THE TURTLES - GRIM REAPER OF LOVE / COME BACK, MAY 1966

Simply put I can't get enough Turtles at the moment.  Their entire output from '65 to '69 is littered with gems aplenty, and today I will highlight a current favorite which is the excellent 'Grim Reaper Of Love' originally released as a non LP single in Mid 1966.  Co-written by original Turtles bassist Chuck Portz and guitarist Al Nichol, 'Grim Reaper' is quite a departure from their previous single 'You Baby' which saw the Turtles taking on the commercial pop sound that they are most recognized for.

All commerciality is set aside on this outing as heard in the opening harmonies which hauntingly set the dark mood of the music and lyrics.  'Grim Reaper' sits more comfortably next to an Electric Prunes burner than any P.F. Sloan penned material.  It's even been labeled 'raga rock' which I will neither agree nor disagree with.  This must have been a bit confusing for the DJ's at the time, and the single was a flop overall.  It still managed to reach no. 81 on the pop charts, although it was predicted to reach the top 60 by Billboard.

On the flip is 'Come Back', a Howard Kaylan original which is decent enough, but forgettable in comparison.  The sound sits somewhere in between folk rock and sunshine pop which is exactly where they were in 1966.  SPOILER ALERT: You can expect to hear some Turtles on the next Drifting Radio Broadcast.

Billboard Pop Spotlight May 28, 1966

DINO, DESI & BILLY - LOOK OUT GIRLS (HERE WE COME) / SHE'S SO FAR OUT SHE'S IN, JULY 1966

Dino, Desi & Billy may not be the most credible group from the 60's, but you can't deny the charm of this pair of upbeat tunes from the summer of 1966.  Both of these songs were written by Baker Knight, an established songwriter who was first brought to my attention by a pair of songs he wrote for the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band.  Other members involved in this expedition were Jimmy Bowen, Shorty Rogers, Lee Hazlewood and Billy Strange.

'Look Out Girls (Here We Come)' has a fuzz riff that brings to mind the Stones' classic, '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' while 'She's So Far Out She's In' features a thumping backbeat with killer bass and a super infectious set of lyrics.

You can hear both sides in their full glory on Drifting Radio Broadcast No. 1

SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE - MARCH OF THE JINGLE JANGLE PEOPLE / BRING ME BACK A LITTLE WATER, AUGUST 1968

Yesterday marked the beginning of August, and things started off rather splendid for me with an extremely fruitful trip to the record shop.  I picked up a handful of gems for a nice price, among them was this 45 by the San Francisco Earthquake.

The San Francisco Earthquake released several 45's on Smash from late 1967 and into '69 that don't seem to get much attention.  Apparently songwriter Kenny Young was the band, and it's assumed he was backed with some session musicians while crafting these pop-psych delights.  Kenny Young is a man with a vast musical career and can be most easily recognized as co-writer of 'Under The Boardwalk' .  Check out a brief interview with him here.

As for the record at hand, 'March Of The Jingle Jangle People' is one of those tunes where it only takes 5 seconds into the song to realize you've got a winner.  The flute and sitar intro leads into an eastern flavored guitar line and lyrics describing a 'happy finger cymbal snappin' day'.  Fan-fuckin'-tastic.  The song is a 'two-thirty punchbowl' filled to the brim with what seems to be every damn thing they had laying around in the studio.  It's the sound of all of the coolest pop song implements leftover from '67 that's for sure.  I can't believe this tune isn't more well known.

The flip side, 'Bring Me Back A Little Water', is an acoustic guitar based song that is not quite as happening, but it's still a nice listen with some interesting percussion and a slight country vibe.