10. The Trashmen: Surfin' Bird
"Surfin Bird" is one of rock's most ridiculous songs on a number of levels, not the least of which was the band was from Minneapolis, well over 2,000 miles from the California coast. The song was the brainchild of drummer Steve Wahrer who came up with the idea of superimposing two different songs by the Rivingtons on top of each other; "The Bird's The Word" and "Pa Pa Ooh Mow Mow", playing the drum as lead instrument, adding wacky vocals and sound effects, and putting it out as a single to catch the surf craze. The resulting single, "Surfin' Bird" reached #4 nationally in 1964, and powered their Surfin' Bird album, which is all surf music, to #48, an excellent seller for a garage band. Unfortunately for them, "Surfin' Bird" also got them typecast as a novelty act, and their subsequent singles received little attention. By 1967, they gave up. The Ramones did an inspired version of Surfin' Bird on their 1977 album, Rocket To Russia.
11. The Count Five: Psychotic Reaction
Another band from fertile San Jose, CA, the Count Five were formed in 1965 by high school friends John "Mouse" Michalski and Roy Chaney. Both had specialized in surf music in their teens; with the Count Five, they attempted to meld a British Invasion sound to their surfer roots. It really only clicked big on one record, "Psychotic Reaction" which opens with one of the all time classic fuzz riffs, and features clanging, jangly guitars throughout; the song was written singer/guitarist Sean Byrne (born in Ireland), who supplies the bluesy vocal. Most memorable is the juggernaut of a crescendo of dueling guitars and percussion that erupts in the middle, which recalls the intensity of the Yardbirds. The song was turned down by several labels before Los Angeles-based Double Shot Records took a shot with it in 1966. The single peaked at #5 nationally; their hastily recorded album, containing nothing close to the single, managed #122. And that was it; the band never charted again, and eventually gave up in 1967 to finish college.
12. The Other Half: Mr. Pharmacist
The Other Half, from San Francisco, were a pile-driving hard rock garage band notable mostly for Randy Holden's psychedelic power chords and feedback drenched leads. "Mr. Phamacist" is one of the punkiest garage rock classics, featuring a mean stomp and drug alluding lyrics. The band had some gigs during the dawn of the Haight Ashbury era, and recorded a good acid-rock album in 1968, The Other Half, but ultimately disbanded. Randy Holden would go on to greater heights of success with his next band, the acid-rock proto-metal legends Blue Cheer. Their album and single sold little outside of San Francisco, but the band received some late recognition in the early 80's when The Fall recorded a cover version of "Mr. Pharmacist".
Article comments
1 - The Proprietor
The Standells reunited for a live show in 1999 (with Dodd, Valentino and Tamblyn; Gary Lane didn't participate) released as "Ban This! Live From Cavestomp".
The definitive Remains recording was the Capitol audition, which was released as "A Session With The Remains" by Sundazed a few years back. It's an especially fierce recording (their original "Why Do I Cry" is much more powerful than on the Epic LP).
2 - Victor Plenty
Excellent work as always, uao. Interesting mix of stuff almost everybody knows about ("Louie Louie" for example) right alongside songs many of us may never have heard of.
One minor quibble on your title: I'd recommend taking out the apostrophe. It makes the construction look like a possessive, rather than a plural; garage rock belonging to 1960, rather than garage rock from the entire decade of the Sixties.
Also interesting that "96 Tears" came from such obscure origins. The local "classic rock" station plays it all the time. For some reason I'd always assumed it was from a more well-known band with lots of other hits.
3 - uao
Thank you Proprietor, for your ever-useful nuggets of knowledge; I always appreciate them.
Victor Plenty: as an English language instructor, I'm sensitive to apostrophes. However, I've been taught that in addition to denoting a passive, they can also be used when puralizing a specific number: 1960's vs. 1960s. Maybe I'm wrong; I'm too lazy to fish out my Elements of Style right now. But I'll sleep on it, and if the title bugs me in the moring, I'll change it.
Thanks ;-)
4 - uao
I meant "possessive" not "passive" I am a famously lousy typist.
5 - Victor Plenty
It can be equally correct to pluralize a number with an apostrophe, or with just a plain S. You are of course quite right about that, as a general rule. In this specific case, it's the context that makes the construction seem possessive and not plural.
If the title had been "Garage Rock of the 1960's" it would be clear you intended the plural, with or without the apostrophe.
Of course the larger cultural context makes it unlikely any native English speaker would interpret "1960's Garage Rock" as a reference to only the year 1960, but for the benefit of any readers who might not share that cultural context, it would be more clear to leave the apostrophe out.
As I said before, it's a minor quibble, but I at least wanted to make it a clearly stated quibble. :)
6 - uao
For me it's like talking shop, I like it. Your point is a good one, given the wording of the title. You've convinced me; I've reworded it.
7 - godoggo
Where are the chick's?
8 - godoggo
Correction: Wheres.
9 - Michael J. West
Awesome list, UAO! Thanks for linking to the Essential Pebbles collection, too--in any era, that awesome CD is as indie (and as freakin' great) as it gets.
10 - godoggo
Just out of curiosity, I googled both names for the decade in the NY Times, figuring they'd have it standardized. Apparently I figured wrong.
Results:
about 24,200 from nytimes.com for "1960's"
about 23,400 from nytimes.com for "1960s"
A lot (not all) of the latter are from book etc. titles, so I guess the apostrophe wins. But I don't like it, myself.
11 - GoHah
Great article. Maybe this group is more borderline Garage (since they evolved into different directions), but I think the biggest amphetimine-jolt of that time comes from Love's "7 and 7 Is"--that'll give you chills.
Oh, I think the decades are supposed to be written apostrophe-free (but spoken with the apostrophe left in).
12 - wum
Good article, look forward to part 2.
13 - Grammar Cop
Apostrophes never make something plural. 1960s is correct.
14 - JC Mosquito
1960s is indeed correct, but doesn't look as psychedelic as 1960's.
15 - Dr Dreadful
1960s is correct.
1960's is incorrect.
You will not use it.
You will be assimilated.
16 - Christopher Rose
This 3 year old article has been corrected, thanks Grammar Cop.
Resistance is futile.