The Squirrels EARLY New York GARAGE PUNK 45 Smoke Produced by David Peel HEAR IT

$

65

The Squirrels 45
Smoke b/w Hey You
On David Peel's Orange Label
with picture sleeve and insert bio sheet
very limited, rare late 70s pressing.
Band members:
Pepe Valentine, Paul Cougar, Tommy Kaos Acosta and Kenny McCormack, 
Record is in Mint Minus condition
See slideshow at end of this listing
You are now listening to both sides of this excellent New York City band with a 1960s garage band sound .

This never to'be heralded New York group the Squirrels. I remember seeing their name splattered across the entire CBGB/Max's scene during the very-late seventies usually on the same bill with the Ants, a trio of Puerto Rican origin led by the brother/sister team of Jaime and Nilda Canabis (!) which had originally popped up on the original mid-seventies scene as Antenna before Von Lmo and Otto von Ruggins copped that nom-de-no wave. At the time I figured that the Squirrels were just another one of those flash rarities that were here one day and gone the next, though after finding out that none other than former Lennon protege David Peel had signed them to his Orange label I really was more'n curious to at least find out a little more about this "porn rock" group that you could bet wasn't gonna be getting much promo space in the latest NEW YORK ROCKER,
No porn here, but the two sides of this probably only Squirrels release is pretty hitcha between the eyes quap, even as far as these "killed by death" as they say indie singles went. Don't let the early-seventies glam looks fool you, the Squirrels have little if anything to do with that era in rock which already seemed antiquated by the time the late-seventies rolled around. Believe-you-me, if the Squirrels owe anything to the past it's the MID-SIXTIES, or maybe even earlier as the a-side to this 'un, "Smoke", seems to owe more than a "passing" resemblance to the Bell-Notes' "I've Had It"! Only the typically modern guitar solo jolts you back to '79, but otherwise this could have passed for a proto-garage bopper from two whopping decades prior if you only squinted your ears a bit. Flipster "Hey You" does tred up the rock evolutionary ladder a wee bit, this time to the mid-sixties British Invasion sound, and the Squirrels come even closer to that than all of those moptop imitators of the day with moves straight outta the '64 Beatles! Who knows, maybe that's why Peel picked up on 'em!
Both side were recorded live in front of a sparse and nonchalant audience sounding like one of those garage band singles that was recorded in a roller rink in '62 by the group's manager and slapped onto a single to sell at future shows. There is a certain rec room ambience because of it. And those of you who are expecting porn will certainly be let down, but late-seventies archaeologists should have fun dusting off the grooves in order to piece together a bit more New York rock history. And besides, shortly afterwards Peel took the fledgling G.G. Allin under his wing...can't get anymore porn than that!