In The Past: Garage Rock Podcast

We know Pastronauts love it when  John & Bobby of The Gruesomes visit our podcast, but this one's extra exciting because it's two episodes in one! John has picked two of his favourite songs by the unsung Five Royales ("Think" and "Dedicated to the One I Love"), and then the four of us talk about 2 cover versions. This means versions by James Brown (who did "T...

We enjoyed the eggnog so much last week that we decided to gift Pastronauts two more Holiday songs, and the talk that goes with it. 'Tis the season!!!

Forget about all those uncool Xmas tunes you hear in the malls - we've got the good stuff for this Holiday season! The first present for you is "Mr. Scrooge" by England's GREATEST 60S girl group, The Orchids (2:16). If Georgina Oliver isn't in your 60s British Music Icons Advent Calendar - then one listen to this, and she will be! Great backing from Pamela Jarman & Val...

Erik & Weldon discuss band names they hate. Will YOUR favourite band be included? - Listen and find out!!!

Let's not Beat(les) around the bush here - the Garage Studies world has been waiting for Weldon & Erik to weigh in on the new Fab 4 tune, "Now and Then." We play it, talk about it, and also throw in some other AI versions of said tune. Along the way, there's questions from Erik and answers by Weldon, textbook slams, and a whole lot of goofiness and crucial digressions. What...

Theme episode time! This one's a simian sensation, so we start off with Chuck Berry 's 1957 baboon tune, "Too Much Monkey Business" (2:32:31). Is it anti-monkey, or anti-business? It may not really be about monkeys. but it's rock n roll poetry! The next in the evolutionary order is "Mickey's Monkey", sung by Smokey of Motown's The Miracles (59:37). A da...

Wouldn't you love it if we published every day? Well, we can't do that, but here's Buddy Holly 's magical 1957 b-side "Everyday" as compensation (3:35). A concerto for hambone, celesta, and hiccupping hillbilly vocals! A gentle, innocent, and hopeful rock'n'roll hay ride ... it's special! In 1964, surf duo The Rogues had a date with the song in the stud...

Live! From Room 711 of the Georgian Court Hotel in Vancouver, BC - it's Erik & Weldon  broadcasting in the same spot for the first time in In The Past history!! We say hello to Ike & Tina Turner 's 1965 tune, "Goodbye, So Long" and then gab about it behind its back. Up second is a Raiders-y version  by one of the many bands named The Uniques. It's a real cut up kin...

This week the boys talk about the girls - it's doo wop time and we start with the fabulous Chantels and their 1957 debut, "He's Gone" (1:32). Picture perfect in every way, from Arlene Smith's powerful voice and glittering, subtle songwriting to the beautiful backing from Lois, Sonia, Jackie, and Renee. A real Teenage Symphony to God! In 1964, podcast favourite The Royalett...

It's Episode 152 and we're finally gettin' to "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks (1:06). Knife, amp, and THEE garage rock riff!  But is it FUZZ ? Is the song's repetitiveness a representation of obsessive thoughts of lust? Is it choral music? Yep Yep Yep! In 1966, The 13th Floor Elevators got the song  and made it long (1:01:24). There's solos, acoustic jug, and th...

Some people flip houses, but we at In The Past: Garage Rock Podcast flip  singles . Yes, it's a return to the tried-and-true Single File format, and this week the subject is  The Huns from Arlington Heights, Illinois, and their rampaging 1966 everblack, " Destination Lonely / Winning Ticket ." The first side is a furious, fuzz-laden foray powered by the energy of Mom's snickerd...

We celebrate Episode #150 with 1 artist , 5 great songs , and 0 misses ! The spotlight is on Bo Diddley , and 5 of our favourite tunes by him. The beat starts with 1955's "Bo Diddley" (2:41). The second selection introduces you to Bo's legendary maracas rattler, Jerome Green, with "Bring it to Jerome" (1:02:06). A Bo ballad is up next with "Mona" and he sure...

No one's gonna protest about this week's songs! Three of the greatest garage tunes PERIOD - with some astute social commentary as well?! The first missile we hurl is  "Social End Product" by New Zealand refuseniks The Bluestars (1:59) A proto-punk anthem with a pounding rhythm, dive-bombing bass, extra-enunciated vocals, and a FUZZ riff for the ages. The second dissentful ditty...

This week  we talk about "Let's Talk About Girls"! The original was done by Tucson's The Grodes (aka The Tongues of Truth) (1:10). This gem features slinky guitar & organ, deft drumming, and a psychedelic pulse of a bassline. Not to mention Jagger-esque vocals and a fun, fantastic chorus! The most famous version  (due to Nuggets ) is by patron Saints of the podcast, The Cho...

Ch-Chk! This week we step out of the garage to discuss many people's favourite song, "Save It For Later" by The (English) Beat (1:27). A ringing guitar sound, soaring strings, and cheeky lyrics with some clever Catcher in the wry -ness. Dave Wakeling 's timeless tune has a meaningful feel & an appealingly feelingful meaning! A lil later, his elder Pete Townshend showed his...

Enough of the big names - Beatles and Dylan have dominated the podcast for too long! This week we're talkin' bout the Moody Blues and their 1965 album track "And My Baby's Gone" (1:10). A little known slice of (squeaky) blue eyed soul an' R&B - it even has a faint "Bayou via Birmingham" feel because of the Allen Toussaint -esque piano rhythm. And it&apos...

Have you ever wondered what Erik & Weldon do when they sign off? They keep drinking and talking about music!! That's what we did right after we recorded our latest episode, on Bob Dylan 's "Girl From The North Country." We had a folk cover left over, by a mysterious troubador named Hamilton Camp , and we decided to press "play" on the proceedings.  We discovered s...

This week we're staying in the world of the Big B's of the 60s - but now it's Bob Dylan and his achingly beautiful 1963  ballad "Girl from the North Country" (3:07).  Erik thinks it's a meditation on being forgotten, written at a time before Bob was famous. We get deep into the song, including the lyrics, the "place" of the song, and the moaning mouth organ!...

If Bug Music gives you the horrors, stay away from this one! An early slice of Beatlemania, "She Loves You", is on the docket this week (2:11). We discuss why people don't really rate The Beatles of this period: is it the "yeah yeah yeah"'s? Is it because it's a single and not really an "album track"? After you hear this, you're going to go full mo...

We're re-doing an episode from the very early days of the podcast, when we didn't have our snappy patter & schtick down like we do now - the folk-punk classic "My Flash on You"! All versions are from 1966 : the original by Love is at 1:25, and we focus on FUZZ and Fashion (the drummer Snoopy's short-sleeved shirts). Thee Sixpence (soon to become The Strawberry Alarm Cl...

This episode is bigger than bubblegum! We chew on Tommy Roe 's 1966 hit, "Sweet Pea" and we find it both delicious and diatonic (2:19). It has that wicked drum break, but the jangly guitar and bright organ also make the song POP! The second stick comes from Mexico's great girl garagers, Las Chic's (40:16). This is one of them refritos which we talked about long ago ... the...

We're back in the Garage Studies classroom to discuss the poetic masterpiece, "Just Like Me"! The first version by The Wilde Knights (1:25) gets us talking about iambic dimeter, and the poetry of John Skelton & Robert Frost. As one does. More importantly, the song has a mmmarvelous, Mike Mitchell -esque guitar solo. In late 1965, Paul Revere & The Raiders made the song a hit...

Pastronauts Rejoice! We're finally taking you to the Land of 1000 Dances! The first dance goes to Chris Kenner, the author and soulful belter of the original one-chord wonder (1:30). CK mixes the sacred and secular, and Allen Toussaint and the band give the song a swampy New Orleans groove. Next, we cut a rug with Cannibal & The Headhunters (30:05). Were these guys an actual band, or a vo...

In this theme episode, we feature a trio of tunes with the proven percussive potency that makes you want to bash the nearest table like a raving Ringo … in fact, many of you tabletop thumpers have probably clattered the cutlery to at least one of these. First up is “Have I The Right” by The Honeycombs (4:57). The band is famous for having the hive-hairdo’d Honey Lantree as their drummer, but the w...

This week's episode traces the evolution of one of the most beloved songs of the 60s: "Good Lovin'"! (A tune that should   have an exclamation mark in the title).  Lemme B. Good was the first to pitch woo in spring of 1965 (0:48). Exuberant vocals, crashing piano chords, horny horns & galloping drums will make your heart pitter patter. Rudy Clark wrote the original version&...