Now Hear This! Garage & Beat From The Norman Petty Vaults Various Artists (Norman Petty Masters)

£11.50

Genre:
Psych / Garage
Label:
Big Beat
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDWIKD 263

It’s been almost ten years since your intrepid scribe first journeyed to the windswept plains of north eastern New Mexico to enter the hallowed vaults of Norman Petty, the quixotic producer/engineer, in the first of what would prove to be many enjoyable visits to Clovis. True, Messrs Armstrong, Carroll and Topping had made the premier sorties and thus mined many of the rockabilly gems, as well as the masters of Trevor Churchill’s beloved Fireballs. I knew there was a lot more to Petty’s catalogue than just the essential 1950s material – but I was blown away by the sheer quantity of quality that awaited my questing fingers, as I pored over, and pawed through, his voluminous tape archive. Because of the resolute focus on Petty’s 1950s work over the years, the vast proportion of his 1960s tapes, and especially the multi-tracks, had remained untouched since he filed them after the sessions. Throwing each reel up on the machine revealed a continuing surfeit of blazing instrumentals, spacey psychedelic pop and, as showcased on NOW HEAR THIS!, some of the best recorded mid-60s garage and beat you are likely to hear.

Despite his base in remote Clovis, the urbane and complex Petty had already achieved a tremendous reputation in the business as artist, producer and publisher by 1964. He’d always cultivated ties to Europe, and had produced records in London in the early 1960s; most important was the unequivocal influence upon British groups of the groundbreaking rock’n’roll he cut with Buddy Holly. When the Beatles turned the American record industry upside down, there was only a handful of Stateside producers capable of handling the gauntlet thrown down by the invading British - and foremost amongst them was Norman Petty. The tremors of the British Invasion were felt as strongly in the Southwest as anywhere else, and as the region’s premier recording facility, rock musicians continued to beat a path to Petty’s door. For his part, Norman overlooked his predilection for “beautiful music”, and welcomed both the accomplished players and the teenage garage bands, even though the latter could sometimes test even his legendary patience. Whoever it was, Norman Petty made them sound great.

“Now Hear This!” isn’t just a collection of fuzz and fury – though the lead on Barry Allen’s And My Baby’s Gone is quite likely to melt your speakers (or clear the room of String-A-Longs fans). Petty signed bands with chart potential and several groups featured here, such as the Chances, the Cinders (featuring a young JD Souther wailing away like Roky Erickson) and the Cords were Petty-sponsored combos. Major Canadian act Wes Dakus’ Rebels sought him out to handle their recording career. Otherwise, the punk bands paids the bills, and there are some corkers on display here – snotty put-downs from Colorado’s Trolls and Teardrops, punchy items from New Mexico’s Morfomen and Venturie “5, and tellingly, the ultra-basic Perils from Hart, Texas (population 577), at whose session you can just visualize Norman Petty rolling his eyes heaven- ward as singer Eddie Reed spits out “HATE yew, girl!” with a cotton stalk stuck between his teeth.

Throw in some classy beat-orientated sides from the Crickets, Canada’s Famous Last Words, and Petty’s ever-loyal charges the Fireballs, and “Now Hear This!” forms a tremendous showcase for Petty’s mid-1960s work, an aspect of this singular man’s career I am most proud to have brought to light.

By Alec Palao

Share

Track listing

Show

Side 1

  • 01 Preview Now Hear This - The Crickets

  • 02 Preview Three Minutes Time - The Cinders

  • 03 Preview I Don't Recall - The Trolls

  • 04 Preview Get Out Of My Life - The Chances

  • 05 Preview Hate - The Perils

  • 06 Preview Good Lovin's So Hard To Find - The Cinders

  • 07 Preview Sweet Sweet Sadie - The Teardrops

  • 08 Preview Too Late To Kiss You Now - The Cords

  • 09 Preview And My Baby's Gone - Barry Allen with Wes Dakus' Rebels

  • 10 Preview Ma'am - The Cinders

  • 11 Preview Good 'N' Bad - The Venturie "5"

  • 12 Preview It's Only Time - The Chances

  • 13 Preview Say I Am (What I Am) - Stu Mitchell & Doug Roberts

  • 14 Preview Hey Little Schoolgirl - The Famous Last Words

  • 15 Preview Danger Zone - Barry Allen with Wes Dakus' Rebels

  • 16 Preview Come To Me - Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs

  • 17 Preview Write Me A Letter - The Morfomen

  • 18 Preview That Girl Isn't Comin' Today - Tom Beal

  • 19 Preview Gloria - The Cinders

  • 20 Preview Only Time Will Tell - Three Of A Kind

  • 21 Preview Shotgun - Wes Dakus' Rebels

  • 22 Preview Sin Crazed Woman - The Cords

  • 23 Preview Barbara White - The Cinders

  • 24 Preview Let Your Lovin' Grow - The Monocles

  • 25 Preview Love Me Again - Barry Allen with Wes Dakus' Rebels

Delivery & Returns

Show

We offer free P&P to UK addresses. For all other territories packaging is free and postage is charged on a weight basis.

We use Royal Mail First Class for UK deliveries and standard Air Mail for all other territories, very large orders will usually be sent via parcelforce. You may cancel your order at any time prior to your order being dispatched by emailing us at orders@acerecords.com ensuring that you quote your name, address and order reference number or by telephoning +44 (0) 208 453 1311 between 9am and 5pm GMT/BST, Monday to Friday. Please note: As music downloads are dispatched immediately after purchase, there is no possibility of cancelling these orders.

In the event that any products supplied to you by us are damaged or defective, we agree to replace or repair the damaged or defective products or refund the amount you paid for such goods (including postage & packaging) providing you notify us (either via post at or e-mail: orders@acerecords.com ) and return the goods within 28 days of purchase. Physical goods should be sent back to us in the same condition you received them to: “Returns” Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the e-mail address above including a copy of your notification.

You have the right to cancel your order within seven days of purchase, or seven days of receipt of the goods (whichever is the longer). If you choose to cancel your order, full payment will be returned to you. Returned items should be sent to: “Returns” c/o Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the email address: orders@acerecords.com including a copy of your notice of cancellation and order number.

Customer reviews

Show

Related products

Customers who bought this item also bought