SorryNoDiesel – motors motors motors - Stars Star 101

 

Car songs have been common in Rock ‘n’ Roll music since the 1950s. Cadillacs of assorted colours and various sizes, Jaguars ‘n’ Thunderbirds, Sting Rays, the odd Porsche, even a Mercedes-Benz (the car of our class enemy) were subjects of Rock ‘n’ Roll songs galore. Bygone days, when car songs even had their own genre parallel to Surf Music: Hot Rod.

 

“Black And White Thunderbird” (The Delicates), “Hot Rod Lincoln” (Johnny Bond), “Hey Little Cobra” (The Rip Chords), “Jaguar And Thunderbird” (Chuck Berry), “Little Deuce Coupe” (The Beach Boys), “Sting Ray” (The Routers), “Buick 59” (The Medallions), “426 - Super Stock” (Dick Dale & His Del-Tones), “Pink Cadillac” (Larry Dowd & The Rock-A-Tones)) or “G.T.O.” (Ronny & The Daytonas) are classic examples of car songs of the 50s and 60s. And mind, Ray Pillow even devoted a song to “Volkswagen” in 1966.

 

As I don’t see any young Rock ‘n’ Rollers these days, I don’t know about any 21^st century car songs. I’d say the youngsters have got different subjects on their mind. And if it would be mobility, they’d rather (and better) compose bike songs. A Tesla just hasn’t got the karma to make it into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame. SorryNoDiesel compiles Indie, Punk and Garage Rock Bands active between 1983 and 1998, and they are far from politically or environmentally correct. Thus it’s cars cars cars and motors motors motors and drive drive drive (even without a car). And anybody out there who’d dare to compete The Screaming Blue Messiahs’ “Twin Cadillac Valentine”?

 

01 ’49 Plymouth   TIMBUK 3        02 Big Black Car   DUM DUM BOYS        03 Honda Accord   GOOD OLD MASSACHUSETTS BOYS       04 Cars   CLAW BOYS CLAW        05 Jaguar   THE MILKSHAKES        06 Pink Thunderbird   RED CHECKERS        07 Black Cadillac   RED CHECKERS        08 Twin Cadillac Valentine   THE SCREAMING BLUE MASSIAHS        09 Blonde/Corvette   THE SHAVED PIGS        10 Blue Chevrolet   THE BEAT FARMERS        11 Coupe De Ville   THE DEL FUEGOS        12 My Baby’s Hearse   FORTUNE & MALTESE & THE FABULOUS PALLBEARERS        13 Hot Rod   THE IGUANAS        14 Thunderbird   THE MAGNIFICENT        15 Mystic Cadillac   MOOSEHEART FAITH STELLAR GROOVE BAND        16 Brand New Cadillac   THE SUBURBAN NIGHTMARE        17 C.A.R.S.   TERRY & GERRY        18 Big Blue Ford   GILA BEND        19 Boot Your Car   ELECTRIC BLOOD        20 Car   DE BOSSEN        21 Little K-Car   SIT N’ SPIN        22 Voodoo Cadillac   SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS        23 Go Go Ferrari   THE UNTAMED YOUTH        24 Pig In A Porsche   PET THE PIG        25 Buffi’s Hearse   SIT N’ SPIN     

THE SHAKESPEARES / SHAKESPEARES UNLIMITED - Soul from Bremen live in Ruhrgebiet

 

 The Shakespeares live in Recklinghausen (from the book “Beat Geschichte(n) im Revier”)

 

At the April 1968 Beatfestival in Recklinghausen the Jury and the audience for the first and last time agreed. Both voted The Shakespeares from Bremen into the first place. The band played a tight set, and the brass section really was astounding. Actually Art Kirkpatrick, the black lead singer of the band, announced the band as Shakespeares Unlimited, but that might have been just a freak for the day. The nonett comprised of Harald Konietzko, b, Wulf Wemmje, trb, Wolfgang Ohrt, trp, gtr, William McKay, trp, Pete Delphinich, sax, Klaus “Mülpe”  Müller, org, Art Kirkpatrick, voc, Ulrich Schmücker, gtr, and Walter Jacobs, dr. If you want to read more about the band then get Detlef Michelers’ book “Schlag auf Schlag – Die Bremer Rock-und Beatszene 1954 – 1968” (248 Seiten, Edition Temmen 2010; ISBN 978-3-8378-1017-2) including a couple of photos of The Shakespeares. There are also a couple of Shakespeares photos in the ground-breaking book “Beat Geschichte(n) im Revier” by Horst-D. Mannel and Rainer Obeling (256 Seiten, Journal-Verlag 1993, no ISBN) which deals with the Vestlandhalle Beat Festivals (in Recklinghausen) and portrays many Ruhrgebiet Beat bands. This book is a real must-have.

• 01 THE SHAKESPEARES, Bremen, live in Recklinghausen April 15^th, 1968 – Peter Gunn
• 02 THE SHAKESPEARES, Bremen, live in Recklinghausen April 15^th, 1968 – Soul Man
• 03 THE SHAKESPEARES, Bremen, live in Recklinghausen April 15^th, 1968 – Just One More Day
• 04 THE SHAKESPEARES, Bremen, live in Recklinghausen April 15^th, 1968 – Sweet Soul Music
• 05 THE SHAKESPEARES, Bremen, live in Recklinghausen April 15^th, 1968 – Knock On Wood
• 06 THE SHAKESPEARES, Bremen, live in Recklinghausen April 15^th, 1968 – It’s A Wonder, Baby

THE STONES – Teenpunk from Gelsenkirchen live at the "Beat Festival"

 

The Stones were a genuine Garage band, teenagers who’d bash it out as well as they could.

Okay, the sound quality of their three tracks is far from perfect, but do you know any other German band that had “The Burning Desire” in their live set?! The Five By Five’s version had been issued in Germany on the Vogue label. It did not do much, in fact, it did very little. Thus the original picture sleeve single has become a collectors item. The Stones, a bunch of young lads from the Ruhrgebiet town of Gelsenkirchen, however picked it up and performed it at the “Beat Festival” in Recklinghausen on 9^th February 1969. They added a self-penned tune and a Small Faces cover. Unfortunately, the bands competing (about 150 had signed in, but only a third of them actually were given stage presence) were limited to three numbers each. Most probably the Gelsenkirchen Stones had more aces up their sleeves.

I don’t have a photo, unfortunately, and no line-up of the band. 

1. THE STONES, Gelsenkirchen, live Vestlandhalle 9 Febr 69: The Burning Desire (Fire)
2. THE STONES, Gelsenkirchen, live Vestlandhalle 9 Febr 69: Flying Like A Butterfly
3. THE STONES, Gelsenkirchen, live Vestlandhalle 9 Febr 69: Patterns