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) |
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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) |
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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) |
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the sonics: unreleased (1980, lp, usa, first american fa 7719) – incl. ‘anyway the wind blows’ (frank zappa) |
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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) |
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the sonics: fire & ice
/ the lost tapes (2001, lp, spain, munster records mr 205) – incl. ‘anyway the wind blows’ (2 different versions) (frank zappa) |
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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) |
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]