JUSTICE FOR
ALL
by Patrick the Lama, 2003
The
Checkmates display the dazzling Justice look, still going strong
in 1967.
"Hippies? No sir, not around these parts."
v 1.1, January 2004 - VARCELS
album entry and scan added; PHANTOM RAIDERS info added to chapter 3
1.
Introduction
Imagine a parallel universe 1960s where the British Invasion never happened,
in which the Beatles turned out to be
a foreign one-hit wonder like the Tornadoes, while the Stones and the Kinks and the other first-wavers
never were given the
chance to play in the States, or even have their records released there. If
American
music had been left alone to develop without input from those talented
moptops, where would it have gone? Of course, the problem with this little mindgame is
that most of what was happening in '63-64 was wiped away by the
transatlantic wave -- instro bands, girl groups, vocal r'n'b -- and what
survived couldn't help but being influenced by it. This is particularly true for
the whiter shade of the equation. You have to look long and hard to find a
few pockets of resistance that demonstrate an alternate
scenario; Bobby Fuller and to a certain extent the Young Rascals being
perhaps the most successful examples. Beyond that, it's
mostly an academic exercise.
Which brings us to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where the
JUSTICE record
label accidentally preserved an evolutionary thread seemingly untouched by
what was happening everywhere else. While it's true that a handful of the
20-odd Justice album releases of local rock bands from 1966-67 display a
certain acknowledgment of the Invasion, the majority of them do not. And
this was not all due to some peasant ignorance, mind you, but a deliberate stand.
Just dig this awesome program declaration from the
BONNEVILLES
(Justice 146), which works as a banner for the entire
Southeast scene:
"It is said that everything has to come to an end. That includes the "Liverpool" and "Tottenham" sound. Some of this 'stuff' can still be heard in the far corners of today's radios and stereos. Taking its place in record shops and on hit charts is the modern sound of soul and blues..."
Lord knows what the "Tottenham sound" was (actually, a failed Dave Clark V marketing scam), but beyond that there can be no doubt that these soul-loving beach combos were on a crusade against the strange foreign longhair music threatening their land. That some of them had band names like The Englishmen, the Invaders and Mod & the Rockers makes it all the more ironic.
As English
as Sir Douglas Quintet
Before examining the unique dead-end Justice species it should be
pointed out that any mention of the label among members of the
"garage incrowd" or "psych mafia" will trigger the
response of "uh, those LPs aren't very good". Well, maybe they
aren't, most of them, if compared to "Here are the Sonics", but
then "Sgt Pepper" sucks royally compared to the first Sonics LP
too, and you can fill a library with what's been written about that.
Sometimes music can be historically interesting, and work as a document of
an era else forgotten, or be loaded with period charm like an old doo-wop
hit -- all of which is true for many Justice artefacts. So fuck all the
"hip" and "cool" weisenheimers and their rock magazine mindset.
This ain't no MC5 concert -- this is Carolina Beach Music!
2. The Beach Music Factor
Right. But what the hell IS Carolina Beach Music? Well, it's got nothing to do with
surf instros, or the Beach Boys. This is East Coast, remember? Think Myrtle
Beach, not Malibu. Beach music is a loosely defined term that brings in a
whole bunch of disparate records and artists, mainly obscure vocal acts from
the first half of the 1960s, usually found in the middle part of the
Billboard r'n'b top 100. The
TAMS
("Laugh it off", "I've been
hurt") are an eternal favorite along the
mid-Atlantic coast, while a more famous number such as "My girl" by the
Temptations also gets a thumbs up. Somehow these particular tunes ended up being favored by white
teenagers in Virginia and the Carolinas as a soundtrack for their campfire
beach parties, between beer-guzzling contests and midnight swims.
This regional phenomena has a
certain kinship to the fratrock scene of the Pacific Northwest, best
demonstrated by the Swinging Medallions' "Double shot of my
baby's love" which works as a bridge between the two genres. Generally
speaking beach music is geared towards mid-tempo vocal material, rather than
the rocking ambitions of the fratsters. The all-important criteria is that you can do the Shag -- the dance -- to it.
I would be lying if I pretended that a Justice album equals a beach music
album, because there are several other elements in there that do not qualify as
such -- the hugely influential Young Rascals, classic r'n'b like Ray Charles, classic frat like the Kingsmen, some surf,
the odd easy listening ballad, and indeed even a track or two
representing "the new sound from England". But in retrospect I believe the beach music angle is the most valuable for
understanding this prolific Southeastern LP scene, which is
unparalleled elsewhere in the US.
With this caveat in mind it's time to cut the crap and dive into the actual
music. Hold on to the edges of your gowns, ladies, we are going
through
hell!
3. The Label & The Releases
The founding owner of the Justice record label was one Calvin Newton, originally from Tennessee but during the mid-1960s based in Winston-Salem, NC. Apart from the 22 rock'n'roll releases identified here the label released dozens of other types of artists, as well as a number of 45s. The first known album on the label (Justice 101) is Bill Artz & his Rhythm Kings' "Variety Time". I haven't heard this but a knowledgable source has described it as "more swing than beat". The release year is unknown, probably 1965.
From the start Justice was run as a custom/vanity label to which any band with enough dollars could come and have an LP recorded and manufactured. Newton actually had a couple of "talent" scouts employed who visited local teen clubs and high school dances to find bands the label could approach with their package deal. A specific deal recalled by members of the Comets, whose Justice LP never was released, amounted to $1000 for a 12-track album and 4 hours of studio time. Promotion was part of the arrangement, although in actuality there wasn't much of it, judging by comments from several band members. The label had access to a primitive studio in Winston-Salem, but not all acts recorded there; the TEMPOS recorded their album in Nashville, as an example. Many of the albums do have a samey sound, with a muddy, reverb-laden soundscape straight out of 1962, and it's likely that these all originate from the label's own facilities. Once the records were pressed, distribution landed mainly on the bands themselves. As reported in Kicks magazine #5, pre-teen kings the PHANTOM RAIDERS sold their LP door-to-door after winning a talent contest with a Justice "contract" being the first prize.
All LPs below belong to the Justice "100" series, and I think it's fair to suggest that the catalog numbers were allocated in a regular chronological fashion. Still it is curious that one of the few contemporary 1966 sounding albums, the TEMPOS (104), is the first number in this series, while one of the last releases, by the NIGHTRIDERS (157) is '63 surf and frat galore. Nevertheless, I'm going to assume that the albums appeared in roughly the same sequence as the catalog numbers indicate. The fact that some releases were given the same catalog number provides additional confusion.
It seems that all
the Justice rock'n'roll releases appeared within a rather short time frame,
maybe 15-18 months. I've seen 1966 as a suggested release date for most or
all of them, but it is my belief that they are in fact even later than that;
from mid-1966 to late 1967. They sure don't sound like that at all, but
piecing together the evidence that's where you end up.
Specifically, the early TEMPOS
LP has been verified as being recorded in March 1966 and released a few
weeks later. This may have occurred prior to the label's move from Tennessee
to Winston-Salem, which would also explain how an Alabama band ended up on a
Carolina label. Judging by catalog numbers there was a hiatus before
the label's next r'n'r release, by the VARIATIONS.
Local chart evidence indicates that the album by the BARRACUDAS
-- one of the more successful acts on the label -- was released in early
1967. An analysis of the songs picked by the PHANTOM
RAIDERS show
that it was released in February 1967 at the earliest, allowing for a couple
of months between their Monkees covers to become hits, get covered and
released. The title of their album ("New sound '67") confirms such
a release date. With these milestones in place all the other release dates
can be approximated by those who desire to. After 1967 there were no more
Justice releases as the label declared bankruptcy; as an effect of this at
least two known bands (the Seventh Seal and the Comets) never got to see
their albums come out.
The press size for the LPs varied depending on how much dough the
bands put up, and they differ noticably in terms of rarity today. Several titles are scarce on the same
level as any local 60s garage album, but a number of them are extremely
difficult to find. An album such as the MARSADEES
wasn't even known to exist among collectors until the late 1990s. It seems the most optimistic and/or well-heeled acts had a 1000 copies pressed, while
others had 500 or even 300. The BARRACUDAS
album is known to have sold more than 700 copies locally.
In geographical
terms, the
TEMPOS
again stand out as they came all the way from Alabama,
while probably all the other bands belong on the Mid-Atlantic seaboard. Here
are all the rock'n'roll releases I've found (the entire run of Collectables'
CD reissue program), sorted by catalog number.
Tempos
Speaking of the Tempos
(Justice 104)
1966-Apr
Variations
Dig 'em up!
(Justice 112)
1966
Starliters
Journey with the Starliters
(Justice 124)
1966
Marlboros/Jokers Six
Real live girl
(Justice 126)
1966
Speckulations
Walking the dog in the midnight hour
(Justice 132)
1966
Tony Lane & the Fabulous Spades
Introducing
(Justice 133)
1966
Aces Combo
Introducing
(Justice 134)
1966
Fugitives
On the run with the Fugitives
(Justice 141)
1966
Barracudas
A plane view of
(Justice 143)
1967-Jan
Bonnevilles
Bringing it home
(Justice 146)
1967
Phantom Raiders
New Sound '67
(Justice 146)
1967-Feb
Varcels Hang loose (Justice 147) 1967 Stowaways
In our time
(Justice 148)
1967
Checkmates
Meet the Checkmates
(Justice 149)
1967
Marsadees
Marsadees
(Justice 150)
1967
Skip and the Creation
Mobam
(Justice 152)
1967
Mod & The Rockers
Now
(Justice 153)
1967
Englishmen
Summer is here
(Justice 155)
1967
Knights 5 + 1
On the move
(Justice 156)
1967
Invaders
On the right track
(Justice 157)
1967
Nightriders
Introducing
(Justice 157)
1967
Generations Combo
Meet the
(Justice 158)
1967
Note: the posthumous Seventh Seal LP from VA (first released circa 1999) falls outside the scope of this article. In the context of the Justice catalog it's clearly an above average item. The unreleased Comets album was issued on CD by Collectables but remains unheard by the author.
4. Critical Examination
Aces Combo
"Introducing" 1966 (Justice 134)
No surprises on this
obscure Justice LP; Carolina beach music standards, surf
instros, couple of lame top 40 covers done 2 years too late. No traces of
any Brit Invasion, in fact the Aces rather unique specialty seems to be lame
instro versions of the hits of '64. Musical skills are below average from the very young band;
sloppy drummer and crude vocals give a certain basement edge to the
proceedings, as does the muddy recording. Would you pay $350 for an LP where
an instro version of "Secret agent man" is the hippest thing?
Hearing a 14-year old kid trying to sound like Ray Charles is worth
something though.
Barracudas
VA "A plane view of..." 1967 (Justice 143)
Opens on
excellent beat/garage note with strong original followed by tough Stones
cover, rest of the LP is similar with mainly Brit Invasion numbers done in
an agreeable manner, even has Beatles and Byrds covers plus a fuzz rave-up
take on "I'm a man" that has been comped. Only the awful closing
"Shotgun" drags the LP down, rest is fine by local US mid-60s LP
standards with cool teen vocals, nice undistorted rhythm guitar and
occasional sax.
I've seen this cut down in more than one place but it sounds pretty good to me,
along with the Tempos the most "normal" (as in 1965-66) sounding
of all Justice albums. Released in early 1967, the
album went on to sell more than 700 copies locally. The band cut a good
psych 45 in 1969.
Bonnevilles
NC "Bringing it home" 1967 (Justice 146)
Perhaps the archetypal Justice LP, even has a ballsy statement declaring
the death of the "Liverpool Sound" and the "Tottenham
Sound", and the coming victory of the
blue-eyed frat-soul Southeastern Justice sound. The lame-ass Billboard R'n'B 100 covers
and uninspired playing found on the actual record stand in stark contrast to
this bravado. Usual fare for the label, the hippest things being an incorrectly
interpreted "96 tears" and a closing instro. Organ upfront, sloppy
drummer, harmony vocals with lyric mistakes left intact; everything you can
ask for. Band are 6 shorthaired dorks, 2 with glasses.
Checkmates
"Meet the Checkmates" 1967 (Justice 149)
Sleeve actually gives
the band name as "Checkmate".
One of the worst Justices with 3-man horn section & dorkylooking
semi-pro band running through old standards that are unhip even by the genre
average. The fact that the band is fairly adept is actually a drawback in
this context. Don't let anyone tell you this is garage; even calling it
"rock'n'roll" is a bit of a stretch. Best track is a slightly
mysterioso sounding "Gypsy woman". One group original, a weak blue-eyed soul number.
Englishmen
"Summer is here" 1966 (Justice 155)
If you believe everything you read, this is one of the "best"
Justice albums. In the real world it's the same lame standards, surf, frat
and beach music with weak vocals and a sleepy 1962 mood, making the band's
hip name seem a mystery -- unless the Shadows is your idea of British Invasion.
Title track original could be seen as a whiney New England type ballad if you're
in a generous mood, but the only really appealing aspect of this LP is a
superb drummer who is given plenty of space on "Penetration" and
the band's "Theme". Hippest things are covers of "96
tears" and "Catch the wind", both done in an incorrect manner
which suggests the band played from sheet music and had never actually heard
the tunes. Stunning low-point is an instro "Girl from Ipanema".
Fugitives
VA "On the run with the Fugitives" 1966 (Justice 141)
Title track is classic
garage (comped on Hipsville vol 2) with crude fuzz and untrained teen
vocals. Rest is more of a club/frat affair with energetic sax-lead takes on
things like "Lovelight" and "Tossing and turning", plus
some echoey ballads for that special last dance. Superb take on "Bo
Diddley is a gunslinger" is a high-point. Very much a 1963 Otis Day
& the Knights trip with no Brit Invasion audible, but within the genre
this is fun and with plenty of atmosphere. Excellent drummer, neat organ and
good raw vocals, best party LP on Justice along with the Knights 5 + 1.
Unusually punchy recording too -- not bad for a bunch of white teens from
Richmond.
Generations
Combo "Meet the..." 1967 (Justice 158)
The last of
the label's rock'n'roll releases does suggest a sort of development
for the Justice/Southeast scene, but needless to say it's not in the right
direction. Nope, this is a mission statement from 7 white Durham teenagers
that Las Vegas lounge-soul is the way to go, with fake ID crooner vocals and
seducto gymnasium sax up the wazoo. The limited funds and lack of
reality checks puts a Twilight Zone spin on things, like seeing expensive
stock footage inserted into an Ed Wood Jr movie; there's glitzy female
harmony vocals but the drummer can't keep time! Eerie psych version of
"Don't let the sun catch you crying" is a high-point, and the
organist likes to do Procol Harum "acid" runs on his keyboard,
even on James Brown tunes. There's also an apathetic, deadpan "Walk
away Renee", and an uptempo track where the entire rhythm section falls
apart. What a mess, like the Checkmates on cough syrup. Closest of all
Justice releases to Incredibly Strange domains, this needs to be heard at
least once. The Collectables CD reissue displays tape damage at a few spots,
this may or may not derive from the original album.
Invaders
VA "On the right track" 1967 (Justice 157)
Opens with OK beat
original with tough fuzz break, then immediately starts sucking with brassy
soul and beach music covers. Vocals are really weak and the band isn't
terribly tight either, in spite of ambitious arrangements. You need a strong
stomach to sit through the off-key horn takes on various Memphis standards
that make up the bulk of the album. Bizarre interpretation of
"Summertime" with the melody wrong and a tortured harmonica solo
is worth hearing for its oddness, but apart from the passable opener this
LP's only redeeming factor is a neat Farfisa organ sound. Don't be fooled by
the cool cover, this is a real stinker.
Knights 5 + 1 "On the move" 1967 (Justice 156)
Racially integrated club band unique to the label and era, and also one of
the more wide-appealing titles on the Justice roster. Singer and sax man are
black, rest are honkie kids, although the bass player is so good he sounds
black. Vocalist is thankfully in the cool Cooke/Gaye school rather than a
Pickett/Redding screamer, and the sax-man's loungy digressions sets a mellow
nightclub tone to the affair, especially on a number of stylish instrumental
originals. The vocal cover selections are a little too obvious but the wee
hours approach makes a lot of the Memphis standards different and appealing.
If I was throwing a wedding party this is the Justice band I'd book.
Tony Lane & the Fabulous Spades
"Introducing" 1966 (Justice 133)
Good opening Them cover sets the tone for a fatter and rockier club trip
than most LPs on the label. Use of organ, sax and Tony's tambourine creates
a contemporary mid-60s sound, and the big guy's vocals aren't bad at all,
making even the token ballads acceptable, while a couple of energetic frat
covers garners bonus points. "Long Tall Sally" with awesome bass
runs is a highpoint, as is a fuzz-laden "See See Rider" which I'd
rate as one of the best versions ever. Rated highly by Justice aficionado
Jeff Jarema, this LPs main drawback is the complete lack of group originals.
Marlboros &
Jokers
Six "Real live girl" 1966 (Justice 126)
Unusual LP with black
vocal group and white club band joining forces to try and get a beach
party going. Apparently the two bands toured together, the Jokers
Six supporting the Marlboros who are an early 60s-style vocal 4-piece. The Marlboros
don't sing bad and some tracks may appeal to local
doo-wop collectors, although the recording is muddy
and tinny. The title track is a fairly good original and there's another
original on board, the rest is mostly r'n'b/soul standards. While the vocal
strength of the Marlboros gives the album an edge over pretty much all other
Justices I find little exceptional about it. There's an OK surf-style instro
and an energetic
"Good loving" on side 2 but apart from that the Jokers Six sound
like any generic club band; competent but dull. Embarrassed, one of the Jokers
Six guys comes right out in the liner notes and admits that the Marlboros
are the "up and coming stars of this album".
Marsadees SC "Marsadees" 1967 (Justice 150)
Probably the rarest LP on the label, this wasn't even
known to exist until recently. It's not bad either, clearly among the better
in the Justice catalog, with a crude surf and frat approach similar to the
non-garage stuff on the Tempos LP. The only band on the label to cover a
Beach Boys tune and indeed there are California dreams all over the album,
with several classic surf instros covered. Should appeal to anyone interested in
local pre-Brit Invasion sounds, even though it dates from 1967! Cool
cover photo of the very young Lexington band. One group original, a sleepy surf
instro.
Mod & The
Rockers MD "Now" 1967 (Justice 153)
With a name like that you'd expect at least some recognition of the Brit
Invasion, and indeed these guys are really hip by Southeast standards,
covering the Zombies and the Beau Brummels in addition to an unusual and
great arrangement on "Gloria" that's based on Them rather than the
Shadows Of Knight. LP opens with a '66-sounding garage fuzz winner and the
band has a tight club sound with organ and a strained soul-punk vocalist.
Recording is better than most Justices and this could have been a winner,
except that they manage to spoil the party with several lame ballads from a
bygone era. Too bad.
Nightriders
NC "Introducing" 1967 (Justice 157)
One of the last
Justices is a straightforward mix of organ/guitar instrumentals way past
their due date and classic frat sounds lifted from the Kingsmen
catalog. The usual soul element has been reduced to a nervous cover of
"Come see about me", while the band shows class in covering
"Double Shot" and "Louie Louie". Only one lameass ballad
makes this LP at least in theory an agreeable basement instro/frat excursion
whose main fault is that it was made 3 years too late. Very basic soundscape
from these 16-year olds who probably were pleased that they managed to play
all songs through without mistakes on their newly purchased gear. Drummer
sounds like he's only handled the sticks for a few weeks which messes up a
few tracks, but they get all the elements right for a closing "Journey to the stars",
the album's obvious highpoint which has also been comp'd on
Relics vol 2.
Phantom
Raiders "New Sound '67" 1967 (Justice 146)
13 year-old kids deliver a crude set of hit covers of the day, although
one must wonder in what parallel universe "Walk don't run"
represents the "New sound '67". Cool LP above the label average
that should appeal to any fan of true garage sounds, meaning healthy doses
of incompetence, enthusiasm and local charm. They weren't immune to the
backwoods time lag of the area which makes for 3-4 instros that cut into the
excitement but basement versions of "Stepping stone", "Day
Tripper" and Mitch Ryder make up for this. An amazing
highpoint is reached with "Gloria" who's serenaded as being
"4-foot-4" rather than standard "5-foot-4", because
these small kids reduced her height to their Junior High standards - genius!
The recording is unusually good for the label, and if you think the lead
guitarist is hot for a low-teenager, you should realize that he's only 11
years old. One band original, an instro.
Skip and the
Creation VA "Mobam" 1967 (Justice 152)
Organ-led combo with hip (relatively speaking) Myrtle Beach teen club vibe,
band does unusual covers of Hank Williams and "Harlem Shuffle"
plus one cool original. Bonus points for excellent organ sound but the muddy
recording, weak vocals and abundance of soul covers places this among the
less interesting on the label. The selfwritten tune, a semi-ripoff of
"Time won't let me" (comp'd on "Good Roots") is worth
hearing. "Mobam" supposedly means Makers Of Bad Ass Music, but the
sounds on the record belie such an interpretation.
Speckulations
"Walking the dog in the midnight hour" 1966 (Justice 132)
Crude frat/garage that differs from most Justice albums in being
sloppily played, the rhythm section in particular. In fact, they're all over
the place. Further garage ambience is provided by Index-like teen vocals and
a selection of covers that
are somewhat less soul/lounge and more standard '65-66 fare than many of
their local competitors. There may also be an original or two, not sure. A solid
dose of vintage teen incompetence that makes for passable entertainment and is about
the closest any Justice band came to the equally maligned North-East preprock sound.
Starliters
NC "Journey with the Starliters" 1966 (Justice 124)
Obscure one on the label, with four high school kids displaying their
lack of "chops". They try burying the drummer's incompetence with
an echo-laden production to no avail. Pretty fun and charming LP,
closer to being real "garage" than most of their Justice
colleagues, with three Animals covers including a memorable "Rising
Sun"; the band also had enough chutzpah to try out "Ticket to
ride". Three unexciting instros and a couple of half-assed r'n'b/beach
music covers break the spell, but this is in no way inferior to the prep
rock and local garage LPs from the Northeast.
Stowaways NC "In our time" 1967 (Justice 148)
Apparently one of the rarest LPs on the label
and to my ears also one of the better. Cover photo shows the band in lengthy
Peter Tork hairdos and indeed they seem to be more with the times than their
colleagues. While they deliver obligatories like "I've been hurt"
and "Sunny" there's also some unusual Stones and Beatles numbers as
well as a daring, atmospheric stab at the Byrds and a spooky original called
"Just a toy" (on comp), which crowns them Justice's token folkrock act. Also
has an excellent fake 12-string take on "Summertime" that rivals
the Half Tribe. The r'n'b stuff that weighs down side 2 is less convincing, but passable. Band isn't
terribly tight and the recording has the label's usual early 60s murkiness,
but clearly an above average outing within the field.
Tempos
AL "Speaking of the Tempos" 1966 (Justice 104)
Considered by most the best LP on the label, even rated by some as the best local garage album all over.
Has a true garage edge throughout and an impressive number of great Stonesy originals
such as the opening "Two timer" and "You're gonna miss
me" (not the Elevators tune) along with 3-4 of the usual surf and R'n'B
covers. One of the few, or the only, Justice band not to hail from the mid-Atlantic seaboard states, this also
stands out due to an atypical recording
with plenty of punch that reflects a Brit Invasion mindset among these
Sylacuga High School punks. The Crypt job has most of the LP plus some bonus
tracks and a new BFTG-style sleeve, which is a pity. Either reissue is worth
getting for any 1966 garage fan.
Varcels
NC "Hang Loose With the Varcels" 1967 (Justice 147)
I managed to
miss this LP in the first round, and have in fact not yet heard it. Reliable
people say it's pretty good by the label standard; the line-up is mostly
familiar Justice stuff with an original or two and a "Dirty Water"
cover the most surprising item. Obscure one in the catalog, but it was
included among the Collectables CD reissues. Will add a review once I've
heard it.
Variations
NC "Dig 'em up!" 1966 (Justice 112)
Blue-eyed
soul, crooner ballads and pre-soul r'n'b covers all thru on this early release on the label, not a whiff of Brit Invasion
can be detected. Atmospheric and charming for those interested in local non-garage
mid-60s sounds, guttural teen vocals imitating Ben E King and the Righteous
Bros are fun. Organ-led "Shake a tail feather" is probably the
most rocking track. Sax but no brass, energetic approach and heavy reverbed
surf guitars; with a better selection of covers this would have been a
keeper. Cool band pic has them in Count Five
vampire gear in front of their customized band hearse, and this is also the
only Justice album to feature a full color cover; an initial extravagance
that soon was abandoned for the usual monochromes.
5. The Big Picture
Looking over the total array of these 22 albums there is an obvious hierarchy among them, despite the many similarities. Here's what I came up with after many nights of Aristotelian hair-splitting:
I The Classics - easy, because there's only one, and that's the TEMPOS. This stands out on several counts, the two crucial ones being a real garage "punk" attitude present throughout and the presence of several excellent originals rather than just one or two.
II The Beerblast Backbone - most of the Justice LPs have a club/frat ambition but only three manage to get a REAL party going, and that's the FUGITIVES, the KNIGHTS 5 + 1, and TONY LANE & THE FABULOUS SPADES. These three stand up to any frat LP from the Midwest or Northwest.
III The Runners-Up - this is a group of albums that have certain flaws but also enough good elements to be worth checking out for the curious mid-60s teen music fan. I would define the runners-up as the BARRACUDAS, the MARSADEES, the PHANTOM RAIDERS, and the STOWAWAYS. Among these, the Barracudas is probably the strongest. See the individual reviews for details.
IV Toxic Waste - of the 22 albums I found three that are so lame that I had a hard time sitting through them, and then you should bear in mind that I'm all numbed out from this project. For completists and kamikaze pilots only: the CHECKMATES, the INVADERS, and the GENERATIONS COMBO. The latter may actually be worth a spin but only if you're an experienced strange music aficionado.
V The Rest - if you didn't find your favorite Justice LP in the four sections above, that means that it's one that went by me pretty unnoticed and one that I could live without ever hearing again. This category comprises almost half the label's r'n'r catalog and gives some weight to the blasé comments sometimes uttered to the effect of all the albums sounding the same, being dull soul covers, and so forth. There's usually one or two interesting aspects to each LP, but not enough so to make it a keeper, even if you paid $2.99 at a Collectables clearance sale. Do read the individual reviews, but don't blame me if one of "The Rest" puts you to sleep.
6. Cover versions
Below is a list of the most popular tunes among the 22 Justice label rock'n'roll bands. Bear in mind that the LPs were released in late 1966-67. The list contains some surprising items that indicate the special timewarp nature of the Southeastern scene. The popularity of "Wipeout" is likely due to the rare nature of it being a hit twice, both in '64 and in the Fall '66, which was right around the time of the Justice custom operation going into full swing. It probably never had left the set lists of these bands.
Wipeout (Surfaris) 7 versions
In the Midnight Hour (Wilson Pickett) 7
Night Train (James Brown) 4
Summertime (several) 4
Try Me (James Brown) 4
My Girl (Temptations) 3
Under the Boardwalk (Drifters) 3
Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke) 3
I've Been Hurt (Tams) 3
Turn On Your Love Light (Bobby Bland) 3
Gloria (Them) 3
Little Latin Lupe Lu (Kingsmen) 3
Good Lovin (Young Rascals) 3
Double Shot (Swinging Medallions) 3
99 ˝ (Wilson Pickett) 3
As pointed out above, the TEMPOS is far less heavy on cover versions than the other Justice releases. Most of them have 1-2 originals which are typically among the album's best tracks, while a few releases are cover versions all through.
Thanks to Rich Haupt and Jeff Jarema for valuable input.
