Garage band in L.A 1966

[less lee]

Saturday, July 30, 2011


Adventures In Garage-Land (Part 1)
(Garage band 1966 style)

My very first encounter with a live band was in the summer of ‘66. Before then, there were talent shows. The Fairfax Theater featured “Battle of the Bands,” but I never saw one. Then there was the annual Teenage Fair at the Hollywood Palladium. I wouldn’t attend one of those until 1967. In 1966, a band called, The Leaves, debuted their cover of the song, “Hey Joe!” at the Teenage Fair. It was done to a fast tempo, unlike Jimi Hendrix’ in ’67, which was slow. The Leaves’ version became a regional hit in L.A.
Parents had such an anathema to long hair that they forced their sons to have crew cuts. “We’ll show those Soviets how patriotic we are! Look how clean cut my son is!” Long hair was a big deal back then; it symbolized anti-Americanism. My dad used to cut my hair. He’d lop it into a 1940’s prisoners’ look. Some kids tried to get around their short hair by growing the front long and then combing it back into a pompadour. It was so cute how adolescent kids my age tried to look Rock & Roll by combing their pompadours down onto their foreheads to create bangs. A couple of bands at my elementary school played surfer instrumentals because their young voices couldn’t yet emit the sound of mature teenagers. A lot of kids who’d been forced to take piano lessons got Farfesia and Vox organs, and suddenly their piano knowledge helped them become hip and cool. A lot of parents bought their sons Sears’s electric guitars and amps. Some even used their Blue Chip and Green stamps to buy their kids drum kits. Eventually, most of those kids lost interest in music in exchange for mini-bikes or Sting Rays to pop wheelies. And yes, the skateboard became a big fad in 1966.
In the summer of ’66, I was 12 years old when I saw my first garage band. Keep in mind: this was the year that had a garage band explosion! The main inspiration for this was not the Beatles; it was the Rolling Stones. Teen-age boys thought that the Beatles were a teenybopper band for girls. But the Stones? That was the shit, man! They were baddies and they wanted to get laid! Some bands wanted to sound like the Beatles--for example, The Knickerbockers. Many who heard their one-hit-wonder song, “Lies” thought it was the Beatles! However, it was Mick Jagger who captured the imagination of the pubescent teenage boy. One band from Ireland, “Them” came close to sounding like the Stones. The lead singer, Van Morrison, was trying to emulate Howling Wolf, but got mistaken for Mick Jagger. When their song, “Gloria” was released in the States, most thought it was a Stones song. Teens loved Jagger’s snotty tone. In his attempt to sound like a black R&B singer, he came up with something totally original. Simultaneously, American teens were trying to sound like him!
Getting back to my story. It was one those hot, smoggy, L.A. days. I don’t remember where I was coming from, but I was riding my bicycle home. I was traveling east on Oakwood Avenue, in the old Fairfax district. Just before I got to Sierra Bonita, I heard loud music on my left; it was coming from a garage. I recognized the song, so I stopped my bike and stood at attention to listen. I heard the guitar’s “vibrato” sound effect. There was a syncopated boom, boom on the drums and the bass was playing two low notes. Someone was playing blues harmonica. It was infectious and I was soon tapping my deck-shoed feet to the beat. It sounded like Bo Diddley; as a matter of fact, it was his song! But to teens across America, it was a Rolling Stones song, “Mona (I Need You Baby).” I inched toward the garage. I stood on the sidewalk. Then, I was on the driveway. The side door was wide open and, before I knew it, I was peeking inside. It was a small garage, built to house a model-T car. I felt hot steam emanating from the doorway. What I saw was a 5-piece band. They were all white guys, in their late teens and early 20’s. They all had shoulder length hair, cut in that mid 60’s, Prince Valiant style. They wore skintight pants with Beatle boots. A few wore surfer tee shirts or black turtlenecks with surfer medallions. I’ll never forget the singer. He was skinny and had acne all over his face. His bangs covered his eyes and his buckteeth made him look like a 19th century trail bum. He held two maracas in his right hand, which he shook heartily over his head, keeping rhythm to the beat. In his other hand, he held a harmonica that he used intermittently. He would lean over to croon into the microphone.
The drummer saw me at the door. He had red, Ben Franklin glasses sitting low on his nose. He nodded his head, signaling me to come inside. I reluctantly tip toed into the hot, sweaty room and leaned up against a wall. I couldn’t believe it! I was in the inner sanctum of a real live rock band! My chest shook from the music’s vibration. I would get my first Rock and Roll earache.
The song seemed to be going smoothly and then came to an abrupt halt. It sounded like a car crash! The lead guitarist yelled at the singer, “You messed up the verse! Please stay with us! Don’t snort hair spray before rehearsal!”
The singer replied, “Flake off, shit face! I wish you chumps would stay with me!” The bass player looked at me, perplexed, and asked the drummer, “Who’s this-- your brother?”
The drummer replied, “Our future fan! He’s cool! Shall we play it again?”
At that moment this kid in a crew cut entered the garage. He knew the drummer. “Got any gigs coming up?” he asked.
“Yeah we do!” The drummer said coolly. “The Whiskey, this Tuesday! The Music Machine canceled!” Then he gave thumbs up.
Then the guitarist whined, “We been at this for three hours! Let’s take a break!” The rhythm guitarist said sardonically, “Oh? Are we a union band? Let’s just suck this Tuesday! Were getting paid scale. Let’s go to Canters! I’m hungry!”
The bass player protested. “Canters! I’m sick of that Jew food! I want a Pink’s chili dog!”
The lead guitarist made a sour face and sarcastically said, “Groovy! That’s all we need! To be in a small room with you after you eat a chili dog! It’s lox & bagel for you, my Irish-German friend! Shall we split?”
They all shut off their knee high amps and filed out of the room. The drummer slapped me on my back and said frivolously, “Show is over, kid!”
I asked, “What’s the name of your band?”
He answered facetiously. “Name? We are the Yardbirds! Spread the word!”
The bass player said, “I wish we were the fucking Yardbirds! We wouldn’t have to rehearse in a steaming hot garage!”
I got on my bike and rode home. That experience planted a life-changing seed in my subconscious. Fifteen years later, I would be doing the same thing! For many years to follow, I would walk by that garage and remember that summer day in 1966. I never did find out who they were. It will always be a mystery.

Here is a cool video…
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xl2k48_look-look-look-look_music

[MineralMan]

1. Cool! In 1962, I was part of a short-lived high school garage band myself.

I played tenor sax and did vocals. Four guys who were involved in music pretty much non-stop, no matter what the kind of music. We covered the hits of the day, or at least the ones we could play. Our first gig was our last. We played a post-game dance at our high school. When we started in with "Louie, Louie," the girl's gym teacher, who was also the head chaperone pulled the plug on us, but not before we'd done several other songs. We were banned from performing at school functions permanently. There were no other gigs, so most of us went back to our other musical stuff. The same four guys had a "Brothers Four" style folk group, too. That never got banned. Good times.

[Warpy]

2. I was surprised by how good some of the garage bands were

in my high school. I'd only been exposed to a next door neighbor who was rehearsing a lounge act in his basement featuring a singer who sang "Boi Boi Boidy" as her featured song. Over and over. Maybe they were trying to work on her diction. They failed.

The garage bands played the tunes of the day, heavy on old Buddy Holly and soul and they were remarkably good. In 1967, they'd all gone on to play "Sunshine of your Love" every third song.

Garage bands are usually pretty spotty affairs, competently played dreck but with a rare flash of genius. They're especially fun the few times they get into a groove and are really cooking in an extended jam.

Most successes out there started in somebody's garage, whether or not they'll ever admit it.

[msongs]

3. no auto tune, few effects cept maybe a wah wah peddle. if u had it u had to prove it nt

[saras]

4. Yes, but all "it" had to be was one cool riff, or one good turn of phrase, or one great guitar sound

or something else entirely... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53cSbe5GxRc">The Modds - Leave My House, with someone's really bad video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsLMuH82us0">Count Five, lipsyncing with humor to their hit Psychotic Reaction