Rocky Mountain Spotlight: The Grodes - Cry A Little Longer/She's Got What It Takes

Rocky Mountain Showdown keeps us in Arizona with The Grodes.

The terribly named The Grodes was a vehicle for teen maestro, Manny Freiser. The kid from Tucson had a knack for a hook and a penchant for a melody. That's for sure. Today we're looking at the band's second single, Cry A Little Longer/She's Got What It Takes. The single was released in March, 1966 on the mighty Tri-M Records. It's not their most famous single, but I think when you look at this, A-side and flip-side, you'll agree, it was their best. 

Cry A Little Longer is a fast paced foot stomper with a groove that is hard to resist. Manny Fresier's snarly vocal performance is garage band 101 material. A boy who finally has the nerve to stand up to a do-nothing girl and has all the bravado he can muster to tell her to just "cry baby". A great guitar solo punctuates the number.

Flip it over. What do we find? She's Got What It Takes. Now Manny Freiser is in love with a girl who, well, is too much. The house party rocker has lots of starts and stops to keep the song nice and interesting for us. 

For the band's fourth single, released in October of 1966, the band's manager, in a fit of frustration with The Grodes not getting air play beyond Tucson, decided to rechristen the band The Tongues Of Truth. The band knew nothing about this until they had that Spinal Tap moment when they received the pressing of their record. That record failed to light the world on fire but did catch the attention of Ed Cobb who had one of his bands, The Chocolate Watchband, cover the A-Side. Of course we are talking about Let's Talk About Girls. If the flip-side of that single was stronger we would have spun it.

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

Rocky Mountain Showdown: Phil & The Frantics - Say That You Will/'Till You Get What You Want

Rocky Mountain Battle of the Garage Bands extends into it's third day. And today we travel to Phoenix, Airzona.

Phil And The Frantics were fronted by one Phil Kelsey. He would be the "Phil" in Phil and the Frantics. The band had little impact outside of Phoenix and are probably best known for their Zombies-fied "original", I Must Run, which was included on the original Pebbles Volume 1. That song, like this one, was produced by one Waylon Jennings. Go figure. 

However, it is their second single that we spin today. In fact, I could make a strong argument, based on the strength of both sides of the single, that this double sided gem is one of the best garage records to come out of the mid-60s. That's why it's here, right?

The A-Side is the sublime Say That You Will, a song over flowing with quirkiness. Every aspect of the song: the saxophone, the chuncka-chunka incessant lead work and the funky little stutter stop organ breaks -- first heard at :25 -- are just wickedly odd. Everything, EVERYTHING, about this record is excellent.

The flip-side is the brilliant 'Till You Get What You Want.  Minor key organ, ethereal guitar work and Phil's faux British accent work perfectly. And then there is that surprisingly aggressive bridge that starts at 1:14. That would be Phil going from sensitive Phil to aggressive Phil in a snap of his Frantic fingers. Moody, baby. Moody.

Say That You Will or the flip, Till You Get What You Want? Let us know which you think is better in the comment section below. Oh, say that you will.

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

The Tongues Of Truth (aka The Grodes) - Let's Talk About Girls

Great record. Terrible band name. The Tongues Of Truth that we feature here on this record were really a band out of Tucson, Arizona who went by the equally awful name, The Grodes. In May of 1966 they recorded an original composition called Let's Talk About Girls and released it on the micro-label, Current Records. Their manager decided they needed a new name. But he forgot to tell the band. Ahhh, you have to love managers, producers and record company A&R men who think they are bigger than the band. 

Let's Talk About Girls charted in the Top 40 locally in Tucson, but not much else happened. The song is perhaps best known today as a song by The Chocolate Watchband. But again, we turn to unscrupulous record weenies. In this case, Ed Cobb (who we love) recorded the song with his friend Don Bennett singing lead and released it as "The Chocolate Watchband". Even though it really wasn't. 

All that weenieism aside, Let's Talk About Girls, written by band singer and leader, Manny Freiser, is one kick-ass song. The kid had a way with writing. The Grodes recorded a number of catchy tunes in their short two-year history. Let's Talk About Girls has bravado, a unique recurring guitar riff and a catchy beat.

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

The Plymouth Rockers - Don't Say Why

There were a number of bands in the mid-60s who went by the British Invasion-ish name, The Plymouth Rockers. I first came to this Don't Say Why on Valiant Records by a New England Garage comp. But it turns out that this band was not from any of the original colonies. These cats were apparently from Phoenix, Arizona. I don't know a whole lot more than that. I do know that it is one fine rocker with strong fuzz, great vocals (both lead and back-up) and a really nice melody that ends in a big crescendo. I love the way the lead singer starts off in a whispered hush. It plays to the tentative nature of the rather sexually suggestive lyrics (which tend to repeat and repeat and repeat).

Don't say "why?"
Don't say "when?"
Don't say anything
Just let it end. 

Then we move to a full group vocal repeating nearly the same exact line. It's not until about the :58 mark that we hear the Bob Seeger-like booming voice of one of the band members bellow out "I'm through with you, that's for sure." It's just a deep guttural growl of a voice that sticks out from the sweet harmonies like an intriguing mole on Marilyn Monroe's cheek. 

The song was written by Moore and Moore. Two brothers in the band? Could explain the taut harmonies. This was their second and last release on Valiant Records. They may also be the same Plymouth Rockers who released two tepid Chuck Berry covers on Warner Brothers in 1964. Surprising that not much more is known about them. If anyone has info on these guys, please leave us a comment below.

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