"Foggy Notion" by The Velvet Underground is a sneaky candidate for greatest rock'n'roll song of all time. Listen to the original version at (1:13) - Lou Reed and the gang had been playing the song since '66, finally recorded it in '69, but it wasn't released until 1985! We discuss the song in its context of Warhol's Factory and the Second Generation of New York School poets, but we also just love the Beat, the Beat, the Beat! Those Boston boys, Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers knew the s...
Apr 23, 2022•2 hr 20 min•Ep. 85
Wherein we study both sides of The Chentelles ' sole 1967 release, "Time/Be My Queen." How did these Michigan teens make a rekkid with such staying power? "Time" (2:47) is an organ slow-burn that could almost fit on a late-period Velvets bootleg. And we set up the Barb Overhiser/Dale Atkins drum feud - which is possibly the most under-reported band lineup drama of all time! The B-side is the famous "Be My Queen" (45:49). Hepcats know this rockabillly-tinged rager from "Back from the Grave," and ...
Apr 17, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 84
Three versions of the Buzz Cason and Tony Moon tune, "Soldier of Love." The first fray is the 1962 original recorded by Arthur Alexander (1:22). A smooth serenade to sensual surrender, with great instrumentation (piano, sax, and some well-placed woodblock) and some vivid vocables from the female backing. The second skirmish involves The Beatles , who laid down the track at the BBC studios in the summer of '63 (47:18). Never officially released!! - this song circulated as a bootleg for years - we...
Apr 10, 2022•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 83
Three versions of the rock n roll classic, "C'mon Everybody" - the original, a garage gem, and a late 60s oddity. Eddie Cochran got the party started in 1958 ( 1:12). We confront the conspiracy of silence that surrounds the song's instrumentation, but we can tell you that are rockabilly riffs galore and some spiffy strum 'n' drum. We discuss how EC's lyrics walk the line between wholesomeness and wild teenage rebellion: a coming-of-age story in every line! We deem the song a proto-hippie communa...
Apr 02, 2022•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 82
Back to the mean stuff this week: a quartet of versions of "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone"! Step one: we can have lots of fun with Paul Revere & the Raiders' 1966 original (2:13) Grave-digger riffs galore, FUZZ bass, crucial organ, snappy snare sounds, and vocals by the Human Exclamation Mark! - Mark Lindsay - make this one a winner. There's so much to do with Step 2 - another version from '66 by The Liverpool Five (49:12). The guitar produces volume swells and squalls, a "Green Onions" riff...
Mar 26, 2022•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 81
We're taking a brief breather from snarling garage rock and the mean minor third to get a little gentle this week: three versions of The Lovin' Spoonful 's 1965 smash, "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice." The original is a "like" song, instead of a played-out love song, featuring sweet harmonies, chimes, autoharp glissandos - but if that all sounds too soft , then Joe Butler's drums will keep you rocking (1:51). We do actually get into the garage to listen to Rasputin and the Monk 's charmingly inep...
Mar 19, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 80
In the latest show, we frat -ernize with our friends, John Davis and Bobby Beaton of The Gruesome s AND Fuad and the Feztones - the latter of which are known to perform this week's song, "Ooh Poo Pah Doo." We focus on four versions: 1. Jessie Hill , Part 1 (2:31) Our guests are experts on New Orleans R&B and what makes Jessie Hill's opening 1960 salvo so important - hint: it's sexual! They poo-poo Erik's talk of voodoo. But if you combine the sexual with the spiritual, then you create a text...
Mar 12, 2022•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 79
This week, you get served with "A Legal Matter." Don't say it's a rare case, lots of bands have covered this tune. The Who 's original from 1965 is on trial first, with your two judges presiding (1:28). Roger Daltrey gives his vocal cords a rest and lets Pete Townshend address the jury (PT's first recorded lead vocal!). The lyrics portray a nebbish guy who wants to annul his nuptials, or something like that. It's got a country feel, with rollicking piano from Nicky Hopkins and a ne'er do well na...
Mar 06, 2022•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 78
In this latest theme episode, we surveil three songs by sneaky guys from two different Cold War eras. First, we stake out “Secret Agent Man” -- the 1966 hit by Johnny Rivers (1:54). Wherein he reveals the lonely but glamorous life of a spook, and we decode the spy scene and sound of the 60s. It’s a surf-spy-hootenanny! Our next asset is “Wild Angel” by James Bond and the Agents (54:55): not about the spy game per se, but the band’s alias is apropos, so let’s go!. This “Back From the Grave” class...
Feb 27, 2022•2 hr 36 min•Ep. 77
In this episode, we take a break from all the raging garage, and visit Philly for some sweet soulful sounds. Back in 1965, Valerie Ashford, Nick Simpson , and Jo Armstead wrote a great dancefloor mover called "The Real Thing" that rips off the groove from "Heat Wave" to great effect. We think Tina Britt did the original version (2:20), and it provokes discussion on conflict, certainty, doubt, and dancing. That same year, The Chiffons produced an ethereal version of "The Real Thing", with harps! ...
Feb 19, 2022•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 76
It's time for another episode of "Single File" - where we study a notable single, 'reading' both the A and B sides. And the A side is one of the most UNHINGED songs we've ever spun, Adrian Lloyd 's 1965 screamer, "Lorna" (1:07). Warning: CONTENTS ARE UNSAFE! Even the bass is buggy on this one - put your headphones on and say sayonara to your sanity ... Oh, and it has a surf drum solo , too! The B-side, "Got a Little Woman" (42:00) might seem like a respite, but it sneaks up on you like a gang of...
Feb 13, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 75
We finally gab about "Gloria"! No, not Laura Branigan's 80s anthem:! Van Morrison and Them 's 1965 original is the hip hymn in question (1:21). We're smart guys, so we discuss the song's spiritual and sensual subtexts, but also the idea of glory , as in fame & respect. And we respect that there Them's racket! Secondly, since our highest-rated episode featured Them AND The Thirteenth Floor Elevators , we bring the Texas titans back because they bandied the tune about back in '66 (1:02:04). Th...
Feb 06, 2022•2 hr 8 min•Ep. 74
In this episode, we study the Move 's 1968 scorcher, "Fire Brigade" (1:19): the original has TWO riffs for you to air-guitar to: are you a Peter Buck or Eddie Cochran-style strummer? Their Brummie buddies The Fortunes tried to light the fire the same year, but we decide their version is a mere two-alarm inferno (53:28). Finally, we open the door to the Kenny Woodman Sound 's instrumental version, which predictably explodes because it's so gassy (1:05:31). Klaxon, Klaxoff!!...
Jan 30, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 73
A great artifact of termite trash gets the ITP treatment in this show: the Greenwich/Barry tune, "Hanky Panky." The Summits (1:49) [1963]. As Erik mentions, more people in the world could tell you about the summit of Mount Everest than can tell you anything about this girl group. This is the first released version, and it namechecks other groups who do "the hanky panky " - hot gossip! Tommy James & The Shondells (28:24) [1964/1966] These teens from Niles, Michigan recorded the tune in 1964 a...
Jan 23, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 72
In this episode, we put the spotlight on the song that made Eric Clapton fly away from the Yardbirds - "For Your Love" (4:08). This Graham Gouldman-penned chanty of chivalry only features the band for about 20 seconds, while the rest is a bongo-harpsichord-and-vocals- only affair (with a bowed bass to boot). That sounds like it wouldn't work, but obviously it did! Did you know that Herman's Hermits covered the tune in 1965? Hear their twee-er, mid-wattage version at (50:06). The girls in the gar...
Jan 16, 2022•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 71
On this theme episode, we feature 4 moody organ-driven slow-burn songs from the 1960s centered on the eternal rock'n'roll question: should I stay or should I go? We begin this quartet of quandary with Phil and the Frantics and their haunting ballad "I Must Run" (2:32). Sure, it rips off the Zombies, but those guys don't move fast, so Phil and the boys are ahead of the pack in more ways than one. Second thoughts arise with The Cryin' Shames and their weeper "Please Stay" (43:26). Joe Meek's final...
Jan 09, 2022•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 70
For Episode #69, we revisit (and re-record) an early episode: two sophomoric songs about sex! The "four"-play begins with "69" by The 4 (4:00). A Kinks-y riff and lusty screams make this one 100% Grade A garage . An analysis of lyrics & attitude ensues. We contrast this frantic fornicator to the much more subdued and detached "Let's Go in '69" by The Customs Five (42:32). Proto-new wave? A statement against school spirit? You do the math!!!
Jan 02, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 69
2021 is almost over, so join us for the big, year-end AWARDS SHOW.! The categories are: Bo Diddliest Song from a Theme Episode, Bo Diddliest Cha-Cha, Bo Diddliest Video, and Most Better than the Beatles . There's the usual in(s)anity, and we also include some New Year's Resolutions. It's a chance for us to shut the door on another shitty year and blow the roof off the house before the tornados of 2022 do!!
Dec 26, 2021•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 68
Episode 67 features a 4-pack of “Have Love Will Travel”! The first stop on the itinerary is Richard Berry and the Pharaohs ' original 1959 version (4:04). This tune chugs along merrily and reminds rockers that the best songs come from the doo-wop dudes. Our journey takes us to San Diego, to hear what The Imperialites did with the song in 1964 (39:54). George Semper and his So Cal band make this one super soulful, with a flying finger guitar solo. It’s got a lot of “Louie Louie” in it, and you lo...
Dec 19, 2021•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 67
For episode 66, we do a song released in early 67 from Q65 – "From Above" (3:22) An angelic rock ballad from some ugly dudes from Holland! A lot of discussion of the enigmatic lyrics – with its depiction of a reversal of fortunes in a love relationship – and especially the use of the word “quarrelly.” A beautiful, diaphanous, shimmering feedback solo really sends this song soaring into the heavens and sends Erik to the madhouse trying to figure out how it was made (Weldon suggests God was in the...
Dec 12, 2021•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 66
In the latest episode, we explore the world of work , expressed in song. Our first application comes from The Silhouettes , and their 1957 smash hit “Get A Job” (2:49). Rockin’ doo-wop backing here: an immortal vocable, plinky piano and crashy drums. The song is textbook early rock’n’roll – joyous, live-sounding, dumb – they’re on the payroll! Now it’s time to review the rookie Miracles , and Smokey Robinson’s inaugural song-writing effort, the 1958 answer song “Got a Job” (47:53). Man, is this ...
Dec 05, 2021•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 65
On the latest episode of In the Past, we don't miss the metaphorical maracas! We take on The Rolling Stones ' 1965 mega-hit, "Satisfaction" (3:38), and it really fires our imagination, because we talk about it longer than any other single song in ITP history! The FUZZ riff, Keith's dream, the vocal dynamics, Jack Nitzsche's tambourine, the other genres it encompasses, it's all there and more, But, as is always the case, we throw in two more versions. The Mods ( 1:17:07) were five Jersey shore bo...
Nov 28, 2021•2 hr 24 min•Ep. 64
Shortly after the Beatles recorded “Day Tripper” in 1965, a group of five ascot-wearing West Virginia teens – The Rondeaus - went into the studio to beat Lenon and McArtney at their own game (1:55). The vocals are wrong. The hi-hat is rusty (you could get tetanus from it if it scratched you!). The guitar solo is … simplified. And the bass isn’t even a bass!! These all-American boys take the worldly Beatles and make it innocent and relatable. But paradoxically, they also make it dirtier. Our nota...
Nov 21, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 63
Spooky season continues with the little-known but absolutely excellent rocker, "Castin' My Spell"! The Johnson Brothers concocted the original witches brew back in 1959 (2:40)– the list of gris-gris is sung with good-natured aplomb, but eviller things are bubbling under. The Johnny Otis Show came along a few months later and were clever enough to add a Bo Diddley beat to the voodoo incantation (37:05). JO and Marcie Lee make the song a delicious duet - why didn't Kenny & Dolly do this number...
Nov 14, 2021•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 62
We chew on some bubblegum on this week’s episode: namely the 1910 Fruitgum Company and their 1968 confection "1,2,3 Red Light" (1:13) . Music for the neglected tweenage market! Was bubblegum rebellious or counter-revolutionary? P(r)eppy vocals, circus organ, tight harmonies and bass, snappy drums and sexual innuendo! We give the original song the green light to go, go, go!!! The next pack comes from some mysterios in 1969 named the Zig Zag People (53:40) These hepcats bully the bubblegum song in...
Nov 07, 2021•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 61
For Episode 60, we’re celebrating every garage rock fan’s favourite high holiday: All Hallow’s Eve! So we’ve assembled a pentagram of terrifying tunes - and ALL FIVE are about werewolves! The first bite comes from The Frantics (5:15). Their 1960 instro “Werewolf” evokes the chill of nighttime and the horror of human transformation with some Vincent Price-esque narration and many atmospheric effects. Our second stab at the topic comes from Morgus and the Daringers , released that same year (30:16...
Oct 31, 2021•2 hr 29 min•Ep. 60
Spokane’s favorite speedsters, the Jolly Green Giants take on Roy Lee Johnson’s 1963 R&B eponymous instructional dance song, “Busy Body” (1:34), the A-side of their sole single. The BPM's will make your body busy! A killer riff, cranked Fender amp and belligerent vocals place this suspect firmly in the Pacific Northwest in 1966. We also discuss backbone slippage and other horrible dancefloor injuries. The B-side is “Caught You Red Handed” (41:47) and Weldon likes it even better than the feat...
Oct 24, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 59
Take a lesson from THREE, who do The Stupidity!! Solomon Burke 1963 (1:31) A celebration of universal, life-affirming stupidity. You get hit with King Solomon’s voice and his band’s horns and it knocks you silly! As always, rock and roll dumbness leads to selfless, liberating transcendence: Erik & Weldon at their most philosophical on this one. The Undertakers 1964 (44:34) These underrated Liverpudlians “beat" up and strip down the original. Another soaring tenor, Jackie Lomax, and also some...
Oct 17, 2021•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 58
It's Canadian Thanksgiving, so get ready to be stuffed - with versions of "Keep on Running", that is. The appetizer is Jackie Edwards' original version (1:47). Or we think it's the original - a rare case where our intrepid hosts don't know it all! At any rate, this one is smooth and (rock)steady - JE isn't worried about not getting the girl. The main course is Spencer Davis Group 's 1965 hit version (25:04). This one has FUZZ guitar and MUFF bass. Lead crooner Stevie Winwood sounds like he's not...
Oct 10, 2021•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 57
The song that could be called the true rival of “Louie Louie”: there’s a lot of lore around this tune. 2:02 My Girl Sloopy – The Vibrations (1964) The original "Sloopy"! A live- ly song with a Latin flavour – the percussion is in your face and goes to your feet! We discuss the too-soon fadeout and the perennial Snoopy/Sloopy confusion. And what in the heck is a Slow Berns ? Find out here. 43:49 My Girl Sloopy – James Henry & the Olympics (1965) Ruff, tuff, garage of the Pacific Northwest var...
Oct 03, 2021•2 hr 26 min•Ep. 56
