The Actioneers recorded these two songs in just two hours on November 15, 1965 at Huey Meaux’s Recording Service Studios in Pasadena, Texas. You can tell they went straight from the garage or rec room into the studio, this 45 is about as unpolished as garage gets.
“It’s You” is a great fast rocker, with a repetitive guitar line. I think it’s amazing that there’s no bridge or break, or change of chords for the chorus! The band gets the riff down and stays with it to the finish. The drum kit might be nothing more than a tom tom and a snare!
“No One Wants Me” is also simple, but has a tom tom and tambourine break. I’ll bet they didn’t do many takes of this one!
Both sides were written by Ray Gilburn. The band was probably from Houston, but they were pretty much unknown until boxes of unplayed copies of their 45 were found in Huey Meaux’s studio.
I did find a couple mentions of them in the Baytown Sun from 1965, but no lists of band members.
The only other 45 I know about on the Shane label was by the Eccentrics – “Baby I Need You” / “She’s Ugly” on Shane 60, both songs written by L.J. Swift.
“It’s You” sounds like the Libertines! Fantabulous stuff!
Brilliant stuff! No One Wants Me is on one of the Teenage Shutdown comps.
Like the Velvets only less pretentious. .
Jon
This has to be one of the punkest records I’ve heard. I remember when I was introduced to Nuggets, a guy sent me lyrics to the Leaves’ “Too Many People” and asked “Doesn’t that sound so punk? Bet you wouldn’t believe it’s from the ’60s!”. “No One Wants Me” tops “Too Many People” for me. Not only because the lyrics, but because of the minimalism and simplicity of it. It’s just amazing. I don’t even know what to say about “It’s You” other than I have a new favorite song. Thanks for putting these up! Would there ever be any way of owning the record? Nothing really comes up when googling them.
I have found some more information on the Shane label. Unfortunately, however, nothing more about The Actioneers themselves. Apparently, the Shane record label had been thought to be a Louisiana-based label due to many of the acts who recorded on it being from Louisiana. However, it in fact was, like you said, a Texas-based label run by Huey P. Meaux. It was a traditional label at first, but as time progressed became a label where Meaux would release material that he, quote: “didn’t think had quite the quality to make it”. Most of the other 45s released on the Shane label were teen pop with some traditional New Orleans and R&B sounds. Towards the end of the label’s run, there was even a decent effort from a Hispanic Soul group known as Steve and the Coronas. The only two 60s garage bands that were featured on this label were the Huston-based groups The Actioneers and The Eccentrics, who each only released one single each. These were apparently the only two singles on the Shane label that have been reissued. You can read more about the label and discography here:
http://nineteen-sixty-six.blogspot.com/2011/07/shane-records-discography.html