V.A. - A History Of Garage & Frat Bands In Memphis Vol. 2

So, how was the garage and frat scene during the 60s in the Birthplace of Rock & Roll? It often seems that after the original wave of rockers, every white boy over there chose either the country path or joined the Stax/Muscle Shoals R&B/soul family. Though a few punk songs from that area had appeared here and there, the first volume of this series took the first step to helping us discover the Memphis British-Invasion-fed youngsters from the 60s (along with the companion book that came out around the same time). This second CD mixes the garage vibe and the local influences. It opens with what is probably the most beloved Memphis 60s punk side, the Breakers' "Don't Send Me No Flowers," a true killer fuzz version of this song, also recorded by the What-Knots and the Gentrys among others. The other ace punker included is Los Angeles Smog Division's "Blue Green", an unissued track on a heavier trip à la Steppenwolf, with a couple of things stolen from the Pretties' "LSD." The core of this CD is made of blue-eyed-R&B, from the Diddley beat of the Ole Miss Downbeats (like the Drifters jamming with the Strangeloves) to the frat sound of Lawson & Four More (a band better known for the acid punker "Halfway Down the Stairs") or nice ballads like Ricky & the Rainbows' "Goin' Out Of My Mind" and the Merits' "Please, Please Little Girl" (with its cool moody organ). There are not many truly amazing tracks, but no stinkers either. My faves among the remaining ones are the Scepters' "Little Girls Were Made To Love" - obviously inspired by the Syndicate Of Sound's hit, with the same frat meets folk rock vibe - the Goodees' "Condition Red" which, though being from a Southern state, is pure Northern Soul in a cool Shangri-Las drama-mode, and the Honey Jug's great late 60s pop ballad "Warm City Baby." It's a shorter disc than the usual compilations issued these days, but a good selection and sound quality are what matters in the end.
(review by Laurent Bigot, Ugly Things magazine).

This was requested a while ago and I've got the original rip from the Garden of Delights blog. Sadly the link is down there but I think kudos go to the blog's owner Freaky Lady. This second volume was released in 2002 (Shangri-La Projects 035) and you will find the first volume on the Garage Punk 66 site.

Tracklist:
1. Breakers - Don't Send Me No Flowers (I Ain't Dead Yet)
taken from the single
Don't Send Me No Flowers (I Ain't Dead Yet)/Love Of My Life (Amy 938) 1966
Personnel incl.: Gary Johns (vcls), Mike Ladd (gtr), Stu Lewis (gtr), Dick Lewis (gtr), Tom Keckler (bs), Cully Powell (keyb'ds), Eddie Tatum (drms).
2. Ole Miss Downbeats - Geraldine
taken from the single Geraldine/Mr. Crump (Ardent 103) 1963
Line-up: Bobby Jones (vcls), Billy Wayne Herbert (gtr), Tommy Gray (bs), Buddy Flowers (piano), Tommy Christopher (sax), Jim Slocum (sax), Leon Deloach (trumpet), Ed Forsythe (drms).
3. Shades - Shady Lady
taken from the single Shady Lady/Moonlight Sonata (Ardent 104) 1963
Line-up: Chris Hull (gtr), Craig Benson (gtr), Mike Alexander (bs), Philip Stewart (vcls, piano), Lee Wiener (drms).
4. Percussions - Your Love
taken from the single Your Love/Misery And Pain (Block 201) 1966
Line-up: Sherrill Williams (gtr, vcls), Gayle Patterson (bs, vcls), Maggie Stout (keyb'ds), Don Reed (sax), Joe Stout (drms).
5. Merits - Please, Please Little Girl
taken from the single
Arabian Jerk/Please, Please Little Girl (Bandstand USA 1002) 1964
Line-up: Steve Little (vcls), Bill Way (vcls), Danny Clary (gtr), Johnny Reynolds (bs), Johnny Mullins (keyb'ds), John Tillman (drms).
6. Scepters - Little Girls Were Made To Love
taken from the single
Little Girls Were Made To Love/Love You Baby All The Time
(MOC 661) 1965
Line-up: Finley Brown (vcls), Bret Basselle (vcls), Mickey Dunlap (vcls), Norman Brown (lead gtr), John Wulff (gtr), Fred Shaeffer (bs), Greg Green (organ), Charles Jolley (drms).
7. Chasers - I Need Your Loving
taken from the single
I Need Your Lovin'/Since You Left Me (Style 1931) 1965
Line-up: Lonnie Davidson (lead gtr), Mike Maffel (bs), Steve Cowan (sax, vcls), Jerry Houston (drms).
8. Ponees - Move It, Groove It
taken from the single
Move It, Groove It/Here's The Place (Scion 711) 1966
Line-up: Chuck Gordon (vcls), Dick Lewis (gtr), Fred Beaty (bs), Eugene Adams (organ), Ricky Leach (drms).
9. Tommy Burk & Noe Counts - Stormy Weather (Part 1)
taken from the single
Stormy Weather [Part 1]/Stormy Weather [Part 2]
(Barbarian BARB-0110) 1975
Line-up: John Grear (vcls), Dan Morelock (vcls), Steve O'Keefe (vcls), Tommy Burk (lead vcls, lead gtr), Wayne Thompson (gtr), Mike Stoker (bs), Thomas Boggs (drms).
10. Ricky & The Rainbows - Going Out Of My Mind
taken from the single
Going Out Of My Mind/Come Back To Me (Arbet 1012) 1966
Line-up: Gary Shipley (lead vcls), Steve Edmaiston (back vcls), Dan Strahl (rhythm gtr), Bill Stancil (gtr), Tim Pappas (bs), Mike Sheffield (piano), Ricky Reeves (drms).
11. Lawson & Four More - Back For More
taken from the single
If You Want Me You Can Find Me/Back For More (Ardent 105) 1966
Line-up: Joe Lee (lead gtr), Bob Lawson (gtr, vcls), Joe Gaston (bs), Terry Manning (keyb'ds), Bill Donati (drms).
12. Goodees - Condition Red
taken from the single
Condition Red/Didn't Know Love Was So Good (Hip 8005) 1968
Line-up: Sandra Jackson (vcls), Judy Williams (vcls), Kay Evans (vcls).
13. Memphis Nomads - I Wanna Be
taken from the single
I Wanna Be/Don't Pass Your Judgement (Stax 243) 1968
Line-up: Finlay Brown (vcls), Steve Weaver (gtr), Bill Truitt (gtr), Bill Hall (bs), Jerry Murley (keyb'ds), Roy Yeager (drms).
14. Village Sound - Sally's Got A Good Thing
taken from the single
Sally's Got A Good Thing/The La La Song (Hipe 711 + Hip 8003) 1968
Line-up: Pat Taylor (vcls), Taft Lassiter (vcls), Danny Thompson (gtr), Dan Reding (bs), Greg Reding (organ, vcls), Bobby Dodds (drms).
15. Honey Jug - Warm City Baby
taken from the single
Warm City Baby/Honey Say So (HIP H-106) 1967
Line-up: Ron Jordan (vcls), Joe Lee (gtr), Joe Gaston (bs), Jim Dickinson (keyb'ds), Bill Donati (drms).
16. Los Angeles Smog Division - Blue Green
[unreleased / 1968]
Line-up: Melvin Lewis (vcls), Robert Johnson (lead gtr), Don Thornton (bs), Greg Huested (keyb'ds), John Stetz (hrmnca), Kenny Pruitt (drms).

— All bands were from Memphis/Tennessee —

Get it here

Listen to Ole Miss Downbeats - Geraldine

Listen to Scepters - Little Girls Were Made To Love