Okay kids, this is the way we oldtimers used to enjoy the rock and roll.
Yes, you're listening to the actual 45 of The Gestures' "Run, Run, Run," scratches and all, just as you would have back in 1964. None of that transferred-to-CD crap.
We bring it up -- and we swear this is the last post about something Paul Westerberg related for the forseeable future -- because it's one of a bunch of garage rock classics (some obscure, some less so) that made the cut in this very interesting list from the Minneapolis/St. Paul City Pages of Minnesota's Fifty Greatest Hits.
In the article Peter Jesperson (who discovered the Replacements) describes it thusly:
"The band was from Mankato, the single went to #1 locally and Top 50 nationally in the summer of 1964 (even got a spin on American Bandstand!) and sold over 100,000 copies. Sure, there were bigger hits by local groups of that era, but "Run, Run, Run" was the one for me--an exciting and dynamic arrangement, just the right amount of reverb, great harmonies, fabulous drumming, and a knockout guitar solo. Even the hint of a fake British accent on the word "Baby" was cool. A perfect rock 'n' roll single."
Less, shall we say, frenetic songs in the survey include a lovely Leo Kottke twelve-string guitar instrumental and Lipps Inc.'s ubiquitous "Funkytown," but the whole thing is well worth checking out, even if you didn't grow up down the block from Prince.
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11 comments:
It's great. I saw a bunch of youtubes that someone put up of his hi-fi playing Sinatra records. An interesting format.
Very interesting list. Lots of garage/psych stuff.
Also, the Leatherwoods disc mentioned is a very obscure powerpop classic.
Also, this Gestures tune is just about as close to perfection as it comes. I really dig the surf/Brit invasion fusion they have going on.
Thanks for sharing this song--it's amazing. I'd love to be able to track down that 45 somewhere.
I'm almost certain it's on CD -- probably on Rhino's Nuggets box...
There's also a full CD of Gestures stuff on Sundazed that includes this song.
Makes me want to run, run, run and get my turntable and all my 45's out of storage ... of course, I'd have to dig up some of those yellow plastic inserts!
I miss all those funny mechanical sounds associated with records: the plopping sound when the next one dropped into place, the little hiss when the needle hit the surface ...
gosh I miss the struggle to use a discwash on my vinyl while buzzed out of my gourd!
I used to really like the import 45s (British) that had the 45 adapter built in....
Two of the writers of this top 50 would make my list-- Dylan Hicks (solo artist) and Keith Patterson (Spectors).
Something Fierce and several other of my favorites make these lists depending on who is writing them. But, this list is not bad. I definitely agree that Leatherwoods belong. Todd Newman is revered by local Minnesota Pop Poppers.
I am somewhat embarassed to say that I am totally unfamiliar with the Leatherwoods.
Leatherwoods (1992): http://www.tt.net/mcool/projects/89220.html
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