Okay, if you get this one, you're good.
From 1966, please enjoy the quite remarkable "You Used to Ride So High" by Abilene Motorcycle.
This is an unreleased demo, but as you can hear, it's a pretty amazing mashup of Mamas and Papas harmonies, a Buffalo Springfield-ish band track and the "dit-dit-dit-dits" from "Friday on My Mind."
The performers -- and there are two of them -- both went on to become quite famous a few years later, one as a producer and the other as a celebrated singer-songwriter.
I think it's great, and could have been a hit, although I will admit that the guitar solos -- which seem to have been played by Jerry Lewis --
--are kind of heinous.
In any case, if you already know who did it, please don't give it away in the comments.
Because I'm a nice guy, you can find a photographic clue to their identity here; if you think it makes it blindingly obvious (and I don't think it does) please don't give it away in comments either.
I should add that I had no idea myself of the existence of this until last week, when it rather blew my miniscule mind.
And of course, a coveted PowerPop No-Prize© will be awarded the first reader who correctly guesses the artistes.
[h/t Seth Gordon]
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10 comments:
I was able to guess one of them from the picture -neither from the song.
The real clue is in the partially obscured fine print on the divshare link;>
I guess I can't play because I already know, so I'll give another clue: It is included on the Where The Action Is: LA Nuggets 1965-1968 collection
I only knew this because I'm currently reading the biography of referenced singer-songwriter. Coincidentally, I highly recommend the bio.
-BlakeS
I recognized one, and then it wasn't too hard to find the other. Interesting.
I like that ES-275 Jerry's, er, handling.
I do know that Carl Hiaasen is a huge fan. :-)
Interestingly, the singer/songwriter also has cowriting credits for the Turtles's song Outside Chance that was featured on the Rhino reissue of the first Nuggets compilation, although credited under a different moniker.
-BlakeS
I wouldn't have recognized this on my own, but it fits.
I assume you've heard this, too, from the same referenced singer/songwriter. It was a hit in Southern California, also on White Whale Records: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvkBLNOYR7Y
The singer-songwriter is Warren Zevon; the pic gave it away. Don't know the other; I'm going to guess Kim Fowley simply because he was involved in Zevon's first 1969 album. Alternate guess is T-Bone Burnett, because of the name "Abilene Motorcycle" (Burnett is from Texas).
Bones Howe.
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