Monocled Alchemist

Stanton Park Records uncover another rarity on ‘Relative Distance’ LP

New England Teen Scene | The 1993 compilation ‘Relative Distance’ on Stanton Park Records (SRE-002) is a highly recommended piece of music history uncovering 15 long lost classics from New England’s mid-sixties past.

The compilation focuses on some of the lesser known bands who put out records that are exceptionally difficult to come by. Most of these records were vanity pressings, but a few are on small independent labels.

Not everything on ‘Relative Distance’ is killer garage or mindbending psychedelia.

New England Teen Scene | Relative Distance

There are many examples of the moody sound included though. Most of the tracks have never appeared on a compilation before, including the rarity under my spotlight.

My primary focus is an undocumented group calling themselves The Instincts, whose immortality was etched in New England Teen Scene folklore by their inclusion on a Connecticut prep school project LP that featured The Maiyeros, an a cappella group on side one with The Instincts on side two.

According to the back cover information The Instincts comprised of five members but only their first names or nicknames are listed: Art, Bat, Bates, Rob and Witch. No details of the instruments they played.

This could possibly mean that The Instincts were still all students at the time. But that didn’t stop them from recording the magnificent “No, No, No”. This track successfully merges a typical folk-rock sound with progressive trippy moves.

In particular the minor-key vocals accompanied by melodic guitar tones, devastating metronomic tambourine and flashes of haunting organ.

The original version was cut in 1966 by The Savages, the renowned garage band from Bermuda, of all places. Written by Jimmy O’Conner. The other cover versions they laid down were in the soul-pop category.

These included “Stop In The Name Of Love”, “Hold On, I’m Coming”, “Love Is A Beautiful Thing” and “Gimme Some Lovin’”.

A spirited and strong version of “Don’t Look Back” ends their piece of “The Loving Sandwich” LP (TCS-3952). Interestingly, this vanity pressing album has become highly sought after and commands up to $300+

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