Genre: garage
Rating: 2 stars **
Title: Something Wild
Company: Mark Recording Company
Catalog: XCTV-107449/50
Year: 1966
Country/State: Detroit, Michigan
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: --
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 5883
Price: $275.00
What little attention this one's generated seems to come from having been included in one of Hans Pokora's Record Collector's Dreams volumes. There's virtually nothing to be found about the band in standard hardcopy references, let alone online. Based on the liner notes the five members (bassist Dan Carrieres, rhythm guitarist Mike Kerber, keyboard player Neal Martini, drummer Jim Menke, and singer Wendell Smith (aka Sloopy), apparently met while attending Detroit University. While that wasn't particularly interesting, the fact they were an interracial band was groundbreaking. Released by the small Mark Records Company, there's a good chance this was little more than a vanity product with a pressing run of a couple of hundred. It's certainly rare.
Produced by R. Mark Cibella, 1966's "Somethin' Wild" was supposedly recorded live, but the individual songs certainly didn't sound like they were recorded in a concert environment. Judging by the overall sound quality it seemed the collection was a studio enterprise, though recorded on a shoestring budget. All nine tracks suffered from an extremely flat and distant sound - almost like the songs had been recorded over a flawed long distance telephone circuit. Musically the album featured a standard mixture of popular pop and soul covers with at least one original ('The Theme') thrown in the mix. These guys certainly weren't the most accomplished crew you've ever heard. Smith's voice was kind of flat and atonal (the crappy production didn't do him any favors) and the rest of the band were competent, though seldom inspired. For what it was worth keyboardist Martini carried most of the musical load. There's a picture on the back cover of the album showing an all-white audience looking pretty bored ...
- Like the rest of the album, 'The Theme' sounded like it had been recorded in a flatbed truck rolling down the highway at 35 miles an hour. Sporting a likeable laidback jazzy feel, there wasn't a great deal to the intro - basically a vehicle for Smith to introduce the rest of the band and give them a brief chance to stretch out. It was actually kind of funny to hear him sing about rocking the audience given the song's jazzy groove. rating: *** stars
- Their version of 'Hang On Sloopy' largely abandoned The McCoy's garage rock version in favor of something Ramsey Lewis would have been comfortable with. Kerber turned in what may have been 1966's lamest guitar solo. My six year old could probably have done as well. rating: ** stars
- Compared to the earlier tracks 'Dance, Dance, Dance' came off as a hardcore slice of garage rock. Lyrically there wasn't much to this one - the title track repeated over and over and over ... but kicked along by Martini's pounding keyboards, the groove was there. Giving credit where due, guitarist Kerber redeemed himself with a nice solo. rating: **** stars
- Turning in a suitably jazzy cover of George Gershwin's 'Summer Time' was an interesting choice for a college garage band. Marginally competent, but you certainly won't forget Billie Holiday's version. rating: ** stars
- 'With 'Ball and Chain' side two opened up with something approaching a slice of garage rock. Though he flubbed part of it, the song served to provide Kerber with his best solo. rating: *** stars
- Hard to imagine it, but they managed to turn Chris Kenner's 'Land of a Thousand Dances' into a dull and plodding mess. That took some real effort. On the other hand Jim Menke's drum solo was worth hearing. It wasn't particularly good, but at least it made you smile; particularly when someone else tried to clap along with it. rating: ** stars
- Kicked along by Dan Carrieres bass line, 'Cherry Pie' found Smith and company plodding their way through a 1950s-sounding ballad. Pretty dull and forgettable, naturally it was the longest song on the set. rating: * star
- 'Sinner Man' found the band taking a surprisingly successful stab at folk-rock. Yeah, it sounded a bit like something you might hear at a Catholic folk mass, but I love the way sinner man came out sounding like 'cinnamon'.. rating: *** star
- It wasn't even listed on the liner notes, but their keyboard propelled instrumental version of 'The "In" Crowd' gave the song a Ramsey Lewis soul-jazz treatment. Kind of '60s cool, though not the most exciting thing you've ever heard. rating: ** star
Certainly a curiosity, though not the lost classic some dealers would have you believe.
"Something
Wild" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) The Theme - 3:35
2.) Hang On Sloopy (Wes Farrell - Burt Russell) - 2:54
3.) Dance, Dance, Dance - 3:16
4.) Summer Time (George Gershwin - Dubose Heyward) - 4:32
(side
2)
1.) Ball and Chain - 2:50
2.) Land of a Thousand Dances (Chris Kenner) - 4:10
3.) Cherry Pie - 4:50
4.) Sinner Man - 2:58
5.) The "In" Crowd (Dobie Gray) - 4:48
seldomly seen even in Detroit