Genre: garage
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Live! At the Rainbow Ballroom 1966
Company: Beat Rocket
Catalog: BR 102
Year: 2001
Country/State: Salinas, California
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: --
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5294
Price: $15.00
Brothers Bob (vocals and rhythm guitar) and Jody (keyboards) Wence were apparently the driving force behind the Salinas, California-based The E-Types (presumably named after the beautiful Jaguar car). Formed in 1966 the band started out rehearsing in lead guitarist Bob Shephard's garage, where the Mersybeat influenced sound eventually helped them make it on to the local dance, club and battle-of-the-bands circuit.
Picking up managerial support in the form of Ron Roupe (who was also handling The Chocolate Watch Band), the group made their 1966 recording debut with the release of the 45 'I Can't Do It' b/w 'Long Before' (Link catalog number 1). Their big break came when Dot Records picked the single up for national distribution (Dot catalog number 16864). The resulting publicity attracted the attention of produced Ed Cobb who signed them to his Starburst label, releasing their second 45: 'She Moves Me' b/w 'Love of the Loved (Starburst catalog number SBM 45-001). That was followed by a fourth single for Tower: 'Put the Clock Back On the Wall' b/w '4th Street' (Tower catalog number 325). Issued in 1967, their final release cane out on the small Uptown label - 'Big City' b/w 'Back To Me' (Uptown catalog number 754).
The group subsequently called it quits, though the band's manager Ron Roupe saw fit to release a posthumous track credited to Charlotte Wood ('Friendly Indians'). The song appeared on a 1968 compilation entitled 'San Francisco International Pop Festival, Vol 1" (Colstar catalog number 1005).
Released by the Sundazed affiliated Beat Rocket label, 2001's "Live! At the Rainbow Ballroom 1966" captured the band playing at a Fresno, California club. Sonically the set was okay. Recorded in mono, the dozen tracks were clear, though a little flat on the dynamics scale. Musically the set offered up a mix of then popular-hits with a single original thrown in (their debut single 'I Can't Do It'). The band's penchant for English rock was apparent via Beatles, Yardbirds, and Who selections. The performance were all pretty good, if occasionally a little ragged (check out the opener 'What You're Doing'). That said, I bet they would have been a blast to hear live. As lead singer Bob Wence was quite good, gifted with a versatile voice that was equally at home with folk-rock (Dylan's 'One Too Many Mornings') and tougher faire ('Shape of Things'). Lead guitarist Shephard was also pretty good, kicking a tasty dose of fuzz into tracks like 'Heart Full of Soul'. On the negative side, none of the covers strayed far from the originals (which were all far superior), giving the album kind of a 'so what' feel. Elsewhere, Wence and Shaffer's liner note recollections were fun to read.
"Live! At
the Rainbow Ballroom In '66" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) What You're Doing (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 2:38
2.) Shape of Things (Paul Samwell-Smith - Keif Relf - Jim McCarthy) - 2:26
3.) Leave Me Be (C. White) - 2:06
4.) Laugh Laugh (Ron Elliot) - 3:08
5.) Still In Love with You Baby (Ron Elliot) - 2:33
6.) I Can't Do It (Larry Hosford) - 2:42
(side
2)
1.) Wait (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 2:04
2.) Mister You're a Better Man Than I (Mike Hugg) - 3:14
3.) One Too Many Mornings (Bob Dylan) - 2:50
4.) Just a Little (Ron Elliot - Durand) - 2:16
5.) The Kids Are Alright (Pete Townsend) - 2:33
6.) Heart Full of Soul (Graham Gouldman) - 2:31