Garage Superlatives

[JakeTheFlake]

I was wondering a few things about the sixties garage band era.
1.) What was the earliest song/band that would qualify as "garage?" I've heard people mention Kack Klick and the Church Mice. Are there any other contenders for "earliest garage band?"
2.) What was the last (or one of the last) song/band that would qualify as "garage?"
"Frankie's Got It" by the Steve Peel Five comes to mind, but I'm sure there are some others.
3.) How about nominees for garage song that crossed over to soul/northern soul? "Workin For My Baby" by Lenis Guess comes to mind.
4.) A lot of those garage bands started out playing surf music, and the surf influence lingers in many songs. For instance " I Love You" by the Worlocks sounds very surf influenced to me. (Just listen to those drums and guitar.) Any songs come to mind as having a heavy surf influence?

 

[legbarecords]

Lennis Guess is a soul singer. One of the most talented of the artists Frank Guida produced I think. I have at least 5 singles by him and love'em all. I enjoy the ruff edge of the cuts he reportedly cut with the Swinging Machine. But I enjoy them as soul songs and don't consider them garage. "Frankie's got it" was basically a jingle for Frank Guida's chain of record stores. It's cool. Don't know if it's garage either though.

 

[buckeyebeat]

1. LOUIE LOUIE - Kingsmen, or Wailers for that matter. A case could be made that the Wailers "Dirty Robber" is the first garage record. Rumblers "Don't Need You No More" also counts
2. Do you mean chronologically the last garage record? TBM talks about this. Several 1970s records fit the bill.
3. Numerous - Lost Soul on Raven, Human Beingz "Nobody But Me" to name an obscure and obvious choice. Losta greaser, beach, and 'mod' (record nerd mod, not swinging London mod) records on the scene.
4. Numerous, again - seems like half the LA area garage bands started as surfers. Opus I "Back Seat 38 Dodge" is a great garage psych song with residual surf influence

 

[Ned]

1. LOUIE LOUIE - Kingsmen, or Wailers for that matter. A case could be made that the Wailers "Dirty Robber" is the first garage record. Rumblers "Don't Need You No More" also counts
2. Do you mean chronologically the last garage record? TBM talks about this. Several 1970s records fit the bill.
3. Numerous - Lost Soul on Raven, Human Beingz "Nobody But Me" to name an obscure and obvious choice. Losta greaser, beach, and 'mod' (record nerd mod, not swinging London mod) records on the scene.
4. Numerous, again - seems like half the LA area garage bands started as surfers. Opus I "Back Seat 38 Dodge" is a great garage psych song with residual surf influence

George -

I'm with you on the Kingsmen. Not only is it a great version of Richard Berrys classic, but it had large scale national distribution & was heard clear across the USA acting as a springboard for the "sound". How many of us here are old enough to remember the rumor or proof (?) that if you played the 45 @ 33 rpm you could hear the work "fuck" slip into the background shouts ?

It came on the "oldies" radio station @ work the other day & I listened in wonder while the rest of the room reacted as if it were sonic wallpaper. Almost 50 years old & it still sounds fresh & daring. In an era of "guitar gods" that we have today the break remains one of the classics with great feel & just the right amount of amateur grace to make in unforgettable. Oh yeah, just about every one of the bands I saw as a teenager included it in their set.

Ned

 

[depravedskippy66]

For me, Jack Ely coming back in too soon is what really makes the record. Just one of those human moments that elevates it to greatness. No way in hell would a record like that get made in 2012; the life would be sucked out of it.

 

[legbarecords]

Amateur rock records are made everyday in 2012. The difference is that the hands of DJ's on commercial radio are tied. Back then they could play what they liked.

 

[Dominic]

The production on "I Love My Baby" by the Phaetons on VIN sounds garage to me, despite being from '59 or ''60. Obviously, it's a rockabilly record, but the vocalist/band sound punkier than your average hillbilly rocker.

 

[M.T. Wallet]

Just one of those human moments that elevates it to greatness.

that's why I love Bo Diddley ; each take is a mess!

 

[bosshoss]

George -

In an era of "guitar gods" that we have today the break remains one of the classics with great feel & just the right amount of amateur grace to make in unforgettable

Ned

That's so true. The break is amazing, and contains licks that no-one ever used then or now, not even the so-called guitar gods. And it's not easy to play, which accounts for so many attempts, versions and variations, none of which equals the original. It's interesting, hearing guitar gods attempt to get it right, and fail miserably.

 

[JakeTheFlake]

The production on "I Love My Baby" by the Phaetons on VIN sounds garage to me, despite being from '59 or ''60. Obviously, it's a rockabilly record, but the vocalist/band sound punkier than your average hillbilly rocker.

I remember hearing a song that was supposed to be the first one to have guitar distortion in it. I can't remember the name of the band or song, but it was a Country and Western tune. Towards the end of the song, a vacuum tube malfunctioned, causing the final guitar chords to have some distortion.

 

[Laurent Bigot]

Some early Link Wray stuff definitely has the vibe and the sound of true garage.

 

[Manos E. Brazos]

JakeTheFlake, you may be thinking of Johnny Burnette Trio records on Coral. Primo rockabilly and some had that fuzzy distorted guitar sound, supposedly by accident. Great versions of Train Kept A Rollin' , Honey Hush and others.

 

[MopTopMike]

I remember hearing a song that was supposed to be the first one to have guitar distortion in it. I can't remember the name of the band or song, but it was a Country and Western tune. Towards the end of the song, a vacuum tube malfunctioned, causing the final guitar chords to have some distortion.

I list several examples of this query in TeenBeat Mayhem

 

[Frantic]

I remember hearing a song that was supposed to be the first one to have guitar distortion in it. I can't remember the name of the band or song, but it was a Country and Western tune. Towards the end of the song, a vacuum tube malfunctioned, causing the final guitar chords to have some distortion.

uh uh...these guys beat 'em to the punch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distortion_(music)

 

[Spirit of '66]

As far as using fuzz as an intentional guitar effect and not having it be just a happy accident due to malfunction or crappy equipment, I think this Jody Reynolds tune from '59 is a pretty early example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI1Yj7PU9xU
The solo starts at about 0:48 for you impatient types.

 

[pomonkey]

Seeing as our good friend - we've put him on live a few times - Lenis Guess got a mention above would suggest the most "garage" song he was involved with was Alvin Delk - Ain't nothing shaking on DPG (Lenis was the G in DPG), manic manic record