20/20
SEX-TRAP (1982) - SEX-TRAP (1983)

When the enormous backlash against the Knack hit "My Sharona", it virtually ended the careers of many far superior L.A. bands, among them 20/20 and the Plimsouls, who were undoubtedly the other two most popular bands of the scene. 20/20's label could never translate radio play and sold-out shows into national chart success, so when the label wanted to do a third album, 20/20 declined, they might have better luck elsewhere. A new deal with a major label fell through, leaving the band without a label and still in debt from the initial advance, so the band released their third album Sex-Trap in 1982 on their own Mainway Records. Spurred by more critical acclaim, the album was picked up by Enigma in 1983, two songs "Sex-Trap" and "Fast Car" were remixed, one song dropped "Please Please (Listen To Me)" and one song added, the fantastic "Jack's Got A Problem", but again, the band had signed to the label "Enigma" that would later become successful before the band had any hit records.

Special note: "Sex-Trap" has been reissued (1999) in Japan with a bonus song "Best Of Your Life". Purchase it as soon as possible if you can find an affordable copy here. Sooner or later it will be a collector's item.

Mainway SRD 101 (1982)
Overload / Walking Downtown / Bad Night / Haunted People Go / Kick It Up Twice / Fast Car / Sex Trap / Please, Please (Listen To Me) / We Can Fly / Howard

Enigma 10 (1983)
Jack's Got A Problem / Fast Car (Remix) / Sex Trap (Remix) / We Can Fly / Howard / Overload / Walking Downtown / Bad Night / Haunted People Go / Kick It Up Twice

20/20, Steve Allen & Ron Flynt can also be heard on the following:
(links to purchase)

20/20 - 4 Day Tornado (1995)
20/20 - Interstate (1998)

Steve Allen - In & Out Of The Light (2001)

Ron Flynt - Big Blue Heart (2000)
Ron Flynt - L.A Story (2004)

TRIBUTES OR NOT TRIBUTES (2006)

You all know "you can't judge a book by its cover", but you also know "you can judge a band by the covers". Sometimes, a band can ruin a great song, but sometimes another band can match or even surpass the original, such as "I Fought The Law" (The Clash), "Stop Your Sobbing" (Pretenders) or an artist can get a hit with his cover while the original version had flopped (see "Without You" of Badfinger and Harry Nilsson fame).
So, that's the reason why, the PPC blog is proud to bring to you (again) 2x50 masterpieces covered by 2x50 bands or artists. Some of them, specially the "Do Ya" version, are great covers and add something to the original, some others...well you'll judge the covers by yourself.. if you like 'em, buy 'em....

Special note : As you'll read the sleeve notes, in 2006 i made these two 2cd compilations for the blog i used to contribute for. The ones who already grabbed them at the time will remember the "Rewind" inlay had not the patchwork sleeves, so a mere 18 months later, i finally completed the work at last. And remember, these compilations are almost 100% Stones free........i wouldn't say the same about Jeff Lynne....

Tributes or not Tributes
CD1 (RS +SB)

Lolas (Good Morning, Good Morning)) / Myracle Brah (Eight Miles High) / Matthew Sweet (American Girl) / Bleu (You Might Think) / Mark Kleiner Power Trio (Baby It's You) / Splitsville (I'll Never Fall In Love Again) / The Loud Family (We're For The Dark) / Farrah (I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend) / The Oranges (Saturday Night) / Gary & The Grip Weeds (Rock 'N' Roll Love Letter) / St Nick (Roxy Roller) / The Blondes (Dynamite) / Robin Black (Hellraiser) / The Shazam (Twilight) / Moods For Moderns (Do Ya) / Shoes (Words Of Love) / Big Hello (Tomorrow Night) / The Brambles (What Is Life) / Per Gessle (I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend) / The Summer Suns (Run Like Hell) / Buick MacKane (Country Honey) / Velvet Crush (Remember The Lightning) / The Andersons (Temporary Secretary) / The Yum Yums (Digging On You) / Jim Basnight (I Can See For Miles)

CD2 (SB + SB)
The Bigger Lovers (So It Goes) / Teen Machine (Yummy Yummy Yummy) / The Dons (She's My Fave) / Jeff Dahl (Vicious) / The Cynics (I Got You Babe) / The Wishniaks (Now) / Droogs (Paper Dolls) / The Flashcubes (All Over The World) / Bill Lloyd (Let Her Dance) / Jeremy (A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You) / Doug Powell (Love Is Like Oxygen) / Liquor Giants (Days Of Broken Arrows) / Mr Encrypto (I'll Get By) / Darian (Do You Have Any Regrets) / E (Jennifer Eccles) / Brad Jones (Let's Pretend) / The Dickies (Pretty Ballerina) / Chariot (I'd Rather You Leave Me) / The Finkers (You Tore Me Down) / Gumball (Girl Don't Tell Me) / Ike (Sparky's Dream) / Superscope (Girls Talk) / Evelyn Forever (Little Mascara) / Redd Kross (Dancing Queen) / The Vandalias (Glow Girl)

Tributes or not Tributes Rewind
CD1 (RS + SB)
The Cheeks (Let's Be Friends Again) / Redd Kross (How Much More) / Material Issue (I'd Wait A Million Years) / The Flashcubes (Do Anything You Wanna Do) / The Yo-Yo's (Hey Tonight) / The Smithereens (The Slider) / Hutch (Maybe Baby) / The Shambles (It's Getting Better) / The Shazam (Hangin' Around With You) / P.Hux (Strange Magic) / Jeremy (The Morning Sunshine) / Young Fresh Fellows (Craise Finton Kirk) / Cerebral Corps (Father's Name Was Dad) / The Grip Weeds (I Can Hear The Grass Grow) / Walter Clevenger (Back Of My Hand) / Lolas (Fox On The Run) / The Merrymakers (Feel A Whole Lot Better) / John P.Strohm (Somebody's Baby) / Randell Kirsch (It Hurts To Be In Love) / Spinning Jennies (Jet Fighter) / Dramarama (Reflected) / Nutrajet (Ghosts Of Princes In Towers) / Psychotic Youth (When You Walk In The Room) / Kyle Vincent & Tommy Dunbar (On The Beach) / DM3 (Caroline No)

CD2 (SB + MM)
Heavy Metal Kids (Girl Of My Dreams) / Butch Walker (Always Something There) / Wonderboy (Build Me Up Buttercup) / Myracle Brah (Too Many People) / The Nicoteens (Hey Deanie) / Tommy Keene (Hey Little Child) / The Dangtrippers (In The Street) / Alex Chilton (With A Girl Like You) / The Real Kids (Out Of Time) / Jeff Dahl (Ziggy Stardust) / Gilby Clarke (Trash) / Paranoid Lovesick (Icicles) / Jason Falkner (Wicked Annabella) / P76 (At First Sight) / Hammerfish (Couldn't I Just Tell You) / Webb Wilder (My Mind's Eyes) / Farrah (It's Different For Girls) / The Boo Radleys (There She Goes) / Wondermints (Guess I'm Dumb) / Zumpano (Changes) / Martin Luther Lennon (Dancing With Myself) / The Barracudas (Down In The Boondocks) / Bijou (Si Tu Dois Partir) / Honeycrack (Hey Bulldog) / The Michael Guthrie Band (My Generation)

20/20

Crib Death was a feature in BOMP! magazine exploring strange new tapes (demos). So, in November 1977 (issue #17), we could read this:

"Another son of Tulsa, singlehandy responsible for two gems here of maximal importance and infectuously slick pop!. Friend of the Twilleys (Phil Seymour played on these demos), Steve has pooled and skillfully utlized credible pop textures for a sound neither thin, recycled, nor compromised. "Giving It All" and "Under The Freeway" lend the tasty Twilley consciousness to superb teen anthems, avoiding the usual tiresome patterns and derivative melodic extensions. This tape is light years beyond anything submitted this time around and you'll be raeding more about this lad in the next BOMP!. He is Power Pop!"

The rest is history, Greg Shaw and BOMP released the first 20/20 single, then the band were signed to Portrait Records and released 2 stellar power pop albums, reissued in 1995 by Oglio Records. Read more about 20/20 on this excellent fanpage.

Special note: This is a CD 320 rip of the Oglio reissue which goes for ridiculous prices. You may have already seen this one on other blogs but this is is the first time the original artwork of both LP's has been included with the CD reissue scans. Also added are the BOMP! single and the 7" single from Look Out! with 2 songs unavailable on any 20/20 album. FYI, it was previously posted on this blog (see here)

Giving It All (Bomp 115)
Giving It All / Under The Freeway





20/20 (1979)
The Sky Is Falling / Yellow Pills / Cheri / Out Of This Time / Tell Me Why (Can't Understand You) / Tonight We Fly / Remember The Lightning / She's An Obsession / Leaving Your World Behind / Backyard Guys / Jet Lag / Action Now

Look Out! (1981)
Nuclear Boy / Out Of My Head / Strange Side Of Love / Alien / A Girl Like You / Life In The U.S.A. / The Night I Heard A Scream / Beat City / Mobile Unit 245 / American Dream

Strange Side Of Love (Portrait 24-02399)
Strange Side Of Love (single mix) / Child's Play / People Life

THE SWINGING MADISONS - 5-SONG 12" EP (1981)

Originally from Santa Barbara, California, singer keyboardist songwriter Kristian Hoffman began his musical career in New York's Mumps (with high school friend Lance Loud of original sin reality TV show An American Family infamy), a group which never issued an album until its recorded oeuvre was collected many years later in "Fatal Charm". and recently in "How I Saved The..". Hoffman also did time in James White's band and then formed and led the Swinging Madisons to play humorous rock for hipsters. The five songs on that group's 12-inch showcase his penchant for sardonic social commentary, à la Tom Lehrer, and unlikely rearrangements of such familiar tunes as "Volare" and a rockabilly rendition of Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man." The disc also includes three originals, the best of which is the rueful "My Mediocre Dream." Some demos are available on the Kristian Hoffman website.
Hoffman subsequently relocated to Los Angeles, where he joined Congo Norvell and then launched a solo career which has encompassed solo folk-pop (I Don't Love My Guru Anymore) and charming, effervescent rock-pop (Earthquake Weather, produced and played on by frequent studio compadre Earle Mankey). Hoffman's magnum opus, however, is & (some of the guests are Ron & Russell Mael, Darian Sahanaja, Michael Quercio, Van Dyke Parks, Steve McDonald and more....Trouser Press

Songs
Hurdy Gurdy Man / Guilty White Liberal / Put Your Bra Back On / Volare / My Mediocre Dream

JOHN FOGERTY - YOU GOT THE MAGIC (1976)

After the "John Fogerty" solo album, John wasted no time proceeding to record more material for a new album to be followed with a tour, backed by his favorite musicians. In April 1976 he released a new single, "You got the Magic/Evil Thing" which barely made it to the charts and did not sell a great deal. The single, so was announced, would be an advanced single from the soon to be released new John Fogerty album "Hoodoo"'. But as time passed "Hoodoo" 's release was cancelled and set to a later date. A date which never came...read more hoodoo

Single (Fantasy 17048)
You Got The Magic / Evil Thing

HARDCHOIR - HARDCHOIR (1983)

There's little to say about "Hardchoir". Actually, some years ago while digging the bargain bin, i was teased up by the producer, none other than Waddy Wachtel. I guess everyone of us owns more than one album with "Waddy Wacthtel" on it (Cowsills, Everly Brothers, The Church and last but not least Warren Zevon with whom he co-wrote "Werewolves of London").
So, goggling with the names of the musicians, it popped up that Patrick Maroshek (vocals & drums), Steve Hess (vocals & bass) and Mark Easterling (vocals & guitars) along Waddy Wachtel were featured on Ringo Starr's "Old Wave" (1983). All the songs were penned by the band (mainly Maroshek) and i'd say the music is on a thin line between powerpop ("Sheila", "All My Life" or "Comin' Closer") with hard rock influences (hence the band's name?) and, if you remember what The Romantics did with "Strictly Personal", hard rock with powerpop influences...so far from the jangly "Tell It To Carrie".

Songs
All Right / All My Life / Comin' Closer / Girl I Need You / For The Money / Foolin' You / Sheila / Fallout Shelter / I Think You Know That / All in All

THE BONGOS
NUMBERS WITH WINGS / BEAT HOTEL (1992)

Recording for the first time as a quartet, the Bongos cut five new songs for "Numbers With Wings" (1983), produced by Richard Gottehrer. "Barbarella" and the title track are prime, filled with swell harmonies, driving acoustic guitars and subtle structural tricks.
Produced by John Jansen (Lou Reed, Television), "Beat Hotel" (1985) is the Bongos' most rocking record, a sparkling explosion of guitar pop. "Space Jungle" has a nagging hook and a full-blown arrangement; "Apache Dancing" is similarly ambitious in a different vein; "Come Back to Me" and "A Story (Written in the Sky)" hark back to the band's simpler days; "Totem Pole" sounds a bit like the dB's except for the overblown big-band finale. Given the best audio treatment of their career, the Bongos prove their mettle, simultaneously exposing their main inadequacy: inconsistent songwriting. The now very rare CD (1992) combines "Beat Hotel" and "Numbers With Wings". Trouser Press

Special note: 365 days ago, i launched the new blog with my first post (Turning Curious). So, today let's celebrate this with the really rare (check the ridiculous prices on amazon or ebay...) Bongos CD issue of "Numbers With Wings/Beat Hotel".

The good news : it's a pristine 320 rip with complete artwork.
The not so good news : both parts are RS, and you'll need both parts to unrar

Songs
Numbers With Wings / Tiger Nights / Barbarella / Skydiving / Sweet Blue Cage / Space Jungle / Apache Dancing / Brave New World / A Story (Written In The Sky) / Beat Hotel / Come Back To Me / Splinters / She Starts Shaking / Totem Pole / Blow Up / Barbarella (Remix)

RAIDERS OF THE LOST HOOK - Vol. 1 (2008)

In 1978, Greg Shaw wrote in the Powerpop special issue of Bomp: "Any way you look at it, Powerpop began with the Who (...and the Easybeats...). Their approach to songwriting was solidly pop - every song was short, catchy, hook-filled, built on bright, uplifting major chords, and they never shied away from those all-important "la la la's".
All the bands featured in the first volume of this new collection share this "undying search for the great pop hook". Some of them found "the near perfect hook", just for one song, one EP or even an album, and then lost it and never found it again. But the songs remain short, hook-filled and catchy. Here are "The Raiders of the Lost Hook". A 2008 PPC exclusive.

Special note : Congratulations to the first readers able to name the artist (real name and alias) featured on the inside of the booklet.

Bands (Songs) (Year)
Milk'n'Cookies (Tinkertoy Tomorrow) (75) / The Roulettes (Only Heaven Knows) (81) / Tim Moore (Rock And Roll Love Letter) (74) / Caspar Giles McCloud (Messin' Around) (79) / The Rockers (Don't Leave Me Tonight) (80) / Screen Test (I Am Sincere) (81) / The Krayolas (Aw Tonight) (77) / Vance Or Towers (Do Whatever We Want) (75) / The Boys (We're Too Young) (77) / The Innocents (Darlin') (76) / The Donuts (She May Be Your Girl) (80) / The Go (Tomorrow Night) (81) / The Boyfriends (I Need Your Love) (78) / Epicycle (Put Your Socks Away) (81) / Tweeds (Underwater Girl) (78) / The Raves (Chastity) (84) / Shake Shakes (You Can Run) (79) / The Action (She's Got My Heart) (82) / The Blazers (I Can Love You) (80) / Brad Long (Tell Me) (81) / Yipes! (Heartbreak Again) (79) / Colors (Week End) (80) / The Bell Heirs (Shaking It Down) (78) / Cargoe (Feel Alright) (72) / The Marbles (Computer Cards) (77) / Thundermug (Orbit) (73)

THE ROULETTES - THE ROULETTES (1981)

The Roulettes album LP was released on Takoma Records (home of John Fahey). The Roulettes were fronted and produced by Bart Bishop (brother of the Wackers' Randy Bishop), Bart can also be heard on the Bomp's compilation "Vampires From Outer Space" as "Surprise" ("Maybe I'm Wright, Maybe I'm Wrong..."). Prior to the Roulettes episode, Bartholomew Bishop (as he was then known) played in "Providence" (an act signed to the Moody Blues' Threshold label). Today, Bart has gone back to using his original stage name of "Bartholomew" and is in production on a new album that focuses on his folk-classical musical roots (due to be released 2008). Also noteworthy is Jim Lowry (bass) who would play later with the french band The Froggies.
Anyway, if you dig Phil Seymour, The Rubinoos or any other classic powerpop acts of the era, you'll love this album that could (should) have been included in the Ultimate Guide Top 200...

Special note : This brand new album rip is part of a "swapping deal" between a huge american powerpop fan and me. I made the complete artwork and worked a little on the original wave files provided.
I only discovered that gem of a powerpop album a couple of years ago courtesy of a blogger named popcat (the first rip was posted at PPL and is still available at Vinyl Treasures).

Songs
Only Heaven Knows / Hold Me / Baby Don't Let Go / Love Is Like A Telescope / This Ain't The Way / Come On / Dynamite / Livin's Lovin' You / Turn Look Away / Dream About Me

COOL BLUE HALO
THE FAN CLUB TAPES (1993-1995) + KANGAROO (1996)

Cool Blue Halo was formed in 1990 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, by members Paul Bodreau, Jason Ives, Barry Walsh, and Glenn MacCulloch. The band was a large part of the burgeoning Halifax music scene, and in 1993 they released an independent, self-titled cassette. The group signed to Halifax-based No Records, and in 1996 they released their full-length CD, "Kangaroo", to great reviews. Ranging from ballads to rock, all 12 songs seem to be about girls and breaking hearts. The four-piece, known for its three-part harmonies and Beatlesque melodies, released "Too Much Katlheen" as the lead single. The album also includes a band version of "Sweetie Said". Today, Barry Walsh can be heard with Galore.

Special note: I grabbed the fan club tapes a few years ago on a website i can't find anymore. So, this is the reason why i decided to bring them to everybody along their only CD ever released "Kangaroo". An overlooked album i purchased on the recommendation of Not Lame at the time of its release. I wish this album had been in the Shake Some Action Top 200 list... Anyway, the album is not too easy to find (i only found 3 used copies @ amazon, grab them as soon as possible)

KANGAROO (1996)
Spark-O-Matik / Too Much Kathleen / Throw Me Down / 3AM / Congratulations / Not Sorry / Take It Back Now / Katie Be Careful / Stick Together / Laudry / The Only One / Sweetie Said

THE FAN CLUB TAPES (1993-1995)
Come With Me If You Wanna Live (1993)
Come With Me If You Wanna Live / 3AM






Cool Blue Halo (1993)
Go And Get It / Come With Me If You Wanna Live / 3AM / Supercindy / Some Other World



Just For You (1995)
Agenda / Laundry / Sweetie Said / Katie Be Careful / Clover / Helpless

YELLOW PILLS ISSUE #8 + FREE E.P. 2 (1997)

Jordan Oakes began publishing his seminal power pop 'zine, "Yellow Pills" in the summer of 1990 out of pure teenage puppy love for riffing, jangly guitars, fake British accents and harmonizing voices that ache with pimply adolescent yearning. As Yellow Pills began to notso-quietly circulate, Jordan quickly became the keeper of the keys (G and D, mostly) of all matters pop. So much so that he became something of a minor celebrity himself, greeted at Poptopia by Japanese teenage girls squealing "Yellow Pills! Yellow Pills!"

In 1993 Jordan curated his initial Yellow Pills release, the first of a series collecting power pop essentials from 20/20, Dwight Twilley, The Rubinoos, The Plimsouls, and five dozen others. The series rapidly became the sonic rosetta stone for a newer generation of poppers who, sans the skinny ties, held true to the power pop manifesto of harmony, melody and ringing, rocking 6 and 12 string guitars. The archaeological artifacts of power pop soon found a home in living museums of the genre from Teenage Fanclub to Green Day.

In the midst of this mini-renaissance, Yellow Pills seemed poised to be the banner under which this newer wave would plot its next invasion. But, like so many flags of the rock era, it flew only briefly, folded without ceremony and put away like the record collections of so many kids off to college. Twelve issues, four discs, and a nervous breakdown later, Jordan Oakes quietly disappeared into semi retirement and the ethnic, old-world landscape of South St. Louis. Read here.

Issue #8 : PDF (38 pages, full color 400dpi scans) complete with bookmarks + free 7" E.P.

Songs
Sullivan & Warren (Some Sunny Day) / The Melanies (The Last Time) / The Andersons (From The Get-Go)

Billy Sullivan (Paul Pope Band) played with Frank Secich (Blue Ash, Stiv Bators) in Club Wow, he is better known for the songs he wrote with ex-Action Brent Warren for the Scott McCarl's CD "Play On...".

TROUSER PRESS PRESENTS
THE BEST OF AMERICA UNDERGROUND (1983)

Established around 1975, Trouser Press (in 1976) instituted a column called "America Underground" solely to cover independent releases. Then, a few years later, Trouser Press assembled this tape-only release for the NYC label ROIR, selecting their all-time favorites since 1975. The tape collection was mixing some outstanding powerpop gems (Shoes, Gary Valentine, Nerves and Tweeds) with some other kind of underground music. The album has never been reissued in CD format. The "Tweeds' Underwater Girl" is the much better original version of the song later re-recorded and available on the "Shake Some Action Vol 7" collection. The "Shoes' Like I Told You" has never been widely available until Jordan Oakes included this version (different from the one on the "As Is" album) on the 2006 Prefill compilation.

Special note : I made a special complete artwork for CD using elements from the original cassette ROIR design.

Bands (Songs)
Chris Moffa & The Competition (You Know How Hot (it's Getting Around Here)) / Martha Hull (Feelin' Right Tonight) / Norman Salant (Tickets Are Free) / Erector Set (Inside Out) / Poli Styrene Jass Band (Drano In Your Veins) / Shoes (Like I Told You) / Nerves (Working Too Hard) / R. Stevie Moore (Manufacturers) / Residents (The Booker Tease) / Pylon (Dub) / Gary Valentine (The First One) / Fans (True) / Tweeds (Underwater Girl) / Bunnydrums (Crawl) / Wrinklemusik (A Move To The Right) / Algebra Suicide (True Romance At The World's Fair) / Suburbs (World War III) / Dub Rifles (Stand) / Bizarros (I, Bizarro) / Armand Schaubroeck Steals (The Independent Hitter (Shortened Version))

BUSTER - BUSTER (1977)

In May 1976, Buster released their debut single "Sunday" in England. The band were marketed as the new ’teeny bop’ sensations and the record was an immediate success with their young fans although, as rock musicians, the boys felt uncomfortable with their ’teeny’ image. Sunday raced into the UK charts reaching No46. Radio 1, refused to play the single due to the fact that they were getting a little tired of "Teeny" bands and a new sound was on its way in...PUNK! RVC (present BMG) which is the Japanese division of RCA released "Sunday" in Japan in January 1977. The single was an immediate top ten hit and the boys turned their attentions to the Japanese markets. Five further singles followed and all were top twenty hits. Christmas 1977 saw the band touring Japan, Philippines, Australia & Germany. In Japan ’Buster-mania’ had taken a firm grip on the young Japanese public.

Special note: This is a vinyl rip but all of the Buster's albums have just been remastered in Japan and are now available in CD format (limited edition). Order here. I hope this post will help to know better this obscure U.K. bubblegum/teen pop band.

Songs
We Love Girls / Sqaturday Night / I Was Born To Sing Your Song / Pretty Legs / Daybreak / Born To Be Wild / Love Rules / She's My Girl / I'm A Fool / Listen To What The Man Said / Sunday / We Love Girls (Medley)