Garage rock international revival : the book is not written yet !

As I was writting about Garage music on the french Wikipedia accurate page, I had to make reference to the book The Knights of fuzz, wich is considered by many fans as a "passage obligé" (in french in the text).

But the question was : "What better work have we in our hands to compare ?

That's the question Hans-Jürgen Klitsch, from Hartbeat fame german fanzine had asked himself, in a paper named "I read therefore I bite", on his #20 issue of Hartbeat, back in 1997. I don't know if many other original reviews has been so critics, but it contains in my opinon its part of truth.

The fact is that The Knights of fuzz, (Borderline publishing 1996), previously edited as "Echoes in time" in 1991, by author Timothy Gassen, (from Marsmallow Overcoat garage band), then by Purple cactus in 2001 under a CD-rom shape, (right), then under a DVD at Dionysus label in 2006, was awaited in 1991, and a good beginning to people who didn't know about the subject at that time. But it has never been updated seriously back then, although many bands appeared between 1996 and 2006 ! And so did the fanzines...etc.

Caveman original site, now out of order

The book overrated some bands, and a large part of only Mr Gassen's other countries acquaintances... The discographies never were updated, nor the bands listing, as for the French ones.  How explain at this point the lack of Larsen, for instance, and the Slow slushy boys, from Chambéry, one of the most productive band in the 90's here, and behind the Larsen label ??

...This book began a CD-rom, then a DVD, as a commercial product, but the whole story of international revival Garage rock from 1979 to 2000s is still to write, and now better decrypted on line via Internet on some fanatics blogs.

Actual Caveman blog, from Greece

A labour of love that some european people have begun, as for Joachim from "They could have been bigger than EMI", or on  Declaration of fuzz, Paradise of garagecomps, or Caveman blogs ...for examples.

Hope it will be done properly someday (soon ?), as the story is interesting, and enjoyable.

Read : the extraordinary work of Jolete macana, who have began the cataloging of many garage fanzines : http://www.ipunkrock.com/index.php/site/fanzines. Amazing !

Reproduction of the famous paper.
(©Hartbeat 1997/Hans-Jürgen Klitsch)

Un peu de monsieur Broonzy s'il vous plaît !

Anthologie du blues vol. 3

BIG BILL BROONZY

CLVLX 272 Vinyl LP (1969)

If you just know Big Bill Broonzy via his "Black brown and white" song, you know what kind of great folk blues we are talking about.

This one is a french compilation of songs previously published only on 10" (78 or 33 rpm) vinyles. It contains different versions, and a live at salle Pleyel, Paris.  

Enjoy : 

In the evening, The moppin' blues, Feeling low down, What I   do : recorded Paris, 20 Septembre 1951.

Blues in 1890, Lonesome road blues, When did you leave heaven : recorded Paris, 21 Septembre 1951

Black brown and white, John Henry, Get away blues : Paris salle Pleyel 7 février 1952

Kind hearted blues, I'm so lonesome : Paris 12 Mars 1952

Big Bill Boonzy super articles can be find at : http://ourblues.wordpress.com/category/artists/big-bill-broonzy/

Ian Mc Kenzie's Big Bill page : http://www.broonzy.com/index.html

Discography at Allmusic : http://www.allmusic.com/artist/big-bill-broonzy-mn0000757873

Thanks to a good friend of mine for having lended me this.

Wiped out was Larsen bro' label !

Yannick Vallet a fait partie dans les 90's de ces activistes rock qui ont surfés entre radio, Fanzine, label de disques...  

Le sien était Wiped out, "petit-frère" de Larsen recordz, d'abord basé sur les alentours de Chambéry (Le Touvet), puis Chambéry, puis Lyon, et n'a produit que des 45 tours vinyles. (Comme à peu près tout bon label rock garage qui se respecte.)
C'est dans cette dernière ville qu'il rencontre Christophe, avec lequel il va animer l'émission Muscle Car Shoutout sur les pentes de la croix-rousse.

> Ci-dessous, retranscription d'une interview accordée au n° 3 du fanzine lyonnais "Arse plot" en 1999, dirigé par son collègue et copain : Christophe*

Wiped out Music system  

C : Normalement Wiped Out c'est un terme de surfer ? 


Y : C'est le fait de se casser la gueule en surf ou alors en argot américain cela peut dire tout un tas de chose selon le contexte comme par exemple "Laisse tomber !", c'est aussi plein de titres de bons morceaux surf et c'était le titre d'une émission de radio effectuée sur Brume à Grenoble et Ellebore à Chambéry par Hervé "Stompin' Harvey", Fred et moi et c'est devenu le nom du label par la suite. 


C : Quand a été créé le Label ?

Les Maybes avaient enregistrés dans 1e local des Flan système à Ugine  et comme on était fan et que c'est des potes on a tout de suite voulu sortir un truc d'eux. On a donc monté un label avec l'aide de Denis de Larsen et des Maybes. (Fabien le guitariste des Maybes était objecteur de conscience à larsen). C'était en janvier 1995 je crois.
Ecoutez "Spider don't sleep" sur : 45tours de rock français

C : Promos, distributions ... ? 

Pour la distribution,  ça a toujours été Denis et Larsen qui s'en sont occupés et grâce à eux ...

Offhooks, but in the good tracks !

The Offhooks 

Off the hook mini lp

DDT records, 1988

Back in 1994, many alternative bands were playing stuff making rendition to 60's  garage style. And the Thanes, discovered for me via Groovy eyes french distributor, and their "Anthena surprise" single (Screaming Apple) were one of the best. (See their bio, in french, on Larsen label site.) and a superb (and long) interview of Lenny Helsing, on garage punk hideout.

I had the opportunity to meet some of these bands, and talk about in a zine called Here at that time. But a different actor on the fan scene helped me to make it. Thierry U. (from Baba yaga famous garage zine) had become a friend, and gave me a lot of his knowledge on this scene, and the previous 80's one. He gave me also access to his very specialised record collection.

The scottish Offhooks (and the early Thanes "Green Telescopes") were part of it, as Lenny Helsing, the singer, was in these three bands, and has became a friend of Thierry.

Uk "State"'s label, (created in 2007) known, amongst others, for the 2009 Paul Messis singles and its faculty to put on the highlights some of the best psyche-folk-garage modern stuff (on vinyl for the most part), gave us a big surprise in 2011 with the publication of a complete unreleased lp from the Ofhooks*. (Yes !!)

...Surprise, for the band was appreciated for a unique 1988 six tracks 12“.

> This is this old (and rare) one that we proudly share with you today.

Off the hook mini lp, DDT records, 1988

Track listing : A1 Greed; A2 I'm a nothing; A3 Heartbreaking girl

B1 No more tears; B2 Got no lovin; B3 I can take it 

(*) See the Surfadelic blog for this "new " lp : 

http://mreliminator.blogspot.fr/2012/11/the-offhooks-outside-looking-in-2011.html

- Read a bio of the Offhooks on State label site :

 http://staterecs.com/the-offhooks/