HIGHS IN THE MID SIXTIES

The Highs in the Mid-Sixties series is a group of 23 compilation albums of garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings that were issued by Archive International Productions Records in the mid-1980's. This series is a companion to the Pebbles series of similar music; the title is technically preceded by "Pebbles Presents:". The title sounds like it might have come from a weather report, although "Highs" intends to mean "the best" (and is also an apparent drug reference), while the recordings on these albums were originally released in the mid-1960's.

Unlike the Pebbles series – which has been released over an extended period of time by several record labels and in a variety of formats – the 23 albums in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series were released only as LPs and in a short time span of 1983 to 1986.

Volume One:HERE 

If you enjoy this album, click on the "COOL" button below and I will get some more of this kind of thing up.

THE CHALLENGERS - Surfbeat

Los Angeles based surf band, famed for the best selling surf album of all time SURFBEAT[sold 200.000 copies]. One of the first that brought surf from California to the rest of the world. Formed by drummer Richard Delvy after he left the Bel-Airs, who had recorded one of the first surf singles, "Mr. Moto." A classic 60's surf group with hits like K-39, Mr.Rebel, Channel 9, Tidal Wave, Kami-Kaze. They also did some fine covers of instro. classics Telstar, Wipe out, Pipeline, Out of limits.  

Get it: Surfbeat

Glory Boy Radio show

Sunday nights 7pm to 9pm GMT, a great show of music from 60's Mod to revival Mod, all details here and a link to listen too!   Get into the friendly chat room and chat with like minded folks too!

Link to show:  Glory Boy Radio

 

Mr Alan May A.K.A Glory Boy.

The Eyes - I'm rowed out

Small Faces

Smal Faces - Small Faces - IMMEDIATE (1967)

Small Faces was the second LP of that name issued by the band in the space of a year, a fact that -- coupled with its release a year later in America in somewhat modified form as There Are But Four Small Faces -- has always confused fans of the group's work. This particular album was the Small Faces' Immediate Records debut, and caught the group in the transition from an R&B-based mod band into a psychedelic-oriented outfit. They were still finding their way along the trail from sweaty, soul-drenched James Brown- and Otis Redding-inspired covers and originals to flower-power trippiness, and the short running time and the relative lack of Steve Marriott lead vocals (Ronnie Lane is out front on three of the 14 numbers, in addition to the presence of an instrumental) reveal that they were still laboring to find a sound and a collective voice with which they were comfortable, amid other activities (lots of gigs plus playing on other artists' work as the unofficial Immediate Records house band). The short running time didn't prevent this from being a pretty imposing album, however, especially in its original British edition. "(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me" would probably have been a single but for the fact that Steve Marriott and producer Andrew Oldham gave it away to a quartet of Small Faces admirers called the Apostolic Intervention -- no matter, for it made a strong album opener and a great lead-in to "Something I Want to Tell You" and the ballad "Feeling Lonely," which slides into the heavier-weight instrumental rocker "Happy Boys Happy," which showcases Ian McLagan's keyboards and Kenney Jones' drums. "My Way of Giving" was a superb soul shouter that could have been a B-side in the group's earlier phase, but the real treat is the bejeweled, soaring, spaced-out dream account of "Green Circles," with its beautiful lead piano and exquisitely spacy choruses, leading to a tough, crunchy-textured bridge and finale. Side two opened with "Become Like You," a trippy acoustic guitar-dominated psychedelic ballad, leading to the elegant opening strains of the punchy "Get Yourself Together" and the funny, Cockney-flavored "All Our Yesterdays," with its heavy brass and trumpet embellishment. "Talk to You" was another Marriott soul belter, and "Show Me the Way" was a superb harpsichord workout for McLagan, who got an even better break on "Up the Wooden Hills to Bedfordshire" amid Marriott's acoustic guitar strumming, all closing on the delightfully trippy, upbeat "Eddie's Dreaming" (which featured Georgie Fame's band supporting the quartet). Some of the music lacks the kind of polish that the group would bring to subsequent projects, but Small Faces was still a major leap forward for the group, as far in front of their 1966 album of the same name as, say, Rubber Soul was from Help! in the Beatles' output. Not everything on it worked perfectly, but as a complete LP it was one of the great psychedelic/freakbeat documents of its era, only eclipsed in their output by their next album, Ogden's Nut Gone Flake.

1. (Tell Me) Hove You Ever Seen Me
2. Something I Want To Tell You
3. Feeling Lonely
4. Happy Boys Happy
5. Things Are Going To Get Better
6. My Way Of Giving
7. Green Circles
8. Become Like You
9. Get Yourself Together
10. All Our Yesterdays
11. Talk To You
12. Show Me The Way
13. Up The Wooden Hills To Bedfordshire
14. Eddies Dreaming

Get it: HERE

Nederbeat Dutch Nuggets 63-69 - Vol. 1

Not an awful lot to say about this, but some excellent bands with their own take on the style of the British Invasion.  Some bands you will know like Q65, others you may not, but what I do know is that is an excellent bit of output from our friends in the Netherlands!

Disc 1
1. The Chums - She'll Marry Me
2. The Skope - Wanna Dance
3. The First Move - My Love Has Gone
4. Chapter II - East Of My Place
5. George Cash - The Phantom Of My Past
6. The Shane - Lady Bountiful
7. You And Me - Take Me Or Break Me
8. Johnny & His Cellar Rockers - I Love You (Yes I Do)
9. The Sharons - Turn On The Coloured Light
10. Disillusion '21 - Think Of The Good Times
11. The Dukes - Blue Revelations
12. 4PK - As Tears Go By
13. The Mods - Moef Ga Ga
14. Linda Van Dyck - Sunday Kind Of Feelin'
15. The Tower - Captain Decker
16. Attention! - I Can't Help Myself
17. Dragonfly - Celestial Empire
18. Group Gloria - So Good To Dance
19. The Nicols - Delighted To See You
20. The Caps - When You're Feelin' Blue
21. Het - She'll Stay
22. Short '66 - Going My Way
23. The First Move - He Looks Like A Swine
24. Roek Williams & The Fighting Cats - I Know What I Want
25. Q65 - Feel Her Still
Disc 2
1. The Chums - You're The Sweetest Girl
2. The Skope - Stop Quarreling Now
3. The First Move - A Hard Night's Fight
4. Chapter II - She Sends Me Away
5. George Cash - Long Hard And Dry
6. The Shane - Gotta Hold On
7. You And Me - Oh The Way She Held Me Tight
8. Johnny & His Cellar Rockers - Why
9. The Sharons - That's My World
10. Disillusion '21 - Distance
11. The Dukes - Join-In
12. 4PK - I Laugh At You
13. The Mods - Land Of 1000 Dances
14. Linda Van Dyck - You Don't Love Me
15. The Tower - Steps Into Space
16. Attention! - Picture Me Fool
17. Dragonfly - Prince Of Amboyna
18. Group Gloria - So It Goes
19. The Nicols - It's Easy To Say
20. The Caps - Enough For Two
21. Het - I Got You (I Feel Good)
22. Short '66 - Come The Day
23. The First Move - There Is More
24. Roek Williams & The Fighting Cats - Let's Forget
25. Ro-d-ys - Flowers Everywhere

Get it here: http://www.filestube.com/d14da732d42181ac03e9,g/Various-Nederbeat-1-63-69-CD-1.html

Blow Up A Go Go!

Put this in your CD player and you'll be set for the night. The album is like a time machine, sending you back to 60s London, during the height of the mod scene. Unless you were a fixture at mod clubs in the 60s or are somewhat of an expert, there's a very, very good chance you've only heard two or three songs on here. Another great thing about the album is that it's no niche album; the great tunes, Hammond organ, and Northern Soul beat throughout are universal. It's catchy and dancable, and I guarantee that when you play it people will come up to you and beg to borrow it. There are no low points on this album, in terms of tempo (there's nothing you can't dance to) or quality (not a single clunker to be found).

1. Bert's Apple Crumble – The Quick
2. Blow up a Go-Go! - James Clarke
3. Somebody Stole My Thunder - Georgie Fame
4. Sweet Pea - Soul Hooligan
5. Love Potion No. 9 - The Coasters
6. Breakaway – Johnny Otis So Watts
7. I'm the Man - The Spencer Davis Group,
8. Cloud Nine - Mongo Santamaria
9. Bongolia - Incredible Bongo Band
10. Sahara 72 - The Bobby Hughes Experience
11. Exploration – The Karmisnky Experience
12. Beat Goes On - Buddy Rich
13. House of Bamboo - Andy Williams
14. Psychedelic Sally - Eddie Jefferson
15. Twenty-Five Miles - Edwin Starr
16. Soul Time - Shirley Ellis
17. Responsable - Jacques Dutronc
18. She's Got Everything - The Kinks
19. Shake - Shadows of Knight
20. Humanize - The Big Boss Man

Get it: Blow Up!