“Yummy, Yummy, Yummy” is one of my favourite Julie tracks.  As a kid, I’d always loved the original bubblegum version by The Ohio Express (the one 8-track (!) tape my grandma had that wasn’t Barry Manilow), but Julie’s version, with her languid vocals and louche string arrangements, twists the sickly-sweet original into a super-saucy gem.

I first came across this track via the bootleg Lux ‘n Ivy’s Favourites compilation series.  As far as I know, it’s only been re-issued as a Japanese import in 1995.  The prices have since come down, but it looks like it may be out of print again (Amazon has only 2 copies and the rest are private sellers) so if you like what you hear, snap this one up quick.

Julie London – Yummy, Yummy, Yummy by hells-belles

MP3: Julie London – Yummy, Yummy, Yummy

Julie London on eMusic

Reasons to love Thomas Truax:

• He plays an instrument of his own making called The Hornicator.
• He’s been described as “Like Tom Waits, presenting kids TV.”
• He wrote a song about Joe Meek’s attempt to warn Buddy Holly of his impending death called “Joe Meek Warns Buddy Holly”. Naturally.
• He used to be an animator on Celebrity Deathmatch.
• He is FREAKIN’ AWESOME.

Listen to / download a track from his new album, Sonic Dreamer. Then buy said album because, like I said, it’s FREAKIN’ AWESOME.

Thomas Truax – Beehive Heart by charmfactory

You can’t beat a good song about chicken, especially one by a West Virginian one-man-band.  With influences like Hank Williams Sr, Jimmie Rodgers, Little Richard, and  Colonel Sanders and a vast catalogue of songs about love, heartbreak, police, death, decapitation, hot dogs, aliens and tasty, tasty chicken… well… sheeee-it, if you haven’t got down with The Haze yet, you done might as well be deaf.

NYC-based Norton Records has been keeping the fryer sizzlin’ since poor Hasil tragically kicked the KFC bucket in 2005.  This glorious nugget  can be found on the Out To Hunch collection.

Hasil Adkins – Chicken Walk by hells-belles

MP3: Hasil Adkins – Chicken Walk

…they was funky.  And just a wee bit psychedelic.  Between 1969-1971, The Sweet had a handful of unsuccessful singles.  Then they signed to Parlophone, dropped a definite article from their name, discovered shiny fabrics and made girls all over the world swoon.

“The Juicer” is the B-side to one of those unsuccessful* singles, 1970′s “All You’ll Ever Get From Me”.  The guitar groove is Deep Purple, with an extra side of Funk.

GROOVE.

The Sweet – The Juicer by hells-belles

MP3: The Sweet – The Juicer

* = one record label nitwit’s “unsuccessful” is our AWESOME.  Just sayin’.

At least for the US.  Can’t find any UK listings for the Runaways film yet.  Is it any surprise that all of Tits of Death are dying to see it?

MP3: The Runways – Cherry Bomb

(Of course.)

And here’s the film trailer.

Marva Whitney, along with Lyn Collins and Vicki Anderson, was one of the singers with the James Brown Revue.  She’s one hell of a belter in her own right, and released a string of stormin’ 45s, including this funkity-ass slice of funk in 1969.

MP3: Marva Whitney – Things Got To Get Better

Jack Bedient and The Chessmen were active mainly in the Pacific Northwest 1961-1972.  A large amount of their material veers towards the schmaltzy end of the crooners, and while I generally have  a lot of time for easy listening, I’ve never really fallen in love with The Chessmen’s take on it.  They played a lot of Vegas shows, weddings, and similar tuxedo-wearing gigs, so I suspect the schmaltz factor was borne out of necessity rather than desire.  For over the second side of their third LP, Where Did She Go? looms the shadow of a lurking frat-rock garage werewolf beast.  Or at the very least, Paul Revere and The Raiders.

Jack Bedient & the Chessmen – Glimmer, Glimmer, Sunshine by hells-belles

MP3: Jack Bedient and The Chessmen – Glimmer Glimmer Sunshine

The Paragons gigged mainly around the North Carolina area, playing a set of covers at schools, teen clubs and local YMCAs.   Their one original tune, Abba,  was recorded at a Charlotte, NC studio owned by Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith, (whose name might be recognized by eagle-eyed end-credits scrutinizers as the author of Duelin’ Banjos from the film Deliverence. His studio is also notable as the place where James Brown lay down Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag.)

Although the band themselves never played further afield from their Charlotte hometown than Myrtle Beach, Abba quickly became a favourite on the regional airwaves and on local jukeboxes, and today is one of those impossible-to-find G45 rarities – original 45s of this sunny little slice of 1967 garage rock go for silly money (a “VG” copy fetched nearly $900 in one auction pretty recently).  Those of us not obsessed with owning originals can pick it up on vinyl on the Teenage Shutdown series, and The Fuzztones do a pretty mean version.

MP3: The Paragons – Abba

Photo and additional info courtesy of 60sgaragebands.com