The Big Hits of Mid-America

 Since this is the official blog of my radio show on KNNZ-FM in the Hawley, MN, Fargo, ND, and Moorhead, MN area, it seems logical for me to name my blog after the album that provided the name of the show.

My radio show features old and new music, of mostly the Minnesota, Dakotas, and Manitoba, areas. In other words, mostly the Northern Plains.

It's time to turn the Wayback Machine to 1964. The Beatles and the Beach Boys were still pretty new and rock and roll still seemed like something anyone could do. It certainly helped that the Twin Cities had recording facilities, places to play, and a fairly good-sized population to populate the many bands that were going to be springing from this area.

I love the regional rock and roll scenes of the early to mid 1960s. I always call it, the "That Thing You Do," era, in homage to the 1990s movie that told the story of The Wonders who rose from obscurity to stardom based on one hit song.

Soma, the first name of recording studio owner, Amos Heilicher, backwards was the premiere recording outfit in the Twin Cities. It recorded everything, jazz, pop, polka, country and early rock and roll. It was certainly ready for some big hits, which it got, but none of them are on this record.

What this record does have, is that it has four cuts allotted to three of the top teen-age faves of the early-to-mid 60s rock scene in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul area. Many of the cuts are some of the R 'n B songs that were included in the set lists of these local bands.

We might as well get started with the biggest band of the trio, Gregory Dee and the Avanties. The group gives us a righteous organ-driven instro called, "The  Grind," that appears to be a dance number to get the listeners out on the floor. A similarly entitled piece called, "The Slide," has lyrics and is okay, but not up to the "Grind." The band continues on with a half-way decent car song, "Olds-Mo-William," that sounds like it belongs on an obscure car songs comp. Gregory Dee himself comes in with a Clarence "Frogma" Henry imitation on the group's version of his, "Ain't Got No Home."

The Underbeats, who transformed into the progressive rock band, Gypsy, had a local hit with a cover of The Flares' "Foot Stompin'" and it's a credible teen rock take on this number. We get another cover from them with "Annie Do The Dog," and a couple of teen pop tunes in the manner of The Everlys, or Bobby Vee, with "Sweet Words of Love," and "A Little Romance."

Finally, we get The Accents. We get the covers with The Coasters, "Searchin," and believe it or not, Howlin' Wolf's "Howlin' For My Baby." "Wherever There's A Will," is almost bluesish, and "Why" comes close to evoking a young Eric Burdon.

This record would have been a hit at any teen platter party at just about any suburban Twin Cities rumpus room. It would have had the advantage of being able to put on another record without a clunky 45 changer, or having to replace the LP.

It was not intended to be such, but most importantly, it gives us a look back at the beginnings of one of many regional scenes, where everyone with a Silvertone guitar from Sears could dream of getting their record on the local radio station.

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