JERRY COLE and HIS SPACEMEN – Surf Age (Vinyl Rip!)

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Jerry Cole was a first-rank studio guitarist who, like many members of the Wrecking Crew, cut a few instrumental albums under his own name during the 1960s when he wasn’t busy playing hot licks on other folks’ records. Cole’s 1964 LP Surf Age featured a dozen wordless rock tunes in which he laid out some impressive twangy leads over rather generic-sounding melodies, with a tight rhythm section behind him (Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer both played drums on these dates) and some honking sax thrown in for good measure (courtesy of Steve Douglas). Cole and co-producer Jim Economides wrote all the songs on this set, which tend not to have a lot of personality of their own (and “Racing Waves” bears a curious resemblance to Lonnie Mack’s “Wham”), but this isn’t an album about songcraft — this is a blowing session where a bunch of talented studio cats have some fun knocking out rock & roll that’s polished and frantic at the same time, and on that score, this album delivers the goods. Cole’s guitar work lacks the feral intensity of Dick Dale, but he’s an agile picker and his tone choices are excellent, ranging from the bright cleanliness of the title track to the reverb-soaked “Deep Surf” and the raunchy fuzz on “One Color Blues.” And this album is a testament to the effortless skill and enthusiasm of the great Los Angeles session players of the ’60s, who could knock out records this good as easily as some kid at McDonald’s flips a hamburger. If you dig vintage surf sounds or classic-era instrumental rock, then Surf Age is right up your alley. [Mark Deming]

Vinyl rip from Sundazed vinyl reissue in Surfadelic <360> stereo. Check it out!

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CALIFORNIA POPPY PICKERS – Sounds Of ’69 / THE PROJECTION COMPANY – Give Me Some Lovin’ [1968]

 

The California Poppy Pickers were one of several relatively anonymous studio projects assembled by Alshire label head Al Sherman to record budget-priced copycat LPs of ’60’s pop hits. Virtually all of the groups in question — Fats and the Chessmen, Los Norte Americanos, and the Bakersfield Five, among them — were helmed by producer and songwriter Gary Paxton, best-known for composing the novelty smash “The Monster Mash.” In 1965, Paxton founded his own Hollywood recording studio, assembling a session crew and the group released three 1969 LPs — Sounds of ’69, Hair/Aquarius, and Today’s Chart Busters comprised primarily of covers and thinly-veiled rewrites. [Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide]

 

 

‘Sounds of ’69’ is solid exploito album with some cool fuzz instros as Bun Buster, Happy Organ, Do Ya, Do Ya and Wipe Out ’69 [included in Surfadelic “The Hell Surfers” soundtrack] and unfortunately few lame shitty vocal tunes as horrible cover of Blowin’ In The Wind and Why Don’t We Do It In The Road.

 

 

The Projection Company lp is another 60’s exploatation slab that includes involvement of famous studio musician Jerry Cole and his crew. Some songs featured on this album are alternate versions of tracks found on his project “The inner sound of the ID” originally recorded for RCA records [Boil The Kettle, Wild Times, Don’t Think Twice]. Here you got some fine psych/lounge  instrumental trax as Kimeaa, Our Man Hendrix, Tune Out Of Place, What Else…

 

• Sounds of ’69
• Give Me Some Lovin’

 

 

THE KICKSTANDS – Black Boots & Bikes [1964]

 

”The Kickstands were one of writer and producer Gary Usher’s studio amalgams that made use of veteran L.A. session players in the early to mid-’60s to produce album after album of hot rod and surf tunes. With players from the so-called Wrecking Crew, including Jerry Cole, Hal Blaine, Steve Douglas, Earl Palmer, Leon Russell, Glen Campbell, and with Chuck Girard handling most of the vocals, the Kickstands officially released one album, Black Boots & Bikes, on Capitol Records. The album had a somewhat darker hue than most of Usher’s sunshine and surf productions, and tracks like “Death Valley Run” and “Slow Ride South” are definitely worth seeking out for fans of Usher and the hot rod/surf genre.” ~ Steve Leggett

 

 

”Right from the start, it’s obvious the Black Boots and Bikes is different from the slew of other Usher projects. The mixes favor the growly saxes, the vocals have a harder edge some extra timpani and xylophones (?) add to the heaviness of the overall sound. Released at the peak of the Honda/Bike craze, all that’s missing from the album is an obligatory cover of “Little Honda” as the 12th track; though it’s absence may simply have been due simply to time restrictions as these albums were usually rushed out in a day. A gritty ‘Death Valley Run’ opens up the record and is noticeably than the Hondells original. Mike Curbs’ instrumental ‘Hill Climb’ follows very much along the same path chalk full of saxes and steady drums. ‘Mean Streak’ actually sounds pretty good here considering the album’s darker themes. The bouncy ‘Side Car’ features some excellent playing – presumably by Jerry Cole an ‘Two Wheel Show Stopper’ has some instresting dissonance from the background vocals which works well alongside the pounding drums a baritone saxes. ‘Haulin’ Honda’ is another instrumental and could be considered filler if it were’nt so dogone catchy. ‘Devil On Wheels’ features some castanets and, like ‘Mean Streak’, is compliented by the hard-rocking execution. ‘Ridin’ Trails’ also works well here before the album slows down on the Mexican ‘Slow Ride South.’ Collector’s may search out this album for the inclusion of the the original ‘Johnny Take Care’ which never reappeared on any Usher. Admittedly, it’s not hard to see why…. The fuzzed up ‘Scrambler’ closes the album.

​ An oddity in the Usher canon, Black Boots and Bikes shows us the other side of the biker culture. Challenging the clean cut Beach Boys’ take on the sport, the Kickstands’ rendition is the more accurate, showing the dangers and the risks of the gang experience. That said, for surf/hot rod enthusiasts it warrents some attention only if you enjoy the wild hard-hitting sounds of other similar creations such as Mr. Gasser and the Weirdos or Dick Dale. For those on the Beach Boys, Terry Melcher side, better to pass this one up.” – J. T. [surfroute101]

 

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Psychedellic Guitars/Guitars A Go Go [60’s Instrumentals]

 

This is basically songs by a session man Jerry Cole and The Stingers under different titles, and guitars are maybe a go-go but certainly ain’t psychedelic. Although issued in ’67, ”Psychedellic Guitars” [notice double ‘L’] is actually ’64 ”Guitars A Go Go” Lp, and More Psychedellic Guitars is actually ’66 ”A Go Go Guitars” Lp with different trax order and titles. And yeah! There’s also ’69 Electric Firebirds ”Dance Party Time” Lp simmilar to More Psychedellic Guitars. It’s a bit confusing and misleading but that’s the way with many exploatation albums. Anyways, don’t worry everything’s here. Cool surf/lounge instro stuff, vinyl rips, Dig!!!

 

• Psychedellic Guitars
• More Psychedellic Guitars
• Guitars A Go Go 2