SKOGIE -The Butler Did it b/w I Won't be Pushed Away

Mill Town Records 1973

THE BUTLER DID IT

I WON'T BE PUSHED AWAY

Thanks again to Collin for posting this great 45!

Picking up from where Jeremy’s last entry left off, I thought I’d post the single by Skogie that I briefly reviewed in Brain Lapse.

If you know me, you know my main collecting jones outside of power pop is independent, pre-punk pop and rock singles from the early-to-mid-70s. Records by the likes of the Boyz, Amnesia, Marbles and Fans that reveal the existence of a vital and vibrant rock underground that stands in contrast to typical ‘77 Year Zero orthodoxy and, in some ways, surpasses the latter style with greater levels of inventiveness and sophistication.

Active on the local Twin Cities’ live circuit since at least the beginning of the decade, Skogie sound like nothing so much as new wave fully formed and four years early. Both sides of their lone single are pleasing pop amalgams, mixing together shades of Roxy Music, the Raspberries, art rock and bubblegum with lyrics in a light-hearted 10cc vein. The band shared the same management as future Titan! stars, the Boys, and later recorded an album that, while, not equaling the quality of their single is still enjoyable, especially for ARP synthesizer fans. The band, which included Demi Moore’s first husband, Fred, relocated to Los Angeles by the end of the decade, changed their name to Nu Kats and released a series of records on Rhino before splitting in 1982.