EVEN MORE FIREBALLS (1979 - 2008)

 

In between Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs and The Atomic Fireballs, there have been other assorted hot groups over the years, like this Zambian group called Fire Balls and their 1975 album called "On The Mountain."

This is a pretty rare single from Fire balls. It was the flip side of a song called "She Devil."

FIRE BALLS - "Umwana Wakusanga Mung'anda" 

 

Then there's this Australian psychobilly band called simply Fireballs.

They released this album titled "Terminal Haircut" in 1992.

 

These guys definitely had balls of fire with these terminal haircuts!

 FIREBALLS - "Fireball Baby"

 

 

And to think it all started with The Fireballs coming up with the name when they got a standing ovation after their performance of Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great Balls Of Fire" at a PTA talent show in 1957.

Here's one more, a pretty wild cover tune of a classic 1979 song done up right by a German band called Swingin' Fireballs that came out in 2008.

SWINGIN' FIREBALLS - "Highway To Hell" 

THE ATOMIC FIREBALLS - "Birth Of The Swerve" (1998)

 

While I'm on the subject of  Fireballs, 35 years after "Sugar Shack," out came The Atomic Fireballs, and this very cool release titled "Birth Of The Swerve."

Even though they were atomic, and the lyrics for this song were derived from the classic 1947 film, "The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer,"and then re-interpretated in the movie "Labyrinth," and then used in other movies and TV shows, this group of swingin' Fireballs from Detroit, never achieved the success they deserved in my humble opinion, and broke up in 1999.

THE ATOMIC FIREBALLS - "Man With The Hex" 

JIMMY GILMER & THE FIREBALLS - "Sugar Shack" (1963)

 

The Fireballs were formed in 1957 in Raton, New Mexico and performed mostly instrumental songs. The original line-up consisted of George Tomsco, Chuck Tharp, Stan Lark, Eric Budd, and Dan Trammell.

In 1960 Tharp, Budd, and Trammell left the band, and drummer Doug Roberts and vocalist Jimmy Gilmer joined. 

Three years later they changed the name to Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs and were at the top of the charts with this catchy little number one single for five weeks, then the British Invasion happened, and everything changed forever.

Chances are that if you're under the age of 40, you might not have ever heard this song even though it was a huge success. 

JIMMY GILMER & THE FIREBALLS - "Sugar Shack" 

HEPCAT - "Right On Time" (1997)

 

One of the most infectious kinds of music on earth is without a doubt ska music, and Hepcat is just one of the many bands that prove it. This album titled "Right On Time" came out in 1997, and is chock full of fun music!

Here's what I'm talking about, a bouncy song with a cool laid back trumpet solo, that I could just listen to all day long.

HEPCAT - "I Can't Wait" 

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS - "Anything That's Rock N' Roll" (1976)

 

After Raul Malo passed away recently, it got me thinking about who else I really missed, and for some reason, the one guy who's death bugged me the most was Tom Petty.

I think more than anything it came from listening to his radio show, and realizing that he was not only a great musician, but that he was also a big fan of all kinds of music.

This first album by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers from 1976 has got SO many good songs on it, it's hard to just pick one. This is a record that everyone should own! 

Even though the songs "Hometown Blues," and "Rockin' Around (With You), totally kick ass, there's at least one more that says it all!!

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS - "Anything That's Rock N' Roll" 

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS - "The Spirit Of '67" (1966)

 

Because there's just so much great music in the world, I kind of have an unwritten policy of not showcasing the same bands, but sometimes, rules are just made to be broken, and even though we've presented the music of Paul Revere & The Raiders twice already, I just have to do it again.

Besides, if the damn Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame won't recognize them as one of the best bands in the history of rock & roll, I sure will. 

I was listening to this song the other night and had completely forgotten about it. It comes from their album "The Spirit Of  '67," which was actually released in 1966, and instead of Mark Lindsay singing, this song was written and sung by Mike Smith, the drummer in the band.

I love this tune, and it sounds like something from the late 70's or early 80's, not 1966.

Recorded sixty years ago, and sounding as fresh as ever, this is a good way to start a new year! 

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS - "Our Candidate" 

Happy New Year - Words of Love (The Beatles, 1964)

 

Happy New Year to you all. Rich here, not wanting to take up too much of your time recovering from last night's festivities and today's football binging, to bring you a widely overlooked gem of a cover song from The Beatles crazy early days of international superstardom in which they'd released four albums and numerous singles in 21 months. That's a whole career's output for even a successful band.

 

No doubt most of you are aware that not only was The Beatles name intended as a pun but that it was also intended as an homage to Buddy Holly and his band  The Crickets. Their affection for Buddy Holly was reflected in much of their pre-stardom repertoire, which was filled with Buddy Holly songs, one of which was "Words of Love," a song they recorded and included on their fourth album of 1964, "Beatles for Sale" (an album that was never officially released in the U.S. and Canada at the time).

 

"Words of Love" featured a masterful vocal duet with George Harrison singing lead and John Lennon on a lower harmony. And atop the duo's singing was Harrison's  bright & trebly guitar arpeggios -- it was a sound that provided a template for the guitar sounds the band would resurrect when they recorded "Nowhere Man" many months later.

THE BEATLES - "Words Of Love"