Text by Miriam Linna / FFanzeen, 1977
Introduction © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2016
Images from the Internet, unless indicated
This article was originally published in FFanzeen, issue #3, dated Winter-Spring 1977-78, pages 22 and 23. It was
written by Miriam Linna, who at the time was the President of the International
Official Flamin’ Groovies Fan Club, and now, well, where do I start? She drums
for the A-Bones, has her own solo vocal career, and co-owns/runs the label/record
store Norton Records (595 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY). At the time of this writing though, she had recently left
the Cramps and was skinning for the Nervus Rex.
The first time I ever heard of the Flamin’ Groovies was in the early ‘70s
when a good pal who was a record collector bought their 10” Sneakers EP from 1968 for $15, which blew my mind back then that someone would
pay that much for a record. My own record collecting had not taken off as yet.
Over the years I’d get know their music, and would especially like their early
stuff (“Comin’ After Me” period). That being said, their re-recording of their
own “Slow Death” and “Shake Some Action” are still particular favorites (though
die-hard purists prefer the originals).
The only time I’ve seen any shade of the band live was when Roy Loney
played at Under Acme in New York (a picture I took from that show is below) during
the early 2000s, and that same record collector’s band opened for them. It was
a fun night. – RBF, 2016
A lotta people have gotta lotta fave
groups. Some people say they have one real fave. Lotsa people say The Rolling
Stones. Others say The Beatles. Now, some shits say The Sex Pistols. I say The
Flamin’ Groovies and I’m ready to tell anybody anywhere any time exactly why
because it ain’t no blind love. I don’t like them “just because.” I’ve never
seen the band live; I was fifteen when they made their last Midwest pilgrimage
and missed them out of lack of wheels, knowledge of when and where, as well as
out of basic ignorance. Now I’m older and wiser and truly fanatic about the
band. There’s this church on Eighth Street called The Church of St. Cyril and I
go there a lot to look at the name. So, you see, this is no casual affair. At
one point, I had eight or nine copies of the first three LPs; it’s narrowed to
like three of each due to losses to begging acquaintances. I like them because
they’re cool looking, sounding, and because they’ve got incredible humour
attached to their music – not like outright guffaw ha-ha, but more like
something that induces a smile while yer dancing. The band is fucking Good
Natured and from their record on, they’ve demonstrated great taste and a desire
to make cool good-time danceable rock’n’roll music. Without gimmicks, the Groovies
have accomplished themselves as true rock’n’rollers.
I think maybe I am losing touch with
reality, mostly because when people accuse the Groovies of being a cult band, I
can’t define what then becomes non-cult. Does being a cult band mean that the
group is inaccessible to the masses? Okay, I dig it infers that their following
is small and fanatic – but to label a band as “cult” must suggest that they are
only capable of appealing to a small
audience out of esoteric reasons – out of being too outrageous or too arty or
too disgusting for the status quo. The definition knocks the Flamin’ Groovies
right out of the cult category into which they’ve been pigeonholed.
Their music is totally accessible. There is nothing difficult about it; it’s done
very well, it’s danceable, they look cool, Jesus, what does it take? Money.
Yeah, it takes a company with cash to push the group, to put them on tour and
into magazines and into the hearts of millions. It takes a certain degree of
mystification and a few lies. It’s my honest belief that the Groovies could be
a major band; that is, in sales, in draw-potential, if they had been taken
seriously by a major record label.
Some of these New Wave meatloaves who
call The Groovies a “nostalgia band” have no idea about much of anything. They
don’t know the definition of “nostalgia” and they haven’t the groggiest what
The Flamin’ Groovies are about. These morons hear “Shake Some Action” and label
it nostalgia because it’s about romance and being a teenager and all that
disgusting stuff.
 |
| Roy Loney, Under Acme (pic by RBF) |
To quote Alan Betrock [d. 2000 – RBF, 2016], (NY Rocker, vol. 1, No. 5, p 26), “…what
Mersey-type album has this much power, punch, proficiency and understanding of
the dynamics of rock and roll?” I mean, yeah. Like, you can say it sounds like
The Beatles, well, no argument there on any basis, cuz The Sex Pistols sound
like Iggy and Iggy sounds like Jim Morrison and… and… so everything sounds like
something else, but even when The Groovies do a Beatles song, it’s a Groovies
tune right away. The thing about “Shake Some Action” and the previous 45s and EPs
recorded at Rockfield Studios is that production weights as heavily in the
matter as the content. Dave Edmunds is the man behind the band in creating this
sound, this sound that is like a cumulative Spector-effect with the passion of
The Groovies themselves and the energy of their past work. It is a magnificent
piece of vinyl.
I really cannot understand any
attacks of “Anglo” directed at the band either. So their sound of the ‘sixties
came out of Liverpool; well, those sounds evolved out of a very American set of
influences, and in turn, those English rhythms got rehashed and re-Americanized
with bands like The Byrds and the like. Really now, isn’t it time that
rock’n’roll got internationalized? Maybe that’s going too far, cuz the major sounds came out of England and out of
the U.S., but like maybe Anglo-American would be a fair definer here. What I’m
saying is that influences are so cross-referable in the case or rock’n’roll
that unless someone is doing Elvis songs… - no, cut that, Arthur Crudup songs,
then they can’t really refuse comparisons from either side of the briny blue. I
consider The Flamin’ Groovies a very American rock’n’roll band despite the
Mersey labels; what all-American kid didn’t have a Beatles haircut in ’65? And
if they like cool suits and boots, why force them into Malcolm McLaren duds? Sometimes,
I just don’t know anymore. I can’t wait until the next album [Flamin’ Groovies Now, 1978 – RBF, 2016]. The latest scam is
that they’re producing it themselves at Rockfield, OK.
 |
| Recent |
There are two bootleg LPs that I know
of: Flamin’ Groovies: No Candy,
recorded live at The Roxy, Aug. 12, 1976 (ZAP 7893) and The Flamin’ Groovies L.A. 8-12-76 (Cat and Dog Records). Both
records were made at the same gig; of the two, the latter is the most
listenable. Aside from LP material, the record has a terrific version of “The
House of Blue Light” that is enough in itself to make any rock’n’roll fan start
dancing. Jesus, I hear this record and itch
to see the band live. It must be wonderful. Bo Diddley’s “Lover Not a Fighter”
is also on the vinyl, and cool as can be – who does all the talking between the
songs? It must be Chris Wilson.
The intros to the songs are real
neat. He says thank you a whole lot and it’s just great, unpolitical stuff. Oh
yeah! “Please, Please Me” – well, if they’re gonna do a Beatles tune, they’re
gonna do one great one, right? Yow, these guitars are great, oh wow. Just
great. “Under My Thumb” starts like they’re gonna do a DC5 song, “Bits and
Pieces” maybe – ya know those military drums, oh, it’s cool. “Hey Hey Hey”
finishes the album; it’s great.
Thank God for The Flamin’ Groovies.
These live albums contain a lot of non-originals, but like any one with half a
brain can see that these songs are done as tributes
– sure, The Groovies could do several hours of originals; the fact that they’re
doing the old stuff is truly wonderful, because these guys aren’t about to
forget (or let you forget) the crazed
stuff that came before and that’s still alive and incredible today. It’s like
proof that the cool sounds that started years ago are still capable of knocking
ya dead today. The Flamin’ Groovies aren’t afraid to name their influences.
They’re far too far into rock and roll to start ripping off licks and claiming
that “there’s no Elvis, Beatles, or Stones in 1977.” They aren’t doing punk
rock or glitter rock or psychedelic rock or country rock – they’re doing
something known and rock and roll,
and if you’ve forgotten the definition, go refresh yer memory with a listen to
“Blues for Phyllis” or “Yesterday’s Numbers,” and thank yer lucky stars that
there’s a band around that’s still shakin’ after 13 years in action.
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