SENSATION LP

sensation records - 1976

So many great records came out of Milwaukee in the 70's and this is really one of the best.
There isn't much information online on this LP and my short conversation with Donald Fisher didn't reveal too many additional details...Apparently the LP was recorded over a period of a few months in 1976 by Donald at his home and pressed in an edition of 1,000 copies. That's all I've got on this one!! If anyone has more information on this record please let me know!


SOUTHERN BELLE


TURN AWAY GIRL


STARRY EYES



get the LP here

New Reissues available now!!

Get all three of our new release at Sing Sing Records.

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Sing 032 :: THE LEOPARDS - 'Kansas City Slickers' LP

By 1977, the year of Kansas City Slickers? release, most bands had happily ensconced themselves in one niche or another--one was either Punk or Power Pop or New Wave or ---- (fill in the trend of your choice), but The Leopards fell into no such handy category. Kansas City Slickers was unique for its time--certainly no other record of its day sounds remotely like it--and remains so today.

Back then its uniqueness baffled critics who, in the few places where the album was actually reviewed, did little more than point to the album?s Kinks influence. While the influence of The Kinks, The Beach Boys, The Easybeats and other Sixties groups is indeed evident on the album, such a superficial assessment does not begin to do justice to the cornucopia of sound on Kansas City Slickers. Herein rock n? roll meets ragtime, old Hollywood musicals and other forms of early 20th Century American music, a delightfully original melange you will not taste elsewhere.

Recorded and mixed at Moon Studios--ie, the basement of Dennis Pash?s parents? house on Maggie Lane in Kansas City, Kansas--the production and muscianship reaches a level of sophistication not often associated with basement recordings. Even so, protected by lack of technology from slick by-the-rote machinations of the professional studio, Kansas City Slickers retains its basement charm.

When Dennis Pash and Kevin Sanders first decided to release privately pressed records as The Leopards in 1975 it was quite a revolutionary strategy, the DIY ethos of punk still a few years in the future. The world would simply have to catch up at some point in time. Judging by the appreciative audience Kansas City Slickers has grown over the years--this despite its exceeding rarity (only 1,000 copies of the album were pressed)--that time may very well be now. (James Marinovich)

Release Country: USA
Release Year: 1977 / Reissue Date: 08.11
Original Label: Moon Records

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Sing 031 :: BRAD LONG - 'Love Me Again' b/w 'Come To Me'

In and out of unrecorded regional combos since the late 1960's, Logansport, IN music store owner Brad Long issued this, his lone single, on his own Music Stand label in the summer of 1977. Featuring a warm, lo-fi basement pop sound with stylistic roots firmly grounded in the mid 60's, both 'Come to Me' and 'Love me Again' evoke a hazy mood reminiscent of early Twilley. Also included with the release were a series of press releases, a section of which listed Long's heroes as Roger McGuinn, Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Meek. Greeted with positive reviews in the pages of ( Ballroom) Blitz and NY Rocker, Long later contributed a cover of the Rolling Stone's 'Tell Me' to the first VOXX ' Battle of the Garages' compilation. (Collin Makamson)

Release Country: USA
Release Year: 1977 / Reissue Date: 08.11
Original Label: No Label, Self-Released.

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Sing 030 :: THE ONION DOLLS - 'The Kids' b/w 'Hot Love'

The Onion Dolls, a four piece punk band from Belgium managed to release this lone 45 before changing their name to Crossfire and fully embracing the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement that was sweeping Europe in the early 1980's. Both tracks on this 45 are unsuppressed killers with shredding guitar lines giving up more than a hint of the NWOBHM influenced sound that was to come. Originally released in 1980 on the TWINKLE label in an edition of 1000 copies with a truly great picture sleeve this highly sought after single is one of Belgiums greatest Punk Rock gems.

Release Country: Belgium
Release Year: 1979 / Reissue Date: 08.11
Original Label: Twinkle

RESPONSIBLE TEENAGERS TEMPORARY FEELING b/w OUT OF MY HEAD

Responsible, 1980

THANKS TO COLLIN FOR THIS ONE!


As the great soul-patch philospher and unmatyred monochrome t-shirt
saint Aaron Lewis of the band Staind might say: 'It's Been A While.'

Been a while since my last post and definitely been a while since it
was fashionable for good, long-loined, round-eyed American wimp rock
to garner any attention round the roost of ye olde Sing Sing blog.
And to that I say no more! No more! With this post I demand a return
to North American normalcy! A risorgimento of suburbanity! A
return...to responsibility AND an excuse to post both sides of the
Responsible Teenagers' excellent lone single!

Familiar to most from their track on Teeline (and to Evan Dando
enthusiasts for containing a couple of pre-Lemonheads), this was the
Responsible Teens' lone NYC bow from 1980 on their own Responsible
imprint. Despite the 'R & R Warhead' tagline, the R.T.'s keep it
short and play it clean; two beer limit cos they borrowed mom's car.
And while the presumed A-side to this double B-side single has hogged
the majority of the Hyped2Death spotlight (thus far), I'll stump like
Stephen Douglas and go to my grave believing forever that it's the
faux-Byrds-y D.I.Y. flipper that's the true Most Likely To. Also, if
you harbored any illusions as to the dwindling amounts of cache
remaining within the reservoirs of Max's Kansas City's back room at
the dawn of the Nineteen Eighties, you need only glance at the
rear-side of the sleeve and catch the three dweebs slack-assing there
to realize that it was all over.













TEMPORARY FEELING

OUT OF MY HEAD

MCELROY BROTHERS -- CAN'T YOU SEE ME SMILIN' LP

Pajas records 1977

This totally incredible LP was recorded in Vermont in 1977 by 21 year old identical twins Brian and Bruce Mcelroy and pressed in an edition of 1000 copies. Ever since i first heard this record a year or so ago I've been totally obsessed with it! The songs are written around familiar 60's British invasion type structures but the recording and instrumentation are totally unique.. Both brothers are still playing today as the Fab 2
Enjoy!

Did you guys play music together at a really young age? Were you encouraged by your parents? Did you sing together in church or anything like that?

we got more or less started around 8yrs old being taught the accordion. That didn't last too long for Bruce who decided to take up drums shortly there after.
We grew up with our older brother Kerry who had an extensive record collection that all of us enjoyed. We seem to remember a lot of Rolling Stones Beatles, Animals you know the British invasion stuff. Kerry was really into that and we just followed his lead. He also had a couple of bands later when we were about 11yrs old and we would sneak down the basement and play on their equipment.
Brian had by this time a Doric organ which was anItalian model of the Farfisa. Bruce had an original rough rider drum kit/ Japanese made. By this time we already started our first band the Spiders. We played at our 5th grade schools talent day and got our first taste of what roadies and musicians had to do when we packed down and and set up at 3 different classrooms with Brians doric, Emeny organ, melodica, rough rider drum set, one cheap mic that Bruce used (he being the only singer at that time) a set of bongos that a friend played and the other friend played that Emeny organ. Brian had an old Hilgian amp for his organ and mic. we did stuff like "Nowhere Man" and "Here We Come" by Monkees etc.

From watching those Fab 2 videos online I can tell that you guys love to play live. Did you do a lot of gigging in the late 70's? What type of places did you play? any noteworthy shows or bands you played with?

Right out of high school we were gigging all over Vermont. In the winter we'd be up at the ski areas a lot Jay Peak/Mad river glen/ Bolton Valley/Stowe.and in Middlebury, Montpilier, Bristol, Vergennes and Burlington. We were seen by the Case and Munson agency from Austin TX when we were at Waterville ski area in New Hampshire and they hired us to play the southwest. We played all of Texas from Brownsville to El Paso to Dallas to Houston and then some.
Playing live is where its at... Later on in the 90's we would open up for a variety of big bands at our local Palace Theater here in Myrtle Beach-acts like The Beach Boys who asked for us personally the second time we opened for them. the Righteous Bros. and the Monkees.

Did you guys build a big local following?

We had a nice following in Vermont when we started, they definitely loved that album we made! We played from 75 through 79 up in Vermont-a good 4 yrs with an album and 45 to boot. Then we left them for the Case and Munson entertainment. I Still think they are in business...
We recorded first at Pajas Studio in Westport NY across the lake from Burlington Vt.
James Starbuck was our man recording. We started with the Hammond and bass pedals with Bruces drums. A base track/rhythm track. Then Brian would layer in Piano, Poly Korg, mini Korg, elec piano etc... each on there own tracks. Think we had 16 tracks to use but i remember punching in alot and not wanting to waste tracks so that we would have overdubbing for vocals at the end of recording. Took us one night to sing the whole album and we remember there was alot of beer around. By the time we did Ego of the grave...bout 4am, it was time to close the celebration.

Which came first, the 45 or the LP?

The LP came first in 77.. we were in the process of writing another album the next year 78- and decided to put the 45 out and give'em a taste. We knew the jukebox hero that ran the business of changing out the 45's on the machines so he helped out alot. He would pay us like 30 to 60 dollars royalty money for the 45 every time we saw him, we thought we were something alright!

Can you tell me some about the recording sessions for the LP? Didn't you say you guys recorded in a big barn converted into a studio?

Pajas studios was a big barn turned into a beautiful,multi-leveled living area that had three floors. The studio was primarily the first 2 levels with living quarters in the 3rd level. The dang silo was a trip in itself!! It had showers and bathroom at its base.. taking a spiral staircase up you came into the bedroom and up again to the crows nest on top of the silo all glassed in with a big round captains table,swivel seats and full bar! This was some operation!!! We liked to record late in the day like suppertime and then sometimes late into the wee hours. Bruce used extra tracks for doubling up on floor toms and even uses a baritone ukulele on You and I which he wrote. It was all quite simple just adding the layers of keys where needed and then finally singing to the whole thing like some great karaoke session!! We just knew what we wanted when it came to recording each of the songs. We wrote it together.. Brian would start it out and I would jump in and add a new direction in the melody or add something to a mid 8.... It would happen spontaneously this way every time we wrote together.

I'D LOVE TO


BANGIN' MY HEAD



LP and 45 here

THE BOYS - (Baby) it's You Video

This is a brand new stop-motion animated film directed by David Cowles, Jeremy Galante, and Danny Shonerd (of The Boys). Music performed by The Boys. Puppet costumes by Victoria Rose Zalewski. Additional animation by Michael Genz and Rob Sassi. Filmed at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

David Cowles: http://www.davidcowles.net
Jeremy Galante: http://www.jeremygalante.com
Danny Shonerd: http://www.myspace.com/dannyshonerdtheboysusa
Victoria Rose Zalewski: http://victoriarosepuppets.blogspot.com
(Baby) It's You! blog: http://baby-itsyou.blogspot.com
© Copyright 2011 by David Cowles, Jeremy Galante, and Brad Pattullo

THE SPIDERS ALBUM No.1

Thanks to Brian ( Fever B ) for this great review. This LP is the best thing I've heard in a long time.

Philips 1966

My favourite ever Japanese band is Carol. This is true.Their first album Louisiana,from the amazing cover art to every single tracks attempt to recreate the Star Clubs famed Silver Beatles is a masterpiece ...but the first Japanese band I ever fell in love with was the Spiders! At a flea market in Santa Cruz, Ca. I found a guy selling records five for a dollar and one of those records i bought (and i bought about fifty ) was Big Lizard Stomp! It's a 90s compilation of Japanese bands from 66-69 and on this comp the Spiders tracks were real stand outs for me with both covers, Johnny B. Goode and Boom Boom sounding almost like 70s punk!... Not to get side tracked but i always thought of Godzilla the "big lizard" as being a metaphor for nuclear bombs but maybe it has as much or more to do with earthquakes and tsunamis!!! If you're a child(or a writer) feeling the ground shake, maybe it's better to think of Godzilla off in the distance somewhere fighting Mothera? I dunno. Maybe it just made those movies even scarier for Japanese kids in the end having the ground shake all the time and wondering if he/she/it is real and maybe thats why later on Godzilla was turned into a good guy and then even later into kind of a joke!

Ok! Enough wondering about what goes on in the mind of Mr. Tanaka. Back to the Spiders! Generally speaking GS (group sound)bands have 7 or 8 members including two lead singers and at least two guitarists so they can cover a wide range of rock an roll styles and the Spiders were no different in this regard. They were a seven piece like other GS bands ,but other GS bands were also generally cover bands and the Spiders on this Lp play mostly originals as far as I can tell setting them apart from most other GS bands of the day... at least for Lp "No.1" anyway, I think. I'm not going to pretend to know anything more about the Spiders than what i can see and hear and read on the record that is written in english. I am not japanese and I am not going to pretend to be. I do know from japanese friends that there's a lot of lore surrounding all of the GS bands like there is about the "big lizard" and I am sure the Spiders are no exception. I will say though from what my ears tell me about what is real about the Spiders is that Furi Furi '66 has a drum beat like no other rock and roll song of this period as well as the in the song Mr. Monkey and the drumming in general on this record truly sets this band apart from any other group in the world in 1966 in my opinion! I've heard comparisons made to the Monks probably mostly because of the odd beats and I think that's fair but they are not by any means a Monks cover band! Their sound is their own and it's a great one!!! like the Japanese people that i have met, they are creative and fun and though ive never met them i am sure they are really cool..

Furi Furi 66

here's the whole LP

LITTLE GANG - I Love You b/w Osana Tomodachi

RCA Victor, 1975, Japan

Thanks so much to Atsushi of Pop n Roll records for tearing himself away from Ebay long enough to write this review. The Vance or Towers thing at the end blew my mind!!! If you haven't already bought the Choosers 45 on Pop n Roll you really should!!

I LOVE YOU

I like the Japanese group called the Good-Bye. They were so famous like Jonas Bros in 80s.
But they have some good poppy songs because the guitarist "Yatchin" was into the Beatles.
Some people says the Good-Bye is better than the Badge. Sometimes I agree with it.

Before the Good-Bye, Yatchin joined Little Gang as vocal when he was 12 years old.
His voice was real Little Gang and their sounds totally wanted to be like Finger 5 for hits.

I heard that Little Gang's first single "I Love You" sold about 100,000 copies, but I'm not sure if it's true or not because this single is not so easy to find in recent years.I love this song a lot. It remains me James Boys, Cafe Con Leche and so on.

Little Gang have one more single and LP too. I can't find them in store. It seems hard to get.
I'm interested in who cares about this kind of stuff. I need the records.

One more thing about the Good-Bye, they ripped off Vance or Towers' song "Education Blues".

I can't believe they know Vance or Towers. No way.
I guess they only know the movie called "Carrie" and listen to the song.

Vance or Towers - Education Blues


The Good-Bye - Namida no Teenage Blues

I really have no information about this story, I just noticed it when I was listening to Vance or Towers LP. But LP version is slightly different from Carrie version especially main chorus part, so I thought it's just similar sound at first.
After that I heard Carrie version and now I'm sure they ripped it off. Good choice

THE ROOSTERS Insane LP

(Nippon Columbia AZ-7129-AX), 1981, Japan

I have only Todd Mayberry of BRAIN LAPSE magazine to thank for this!!

I loved this LP from the very first second the needle dropped due to the fact that it kicks off with “Let’s Rock (Dan Dan) レッツ・ロック.” In light of the lyrics, before Cola Shock there was the “empty shock”… which is the way I feel right now without Cola Shock. (That’s an inside joke.) The only issue I have with this song is that it’s too long. No hit should clock in at 4:10. “We Wanna Get Everything ゲット・エヴリシング” at 1:36 kinda makes up for that. Lyrics like “Busted radio in my hand/Hangin’ around 42nd street” leads one to think that maybe The Roosters rubbed shoulders – and dicks – with both Dee Dee and Jonathan King ( … even though they came from the deep south of Fukuoka City). The following “Baby Sitter ベビー・シッター” with a chorus of “Hay baby shut it up/You’re behind time/ Don’t say a word anymore/I’m not your baby sitter [sic]” as spelled out on the insert is hunky dory. Still, it has a very, very slight tinge of the ol’ rock ‘n’ roll jukebox jive that blew chunks all over their 2nd LP The Roosters a-Gogo. “All Night Long オールナイト・ロング” is probably my most fave track on the whole album because it actually pulls off what they were going for with their last LP. Lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter Shinya Ohe confesses that “what I got is a bad habit,” but everything is going to be okay “if I get what I need.” Jonesing the Chu-Hi? Been there, man. The first side concludes with the instrumental filler “Flash Back フラッシュ・バック” which is just awful. Side Two consists of two songs … And yup, that should tell you all you need to know, right there. Amazingly, “Case of Insanity ケース・オブ・インサニティ” clocks in at 4:55 and basically jacks my bitch over “Let’s Rock (Dan Dan).” Although it’s super long, it’s super duper! Organ chirpin’, acoustic strummin’, electric power chord whammin’, and hopeless lyrics = YET ANOTHER THING BETTER THAN POCARI SWEAT. Sadly, that’s followed by “In Deep Grief イン・ディープ・グリーフ” which is 9 minutes and 14 seconds of utter shit.

Look, I like this LP. In fact, like I said before, I totally love it! I also recommend The Roosters’ circa ’79 self titled first … which is by no means as great as this, their third. Unfortunately, Insane not only put the kibosh on the original lineup but also the “s” at the end of their name. From here on out they were known as The Roosterz. As for the cover, with the obi (that thing on the left), I’ve always wondered about Japanese bands shooting group photos for their LP jackets. I mean, whoever is standing on the far end is going to get covered by the obi no matter how you shake it. In this case, the bassist – a.k.a., the guy behind “Baby Sitter” – got the shaft. It was between him and the drummer. Like, “No, man. I’m cool. You stay there.”

Anyway, here’s a spiffy YouTube of the young dudes

WE WANNA GET EVERYTHING

ALL NIGHT LONG

CASE OF INSANITY

ZIG ZAG - MADD POWER LP

Japan Record 1981

First and only LP from Zig Zag, a Kansai area Punk band that supported the Ramones on their first trip to Japan in July of 1980.

Record sleeve and insert play off the MAD magazine artwork of the 1970s and complement the music perfectly. Many of the songs have a UK punk feeling like the Vibrators or Eddie and the Hot rods but the sound is completely original... Totally great band!

Zig Zag and the Ramones 1980

FOOLISH GIRL

COKE HIGHT

get the entire record here!

and if you haven't already please donate to the tsunami/earthquake/nuclear disaster by texting "redcross" to 90999

ANARACHY - シティ・サーファー (City Surfer) b/w 333 (Suspect Device)

VICTOR Records, VIHX-1508, 1980.

Both these tracks are on Anarchy's debut LP and its worth tracking down. I'm sure you'll notice that the b-side is SLF's Suspect Device but its got new lyrics here.

A. シティ・サーファー (City Surfer)


B. 333 (Suspect Device)


((if you haven't done so yet... please consider texting "JAPAN" to 50555 to make a 10 dollar donation to globalgiving.org))

HIROSHI MIKI Mada Utaerukai Love Song b/w Chance

Japan Record 1980

I found this 45 in a club in Kyoto several years ago. The back room of the venue held the stock of an old radio station and in a narrow hallway there were literally thousands of 45's priced at 100 yen each. I spent all night digging through records with friends and end the end came out with about 20 really great singles. I bought this just for the sleeve but later found out that the band Zig Zag also released an LP in 1981 called Madd Power that I'll post in the next few days. .

have been getting some emails about this record.. apparently this single was a solo 45 from the singer of Zig Zag Hiroshi Miki. Both songs were used for the soundtrack to a movie.

CHANCE

and if you haven't already you can text "JAPAN" to 50555 to make a 10 dollar donation to globalgiving.org

SHEENA AND THE ROKKETS #1 LP

Alfa records - 1979

First LP from seminal Japanese Mentai group Sheena and the Rokkets. The band is still together today and have released over a dozen LP's and as many singles since this one.

members are:

Sheena Rocket- Vocals

Makoto Ayukawa _ guitar, vocals

Takeshi Asada - Bass

Kazu Kawashima - Drums

It's been a while since I've listened to this and since I pulled it out a few days ago it hasn't left the turntable, really Killer Punk-wave LP.

Below is a video of the band doing Teary Highway off their first 45

here are two tracks from the record..

HEAVEN OR HELL

MOONLIGHT DANCE

Get the entire LP here

and if you haven't already, text "redcross" to 90999 to donate $10 dollars to help people affected by the total mess over there.

CAROL-FUNKY MONKEY BABY LP

Philips-1973

One of my favorite records by CAROL, Japan's answer to the Flamin' Groovies!!! Carol formed in 1972 by bass player Eikichi Yazawa, a transplant from Hiroshima to Yokohama who played the go- go circuit with several groups before meeting up with future CAROL members Yoichi "Johnny" Okura, Toshikatsu Uchiumi and Yu Okazaki. . In all,the band released 7 singles between 1972 and 74 and 10 LP's ranging from 1973 all the way into some avoidable cash in LP's in 1978.. The groups leader Eikichi is like the Japanese equivalent to David Bowie these days, A really big deal!!

here are the first 2 songs ( again, I've included label scans from the LP for Japanese speaking folks who can actually read them)

FUNKY MONKEY BABY

JUST ALL RIGHT

get the LP here

and if you haven't already please donate 10 dollars to the Red Cross by texting " redcross" to 90999

It's only ten bucks!

SKIN SKINLESS LP

Seven Seas 1980

This is the first LP by the Japanese punk group SKIN. As the packaging suggests it's a bit more wavy than their album ZUN ZUN released a year later. Nevertheless, Skinless is a totally solid LP that reminds me alot of the 1st Edith Nylon record at times in the sense that the well written songs haven't been completely swallowed by the production.

Also, I wanted to add that you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate 10 dollars to help folks over there who've been affected by the tsunami and earthquake. Below are the 1st and 4th song from the record.

SKIN 1

SKIN 4

get the entire LP and label scans here

HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM - another bottle of wine b/w 2.25

PRT records- 1982

ANOTHER BOTTLE OF WINE

2.25

Mysterious band from the U.K. composed of siblings Lindsay and Nick Bliss, Keith Walters and Simon Joyce. The record was released in the U.K on the Banana label as a sleeveless 45 and also as a 12".The above copy is the German issue, with picture sleeve . Both tracks have a De Cylinders/Ivy and the Teachers feel to them and to my knowledge this is their only release.

GROOVIES -LP

Jupiter records- 1981

This record was first brought to my attention by some guy at Low Down Kids a while back and I really can't thank him enough! The Groovies LP is what you wished all those Teens records would sound like.. and honestly if I had to choose who was the biggest PUNK out of these four kids I would have to choose all four of them. They did two other singles before disappearing completely but from what I can tell the same songs and recordings were used for the LP.

LONELY HOUND

SILVER LOCKET

I posted some tracks above but the whole LP with the jacket is available here

Unfortunately, I still don't have the "super poster"

MACH BARON- "mach barons theme" 45

polydor records- 1974

MACH BARONS THEME

The band playing the theme to this 1970's Japanese TV series remains unknown, but if there is a better example of Japanese glam rock and giant robots committed to 45 out there I haven't heard it. A truly great single that further reinforces my belief that some of the best glam and bubblegum records from the 1960's and 70's that I've ever heard came from go nowhere TV shows and movies.

KILLED BY SOUNDTRACKS

also, here's a video of the shows introduction