Search - Standells :: Riot on Sunset Strip/Rarities

Cult film cash-in - with bonuses

Laurence Upton | Wilts, UK | 11/29/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The film Riot On Sunset Strip was a quickie cash-in on the Los Angeles teenage rampages of 1966, produced by Sam Katzman, who made Rock Around The Clock. The film included some footage of the Chocolate Watch Band and the Standells playing in the Pandara's Box nightclub (actually miming in a studio reconstruction to recordings purpose-made on the Paramount soundstage) which over time gave the film a cult status. Naturally a cheapo mono soundtrack LP on Tower Records came out promptly, featuring both bands (a third band, The Enemies, were excluded as they were contracted to MGM). The Standells perform the stand out title track and a song called Get Away From Here (minus its drum track here, due to a mastering error by the soundstage engineers), while the Chocolate Watch Band contribute Don't Need Your Lovin' from their live set (a re-write of Milk Cow Blues) and a hastily improvised Sitting There Standing, which tautological title disguises a close steal from Jeff Beck's The Nazz Are Blue - both great tracks, but available elsewhere in stereo mixes.

The rest of the original album was filler put together by Mike Curb and has nothing to do with the released film (apart from the song by Debra Travis which was quickly excised from the film after previews), including The Sunset Theme, despite its title, and one should note that these Mugwumps have nothing to do with Mama Cass's band of the same name.

Of more interest are the 11 previously unissued Standells outtakes. The earliest of these is It's All In Your Mind, recorded at Gold Star in 1965 before they signed to Tower, and one of six here that are in stereo. Their version of Batman, from the Dirty Water sessions, shows that they had other sides apart from the garage punk for which they are famous. Our Candidate was given to them by its writer, Smitty Smith of the Raiders. Similarly, School Girl was presented to the band by a visiting Graham Gouldman (the Mindbenders also recorded a version of the song). Try It has a different vocal to that of the familiar single, and Rari is the full unedited version of the flipside of Dirty Water"

Standells - 'Riot On Sunset Strip/Rarities' (Big Beat) 3 1/2

Mike Reed | USA | 12/18/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As it turns out, this is actually another one of those 2-lp's-on-one CD releases. First it's the soundtrack to the 1967 cult film 'Riot On Sunset Strip' that includes just two tracks by the Standells and others like The Mugumps, Mom's Boys, Sidewalk Sounds and Chocolate Watchband. It's a decent collection of '60's garage tunes, I thought. Plus the rest of this disc is a collection of Standell's out-takes. You know, cutting room floor material. Better cuts include the title track "Riot On Sunset Strip", "Batman", "School Girl" and "Rari".O kay,I'll admit it, I'm a HUGE Standells fan. A should-have."