Mid-Atlantic Spotlight: The Mad Hatters - I'll Come Running

Day nine of the Mid-Atlantic Battle of the Bands takes us to Annapolis, Maryland where we spin the second, and last, record from The Mad Hatters.

The Mad Hatters were Dave Vittek, Tom Curley, Alan Fowler and Richard Kumer. The band released their first single, a great original, on Ascot Records. They promptly were dropped and then picked up by Fontana Records. Their second single, released in April of 1967, is this blistering cover of Lulu's I'll Come Running, written by Bert Berns. (You can hear and read about that here). The lads from Maryland's quaint state capitol gave the number quite a rewrite, however. Changing the tune to a blistering fast 4/4 beat with a cool lead guitar riff throughout, a farfisa organ and a whimsical musical punctuation mark.

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

Link Wray and His Wraymen - Raw-Hide

We return today with more music recorded in a three track chicken shack in Accokeek, Maryland just south of Washington, DC. That "recording studio" was run by Link Wray where the pioneering guitarist and his brothers laid down some nasty sounding material. Today's razor blade-like recording is the Link Wray composed, Raw-Hide. This was Link Wray and The Wraymen's first release for Epic Records - his third overall - and got a release date on the first Tuesday of 1959.

Dig that nasty Danelectro Longhorn guitar going through a tiny little Premier amplifier which had been modded by Link by running the amp into two fair ground PA system speakers. The band played the number live at high volume. These chickens must have dropped some cracked eggs for a few weeks after this recording. 

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

Bunker Hill - The Girl Can't Dance

Bunker Hill was the secular stage name of one Mr. David Walker, a gospel singer from Washington, DC. Sometime around 1962 a local producer named Vernon Wray got hipped do David Walker's vocal prowess. He talked Walker into giving a shot at recording a pop record. David Walker was game but apparently worried about what his proselytizing friends might think of his turnabout. Thus Walker was rechristened as Bunker Hill. 

Vernon Wray took the newly christened Bunker Hill into Vernon's chicken shack studio in Accoceek, Maryland. He set Bunker Hill up with his two brothers and their band. That band was Link Wray and His Raymen. They laid down five tracks that fateful day. From that came three wonderful singles on the Mala Records label. The Girl Can't Dance was the final record for Bunker Hill, released in September, 1963. 

I can talk about how wild, how primal, how extremely raw Bunker Hill and Link Wray's attack are on this, but you can hear that for yourself. Just play it loud. Share it. Spread the love of this rare little 1:54 record and raise a glass (physically or metaphysically) to Bunker Hill and the Wray brothers for giving us this gem exactly 51 years ago this month.

In the first picture below, that is David Walker (aka, Bunker Hill) on the bottom right. Link, bottom left on the second photo. 

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