The American Response: Part 2
This next batch of bands were directly influenced by the British Invasion (although some may say "Beatles knock-offs"), and it also just so happens that the lyrics of the songs I've selected have a common theme of rejection, lies, and heartache, however the tunes are quite upbeat.
Here at The 60's Beat, we first met The Beau Brummels during Folk Rock Week, as they were one of the first groups to blend beat music with folk rock (even influencing The Byrds). Releasing their first single in December of 1964, "Laugh Laugh" was the first hit single to come out of the emerging San Francisco scene in response to the British Invasion. With a very British-sounding name (meaning an extremely well-dressed person), The Beau Brummels capitalized on Beatlemania with similar harmonies to British pop groups (like The Beatles and The Zombies), and the fact their records would be alphabetically placed right next to The Beatles didn't hurt either. However, these guys became big teen idols in the US and their music did stand out on its own, as "Laugh Laugh" is considered one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. With its complex chord structure using flat major and minor keys, this song was significant in the development of garage rock and folk rock, and even helped in the boost of harmonica sales during the mid-1960s. Performing this song on several shows including an animated performance as The Beau Brummelstones on The Flintstones (see clip here), here's another on Shindig!. (And I tell you, the lead singer, Sal Valentino, could totally be related to my husband; he looks very similar minus the moptop hair style!).
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From New Jersey, The Knickerbockers were formed by two brothers, Beau Charles (guitar and vocals) and John Charles (bass and vocals), with Buddy Randell (vocals and saxophone), and took their name from Knickerbocker Road, a street near their hometown. In 1966, they had their biggest hit with "Lies," however, most listeners mistake this tune for being a "lost" Beatles track. From the distinct John Lennon lead vocal sound to the Paul McCartney-like vocal whoops before the guitar solo, it's regarded as "the most accurate early-Beatles imitation." A Charles/Randell original, this song reached #20 on the charts and helped the band become regular performers on Dick Clark's TV program Where The Action Is.
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From Chicago, Illinois, The Buckinghams formed in 1966 and became one of the top-selling bands of 1967. After securing a job as the house band for a WGN variety show (a local Chicago station), the group decided to adopt a name that reflected the British Invasion. With the release of their #1 hit single "Kind of a Drag," The Buckinghams gained national exposure, and were named by Billboard magazine as "The Most Listened to Band in America" as they released four more Top-10 hits that same year. With their songs exploring "brass-rock" orchestration, "Don't You Care" was one of those big hits from 1967, reaching #6 on the charts. Although the group dissolved in 1970, they reformed in 1980 and still tour as part of "oldies" shows in America. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 1964, drummer Gary Lewis (son of comedian Jerry Lewis) formed a band that first called themselves Gary & the Playboys, and got their first job as regular performers at Disneyland (without mentioning Lewis' celebrity father). After being picked up by record producer Snuff Garrett, Garrett had the group change their name to Gary Lewis & the Playboys (hoping the famous name would help sell records), and wanting to maximize their chances for success, the band was not allowed to play their own instruments on their first recording, "This Diamond Ring." Released in 1965, this tune became a #1 hit on the US charts, selling over a million records after their mimed performance on the Ed Sullivan Show (because of the studio "tricks" they had been done to the recording, it was impossible for the band to recreate the sound, so Ed Sullivan compromised, although he generally had a policy that musicians play live on the show). That same year, Gary Lewis was voted as Cash Box magazine's "Male Vocalist of the Year," and again, as mentioned in the last post about the Lovin' Spoonful, this band was the only other act during the 1960s to have their first seven singles reach the Top-10. After Lewis was drafted into the U.S. Army and went to Vietnam in 1967, the group generally turned into a nostalgia act when Lewis returned later in the '60s.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITED on 8/29/11: So it was brought to my attention by an anonymous reader that there are two other "British-sounding" bands that should totally be included in this post.
Formed in Los Angeles in 1962, the Standells were a garage rock band that are now considered to be the "Godfathers of Punk Rock." These guys were one of the first American bands to wear longer hair, however, they were forced to trim their shaggy style in order to play at conservative nightclubs. Going through a variety of personnel, the main lineup in the mid-60s with vocalist/keyboardist Larry Tamblyn, vocalist/drummer Dick Dodd, guitarist Tony Valentino, and bassist Gary Lane were featured in several movies and TV shows (click here for the clip of the Standells performing a cover of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on The Munsters in 1964). They are most remembered for their only Top-40 hit "Dirty Water," which reached #8 on the Cashbox chart and #11 on the Billboard chart during the summer of 1966. Written by their producer Ed Cobb (and uncredited contributions by the band), this classic garage rock tune references the then-polluted Boston Harbor and Charles River, and since has become the anthem for Boston sports teams including the Boston Red Sox.
Formed in San Antonio, Texas in 1964 by multi-instrumental Doug Sahm (whose professional career began at age 5) with longtime friend Augie Meyers, the Sir Douglas Quintet is one of the founding influences in rock and roll history for incorporating Tex-Mex and Cajun styles into rock music. However like most rock bands at the time, their initial sound was influenced by the British Invasion. After relocating to San Francisco in the mid-'60s, the group absorbed elements of the San Francisco Sound, adding jazz and psychedelic aspects to their Tex-Mex, blues, and soul sound. Written by Sahm, the group's best-known hit single was "She's About a Mover," named the number one 'Texas' song by Texas Monthly. The Sir Douglas Quartet would remain active until 1973, even sharing European tours with The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones, and later, founding members Sahm and Meyers would go on to form Texas Tornadoes. Featuring their signature Tex-Mex sound, here's a performance of "She's About A Mover" on NBC.
Thanks to another '60s Beat reader for the suggestions and feedback!
