Frat Rock: Search & Destroy

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I bought a Rhino comp in 1987 called Frat Rock. It's got early-mid 60s party tunes, basically the Animal House soundtrack if it had been the original hits by the original artists. I didn't listen to it for 6 or 7 years, and then this year I discover that it's Chuck Eddy's favorite album of all time. So what do you think? Do any of the following songs do anything for you? 1. Wooly Bully performed by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
2. Louie, Louie performed by Kingsmen
3. Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love) performed by Swingin' Medallions
4. Nobody But Me performed by Human Beinz
5. Little Latin Lupe Lu performed by Righteous Brothers
6. Gimme Some Lovin' performed by Davis, Spencer Group
7. Hungry performed by Revere, Paul & The Raiders
8. Keep on Dancing performed by Gentrys
9. Barbara Ann performed by Beach Boys
10. Wipe Out performed by Surfaris
11. Just Like Me performed by Revere, Paul & The Raiders
12. Wild Thing performed by Troggs
13. Money (That's What I Want) performed by Strong, Barrett
14. Do You Love Me performed by Contours
15. Dance to the Music performed by Sly & The Family Stone
16. Function at the Junction performed by Long, Shorty
17. Reelin' and Rockin' performed by Berry, Chuck
18. Shout performed by Dynatones

― Mark, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

New Answers (That's What I Want)

― Mark, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I guess Chuck Eddy have a few things in common. I think that looks pretty kick axem, even though it looks exactly like a slice from just about any oldies radio station's playlist. 1. Wooly Bully performed by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs Sam the Sham is a lot of fun. I like "Little Red Riding Hood" about 100 times more, but I guess "Wooly Bully" is more frat. That guy had a cool voice. 2. Louie, Louie performed by Kingsmen I actually like Kingsmen albums. They're so dumb, but I'm dumb so I find them entertaining. Their schtick was the fake live album. They put out at least three LPs that featured incredibly enthusastic crowd noise overdubbed on top of the studio recordings. Their fratness was most pronounced on the On Campus album which has stuff like "Peter Gunn", an instrumental "A Hard Day's Night", and the smash hit "Annie Fannie". 7. Hungry performed by Revere, Paul & The Raiders
11. Just Like Me performed by Revere, Paul & The Raiders Paul Revere & the Raiders rock the hizzouse. Both of these are fine anthems and not really as "dumb" as most of the other stuff here. Still danceable though. I guess the rest is okay. Is that horrible "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, better make a pretty woman your wife" on there? I don't know the title. Fuck that song.

― Oliver K., Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I guess Chuck Eddy have a few things in common. I think that looks pretty kick axe, even though it looks exactly like a slice from just about any oldies radio station's playlist.

1. Wooly Bully performed by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs

Sam the Sham is a lot of fun. I like "Little Red Riding Hood" about 100 times more, but I guess "Wooly Bully" is more frat. That guy had a cool voice.

2. Louie, Louie performed by Kingsmen

I actually like Kingsmen albums. They're so dumb, but I'm dumb so I find them entertaining. Their schtick was the fake live album. They put out at least three LPs that featured incredibly enthusastic crowd noise overdubbed on top of the studio recordings. Their fratness was most pronounced on the On Campus album which has stuff like "Peter Gunn", an instrumental "A Hard Day's Night", and the smash hit "Annie Fannie".

7. Hungry performed by Revere, Paul & The Raiders
11. Just Like Me performed by Revere, Paul & The Raiders

Paul Revere & the Raiders rock the hizzouse. Both of these are fine anthems and not really as "dumb" as most of the other stuff here. Still danceable though.

I guess the rest is okay. Is that horrible "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, better make a pretty woman your wife" on there? I don't know the title. Fuck that song

― I Hate HTML, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually, I believe that it's "better make an ugly woman your wife." It's irony man.

― Ryan A White, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Now this really surprised me - I actually don't like any of them. I thought there would be at least ONE in a list of tthat nature, but no. Guess I'll stick with 'Nuggets'.

― dave q, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Do any of these tracks overlap with the "Nuggets" collections? What sort of thing differentiates Frat Rock from late-60s American garage? Just familiarity?

― Mark, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

1-4 & 12 appear on nuggets. paul revere and the raiders are on there as well, but not for either of those songs (i don't think).

― fred solinger, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

'What sort of thing differentiates Frat Rock from late-60s American garage? Just familiarity?'

The answer lies with a wee lad named Van Morrison. He invented 'garage' music (and The Fall) with a terrific bit of primitivism called 'Gloria'. Unfortunately, he should have 'decommisioned' the instruments after that, because what he did next deserved a kneecapping - he bought some Stax records, and missed the point of them. See, those songs worked because they were about getting laid ("Hold On, I'm Comin'" - really!), but yer man Van decided they'd be 'better' with meaningless, vaguely 'inspirational' lyrics about searchin' for that 'spirit', and feeling alive and windswept with God's blarney etc., inventing the most nondescript genre ever (hard to describe musically, but I'll try - horns. Lots of horns. Guitars MUST be telecasters. Male b. vox, and chicks if you're making a 'showbiz' gesture. Double live albums that are supposed to be 'back-to-basics' and 'gritty', but have pianos and organs mixed way louder than those twanging teles. Bands never discussed on this forum and probably never will be again. Springsteen, studio Thin Lizzy, Graham Parker, Costello, Nils Lofgren, Southside Johny, Seger, Bon Jovi, John Cafferty, Iron City Houserockers, Huey Lewis, Hootie.) And the songs in the question box are the ones most covered by these types, so if they're damned by association, it's a bad enough association to justify it. ('Marsh-rock'? This is the shit he thought was better than the MC Stooges, which wouldn't be significant except that him and his cronies destroyed US rockcrit for decades with this idea.)
Who buys this stuff? The names lie - 'Frat-rock'? I thought they were into Bloodhound Gang. 'Beer-drinkin' rock'? Those guys like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Kid Rock. 'Blue-collar rock'? How many heavy-industry workers are there anymore? Anyway, they like either Shania Twain or Pantera.

Marsh-rock that I actually find 'rousing, uplifting' etc in spite of myself - Nils Lofgren, "Back it Up"

Great 70s one-shot rip-off: "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)", ? (It's somewhere on Rhino's 'Have a Nice Day' series)

Horrible contempo example: Toploader, "Dancin' in the Moonlight"

And you know what? ALL of those sound EXACTLY the same!

― dave q, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Elvis Costello mentioned for 'Get Happy!'

― dave q, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Every song on that comp is great.

― Sean, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm not sure that it was used at the time these records were released, but now Frat Rock refers basically to songs that wouldn't sound out of place in "Animal House". I'd say it's basically early 60's danceable American garage rock with a heavy R&B influence and no psych/hippy aftertaste. The bands are generally really clean cut. Fuelled by beer, not slowed down by pot.

Archetypes would be Louie Louie, Mony Mony, Hanky Panky or simple stompy r&b like Money. 60's bands: The Sonics, Kingsmen, McCoys, Strangeloves, Mitch Ryder. Revivalists: Fleshtones, Mummies, Swingin' Neckbreakers, Sexareenos.

― fritz, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(Dave q: Have you ever heard TB Sheets? I think you underrate Van, though he is certainly guilty of some wretched excesses)

― fritz, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Hanky Panky should be somewhere there.

― Sterling Clover, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought that compilation had "Bread and Butter" by the Newbeats, as well.

There's nothing I really dislike on that compilation, but I don't care if I never hear half of them ever again.

― Arthur, Wednesday, 17 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

Um, no time to defend it in too much detail (except to say that though it may or may not still be my "favorite album of all time," it's still definitely UP THERE, in part frankly because it's MORE CONSISTENTLY DANCEABLE than any *Nuggets* collection I've heard), I do want to say here that the Rhino *Frat Rock* album I once CLAIMED as my favorite, in an interview with Scott Woods a million years ago, did and does NOT have the same track listing as the one mentioned at the beginning of this thread; a good thing, too, since the one above has a few tracks I've never much liked (i.e., "Gimme Some Lovin'"), and at least one (the one by Shorty Long) that I don't think I've ever even heard. Anyway, this is the REAL Frat Rock album track-list. (The copy I have is on vinyl, not CD, which I suspect is the root of some of the confusion here.) Anyway, courtesy allmusic.com, here goes:

1. Louie, Louie performed by Kingsmen
2. Wooly Bully performed by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
review 3. Nobody But Me performed by Human Beinz
4. Hang on Sloopy performed by McCoys
5. Twist and Shout performed by Isley Brothers
6. Shout performed by Dynatones
7. Wipe Out performed by Surfaris
8. Little Latin Lupe Lu performed by Righteous Brothers
9. I Want Candy performed by Strangeloves
10. Wild Thing performed by Troggs
11. Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love) performed by Swingin' Medallions
12. Keep on Dancing performed by Gentrys

― charles joseph eddy, Wednesday, 6 November 2002 20:54 (twenty-two years ago)

The difference between Frat Rock and Garage Rock, to the best of my knowedlege = The British Invasion. Not just "Gloria", but also "I'm A Man" by The Yardbirds and assorted dirty Britboy anthems.

Springsteen, studio Thin Lizzy, Graham Parker, Costello, Nils Lofgren, Southside Johny, Seger, Bon Jovi, John Cafferty, Iron City Houserockers, Huey Lewis, Hootie.

I want a Frat Rock compilation of these guys, please. Most of 'em are better than The Stooges.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 6 November 2002 23:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Hootie? Huey Lewis? Better than the Stooges? I know this is ILM and all, and I may yet be stripped of my Popist Cred Card (good for discounts at your local fye or Tower Records outlet) but honestly, you can't mean that.

― Dave M. (rotten03), Thursday, 7 November 2002 03:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Nah, I was thinking more along the lines of Springsteen and Costello (but didn't want to reveal that as it would make my post less interesting)

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Thursday, 7 November 2002 13:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Surely Little Feat would be crucial to this new genre of 70's sophisticated slick, pseudo back-to-basics soulful rock'n'roll.

And the Last Waltz is out on DVD just in time to cap it all.

― tigerclawskank, Thursday, 7 November 2002 14:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Little Feat had weird Steely Dan like lyrics and were applauded for their oddball time signatures, which doesn't quite fit the mold of "Marsh Rock".

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Thursday, 7 November 2002 16:23 (twenty-two years ago)

three years pass...

Sticking to the hits, '62-'67, but would Surf count if it's lo-fi/low production? I'm kinda iffy on including some of the early Stones/Animals/Who/Kinks stuff, but it's your call.

Chris Montez - Let's Dance
The Kingsmen - Louie Louie
The Safaris - Wipe Out
The Ventures - Pipeline
Tommy James & The Shondells - Hanky Panky
Manfred Mann - Do Wah Diddy
The Animals - House of the Rising Sun
The Marketts - Out of Limits
The Rivieras - California Sun
The Animals - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
The Animals - We Gotta Get Out of This Place
The Gentrys - Keep on Dancing
The Human Beinz - Nobody But Me
The Kinks - All Day and All of the Night
The Kinks - You Really Got Me
The McCoys - Hang on Sloopy
The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
The Rolling Stones - Get off of My Cloud
The Who - I Can't Explain
The Who - My Generation
Them - Gloria
Los Bravos - Black is Black
Mitch Ryder - Devil with a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly
? and the Mysterians - 96 Tears
Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs - Little Red Riding Hood
The Outsiders - Time Wont Let Me
The Troggs - Wild Thing
Spencer Davis Group - Gimme Some Lovin'
Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale

― PappaWheelie has no answers to any question that requires actual thought (PappaW, Wednesday, 27 September 2006 01:41 (eighteen years ago)

Oh hell, I left off Wooly Bully

― PappaWheelie has no answers to any question that requires actual thought (PappaW, Wednesday, 27 September 2006 01:45 (eighteen years ago)

Where would Freddy Cannon's Palisades Park fit in this?

― PappaWheelie has no answers to any question that requires actual thought (PappaW, Wednesday, 27 September 2006 15:08 (eighteen years ago)

i think of freddy cannon/dion & the belmonts/gary u.s. bonds as being maybe a little too doo wop and fiftiesish to be straight ahead frat rock but definitely frat rock couldn't have existed without that stuff - kinda like how hank ballard + the midnighters or huey piano smith and the clowns were maybe a little too early R&B to be straight ahead frat rock but frat rock bands probably covered the hell outta "roll with me annie" and "don't you just know it". i'm just guessing/splitting hairs

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 16:06 (eighteen years ago)

also i think your list is a little too surfy + british to be full-on frat rock, but again splitting hairs here. i think of frat rock as drunken party grage with a borderline novelty-song thing going on (but always way more more beery than bubblegmmy). i guess i already wrote everything i have to say upthread anyway

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 16:11 (eighteen years ago)

Agreed. I left off songs like Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs' Sugar Shack because it was too bubblegummy. I probably could exchange a handful of the early who/kinks/stones for more pop-soul like Jimmy Soul's If You Wanna Be Happy or something. Obviously The Countours and The Isley's hit were both featured on Animal House.

But then again, isn't this whole thing sort of revisionist in the first place as it was a 1978 movie that inspired this view of 1962?

― PappaWheelie has no answers to any question that requires actual thought (PappaW, Wednesday, 27 September 2006 16:15 (eighteen years ago)

yeah i guess it is kind of a made-up genre, but i don't doubt actual frat boy and like-minded reprobates actually did like this shit. don't try and tell me george w. never danced to the swingin' medallions.

ps the jimmy gilmer & the fireballs' frat rock hit would have to be "bottle of wine"...

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 16:22 (eighteen years ago)

But the flipside of 70's movies repping 1962 is American Grafitti, which made it seem like it was still 1957, but was (for the most part) factual with the Border Blasters and playlists

― PappaWheelie has no answers to any question that requires actual thought (PappaW, Wednesday, 27 September 2006 16:24 (eighteen years ago)

"Farmer John" by the Premiers is kind of archetypal frat rock.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 16:25 (eighteen years ago)

yeah, a lot of that east l.a. chicano rock is awesome frat rock, thee midnighters, cannibal and the headhunters, the premiers

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 16:36 (eighteen years ago)

Wait, I believe Farmer John came after Louie Louie, and was inspired by Louie Louie (both were Richard Berry covers)

― PappaWheelie has no answers to any question that requires actual thought (PappaW, Wednesday, 27 September 2006 17:50 (eighteen years ago)

"Farmer John" was Don & Dewey.

― Orgy of Pragmatism (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 17:52 (eighteen years ago)

...to begin with.

― Orgy of Pragmatism (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 17:54 (eighteen years ago)

We have a winner!

http://www.secondhandsongs.com/song/14903.html

Making the AllMusic entry on The Premiers incorrect:

he had the group record Richard Berry's "Farmer John"

― PappaWheelie has no answers to any question that requires actual thought (PappaW, Wednesday, 27 September 2006 17:57 (eighteen years ago)

Premiers version was the (minor) hit, though.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 17:58 (eighteen years ago)

(although 2nd hand doesn't seem to list the premiers at all)

― PappaWheelie has no answers to any question that requires actual thought (PappaW, Wednesday, 27 September 2006 17:58 (eighteen years ago)

Wikipedia says, "Although Don and Dewey did not have any hits of their own, several of the songs that they wrote and/or recorded would appear on the charts later, performed by other artists. "I'm Leaving It Up to You" became a #1 hit for Dale & Grace in 1963. "Farmer John" was a hit by The Premiers, reaching #19 in 1964 after having been covered The Searchers a year earlier."

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 18:00 (eighteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.