Song of the Week: The La De Das - Little Girl

More Down Under goodness takes us on our second trip to Auckland, New Zealand. Last week we visited the Bluebeats and spun their punk anthem, Social End Product. Today we travel to 125 Newton Road where the Mascot/Viking recording studio was once located back in June, 1965. Into that studio walked seventeen year old Kevin Borich, Brett Nielesen, Trevor Wilson and Phil Key. Collectively they were known as The La De Das and the teens were itching to record their first record for Talent City Records. Behind the board was Roger Handlin who let the boys rip through the Borich-Wilson composition, Little Girl. Despite the enthusiasm and hopes, like so many other garage band recordings from all over the Western world, the record went absolutely nowhere. Mom and Dad probably liked it. A few girls from Rutherford High School in Te Atatu, Auckland, where the boys were schooled, probably thought the record to be totally marvy. But not many other people ever heard it.

Many years later, 1988 to be exact, I was lucky enough to play in some combos around Australia. One of them was The Cracked Jaffers who recorded Little Girl for Kavern-7 Records as the Flip-Side of their debut single. Little Girl was always a highlight of the live performances with guitarists Matt Healey and David Gräbau jangling away, Justin Ward banging on the drums and Richard "Dick-O" Whelen belting out the Borich-Wilson teen lyrics written 22 years prior:

Don't you know
That I like your style
I get kicks
Every time you smile 

Little girl
When I'm dancing with you
Come closer,
I'll tell you what to do 

Could it be, that you don't dig the beat?
Come on, get it in your feet!

Ahh, good times were had with this song. 

For more on the La De Das, check out this blog post here. 

Until next time, we'll see you On The Flip-Side!