The Quests - Instrumentally Yours

The Quests are one of Singapore's biggest instrumental groups in the same way that America had the Ventures and, more appropriately in this case, England had the Shadows. While it might be somewhat surprising to hear, given the paltry amount of far east rock & roll that found its way to English-speaking culture, they were hardly alone (see The Swallows). The big influence that could be heard in nearly all of it was the Shadows. For instance, here's an earlier Quests single (there's better quality versions out there, but they don't allow embedding).

However, the selections on Instrumentally Yours come a bit later and, like many instrumental groups later in their career, they've worked in some pretty serious fuzz, Davie Allan style and a bit of psychedelic influence.

The Indian Maid

Return of Spring

Sayonara

Why Go To the Temple

The Diablos - El Bandito / Hombre

These are some pretty fun latin-ish instrumentals arranged by Joe Negroni of Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers (not able to dig anything up on the rest of the credits). El Bandito appears to be the A side despite being more or less a throwaway, clocking in at only one minute and 40 seconds. However, "Hombre" is the scorcher here, mixing the goofy muted cornets (not sure about that, they almost sound like a vocal imitation of a trumpet) with some absolutely beautiful heavily reverbed guitar.

El Bandito


Hombre


It appears this might have had a Spanish release with a picture cover afterward (the Jubilee disc was released in 1966, this references 1967)

Senor Wences - Deefeecult for Me / 'S-All Right?

Man, when I update this blog so infrequently, you'd think I'd post something awesome, right? In fact, I think I've even got a few awesome things I could post. But instead, I give you this silly novelty record.

"Deeefeecult for you- easy for me"
More of the same here "'S-all right? 'S All Right!"

The Moonrays - It's Love Baby / What's Your Name

This is a pretty good lil' 45 that got buried in my collection and retrieved when I was looking for the Moonglows. Don't know anything about it's backstory, but I pick up a bit of a Link Wray influence on both.

It's Love Baby is rockin' love tune with a stompin' pace to it.


What's Your Name has the same gist, but an instrumental with louder raspy guitar. Gotta love the pounding drums

Surfin' on Wave Nine (Comp on King)

A friend picked this compilation up for me for a buck at a record fair and it was well worth it! I was pretty curious given that you rarely find any surf on King (though the classic Car Hop by the Exports was) and most of what we have here are pretty obscure as well. In fact, I can't find a mention of The Nutrons anywhere else. Despite that, it's certainly got some surfy tunes, such as The Tramps' Maharadja and the inclusions by the Vice Roys. A lot of the tracks are supplied by the more titty-shakin' Nutrons, all of which are pretty fun. A standout to me is The Wobble by the Wobblers, featuring goofy bubble sounds over a fun R&B twister. Looks like it's off a James Brown LP?

Give it a looksee

Marrc Gordon - A Dog For My Birthday b/w Giddy-Up

Here's an adorable little thing! Marrc Gordon appears to be the spawn of memphis born R&Bster Rosco Gordon, tunelessly wailing over more capable grooves. That's about all I got on this! Can't get a read on the age of the record or the kid. Definitely pre-pubescent.

A Dog For My Birthday
Giddy-Up

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I actually have a pretty good bunch of post-worthy stuff I dug up at the former Eddy's 3-Way down here, but my ripping setup is messed up in all sorts of ways. In the meantime, we've got another one of these coming up

And a new website for it at RecordRaid.com

The Ragin' Storms - Knock Out / Mule Rock

Both sides of this 1961 instrumental are pretty good saxophone rock & roll wailers. Unfortunately I can't find out much about it. Both songs are attributed to Tommy O'Keefe, don't know what else he might have done, and as far as I can tell this is the only thing they put out. Knock Out is the Knock Out here, Mule Rock is a bit slower but still a pretty decent tune.

Knock Out

Mule Rock

The Mus-Twangs - Marie / Roch Lomond

The well-named Mus-Twangs were a instrumental venture of Paul Cotton from Poco, renamed from the Capitols and later becoming The Starfires. I know that because Paul Cotton is remarkably well documented. These are Duane Eddy-ish songs, neither of them originals: Roch Lomond is a rock Loch Lomond ("You'll take the high road and I'll take the low road") and Marie is an Irving Berlin tune. But hey, it's fun.

RECORD RAID: Record Show in New Orleans on the 24th

These things are my brainchild and with a few more staff members and nearly THIRTY vendors this time, my baby appears to be growing up. We're back at Tulane this time, at the quad across from The Boot. Outdoor show under a huge oak tree. Dan Phillips over at HomeOfTheGroove likes it, so apparently I'm doing something right.

Check out the website and the facebook page for more. Hope to see you there!

P.S. I usually don't post my personal projects here (P.S. listen to Storm Surge of Reverb) especially if I haven't been updating lately. Wellllll I think I've got a few things...

Harry Lee - Thanks...

Did you ever wonder what it would be like to sit in on a karaoke session with the late long-term Jefferson Parish sheriff Harry Lee?

If you don't know who that is, then this will have absolutely zero worth to you, as it has no musical merit... OK instrumentation was done by seasoned New Orleans musician Carl Marshall and Harry's not even half bad but there are SO many better ways to spend your time.

Even if you are familiar with him, I'd suggest a sampling of one song and moving on, but it's pretty wonderfully cheesy. Here, try Send In the Clowns

Tough on crime but a real sap at heart! I found this at an Abita Springs garage sale a few years ago, the owner apparently didn't even know it existed. Mean to play it on WTUL on a progressive show but never had a tape player handy.

Well here ya go internet.

The whole thing

The Monks - La-do-da-da / I Remember When

No, no not those Monks with the Monk Time and the Higgle-dy Piggle-Dy, though I don't know who these Monks are. They're a garage band, apparently with a member named Steve Schmidt who signed this record and co-wrote the ballad on here I Remember When. I'm doubtful that the Wray with the other half is any sort of Wray we normally get excited over, but really this is mostly a mystery.

Let's start with the rocker, a cover of Dale Hawkins' La-Do-Da-Da with all sorts of fake concert chest-puffing

And then the slower number

I didn't want to put it before you listened so as to taint your listening experience, but there definitely is a slight warp on this. And of course, it's not exactly devoid of surface noise

The Pop-Ups - Lurking/Candy Rock

HBR is a hilariously decent label, considering it stands for "Hanna-Barbera Records". Even the cartoon cash-ins (Flintstones records etc) were extremely competent rock & roll records. WFMU's blog has a cool post about it and Spectropop has a page that includes this single, though not listenable.

This here Pop-Ups record is a double instrumental, the better of the two (I think) being the slinking shaker "Lurking", which has a Revels-ish boogie to it, including an organ solo and some honkin' sax


"Candy Rock" sounds a little more like the Routers with marching band instrumentation over a Bo Diddley beat. Fun but probably not going to make you hit eBay.


and a link to the other HBR record I posted, one of my absolute favorites

The Unnaturals live on Storm Surge of Reverb

This has been on the backburner for a while, kinda like the blog itself. I've had the Unnaturals on my show before, but wasn't able to make myself a copy. Well here they are again, a New Orleans surf & instrumental band, playing live on my radio show on August 22nd. Sound quality is rough and I can't say it was my best editing job either, but still sounds great!

7 songs:
Attack of the 50 Foot Betty
Miedo
Rumblebee
Holiday in Cambodia
Unnatural Progressions
Whiskey Surf / Misirlou
Unnatural Progressions

Also, here's the full show