Van Morrison - St. Dominic 's Preview (50th anniversary)
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What great timing that I found your post. I was trying to get one more LP into an Acoustic Sounds Order and I saw you comments on The Flamin’ Groovies. Checked out some Song Videos and I was Sold. Placed the Order but you will have to enlighten me if there are any more of their LP’s that I should explore.
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@djohn: I’ve done the same on a number of my Acoustic Sounds orders (to get free shipping)! They were selling the Groovies’ Shake Some Action LP? (I don’t see it on the site now). That’s funny, ’cause the album is hardly what I would call audiophile ;-) . The Groovies had a few different era’s, with different line-ups and sounds. The first era---ignoring the self-released 1968 10" EP Sneakers (which I bought that year, but is now rather expensive)---was 3-albums long (the first on Epic, the second and third on Kama Sutra), when they had a harder, more Stone’s influenced sound. They were at-that-time aligned with the late-60’s/early-70’s bands such as The MC5 (with whom they did a number of shows) and The Stooges. Part of that sound was a healthy dose of "Garage" style. When those albums didn’t sell, the original line-up dissolved, soon thereafter reforming with only songwriter/lead guitarist/singer Cyril Jordan (great Rock ’n’ Roll name, ay?) and bassist George Alexander remaining. New members were lead singer/rhythm guitarist/songwriter Chris Wilson, drummer David Wright, and guitarist James Ferrell (yes, a 3-guitar line-up, something I love. The pre-1972 Fleetwood Mac, Moby Grape, Buffalo Springfield, etc.). The new Groovies created a very different sound, one which some of their old fans didn’t care for as much. Cyril explained that their new sound (more Beatles than Stones) was one they had always been trying to create but were not able (it’s far easier to sound like The Stones than The Bealtes ;-). They did some recording at Gold Star in the mid-70’s (lots of covers, and some live-in-the studio demos), those recordings coming out on UK and European labels. Sire Records owner Seymour Stein was a Groovies fan, and had a relationship with Greg Shaw, the owner of a very hip Los Angeles independent label (Bomp Records), who was managing the group (their fan club president was Miriam Linna, original drummer of The Cramps). Greg was very aware of Welshman Dave Edmunds, whose first two solo albums (he had previously been in the group Love Sculpture) had created quite a buzz in the "true" Rock ’n’ Roll community. Greg executive produced the Shake Some Action album, hiring Edmunds to produce it. I’ve never heard anything remotely like it (it combines the group’s and Edmunds’ love of 1950’s R & R, The Beatles very early sound, Phil Spector, and lots of other elements) , and love it to death. I can’t wait to hear what YOU think! The group lasted for two more albums on Sire (former Charlatans Mike Wilhelm replacing James Ferrell after SSA), Flamin’ Groovies Now produced again by Edmunds, Jumpin’ In The Night by Roger Becherian and Cyril Jordan. Roger is better known for his work with Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Squeeze, and Paul Carrack. One of their last shows with that line-up was in the summer of ’81, at a small club in a San Francisco suburb, the band I was then playing in opening for them. I loved ’em, but a guitarist I knew was at the show, and found them to be far too "garage-y" for his liking. But then he liked Progressive, so who cares what he thought? ;-) The Groovies’ disappeared for years, their latest album (Fantastic Plastic---get it next) being the first in a LONG time. The new line-up sees Cyril Jordan and Chris Wilson reunited, with various drummers (one of them being Prairie Prince of The Tubes) and bassists (George Alexander plays on some songs) used for recording the album. |
@bdp24 What a Write Up and Thanks! Enter Shake Some Action in the Search Bar at Acoustic Sounds and you will find the LP.
David
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