Defend the Indefensible: Gary Puckett and the Union Gap

I mean, I didn't know what the song was called, who wrote it, or when, before YESTERDAY when I looked it up.

they actually worked the song "Young Girl" into the sci-fi musical Return to the Forbidden Planet and the pedophilia theme is played for comedy.

"This Girl Is a Woman Now" is like my favorite song of 1968. Um, if it came out in 1968. And "Woman, Woman" is creepy as fuck. Imagine Nick Cave singing it!

The guy's unhinged!

They're cool when they catch you by surprise, but I wouldn't buy a record.

Record'd probably cost you a dollar. Treat yourself!

I meant to say "they're cool when they catch you by surprise ON THE RADIO," but somehow or another I forgot. Anyway, maybe I might DL one of their songs from iTunes for $1 a song - "Woman Woman" or "Young Girl" will likely sound real good when it randomly turns up on shuffle play, next to something that sounds 180-degrees different.

Reportedly, a true story...

This collector acquaintance of mine met Puckett backstage at some oldies revue. He had a copy of the rare Outcasts single on Karate (this was Puckett's early garage-rock band, pre-Union Gap). When Puckett was asked to autograph it, he said he would, but he didn't have a pen. Then a few middle-aged soccer moms rolled up with some regular Puckett records to sign, then all of a sudden a pen turned up outta nowhere...

I have become officially obsessed with “Lady Willpower.” That is one tight song structure.

Great song, I posted it here recently somewhere, he had a really good voice.

Morrissey cover coming up on his covers album...

somehow this thread reminded me of this truly awful california old-timey country band from the late '60s that had one 7" track or b-side that was an absolute psychedelic ripper. i can't remember the name of the band or the song though... hate it when that happens... one day it'll turn up, just like that great oil company jingle from the early '70s i have kicking around somewhere

in my memory it sounds a little like "fatbird" by the collectors but it's not the collectors, their albums aren't nearly that terrible

Stumped on that one. Not Nitty Gritty Dirt Band?

no, nitty gritty dirt band also not terrible, though i personally prefer "i'll search the sky" to their quadruple album whatever whatever

knowing me it's probably some group that maybe three people ever have heard

"I'll Search the Sky" is nice. Could have been a tune on the Association's Renaissance album.

oh dammit there's another one, the first vocal line of "pandora's golden heebie jeebies" reminds me of another song that has a similar vocal line. like the same key or something, that's not a common key to write pop songs in, is it? anyway whatever song it is, it's brilliant, and i can't focus on the association song, which is very nice in its own right and has, you know, good harmonies, because there's the ghost of this other song there

fuck, got it, "the scorpion lament" by the roches. great fucking song.

sorry, i know i'm derailing the thread seriously, but what else is there to say about gary puckett? most pederasty-driven songs in pop music, and that's a category with some fierce competition, also some good tunes. does he have any deep cuts? he ever do anything better than "lady willpower"?

Their producer wrote or co-wrote those big hits that kinda sound the same and I think their Wikipedia page says there was the usual story of the band wanting to do their own material. Seems like there are the most self-written songs on the first and fourth albums, which bookend their short career.