Fleshtones Favorites - Fans Only CD

Fleshtones Favorites (Flesh 01, 1997)

I was trying to find a CD last night and stumbled across this Fleshtones all-cover-songs gem that I bought - and got autographed by Peter Zaremba ("To my idol Tom, Peter Zaremba") - when the band played the Hampden Festival a few years ago. (They're certainly no strangers to Baltimore, having released an early single called "Girl from Baltimore"!)



Because it was buried underneath a huge stack, I had forgotten I had it and probably haven't listened to it in over 10 years. Never again will that happen - I stayed up late listening to it again and then it powered me on my commute to work this morning as well. Originally entitled Not Available in Stores (the name was changed to avoid confusion with all the band's other releases), this self-produced 1997 CD was a for-fans-only release that bypassed the record companies and was only sold at live shows; it was the first of a trilogy of all-cover albums (Hitsville and Hitsville Revisited were the other two) that the New Yawk boys made of their favorite tunes. Man, and I thought Alex Chilton and The Cramps had a gift for picking obscure cover tunes!

Here's the track listing, with the original artist and label info to boot, and there's not a dud amongst 'em. This is roots rock at its finest!

1. The Chants - "Dick Tracy" (Single, Verve 61)


"Dick Tracy - he's got a bulldog jaw/Dick Tracy - he's the arm of the law/Dick Tracy - y'know what they say: crime doesn't never pay!"


2. Arthur Alexander - "Keep Her Guessing" (Single, Dot 63)


John Lennon loved him (the Beatles covered "Anna," "You Better Move On," "Soldier of Love"), as did Married with Children's Al Bundy.


3. Richard Berry - "Next Time" (Single, Flair 54)




4. Db's - "If And When" (Single, Car 78)




5. The Mickey Finn - "This Sporting Life" (Single, World Artists 65)


No, not the T. Rex drummer, this is the Jimmy Page freakbeat band that released two singles with producer Shel Tammy ("I Do Love You" was the other one).


6. The Animals - "Inside Looking Out" (Animalization LP, MGM 66)




7. Champion Jack Dupree - "Let The Doorbell Ring" (Single, King 55)




8. Otis Williams & His Charms - "Panic" (Single, King 61)




9. Tarheel Slim - "Wildcat Tamer" (Single, Fury 58)




10. Dave Davies - "I'm Crying" (The Album That Never Was 66)


From the album that I never heard of (and I thought I knew my Kinks!).


11. Rosco Gordon - "Let's Get High" (Sun Records Collection 56)




12. Larry Verne - "Mr Custer" (Single, 60)




13. Gene Chandler - "Rainbow" (Single, Vee Jay 62)


The "Duke of Earl" singer recorded this song three times (1962, 1965, and 1980), and each time it was a hit.