In The Past: Garage Rock Podcast

Break out the Stambecco for this week's episode, which listens closely to Neil Diamond's energetic 66er, "Cherry Cherry." It might be bubblegum, but it is surprisingly horny! Or was that expected given all the metaphorical "chest hair" the song has? You might also be surprised that the original men in black, The Music Machine covered the tune, and made it loungey?!?! Brits Wishful Thinking were wishin' for a hit, but didn't get it, and then 80s Scots fuzz-poppers The FIzzbombs did a BBC session rendition, probably because their other tune, "Blue Summer," was so reminiscent of Neal's hipswinging 60s chop - who told them -- the engineer?  Finally, we end with a punkified version by Nardcore legends Ill Repute ... do they all have the way to move ya?!

Let's go crazy with our old friends The Sonics! This week we're yakking' about "Psycho," their wild 1965 track which is a bonafide barnburner. What more can be said about Gerry Roslie's tonsil-tearing screams and Bob Bennett's boffo bucket bangin'? Well, we say it! Some sane people believe that the song was bested by Pittsburgh area reprobates The Swamp Rats ... are they right? We then move on to some also-rans by The Jars, The Nomads, The Screaming Trees and Ralph Gean.  If this episode has a bit of a split personality, we recorded it over 2 different nights!

It's finally time to examine a song from Sgt. Pepper's, and we've chosen "Getting Better"! We wonder if the album has slipped in the public consciousness in favour of the later period Beatles dirtbag albums? We also include covers from Davy Graham (folk), The Five Stairsteps (soul), Steve Hillage (prog), The Wedding Present (indie), and, er ... Smash Mouth (smash mouth). Yes, we talk a lot about Smash Mouth, wondering if they're kinda garage? and what it might have been like to be in a wildly successful but disrespected band ...  You have to agree we're cool teachers, right? Right?!?

You know we love The Kinks, so this week we're showcasing the 1966 b-side to "Sunny Afternoon" by the North London quartet, the garage evergreen "I'm Not Like Everybody Else." It's thought to be a defiant statement of individualism, but we think Ray Davies could be winding us up. The first cover we discuss is by France's Lionets: their rendition is charmingly inept but undeniably moody. The Chocolate Watchband offer up the reliable garage rock snarl we expect from them, while Belgian trio Hubble Bubble bring the song into the 70s. The final version by Chris Spedding adds a nice musical theatre touch that Ray D would probably love. Let's go to town!

Because this is the podcast where we talk about a song for way too long, you've gotta be patient. But that can be hard, especially if you're The Supremes! That's right, this week we're talking about "You Can't Hurry Love," the seventh of their 12 consecutive number one singles. We love how the tune jumps from verse to bridge (but it doesn't make you want to jump off a bridge!) ... there's more reasons to love it, which we also discuss. The next version is by Montreal's Les Beatlettes. A garage-girl group belter ... magnifique! In the late 70s, R. Stevie Moore authored a one-man-band-as-girl-group version and it's boffo lo-fi! In the 80s the song had a resurgence with renditions by The Stray Cats and, of course, the inevitable Phil Collins - now break!!