McDonald's Farm

[Clear Light]

Just wonderiing if anyone can give me a release date for the 45 by McDonald's Farm: "Excited"/"Deep Feeling" Vital 12369. Fuzz lists it as 1969 but I have been told it is actually from 1967.

 

[MopTopMike]

Label number mimics a release date (1/23/69) (12/3/69)
Can you provide any dead wax info directly from the 45? Is this the Los Angeles, California based Vital label? I have other 45s on this imprint, and they all are 1969-1970.

 

[Clear Light]

Thanks Mike, I don't have the 45 (it appears to be fairly uncommon) but, in conversation with drummer Craig Boyd for the liner notes of the Hook CD I am currently working on, he tells me that the 45 was recorded/released before he joined the Leaves in 1967. It seems that McDonald's Farm was a stripped down version of Bakersfield's The Regents, the outfit who recorded a bunch of 45s for various local labels and that live LP on Capitol. I'm just trying to ascertain the correct chronology for this particular release. Craig is very on the ball with regards to dates etc, and a 1967 release would tie in with the progression of the various groups he played with.

 

[MopTopMike]

I doubt if his memory is accurate concerning that Vital 45.
Without deep checking, I believe the Leaves were done by March, 1967. Once Jim Pons left to join the Turtles, they kinda "blew away fast"

There is also a McDonald's Farm 45 released on Pulsar 2242, in 1970
"Between the Lines" / "Tis But I"
The master number for the "Tis But I" side indicates a recording date of not earlier than October, 1969 (notes an arranged by Joe Leahy, if this is the same group).
"Between The Lines" was recorded several months later, in 1970.

 

[Clear Light]

I'll check with Craig, but he seemed to be positive it was recorded prior to his joining the Leaves. The Leaves existed as a gigging act right up to the fall of 1967, John Beck had taken over as front man after Pons left. Basically, after Beck and Arlin fell out, Beck left and the remaining trio became The Hook. I'm assuming the McDonald's Farm on Pulsar is a different outfit altogether.

 

[Clear Light]

Thanks Mike, it was indeed a memory malfunction on Craig's side. I'm glad I queried it as it did seem a bit odd. And yes, the Pulsar 45 is by the same McDonald's Farm.