| English Freakbeat, Volume 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album | ||||
| Released | 1988 (LP) 1992 (CD) | |||
| Recorded | Mid-1960s | |||
| Genre | Beat, freakbeat | |||
| Label | AIP | |||
| chronology | ||||
| ||||
English Freakbeat, Volume 1 is a compilation album in the English Freakbeat series, featuring recordings that were released decades earlier, in the mid-1960s.
The album was released as an LP in 1988 by AIP Records (as #AIP-10039) and as a CD in 1992 (as #AIP-CD-1039).
The English Freakbeat LPs and CDs have most tracks in common, although some of the LP tracks were not included on the CDs; also, the CD bonus tracks are not always at the end of the album. Thus, for clarity, we have shown tracks for both editions of the album, with vinyl-only tracks and CD bonus tracks indicated.
The following information is taken mostly from the CD liner notes.
The Groundhogs released a dozen albums as a progressive blues band between 1968 and 1976 without gaining deserved stardom, though that incarnation of the band was not started until 1967. The band initially formed in late 1963 with the name John Lee's Groundhogs after backing U.S. bluesman John Lee Hooker on tour in England. "Shake It" comes from their first of two singles; it was released in the U.S. but not the U.K.
"Don't Want That" by the Betterdays is the only song on the original release of this album as an LP that does not appear on the CD. Their cover of Bo Diddley's "Here 'Tis" that was included on the earlier Pebbles, Volume 6 LP is also among the vinyl-only tracks on that album that were not included on the English Freakbeat, Volume 6 CD.
The In-Be-Tweens, a predecessor band to Slade, were also known as the N-Betweens and the In-Between and came from Wolverhampton. The band was discovered by American punk entrepreneur Kim Fowley, who was the co-writer on this song.
Five songs on the CD come from The Primitives (later known as Mal & the Primitives), a Northampton band whose members included Michael Wilding, Elizabeth Taylor's son with actor Michael Wilding. The band was mostly based in Italy, where they issued two albums. Singer Mal Ryder previously appeared with the Spirits on four pop singles in 1963-1965 and later had a successful career as a solo artist in the 1970s. Another song by the Primitives is included on English Freakbeat, Volume 4 , along with one of the early Mal Ryder and the Spirits tracks.
The Loot has several strong connections with the Troggs; bandmember Dave Wright was one of the original members of that band, and "Baby Come Closer", from the first single, was later recorded by the Troggs. Also, their label, Page One Records was owned by Troggs manager Larry Page; and Ronnie Bond, the drummer for the Troggs produced many of the songs by the Loot. Three members of this band were previously in the Soul Agents, featured on English Freakbeat, Volume 2 .
Miki Dallon is perhaps better known for his songwriting and producing work, although he was also a solo artist beginning with a debut single in February 1965 called "Do You Call that Love". His first hit as a songwriter and producer was "Take a Heart" b/w "You Got What I Want" by the Boys Blue, which was ranked #38 on the Fab 40 in July 1965. Both sides achieved even greater success shortly thereafter with the versions by the Sorrows. Dallon later wrote several other songs for the Sorrows, who returned the favor by backing him on several of his solo singles, reportedly including this song (although the claim is disputed by others).
Chris Andrews discovered the Chasers in his home town of Romford; this track is from their second of three singles. Lead guitarist Len Tuckey would later join the Riot Squad and the Nashville Teens, as well as the backing band for Suzi Quatro; they eventually married.
"Take Away" is the flip side of the Couriers' only single; the "A" side is on English Freakbeat, Volume 3 .
Members of the Rats included a young Mick Ronson. This song is the flip side of their final single (on Laurie Records); the "A" side was "Gotta See My Baby Everyday". On the U.K. issue, "Headin' Back" is called "New Orleans"; Mike Stax of Ugly Things fanzine states that the two songs differ only in their title, but this album's liner notes suggest otherwise. Another track by the Rats is given on the Pebbles, Volume 6 LP.
"Purple Pill Eaters" is a commentary on the pill-popping habits of young Mod teenagers and is reminiscent of Macy Skipper's "Bop Pills" (which can be found on Born Bad, Volume 5) about the similar lifestyle choices in the rockabilly scene in the U.S. The song itself is a reworking of the 1958 novelty song "Purple People Eater", and the warning in the chorus – "don't eat the purple pills, my boy" – calls to mind the famous advisory about the "brown acid" at Woodstock.
Birds Birds were originally called the Thunderbirds and, after changing their name to the Birds, brought a lawsuit against the Byrds when they arrived in England in 1965, in an unsuccessful attempt to get them to change their name. The album closes with both sides of their last 45, which was issued under the new name. The leaders of the band were Ron Wood, who next moved to the Jeff Beck Group before gaining international fame with the Faces and the Rolling Stones; and Kim Gardner, who joined The Creation.
Side 1:
Side 2:
The Outsiders were an American rock and roll band from Cleveland, Ohio, that was founded and led by guitarist Tom King. The band released the hit single "Time Won't Let Me" in early 1966, which peaked at No. 5 in the US in April. The band had three other Hot 100 top 40 hit singles in 1966, but none on the Hot 100 afterwards, and released a total of four albums in the mid-1960s.
The Head Shop is an American psychedelic rock band from New York that released one eponymous album on Epic in 1969. The album cover features a swirling group of multi-colored boxes that surround a black-and-white image of a shrunken head. The back cover is mostly black with minimal copy but also includes a shot of the band lit from beneath.
Freakbeat is a loosely defined subgenre of rock and roll music developed mainly by harder-driving British groups during the Swinging London period of the mid-to late 1960s. The genre bridges British Invasion R&B, beat and psychedelia.
The Choir was a garage rock band largely active in the greater Cleveland area from the mid-1960s into the early 1970s. Originally called The Mods, their largest commercial success came with the release of their first single "It's Cold Outside" in December 1966. The song, considered to be a classic of the garage rock era, was featured on Pebbles, Volume 2, one of the earlier garage rock compilation LPs. The flipside, "I'm Going Home" was included as a bonus track when the Pebbles album was reissued as a CD, and it can also be found on a garage rock compilation LP on Ohio bands, Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9. The Choir is well known for containing three of the four original members of Raspberries.
Pebbles is a compilation of US underground and garage single record releases from the mid- to late-1960s. It had a limited original release in 1978 and a more general release in 1979. It was followed by several subsequent Pebbles compilations and albums. This album is nowadays known as Pebbles, Volume 1 and was originally issued in 1978 as Pebbles, Volume One: Artyfacts from the First Punk Era, an obvious riff on Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, a similar, groundbreaking compilation from 1972.
Pebbles, Volume 4 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Unlike other volumes in the series – which compile obscure garage rock and psychedelic rock music – Volume 4 collects rare examples of surf rock. The LP is subtitled Summer Means Fun, while the CD is subtitled Surf N Tunes. Another Pebbles, Volume 4 was issued on CD a few years earlier by ESD Records and has completely different tracks.
Pebbles, Volume 6 is a compilation album among the LPs in the Pebbles series. Subtitled The Roots of Mod, Volume 6 is the only album in the Pebbles series that features primarily British music. The Pebbles, Volume 6 CD is not at all related to this LP; instead, the CD featuring the songs on this LP was released as English Freakbeat, Volume 6.
The Pebbles Box is a 5-LP box set of mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings, primarily by American bands. Several years later, a similar 5-CD box set was released that was called the Trash Box. The Pebbles Box purports to collect the first five volumes of the Pebbles series, although there are fewer songs than on the original LPs: 72 total tracks on the five discs, as compared with 86 on the original LPs. Also, as is generally true of the CD reissues of these five volumes, the tracks differ significantly on all five discs as compared to both the original Pebbles LPs and the later Pebbles CDs in the corresponding volumes; and the surf rock rarities on Pebbles, Volume 4 have been eschewed entirely.
Nuggets is a series of compilation albums, started by Elektra Records in 1972 and continued by Rhino Records thereafter. The series focuses primarily on relatively obscure garage and psychedelic rock songs from the 1960s, but with some hits and pop-oriented songs also included.
Pebbles, Volume 7 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series; it is subtitled Chicago 2. The previous CD in the series, Pebbles, Volume 6 also features bands from Chicago, as does the LP Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 4.
Pebbles, Volume 8 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series; it is subtitled Southern California 1. The next CD in the series, Pebbles, Volume 9 also feature bands from Southern California; while Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 1, Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 2, and Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 3 showcase music from Los Angeles specifically.
Pebbles, Volume 9 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series; it is subtitled Southern California 2. The previous CD in the series, Pebbles, Volume 8 also features bands from Southern California; while Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 1, Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 2, and Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 3 showcase music from Los Angeles specifically.
Pebbles, Volume 10 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series.
Highs in the Mid-Sixties were a series of compilation albums released in the mid 1980s on AIP Records developed by Greg Shaw. The series was spun off of the similar Pebbles series. Each volume focuses on a specific geographical region.
The English Freakbeat series is a group of five compilation albums, released in the late 1980s, that were issued by AIP Records. The LPs featured recordings that were released in the mid-1960s by English rock bands in the early punk, proto-punk, R&B, mod, and beat genres. The series served as a follow-up to the Pebbles, Volume 6 LP, itself subtitled The Roots of Mod, which was the only album in the Pebbles series that was devoted to English music. When the English Freakbeat series was reissued as CDs in the 1990s, the Pebbles, Volume 6 LP was adapted into the English Freakbeat, Volume 6 CD.
English Freakbeat, Volume 2 is a compilation album in the English Freakbeat series, featuring recordings that were released decades earlier, in the mid-1960s.
English Freakbeat, Volume 3 is a compilation album in the English Freakbeat series, featuring recordings that were released decades earlier, in the mid-1960s.
English Freakbeat, Volume 4 is a compilation album in the English Freakbeat series, featuring recordings that were released decades earlier, in the mid-1960s.
English Freakbeat, Volume 5 is a compilation album in the English Freakbeat series, featuring recordings that were released decades earlier, in the mid-1960s.
"I'm Gonna Find a Cave" is a song written in 1965 by Jimmy Radcliffe and Buddy Scott.
