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The Standells were a Los Angeles garage band formed in the early 60's, often referred to as an early punk band. The lineup was Larry Tamblyn on organ and vocals, Tony Valentino on guitar, Gary Lane on bass, and former Mouseketeer Dick Dodd on drums and lead vocals. The name came from Tamblyn and Valentino, and referenced their standing around booking agents, trying to get a job.
The group made use of their Los Angeles roots by appearing in several low budget films in the 1960's including “Get Yourself a College Girl” in 1964 and the cult classic “Riot on Sunset Strip” in 1967. They also appeared on the television series “The Munsters” as themselves in the episode “Far Out Munster.” They also appeared on The Bing Crosby Show under a pseudonym “The Love Bugs.”
The Live Ones EP was recorded in March 1966, and showcases both the sound and the attitude of The Standells. The songs are short like most songs of the era, and make extensive use of the organ in the music.
The Standells big hit was “Dirty Water,” a reference to Boston Harbor and Charles River which was notorious for its pollution at the time. Their first major gig was at The Oasis in Honolulu, which may explain the surfer influence. In 1966, The Standells toured with The Rolling Stones.
The Standells continue to perform today, though the lineup has changed over time.
Mr. Nobody This song is about a guy hitting on the author's girlfriend. He isn't having any of it. “So you can take your fancy car and drive away real far. The world is full of nobodies like you are.”
Why Pick On Me? If you've ever been attracted to a flirtatious girl who is there one moment and gone the next, you can identify with this tune. The lyrics that bring it home are, “candy kisses don't mean a thing if only flies those kisses bring.”
Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White This track references the contrast between blue collar workers and white collar workers. When white collar workers thumb their nose at blue collar workers, sometimes the good guy isn't the one wearing white! “Everyday I work Hard. At night I spend restless time. Those rich kids and all their lazy money, they can't hold a candle to mine.”
Gloria The Standells covered this garage band standard by Van Morrison and his band Them. Many bands covered this song, perhaps the most popular of these covers was done by The Doors.
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
“Born Free” by Matt Monro (Main Theme to the motion picture “Born Free”) This movie was released in March 1966, and told the tale of a couple who raised a lion cub and released it back into the wild.
STAFF PICKS:
Batman by Jan and Dean Rob starts our staff picks with a cover from the campy cult classic superhero show of the 60's. A number of groups covered the song from the television show. Jan and Dean were football players who met while singing in the shower after practice and decided to form a band. They had a number of surfer inspired hits at the time.
I Fought The Law by The Bobby Fuller Four Bruce's staff pick is a song covered by The Clash in 1978. The Bobby Fuller Four had success covering this song in 1966, but the original goes back to 1959 when Sonny Curtis recorded it with the Crickets after he took the place of the late Buddy Holly. Just six months after the song hit the charts, Bobby Fuller was found dead from asphyxiation in his mother's car. The death was ruled a suicide, but many believe he was murdered.
The Ballad of the Green Berets by Staff Sargent Barry Sadler Brian's staff pick is a positive, popular patriotic song. This would prove an unusual popular song as the protest song became more entrenched in rock music. This was the number 1 song of 1966. Barry Sadler released an album by the end of the year, though none of his other songs would prove as popular.
I Spy (for the FBI) by Jamo Thomas Wayne's closes out our staff picks this week with a Chicago group taking a Motown feel. It peaked at number 98 in the US, though it did slightly better in the UK.
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Hi Heel Sneaker by the Ramsey Lewis Trio We close out this episode with a jazzy number from Chicago-based Ramsey Lewis.
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