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CALEIDOSCOPIO ROCK USA ANNI ’60

“Smash Records” nacque nel 1961 come sottoetichetta di “Mercury”, per la pubblicazione di generi alternativi al “focus” originario dell’etichetta madre. Primo responsabile fu Shelby S. Singleton Jr, con la collaborazione di Charles Fach, che gli subentrò nel 1966-1967. Dopo che “Philips” acquistò “Mercury” e fondò “Fontana” come sussidiaria per la musica internazionale, “Smash Records” diventò etichetta “country” con contributi rock, R&B soul e pop misti.

Shelby S. Singleton Jr nel 1967 uscì da Smash Records e nel 1969 acquistò la “Sun Records” da Sam Phillips.

“Smash Records” rimase attiva fino al 1970. Successivamente venne rilanciata più volte, nel 1979, nel 1985 e nel 1989. Nel 1991 “PolyGram” decise di riattivare “Smash Records” nel PolyGram Label Group, con generi del tutto diversi e pienamente commerciali, incentrati sul settore dance. Nel 1992 passò ad “Island Records”, per poi spegnersi del tutto nel 1996.

Si elencano qui i soli 45 giri “Smash Records” di surf, garage rock e psych rock tra 1965 e 1969:

– BOBBY SIMMS “The World Is Funny / You’re My Every, Everything” (S-1980) [1965];

– RON WINTERS “Big Black Bike / My Girl” (S-1987) [1965];

– THE OUTLAWS “Don’t Cry / Only For You” (S-2025) [1966];

– THE SPOTLIGHTS “Dick Tracy / Little Orphan Annie” (S-2031) [1966];

– DEE JAY AND THE RUNAWAYS “Peter Rabbit / Are You Ready” (S-2034) [1966];

– THE SCOTLAND YARDLEYS “Some Guys Have It (Some Guys Never Will [I-II]” (S-2036) [1966];

– THE LEFT BANKE “Walk Away Renee / I Haven’t Got The Nerve” (S-2041) [1966];

– DEE JAY AND THE RUNAWAYS “She’s A Big Girl Now / He’s Not Your Friend” (S-2049) [1966];

– SWINGIN’ MEDALLIONS “She Drives Me Out Of My Mind / You Gotta Have Faith” (S-2050) [1966];

– THE UNDERPRIVILEGED “Come On / You Hurt Me” (S-2051) [1966];

– GARY AND THE HORNETS “Hi, Hi, Hazel / Patty Girl” (S-2061) [1966];

– THE FIVE EMPREES “Gone From My Mind / Hey Diddle Diddle” (S-2065) [1966];

– THE DISTORTIONS “Behind My Wall / A Love That Loves You” (S-2068) [1966];

– THE DELIGHTS “Every Minute, Every Hour, Every Moment / Just Out Of Reach” (S-2072) [1966];

– THE LEFT BANKE “Pretty Ballerina / Lazy Day” (S-2074) [1966];

– SWINGIN’ MEDALLIONS “I Don’t Want To Lose You Baby / Night Owl” (S-2075) [1966];

– THE FIVE CARDS STUD “Once / Beg Me” (S-2080) [1967];

– SWINGIN’ MEDALLIONS “I Found A Rainbow / Don’t Cry No More” (S-2084) [1967];

– THE RAVES “Mister Man / Mother Nature” (S-2088) [1967];

– THE LEFT BANKE “Ivy, Ivy / And Suddenly” (S-2089) [1967];

– THE JET STREAM “All’s Quiet On West 23rd / Crazy Me” (S-2095) [1967];

– THE UPPER CLASS “Help Me Find A Way / Can’t Wait” (S-2096) [1967];

– THE LEFT BANKE “She May Call You Up Tonight / Barterers And Their Wives” (S-2097) [1967];

– THE RAVES “Think Of Your Love / Don’t Chop Down My Tree” (S-2105) [1967];

– SWINGIN’ MEDALLIONS “Turn On The Music / Summer ‘s Not The Same This Year” (S-2107) [1967];

– HALLMARKS “Soul Shakin’ Psychedelic Sally / Girl Of My Dreams” (S-2115) [1967];

– THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKES “I Feel Loved / That Same Old Fat Man” (S-2117) [1967];

– THE FRONT END “Eeny Meeny / You” (S-2147) [1967];

– THE RAVES “Everything’s Fire / Sing Children Sing” (S-2162) [1968];

– APPLE “Thank U Very Much / Your Heart Is Free Just Like The Wind” (S-2143) [1968];

– FRIENDS OF THE FAMILY “Can’t Go Home / How You Gonna Keep Your Little Girl Home” (S-2144) [1968];

– THE ONE WAY STREET[S] “Girls, Girls / Yard Dog” (S-2155) [1968];

– SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE “Fairy Tales Can Come True (Have You Heard About Lucy) / Su Su” (S-2157) [1968];

– THE PURPLE CUCUMBER “Some Kind Of Magic / Green Eyed Song” (S-2163) [1968];

– THE FRONT END “Beverly / Go On Home” (S-2172) [1968];

– THE TEA COMPANY “Flowers / Come And Have Some Tea With Me” (S-2176) [1968];

– SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE “The March Of The Jingle Jangle People / Bring Me Back A Little Water” (S-2179) [1968];

– THE YELLOW JACKETS “Hi Boy / When I First Saw Her Face” (S-2180) [1968];

– THE BARRACUDAS “No Matter What You Do / Wait For Tomorrow” (S-2181) [1968];

– OX-BOW INCIDENT “Reach Out / Harmonica Man” (S-2189) [1968];

– THE FRONT END “Remember (Walking In The Sand) / The Real Thing” (S-2199) [1968];

– WOODY’S TRUCK STOP “People Been’ Talking / Tryin’ So Hard” (S-2201) [1968];

– ASYLUM CHOIR “Isicle Star Tree / Indian Style” (S-2204) [1969];

– OX-BOW INCIDENT “You Can’t Make Love By Yourself / She’s Gone” (S-2207) [1969];

– THE TROLL “Satin City News / Professor Pott’s Pornographic Projector” (S-2208) [1969];

– SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE “Everybody Laughed / The Day Lorraine Came Down” (S-2218) [1969];

– FLANAGAN “Spin Spin / Go My Way” (S-2221) [1969];

– PROCESSION “Adelaide, Adelaide / One Day In Every Week” (S-2225) [1969];

– THE ORGAN GRINDERS “Daylight / Mirror Images” (S-2227) [1969];

– THE FAMILY AFFAIR “Let’s Get Together / Crazy Morning” (S-2235) [1969];

– PROCESSION “You – Me / Every American Citizen” (S-2239) [1969];

– THE ORGAN GRINDERS “Babylon / Precious Time” (S-2242) [1969];

– THE LEFT BANKE “Myrah / Pedestal” (S-2243) [1969];

– THE SHERWOODS “No Deposit, No Return / Ride, Baby, Ride” (S-2252) [1969].

Gian Marchisio