In The Past: Garage Rock Podcast

It's finally time to examine a song from Sgt. Pepper's, and we've chosen "Getting Better"! We wonder if the album has slipped in the public consciousness in favour of the later period Beatles dirtbag albums? We also include covers from Davy Graham (folk), The Five Stairsteps (soul), Steve Hillage (prog), The Wedding Present (indie), and, er ... Smash Mouth (smash mouth). Yes, we talk a lot about Smash Mouth, wondering if they're kinda garage? and what it might have been like to be in a wildly successful but disrespected band ...  You have to agree we're cool teachers, right? Right?!?

You know we love The Kinks, so this week we're showcasing the 1966 b-side to "Sunny Afternoon" by the North London quartet, the garage evergreen "I'm Not Like Everybody Else." It's thought to be a defiant statement of individualism, but we think Ray Davies could be winding us up. The first cover we discuss is by France's Lionets: their rendition is charmingly inept but undeniably moody. The Chocolate Watchband offer up the reliable garage rock snarl we expect from them, while Belgian trio Hubble Bubble bring the song into the 70s. The final version by Chris Spedding adds a nice musical theatre touch that Ray D would probably love. Let's go to town!

Because this is the podcast where we talk about a song for way too long, you've gotta be patient. But that can be hard, especially if you're The Supremes! That's right, this week we're talking about "You Can't Hurry Love," the seventh of their 12 consecutive number one singles. We love how the tune jumps from verse to bridge (but it doesn't make you want to jump off a bridge!) ... there's more reasons to love it, which we also discuss. The next version is by Montreal's Les Beatlettes. A garage-girl group belter ... magnifique! In the late 70s, R. Stevie Moore authored a one-man-band-as-girl-group version and it's boffo lo-fi! In the 80s the song had a resurgence with renditions by The Stray Cats and, of course, the inevitable Phil Collins - now break!!

Lou Reed and John Cale's pre-Velvet Underground songwriting partnership produced a song that straddles many genres: "Why Don't You Smile Now" is the tune we're fancy talking 'bout this week. The original version was done by LR's Syracuse buddies known as The All Night Workers and its soul-garage-drone! The best known version is most likely by our friends The Downliners Sect who make it a little more fuzzy and loud ... Renaissance man Donnie Burkes hits a three-pointer with his version, then we turn to The Crawdaddys who beat-ify the song for the coming garage revivalists! Finally, one of Spiritualized's early singles was a cover which they simply titled "Smile." You won't be frownin'!

A long-awaited sequel to our "60s Moon Rock" show (Episode #117), we present more lunar hymns, this time from the 70s to today! We start with Starbuck's "Moonlight Feels Right," the Moog and marimba smash hit of '76. The next expedition comes just a few years later, with "There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)" by The B52s. Kate & Cindy's harmonies conjure up little green men! In 1985, The Dukes of Stratosphear set a course for 1967 with "Bike Ride to the Moon" - does this mean they beat Neil Armstrong? Finally, to those spacey days of the pandemic, where we had to have a lot of space between each other, to enjoy Danny Michel's one-man-band rendition of "The Whole of the Moon" by The Waterboys. To the moon and back!

We think, therefore we are ... the best garage rock podcast! The end of summer has us in a pensive mood, so let's start with "I Think It's Time" by The Chosen Few ... it's jaunty & short, like a leprechaun! Our second thought experiment comes courtesy of The Poorboys, a number called "Think of Livin'" which is notable mainly for its laser-sounding organ ... You may think it's a typo in the title, but we explain the meaning of "You've Got Another Think Comin'" by The Mods. A classic put-down song that all the high hipsters groove to! Sometimes our thinkin' puts us in a mood, which leads us to the fierce "Thoughts of a Madman" by The Nomads. It's a "dirtnap" song, bridging the gap from garage rock to the dirtbag sound of the 70s. Finally, there's  "Think About It" by The Dan-Dees, which isn't as profound as they think, methinks - but there is some great Byrdsian guitar to chew on ... whadda you think??

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but we say an instrumental is worth even more! We begin aptly with "Let's Go" by The Routers, even though we hear those iconic handclaps a lot less these days at sporting events. Next we chop it up with "Green Onions" by Booker T. and the MG's, but the only tears will be tears of joy! Then we flip "Louie Louie" to hear the Kingsmen's b-side, "Haunted Castle" - we'd pay a million bucks to stay over at that place! Get on your woody with the Summer Mummy for "Wipe Out" by The Surfaris - one of the best ha-core instrumentals ever! Finally, as a digestivo, there's "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)" by The T-Bones. You can't escape that pesky Wrecking Crew, but we like the wordless backing vocals the most! Shut up and dance!

A long, long time ago we did a theme episode called "Life!", but we've been too busy livin' it up since then to face the inevitable follow-up theme episode. Well, here it is, and we start off with Donald Woods' literal tearjerker, "Death of An Angel." Watch out when googling the title of The Royal Flairs' 1966 masterpiece, "Suicide" -- but you'll wanna keep living just to keep listening to this scorching garager (leave the garage doors open, though, just in case) ... Midway on our journey we confront "Nightmare" by The Whyte Boots, a sick sixties death disc authored & performed! by our faves, Lori Burton & Pam Sawyer! John Donne would love "Death Bells at Dawn" by The Lords from New Jersey, and we end in the boneyard to hear the death rattle of "Marble Orchard" by The Graveyard Five. Out, out brief candle!!!

Once in a blue moon, we find a song that is so wild and weird, it becomes a brick in the ever-growing metaphorical mansion that is In The Past ... and it's usually by a group of young African-American women from the 1950s (see: "Pork and Gravy" by The De-Lo's; "Chic-A-Boomer" by The Del-Rhythmettes; and "Rock-and-Ree-Ah-Zole" - to name just one - by The Bobbettes.) This year, it's the incredible "Kill It!" by The Antwinetts. One of the craziest put-down songs you'll ever hear, and you need to hear it!  Don't think our other selections are slouches, though: we next shine the spotlight on Shari Sheeley, who co-wrote "Something' Else" for her beau Eddie Cochran in 1959. Barry Mann & Cynthia Weilwrote the very dramatic "Chico's Girl," which eventually was covered by the aptly-named Girls (aka The Sandoval Sisters). Jackie DeShannonwrote the words and Jack Nitzsche the music for the achingly gorgeous "Baby That's Me" by The Cake. And we close it out with our favourite songwriting team, Lori Burton & Pam Sawyer and the garage classic "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore," here done by girls in the garage The Puppets. Hear them all roar!

Let's talk about 60s songs about girls! We have The Dynamics courting "Genevieve," The Tree Stumps pining for "Jennie Lee," The Fabs searching the heavens with "Dinah Wants Religion," The Association gettin' breezy about "Windy," and The Infinite Staircase moiling for "Margaret." It's not all sugar and spice!!