Monocled Alchemist

Here are some of my random thoughts and words about obscure and in-demand 1960s garage and psychedelic singles over the years. 

The Lancastrians – ’We’ll Sing In The Sunshine’ / ’Was She Tall’ (Pye 7N. 15732) November 1964

Merseybeat Rockin’ 45s and more: Here’s a merseybeat rockin’ 45 by the LANCASTRIANS who are believed to have been from the Cheshire area, according to ”The Tapestry Of Delights” The record was released November 1964.

”Was She Tall” was the flip and features lead guitar by Jimmy Page. The top side ”We’ll Sing In The Sunshine” is decent pop that struggled to #44 in the Charts. Both sides were produced by Shel Talmy.

Simon Scott with the Leroys – ’Move It Baby’ / ’What Kind Of Woman’ (Parlophone R 5164) July 1964

This hard driving beat disc is a recent purchase, I had never even heard it until last month when someone recommended it to me. 

Simon Scott was Managed by future Bee Gees boss Robert Stigwood and it seems that the latter had big hopes for his star find. Simon had the looks, voice and a forceful beat backing group in The LeRoys to succeed and their first single ”Move It Baby” was a terrific debut. It reached the Top #40 in the British Charts but deserved to go so much higher.

Their next 45 ”My Baby’s Got Soul” flopped badly and Simon Scott drifted back into obscurity.

Adam Faith with the Roulettes – ’It’s Alright’ / ’I Just Don’t Know’ (Amy 913) October 1964

”It’s Alright” was released in Britain during May 1964 as the B-Side to ”I Love Being In Love With You” which went Top 40. However, the song was given A-Side status in USA when it was released in October ’64 with ”I Just Don’t Know” on Amy Records.

”It’s Alright” is a powerful beat rocker with an up-tempo beat, harmonica and a killer lead guitar break. Adam Faith was not known for this kind of sound so this jewel was a complete departure from his usual pop songs and ballads, most definitely a 45 for beat fans to seek out.

The Four Pennies – ’No Sad Songs For Me’ / ’Cats’ (Philips BF 1519) October 1966

The Four Pennies were a popular beat group from Blackburn, Lancashire who had a #01 single in Britain with ”Juliet” during 1964. Most of their material was ballads so they’re not gonna appear that often on ’Flower Bomb Songs’ unless they really have a driving beat number or a psych tinged pop nugget to offer.

Look no further than ”Cats” on the flip of ”No Sad Songs For Me” from October 1966. This rather eerie and strange tune was hidden away on the wrong side of the disc so probably never got heard much back then as the single flopped and the Four Pennies called it quits.

Curiously ”Cats” has never featured on any Four Pennies retrospective CD collection.

Merseybeat Rockin’ 45s and more

The Shadows – ’Maroc 7’ / ’Bombay Duck’ (Columbia DB 8170) April 1967

’Maroc 7’ is an instrumental recorded by The Shadows for the British film of the same name. Flip it over for some ’Bombay Duck’

The mono single mix is superior with a longer fade out than the stereo version, which is the one usually heard via albums and CD retrospectives.

Also, check out the large font used on the label which is a bit weird on a UK Columbia 45.

The Easybeats – ’St. Louis’ / ’Can’t Find Love’ (Polydor 56335) June 1969

Killer late period Easybeats psychedelic rock double sider from 1969. ’St Louis’ was deemed the A-Side and is a memorable rocker with brass flourishes.

Flip it over for the riff-tastic ’Can’t Find Love’ written by the awesome Vanda / Young song writing partnership… Both songs were part of their ’69 album ’Friends’.

Dino, Desi & Billy – ’She’s So Far Out She’s In’ / ’Look Out Girls (Here We Come)’ (Reprise 0496) July 1966

Very young teenbeat threesome Dino, Desi & Billy recorded two Baker Knight songs used on one of their mid 1966 singles. The often recorded ’She’s So Far Out She’s In’ makes one of it’s earliest appearances on record and it’s a neat effort with a raunchy beat and fuzz.

They actually fashion quite the garage sound on both sides and use plenty of fuzztone especially on the flip ’Look Out Girls (Here We Come)’ which is a personal favourite. 

The record was produced by Lee Hazlewood and arranged by Billy Strange.

The North Stars – ’She’s So Far Out She’s In’ / ’Eenie Meenie Minee Mo’ (Fontana TF 726) July 1966

Continuing my look at the more beatsville and psychedelic songs of Baker Knight during his song writing phaze of 1966 – 67 has led me to this beat cruncher by The North Stars. The latter are believed to have been from Manchester and hung around long enough to release two singles on Fontana.

Their version of Baker Knight’s ’She’s So Far Out She’s In’ was one of the earliest recorded and was released during July 1966, the same month as versions by Dino, Desi & Billy and Billy Fury.

The North Stars add a bit of Kinks toughness to their take and I rate the production superior. I wish I knew who it was but the information on the record label does not provide details. The flip ’Eenie Meenie Minee Mo’ is even better.

Certainly a 45 to add to your collection but it may take some time to locate.

Merseybeat Rockin’ 45s and more

The Power Plant – ’It Can’t Happen Without You’ / ’She’s So Far Out She’s In’ (Diamond D-229) September 1967

This 45 is a mystery, little has been written about it in guides etc. It was even omitted from ’Fuzz, Acid & Flowers’ and ’Teenbeat Mayhem’.

Both sides were written and produced by Baker Knight leading me to suspect that The Power Plant could have been recordings by Baker Knight with his backing band The Knightmares but under a different guise. 

I have since found some in depth information on soundcloud which more or less discounts my theory. It appears that Baker Knight was simply the songwriter and producer for a soul group calling themselves The Power Plant! 

’She’s So Far Out She’s In’ has got a faster tempo than any of the other versions recorded by other groups. I’d make this version the definitive one..

With a Sept 1967 release date, it came out later than any of the others. But would have been more or less unheard back then because it was the B-Side of a soul pop tune ’I Can’t Happen Without You’

I asked fellow psych collector and ”Fuzz, Acid & Flowers” contributor Max Myndblown about The Power Plant and here’s what he had to say: 

Hi Colin, I have two by them – the one on Diamond 229, both sides written & produced by Baker Knight. The second ”Victim Of Love” / ”Heavy With Me” (Diamond D-245) June 1968 is credited to Freddie May & The Power Plant and is soul.

Baker Knight and the Knightmares – ’Hallucinations’ / ’I Feel Sick About The Whole Thing’ (Reprise 0554) February 1967

I first became aware of this mammoth psychedelic tune via Rhino’s 2004 CD compilation titled ”Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Psych Nuggets From The WEA Vaults.” They liked it so much that the set was named after Baker Knight’s song and it was placed as the CD opener to superbly get the listener in ’hot psych action’ mode.

Over the years I’ve been tempted to buy an original copy of the 45 to add to my psych archive and earlier this week that’s just what I did, and as you know, I’m now trying to find out as much about Baker’s ’psych’ period of song-writing as possible.

’Hallucinations’ is a thrill trip of lysergic pop moves where much of the credit must go to producer Jimmy Bowen. The following information has been taken from the liner notes of the previously mentioned Rhino CD comp.

psychedelic workout

Believe it or not, Thomas Baker Knight was 34 years old when he wrote and recorded this psychedelic workout. Even more unbelievable is the fact that his very aptly named backing band, The Knightmares, was actually formed way back in 1956.

No doubt that this 1967 Reprise single was a long way from Knight’s rockabilly past, when he opened for the likes of Carl Perkins and wrote songs for Ricky Nelson (’Lonesome Town’). By the mid 60s, Knight had fallen in with industry mover and shaker Jimmy Bowen and was writing songs for teen trio Dino, Desi & Billy.

Baker Knight:
”Hallucinations was recorded in a small studio on Melrose Avenue. I played some of the less prominent guitar parts and Gerry McGee (Monkees sessioner and later a member of The Ventures) played the lead guitar. Jimmy Bowen, the producer, got a neat idea for recording the background vocals. He mic’d me with a stage type mic connected to the input of a very large guitar amp.

The amp had a tremolo, which was turned on at a high depth level. They mic’d the speakers on the amp and fed that signal into the studio board.

I thought it was a pretty good record, so did Bowen. I tried to make it sound a little Beatle-ish.”   

The flip ’I Feel Sick About The Whole Thing’ is by no means a throwaway cut. Baker Knight is obviously going for a Lovin’ Spoonful vibe here and in my opinion is successful in doing so. This song has yet to make a compilation appearance.

Billy Fury – ’Give Me Your Word’ / ’She’s So Far Out She’s In’ (Decca F.12459) July 1966

England’s answer to Elvis Presley was probably Billy Fury and he enjoyed lots of rock ’n’ roll hits pre Beatlemania. None of these songs are ’Flower Bomb Songs’ material.

However, hidden away on the B-Side of a mid 1966 single is a Baker Knight penned mod dancer with some classy guitar and organ bursts.

”She’s So Far Out She’s In” was also recorded by Manchester beat group The North Stars, Dino, Desi & Billy, The Power Plant and The Monkees, although their version was unfinished and only a backing track survives.

Merseybeat Rockin’ 45s and more

West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band – ’1906’ / ’Shifting Sands’ (Reprise 0552) February 1967

I’m currently researching Baker Knight. He is mostly known as being a rockabilly recording artist in the late 50s and early 60s with his backing band The Knightmares. Big names including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Jerry Lee Lewis recorded his songs.

Baker’s song ”The Wonder Of You” was a big hit for Elvis.

However, in his early 30s, during the years 1966/67 he was writing some happenin’ songs. Don’t know if readers are aware of this but The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band recorded two Baker Knight songs for their album ”Part One”

These were the ultra great ”Shifting Sands”, also released as a single and an old song from around 1964 called ”If You Want This Love”, this song was released as a 45 by Sonny Knight.

The Graveyard Five – ’The Marble Orchard’ / ’The Graveyard Theme’ (Stanco Records SR-102) September 1968

I’VE JUST BOUGHT A RE-ISSUE OF THIS MONSTROUS 1968 FUZZ TORMENTOR MADE AVAILABLE BY LYSERGIC SOUND DIST. ORIGINAL COPIES ARE VIRTUALLY NONE EXISTENT, MAYBE A HANDFUL SURVIVE AND COPIES SELL FOR SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS SO THIS IS A REQUIRED ITEM THAT LOOKS AND SOUNDS AMAZING.

IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE GRAVEYARD FIVE HAILED FROM THE KELSEYVILLE – LAKEPORT AREA OF CALIFORNIA (TEENBEAT MAYHEM) AND DESPITE THE APPARENT LATE 1968 RELEASE, THIS SOUNDS LIKE IT BELONGS TWO YEARS IN THE PAST.

HAVE A LISTEN TO THIS CRANIUM SMASHER, CRANK UP THE VOLUME AND FEED YOUR MIND WITH SOME REVERBED GUITARS AND FUZZ……. REMEMBER, THAT THE LATE 60S WEREN’T ALL ABOUT LOVE AND WHITE DOVES, DIG A LITTLE DEEPER AND YOU’LL FIND THE GOOD STUFF THAT NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT…. 

CONFIRMED GROUP LINE-UP AS FOLLOWS:

GARY PRATHER (RHYTHM GUITAR)
LOUIS SHRINER (LEAD GUITAR)
STEVE KUPPINGER (BASS)
DAVID TEMPLETON (DRUMS) 

I got in touch with The Graveyard Five rhythm guitarist Gary Prather via YouTube and he answered my questions.

EXPO67: Gary, if you want to elaborate more on the killer Graveyard Five record please get in touch. I’ve just wrote about the disc on my blog but would like to know who played what instruments, the recordings, did the group play any gigs, were you in any groups prior to the Graveyard Five and did anyone go onto other groups etc etc….just nerdy stuff that I kinda dig and need to know!

GARY PRATHER: Hi Colin, Dave played drums, Louie played lead guitar, Steve was on bass guitar, and I played rhythm guitar.  We played a lot of local gigs before winning a battle of the bands contest in Lakeport, California that got us the recording contract to cut the record with Stanco.  

We were all in high school at the time, and I had to quit the band shortly after making the record (my parents kinda forced me to for personal reasons).  I don’t know if the others went on to play with other bands after that, but I played for a short time with my brothers in a band before going on to college.  

My brothers still play to this day, and have cut a couple of albums of their own music. 

They are the Prather Brothers Band and are playing at the Cobb Stock festival in Lake County this weekend.  Nowadays all I play is the radio.

Merseybeat Rockin’ 45s and more

Phil and the Frantics – ’I Must Run’ / ’Pain’ (Rabbit 45-1219) February 1966

The best place to hear the recordings of Phoenix, AZ group Phil and the Frantics is via the mid 80s retrospective on Voxx Records, strange then, that I can’t find my copy. Maybe I didn’t even buy it back in the day but thought I had!

’I Must Run’ is almost 100% based on The Zombies song ’I Must Move’ but nevertheless, it’s still an awesome moody beat number with a great organ dominated sound. The flip ’Pain’ is also a British Invasion styled tune.

According to ’Fuzz Acid & Flowers’, ’I Must Run’ was a sizeable local hit which brought the group some notice, eventually gaining a touring slot with Peter & Gordon.

Sterling Damon – ’Rejected’ / ’My Last Letter’ (International Artists IA-108) mid 1966

’Rejected’ is a bass heavy scorcher with some jangling guitar and moody vocals from Sterling Damon. Prior to this one-off single for International Artists he went under the name of Mel Douglas and released several rockabilly records with his backing band The Nu-Notes.

The flip ’My Last Letter’ is a teener ballad.

Both songs on this disc were written by Mel Douglas a.k.a. Sterling Damon. It’s all a bit confusing as sometimes you’ll see his songs with the credit Melvin D. Gilmore! The single was released in different mixes and on different coloured labels. Patrick L from lysergia.com has some great information about these variants and the discography of International Artists.

108 STERLING DAMON (aka MEL DOUGLAS)  [Houston]
LH-2447 Rejected (M.D. Gilmore)
LH-2448 My Last Letter (M.D. Gilmore)
Produced by Ken Skinner; blue label
May, 196

NOTE: There are two pressings of IA 108, with different mixes of both sides. The first pressing is shown above. Second pressings are on yellow and green labels, have credit line ”Arranged by Walt Andrus,” and the LH matrixes are replaced by IA matrixes (IA-108-A/B).

(information in blue taken from Lysergia.com)

The Hysterical Society –  ’Come With Me’ / ’I Know’ (United Artists UA-50147) March 1967

This short lived combo were from Amarillo, TX.

Both sides of this 45 are essential with perhaps the ’Taxman’ riffed ’Come With Me’ the pick. United Artists deemed this side as the ’plug side’.

The flip ’I Know’ is much more aggressive with the bass guitar high in the mix and some thumping drum action. Check it out on ’Psychedelic Unknowns Volume 9’. Incidentally, ’Come With Me’ has only ever been compiled on Misty Lane’s ’Basementville USA!’ and never on compact disc.

Hysterical Society bass player Ken Hutchinson confirmed the following to Garage Hangover:

”We did indeed cut six sides while there however the promo copy of the two that you acquired was all that was released. We received copies of the other four, but I have lost track of mine after being passed around to family members for 45 years. There were five rock and roll songs written by Mark and one ballad written by me recorded. Eddie picked the two for release.

“Come With Me” was very current for the time – it must have been as the Beatles used the same riff for “Taxman” a short time later with a lot better result. The flip side, “I Know”, was, I think, a little ahead of it’s time but what is my opinion worth.”

Don & Jerry – ’Better Run And Hide’ / ’Too Much Confusion’ (N-Joy 1018) September 1967

Their most well known song amongst garage fans is the Fabor Records release ’In The Cover Of Night’ that has surfaced on a couple of compilations over the years. Much more obscure is their other offering on N-Joy Records from the back end of 1967.

Don Griffin and Jerry Strickland may have been based in Louisiana but I’ve got no substantial evidence to back that up. It was a West Monroe, La label that released ’Better Run And Hide’ / ’Too Much Confusion’ so maybe I’m not too far off the mark.

’Better Run And Hide’ is a fast paced strummin’ beat tune than is still clinging onto folk-rock. Folk-beat is probably the best phrase to describe the music. The flip is also decent enough and sounds like they’d been listening to The Rolling Stones hit ’Mother’s Little Helper’ quite a bit.

Both sides as far as I know have never caught the compilers notice.

Merseybeat Rockin’ 45s and more

The Echoes Of Carnaby Street – ’Baby Doesn’t Know’ / ’No Place Or Time’ (Thames 105) August 1966

This is a 45 I’ve had for years but have never written about it despite doing some research at the time of purchase. I’ve even pencilled notes on the plain white sleeve but for some reason it got filed away in the box until May 2014 when I remastered both sides for ’Trash Can Radio.’

Checking the internet, collector Jeff Lemlich of ’Savage Lost’ has got the scoop on the band. He confirms that they were all pre 15 year old teenagers from Miami Beach, Florida. They got talent spotted by Steve Palmer who owned Thames Records and he offered them the chance to record some songs with producer Jim Sessody.

Palmer brought The Echoes Of Carnaby Street a couple of Travis Fairchild songs to record which they did with some success. Both ’Baby Doesn’t Know’ and ’No Place Or Time’ are guitar/organ beaters. Travis Fairchild was the leader of The Cleffs Of Lavender Hill.

Producer Jim Sessody had some success in the late 70s engineering records by Aerosmith, The Records and The Romantics among others.

Sessody was also involved with The Legends, who were based in Milwaukee WI and then later Florida.

The Escapades – ’Mad Mad Mad’ / ’I Try So Hard’ (Verve VK-10415) May 1966

The Escapades were from Memphis and are quite well documented online. There is also information about the group within the booklet of The Jesters CD titled ’Cadillac Men – The Sun Masters’ released by Big Beat in 2008.

Their first single ’I Tell No Lies’ / ’She’s The Kind’ was released on Arbet and is acknowledged as one of the great Memphis 60s garage records. It was a local success and the group got signed to Verve Records soon after.

’Mad Mad Mad’ / ’I Try So Hard’ soon followed in May ’66 and it’s swingin’ fuzz laden beat, somewhat frantic but with commercial appeal. Being on a major meant more contacts and better paying gigs with support slots on tours with Sam The Sham and Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels.

Sadly, like many teenage groups in USA back then several group members received their draft papers and The Escapades broke up.

The Penthouse Five – ’In His Shadow’ /’Bad Girl’ (Solar Records 7665) June 1966

This combo were short lived, maybe less than two years but fortunately they released a couple of singles and recorded more studio material, unreleased during the 60s but fortunately released back in the mid 80s on Cicadelic Records.

They were formed in the wake of the British Invasion sometime in 1965 and common with a large majority of US groups during this time, they were all still teenagers. According to Bill Looney, The Penthouse Five were a popular group in their home City of Dallas and enjoyed regular gigs and radio playtime.

Their first single was the jangle folk-rocker ’In His Shadow’ which has been one of my many fave rave janglers since I heard it via that Cicadelic Records LP ’Texas Punk Volume 4’ all those years ago. By contrast, the other side ’Bad Girl’ is a Kinks style beat rocker, also great.

By the start of 1967 the group dropped the ’five’ and were simply known as Penthouse. A second single followed in February 1967 on Hawk, ’You’re Gonna Make Me’ / ’Don’t Mess Around With My Dream’.

line-up:
Rob Graham (lead vocals/keyboards)
Steve Wood (vocals/rhythm guitar)
Justin Brown (lead guitar)
Mark Porter (drums)
Bill Looney (bass)

Crystal Chandelier – ’Suicidal Flowers’ / ’Your Land Of Love’ (Cobblestone CB 730) 1968

I’ve been meaning to research and write about the obscure psychedelic outfit Crystal Chandelier for quite some time, I even YouTubed the B-Sides for both of their singles back in 2011 but got side tracked.

It has been confirmed that Crystal Chandelier hailed from North Providence, Rhode Island and were probably made up with five friends. I did some internet digging and located various YouTube comments from family members of the group suggesting that four of the musicians were:

Arnold Micarelli (vocals)
Frank Giammarco (lead guitar)
Vincent Vento (rhythm guitar)
Anthony Jackvony (drums)

The fifth member could possibly have been someone called Keith Beck who wrote ”It’s Only You”, the flip of their United Artists 45 ’The Setting Of Despair’. There is also a lad named Keith Beck noted on the online site ”North Providence High School 1968” in the same class as Frank Giammarco. Strong evidence or co-incidence?

’Suicidal Flowers’ is a fuzzadelic doom laden psych ballad patterned with eastern vibes that add to the song’s intensity. It’s one of my all time favourite psychedelic fuzz tunes and has been compiled several times, maybe the first time on Pebbles #3.

’Your Land Of Love’ is also great, this time the music is much more dreamy, fuzz free and with beautiful acid vibes and orchestration. Incredibly, this song has never turned up on any compilation as far as I know. Check out my YouTube upload.

Crystal Chandelier -The Setting Of Despair’ / ’It’s Only You’ (United Artists UA-50284) March 1968

The other Crystal Chandelier 45 was released on United Artists and produced by Henry Jerome who was the A&R director for UA during the late 60s and would have been in his fifties when the Crystal Chandelier entered the studio. I wonder what he made of these young hipsters with their psychedelic sound.

’The Setting Of Despair’ is mesmerizing orchestrated psychedelia with a slowish pace that adds to it’s intensity. The lyrics appear to be about unrequited love. It has turned up on several comps including ’Sixties Punk Ballads Sampler’ on Eva back in the late 80s.

The flip ’It’s Only You’ is the least psychedelic song Crystal Chandelier recorded, this time they go for a pleasant pop beat style and as far as know is un-compiled.

During my research I found an article from Billboard, issue dated 29th July 1972. Someone called Arnie Micarelli from North Providence, who is employed by Interstella Electronic Research & Development Corp, is talking about a studio design of a new 24-track computerized tape recording complex. I wonder if it’s the same Arnie Micarelli from Crystal Chandelier?

If anyone has any information about this group and/or photos please get in touch.

Merseybeat Rockin’ 45s and more

The Regents – ’Words’ / ’Worryin’ Kind’ (Penthouse 502) July 1966

From Bakersfield, CA. This group had four singles during their lifetime all on different labels. This was their third release, ’Worryin’ Kind’ is a catchy garage rocker with a hot guitar break. 

The flip, ’Words’ was the first known release of the Boyce & Hart song made famous by The Monkees in 1967. Norm Ratner produced this disc and his name crops up on many noteworthy folk-rock and garage releases including singles by The Bees, The Hook, The Inrhodes, The Leaves, W.C. Fields Memorial Electric String Band and The Yellow Payges. I’m sure that there will be more.

Over the years ’Words’ has been compiled on Killer Cuts and Quagmire #6 whilst ’Worryin’ Kind’ can be found on Acid Dreams #3 and Quagmire #5.  

Count Five – ’Peace Of Mind’ / ’The Morning After’ (Double Shot 106) November 1966

I’ve been busy putting together some hour long mixes for Mike Spenser’s ’Trash Can Radio’ which is due to start broadcasting in early June – all I’m doing is dipping into my boxes and randomly picking 60s garage, beat or psych 45s that I’ve got in my collection.

I’ve already highlighted some of those discs recently including The Painted Ship, The Kingsmen, and The Seeds.

I’ll post the records selected for ’Trash Can Radio’ here continuing with Count Five’s follow up to their big hit ’Psychotic Reaction’

It’s a Kinks style thumper with trippy moments but it subsequently failed to catch on.

The Seeds – ’Mr Farmer’ / ’No Escape’ (GNP CRESCENDO 383) February 1967

I’ve started working on my Seeds 45 collection which to be honest is a bit pathetic. I’ve just made do with Seeds compilations in the past. Here’s one I bought last week.

’Mr Farmer’ is a great garage mover with the Sky master in control of his cohorts. The mono 45 has the best ending of the song, the usual version you hear on comps and Seeds Collections tend to use the fade-out album version.  

’No Escape’ is basically a re-write of ’Pushin’ Too Hard’, at least that’s what I think!

Count Five – ’You Must Believe Me’ / ’Teeny Bopper, Teeny Bopper’ (Double Shot 110) March 1967

This was Count Five’s third single and is collectable because both sides are not on their ’Psychotic Reaction’ album.

’You Must Believe Me’ is a decent cover of The Impressions hit from 1964 done in a garage beat style.
My personal favourite is the crunchin’ fuzz punker and self-penned ’Teeny Bopper, Teeny Bopper’ which was recorded in the late 80s by Attila & The Huns.

There are plenty of reasons to rave about San Jose teenbeat group Count Five and ’Teeny Bopper, Teeny Bopper’ is just one of them.

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