The song that I love best on Pebbles, Volume 10 is “Train Kept A-Rollin’” by the Bold (also known as Steve Walker and the Bold) – actually there is a song by this band on both Pebbles, Volume 9 and Pebbles, Volume 10. This was the first time that I had heard this song; I have since collected several more that include versions of “Train Kept A-Rollin’” by luminaries like the Yardbirds and Aerosmith, and it has become one of my very favorite songs regardless of who is doing it. It is hard to top this blistering performance, however.
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What really made an impression after awhile, however, is that more than a few of these bands were completely unknown even to the people who put the Pebbles albums together. Introducing “Train Kept A-Rollin’” by the Bold on Pebbles, Volume 10, the “Nigel Strange” liner notes say: “. . . I sure wish I knew more about them”. About the Wig/Wags, all they have is: “I used to think this was a Texas group, but since they aren’t included in the recently published Journey to Tyme [here they insert a plug and address for the book] I guess it’s not.” The liner notes for the Foggy Notions have a nice description of their great song “Need a Little Lovin’” but about the band they say simply: “A mystery group”.
The situation is much the same on Pebbles, Volume 9. For the second track by the LA-area band Byron & the Mortals: “. . . about whom nothing is known”. And: “The only thing I know about the Knaves is that lead singer Howard Berkman later turned up in some early 70’s Chicago bands.” The Banshees? “The group was Chicago-based, but that’s all I can tell you.” One more: “I know absolutely nothing about the Bugs.”
In order not to sound monotonous, the liner notes don’t always state outright that all I know about such-and-such group is that I found this here 45, but several of the liner notes are descriptive only. It wasn’t just these albums; most of the Pebbles liner notes were like this, particularly in the early years. Sentences like “Guess what? Another mystery band” and “Here finally is a group that I know something about” were commonplace on the back covers.
(July 2013)
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