ABSTRACT
The genre proved to be a viable vehicle for the rock star dreams of American youth in the 1960s. For every television and movie teen idol fabrication (e.g., Rick Nelson, James Darren, Annette Funicello, Connie Francis, Frankie Avalon, Fabian)—propped up by Brill Building compositions and studio production wizardry inspired by the likes of Phil Spector and Norman Petty-thousands of heartland teens belonged to bands dedicated to churning out covers of the leading instrumental, surf, and pop hits of the day at local school dances, mall promotions, and church socials. The recording careers of most were limited, at best, to regional pressings that were generally ignored even by hometown radio stations. However, the energy and passion of the best of these bands-many of whom honed their chops in the garages of their parents’ suburban homes-combined with distinctive songwriting skills, enabled the Count Five [“Psychotic Reaction”; Double Shot 104; 1966; #5], the Knickerbockers [“Lies”; Challenge 59321; 1965; #20],the Seeds [“Pushin’ Too Hard”; GNP Crescendo 372; 1966; #36], the Shadows of Knight [“Gloria”; Dunwich 116; 1966; #10], the Thirteenth Floor Elevators [“You’re Gonna Miss Me”; International Artists 107; 1966; #55], and others to transcend the limitations of low-fi production values and amateurish management, thereby providing the impetus for the 1970s punk revolution and the indie/alternative rock movement beginning in the 1980s.
