Garage / Psychedelic Rock band from Burgundy, France. The group was founded in 1982 with its first lineup including Mark Enbatta (vocals, guitar), Lucas Trouble (keyboard), Greg Jones (guitar),
Angelo Jupp (bass), Steve Palermo (drums) and D.D Richardson (harmonica). The name that was they chose for the band referred to men who given a lot and got nothing in return. Enbatta grew up in France's Basque region and started playing guitar in the late '60's, mostly doing R&B (Otis Redding, James Brown) and the usual British invasion stuff. In one of his bands, he met Jones, who played in a band with his own brother. In the late '70's, Enbatta started writing his own material (some of which appeared on the first Veterans LP) and played mostly on the street and at political demonstrations but also with some other groups.
Lucas Trouble was also playing in several bands throughout the '70's, the last of which was Tango Lüger. All of his bands played dark stuff, in the style of Joy Division. Jupp played with a band called the Snipers,
who by then had some records out and was crossing paths with other future Vet members at clubs. The first-ever Vet recording was a cassette with a few songs, but it didn't make much of any impact. Their first real album, On The Right Track Now (1983), was recorded in a small expiremental studio called "a l'ouest de la Grosne" where the progressive rock band Gong was also recording. Three different drummers each played on the album and were also at the live shows that followed it but when they found Martin Joyce, he became their permanent skins man.
The record itself was recorded and mixed in only three days.That gave the album a pretty low sound quality (like hearing a radio show made by the neighbor's ten year old twins on a double-cassette recorder
from 1972) but that doesn't changes the fact that this is one of the best albums ever recorded from the post-psychedelic garage scene of the 80's, especially in Europe. Their second album, Crawfish For The Notary (1984), was recorded in the same studio as On The Right Track now, but it was done in three weeks so it had a much better sound quality to it. It also contains some of the bands' best songs: "Children Eyes," "What Are You Hiding," "I Give You My Life" and more.
Peas (and the next two albums) was released by a Dutch friend of Mark named Hans Kesteloo. He also purchased the rights for their first two albums after their first label (Lolita) stole some of their royalties in
order to compensate for the label losing money on another band which Mark brought to them (the Inmates). During this time, the band got quite a reputation on the European scene and because of their growing fame, they almost never played in small places- at a Frankfurt show, they had audience of about 2000 people. In 1986, the band released Ancient Times, a well-produced album which contained one of the band's more stirring masterpieces- "Curanderos," among other brilliant songs such as "Tower Of Babel","Wrinkle Drawer" and "Crooked Dealers" (the first three also appeared on the Green Peas).
Catfish Eyes And Tales was released in 1987 and provide to be the last Vets album. It's a special album which contains a piece that, in the absence of better name, I'll have to describe as "progressive rock"
though it's not what you think of as prog rock. The piece, "Medley," was built out of three connected songs: "Distant Drums," "Sea Horse" and a cover of the late David McWilliams's song "The Days Of Pearly Spencer." After the album was released though, things were not going so well for the group. They decided to disbanded but the real reason was because it was something the members agreed to early on- initially, they had decided to only record a few albums. Since they are still good friends today, it probably was a good decision. The band's last gig was in Bochum, Germany- people came from everywhere (England, Holland, France), knowing it was their last show.
01. THE VIETNAM VETERANS - ON THE RIGHT TRACK NOW 1983 + CRAWFISH FOR THE NOTARY 1984
On The Right Track Now / Crawfish For The Notary
is a 2008 compilation album by the French psychedelic garage band The Vietnam Veterans, reissuing their first two landmark 1980s albums. It showcases their 60s-influenced garage sound and is considered a staple of European psychedelic punk, blending raw energy with poetic, anarchist themes.
The Vietnam Veterans – On The Right Track Now / Crawfish For The Notary
Label: Music Maniac Records – MM CD 66004/5, Way Back Records – none
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: Germany
Released: 2008
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock,Garage
ON THE RIGHT TRACK NOW 1983
01. Don't Try To Walk On Me 3:44
02. Dreams Of Today 3:29
03. I Can Only Give You Everything 3:31
04. You're Gonna Fall 2:46
05. I Walked With A Zombie 2:27
06. Back From Hell 2:04
07. I Walked With A Zombie (Slight Return) 2:07
08. Out From The Night 2:17
09. Critics 3:04
10. That's Love 3:25
11. Dogs 3:15
12. Hey Gyp 2:56
13. Right Track Now 2:12
CRAWFISH FOR THE NOTARY 1984
14. Is This Really The Time 3:50
15. What Are You Hiding 2:54
16. Masters Of Time 3:45
17. This Life Is Your Life 2:57
18. Gary Cooper's Trip 4:22
19. Burning Temples 4:14
20. I Heard The Wind Blow 2:18
21. I Give You My Life 3:04
22. Children Eyes 2:53
23. My Trip 2:09
24. Liars 2:46
25. Be My Baby 5:16
LINE - UP
Bass – Angelo Jupp
Drums – Steve Palermo
Guitar – Greg Jones
Guitar, Vocals – Mark "Vet" Enbatta
Harmonica – D. D. Richardson
Keyboards – Lucas Trouble
Producer – The Vietnam Veterans
NOTES
This is a reissue of the Vietnam Veterans - On The Right Track Now and Vietnam Veterans - Crawfish For The Notary albums ("2 LPs on 1 CD").
For 'Crawfish...' Side A and B of the original LP have been inverted, and a non-LP track added ('Be My Baby').
Track 7 : "I Walked With A Zombie (Slight Return)" is not listed on the cover.
After the track No7 my EAC Program denies to convert it to Flac, so take it in MP3 @ 320. Size: 188 MB
02. THE VIETNAM VETERANS - CATFISH EYES AND TALES 1987
Catfish Eyes And Tales was released in 1987 and provide to be the last Vets album. After the album was released though, things were not going so well for the group. They decided to disbanded but the real reason was because it was something the members agreed to early on- initially, they had decided to only record a few albums.
Vietnam Veterans – Catfish Eyes And Tales
Label: Music Maniac Records – MM 008
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: Germany
Released: 1987
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock
SIDE A.
A1. Dead Breams Don't Bite 3:21
A2. Southern Comfort 6:11
A3. Maybe You Think 2:19
A4. Time Is The Worst 3:41
A5. Crying 4:14
SIDE B.
B1. Catfish Eyes And Tales 2:59
Written-By – Trouble, Enbatta
Medley
B2-a. Distant Drums 4:54
B2-b. Sea Horse 5:13
B2-c. Days Of Pearly Spencer 3:53
Written-By – David McWilliams
LINE - UP
Bass – Angelo Jupp
Drums – Martin Joyce
Keyboards, Tambourine, Percussion – Lucas Trouble
Rhythm Guitar – Greg Jones
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Mark Enbatta
Voice [Some Redskin Voices] – Lucas Trouble (tracks: B2-a)
Written-By – Mark Enbatta (tracks: A1 to A5, B2-a, B2-b)
03. THE VIETNAM VETERANS AS THE GITANS - STRANGE GIRL 2009
(The Further Adventures Of The Vietnam Veterans)
After releasing their compilation album The Days of Pearly Spencer in 1988, they broke up, and some members moved on to other projects. In 2005 The Vietnam Veterans released a single called "I Give You My Life / Children Eyes", and in 2009 a full-length album called Strange Girl (As The Gitanes). The band The Gitanes was one of the projects a few of the former Vets had, and the name is now added to The Vietnam Veterans name, calling it "The Vietnam Veterans (a.k.a. The Gitanes)". Mark Enbatta died 9. 9. 2021.
The Vietnam Veterans As The Gitanes – Strange Girl
Label: Music Maniac Records – MM CD 075, Nova Express – 10127
Format: CD, Album
Country: Germany
Released: 2009
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Garage
01. Fishing Song
Written-By – Trouble, Enbatta
02. Girl With The Hairy Legs
Written-By – Enbatta
03. Till You Fall
Written-By – Enbatta
04. Fall In Love Again
Written-By – Enbatta
05. Female Vampire’s Fuzzy Beaver
Written-By – Trouble, Enbatta
06. Malakas Yeah Yeah
Written-By – Enbatta
07. Burn In Hell
Written-By – Enbatta
08. Mercy
Written-By – Enbatta
09. I Don’t Deserve You
10. No Way Back
Written-By – Enbatta
11. Another Life
Written-By – Kiput, Enbatta
12. I'm Alive
Written-By – Enbatta
13. Danger
Written-By – Lenoir, Enbatta
14. Breams Of Today
Written-By – Trouble, Enbatta
15. I Remember The Time
Written-By – Trouble
16. Tartan Miniskirts
Written-By – Trouble, Enbatta
17. Thirteen/When I Was Young
Written-By – Burdon, Dantzig
LINE - UP
Bass, Keyboards – Lucas Trouble (Jean-Luc Taccard)
Drums – Eric Lenoir
Guitar – James "Squirrel" James Kiput, Mark Enbatta
Lead Vocals – Lucas Trouble (tracks: 15), Mark Enbatta (tracks: 1 to 14, 16, 17)
Mandolin – T.B. Noze
NOTES
Full title is "The further adventures of the Vietnam Veterans as The Gitanes"
Released by Music Maniac Records and Nova Express Records
Made in Germany / Printed in Germany
The Vietnam Veterans: The Days Of Pearly Spencer 1989 On URban Aspirines HERE
