what Frank is listening to #85 – THE TURTLES – It Aint Me Babe – (White Whale) – 1965
Well of course I know The Turtles but up till now all I had was a compilation LP and their 1969, underrated (but patchy), LP "Turtle Soup" which I got because Ray Davies from The Kinks produced it. Apparently, they got Ray after they heard the Kinks LP "Village Green" which was a big underground hit in the US even though it is thematically a very English album (one of the most English of all albums). It sold less than nothing in the UK – yes that observation is a dig at Anglophiles.
The Turtles were one of the California bands that emerged in the wake of The Byrds success (in fact they were originally called The Tyrtles … get it?) which explains why this album is all 12 string guitar and harmonies with a number of Dylan covers ( just like the early Byrds).
Give the kids a break – they were in their late teens in 1965 and they do well capturing all the influences of the time. They are also the link between more "serious" California bands like The Byrds and the pop of Jan and Dean, The Fantastic Baggys , Dino Desi and Billy, and early Beach Boys etc. There is no more evidence of that than the choice of covers – Dylan on the one side and PF Sloan, Mann & Weill on the other. What is surprising is amongst all the covers there are some well written, if derivative, originals. And better still – they play really well.
The Turtles may be covering all bases, on this, their first album – garage, surf, protest, MOR, folk and rock, all done to a Byrds back beat – original it aint – but fun it is.
The Tracks
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Wanderin' Kind – Kaylan – a well written original.
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It Was a Very Good Year – Drake – I love this song when Sinatra did it, because its an older mans song – apparently Sinatra heard it here though I have reservations on that, because it is such an old mans song. Having a bunch of 17 year olds sing "When I was 17 it was a very good year" makes you think if they were taking the piss.
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Your Maw Said You Cried – Glazer, Schlaks – a garage type stomper.
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Eve of Destruction – Sloan – a less apocalyptic cover of Barry McGuire's hit – a magnificent song and here still a great song.
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Glitter and Gold – Mann, Weil – Great 60s AM pop with a nod to British beat.
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Let me Be – P.F. Sloan – this song is so PF Sloan you can pick it a mile away. He was always a pop version of Dylan and he is a minor genius … #29 on the charts.
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Let the Cold Winds Blow – Kaylan – another garagy ballad … and quite catchy.
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It Ain't Me Babe – Dylan – the great Dylan song – and a magnificent Byrds like cover – this made their (The Turtles) name – #8 on the national charts.
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A Walk in the Sun – Kaylan – surf music themes on a speed frenzy – the songs narrator is obviously suffering some sort of paranoia.
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Last Laugh – Garfield, Kaylan – another nod to British beat with a bit of renaissance like ivory tinkling.
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Love Minus Zero/No Limit – Dylan – a great Dylan song – again given the straight Byrds treatment
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Like a Rolling Stone – Dylan – another straight Byrds treatment – one of the greatest songs of all time – can anyone fuck this up?
And …
California in the 60s – could there have been a better place on the face of the planet?
Me thinks not.
This is a keeper
Chart Action
The album went to #98.
Sounds
Let Me Be
It Aint Me babe
Like a Rolling Stone
attached
Their big #1 hit from 1967:
Happy Together
Bio
Website
Trivia
- The Turtles appeared in the beach movie "Out of Sight" in 1966 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL2gKfIgeNs
- Before the end of 1970 Kaylan, Volman and Pons from The Turtles joined Frank Zappa's early-'70s edition of the Mothers of Invention. Kaylan and Volmans became the satirical cult pop act "Flo and Eddie"
(originally posted:09/09/2009)
