The Shamrocks - Smoke Rings Around The Cadillac (1964-68 sweden, stunning r 'n' b with garage drops)

The Shamrocks, not to be mixed up with The Swiss Shamrocks or the UK band. 

Sweden 1962, Bjorn and Jan joined together with Bernt and Goran and formed a band, calling themselves The Shamrocks. At the time, their music was inspired by The Shadows. They did their first performance as an instrumental group. Some months later, a singer named Dick Emretzon joined. 

After their military service, they started an intense search for new members, which resulted in a very successful constellation, featuring Jimmy Lindskog on guitar and Dieter Feichtinger on bass. At Kingside Club in Stockholm they won a talent competition which resulted in a recording contract with Karusell Records. They adopted the Renegades song "Cadillac" and were called "The Scandinavian Beatles". Karusell then was bought by the big German record company Polydor, which had an international repertoire. 

The Shamrocks were transferred to Polydor as one of the label’s international star groups. The Shamrocks now touring through Europe. In 1966 they did their first performances in Paris, France. ”Cadillac” had reached the charts, and they performed at famous places like Top Ten and Moulin Rouge. Later in the year, The Shamrocks did their first tour in England, appearing on the same stages as The Hollies, The Moody Blues, The Mindbenders, Paul & Barry Ryan, Georgie Fame, Marianne Faithfull and others. 

Finally they did a concert at the famous Olympia, one of the most prominent music halls in the world. This time they appeared with the King of Rock’n’Roll himself: Jerry Lee Lewis. After Jan Granaht left the group in 1967, Bjorn, Dieter and Kent decided to go on as a trio. A new image was disussed, trying out more visual effects. Together with a ”fireworks artist”, a tremendous firework show was put together: water-falls, smokescreens, Bengal fires, showers of sparks – you name it... 

The group returned to Germany for a farewell concert at the Beethovenhalle in Bonn. And then Kent remained in Bonn after this last gig. After a while Bjorn and Dieter decided to make one last ”thanks and farewell”-tour in Germany.

by Martin Lundstrom

Tracks
1. We Gonna Make It (Lindskog, Feichtinger) - 2:55
2. A Lonely Man (Lindskog, Calstrom) - 2 10
3. Skinny Minny (Haley, Keefer, Grabler, Dafra) - 3 00
4. A Mountain Of Silver (Feichtmqar, Weiss) - 1:55
5. Cadillac (Brown, Gibson, Johnson, Maller) - 2:45
6. Easy Rider (Arr:Sone, Collier) - 1:50
7. And I Need You (Lindskog) - 2.22
8. Zip A Dee Doo-Dah (Wrubel, Reuter and Reuter Frol) - 2:15
9. La La La (Paul) - 2:31
10.Things Will Turn Out Right Tomorrow (Brown, Gibson, Johnson, Mallet) - 2:00
11.Ballaballa (Lippock) - 2:08
12.Oxford Street 43 (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:38
13.Don't Say (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:53
14.Nobody Cares About Me (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:20
15.Days (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:33
16.Smokerings (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 3:18
17.See Me Coming (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:00
18.I'm On The Outside Loocking In (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2.50
19.Please Don't Cry (For Me) (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:43
20.Gipsy Lullaby At 10:30 (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 248
21.Missconception (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:58
22.I'm Ready For The Show (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2 24
23.Cadillac (Paris Version) (Brown, Gibson, Johnson, Maller) - 2:45
24.How The Time Flies (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:28
25.Travelin'man (Wells, Miller) - 3:03
26.The Smiling Kind (Hazzard) - 2:08
27.Don’t You Know She's Mine(Carter, Keen, Show) - 2:25
28.Daytime Nighttime (Hugg) - 2:50
29.Rich Life (Chamhers, Pawson) - 2:20

The Shamrocks
*Dick Emretzon - Vocals (1962-64)
*Jan Granaht - Guitar (1962-67)
*Bjorn Wrangert - Drums
*Bernt Ek - Bass (1962-64) replaced by
*Dieter Feichtinger - Bass (1964-present)
*Goran Andersson - Guitar (1962-63) replaced by
*Kent Risberg - Guitar (1965-present)
*Jimmy Lindskog - Guitar and Vocals (1963-65) replaced by
*Curt Nylen - Guitar and Vocals (2007-present)

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The Downliners Sect - Sectuality (1964-66 uk, stylish mod r 'n' b, Charly two disc edition)

This double-CD set is essential listening -- not just for Downliners Sect fans, but for anyone who's ever worn out copies of any of the first three Rolling Stones albums or owns anything by the Yardbirds, the Pretty Things, Them, the Graham Bond Organisation, the Animals, early John Mayall, the Shadows of Knight, or any of countless blues-inspired American garage bands. 

In content, it's approximately equivalent to Charly's Yardbirds Ultimate Collection, encompassing the complete contents of the Downliners Sect's three original LPs, from the bluesy "Baby, What's Wrong" to the pounding, proto-psychedelic "Glendora." Thus, listeners don't get the EP and demo tracks "Cadillac," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Beautiful Delilah," or "Shame Shame Shame," and "I Can't Get Away from You" and "Roses" are also missing from the other end of their history -- all of which are present, along with a lot else, on See for Miles' Definitive Downliners Sect: 

The Singles A's & B's, which is the perfect complement to this set. What listeners do get is two hours of some of the most delightfully raw and unaffected, downright affectionate British renditions of American rock & roll and R&B, so unstylish that they achieve a kind of beguiling, offhanded stylishness all their own -- where the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, the original Fleetwood Mac et al. all had personalities with a certain allure and mystery that made them insinuate themselves into the music, the Sect thump away with more enthusiasm than distinctive talent or personalities, or inventiveness.

That must be why they can shift from sounding like Chuck Berry or Bo Diddley to Bill Haley & His Comets on "I'm Hooked on You," then resemble the early Spencer Davis Group on "Comin' Home Baby," then suddenly sound like the rawest American garage band this side of the Litter on "Why Don't You Smile Now," then switch back toward the Rolling Stones on "Don't Lie to Me" (which includes the most delightfully out of tune bass accompaniment you may ever hear on a finished, released record, not that the guitarist seems to have known where middle C was either...), and follow that with the jocular "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose," sounding like the Pretty Things having fun -- and they even end in a vaguely Kinks-like mode (circa 1966-1967) with "The Cost of Living." 

And all of that's on their last album, which isn't usually thought of as representing their peak -- geez, on "I'm Looking for a Woman" they get into this Bo Diddley groove that's so perfect, despite being so much more flaccid than Bo would ever permit his band to sound, that your fingers will start dancing to that shave-and-a-haircut beat; there's just something so real and honest about the way these guys plunked and plodded their way through their music, running on sheer bravado and a genuine affection at their core -- it didn't propel them to stardom (except maybe in Scandinavia), but it makes their stuff worth hearing in full 40 years later, and how many bands beyond the Rolling Stones is that true about? 

This set will dazzle any enthusiast of British blues or British Invasion rock, or, for that matter, first-rate American-style garage punk. The sound is excellent and the annotation is very thorough; there are some misprints and missing words on the song listings, but where it counts, this set would be worthwhile even at twice the price. 

by Bruce Eder

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Baby, What's Wrong (Reed) - 2:53 

2. Be A Sect Maniac (Collier) - 1:59 

3. Little Egypt (Leiber, Stoller) - 7:44 

4. Sect Appeal (Collier) - 2:00 

5. Find Out What's Happening (Jerry, Crutchfieid) - 2:08 

6. Insecticide (Collier, O'Donnell, Evans) - 2:19 

7. Hurt By Loue (C, I. Fox) - 2:45 

8. One Ugly Child (Bright) - 2:21 

9. Lonely And Blue (Grant, Gibson) - 2:43 

10.Our Little Rendezvous (Berry) - 2:32 

11.Guitar Boogie (Arr. Gibson) - 1:35 

12.Too Much Monkey Business (Berry) - 2:01 

13.Baby, What's On Your Mind (Reed) - 1:44

14.Cops And Robbers (McDaniel) - 2:31 

15.Easy Rider (Arr Sone. Collier) - 2:39 

16.Bloodhound (Bright) - 1.59 

17.Bright Lights (Reed) - 2.29 

18.I Wanna Put A Tiger In Your Tank (Dixon) - 3.31 

19.I Want My Baby Back (Botkin, Gariield) - 3.38 

20.Midnight Hour (Evans, O'Donnell, Evans, Collier) -  4.15 

21.Now She's Dead (Remhatdt) - 2.42 

22.Wreck Of The Old '97 (Trad. arr. Evans, O'Donnell) - 3:02

23.Leader Of The Sect (M.,  J. Collier) - 2:04 

24.I Cot Mine (Collins) - 2:20 

25.Waiting In Heaven (O'Donneli, Evans, Collier) - 2:43 

Disc 2
1. If I Could Just Co Back (Collins) - 2:48
2. Rocks In My Bed (Arr Collier, Evans, O'Donnell) - 5:00
3. Ballad Of The Hounds (Fitzmorris, Rhodes) - 2:01
4. Little Play Soldiers (Cooper) - 3:23
5. Hard Travellin (Arr Collier, Evans, O'Donnell) - 2:19
6. Wait For The Light To Shine (Rose) - 2:34
7. Above And Beyond (The Call of Love) (Harian, Howard) - 2:08
8. Bad Storm Coming (Collier, Evans, O'Donnell) - 2:35
9. Midnight Special (Arr Collier, Evans, O'Donnell) - 1:55
10.Wolverion Mountain (Kilgore. King) - 2:37
11.Ail Night Worker (R. Thomas) - 2:34
12.He Was A Square (Reinhardt) - 3:05
13.Hang On Sloopy (Russell. Farrell) - 2:17
14.Fortune Teller (Neville) - 2:22
15.Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey (Penimman) - 2:05
16.Everything I've Got To Give (Evans) - 2:02
17.Outside (O'Donnell, Evans) - 2:29
18.I'm Hooked On YOU (Gibbson, O'Donnell) - 1:19
19.Comin Home Baby (Tucker, Dorough) - 2:52
20.Why Don't You Smile Now (Philips, Vance, Reed, Cale) - 2:07
21.Don't Lie To Me (Berry) - 2:34
22.May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose (Merritt) - 2:56
23.I'm Looking For A Woman (McDaniel) - 3:15
24.The Rock Sect's In Again (Collier) - 2:47
25.Brand New Cadillac (Taylor) - 2:13
26.Clendora R. (Stanley) - 2:42
27.I'll Find Olft (Evans, Collier) - 2:12
28.The Cost Of Living (Gouldman., Cowap, Lisberg) - 1:46

The Downliners Sect
*Don Craine - Vocals
*Terry Gibson - Guitar
*Keith Grant - Bass, Vocals
*Ray Sone - Harmonica
*John Sutton - Drums

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