line up 1 (1978)

- Royse Ader -- vocals, bass

- Asa Brebner (RIP 2019) -- vocals, guitar

- John Doukas -- vocals

- Tommy Dunbar -- vocals, guitar

- Bruce Irvine -- guitar

- Greg Kihn (RIP 2024) --vocals, guitar

- Larry Lynch -- vocals, drums, percussion

- Gary Phillips (RIP 2007) -- vocals, guitar, keyboards

- Jonathan Richman - vocals

- Jon Rubin -- vocals, guitar

- Donn Spindt -- vocals, drums, percussion

- Sean Tyla (RIP 2020) -- vocals, guitar

- Asa Brebner's Idle Hands (Asa Brebner)

- Mickey Clean And The Mezz (Asa Brebner)

- Ducks Deluxe (Sean Tyla)

- Earthquake (John Doukas and Gary Phillips)

- The Force (Sean Tyla)

- The Frenchies (Sean Tyla)

- Help Yourself (Sean Tyla)

- The Greg Kohn Band (Larry Lynch)

- Robin Lane & The Chartbusters (Asa Brebner)

- Lightening Raiders (Brice Irvine)

- J.C. Lord and Company (Royse Ader)

- Larry Lynch (solo efforts)

- The Mighty Echoes (Jon Rubin)

- Psycotic Pineapple (Jon Rubin)

- Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers (Asa Brebner)

- The Rubinoos (Royse Ader) and Tommy Dunbar

- The Takeaways (Sean Tyla)

- Third World (Sean Tyla)

- Trouble Boys (Sean Tyla)

- Sean Tya (solo efforts)

- The Tyla Gang (Bruce Irvine and Sean Tyla)

- Voxx Pop (Tommy Dunbar)

Genre: power pop

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title: Spitballs

Company: Beserkley

Catalog: JBZ-0058
Year: 1978

Country/State: San Francisco, California

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: small cutout nip to the top right corner

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $25.00

Spitballs were an interesting, one-shot collaboration between various acts signed to Matthew King Kaufman's small San Francisco-based Beserkley label.  I'm not sure how the collaboration came together, but it sounded like Kaufman threw the entire Berserkley recording roster into a studio; got them drunk; blindfolded them; told them to do the hokey pokey and then form up into groups of four or five.  Each group was then allowed to select a couple of '50s and '60s songs that were near and dear to their hearts and told to recorded them.  Those songs could be hits; near hits, or totally obscure.  When the smoke cleared Kaufman was left with a fifteen track album that included energetic performances of well known material like Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" and The Tornado's "Telstar". There were lesser known numbers (Them's "I Can Only Give You Everything" and The Bobby Fuller Four's "Let Her Dance") and truly obscure tunes (Bobby Day's "Over & Over" and The Lafayettes' Life's Too Short").  And there was an outlier that somehow snuck in the mix - in this case there was one original performance - the Tommy Dunbar-penned slice of pop-punk "I Want Her So Bad".

After playing the album once, I went  back and listen to the originals alongside the remakes.  Some of the updates were really good - Royce Ader's roaring version of "I Can Only Give You Everything" and a rocked up cover of Eddie Floyd's soul classic "Knock On Wood".   Most of the performances were energetic and fun, if not earth-shattering (a note-for-note cover of The Who's "Boris The Spider" and The Bobby Fuller Four's "Let Her Dance").  In a couple of cases like The Lafayettes' "Life's Too Short", The Miracles "Way Over There" and The Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love"  I decided the originals remained the standards.  So, while the album was a bit inconsistent, it was a blast to sit through.

"Spitballs" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) I Can Only Give You Everything (Phil Coulter - Tommy Scott) - 3:02 rating: **** stars

Starting with Van Morrison and Them, "I Can Only Give You Everything" has been recorded by dozens of groups including Ola & The Janglers , The Ambertones, The Incredible Casuals, The Troggs and Tommy Scott himself. The Spitballs' blistering, slightly ominous cover featured the late Royce Ader of The Rubinoos fame handling lead vocals.  Nice job on the cover, the results being one of the album's most impressive performances..

2.) Gino Is A Coward (Ronald Davis) - 2:24 rating: ** stars

Wonder how many folks were familiar with Gino Washington's "Gino Is a Coward"?  Greg Kihn Band drummer Larry Lynch handled lead vocals on this one.  His vocals were enthusiastic, but a little shrilled and unsteady.  (By the way, Washington may have been a coward in love, but he was drafted into the Army and served tours in South Vietnam and Japan.)   

3.) Over & Over (Bobby Day) -  2:02 rating: *** stars

"Over & Over" was credited to Bobby Day which was a stage name for songwriter Robert James Byrd.  This late-'50s rocker was a track I'd never heard and I have to admit I found the original version charming.  The liner notes indicated the late Greg Kihn handled lead vocals, but I think it was actually Greg Kihn Band bassist Steve Wright.  The remake didn't stray too far from the original arrangement. Nothing like persistence when pursuing love ...  The song was tapped as the "B" side for their "Telstar" 45.

4.) Bad Moon Rising (John Fogerty) - 2:19 rating: *** stars 

Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" was probably the best known of these fifteen covers. Featuring Tyla Gang member Bruce Irvine on lead guitar and Sean Tyla' on vocals there was nothing wrong with the cover. Tyla's instantly recognizable gruff voice gave the song a drunk pub-rock edge, but you've heard this song so often it didn't bring much to the effort.

5.) Life's Too Short (Lee Bonner - Phil Huth) - 2:20 rating: *** stars 

"Life's Too Short" by Baltimore's The Lafayettes was another unknown song. Powered by Ben Proctor's upfront and center drums and Frank Bonarrigo's vocals, I was surprised how rock and roll the track sounded for something that was recorded in 1962.  Greg Kihn handles lead vocals on the remake giving the song sort of a Buddy Holly feel.  I actually liked the original better.

6.) Let Her Dance (Bobby Fuller) - 2:23  rating: *** stars 

I'm a big fan of the late Bobby Fuller's work.  Had he lived just a bit longer, I'm  sure he would have enjoyed a breakout career. The kinetic "Let Her Dance" is one of his best performances. That's a lot to have to live up to when you chose to cover it.  The liner notes indicate The Rubinoos' Tommy Dunbar on lead vocals, but I think it's actually Earthquake vocalist /guitarist Gary Phillips.  Regardless, the results were enjoyable, but couldn't improve on the original.

7.) I Want Her So Bad (Tommy Dunbar) - 1:48   rating: *** stars 

The album's outlier, the punky "I Want Her So Band" was an original composition.  Written and sung by Earthquake's Tommy Dunbar, the song sounded like a horny rugby team hyped up on an overdose of speed.

8.) Telstar (instrumental) (Joe Meek) - 1:57  rating: ** stars

Admittedly it was a cool song to cover, but the remake had nothing on The Tornados' 1962 original.  It was also kind of an odd choice to release as a single for the Dutch and UK markets:

- 1978's "Telstar" (instrumental) b/w "Over and Over" (Beserkley catalog number BZZ 10)

(side 2)
1.) Way Over There (William Robinson) - 2:45 rating: *** stars

One of the first singles by The Miracles (so early it featured Smokey and then wife Claudette sharing lead vocals).  Credit Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers guitarist Asa Brebner for having the courage to take this one on.  Check out the 1960 Miracles single (the version without the heavy orchestration) and decide which is the better performance.

2.) Chapel of Love (Ellie Greenwich - Jeff Barry - Phil Spector) - 2:37 rating: ** stars

Jonathan Richmond has such a unique voice and delivery it seems a waste to have him croak his way through The Dixie Cups' classic "Chapel of Love".  At the same time there was something fascinating listening to Richmond claw his way through the song.

3.) Knock On Wood (Eddie Floyd - Steve Cropper ) -1:44 rating: **** stars

With John Doukas back on lead vocals, the "rocked up" version of Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood" proved one of the biggest surprises.  I wouldn't have expected the song to sound so good as a straight ahead rocker. Shame the song faded out just as the band was starting to build steam.

4.) Just Like Me (Richard Dey - Rick Hart) - 2:14  rating: **** stars

Paul Revere and the Raiders had the original hit.  Released before Mark Lindsay and company sold their souls for commercial success, their version offered up a great slab of mid-'60s garage rock.  To his credit Rubinoos singer/guitarist Jon Rubin didn't mess with the arrangement; merely adding a touch of power-pop angst to the mix.

5.) Boris The Spider (John Entwistle) - 2:34 rating: *** stars

John Enwistle's blistering "Boris the Spider" is one of my favorite Who compositions so I was intrigued to see a cover on the track listing.  With Rubinoos drummer Donn Spindt on lead vocals, this was a near perfect remake. My only comment was the cover was so spot-on you might as well just pull out The Who original. 

6.) Feel Too Good (Roy Wood) - 4:14 rating: *** stars

I'm a big fan of Roy Wood and The Move, so  I was happy to see one of their more conventional rockers on he remake list.  John Doukas and company turned in a nice performance, but how do you compete with what was near perfection?  Go find a copy of The Move's version (it's on their 1970 "Looking On" album).

7.) Batman (Neal Hefti) - 1:31 rating: *** stars

Ending the album with a group-sung cover of The Batman theme just seems like the perfect choice to wrap it up.  

 © Scott R. Blackerby February 2026