Veil lifted from terrific mid-60s pop/garage hoaxers

Although the Strangeloves were reputed to be a trio of Australian brothers (Giles, Miles and Niles Strange), they were actually a successful New York songwriting and production team. Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer wrote and produced the Angels’ “My Boyfriend’s Back,” but in the British Invasion’s wake they opted for the mystery of foreign roots. The deception worked, as their debut single “I Want Candy” hit #11, and the rhythmic follow-up “Cara-Lin” cracked the Top 40. Their final chart success, the hard-driving “Night Time,” topped out at #30 and was selected (in its edited single form) by Lenny Kaye for the seminal Nuggets album. The trio played a few live dates, but the bulk of the Strangeloves’ touring was handled by the studio musicians who worked on the records.

Perhaps the most famous track recorded by the Strangeloves was their non-charting version of “Hang on Sloopy.” Written by Bert Russell (for whose Bang label the Strangeloves recorded) and Wes Farrell, the backing track was reused for the McCoy’s hit single. The version here includes the extra verse cut from the McCoys’ single (the uncut McCoys version appears on One Hit Wonders of the ‘60s, Vol. 2). The Strangeloves’ biggest hit, “I Want Candy,” was reborn with the 1982 new wave cover by Bow Wow Wow. The album’s cover songs, including Gary U.S. Bonds’ “New Orleans” and “Quarter to Three,” Johnny Otis’ “Willie and the Hand Jive” and the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” are all sung in the group’s trademark style, heavy on the vocals and rhythm.

Among the originals, the Brill Building-styled “Rhythm of Love” (touchingly covered by the Pooh Sticks, Rubinoos and others) is the best of the non-hits. The rest tend to light weight and an over-reliance on the Bo Diddley beat, but they’re still performed with a great deal of verve. There’s something about New Yorkers pretending to be Australian sheep farmers faking New Orleans soul that really works. The tracks mix stereo (1-4, 7, 9, 13-14, 18, 20) and mono (5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 15-17, 19), and the bonus tracks (13-20) include several winners. Gottehrer went on to terrific fame as a record producer (notably for Blondie) and co-founder of Sire Records, while Jerry Goldstein became a producer and manager, but none of their later exploits ever again captured the of-the-moment kookiness of the Strangeloves. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Feldman, Goldstein and Gotterher as The Strangeloves

The Strangeloves’ Touring Band