KARU L.A. GIRL b/w GONNA SAY YES

overseas YE-26-V 1983

L.A. GIRL

GONNA SAY YES

Karu was a three piece band formed in 1983 out of the messy breakup of the Bay City Rollers by Duncan Faure (former vocalist of the South African band Rabbitt as well as the front man for the 1978 incarnation of the Rollers.) Drummer Richie Hall and original Roller Stuart Wood. The group released one single, L.A. Girl b/w Gonna Say Yes and and LP Karu Cuts, both on the Teichiku Overseas label and available only in Japan. Another South African only 45 Where is the music b/w I remember was issued the same year on the Principal label. Both tracks on this single are well crafted guitar driven powerpop tunes and a total must for any BCR fan. The band broke up in 1984 and their records are extremely hard to track down nowadays. If anyone out there has the other single or the LP I'd really love to hear them.

FOUR EYES Penny Pong bw Disengaged

thanks to Collin for this

Killer-Fish, 1980

PENNY PONG

DISENGAGED

A San Diego based power pop band, led by vocalist, bassist and songwriter Mark Decerbo. Active since 1976, the group, originally a sextet named Copenhagen, pursued a self-described ‘country, boogie, rock and pop’ sound before privately issuing their own single featuring two original band compositions in 1979 (‘Tonight’ b/w ‘Don’t Sail Too Close To The Wind’), which, I am - understandably - quite desperate to hear. In the year previous, the group also acted as the backing band for blues guitarist Tomcat Courtney, as well as noted cult weirdo, Gary Wilson, on a short West Coast promotional tour for the Endicott, NY native’s claustro-funk-epic, ’You Think You Really Know Me.’ A name-switch to the more new-wave-friendly Four Eyes followed in 1980, as well as a paring down of membership, first to a quartet and then a trio. The group made an appearance on NBC’s The Gong Show, performing Little Richard’s ‘Tutti Frutti’ and, after further line-up shifts, relocated to post-Knack Hollywood. The same year, Four Eyes recorded their only single, issued on manager Mark Shapiro’s Killer-Fish imprint, featuring a clever new wave A-side, similar in style to the db’s, and a gorgeous, guitar-driven power pop B-side, rightly comped on the Shake Some Action CD series. The group attracted some major label attention in the wake of their single, but, despite recording an album’s worth of demos (some with Earle Mankey), Four Eyes never issued any further records in the group’s original lifetime and broke up in 1988 (two later songs, ‘Dangerous’ and ‘Life After High School’ do turn up on two local radio station compilations and indicate a more synth-heavy direction). These unreleased recordings finally saw the light of day in the 2009 anthology issued by Blind Spot Records as ‘Four Eyes Anthology: 1977 - 1988 Part One.’

BARRY GREEN - "Papa Do" b/w "Boomerang"

BARRY GREEN - "Papa Do" b/w "Boomerang" ... Decca 1972.

A. Papa Do (Green, Rubin)



B. Boomerang (Green, Rubin)



Just ripped this for a friend and figured I'd throw it on the blog too. Barry Green is more commonly known as Barry Blue and there's tons of info out there on him so no need for me to rehash. Enjoy!

SNEEKY FEELIN'S Private Mail b/w Only the Rain (can wash away the tears)

warped records. W102

PRIVATE MAIL

ONLY THE RAIN ( CAN WASH AWAY THE TEARS)

The pub rock group Sounder who released one 45 in 1977 made the shift to a decidedly new wave name and sound and in 1979 became Sneeky Feelin's. (the name was taken from the Elvis Costello song Sneaky Feelings ). The group consisted of:

Ozzie Ozzell - vocals

Donnie Burke - Guitar/vocals

Terry Hamid - Guitar

Dell Vickers - Bass/ Vocals

John Hawley - Drums

Alfonso Montuori - Horns

The A and B sides were recorded at two different sessions in two different studios with the production credits going to Graeme Douglas of Eddie and the Hot Rods. The group fizzled out soon after the release of the 45 with Donnie Burke and Dell Vickers going on to form the Gas.