LOOK WHAT I HAVE FOUND vol 156
"Heavy hunky" - 16 late 60s/early 70s singles that were too hunky to be heavy

 

In The Trashcan Records       GARBAGE156
"You can wait a million years, you won't find better. Amen. These were saved from the trashcan..."

1. don't try it - sam the sham & the pharaohs

Band of Domingo Samudio with several hit singles, including "Wooly bully". Mixing Mexican influences into their own vision on rock 'n' roll this Dallas group succeeded to have an immortal song. Who remembers the band? Hardly anyone. Who knows "Wooly bully"? Everyone... It's from 1965 and still we all know the song. I don't think that many people will know "Don't try it", the B-side of "Ring dang doo", also from 1965.

9. look away - eternity's children

B-side of "The sidewalks of the ghetto" by this Georgia pop band featuring Bo Wagner who formed AOR band Starbuck five years later. Singer Linda Lawley later reappeared in bands like Thieves, The Knickers and Consenting Adults, all bands you needn't to remember.

2. i can't convince my heart - the free movement

B-side of their debut release in 1971, "I've found someone of my own", one of their two hit singles. More singles followed, without success, and this Los Angeles sextet disbanded in 1973.

10. i'm alive - candy apple

No, this is not the song made popular by Don Fardon amongst a dozen others. A pop tune from 1973, released on Beverly Hills Records from Hollywood.

3. you, i - the rugbys

I don't know so many bands from Kentucky. These hard rockers hailed from Louisville. This is the first of three singles they cut for Amazon Records. From 1969.

11. knocking round the zoo - james taylor & the original flying machine

When James Taylor still was a member of The Flying Machine, he wrote songs like this; far more interesting than his 70s releases. Because there was also a UK band called The Flying Machine, they had to call themselves The Original Flying Machine, but by then they had already disbanded after which Taylor went solo and even got married to Carole King. A 1967 release on Euphoria.

4. hunky funky - the american breed

It's amazing how many 1966 rock bands moved towards soul and funk near the end of the decade. The American Breed never sound funkier than on this flipside on Atca Records in 1969.

12. gettin' into a good thing - the rites of spring

This late 60s pop tune came out on Generation. From the same label that gave us the fantastic "3 minutes heavy" by The Time Keepers in 1968.

5. amen - circle of five

Instrumental flipside to "Melting pot". A negro-spiritual turned into a Hammond organ instrumental by a band I know absolutely nothing about. Alshire International's subsidiary A/S Records from Burbank, California released it in 1972. A/S stands for Al Sherman, one of the people behind 101 Strings.

13. a long long time - the good things

Roger Harcourt, ex-member of Band X and Lynn & The Invaders from Grand Rapids, Michigan, formed The Good Things. This 1969 single was recorded at the famed Midwestern Sound Studios, where the classic Al Green single 'Back Up Train' was recorded. The engineer was Phil Roberts of The Kingtones. Eucalyptus was his private label. This flipside is a new version of the classic garage Band X single from a couple years before.

6. sound of love - the five americans

Dale "Suzie-Q" Hawkins produced this release in 1967 for Abnak Records. A few months later they had a monster hit  with "Western Union". Their folk-garage rock started with "I see the light" in 1965 and ended six years later.

14. how'd you get to be so wonderful - the smoke ring

Garage rock outfit from Nebraska, active at the end of the 60s. Not so wild, but with a tremendous guitar break. A 1969 release on Buddah Records.

7. wait a million years - the grass roots

While they hit the Top 20 in 1969 with this single, they remained quite unknown in Europe. For a hit record this is a great release. In Belgium we had Jess & James to give this mix of soul pop arrangements and late 60s folk rock.

15. won't find better - the new hope

Featuring Kit Stewart and friends who were first known as The Kit Kats from 1966. This is 1969 and they suddenly discovered folk rock.

8. heavy music pt2 - bob seger

Heavy psychedelic rock music from 1967 by The Last Heard and Bob Seger. After this he formed Bob Seger System and went solo afterwards. My fave Bob Seger song? "Death row" from 1968 by Bob Seger System and also "East Side Story", his debut single from 1966.

 16. komm zu mir, joe - connie francis 

She recorded quite a few songs in German in the 60s as did many singers, being French, Italian, Belgian, Spanish or even American like Francis. I never understood why. One of her better efforts, though.