Thursday, December 18, 2014

The Boys Next Door (4 Wheels) - The Boys Next Door (64-67)



Θα σας ευχηθώ καλές γιορτές, με υγεία και εύχομαι επίσης να κάνετε όσα περισσότερα κουράγια μπορείτε μέχρι να περάσει η λαίλαπα που ζούμε. Είθε η καινούργια χρονιά να είναι πραγματικά καλή και να συνέλθουμε σαν άνθρωποι και κράτος.
Κλείνω τη χρονιά με τους Boys Next Door, ένα γκρουπ από την Ινδιανάπολη με την δική τους ιστορία και προσφορά σε αυτό που αγαπάμε υπερβολικά. Πληροφορίες θα βρείτε παρακάτω αλλά και στο πλούσιο αρχείο που ανέβασα (φωτό, 45αρια και διάφορα άλλα). 
Να είστε καλά όλοι αδέλφια.Καλές γιορτές και ΚΑΛΗ ΧΡΟΝΙΑ

Boys Next Door - Suddenly She Was Gone (1965)


Known to some as "the Beach Boys of the Midwest," the Boys Next Door were among the relatively few competent emulators of the Beach Boys/Jan & Dean vocal/hot rod/surf sound, and certainly among the very few competent emulators to emerge from outside of California. Formed in Indianapolis, they issued a few singles in 1964-1967, the first of these billed to the Four Wheels before they reverted to the name Boys Next Door (which they'd been known as before making their recording debut). The group had an extremely clean-cut image and sound, right down to the circa-1964 Beach Boys pinstripe shirts seen in some photos. Actually, however, their recordings were pretty good and energetic, with melodic harmonies and a fairly kinetic drive.


The early Four Wheels singles were convincing SoCal hot rod pastiches, and singles such as "Mandy" were respectable approximations of the Beach Boys sound circa 1964-1965 that could have fit in well as tracks on Beach Boys LPs of the period. The Boys Next Door were also no producer's concoction, writing much of their material and gigging frequently in the midwest, opening for stars like Herman's Hermits, the Hollies, Jerry Lee Lewis, and of course the Beach Boys.

They remained little known outside of Indianapolis, however, and split in late 1967 in disputes over musical direction, lead singer Steve Kester wanting to move into West Coast psychedelia, drummer Jim Koss and keyboardist Skeet Bushor wanting to play R&B. A comprehensive CD collection, including the Four Wheels sides, Girls Next Door singles, and a bunch of unissued material, was released in 1999.

Personnel:
JIM ADAMS  gtr, vcls       A
SKEET BUSHOR      keyb'ds, vcls          A
STEVE DRYBREAD  bs, vcls        A
JIM KOSS     drms, vcls    A
STEVE LESTER       ld vcls, ld gtr A

CD: 
1(A)   THE BOYS NEXT DOOR     (Sundazed SC 11061)          1999

45s: 
1(A)   Central High Playmate / Cold 45          (Soma 1428)                     Mar. 1965
2(A)   Why Be Proud / Suddenly She Was Gone (Soma 1439)                     Aug. 1965
3(A)   There Is No Greater Sin / I Could See Me Dancing With You(Cameo 394)       1965
4(A)   Mandy / One Face In The Crowd         (Atco 6443)                              1966
5(A)   The Wildest Xmas / Xmas Kiss   (Bad 1301)                          Dec 1966
6(A)   The Wildest Xmas / Xmas Kiss   (Atco 6455)                         Dec 1966
7(A)   Begone Girl / See The Way She's Mine (Atco 6477)                Apr 1967
NB: (1) as the Four Wheels.  


Not for the garage and psych clan, but sixties pop fans read on... This clean-cut quintet from Indianoplis were obviously influenced by the Beach Boys, for whom they opened on several occasions, right down to the striped shirts. Initially adopting the surf/hot-rod sound, their debut 45 was re-credited to the Four Wheels, deemed to be a more suitable handle.

Thereafter they followed their heroes (and villains?) towards California's smooth moody harmony-pop ala Pet Sounds, adding other influences to produce some fine mid-sixties pop pastiches: Begone Girl successfully takes on The Association; There Is No Greater Sin sounds like the Beach Boys covering Dylan and adds baroque flourishes; See The Way She's Mine adds a Midwest horn flavour to the recipe.


To their credit, whilst highly derivative, much of their material was self-penned, mainly by Koss and Lester. Of the covers:- three tracks (the final 45 and the unreleased Lorali) were written for them and produced by smooth balladeer Bobby Goldsboro, for whom they'd performed backing duties; Why Be Proud came from The Gestures' Dale Menten.

The CD comprises all their releases, including four tracks as the Four Wheels, radio spots, one live and several unreleased cuts. A detailed history and interview with Steve Lester by Jeff Jarema rounds off yet another quality retrospective from Sundazed.

Compilation appearances have included: Suddenly She Was Gone on Bad Vibrations, Vol. 1 (LP) and Soma Records Story, Vol. 1 (LP); and Why Be Proud on Soma Records Story, Vol. 2 (LP) and The Big Hits Of Mid-America - The Soma Records Story (LP).
(Max Waller)



Saturday, December 06, 2014

Micky & Tommy - State Of Micky & Tommy (1965-71)





Ωρα για κάτι που επίσης δεν παίζει πολύ στα blog ετσι ώστε να μπορεί να το ακούσει ο κόσμος. Αξιολογότατη συλλογή που περιλαμβάνει ότι έκαναν οι Μικ Τζόουνς (μετέπειτα στους Σπουκι Τουθ και στους Φόρινερ) και Τόμι Μπράουν.
Είναι βέβαιον ότι μέσα από διάφορες συλλογές όλο και κάτι θα έχετε ακούσει. Όπως για παράδειγμα τα πανέμορφα With Love From 1 To 5, The Bird, There She Goes ή και το εξαιρετικότατο δείγμα Βρετανικής ψυχεδέλειας I Know What I Would Do. Εδώ τουλάχιστον είναι μαζεμένα. Προσωπικά μου άρεσε και το Carry My Lord που δεν είχα ακούσει. Στο αρχείο συμπεριέλαβα φωτό και ότι άλλο κυκλοφορεί στο νετ.

Καλή ακρόαση σε όλους σας και να προσέχετε την υγεία σας.  


Nimrod - The Bird


State Of Micky and Tommy

It's not well known, but long before he joined Foreigner -- and even before he was in Spooky Tooth -- Mick Jones made quite a few records with Tommy Brown, the pair working in France for much of the period. This French CD collects 24 tracks in which they were involved between 1965 and 1971, encompassing recordings billed to several different monikers, including the State of Mickey & Tommy, the Blackburds, Nimrod, the J&B, and Thomas F. Browne. It may be that the singles they released as the State of Mickey & Tommy, obscure as those 45s are, are the best known of the lot, especially "With Love from One to Five," which has shown up on a few relatively high-profile U.K. psychedelia compilations.


That does happen to be one of the better numbers, but generally this CD has fair, though not exceptional, music that reflects the British mod, pop/rock, and psychedelic trends of the time with occasional hints of French and Continental influences. "With Love from One to Five" is typical if classy 1967 orchestrated psychedelic pop; "Nobody Knows Where You've Been" strongly recalls the arrangements on Sgt. Pepper's cuts like "Within You, Without You"; and "Frisco Bay" is nice dainty, dreamy pop with beatific Summer of Love lyrics and the lightest hints of raga-rock.

Micky and Tommy - I Know What I Would Do


All of those songs were found on singles credited to the State of Mickey and Tommy; the ones billed to the Blackburds are more like soul-flavored British mod rock that could serve as incidental film music, while Nimrod's 1969 single "The Bird" (previously included on several collector-oriented comps of rare British psychedelia) is a fairly strong relic bridging psychedelia with early progressive rock. The best track, however, is the relatively unheralded 1966 single "There She Goes" by the J&B, a quite haunting, dramatic song that's a bit like a mini-soundtrack to a story of Swinging London heartbreak.


As a whole, this will hardly qualify Jones and Brown as lost masters of mid- to late-'60s British rock, but there's pleasant period music of the genre to be heard, virtually all of it from extremely rare recordings (including soundtracks).
Allmusic



Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Autumn Tunes For Psych Spaniolos




Αφού δεν ήρθε ο χειμώνας πάλι καλα. Οι αγαπητοί φίλοι Fuzzy Daddy και Jose Kortozirkuito μπήκαν πάλι στο κόπο να φτιάξουν μία πανέμορφη συλλογή την οποία έστειλαν όταν μπήκε το φθινόπωρο αλλά τώρα αξίωσα να την ανεβάσω. Καθαρά ημερολογιακά πρόλαβα.

Τους ευχαριστώ από καρδιάς και ζητώ συγνώμη για την καθυστέρηση.

Tracklist:
01 Manos Hadjidakis - When The Clouds Come
02 Simon And Garfunkel - Leaves That Are Green
03 Brimstone - Visions Of Autumn
04 Small Faces - The Autumn Stone
05 Stone Poneys - Autumn Afternoon
06 Tom Parrott - Autumn Time In Grenada
07 Anita Kerr Singers - Autumn Afternoon
08 Bobby Callender - Autumn
09 Nick Drake - River Man
10 Stamatis Spanoudakis - Autumn
11 Vashti Bunyan - Rose Hip November
12 National Gallery - Diana In The Autumn Wind
13 Danny Gerrard - Autumn Blewn
14 Peter Fonda - November Night
15 Kinks - Autumn Almanac
16 Delicate Balance - Autumn Wind
17 Hamlets - It's Autumn
18 Summer Sounds - When Autumn Leaves Turn To Brown
19 October Country - October Country
20 Vigrass & Osborne - Forever Autumn

Download Link:

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Cream Bassist Jack Bruce Dead at 71




Jack Bruce, bassist from 1960s band Cream, has died aged 71, his publicist confirms.



Born in the Glasgow suburb of Bishopbriggs in 1943, his parents travelled extensively in Canada and the USA and the young Jack attended 14 different schools.
He finished his formal education at Bellahouston Academy and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, to which he won a scholarship for cello and composition. 
He left the academy and Scotland at the age of 16 and eventually found his way to London where he became a member of the influential Alexis Korner's Blues Inc, where Charlie Watts, later to join the Rolling Stones, was the drummer. 
He played in a number of bands throughout the early 60s, including John Mayall's Blues Breakers and Manfred Mann before joining Clapton and Baker in Cream.

The world of music will be a poorer place without him, but he lives on in his music and forever in our hearts.

Cream - As You Said


Let's go down to where it's clean
To see the time that might have been.
The tides have carried off the beach.
As you said,
The sun is out of reach.

Let's go back to where it's clean
To see what year it might have been.
The road have carried off the smiles.
As you said,
To judge them at the trial.

Let's go back to now that's bad
To see the time we migt have had.
The rails have carried off the trains.
As you said,
I'll never come again, again, again, again.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Andy Robinson - Patterns Of Reality (1968)




Απολογούμαι για τις μέρες απουσίας, αλλά οι υποχρεώσεις αυξάνονται πλέον με γεωμετρική πρόοδο. Λοιπόν ένα δισκάκι που δεν «παίζει» πολύ στο νετ και πρέπει να υπάρχει. Είναι πολύ καλό. Ανέβασα δυο τραγούδια στο youtube που δεν υπήρχαν να πάρετε γεύση. Για πληροφορίες σκάλισα ότι υπήρχε και σας τα παραθέτω. Δεν αναγράφεται κάπου στα Αγγλικά κείμενα , αλλά ο δίσκος του κυκλοφόρησε το Νοέμβριο του 1968.

Να περνάτε και να περνάμε όλοι καλά δηλαδή όσο καλά μας αφήνουν να περνάμε όλα αυτά τα αχόρταγα τσακάλια που μας έχουν περιτριγυρίσει.


Originally from Philadelphia, he began singing and composing songs while still a student at the University of Colorado in Boulder. It was small clubs in and around Boulder that he first started singing professionally appearing with people like Judy Collins, Odetta and others. Their encourage ment led Andy to New York City where he met Janis Ian, who was impressed enough to introduce him to her manager. He was signed to a contract, and Janis Ian produced his forst album "Patterns of Reality" on the Philadelphia label.


1) According to a comment in "Rate Your Music" Andy Robinson was originally from Philadelphia. "Patterns Of Reality" (Philips PHS 600-289 / 1968) was recorded in L.A. and is full of well-crafted songs that hang together well. One might miss some rough edges but Andy Robinson's ambition wasn't to do a lo-fi album. On the negative side are some loungy moves at the end on some of his songs ("Are You Sleeping" and "Maiden Voyage" in particular), especially when he let's his studio pro's loose. All in all this is an album well worth hearing not unlike to Bob Ray, Toby Ben or Hamilton Camp for instance. Andy Robinson recorded a second album entitled "Break Out Of The City" on Janus in 1970 which I've never got the chance to hear.
 
Andy Robinson - Ballad of a Summer Girl


From 1966-1970, I was one of the show hosts (I think they still call them "dj's" there today) at college radio station WONY in Oneonta, NY. While the station was essentially a Top 40 formatted station, those of us on the air occasionally had a variety of album tracks and/or single releases (45's) from those albums sent to us by record companies. (Yes, we actually played vinyl records, because no one had even dreamed of mp3 tracks back then.)
In 1968, we featured almost every track on the album Patterns of Reality by Andy Robinson. According to a comment in Rate Your Music, "Andy Robinson was originally from Philadelphia. Patterns Of Reality was recorded in L.A. in 1968 and is full of well-crafted songs that hang together well." The songs weren't just a clear-voiced guy and his guitar; some were fully produced with piano and orchestra strings.
His songs became extremely popular with men and women listeners alike on WONY. The lyrics of his songs were compelling in the sense that they made you think about yourself and your relationships with other people without ever being preachy. And, as strange as it may sound, Andy's songs had an unusual way of making you forget all about time while you were listening. THAT takes real talent. Andy recorded a second album entitled Break Out Of The City in 1970 which I've never seen or heard. This lost song was the single we played that was very popular with WONY listeners. It still sounds good today.


Andy Robinson - Nothing Could Be Better


Personnel:
Andy Robinson - vocals
Artie Butler - piano, organ
Lincoln Mayorga - harpsichord, piano
Jim Gordon - drums
Earl Palmer - drums
Carol Kaye - bass
David Cohen - guitar
Dennis Budimir - guitar
Al Casey - guitar
Ken Watson - percussion
Gene Estes - percussion
Victor Feldman - percussion
Gary Coleman - percussion
Sid Sharp - violin
Bill Nuttycombe - violin
Sam Boghossian - viola
Jesse Ehrlich – cello



Friday, September 05, 2014

The Sandalwood Candle NEW UPDATE



Few minutes ago, I received a mail from Mr. Gerry Dionne with many infos about “The Sandalwood Candle”.

Hi:


I was one half of the duo, The Sandalwood Candle. We recorded "Does Your Mother Know?" and "Ended Moments" at Arthur Smith Studios in Charlotte NC  in December of 1969. The other member of  the duo, Dick Lewis and I are the two voices. Dick also played 12 string guitar. I played bass and tambourine. The drummer is Nelson Lemmond, who also played with a Charlotte-based rhythm and blues band called The Tempest. They had a minor hit in 1968 entitled, "Would You Believe?". Other players on the session include Leslie Smiley on violin and harpsichord, Bill Tritt on second violin. I don't remember who played  the cello and oboe. Van Coble and Nelson Lemmond were co-producers. The engineer was Hank Poole. The label, 440 Plus was owned by Arthur Smith and distributed my Monument Records. The record got air play in Charlotte and, I was told, Chicago. Monument was in the process of being sold to CBS at the time, so this release got lost in the shuffle. I don't think it actually ever made it into any stores.

Here are two photos of the Sandalwood Candle from 1970. Dick Lewis is in the gray suit.



Dick Lewis is deceased. He died of cardiac arrest two years ago at age 68.The arranger, Bob Early was a Benedictine monk at Belmont Abbey in Belmont NC at the time  of the recording. He left the  monastery in the '70s, taught literature at Bowling Green University for a few years, got married and moved to Spain. 

Thank you for posting,

Gerry Dionne


I must say THANKS A LOT from my heart Mr. Gerry Dionne. 

The Sandalwood Candle - Does Your Mother Know (1969)


Gerry Dionne singing "The Number and the Name" in 1969 and "Does Your Mother Know" in 1981

Thursday, September 04, 2014

Candy Store Prophets - You’re A Teaser / The Time of Day (1966)



Πρόσφατα αποφάσισα να κάνω ένα back up αγοράζοντας επιτέλους μετά κόπων και βασάνων ένα δίσκο, για να βάλω μέσα τα τις μουσικές που έχω. Στο μεταξύ άκουγα κομματάκια από ένα ξεχασμένο αρχείο, οπότε έπεσα πάνω σε αυτό το γκρουπ.
Οι Candy Store Prophets είναι η συνέχεια ενός γκρουπ που λεγόταν Bassmen (υπήρχε άλλο ένα τότε με το ίδιο όνομα αλλά από την Αριζόνα). Οι συγκεκριμένοι πάντως δεν έχουν καμία σχέση με τους άλλους Candy Store Prophets των Boyce και Hart που έγραφαν και ηχογραφούσαν backing tracks στα πρώτα βήματα των Monkees
Οι Beatles μπορεί να ήταν αξεπέραστοι, έδωσαν όμως την ευκαιρία τότε σε μερικά παιδιά με μερικές συνθέσεις τους, ακόμα και να τους ξεπεράσουν. Έτσι πιστεύω και για το  «Youre A Teaser» όπου νομίζω είναι ένα από τα διαμάντια εκείνης της εποχής και το οποίο απορώ πως κανείς ως τώρα δεν το είχε ανεβάσει.   

Candy Store Prophets - You’re A Teaser (1966)


Candy Store Prophets


For info: http://www.thebassmen.com/

Candy Store Prophets:
Jamie Grant,
Charlie Feldman,
Mike Easter,
Tommy Johnson

Tracks:
Candy Store Prophets - You’re A Teaser
Candy Store Prophets - The Time of Day

Sunday, July 06, 2014

The Kynds (ex Del-Tones) - So, If Someone Sends You Flowers, Babe / Find Me Gone (1966)



Τελικά δεν υπάρχει ωραιότερο πράγμα από τα ψάχνεις πληροφορίες για μία μπάντα και να πηγαίνεις ένα βήμα παρακάτω, από κει που έχουν πάει είτε τα βιβλία είτε τα εξιδανικευμένα αμερικάνικα σαιτ για αυτή την δουλειά.

Το θέμα αφορά μία μπάντα που λέγετε πως ήταν από το Troy της Νέας Υόρκης και λεγόταν The Kynds. Τριμελής μπάντα που αποτελούνταν από τους Jerry Porreca, Rick Piester και Joe Cirincione. Ωστόσο πάνω στο label αναγράφεται και το όνομα Dan Wood ως συνθέτη στο ένα από τα δύο κομμάτια. Η ανασκαφή ανέδειξε αυτή την σπάνια φωτογραφία τους.

L-R Jerry Porreca, Rick Piester, Joe Cirincione


Όμως το ανηλεές ψάξιμο απέδειξε ότι πριν φτιαχτούν οι The Kynds, υπήρχε στο Hudson Valley, εκεί κοντά, μία άλλη μπάντα με το όνομα  Del-Tones (προσοχή διότι υπάρχουν αρκετές μπάντες με αυτό το όνομα) που φτιάχτηκε το 1963, στην οποία δύο από τους κατοπινούς Kynds ήταν μέλη και η οποία διέλυσε το 1966. Οι Rick Piester και Jerry Porreca.  Η μπάντα αυτή δραστηριοποιήθηκε ξανά στις 19 Ιουνίου το 2011 στο Smokey Joe's Saloon and Grill στο Lake George της Νέας Υόρκης, ιδιοκτησίας Jerry Porreca. Αιτία ο θάνατος στο Αφγανιστάν του Ben Osborn ανιψιού του κιθαρίστα David Osborn. Τα χρήματα που μαζεύτηκαν (περί τις 24.000) δολάρια πήγαν για την βοήθεια παιδιών της περιοχής του Lake.

L-R Rick Piester, Jerry Porreca, John Frentino, Dave Osborn























Οι Kynds λοιπόν κυκλοφόρησαν ένα μόνο 45αρι το Σεπτέμβριο του 1966 στην Mo-Foag label, για την οποία δεν υπάρχει το παραμικρό στοιχείο. Συνεπώς όπως υποθέτουν μάλλον ήταν ας πούμε δική τους εταιρεία. Στην πρώτη πλευρά υπήρχε το καταπληκτικό  «So, if someone sends you flowers, babe» και στην πίσω το  «Find Me Gone». Πληροφορίες λένε πως υπήρξε ακόμα ένα κομμάτι ους αλλά ακυκλοφόρητο με τον τίτλο «Ill Get You Yet».

The Kynds - So, If Someone Sends You Flowers, Babe (1966)



The Del-Tones
Formed in Hudson in 1963 by guitarist and singer David Osborn, the Del-Tones performed in many nightspots and at events in Columbia and Greene counties and in the Albany area for three years. The three-musician group disbanded in 1966, and they have not performed together since then. The other two members of the group are Rick Piester, bass and vocals, and Jerry Porreca, drums and vocals. Many area people who were in their 20s and 30s at the time remember the Del-Tones performing at venues including the Oakes Farm, the Bavarian Manor, the Belvedere Manor in Catskill, the General Worth Hotel in Hudson, several nightclubs in the Albany area, and at many special events in the region. This popular Hudson Valley rock and roll band reunite for the first time since 1966 on Sunday, June 19, to spend an afternoon with old friends and raise money for a fund memorializing a Lake George-area soldier who lost his life last year in Afghanistan.


The Kynds:
Jerry Porreca  drums, vocals
Rick Piester bass, vocals
Joe Cirincione  organ

They’re probably from Troy, NY. They released only this one 45 (Mo-Foag 102) in September 1966. It seems that later (1968) Jerry Porreca   joined (it’s not confirmed) The Intruders. 


Tracks:
The Kynds - So, if someone sends you flowers, babe
The Kynds - Find Me Gone

Download Link:

Thursday, July 03, 2014

The Sparkles - Singles (62-67)



Λίγο πριν απομακρυνθούμε από το blog και από τις περισσότερες δραστηριότητες τις καθημερινότητας για να πάρουμε μερικές ανάσες, πάμε στο Τέξας και πιο συγκεκριμένα στο Λίβλαντ προς τιμήν αυτή της μπάντας.  Οι Sprakles μπορεί α είχαν μικρή δισκογραφία αλλά είχαν μακρά διάρκεια ζωής η οποία ξεκίνησε το 1957 και ολοκληρώθηκε κάπου το 1972. Τα 15 αυτά χρόνια ιστορίας εκτός από τις αρκετές αλλαγές στην σύνθεσή τους είχαν επίσης να παρουσιάσουν ατέλειωτο πλήθος live εμφανίσεων, που τους ανέδειξε ως μία πολύ σπουδαία μπάντα...μάλλον σε όλα τα "επίπεδα".

Η δισκογραφία τους επειδή υλοποιήθηκε μέσα σε χρόνια καθοριστικών μουσικών αλλαγών,  περιλαμβάνει φυσικά ροκ εν ρολ (The U.T.) στο ξεκίνημα και καταλήγει σε ένα καταιγιστικό 45αρι, από αυτά που αποκαλούμαι ως massive killers.


Έκανα μία προσπάθεια (ευτυχώς πέτυχε) να μαζέψω όλα τους τα κομμάτια στην καλύτερη δυνατή ποιότητα (μαζί και φωτό από τα 45αρια τους) σε ένα αρχείο για την συλλογή σας. Η κυκλοφορία της Sundazed SEP 176 ως Ep το 2005 περιλαμβάνει μόλις τρία κομμάτια.



The Sparkles - I Want To Be Free (1967)


The Sparkles

Personnel:
GUY BALEW                                 sax                         A
JESSE BALEW                              sax                         A
GARY BLAKEY                              drms                       A B
BOB DONNELL                             bs                           A
CARL HUCKABY                           gtr                          A
STANLEY SMITH                           gtr                          A B C
JOHNNY WALLER                         piano                      A   
CHARLIE HATCHETT                     gtr                             B
LUCKY FLOYD                              drms                             C D E
DONNIE ROBERTS                        gtr                                C   
BOBBY SMITH                              bs                                 C D E
LOUIE HOLT                                 gtr                                   D
JIMMY MARRIOT                          drms                                D E
GARY P. NUNN                             gtr                                   D
STEVE WEISSBERG                      ld gtr                                   E
45s: 
1. The U.T./He Can't Love You       (Caron 94)                           1962
2. The Hip/Oh Girls, Girls              (Hickory 1364)                      1966
3. Something That You Said/Daddy Gonna Put The Hun On You               (Hickory 1390)   1966
4. Jack And The Beanstalk/Oh Girls, Girls  (Hickory 1406)          1966
5. No Friend Of Mine/First Forget (What Has Made You Blue)                   (Hickory 1443)   1967
6. Hipsville 29 B.C./I Want To Be Free        (Hickory 1474)                1967
This was a very popular combo in West Texas between 1957 and 1972. Forming in Levelland in 1957, line-up 'A' did some recording at Norman Petty's studios in 1958 but nothing made it onto vinyl. They broke up for a while but later reformed with line-up 'B' and an unknown bassist. They underwent several further personnel changes. When Charlie Hatchet relocated to Lubbock to start a new outfit The Raiders he took Gary Blakey with him and a new line-up (C) resulted. For a while in 1965 (line-up D) they used two drummers, although Lucky Floyd was also used as a vocalist too. 

Their first 45 really predates this book. U.T. stood for 'untitled' and was recorded in a garage in Clovis, New Mexico. Later in 1962 they signed for Hickory and Larry Parks, a drummer for Roy Orbison became their producer. They enjoyed some success with the resulting singles, particularly The Hip.
When Louie Holt and Gary P. Nunn left the band, Bobby Smith and Lucky Floyd headed to California changing the band's name to The Pearly Gate. This was around 1968. In fact they were scheduled to play a benefit for Robert F. Kennedy at the Americana Hotel the night he was shot. The band were involved with Al Perkins at this time and did a TV show called 'Judge For The Defense'. They later returned to Austin reverting back to The Sparkles and around 1970/71 Steve Weissberg, who had played lead guitar for John Denver, was in the band.
In 1972 Lucky Floyd was invited back to California to join Red Wilder Blue. The Sparkles disintegrated soon afterwards. An early sixties line-up played some reunion gigs in West Texas early in 1985.


Tracks:
The Sparkles - The U.T.
The Sparkles - He Can't Love You      
The Sparkles - The Hip
The Sparkles - Oh Girls, Girls  
The Sparkles - Something That You Said
The Sparkles - Daddy Gonna Put The Hun On You       
The Sparkles - Jack And The Beanstalk
The Sparkles - No Friend Of Mine
The Sparkles - First Forget (What Has Made You Blue)
The Sparkles - Hipsville 29 B.C.
The Sparkles - I Want To Be Free