Sunday, October 23, 2011

Wild Cherries - That's Life (1965-68)

The Wild Cherries started as a R&B combo in 1964. In their early days they often shared the gigs with The Purple Hearts. After a radical line-up change only founding member Les Gilbert remained and took over the keyboards. Lead guitarist Lobby Loyde (aka Barry Lyde) came from the Purple Hearts and as a five piece they released their first two singles in 1967. With new bass player John Phillips two more 45's followed a year later. The band went through a series of personnel changes and at the end of 1969 they finally call it quits. Lobby Loyde reformed the band as a power trio in 1971 but after a lone single the band finally falling apart. Half A Cow Records, who was responsible for the great Purple Hearts release "Benzedrine Beat", put out a complete discography (except the '71 recordings) of the Wild Cherries material (Half A Cow HAC 113 / 2007). Sad to say that "That's Life" didn't live up to my expectations. It is said that they were an adventurous and breathtaking live-band but on their recordings it seems that they couldn't unlock the handbrake. The strangely titled debut "Krome Plated Yabby" is not bad but nothing exceptional. The follow-up "That's Life" is far better and like its predecessor very much in the Cream style. The A-side of their third single "Gotta Stop Lying" is the best song to my ears and not unlike british psych-influenced Freak Beat. The 16 unreleased tracks, nine of them live, are more thrilling than their official releases. Especially their version of "Tobacco Road" is rough-as-guts and the live-version of "Without You" lives up for the name "Wild" Cherries. The CD comes with a 36 booklet and extensive liner notes.

Tracklist:
- Krome Plated Yabby
- Everything I Do Is Wrong
- That's Life
- Try Me (I'm Not as Bad as You Think)
- Gotta Stop Lying
- Time Killer
- I Don't Care
- Theme for a Merry-Go-Round
- Without You
- Coming Home Baby
- Tobacco Road
- Worried Blues
- You Don't Love Me
- Get Out of My Life
- Bye Bye Bird
- Without You [version 2] • live
- I'm Your Kingpin • live
- Mad Man Blues • live
- Tobacco Road • live
- Parchman Farm • live
- Smokestack Lightning • live
- My Generation • live
- Ain't Got You • live
- Baby Please Don't Go • live

Personnel:
John Bastow (vcls, hrmnca) [AB]
Malcolm McGee (lead gtr, vcls) [AB]
Rob Lovett (rhythm gtr, vcls) [AB]
Les Gilbert (bs, organ) [ABCD]
Geoff Hales (drms) [A]
Kevin Murphy (drms) [B]
Danny Robinson (vcls) [CD]
Lobby Loyde (lead gtr) [CDEG]
Peter Eddy (bs) [C]
Keith Barber (drms) [CD]
John Phillips (bs) [D]
Matt Taylor (vcls) [E]
Barry Sullivan (lead gtr, rhythm gtr, bs) [EF]
Steve Pristash (bs) [EF]
Barry Harvey (drms) [E]
Brian Wilson (lead vcls) [F]
Tim Piper (gtr) [F]
Teddy Toi (bs) [G]
Johnny Dick (drms) [G]


Band origin:
Melbourne (Victoria/Australia)

Discographie:
45's:
1. (C) Krome Plated Yabby/Everything I Do Is Wrong
   (Festival FK 1879) 1967
2. (C) That's Life/Try Me (Festival FK 2052) 1967
3. (D) Gotta Stop Lying/Time Killer
   (Festival FK 2258) 1968
4. (D) I Don't Care/Theme For A Merry Go Round
   (Festival FK 2535) 1968
5. (G) I Am The Sea (Stop Killing Me)/Daily Planet
   (Havoc H 1006) 1971

E.P.'s:
1. (C) Krome Plated Yabby (Festival FX 11422) 1967

Get it here (Artwork included)

Listen to Gotta Stop Lying

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

thank you great post!!

Hajul Ellah said...

This site never runs out of surprises. Many thanks!

unkerz said...

INTERESTING,can't wait to hear more.Good Post,Thank You.

ComadrejaPep said...

Many thankx for this friend. Really fantastic.

sfdoomed said...

I've been wanting to hear this before I bought it. I've only heard a few tracks from comps (like "Aliens, Pscyos & Wild Things).

Killer stuff.

Thanks for posting.