New York Spotlight: The Brigands - Would I Still Be Her Big Man?

New York Battle of The Bands takes us to the Brill Building. I think.

I've always loved this song. And, I've always had a suspicion that this band is not really a band. Quite frankly, the song is too well structured to be your typical 60's garage band kicking out one lonely single after the lads pooled all their money together to go down to the big city to record that song that makes everybody get up and dance. And a major label like Epic? And, the Resnick brothers? Didn't they write Yummy, Yummy, that god-awful bubble gum pop song? All the circumstantial evidence points to "studio" band. Add to that the fact that nobody has ever come up with a band flier or a story of playing with the Brigands at the Battle of the Bands at some high school in Yonkers and it is pretty clear that the Brigands were but only a Tin Pan Alley creation.

But that shouldn't stop us from giving Would I Still Be Her Big Man? a big wet kiss. Mwuaa! Released in 1966 (of course!) on Epic Records, Would I Still Be Her Big Man? details the double life and troubled mind of our hero who finds himself sweating from 9-5 in a factory during the day and dressing in top-notch suits at night just to give the girl he loves the things she wants. But if she finds out that he is just a hard working blue collar chump, then what? Like us, our protagonist is only left to wonder:

Ahh, baby likes to eat in fancy restaurants. Well she's always had the things she wants. I'm afraid she'll say goodbye when she finds out I'm just a poor guy. I wonder, I wonder, would I still be her big man?

Dude. Man up! If this she-devil doesn't love you for your cool guitar-riff that repeats throughout the song, then you need to dump her. Not only is that guitar riff nicely fuzzed, you have great tambourine work and a bitchin' little key change to keep us snapping our fingers and shuffling our feet. You are a 7" record, nicely rounded, on a great label. You need to realize that you are loved. If this gold-digger doesn't love you for that and that alone, then someone else will. And that person will still treasure you 45 years later. They may even covet you on eBay. And maybe -- just maybe -- someday they will write about you on their way cool music blog.

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

New York Spotlight: The Blues Magoos - We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet and Gotta Get Away

Our regional Battle of the Bands turns to the state of New York. And we start today with a group that actually was able to make some waves nationally. 

The Blues Magoos hailed from The Bronx in New York City. The band was Ralph Scala, Emil "Peppy" Thielhelm, Ron Gilbert, Mike Esposito and Geoff Daking. The band's first release was on Verve Records (as Bloos Magoos) but did little. Mercury Records swooped in and signed the band and took them into a studio to record an LP in 1966. The second single from the album, released in October of 1966, was their biggest hit, (We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet. The song was written by the lead guitarist, the organ player and the bassist and lifted a riff from Ricky Nelson's unique version of Summertime. But they took that riff and made it front and center of a musical explosion that simply soars. Somewhat improbably, the song became a national hit, reaching #5 in the US and getting The Blues Magoos a spot opening for The Who and Herman's Hermits as well as a spot on the very important Smothers Brothers show. 

The Flip-Side of We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet is the strong number, Gotta Get Away. Both sides demonstrate just how talented this band was. In particular, the guitar work of lead guitarist, Mike Esposito (second from left in the photo below), is more than a cut above the competition.

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

New England Teen Spotlight: And the winner is...

The legendary Executive Committee of On The Flip-Side has meticulously gone through the 10 nominations for "the best 1960s garage record out of New England" and have come to a unanimous decision.

The winner is Connecticut's The Squires with their double sided gem on Atco Records, Going All The Way/Go Ahead. That can be heard here. Congratulations go out to Michael Boyeau who composed both sides, sings lead and plays drums.

Here are the top five finalists:

1. The Squires - Going All The Way

2. The Bold - Gotta Get Some

3. The Others - I Can’t Stand This Love Goodbye

4. The Shames - My World Is Upside Down

5. The Rockin’ Ramrods - She Lied

The Squires will now move on to the next round as they await their counterparts from other parts of the country.

Next up in our regional Battle of The Bands will be the states of New York and New Jersey. Until then, click dreamy pic below (which, contrary to public opinion, is NOT the much vaunted Executive Committee of On The Flip-Side relaxing at our offices high atop Mount Garagemore) to "like" us on Facebook. Yep, you can get On The Flip-Side right there in your news feed.

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

New England Spotlight: The Shaggs - My Pal Foot Foot

The New England Battle of the Bands wraps up today with a real killer number.

The Shaggs were three sisters from Fremont, New Hampshire. They were Dorothy "Dot" Wiggin on first guitar and lead vocals, Betty Wiggin on second guitar and Helen Wiggin on drums. The girls apparently had no interest in music, but their paternal grandmother had a vision of musical stardom for the girls after a particularly revealing palm reading. The girl's Dad, Austin Wiggin, removed the girls from school and forced the girls into music as he believed his mom's visions had all come true in the past. The problem was, the Wiggin girls didn't have much experience with music. But don't mind that!

Collectively the Wiggin girls were called The Shaggs, a play off the shaggy hair style craze going around. They played the local Elks Lodge and a few dances. The girls were apparently not well received by the local teens but dad insisted they keep at it. In 1969 he drove them to Revere, Massachusetts to cut an album. Austin, of course, was tapped as the producer.

The girls cut enough groovy material to release an album of originals on Fleetwood Records and one single, mislabeled as The Shags. The A-Side of that single is the trance inducing My Pal Foot Foot. My Pal Foot Foot was written by Dot and tells the tale of her oft-roaming cat whose name, obviously, was Foot Foot.

The song starts with a pretty killer 15-second drum solo from Helen before Dot and Betty come crashing in with their deft guitar work. Then comes the great vocals. The interplay between Dot and Betty, who harmonize about the missing cat like only sisters can, is sublime.

I don't have time to roam
I have things to do
I have to go home
Oh, Foot Foot, where are you? 

{drum solo} 

If Foot Foot didn't like to roam so well
He would still have a place to dwell
Foot Foot please answer me
I know where you are
You are behind that tree

How will the tale of the roaming tail end, you ask? Well, of course, with a drum solo from Helen! Now I think we know why Foot Foot would often roam far from home.

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

New England Spotlight: The Barbarians - What The New Breed Say

New England Battle of the Bands is still spinning. The final days of our spotlight takes us to Provincetown, Massachusetts. The band is Bruce Benson, Ronnie Enos, Jerry Causo and Victor Moulton, also known as Moulty. Collectively they are known as The Barbarians.

The Barbarians released four singles and one LP between 1964 and 1966. Today we feature the A-Side of their third single, released on Laurie Records in November of 1965. The song, What The New Breed Say, was written and produced by New York producer, Doug Morris. It has an Ed Cobb thematic feel to it as the singer exacerbates the generation gap. Some nice guitar fills replete with a Steve Cropper rip-off towards the end.

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