Thursday, December 25, 2014

You don't get the breaks like some of us do (George Harrison) #342

Roger Skinner and The Motivation Sour Milk Sea/ Sweet Lorraine (Pye, 7N 14011, 1969)

No doubt the music world contains more terminally unhip band names than this but I can't think of anything right now. Prince and The Revolution this ain't!

The very literal Roger Skinner's Motivation (to get out of bed of a morning) grew from a number of second division NZ sixties bands and released a few singles before calling it a day in 1974. Unfortunately Roger Skinner didn't get the breaks like many did in NZ music - maybe it was that band name! 


RS on far right
The A side is a version of the George Harrison song that Jackie Lomax covered on his solo Apple Records album (for other Lomax/Harrison single connections see http://googoogarjoob.blogspot.co.nz/2014/07/i-can-feel-your-sigh-with-my-back-to.html).

Sour Milk Sea is a weird song and an even weirder choice to cover I would have thought. 

Even though Roger doesn't have the pipes of Jackie Lomax and the Lomax arrangement is kept intact, this still becomes a damn fine piece of kiwi music in his hands. 

Hidden gem: Yes indeed - Sweet Lorraine is a heavy, bass laden, piece of 1969 rock. The barking mad sound affects of gunfire at the end just add to the appeal. If anything I prefer it to the A side as a slice of Kiwi Nuggets style lost rock classics.

Extra notes: This single is worth around $20 to $25 dollars according to the sites I stumbled upon; sadly there is no video available on this one.

No comments:

Post a Comment