While the Standells are lumped in with the crowd of garage rock bands that formed in the wake of the British Invasion, their history goes back further than that, as they formed in 1962. So, in effect, the claims of this Los Angeles group as being the fathers of garage are not too far from the truth (although their early records are quite pedestrian until they hooked up with producer Ed Cobb for the immortal "Dirty Water" and its equally excellent followups).
Unfortunately, after the release of this record a reactionary right wing radio man Gordon McLendon (himself the man who was thought to have created the top 40 radio format) stated the suggestive record as "obscene" and unfit for young minds on the radio. Precisely the reason why it's great.
The song was an early co-composition of Joey Levine, who went on to great success in the bubblegum scene of the late 60's (his rockin' nasal voice is heard on those hits from The Ohio Express, Kasenatz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus, as well as the Nuggets LP classic "Run Run Run" by The Third Rail). The Ohio Express later recut this track with Levine on lead vocals which is cool, but it just doesn't pack the wallop that this original does.
from 1967...
THE STANDELLS - TRY IT
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2 comments:
Thanks. Never heard it. Is good.
I've since listened to all the other versions. I really dig the way he sings "don't you dare walk away" in this original version, it really paints a picture for me, so even if the others are good in different ways, this is the one.
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