JESSE HECTOR – Gorilla Garage / HAMMERSMITH GORILLAS – Gorilla Got Me (UK 70’s Glam-Protopunk)

 

The Godfather of Garage Rock. A stalwart of the rock scene who began in 1959, became a scenester in the mid 60’s, an urban legend in the mid and late 70’s… and an icon ever since whose influence abounds. With a unique look and image, sideburns that can kill, Jesse Hector is an icon and a rock legend. 

This compilation, the first ever to tell the full story of Jesse Hector, pulls the best recorded evidence together. A stripped down band set up, often live in the studio, no frills, plenty of menace, high energy, a rock’n’roll sensibility underpinning everything. Where Jack White has drawn on Blues for the bedrock to the White Stripes material, Jesse Hector drew on Rock ‘n’Roll. It is no coincidence that both acts produced some of their best work at Toe Rag studios, the first three on this compilation being recorded and produced by Liam Watson.

Other producers have also got great results from Jesse; Chiswick’s Roger Armstrong producing the punk era classic ‘Gatecrasher’ and the later Jesse Hector & The Sound recordings, Larry Page producing the equally classic version of ‘You Really Got Me’. The latter graces the recent compilation “Glitterbest” and is often played on the radio by the likes of DJ Mark Lamarr. *The album is timeless, like it’s a brand new album, even though the recordings span 1972-1988, they bear a consistent sound and performance. Even the bonus track on the end – Jesse’s first recording in 1959 – doesn’t sound out of place! 

[Amazon Reviews]

KICK ASS compilation-overview of this 70’s UK cult Garage/Punk/Glam rocker career, gathered his recordings with different groups as The Gatecrashers, The Sound, Hammersmith Gorillas, Helter Skelter, Crushed Butler and Jesse Hector Rock’n’Roll Trio. EXPLOSIVE mix of MC5, Stooges, Glam Rock & Garage JESSE HECTOR style! 

The Hammersmith Gorillas or Gorillas as they were also known, were formed in 1974 and lasted until 1981. Based around the creative talents of Jesse Hector, who was no stranger to the music scene, the band made a reputation for itself in the early days before and during the punk revolution. Jesse Hector had been involved in the music scene since the age of 15. He had played guitar in the mid-’60s cult band The Clique (not to be confused with the U.S. band of the same name) then fronted some politically incorrect bands by the names of Helter Skelter and Crushed Butler in the late ’60s. In 1971, Hector got together with Alan Butler (bass) and Gary Anderson (drums) and took the name of a pro-Castro activist group and the band, The Hammersmith Gorillas were born. 

 

The band recorded a wild, pumped-up version of the Kinks'”You Really Got Me,” as their first single for Larry Page’s Penny Farthing label, and it immediately captured the attention of a young generation yearning for a new style of music. The sheer energy and attitude behind the single won it immediate recognition among the young people, but it failed to impress the radio programmers, so it didn’t receive the airplay it deserved. After the failure of Page’s label, the band signed to the fledgling Chiswick indie label and recorded further singles.

By 1976, the punk movement began to rear its ugly head and The Hammersmith Gorillas were right in the midst of the movement. Along with their friends in the Damned, Eddie & the Hot Rods, and more, the Gorillas, as they were then known, went to France to play in the legendary Mont de Marsan Punk Festival. After the Festival, punk took the world by storm and many bands popped up vowing to change the world. In 1978, the Gorillas recorded their debut (and only) album titled “Message to the World” for Raw records. The band rode the wave of the punk movement, and in 1981, bandmember Alan Butler died a tragic death and the band broke up. 

Nearly a decade later, in 1991, Hector returned to the music business and formed the Sound. “Gorilla Got Me” compiles 22 tracks from the careers of The Hammersmith Gorillas and the Gorillas. This set contains singles and selected album tracks originally released between 1974-1978, and a number of previously unreleased live tracks. Although the Gorillas will never make the rock & roll hall of fame the band’s contribution to the ’70s music scene is worthy of documentation. The set also contains detailed liner notes, a history of the band, a discography, and rare photos. A fitting tribute to one of the forgotten innovators of the punk movement. [Allmusic]

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• Gorilla Got Me
• Gorilla Garage

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IGGY POP – I Got A Right (Vinyl Rip!)

 

Here are more Ig’s stuff. This one came in 1983. on Invasion records, LP compilation of post “Raw Power” recordings from ’73/’74/’75, with Jame Williamson. My favorite proto-punk slab.  I know you know but read this …

 

(((0)))

Turds On A Bum Ride vol.1 (revisited)

 

Here’s another revisited version of an old and now a classic garage/psych comp. “Turds On A Bum Ride” 1 issued in 1991. as 29 trax 2LP set [Cd version has 25] is best in the series of 6 volumes made by some italian collectors. Opening up with killer single B-side “I Just Don’t Know” by the MC5 followed by Sean Bonniwell’s intro to The Music Machine fuzzed-out gem “No Girl Gonna Cry” (two favorite bands) and you know it’s gonna be a rollercoaster garage punk ride. Then there’s notorious “Boil The Kettle, Mother” by The ID, an obscure Jerry Cole band-project, Von Ruden‘s cool psychedelizied version of The Stones’ “The Spider And The Fly”, killer garage/psych tunes by Silk Winged Alliance, Northwest Company and The Happy Return. One of my alltime favs is ’69. psych tune “Tendency To Be Free” by Rabbit Mackay. There are more fine garage stuff with The Sparkles “I Want To Be Free”, Terry Knight And The Pack “Numbers” fuzz killer, wacky “Complication” by The Monks and The Shadows Of Knight “I’m Gonna Make You Mine”. You got loadsa great rare late 60’s psych as Capt. Groovy & His Bubblegum Army, The Animated Egg, Magic Swirling Ship, Orphan Egg, Lite Storm and exotic middle eastern influenced “For A Moment” by Orient Express. All in all, this collection is an unforgetable garage/acid ride to the center of a mind, allright!  🙂
Here is Surfadelic HQ 360 sound version of this legendary compilation. Acid, Fuzz & no Flowers! Don’t miss it, dig!!!

 

(((0)))

 

 

MC5 – Rehearsals

 

This collection of rarities and outtakes from 1969-1972 [from Wayne Kramer’s private tapes] is almost similar to ROIR 80s comp. ”Babes in Arms”, except for some not so important instrumental versions and exclusion of three early single trax. Most of the cuts are alternate versions of songs from the band’s studio albums, with great outtakes from ”High Time” LP – Skunk, Poison, Gotta Keep Movin, Baby Wont Ya, Sister Ann, Future Now. Then you got psychedelizied wah-wah jam Train Music [originally intended to be used for film ”Gold”], fine instros The Pledge Song and Power Trip [actually ”Skunk” instro version] and bunch of trax from debut LP with cool version of Tonight [great intro!] and delightful acoustic mix of Shakin’ Street. To make it complete I’ve added Looking At You / Borderline ’68 single plus three trax from ”Babes in Arms”, a ’67 single I Can Only Give You Everything / One Of The Guys and ’69 single B-side ”I Just Don’t Know”. Join the high-octane Detroit r’n’r’ revolution. ”…Order is my attitude, Beauty and perfection Are my attack”… Dig!!!

 

 

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MC5 – Back In The USA [Vinyl Rip!]

”They told you in school about freedom
But when you try to be free they never let ya
They said “it’s easy , nothing to it”
And now the army’s out to get ya”

I know many of you have everything by these Detroit high-energy, proto-punk gang, all those Rhino, Sundazed or Japanese reissues. Anyways, here is a ’77 French reissue Lp rip of their legendary studio debut. Tonight, Teenage Lust, Looking at You, The American Ruse, Shakin’ Street… I give you a testimonium: the MC5! Dig!!!

”Ok, kids, it’s rockin’ time!”

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GREETINGS FROM OHIO [Rare 70’s Garage/Hard Rock]

“Long lost, meticulously-sought out jewels of hard rock and heavy psych/prog from the ’60s and ’70s glory days.
The first release in the Archives of Acid is a fourteen-track collection of the best, rarest singles from Ohio’s rich history of rock, spanning 1970 to 1977. It traverses grungy hard rock with Big Blue and Travis, epic rock with Myth Band and proto-punk with Erving Forbush and Dry Ice.
Also along for the ride is some heavy funk (Cincinnati Joe) and Southern rock from Zachariah. And that’s not all, give it a spin to see what other delights are in store…” [Archives of Acid]

Yep! Another collection of 70’s hard rock/proto-punk rarities in style of Bonehead Crunchers-Freaks comps you alredy dig here on Surfadelic. This stuff I dug from Archives of Acid bandcamp and made some sound cleaning/fixing, so you can get it in the best possible shape. Well Ohio… here we go, Dig!!!

(((0)))

GREASED BUCKSKIN BELTERS [Rare 70’s Garage/Hard Rock]

 

’14 HIGH OCTANE AND FRENZIED TALES OF BOOZED UP HICKS, CHICKS, DROP OUTS AND SKUNKS SYPHONED FROM VARIOUS NORTH AMERICAN OIL DUMPS OF ILL-REPUTE’ – Belter Records (known from the ‘Bonehead Crunchers’ and ‘Ultimate Bonehead’ series) has been rampaging obscure nooks and crannies of North America to uncover a selection of frenetic screamers and high velocity tales of hellraising and beer swilling with fast driving stoners trying to catch even faster moving girls. If you can imagine a rockabilly outgrowth updated through a grinder operated by Keith Richards and Rob Tyner, you have an idea of what to expect. This LP merges rock’n’roll, late garage and budding proto punk in an endless orgy of high energy stupidity. The contents are mainly from the late ’60s and early ’70s, so if you like Flamingo- era Groovies or ever wanted to hear a more rural MC5, this one is for you!

Huh! Here are more greased boneheads fer ya muleskinner rockers. Ripped from the limited vinyl by Mr.Eliminator. Fav tunes: Don’t Munkey With The Funky Skunky [you’ll be sorry if you do] 🙂 Teenage Frustration, Race Car Lady, The Jax Are Back alright, Dig!!!
SIDE 1:
1. Dry Ice – Don’t Munkey With The Funky Skunky
2. Bros – Red Headed Woman
3. Desert Fox – High School Rock And Roll
4. The Jets – Queen Of The Ballroom
5. The Seals – Hold Me
6. The Little Youngers – Southern Wind
7. Midwest – Heaviness
SIDE 2:
1. Homegrown – Loaded
2. Clinton – Midnight In New York
3. Moses – Watcha Gonna Do Now
4. Black Leather Touch – Teenage Frustration
5. Red Mountain Ash – Race Car Lady
6. Kenny Oller – Rock With Your Woman
7. The Jax – The Jax Are Back

 

SHADY LADY – Raving Mad (Glam/Proto-Punk 1970-73)

Around 1969 in Greenwich Village, New York, Stefen Shady, Gerhard Helmut and John Christian got together and started forming a band that would become known as ‘Shady Lady’. They were having a difficulties finding the other two members to complete the group. They had been auditioning musicians for months to no avail. One night at a ‘Doors’ concert in the East Village they ran into Johnny Thunders, (pre ‘New York Dolls’) whom Stefen already knew. Stefen told Johnny that they were putting this band together and that they were looking for another guitar player and a drummer. He asked if he was interested in auditioning but Thunders was playing bass at the time and they already had a bass player in Gerhard. After having run out of prospects they soon headed west to Los Angeles where they met guitarist, Leonard Denault. They had already been conducting auditions with other musicians and decided on Leonard as their fourth member. They hadn’t had much luck with drummers as they were looking for a dynamic Keith Moon type.

One day they got a call from Billy McCartney who turned out to be the drummer they were looking for. Now, all the musicians were finally in place. Stefen and John already had a pocketful of tunes that they had written and were continuing to write more all the time. Soon after, a manager was procured but after a short while decided he wasn’t leading them in the right direction and gave him the boot. Robert Stigwood then found the band and offered his expertise. The only problem was Stigwood’s involvement with some other significant major projects which caused the band to shy away. Not long after, Robert Fitzpatrick approached with his offer of management. It turned out that Fitzpatrick had formerly been partnered up with Stigwood and together they had successfully managed Eric Clapton’s band, ‘Cream’ as well as ‘The Bee Gees’ along with some other noted musical talents. ‘Shady Lady’ signed with the Robert Fitzpatrick Corporation, who also was managing Taj Mahal, Buddy Miles, Genya Raven and Bobby Whitlock at the time. Robert was their business manager and his associate Max Byfuglin became the band’s personal manager. Fitzpatrick invested a good deal of his time and money in the group. Also, Max Baer (Jethro from The Beverly Hillbillies TV series) and football great turned actor, Jim Brown had investments in the band. Under Fitzpatrick’s guidance the band started playing the local venues, always being introduced as “the world’s most beautiful rock ‘n roll band.” It wasn’t long before they had an army of ardent fans. ‘Shady Lady’ held all of their rehearsals at either Dress Revue or at the S.I.R. Sound Stages. (Sorry, if anyone thought that they were really a garage band although it sounds good) Actually, at one point they did play in their garage once in awhile. That was when they lived across the street from Ricky Nelson in Nichols Canyon. But hey, ‘Ricky Nelson And The Stone Canyon Band’ rehearsed in the Nelson’s garage.

Sometimes the band held open rehearsals at the studios but soon found out they had to hire security when they did. The studio would be packed as so many kids would show up and there would be a line formed down the sidewalk. The fans were great though, lots of cute girls all dressed up getting into the whole glam thing, the guys did too. However, ‘Shady Lady’ as well as ‘The New York Dolls’ didn’t just start “glam rock” but they also were the jump-starters of “punk rock” along with the infamous ‘Iggy Pop’. ‘Shady L’ and ‘The Dolls’ may have looked glam but both bands had punk attitudes. One time, this obnoxious reporter from some local L.A. rag got all miffed because he was ejected from Shady Lady’s dressing room at Oop-Poo-Pah-Doos. Stefen had asked Bill Rhodes, the band’s road manager to throw the guy out as the guy was being an asshole and Bill promptly did so. The next time the paper was published there was an article calling ‘Shady Lady’ a shitty litter of young “punks.” That really was probably the very first time a rock band was referred to as punks. Anyway, the band didn’t care, they thought any and all publicity was good publicity and they got their share of both good and bad. As long as people were talking about you it didn’t matter is what they said. They just kept playing and having a good time with an occasional bar brawl here and there. Numerous recording offers came their way including such companies as Atlantic, MCA and CBS records but they ended up signing with Scepter Records.

The band had three albums worth of new material to record but only ever recorded one, which by the way was never released. They recorded all but one song at The Record Plant in Los Angeles. That one song being, “Night Witch” was recorded at Larabee Sound Studios also in Los Angeles. Max Byfuglin, John and Stefen produced the recordings. They also had some really talented musicians helping out on some of the sessions such as John Hobbs on piano, Genya Raven, who sang backup on the very nasty lyric tune, “Down ‘N Dirty” while Bobby Whitlock played the Hammond B3 organ on “Stranger”. Stevie Wonder was recording next door in the studio and they borrowed Stevie’s Moog synthesizer along with Malcom who played with Stevie to make it sound right. Buddy Miles showed up regularly for moral support and there seemed to be plenty of white powder daily to keep the band going into the wee hours. Leonard says, he thinks the sax player they used was the then unknown, Dave Sanborn but can’t say for certain. The album was coming along fine and was almost complete except for some fine tuning when they got word Scepter Records were in trouble and were going bankrupt. Everything crashed at that point.

Drugs, ego clashes and now the defunct record label had exacted it’s toll and the band split up. Fitzpatrick and Max called Stefen into a meeting and asked him to go solo which he declined. The band members went their seperate ways. John took off to London, England and Stefen returned to New York City. Stefen ran into The Dolls at Max’s Kansas City not long after he arrived. The Dolls manager immediately asked if Shady Lady would go on an upcoming tour with The Dolls not knowing they had disbanded. After a couple months had gone by Johnny Thunders, his girlfriend Sable Starr and Stefen decided to get an apartment together. The winter was approaching and upon the day of the move-in Stefen called from the airport telling them he was going back to Los Angeles. He had gotten homesick for the warmer city on the West coast. After arriving back in L.A., Stefen and Gerhard attempted to reform the band but it never happened. John had returned but he had been just too overcome by drugs and alcohol. Shady Lady – Raving Mad was recorded in ’72-’73 at the Record Plant in Los Angeles.

Surfadelic presents more obcure proto-punk/glam stuff from 70’s. Here are lost glam rock punkers from L.A. just fer you NY Dolls fans and others. Hip, Hip, Dig!!!

The Brats – Criminal Guitar/Rock Candy [NY Proto-Punk/Glam 73/78]

When guitarist Rick Rivets left the fledgling NEW YORK DOLLS in 1972, he didn’t switch gears so much as he just assembled one of the toughest US Glam rock bands of the era, …

The Brats were among the earliest offshoot bands from the New York Dolls. The New York-based quartet was formed by Rick Rivets, an alumnus of the Dolls, with drummer Sparky Donovan, vocalist Keith West (not connected at all to the singer from the U.K.-based Tomorrow), and Andy Doback. The group was organized by Rivets in the early ’70s and based in Queens, NY. Rivets was already putting together a band, and had Donovan on board when he chanced to visit the Music Box, a now-legendary record store on Union Turnpike in Queens, where Keith West offered the best in used records, underground U.S. releases, U.K. and German imports, and bootlegs. A leading exponent of the Flamin’ Groovies, Dr. Feelgood, and a brace of lesser-known but equally important acts of the time, West was already a kind of rock & roll guru to a lot of teenagers and college students in the area. West was also a good singer with a charismatic persona, and soon became part of Rivets’ plan. With David Leeds filling out the fourth spot, they rehearsed in SoHo (then a newly opened industrial-cum-residential part of Manhattan) and moved into Bleecker Street, where their early rehearsals and gigs had them brushing up against a pre-fame Kiss.

Their sound was a punchy brand of glam rock, somewhat similar to the New York Dolls (for whom they opened at their first gig) and they were also heavily influenced by the Kinks, the Yardbirds, and the early Rolling Stones. Their mix of originals and covers of the latter bands’ repertory attracted a fair amount of attention at venues such as Max’s Kansas City, and they earned the imprimatur of no less a figure than Alice Cooper (who, so it is said, came up with the group’s name) — they wrote a song for him, in turn, entitled “I’m So Cruel.” Their lineup went through numerous changes between 1973 and 1975, with Leeds departing, Mark Mayo joining on lead guitar, and Mark Polott taking the bass spot. They lasted into the punk era, which they may have helped herald, and may have been an influence on the Ramones; it was rumored for years that the latter group’s “Beat on the Brat” was a reference to the rival group.

The Brats got onto the live compilation Max’s Kansas City 1976, cut at the legendary New York venue, and they released one single with a cool A-side and an incredible B-side called “If You Can Rock You Can Roll.” Sadly, the group never earned serious coverage of their music by the mainstream press, and only broke into local news over a mishap at a gig. One night at a show, in an incident that recalled the appearance of the Who on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, the explosives they used to punctuate their stage act singed (or worse) some audience members, which earned them coverage in the local tabloids of the time. Rivets later moved on to other bands, including the Corpse Grinders. A reunion of the Brats took place soon after the start of the new century, and their music, old and new, continues to excite and intrigue new listeners in the 21st century. -Allmusic.com

Aloha from Hell !!! Mr.Eliminator is out in the streets again [for few more rounds].

Hello & Greetings to everyone !!! And Now… DIG !!!

• Criminal Guitar (1973-75)
• Rock Candy (1975 ‘lost album’)
  
• The Brats (2012 Ep)

 

 

THE PUNKS [Detroit 1974/76 Proto-Punk !!!]

“This buch of long-haired youngsters played a loud and powerfull rock’n’roll strongly influenced by Iggy and the Stooges. This album contains the best selection of their rare recordings. KILLER STUFF!!! “A band out to blow your head off; The Punks play in such a gut grabbing manner that your ear bones feel like there getting socked in the jaw and cunnilinguisized at the same time.” (Air-Wreck Genheimer Creem Magazine, september 1976)

US high energy r’n’r in tradition of The Stooges, Mc5 and Ron Asheton’s New Order. Vinyl rip, Dig!!!

Punks!!!