Sometimes we require a good solid round of musical ravaging,
do we not? As in, these five instrumentals from the Shakers Era will ravage you, Dear Reader. By “Shakers Era” we mean the largely
underappreciated early rock ‘n’ roll and R&B that prevailed, roughly speaking,
from the appearance of Elvis to the British Invasion. (Give or take: 1952 to
1954 to 1964 to 1966.) In those 10 to 12 to 14 years can be found some of the
rowdiest strains ever produced in American music, much of it driven by
shrieking saxophone or crunching guitar, or both. Most of the Shakers musicians
would never achieve stardom; a handful who “cut their teeth” in this era would “make
it big” but often enough “making it big” equated to soggy crooning as compared
to the teeth-rattling properties of these formidable records.
Collectively, these
five groups played surf, R&B, rockabilly, and hard rock from the earliest
recording (1958) to the latest (1966). Yes, you will recognize some of the
names. You may have a hard time reconciling a shaker such as “Buzz Saw” with
the mushier output-to-come by its musicians: among them Glen Campbell and Seals
and Crofts. Upon hearing “Hornet’s Nest,” you may remark that you had no idea
there was a Jimi Hendrix before the Jimi Hendrix Experience shocked the world, but
there was, and he played in a wild group known as Curtis Knight & The
Squires. From the Grammy-winning Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee Duane Eddy
to the relatively unknown proto-punk group The Fender IV to the double trumpets
of Frank Motley right here in Washington, D.C., all these records will fulfill
the prophecy: namely, you will be shaken, throttled, ravaged, ravished, and picked
apart until your bare bones rattle together simply while you wear a huge smile
on your face.
Before you queue-up
the music, we suggest that you situate yourself in a semi-dark enclave with
appropriate libations at your fingertips. We doubly suggest that you invite
your Sweetie Pie to join you. You may jump up, you may get down, you
may be scared into each other’s arms. It is always more fun to be ravaged in
the presence of a loved one, is it not?
intro: Behold the rock ‘n’ roll
shaker “Peter Gunn” released by Duane Eddy in 1958 or 1959.
26-word song review:
Twangy guitar will surely rescue us (right?) but no, it’s a ruse, the guitar
crunches us instead, while saxophone drills gaping holes in the earth’s mantle.
how to dress for
this song: In layers, that can be shed, as you flee.
after hearing this
song you resolve to . . . . . build a funeral pyre for all the “with
strings” albums that you own.
sub genre(s): Rockabilly. Hard rock. Tenor excess.
notes. Henry Mancini wrote the original “Peter Gunn” and recorded it
with legendary shaker musician Plas Johnson on tenor sax. The Mancini version, of course, provided theme music
for the television show of the same name but the Duane Eddy rendition goes well
beyond Mancini, well beyond raunchy, to reach the upper levels of the registry
known to humankind. Eddy’s 1986 remake of the song won him a Grammy, which we
will not hold against him.
discography: Duane Eddy. “Peter
Gunn” A-side b/w “Yep!” B-side. London Records, London American Recordings HLW
8879. United Kingdom, 1958 or 1959. (Also released on the Jamie label in the
USA, in 1959 and1960, under the heading of Duane Eddy “His Twangy Guitar” and
The Rebels). Likely personnel may have included all or some of the following: Duane
Eddy (guitar); Steve Douglas (saxophone); Corkey Casey (rhythm guitar); Buddy
Wheeler (electric bass); Jimmy Simmons (upright bass); Al Casey (piano); and
Mike Bermani (drums). Compositional credit: Henry Mancini. Sources of
information: Discogs;
45cat; Wikipedia pages for Duane Eddy and “Peter Gunn”; Only Solitaire Herald; Jazz Messengers.
intro:
Behold the R&B shaker “Space Age” released by Frank Motley in
1959.
26-word song review:
3 minutes of sheer rocket fuel. 2 trumpets shrieking in the same cat’s mouth. 1
drummer thumping away in the wake of his own echoes. Blastoff.
how to dress for
this song: In a helmet!
after hearing this
song you resolve to . . . . . jettison your ballast.
sub genre(s): R&B. Washington, D.C. R&B. Extraterrestrial
exotica.
notes: Part
of the vibrant R&B
scene in Washington, D.C., Frank Motley became one of the few American
musicians adept at playing more than one horn simultaneously, alongside Rahsaan
Roland Kirk and George Braith. Notably, Motley and his band backed transgender singer
Jackie Shane in the Toronto-area hit “Any Other Way” from 1963, a slower piece
that we highly recommend.
discography:
Frank “Dual Trumpet” Motley and His Crew. “Space Age” A-side b/w “Everybody
Wants a Flattop” B-side. DC 45-0415. Washington, D.C., 1959. Likely personnel:
Frank Motley (dual trumpets); Curley Bridges or Jimmy Crawford (keyboards); and
Thomas ‘TNT’ Tribble (drums); remaining musicians unknown. Compositional
credit: Frank Motley and Lillian Claiborne. Sources of information: Discogs;
45cat; Wikipedia.
intro:
Behold the rock ‘n’ roll shaker “Buzz Saw” released by The Gee Cees
in 1961.
26-word song review:
As the needle cuts through the disc, as the disc cuts through the turntable, so
do the teeth of the music cut through us unrepentant scoundrels.
how to dress for
this song: With safety goggles.
after hearing this
song you resolve to . . . . . cut through brick with a butter knife.
sub genre(s): Rockabilly. Hard rock. Powertool grind.
notes: Apparently,
Glen Campbell, Jim Seals, and Dash Crofts had been bandmates in the widely
beloved shaker group The Champs, before leaving that group to cut this record. “Buzz
Saw” would hardly predict the slower-paced material that would follow from
Campbell and, separately, the duo Seals and Crofts. We wish this brief
intersection had continued.
discography:
The Gee Cees. “Buzz Saw” A-side b/w “Annie Had a Party” B-side. Crest 45-1088.
Hollywood, California, 1961. [Also released by the same label as “Buzz Saw Twist.”]
Likely personnel: Glen Campbell (guitar); Jerry Kolbrak also known as Jerry
Cole (guitar); Jim Seals (Saxophone); and Dash Crofts (drums); other musicians may
have been drawn from another group, The Champs, but are unknown. Compositional credit:
Glen Campbell. Sources of information: Discogs;
45cat; Wikipedia pages for Glen Campbell and Jerry Cole.
intro: Behold
the rock ‘n’ roll shaker “Mar Gaya” released by The Fender IV in
1964.
26-word song review:
We consider this a punk record ahead of its time, we consider this a great punk
record, for the sheer locomotion and irreverence of the musicians.
how to dress for
this song: With a fedora, pince-nez, smoking jacket, and pocket
watch.
after hearing this
song you resolve to . . . . . weigh the benefits of the Atkins diet
versus the Keto diet.
sub genre(s): Surf. Proto punk. Beach loco.
notes: According
to “Google Translate” the phrase “mar gaya” means “died” or “petered (out)” in Hindi;
“strong sea” in Haitian Creole, and “mar gaya” in Esperanto.
discography: The Fender IV. “Mar
Gaya” A-side b/w “You Better Tell Me Now” B-side. Imperial 66061. Los Angeles,
California, 1964. Likely personnel: Randy Holden (guitar); Joe Kooken (guitar);
Mike Port (bass); and Bruce Miller (drums). Compositional credit: Randy Holden.
Sources of information: Discogs;
45cat; Wikipedia.
intro:
Behold the R&B shaker “Hornet’s Nest” released by Curtis Knight
and The Squires in 1966.
26-word song review:
Okay, yes, the angry hornets, because their nest was poked, but who set them
off, okay, yes, it was Jimi Hendrix, that would explain a lot.
how to dress for
this song: In a beekeeper’s suit.
after hearing this
song you resolve to . . . . . swarm!
sub genre(s): R&B. Hard rock. Apian blues.
notes: There
are lots of disputes involving the Knight / Hendrix recordings that we choose
not to fathom.
discography: Curtis Knight &
The Squires. “Hornet’s Nest” A-side b/w “Knock Yourself Out” B-side. RSVP 1124.
New York, 1966. Likely personnel: Curtis Knight (guitar); Jimi Hendrix
(guitar); Marion Booker Jr. (drums); Ace Hall or Napoleon Anderson (bass); and
Nate Edmonds (organ). Compositional credit: Jimi Hendrix and Jerry Simon. Sources
of information: Discogs;
45cat; Wikipedia;
Early Hendrix.
that’s
all folks!
