Feldman , Goldstein and Gottehrer are rock and roll geniuses. (Scroll to the bottom and start playing the “videos”) I Want Candy is the only album by The Strangloves. My copy is not in mint condition but that just makes it rock harder. Most people have probably heard Bow Wow Wow’s version of “I Want Candy.” There have been tons of cover versions of the songs on this record. It’s hard to pick a favorite but “Cara-Lin” and “Night-Time” are definitely in contention.
These cats are connected to all sorts of great music from the The Angels’ “My Boyfriends Back” to War, Go Gos, Blondie, Circle Jerks, J. Geils Band, George Thorogood, The Fleshtones, and on and on.
The band’s amusing mythology from the back cover (I can’t believe I typed the whole thing…):
What are Strangeloves? Unusual combinations of romanticists? Or parted sweethearts?
Actually, a more logical question would be: Who are The Strangeloves?
Anyone who has had his ears tuned in to teenage radio in recent weeks would probably describe The Strangeloves as the swingingest trio to hit the music scene since the British invaded these shores two years ago.
The Strangeloves, oddly enough, don’t come from England. They hail from the backlands of Australia, a wild and uncivilized area of the continent from whence the trio acquired its earthy, hip swiveling rhythms so evident in their group’s potent recording of I Want Candy.
The same undulating beat so prominent in their hit single is multiplied to frenzied proportions as the boys showcase their best seller with 11 other swinging sessions tailored for the young-in-body as well as the young-at-heart.
This album is designed to get the crowd off their respective derrières and onto the dance floor. Sample the No Jive cut or the Just The Way You Are selection and you’ll hear exactly what this album is attempting to do–supply the most torrid sound around, the I Want Candy sound.
The Strangeloves acquired this untamed rhythm by studying the musical attributes of the natives in their own Australia. The boys were born on a farm in Armstong, Australia to Mt. & Mrs. Wilmot Strange who themselves obviously appreciated good sound. They melodically named their three sons Miles, Niles and Giles. While attending grade school and high school they assisted their father in raising sheep, learning the business of sheepherding better than Papa Strange had even anticipated. For it was at the young age of 16 that Miles, applying his vast knowledge of cross-breeding. developed the now famous breed of long hard sheep know as the Gotteher Sheep. The boys registered the breed with the Feld-Goldstein Company, Ltd. in Australia and have become independently wealthy from royalties accruing to them for each born into the Gottehrer breed.
But after completing high school, the boys turned their talents on a full-time basis to their first love–music. While on a safari in Africa, the group’s hobby, the boys acquired some unique Masai Drums and incorporated these tympany into their developing musical style. They worked intensively on creating an exciting dance sound and finally hit upon the rhythm they wanted in a tune called Love, Love, Love which went on to become their first big hit and one of Australia’s top hits of early 1965. The song was also responsible for changing the group’s name from the The Three Stranges to the The Strangeloves.
Then came I Want Candy which has documented the boys’ names on the pages the Record Industry history books both in American and throughout the world.
To give credit where credit is due the Masai Drums are under the control and supervision of Niles Strange. Miles supplies the lead voice and is an adept hand with a tambourine or almost any rhythm instrument. Giles’ contribution to the group is his very able management of the piano as well as extra drums when necessary–adding the the Afro-English beat conceive on their records.
Together the boys deliver a gross of mean sounds aimed at making your feet move.
Join in the fun and add The Strangeloves to your collection of albums. It’s music get a party moving!
This is the classic sound of first generation punk. The title track “hit” from Sham 69’s Hersham Boys frequently gets stuck in my head. Another favorite is the raucous, screaming live cut of “What Have We Got?” This cover is hilarious, with a gatefold that contains a great illustration by Brett Ewins of the band as the cockney cowboys, or “Hersham Boys.”
On St. Elsewhere, Gnarls Barkley did a great cover of the Violent Femmes’ tune “Gone Daddy Gone.” The Femmes are repaying the cover love, with their take on the Gnarls Barkley hit, “Crazy.” It’s crazy smooth is what it is, with sounds of surf rock guitar, mandolin, flute, and of course the Femmes’ trademark bass. They even rock the theremin on the chorus.
If you’ve heard only one song by Motörhead it’s almost certainly “Ace of Spades” from the album of the same name. There’s an AT&T television ad in heavy rotation, or maybe it’s just the type of shows I watch, that has a burly metalhead singing the song at the end. I’ve seen it so much I had to hear the real thing again.
One fun thing about the Ace of Spades (1980, this version on Profile Records 1986) album is its copious use of that curious percussion instrument the vibraslap. Hear one at Wikipedia. No sound conjures up the spaghetti-western, guns-about-to-be-drawn vibe more than the vibraslap’s rattle. I first became intimately familiar with the vibraslap when I was a percussionist in my junior high band, and I’ve been in love with it ever since. So, it’s probably no coincidence that my all time favorite Motorhead song is “Shoot You in the Back.” Just listen to all that vibraslap.
There are a few other great songs, but despite its fame this is not a consistent record. Unfortunately, there is also some really off-putting stuff like “Jailbait.” Come on, man.
This is a great great album everyone should have. I have always loved it but I just now learned that many of my favorites are covers of original ska tunes. Nothing wrong with that! I was also surprised that singer Terry Hall has no individual writing credits on Specials at all.
Raw, loud, fast, naked rock and roll power! I will never tire of it, or The Hellacopters. I just read that after a tour of Europe for their new album Head Off they are calling it quits. So sad. We end the week with another great one, Grande Rock, released in 1999 by Sub Pop. I got this record from Olsson’s in Old Town Alexandria, VA. Yes, it is vinyl. Olsson’s was cool enough to maintain a small vinyl section, but I think I had them special order this. My favorites are “Dogday Mornings” and “Venus in Force.” I brought this home and started playing it right away. Mere seconds after the needle hit the groove my daughter Paris, who was five years old at the time, exclaimed “I know that’s rock and roll!” I raise ’em right.
I typically play what I’m posting, but today I’m posting what I’ve been playing: Led Zeppelin’s Presence (1976). I had a hankering to hear “Nobody’s Fault but Mine,” but once this record started spinning I rediscovered some other gems like “Hots on for Nowhere” and “Royal Orleans.” There are only seven songs, but I was still surprised to read this album was recorded and mixed in only 17 days. I believe I bought Presence in the mid ’80s when I worked at a chain record store. I was late to the Zeppelin party due to acute punkrockitis.
This version of The Fall’s “There’s a Ghost in My House” (1987) has a hologram on the cover. It wasn’t easy to get a pic that clearly showed the hologram, but you’re worth it. It’s kept in a paper bag because holograms, like old color photographs, fade when they are exposed to light. “Ghost” is a typical alt-rock Fall song and I like it fine. “Haf Found Bormann” on the flip is a little too “art” to be on your summer mix tape.
On the back cover:
HOLOVISION
Making holograms part of todays (sic) world
Welcome to the singles club. At least that’s what I think I’ll be posting all week. This one is a 12 inch of “Stop This Crazy Thing” (1988) by Coldcut. It’s probably the best dance single ever recorded. If you disagree with that I’d love to hear what you think is better.
Junior Reid (Black Uhuru) provides the perfect vocal complement to this jungle music which is replete with all sorts of hoots and hollers, including Tarzan’s signature wail. The sounds and samples are themselves what’s crazy here and I definitely do not want to stop them.
This is one of the most played records in our collection. Long live Coldcut!
(I found this video of “Stop This Crazy Thing.” The record cover appears to be for a 12 inch (different edition than mine), but the record itself looks like a 7 inch, and the music is shorter. The original 12 inch is seven and a half minutes of jumping.)
Yes, you are the man Mr. Jackson. I have posted a number of your records already, with more to come. You also had a lot of hair back in 1979 when “I’m the Man” was released as this seven inch vinyl single. This is a great original song. On the flip is spunky, nay, punky I say, live cover of Chuck Berry’s “Come On.”
P.S. I think the button on your lapel says “I LOVE TO BOOGIE.”
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