[Please see comment section below for some updated info from one of the band members for more on this great song]
Goodbye. What a powerful, multiple-meaning word it is. The intent of the word is entirely in the tone. It can be a flat statement of departing. It can be a sad, sorrow-filled departing. It can be an anger filled statement to end a conversation. Or it can be to the tone of, as sung by Kingston, Rhode Island's The Others, something along the line of "piss off you mean mistreating girl."
The Others were formed by a bunch of University of Rhode Island college students and one student from nearby Brown University: Jim Destout, Mike Brand, Pete Shepley, John Costa and Mike Patalano. On the connections and dollars of one of their As the result of a chance meeting Mike Brand's father had with an established talent manager, Bob Marshall, the Ocean-Staters headed down to New York in June of '65 to cut some demos. Dad's connections was able to pull some strings and get led to an RCA executive audition who liked what he heard and signed the boys on the spot. Next thing you know The Others are on a major label and opening for The Byrds and The Lovin' Spoonful.
I Can't Stand This Love, Goodbye (written by Brand and Shepley) is the first (and best) single from the boys. It was released by RCA Records in September of 1965. It features a biting guitar riff that plays throughout the song, a nasty little scream leading into a perfect guitar solo and some classic 60's garage lyrics about how all these poor, innocent teenage boys are treated poorly by runaround teenage girls. This world only existed on record, by the way.
I Can't Stand This Love, Goodbye (written by Brand and Shepley) is the first (and best) single from the boys. It was released by RCA Records in September of 1965. It features a biting guitar riff that plays throughout the song, a nasty little scream leading into a perfect guitar solo and some classic 60's garage lyrics about how all these poor, innocent teenage boys are treated poorly by runaround teenage girls. This world only existed on record, by the way.
Well I hate to leave you but I have to go, goodbye. Well you played me bad, you deserve it so...goodbye. I can't stand this love, so goodbye!
Now, ironically, I first heard this song as performed by punk pilgrims, The Damned (click here to read a Flip-Side article on the Damned). The boys from London once recorded a one-off record under the monicker of Naz Nomad and the Nightmares and this song was one of their standouts. How they came to it, is beyond me. Ironically, that same record, Give Daddy The Knife, Cindy, featured a cover of the Boston based group the Rockin' Ramrods' 1964 recording of their non-hit song, She Lied! That song got a little flip-love from us back in April. Check it out here.
Until next time, we'll see you On The Flip-Side!
FANCY!
ReplyDeleteSo great. I love how they manage to squeeze in the bridge twice and still wrap things up in 2:07.
ReplyDeleteThere is a ton of music packed into that 2:07, isn't there?
ReplyDeleteMy dad was in this band.
ReplyDeleteThis is Jim, the lead guitar player. Which one was your dad?
DeleteHey, have him stop by and tell us some more. I've updated the file so it will play now.
ReplyDeletePlan 9 also does a great version of this classic. I am enjoying your blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks GP66. We hope to hear more from you in the future.
DeleteActually, Morgan, nobody's money was involved Only a connection. Mike Brand's father met Bob Marshall at a party (Marshall was manager for Myron Cohen, the comedian, and the Ames Brothers),and told him his son was in a band. Marshall offered to listen to us if we were ever in town. Soon after We all drove to New York City and auditioned for him at his office in the CBS building. The rest is accurate. He liked us, signed us, and then got us an audition with the producer, Clyde Otis. Clyde liked us and helped get us to record with RCA, with himself as producer.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for your kind words on the guitar riff and solo.
Gitpicker! Thank you for stopping by and putting some accuracy to the story. I've updated the post to reflect your corrections. This has been one of our better attended posts with hundreds and hundreds of hits. And one comment from some band member's son.
ReplyDeleteBut please, tell us more about the band and the record. We can start with...are you Jim? Have you ever heard of the Naz Nomad and the Nightmares (aka The Damned) version? What have you been up to in all the years since you kicked out this great piece of vinyl? I bet you never imagined that this record would still be so highly regarded by so many record enthusiasts. You should be proud of your work. Hell, I'm proud just to own it!
Morgan, yes, this is Jim, the lead guitar player. And yes, I've heard the Naz version. Surprisingly, it has been covered by a number of Bands (e.g, Naz, Plan 9, and the Smokin Baloneys). It's also on a couple of compilations (Pebbles, for one). No, I never imagined that this would become kind of a "Garage Band" classic. But, listening to it now, it really holds up well.
ReplyDeleteIn 68, after graduation, Mike Patalano and Mike Brand left the group, and were replaced by Bob Angell and Joe Parisi. The band broke up at the end of 1968, and I taught school for a year, and then went into the Air Force as a pilot, spending 26 years in the service (who'd of thought?). Became a Consultant, and recently reitred. Incidentally, I was in RI recently and did a set with Bob Angell, Mike Patalano, snd Bill Gannon, from the Van Goghs in the 60s. Great TIme! We plan to do it up right next year, adding John Costa, and whoever else we can find. AnOTHER reunion!
I'll provide you some websites here. The first 6 are for all the recorded songs we did (Gitpicker page on Youtube). The other is for a pretty thorough interview I did with 60sgaragebands.com:
Can't Stand This Love, Goodbye - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEoIR22MsY0
Until I Heard It From You - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-EYkXOlIuc
Lonely Street - &ehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAOoy-7PSFw
The First Time I Saw You - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aADvO1fO1bE&feature=related
Morning - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtqhKnsccfs
My Friend the Wizard - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ZQ6Lkts4g
http://www.60sgaragebands.com/others.html
Those links are great, Jim. I particularly liked the interview in 60sgaragebans.com. I'm a frequent visitor to their site. Your accounts are really vivid and greatly flesh out the picture. I've said it before, but it deserves repeating, it's so cool to have a single that I first heard in the 80s while living in Australia, and so many years later, to be communicating with the guy that played that guitar riff I've now played on guitar so many, many times myself. Cheers.
DeleteMorgan, I have an update for you. In September of 2014, we did have an Others 50 year reunion show at the MET in Pawtucket, RI. Here's a link to The Others Reunion facebook page, where we have many pictures, and some videos
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/othersreunion/
Also, in April of this year, The Others were inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame. It was a great honor.
Morgan, I have an update for you. In September of 2014, we did have an Others 50 year reunion show at the MET in Pawtucket, RI. Here's a link to The Others Reunion facebook page, where we have many pictures, and some videos
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/othersreunion/
Also, in April of this year, The Others were inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame. It was a great honor.