The CHARLATANS Band History |  

Their guitarist, Mike Wilhelm was one of Jerry Garcia's favorites. Wilhelm later formed an excellent, yet short lived group called LOOSE GRAVEL, then he joined a new version of fellow Bay Area band THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES.

As a big fan of Dan Hicks (and His Hot Licks), it was interesting to hear what he contributed to The Charlatans including "How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away". The Charlatans weren't great by any measure but their story was engaging. Great background on the emerging SF ballroom scene as well. Thanks, Matt.

Excellent as always... Would LOVE to see you cover Country Joe & The Fish!

I don't take it for granted that your posts are as good as they are, Matt. Your research is thorough and presented in a very enjoyable way. The Charlatans' good-timey jug band-blues-novelty vibe has never really been my cup of tea (spiked or not.) I've always thought at their best they're a bit like early Grateful Dead, but not really. However I heard some music I like here, so I'm going to give them another try. So thank you.

The Chocolate Watchband is a band you should cover sometime.

I was a huge fan of the 90's band called the "Charlatans" that were forced to add "UK" at the end of their name in America thanks to the conflicting name with the group you are featuring today. A similar conflict occurred with the name Nirvana, but this time the 60s UK band Nirvana filed a lawsuit against the American band Nirvana for using the name. It was settled that both bands could use the name Nirvana. To make it all the more challenging for me, I loved all four bands! Thanks for covering one of the four.

The Charlatans were great I have a couple of albums that came out on the French Eva label in the 80s. I love the early San Francisco scene and have long been fascinated by psychedelics. A very interesting period of cultural history.

This is what I tune in for! A deep dive into an overlooked 1960s band! Thank you, Matt!

Thanks for another great job Matt. The Charlatan's name pops up in every story of 60s San Francisco even though there is so little around to hear from them. Thanks for the entertaining history lesson. Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks were great as well. "I Scare Myself" is easily one of the best songs of the late sixties (if you are asking me at least!). Also since you mention him here --- Eric Jacobsen would make an interesting subject for one of your vids. This guy produced The Spoonful, Tim Hardin, The Sopwith Camel, Norman Greenbaum's immortal "Spirit In the Sky", the obscure but wonderful William Truckaway, the once heard, never forgotten "Mill Valley" and that ain't even the whole list. That's just off the top of my head. Thanks again for all you do!

29th Jan 23. Thank you Matt. This band history is priceless. They were so unique and underated. Being in the UK, I remember buying the vinyl album in 1969 (Philips SBL7903). I never get tired of High Coin and Alabama Bound. When CD'S became available that was even better. The new additions were added to my collection. Now at aged 75 their music still has originality and energy. Thank you gentlemen!

Thanks for filling in some gaps in my grasp of the San Francisco scene of the sixties. Always wanted to know more about the Charlatans.

Another great episode! Never knew such a talented band shoot themselves in the foot over and over.

Can you please cover my favorite band, The Kinks? They have such a rich history.

I get the impression that The Charlatans were a big influence on Michael Nesmith, who was also out of phase with the Flower Power scene (and wrote incredible songs)

Definitely hear a Dead and an early Airplane sound to them. Fascinating!

Thanks Matt. One thing this video brought back to me was how popular the 1920's vibe was in the mid-60's. A lot of bands were influenced by the 20's jug band (or faux jug band) style and you can see elements of that in the Beatles, Loving Spoonful, Mommas and Papas, Spanky and Our Gang, etc. The song "Winchester Cathedral" which was a top 40 hit is probably the most explicit example of this trend. This was also the case with movies, tv shows, and fashion at that time.

I first learned of them in the book, "Scars of Sweet Paradise: The Life and Times of Janis Joplin" by Alice Echols.

Excellent video, Matt. Anyone who has lived in the Bay Area and taken an interest in the 60's counterculture movement there will quickly come across The Charlatans. They are name checked in any discussion about how the scene got started, but there's been little actual information about them. Until this excellent two-fer series. Thanks!

My dad's friend when we lived in Tripoli, Libya moved to San Jose and used to watch Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks at some bar (whose name escapes me except the word "Grog" was in it ).. in the early seventies.. He visited us in Portland in late '73 and told us about the band.

Great narrative, I love Mike Wilhelm’s work a lot his solo album on Zig Zag records is a marvel, also contains some recording he did with Loose Gravel. And of course he did grat job with Flamin Groovies a band that deserve some episodes too. Congratulations about your upcoming wedding

I had never heard of this band, but now I have.

Never heard them live, but I have one of their original handbills. Clearly one of the first SF bands of that era. This was a very sweet review of that era. Kudos

I grew up listening to to groups like the Charlatans, Kaleidescope and the Left Banke. Its so great to get to hear the backstories of these mysterious bands from my childhood. Another great piece of journalism. Thanks Matt!

My daughter loves vintage clothes.....thanks so much for another great show :)

Thanks for another interesting dive into the 60's! Mike Wilhelm came to England in 1976 and the Zig Zag magazine (Pete Frame, John Tobler) put out his charming Solo Album 😊 He joined the Flaming Grooves and starting with "Shake some action" they released at least 3 incredible albums full of Byrds magic, instrumental guitar power, great compositions and vocals. Plus they had become an awesome live band🎉❤

Unlike 99.9999%, I knew who these guys were and quite a lot of their history from the Red Dog era. You hit the nail on the head that I always considered the weak link, they had no real singer/front man that was marketable. They were actually a bar band that customers could drink and sway to. The more you drink, the better they sound. They missed their calling. They had their "signature" song as you called it but the location and market was totally wrong. They should have been in Nashville.

I've always been a huge fan of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks beginning with their LPs, Where's The Money and Striking It Rich, released 1971 and 1972, respectively. I learned of The Chalatans after the fact but want aware Hicks left the band so early on. I was fortunate enough to see him perform live at a Music In The Park event a few years before he passed away. Loved his wit and enjoyed his style.

Really interesting Matt ! ...As someone who was I8 in '65 , and by the end of the 60s was really into , especially , S.Calif. bands! ...As a Brit , I discovered Dan Hicks a number of years back , but didnt know the Charlatans?!... ....Luv you presentation,.. and , more , more, please ?!!!! ...Petetheo✌

Played on bills with Dan Hicks when he was doing the Hot Licks. Also Wilhelm when he was with the Flamin’ Groovies. Interesting people. Very world weary by the time I met them

Enjoyed the video Matt! With a great name like the Charlatans; I'm surprised they didn't draw a larger straw. Had a good San Francisco vibe to their songs. Some Byrds in them too. High Coin is a great song. Thanks for highlighting a band that certainly help start a trend.

I’m a big fan; wonderful band.

I remember buying the Nuggets box set back in the late 90’s, and really liking their version of Codine. I had heard the Donavan and quick silver version before but really liked their jangly psychedelic version.

There was a reissue of The Charlatans album on the Eva label from France, in the 1980s. I just found a copy at a record show in Ithaca NY.

Never heard of the band but this was another great episode. Would love to see a "The Band" Band History.

Their namesake, the Charlatans UK did a great album in the mid nineties called Tellin' Stories. It's not sixties but worth a listen

I've known about these guys for decades but now that I've heard them I can see why they didn't make it

Thanks Matt. They had more good songs than I thought. Cheers.

Very interesting video, I've known of this band but never really gave them a listen. The Autumn demo was the most interesting to me since it reminds me of the more country/folk influenced indie rock bands of the 80s and 90s, I might have to give them a full listen.

hi matt! you do THE BEST RESEARCH around. film clips, promo video's, practice pad home films and that shot of the red dog saloon-well i'd only ever read about it and seen b/w photo's of it, they were definately scenesters. the photo of them on the old boat (from the 1800's?) dressed the way they were with the hairstyles and facial hair-they really had it down. i hope you do something on sopwith camel and moby grape and, if you did- could you point out the episode number? thank-you again...these deep dives are a lot of fun and i know they'll be done right. thank-you again.

WOW! I just subscribed, I love the way this guy presents and does his research. Revisiting my psych music albums after collecting many 78's from the twenties. 56 now and think I got the copy of the Charlatans around 20 years ago. I love this record and mine has a 4 seasons label for side one but Charlatans tunes. I also have an LP called Alabama bound on the Eva label that is worth while. In the eighties I tried to see as many classic rock bands as possible. It must have been great to see the Charlatans in '97 or so! Small Faces I do have some but either didn't take enough acid or took too much! Love Humble Pie though. Will spin some Small Faces next. Thank you for a great channel.

Very perceptive, Matt. You’ve got to do Doug Sahm! 🇺🇸🎸👍🏻

Didn't know about The Charlatans at all. Good stuff! I'm a major Kinks fan who'd love to see some focus on them. They never get the attention as the others British Invasion acts in the states, which makes me crazy! All people know is Come Dancing

Although I was aware of The Charlatans, I came to this video as I'm a fan of Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks. I appreciate the level of research and the quality of the presentation in this video so I subscribed and I'm looking forward to seeing what other videos there are. I think it's useful to understand the history of bands, who the members are/where, the venues, and so on as that's the most reliable way to explore and find new music that's interesting. It used to be that listening to an LP was a sort of social event as someone would introduce a new band to their friends. I don't know how that works nowadays, given that so many people are alone, listening to a streaming service via ear buds on a mobile device. Oh well, "this too, shall pass". Every day is new and different!

thanks Matt. Always learning here :)

Thatbwas really well done and informative thank you so much for sharing! I love the Charlatans :)

Thanks much. I'm always interested in the history of this band and the S.F. scene. You have enlightened me. I saw the band reunited at Chet Helm's memorial in '05. I've been to The Red Dog a few times. There is quite a bit of memorabilia there, worth checking out. I think that they display an original copy of "The Seed."

Buffy St. Marie, who wrote and performed Universal Soldier and wrote "Up Where We Belong" sung by Jennifer Warnes and Joe Cocker .. pretty interesting span in styles!

Thanks for this video. I was very much interested in hearing about their development. Although I've known of the Charlatans for decades I never actually came across them when I was growing up in the 60's. I like the feel of their music. They capture some of the underground spirit of the San Francisco sound that I grew up with. Country Joe and the Fish had a very strong influence on me when it was new and fresh and I feel some of that vibe in what I just heard.

You mentioned in one of your other videos that you'd recently done a video on the Charlatans--worth undertaking because there's an interesting story there. That there is, and I enjoyed hearing it! Because I've read whatever I could about the San Francisco scene I'd heard of the Charlatans. What I did not realise is that (A) they'd recorded at all, or that (B) they were pretty good! (Of course any band that gives us a Dan Hicks deserves mention for that alone IMHO.) Thank you!

Nice job, thanks Matt. I was a fan of Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks early on.

You did a good job with this video, Matt - I was impressed. The Charlatans weren't the greatest band in San Francisco, yet deserve to be remembered for their style and influence. I've been to the Red Dog Saloon and it's just a little bar at the end of the street in Virginia City. That one street seemed to comprise the whole town or something - it was weird. The Seed poster used to advertise that engagement routinely goes for thousands of dollars at auctions. One could compile a decent ten track or so playlist of their music using the Amazing Charlatans CD you mentioned, but I'm not crazy about the 1969 LP. Anyway, keep it up!

Fascinating Matt, knew of them, never heard them. Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks showed how it could be done. You can see from this why they didn't make it - competition the key word. Look at favourites Kaleidoscope who could produce funny little songs but had the advantage of multi-instrumentalists taking them to another level on extended songs.

I normally don't like "standards" covers , but their Alabama Bound" is heavenly. It has the most unique "dark harmonies".

Nice channel. Thank you for such detail. You put alot of work into this. Continued success to you sir!

It doesn’t sound like these guys were way ahead of their time? That kind of country Chet Atkins type guitar is amazing.

Great vid Matt, I had never heard of them before and like a few others my mind went to the Charlatans UK that I grew up with lol

Very well done video! I've been a fan of the San Francisco psychedelic ballroom scene for over 30 years. I consider myself a Deadhead and love the Airplane, Quicksilver, Big Brother and Santana. Even more obscure bands like Sons Of Champlain and It's a Beautiful Day. I was also aware of the nascent psychedelic scene at the Red Dog Saloon, but for some reason I had never listened to the Charlatans' music. Now I have... and probably never will again. Interesting once as a historical artifact, but the music does not merit a second listening imo. They clearly do not deserve to be listed among the heavyweights of the Sixties San Francisco Sound. Thanks for the upload!

I was at that same show in 1997. I thought they were fun too. I have been a huge Dan Hicks fan for years. Where's The Money is a great live album of his.

Hi Matt Nice Video. I knew of the Charlatans from my Knowledge of the SF Music Scene. Your Video Filled in Nany Gaps of the History/Story. Thanks for giving them some attention which was lost in the myriad of the more famous bands that came from SF. Take Care

I read about the Charlatans in Rolling Stone (when it was still worth reading). Dug their whole look immediately. I painted my high school notebook with the ad that George Hunter had done and carried it around. Over time I got to know Michael Wilhelm as a Facebook Friend. He was cool in that he would actually answer questions. George Hunter couldn't be bothered to return my Facebook request. I met Dan Hicks off and on and became a big fan of the Hot Licks.

Great episode. Seems they may have influenced the early Dead a little bit as well as the Airplane. Still waiting on that 13th Floor Elevators video, though, Matt... another early and influential psychedelic band from Texas that I think Janis also bumped up against in her early days...and I don't believe you've covered the good Captain (Beefheart) yet, have you?

You deserve an award for this one Matt, so little is known about the beginning of the counterculture. Most of what we get from the media are tropes and cliché but what's frequently missing is the lineage from the influence of the Beats on the young hangers on whom they referred to as hippies, to the funeral rite for that moniker, on to their self characterization as freaks. The Charlatans might not have been as musically influential to the emerging scene as some other bands but they were there at the beginning and their style of dress was influential. The Red Dog Saloon was a place of genesis and its almost never mentioned elsewhere. I'd love to hear more about the icons of the counterculture like Tom & Lisa Law and writers like Lillian Roxon who helped establish Rock & Roll as a valuable art form. In any case, thanks for the history lesson and the accuracy with which you presented it.

Love to see that you got settled in and ready to post some more band history episodes. Never heard of this band. It would be interesting for you to delve some more into the San Francisco scene in the 1960s. I think the only band that you've done that comes to mind is the Lovin Spoonful for that scene. I am really looking forward to your video on Tommy James and the Shondells. They had some memorable hits and seem like they changed quite a bit going into the 70s. If you do the Bay area some more, I'm curious about Country Joe and the Fish. I've found a few albums by them and I am curious to learn about their history. Good job on this one! It was enjoyable and it is always fun to learn about a new/classic band. Thank you!

Greetings Matt ✌️ Enjoyable episode of The Charlatans, Fantastic photos and Clips👍 -A few years ago I bought the San Francisco Nuggets Box Set, which I was only familiar with two of their songs Number One and Alabama Bound, Many of the San Francisco bands Im familiar with are of course The Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe & The Fish, Moby Grape, Blue Cheer, Santana,Sly and The Family Stone and Lidia Pense & Cold Blood. But I didnt know that they did a version of the song Codine, I was only familiar with The Quicksilver Messenger Service version, -I love how Pop Goes the 60"s spotlights bands like The Charlatanns The Merry Go Round and Spanky and our Gang which seem to be forgotten. Great backstory on Janis Joplin,, Ken Kesey & The Merry Pranksters and Vince Guaraldi. Very entertaining Matt! Cheers 🍺

Jacobson also produced Chris Isaak

Thanks for making this. I've loved the band for decades, discovering them in the 70's having 'heard' about them as a sort of catalyst for the bay area scene in 67. I had to buy bootleg records to hear their original stuff. I particularly like their unpolished, understated old west sound - the victorian era saloon meets the mid 1960's west coast folk rock. Another band with a similar vibe was Sopwith Camel on.... Kama Sutra. Go figure. I agree the Charlatans sole album is underrated, its a good listen.

This was cool, Matt. Truly, I'd never heard of THIS group until 30 minutes ago. Over the last 35-40-ish years, the name 'The Charlatans" was lost to a band called The Charlatans UK. So, hence the confusion. The music samples you played here, up against the specific timeline of the 1960s in question, it would seem that, outside of the "hip" club scene in California, this group was dead in the water...at least commercially. Specifically, The Lovin' Spoonful and Spanky & Our Gang. Both those groups had better singing (SPOG) and playing (Spoonful) and made the Charlatans sound pretty "rag tag." I'm sure they killed 'em in California, but the lack of commitment from major labels put the writing on the wall. Plus, as good as the Lovin' Spoonful and Spanky were, their commercial / pop market careers were pretty much done by mid 1968. That scene was over. We were heading in to the Woodstock era very soon, and other heavier bands were ready to take their place on the scene. It's nice that the Charlatans were able to carve out a place with their niche scene, enough so people still remember them today.

Whoa, far out! I never expected you to do a history on the Charlatans. I was born too late to experience psychedelic San Francisco ballroom music in the 60's; I had my pseudo-Haight-Ashbury era in the 80's. I've kind of specialized in the S.F. bands of the 60's ever since then. A lot of old-timers who were there swore that the Charlatans were the best band of them all in a live setting. They aren't an easy band to get into now; their discography is a mess, and they never really got to have much of a recording career. But the remnants that are out there do bear evidence to their unique sound and approach, and they remain an essential component to understanding the whole scene. The Red Dog Saloon probably deserves a whole video to itself; glad you covered it. Another fine, well-researched installment in this series, one of the best music history series on RU-vid. (PS- Quicksilver Messenger Service was another SF band that played "Codine" regularly, but for my money, the meanest and best version is by Matthew Moore Plus Four, an LA band, from 1966. I also am rather fond of Donovan's uncharacteristically tough version)

The band played their last show in Modesto, California. My good friends Eric, Troy, Denny and Jimmy bought their PA and other equipment right after that last show. My high school buddies were in a Merced Co local band named the London Fog. There is also a connection between Greg Elmore Atwater High School drum major for my school's marching band. Greg filled in with the Charlatans and went on to drum for Quicksilver. He graduated AHS in 1965. I became a freshman there in 1966. Great job relating the story.

Matt , always a interesting deeper dive into some of these more obscure artists, while it is not my favorite style of music ,it was entertaining with your backstories of these bands.

One thing about your videos, Matt, which I appreciate, is your interest in going into the histories about other bands, besides your deep dives into the Beatles and their subsequent solo careers. Seems like many others doing shows about music on RU-vid, either concentrate mostly on the Beatles, the Beach Boys, etc. If they bring anybody else up, it's usually just a quick mention. Have you considered doing the same type of shows about bands like the Beau Brummels, Ian & The Zodiacs, the Brymers and Orange Bicycle? Was also going to mention the Merry Go Round, but see you covered them from a few years back.

At age 61 I’m always amazed at how much i DONT know lol. Yeah I’d imagine pissing off Bill Graham wasn’t good for their career. Thanks Matt for schooling me again

The Charlatans always struck me as a "what if" band. What if they had a manager that helped focus their direction and refine them? What if they took a more professional and congenial approach to others in the industry? They had some unique elements, what if they were executed with tidier vocals and improved musicianship? Still, they were a part of a very special music scene in a very special moment in time. Cheers Matt!

Terrific job, Matt, impeccable research as usual,....Howard Hesseman was one of the more outspoken critics of the Lovin' Spoonful after their bust around this time if I'm not mistaken...

I was friends with Hunter and Hicks. Used to hang out at Hunter's Downey street digs.Long nights of whiskey and art books occasionally smoke outs. Met a few of their groupies there. George still knows them, shocker.

Have you done a doc on The Vejatables/The Mojo Men, yet? Probably one of the few best bay area bands that started early on next to Jefferson Airplane. Serpent Power was another, albeit short lived, bay area band as well released by excellent record label Vanguard Records. Interesting that Vince Guaraldi sat in for some of the Charlatans performances. He certainly would have contributed some much neeeded musical virtuosity to the Charlatans sound. Coming from the man who, as a well received and profoundly talented pianist, scored The Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack music and performed on many other highly prolific albums for Pacific Jazz and Fantasy Records.

Even less is known about the Mystery Trend another band around at the same time as the Charlatans were starting. They played at the Matrix and the early Longshoreman’s Hall gigs in 1965 San Francisco, only had one official 45 single, Johnny Was a Good Boy. The other San Francisco bands around would be The Beau Brummels, Sopwith Camel and Great Society, all have very interesting back stories 😊

"I didn't really consider them psychedelic. They had everything, visually, to be a great band: they dressed like old cowboys and turn-of-the-century characters, and they looked great on stage, but none of them knew how to play in an electric band. They'd all played folk, and they were really more like a jug band." Gary Duncan

When I saw the giant 24 oz glass of beer on the desk, I said to myself, "This is someone I can trust."

The Charlatans and the Thirteenth Floor Elevators is all you ever need. Everything else is just a footnote. Well, maybe not everything else but you get my drift. Sp bad you can hardly find anything on Spotify by the Charlatans. too Bad, looks like I'm stuck to cds and vinyl...

It can’t be long before we have a video about the Flamin’ Groovies?

Thanks Matt, another one well done...Maybe take a look at Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks in the future? Nice job.

Interesting.

Another great video - this time about a band I had never heard of! (And I am a huge fan of the 1960's music scene in San Francisco.) One non-musical question however - am curious as to how the various incarnations of the Charlatans seemed to avoid the draft. Was always a dark cloud hanging over every male of "draftable" age in the 1960's

A nice postscript to the Charlatans saga is that Mike Wilhelm made an infamous appearance in the film "Last Days of the Fillmore" where he is seen trying to convince Bill Graham to book his band (then Loose Gravel) for a slot in the final week. Graham had said he wanted the final week to feature artists who helped build the SF scene, and so Mike felt he deserved a part in that. When Graham refused, Mike shrugged and said "well, f*** you and thanks for the memories" and walks out of the office under a tirade of vitriol from Bill! Mike later said he made up with Bill a week later and was paid handsome royalties to be in the film. End of an era.

A one fine album band was The Dovers with what am I going to Do? (ethereal sound at least to me) and She's Gone has a definite psychedelic feel. They have at least 5 good songs. I think they were rediscovered years later after being abysmally ignored in 65 and 66.

Thanks Matt! Perhaps somebody else did comment, I read a few but not all! Their 1969 album was reissued, although I suppose it may not have been that legit. Eva Records out of France issued lots of stuff in the 80s, so I got that one. More recently, although we're talking about over 20 years ago there was a bootleg on vinyl "the Ones Who started it all..." which is like their 1966 album had they released one 😉

Really enjoy your channel. How does bands like Country Weather, Aum, The Chocolate Watch Band, Ace Of Cups fit into the late 60’s music movement? Keep up the good work.

Very well explained, complete biography of the band : 👍 They might have introduced the habit of being dressed as in carnival, among the youngsters that formed the regular crowd at local events. One must imagine them playing rather pop-oriented material on stage, with the crowd acid-dosed and dancing, in order to understand at which point they were important in that part of musical history. Mike Wilhelm used effects on his guitar, when most guitarists didn't dare yet. For all those reasons, I consider them as genuine pionneers, although it's quite true that the other bands would soon catch up and eventually make them sound out of time. They had no female singer, no outstanding lead guitarist, and no strong label as well, still they deserve their place in the sunlight, in Pop goes the sixties.

RIP Mike Wilhelm.

How about covering Blue Cheer & Quicksilver Messenger Service? I am sure you would do a great series on these 2 San Francisco bands.

Avalon Ballroom on Catalina island 26 miles west of San Pedro California

Mike Wilhelm makes a cameo in the Fillmore: The Last Days film, with an altercation with Bill Graham (1971). 🤔

A very good retelling of the origins of the "San Francisco Sound". You didn't mention the book "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe (you do meniton LSD though). The book mentions the Charlatans and their Red Dog Saloon gig and really was the first time I learned of the historical musical significance of those Virginia City performances. These shows were the foundation for what would morph into the Summer of Love which took the San Francisco area by storm.

They did have a unique sound among country/folk rock bands that I quite prefer over Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco, the Byrds. What they lack in musical skill compared to the other bands---they make up for in character. And their music had character!

Kinda reminds me of The Seeds. Another band with potential, but could never really get it going.

Thanks for this episode about a band i only knew by name from some 60es concert-posters. And if you ever have any german liner notes you cant read, send me a picture, i'd be happy to translate them for you.

The Charlatans were one of the first retro rock bands dressing like it was 1866 vs. 1966. Too bad they never really caught on beyond the SF Bay Area as they had some great songs especially the 6-minute version of "Alabama Bound'

I've never heard of this band so I'm listening to their music for the first time with the clips you provided and I think like you've stated, that it's obvious why they never achieved any real success. The music is pretty generic and occasionally bland but the vocals kill it for me. They're pretty rough to put it mildly. But I love watching videos like this on bands I've never heard of. There are so many bands like this on the Sundazed label that I hope you eventually do videos for. Great content like always.

How about a Flamin'' Groovies video?