March's Picks

1. THE ROLLING STONES-"Midnight Rambler" 
Raunchy, sinister and powerful just the same. This is The Stones at the height of (as Keith Richards called it) their “Lucifer he’s my boy, we’re like this” phase where they churn out the creepiest fucking song ever written with some disturbing imagery and a crescendo towards the end AND a finale that’ll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

2. EDWICK RUMBOLD-"Come Back"
A perfect marriage of mid 60’s freakbeat meeting good old fashioned British 60’s mod/r&b with cheesy combo organ and slashing power chords dashed with throbbing bass consigned to the b-side of their dreadful 1966 debut single “Specially When”.

http://youtu.be/uyzQY_60a9A

 3. THE SEARCHERS-"Popcorn Double Feature (Live BBC)" 
The Searchers pull out all the stops on Tim Wilde’s social commentary number from a “Top Of The Pops” January ’67 appearance resplendent with distorted, jangling guitars that has them playing like their lives (and careers) depended on it. I couldn't find a YouTube link for the Beeb version so here's the studio one:

http://youtu.be/4GXV4zJhihQ

4. THE POETS-"Now We're Thru" 
I’d all but forgotten this track by “the Zombies of Scotland” till I was having drinks and dinner with a late friend’s dad who piqued my memory and interest by telling me about seeing The Poet’s on “Shindig” doing their moody debut 45 and I got home and played it repeatedly.

http://youtu.be/C2PBoUBXY4w

 5. THE WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND-"1906" 
A pulsating head trip about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake seen through the eyes of a seeing eye dog with a demented Sunset Strip go-go beat. From their incredible debut LP “Part One” that's a perfect marriage of jangly West Coast folk rock and trippy/freaky full on psychedelia.

http://youtu.be/gl9hvfW3ACc

6. MICKEY LEE LANE-“She Don’t Want To” 
Everyone knows Mickey’s famous tune that The Action covered “Hey Sah Lo Ney” and his lame "hit" single "Shaggy Dog" but few folks are aware of his next Swan 45 an upbeat number with an infectious call and response and some great breaks. This 45 doesn't get much notice and I would've never known about had I not taken a shot a bought it many, many years ago. Of course I can't find it on YouTube.

7. THE WHO-“Much Too Much” 
One of my fave songs from the ‘Oo’s debut LP “My Generation” is this moody rocker full of angry power chords, cool surf harmonies and Moon’s restrained drumming all neatly tied up in a bow by Daltrey’s angst ridden vocals and Nicky Hopkin’s piano trills.

http://youtu.be/_oxeF26k3BI

8. THE TELL TALE HEARTS-“I Get Up In The Morning”
San Diego’s Tell Tale Hearts cut a 1963 Heinz E.P. track back in ’85 or so for a flexi my guru/mentor Ron Rimsite’s old ‘zine “99th Floor”. In my book it betters the original and predates what the Kaisers were trying to do by a decade.

http://youtu.be/dc3cb6pxYns

9. THE LA DE DA's-"On Top Of The World"
Cool, off the wall cover of an obscure John Mayall and the Bluebreakers number by New Zealand's best known 60's garage/punk band The La De Da's. The La De Da's did a lot of covers, in fact most tunes I know by them are versions of other people's songs and usually I'm not a big fan of them but this one blows me away!

http://youtu.be/cysTAnha5bw

10. ALVIN ROBINSON-“Searchin’” 
My fave version of The Coasters standard is this May 1964 cover that slays all competition in my book and perfectly encapsulates the marriage of r&b with soul music to these ears.

http://youtu.be/Ps2PSgPWcFo