Archive for the ‘The Vejtables’ Category

The Beau Brummels

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

beauonetoomany, Beau Brummels, Warner Brothers, Autumn Records, Sly Stone

Listen: One Too Many Mornings / The Beau Brummels
One Too Many Mornings / The Beau Brummels

I’m guessing after a few big hits, then a few medium ones on Autumn Records, the label Sly Stone produced several sides for, the band happily migrated to Warner Brothers as part of the major’s buyout of Autumn’s catalog and roster. Although Autumn label mates The Mojo Men had a few singles that started promising chart wise, they nor any of the other acts did much business, no doubt ending in many a tear for The Vejtables, Great Society, the aforementioned Mojo Men and The Beau Brummels.

It’s really a shame, as most of those former Autumn artists via their new home at Warners, actually made some great sides.

‘One Too Many Mornings’ should have been, and almost was a hit. I heard it often, but stalled at #95 in Billboard. Their faux English band angle (they always looked like klutzes dressed as a UK band) had worn off by the time of this release, and they let their true calling, folk rock via The Everly Brothers shine through. I bet had The Byrds recorded this, it would have been a smash.

Freddy Cannon / Where The Action Is

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

freddycannonaction, Freddy Cannon, Where The Action Is, Dick Clark, American Bandstand

Listen: Where The Action Is / Freddy Cannon FreddyCannonAction.mp3

Let’s face it. The theme song to ABC’s syndicated daily pop show, WHERE THE ACTION IS, titled ‘Action’ by Freddy Cannon, was so good, even The Ramones could have covered it.

I lived for WHERE THE ACTION IS and saw many a great act each day after school. Our local Syracuse affiliate, WSYR-TV, was wishy-washy, and many times pre-empted it with other things. Looking over the complete, chronological list of episodes and guests, I’ve only just discovered missing Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours, The Action and Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich for just that reason. Indeed, I’m a bit crushed having now discovered these atrocities. Scumbags.

But seeing an LA centric act almost daily, given they were basically down the street from the studios, must have been daily bliss. To name a few: The Guillteens, The Ikettes with and without Ike & Tina Turner, The Vejtables, The Leaves, The Seeds, Gary & The Hornets, Love, Dino Desi & Billy, The Buffalo Springfield, Jan & Dean.

Not to mention the RnB stuff: Martha & The Vandellas, Doris Troy, The Royalettes, Mary Wells, Brenda Holloway, The Toys, Maxine Brown, Kim Weston, Carla Thomas, Billy Stewart, Bobby Hebb, Alvin Cash & The Crawlers or Felice Taylor. I still replay The Vibrations doing ‘My Girl Sloopy’ vividly in my memory.

Then there were the black and white segments from England, a real high for we Anglophiles: The Small Faces, Gary Farr & The T-Bones, Them, The Mindbenders, The Zombies, The Moody Blues, The Kinks, Unit 4 + 2, The Who, Wayne Fontana, Marianne Faithfull, The Yardbirds and The Cryin’ Shames.