Genre: psych
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Who's Gonna Buy?
Company: DeWolfe
Catalog: DW/LP 3114
Year: 1969
Country/State: UK
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: UK issue; mono pressing;
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 1153
Price: $325.00
Cost: $300.00
I'm simply not sure what to make of this one. I bought it from noted UK dealer Peter Bonner who didn't know all that much about it either. Released by the small De Wolfe label, it's what the English call a "library" record - literally an album that was recorded in miniscule quantities for use by films, television or radio shows where the material was typically used as background/soundtrack music. Unlike soundtracks, "library" albums were never intended for public sale, hence very few copies were pressed.
Recorded by an anonymous studio band, musically 1969's "Who's Gonna Buy?" was a major curiosity. The album was divided into a side featuring six vocal performances and a side with seven instrumentals. Five of the side two instrumentals were apparently the same songs without the vocal tracks. Missing in action from the instrumental side was 'I Am the Man'- though there were two 'new' tracks - 'Wild Types' and 'Leather People'. Assuming J. Hawksworth and P. Reno were the main members (they were given writing credits for all 14 selections), the album offered up a wonderful selection of garage rock and psych moves. Tracks such as 'I Am the Man', 'Who's Gonna Buy?' and 'Unpack Your Bags' offered up great tunes, excellent snarling vocals, all punched up with tons of feedback guitar and walls of keyboards. Always loved the brief descriptions that accompanied each track, e.g. ''Winter Song' was described as a 'strongly melodic lament'.
- Opening up with some Spencer Davis Group-styled percussion and organ blue-eyed soul moves 'I Am the Man' then exploded into a snot nosed garage rocker with a menacing raw vocal (if you were the father of a young daughter the thought of this guy getting anywhere near your offspring was going to send shudders down your spine), and some tasty squealing lead guitar. For some weird reason, he song briefly faded out near the end and then bounced back before ending. rating: **** stars
- 'Who's Gonna Buy?' was a catchy mid-tempo, blues-rocker with a non-too-subtle lyric (you can probably guess the subject matter from the title). To my ears it sounded a bit like an English version of Jim Morrison and the Doors with some great fuzz and blues guitar work. My only complaint on this one was that the song faded out just as a fantastic fuzz guitar solo kicked in. rating: **** stars
- With a galloping melody and a great bass pattern, 'Traveling Man' was unusual in that it had a very American sound ... Hard to adequately described, but this was another one that had a touch of Doors influence. The track featured another great fuzz guitar solo. rating: **** stars
- Opening up with a nifty up-and-down organ riff, 'Unpack Your Bags' found the band dipping their collective toes into acid-tinged pop territory. Not a particularly complicated arrangement, but it was also one of the album's most commercial offerings and wouldn't have sounded bad on top-40 radio. rating: **** stars
- 'Poor Lonely Woman' found the band seemingly trying to channel The Zombies ... Like the best of The Zombies catalog the song had one of those dark, haunting organ propelled melodies that bore more than a passing resemblance to Rod Argent and company. The song also had a great bass line. rating: **** stars
- For 'Winter Song' the group seemed to be pulling a page out of Eric Burden and the Animals catalog - in this case the song's dark, moody bluesy vibe has always reminded me a bit of 'House of the Rising Sun'. rating: *** stars
- Described as 'walking tempo - moody pop', 'Wild Types' was actually a fuzz guitar and organ propelled blues number. Easy to see it being used as background music during one of those club scenes that were so popular in cheapo '60s exploitation flicks, rating: *** stars
- Clocking in at under a minute 'Leather People' was described as 'raw, rhythmic, medium quick ..." Shame it was so short since it featured some of the album's best guitar work. rating: *** stars
One of the best rock-oriented library records, for anyone swayed by such things, this one shows in Hans Pokora's 3001 Record Collector Dreams.
"Who's Gonna Buy? The Lemon Dips" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) I Am the Man (J. Hawksworth) - 2:52
2.) Who's Gonna Buy? (P. Reno) - 2:40
3.) Traveling Man (P. Reno) - 2:25
4.) Unpack Your Bags (J. Hawksworth) - 2:06
5.) Poor Lonely Woman (J. Hawksworth) - 2:34
6.) Winter Song (P. Reno) - 3:37
(side 2)
1.) Who's Gonna Buy? (instrumental) (P. Reno) - 2:40
2.) Traveling Man (instrumental) (P. Reno) - 2:25
3.) Unpack Your Bags (instrumental) (J. Hawksworth) - 2:06
4.) Poor Lonely Woman (instrumental) (J. Hawksworth) - 2:34
5.) Winter Song (instrumental) (P. Reno) - 3:37
6.) Wild Types (instrumental) (J. Hawksworth) - 2:27
7.) Leather People (J. Hawksworth) - 0:54
(In case you were wondering where was this music used? Three of the tracks were used in the soundtrack to the forgotten film "The Haunted House of Horror" (released as "The Dark" in the States). Sound familiar? Probably not. The film was released by the infamous American International and is renown among cult fans for starring a then 30 + year old Frankie Avalon as a drug addicted London teenage loser who may have killed his best friend while goofing off in a supposedly haunted house (probably not one of Avalon's career highlights).