Davie Allan & The Arrows - Blues' Theme (1966)

Davie Allan created the guitar’s fuzz sound. Link Wray before him had started the distortion of guitars, but it was Davie Allan who took the distortion further and created the famous fuzz noise. Almost always backed by The Arrows, which consisted of varying musicians, his career started doing soundtrack instrumentals to teen biker and surf movies in the ‘60s. The pioneering techniques he used to create the fuzz sound would later become a staple of ‘70s and ‘80s hard rock.

The song heard at the end of this post was the breakthrough song that brought this group into the spotlight. It was the opening theme song to the film The Wild Angels and first brought widespread notice to Allan’s ‘new’ fuzz sound. It stayed on the Billboard music charts for seventeen weeks, and interestingly, was one of the first songs learned on guitar by a young Eddie Van Halen.

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A Special Edition post with Davie Allan!
I am proud to introduce our fifth exclusive story from another legendary '60s rocker! Today's awesome collection of thoughts comes from the pioneer of fuzz, Davie Allan! Check out his story and then listen to "Blues Theme" below!

A Bit Like You And Me and readers,

All it took for me to know what I wanted to do with my life was seeing Elvis the first time. The first record I bought was “All Shook Up” and my first guitar was made by Emenee. It was basically a four string toy that had Elvis’ picture on it. It was useless except for getting me started, but, oh, how I wish I had held on to it!

When I graduated from the surf sound (which may not be the correct term, since I was doing things like “Apache” and “Ghost Riders In the Sky”), the big change was our soundtrack from The Wild Angels. I loved what Duane Eddy had been doing with low notes and I tried to take them to another plateau with my added distortion. My attempt was to create a sound that imitated what I imagined a motorcycle might sound like if it were a musical instrument.

My 1965 Fender, “Jazzmaster” (funny, I don’t play any ”jazz” at all!), has been modified to take the surf out of it. With it being forty-seven years old, it still looks as gnarly as it sounds.

I call my music "melodic grunge" and Little Steven gave me an interesting comment when we were doing Fuzz for the Holidays in '04. He had come out here to help put together a track for Christmas with the Kranks and I said something about making mistakes in my recordings and not repairing them. He replied, "We all think they're part of the songs and wonder how you came up with them.”

Speaking of "Blues Theme," we opened Little Steven’s "Underground Garage Festival" in New York that same year with "Blues Theme" and he said “now that's the way to start a show!” He closes his radio show with the tune.

For forty-plus years, many people have said that the melody in "Blues Theme" was lifted (or stolen) from the guitar lick in "Last Train To Clarksville" [by The Monkees]. How about this bit of trivia: "Last Train to Clarksville" was recorded on July 25th, 1966 and The Wild Angels (featuring "Blues Theme") hit the theaters on July 20th, 1966.

Davie

It's always wonderful when somebody takes the time to share a story with A Bit Like You And Me. I'd like to thank Davie whole-heatedly for going above and beyond with his correspondence and sincerity toward sharing some great '60s music stories!

And guess what else! Davie Allan himself will sign every CD sold on his website. Check out his website here, and be sure to check out the merchandise, here, including his latest album, Retrophonic 3!

And now that you've enjoyed this exclusive story, why not check out what other exclusive stories we've received?

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Davie Allan & The Arrows - Blues' Theme (1966)

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Lyrics:

(instrumental)

Clarence Carter - Slip Away (1968)

Born in Alabama in 1936, this soulful singer and songwriter was completely blind. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in music in 1960 and began releasing a string of (unsuccessful) singles over the next few years. Finally in 1967 he signed with Fame Records and began to release successful material. His first hit, heard below, was followed by several more successes, earning his place as a respected soul artist. After the popularity of disco passed in the ‘70s, he formed a comeback with his well-known 1985 hit, “Strokin’”.

This song was released as a single in 1968 and featured the B-side “Funky Fever”. It reached number six on the pop charts.



Clarence Carter - Slip Away (1968)

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Lyrics:

What would I give
For just a few moments?
What would I give
Just to have you near?

Tell me you would try
To slip away somehow
Oh I need you darling
I want to see you right now

Can you slip away?
Slip away
Slip away
Oh I need you so

Love, oh love
How sweet it is
When you steal it, darlin’
Let me tell you how sweet it is

Now I know it's wrong
The things I ask you to do
But please believe me, darling
I don't mean to hurt you

But just- can you slip away
Without him knowin’ you' gone?
Maybe we can meet somewhere
Somewhere where we both are not known

Can you slip away?
Slip away
Slip away
I need you so

Oh can you slip away, baby?
I'd like to see you right now, darling
Can you slip away, baby?
‘Cause I got to- got to see you
I feel a deep burning inside
Oh I wish you could slip away

Ooh, I wish you could slip away…

Scott McKenzie - No, No, No, No, No (1967)

Growing up in New York in the mid-1950s, Scott McKenzie’s first group was The Singing Strings with Tim Rose. Later, with his childhood friend John Phillips, he formed a doo wop group called The Abstracts and recorded two singles. Sticking with his friend Phillips, they would later form The Journeymen, which recorded three albums. Disbanding in 1964, McKenzie wanted to move forward with a solo career. Phillips moved to Los Angeles and formed The Mamas and The Papas, whereas McKenzie would follow two years later and release “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers In Your Hair),” which you can read about and hear on our site.

Although primarily remembered for his worldwide hit mentioned above, McKenzie would find marginal success with his next single release, “Like an Old Time Movie.” Compiling his two hits with other recordings he had been working on, he released his first album, The Voice of Scott McKenzie, in 1967. This song comes from that album.



Scott McKenzie - No, No, No, No, No (1967)

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Lyrics:

She is like the doll
She says, “No, no, no, no”
And though she’d like to fall
She says, “No, no, no, no”
She says, “You are just a friend to me”
“You’re no more than a friend to me”

She is the doll
Who says, “No, no, no, no”
And though she tries to fall
She says, “No, no, no, no”
I know she tries to hide from me
And hopes that I won’t see

Without even hearing
She says, “No, no, no”
Without even looking
She says, “No, no, no, no”
I know- I know she is afraid with me
Afraid she might say ‘yes’ to me

Yes, she is the doll
Who says, “No, no, no, no”
And though she’d like to fall
She says, “No, no, no, no”

“No, no, no, no”
“No, no, no, no”
She says, “No, no, no, no”