The McCoys
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1962-65) Rick and the Raiders) - Ronnie Brandon -- keyboards - Dennis Kelly -- bass - Randy Zehringer (aka Randy Z) -- drums, percussion - Richard Zehringer (aka Rick Derringer) (RIP 2025) -- vocals, lead guitar
line up 2 (1965-69) as The McCoys NEW - Randy Hobbs (RIP 1993) -- bass (replaced Dennis Kelly) NEW - Bobbie Peterson (RIP 1993) -- keyboards (replaced Ronnie Brandon) - Randy Zehringer (aka Randy Z) -- drums, percussion - Richard Zehringer (aka Rick Derringer) (RIP 2025) -- vocals, lead guitar
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- The Amazing Guitars (Rick Derringer) - Derringer (Rick Derringer) - Derringer, Bogert & Appice (Rick Derringer) - DNA (Rick Derringer) - Flying Bear Medicine Show (Rick Derringer and Bobbie Peterson) - Roy Orbson and The Candymen (Bobbie Peterson) - Rick and the Raiders (Dennis Kelly, Randy Zehringer and Richard Zehringer) - Edgar Winter's White Trash (Rick Derringer) - The Edgar Winter Group (Rick Derringer) - Johnny Winter (Rick Derringer and Richard Zehringer)
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Genre: garage rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: You Make Me Feel So Good Company: Bang Catalog: BLP
213 Country/State: Union City, Indiana Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: mono pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $60.00
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For a brief moment in the mid-'60s The McCoys were a big thing. Today their sophomore album, 1966's "You Make Me Feel So Good" stands as one of those garage albums that's largely forgotten. That's even stranger given how much attention their 1965 debut "Hang On Sloppy" attracted.
Produced
by Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottherer (of The Strangloves
fame), The McCoys' sophomore album offered up a mixture of cover tunes and
material penne
"You Make
Me Feel So Good" track listing: 1.) Say Those Magic Words (Bob Feldman - Jerry Goldstein - Richard Gottehrer -Doc Pomus - Mort Shuman) - 2:50 rating: **** stars Admittedly it may not have been as instantly catchy as "Hang On Sloopy" but after a couple of spins "Say Those Magic Words" showed itself to be every bit as good as the earlier hit. Powered by Richard Zehringer's growling voice and a nifty guitar riff that George Harrison would have approved of, this one should have provided the band with another mega hit.
- 1967's "Say Those Magic Words" b/w "I Wonder If She Remembers Me" (Bang catalog number B-549)
The British R&B band The Birds (with Ali McKenzie on lead vocals and a young Ron Wood on lead guitar) released their version of the tune a year earlier. Their version sported a far harder rock edge. 2.) Everyday I Have To Cry (Arthur Alexander) - 2:22 rating: *** stars Soulster Arthur Alexander wrote and recorded "Everyday I Have To Cry" back in 1962 and it's been recorded by a slew of acts including Steve Alaimo, Dusty Springfield, Barry Gibb, Latimore Brown and even The Gentries. Alexander's version was released until 1975. Opening with some Stax-tinged horns, their cover made it clear these guys weren't The Box Tops, but it wasn't a bad effort. 3.) (You Make Me Feel) So Good (Bob Feldman - Jerry Goldstein - Richard Gottehrer - Doc Pomus - Mort Shuman) - 2:38 rating: **** stars "(You Make Me Feel) So Good" has always reminded me of a mash-up of the early "Sloopy" and Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour" (check out Hobbs' bass line) . Given those are two strong baselines and the catchy title refrain and I'll give the song an extra star. Shame it didn't do better on the charts.
- 1966's "(You Make Me Feel) So Good" b/w "Runaway" (Bang catalog number B-527) # 52 Billboard Top-100 charts
4.) The Dynamite (Bob Feldman - Jerry Goldstein - Richard Gottehrer) - 2:09 rating: *** stars "Dance" tunes were all the craze in the mid-'60s and "The Dynamite" found The McCoys taking a stab at cashing in on the craze. Nothing particular original on this one; the band trotting out their best impersonation of James Brown. The song was also released as the "B" side of their non-LP "I Got To Go Back (And Watch That Little Girl Dance)" 45. Interestingly, the single was flipped in Italy, where "The Dynamite" served as the "A" side:
- 1968's "The Dynamite" b/w ""I Got To Go Back (And Watch That Little Girl Dance)" (Bang catalog number SIR 20-044)
5.) Drive My Car (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 2:26 6.) Mr. Summer (Richard Zehringer) - 2:44 rating: *** stars The album's lone original tune, Zehringer's "Mr. Summer" could easily have passed for a Beach Boys tune. Complete with sweet layered harmonies and pop-psych lyrics there was more than a nod to "California Girls" here. They were lucky to not have been sued for plagiarism by Brian Wilson. At least their musical inspirations were first-rate.
(side
2) I understand why Bang would want them to record a classic R&B tune like "Stagger Lee". but their version didn't add anything to the multitude of others. For goodness sakes, go out and listen to Wilson Pickett's version. 2.) Sweets For My Sweet (Doc Pomus - Mort Shuman) - 2:42 rating: **** stars Another cover of a soul classic (The Drifters) ... Initially the highlights on this one were Randy Hobbs' punchy bass line and Rick Zehringer's tremolo guitar. Admittedly over the years their garage rock version has grown on me. 3.) Smokey Joe's Cafe (Jerry Lieber - Mike Stoller) - 2:17 rating: * star The Robins' version remains the benchmark; The McCoy's adding a garage rock edge to their cover. 4.) Little People (Bob Feldman - Jerry Goldstein - Richard Gottehrer) - 2:16 Simply horrible ... The track also appeared as the "B" of their "Come On Let's Go" 45. 5.) Runaway (Bob Feldman - Jerry Goldstein - Richard Gottehrer) - 2:58 rating: *** stars Sporting a pleasant Zehringer guitar solo, "Runaway" was another Beach Boys styled tune. The song was also tapped as the "B" side of their "(You Make Me Feel) So Good" single. 6.) C'Mon Let's Go (Ritchie Valens) - 2:38 rating: ** stars Shame they weren't allowed to record more original material as opposed to all these cover tunes. Like most of the covers their version of Ritchie Valens' "Come On Let's Go" wasn't anything special. Probably the most interest facet of the song was the fact the LP listed the title as "C'Mon Let's Go" whereas the single showed it as "Come On Let's Go". I'd suggest you checkout the Valens' original. Not sure where it was recorded, but YouTube has a black and white clip of the band lip-synching he song for a local television show (perhaps Detroit's "Swinging Time"?): Funny to see drummer Randy Zehringer didn't even get a seat while keyboardist Bobbie Peterson had his back to the cameras. The McCoys - Come On, Let's Go
- 1966's "Come On Let's Go" b/w "Little People" (Bang catalog number B-522)
© Scott R. Blackerby March
2026
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d
by the producers. The fact the album included five Feldman -
Goldstein - Gottherer compositions underscored
the major role the trio had in steering The McCoys' career.
Interestingly the lone original and one of the highlights was Richard
Zehringer's Beach Boys influenced "Mr. Summer". Powered by
Richard's vocals and lead guitar the performances were energetic, but
underscored by remakes of oldies such as "Stagger Lee",
"Smokey Joe's Cafe" and Ritchie Valen's "C'mon Let's Go"
the entire album suffered from a rushed, "contractual obligation"
feeling. Of course that was the norm for mid-'60s bands. Enjoy a
hit and then have your management team push you to release as much musical
"product" as possible. The goal was art, rather the
pursuit of as much cash as possible. Who cared if you were churning
out substandard musical product? The good news was there were a couple
of strong performances. Best of the lot were the garage rocker "Say
Those Magic Words", followed by "(You Make Me Feel) So Good"
and a garage-tinged remake of The Drifters' "Sweets For My
Sweet". Certainly not an essential '60s garage-rock album, but
still worth hearing.
