Sunshine

Date
September 12, 2012

Miracler
Dave Tibbs

Location
Oakland, CA

What is it about mid-September and Dave Tibbs?
Must be something, because this is the third year in a row Your Hostess has randomly selected this week as Dave Tibbs Sweeps Week. Perhaps it's an unconscious attempt to lift any associated 9-11 blues with Tibby's unique and patented brand of crunchy-bubbly-shiny-pschy pop (a known blues killer)? Whatever the case, that's what we got last year, with 3 Minute Psyche Miracle Project and in 2010, Go Go Power. Then in '08, Dave aka DJ Sugar Smallhouse brought us How Does Your Light Shine to further clear away the cobwebs. It's what he does. 

And how have you guys responded to past Tibby greatness? With stuff like:
'You're my hero.'   'Would make a good soundtrack. Maybe the prequel to "Midnight Cowboy."'   "Thanks for the time machine, Dave. Dolly Parton was a hippy."  "Wow, the fall party mix has arrived! This is just fantastic."   "Must resist giving it out to random children as a Halloween treat."   "Thanks for resuscitating that Hollies track–solid gold. We can always count on Tibby to bring the fun."   "Piccolo Pupa is rocking my world!" "The drum break in the middle of Good Sweet Loving was worth the price of admission itself."  "20 quality tunes from folks I've never heard of. That's why I'm here. Thanks."  'Honestly and truly I listened to how does your light shine earlier today and thought, "Where has Dave Tibbs been - isn't he due for a mix?" It's true that I have a some psychic genes somehow, but I also hold on to the Tibb's mixes. Looking forward to hearing this one!'  'This is an amazing collection. Now I can't wait to hear the radio show. Thanks Dave.'   'A true pop-sike extravaganza, with only three dupes in my library.Great stuff! Really liked the Tikis and the Folklords. Loved how the Aquarians went off into actual weirdness in the last third. What's the second part of the Vamp track?'   'Thanks, Dave, a lot of good stuff, none of which I had. I particularly like the almost mechanical groove of Thane Russell's 'Security.'   'Dave, this is a real education. Lots of Googling. Love the Tikis' jangle and the traces of the Who and Moby Grape in Tintern Abbey. Aquarians - so 1969 yet so now. And I really love Kak. Did I just say that?'   'You sent me back in time and blew my mind. Excellent. Thanks.'   'Dude. Dude. Duuude! The Smoke --holy smoke! You're like the third or fourth person I know that knows them... And that is not the most obscure band here it seems. What about that Otis Redding cover! Amazing. This is so up my alley, thank you so much. Will have to listen to your show I guess! Extra appreciation goes to the sweet sound of your needle as it caresses those vinyls, gotta love it --and an actual DJ mix at that. You da man. Can I come hang out? :-)'   'Wowee-kazowee! A feast of rarities. All news to me except for two bands.'   'I like this so far quite a bit on first listen. Sounds like you dove in deep!'   'This mix is fantastic. I love Otis Redding's Security, and Thane Russell not only takes nothing away from it, but transforms it nicely. Also especially liked Anymore than I Do by the Attack quite a lot. There are no misses in this mix for me. Thanks.'

What fantastic mind-blower has he brung us today? Let's look in.

Liner Notes by DT
Hello Miraclers and thanks for downloading my mix.  First, you should know that this is a DJ mix that I recorded live onto a cd.  The songs, therefore, are blended together so you need to make sure that the tracks are in the correct order and that your itunes is set to have no gaps or pauses between songs.  Enjoy!

1. The Cowsills - Anything Changes

This song is off of their incredible 1970 album IIxII which features the bizarre song "The Prophecy of Daniel and John the Divine" in which the family exuberantly sings "SIX, SIX, SIIIIX!" in three-part harmony during the choruses.  But, about this song, if you thought the Elephant Six bands' main influence was The Beatles (and it probably was), "Anything Changes" might make you reconsider.  A bit of Cowsills trivia: 1) they were the inspiration for The Partridge Family and 2) Barry Cowsill and his sister Susan were living in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.  Barry survived, but Susan (and her husband) didn't.

2. The Cyrkle - Turn Down Day

This song was released in 1966 just a few months after their big hit "Red Rubber Ball" which was co-penned by Paul Simon who gave it to the band while they were touring with Simon and Garfunkel.  

3. Puff - Dead Thoughts of Alfred

This song is off of Puff's only album...self-titled from 1968.  They were from Boston and featured brothers Ronn and Vin Campisi of the Rockin' Ramrods.

4. Cartoone - See Me

Despite the unfortunate name, Cartoone was a really great band from Scotland.  "See Me" is off of their self-titled debut from 1969 which in the gatefold liner notes credits Jimmy Page as a "guest artist" although I have no idea if he played on this song or not.

5. Merry Go Round - Time Will Show The Wiser

You might know the Fairport Convention's 1968 cover of this song...this is the original from the Merry Go Round's only album from 1967.

6. Saturday's Photograph - Gentle Loving San Francisco Man

This is one of just 3 singles released by Saturday's Photograph...all in 1969.

7. The Archies - Sunshine

I love The Archies so much!  This is off their 1970 album Sunshine.

8. The Banana Splits - Gonna Find A Cave

Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snorky had some great songwriters on their side...Jimmy Radcliffe and Gene Pitney wrote and recorded this one for release on the Splits' 1968 album "We're The Banana Splits".

9. Sajid - Everything Is You

Sajid's full name is Sajid Khan and he is an actor from India who is best known to American audiences for his co-starring role in the John Berry film Maya from 1966.  Anyway, he put out one album on Colgems in 1969...there are a few good songs on it.

10.  The Left Banke - I Haven't Got The Nerve

I've never heard anyone say that they don't like the Left Banke...they were such an enjoyable band!  This is from their amazing 1967 debut album.  If you didn't know what "Baroque Rock" was before, now you do.

11.  PJ Proby - I Can't Make It Alone

Man, could this guy sing!  I love his melodramatic, crooner delivery.  This is off a hit-or-miss record called Enigma from 1966 which featured his only chart hit "Niky Hoeky".

12.  The Luv Birds - Little Faces

I have no idea who The Luv Birds were but what a crazy song!  

13.  Crispian St. Peters - Changes

Another singer with that old time crooner style...love it.  This song was a single released in 1966.

14.  Smoke - Fogbound

Not to be confused with the UK psych band The Smoke (who are equally incredible!), this band was from Los Angeles, CA (I've heard rumors that some of the musicians in this band were from Sunnyvale, but I haven't found any evidence online to substantiate it) and was a vanity project of musician and producer Michael Lloyd (West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, October Country).  They had one very good record that came out in 1968.

15.  The New Colony Six - Treat Her Groovy

This is off of their delightfully poppy third album Revelations from 1968.

16.  The Ohio Express - Turn To Straw

This "band" is frequently cited as an example of the most problematic aspect of bubblegum pop: the manufactured band.  The Ohio Express was really a revolving door of musicians brought in (and out) to record songs for Jerry Kasenetz's and Jeffrey Katz's label Super K Productions.  The Express had a separate group of musicians hired to play live shows and would sometimes get requests for songs that had been released by the recording unit of the band, but that the live performers didn't even know existed! In any case, the music was good.  This song is off their self-titled second album from 1968.

17.  The Lemon Pipers - Jelly Jungle

The Pipers put out two fantastic albums in 1968...this is off the second one entitled "Jungle Marmalade".  The Pipers are an example of a band that got unwittingly caught up in the bubblegum craze and wound up making huge artistic compromises to satisfy their record label Buddah Records.  They never saw themselves as a bubblegum band but instead as a psychedelic band.  They broke up shortly after the release of their second record due to artistic squabbles and struggles within the band.

18.  Pat Shannon - Candy Apple, Cotton Candy

Great song written by Ruthann Friedman who also penned "Windy".  This single came out in May of '68.

19.  Markley - Outside/Inside

Bob Markley was the singer and principal financier of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band.  Basically, he was a rich kid that paid to be in a band...not that he wasn't a decent musician, not great, but not bad.  Anyway, in 1970 he decided he wanted to do a solo record so he assembled a group of musicians to help him record it.  The only problem is that it was all the same musicians from the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (including Michael Lloyd of Smoke) so it was really a solo project in name only.  Markley put out just that one record called A Group.  It is quite good, but so was pretty much everything that those guys put out.

20.  1910 Fruitgum Company -  Sister John

What is a bubblegum comp without a song by these guys?  This song is off of their sophomore effort from late 1968 1, 2, 3, Redlight.  By the by, did you know that the reason that bubblegum is pink is because that was the only food dye that bubblegum inventor Walter Diemer had in his lab when making the first batch?

Mix is UP. Same password—check your inbox.

To comment on this mix, click on the 'Comment' button below the post and write something. If you don't have/want to use your Google etc. accounts, just type your name in the "Name" box and you are done.

See you back here or on our members-only Facebook page soon.

XOK