(Copyright: Down The Line)
Here comes the most complete discography/price guide of Swiss 60s beat records from my home town of Basel ever made! I've specialized in collecting Swiss 60s Beat records since after I was first discovering The Sevens, The Dynamites, The Sheapes, The Countdowns, Ghools, The Red Devils, The Blizzards and many others at Roger Brüderlin's long gone 2nd hand record shop in Basel over 30+ years ago. All the material from this website hails from my collection.
Special Thanks for most recent infos/additions: Michel Koeb, and Barry Window
Copyright for all contents: Ray @ Feathered Apple Records.
I will be using the follwing rarity scale to grade the rarity of the records with:
* = rare
**=very rare
***=super rare
****=ultra rare
*****=virtually impossible to find (the rarest of the rare!)
******=never released (only 1 - 50 copies made)
SWISS 60S BEAT BANDS FROM BASEL - PART 1: DISCOGRAPHY:
THE ATTACKS
Comments: Ultra rare private Swiss Beat LP from 1967! A very good Beat LP overall, including a couple of great tracks like Hey Joe, Dandy, See See Rider etc. The book Als Die Haare Länger Wurden states that there were only 100 copies of this LP made, but some of the ex - bandmembers I've talked to said that there were around 200 of them made, although they could not remember exactly anymore. This is one massively rare record for sure! The LP covers were handglued. There appears some spots of aged glue on most of the covers. Track listing: Side One: Foot Tapper / This Hammer / See See Rider / Tico Tico / Hey Joe / Razzle Dazzle // Side Two: Dandy / Fall In Love / Zambesi / The Beat Goes On / Maid Marion's Theme / Dear Mrs. Applebee / Blue Suede Shoes. Also see for The Chaps.
THE BLIZZARDS
*****THE BLIZZARDS - Silver Strings / The Squaw / The Lover / Sweetie (Discoton AL-4890) December 1963
Comments: Only 200 copies made, and virtually impossible to find! It was recorded at Alfred Lussi's recording studio in Basel city in December 1963, and hails as the earliest 60s Beat record from Basel ever made. It's virtually impossible to find a copy of it today. Most of the copies were signed by the band on the backcover. It plays four nice beat instrumentals in the Style of THE SHADOWS. Pre THE SHEAPES
BUZZ BENNETT
***BUZZ BENNETT - Hey You See Me / Chimney Sweeper / On And On / Jour De Fete (Balex B-EP 501) 1967
Comments: Super rare and fantastic first private EP by the band leader of SEXTETT 63! Only 500 copies made, but it turns up locally from time to time. Also see for MUCHO FRIGERIO, and MANNY WEBER.
Comments: Ultra rare white label test pressing Single! Only 3 copies made! This is predating the above Picturesleeve EP by a couple of weeks. The stamp on the label reveals that Balex Records had been owned by Buzz Bennett and his partner Max Willimann.
Comments: Fantastic German-only Swiss Beat 2-sider including the two best tracks from his first private Demo EP!
Comments: Ultra rare Demo only LP from 1967. There were reportedly only around 200 copies of it ever pressed. One of the ultimate rarest Swiss 60s Beat LPs ever made! Most copies were signed by the bandmembers on the very neat backcover. Some of the bandmembers also used to play with The Attacks. A very good Beat LP including a couple of great Beat vocals and instrumentals: The Rise And Fall Of Flingle Bunt / Over And Over / In The Mood / Take This Hammer / Bring It On Home To Me / Shadoogie // With A Little Help From My Friends / I Want You To Know / Nowhere Man / You Better Move On / Don't Ever Change / Main Theme
LES CHEYENS
Comments: Fairily good Swiss Beat EP by an obscure French speaking band from the Jura that went to record, and release their private demo only EP through the Basel city located Ruba Beerli recording studio in 1965. The same small Ruba Beerli recording studio was also used by Les Diables Rouges, and The Dynamites amongst others. A couple of mostly used VG+ copies have turned up (mostly from ex bandmembers) during the past 5 years, which already makes it less rare than some of the others. This is still an ultra rare record to find in M-/M- condition as pictured! It contains two good instrumentals, one great english sung version of the Beat novelty track Balla Balla, plus one quite good French sung Beat original called Tu Ne Merites Pas. I don't think that they were able to speak english, or german at all, but then you certainly don't have to master the english language to sing "My baby baby balla balla" over and over again. The frontcover photo was taken by Rudi Bertschi in Basel city.
Comments: Debut 45 by a fairily well known band from Zurich. This private German sung Beat demo only 45 was recorded at and released through Max Lussi's famous long gone recording, mastering, and cutting studio in Basel! This 45 is impossible to find in Basel, but it turns up in Zurich from time to time. They've later on made some more records for other labels too. Pictured at the right is a rare signed copy of the record!
THE COUNTDOWNS
Comments: Ultra rare and great first 2-sider on the highly collectable Layola label out of Lucerne! The picturesleeve shows the band sporting their own self made guitars!
Comments: Killer 2-sider! One of the very best Swiss Beat 45s ever made! Sexmaniac was thought to be a bit too risky back then. On the back cover of the super cool Picturesleeve you get the body of a girl stripped down to her undies with Sexmaniac implanted onto her belly. Only around 500 copies made. This is close to impossible to find 2nd hand locally inside Basel! Few unplayed Mint copies have turned up after the death of the label owner in the mid 80s. This is much more valuable than Vacation is.
****THE COUNTDOWNS - The Smartest Paradise / Old Cembalo (Manser 17-143) 1967
Comments: Ultra rare local Swiss first pressing on the private Manser label. Only 500 copies made! A great mod/beat cut, coupled with a baroque beat/pop-psych track! Both tracks were used for the soundtrack to the erotic 60s movie Unruhige Töchter, a movie that was mainly featuring the music of THE COUNTDOWNS, and even had the band appear live on screen too!
Comments: Super rare classic German pressing on the Pye label! This is the version that usually pops up for sale in Switzerland.
LES DIABLES ROUGES
Comments: Ultra rare private promo EP! Great record including some real killer versions of Johnny B. Goode and You Really Got Me! Only around 300 copies made! Pre The Red Devils
Comments: Impossible to find metal acetate master record from 1964 of the "Sound" EP! There were only around 3 - 5 copies of it ever made, but most of them are lost! This is pre-dating the actual record by several weeks. Pre The Red Devils
THE DYNAMITES
Comments: One of a kind acetate of their still unreleased 1963 debut Single! Be My Own is a frantic rocking early beat number with guitar leads, it hails as the first original song written by The Dynamites bandleader Robert Wittner. Hello Daddy is a completely unique, smoking Johnny And The Hurricans styled instrumental arrangement of Oh Mein Papa with fantastic chord organ, guitar, and sax leads! Both sides were recorded live onto reel to reel (mono) inside the bands own practice room in 1963. I unfortunately don't own this one!
Comments: With impossible to find original Picturesleeve! There were only around 50 copies of the original Picturesleeve made for the private use of the band members, and their families! Not even some of the closest friends of the band members have received a copy with Picture sleeve of this record! Watchout, there were around 200 fake full color photocopy bootlegs of the Picturesleeve made by some Swiss collectors throughout the 80s, 90s, and beyond! The original Picture sleeve was printed on a very thin, slightly glossy like paper, and the title on the frontcover should appear in true red as in my picture! Definitely the rarest 60s record from Basel, and guaranteed impossible to find with the genuine original Picturesleeve! It was recorded at the Ruba Beerli recording studio in Basel City. 1000 copies made, around 950 of them came sleeveless. I would value a sleeveless M- copy for at around $80 - $150.
Comments: Unreleased Single! Only 3 test pressing Singles with blank labels were made! Little Girl has been rerecorded by The Sevens under the slightly changed title of Little Girl I Know. Both sides great, especially Little Girl which really is fantastic! Impossible to find!!!!! It was recorded by Pitt Linder and Giorgio Moroder at the Landgasthof Riehen in late July 1965.
Comments: This frantic live LP was recorded on 1. October 1965 at Hotel Salmen in Schlieren (nearby Zurich), and released shortly thereafter. The Dynamites were asked to play 4 songs for the event of this concert. It was like a regular show for them, with a real audience that went really wild. The applause on the Sauterelles track Hongkong was for some unknown reasons faked. The LP was highlighted by The Dynamites super wild killer version of I´m Moving On, that comes complete with snotty lead vocals courtesy of Robert Sulzer. This LP is virtually impossible to find in perfect M-/M- condition!
Comments: The greatest and most influental Swiss beat record ever made! Too Late has made it onto #2 on the Swiss charts in 1965! Definitely the best and coolest Swiss hit record ever made! This is virtually impossible to find in perfect Mint condition! Pictured is one copy of the record that was fully signed by the band in 1965. Pre Les Sauterelles, The Countdowns, The Blue Sounds, The Slaves, Barry Window And The Movements, The Secret, etc.
Comments: Different Picture sleeve with red SCMZ 3028 ordering number at the top left! This issue hails from 1965 too! Both versions of the Picture sleeve seem to be about equally hard to find! This record seems to be close to impossible to find in perfect M-/M- condition!
Comments: Killer Swiss Beat 2-sider! Don't Leave Me Behind = The Dynamites at their best! It was released as a Swiss promo only 45 in connection with Pop magazine! I suppose a pressing of around 500 copies. Someone Like Me was covered by The Wylde Mammoths in 1987.
Comments: Killer French-only EP from early 1966! A super rare record that usually goes for at around $500 in played VG+ condition in France. This is very tough to locate in perfect superclean M-/M- condition! Rolf Antener left The Dynamites shortly after the release of the French EP, because of conflicts with the bandleader, to become the leadguitarist of Les Sauterelles from Zürich. A couple of weeks later the bassplayer Peter Rietmann has left them too, because of conflicts with the bandleader. Robert Wittner had been a good but tough/strict bandleader. It's hard to blame anybody for the split, but this classic lineup of the band was about to make it!
Comments: One of the many privately released 45s on the Swiss Philips label. The record was produced by, and paid for by The Dynamites. There were 2000 copies of it made. Each member of the band has received an equal amount of 500 copies to sell. The bandleader got rid of his 500 copies within a fairily short time, but the other members were possibly unable to sell them all. A good number of them were most likely trashed over the years! It was a pretty great Pop/Beat 2-sider! Quite different to their early recordings. Still a highly underrated gem. The band unfortunately split soon thereafter. The new receipt possibly didn't work as well as before anymore, or maybe it was the loss of Rolf and Peter that has finally paid it's toll. The highly talented bandleader Robert Wittner has stopped playing in bands since. Like, what a loss!!
LES ETOILES FILANTES
Comments: Ultra rare French sung Swiss Beat EP by a band from Fribourg! It was recorded at, and pressed through the famous Max Lussi recording studio in Basel! Few hundred copies made only. It would have been one virtually impossible *****record if not for a bigger find of still unplayed copies from around 20 years ago. It currently sells for 200 - 250 Swiss Franks inside Switzerland, which means that it could be worth more to some collectors from abroad. Something is a really great primitive Beat/Garage track that I'm sure all the cool French 60s Beat/Garage collectors would dig! A very nice record to own!
THE EXCEPTION
Comments: Superb folk beat sider with female/male vocals! Both cuts penned by P.F. Sloan/S. Barry. Only around 500 copies made! It usually turns up with signed backcover, which proves that this super rare private demo only record has mainly sold at their dances.
THE FIVE COLIBRIS
Comments: A legendary early band from Thun on a private local Studio label from Basel! Both sides are fairly great sounding early beat tracks. An ultra rare record! It was issued inside on oversized picturesleeve! Only around 100 - 300 copies made, and virtually impossible to find in perfect condition! An unknown number of copies have possibly ended up sleeveless inside some jukeboxes around the town of Thun. The copy pictured was signed by the bandleader Johnny Maurer on the frontcover. The ***** grading is mainly good for a perfect M-/M- copy with PS.
LES FLAMANTS
Comments: Some obscure band from Moutier that was recording and releasing their super rare lone private EP on the famous Max Lussi studio label out of Basel! Most copies were signed by the band on the backcover. Musically not too bad, but not really great either.
MUCHO FRIGERIO
***MUCHO FRIGERIO, ORCHESTER BUZZ BENNETT - Mocking-Bird / Addio Margaritha (Balex B-S 502) 1967
Comments: Promo only Single from ca. 1967 by the best soccer player from Basel in the 60s. The A-Side plays a pretty cool goofy Beat novelty number! It was issued on the private Balex label of Buzz Bennett! Only around 300 copies made, and most of them were signed by Mucho Frigerio on the frontcover!
THE GHOOLS
Comments: Cryptic folk beat/garage 2-sider with super cool Picturesleeve! Both sides great!
CHESTER GILL
Comments: Ultra rare Blues and Calypso EP by Chester Gill from Barbados! The A-Side is entitled Chester Gill Sings The Blues, while the B-Side reads Chester Gill Sings Callypsos. Maybe a bit out of place, but since most 60s collectors are also into Blues, I've decided to include this one too. It was his first private debut promo EP! Only around 100 copies came with Picturesleeve, and most of them were signed by Chester Gill on the innersleeve! Around 400 copies were issued sleeveless. The 4-star rarity grading would be only good for a perfect M-/M- copy with the rare original Picturesleeve! This is still easy to find sleeveless locally. I currently have around 3 sleeveless M- copies of it in stock to sell. The lazy Chester Gill is still active today. He has moved from Barbados to the UK in 1957, after touring Europe with a band from Trinidad, he finally moved to Basel in 1960. He was releasing a couple of other records too.
KON TIKI QUARTETT
Comments: Good organ Beat 2-sider by a band from a suburb of Basel called Liestal. They were made up by three members from Liestal, and one guy from Zürich. They've been practicing in their home town of Liestal, and were using a harmonica player from Basel on some occasions. This is the first english sung record by them. There were only around 500 copies of it pressed. Pictured is a super rare copy that was fully signed by the four bandmembers on the frontcover in 1966. Of course one signed mint condition copy like mine would be easily worth ***, because this is the only signed copy of it that I've ever seen!
Comments: The same record as as Baby Why Are You Alone / You Are Young But Once, but this time around with German - sung lead vocals! It seems to be the rarer one of the two!
PITT LINDER
Comments: Johnny And The Hurricanes influenced EP from 1961 with cord organ sound and some great lead guitar by Pitt Linder's band Big Pitt And The Tornados. Listed because most of the local 60s band from Basel used to start out with this type of music. Even The Dynamites were using a cord organ too! Pitt Linder was starting out as a Jazz musician with his brother before he got into rock and roll in ca. 1957! The earliest Single that I've found by his band the Rock N Rollers on the Tell label from Basel hails from ca. 1956/1957, and plays two absolutely great tittyshaker rock and roll instrumental versions of Heartbreak Hotel (by Elvis Presley) and Minor Rock (a very cool original track!) Pitt Linder used to have his own weekly show on the national radio from ca. 1956 till the 70s! He was recording hundreds if not thousands of bands for the radio, or for some bands, and record labels during his carreer. He is still recording at some recording studio in New Jersey, USA today, but mostly classical music. Pitt used to build stronger PA's, speakers, and amps for most of the local Beat bands from Basel in the 60s, so that they could play at bigger venues. He was also recording The Sevens, The Red Devils, The Sheapes, The Dynamites, and some others at the Landgasthof Riehen for the Layola label too. He was no less but the most important guy for the local 60s Beat bands from Basel. Linder has even put the PA for the officially first Swiss Rolling Stones concert at the Hallenstadium in Zurich in 1967, which says plenty enough I think!
THE MILLER'S BAND
Comments: A Harmonica EP featuring two great Harmonica cuts on the flipside that remind me a bit of the very begining of 60s music, or let's say of "Apache" by The Shadows. Not really out of place because a couple of local Swiss Beat musicians such as Robert Wittner of The Dynamites were actually starting out with Harmonica bands. The Miller's Band has been a band courtesy of no less but the best Swiss Harmonica player of all times: the legendary Walt Miller from Basel! His first band The Chromatos were formed in 1943. His next band was called The 3 Busketeers. 78s from this early period seem to be impossible to find! He later on moved to USA to work with stars like Mickey Rooney, and the likes. During the mid 50s - early 60s he was always incorporating several rocking rock and roll numbers into his sets, and he usually had some great leadguitarists like Pierre Cavalli in his band too! I've just had to sneak in one of his many records into this discography. This EP seems to be extra rare. I suppose a micro-pressing of around 50 copies only! Could be his rarest one! The record is housed inside the strangest feeling type of a hand-made, and hand-laminated hardcover Picturesleeve I've ever came across! Walt Miller has unfortunately just recently passed away. R.i.p. Walt!
Below is one truly fantastic early clip of Walt Miller's Harmonica Group that reportedly should hail from the 40s already (this is according to youtube). It was most likely filmed at some recording studio in Basel. Enjoy...
PETER RASP AND THE WAMOS
Comments: Actually a very good pop beat / popsike ballad 45 that soundwise reminds me a lot of some of the cool Dutch 60s Pop/Beat bands! It's much better than you would guess from the ugly Picturesleeve! It was recorded, and produced by Max Lussi at the famous long gone Max Lussi recording and mastering studio in Basel. Max Lussi was also responsible for the pressing of the record too. They were offering fairily cheap package deals for the recording, mastering, and pressing of the records through their studio. I've failed to make out any info about this highly obscure band so far.
THE RED DEVILS
Comments: Killer Swiss Beat version of Jenny Jenny! Very hard to find! This is the same band as Les Diables Rouges!
Date Of Recording: September 5th 1965, at the Star Club in Hamburg (the cover infos put September 4th for date of recording, which seems to be incorrect!)
Comments: International Beat Festival has been a huge yearly international battle of the bands that was organized by the Star Club and held at the huge Plankten Und Plomen park in Hamburg. The Red Devils from Basel first went there to play in 1964 as the first Swiss band to ever play at the legendary Star Club in Hamburg! On Thursday, the 2nd September of 1965 The Red Devils went by train to Hamburg, Germany to play for three days during the weekend of Friday, September 3. - Sunday, September 5. 1965 at the International Beat Festival for the 2nd time again! After the festival was over they were invited along with The Phantom Brothers, The Beatmakers, Lord Heinz & The Young Ones, The Cavern Cats, The Shutters, and The Sheapes (also from Basel, Switzerland) to play inside the legendary Star Club itself for the recording of this Beat Battle LP! Both cuts were recorded on Sunday, September 5th. 1965 live at the Star Club by some mobile recording studio that had been located inside a van on the outside of the club! It contains fantastic versions of Gloria and Little By Little! The LP was reissued back in ca. 1980, and also included with a whole 10 LP box made by Star Club Records in the late 70s!! It must have been a big triumph for Swiss Beat music to have two 60s bands from Basel featured on this rare Star Club LP!
Comments: Super rare LP comp. including two truly killer exclusive tracks by The Red Devils that are only available on this LP! The Red Devils hog wild version of I Just Want To Make Love To You from this LP should rate as the worldwide best and wildest version! Fantastic version of Little By Little too! My ****grading would be only good for one still perfect M-/M- copy of this LP.
****THE RED DEVILS - 12 Top Hits (Spain - Sonocord 7508) 1969BIG sensation! Hard to believe, but true! Here comes another all exclusive "Down The Line" - discovery! After The Red Devils bandleader Michel Koeb went visiting my blog, I've received a letter from him telling that there was still ONE record missing from my 60s Basel Beat discograpy! It may sound a bit unreal, and fantastic but this very LP has been kept a secret for over the past 45 years! NOBODY from Switzerland was ever noticing this LP! Michel got interviewed for "Als Die Haare Laenger Wurden" (the definite book about the 60s Beat bands from Basel,) and of course he didn't leave a word about the existance of this LP! Only one of the ex-bandmembers seems to still own a copy of it. It took me over one year to track down my copy of this Spanish LP on the internet. There also exists a German pressing of it on Intercord that I'm still after! I would pay very nicely for a copy of the German Intercord pressing, so please get in touch if you've got a German copy of the LP for sale, or trade.
It was recorded over a period of one week at some unknown studio in Dübendorf / Zürich, Switzerland. They've recorded it at night (until 8 o'clock in the morning each day) upon playing their daily engagements at an unknown night club in Zürich. Line up:
Markus Schaub lead vocals, guitar (he's been married to Sylvester Stalone's sister!)
Michel Koeb bass, guitar, vocals, band leader
Hans-Peter Schweizer drums, vocals
Peter Wütrich organ, piano, trombone
Benny Bopp sax, flute, trumpet, vocals
(to be continued..)
Track Listing Side One: (to be continued..)
LES SCORPIONS
Comments: Fantastic Swiss Beat EP by some great hopelessly obscure band from the small Swiss town of Moutier! Ultra rare record! It kicks off with a great primitive version of The Sorrows classic No No No No, followed by a organ dominated French sung version of the classic Whiter Shades Of Pale. Side Two opens with one real superb French sung version of Hey Joe, and closes out with a killer primitive version of The Gentlemen's insane Swiss Beat/Punk classic Say! This one is virtually impossible to find!
THE SECRET
Comments: Great Beat/Psych 2-sider by a band from the small French town Saint Louis that is bordering Basel. The flipside plays a great Beat/Garage track! Ernest Gröli the lead guitarist, bandleader, and songwritter of The Secret used to be a bandmember of The Dynamites for a couple of weeks in 1966. Both sides were recorded at Alfred Gysin's recording studio. The record was pressed through Gysin's recording studio. Only a few hundred copies of this private demo Single were made for promotion.
THE SEVENS
Comments: Killer Swiss Beat/Garage 2-sider with guitar/organ leads!
Comments: The Sevens fantastic 2nd 2-sider actually came out first (it was released before the L 17-216 single!) One of their best 2-siders! They are the same recordings as on the Sevens LP, except that the LP versions come in stereo!
Comments: The Sevens were forced by the Layola label to record the 2 songs. It was released at about the same time as The Rainbows versions. Somehow, the producers at Layola Records got hold of a copy of the classic Rainbows versions of the two tunes BEFORE they were released, and they were sure that the two songs would become hits. Layola Records was positive that The Sevens would possibly be landing the hit if they were going to have their versions released before The Rainbows. The Rainbows version became a hit, but The Sevens version of the single went almost unnoticed because of poor distribution. It was issued with two different labels. The bandname on the blue Layola labels was for some unknown reasons credited to Les Pirates, while the issue with red Orchestrola labels had the band name spelt correctly.
Comments: A rare license pressing! This is still findable on the German market with a bit of luck!
Comments: Shortly before Muggi has left The Dynamites to join up with The Sevens he went to record the two unreleased songs Little Girl I Know / Tell Me Yes Or No with The Dynamites at the Landgasthof Riehen for a Layola records LP comp. of beat bands from Basel that has never happened. The two Dynamites tracks have stayed unreleased because they've had cancelled their contract with Layola records in favour to sing up with Columbia records. Since because The Dynamites version of Little Girl I Know was never released, The Sevens simply decided to re-record the track with a slightly different arrangement.
The unreleased test-pressing Single plays DIFFERENT TAKES of both songs!!
The unreleased test-pressing Single plays DIFFERENT TAKES of both songs!!
Interesting fact is that the released versions have got a lot more PUNCH than the versions from the unreleased test-single. My Mother is a super 60s garage uptempo vocal with frantic guitar and organ solo leads. Muggi was taking care of the lead vocals on the A-side.
Comments: A rare license pressing from 1966! This is easier to find than the Layola version. It's still findable on the German market! It possibly was their best selling record!
This tremendous Sevens Single of LP outtakes, was released together with the legendary Sevens LP. The Single has a great, loud "mono" sound, while the LP versions are in full "stereo"! One of their rarest 45s!
The legendary Sevens original LP on John Lay´s Layola label! The greatest Swiss 60s Beat / Garage LP ever made! This is virtually impossible to find in perfect M-/M- condition! Tracks include: Be My Loving Baby, I'm Crying, I'm Gonna Dress In Black, Talk About Her, The Love Of A Bird, Why Don't You Love A Man Like Me, Panam, Pretty Little Angel, What Can I Do, You Should Know, In God I Trust, and Don't You Fret. This highly sought after 60s Beat LP was finally officially reissued by Feathered Apple Records in 2005.
The unreleased version of the first LP contains some unreleased tracks, a few different takes, etc. Only 3 white-label vinyl test-pressing LPs of it were made in 1965. A true holy grail record, the most valuable Swiss record there is! I like this version even better than the released version, but the band seems to preffer the released one. Tracks include: Be My Loving Baby, You Should Know, It's All Over Tonight, Pretty Little Angel, The Love Of A Bird, I'm Crying, Why Don't You Love A Man Like Me, In God I Trust, I Can't Understand, Begin Me To Stay, Seven, and Talk About Her.
Comments: Super rare LP comp. including stereo versions of four Sevens tracks that are elsewhere only available as mono mixes on 45s. The ****grading is only good for one truly ultra rare PERFECT M-/M- copy! This LP is still findable in excellent VG+ condition, but an ex copy of this very LP would only be worth around 50% of one still perfect M-/M- copy!
The final Sevens Single was recorded directly after the Sevens return from Scandinavia in 1966. There were only 500 copies of it pressed! It used to rate as Michel Bovay´s favorite Sevens Single (r.i.p.)
Comments: Crummy comp. out of the house of Elite Special. Not one to be proud of either. It plays The Sevens version of Balla Balla, but the credits are actually given to another band. It sure plays The Sevens version of Balla Balla! Most of the other songs from this LP are dull, so you better avoid it. This LP was done without the knowledge of The Sevens! It was a cheap way to cash in on The Sevens.
Comments: Various Artists LP comp. including unique stereo-versions of The Sevens´ Balla Balla and Ju Ju Hand that sound different to all other mixes. False bandnames are given on the labels and backcover, The Sevens are not even mentioned. This is a rather crummy comp of otherwise mostly crappy German Schlagers. This LP was done without the bands knowing.
Comments: This LP has the exact same contents and song order as Top Hits 66 on Layola, but the Ex Libris LP does at least have the artists and titles correctly listed on the cover and labels. This LP was reportedly done without the bands permission. It went unnoticed.
Collectors note: Beware of the Ex Libris various artists LP Monja (EL 85001), because despite what the cover says, it does NOT play any songs by The Sevens!! Both of these LPs were undoubtably made to cash in on The Sevens.
THE SHEAPES
Date Of Recording: August 1965
Date Of Release: January 1966
Comments: Fabulous first private 2-sider including a completely different early version of Black Cat! Both sides great! Ex The Blizzards! Only 500 copies made!
The Eurex promo flyer for Black Cat states that the record was released in January 1966.
The master recording is in the hands of Feathered Apple Records.
Comments: The International Beat Festival has been a huge yearly international battle of the bands that had been organized by the Star Club. It was held at the huge Plankten Und Plomen park in Hamburg. Two Beat bands from Basel, The Sheapes and The Red Devils went there to play in September 1965. After the festival was over The Sheapes were invited along with The Phantom Brothers, The Beatmakers, Lord Heinz and The Young Ones, The Cavern Cats, The Shutters, and The Red Devils (also from Basel) to play inside the legendary Star Club itself for the recording of this rare Beat Battle LP! Both cuts were recorded live at the Star Club by some mobile recording studio that was located inside a van on the outside of the club! The LP contains fantastic live versions of Black Cat and Exodus by The Sheapes! The rare original LP was finally reissued back in ca. 1980, and also included with a whole 10 LP box made by Star Club Records in the late 70s! It must have been a big triumph for Swiss Beat music to have no less but two 60s bands from Basel featured on this rare Star Club LP!
Date Of Release: January 1966??? (needs to be confirmed yet!)
Comments: Masterfully played Beat instrumentals like The Shadows, with chorus like backing vocals by Giorgio Moroder in the mix! Both tracks were recorded by Pitt Linder with the assistance of Giorgio Moroder at the Landgasthof, Riehen towards the end of July 1965. You hardly ever find a copy of this 45 for sale!
Comments: Killer Swiss Beat track on the flipside! Their best, and wildest one! This is totally different from all other versions of Black Cat! A super rare record, especially in perfect condition! The band unfortunately broke apart because of conflicts between the bandmembers. Ex The Blizzards
Comments: Super rare LP comp. including stereo mixes of The Strand and Andalucia that are only available on this super rare Layola LP!
This LP also contained tracks by The Sevens, The Red Devils, The Mods (from Winterthur), Mike And The Hounds (UK), and The Savages (from Zürich). One of the best Swiss 60s Beat LPs ever made!
CLAUDIO SILVANO I NUOVI NEVADA
Comments: Ultra rare private demo only Single from around 1967/1968 by some transplanted Italian kid singer from Alezio! His backing band I Nuovi Nevada were most likely made up by some local Swiss and Italian musicians from Basel. Musically not bad, but not really great either. It's played in a typical Italian beat/garage style, with brave lead vocals from the kid singer. There were only a few hundred copies made. Possibly around 200 - 300 copies only. However value wise I would not give it more than two stars, since because the record is not really great. The record should still be interesting enough for any Italian 60s collectors, 'cause as I've said before the record is not bad.
TRIO ANGEL SUCHERAS
**TRIO ANGEL SUCHERAS, THE STAGEMEN - What'd I Say? / See You In September / Les Cactus (Kaiser Electronic TST 75 742) September 1967
Comments: Fairily good Soul/Beat EP including a great version of the Jacques Dutronc cut Les Cactus! It was recorded live on September 8. 1967 at the Mansutti Show in Basel. A Mansutti production. Only around 300 - 500 copies of this super rare EP were made for promotion.
TRIO CENTUM PRATA
*TRIO CENTUM PRATA - Auf Meinem Heissen Stuhl / Goldblondes Mädchen Wart Auf Mich (Elite Special 17-233)
Comments: A pretty horrible highly obscure German Schlager like Swiss Beat record from Basel including one ex-member of the great Hawaii (and early Rock "N" Roll) band The Tahiti Hawaiians!
FRANK VALENCE, THE BLIZZARDS
Comments: Ultra rare 2nd BLIZZARDS EP! It was recorded without their bandleader. Only around 200 copies made! Musically not bad, but not really great! Most of the copies were signed by the band on the backcover.
MANNY WEBER, SEXTETT 63
Comments: The show master of the classic weekly Swiss Tv show Doppelt Oder Nüt, backed by Buzz Bennett's band! The flipside plays a fairily good Swiss Beat novelty number! Most copies that I've came across locally so far were signed by by Manny Weber.
THE WHITE ANGLES
Comments: Ultra rare crude Dylan influenced Beat/Garage b/w a Shadows type of Beat guitar instrumental. A pretty great record that sounds more as if it was recorded in ca. 1965! The bandname should have read THE WHITE ANGELS. Few copies made! It sold mainly at their dances. A good number of copies went sleeveless into some Jukeboxes.
BERRY WINDOW AND THE MOVEMENTS
Comments: Fairily easy to find first LP including Peter Rietmann of The Dynamites (Bass), Ron Bryer of The Big Wheel from the UK on lead guitar (they were releasing one ultra rare Swiss only 45 on the Eurex label in 1966/1967), Tripple Fritz at the Organ, Piano, Dietmar Carl (ex The Sheapes) on drums, and Ferdi Keller (Saxophone). It was recorded at Bauer Tonstudio, in Ludwigsburg, Germany.
Track listing: Don't Fight It, Tell Me The Truth Baby, Sweet Soul Music, Love Me Tender, Mustang Sally, I've Been Loving You Too Long, Philly Dog, My Girl, Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, and Ain't That A Groove
Comments: God damn boring 2-sider! By far the worst thing they were ever recording! It does NOT sound like BARRY WINDOW AND THE MOVEMENTS at all. Barry was pushed by the producer to record this lame pair of German Schlagers! Barry first refused to record them, but then after he got offered 1000 Deutsch Mark by the producer (a lot of money back then!), he finally got weak, and decided to record them anyways. It was recorded during the Soul And Love LP recording session (with the same lineup). This is one to avoid!
****THE MOVEMENTS - Schnaps Macht Schlapp (Alkoholic Slop) / Da-Da (Germany - Intercord 201 - 02N)Comments: This 45 was recorded entirely without their bandleader, Barry Window. Both sides were penned by their organ player Fritz Trippel, who (according to Barry's info) is also singing lead on the fine Beat novelty A-Side. Schnaps Macht Schlapp simply got entitled Alkoholic Slop on the labels. The chorus was sung by Peter Rietmann, and probably Ron Bryer. The flipside contains one really great Soul instrumental with organ leads!
Comments: Great German-only 2-sider! Hard to find inside Switzerland!
Comments: Great Soul 2-sider! A German - only release! Very rare, but still findable for at a reasonable price inside Germany!
***BERRY WINDOW - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag / Knock On Wood / Hold On I'm Coming (Kaiser Electronic Basel TST 75 734) 1967
Comments: Super rare demo EP including future Brainticket mastermind Joel Vandroogenbroeck. It was produced by Oriono Mansutti, the producer of the Mansutti Show, and released with two slightly different tripple gatefold Picturesleeves. The lineup includes Ron Bryer (ex The Big Wheel), Peter Gisske (ex The Sheapes), Hans-Peter Schweizer (ex The Red Devils), Joel Vandroogenbroek, and Berry Window. Berry Window later on changed his name to Barry Window. There were only 500 copies of this EP totally made, according to Barry. The Movements later became Brainticket in 1970!
Comments: With different Picturesleeve!
This version was only available from the Hot-Spot fashion shop.
This version of the record cover appears slightly too small, so small that the record won't even fit entirely into the cover!
Comments: Great German-only 2-sider! Very hard to find inside Switzerland!
Comments: Rare German-only 2-sider! Very hard to find inside Switzerland!
Comments: Super rare and killer German - only Freakbeat 2-sider with sitar!
Comments: Killer Northern Soul 2-sider! One of his very best ones! This gem is still findable in Germany with a bit luck! You hardly ever find one copy of this super rare German-only 45 for sale on the Swiss market!
Comments: Super rare and fantastic 1968 Freakbeat / Soul LP with Sitar!
Tracks include: Give Me The Time / Loving You Is Sweet That Ever / May I Baby / Solitude Street / Soul Man / Go Away / Funky For You / Stay As You Are / Rainbow / I Wanna Get Moving Out Of Here / Yellow Bird / I Gave You My Heart
Comments: Super rare German only LP was recorded by BARRY WINDOW AND THE MOVEMENTS with Dee Dee Mc Neil (vocals) in the band on few cuts only, and then released as DEE DEE, BARRY AND THE MOVEMENTS because the new name was suggested to the producer by band member Joel Vandroogenbroeck, and accepted by the producer. The Soul Hour LP was recorded on April 16./17. 1968 at Tonstudio Max Lussi, in Basel, Switzerland. A splendid, superb world - class Soul LP featuring just the right ingredients. Tracks include: Get Out Of My Life Woman, Summertime, Soultime, Funky Broadway, Midnight Hour, It's Allright, Willow Weep For Me, Hold On I'm Coming.
Comments: Super rare German Seven Up promo Single from 1968 including two tracks from the LP!
**BERRY WINDOW AND THE MOVEMENTS - Soul And Love (Spain - Sonocord 7503) 1969Comments: Unique Spanish issue from 1969 with completely different sleeve of their classic first LP from 1967. This LP has not really been discovered by the Swiss collectors yet. I suspect only around 2 or 3 copies of it in Swiss collectors hands.It still seems to be findable for at a fairily low price inside Spain, with a bit of luck. It took me a couple of years to score a nice copy of it. This LP would sell very easily to the Swiss collectors, I'm sure.
Sonocord must have been a Spanish division of the German Intercord label. Their label logos looks identical!
Comments: A super rare Italian - only release including one great version of the Sir Douglas Quintet hit Mendocino, coupled with Yellow Bird from the Soul In Action LP. Both sides sung in english.
****BERRY WINDOW - Various Artists LP: Parata Du Successi Nr. 5 (Italy - Jolly LPJ 5096) 12" LP, 1969Comments: Super rare Italian promo only Various Artists LP compilation including the track Mendocino by BERRY WINDOW, along with 12 more tracks by TOMMY JAMES AND THE SHANDELLS (3 cuts), THE CASUALS (2 cuts), JUNIOR MAGLI (2 cuts), THE DUKE OF BURLINGTON, MAURIZIO, THE NEEDLES, JACKIE LYNTON, and GLI MONTENEGRO. The acetate for this LP was cut on the 22nd of April 1969, which means that this LP could have been released for promotional purposes only by around summer of 1969!
Comments: Italian - sung versions of Mendocino and Yellow Bird. This is basically the same Single as Joker M 7022, but with italian - sung lead vocals. Some may like these versions better! There also exists one fantastic Joker Records promo poster of Barry Window from around this period, that I would pay very nicely for, so please get in touch with me if you've got a copy of it for sale, or trade.
Comments: Please note the different spelling of his first name! British session players were used to lay down the backing track to this fantastic 1969 northern Soul type of 2-sider! You would never guess that it was recorded by a Swiss artist. One of his very best ones!
Comments: Super rare Italian promo-only Jukebox Split-Single of Barry's dance floor killer Preistoria, Preistoria, with some Italian artist on the flip!
Comments: Super rare and highly sought after Italian only doubledecker! The vocal track to Preistoria Preistoria was taped in Switzerland, while the backing track (also known as playback) has been recorded by some unknown British session guys in the UK. Barry's lead vocals on this particullar track seem to appear very slightly higher than usual, for the vocal track had been slightly speeded up by the record producers. Preistoria Preistoria is a loud late 60s soul freakbeat dancefloor killer, that seems to be particularily in demand amongst the UK Mod/Northern Soul crowd, while the flipside contained another release of perhaps Barry's coolest cut: The sitar freakbeat monster I'll Wait For You!
Comments: Rare Italian demo only 33 r.p.m. split EP including one slightly faded version of Preistoria, Preistoria that isn't really worth to pick up, simply because it doesn't play the full song. The dead wax infos read that the acetate for this 7" was cut on 12. June 1970, and so therefore I'd bet that this demo record could have been issued by around July, or August 1970.
Please note: This discography of Barry Window does only include his classic 60s recordings, and is therefore nowhere near to complete. Barry Window has kept releasing records over the years, and he's still a fantastic singer today! Most of his classic 60s recordings from this discography are now available on CD, and Vinyl again.
Great and very useful matter. Many thanks for this all!
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