052 - Soulmasters and Bar Boys

The Bar Boys from Arkansas start the podcast. In the mid-60's they traveled up to Memphis to do some recording, and their song "That's the Sound of My Heart" comes from that session. I think they got their money's worth.

The Soulmasters may have been from the middle part of Virginia, but their sound was pure East Coast Beach. "You Took Away the Sunshine" has sassy brass and a shuffling groove to it that's perfect for the Carolina Shag (that's a dance, y'all).

We searched for some more vintage soul for the podcast, and came up with William Cummings and "Your Soul-Searching Love." A rock-steady bass and some sweet soulful singing. Score!

Robin and the Hoods finish things up with "Slow Down," from a live 1968 performance.

Remember, you don't need an iPod (or even an iPhone) to enjoy this podcast. Just click on the link below and start listening.

Garage/Soul '66 Podcast #052 -  Lost Souls, Vol. 3

The Radio Star

This program we play:

The Bar Boys - That's the Sound of My Heart
Lost Souls, Volume 3

The Soulmasters - You Took Away the Sunshine
Ol' Virginia Soul, Volume 1

William Cummings - Your Soul-Searching Love
Ol' Virginia Soul, Volume 2

Robin and the Hoods - Slow Down
Lost Souls, Volume 3

051 - Village of Love and Spontaneous Corruption

Another of our infamous mystery bands start off this podcast. Who were Les Soules? We're not sure. They recorded a song in Jonesboro, Arkansas, but other than that...

With a name like Spontaneous Corruption, you can bet the band's going to lay down some heavy sound. And they do. The Looking Glass of Time has all the cosmic psychedelica you could desire (maybe even more so).

The Soul Spotlight shines on Roy Hines. Hines had been in the business for over a decade when he cut this fine example of early 70's soul. When he hits the chorus with the brass behind him, everything's right with the world.

We finish with a test track. Jamie Holmes and some friends were asked to try out a newly-built studio at the local radio station, KBOA. They did, and promptly forgot about the track. Forty years later it was unearthed by Psych of the South and another fine example of raw garage was made available for us to enjoy.

Remember, you don't need an iPod (or even an iPhone) to enjoy this podcast. Just click on the link below and start listening.

Garage/Soul '66 Podcast #051 -  Village of Love and Spontaneous Corruption

 - The Radio Star

This program we play:

Les Soules - The Village of Love
Lost Souls, Volume 3

Spontaneous Corruption - The Looking Glass of Time
Aliens, Psychos, and Wild Things, Vol. Fore

Roy Hines - I Can't Live
Ol' Virginia Soul - Encore!

Jamie Holmes - Gloria
Lost Souls, Volume 3

050 - Lost Souls, Vol. 3

 Fifty episodes of Garage/Soul '66! Hard to believe we're still going strong, and still have lots more vintage psych, rock, soul and pop to share with you.

To celebrate, we're marking another important occasion -- the release of Lost Souls, Vol. 3 by Psych of the South. This compilation digs even deeper into the Arkansas music scene of the late 1960's, unearthing rare acetates, rehearsal recordings, reel-to-reel tapes, as well as some tunes that actually made it to vinyl.

We start with the first track on the CD. Richard Vanover and Bob Ralph perform their original 1968 composition, "I Can See Your Ways." We then move to a classic. The Culls (like many other bands before and after them) performed "Suzie Q." This recording, though, doesn't come from a studio, but rather a rehearsal held in the drummers basement! (We may have to rethink that term "garage band"...)

And we also have a movie-related track from Billy Cole and the Fouke Monsters. Their release "The Fouke Monster" was written to promote The Legend of Boggy Creek.The Fouke Monster was sort of a Big Foot-style creature sighted around Fouke, Arkansas. Really.


Barbara Stants takes the Soul Spotlight with a song about sisters doing it.. to their men. "I'm Gonna Outfit You Baby" tells it exactly as it is. A welcome dose of sassy funk from Miss Stants.

Remember, you don't need an iPod (or even an iPhone) to enjoy this podcast. Just click on the link below and start listening.

Garage/Soul '66 Podcast #050 -  Lost Souls, Vol. 3

The Radio Star

This program we play:

Richard Vanover and Bob Ralph - I Can See Your Ways
Lost Souls, Volume 3

The Culls - Suzie Q

Lost Souls, Volume 3

Barbara Stant - I'm Gonna Outfit You, Baby
Ol' Virginia Soul, Encore!
 
Billy Cole and the Fouke Monsters - The Fouke Monster
Lost Souls, Volume 3

049 - A Double Shot of Soul!

There was more going on in Nashville than just country music in the 1960's. We start the show with a group from the Music City known as the House of David.

No, they weren't Jewish. They actually took their name from the recording studio they were in, the House of David. In any case, their 1968 track "A Long Way Back Home" serves up a nice slice of psych.

This time, we present a double shot of soul (just because we can). The first act is Al Glover and Gloria, a seasoned duo from Eastern Virginia. "Til the End of Time" is one of the few songs they saved to vinyl. It's a soulful, laid-back track from 1972.

Our second shot is a lo-fi ballad by Reginald C from 1969. "Take What You Want But Leave a Little Bit" sounds like it was recorded in someone's bedroom, but there's a lot of soul that comes through in the vocals nonetheless.

We finish with "Roses, Roses," by I.D. Mitchell and the Amalgamated Taxi Service. This Arkansas group wrote their war protest song shortly after some of the band members became eligible for the draft!

Remember, you don't need an iPod (or even an iPhone) to enjoy this podcast. Just click on the link below and start listening.

Garage/Soul '66 Podcast #049 -  Double Shot of Soul!

The Radio Star


This program we play:

The House of David - A Long Way Back Home
Aliens, Psychos, and Wild Things, Vol. Fore

Al Glover and Gloria - Til the End of Time
Ol' Virginia Soul, Encore!

Reginald C. - Take What You Want But Leave a Little Bit
Ol' Virginia Soul, Encore!

I.D. Mitchell and the Amalgamated Taxi Service - Roses, Roses
Lost Souls, Vol. 2 - Garage and Psychedelic Rock from Arkansas and Beyond

048 - Black Narcosis and the Tuesday Blues

First up on this episode of Garage/Soul '66 is a blast of heavy psych. The Sound Expidition hailed from Lincoln, NE and recorded (as far as we know) just this one track -- but it's a good one. "Ultimate Power" proved to be the ultimate track for the band.

The Anglos take the Soul Spotlight with a sizzling lo-fi track, "Since You've Been Gone." Folks, there's more to 60's soul than Motown, as this 1967 track proves.

Black Narcosis is another of our mystery bands - they came into the studio, they recorded, they disappeared without a trace. I have a deep suspicion that their track "Land of Stone" was recorded while the band was, well...

The Tuesday Blues turn in a trippy, laid-back track from 1968. "Together We Stand" was recorded shortly before the lead guitarist joined Black Oak Arkansas (maybe he should have paid more attention to the lyrics).

Remember, you don't need an iPod (or even an iPhone) to enjoy this podcast. Just click on the link below and start listening.

Garage/Soul '66 Podcast #048 - Black Narcosis and the Tuesday Blues

The Radio Star


This program we play:

The Sound Expidition  - Ultimate Power
Aliens, Psychos, and Wild Things, Vol. Fore

Black Narcosis - Land of Stone
Aliens, Psychos, and Wild Things, Vol. Fore

The Anglos - Since You've Been Gone
Ol' Virginia Soul, Part 1

The Tuesday Blues - Together We Stand
Lost Souls, Vol. 2 - Garage and Psychedelic Rock from Arkansas and Beyond

047 - Group Nine and Urban 44

We start the show with the Morning Disaster. This band wrote (and recorded) songs that were a cut above the run-of-the-mill garage band. For some reason, though, the tapes of their 1967 recording session were never released -- until Arcania International got hold of them, that is. From that legendary session we play their original tune "Urban 44."

Longtime listeners know our theme and background music is "Days of s Quiet Sun" by Wilson Castle. But it's not the only version of the tune. Group Nine first recorded the song, and as you'll hear it's very different then the later Wilson Castle track.

The Soul Duo take the Soul Spotlight with a cautionary tale, "This is Your Day." In this song the duo take the roles of a good woman and triflin' man. Fine mid-sixties soul.

As a group, the Woo Too Country Band didn't last a year, but they managed to accumulate a large following in both Arkansas and Missouri. Their track "Only Going Up the Road" is as gritty as they come, and help explain the band's popularity.

Remember, you don't need an iPod (or even an iPhone) to enjoy this podcast. Just click on the link below and start listening.

Garage/Soul '66 Podcast #047 - Group Nine and Urban 44

The Radio Star


This program we play:

The Morning Disaster - Urban 44
Aliens, Psychos, and Wild Things, Vol. 3

Group Nine - Days of a Quiet Sun
Aliens, Psychos, and Wild Things, Vol. Fore

The Soul Duo - This is Your Day
Ol' Virginia Soul, Part 1

Woo Too Country Band -Only Going Up the Road
Lost Souls, Vol. 2 - Garage and Psychedelic Rock from Arkansas and Beyond

046 - The Greatest Moment, Are You Ready For This?

One of the best bands out of Richmond, VA kick off this episode of the Garage/Soul '66 podcast. Wilson Castle had strong songwriting skills and a mature sound.

For some reason though, their tracks were never released (well, until Arcania International came along that is). This episode they perform a heartfelt ballad, "The Greatest Moment," which might owe  a little of its sound to the Byrds.

Sometimes "rare" doesn't begin to describe the music Arcania International rescues from the past. The Psychotrons' "Death is a Dream" is the lone 45 rpm put out by the group. There are only three copies of this 45 known to exist -- and Arcania International had access to one of them. And so we share this single shot of psych with you.

The Soul Spotlight shines on Blue-Eyed Soul. Not the term, but the group of the same name. This integrated ensemble had a tough time getting gigs in the south, but when they took to the stage, they really delivered. "Are You Ready for This?" Are you ready indeed for Blue-Eyed Soul!

We finish with the Woo Too Country Band and their version of "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." Whatever you think this song will sound like -- you're likely to be wrong. The band strips this old song down to its essence and reassembles it as a raw-sounding rocker.

Remember, you don't need an iPod (or even an iPhone) to enjoy this podcast. Just click on the link below and start listening.

Garage/Soul '66 Podcast #046 - The Greatest Moment, Are You Ready for This?

The Radio Star


This program we play:

Wilson Castle - The Greatest Moment
Aliens, Psychos, and Wild Things, Vol. 3

The Psychotrons - Death is a Dream
Aliens, Psychos, and Wild Things, Vol. Fore

Blue-Eyed Soul - Are You Ready
Ol' Virginia Soul, Part 2

Woo Too Country Band -What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Lost Souls, Vol. 2 - Garage and Psychedelic Rock from Arkansas and Beyond