Scratch My Back: New Rubble Volume 5
various artists
label:: Radioactive Records
format:: CD
Volume 5 in the New Rubble series, Scratch My Back covers UK girl singers from the 60s with an edge. So included here are fuzzed out girl in the garage type classics, blaring lead UK girl singers and frenetic beats that accompany edgier songs than the typical girl group sound. This is the type of sound that would later influence the Billy Childish project Thee Headcoatees (and their earlier incarnations), Holly Golightly, and much of the UK girl rock sound.
Songs that surely influenced Thee Headcoatees include Jan Panter's fuzzed out masterpiece Scratch My Back (which has been compiled before on 1993's You Can Be Wrong About Boys - Jan Panter wrote this one herself and would later work with Mark Wirtz), Tammy St.John, whose scream before the guitar solo in her raw cover of Boys is the equal to Kyra Headcoatee's screams (a Shirelles' song later covered by Billy Childish's group Thee Milkshakes with female lead vocals), and Mary McCarthy's Hollies' cover of You Know He Did (which has a Kinks' like guitar riff).
A song originally done by the male group The Downliners Sect (a group who later hooked up with Billy Childish when they regrouped and recorded an album with him), Find Out What's Happening as covered by Tiffany And The Thoughts has a loose Beatlesque feel with a Jimmy Page styled guitar sound.
Another song originally done by a male group covered here is the intense Tracy Rogers' cover of The Sorrows' Baby which has incredible backing and a thumping bassline by The Fleur de Lys and surely was a huge influence on the sound of Holly Golightly.
Glenda Collins was Joe Meek's girl and can be heard here with Ritchie Blackmore from Deep Purple covering the John D. Loudermilk song Thou Shalt Not Steal made famous by Dick & Dee Dee.
Samantha Jones' soulfully upbeat go go inspired Go Ahead was actually used for a Ford ad - and has been compiled on the Backcomb N' Beat - Dream Babes Volume Three compilation. For another breezy and delightful Ford ad, be sure to check out Samantha Jones' Advert for Ford Cars found on the Magpie compilation.
Judy Carnes actually sang Sock It To Me on Laugh In in 1969 with the words Sock It To Me written across her stomach while dressed in a bikini - so now this go go goof makes more sense.
---Patrick
Track listing with liner notes from the CD booklet
- Jan Panter: Scratch My Back. 1966
Discovered by Oriole A&R man Ted Taylor and was later to be produced by Mark Wirtz - The Martells: Time To Say Goodbye. 1966
A tune that has recently become highly sought after by devotees of the Mod scene - Glenda Collins: Thou Shalt Not Steal. 1965
Londoner Glenda was the main squeeze of legendary producer Joe Meek, which, given her distinctively powerful voice, is not at all surprising - Tammy St.John: Boys. 1964
This track, along with her unhinged rendering of Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey, assured Tammy her place in the British Beat Hall Of Fame - The Girls: Way Way Out. 1966
Very little is known about The Girls, other than this track ended up as the title song of a movie of the same name - Mary Mccarthy: You Know He Did. 1967
A cover version of a Hollies song, and features a storming guitar break - Tracy Rogers: Baby. 1966
Originally recorded by The Sorrows in 1965. Backing support is probably from fellow Polydor stablemates, The Fleur de Lys - Alma Cogan: Snakes, Snails, Puppy Dog Tails. 1965
Cogan was British show business's highest-paid female performer in the '50s and '60s who died at the tragically young age of 34 - Karol Keyes: No One Can Take Your Place. 1964
Keyes started her singing career as lead vocalist for local band, The Big Sound and appeared TV's Thank Your Lucky Stars, alongside Freddy And The Dreams and the Barron Knights, - Val Mckenna: Baby Do It. 1965
Originally managed by Carter Lewis of Ivy League fame. Spent the '70s backing the likes of Roxy Music and Rick Wakeman on tour - Tiffany And The Thoughts: Find Out What's Happening. 1966
A native of Liverpool who was previously in two groups, The Liverbirds and The Dimensions - Billie Davis And The Leroys: Whatcha Gonna Do. 1964
Under producers Joe Meek and Robert Stigwood, Billie Davis had two hits with the singles Tell Him and I Want You To Be My Baby - Samantha Jones: Go Ahead. 1968
A Liverpudlian, Jones started her singing career with The Vernons Girls under the name of Jean Owen - Judy Carnes: Sock It To Me. 1969
An actress who made her name dancing in a bikini with Sock It To Me written on her in the '60s US TV show Rowan And Martin's Laugh In - Carol Freeman: Leaving You Now. 1967
No information on Carol. This track is a harmonica-led piece of raw R&B - Dawn And The Deejays: These Are The Things About You. 1965
A really groovy little number with great, 'chinking' guitar work. - Billie Davis: There must be a reason. 1970
Very tight, accomplished production number ending with some storming Hammond organ and strings
