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Strychnine
A
Sonics
original this
time, “Some
folks like
water/Some folks
like wine/But I
like the
taste/Of
straight
strychnine”, but
it took another
10 years before
Leroi heard
their version.
The
Subterraneans’
arrangement was
based on the
Cramps’
cover from
“Songs The Lord
Taught Us”. This
came into the
Subterraneans’
set during the
practice
sessions for
“Garage Fuzz” in
83 and stayed in
the set until
the end of the
band.
On the live tape
from Memphis
Louie an the
Rockin’
Firebirds of
Death’s last gig
at the Royal in
85, a member of
the audience can
be heard
shouting “it’s a
rip off of the
Rong song!”, as
“Strychnine”
kicks in. This
is a reference
to “Treatment”,
a song by top SY
punks The Rong,
which appears on
“Sad Day We Left
The Croft”. The
two songs do
happen to share
the same riff,
but sadly
“Strychnine” was
written and
recorded at
least 15 years
prior to
“Treatment”.
Honey
Hush
Misogynistic
(but surely
ironic)
Big Joe Turner
number. The
Subterraneans’
1983 version on
“Garage Fuzz”
was based on
Johnny Burnette
and The Rock ‘n’
Roll Trio’s
1957 cover.
Except that the
first version
Leroi heard was
by late-70s
rockabilly
revivalists
Whirlwind, and
there’s a good
dose of their
version in there
too.
This one didn’t
survive into the
Memphis Louie
set. Not sure if
it was ever
gigged.
E.S.P.
From “Boulders
Vol 7”, one of
the 2 US garage
compilation
records in
Leroi’s
possession at
the time of
“Garage Fuzz”.
This song was by
one-record-wonders
The Beaver
Patrol, (no way
am I searching
for links to
them on the
internet!) and
is a fairly
transparent
adaptation of
the
Pretty Things’
“LSD”. But it’s
far better. Came
into the set at
the time of
“Garage Fuzz”
and stayed in
until the end.
Hi
Heel Sneekers
The
Subterraneans’
version of this
Tommy Tucker
number was based
on
Jerry Lee Lewis’
considerably
faster live 1966
rendition from
the Panther
Hall, Fort
Worth, Texas.
Without the
Piano. Came into
the set at the
time of “Garage
Fuzz” and stayed
in until the
end.
Hobo
Blues
From the last
few songs it
looks like a
pattern of doing
covers of other
people’s covers
is emerging. But
in this case the
Subterraneans’
arrangement was
based on
John Lee Hooker‘s
original, from
Emil’s “More
Real Folk Blues
Roots” LP. The
Hook’s
arrangements can
be a bit hard to
master, however,
and somewhere in
the course of
working this one
out it ended up
sounding a bit
like the Cramps.
Appeared in the
set around
“Garage Fuzz”.
Don’t think it
was ever gigged
and I don’t
think it carried
on into the
Memphis Louie
set.
You’re Gonna
Miss Me
Based on the
13th
Floor Elevators’
1966 original,
from the
“Psychedelic
Sounds of the 13th
Floor Elevators”
LP, and a fairly
straight
attempt. The
Subterraneans
started
rehearsing this
one in 1984 – it
appears on the
84 practice
tape, and it
stayed in the
Memphis Louie
set right till
the end. I
believe it was
the very last
song played at
the September 85
Royal gig, but
doesn’t appear
on the recording
because the tape
(or batteries)
had run out by
that time.
Out
of The Question
Fairly
straightforward
attempt at the
Seeds’
original,
probably the
only coherent
track on their
deranged 1967
“Future” LP.
Came into the
Subterraneans’
set in 84 and
stayed in until
the end.
Up
The Line
Little Walter
number,
rehearsed by the
Subterraneans in
84.Don’t think
it was ever
gigged, and it
didn’t get into
the Memphis
Louie set, but
the version on
the 84 practice
tapes is not bad
for a first
attempt (which
it was).
He’s
Waitin’
(Zink on Vocals)
Another
Sonics
original from
sometime between
64 and 66, but
based on the
version from the
“Sinderella”
1980 comeback LP
for want of
access to the
original.
There’s a pretty
good first
attempt on the
1984
Subterraneans
practice tape,
with Zink
Sputnik on
vocals and Emil
blowing the harp
throughout. This
could have been
excellent live
but for some
reason it didn’t
survive into the
Memphis Louie
set.
Dead
Presidents
Another
Little Walter
cover. Emil’s
“Aw, hell” at
the end of the
version on the
84 practice tape
says it all. It
didn’t work out
very well.
Blues
with a Feelin’
And another
Little Walter
one (Emil was
going through a
bit of a phase
at the time).
This one worked
out pretty good
with Emil and
stayed on in the
Memphis Louie
set.
Be Bop A
Lula
Gene Vincent’s
1957 hit became
a staple of the
Memphis Louie
set, but I’m
pretty sure that
the
Subterraneans
gave it a few
goes in 84,
although it
doesn’t appear
on the tapes
from the time.
Probably
contributed to
Memphis Louie’s
lukewarm
reception at the
Folk Club gig in
85 because the
audience was
made up
primarily of old
beardy sassenach
types from that
late 50s/early
60s duffelcoat-wearing
trad jazz/folkie
student
generation for
whom “Rock ‘n’
Roll” was 2
four-letter
words. With a
one-letter word
in the middle.
And a couple of
apostrophes.
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Failures