THE OMENS - Searching - GARAGE fuzz 45 - 1966

$

443

 This is an original pressing of The Omens "Searching" b/w "Girl Get Away" 45 (Cody Records) 1966.  This is one of the most sought after garage 45`s from the `60`s.  Fabulous fuzz guitar and electric organ. 

Condition:  A-side ("Searching")  6.5 on a scale of 1-10. Mostly just scuffs.  Plays like its NEAR MINT---very little surface noise.
                  B-side ("Girl Get Away") 6.0 (a bit more surface noise on side B, but still plays great. 

***The following excerpt is from the website garagehangover.com (written by Chas Kit)...

The Omens are famous for one of the hottest garage 45s of all time, "Searching," which was recorded on the Cody label in July 1966 backed with the fine "Girl Get Away".

I'll never forget the insistent fuzz riff and opening lines "Searching... searching for love. I've been searching... searching for love" blasting from the old Highs in the Mid 60's Chicago comp. After just 40 seconds the band has pounded through the opening and the first verse. Frantic screams and it's right to a tight bubbling organ solo. Then the second verse, even wilder screams and a searing unoverdubbed guitar solo. If you were looking for an archetypical garage song, you would have a hard time coming up with a better one than "Searching".

Though long presumed to be a Chicago band, as I heard from their organ player, Duane O'Donnell, they more properly hailed from Hammond, Indiana. Their story in Duane's own words follows:

"The Omens were based in Hammond, Indiana - which borders the South side of Chicago. Tim, the drummer, was from Merriville and Larry, the bass player, was from Gary.

Don Revercomb - main vocal and guitar - age 16 (at time of recording)
Gene Cooper - lead guitar - age 18
Larry Allen - bass guitar - age 19
Tim Jones - drums - age 19
Duane O'Donnell - organ - age 15

"I was with the Omens during 1965 and 1966, and had to leave when I contracted mono. In retrospect, it was a great experience. Don's father was totally set on making his son a rock star, and gave 101% of his time and probably money to make it happen. He had all of us join the American Federation of Musicians (Local 203) to make it legit. I really don't know if we ever made any money, as Don paid me $15 a gig, and the rest went to the band fund (times haven't changed).

"We recorded 'Searching' in the living room of a second floor apartment in East Chicago where some guy had an Ampex reel to reel. That recording is mono, one track, one take, no overdubs. Don played a Fender Mustang into an Ampeg Rocket amp. Gene had a Fender Jazzmaster with a Gibson Maestro Fuzztone into a Fender amp. Larry used an Ampeg bass amp, the kind that stored the head upside down into the speaker cabinet. At the gigs I played a Wurlitzer electric piano into a Kalamazoo amp with two 10"s.  (go to website, garagehangover.com for more on the 45 and the group).