The Original Sinners formed at Yale University in New Haven. Robert Brentson Smith wrote “You’ll Never Know (What Love Is All About)”, which borrows the opening riff of the Stones’ “Empty Heart” for an archetypal garage single, with put-down lyrics, good harmony vocals, harp and a guitar break.
Brent Smith and Stew Metz wrote the stomping, bluesy “(Any Time You Need Me) I’ll Be Home”, freshened like the flip by good harmonies and balance in rhythm & lead guitar.
Both songs were copyrighted in April of 1966 with Cowardly Lion Music BMI. Produced by Bass & Reiser, it was released in May, 1966 on Discotech DTR-1001 (stamped Columbia custom pressing code ZTSP 122156/7 – 1A).
There’s no link between this Discotech label and the Ohio label that had cool releases by the Nomads and others.
The 45 was released in March, 1966.
I saw the header for inventory at Merle’s Record Rack, New Haven, Connecticut’s record shop where all local 45s were stocked. No copies were still there back then (mid 1980s)
It had the date 20 copies were received, 3/28/66. Charted on WAVZ –
AM 4/17/66. 300 copies sold in all according to the notes on the header.
So cool that you seek out and write about these little known bands/songs. This is is actually my uncle (Stewart Metz’s) band! He was George W Bush’s roommate freshman year @ Yale (for better or worse, haha). I have a few of his 45s. It’s too bad he and his friends didn’t keep it up. He actually just passed away this week so it cheered me up to find this post. Many thanks!
According to Lenny Kaye’s interview in Ugly Things, Richard Robinson (the Rock Scene/Hit Parader/Richard & Lisa Robinson) was in this band for a time. I don’t know what instrument he played, nor whether or not he’s on this record. Lenny, who was a long-time friend of Richard’s, wasn’t aware that the band had recorded, which suggests that Richard was not on this.
Richard Robinson was a friend of the band, not a regular member and also the person behind Cowardly Lion Music publishing. He is not playing on the tracks, but was at the recording session, held in the back room of the Music Box, a record store in Hamden, Connecticut.