Freakbeat Defined Part Two

THE KOOBAS-Sweet Music/Face U.K. Columbia DB 7988 1966

In our installment (January 13, 2009) we'd previously covered The Kooba's "You'd Better Make Up Your Mind" Pye 45 from April 1966. By August of 1966 the band had moved from Pye onto EMI's Columbia imprint and released this two sided sizzler!

"Sweet Music" kicks off with a barrage from a distorted power chord struck out of nowhere then progresses into a mid tempo beat ballad that's moved along nicely by a powerful backup. The vocals are somewhat soulful, but unlike the previous 45 on Pye this one bears no relation to soul. It's pure freakbeat all the way baby!! On the the flipside we have "Face". Not a mod anthem as the title might expect but a powerful freakbeat stormer in the grand tradition of fellow Liverpudlian's Wimple Winch. It's full rave up stuff with a chunky beat, soulful lead vocals, high backing vocals and and a "bash 'em up" beat that'd do '65 vintage Who proud! Lyrically it's a soliloquy by a tough narcissistic nut: "my world's a selfish place, I only see one face, that's my face..., don't need no human race....."! Sadly the band would go horribly wrong on their next release by covering what I'm told is Gracie Field's track called "Sally". I bought a Columbia "A" label promo of it back in the day and it ranks as one of my worst purchases ever (alongside Fire's "Round The Gum Tree"). Luckily they redeemed themselves on the one after that (more on that in the future kids).

TRIVIA:The Danish release came in a groovy picture sleeve of a b&w pic of the band in all their mod finery and substituted the rocking "Face" for a previously unavailable elsewhere moody orchestrated tune called "Woe Is Love My Dear".

Now where to find them, ahhhh, there lies the problem. Both cuts were issued as bonus tracks on a CD release of the band's untitled sole 1968 LP back in the 90's. Subsequent CD reissues of said LP do not contain bonus tracks (criminal)!

"Sweet Music":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAVw9UxtHf0

See "Face" mimed on French TV:

https://youtu.be/Y22ea-ybS-w