Monday, April 30, 2012

Garage Bands

As things return to semi-normal this week, we're prompted to remind you of some of the other things we've got going on in Forgotten Hits. 

First and foremost, our on-going poll attempting to determine Your Top 20 Favorite Garage Bands.  
Votes are still coming in ... and we'll continue to tabulate these through June 1st.

Meanwhile, we've noticed that so many of the votes we've been receiving are song-specific rather than artist specific, so we've decided to expand the list to also include your "Garage Band Hall Of Fame Honor Roll Of Hits", too!

That means that we'll be going back through all of the ballots that we've already received to determine which songs seem to be your favorites ... so it'll be a Double Countdown in June when we announce your Twenty Favorite Garage Bands AND Your All-Time Favorite Gargage Songs!!!

Here are some of your most recent picks ...

re:  GARAGE BANDS:
Let us not forget:
THE CRUSHER by The Novas
... or FARMER JOHN by The Premiers
PSYCHOTIC REACTION Count Five
LAND OF 1000 DANCES Cannibal & The Headhunters
Tal Hartsfeld
ALL of these artists have been earning votes steadily ... counting yours, The Novas have 16 votes ... and The Premiers are up to 22!  Count Five just passed the 30 mark (they now have 33 votes) ... and your vote for Cannibal and the Headhunters is their second!  (kk)

"The Crusher" by The Novas ... 
Seriously, does it get any grungier than this???


Dear kk@forgottenhits.com:
Here's my two-cents worth (or maybe its my "non-cents" worth) on the topic of favorite garage bands.
Voting by the charted-tunes rule scuttles a lot of my faves.
*My*hands-down favorite garage rockers, *THE OUTSIDERS* from The Netherlands, didn't even release any work in The States.  (Not even "Filthy Rich"!  Arrrggghh!!  I could have become a musical problem child a few years earlier under that influence!)  Same thing with *THE BOOTS* from Germany.  And I do believe the legendary *SONICS*, the grandpappies of grunge, cross-cut shredders of sound its ownself, never charted.
I won't vote for a group on the basis of one or two songs I like, and I won't try to look impressiver-than-thou with a list of how many groups I can name that cut one godawful piece of garage gold that was dredged up out of oblivion to fill a track on "Nuggets" or "Pebbles".
So I will throw my votes to two groups who charted often and oftener, and whose best stuff, according to my own very highly self-esteemed opinion, was their garage-soundin' stuff:  *PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS* and *THE DAVE CLARK FIVE*.  Oh -- both groups also had a member named "Mike Smith", but I don't think that influenced me.
Remember -- The Raiders' garage-era work was impressive enough to land them a five-days-a-week gig on national television!  Of course, who better to put out on the front line, back in those British Invasion days?
E.B.  

>>>Our intention all along was to pick The Top 20 Garage Band Artists rather than feature a list of songs ... but SO many people are picking songs, that I may have to do the ultimate garage band countdown, too!  Maybe we'll just flat out declare The Garage Band Hall Of Fame with an Honor Roll of Hit Songs that most exemplify the sound.  (kk) 
Kent,
I wondered about your intentions after reading some of the later info.  From the original message your reader suggested, I thought he wanted a list of the top "garage band songs" and not songs BY garage bands.  I believe they are two different things.  The Raiders might (and I do say MIGHT) not be considered a garage band, but I certainly would consider "Louie Louie" by them as a garage band SONG.  My list was aimed at garage band type songs, not necessarily songs by "classified as a garage band".  A list of top garage bands is too loose of a term, but a list of top garage grungy songs is much easier to weed out the too poppy, too everything else by the time you get to the cream at the top! 
WLSClark
I'll have to go back through all of the ballots received thus far in order to put together the ultimate Garage Band Song List ... but it'll be worth it if that's what you guys want to see.  

Meanwhile, here is Clark Besch's list of favorites ... in no particular order! (Readers take note ... Clark helped to assemble the "Garage Band Classics" CD for Varese Sarabande a few years ago ... so he knows of what he speaks!!!) See below.  (kk)   

Kent,
Bill has some good choices on his CD.  I would replace "Western Union" with the TRUE 5 Americans garage great, "I See The Light", which I am sure Larry Neal will say was #1 in Oklahoma City!  It was a huge success there. 
In 2004, I was a co-producer of a Varese Sarabande Cd "Garage Band Classics" which included some of the best in case more choices for readers are warranted. 
The tracks can be viewed here: 
http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Garage-Rock-Classics-CD-Jun-2004-Varese-Sarabande-USA-/30739377 
I was thrilled to be able to get Lincoln's Coachmen with "Mr. Moon" onto the CD.  Also getting Chicago's Shadows of Knight and Del-Vetts on there was great.
My choices (since many of mine would not even have bubbled under!) would be in no order:
Mr. Moon - Coachmen
I See the Light - 5 Americans
Last Time Around - DelVetts
Oh! Yeah (45 version) - Shadows of knight
Louie Louie - Kingsmen
Steppin' Out - Paul Revere & Raiders
Dirty Water - Standells
Get Me To The World On Time - Electric Prunes
Hey Joe - Leaves
Can't Seem to Make You Mine - Seeds
96 Tears - ? & Mysterians
Ben Franklin's Almanac - Cryan Shames (I am sure Kent will let me sneak this in??)
I Confess - New Colony 6
I Cannot Stop You - Cherry Slush
Great Train Robbery - Little Boy Blues
Every Day & Ervery Night - Trolls
I Can't Control Myself - Troggs (Hey Brits, is that OK??)
Who Do You Love - Woolies
Open Up Your Door - Richard & Young Lions
Fever - McCoys
Surfin Bird - Trashmen (The FIRST garage rock record??)
The Crusher - Novas
Psychotic Reaction - Count 5
Apple Cider - 5 By 5
Better Man Than I - Terry Knight & Pack
Beg, Borrow & Steal - Ohio Express
Say I Am - Tommy James & Shondells
Hanky Panky - Tommy James & Shondells
I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore - Young Rascals
One Track Mind - Knickerbockers
She's About a Mover - Sir Douglas Quintet
Just a Little - Beau Brummels
Keep on Dancin' - Gentrys
Heavy Music - Bob Seger & Last Heard
Respect - Rationals
There's a Chance We Can Make It - Blues Magoos
Green Door - Jerms
Grim Reaper of Love - Turtles
It's Cold Outside - Choir
Double Shot - Swingin Medallions
Shakin All Over - Guess Who
Gloria - Shadows of Knight
I am sure I can think up more, but hope that helps others think of their faves. 
WLSClark

Kent,
I cast my vote for the New Colony Six for the Garage Band Competition. This band (the original, true, garage band line up - nothing whatsoever against Ronnie or any of the subsequent players) has got to be the most musically, and lyrically, creative band of their time, and, this genre. Add to that their name and associated outfits!
By the way, my 1st 45 was "The Martian Hop", but I do not have a story to go along with it. I just got a kick out of it.
Bill Szostek (current NC6 bass player)
I hope this is the way to cast my vote. I didn't see anything on your web site specifically for this purpose. If it isn't, please let me know.
Your vote is cast!  Thanks, Bill ... The New Colony Six have been racking up several votes of late ... after we featured "I Lie Awake" on our Dave The Rave radio appearance last week, several other listeners have chimed in ... and The New Colony Six are now firmly placed in The Top Ten!  And if YOU want to cast YOUR vote, just send me an email listing your favorites ... songs or artists ... we don't care ... we'll tabulate them all! 
and we'll add your votes to the tally!  (kk)

I'm still involved in the tedious task of transferring vinyl to mp3 and ran into a old favorite that should qualify for the garage band segment ... Peter Rabbit by Dee Jay and The Runaways. Came close to cracking the top 40 in 1966 and charted for 11 weeks.  
Steve
Wow, I don't even remember this one ... but I'll cast your vote for it!



>>>On Sunday, April 15, on WIBG-FM in Jersey, Dave the Rave played the Portraits 1967 release, "Runaround Girl" and aired an interview with me.  (Gary Myers)
Cool!  Send me a copy and I'll feature it, too!  (lol)  kk
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