Shhh!
I've got a Secret for you this week.
Well, lots of Secrets, actually.
Don't tell anyone...
THE SECRETS #1
Let's kick off in 1960 with the wonderfully monikered Hollis Champion and his Secrets. A little after this recording, Hollis would move to Nashville and change his name to Elmer Fudpucker where he would enjoy a long career making comedy records. I prefer his original name.
Hollis Champion & The Secrets - Ol' Red Devil
THE SECRETS #2
Next up, let's have some twangy surf rock from 1962, shall we? I don't know what the big deal is about having a twin exhaust - me, I want my car to make less noise, not more!
THE SECRETS #3
In early 1963, members of Philadelphia band The Fabulous Four joined singer Carlo Gerace for an equestrian jamboree...
Carlo & The Secrets - Pont Party
THE SECRETS #4
A Cleveland, Ohio, girl group who made the US Top 20 in 1963 with a song about falling for the boy next door... even though he's a bit of a git, by all accounts. I'd keep well away, if I were you, ladies.
The Secrets - The Boy Next Door
THE SECRETS #5
Colleen Kaye & The Secrets - Joey's Diamond Ring
THE SECRETS #6
From Kidderminster in the mid-60s came our next set of Secrets - also billed as Martin Raynor And The Secrets and later Simon's Secrets... though it appears most of their songs were written by soon-to-be-solo-star Clifford T. Ward. Although he became known for more heartfelt ballads in the 70s, it turns out Ward had a cheeky sense of humour in his younger days, as demonstrated on lyrics like this one...
The Secrets - I Think I Need the Cash
THE SECRETS #7
Canadian Secrets from 1966, led by one Douglas Rankine. He got top billing on the tune below, but after that kept his name a Secret. This one, a novelty song about a hockey player, made it to number one on CHUM Radio in Toronto for two weeks. Pedigree!
The Secrets - Clear The Track, Here Comes Shack
THE SECRETS #8
Milwaukee garage band from '66...
THE SECRETS #9
A couple of years back (how time flies!), George treated us to a Strangers Namesakes. Number #14 on his list were a group of New Zealand Strangers, featuring future Uriah Heep bassist, Gary Thain. When Gary left The Strangers, he moved to Australia and became part of The Secrets. After that, he joined The New Nadir, who were very popular in Switzerland. Then he played at Woodstock with the Keef Hartley Band. Then he joined the Heep. Don't tell me I don't do the research if it's there to be done.
THE SECRETS #10
Also in 1966, these Secrets (also known as the Wooden Nickels) were recording in LA, and featured Brenda Holloway and her sister Patrice on vocals. Brenda was also signed to Motown at the time, so there's some debate online about whether she sang this in... erm... Secret... to keep Berry Gordy in the dark. The tune was later resurrected by the Wigan Casino DJs.
The Secrets - I Feel A Thrill Coming On
THE SECRETS #11
Swedish Secrets from '66 - can we say sibilance? This was the B-side to their cover of one of my least favourite Beatles songs.
The Secrets - If You Hear Me Knockin'
THE SECRETS #12
1966 was a big year for Secrets. Here's some from Baton Rouge, fronted by Lee Tillman. Another tune that was later revived by the Northern Soul scene.
Lee Tillman & The Secrets - She's The One I Love
THE SECRETS #13
Dutch pop group who started in the late 60s singing background vocals and TV soundtracks before graduating to the "big" time...
THE SECRETS #14
German Secrets from sometime in the 60s. They had some Kinks records in their collection.
The Secrets - Unfold Her Longing Heart
THE SECRETS #15
Psychedelic Secrets from the Netherlands in 1969. Impressively, for the time, they even shot their own video.
The Secrets - Poor Strong Night
THE SECRETS #16
We're clearly in the 70s now - there's more than whiff of Bay City Rollers about these UK Secrets.
THE SECRETS #17
Disco/soul floor filler from 1975 - further information lost to the grubby disco floors of yore.
THE SECRETS #18
Kansas City Secrets, first whispered about in 1979. Always got a soft spot for Power Pop.
The Secrets - It's Your Heart Tonight
THE SECRETS #19
Canadian punks from 1980, featuring Freddie Pompeii on vocals.
THE SECRETS #20
Californian Secrets from 1980, featuring a Mr. Jack Hammer on drums. I'd love it if that was his real name.
The Secrets - Wishful Thinking
SECRETS #21
Another disco tune, from the US in 1981, though it may or may not have been a hit in Japan. The only band member listed in discogs is Israeli-born musician Noam Kaniel, who it appears went on to become a composer for TV cartoon soundtracks, including Power Rangers, The Fantastic Four and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
SECRETS #22
1983 brings us this "AOR Pomp Hard Rock band from Texas". Don't ask me: sometimes I just copy and paste.
THE SECRETS #23
Californian Secrets who desperately wanted to be Duran Duran in 1984. Didn't we all?
The Secrets - Girls Will Be Girls
THE SECRETS #24
12 inches of 1985 dance-soul from Chicago... I hope you like it.
THE SECRETS #25
The Secrets - Ways I Forget About You
SECRETS #26
Funky New York jazz instrumentalists from 1986, competitors in the Budweiser Showdown Tournament Of Jams. Not sure if they won.
THE SECRETS #27
Our sole 90s Secrets hail from Massapequa, New York.
THE SECRETS #28
Racket-making Secrets from Virginia in the year the computers didn't all die like we expected them to. Lead singer Stevie was also in bands called Big Bobby And The Nightcaps, Pearl Schwartz, Pt109, The Bomb Pops, The Devil Dogs, The Dirty Fingers, The Vikings, The Matadors, The Villains and... best of all... Adam West. It turns out there are quite a few Adam Wests in rock 'n' roll, so I may have to look into that further.
Stevie & The Secrets - Who's Walkin' Who
THE SECRETS #29
Australian Secrets who may well have been around in the 80s, but released this in 2002...
THE SECRETS #30
Boston-based Secrets from 2002 with an unseasonal song. Surely if they waited for the snowploughs, their journey would be a lot easier?
The Secrets - Get Here Before The Snowploughs Do
THE SECRETS #31
More Australian Secrets, from 2007, led by JC himself... Johnny Casino, that is.
Johnny Casino & The Secrets - Take Me Down To Your River
THE SECRETS #32
The Secrets of Dorset... revealed in 2008.
SECRETS #33
Metalcore / post-hardcore... I'm never sure how the suffix "-core" gets used in musical terms... is it the same as "-gate" in politics? SECRETS (they insist on ALL CAPS, apparently) came from San Diego in 2010 and despite "line-up instability", appear to be still going. Although they may or may not have lost their "clean" vocalist. These kinds of bands tend to employ both "clean" and "unclean" vocalists... take a listen and I'm sure you'll be able to spot the difference. One of them sounds like he's singing, the other one sounds like he needs an exorcist.
THE SECRETS #34
And finally today, some New Found Secrets... well, the came from Newfoundland in 2014.
I'll let you into a secret. There were more than 33. A lot more. But after a while, I lose the will to live.
Which is your secret favourite... and which ones would you prefer I'd kept Secret?
The link for #2 gives a song called The Last Man on Earth, and it is certainly not a twangy surf song more like and early 80s Iron Maiden-ish metal song
ReplyDeleteso far it's #1 and #11. I'm not sure I can listen to all tracks today.
Delete#14 is a belting little song.
DeleteI fixed the link for #2.
DeleteDon't have the time for 34 today so based purely on your descriptions I'll hazard a guess at #10 and #15
ReplyDelete#10 is the bisters.
Delete#15 is bobbins
The bisters?
Delete#15 is NOT bobbins, Indeed, up until track #24 none of the songs are terrible.
DeleteSee what Ernie's missing!
Deletedid #23 start with "I grew up wearing pants"?
ReplyDeleteI hope they did, for all our sakes.
Deleteand what a load of soppy bobbins is #27.
Delete