Guest: Wailers guitarist Neil Andersson.

In this epysode we go WAY back...all the way to the start of what we now call "Garage Rock". Many music scholars point to The Wailers as being the first true Garage Rock band. My guest Neil Andersson has a very unique perspective on the band. Before he joined, he was a fan! He would play along to Wailers albums having no idea that one day he would have the good fortune to join them. He tells the story about being nervous for his first gig with the band opening for the Everly Brothers in front of 2000 fans...with no rehearsal!

The Wailers version of 'Louie Louie' became the template for all others to follow, including the most well known version by the Kingsmen (they even copied the yelp before the solo).

These guys even started their own label (as teenagers!) and released the first albums by The Sonics.

It's a fascinating story about a fantastic band that was pivotal in influencing so many acts to follow. You like Hendrix's "Spanish Castle Magic"? Thank The Wailers for that too...

Note: I used a few seconds of another podcast called "History of Rock Music in 500 Songs", specifically Episode 106 which discusses the history of the song 'Louie Louie'. This episode goes into great detail of this song, providing much more information and insight than I had time to discuss here. I highly recommend this podcast to any music fans, it's excellent. Here is the link to the episode I referenced:

https://500songs.com/podcast/episode-106-louie-louie-by-the-kingsmen/

My thanks to guest Neil Andersson for taking time to walk down memory lane and talk about his time with this great band. He has lots of music and fantastic art available - check it all out at his website:

https://www.neilandersson.com/

Lastly if you have not already done so, check out my Patreon page for bonus content and if you like this show please consider supporting us for as little as $1/month here:

patreon.com/FarmerJohnMusic

Thanks for tuning into Psychedelic Relics, I hope you dig The Fabulous Wailers as much as I do.

-FJ

Guest: J.J. Light (aka Jim Stallings)

In this epysode we hear the tale of how an American artist recorded an album featuring songs about his Navajo background, with the title track becoming a smash hit in Europe...yet inexplicably the record company decided not to release the album in North America. What?!?

The album was recorded with a huge budget and had most of The Wrecking Crew as session musicians, which automatically means you are in for a good time.

J.J. Light was an artist that should have gone on to more fame and fortune, but as it turns out success was his biggest failure.

Enjoy!

-FJ

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Guests: Ian ("Tag") Waggett, Shape of the Rain drummer; David McPhie, Shape of the Rain band manager; plus additional audio excerpts used with permission of Keith Riley, Shape of the Rain singer/guitarist/songwriter.

In this epysode, we learn how this fantastic UK band was influenced by the West Coast sounds of Love, HP Lovecraft etc. to create a unique sound all their own. With excellent songwriting from band leader Keith Riley, they incorporated 12 string guitars with a pedal steel guitar - very unusual for a psychedelic band to use at that time.

Shape of the Rain played with EVERY major band of the day. Only releasing one album in their lifetime, it's the classic tale of a band who had all the components to be major stars. However fate it seems had other plans.

A recent reissue of their lone album is a great addition for fans as it includes not only a remastered version of the album, but a plethora of fantastic unreleased tracks plus a complete live album. Buy this today! https://www.cherryred.co.uk/shape-of-the-rain-riley-riley-wood-amp-waggett-3cd-digipak#:~:text=It's%20a%20fascinating%20overview%20of,immediately%20post%2DBeatles%20new%20dawn.

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT THIS EPYSODE: The Shape of the Rain epysode was completed a few weeks ago. I had intended to release it earlier than this, however on the day before it was set to be published news broke that Keith Riley had passed away. I made the decision to leave the epysode as is, recorded when Keith was still alive. I felt re-editing would take away from the story. Instead I added a short prologue to commemorate Keith's life. He was an extraordinary talent and I can only hope my love for his music comes across in this epysode. I love this band, I love this album and I love Keith's songwriting. RIP Keith, you will be missed.

If you have questions, comments or suggestions for future epysodes, I can be reached at farmerjohnmusic@gmail.com.

We rely on support from our Patreon backers to bring you more content like this. If you enjoy what you are hearing, consider becoming a member for as little as $1/month by clicking here: patreon.com/FarmerJohnMusic . Thank you for your support.

-FJ