‘Lt Schtinckhausen’. Grahame Bent


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