The Bees – ’Leave Me Be’/’She’s An Artist (She Belongs To Me)’ (Mirwood 5503) August 1965
The Bees | Leave Me Be | (Mirwood) 1965 | Here’s a rather nice double sided folk rock 45 to track down on Mirwood Records. Both sides are perfect examples of this genre and really it’s where it was at in L.A. circa 1965 after The Byrds and The Turtles started hitting big.
The Bees came from Los Angeles, California and became quite a popular live attraction around the L.A area playing local venues and private parties. They even were broadcast on TV show ’Hollywood A Go Go’ but I don’t know what song they played, so if anyone knows let me know.
Members of The Bees included George Caldwell and Robert Zinner who would go on to form W.C. Fields Memorial Electric String Band, John York played bass (he was in a later line up of The Byrds), Cary Slavin played drums (he later played in The Factory), Ron Reynolds (12 string guitar) and Peter Ferst.
The top side of their first 45 was the uncompiled ’Leave Me Be’ written by Robert Zinner. This one is a very pleasant up beat folk rocker with jangle.
She’s an artist
The flip is an excellent cover of the Bob Dylan song ’She’s An Artist” (She Belongs To Me). This has been covered many times before of course and perhaps my favourite ever version is by English band The Masterminds.
Their version can be found on the Sequel CD An ’Immediate Alternative’. The Bees version can be found on Ya Gotta Have Moxie Volume 1. Produced by Norm Ratner.
Discography:
“She’s An Artist (She belongs To Me” / “Leave Me Be” (Mirwood 5503) 11/65
“Baby Let Me Follow You Down” / “Forget Me Girl” (Mira 210) 12/65
A reader sent me the following update about The Bees – I have been doing a lot of research on the HOLLYWOOD A GO GO TV show and have the answer as to what songs the Bees performed on their only show performance on Nov. 9, 1965.
The second and third numbers they performed were ”She’s An Artist” and ”Leave Me Be” which were the A and B sides of their 45 single on Mirwood 5003.
The first song they sang was the George Caldwell penned “Mimi’s Song” which is of interest becasue George married Mimi, who was a Gazzarri go go dancer on the show.
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