anonymous budget-beaters

[michaelvee]

.. if I overstand well, G45's about 45s, so here's my quest: on my trip to Holland, I stumbled over #20 of the British "Top Six" budget-EP-series with some 95% true but quite nice versions of the hits of 1965 such as I got You Babe (urgh! always hated that song!), All I really want to do, Catch us if You can, Help, The Tracker and a fine cover of See My Friends, one of the best by the Kinks.
Any clue who's the band behind that series?

Also, I dug out an odd (most probably Belgian) EP with a very nice coverpicture showing the port (of Amsterdam?), published as a give-away by a breadshop (!) (label: Pain - Brood Expo) with 6 commercial tracks and 2 not so bad Beatles-covers (She loves you, I want to hold your hand) recorded by "The Twistin' Guys" (all EPs for 1€). Question: real band or fake moniker?

 

[Mr.Segment]

I can't answer any of those questions, but there were countless releases scattered throughout Europe that tried to cash in on the Young and Happeining Sounds of the day. Most were rubbish, but a quite a few are, in hindsight, worth every little nickle they retail for. Spirited, tough, often ramshackle versions of Kinks, Yardbirds, Stones and their ilk are certainly gold to my ears. If the truth were to come out regarding whose behind these studio-only efforts I think quite a few of the musicians involved would prove to be from celebrated beat acts of the era. I always buy stuff like that if I come across it.

 

[michaelvee]

..so right, Mr. Segment, in the 60s, when all these budget-samplers were sold (in Germany, by warehouses like Woolworth or even photoshops like Photo Koch), everbody considered them as "fake" even though some of the bands delivered real nice versions (such as Johnny Smash or Ben Cash on Original-Beat aus England for Top Schallplatten or the Chords and Jalopy Five for Hit Records) (for a selection of Budget Beaters go to http://www.megaupload.com/?d=V1MSTPU9 ) (tracklist at http://michaelvee.livejournal.com/?skip=90)

greetings from Milano to Oslo!

 

[beccabear67]

Sounds like an interesting mystery (especially a Bread Festival promo?) as it could be some otherwise well known Brit or Neder musicians. I know The Smoke (or remnants thereof) did stuff like that later on, but maybe there could be a Radio Atlanta connection as they broadcast similar cover jobs and pushed the vinyl in affiliated shops. There were generic and budget cover records galore in North America in the '60s and once in awhile they bring something interesting to the job.

 

[michaelvee]

Hi Rebecca,

the most (in)famous budget label in the UK, Embassy Records, used groups such as Typhoons (mostly for the Beatleish-covers), the Starlings (whoever that was), Terry Brandon & the Beatmen(who seem to be session-musicians), and the Jaybirds (allegedly with later TYA-guitarfucker Alvin Lee). As for the British Top Six-series, the mighty Lolly Pope, creator of the Praekraut-Pandaemonium installments, is almost sure that the Jaybirds were responsible for the nice, 95 % true covers of the Kinks’ hits as See my Friends, All Day & all of the Night (I only know their version of Not Fade Away which is great).
Regarding the give-away from the Expo-Bakery, both Beatles-Covers are really quite charming, I found out that (Bobby Sitting and) the Twistin' Guy's was a real band from Brussels; you can see the chaps in action at: http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=2879926 (don't expect mop-haired youngsters, tho')

Stay cool & keep on your great labor of love!