One instrumental, three releases, three different titles.
Herman’s Hermits “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” topped the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1965, so a Hollywood studio owner rushed out a parody, “Mrs. Schwartz You’ve Got An Ugly Daughter” with the artist listed as Marty & the Monks, released on Associated Artists AA-3066. This version is on youtube if you want to subject yourself to it.
The much worthier side is the instrumental on flip, cut by a group that seems to have been totally unrelated to the musicians on the A-side. “Mexican Party” is a rocking take-off on “Money” that sounds like it was actually recorded live in the studio. There are whoops, shouts, lots of string bending, a ridiculous horn blast. It has a lot in common with the Pacific Northwest sound like the Moguls “Avalanche”, the Jesters’ “Alki Point” or even Don & the Goodtimes version of “Money”.
Barry Wickham pointed out in his comment below that “Mexican Party” had actually been released the year before as the b-side of “Distortion” / “Distortion Part II”, by the Distorters on Clark Records 364. K. Young, G. Connor, and T. Reed have writer credits, which would remain when the song was retitled “Mexican Party” and “Psychedelic City”. The Kevgreg producer credit suggests Kevin Young and Greg Connor, both of whom were frequent songwriting collaborators, often with Dorsey Burnette.
Johnny Faire (aka Donnie Brooks) must have owned at least part of Faire Music. It had been a going concern since 1959, when it published “Pure Love” by Jesse Hodges and Johnny Burnette, the top side of a Sonny James single in June of that year. After that Faire Music shows up in a couple Cash Box directories and a smattering of releases by Bobby Lee Trammell, Frankie Knight, Curtis Lee, Billy Storm and others.
Jesse Hodges is credited as producer on the Associated Artists release. Hodges owned Hollywood Sound Recorders and I believe he owned the Associated Artists label, which released about twenty 45s, including a couple of Hodges’ own singles. Not having a b-side by Marty & the Monks, he must have simply reused the Distorters recording.
Kevin Young, Greg Connor and T. Reed’s names do not appear on other Associated Artists releases as far as I can tell.
“Mrs. Schwartz You’ve Got An Ugly Daughter” had another release on Era Records 5037. “Mexican Party” aka “Distortion part II” is on the flip, but this time the title is “Psychedelic City”.
Both the Associated Artists 45 and the Era release have ∆-57190 in the deadwax, which dates the stampers for both 45s to June of 1965. I assume the Associated Artists was the original release. I have no idea when this “Golden Era Series” came out but 1967 wouldn’t be a bad guess, given the new, topical title.
My fellow WGXC deejay Jillian found a possible source for the band name in the obscure Marty the Monk cartoons of the 1930s.
I recorded at Jesse Hodges’ Hollywood Sound a couple of times in the 60s. Jesse was also involved in song-poem releases. I believe Fable was his lbl in the late 50s..
do you have any memories of the place? I believe he started the studio in 1965.
One of the writers is K. Young
Maybe just a co-incidence, but there’s another 45 from 1965:
Kenneth Young & The English Muffins – (Mrs. Green’s) Ugly Daughter
This Recording actually came out in February of 1964 by a band called “The Distorters”. Songs were Distortion and Distortion Part II. The Mexican Party version seems to use the part II side due to the talking at the beginning of the recording. Record credits Kev Greg as producer and Faire Music, BMI, as the publisher.
Thanks Barry, I was unaware of that release. I will update the post with your info. Must be a rare disc!