the sonics

the sonics recorded zappa's 'anyway the wind blows'.  two different versions were published.

  the sonics: anyway the wind blows (stereo/stereo)
    (1967, 7"-promo, usa, uni 55039) – ‘anyway the wind blows’ (frank zappa)
  the sonics: anyway the wind blows / lost love
    (1967, 7", usa, picadilly 244) – ‘anyway the wind blows’ (frank zappa)
    (1967, 7", usa, uni 55039) – ‘anyway the wind blows’ (frank zappa)
  various artists:the history of northwest rock volume two
    (1978, lp, usa, the great northwest music company) - incl. the sonics: 'anyway the wind blows' (frank zappa)
  the sonics: unreleased
    (1980, lp, usa, first american fa 7719) – incl. ‘anyway the wind blows’ (frank zappa)
thesonics_unreleased.jpg (23609 bytes)
  the sonics: fire & ice II/ the 'lost' tapes
    (1996, cd, usa, jerden records jrcd 7009) – incl. ‘anyway the wind blows’ (2 different versions) (frank zappa)
  the sonics: fire & ice / the lost tapes
    (2001, lp, spain, munster records mr 205) – incl. ‘anyway the wind blows’ (2 different versions) (frank zappa)
 
  the sonics: the jerden years 1966-69
    (2001, cd, spain, mr cd 204) - incl.'diddy wah diddy' (dixon, mcdaniel), 'anyway the wind blows' (f.zappa)
sonics_jerdenyears.jpg (33881 bytes)

random notes

    from the All-Music Guide
Forming in thewake of the early-'60s success of local favorites the Kingsmen and the Wailers (whose Etiquette label they recorded for), the Sonics combined the classic Northwest-area teen-band raunch with early English band grit (particularly influenced by the Kinks), relentless rhythmic drive, and unabashed '50s-style blues-shouting for a combination that still makes their brand of rock & roll perhaps the raunchiest ever captured on wax. Lead singer Gerry Roslie was no less than a White Little Richard, whose harrowing soul-screams were startling even to the Northwest teen audience, who liked their music powerful and driving with little regard to commercial subtleties. With hit after hit on the local charts (and influencing every local band that ever took the stage), the band inexplicably was never able to break out nationally, leaving their sound largely undiluted for mass consumption. Breaking up in the late '60s (after one ill-fated album attempt to water down their style for national attention), the Sonics continue today to be revered by '60s collectors the world over for their unique brand of rock & roll raunch.

* * * * *
In the garage band scene around Tacoma / Seattle there was no band tougher, no band more out-there than the Sonics. Their early singles like "The Witch" and "Psycho" were punk before punk existed. The group sounded amped up on something, and this was in 1966 as the psychedelic era was dawning.

They had cut a trio of singles for Etiquette in '64-'65, but the band really came into their heyday once they were on Jerden. This 45 of "Lost Love" and "Anyway The Wind Blows" was released in September of 1967 on Piccadilly Records (part of Jerden). It would eventually be picked up and re-released nationally on Uni, their one-and-only release with the label.

The best bit is that the song "Anyway The Wind Blows" was written by Frank Zappa, and recorded nearly two years before Zappa cut it on his 'Ruben & The Jets' album. How did that happen? Andy Parypa of the Sonics explains : That was the last song that the five original members of the Sonics ever recorded! We liked Frank Zappa, we thought he was just hilarious! And he was a good musician to boot. We thought the song had a neat melody even though we were aware that Frank Zappa wrote it in jest. Things like that were happening at the time though and the Sonics were primarily known for making a bunch of noise but we did appreciate other musical endeavors. Rosalie suggested we do the song and so we said, "yeah!" and started messing around with it. We were experimenting around a bit with "Anyway The Wind Blows" but didn't spend a whole lot of time on it and something like Larry's wah-wah pedal blended perfectly into a song like that! The band was on their last legs when we recorded that. [ Claus Rosenblad Olsen - from an interview with Andy Parypa, bass player and leader of the Sonics]


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