Category Archives: Zap

Categories: Nashville, Not garage, Tennessee, Unknown, Zap

The Innocence “Quit Buggin’ Me” on Zap Records

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Innocence Zap 45 Quit Buggin' MeI hadn’t heard the Innocence single “Quit Buggin’ Me” on Zap Records 2331, but I bought a copy because the titles were promising and it shares a label with a favorite garage 45, the Starlites‘ “Wait For Me”.

“Quit Buggin’ Me” turns out to be a fairly hilarious song-poem type vocal over a rock backing track (with flute, why not).

Quit buggin’ me,
I don’t want to be bothered,
Can’t you see,
You’re wasting your time.

Besides the singer’s off-time interjections of “Quit buggin’ me”, I like lyrics such as “keep fishin’ round, you got the bait”! plus the chorus chanting “You’ve had your way” and “I’m off the hook”.

“Jungle of Love” is more countrified and the lyrics a bit hackneyed.

Rozella Staples and Joan Hager wrote both songs, published through Top Talent Music BMI. They registered the songs with the Library of Congress in September 1970, but from the pressing code ZAFX-6805217, I believe this was actually recorded and released in 1968.

Zap Records was part of Belle Meade Records in Nashville, also known for song-poem releases.

Categories: Maryland, Washington DC, Zap

The Juveniles (DC) “I Wish I Could” on Zap

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The Juveniles, l-r: Jimmy Clark, Doug Sprouse, Kenny Hayes, Danny Keller and Karl Dersch

There were a number of groups in the U.S. going by the name The Juveniles. This particular group was originally from southeast Washington, D.C., with members later living in nearby Hillcrest Heights, Oxon Hill and Fort Foote, Maryland. They aren’t related to the Juveniles I featured on an acetate a few weeks back.

“I Wish I Could” is first rate garage with a pounding drums, lots of sustain on the guitar solo, and good harmony vocals, all drenched in echo. The flip is a ballad, “What Can I Do”. Both songs were written by Keller and Clark, though publishing info shows Danny Keller only.

Karl Dersch’s father managed the group, and sometime after this photo Dean Dersch also joined the band. Jimmy Clark’s sister Joyce Williams told me Jimmy has since passed away. She also mentioned that the beautiful double-necked Mosrite was the first sold on the East Coast.

The Zap label was from the Mt. Rainier neighborhood just outside Washington, D.C. No connection to the Tennessee label of the same name which released the Starlites’ “Wait For Me”.

Special thanks to Joyce for sending the photo of the group.

Categories: Danville, Illinois, Zap

The Starlites “Wait For Me” on Zap Records

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The Starlites released this one 45 on Zap, a Nashville, Tennesee label affiliated with Belle Meade Records.

The 45 labels list them as the Starliters, but the R is crossed out on at least some copies, so they’re generally known as the Starlites. They were a mystery group until comments came in from Steve Dodson and lead guitarist Alan Wait. The band was from Danville, Illinois.

Members were:

Alan Wait – lead guitar
Harold Hannon – rhythm guitar
Ron Meeker – sax
Jim Crystal – drums
Steve Ransom – keyboards

“Wait for Me” was written by Alan Wait. Though repetitive, the song features a frantic fuzz guitar solo. The flip is “You’ll Never Find Me”. Alan comments below that Vickie Porter wrote the lyrics for both songs.

Gene Vanderport comments below that he played keyboards with the Starlites after the single.

There’s no connection to the Starliters who have a 45 “I Cry Alone” (written by Lloyd Faust) / “Don’t Ever Leave Me” on the 4 Sons label from Paris, Tennessee.

Does anyone have a photo of the group?