Sure, part of it's being famous and making money and who doesn't like that? But these four guys honestly dig their music, their performances, their recordings - yes, their fans, too. They enjoy being a group. As a result, they have a rapport that's a little rare in show business, where ambitions and egos often get in the way and blow relationships. You might hear one of these guys singing lead on one song and another on the next. They do whatever s best for the arrangement and they're happy that way.
It's nice for the Standells; it's nice for their audiences, too. Or, to repeat an old proverb: "Sometimes good guys don't wear white; they just get along! Well, that's what makes the Standells' recordings of the Hot Ones so Hot! They've taken the big hits, like the Monkees' Last Train to Clarksville; Donovan's Sunshine Superman; the Troggs' Wild Thing; the Rolling Stones' 19th Nervous Breakdown; the Lovin' Spoonful's Summer in the City and their own Dirty Water and worked them out the way they sound best.
And they sure do! In most of the songs, they've done actual re-creations of the famous originals, though on a couple (the Beatles' Eleanor Rjgby and Los Braves' Black is Black) they have vocals replacing instruments (not to mention the budget-conscious carhorn vocals on Summer In The City...- ed).
Here, Dick happens to be singing most of the leads, but Larry does lead voice on the Kinks' Sunny Afternoon, with Tony featured prominently on the background; and Dave is featured - novelty fashion - on Sam the Sham's Lill’ Red Riding Hood, along with Florida DJ Mike Reineri's famous "Bertha Breadsacker" voice.
Original LP Liner Notes
The Hot Ones! album, first released in September 1966, was comprised of covers of then current chart hits. In addition to the newly recorded tracks, the LP recycled two cuts from the Dirty Water album; "19th Nervous Breakdown" and "Dirty Water". To avoid repetition, these two cuts have been omitted on this set, with additional unreleased tracks inserted in their place. "You Were The One" is a previously unreleased ballad recorded during the first Ed Cobb-produced Standells' session on March 5, 1965; the same session that yielded the legendary cuts "Dirty Water" and "Rari".
The unissued tracks "School Girl" (a Graham Gouldman composition) and Cobb's "Ten O'clock Scholar" (with its great 'Boettcher-esque' vocal lines) are both outtakes from the early sessions for the Try It album, recorded near the end of 1966. They feature new member John Fleck on bass.
The somewhat out-of-character "When I Was A Cowboy" (a Leadbelly song) and the megaphoned, Tony Valentino-penned "Don't Tell Me What To Do" were originally issued in 1967 as a rare Tower 45 (#312) and credited to The Sllednats. "Misty Lane" has previously made an appearance on a U.K. compact disc, erroneously credited to Tower label-mates The Chocolate Watchband, The track is, in fact, the Standells taking a shot at what would soon become a Watchband classic.
While the C.W.'s version surely remains the definitive performance, The Standells' take is an interesting alternative, with its unique backing vocals and use of Tony's signature fuzzed guitar tone providing the intro lines. Lastly, we have our favorite 'lost' performance, "The Standells' Love Theme", a boozy, extended, afterhours studio jam, circa 1966. Perhaps intended at one time to be chopped to shards for use in an A.I.P, biker flick, we're proud to present the lengthy session in its ultra-cool entirety.
by Bob Irwin
Tracks
1. Last Train To Clarksville (T. Boyce, B. Hart) - 2:43
2. Wild Thing (Chip Taylor) - J:5J
3. Sunshine Superman (Donovan Leitch) - 2:41
4. Sunny Afternoon (Ray Davies) - 3:22
5. Lil' Red Riding Hood (R. Blackwell) - 2:43
6. Eleanor Rigby (J. Lennon, P. McCartney) - 2:73
7. Black Is Black (Hayes, Wadey, Grainger) - 233
8. Summer In The City (J. Sebastian, M. Sebastian, S. Boone) -2:J
9. You Were The One (Ed Cobb) - 2:29
10.School Girl (Graham Gouldman) - 2:18
11.Ten O'clock Scholar (Ed Cobb) - 3:00
12.When I Was A Cowboy (H. Ledbetter) - 2:39
13.Don't Tell Me What To Do (T. Valentino) - 2:56
14.Misty Lane (M. Siegel) - 3:10
15.Standells' Love Theme (Ed Cobb, B. McElroy) - 11:18
The Standells
*Dick (Jose Taco) Dodd - Drums, Guitar
*Larry Tamblyn - Piano, Organ, Guitar, Vocals
*Pave (Super Hick) Burke - Bass, 12-string Guitar
*Tony (Mr.Parmesan) Valentino - Lead Guitar
1966 The Standells - Dirty Water
1966 The Standells - Why Pick On Me
1966-67 The Standells - Try It
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