ilTorinese

Ci sono etichette discografiche del garage rock americano anni ‘60 che in verità a volte creano problemi per quanto riguarda la localizzazione geografica, la definizione degli studi di incisione, la strutturazione (nel caso di sotto-etichette o “sister labels”), la rete di distribuzione etc.

In altri casi i dati sono invece molto visibili, ben esplicitati, anche se non di rado incompleti.

In altri casi ancora il carattere “a stelle e strisce” è lampante, addirittura esplicito e sfacciato; è il caso dell’etichetta “U.S.A. Records”, nata a Milwaukee (Wisconsin) attorno al 1959, poi trasferitasi nel 1961 a Chicago e spinta dall’iniziativa di Paul Glass che la separò dalla Allstate Record Distributing Co., il distributore principale della ben più celebre Chess Records.

“U.S.A. Records” fu etichetta eterogenea che spaziava su generi anche lontani fra loro, ma che proprio nella fase del garage rock sfoggiò logo e colori inequivocabili e sfacciatamente americani (scritta su campo blu a forma geografica, su sfondo a strisce bianche e rosse con stelle); fu legata solidamente alla band “The Buckinghams” (si ricordi la “hit” “Kind Of A Drag”), perdurò per tutto il corso degli anni Sessanta fino a spegnersi nel 1971 circa.

Qui di seguito si elencano i soli 45 giri “U.S.A. Records” di garage rock / psych rock, finora individuati e datati:

– TALLIE AND THE OUTLAWS “Tight Skirts / Just The Other Night” (809) [1965];

– THE WANDERERS “Come On Please / The Only Time” (819) [1965];

– WILLIE SPENCER “Ridin’ Shotgun / Everlovin’ Katherine” (832) [1965];

– THE CRESTONES “My Girl / The Chopper” (835) [1965];

– PHIL ORSI & THE LITTLE KINGS “Stay / Whoever He May Be” (837) [1966];

– OSCAR HAMOD & THE MAJESTICS “No Chance Baby / My Girl Is Waiting” (838) [1966];

– THE BUCKINGHAMS “I’ll Go Crazy / Don’t Want To Cry” (844) [1966];

– THE APOCRYPHALS “Gloomy Sunday / Tossin’ ‘n’ Turnin’” (846) [1966];

– PHIL ORSI & THE LITTLE KINGS “Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home) / Whoever He May Be” (847) [1966];

– THE BUCKINGHAMS “I Call Your Name / Makin’ Up And Breakin’” (848) [1966];

– THE CAMBRIDGE FIVE “Heads I Win / Floatin’” (850) [1966];

– OSCAR & THE MAJESTICS “I Can’t Explain / My Girl Is Waiting” (851) [1966];

– THE BUCKINGHAMS “I’ve Been Wrong / Love Ain’t Enough” (853) [1966];

– THE GREAT SOCIETY “I’m The One For You / And I Know” (856) [1966];

– THE BUCKINGHAMS “Kind Of A Drag / You Make Me Feel So Good” (860) [1966];

– THE BUCKINGHAMS “I’ll Go Crazy / Kind Of A Drag” [cassetta] (45k-142) [1967];

– THE SKUNKS “Elvira / The Journey” (865) [1967];

– THE MESSENGERS “Midnight Hour / Hard Hard Year” (866) [1967];

– THE BUCKINGHAMS “Lawdy Miss Clawdy / I Call Your Name” (869) [1967];

– JIMMY NULL & THE INVERSIONS “I Still Care For You / Good Good Lovin’” (870) [1967];

– THE GOOD GREEFS “Shy Girl / Oop-Oop-Pah-Doo” (871) [1967];

– ROBIN LEE AND THE REVELS “Pretty Patty / Flyin’ High” (872) [1967];

– THE BUCKINGHAMS “Summertime / Don’t Want To Cry” (873) [1967];

– THE CAMBRIDGE FIVE “Keep On Running / I Have To Laugh Alone” (875) [1967];

– OSCAR HAMOD & THE MAJESTICS “Soulfinger / Got To Have Your Lovin’” (878) [1967];

– THE SKOPES “She’s Got Bad Breath / Tears In Your Eyes” (880) [1967];

– THE LOST AGENCY “Time To Dream / One Girl Man” (881) [1967];

– FIVE BUCKS “Breath Of Time / Without Love” (882) [1967];

– THE SHADY DAZE “Love Is A Beautiful Thing / I’ll Make You Pay” (883) [1967];

– THE FAMILY “Face The Autumn / So Much To Remember” (886) [1967];

– THE BONDSMEN “Shotgun / Patricia Anne” (887) [1967];

– TRAFALGAR SQUARE “Till The End Of The Day / It’s A Shame Girl” (890) [1967];

– THE DAUGHTERS OF EVE “Symphony Of My Soul / Help Me Boy” (891) [1967];

– THE FAMILY “San Francisco Waits / Without You” (894) [1967];

– CHERRY SLUSH “I Cannot Stop You / Don’t Walk Away” (895) [1968];

– MICHAEL & THE MESSENGERS “Gotta Take It Easy / I Need Her There” (897) [1968];

– THE NEW BREED “I’m Coming To Ya [I-II] (899) [1968];

– THE INVADERS “The Flower Song / With A Tear” (902) [1968];

– CIRCUS “Gone Are The Songs Of Yesterday / Sink Or Swim” (903) [1968];

– CHERRY SLUSH “Day Don’t Come / Gotta Take It Easy” (904) [1968];

– THE TROLLS “I Got To Have Ya / Don’t Come Around” (905) [1968];

– THE FLOCK “Magical Wings / What Would You Do If The Sun Died?” (910) [1968];

– JOHN ERIC & THE ISOSCELES POPSICLES “Like Him / I’m Not Nice” (913) [1969];

– THE GREASE “Spoonful /Shimmick” (921) [1968];

– PARK AVENUE PLAYGROUND “I Know / The Trip” (919) [c.1969];

– THE FACTORY “High Blood Pressure / Lonely Path” (922) [1969].

Gian Marchisio