The Leaves – Hey Joe (1966)

Υπό το συνεχόμενο καθεστώς πίεσης χρόνου, ξεκλέβω λίγο για να ανεβάσω ένα δισκάκι που δεν θυμάμαι πότε αγόρασα. Ήταν μαζεμένα αυτής της εταιρείας (IMPACT RECORDS) με λευκό βινύλιο αφού και μερικά ακόμα. Το αντικείμενο μας είναι η πρώτη δουλειά των Καλιφορνέζων Leaves που κινείται βασικά στο garage. Εδώ υπάρχει η επιτυχία τους, το Hey Joe, το οποίο ως γνωστόν μόνο εγώ δεν έχω τραγουδήσει ακόμα (έχω καιρό πάντως). Δεν τρελάθηκα με τους Leaves και σωστά νομίζω ο δίσκος δεν είχε εμπορική επιτυχία, άσχετα αν το σινγκλάκι με την διασκευή σάρωσε και έφτασε τότε στο νούμερο 5 στην Αμερική.

Personnel:
JIMMY KERN drms A
JIM PONS bs A B C D
ROBERT LEE REINER gtr A B C
BILL RHINEHART gtr A B
JOHN BECK sax, hrmnca, vcls B C D
TOM RAY drms B C D
BOBBY ARLIN gtr C D

ALBUMS:
1(A) HEY JOE (Surrey ) 1966 127
2(C) ALL THE GOOD THAT'S HAPPENING (Capitol ST2638) 1967
NB: (1) also issued on Mira (3005), also issued in France (Festival FLOX 525) 1966. (1) and (2) reissued on CD by One Way, with the reissue of (1) including five extra bonus tracks. (2) was counterfeited during the eighties. There's also a French CD release Leaves-1966 which includes some of their best known songs as well as previously unreleased and live material.

45s:
1 Too Many People/Love Minus Zero (Mira 202) 1965
2 Hey Joe/Be With You (Mira 207) 1965
3 You'd Better Move On/A Different Story (Mira 213) 1966
4 Be With You/Funny Little World (Mira 220) 1966
5 Hey Joe/Girl From The East (Mira 222) 1966 -
6 Hey Joe/Funny Little World (Mira 222) 1966 31
7 Too Many People/Love Minus Zero (Mira 227) 1966
8 Get Out Of My Life Girl/Girl From The East (Mira 231) 1966
9 Lemon Princess/Twilight Sanctuary (Capitol 5799) 1967
NB: There's also a reissue 45 Hey Joe / Girl From The East (Lost Nite LN 314) 197? and a French single with a group picture sleeve: Too Many People/Girl From The East (Festival SPX 143) 1966.

Beatlemania influenced Jim Pons to put together a band called The Rockwells, in 1964, whilst at San Fernando State College (California), using the $1,000 he was awarded following an automobile lawsuit. The original line-up soon set about performing classics like Louie, Louie and Twist And Shout at frat parties. The band's quest for self-improvement soon led them to add John Beck and replace Jimmy Kern with Tom Ray.
The band's break came when they got a residency at Ciro's in L.A. They then chose a new name The Leaves and had posters designed with pictures of themselves and a marijuana leaf saying 'The Leaves Are Happening'. Pat Boone heard them playing at the club one night and signed them for his Penthouse Production Company. Through this The Leaves were first signed to Mira and released their debut single Too Many People/Love Minus Zero. The 'A' side was a hit in Los Angeles.
The Leaves were the first band to release Hey Joe as a single. They made two previous recordings of Hey Joe before the third fuzztone version, which reached No. 31 in the U.S. charts. By now, Bobby Arlin had replaced Bill Rhinehart on guitar. The Leaves had now won a residency at the Whisky A Go Go in L.A., where they topped the bill, which on occasions included The Grateful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company and Quicksilver Messenger Service. In 1965 when they appeared at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, The Rolling Stones opened for them!
However, their follow-up single Get Out Of My Life Woman was less successful. 1966 saw Robert Lee Reiner become an acid casualty and he left the band. They continued as a quartet, but they lacked the fullness of sound necessary to make them click.
Then they signed for Capitol to produce a second album, augmented by studio musicians and strings. It contained some of their best material including Lemon Princess and Twilight Sanctuary, (issued on their last single), but it did not sell and Pons left during its recording to join The Turtles. Pons later did work with Frank Zappa. Beck and Arlin went on to produce a song called Dead Time Bummer Blues which was never released. Arlin later formed the power-trio, The Hook.
Compilation appearances have included: Hey Joe on Mayhem & Psychosis, Vol. 2 (LP), Nuggets From Nuggets (CD), Nuggets - Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968 (Dble LP), Nuggets, Vol. 1 (LP), Excerpts From Nuggets (CD), Garage Monsters (LP), Tough Rock and Wild Thing; Love Minus Zero on Mindrocker, Vol. 5 (LP); Hey Joe and Too Many People on Nuggets Box (4-CD); Too Many People on Nuggets, Vol. 2 (LP); and Lemon Princess on Psychedelic Perceptions (CD).
(Vernon Joynson/Stephane Rebeschini)

Tracks:
1. Dr. Stone
2. Just a Memory
3. Get Out of My Life Woman
4. Girl from the East
5. He Was a Friend of Mine
6. Hey Joe
7. Words
8. Back on the Avenue
9. War of Distortion
10. Tobacco Road
11. Goodbye My Love
12. Too Many People

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