The Remains s/t (Epic LN 24214) VG/VG+

$

205

The Remains self-titled 1966 U.S. release in Mono, VERY rare! Record acquired by a Brooklyn-based vintage shop that specializes in vinyl from a private collection. Previous owner was an audiophile who played exclusively on high-grade equipment.
Grading Vinyl graded in-store conservatively and competitively: NM - A nearly perfect record, never played. Never assigned unless a record is sealed. (Open records that look unplayed are graded down to VG+) VG+ - Some signs that the record was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it. May contain slight scuffs or light scratches that do not affect play. VG - Light surface noise upon play, but will not overpower the music. No skipping. G+ - Surface noise and groove wear will affect play and overpower the music in some sections. No skipping. G - Surface nose and groove wear will overpower the music in most sections. Record may contain skipping in some sections.
Label: Epic ?– LN 24214 Genre: Psychedelic Rock/Garage Rock Condition: Vinyl/VG, Sleeve/VG+ (See photos) Runout codes: (Side 1) XEM114859-2A / (Side 2) XEM114860-1C
Track listing:
Side A "Heart" - (Georges Aber, Tony Hatch) - 2:36 "Lonely Weekend" - (Charlie Rich) - 3:20 "Don't Look Back" - (Billy Vera) - 2:35 "Why Do I Cry?" - (Barry Tashian) - 2:45 "Diddy Wah Diddy" - (Ellas McDaniel, Willy Dixon) - 2:32
Side B "You Got a Hard Time Coming" - (Barry Tashian, Vern Miller) - 2:04 "Once Before" - (Vern Miller, Chip Damiani) - 2:07 "Thank You" - (Barry Tashian) - 3:14 "Time of Day" - (Barry Tashian) - 2:16 "Say You're Sorry" - (Bill Briggs) - 2:17

From Wikipedia:

"The Remains formed in 1964, quickly establishing themselves as a popular attraction across New England, and performing in sold-out venues to a loyal fanbase. By 1965, the group's popularity reached an apex, with the Remains earning four regional hits on Epic Records, and appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show. Prior to recording their debut album the band's manager John Kurland arranged an audition with Capitol Records on May 26, 1966. According to guitarist Barry Tashian, the group was interested in switching record labels because "At Epic, our unhappiness stemmed from the fact that, promotion-wise, we felt like we were the poor cousins to Bobby Vinton, Ed Ames, and the Yardbirds, Epic's biggest selling artists at the time". Though the session did not result in a recording contract, the recordings, which except for "Why Do I Cry?" were cover versions, later manifested themselves on the Sundazed Records release, A Session with the Remains.

Recording sessions commenced in mid-1966 as the Remains prepared for their tour alongside the Beatles. The recording time in the studio saw the group explore different musical textures, including a guitar raveup on the opening track "Heart", Jagger-like sneer in "Lonely Weekend", and the band's early R&B influenced regional hits "Why Do I Cry?" and "Diddy Wah Diddy". Tashian states the reason the Remains covered a fair number of songs was to look "for a big national hit, and since we didn't seem to be connecting with the original songs we decided to put out some covers and see if maybe that would do the trick". Arguably, the band's most accomplished piece on The Remains is "Don't Look Back", the tune's regional popularity apparent by the Rising Storm's own rendition of the song in 1968. The hard-edged rocker later resurfaced on Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968.

The Remains was released on Epic Records on September 26, 1966; however, the group had disbanded just before its distribution. As a result, the record label did not promote the album and it was largely forgotten, even among the Remains' following. 

Music critic Richie Unterberger, writing for the Allmusic website, described that the Remains' effort "had a lot of professional finesse to their straight-ahead attack and sharp songwriting, sometimes sounding like a fusion of the Beatles and the Zombies with their energetic harmonies and guitar-electric keyboard blend". Critic Mark Kemp gives a glowing review in Paste Magazine saying, "Had these Boston bad boys stuck it out beyond their 1966 debut, we might today be calling them—and not the Stones—the World’s Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band. As it is, The Remains most certainly are America’s greatest lost band". Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band commented that "The Remains were the band that led the way for Rock n’ Rollers in Boston".