PUNK ROCK
FIRST COINED TO DESCRIBE THE NUMEROUS LOCAL WHITE BANDS WHO SPRANG UP ALL OVER AMERICA BETWEEN 1965 - 1968. A TRANSITIONAL PERIOD IN DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICA ROCK 'N' ROLL, IN THE YEARS BETWEEN BEATLES/STONES-LED BRITISH INVASION AND THE SAN FRANCISCO BASED ROCK RENAISSANCE. IT WAS A TIME WHEN IT WAS SUFFICIENT FOR BANDS TO EMULATE THE CURRANT CHART TOPPERS MOSTLY BRITISH. IT WAS TIME WHEN SEEMINGLY ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY COULD BE A ROCK 'N' ROLL STAR BY SIMPLY GROWING THEIR HAIR LONG AND PICKING UP A GUITAR. PUNK BANDS WERE INVARIABLY MADE UP OF HIGH SCHOOL HEROES. THE SOUND CHARACTERIZED BY FENDER AND STANDELL AMPS - THROUGH WHICH ONE YEAR OF GUITAR LESSONS WERE SCRATCHED SLIGHTLY OUT OF TUNE. ONE-FINGER PLAYED STACCATO VOX CONTINENTAL ORGANS ON FULL TREBLE. DRUMMING WAS BASIC RINGO; SINGING THE ARROGANT WHINE OF A MANIC JAGGER LOOK-A-LIKE. WHAT MADE MOST PUNK BANDS INTERESTING IS THAT THEY NEVER HAD ANYTHING GOING FOR THEM. BY SHEER FORTUNE, THEY GATHERED ALL THEIR TALENT AND INSPIRATION INTO JUST ONE RECORD. FEW MANAGED A REPEAT. AND DISAPPEARED AS QUICKLY AS THEY COME. MOST OF FOLLOWING PUNK RECORDS WERE REGIONAL SUCCESS IN USA WITH BANDS NEVER GETTING MUCH FURTHER THAN THEIR GARAGE REHEARSAL DENS, THE LOCK SOCK OR WEEKLY BATTLE OF THE BANDS CONTEST.BEST EXAMPLES OF PUNK ROCK INCLUDES: "LOUIE LOUIE" THE KINGSMEN; "DIRTY WATER" STANDELLS; "96 TEARS" AND "GIRL YOU CAPTIVATE ME" ? & THE MYSTERIANS; "PUSHIN' TOO HARD" SKY SAXON & THE SEEDS; "PSYCHOTIC REACTION" COUNT FIVE; "YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME" 13TH FLOOR EVALATORS; "A PUBLIC EXCUTION" MOUSE & THE TRAPS; "I WANT CANDY" THE STRANGELOVES; "GLORIA & OH YEA" SHAWDOWS OF KNIGHT; "DOUBLE SHOT" SWINGIN' MEDALLIONS; "TALK TALK" MUSIC MACHINE; "GET ME TO THE WORLD ON TIME" ELECTRIC PRUNES; "LIAR LIAR" CASTAWAYS; "MOULTY" BARBARIANS. MANY OF THESE ARE CONTAINED ON "NUGGETS: 1965 - 1968" (ELEKTRA, 1972), VARIOUS ARTISTS DOUBLE LP COLLECTION SET.
PRIME BRITISH BAND WAS THE NOW LEGENDARY TROGGS.
NUGGETS: ORIGINAL ARTYFACTS FROM THE FIRST PSYCHEDELIC ERA -1965 -1968 (4 CD BOX SET)
REG PRESLEY (VOCALS), CHRIS BRITTON (GUITAR), PETE STAPLES (BASS GUITAR), RONNIE BOND (DRUMS).
FROM ANDOVER, HANTS, ENGLAND. ORIGINAL LINE-UP AS ABOVE. SMASHED ALL PREDICTIONS AND UPSET PSYCHEDELIC APPLECART WITH FIRST SINGLE "WILD THING" (1966), A MONSTER HIT WHICH CRASHED FIRST BRITISH, THEN USA, FINALLY WORLD-WIDE CHARTS. FOLLOW-UP "I CAN'T CONTROL MYSELF" DID NEARLY AS WELL, BUT FROM THEN ON BAND WERE SEEN AS YOKEL UPSTARTS AND THEIR FREAK APPEAL DIMINISHED RAPIDLY. GUITARIST BRITTON QUIT 1967 BECAUSE OF DISILLUSION OVER DRUGS/POP ASSOCIATIONS. WHEN JIMI HENDRIX LATER RECORDED VERSION OF "WILD THING", IT GAVE A SEAL OF APPROVAL TO BRITAIN'S ONLY REAL GENUINE PUNK BAND. THIS, ASSISTED BY MYSTERIOUS AND EQUALLY-LEGENDARY "TROGGS TAPE" - A BOOTLEG OF A FATUOUS AND UN-TOGETHER RECORDING SESSIONS - BUILT UP A CULT FOLLOWING FOR TROGGS, WHO WERE UNABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANTI HERO MYTH THAT CAME FIVE YEARS TOO LATE FOR THEIR BENEFIT.
UK ALBUM CHART: "FROM NOWHERE ... THE TROGGS" (6#, 1966), "TROGGLODYNAMITE" (10#, 1967), "BEST OF THE TROGGS" (24#, 1967).
UK SINGLES CHART: "WILD THING" (2#, 1966), "WITH A GIRL LIKE YOU" (1#, 1966), "I CAN'T CONTROL MYSELF" (2#, 1966), "ANY WAY THAT WANT ME" (8#, 1966), "GIVE IT TO ME" (12#, 1967), "NIGHT OF THE LONG GRASS" (17#, 1967), "HI HI HAZEL" (42#, 1967), "LOVE IS ALL AROUND" (5#, 1967), "LITTLE GIRL" (37#, 1968), "WILD THING" (RE-RECORDING, 69#, 1993).
USA BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART: "WILD THING" (52#, 1966)
SEVENTIES UK PUNK ROCK
VIBRATORS "PURE MANIA" IS ONE OF FEW WORTHWHILE ALBUM'S FROM UK PUNK ROCK SCENE WITH IT'S ROCK AND ROLL SONGS OUT OF CHUCK BERRY STYLE. A MUST HAVE FOR DO IT YOURSELF LAPTOP FAN.