Have you ever wondered what Erik & Weldon do when they sign off? They keep drinking and talking about music!! That's what we did right after we recorded our latest episode, on Bob Dylan 's "Girl From The North Country." We had a folk cover left over, by a mysterious troubador named Hamilton Camp , and we decided to press "play" on the proceedings. We discovered something very exciting about the man, especially if you grew up watching syndicated TV in the 80s - listen and learn!!...
Aug 11, 2023•43 min•Ep. 145
This week we're staying in the world of the Big B's of the 60s - but now it's Bob Dylan and his achingly beautiful 1963 ballad "Girl from the North Country" (3:07). Erik thinks it's a meditation on being forgotten, written at a time before Bob was famous. We get deep into the song, including the lyrics, the "place" of the song, and the moaning mouth organ! Then, in 1965, Link Wray did the song! (1:18:59). This one rawks . 'Nuff said. The third version is by Kansas kids The Blue Things (1:39:19)....
Aug 06, 2023•2 hr 24 min•Ep. 144
If Bug Music gives you the horrors, stay away from this one! An early slice of Beatlemania, "She Loves You", is on the docket this week (2:11). We discuss why people don't really rate The Beatles of this period: is it the "yeah yeah yeah"'s? Is it because it's a single and not really an "album track"? After you hear this, you're going to go full mop-top! Version two is by Patron Saint of the Podcast, Mary Wells (1:09:12). Sadly not arranged by Sonny Sanders, but we like the wood block in this on...
Jul 29, 2023•2 hr 47 min•Ep. 143
We're re-doing an episode from the very early days of the podcast, when we didn't have our snappy patter & schtick down like we do now - the folk-punk classic "My Flash on You"! All versions are from 1966 : the original by Love is at 1:25, and we focus on FUZZ and Fashion (the drummer Snoopy's short-sleeved shirts). Thee Sixpence (soon to become The Strawberry Alarm Clock) play it FASTER at 55:58. And The Menerals from Texas add even more FLASH at 1:20:00!...
Jul 16, 2023•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 142
This episode is bigger than bubblegum! We chew on Tommy Roe 's 1966 hit, "Sweet Pea" and we find it both delicious and diatonic (2:19). It has that wicked drum break, but the jangly guitar and bright organ also make the song POP! The second stick comes from Mexico's great girl garagers, Las Chic's (40:16). This is one of them refritos which we talked about long ago ... they make a cute song even cuter, and Weldon thinks they sound a bit like Shonen Knife or Trixie's Big Red Motorbike . Manfred M...
Jul 09, 2023•2 hr 7 min•Ep. 141
We're back in the Garage Studies classroom to discuss the poetic masterpiece, "Just Like Me"! The first version by The Wilde Knights (1:25) gets us talking about iambic dimeter, and the poetry of John Skelton & Robert Frost. As one does. More importantly, the song has a mmmarvelous, Mike Mitchell -esque guitar solo. In late 1965, Paul Revere & The Raiders made the song a hit (44:28). They slow the song down, cut the bridge, and replace the strange, clipped enunciation of the original wit...
Jun 24, 2023•2 hr 33 min•Ep. 140
Pastronauts Rejoice! We're finally taking you to the Land of 1000 Dances! The first dance goes to Chris Kenner, the author and soulful belter of the original one-chord wonder (1:30). CK mixes the sacred and secular, and Allen Toussaint and the band give the song a swampy New Orleans groove. Next, we cut a rug with Cannibal & The Headhunters (30:05). Were these guys an actual band, or a vocal group?! These guys add the famous "na na na"'s - which gets us talkin' about the doo-wop influence on...
Jun 10, 2023•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 139
In this theme episode, we feature a trio of tunes with the proven percussive potency that makes you want to bash the nearest table like a raving Ringo … in fact, many of you tabletop thumpers have probably clattered the cutlery to at least one of these. First up is “Have I The Right” by The Honeycombs (4:57). The band is famous for having the hive-hairdo’d Honey Lantree as their drummer, but the whole band provides the backbeat on the chorus of this one. Wild, warbly guitar lines and Dennis D’El...
May 27, 2023•2 hr•Ep. 138
This week's episode traces the evolution of one of the most beloved songs of the 60s: "Good Lovin'"! (A tune that should have an exclamation mark in the title). Lemme B. Good was the first to pitch woo in spring of 1965 (0:48). Exuberant vocals, crashing piano chords, horny horns & galloping drums will make your heart pitter patter. Rudy Clark wrote the original version's lyrics, but he decided he needed a Cyrano to help him express his true feelings, so he turned to Artie Resnick to overhau...
May 06, 2023•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 137
Our fifth edition of the ever-popular Better Than The Beatles series focuses on the first, and greatest, manufactured pop group: The Monkees . Literally cast into the limelight of pop superstardom, The Monkees, at their peak, outsold the Beatles while simultaneously filming weekly episodes of their zany and ultra-hip eponymous hit TV series. You’ll go bananas for our first foray: Last Train To Clarksville (2:19) . This infectious oldies radio anthem leaves the station at Paperback Writer and jum...
Apr 29, 2023•2 hr 44 min•Ep. 136
In this episode, we go for a wild ride with a golden oldie that still smells factory fresh, "Brand New Cadillac" by Vince Taylor & His Playboys (1:53). Hear how this 1959 bopper is a "crossroads", deal-with-the-devil ditty, as signalled by the otherwordly opening string strumming. In 1964, The Renegades took the song to Finland, renaming it "Cadillac" and passing it off as an original - a clearcut case of grand theft auto (1:01:04) !! This model goes from 0 to 95 in seconds, flirting with ne...
Apr 22, 2023•2 hr 31 min•Ep. 135
In this episode, we go down a Rabbitt hole and discuss one of the early songwriting efforts of the man who ruled the musical world of 1980 - Eddie Rabbitt ! In 1966, his tune "Ball and Chain" (co-penned by Tricia Carr, who we also talk about) was released as a single by Scottish freakbeat merchants The Anteeeks (1:30). Yes, the spelling is correct, as is the band's use of fuzz . The song has a great riff and a great bridge, but is it enough to win this week's Bo Diddley Award ? The Scottish dias...
Apr 15, 2023•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 134
While some might see Lulu as an exemplar of cherubic innocence, one listen to "Try To Understand," written by the boss songwriting duo of Lori Burton & Pam Sawyer (see Episode 70) will clear up that misconception (1:27). This song is from the POV of a player, a female Casanova who's trying to keep her main man and her side piece (but which is which?) ... a big production, a "Bacharach stack" of grand pianos and Lulu's booming vocals make this a beautifully bombastic track! Little Hank comes ...
Apr 08, 2023•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 133
This week we discuss the song that Francis Rossi wrote on the toilet while trying to escape family life - the pop-psychedelic masterpiece "Pictures of Matchstick Men" by Status Quo (1:53). With that in mind, it's possible that the tune is a fever dream fantasy of familicide, with the wah-wah parts imitating his newborn baby crying ... who knew that there could be such a push-and-pull between the domestic and the psychedelic? (- The Beatles , probably) ... The second snapshot is by The Invaders ,...
Apr 02, 2023•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 132
"Then He Kissed Me" by The Crystals is a somewhat underrated pop product of the early 1960s, so it's time to shine the spotlight on this brick in the Wall of Sound, featuring the powerful vocals of La La Brooks, the production of Phil Spector , the arrangement of Jack Nitzsche , and the Brill Building words of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich (1:07). What a cast!! We then take a detour to see how the song's opening guitar riff inspired Lou Reed and John Cale 's pre-Velvets band, The Primitives , o...
Mar 25, 2023•2 hr 34 min•Ep. 131
In the latest episode, Erik & Weldon answer the question: "what's purple and goes buzz buzz buzz?" The answer is the Electric Prunes , who psyched out the world in 1966 with "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) (1:44). Unlike most people who tell you about their dreams, the Prunes keep you listening with some seriously spacy sounds. We analyze all the parts of this moody masterpiece, and Erik recounts a close encounter with some Taiwanese hornets. In '67, Rasputin & the Mad Monks took t...
Mar 18, 2023•2 hr 39 min•Ep. 130
This week, we tell tall tales about one of the all-time greats - 1965's "Liar Liar" by The Castaways (1:30). A song with rolling organ that opens up with a snare crack, released in the same month as "Like A Rolling Stone"... but this one's way better because of the weird falsetto , the deadpan verses, surf drums, a wild scream and the newly-rediscovered SENSATION NOTE ! How do they fit in so much greatness under two minutes? In 1966, SoCal's Mustangs sped through the song in even less time (1:03...
Mar 11, 2023•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 129
You can think of this as a belated Valentine's Day episode - featuring the brainless, bashing Bo Diddley-beat balladry of "Makin' Love", originally done by The Sloths in 1965 (1:18). If Animal from The Muppets was a one-man band, this would be his signature song. While other LA bands were folkin' it up on the Sunset Strip, the Sloths were fearlessly flying the flag for freaky, frazzled, garage R&B. Listen in to find out what the " Sensation Note" is! The next year, some other SoCal scoundrel...
Mar 04, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 128
This time it’s personal ... Sergeant Erik and Chief Inspectors Bobby Beaton and John Davis, of the Gruesomes , embark on an investigation of one of the most notorious garage rock cold cases of all time: the mystery of Jack The Ripper! We seek the truth regarding: Who released the song first? Who covered whose version? Why are there SO MANY versions of this ill-advised, tasteless song?! Clarence Stacy & Group commit the first crime, with their largely unreported original version (7:12). You’l...
Feb 25, 2023•2 hr 43 min•Ep. 127
We should have a long talk ... about the shoulda-been-a-hit "Say Those Magic Words", written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. The McCoys open the oration with a very twangy sound - there's more guitar hooks here than the Fishin' Musician! It's bubble-gummy, but also a little bit psych, what with the delay effect at the end of the chorus. The Birds (the ones from England with Ron Wood ) present their rebuttal at (45:15). A cool guitar tone that sounds like a Hammond Organ and a very vampy vocal perf...
Feb 18, 2023•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 126
Super Gorilla! We suspect we are the first podcasters to discuss "The Rat's Revenge, Pts. 1 & 2" by The Rats (aka The Decades ), anyone wanna challenge us? "Part One" and its unforgettably STOOPID riff comes first (3:05). As the "Back From The Grave" liner notes note, the song cycle is an homage to the real hero of the AIP "Beach Party" movies, Eric Von Zipper and his Rats Motorcycle Club - but it's so much more than that! To truly understand the weirdness of the 1960s, you must listen in to...
Feb 11, 2023•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 125
This week we listen to 4 GARAGE versions of what some boomers say is the greatest song of all time: Bob Dylan 's "Like A Rolling Stone." We think the very first cover of the tune was done by the Soup Greens , presented to the world only one month after BD released the original. (1:47) They don't bore us, they get to the chorus! In their soupy hands, the song becomes a frat rock rager - with a burbling organ, boom-crash drums, and a great clattering ending. Mike Mitchell > Mike Bloomfield by t...
Feb 04, 2023•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 124
In 1959, R&B Renaissance men Don & Dewey released the first version of the soon-to-be-classic, "Farmer John" (1:01). These guys were multi-instrumentalists and multi-talented - this one's sure to be a hit at your upcoming barnyard blitz. Two years later, Carl & the Commanders brought out the next in the crop, an even faster take with wild drums, some tickling of the ol' ivory, and it ends with some slapback handclaps (42:42). in 1964, The Premiers presented the world with a raucous r...
Jan 29, 2023•2 hr 14 min•Ep. 123
This week we bequeath to you an episode on the rockin' 66er, "Readin' Your Will" by The Human Expression (2:25). The original acetate is a raw 'n' snotty intervention, with singer Jim Quarles condemning his friend for his dissolute rock 'n' roll lifestyle while backed with cool gallopin' drums and an overall "Steppin' Stone" vibe. The etymology of "blow your mind" is discussed here. The next deed is done by The Hypnotic Eye , way back in 2012 (50:49). Their version is a punky boy/girl duet, so l...
Jan 22, 2023•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 122
In late 1963/early 1964, a new dance craze blew through the Windy City: the Uncle Willie ! In this episode, the first of 2023, we listen to 6 songs that range from R&B, girl group, and garage - all of them will have you putting your hands on your hips and letting your feet slip ... it's as easy as it can be!
Jan 15, 2023•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 121
Say Toodle-oo to 2022 with In The Past: Garage Rock Podcast! We have 4 categories for this year's Bo Diddley Awards: 1. Bo Diddliest Tambourine Tune (new!) 2. Bo Diddliest Video 3. Bo Diddliest Song From a Theme Episode 4. Most Beautiful Song (new!) All that, and resolutions - get away from the family for a few hours!!
Dec 24, 2022•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 120
This show finds us investigating the iconic 60s sound of jangle - we start with the most famous treble-makers of the decade, The Byrds and their beautiful 1965 B-side, "She Don't Care About Time" (1:16). Erik diagrams the science of jangle and we do a deep dive on Gene Clark's inscrutable, ineffable lyrics. And those harmonies!! Next, go deeper into the jangle jungle with 1966's "You Wouldn't Listen" by The Ides of March (1:07:58). These Chicago cacophonists add some R&B flavour, doo-wop voc...
Dec 17, 2022•2 hr 22 min•Ep. 119
The new episode aims to sate Pastronauts with 4 versions of the garage gem, “Hungry.” The main course is the 1966 original from Paul Revere & the Raiders . This one has FUZZ , pulsing organ, and some terrific cha cha tambo along with a lusty vocal performance from the great Mark Lindsay. That same year, Canadian/British combo The 5AM Event altered the ingredients somewhat for more Freakbeat-influenced fodder. Since Lindsay’s “Hungry” was so horny, these guys take that literally and add … a t...
Dec 11, 2022•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 118
In the new episode, we take some giant steps and discuss 4 songs from the 60s about our Earth's best friend, the oblate spheroid you can't avoid - The Moon! We launch with 1961's "Blue Moon", by The Marcels (1:51). This one has been a golden oldie from the start, but you have to listen with fresh ears: Freddy "Fricative" Johnson's low basso profundo will paradoxically send you to the celestial sphere the song sings of, while it sends Weldon into the Linguistics lab. The second moonshot is "Mr. M...
Dec 03, 2022•2 hr 8 min•Ep. 117
What happens if you bring a tambourine to a gang fight? That question is answered by Don Covay 's "Sookie Sookie", released in 1966 (1:02). A song with a great groove but chorus amnesia - and the most intimidating tambo work we've ever heard. Listen to us talk about the history of the banana peel in comedy as well. The second "Sookie" is from '67, by The Primitives (49:27). These guys add some freakbeat touches, the "Taxman" bassline, and true to their name, some apropo Paleolithic grunting. In ...
Nov 26, 2022•2 hr 21 min•Ep. 116
