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Monday, June 30, 2014

Crayons To Perfume Girls of the Week: Nichole and Monique of Les Surfs - the Madagascar Movers!

Les Surfs were a family group - brothers and sisters in the Rabaraona family from Madagascar. Nichole and Monique were the only girls in the group, and began their carriers at a very young age - just 7 and 8 years old when they won a television singing contest. This led them on a tour of Madagascar.
In 1963, the group, now named Les Surfs played on French television, and they became very popular covering English pop songs in French. As they toured, they went to Spain and Italy - again, recording popular American (mainly) songs in other languages. The group was tight and classy, wearing the latest fashions and appealing to people of all ages.
By the late 60's the Rabaraona family were getting married and having children, so they decided to end the band. Eventually most of the family emegrated to Canada.

Les Surfs left behind a great string of  hits -  including this EP, with 'Shoop shoop va l'embrasser', fab version of  'It's In His Kiss'.



Crayons to Perfume is coming soon to WFMU's Ichiban Soul, hosted by Glynis Ward, DJ girlgroupgirl

Thursday, June 26, 2014

The Fringe Factory Radio Show - LISTEN NOW!

Hey Gang,

The Fringe Factory Radio Show from June 18th 2014 is ready for your aural pleasures. If you dig FUZZ Fuzz and more Fuzz, garage, psych and psylliness than this is for you!


The Fringe Factory Radio Show for June 18t 2014

Vocal Group 45 of the Week!

 

Monday, June 23, 2014

Crayons To Perfume Girls of the Week: The Two Of Clubs, a double dose of blonde ambition!



The Two of Clubs were a double dynamite duo of platinum blonde pretties from Ohio, who met working at Guys & Dolls, a local club. Linda Edmonson was married to the club's band leader, Carl Edmondson who also worked with the Fraternity Records label (and produced Lonnie Mack). Hence, Linda and Patti Valentine were released on Fraternity Records.
Walk Tall 'Like A Man' (a Verdelle Smith cover) is one of my all-time favorite girl group records, although short on the big, broad sounds so many girls used, the Two Of Clubs 'Walk Tall' still holds true to the sounds that make a record catchy like bells, and the Shangri-la's style finger snaps to open the track.




Their first single was a cover of Petula's Clark's fantastic 'Heart'. The Two of Clubs slightly less polished, non-orchestrated version sounds garagey and has a rawness about the production even though the girls vocals just soar together at times. It's a really great version!




1967's final record (and the girls final effort) was 'How Can I Be Happy' on the B-side, with Joe Meek-esque spacy organ sounds that make it sound more like a record from 1963!  It's written by Linda, who wrote several of the groups songs.



For the full story on The Two of Clubs, head on over to Spectropop! Where the whole world of girl groups and big, 60's pop sounds await you!


Crayons to Perfume is coming soon to WFMU's Ichiban Soul, hosted by Glynis Ward, DJ girlgroupgirl


Sunday, June 22, 2014

Gene Norman's Son Presents


Sometimes, turning the keys of your jazz-heavy recording enterprise over to your son can produce strange and beautiful results.

Especially if you are Gene Norman, and your son has an otherworldly fascination with sci-fi monster music, and your son can actually compose, AND your son titles his sonic creations with names like "Tits From Mars."

Such is the case of Neil Norman who released a handful of science fiction themed LP's starting in the late 1970's.

But it was this 1974 single that started young Neil's career down the proverbial constellation hole. Kim Fowley certainly did his part in corrupting (?) Neil, producing and adding vocals to the scuzzy A-Side "Wild Boys."

Equal parts Zeppelin, T. Rex, New York Dolls, and Bowie, this anthem of debauchery includes such lyrics as:

"We are in the Wild Boys, satisfied by what you never tried."


The perky-titled flip "Tits From Mars" opens with a bassline eerily similar to Sabbath's "Children Of The Grave," but quickly veers off - warp speed - to boldly go where no record label owner's son has gone before.

Neil Norman still maintains ownership of the GNP Crescendo catalog, and hand delivered this single to Permanent Records in Los Angeles, CA.


Thursday, June 19, 2014

Vocal Group 45 of the Week!


Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Crayon's To Perfume Girl of the Week: Shirley Matthews, my Big Town Homegirl!

Shirley Matthews may seem like a one hit wonder with her fab 'Big Town Boy' (also the name of her backing band, the fab Big Town Boys from Toronto, Ontario who released fab records like 'August 32nd' on their own)but Shirley was much more than that.
Shirley was a telephone operator!



Originally from the small town of Harrow, Ontario - a small town near Lake Erie, across from Toledo, Ohio - Shirley moved to Toronto to work for Bell Canada and resided on Jameson Avenue, in the community of Parkdale. Shirley made extra money singing at Club Blue Note in the evenings, and was eventually discovered by Bob Crewe while he was visiting Toronto. Bob took Shirley to New York where they recorded 'Big Town Boy' for Canada's Red Leaf Records in 1963 (released on Atlantic in the US)- and the song rocketed to #10 on the Canadian charts and Shirley won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Juno awards in 1964!


Her follow up 'Private Property' released in '64 charted, but the two following singles 'He Makes Me Feel So Pretty' and 'Stop The Clock'(Tamarac in Canada and Amy in the US) -filled with those wonderful and typical girl group flourishes such as claps & bells, did not fair as well.


In 1965 Shirley, also an athlete, decided to settle down, get married, raise a family and become and entrepreneur in the fitness and sports field. Sadly Shirley passed away in 2013.

As a bonus, here are the Big Town Boys!


Crayons to Perfume is coming soon to WFMU's Ichiban Soul, hosted by Glynis Ward, DJ girlgroupgirl

Monday, June 16, 2014

B. Brock And The Sultans Do The Beetle


Whoever these guys were, they ripped.

Crown Records put out a fair amount of schlock in their day, but this 1964 LP release to capitalize on Beatlemania is in an entire league of its own.

"Do The Beetle" "30 LB. Beetle" and "Feed The Beetle" are all wild surf instro-burners worthy of single releases, but the off-key, unassured vocal cover of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" seals the deal that this off-the-rails kitsch long player would fade into record buying obscurity for years to come.


Sunday, June 15, 2014

Happy birthday Herschell Gordon Lewis!


The great Herschell Gordon Lewis celebrates his 85th birthday today, enjoy this 2010 documentary on the one and only "godfather of gore"!



Friday, June 13, 2014

Crime Stoppers Atlanta

Red Dodge Nitro
Our dear pal and Ichiban co-founder, Greg G was the victim of a horrific hit and run on his bicycle this week in Atlanta, Georgia.  He is in stable but critical condition in the ICU at Grady Hospital.  Please keep him in your thoughts for a speedy recovery.  If you know anyone that lives in Georgia, please send them a link to this story.  The driver is still at large and there is a Reward fund that you can donate to.  If you'd like to send get well greetings, email ghostwave@comcast.net.

Ray Price - Invitation To The Blues (2:51)

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Vocal Group 45 of the Week!

 
 

Monday, June 9, 2014

Crayons To Perfume Girl of the week - Miriam Linna: She's Everybody's Baby Now!

Miriam Linna has a brand new single and LP out NOW on Norton Records! The fab gal of Norton, Kicks Books, The A-Bones (who also have a new LP out on Norton), Kicks Magazine and yes, of course, The Cramps has knocked it out of the ballpark with a sweep of Spector/Mortonish 60's pop that will be music to your ears.
Here's a taste of Miriam's smashing live debut performance!




Out NOW is Miriam's first solo 45, 'My Love Has Gone' (Del Shannon) backed with an amazingly lush 'There Goes My Babe' - a cover of an early Neil Young composition.


Look for the new LP out June 10th, 2014 - "We tried to do meaningful songs that people may not have ever heard, a lot of 'em are lesser known songs" said Miriam when I spoke to her a few weeks ago. All of the songs are covers except for one, and all of you will be surprised at her choice of material, which is perfect for her style, and her voice such as the Ramones 'Questioningly' and Reparata & The Delron's 'I'm Nobody's Baby Now' which Miriam makes sound more like a Shangri-La's song.


Crayons to Perfume is coming soon to WFMU's Ichiban Soul, hosted by Glynis Ward, DJ girlgroupgirl  

thanks to Rare Meat for the footage!

Friday, June 6, 2014

Freddie King Shows Us What It's All About

King Freddy Shows Us What It's All About



Freddy Cannon! (From Village Of The Giants, 1965).

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Vocal Group 45 of the Week!

 
 

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Trouble In My Arms (MP3)

Johnny & Jonie Mosby  -  Trouble In My Arm

How 'bout a few minutes of ultra-catchy honky-tonk for your Tuesday night?

Monday, June 2, 2014

Run, Run, Run


1 The Who: Run Run Run
2 The Gestures: Run, Run, Run
3 Ronny Douglas: Run, Run, Run
4 Thom Kelling: Run Run Run
5 The Supremes: Run, Run, Run
6 Giorgio & Marco's Men: Run Run
7 Third Rail: Run, Run, Run
8 Norma Tanega: Run, On The Run
9 The Mourning Reign: Run Run Run
10 The McCoys: Runaway
11 Flanagan & Allen: Run Rabbit Run
12 Amen Corner: Run, Run, Run
13 The Velvet Underground: Run, Run, Run
14 Yuya Uchida & The Blue Jeans: Run, Run, Run
15 Jo Jo Gunne: Run Run Run
16 Ann Peebles: Run, Run, Run
17 Tim Dandy: Run, Run, Run, Run, Run
18 Tommy James & The Shondells: Run, Run, Baby, Run
19 Delroy Wilson: Run Run
20 Jim Webb: Run, Run, Run
21 Orval Prophet: Run Run Run
22 The Riats: Run Run Run
23 Darlene Love: Run, Run, Runaway
24 Bo Diddley: Run Diddley Daddy
25 Jerry Williams: Run Run Roadrunner
26 Stonewall Jackson: Run
27 The Great Scots: Run, Run For Your Life
28 The Teen Turbans: Didn't He Run
29 The Carousels: The Run-Run
30 The Illusion: Run, Run, Run
31 Yoko Ono: Run, Run, Run
32 Cheater Slicks: Run, Run, Run


RUN RUN RUN

Crayons to Perfume Girls of the Week: The Beat Chics! One Single Wonders

The Beat-Chics released just one double sided swingin' single on Decca Records in 1964. This all-girl group was founded by drummer Chrstine Lee (blonde)in 1964 when she was just 18 years old. Joining her were Moira Page playing saxophone, Mary Cullen on organ, Lesley Arden and Anne Bridgeman on guitar and Una Mellor playing bass.

 In November of 1964 they released the double sider: 'Skinnie Minnie' and 'Now I Know' on Decca, featuring Jimmy Page on lead guitar.



Both Jimmy Page and the Beatles? Oh, Now I Know (wink wink!!)

Crayons to Perfume is coming soon to WFMU's Ichiban Soul, hosted by Glynis Ward, DJ girlgroupgirl

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