Day 2 of our entrants in the Texas Battle of the Garage Bands takes us to McAllen, Texas.
You really have to work hard to get to McAllen, Texas. It's a speck on the Mexican border and a world away from where the music industry was kicking out must have records circa 1966. But in this dusty outpost lived four hep-cats who kicked out some crude rock-n-roll on the local Pharaoh Records label. The band went by the cryptic name of The Headstones and they were so hip that they did their photo shoot in the High School library. Check out that Dewey Decimal System baby! File under "Cool".
Frontman, Dave Williams and his cohorts recorded their first record, Wish She Were Mine/24 Hours (Everyday) in the Summer of 1966 at a two track studio in their hometown. As is so common, 24 Hours (Everyday) was the Flip-Side of this August release. As usual, we'll start with the Flip-Side.
24 Hours (Everyday) is just primitive awesome, cool. A little Them riff and heaping of fuzz, a bouncing bass and an incessant tambourine create the backdrop of this tale of sexual frustration that knows no time limits.
The A-Side is the catchy and solid beyond solid, Wish She Were Mine. It starts bouncy with harmonica and lyrics of longing. Then we get a little fuzz on the navel as we go into what stands in for a chorus. We're particularly fond of the :30 of non-stop music to end the song. Not a bad double-sider at all.
Until next time, we'll see you On The Flip-Side!
Mt. Garagemore!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. You can clearly hear the influence that Them's (or, more likely, The Shadows of Knight's) Gloria had on the composition. Particularly the organ part around 1:35. But in the end, this is ALL original and 100% Texas rock-n-frickin'-roll!
DeleteI thought Them too. I Can Only Give You Everything comes to mind with the main riff.
DeletePerhaps, but it was released the same month as I Can Only Give You Everything, so I would have to say it's more of a coincidence. That said, Gloria and I Can Only Give You Everything are the same chords, just moved in order.
DeleteThem Again, Them's second LP release which features I Can, was released in April '66, several months prior to the August '66 release of 24 Hours, so still in the mix as a possible influence.
DeleteCorrect though, that Gloria and I Can are like mirror images of each other, chord progression wise.
well researched. I back down.
DeleteFor Wish She Were Mine, the Stone's Think off of Aftermath comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteAnd 24 Hours (Everyday) seems the closest thing stateside to By My Side by the Elois.
DeleteWow! I was there when my hometown band of McAllen, The Headstones rocked us with their own rendition of GLORIA! Dave Williams not only went past her door, into her room, on her bed etc.!
ReplyDeleteThey sounded like a lot like THEM and The Stones! I was a little girl and hang in like the others! Man, I'll never forget!
I was there, too and it rocked my world! Those were heady times in McAllen with The Headstones, The Souls, The Marauders, Purple George, Polvo, The Invaders. Such talent, so much good music. It was a blast.
ReplyDelete