Various: The Scotty Story - Minnesota's Legendary '60s Rock Label! 1993 Arf! Arf! Records

 

Based in Minnesota, the small, independent Scotty company recorded some worthwhile garage rock in

the '60s, with Warren Kendrick acting both as producer and songwriter for many of the acts on his label. 30 track retrospective of 4-star Minnesota label from the original mastertapes! Includes the Electras, Scotsmen, White Lightning, Litter plus lots of unreleased material! For anyone into '60s Punk, it doesn't get any better than this. While you couldn't say this is an essential release if you're not a garage fan, this

is a decent, 30-cut compilation of released and unreleased material from Scotty and its affiliated labels. The Electras in particular have an appealing snarl, best showcased on "Dirty Old Man" and the original, molten-hot version of "Action Woman" (covered by another of Kendrick's acts, the Litter, whose version appears on the Pebbles series).

The 11 Electras' tracks are the most interesting portion of this anthology, but most of the rest of it's reasonably satisfying fuzz-Farfisa garage pop by the Scotsmen, the Victors, the Second Edition, Hope, the Paisleys, and White Lightning, sometimes with pop and/or psychedelic edges. The Scotsmen's "Beer Bust Blues" is frat rock at its grossest; fans of the Litter (by far the most famous group on this compilation) will find a previously unreleased cover of "Hey Joe," as well as a 7 Up commercial. ~Richie Unterberger
                   

WARREN KENDRICK

                                 

                   
Producer, songwriter, and label owner Warren Kendrick was a crucial figure in the undernourished

1960s Minneapolis rock scene, and particularly esteemed for his production of the Litter, one of the more highly regarded garage bands of the era. Kendrick entered the music business in 1965 when he and some high school friends made a not entirely serious single, "Beer Bust Blues"/"Scotchmist," under the name of the Scotsmen. This came out on his own label, Scotty, and he immediately began recording, and frequently writing for, other acts that appeared on Scotty. The first notable act of these were the

Electras, a tough garage band that did mostly Kendrick songs, including the licentious "Dirty Old Man," on half-dozen or so singles (some of which were released under the name 'Twas Brillig). Kendrick wasn't relying upon his various musical enterprises for full-time support; in fact, he was a high school math teacher, working on music off-hours.

THE ELECTRAS

                   

The Electras were an American garage rock band formed in Ely, Minnesota in 1962. The group recorded between 1965 and 1967 during their musical career, including their most-known tune "Dirty Old Man". The band, which also worked under the moniker, 'Twas Brillig, released a version of the song "Action Woman", a composition that was made into a garage rock classic by the Litter, and has consequently caused the two groups to be wrongly associated with each other.
                   

The Electras were formed when brothers Bill (lead guitar, vocals) and Earl Bulinski (rhythm guitar) came together as a duo in 1962, soon after moving to Ely, Minnesota and enrolling at Ely Memorial High School. The brothers had possessed prior experience self-teaching themselves to play guitar and performing at a semi-professional level. In mid-1962, the two were interested in assembling an ensemble, first placing an advertisement in the high school newspaper that read, "Attention all bass players, please call Bill Bulinski. He wants to start a band". Gary Omerza, who was actually an accordion player, was the first to respond to Bulinski's offer. Nonetheless, the brothers accepted Omerza's desire to be a band member, and recruited Fred Godec as the Electras' bass player. Their first gig was at a club called John's Bar where the group played renditions of rock and roll favorites; however, the band was forced to vacate after the town's priest complained that the band members were too young to perform at the venue.
                   

By the Electras' second gig, the group added Len Erickson (drums) and female-singer Kaye Spalj, while applying songs by the Ventures to their repertoire. Between 1963 and 1965, Jerry Fink replaced Erickson, and Tim Elfving became the group's lead vocalist, solidifying the band's most-known lineup. Additionally, the band hired Chuck Novak as their manager, and convinced Omerza to play the Farfisa organ, which allowed the Electras to cover compositions by Paul Revere and the Raiders and the Animals. In the fall of 1965, Novak had gotten the Electras in contact with songwriter and record producer Warren Kendrick of Dove Recording Studio to pen and record the group's debut single. Undaunted, Kendrick signed the Electras to his own record label named Scotty Records.
                 

In 2010, the Electras were inducted into the Mid-America Music Hall of Fame, which saw original group members reconvene for a reunion concert. The band's material has been compiled on The Scotty Story and The Best of the Electras.
Gary Omerza (born on August 1, 1946) died unexpectedly on July 25, 2011, at age 64. Earl Bulinski died suddenly on April 3, 2021, in South Padre Island, Texas at age 72.

LINE - UP

Bill Bulinski (lead guitar, vocals)  
Earl Bulinski (rhythm guitar)
Gary Omerza (Farfisa organ)
Fred Godec (bass player)
Len Erickson, Jerry Fink (drums)
Kaye Spalj (Vocals)
Tim Elfving (Vocals)
Harvey Korkki (Farfisa organ)

THE SCOTSMEN

              

Formed 1965, Ellensburg, WA, United States and disbanded 1968.

LINE - UP

Gary Reynolds (vocals)
Robert Shomer (guitar)
Tom Yook (keyboards)
David Lucas (bass)
Richard Lawson (drums), Mike DeChenne (keyboards)
Bruce Robertson (vocals)
Also Known As The Avengers

THE VICTORS

                        

The Victors. these guys were young and their covers were so raw and crude ! really garage. From "midnight hour" to "good golly miss molly" and a couple of more songs that are really interesting. This Minneapolis group later became The Litter. Two future members (bassist Jim Kane and vocalist Denny Waite)

LINE - UP

Jim Crill (guitar, lead vocals)  
Ran Dailey (guitar, lead vocals)  
Jim Kane (bass, lead vocals)  
Terry Knutson (keyboards, lead vocals)
Gary Leach (drums)  
Pete Lokken (lead vocals)  
Warren Kendrick (lead guitar, vocals)  
Denny Waite (lead vocals)

THE LITTER

             

The Litter was an American psychedelic and garage rock band, formed in 1966 in Minneapolis,

Minnesota, United States. They are best remembered for their 1967 debut single, "Action Woman". The group recorded three albums in the late 1960s before disbanding, but they re-united in 1990, 1992, and again in 1998, when they recorded a new studio album consisting of both old and new material. All of their Minneapolis recorded material was produced by Warren Kendrick, who owned the Scotty and Warick and Hexagon labels.

LINE - UP

Dan Rinaldi  (rhythm guitar, backing vocals)
Bill Strandlof  (lead guitar)
Denny Waite  (organ, lead vocals, harmonica)
Jim Kane  (bass guitar and moog synthesizer)
Tom Murray  (drums)
Mark Gallagher  (vocals)
Ray Melina  (lead guitar)
Tom 'Zippy' Caplan  (lead guitar, 1967-1968 & 1990)
Sean Jones  (lead guitar)
Lonnie Knight  (lead guitar and vocals)
Mike Rowe  (bass)

WHITE LIGHTNING

                   

White Lightning was an American psychedelic rock band, active from 1968 through 1971. The band was founded by guitarist Zippy Caplan and bassist Woody Woodrich. The band was very popular in Minnesota, mostly due to Caplan's fame playing with The Litter. The manager of radio station KDWB mistook the single "Of Paupers and Poets" for a song by Cream, giving valuable early airtime to the band. They also would perform a cover of the William Tell Overture. Eventually, the band broke up due to musical differences, especially between Woodrich and Caplan.

LINE - UP

Tom "Zippy" Caplan (lead guitar)
Woody Woodrich (lead & bass guitars & vocals)
Ronn Roberts (lead guitar & bass, vocals)
Mick Stanhope (lead singer & drums)
Bernie Pershey (drums, marimba, xylophone)
Garr Johnson (drums)
Russ Paul (guitar)
Joey Boom Boom Winters (drums)
Peter Dean Korellis (guitar)
Ron Merchant (bass, keyboard)
Dan Burniece (drums, vocals)
Nickolas Jack Miller
K Zakk Williams (guitar)

THE SECOND EDITION

                

HOPE

               

A. Of Times You Can See   3:06
Arranged By – John Tuttle, Warren Kendrick
Written-By – Don Fernelius

B. Greenhouse   1:42
Written-By, Arranged By – John Tuttle

THE PAISLEYS

              

To put it cruelly, the Paisleys were exactly the kind of band roasted by the Mothers of Invention so unmercifully on We're Only in It for the Money. Their Cosmic Mind at Play album abounds with naive cosmic clichés of late-'60s psychedelic music, performed with sincerity and respectable instrumental competence. A lightweight (though not totally embarrassing) effort that put the electric keyboard more to the fore than many similar bands did; it found a greater audience when it was reissued for collectors on LP in the 1980s.
               

The Paisleys were formed in Minneapolis, and their sole album was produced by Warren Kendrick, who produced a bunch of other garage rock and psychedelic recordings in Minneapolis in the mid-'60s to early '70s (most notably for the Litter). The Paisleys actually helped Kendrick build the studio in which Cosmic Mind at Play was recorded, and only a couple of thousand copies were pressed when it was released in 1970. The legitimate 2003 CD reissue of the album on Sundazed added six bonus tracks, all but one of them previously unreleased, from 1968-70 demos, outtakes, and live recordings.

LINE - UP

Dick Timm (Bass, Vocals)
Bob Belknap (Drums, Vocals),
Greg Payton (Drums, Vocals),
Mike Cornelius (Drums, Vocals)
Brad Stodden (Lead Guitar, Vocals),
Dick Timm (Lead Guitar, Vocals),
Rick Youngberg (Lead Guitar, Vocals)
Bill Smith (Piano, Vocals)
              

Various - The Scotty Story - Minnesota's Legendary '60s Rock Label! 1993 Arf! Arf! Records
Artist: Various
Album: The Scotty Story - Minnesota's Legendary '60s Rock Label!
Label: Arf! Arf! Records
Catalog#: AA-043
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1993
Genre: Rock, Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock

THE SCOTTY STORY - TRAXS

      

01. The Electras - Dirty Old Man     2:43    
02. The Electras - Soul Searchin'     2:44    
03. The Electras - This Week Children     2:19    
04. The Electras - Action Woman     2:29    
05. The Electras - I'm Not Talkin'     2:25    
06. The Electras - Pregnant Pig     1:49    
07. The Electras - 'Bout My Love     1:59    
08. The Electras - You Love     1:35    
09. The Electras - Summertime     3:38    
10. The Electras - Won't Take No For An Answer     2:54    
11. The Scotsmen - Beer Bust Blues     3:00    
12. The Scotsmen - Scotch Mist     2:00    
13. The Scotsmen - Froggie     3:30    
14. The Victors - Midnight Hour     3:34    
15. The Victors - I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore     2:44    
16. The Victors - One More Time     2:26    
17. The Victors - Mister You're A Better Man Than I     3:36    
18. The Victors - Little Girl     2:32    
19. The Litter - Hey Joe     4:07    
20. The Litter - 7 UP Commercial     0:58    
21. White Lightning - William     2:03    
22. White Lightning - Of Paupers     2:34    
23. White Lightning - (Under The Screaming Double) Eagle     3:55    
24. The Second Edition - To Keep You     2:41    
25. Hope - Of Times You Can See     3:25    
26. Hope - Greenhouse     1:45    
27. The Paisleys - Something's Missing     2:56    
28. The Electras - Courage To Cry     1:52    
29. The Scotsmen - Scotch Mist II     2:50    
30. The Scotsmen - Beer Bust Blues - Excerpt     0:25    

NOTES

Label – Arf! Arf!
Compilation Producer – Erik Lindgren
Design – Jim Oldsberg
Mastered By (Cd Premastering) – Jonathan Wyner
All music transferred from original analog mastertapes except tracks 7 & 12, which were transferred from a vinyl source.

MP3 @ 320 Size: 428 MB
Flac Size: 184 MB