Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones, "we've had it" c/w "Little Turtle" (ABC-Paramount 45-9929, 5/1958)
The Sparkletones emerged from Spartanburg, South Carolina and created a classic of raucous teen energy with their double-barreled debut single “Black Slacks”/“Boppin’ Rock Boogie.” It made the national charts in the fall of 1957, when the rock ‘n’ roll craze was nearing the end of its first peak.
Like
the performances coming from Sun Records in Memphis, “Black Slacks” proved that
sheer enthusiasm could prevail. One of the wilder releases on a major label
that year, the song edged into the national Top 20 and just missed the r&b
Top 10. They presented well and made live appearances on national TV shows.
Lead man Bennett’s homespun good looks gave rock-crazy teens another fetching
idol.
The
members had a decent line in harmony singing, could play their instruments and
had the rockabilly fever. Lead singer Joe Bennett presented with an appealing
adenoidal oomph, and the band’s vivid rock ‘n’ roll sound was appealing and distinctive.
That was enough to get the national teenage ear in 1957.
Their
follow-up single got into the Top 50, and the next three issues sank without a
trace. ABC-Paramount Records let them go and they aligned with Paris, a label
that appears to be an obscure subsidiary of Columbia. Their last record to get
any chart action—albeit minor—was “Boys Do Cry,” which “bubbled under” at #105
in the fall of 1959.
Of
those three ABCs that flopped, today’s platter is hardest to find. I’ve only
ever seen one copy of it, though a friend who lives in Georgia reports copies
are more plentiful there. It was recorded, alongside another unsuccessful ABC
single, in New York on March 11, 1958. It’s impressive that the record label
let the group do what they wanted and had faith in their success—even though
they may not have played the payola game that made many singles hits at the
time. And it’s just the band—no session players or added talent.
“We’ve
Had It” is a bright, bouncy break-up song decorated with blazing guitar breaks
(played by lead vocalist Bennett). His Suthun-frah’d voice narrates this
humorous story of a guy who realizes a relationship ain’t gonna work out. At
1:45, there’s not an ounce of fat on this record, which has a charming moment
when Bennett sings “goodness gracious” just the way it oughta be sung.
The
melody reminds me of early Beatles songs—an example of how that world-famous
group synthesized the early rock ‘n’ roll records they loved into something new
just a few years later.
Hear it >>>>> HERE. <<<<<
“Little Turtle” is the intended A-side. (It’s 10 seconds longer.) This berserk, taunting song mocks an errant girlfriend who takes her time returning to a messed-up relationship. Rockin’ and playful, with another wild solo from Bennett, this is one strange song. If you don’t focus on the lyrics, it’s an exciting high-energy slice of pop rockabilly. If you do…whew! I believe couples counseling might be a good thing for this relationship. Again, nothing here that doesn’t need to be.
Hear it >>>>> HERE.
<<<<<
If you still do CDs, Bear Family put out a definitive (and long-overdue) collection of Joe Bennett and The Sparkletones’ recordings, including Spanish-language rockers made in the mid-1960s, in “What The Heck? The Complete….” (Bear Family BCD17632). Its booklet tells the story of this group and includes a bunch of photos and press clippings. Handsome graphic design throughout—101% worth picking up!
Tomorrow:
oddball teen rock with Johnny and The Joys, via a one-shot epic on the
mega-obscure Fairbanks Records, 1959.
Thanks for another great post, Frank! The first track is really interesting...seems a bit ahead of its time to me...definitely has that very early Beatles feel that came much later and there's that later Everlys element in there as well mixed in with rockabilly
ReplyDelete"Little Turtle" is a little gem of a song.
ReplyDelete