Old Melodies ...
///////////////////////////////////////////
Indfdte lyde / Native Sounds - Denmark Record Labels Vol.12
Posted: 08 Feb 2013 09:38 AM PST
http://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2013/02/indfdte-lyde-native-sounds-denmark.html
Indfødte lyde / Native Sounds - Denmark Record Labels Vol.12The Vanguards
01 - Wooly Bully02 - I've Got Enough Of You03 - Let Him Go04 - I Only For
You05 - Very Last Day06 - Changed07 - Sha-La-La-La-Lee08 - Pretty
Flamingo09 - Sweet Little You10 - Till The End Of Time11 - Don't Ever Leave
Me12 - Squeeze Her - Tease Her13 - Stewball14 - Little By Little15 - Doctor
Robert16 - Blues In The Bottle17 - Happy Together18 - Old Man's Trouble19 -
Midnight Hour20 - Criss Craft No. 921 - Can I Trust You22 - Heatwave23 - My
Little Red Book24 - Everything's Gonna Be Allright25 - Blues In Bb26 - Vora
Pibla27 - Hi Ho Silver Lining28 - Get Of My Life Woman29 - First Lesson In
Love30 - Prinsesse Toben31 - It's The Same32 - Set Me Free
///////////////////////////////////////////
Antoine & Les Problemes
Posted: 08 Feb 2013 08:22 AM PST
http://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2013/02/antoine-les-problemes.html
Jean Sarrus (basse)Gérard Rinaldi (chanteur)Gérard Filippelli (guitare
solo, accordéon)Luis Régo (guitare rythmique)Donald Rieudon
(batterie)Jean-Guy Fechner (remplace Donald Rieudon
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_(chanteur)http://www.antoine.tv/index.php?act=antoinehttp://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Probl%C3%A8mes
В Штатах-Боб Дилан,в Британии-Донован,а во Франции-Antoine(Настоящее имя
Pierre-Antoine Muracioli).Певец и путешественник Антуан родился в 1944 году
в Таматаве (Мадагаскар), где работал его отец, позже семья вернулась во
Францию и на некоторое время осела в Марселе, где мальчик закончил
начальную школу. Затем были 4 года в Камеруне и снова метрополия
Тонон-ле-Бен, Аннеси, Гренобль. В 1965 году юноша записал дебютную
сорокапятку для лейбла Vogue, затем и альбом «Les Elucubrations», а в мае
следующего года уже выступал в столичной «Олимпии». Чуть позже приходит
успех в соседней Италии, где песня «Pietre», исполненная на фестивале
Сан-Ремо наделала много шума. В те годы музыкант много гастролирует,
выступая с концертами по всему миру – от Греции до Бразилии, но уже тогда
понимает, что одних лишь аэропортов, отелей и концертных площадок ему
недостаточно и решает посвятить свою жизнь путешествиям. На борту шхуны
«Ом» Антуан отправляется в кругосветное плавание, в 1977 году выходит его
первая книга, а в 1980 году – пластинка традиционных полинезийских песен
«La Motogodille» ( c 1978 по 1988 певец сотрудничал с фирмой грамзаписи
Barclay).
В 80-е годы странствия продолжаются, на этот раз на паруснике Voyage,
география их весьма обширна- Полинезия, Квебек, Бразилия, Антильские
острова; выходят книги и альбомы. Сменив в конце десятилетия Voyage на
катамаран Banana Split, Антуан предпринимает очередное плавание, работает
над фотоальбомами и фильмами (практически ежегодно выпуская по одному - два
ДВД).
Возвращение Антуана на сцену состоялось в 2002 году, когда он дал несколько
концертов в Париже.
На концертах и при записи альбомов Антуан зачастую сотрудничал с
бит-группой Les Problemes.Выступали они "то вместе,то поврозь,а то
попеременно..."В конце 1966 года Les Problemes поменяли свое название и
вошли в историю как Les Charlots (тот,кто старше 30-ти,наверное,не надо
напоминать кто это...Остальным лишь скажу,что это легендарная
комик-группа,снявшая 15 фильмов и записавшая несколько музыкальных
альбомов,но это уже совсем другая история...)Здесь представлены как
совместные их записи,так и сольные работы.Альбом 2000 года-переиздание
одноименного диска 1966 года с добавленными к нему бонус-треками.
http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3692204
///////////////////////////////////////////
The Kreeg - Impressin' (1966)
Posted: 08 Feb 2013 06:51 AM PST
http://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-kreeg-impressin-1966.html
REPOST
Members:
HAP BLACKSTOCKLARRY INKS ROBERT STURTCMANRUSS STURTCMANRAY TRUJILLO
The Kreeg were an extremely talented garage rock outfit formed in
Albuquerque, NM, in 1966, out of another local band called the Prophets.
Their lineup consisted of Bob Sturtcman (rhythm guitar, vocals), who'd
previously played with another band, the Goldenaires, Hap Blackstock (bass,
vocals) (later succeeded by Ray Trujillo), Larry Inks (lead guitar), and
Russ Sturtcman (drums). When the Prophets elected to change their name, it
had been Bob Sturtcman's idea to call the band Blitzkrieg, but after
kicking it around a bit, that was shortened to the Krieg and, finally, the
Kreeg, which everyone liked.
Although all of them would admit to being heavily influenced by the Beatles
at some point, by the time they'd turned into the Kreeg, the members were
listening a lot harder to Them, the Yardbirds, the Rolling Stones, the
Kinks, and the Animals, as well as absorbing the more sophisticated sounds
that acts such as the Beau Brummels and the Leaves were bringing to the
table. The resulting sound, in their hands, freely crossed between
blues-influenced garage punk and folk-rock, with pleasing elements of both
evident on their records.
Bob Sturtcman wrote some songs, and they recorded a few demos and had the
honor of being the first band signed to Dick Stewart's newly founded
Albuquerque-based Lance Records, and their debut record, "Impressin'"
b/w "How Can I," did well enough locally that Lance soon became the home to
most of the best rock music talent in the area. For their part, the Kreeg
were successful enough to make something of a steady part-time living
playing frat parties and high school homecoming dances, but weren't able to
make the leap to the next level, at least not before lead guitarist Larry
Inks decided to move to California, which began the disintegration of the
group. The additional influence of the military draft, which was breathing
down the necks of Bob Sturtcman and a couple of the others, didn't help,
and by the end of 1968 the Kreeg were history.
Bob and Russ Sturtcman worked together in Mother Sturtcman's Jam and
Jellies in 1968 and 1969, and then in an outfit called Albatross, based in
Taos, NM, during the early '70s, and in the 1990s, a collection of Kreeg
recordings, demos, and live tracks entitled Impressin' was assembled on CD
by Bob Sturtcman and Dick Stewart and released by Collectables. The latter,
which included good annotation and extensive discography and personnel
information, was notable as one of the few garage band discoveries of the
era to live up to the reputation surrounding the band.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Don & The Goodtimes - Big big knights
Posted: 08 Feb 2013 06:09 AM PST
http://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2013/02/don-goodtimes-big-big-knights.html
Don & the Goodtimes Portland, Oregon 1964 - 1968
Members
Dave Child ~ Bass Charlie Coe ~ Guitar Jack Ely ~ Vocals Don Gallucci ~
Keyboards Jeff Hawks ~ Vocals Bob Holden ~ Drums Don McKinney ~ Saxophone,
Vocals Joey Newmann ~ Guitar Pierre Ouellette ~ Guitar Ron Overman ~ Bass
Jim Valley ~ Guitar
The very first Don and The Goodtimes included Don Gallucci, Don McKinney,
Bob Holden, Dave Childs, Pete Ouellet and me, Jack Ely formerly of The
Kingsmen, as vocalist.
http://pnwbands.com/goodtimes.html
Don & the Goodtimes were a Pacific Northwest group formed in 1965 by Don
Gallucci (keyboards) and Bobby Holden (drums), veterans of the band scene
in Portland and the surrounding area. They cut records for Scepter Records'
Wand label and for the Jerden label, and had some local success with the
latter. The group didn't find a national audience, however, until Dick
Clark chose them as the house band on his 1967 ABC afternoon program Where
the Action Is. They made the move to Los Angeles and a contract with Epic
Records followed that year, along with a single and an album. Their debut
single, "I Could Be So Good to You," only got to number 56 nationally,
although it did better in several key markets, ascending to number 15 in
Los Angeles and reaching the Top 40 in New York, indicating that its impact
was far greater on the two coasts than in the middle of the country. The
group lasted for another year, issuing three more singles that didn't do
nearly as well. Holden and bassist-singer Ron "Buzz" Overman quit in 1968,
and Gallucci and the other members, Jeff Hawks (lead vocals) and Joey
Newman (guitar), organized a new group called Touch, with Bruce Hauser
(bass, vocals) and John Bordonaro (drums, vocals), a psychedelic band that
got one self-titled LP out in 1969 before breaking up.
///////////////////////////////////////////
The Routers - 2 in 1
Posted: 08 Feb 2013 02:32 AM PST
http://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-routers-2-in-1.html
Let's Go! With the Routers 1963
Although the Routers had a huge Top Twenty hit with the title track to this
long player, the combo were as much of an organic band as the Archies in
that the music on the group's albums was recorded by a collection of studio
musicians -- many of whom were concurrently members of Phil Spector and
Brian Wilson's team of top shelf pop instrumentalists. With music publisher
and guitarist Mike Gordon and producer Joe Saraceno behind the proverbial
wheel, the Routers served up a number of LPs, of which Let's Go! with the
Routers (1962) is the first. Undoubtedly, anyone who has ever attended a
football, basketball or baseball game -- in particularly on an amateur
level -- has experienced the incessant cheerleader anthem "Lets Go"." With
its rhythmic hand claps and peppy vocalization of the title, it seemed to
become the unofficial theme song of American sporting events in the
early '60s, remaining as such for decades. The Routers -- who in reality
included the formidable talents of Hal Blaine (drums), Leon Russell
(keyboards) and Tommy Tedesco (guitar) among others -- built upon the
uniquely American trend of school spirit and the somewhat homogeneous
sounds of pre British Invasion pop rock. This disc includes a dozen tracks
ranging from cover versions of concurrently popular songs such as "Limbo
Rock" -- which had become a signature tune for the Champs as well as Chubby
Checker -- and Chris Montez's "Let's Dance"." These complement the
exceedingly quirky and zesty originals "Half Time" and "Pep Rally"." While
the melodies are notably different, the honkin' sax leads as well as the
frenetically paced synchronic clappin' and finger-snappin' hearken back to
a much simpler America. This is also true of the quaint and wonderfully
generic ensemble vocal interjections featured prominently on the title
track as well as "Bucket Seats"." Those who love this brand of ersatz
two-minute pop songs are encouraged to check out not only this, but all
Routers' LPs -- many of which have been resurrected on CD by Collectors'
Choice Music.
Charge! 1964
The Routers followed up the 1963's Great Instrumental Hits (1964)
long-player with Charge! This spirited release features a dozen modernized
rocking instrumental interpretations of college fight songs as well a few
equally peppy originals. Although the band initially consisted of an actual
group of non-professional musicians, by the time The Routers were signed
and had issued their clap-happy hit "Let's Go!," those performers were
replaced by an all-star confab of West Coast session heavies -- many of
whom were members of the inimitable Wrecking Crew. These included Hal
Blaine (percussion), Carol Kaye (bass), Tommy Tedesco (guitar), and Leon
Russell (keyboards), and prominently featured is the rousing and yakety
Plas Johnson (sax). Their hard-drivin' pop music helped producers and
artists -- such as Phil Spector and Brian Wilson -- define the uniquely
American pre-British Invasion West Coast sound. Under the direction of
Warner Bros. staff producer Joe Saraceno, The Routers became the perfect
outlet for the uptempo pop reworkings of concurrent chart-toppers. They
even corralled a few originals that followed the same somewhat formulaic
yet tried and true, rhythm-intensive, and ultimately danceable performance
style. Charge! commences where Let's Go! With the Routers (1963) left off.
With an ear toward the teen consumer, these adaptations of well-known
athletic anthems are akin to a rock & roll pep rally. Anyone who has ever
attended a team sporting event will inevitably recall the old standbys "On
Wisconsin" -- enhanced here with a stirring chant of "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
-- "Anchors Aweigh," or "On Brave Old Army Team." These new souped-up
readings are the antithesis of the old staid Sousa-influenced marching band
arrangements and feature wailing guitar solos and hot-steppin' bongo beats
in place of the traditional tuba, piccolo, and bombastic bass drum. Some
sides -- most notably "The Washington and Lee Swing" as well as the
original composition "Pep Rally" -- adapt familiar musical themes with a
bent for the Watusi and Frug generation. Interestingly, many of these mod
interpretations continue to show up in TV adverts and as musical beds for
sports announcers. In 2003, Collectors' Choice Music released Charge! on CD
as a part of their Routers' reissue campaign
///////////////////////////////////////////
Indfdte lyde / Native Sounds - Denmark Record Labels Vol.12
Posted: 08 Feb 2013 09:38 AM PST
http://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2013/02/indfdte-lyde-native-sounds-denmark.html
Indfødte lyde / Native Sounds - Denmark Record Labels Vol.12The Vanguards
01 - Wooly Bully02 - I've Got Enough Of You03 - Let Him Go04 - I Only For
You05 - Very Last Day06 - Changed07 - Sha-La-La-La-Lee08 - Pretty
Flamingo09 - Sweet Little You10 - Till The End Of Time11 - Don't Ever Leave
Me12 - Squeeze Her - Tease Her13 - Stewball14 - Little By Little15 - Doctor
Robert16 - Blues In The Bottle17 - Happy Together18 - Old Man's Trouble19 -
Midnight Hour20 - Criss Craft No. 921 - Can I Trust You22 - Heatwave23 - My
Little Red Book24 - Everything's Gonna Be Allright25 - Blues In Bb26 - Vora
Pibla27 - Hi Ho Silver Lining28 - Get Of My Life Woman29 - First Lesson In
Love30 - Prinsesse Toben31 - It's The Same32 - Set Me Free
///////////////////////////////////////////
Antoine & Les Problemes
Posted: 08 Feb 2013 08:22 AM PST
http://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2013/02/antoine-les-problemes.html
Jean Sarrus (basse)Gérard Rinaldi (chanteur)Gérard Filippelli (guitare
solo, accordéon)Luis Régo (guitare rythmique)Donald Rieudon
(batterie)Jean-Guy Fechner (remplace Donald Rieudon
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_(chanteur)http://www.antoine.tv/index.php?act=antoinehttp://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Probl%C3%A8mes
В Штатах-Боб Дилан,в Британии-Донован,а во Франции-Antoine(Настоящее имя
Pierre-Antoine Muracioli).Певец и путешественник Антуан родился в 1944 году
в Таматаве (Мадагаскар), где работал его отец, позже семья вернулась во
Францию и на некоторое время осела в Марселе, где мальчик закончил
начальную школу. Затем были 4 года в Камеруне и снова метрополия
Тонон-ле-Бен, Аннеси, Гренобль. В 1965 году юноша записал дебютную
сорокапятку для лейбла Vogue, затем и альбом «Les Elucubrations», а в мае
следующего года уже выступал в столичной «Олимпии». Чуть позже приходит
успех в соседней Италии, где песня «Pietre», исполненная на фестивале
Сан-Ремо наделала много шума. В те годы музыкант много гастролирует,
выступая с концертами по всему миру – от Греции до Бразилии, но уже тогда
понимает, что одних лишь аэропортов, отелей и концертных площадок ему
недостаточно и решает посвятить свою жизнь путешествиям. На борту шхуны
«Ом» Антуан отправляется в кругосветное плавание, в 1977 году выходит его
первая книга, а в 1980 году – пластинка традиционных полинезийских песен
«La Motogodille» ( c 1978 по 1988 певец сотрудничал с фирмой грамзаписи
Barclay).
В 80-е годы странствия продолжаются, на этот раз на паруснике Voyage,
география их весьма обширна- Полинезия, Квебек, Бразилия, Антильские
острова; выходят книги и альбомы. Сменив в конце десятилетия Voyage на
катамаран Banana Split, Антуан предпринимает очередное плавание, работает
над фотоальбомами и фильмами (практически ежегодно выпуская по одному - два
ДВД).
Возвращение Антуана на сцену состоялось в 2002 году, когда он дал несколько
концертов в Париже.
На концертах и при записи альбомов Антуан зачастую сотрудничал с
бит-группой Les Problemes.Выступали они "то вместе,то поврозь,а то
попеременно..."В конце 1966 года Les Problemes поменяли свое название и
вошли в историю как Les Charlots (тот,кто старше 30-ти,наверное,не надо
напоминать кто это...Остальным лишь скажу,что это легендарная
комик-группа,снявшая 15 фильмов и записавшая несколько музыкальных
альбомов,но это уже совсем другая история...)Здесь представлены как
совместные их записи,так и сольные работы.Альбом 2000 года-переиздание
одноименного диска 1966 года с добавленными к нему бонус-треками.
http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3692204
///////////////////////////////////////////
The Kreeg - Impressin' (1966)
Posted: 08 Feb 2013 06:51 AM PST
http://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-kreeg-impressin-1966.html
REPOST
Members:
HAP BLACKSTOCKLARRY INKS ROBERT STURTCMANRUSS STURTCMANRAY TRUJILLO
The Kreeg were an extremely talented garage rock outfit formed in
Albuquerque, NM, in 1966, out of another local band called the Prophets.
Their lineup consisted of Bob Sturtcman (rhythm guitar, vocals), who'd
previously played with another band, the Goldenaires, Hap Blackstock (bass,
vocals) (later succeeded by Ray Trujillo), Larry Inks (lead guitar), and
Russ Sturtcman (drums). When the Prophets elected to change their name, it
had been Bob Sturtcman's idea to call the band Blitzkrieg, but after
kicking it around a bit, that was shortened to the Krieg and, finally, the
Kreeg, which everyone liked.
Although all of them would admit to being heavily influenced by the Beatles
at some point, by the time they'd turned into the Kreeg, the members were
listening a lot harder to Them, the Yardbirds, the Rolling Stones, the
Kinks, and the Animals, as well as absorbing the more sophisticated sounds
that acts such as the Beau Brummels and the Leaves were bringing to the
table. The resulting sound, in their hands, freely crossed between
blues-influenced garage punk and folk-rock, with pleasing elements of both
evident on their records.
Bob Sturtcman wrote some songs, and they recorded a few demos and had the
honor of being the first band signed to Dick Stewart's newly founded
Albuquerque-based Lance Records, and their debut record, "Impressin'"
b/w "How Can I," did well enough locally that Lance soon became the home to
most of the best rock music talent in the area. For their part, the Kreeg
were successful enough to make something of a steady part-time living
playing frat parties and high school homecoming dances, but weren't able to
make the leap to the next level, at least not before lead guitarist Larry
Inks decided to move to California, which began the disintegration of the
group. The additional influence of the military draft, which was breathing
down the necks of Bob Sturtcman and a couple of the others, didn't help,
and by the end of 1968 the Kreeg were history.
Bob and Russ Sturtcman worked together in Mother Sturtcman's Jam and
Jellies in 1968 and 1969, and then in an outfit called Albatross, based in
Taos, NM, during the early '70s, and in the 1990s, a collection of Kreeg
recordings, demos, and live tracks entitled Impressin' was assembled on CD
by Bob Sturtcman and Dick Stewart and released by Collectables. The latter,
which included good annotation and extensive discography and personnel
information, was notable as one of the few garage band discoveries of the
era to live up to the reputation surrounding the band.
///////////////////////////////////////////
Don & The Goodtimes - Big big knights
Posted: 08 Feb 2013 06:09 AM PST
http://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2013/02/don-goodtimes-big-big-knights.html
Don & the Goodtimes Portland, Oregon 1964 - 1968
Members
Dave Child ~ Bass Charlie Coe ~ Guitar Jack Ely ~ Vocals Don Gallucci ~
Keyboards Jeff Hawks ~ Vocals Bob Holden ~ Drums Don McKinney ~ Saxophone,
Vocals Joey Newmann ~ Guitar Pierre Ouellette ~ Guitar Ron Overman ~ Bass
Jim Valley ~ Guitar
The very first Don and The Goodtimes included Don Gallucci, Don McKinney,
Bob Holden, Dave Childs, Pete Ouellet and me, Jack Ely formerly of The
Kingsmen, as vocalist.
http://pnwbands.com/goodtimes.html
Don & the Goodtimes were a Pacific Northwest group formed in 1965 by Don
Gallucci (keyboards) and Bobby Holden (drums), veterans of the band scene
in Portland and the surrounding area. They cut records for Scepter Records'
Wand label and for the Jerden label, and had some local success with the
latter. The group didn't find a national audience, however, until Dick
Clark chose them as the house band on his 1967 ABC afternoon program Where
the Action Is. They made the move to Los Angeles and a contract with Epic
Records followed that year, along with a single and an album. Their debut
single, "I Could Be So Good to You," only got to number 56 nationally,
although it did better in several key markets, ascending to number 15 in
Los Angeles and reaching the Top 40 in New York, indicating that its impact
was far greater on the two coasts than in the middle of the country. The
group lasted for another year, issuing three more singles that didn't do
nearly as well. Holden and bassist-singer Ron "Buzz" Overman quit in 1968,
and Gallucci and the other members, Jeff Hawks (lead vocals) and Joey
Newman (guitar), organized a new group called Touch, with Bruce Hauser
(bass, vocals) and John Bordonaro (drums, vocals), a psychedelic band that
got one self-titled LP out in 1969 before breaking up.
///////////////////////////////////////////
The Routers - 2 in 1
Posted: 08 Feb 2013 02:32 AM PST
http://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-routers-2-in-1.html
Let's Go! With the Routers 1963
Although the Routers had a huge Top Twenty hit with the title track to this
long player, the combo were as much of an organic band as the Archies in
that the music on the group's albums was recorded by a collection of studio
musicians -- many of whom were concurrently members of Phil Spector and
Brian Wilson's team of top shelf pop instrumentalists. With music publisher
and guitarist Mike Gordon and producer Joe Saraceno behind the proverbial
wheel, the Routers served up a number of LPs, of which Let's Go! with the
Routers (1962) is the first. Undoubtedly, anyone who has ever attended a
football, basketball or baseball game -- in particularly on an amateur
level -- has experienced the incessant cheerleader anthem "Lets Go"." With
its rhythmic hand claps and peppy vocalization of the title, it seemed to
become the unofficial theme song of American sporting events in the
early '60s, remaining as such for decades. The Routers -- who in reality
included the formidable talents of Hal Blaine (drums), Leon Russell
(keyboards) and Tommy Tedesco (guitar) among others -- built upon the
uniquely American trend of school spirit and the somewhat homogeneous
sounds of pre British Invasion pop rock. This disc includes a dozen tracks
ranging from cover versions of concurrently popular songs such as "Limbo
Rock" -- which had become a signature tune for the Champs as well as Chubby
Checker -- and Chris Montez's "Let's Dance"." These complement the
exceedingly quirky and zesty originals "Half Time" and "Pep Rally"." While
the melodies are notably different, the honkin' sax leads as well as the
frenetically paced synchronic clappin' and finger-snappin' hearken back to
a much simpler America. This is also true of the quaint and wonderfully
generic ensemble vocal interjections featured prominently on the title
track as well as "Bucket Seats"." Those who love this brand of ersatz
two-minute pop songs are encouraged to check out not only this, but all
Routers' LPs -- many of which have been resurrected on CD by Collectors'
Choice Music.
Charge! 1964
The Routers followed up the 1963's Great Instrumental Hits (1964)
long-player with Charge! This spirited release features a dozen modernized
rocking instrumental interpretations of college fight songs as well a few
equally peppy originals. Although the band initially consisted of an actual
group of non-professional musicians, by the time The Routers were signed
and had issued their clap-happy hit "Let's Go!," those performers were
replaced by an all-star confab of West Coast session heavies -- many of
whom were members of the inimitable Wrecking Crew. These included Hal
Blaine (percussion), Carol Kaye (bass), Tommy Tedesco (guitar), and Leon
Russell (keyboards), and prominently featured is the rousing and yakety
Plas Johnson (sax). Their hard-drivin' pop music helped producers and
artists -- such as Phil Spector and Brian Wilson -- define the uniquely
American pre-British Invasion West Coast sound. Under the direction of
Warner Bros. staff producer Joe Saraceno, The Routers became the perfect
outlet for the uptempo pop reworkings of concurrent chart-toppers. They
even corralled a few originals that followed the same somewhat formulaic
yet tried and true, rhythm-intensive, and ultimately danceable performance
style. Charge! commences where Let's Go! With the Routers (1963) left off.
With an ear toward the teen consumer, these adaptations of well-known
athletic anthems are akin to a rock & roll pep rally. Anyone who has ever
attended a team sporting event will inevitably recall the old standbys "On
Wisconsin" -- enhanced here with a stirring chant of "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
-- "Anchors Aweigh," or "On Brave Old Army Team." These new souped-up
readings are the antithesis of the old staid Sousa-influenced marching band
arrangements and feature wailing guitar solos and hot-steppin' bongo beats
in place of the traditional tuba, piccolo, and bombastic bass drum. Some
sides -- most notably "The Washington and Lee Swing" as well as the
original composition "Pep Rally" -- adapt familiar musical themes with a
bent for the Watusi and Frug generation. Interestingly, many of these mod
interpretations continue to show up in TV adverts and as musical beds for
sports announcers. In 2003, Collectors' Choice Music released Charge! on CD
as a part of their Routers' reissue campaign