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Bad Loser - NAOMI & THE BOYS mp3

Grey Past Records from Breda, The Netherlands has just issued another great compilation with a bunch of 60’s beat, psych & garage tracks from Hungary. While previous volumes contained sixties rarities from South-East Asia and Turkey, the new 2LP volume is called Paprikázz Fel! Best of the Hungarian rock scene 1965-1971. I haven’t been able to listen to the whole album but I hope to put a review on my site before the end of the year. Today however, I would like to share an absolute gem from the Steam Kodok: 26 A-Go-Go Ultra rarities From the Sixties-Singapore and South-East Asia Underground compilation from a couple of years ago. According to the liner notes, NAOMI & THE BOYS hit big with their "It’s All Over" which reached the charts and went to N°1 in Singapore in April 1965. Their second release "Happy Happy Birthday Baby" released in August 1965 also hit N°1 and by 1968 the band had moved to Decca where their first EP contained this Peter Thomas composition entitled "Bad Loser". I don’t know if we are talking about this Peter Thomas but what I do know is that the Christmas-like glockenspiel, the distorted guitar chording, the great lyrics and that wonderful innocent voice of Naomi make this version a real winner!

Bad Loser - NAOMI & THE BOYS

Swamp Pop Legend CLINT WEST

A friend of mine used to make these great ‘All Killer No Filler’ compilation tapes full of amazing songs from all over the world. One of the tracks I cherished as a teenager was this wonderful swamp pop ballad he taped for me called “Sweet Suzannah” from South Louisiana singer Clint West. Years later, while on honeymoon in Louisiana, I was lucky enough to found a Clint West compilation CD at Floyd’s Record Shop at Ville Platte and fortunately, it featured the wonderful ballad! The other standout track was this absolutely crazy Cajun rocker called “Bayou Pon Bon” that I really would like to share with you.

Here’s some info about Clint West from the CD booklet:

At thirteen, Clint was playing drums and singing Cajun and country songs with a Cajun band from his home community, The Vidrine Playboys. Later he joined a country-rock group, The Vel-Tones, and recorded his first record, “Lover Blues”/”Take A Ride” (for JIN Records). In the early 60s, he headed one of the top drawing music groups touring the club circuits of the South, The Boogie Kings. It was then that he and the group recorded their first LP, JIN #4003-“Clint West & the Boogie Kings”… an instant smashing success.

Clint has made Alexandra, LA his home turf for the last twenty years, entertaining crowds several nights a week. Until 1990 he performed at Leroy’s, and then moved to Toby’s at the Ramada Inn where he’s been playing since, when not on tour. He was inducted twice in the Louisiana Hall of Fame… once as a vocalist, and once as a member of The Boogie Kings group.

For more info about Clint West and Jin Records, I recommend The Early JIN Singles: Southland Rock ‘N’ Roll and The Later JIN Singles: The Promised Land, both on Ace Records.

Bayou Pon Bon - CLINT WEST mp3
Sweet Suzannah - CLINT WEST mp3