The Wheels - Bad Little Woman/Road Block

Bad Little Woman

Road Block

Welcome to Belfast in Northern Ireland. Belfast is perhaps best known (musically speaking) for producing Van Morrison's launch-pad of a band, Them. But in the same clubs and dance halls another quintet was raving it up for the kids of Belfast. A band that had quite a lot in common with Them. That band was known as The Wheels. The Wheels were Victor Catling, Rod Demick, Brian Rossi (aka Brian Rosbotham, Tito Tinsley and Herbie Armstrong. The Wheels produced three records for Columbia Records in a brief 11 month span starting in the Fall of 1965. All to poor sales.

We feature today, The Wheels' second single, released in the UK on February 4, 1965. The A-Side is a band composition called Bad Little Woman. It tells the tale of, well, a bad little woman. She goes for the man with the money, big shiny Cadillacs and she even smells like - gasp! - gypsy rose. No!!!!! The song is a beat stomping raver in the first order.

The Flip-Side is another raver composed by the whole band and is called Road Block. It shares more than a passing similarity to Them's Mystic Eyes. And the similarity doesn't end there. Both sides are co-produced by Tommy Scott, whom produced much of Them's finest work.

Rather surprisingly the Wheels actually saw a US release of Bad Little Woman on Aurora Records in January 1966. The Flip-Side is not Road Block, but rather the Tommy Scott penned, Don't You Know, also performed and recorded by Them. And here is the kicker, the US version of Bad Little Woman is very different than the UK release. Further confusing, it was released under the name The Wheel-A-Ways. The website Garage Hangover, suggests it is an earlier take. Take a look at that site for lots of cool info on The Wheels. Also look at the video below to hear the US release of Bad Little Woman. 

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