Tuesday 14 February 2023

Namesakes #21: The Valentines

Last week, we had a number of different bands called Felt. Fortunately, most of you Felt the same as I did that there was one clear winner: Lawrence.

Today... in case you didn't receive any Valentines... here are a few from me.

You may be interested to know that I originally wrote a post with five acts called simply Valentine. But when Sylvester Stallone's brother Frank turned out to be the best of the bunch, I decided to spare you all the agony. And I doubt Alyson and Ernie would have reached a consensus over any of them.


THE VALENTINES #1

New York, 1954. If there hadn't been a doo wop band called The Valentines, I would have had to invent one!

Get on board the Woo Woo Train...


THE VALENTINES #2

In Dallas, Cal and Robert Valentine formed the second option on today's voting slip, to produce this hip-shaking slab of r 'n' b...


THE VALENTINES #3

I have a special fondness for this one, from early 60s Canadian rock 'n' roll scene: a song about the hole in Elvis Presley's sock. Yes, you read that right.


THE VALENTINES #4

From San Antonio, Texas on the King Bee label some time in the mid 60s comes our next group of Valentines. If you want more information, read the blog of someone who owns one of the only surviving copies of this disc. Avoid if you have a peanut allergy.



THE VALENTINES #5

From 1967 Jamaica, rock steady with our next Valentines on the Gay Feet Record Label.
 

THE VALENTINES #6

Also coming together in 1967, from the ashes of two earlier Australian groups, The Spektors and The Winstons, our third set of Valentines had a prominent lead singer: Forfar-born Bonn Scott, who went onto far greater fame with AC/DC. Their other vocalist, Vince Lovegrove, would later become the manager of The Divinyls.

This was their biggest hit: #22 on the Australian chart in 1969.


THE VALENTINES #7

Welcome to Nashville, Tennessee in the last year of the 60s, and the seriously soulful sound of The Valentines...


THE VALENTINES #8

I honestly didn't think this Italian punk band from the early 00s would be able to stand up to some of the entries above... yet it's an absolute blast.


THE VALENTINES #9

New Jersey doo-wop punks cover the old Grease song in 2006... recorded in their mother's utility room. And if that doesn't scream punk rock, I don't know what does.


THE VALENTINES #10

Czech Eurovision hopefuls from last year. Despite some very professional looking music videos on youtube and a pretty contemporary sound, these guys came 7th out of 7 bands in the Czech voting. Maybe they were judged too polished for Eurovision entry?
 

I'm going to stop there because I honestly don't think I want to hear the word Valentines ever again... flashback to high school when I never got any. Suffice it to say, these weren't the only groups out there called The Valentines. 

But which will be your one true Valentine... and which will cause a Valentine's Day Massacre?



8 comments:

  1. Well done Rol for pulling all that together.
    Between 2,3 and 7 for me with 7 probably shading it

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  2. I featured No. 6's psychedelic smash "Peculiar Hole In The Sky" over at my place earlier in the year: https://27leggies.blogspot.com/2023/01/holes-in-oz-zone.html

    If you had included that I would probably have gone for them, but as you didn't its No 7 narrowly ahead of No 2.

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    1. It's taken me a while but I now know that Ernie has his own blog and what it's called. Sorry hadn't clicked.

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  3. A lot to compare there but (totally independently) I came up with #7 at being the tops - could partly be because I've been listening to a lot of Burt B and it chimed. After that I going for #2 as my #2. Can't beat a bit of doo wop.

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    1. I meant #1 as my #2 - there's some subliminal thing going on I'm sure where my fingers type the same as everyone else!

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  4. #6 please Bob.
    There's an Easybeats thing going on in there, which can't have hurt their chances (or the singers professional association later on).
    And yes, #8 is a blast, deserves a mention, but not top of the poppermost in this round.

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  5. I did not know that Bon Scott was from the town of bridies (Forfar). Number 2 for me. Number 10 is woeful.

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  6. Hadn't heard any of them previously, quick listen to them all and it's no.3 Elvis's sock for me :-)

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