This Halloween we continue to howl at the moon with 5 more songs about those scary wolfmen (and wolfwomen)! We start the horrific cavalcade with "Rockin' Werewolf" by Robbie the Werewolf from 1964 (2:38). Just try and get the chorus of this fun strummin' folk number out of your head, but keep the crucifixes away while Robbie is rockin' ... wait, is that only for vampires? Our second song is a Shatnerian soliloquy on lycanthropic transformation: "Wolfman" by The Muleskinners (38:29). Listen in on your party line to the affecting monologue of a man trying to hold it together before he goes feral. The third terror is "I'm The Wolf Man", purportedly by Round Robin (1:03:47). The wolfman growls in this one have a distinctly Western flavour to them, but more importantly, there's FUZZ! And there's also FUZZ! in our fourth frightener, "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" by The Cramps (1:24:20). Lux Interior's psychobilly gasps, gross groans and blown gaskets make this tale of pubescent permutation abominally believable. The final act comes with the fifth song: "Killing the Wolfman" by The King Khan and BBQ Show (1:52:52). Weldon has some insider information on this tasty piece of twang, but the real question is ... will the Wolfman be resurrected in time for Halloween 2023? Stay tuned, Pastronauts ... (distant howls coming from the woods...)

This week's show is a pre-Halloween extravaganza that takes you to the Twilight Zone and points beyond (i.e., Idaho)! The Serlingesque shenanigans start with "Out of Limits" by The Marketts (1:57). The famous 4-note riff is present, along with triangle, organ, castanets, and French horn! The Marketts manage to throw the sound of Western and spy movies into the mix, too - whooo! The sinister second is a truly weird number: weird because it's either by Barry Ray OR Rich Cutcher and the Wildwoods (38:02). Most likely the latter ... this one has some steel guitar to add spooky atmospherics and rile the rockabilly kids. The mean minor third is "Wild Man" by The Tamrons, probably the coolest appropriation of the famed TZ riff (1:05:32). Is the song antiphonic or polyphonic? Who cares? - it's breathy, filthy and nawsty  and belongs in the garage under a tarp!!  The fiendish fourth is "Private Idaho" by The B-52s, a song supposedly based on an old episode of the famed show (1:42:12). Cool surf drums and guitar with the vocals you expect from Cindy, Fred, and Kate - what a way to (desc)end!

What do you give the podcast listener who has everything? Answer:  an episode on Them's 1966 garage hymn "I Can Only Give You Everything", which has everythang: a gravedigger riff with fuzz, overdriven organ, pounding drums, a snarling vocal performance, some wild modulation and a messed up chord change (1:51)! Ain't that enough? Of course not! A couple of months later, the co-songwriter and producer of Them's initial onslaught, Scotland's Tommy Scott waxed his own interpretation (56:53). In this one, we detect some traditional folk and skiffle sounds,  and we especially dig how the organ sounds like bagpipes - Tommy Scott Wha Hae!! From Ireland, to Scotland to ... Motor City? In 1967, The MC5 released a scorching rendition that adds a little  more to the everything - cool cadence, spastic strumming, and a spine-tingling psych solo (1:25:04).  The denouement of our discussion comes when we spin Beck's 1996 sorta hit, "Devil's Haircut," which revived the riff for slacker kids (1:48:08). It's not nothin', but does it have enough "everything" to be something? Tune in and find out!

In the latest episode we make sense out of nonsense, meaning we crack open three 'goofy greats' and feast on the goo inside! Back in 1956, The Chips released "Rubber Biscuit," a rockin' doo wop number with insane vocables that we find hides a serious message (1:39). Two years later, David Seville went to visit the "Witch Doctor" (58:54). We don't know if he won his crushes heart, but the squeaky-voiced Doc did give Seville one of the greatest choruses ever. Finally, in 1972 the Italian legend Adrian Celentano recorded "Prisencolinensainciusol," which became a hit and then a viral sensation years after its release (1:34:56). Sometimes it takes a while for the message to sink in! Alright!

Watch it now, watch it! We're talking about quatro versions of "Wooly Bully" this week, but we have to go back to 1962 to listen to the origins of the insanity, namely the tune "Hully Gully, Now" by Big Bo & the Arrows (1:11).  The bass is incredible. The organ is incredible. The vocals  (by Little Smitty)... will leave you incredulous! Words can't capture the wildness of this wooly antecedent, but the dirty job falls to us and we get our hands and ears dirty. In 1965, Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs stepped up to defend the USA from bug music and they did this by adapting Big Bo's tune, adding some Tex-Mex flavour to it, and retitling it "Wooly Bully" (25:53) .  This song is one of the pillars of garage greatness, and it's great from the get-go (meaning the revolutionary 'count-in'). The chorus is an incantation and the drums are chasmic.  The lyrics are discussed, and connections to Korla Pandit and Lord Buckley are suggested. Textbook! Contempo versions by The Fabulous Echoes (from Hong Kong!!) (1:13:24) and Denmark's Defenders (1:39:38) get the ITP: GRP treatment as well!

Randy Newman's 1970 rocker "Have You Seen My Baby" is the subject of this week's episode: the original is in a rollicking Fats Domino barrelhouse-style with RN's love-it-or-leave-it voice (0:48).  The lyrics are about a deluded  romantic, and the arrangement is melancholically delightful. She ain't his baby! The following year, the Roy Loney-era Flamin' Groovies waxed the track to stunning effect (56:48). Their transparently rockin' version leads us into a considered discussion of the Beatles/Stones conundrum, also to stunning effect. Slop rock! In 1980, the Rumour recorded a version that sounds a lot like the  Chris Wilson-era Groovies, and that's a good thing (1:27:41). Jangly guitars lift this version from the avenue into the power-pop stratosphere. Hold on for a special bonus version by Edmonton's Nitehawks at the end (1:50:22)!

4 of Weldon's fave girl group songs on this one! We start off with "Party Lights", a smash hit for Claudine Clark in 1962 (1:15). She wrote and sang this clever little ditty, but the word is she also played piano as well.  CC begs, pleads, uses her best Lowtower and even throws a tantrum but her mama ain't letting her go to join the kids across the street.  That same year, some soon-to-be-legends were also looking to get the party started: The Supremes made a minor splash on the charts with "Let Me Go The Right Way" (40:00).  This is an early number, from before the signature Motown sound had been developed. And we like that just fine, because you can hear Diana, Mary and Flo loud & clear here! They really sell Berry Gordy's dumb lyrics (and soon would sell in the millions themselves!) ... 1963 was the year The Avons put out their first record, the wild and loud "Push A Little Harder" (1:11:24). This one has it all! -  woodblock, tympani, a crazy organ solo and some full-throated singing from these Nashville gals! Last but not least is The Gems,  who take us to 1964 with "Can't You Take A Hint?" (1:38:22). A flirtatious number from a Chicago combo fronted here by Minnie Riperton. She provides the vocal pyrotechnics while the other ones bawl out some great Lou Christie-style backing vocals. A beautiful guitar solo and a Mary Wells quote make this one special.  Listen to the party, Pastronauts!

In the new episode, we make some pretty music while watching the world go by - listening to 4 versions of a classic from Nuggets helps! The original "Night Time" was done by The Strangeloves in 1965 (1:11). It's a table-topper and guitar chopper, with a cool barrelhouse piano riff,  bashing drums, clever lyrics and a cool , sort of meta spoken-word section. In 1966, Swedish snotsters The Sooner or Later waxed their wild rendition (52:18).  The main riff gets played by the drums (!) and the bass, which gives this a booming big beat sound - but there's also FUZZ and a razorblade guitar tone.  That same year, some Mexican lunatics known as Los Crazy Birds made a Spanish-language version called "La Noche" (1:24:41). More FUZZ, circus organ, and some really crazy caterwauling make this one a crypt-keeper. Finally, in a dark year for popular music - 1980 - George Thorogood & The Destroyers were on a mission to keep the night time burning bright, and the mission was accomplished with this fast and furious foray on the fingerboard (1:42:46). That's a natural fact!!

In 1962, The Isley Brothers released "Nobody But Me," a big production of upbeat braggdoccio with wild vocals, raunchy saxes, piano, and some "no, no, no"s in the middle section (1:08). The song didn't really catch on, but two years later a Mersey versh appeared courtesy of beat merchants The Mojos (34:02). Their dual vocals somewhat detract from the original's mouthy message (how can two guys be the best at the Mashed Potato? - there can be no ties in garage rock!), but our Liverpool lads subtly note the song hides a "look at me" love theme. Textbook! Of course, the version that everyone know know knows is the 1967 rendition by The Human Beinz (1:03:18). The iconic opening peal of feedback (in medias res!), the driving bass and drums, the shouted dances, and perhaps most importantly, Pepsi bottle percussion make this a literal pop hit!  We close the show with Canadian legends Doug and the Slugs, who despite their name make the song into a sprint with a new wave spirit (1:45:03). Now skate on through!

Mourn (or celebrate) the end of summer with these four odes to the (hot) dog days, all from 1967! Our first number is "C'mon Summer's Happening" by The Hot Dog Stand (1:52). This mysterious mob of studio musos create an unbelievably peppy little piece of commercial cotton candy, with an odd mix of funky guitar and Wonderbread vocals. Sink your teeth into something more substantial with "Long Cool Summer" by The LPTs (38:36).  Another group of studio specialists, masterminded by Lou Beatty and his La Beat Studios (rivals to Berry Gordy's Motown) - this song is a response to the inner city riots  of the "Long Hot Summer" of 1967.  After making the community a better place, get back on the sand with "On the Beach" by Extreem (1:11:47). Even British people party in summer! (sorry about this year, guys) ... this one has a nice Herman's Hermit's vibe contrasted with deep-voiced crooning, organ and horns. The Beach Boys these guys ain't! Finally, we close with a couple of classics, a rendition of "Summertime Blues/Land of 1,000 Dances" done by The Tropics (1:38:34). These wild Florida kids are determined to enjoy the rest of summer, and so are we! See you in September, Pastronauts!!