Tag Archives: 60s rock

Shows

337 – Toad of the Cryan Shames – “Sugar & Spice,” Advice From the Byrds, and Those Great Harmonies

The Cryan Shames came out of Chicago in the mid-Sixties, scoring a minor national hit with “Sugar & Spice” in 1966. Yet, several of their other songs, including “It Could Be We’re in Love,” did very well in major cities around the country. The band was signed to Columbia records and released three albums that still hold up today.

The Cryan Shames became known for their intricate harmonies melded over jangly melodies, reminiscent of bands like the Byrds and the Beatles. The group broke up in 1969, but has reunited several time over the years.

We chat with lead singer, Toad, who remains active with the band. He tells us the origins of the group and their record contract. Plus, he reveals a piece of advice that Roger McGuinn of the Byrds gave him that helped steer the band in a different direction.

Shows

#301 – Chip Taylor – A Song I Can Live With

Chip Taylor
Songs Of Freedom promotional shoot, May 2008

Chip Taylor is best known as the songwriter for both “Wild Thing” and “Angel of the Morning,” but there’s so much more to him than just those two songs. For one, he’s written hundreds of other tunes, including “I Can’t Let Go” for the Hollies, and “Try a Little Harder” recorded by Janis Joplin.

Taylor got his start in a rockabilly group, Wes Voight and the Town Three, who were signed to a subsidiary of King Records back in 1958. He released a series of critically-acclaimed solo LP’s in the Seventies before retiring from music in the Eighties.

After returning to music in the mid-Nineties, Taylor has been on a hot streak as of late, releasing an average of an album a year. He’s also issued several successful records with fiddle player Carrie Rodriguez. His latest release is A Song I Can Live With.

Shows

#285 – The Ventures Christmas Album – Remastered in Mono & Stereo


A talk with the co-president of Real Gone Music, one of the finest reissue labels around.

When you’re ranking the Best Christmas records of all time, The Ventures Christmas Album is definitely near the top of the list.  Not only is it incredibly clever, the way the guys used current songs of the Sixties and morphed them into holiday classics, but it’s also a whole lotta fun to listen to.

Real Gone Music has just reissued the classic album in remastered form,  and for the first time, the set includes both the stereo version, and the must-sought after mono version of the album.

From Real Gone Music, we welcome in Gordon Anderson, who is co-president of the label.  Gordon spent over 17 years overseeing things at Collectors Choice music, before co-founding Real Gone.  We chat how this Ventures reissue came to fruition, and future projects.