Thursday, March 22, 2012

Cleaning Out The Garage

re:  GOING THRU THE GARAGE:
Good response to our latest blurb encouraging you to vote for your All-Time Garage Band favorites.  Between now and June 1st, we'll be tabulating your votes (and making and sharing suggestions of artists for your consideration.)
Right off the bat we've got several groups now who have already earned double digits in votes ... here (in alphabetical order) are the current leaders:
The Beau Brummels, The Blues Magoos, The Bobby Fuller Four, The Kingsmen, The Knickerbockers, The Leaves, Love, The Merry-Go-Round, The Music Machine, ? and the Mysterians, The Seeds, The Shadows Of Knight, The Sir Douglas Quintet and The Standells.  (That's damn-near 20 favorites right there!!!)  Remember, in order to qualify, the band had to have at least ONE charted record ... and "Bubbling Under" records count!
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:  
Throughout the polling process, we'll be making suggestions of some of the artists you may have overlooked.
Here's one for your consideration ... how about The Nightcrawlers and their Garage Band Classic "The Little Black Egg"!  
Although hailing from Daytona Beach, FL, this record was a smash in Florida, Ohio and Seattle, Washington, where it went all the way to #1!
It's our "Pick Hit" for this session ... and please be sure to check out some of the comments below by some of our other readers who are diggin' our latest Forgotten Hits Poll!  (kk)

Kent -
My vote goes to The "Bonniwell" Music Machine.
I think Sean Bonniwell was FAR underrated ...
Sev   

Hi Kent,
As with all these labels, I guess the term "garage band" is open to interpretation, but I saw the Knickerbockers mentioned; based only on "Lies", I guess I could see that, but having seen them live, I wouldn't call them a garage band at all. They were a very good club band with a repertoire that included a wide variety of then current pop / rock (including Pet Clark's "I Know A Place"; they're the only band I ever heard do that song).
Gary E. Myers / MusicGem   

Hi Kent,
Here are my Top Five:
1. Sir Douglas Quintet  (Numbers One and Two are a close one for me, but the late Doug Sahm deserves the nod for decades of great music.)
2. Bobby Fuller Four  (What might've been still hurts.)
3. Standells  ("Ditry Water" was the first time we ever heard this kind of edge in a Top 40 survey.) 
4. The Sonics  (Probably as true a representation of the Garage Band genre as there ever was.)
5. The Kingsmen  ("Louie, Louie" alone earns them a berth in the Garage Hall-of-Fame.)
Regards,
Scott Paton   

Hello Kent:  
I’m going to push this one again.  I vote for the Fabulous Flippers.  You might throw it out but their version of the Harlem Shuffle is the best. 
Pete Heger 
For the record, I'd only "throw it out" if it didn't make the charts ... which, unfortunately, it didn't!  (kk)

I can think of several "garage-band" songs and groups:
YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME 13th Floor Elevators
IN MY MIND'S EYE Small Faces
PAINTER MAN Creation
WHEN THE NIGHT COMES Eyes
HERE COMES THE NIGHT Them
PERSECUTION SMITH Bob Seger & The Last Heard
HOT SMOKE AND SASAFRASS Bubble Puppy
WHY PICK ON ME Standells
ROAD RUNNER Gants
YOU, I Rugbys
HEY JOE Leaves
GET ME TO THE WORLD ON TIME Electric Prunes
OVER UNDER SIDEWAYS DOWN
LITTLE GAMES Yardbirds
... there are plenty of others, of course.
But these songs are worthy of consideration.
Tal Hartsfeld  

Hello Kent -
On your blog from 3/20 there is a photo of a cd of garage hits from WLS. Do you have an idea of how I can get a copy of this? Thanks!
I enjoy your writing. I was involved in college radio in upstate NY from 1970 - 1974 and also at Penn State & Allentown, OA for a number of years after.
Thanks again!
-- Keith Semerod
That CD is a home-made compilation put together by one of our readers ... it isn't commercially available.  (But if Bill sees this ... and he may ... he may talk to you "off the record" about getting you a copy!  Stay Tuned!)  kk


There is only ONE garage band in the opinion of this Chicago born and bred boy ... the mighty SHADOWS OF KNIGHT! 
Gloria!  Dark Side!  Oh Yeah  Bad Little Woman  Willie Jean  Shake!
and the best garage band song ever:
I'm Gonna Make You Mine
the others are wannabees
Honorable Mentions:
Seeds
Love
Allan  

My vote is for the mighty SHADOWS OF KNIGHT. Best garage band period!!!!! 
Scott Smith, Shadows of Knight collector. 

I'm voting  for the Shadows of Knight  for one good reason.  My friend Kenny Turkin was the drummer on Shake and toured with them for over a year.  We were great friends  from early childhood throughout his life, which ended way too soon.  One Vote, please,  for my friend Kenny!
Mark
To quote Keith ... Ain't Gonna Lie ... The Shadows Of Knight have jumped out in front in our first round poll.  Nearly 600 new votes came in today alone ... so help us to spread the word!  (kk)   

Kent,
I want to see Them on the CD as they were such an awesome garage band that many
other bands covered in their acts.
Happy days!
Don
We've received a few votes for Them ... you can't originate "Gloria" and NOT be a garage band, right?!?!?  (kk)   

I'm voting for "I Fought The Law" by Bobby Fuller Four.
And lost. Proving once again that "Crime Don't Pay".
That sounds like it would've been a good title for a follow up to this hit.
Hey Kent, Do you think it would be a good idea to go over the "Bobby Fuller Murder Case" one more time? LoL!! I can hear you cursing me out. LoL!!
Frank B.
You'll find some pretty thorough coverage of this on the OTHER Forgotten Hits website: Click here: Forgotten Hits - Bobby Fuller

KK,
In these parts (SE Wisconsin) the Robbs were kings. Although they never cracked the Top 100 they are known as the most prolific "bubbling under" band of their time. My favorite is "Cynthia Loves It" but the best known is "Race With the Wind".
The Robbs get my vote.
Bob Verbos,
New Berlin, WI.
I had forgotten all about The Robbs!!!  GREAT choice!  (And you'll see their names pop up again in the next email, too!)  kk  

Here are some of my favorite garage bands:
The Beau Brummels, The Knickerbockers, The Robbs, The McCoys, The Merry-Go-Round, The Woolies, Dino, Desi & Billy and The Cyrkle
Doug



Hi Kent
Hope everyone emails their favorite Garage Band Songs. It will include a lot of songs we never hear any more.
Thank you for using my idea. The master always comes thru! 
Here are my votes for best garage band records: 
Gloria - Jimy Sohns and Shadows of Knight
96 Tears - ? and the Mysterieans
Shes About A Mover - Sir Douglas Quintet
Jenny Lee - Jan and Arnie (recorded in a garage before Jan and Dean!!!)
I Confess - New Colony Six
You Wouldn't Listen - Ides of March
Kind of a Drag - Buckinghams
Louie Louie - Kingsmen
Dirty Water - Standells
Incense and Peppermint - Strawberry Alarm Clock
This is such fun. There are so many good tunes in that category!! Carolyn


And, since you're out hitting the music polls anyway, let's not forget THIS little competition!!!

Speaking of casting your votes, things are really winding down for the 5th Annual I.R.S. Countdown with our FH Buddy Rich Appel.  (This is where you guys vote for the records that YOU think really should have been a Top Ten Hit ... as in I.R.S. ... It Really Shoulda ... Been A Top Ten Hit!!!)  More details below:
It's our 5th annual I.R.S. ("It Really Shoulda" been a top 10 hit), and there's a little over a week left to file. 
Send your list of songs you think 'really shoulda' been top 10 hits to IRS104@verizon.net by April 1. When you do, you'll automatically qualify to win stuff from RadioLogoLand.com or the 4-disc set of the I.R.S. Top 104, the countdown of which kicks off Friday night April 13 on Rewound Radio (http://www.rewoundradio.com/) and heard in full Sat-Sun April 14-15 on my shows on WRNJ (http://wrnjradio.com/streaming).
More info on I.R.S. is here ... http://www.60s70s.org/IRS.htm


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