December 30, 2011

My End-of-Year Mix 2010

Since I just posted the 2011 Year-End mix that I shared with my besties, I thought I'd do the same for the mix I made for them the previous year. Mostly 60's garage/psych/beat with a wee bit o'soul. Enjoy.

Yes indeed it does.


1. The Electric Banana - Eagle's Son
The Pretty Things (classic 60's Brit band), apparently needing some fast cash, released lots of material under the name The Electric Banana on the library label DeWolfe for use as incidental music for movies (including an episode of Dr Who and some soft-core porn). Why they decided that these tracks - as good as, if not better than, anything from their SF Sorrow-era material - didn't merit release under their own name is anyone's guess.

2. Bill Moss - Sock It To 'Em Soul Brother
Columbus-area DJ Bill Moss issued this single in 1969.  I discovered it on a compilation of obscure soul labels.

3. Billy Nicholls - Life Is Short
From "Would You Believe," one of the great lost albums of the 60's - teenage wunderkind Billy got a record deal with Immediate just before the label went bankrupt. The handful of albums that were printed could fetch a near mint from collectors before it was released on CD in the late 90's.  Billy worked with Pete Townshend in the 70's, duetting on "Forever's No Time At All."

4. Captain Beefheart - Zig Zag Wanderer 
From the inimitatable avant-garde wacko genius's debut album, Safe As Milk (1967).

5. The Bee Gees - Harry Braff
My favorite song from their early psychedelic period. Very few artists can sing "I'm comiiiiiing!" in three-part falsetto harmony and get away with it. (They made a video, but the audio is slowed down considerably... Ken Stringfellow of the Posies and Shy Noblemen did a pretty kickass live cover.)

6. The Clique -You've Been Unfair
As far as I can tell, these Brits only put out one single, on Pye, and this is the B-side.  (Here's the flip)

7. The Savage Resurrection - Thing In 'E'
San Francisco psych quintet signed to Mercury, put out one album in '67, and disappeared.

8. Powder - Magical Jack
Who-obsessed trio from the Bay Area, they backed up Sonny and Cher for a bit.  The song's not on YouTube except for a really bad Japanese cover, so here's another song of theirs, "Turn Another Page."

9. Supersister - A Girl Named You
This Dutch jazz-prog quartet released two versions of this song - a 10-minute album version and this tighter single cut - not an edit, an entirely different recording/arrangement.  (Here's the album version performed live at a 2000 reunion gig, shortly before the flautist died.)

10. The Everly Brothers - Man With The Money
They have their hits and they're justifiably famous for them, but I love this. (So did the Who; they covered it.)

11. The Electric Banana - Blow Your Mind
(See track one.  Ditto.)

12. Billy Nicholls - Girl From New York
Another one from"Would You Believe," accompanied by the Small Faces.  Steve Marriott's heavy guitar counterpoints the twee-ness brilliantly.

13. Public Nuisance - America
I know very little about these guys except they were included on the San Francisco Nuggets box set.

14. Fire - Father's Name Was Dad
They put out a pair of singles and a concept album before leader Dave Lambert joined the Strawbs. The YouTube video has a different vocal arrangement - I'd only ever heard the single-tracked vox before.

15. The Creation - I Am The Walker
These Mods are best known for "Making Time," which keeps popping up in commercials even today.  I can hear echoes of the New Pornographers... maybe they should cover it.

16. Alan Burn with the Ushers - Whirlpool
Maybe I read it wrong (can't find the webpage anymore) but these guys were apparently from my hometown of Kittery, Maine!  This song's popped up on a couple of garage comps.

17. Jack and the Beanstalks - So Many Times
Obscure single; I know nothing about them other that the singer/writer is named Jack Tate and they're from the Milwaukee area, but I love the 12-string Vox Phantom sound. Lyrically, a total ripoff of the Stones' Time Is On My Side, but I forgive them. (Here's the B-side, "Don't Bug Me.")

18. The Four Rogues - I'll Be Glad
I know nothing about these guys either (they also did a cute Beatle parody called "The Ralphie") but I like their harmonies. Found it on the "Sigh Cry Die" compilation.

19. Wimple Winch - Save My Soul
From the UK, Wimple Winch released a few classic singles in the 60's but their sound varied so widely between twee psychedelia and punk muscle that they couldn't establish an identity for the public to grab onto. Nonetheless, this totally kicks ass.

20. Sounds Unlimited - Gotta Get Away
Great lost punky garage number by a Chicago-area band that could've been huuuge, baby.  They recorded this before the (slightly) better-known version by the Blues Magoos, and also recorded "She" before the Monkees did.

21. RO-D-YS - Take Her Home
Dutch 60's band - long live the Nederbeat! (here's a modern cover)

22. The Bee Gees - I Have Decided To Join The Air Force
I can't find this on YouTube anymore.  It was just here, I promise...

23. The Everly Brothers - Mary Jane
I'm sure this song is about a girl. I mean, what else could it be about? Man I could go for some nachos, dude...