Here we have early heavy acid rock band, Damnation Of Adam Blessing bustin’ a groove on the Monkees’ classic “Last Train To Clarksville”. Offspring of prominent Cleveland garage act The Society, their new agenda was a much more “hard rock” approach which paired them with other like-minded acts as local faves the James Gang. “Last Train…” slips & swaggers through a funky-fied version of the pop classic by addin’ a tasty soulful organ, meat & potatoes guitar mashed together with an acid-blues backbeat that retains its hook as nicely as the original though much, MUCH grittier… which makes this 7” sucker completely WORTHY!
The tune was also released on their sought-after 1969 self-titled debut album on UA.
download: Damnation Of Adam Blessing- “Last Train To Clarksville”
L.A. based band Gangsters Of Love are a KILLER hybrid of smoked-out soul and HEFTY rock. The 8 member outfit throw wild combustable vocals and gnashing electric guitar leads over a stoned horn section that would fit nicely along side anything Funkadelic, Sly Stone or even Betty Davis have to offer. I find it sad that they never recorded anything other than this 1973 album. Check out their version of “Sympathy For The Devil” …it’s a monster!
download: Gangsters Of Love- “s/t” (selected tracks)
This is pop music, man. NO frills… just simple, FUN raucous POP! Stripped of all the could-be pretentious indie bullshit and peppered with enough heartfelt brazenness to probably warrant it a no-show at your local radio station. Supposedly STILL playin’ today, these Norfolk Virginia folks aren’t the most productive bunch considering they’ve only released one album and maybe a half dozen singles since 1995… THIS 1996 release bein’ their 2nd 7” on Black Lung Records. It should be noted that mastermind Steve Baise of the almighty Devil Dogs joined the band for a spell and played on Big Bobby’s 4th single, 1999’s “Harm’s Way”.
Direct from a garage in Norfolk, I present… Big Bobby’s Nightcaps!
download: Big Bobby’s Nightcaps- “Close My Mind” 7”
Tough li’l buzzzzz-driven blooze/rock 7” from the fairly unknown California act, The Ferguson Tractor. Released around 1968, it has obvious hints of that area’s PSYCH sound (Big Brother, KAK, Country Joe, etc.) without trippin’ into over-indulgent hippie turf. The hearty use of wah-wah fuzz and plenty o’ echo give its A-side “12 O’Clock High” just enough bite to qualify it for garage comps like the Echoes In Time series. Sources list this oddball single as Ferguson Tractor’s ONLY release which is a bummer ‘cause I coulda seen ‘em progress into some real HEAVY rawk ala Blue Cheer!
Check it out…
download: The Ferguson Tractor 7” (both sides!)
Not a whole lot of info is out there on Friday Night & Saturday ‘cept the affordable eBay listings and a limited Tuba Records (outta Detroit) discography. ”Going Nowhere” is a 1965 echo-drenched garage-pop downer that lurches along like a chain gang of Mods jump-startin’ their scoots without a whole lotta luck…
Another nice slice of depressingly pissed-off ’60s pop that went pretty much nowhere.
download: Friday Night & Saturday- “Going Nowhere”
