Exploring the primitive garage beat sounds on the Satan Records compilation “Signed, D.C.”
Signed, D.C.: “Wild Amendments” | This set features rare single sides and one-off acetates from another dimension in time.
Featured songs in order of appearance:
- The Wild Angels – movie promo spot #4
- Apollos – That’s The Breaks
- Herd – Things Won’t Change
- The Monkees – Kool-Aid radio spot #1
- Hangmen – What A Girl Can’t Do
- December’s Children Ltd – Signed D.C.
- The Beach Boys – concert promo Al Jardine
- Grey Stokes – The Legend Of Tarzan
- Paul Seargant Nehru jacket radio advert
- Nautiloids – Nautiloid Reef
- Hazards – Hey Joe
- Drag Kings – Midnight Drag of Paul Revere
- The Troggs – Miller Beer radio spot #2
- English Muffins – Leave Or Stay
- Mad Hatters – I Need Love
- The In-Sound – interview with the Chicago Loop #1
- Reekers – Don’t Call Me Flyface
- British Walkers – Bad Lightnin’
Signed, D.C.: “Wild Amendments”: Perhaps the location of our Nation’s capital, running interference for the East and South, has hindered it from ever really reaching a musical identity of its own.
Perhaps one listen to the first volume of inspired caterwauling from local Washington and surrounding area garage bands will go a long way towards changing that.
If not we’re still pretty confident it’ll make a damn good party album.
The Beatles first planted their collective feet on American soil in D.C., and this seemed to establish an affinity between the city and the Fab Four that lasted throughout their touring days.
The effect upon female fans was duly noted by a number of sharpies who couldn’t cut it on the football team with the inevitable and often glorious results.
WCAO
These results developed strange Georgetown derived British accents and names such as the British Walkers, English Muffins, Tower of London, and English Setters, the latter two of whom will be included on a future volume, as space did not permit here.
The youngsters were aided in their quest by WCAO which brought over the latest overseas releases even before they docked stateside via The Liverpool Hour on the Kirby Scott Show.
While the Chartbusters may have sold more records nationally, The British Walkers were THE local hot shots. The same gears turned them as did the Chartbusters, namely Bobby Poe and Vernon Sandusky, whose exploits could easily fill a book instead of a back cover.
Signed, D.C.: “Wild Amendments”
Changes in the band’s line-up were as frequent as those on a 1966 Washington Senators scorecard, with the most renowned graduate being Roy Buchanan and the most embarrassed Candy Mann.
“Bad Lightnin’” is the British Walkers‘ second and scarcest release, on the Manchester label and apparently aided by Link Wray.
Less is known about our other pseudo-English aggregation. The English Muffins‘ disc appears to date from ’67, much to the delight of their fuzz tone manufacturer if not the “executives” at Gama Records.
If the Walkers were the hottest dive act, “What A Girl Can’t Do” was the biggest area record. Included herein is the earlier and superior 45 version. The truth behind the vastly different LP cut can now finally be revealed: it was a different band!
The aggressive Reekers combo who warn the world not to label them “Flyface” is the very same group that surfaces on Side 2, Cut 2, the latter with the addition of Joe Triplett on vocals.
the Reekers
After the Reekers initial surf-oriented release they cut “What A Girl Can’t Do” by themselves. Not hearing from Brian Epstein, the boys set off towards various colleges, at which point Monument Records expressed interest in the cut.
They obviously needed a band to go with the record, so leader Tom Guernsey quickly assembled one and gave them the sinister dubbing.
They acquired lead singer Dave Otley by phoning the British Embassy and asking if there was anyone there who could sing! The group also drove around in a hearse to cut through Connecticut Avenue traffic.
The Mad Hatters attracted the attention of two major labels and put out a single on each. “I Need Love” is known to many garage enthusiasts through the Time Stoppers 1967 Pittsburgh waxing on HBR, but this is the original, as written by guitarist and singer Tom Curley.
The band’s strong punk sound scored them a summer ’65 regional hit along the boardwalk at Ocean City, Maryland, as well as further inland. In the group’s latter stages seminal D.C. rockabilly Billy Hancock hooked up on bass.
Signed, D.C.: “Wild Amendments”
The Prophets most notable achievements include playing at the 1965 World’s Fair, being one of the three finalists at the Lambertsville, New Jersey Music Circus.
The other combos included the Young Monkey Men, Trees, and Vandles of Northumberland) and not getting the crap kicked out of them for wearing togas and leather thongs which criss-crossed at their knees in their home town of Fredericksburg, VA.
“The Other Side of the Moon” reveals the summit meeting people have only dreamed about . . . D.C. legend Link Wray and Joe Meek! Link is actually there, although he forgoes his customary Danelectro for a power mower, while the haunting spectre of “Telstar” presides over the ceremonies. “Re-mark-able” as Spanky would say.
Delta Records
Original drummer Dave Elliot has an interesting story about the Apollos. It seems the Falls Church, VA natives didn’t have too much money together when they started the group, as evidenced by Dave’s drum “kit”, which consisted of one snare and a home-made cymbal.
Soon enough the group began scoring a local reputation, much to the envy of neighbourhood rich kids. The result being that by the time the classic “That’s The Breaks” was cut for Delta Records the entire original line-up had been replaced by these spoiled brats, with only keyboardist John Parisi remaining intact.
The IV Pack were produced by the House of Sound in Daville, Virginia. The answer to their ““Whatzit?” can be found in a certain fall ’66 San Jose chart topper, although IV Pack added a little poetry of their own:
“Looks so good I’d like to eat her, psychotic reaction every time I meet her. Five foot two and built for action, 98 lbs of psychotic reaction!”
Uh-huh. Thanks to Hippie Records.
Also hailing from Northern VA are the Flys. “Be What You Is” is the top side of their 2nd 45, the 1st of which is also excellent. Expect to be hearing more from them shortly. The Drag Kings terrorized the streets of Waynesboro, Virginia, looking for farmers’ daughters.
Signed, D.C.: “Wild Amendments”
The Herd and Nautiloids are even more obscure. The Herd’s wail of sorrow was somehow accomplished by Octopus Records, with their cryptic motto, “Our Hands are Everywhere.”
The Nautiloids are drenched in obscurity, as their subtle as a sledge hammer instro was taken from the only known acetate copy. We’ve embellished their original recording so as to actually enable the listener to hear the pounding surf at Ocean City, here cleverly disguised as surface hiss.
Pushing our geographical boundaries are Richmond’s Hazards, with their wild version of “Hey Joe.” Perhaps they learned it off the Swamp Rats‘ 45.
Junkie hymn
The Grey Stokes and December’s Children Ltd recorded within the confines of the District of Columbia. “The Legend of Tarzan” redefines “primitive” and offers an inebriated teen’s viewpoint. December’s Children Ltd. provide a truly harrowing and mind-boggling version of Arthur Lee‘s hymn for a junkie.
Maybe they found the lyrics for the acoustic tune with the sheet music for “7 and 7 Is.” One of the most emotionally draining records we’ve ever come across is a most fitting signature.
Hopefully, due to the efforts of December’s Children Ltd. and their friends on this record, no longer will the Washington D.C. area groups be stigmatized with a “Flyface” brand across their foreheads! (Satan Records, 1984).
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