The Cryan Shames - Ben Franklin's Almanac
Destination Records 45, 1966
The Blue Things - Orange Rooftop Of Your Mind
RCA Records 45, 1967
Most of the time the trained ear can, upon hearing a mid-60s 45, determine if the band is of US or UK origin, but here are two fine examples of decidedly English-sounding singles by American bands from Chicago and Hays, KS. respectively. The Shames track is the flipside of "Sugar and Spice," revered the world over due to its inclusion on the original Nuggets. It goes through a good number of changes and a "Louie Louie" derived solo before closing up shop before 2:00 with some crashing freakbeat chords. They made some lovely psych-pop for Columbia thereafter, but nothing this tuff.
Rumour was that Blue Things mainman Val Stecklein had some relatives in the small Kansas town where I went to high school, and in my youth I would occasionally bump into an adult who, discovering my interest in music of the era, would spin tales about the time the Blue Things opened for the Beau Brummels in Salina or whatever. What I do know for sure is that The Blue Things went to Nashville and cut a pretty damned impressive (and now quite collectible) self-titled folk-rock LP for RCA in '66, then made a pair of astonishing fuzzy psych 45s before limping out of their major label period with a New Vaudeville Band soundalike called "Yes My Friend." "Orange Rooftop" was the first post-LP 45, and it's quite a departure. You can hear the entire RCA works on a CD issued by Rewind in 2001.
9 Comments:
In the US, it's "ITS inclusion,"not "IT'S" -- is it different in the UK?
I don't know if it's (as in contraction of "it is") different in the UK, but yes, you are correct, the possessive should not have an apostrophe. I'll fix it.
"I wish I weren't so lazy about proofreading," said the future Language Arts teacher...
Jon
I remember reading somewhere that it's Ray Stevens playing the organ on "Orange Rooftop!" (Which has a great flip side, "One Hour Cleaners")
(And speaking of great flip sides, I like "Ben Franklin's Almanac" too)
Your knowledge is sometimes scarily encyclopedic.
How do you KNOW all this stuff?
Played with Val's brother Brian when we were kids in Pratt. After the Blue Things I know he had something to do with GodSpell and he did have a solo album...
I think he's passed on...
In Chicagoland, the Cryan Shames got so much play on oldies stations that I had no idea they were not a national phenomenon.
"Could Be We're in Love" was a #1 hit in Chicago. "I Wanna Meet You," "Up On the Roof," "Greenberg, Glickstein, Charles David Smith and Jones," and of course, "Sugar and Spice." All of those were staples of oldies radio up into the late 80s.
Columbia gave them no national push though.
"In Chicagoland, the Cryan Shames got so much play on oldies stations that I had no idea they were not a national phenomenon."
"Jubilation" is just cover for "Jim Pilster" isn't it? C'mon. Fess up.
Ben Franklin's Almanac is alright. My dad said they wanted to write a song that made no sense - seeing as how it was the fashion at the time - and came up with Ben Franklin's Almanac in a matter of minutes.
Jim Fairs "Scare-Away-The-Pesky-Squirrels" growl in the middle of the song always cracks me up.
Growing up in the Hays, Ks area, the Blue Things, with Val Stoeklein, were my favorite band. They may have been "local" but presented in a big band way. they were great!!
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