Underdogs - Get Down On Your Knees / Surprise, Surprise. 1966 USA ~ Detroit, Michigan

This past weekend I found a pack of ten 45s for 70 cents total, or 7 cents each. This and the four below were part of it. All in near mint shape. If there were more like this, I couldn't find them in the bins. Of those ten, this was the heavy hitter from a financial perspective, though I enjoyed some of the others a bit better. All the same, the a) side is a strong punk garage cut with gnarly guitar (what a title for the era!). The b) side is more from the rock & roll or surf school though the vocals maintain that nasty nasal tone we tend to associate with the raw side of garage music. Note that Bob Seger is one of the writers. Good one.

Own.

7/21/25 (new entry)

Jesse Anderson - I Got a Problem / Mighty Mighty. 1969 USA ~ Wichita, Kansas

Heard of Marvin Gaye? So has Jesse Anderson. And that's the story of the a) side. But here we go again - it's the b) side that has those-in-the-know nabbing this one for a relatively cheap price. This has some of the heaviest beats and breaks one will ever hear. And with the slow wah wah rhythm guitar, it's about as smooth as it gets. Once the flute is introduced as the lead instrument, followed later by some psych guitar (not overly amplified), one can only wish it went on for ten more minutes. And that's the only flaw for the instrumental - it's way too short. 

Own.

7/21/25 (new entry)

The Jaggerz - I Call My Baby Candy / Will She Believe Me? 1970 USA ~ Pittsburgh, Pennyslvania

The tale of two sides. The a) side is a trite bit of bubblegum boogie soul and is scant worth mentioning. I suspect that's where most everyone gets off this train. But hang in there folks, as it gets really great, really fast. On the six minutes flip (yep, six) you are treated to some early fuzz, followed by some funk rock, and then a lengthy organ, bass, drums jam reminding me of Sugarloaf or even first album Santana. The side closes as it starts with more fuzz. A great track hidden on the cushy side of the gum on your shoe. Don't miss this one, and it's common as raisins.

Own.

7/21/25 (new entry)

Wes Henderson - In Bed / Rea Lity. 1969 Canada ~ Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver based musician Wes Henderson has this one release under his own name and it's a goodie. The a) side is a familiar type of 60s soul rock with a passionate chorus and some fine electric guitar. It's the b) side (known as 'Rea Lity' on my copy) that seems to have gone unnoticed so far. Excellent driving psychedelic funk, not too far from the label's namesake Rare Earth. More focused than that with some stinging guitar work. Great drum fills as well. To be discovered.

Own.

7/21/25 (new entry)

Jeff Bond - Man and His Mountain / Alone. 1971 USA ~ Denver, Colorado

Very interesting two sider here. The a) side is a pleasant piece of sunshine pop with piano and horns. Bond has a soothing voice. Very professional sounding. It's the b) side that I think would have collectors going wild if they only knew about it. Definitely downer folk with flute, tympani, and chimes. Haunting.

There's mixed information out there on who Bond is. 45Cat says his real name is Neal Bond and he plays with the modern southern rock band Braxton Bragg Band from Portland. I'm pretty sure that's not correct.  RYM had him mislabeled as the more famous author, most notably for the music of Star Trek. I've fixed that.

The label MARK also doesn't show up other than one entry in 45cat by a band called Blackbird. 

Own.

3.0 / 4.0

The Main Attraction - I Got Love For My Baby / What Do I Wish For. 1973 USA ~ Flint, Michigan

This was the crown jewel of our recent trip to Detroit. Dug this one out of a thrift shop for 25 cents! And it's in almost perfect shape. Even better is the sleeve has a handwritten note from someone in the band. Crystal Steele maybe? There is a phone number, but no such luck. Out of service and even an internet search turned up an unrelated name from the past. It was 52 years ago after all.

The music is what I'd call funky soul. The background is definitely funk but the two tunes are soul in nature. Female vocals dominate and there are no significant instrumental breaks. No matter, this one is special to me given the backstory.

Own.

3.5 / 3.5

The Tikis - If I've Been Dreaming / Pay Attention To Me. 1965 USA ~ SF Bay Area, California

From Santa Cruz comes The Tikis. Have you heard of the Beatles? So have The Tikis. Both tracks are similar to their 'She Loves You' style with a surf guitar mid song break. The Tikis later changed their name to The Other Tikis before moving on to their most famous moniker Harpers Bizarre. Feelin' Groovy baby.

Used to own.

5/20/25

The Merry-Go-Round – Come Ride, Come Ride / She Laughed Loud. 1968 USA ~ Los Angeles, California

Both of these tracks are very much influenced by the Baroque pop psych of the Beatles and all their followers. The A) side is likewise heavily orchestrated. Pretty good overall but not my favorite style of psych.

Used to own. This is the more obscure of the two She Laughed Loud singles by the band. Neither appeared on their sole album.

5/19/25

Matrix - Comin' Home / Slam Dunk. 1982 USA ~ Wisconsin

From Appleton, Matrix had a relatively successful career, obtaining major label releases on both RCA and Warner Bros. I've heard a couple of them, but don't recall the contents and didn't keep either around. On this single, Matrix mixes two entirely different styles. The a) is smooth soul with crooning vocals and horns. The b) is hard funk with tight charts. The bassist really puts in a strong performance here. This would be Matrix's last effort and neither of these are on LP.

Own. Label is more orange than the photo suggests.

2.5 / 3.5

5/19/25

Murl (Merrell Fankhauser) - Sail It Over The Ocean / Calling From a Star. 1979 USA ~ Hawaii

Wasn't sure what to expect here. I know Fankhauser best from his psych days and the band MU. Both tracks could be considered Yacht Rock. The B) side has some cool synth, that leans in towards a David Bowie type sound. I think I'll hold onto this one given that it's scarce but not expensive enough to sell.

Own with pic sleeve.

3 / 3.5

5/19/25

Bob Abbott - Long Way To My House / Silent Girl. 1975 USA ~ Houston, Texas

This one caught me by surprise. Both tracks more or less go under the category of soft rock, perhaps pop rock. However there is some delicious analog synthesizer putting it over the Yacht Rock line and more to my interest area. A complete unknown, I'm hanging onto to this title.

Own.

More info from Unknown Vinyl Records.

3/3

5/7/25 (new entry)

Sound Company - Truman's Daughter / I Am Your Hour. 1971 USA ~ Missouri

From Neosho, Missouri which is in the far SW part of the state near Joplin. The A) side is a nice driving hard rock with more than a hint of Southern rock which you might expect of a band near the Ozarks. It's the B) side that is the head turner. Sound Company introduces Hammond organ and the bass player lays down a mean groove while the drummer gets out the amphetamine kit. In comes the wah wah rhythm guitar. Think Rare Earth when they're on their A-game. A couple of chorus' later comes the payoff - an absolute wicked and blazing fuzz solo. This is followed by the vocalist going psychotic. I could have gone for 20 minutes of this! 

Own. With picture sleeve. Paid a buck at a thrift shop and it's in minty condition. Hell yea!

5/6/25 (new entry)

Bondzmen – Smoke In The City / Come Along With Me. USA ~ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Both tracks are dreary soul numbers with a hint of garage. A) side is more upbeat but still depressing in its content. B) side has an overlong chorus. 

Derived they were from Philly based on the publisher name, but that could be incorrect.

2.5 / 2.0

4/26/25

The Revised Edition - Thoughts / Illusions Of You ~ USA ~ North Carolina

From Asheboro, south of Greensboro. A) side is high energy garage driven by organ and excellent drumming. The B) side turns up the amps while slowing things down. Bit of doom even. Has a nice fuzz solo in the middle.

3.0 / 3.5

4/26/25

Tapestry Garden - She Needs Love / I'd Like To Get To Know You Better. 1968 USA ~ Texas

The debut from Tapestry Garden (see below for their last release). The A) side is also feminine psych but much more edgy. Excellent guitar, and in particular, hyperactive drum work. B) side is more like a Brill Building type single with strings, though the drummer is still cooking along quite nicely. 

4/24/25

Tapestry Garden - Lay Down (Candles In The Rain) / 1 - 2 - 3. 1970 USA ~ Texas

Tapestry Garden (cool name!) hailed from Corpus Christi, Texas. They had two singles and this is their second. Definitely a focused play for the radio of the time. Both are feminine sung psych. A) is a Melanie tune and is geared towards the folk crowd. The B) side has horns. 

4/24/25

T.M.L. - Should Have Done Better / Can’t Take It No More. USA ~ Chicago, Illinois

A) side is a moderately paced driving song with a scratchy sound and a nice fuzz break. Chorus is overlong. B) side is more moody. Organ is a distinguishing feature. Seems the latter track is going to break out into a proggy bit but always holds back. Sort of like Procol Harum I suppose.

3.0 / 3.0

4/20/25 (review)

Amber Band - Keep It Burning / I'm So Confused. 1980 USA ~ San Diego, California

A) side has a hard driving riff though the song is 70s classic rock in construct. I liked the B) side better which contains soft flute and more than a nod to fellow Californians Ambrosia. Nice piece of yacht rock.

3/3.5

4/11/25 

The Fabulous Raindrops - People Need A Beat / El Putty. USA ~ Denver, Colorado

Now this is something special. I bought a milk crate full of 45s for $5 last weekend from an old Hispanic lady. I took them home and sorted through them. Most in bad condition and about 98% of them were donated to a thrift shop and a few found their way to my $2 show bin. There were two gems in there: The Mod Squad and... by far and away the big one: The Fabulous Raindrops. This was the heavy hitter. And hyper rare. That's how 45 buys go. 200 nickel records and one $500+ treasure.

The labels aren't very telling. One side says "Soul" the other "Ranchera". Do you know what Ranchera is? Think Mexican country music. The label, from the Denver industrial suburb of Commerce City, specialized in Latin music. Hence the style typed on each side. That's just what Latin labels do. If one was to just hear the Ranchera side first, you'd already be in for a surprise. It's instrumental and barely Mexican in construct. 

It's the A) side that is a... banger. And a half (I'm such a hipster now). It's as if someone made it recently as the perfect example of late 60s (or early 70s - who knows?) heavy psychedelic funk. So much phased acid guitar and heavy beats. Separated perfectly for those who love to sample. And what a groove the organ sets. It's not Soul as you would typically associate the term with. And I don't think the label had any idea what they were putting out. With names like Spike and Ricky Martinez, it's interesting that the music sounds more like a private Detroit or Philly ghetto release.

Seeing some dates of 1966 thrown around. No chance. Way too psychedelic for that. I'd go '67 but probably later than that.

Brilliant I tell ya. It's on YouTube so check it out. You can also hear this track on Gear Fab's Psychedelic States: Colorado in the 60s. 

Own.

4/4/25 (new entry)

The Mods - Dry My Eyes / Rosalie. 1967 USA ~ Lincoln, Nebraska

Excellent blue eyed soul that yields to early funk. Good horn charts, solid melodies, high energy, and makes you want to hop around. Great organ too.

The song 'Dry My Eyes' was written by a well known band called The Fabulous Flippers, a group from Genius Hans' favorite town of Hays, Kansas. And the single was released on Fona. There are allegations that The Mods were a pseudonym for The Fabulous Flippers. However it's documented they were "The Modds" and were from Lincoln, Nebraska. They are in the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame in fact. So they grabbed the tune from their label mates is all there is to the story.

Own.

3.5 / 3.5

4/4/25 (new entry)