Search - Tony Hatch :: Hatchback

And "freakbeat" is what?

collegemoney | 08/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those of us who pushed our transistor radios to the limits in the 60's, looking for stations playing British rock outside the boundaries of the top acts, this compilation will make life a lot easier. No more holding that small plastic box up in the air, turning it this way and that to catch signals from WLS Chicago and similar stations which introduced us to the lesser known UK groups of the day.

But, truth be known, we would have had a hard time hearing these tunes even on those rare radio programs. Not much of this material made it our way. And the term "freakbeat" was unknown to us, it was coined much later (in the 80's by British journalist Phil Smee) to identify songs which were a little outside what stations might have been willing to carry. Album cuts, 45's by one shot artists, etc. There are many gems in here that would cost you hundreds of dollars in the rare chance you could find them at all. For example, "Tell Her" the male gender version of the Exciters "Tell Him." This is one of many fine compilations available on the subject, indeed, one of the better ones for the rarities. And, in itself, this compilation is getting pretty scarce as well."