CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND BABY BLUE/SWEET YOUNG THING /HEAR ?
$
107
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Description
CHOCOLATE WATCH BAND SWEET YOUNG THING BABY BLUE OG 45 GARAGE PSYCH
1ST CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND RELEASE
1966 UPTOWN RECORDS 740 PRESSING
BABY BLUE b/w SWEET YOUNG THING
LABELS HAVE WEAR, WEAR AROUND SPINDLE HOLE (SEE PIC)
RECORD IS VG, “BABY BLUE” PLAYS WITH SURFACE NOISE, LESS NOTICABLE ON “SWEET YOUNG THING”
This San Jose band formed in the Summer of 1965 at Foothills College in Los Altos and were discovered late the following year by Ed Cobb. Their original line-up included Pete Curry on drums, who went on to become guitarist / songwriter with The Halibuts. His time in the band was severely limited however, and after their first gig was replaced by Gary Andrijasevich. Although nothing was released by the first couple of line-ups (*), they were reputedly on par with the "classic" The Chocolate Watchband, with Dan Phay being a particularly charismatic front-man.
The band were also friends with another act called The Topsiders who for a short while included Skip Spence, prior to his joining Jefferson Airplane. In 1965, both bands underwent a number of changes, with Phay, Torney and Kemling all leaving to join The Topsiders (who then became The Other Side), whilst Sean Tolby, moved from The Topsiders to The Chocolate Watchband. Indeed Mark Loomis (ex-Shandels) also had a brief spell with The Other Side after Rich Young was drafted, before he decided to reform the 'Watchband with Gary Andrijasevich and Jo Kemling. The latter opted to stay with The Other Side however, and bassist, Bill Flores (ex-Shandels) and, a vocalist, biology student Dave Aguilar, were drafted in to complete The Chocolate Watch Band's new line-up. Heavily influenced by British R&B outfits like The Stones and The Yardbirds, the band gigged regularly around the Bay Area supporting bands like The Doors, Big Brother and The Holding Co. and The Mothers of Invention.
They were signed to Tower and recorded a debut single in 1966. The 'A' side, written by Cobb, was a fine Stones' influenced number, but with an uniquely Californian interpretation. Inexplicably, Tower issued the single on its black R&B subsidiary label, Uptown, which did not, as a white group on this label, attract the airplay it deserved.
Compilation appearances have included: Sweet Young Thing on More Nuggets (CD); Nuggets Box (4-CD); Pebbles, Vol. 7 (LP), Nuggets, Vol. 6 (LP)
~~~FUZZ, ACID & FLOWERS
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