The Decades - I'm Gonna Dance/On Sunset

I'm Gonna Dance

On Sunset

I don't know a whole lot about this fuzzed out pop-raver. The Decades probably hailed from the Los Angeles area and released their one and only single in 1967 on Era Records. The Decades, whoever they are, get writing credit for both sides. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this band was a studio creation doing a one-off.

The catchy A-Side, I'm Gonna Dance, has a classic duel between a flute and a fuzz guitar. Fluzz Rock? Doesn't every song have that?

The Flip-Side is real interesting. Probably not for everyone, but I love it. On Sunset has that abstract feel to it that reminds us of some of The Chocolate Watchband's more exploratory work or the work of early Frank Zappa or the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. 

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

Vinyl Frontier

Bobby Parker - Watch Your Step

Bobby Parker hailed from the tiny town of Los Angeles, California. Starting in the mid-50s Parker began work as a hired gun, working for such acts as Bo Diddley, Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson. Parker recorded a small handful of singles under his name and we feature today his second solo single, released on V-Tone Records in July of 1961. The song is the Parker composed, Watch Your Step, and it became a favorite of the harder British Invasion bands. Dig that bitchin' guitar tone.

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

Margie Hendrix - Packin' Up/Baby

Last month we wrote about Margie Hendrix and her 1965 release of Now The Hurts On You and the sultry Flip-Side of I Found My Love. You can listen/read about it here.

We just can't get enough of this former Raelette so we are back with the 1965 single on Mercury Records which preceded the above mentioned single. The song is the blistering Packin' Up and it's damn near perfect. Guitar, drums, vocals. And it's written by Margie Hendrix to boot! We're including the fab Flip-Side too, Baby.

We usually hate it when people write on records, but we think whoever wrote on this one nailed it in one succinct word and one very appropriate punctuation mark. No need to say more than that.

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

The Masters' Apprentices - Tired Of Just Wandering

The Masters' Apprentices formed in Adelaide, Australia in 1965, evolving out of another band called The Mustangs. The band was fronted by singer Jim Keayes and included Mick Bower and Rick Morrison on guitar, Gavin Webb on bass and Brian Vaughton on drums. Rhythm guitarist, Mick Bower did most of the songwriting for the band, as he did for both sides of today's feature. We look at the Flip-Side of the bands' third single. Tired Of Just Wandering was released on Astor Records in the Summer of 1967, about the same time the band relocated to the larger city of Melbourne in search of larger fame. Tired Of Just Wandering shows the band exploring a bit of a softer, more pop-oriented approach to their songs than they had in their first two singles.

We wrote extensively about the band a few years ago when we did a two-week focus on Aussie bands. You can read that and listen to Hot Gully Wind (my fave Masters song) here. 

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