60s rock scenes in the SOUTH

[axel]

Looking at all the great pics of 60s bands posted here recently I wanted to show you a photo of the band This Side Up which is displayed on the back of "Psychedelic States: Alabama", trying to bring in some more casual 60s garage style, which I tried to promote some weeks ago on the old forum. Unfortunately I can't find the photo in the net, and I can't scan it. If somebody has it please post it, it's amazing. It shows the band with selfmade T-SHIRTS, the bandname written upside down, with an arrow pointing downwards, probably to their genitals (quite amazing, if I get that joke right...). Either way, the photo doesn't look like 60s at all, but it's cool.
The band's song on the comp isn't outstanding, but another one of theirs became the title song of a recent compilation with psych pop from the Capitol catalog: "Book a Trip". Pretty good, if you're into that sort of thing.

Anyway, looking for this photo I came across some interesting sites with information about 60s rock in the South. I think it's an interesting subject. The two volumes of EVA's "Louisiana Punk From the Sixties" have always been among my favorite comps. The two Southern volumes of Highs in the Mid-Sixties are great as well. I wouldn't mind if more of the Southern stuff would have the gritty deepness of Jimmy & the Offbeats, but as it turns out a lot of Southern bands have quite a knack for catchy melody lines as well, and of course that ain't no shortcoming either.

The first site I came across had some information about This Side Up. You'll find it if you scroll a bit further down.
http://robertoreg.blogspot.com/2005_07_31_archive.html
The blog contains a huge archive, it's hard to study it thoroughly, but if you know what to look for you might find more interesting stuff.

In the article a certain Buck Wilkin is mentioned and trying to find out if it was the Buck Wilkin I was thinking of I came across an interview with a certain Mr. John D. Wyker. It brings you right back into the wildest of times of rock'n'roll with funny anecdotes about people I'm sure most of you have heard of and some of you might even be fond of. My favorite quotes of this interview are:
"....LONG LIVE LANDLOCKED SURF MUSIC!"
and:
"Anyway, me and Hinton and Duane were sharin' this little one room garage apartment and Duane had some fantastic red hash...it looked like the red clay dirt that we have in Alabama....we used to joke that we did not need even need to hide it and that we could just cake it all over our boots and stuff and people would just think it was Alabama red dirt...."
Here's the rest:
http://swampland.com/articles/view/title:john_d_wyker
I'm sure this site has more things to offer as well.

Next I came across this amazing site about 60s garage rock in the South called "Southern Garage Bands", with tons of material. I would like to suggest this site as a link for the "G45 Unlimited" section. I think it's a great site. It has 106 (!) new bands added since February 2011.
http://southerngaragebands.com/otherbands.html
The above photo is from there. It shows members of a band called "The Band", which seem to have never recorded anything. A lot of those bands have that casual 60s look, that I'm beginning to like more and more. Maybe it's a Southern thing...

Last not but least, here's a site of John Buck Wilkin himself, probably one of the crucial figures of Southern 60s rock, at least in Nashville. The site features some of his new songs and I think that, as opposed to a lot of other 60s songwriters, he hasn't lost the gift of songwriting. I think the compositions are awesome. Check out the last song "Just Outside of Memphis":
http://www.bucky3.com/music.html

LONG LIVE LANDLOCKED SURF MUSIC!!!!

 

[MopTopMike]

You know that John "Buck" Wilkin was the lead singer, songwriter, and studio musician for the group, Ronny & The Daytonas, correct?

 

[axel]

You know that John "Buck" Wilkin was the lead singer, songwriter, and studio musician for the group, Ronny & The Daytonas, correct?

Sure. I'm a fan. I'm a little proud that part of the "Sandy"-album was recorded here in Munich. We're just as landlocked!
What do you think about 60s garage rock in the South, Mike?

 

[axel]

Coolness from Tifton, Georgia (see southerngaragebands.com):

 

[axel]

More Southern coolness. This time directly form New Orleans. Check out the recent entry on Chas Kit's Garaghangover about The Local Traffic, who put out a genuine acid punk two-sider in 1968.

 

[MopTopMike]

The south is no different than any other area of the USA in the '60s as far as making music goes. Teen combos were making records. I don't understand what the big deal is?

 

[axel]

No big deal. But the Texas scene is legendary. So is New England & the Midwest. Not to forget the Northwest of course. As far as I know '60s garage has a lot to do with local scenes. So why not talk about the South?

 

[MopTopMike]

Agreed, but your initial post made it sound as if you were amazed that teenaged groups who recorded in the south even took place, like the south was behind the times, or something. There are lots of excellent 45s from the LA/MS/AL/GA/TN/KY/AR/MO/SC/NC/VA group of states. Most of them have appeared on various compilations over the past 30 years with a non-geographic specified theme.

 

[Frantic]

Most people do not consider Texas as the south...That's why they are usually referred to as the Southwest. They are kind of a region unto themselves.

 

[MopTopMike]

That southerngragebands website is woefully lacking on information and group inclusions, btw. It is a skeleton listing which needs to be updated, however, I don't think the folks behind it are too knowledgeable.

 

[MopTopMike]

Most people do not consider Texas as the south...That's why they are usually referred to as the Southwest. They are kind of a region unto themselves.

On second thought, I'd place Missouri (MO) as part of the midwest / great plains region and not the 'south'.

 

[axel]

your initial post made it sound as if you were amazed that teenaged groups who recorded in the south even took place, like the south was behind the times, or something.

Not at all. I said the two volumes of "Louisiana Punk From the Sixties" have always been among my favorite comps. In fact the first volume was one of the first comps I ever bought, so in the beginning I had the impression that the Louisiana scene was just us as exuberant as say Texas.

There are lots of excellent 45s from the LA/MS/AL/GA/TN/KY/AR/MO/SC/NC/VA group of states. Most of them have appeared on various compilations over the past 30 years with a non-geographic specified theme.

That is the essential point. Whereas it is, in most cases, very clear that a band is from Texas, the Southern (or South-Eastern, but that's misleading) bands seem to be scattered all over the place. It would be nice to have a more focused picture of that.
You're right the Southergaragebands site is not much more than a skeleton, but first it's pretty large, like the skeleton of a dinosaur or something (which reminds me of the second "Lousiana Punk" volume), and secondly it contains a large amount of pictures and information, though very scattered and incomplete, which might not be available elsewhere. But it's a start.

 

[greenfuzz]

That southerngragebands website is woefully lacking on information and group inclusions, btw. It is a skeleton listing which needs to be updated, however, I don't think the folks behind it are too knowledgeable.

In fact, they've appropriated a ton of info and photos from 60sgaragebands.com and Garage Hangover (and other sites) without even bothering to ask. I emailed them today and asked them to credit my site, or remove the entry altogether. I think thye're trying to be encyclopedic in number of groups but without any of the info and detail that people like Chris and I try to provide.

 

[axel]

In fact, they've appropriated a ton of info and photos from 60sgaragebands.com and Garage Hangover (and other sites) without even bothering to ask. I emailed them today and asked them to credit my site, or remove the entry altogether. I think thye're trying to be encyclopedic in number of groups but without any of the info and detail that people like Chris and I try to provide.

I saw them giving credit to both sites on the bottom of several entries. But it can be done more properly, I guess. And they surely should have asked you if they are using so much of your material. I thought they have when I saw the credits.
But again: I think it's a good idea to focus on Southern garage bands.
And: they do have quite some material which they seem to have generated by own effort.

 

[greenfuzz]

I saw them giving credit to both sites on the bottom of several entries.

Yes...but only after Chris and I contacted them. Plus...more details are available on our sites, so who needs the terribly laid out "info" that they're offering? They were very responsive to my request to provide credit so I appreciate that, but I don't understand the need to appropriate info from other sites and only provide credit when asked to do so.

 

[EXPO67]

I saw them giving credit to both sites on the bottom of several entries. But it can be done more properly, I guess. And they surely should have asked you if they are using so much of your material. I thought they have when I saw the credits.
But again: I think it's a good idea to focus on Southern garage bands.

The people/person running the site appears to be clueless to me. It's all copy and paste. The label scans are from ebay or popsike. Pretty much shit really.

There's a picture of The Blues Magoos in his Rovin' Flames entry???!

 

[Sancho Panza]

More Southern coolness. This time directly form New Orleans. Check out the recent entry on Chas Kit's Garaghangover about The Local Traffic, who put out a genuine acid punk two-sider in 1968.

The a-side is totally obscure. Seems weird that it hasn't been comped yet. Like the fact that there is no rhythm section, just two leads and that you can hear the "clean" guitar adds more and more fuzz during the solo. B-side is a killer too.

 

[axel]

The people/person running the site appears to be clueless to me. It's all copy and paste. The label scans are from ebay or popsike. Pretty much shit really.

Well, at least the above photo of the Phantoms is pretty outstanding, I think. There's more but I don't want to play the advocate here.

 

[axel]

On a different note, who would be the "big players" of Southern garage rock? Just to get a clearer perspective.
We The People for sure. The Guilloteens?
From the top of my head I can't think of anyone else. You see now where the problem is. Who are the top Southern garage bands? Simple question for you experts, I suppose, but unclear to the average garage fan, I'm sure.

 

[M.T. Wallet]

I love those southern bands too and really enjoyed the 2 comps on Shangri-Las rds A History of Garage/Frat Bands in Memphis, TN + the book of pictures ; the Gants, the Gentrys, the Guilloteens, the Escapades etc all share a unique sound to me; maybe "warmer" than the other bands...