In this episode, we celebrate the work of Michael Bouyea: singer-songwriter, Vietnam vet, and DJ. We start with two rippin' 1966 garage numbers by The Rogues, "Same All Over the World" and "The Original." In the 70s, he went pop! - and from this era we play "Just an Illusion" (sorta new wavey) and lost Canadian classic (he was livin' in Toronto), "The Fury." The latter is one of the jauntiest tunes ever put to wax. In 1985, it was a very good year for the Toronto Blue Jays, winning 99 games and inspiring MB to write and record "We Got the Blue Jays," which sneaks in the title of one of his great garage classics by The Squires, "Going All The Way," which we plan to do soon. He's the original!!

In this episode, we tackle seven versions of "The Witch" while also trying to remember the Seven Wonders of the World!:
1. The Sonics
2. Atilla & The Huns
3. The Pointed Sticks
4. The Gruesomes
5. Heart
6. Mojo Beatnik
7. Marcel Bontempi

This week we go gaga over The Pretty Things' 1964 number, "Rosalyn." You know it, you love it. Textbook early garage that takes its cues from Saint Bo Diddley. The second version is by Steve and the Board, a group of Australian teen treblemakers who change the lyrics for some reason. The third is by scary Cheshire cats Stack Waddy. Thick, fuzzy, thudding claustrophobic 70s sledgehammer proto-punk! Robin from Ghosts' fave version. The fourth is by a little known singer named David Bowie, who did a glammy version one year after Stack Waddy. You know the voice, but does it work for this tune? Sure as sin!

Beautiful song alert! Canadian legend Joni MItchell's early classic "Both Sides Now" is the tune of the week, and it touches Erik and Weldon's Prairie souls. A wide-ranging discussion of Canadian accents, British Surrealists, Plato's Cave, and the journey of life ensues. Judy Collins had a hit with the tune in '68, and we dig the Baroque arrangement, and isn't the organ a little ... garagey? That same year, an obscure band called The Collection authored a psych-bubblegum version that has some modulation and icy princess vocals and a cool drone at the end. The final version we talk about is from The Tokens, of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" fame. They really show the whim-o-way forward! Play this one right out loud!!

Three versions of 99th Floor, all featuring Billy Gibbons of future ZZ Top fame! Two demos by The Coachmen V, his original band, and the more well-known Moving Sidewalks version. All different, all great - but that's not all! In the mid-70s, some weirdos from Pennsylvania called TNT recorded the tune and made it even more psych! Last but not least, The Chesterfield Kings filed a faithful but extra fuzzy version in 1982. Why didn't we do this song for Episode 99 instead of 189?!?!?!

The sound is timeless, the bass is fretless. This is the bonus episode we recorded immediately after "I'm a King Bee", celebrating the sexy sliding sound of the fretless bass. In the words of Erik Komarnicki, "The fretless bass is like a road with no speedbumps." It was late, we were drunk, and we forgot about Mick Karn. All kinds of weird things happen in this episode, like us creating extemporized lyrics to "Teen Town" by Weather Report. Is this a garage rock podcast? No, it's a fretless bass podcast ... for one night only!

I guess this could be a Canada Day Long Weekend Special? The song this week is "The Cat Came Back," a song written in the 1890s by a Tin Pan Alley songwriter but made famous by a Canuck. The first version is by Sonny James, a country dude who picks n grins his way through this Goofy Great. The man, the myth Fred Penner didn't pen the song, but people think he did. So let's call it Canadian! His version is wild ... and it's for the kids, so there's extra meows. Does it fade out into "Break on Through" by The Doors? It's a chlling tale of psychopathy, either way. The third in the litter is by Sweden's Stomachmouths, who combine the song with "Hit The Road Jack" and add some proper piano and clothespin-on-nose vocals. Stefan Kery really hits those 3's! This is the one to turn the wee ones onto garage rock. We were going to do a surf version by The Phantom Surfers but technical problems scuppered that - That Darn Cat!!!

This week we buzz awhile about Slim Harpo's 1957 concoction, "I'm a King Bee." A slow and syrupy groove, a slightly sinister mood, and drums which sound like someone's hammerin' a nail. Even the harmonica solo sounds like it's emerging out of the swamp! 7 years later, the song travelled from the Bayou to the Thames and The Rolling Stones beeswaxed the song. Apparently, this song is the first appearance of a fretless bass, which will lead to a very strange bonus episode later. In 1965, The Bad Seeds found the song in their bonnet and man, is their version great. It sounds like The Cramps about 12 years ahead of schedule. Finally, our friends  The Coachmen (see Episode 117) join the hive to make a very different, primitive-sounding groove. Kill your lawn, people!!

It's always good to hear The Coasters, and this week we're studying their Goofy Great, "I'm a Hog For You." Written by Leiber/Stoller, loaded with A-pluses, hogsnort sax work, with a one-note guitar solo - this'll make you happier than pig in poopy! The second swine is by The Deejays, a bunch of British piggies who went to Sweden and waxed the track with added Mersey madness in 65. Bug music with great "yeah's" ... and we pick the best one as a side bet! The third porker in the pigpen is by The Groupies, the Bside of "Primitive" - garagers rejoice!! This one is like a Joe Meek / Strangeloves hybrid, and that means it's great. Slop time for Pastronauts!!

Three versions of "Hey Joe"! But they're all by The Leaves!! The first one is chaotic, the second one is cleaner, the third one is canonical (Nuggets)- but which one blows OUR minds the most? Listen in to hear the song's lore, including the suspicious "original" demo, and more. It's a wild tale, and a wild tune.