Further Observations From a Jangly Music Fan

When the great blackout of August 14th occurred, I happened to be on business in Manhattan and I had just emptied the contents of my overnight luggage in my hotel room. I was able to fly back to the Washington area from LaGuardia Airport the next morning - because the airline held up a scheduled shuttle until all seats were filled. Never has a $100 cab fare (the usual fare to get from mid-Manhattan to LaGuardia is $25) been so well-spent! Lady Luck smiled on me throughout this experience, as I was able to find a Blimpie's that was still serving sandwiches; I was able to return to my 40th floor room via elevator and sleep in the comfort of my room; and I was able to return to the lobby the next morning via elevator. Many in Manhattan were less fortunate than I was. Perhaps the fates intervened on my behalf because I was a veteran of the 1977 blackout that darkened Manhattan during the summer that was already struggling with the "Son of Sam" murders. This time around, I observed many "random acts of kindness" as strangers shared water, food, rides and other resources to minimize the hardships on their fellow citizens. Given so much turmoil in the world, it was encouraging to witness a large amount of calm, disciplined and pleasant behavior under stressful circumstances. Enough. When I returned home to electricity and air conditioning, I was happy to play some of the following CDs that I recommend to fellow jangle enthusiasts:

Closer Still by the Soul Engines. Whether you are a power pop fan or a jingle-jangle music fan, buy this CD! If I had acquired this 2002 release last year, this definitely would have made my Top Ten for 2002. This superb quartet doesn't skimp on their material - there are 14 top-notch songs showcased on this disc. The best song in the bunch is the two and a half minute gem "You Hardly Even Know This Guy" - which sounds like a Top Ten tune from the mid-60s. From start to finish, I hear snippets of the Greenberry Woods (particularly the harmonies on "You Hardly Even Know This Guy" and "Just Like Me"), the Gin Blossoms, the Rubinoos, the Pistoleros, Blue Rodeo and the Rembrandts (compare the chorus on "This Time Next Week" with the theme song - "I'll Be There For You" from TV's Friends). I found this wonderful disc by doing a "jangle" word search on MP3. Pictured on the back of the disc is a Danelectro 12-string guitar - which can be heard chiming on many of the tracks. You can track this disc (and earlier releases) down at the band's www.soulengines.com website.

And … The Winnerys by the Winnerys. Spain's Rock Indiana label has done it again. The Winnerys' pop music is as golden as the miniature gold Rickenbacker 12-string guitar that is depicted on the jewel case front cover. This is another disc that gives the listener their money's worth - 16 power pop tunes with alternating degrees of crunch, sweetness and jangle. The standout jangly tunes are the Mersey-influenced "It's Up To You," "Messages Inside" and "Heavy Beats."

C'mon Girls by Badger. This is a great follow-up disc by a Swedish quintet that features three members who are all adept at electric 12-string riffs. That means that many of the tracks are soaked in Byrds and REM-patterned chord structures. "One Hit Wonders Of The World Unite" is a dynamite track that should be burning up the radio airwaves. Jangle enthusiasts will be equally pleased with "It's A Glorious Day," "The Green Giant," "Supermarket Marianne" and "Inventory Day." Fans of the Merrymakers and the Mop Tops will love this latest contribution from chiming Scandinavia!

Quadrophonic Deluxe by Brian Jay Cline. Whoa! Is this artist prolific and talented, or what? This is the fourth full-length disc in the past three years from Las Vegas-based singer/songwriter Cline. Quadrophonic Deluxe is just as tuneful as each of the preceding albums, with the nifty "Rock'n'Roll Heart" showing off chiming power pop guitar licks. Cline flirts with the jangle'n'twang sound on many songs, but it's all wrapped with mainstream pop melodies, lyrics and production. Brian definitely falls into the "one of the best artists you've never heard of" category. Long may you run, Sir Brian!

Some Of The Young by the Bay Area band the Influents. Here is yet another contemporary artist that thrives on the jangle'n'twang sound - the next best thing to jingly-jangly pop music. Check out "Life And Life Only," "Substitute For Falling In Love," "Taking Time" and "To Anybody." This is a quartet I'd like to hear more from!

Tributes & Rarities by Jeffrey Foskett. Eighteen tracks from a veteran artist who proves time and time again that his guitar and voice can be adapted to almost any genre of music - surf, folk-rock, pop, rock or country. Although some of these songs have appeared on earlier Foskett releases, the previously unreleased tracks (or tracks only available in Japan) are worth the price of admission. Check out "Honolulu City Lights" (the beautiful ballad originally performed by the Beamer Brothers) and "Never My Love" (featuring the Hawaiian lyrics by Association member Larry Ramos). Jeffrey Foskett was already in the "Fufkin Pop Music Hall of Fame." Now we have several more of his melodic nuggets to relish!

Kill The Messenger by the Indicators. This is a solid fourteen-track debut disc by an alt-country band that reminds me of the Bob Burns-led Big In Iowa, Florida's Hangtown and some occasional Crazy Horse-inspired nasal snarl. Just when you least expect it, the band tosses in a killer chiming track - "Say Goodnight." The tracks blend together so well that hitting the replay button will be an effortless act.

When "Mr. Tambourine Man" hit the AM radio airwaves in the spring of 1965, I became hooked on the sound of a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, and any group that could emulate the wonderful vocal harmony of Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark and David Crosby. During that eventful year, the Byrds' original five-member lineup released two outstanding albums titled after their two #1 hits - Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn! Those albums included timeless jangly tunes like "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better," "Chimes Of Freedom," "Bells Of Rhymney" and "The World Turns All Around Her." The b-side to "Turn! Turn! Turn!" was also one of the Byrds'finest jangly songs - "She Don't Care About Time."

Since then, I have collected music that I often refer to as "Byrdsian" - meaning, it sounds like the Byrds. In the months to come, I will list the artists and songs that most remind me of the Byrds. For this installment of my Recommendations, I'll start with some of the Byrds' contemporaries from the 60s. The following list is hardly comprehensive, but it provides Fufkin website readers with a good launching point for those who are similarly inclined to crank up the treble setting on their stereos and listen to those Rickenbacker 12-string guitars jangle, chime and ring!

The Sixties:

The Searchers - this is the British band that brought us one of the first jangly hits - "Needles & Pins." Purchase Rhino Records' The Searchers Greatest Hits and Raven Records' 23-song The Searchers: The Sire Sessions. These two discs will ensure that all of the band's classic jangly tunes from the 60s, 70s and 80s - including "Hearts In Her Eyes," "Love's Melody," "Everything But A Heartbeat" and "September Gurls" - are in your collection.

The Beau Brummels - the San Francisco folk-rock band that actually charted a national hit before the Byrds. Check out "Don't Talk To Strangers" (featured on Rhino's The Best Of The Beau Brummels CD). This is another cool variation of Pete Seeger's "Bells Of Rhymney;" making it a cousin of George Harrison's "If I Needed Someone." Sundazed Records has subsequently re-released the band's back catalog, and a number of previously unrleased studio out-takes.

Jackie DeShannon - "When You Walk In The Room" - featured on Rhino's The Best of Jackie DeShannon CD. This is yet another period artist and song that preceded the Byrds onto the national charts. The Byrds often covered this song during their early sets at Ciro's. Several years ago, original Byrd Chris Hillman included a cool country-pop version of this song on his Like A Hurricane album. The Byrds connection doesn't end with this song. In 1965, DeShannon and the Byrds were paired in the studio for a version of "Splendor In The Grass." DeShannon eventually released the song, but without backing vocals by the Byrds. The Rhino compilation also includes another superb folk-rock tune, "Don't Turn Your Back On Me" and a subsequent compilation includes DeShannon's version of "Needles & Pins."

The Robbs - this Chicago band, patterned after the Byrds, became the house band on TV's hit teen show "Where The Action Is!" Watch old segments of the show and you'll see the band performing top 40 hits … playing two Rickenbacker guitars. Alas, their material has yet to be re-released on CD, but seek out the classic folk-rock tunes "Race With The Wind" and "Funny Sort Of Way" on 45 (Mercury label).

The Hollies - "Look Through Any Window." This, their jangliest hit song, is included on the triple disc 30th anniversary Hollies Anthology (on EMI).

The Nightcrawlers - "Little Black Egg" may have put them on the charts, but "Basket Of Flowers" was pure Byrdsian folk-rock. You'll find this excellent tune on The Nightcrawlers: The Little Black Egg (on Big Beat).

The Syndicate Of Sound - "Little Girl." There may have been no sensible structure to this one-hit-wonder song, but it certainly caught listeners' ears when it was released. You'll find it on Rhino's Nuggets series and box set. Sundazed Records has also released a Little Girl compilation of the band's work.

The Turtles - "It Ain't Me Babe" proved that another 60s folk-rock band had discovered the hit value of a Dylan tune matched with a Rickenbacker 12-string. "Let Me Be" and "Love Minus Zero" were other folk-rock hits by this band. In 1969, they covered the McGuinn-Clark penned tune, "You Showed Me," and turned it into a #1 hit. Rhino released a Turtles 20 Greatest Hits CD, but Sundazed Records has subsequently released the band's individual albums on disc.

Love - their self-titled first album, Love, jangles throughout and includes Byrdsian songs like "You I'll Be Following," "Hey Joe" and the "Hey Joe" spin-off, "My Flash On You."

The Leaves - "Hey Joe." The Leaves' version of this hit song can be found in the Rhino Nuggets compilations. Sundazed Records has subsequently released a compilation entitled Leaves Are Happening!, that includes the band's version of Dylan's "Love Minus Zero." When the Byrds began to tour extensively, this L.A. band succeeded them as the house band at Ciro's.

The Cryan' Shames - a Chicago folk-rock band that had chart hits with "Sugar & Spice" and "I Wanna Meet You." The Cryan' Shames also recorded nice jangly covers of "Hey Joe," "She Don't Care About Time" and "If I Needed Someone." Sundazed Records has released all of their original albums, with bonus tracks.

The Grass Roots - "Where Were You When I Needed You" came the closest to sounding like the Byrds. For the better part of two years, this folk-rock band had a string of hits (Rhino released a two-CD set of their greatest hits - Anthology 1965-1975) that featured a number of P.F. Sloan songs.

Sonny & Cher - Their version of "All I Really Want To Do" beat the Byrds' version onto the charts, climbed higher in chart ratings … and boy did it jangle! You'll find other Byrdsian songs - like "Bells Of Rhymney" and "Needles & Pins" - on the EMI Records All I Really Want To Do/The Sonny Side of Cher CD release.

The Shadows of Knight - "Gloria" (featured on the Rhino Nuggets series and box set). Originally written and performed by Van Morrison and Them. The Shadows of Knight gave it a garage kick and just the right amount of jangle. This song featured an infectious E-D-A chord sequence that many bands learned in the mid-60s!

The Cyrkle - a band best known for the chart hits "Red Rubber Ball" and "Turn Down Day." Pick up a copy of the Sony Records Red Rubber Ball (A Collection) CD compilation of their hits. If you're into hunting down obscure singles, seek out the very Byrdsian "The Words" on 45. Interestingly enough, Roger McGuinn added a song entitled "The Tears," with similar chords, to his concert repertoire in the 80s.

In months to come, I will similarly list artists in the 70s (Starry Eyed & Laughing, Tom Petty), 80s (REM, Jimmy Silva), the 90s (Different Faces, The Lears) and contemporary bands who have perpetuated the Byrdsian sound.

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