Tuesday, March 23, 2021

VA - Gravel Vol. 01 - 05 [2004-2007] (5 x CD's)

 

NORTH AMERICAN GARAGE ROCK

VA - Gravel Vol. 01 - 05 [2004-2007] (5 x CD's)

This collection of CD's from Kumquat May Records is limited to only 500 copies per CD. There's no doubt that Kumquat May Records decided to put together this series based around the unreleased alternate versions and acetates and a few of the astounding un-compiled tracks. This is the main reason to get this compilation and because they are fantastic. It helps to have a slew of other great garage rock to go along with those rarities. I only wish the compilations came with liner notes to help understand just how great the music is here.  While it is hard to figure out what is rare and what has been compiled before due to the lack of any liner notes, it can be said that most garage comps of this nature give even less information that the Gravel series.

There's nothing quite as exciting as finding unreleased acetates - and when those acetates contain fiery, pounding garage rock it's even better. The 5 unreleased acetates found on Gravel Volume 1 include Yesterday We Laughed (an alternate version) by The Cirkit, And You Believe Me by The Fabulous Courdels, I Want You by The Thorns, Gonna Find A Way by The Jagged Edge, and an alternate version of Baby As Time Goes By by The Moon-Dawgs. And all five of these songs are incredible. 

This tradition carries on for the other 4 CD's in the series.  Rare and ultra obscure garage rock from the 1960's with more unreleased acetates, more hard to find sides and more regional garage rock that have been compiled on other garage rock comps that have since no doubt gone out of print. There are some true obscurities here that even garage rock collectors may not have heard but obscurities which aren't just being collected for rarities sake. Both the garage rock collector and the garage rock novice should really give these a listen for those few songs which they really need to have in their collection. 

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12     345

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Track lists

Volume 01

01 Cirkit Yesterday I Laughed 2:49

02 Thursdays' Children Dominoes 2:04

03 Blue Boys I Know 2:51

04 Unwritten Law The Whole World is Blind 2:39

05 One Way Street Illusions 2:18

06 Fabulous Courdels And You Believe in Me 2:19

07 Spacemen Run for Your Life 2:40

08 Thorns I Want You 2:33

09 Buck Rogers Movement Baby Come On 2:24

10 Checkmates Get it While You Can 2:39

11 Chants Hypnotized 2:38

12 Pack Baby I Ask You Why 2:05

13 Soothsayers Please, Don't Be Mad 2:22

14 Yesterday's Children Feelings 2:10

15 What-Nots I Need You Baby 3:21

16 Trolls They Don't Know 2:19

17 Next Step I Said No 3:02

18 Grim Reepers Two Souls 3:03

19 Facts of Life I've Seen Darker Nights 2:30

20 Jagged Edge Gonna' Find My Way 2:43

21 Run-A-Rounds I Couldn't Care Less 2:29

22 Counts Night of Misery 2:27

23 Beau Gents Three Letter Word 3:20

24 Del Rays Inc. I'm a Lovin' 2:24

25 Sons of Sound He's Gonna Ride 2:54

26 Secrets Somethin Good for Me 3:08

27 Runaways 18th Floor Girl 3:31

28 Circus Bad Seed (You're a Bad Seed) 2:32

29 Jads Miss Pretty 2:14

30 Moon-Dawgs Baby, as Time Goes By 2:42


Volume 02

01 Epic Five I Need Your Lovin' 2:39

02 Something Else I Can't Believe 2:15

03 Satins Get Out of My Life 2:14

04 Us Too I'll Leave You Crying 2:32

05 Sounds Unlimited Cool One 2:12

06 Motion The Thief 2:29

07 Aztecs What Mood 3:26

08 Sloths Makin' Love 2:05

09 Beau Gents Three Letter Word 3:19

10 Hyperions The Truth Always Hurts 3:00

11 Lime Love a Go-Go 2:27

12 Chaparrals It May Be My Fault 2:01

13 Aardvarks I'm Higher Than I'm Down 2:16

14 Staffs Another Love 1:52

15 Trolls Are You the One 2:11

16 Vectors What in the World 2:22

17 Wild-Ones Just Me 2:30

18 Try-Angle Writing on the Wall 2:43

19 Bondsmen I Don't Want Your Lovin Anymore 2:27

20 Conner Family A Lesson in Love 2:18

21 Next Step I Said No 3:01

22 Edicates She's Gone 2:56

23 Sounds Unlimited Nobody But You 2:35

24 Witness Inc. Not You Girl 1:49

25 Changing Tymes You Make it Hard 2:04

26 Destiny's Children The Fall of the Queen 2:04

27 Baroque Brothers So Glad Was I 2:12

28 Casuals, Incorporated I Realized 2:08

29 Changing Tides Don't Say Good-Bye 2:29

30 Trackers You Are My World 2:28


Volume 03

01 Dick St. John You Know What I Mean 2:35

02 Striders Am I on Your Mind 2:19

03 Last Words She'll Know How 2:32

04 Inferno 5 Plus 1 I Can Take It 3:38

05 Infinitives Heidi 2:42

06 Jack & the Beanstalks Don't Bug Me 2:14

07 Chosen Few Get in on Life 2:20

08 Chessmen Love Didn't Die 2:22

09 Sands of Time Red Light 2:04

10 Pentagons About the Girl I Love 2:43

11 Stitch in Tyme Point of View 2:46

12 Surrealistic Pillar I Like Girls 2:51

13 Timetakers At Least I'll Try 2:40

14 Nocturnals Because You're Gone 2:27

15 Outer Limits Walkin' Away 2:07

16 Kingz English Doctor Hunger 2:05

17 Citations The Day That She'll Go 2:39

18 WordD You're Gonna Make Me 1:55

19 Yo Yo's The Raven 2:32

20 City Zu I'll Find Another 2:17

21 Chaz & the Classics Girl of the 13 Hour 2:36

22 Dalek: the Blackstones Never Feel the Pain 2:32

23 Crucibles Beware of Birds 2:08

24 Shaprels A Fool for Your Lies (Alt.) 2:05

25 Esquires Cry is All I Do 2:43

26 Gestures Run, Run, Run (Demo Acetate) 2:19

27 Jury Please Forget Her 2:42

28 Groop Ltd. As Time Goes Bye 2:32

29 No-Na-Mee's Gotta Hold On 2:36

30 Sugar Cube Blues Band My Last Impression 3:35


Volume 04

01 Treez You Lied to Me Before 2:42

02 Secrets Cryin' Over Her 2:23

03 Goodsons A Twisted Mind 1:57

04 Baker Street Irregulars It Don't Mean Nothing 2:58

05 King Bees Little Girl 2:15

06 Trolls Something Here Inside 2:27

07 Richie Knight & the Mid-Knights Homework 2:15

08 Jesters Iii Say That I'm the One 1:53

09 Keith Allison Louise 2:00

10 Bells of Rhymny She'll Be Back 2:40

11 Blue Beats I Can't Get Close (To Her at All) 2:12

12 Dee & the Yeomen Say Baby (Who Am I) 1:51

13 Emotions I Just Do 2:36

14 Northwest Company Hard to Cry 2:28

15 Nobody Follow Me 2:31

16 Systems How High is High 1:57

17 Painted Ship Frustration (Demo) 3:21

18 Luke & the Apostles Been Burnt 1:50

19 Magical Mist Time Out to Fly 2:42

20 Threads of Fybre Believe Me 2:57

21 Simple Simon & the Piemen Anyhow 2:05

22 Me & Dem Guys Come on Little Sweetheart 2:13

23 Tommy Jett Groovy Little Trip 2:48

24 Weeds It's Your Time 2:21


Volume 05

01 (Those) Rogues Wish I Could See You Again 1:53

02 Cloudwalkers Never Told Me So 2:16

03 Our Gang Careless Love 2:11

04 Midnight Angels I'm Sufferin' 2:06

05 Jury Who Dat 2:22

06 Liverpool Set Seventeen Tears to the End 2:07

07 Skaliwags Turn Him Down 2:25

08 Dominions I Need Her 2:54

09 Media Girl, I Want You 4:22

10 Painted Ship Little White Lies (Demo) 3:25

11 Characters Tell Me 2:37

12 Robb London & the Rogues Who'll Be the One 2:46

13 Southampton Story Leave Me Behind 2:43

14 Tempos All That I Really Want 2:16

15 Torques It's Me Not You 1:57

16 Tyde Psychedelic Pill 2:51

17 8th Wonders of the World You You Yeah 2:20

18 Wrong Numbers I Wonder Why 2:39

19 Young Men A Thought for You 3:08

20 Roks Transparent Day 2:16

21 Threads of Fybre Mama 2:48

22 Hustlers 4 How Does it Feel 2:30

23 Herd Things Won't Change 2:08

24 Dropouts I'm Leaving 2:01

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20 comments:

  1. May be spending some time in the Garage soon. Like record co name!

    BB, note that #4 - #9 are repeated in the list for Volume 3 above.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm going to make that change, come what may.. fixed the track list now, fortunately CD3 has the correct tracks in the download file (not repeated)

      Thanks for letting me know, mrRadio.

      Cheers

      Delete
  2. Thanks Butterboy.
    Looks like I'll be shufflin' in the Gravel this weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Gary Field.
      This is a great sounding set. I really enjoyed listening to it recently.

      Cheers.

      Delete
  3. I love these compilations, because at first sight I don't know a single one of these songs, but all of them somehow sound very familiar to me because of the instrumentation as well as the vocal performance, also because at that time there were not yet these technical possibilities that we have at our disposal today and so a very specific and individual sound was created, thank you very much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi WOODy,
      These CD's are full of surprises. Its a wonderful listen and is truly worth the journey.
      The sound is also exiting and gets you to listen harder.
      Enjoy!
      Cheers

      Delete
  4. Hi!

    Thanx for this series. Sure to be "new" artists & "new" hears here. Guessing but wondering are these Int'l. comps. or only US?

    Cheers!
    Ciao! For now.
    rntcj

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi rnctj,
      Hope you enjoy this set from Kumquat May Records, Issued in Australia. The first 3 volumes are US 60's Garage. Volumes 45 are labeled as North American bands.
      More details at
      https://www.discogs.com/Various-Gravel-Volume-1/release/1768382

      Cheers.

      Delete
  5. Many thanks for sharing this box of mostly rare garage rock recordings!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very nice set BB! Thanks for sharing them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi hotrodmike,
      Lots to be happy with on this series of CD's. Enjoy.

      Cheers.

      Delete
  7. Replies
    1. Hi heartofstone.
      It is an Awesome set.

      Cheers.

      Delete
  8. Hey Butterboy, I can still marvel at all these Gravels (have had them for a couple years); good to see them dropped again so I can place them on a more recent drive too.Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi HenkP,
      These are soooo good. I am always happy to listen to these .
      I good to hear that you enjoy these too.

      Cheers.

      Delete
  9. Hello Mr. Butterboy
    Thank you for these.
    Interestingly, there are quite a few Canadian groups, especially on the later ones.
    Cheers,
    Marc

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Marc,
      That is true, Whilst it suggests these are US Bands (First 3 CD's), the last two North American compilations. Still great music to be found here.

      Cheers.

      Delete