FGG aka Strangeloves aka The Sheep
Swedish P/S
Listen/Download – The Sheep – 12 Months Later
Listen/Download – The Sheep – Hide and Seek
Greetings all.
With today’s selections we return to the laboratory of the FGG (Feldman, Goldstein, Gottehrer) consortium.
Famed songwriters, producers and all around record biz characters, FGG were, for a time in the 1960s, recording themselves as the Strangeloves, known far and wide for stompers like ‘I Want Candy’, ‘Night Time’ and ‘Cara Lin’.
Those familiar with the Strangeloves back-story, will already know that they were supposed to be Australian sheep farmers gone mod. It is from that mythology that FGG took the name of their side project, The Sheep.
It was under that name (employing much the same sound) that they released two 45s in 1966, today’s selections appearing on the first one.
’12 Months Later’ (long a staple of the Fleshtones sets) and ‘Hide and Seek’ (a cover of the 1962 Bunker Hill classic) represent one of the toughest (yet cheap and easy to find) stomping 45s ever laid down.
’12 Months Later’ (actually the b-side) borrows heavily from the ‘Louie Louie’ template, with shouted vocals and a wailing chorus. Leaving the dancers behind, it is the kind of record that one might more appropriately stagger to, spilling your beer in time to the music.
The flipside comes awfully close to the manic energy of the Bunker Hill OG (on which he was backed by none other than the Raymen!), delivering a solid rock and roll punch in the gut. It was a hit early in 1966, making it into the Top 40 in a lot of markets.
Easily procured for less than ten bucks, this record delivers a serious return on investment, and is a guaranteed party starter.
I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you all next week.
Peace
Larry