Third compilation of rare songs from 2001-2004 released on CD and limited LP.

Longshot Songs for Broke Players indeed!

I applaud you, rock-n-roll fan, for picking up this third volume in the Adam West archives series. People Like You Records should be commended for releasing this volume and the "Ready Steady Adam West! 1993-1999" and "Hi-Balls Are Rolling! 1999-2001" archive compilations. A highly prolific band like Adam West deserves to have all the non-album songs released in a concise compilation so the nutty record collectors don't lose their mortgages trying to track down all the super-rare, limited singles that these songs originally appeared on! So here we go again…

"Thora's Hammer" and "Ferrytale" were specifically recorded for the second Hellacopters/Adam West split single. The origin of the single goes back to sometime in 2002 when Jake Starr and Nicke Andersson (Hellacopters) were sitting in the same room and discussing covering each other's songs. They had already released a split 7" together back in 2001 (See "Neat Neat Neat" on the "Hi-Balls Are Rolling!" album) and figured why not do another split? Adam West was poised to start recording their "God's Gift to Women" album at the beginning of 2003 and planned to record the two songs during those recording sessions. Well, it didn't quite work out that way since at that time, "Thora's Hammer" was simply a great guitar riff that Steve had written. Once the album sessions were done, "Thora's Hammer" was worked out, the Hellacopters cover song "Ferrytale" was rehearsed, and both songs were recorded at Adam West guitarist Dan-o Deckelman's Snake Oil Recording studio in April 2003. Jake claims that the lyrics to "Thora's Hammer" are an ode to American actress Thora Birch, but they sound pretty Dio-ish swords & sorcery metal lyrics to this listener! "Ferrytale" was taken from the Hellacopters debut 7" and, ironically enough, the Hellacopters chose to cover the Adam West song "I Get a Sensation" from Adam West's debut 7". It was then agreed that the single would be a picture disc and People Like You asked French designer Vicente to produce the incredible cover art of a raven valkyrie wielding Mjolnir, Thor's hammer. They used a b&w stage photo of Nicke and Jake shot by longtime band photographer Stefan Peterson for the back side. The split single was released in March 2004 limited to 1500 copies. It sold out on pre-order before it was even pressed so definitely pick one up if you can find a copy.

"Gangland" and "Christmas with the Devil" were recorded for specific compilation albums to which the band was asked to contribute. While on tour in Portugal in 2003, Sicko from Sleazey Records invited the band to contribute a song to his "Tribute to NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal)" album. Drummer Ben Brower, the self-confessed metalhead of the band, chose "Gangland" by the Tygers of Pan Tang to record. Unfortunately as of the writing of this essay, that tribute album has yet to be released, but "Gangland" was given to Bootleg Booze Records in Sweden as a b-side for the band's 2005 Scandinavian tour "Vex Me Hex Me" 7". Bootleg Booze released the single in October 2005 limited to 500 copies on black wax with three different sleeves. The Spinal Tap cover song "Christmas with the Devil" was chosen by Jake when the band was invited to contribute a song for the "Countdown on Christmas" vinyl-only LP on Three Kings Records in Germany, which released it in December 2004 limited to 800 copies on black wax. Kudos go to Dan-o whose overall "over"-production and Lynyrd Skynyrd flair to the song's outro really made it "over the top." Both songs were recorded at Snake Oil Recording and feature the final appearance of Ben on drums.

When Adam West was asked by No Balls Records in Germany to do a 2004 European tour single, the band didn't have any exclusive songs to give them. So the idea of a live track came up. Almost every European tour, Adam West plays the Subsonic club in Montpellier, France, because it is one of the best rock-n-roll clubs in Europe and it's run by two of the coolest people on the planet: Marc Hacquet and Sylvie Martin. Marc recorded an Adam West show in October 2003 and sent them the CD. As an encore on that tour, the band would play covers of the Sonics' "Have Love Will Travel" leading into the Stooges' "1970." This encore sounded so good that "Have Love Will Travel" was chosen for the single. Swiss brothers-against-the-jive Zamarro was the opening band on most of the 2004 tour so No Balls decided to make it a split tour single and pressed it in October 2004 limited to 310 copies. This is the first appearance of "1970," though, which did not appear on the original single.

The next three songs were recorded by Bruce Falkinburg at Phase Recording during the "God's Gift to Women" album sessions. Sleazey Records in Portugal invited the band to do a 7" single which eventually morphed into a split CD EP with Portuguese rockers the No-Counts D.O.M. "We've Got Cake" was a guitar riff that Steve had written back in 1999 but was never completed until 2003. Jake came up with the lyrics after hearing a story from his boss: "My boss told me that during the Vietnam War, he was a cook stationed on a ship. Breakfast was served at 6am and the galley was closed at 6:30am but for hours after that, sailors would constantly knock on the door and ask what was for lunch. So finally, my boss got so pissed off that he opened the door and screamed, 'We've got cake, we've got cock, and we just ran outta cake!' I don't think I stopped laughing for a month after hearing that!" "Paint It Brown" was another great Steve riff and Jake decided to expand on his "Hot Chocolate" lyrical theme from the "Right On!" album. Figure it out for yourself. "I Left as a Lamb (But I'll Return As a Lion)" was a joke song Jake came up with to make fun of Glenn Danzig. The problem is it turned out so good that all were impressed! Apparently, the title is a Jesus reference but how would a good Jew like Jake know that? Sleazey released the split CD EP in August 2003 limited to 1000 copies and the three-song 7" single in September 2003 limited to 525 copies on black wax with excellent artwork by artist Mauamor.

I guess it's no surprise to any Adam West fan that Jake likes the sound of a woman's voice. He had already convinced the band to record a cover of Norwegian band Mensen (See "Cruiser" on the "Hi-Balls Are Rolling!" album), so covering "We're Inside" from the lovely Thee Ultra Bimboos from Finland was not a real stretch. The song was sent to Bootleg Booze Records in Sweden as the a-side of the "Adam West Digs Scandinavian Chicks" 7". It was released in February 2003 and limited to 500 copies on pink wax, 52 of which were housed in a Hollywood film canister. The single was also repressed in a different sleeve for the 2003 European tour. The band was invited to contribute to a Devil Dogs tribute album on Headdip Records in Germany… so what better studio to go to other than ex-Devil Dogs Steve Baise's studio? Baise was already a friend of the band's so they let him choose which Devil Dogs song to cover: "Go On Girl." In fact, he played guitar on the track. So both of these songs were recorded in one drunken day courtesy of Mr Steve Baise. This session also marked the brief return of original drummer Tom Barrick in the studio.

The next five songs were recorded at Phase Recording in the first post –"Right On!" album session in May 2002. The band was asked by Lonestar Records in Germany and Bad Attitude Records in Finland to do a 7" single each, so they decided to record two new originals and two cover songs for the b-sides. "Sixth Son of a Seventh Son" was a Kevin Hoffman guitar riff that Jake turned into "the best Danzig song Danzig never wrote!" His lyrics spoofed the Iron Maiden song "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son." For the b-side, Ben chose a cover of Twisted Sister's "You Can't Stop Rock-N-Roll." Lonestar released the single in June 2002 limited to 500 copies on black wax in a wonderful sleeve of Dee Snider with the band's name in Iron Maiden-esque writing. "In the Back of My Hearse" was written by Jake about his, as usual, sexual prowess. It was eventually remixed with new parts for inclusion on the "God's Gift to Women" album in 2003. For the b-side, Ben came through again and chose "Find It!" by faux chick-rock band the Carrie Nations from the 1970 Russ Meyer film "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls." Bad Attitude released the single in July 2002 limited to 523 copies on blue and black wax with Marilyn Munster beauty Pat Priest posing in front of a 1960s hotrod. The Kiss cover "Deuce" had been in the live set as an encore and was recorded almost as an afterthought. It ended up on a People Like You Records compilation called "Where the Bad Boys Rock: The Rock Invasion Continues" that was released in September 2003. Jake said, "This may be my favorite recording session of my entire career. We had recorded 'Right On!' and Tom (drums) and Johnny (bass) soon left the band so Steve moved back to bass and we recruited Ben Brower on drums and everything really clicked. Everyone's performance is just stellar and I have to give two thumbs-up to Kevin, Ben, Steve, and Bruce (our producer) for inspiring me to do some of my favorite vocal work I've ever done. Without them, there's no way I could've pulled off the vocals in 'Find It!'"

The next four cover songs were recorded at Phase Recording during the "Right On!" album sessions. The band had learned three Kiss cover songs and decided to record "I Stole Your Love," which ended up on a split 7" with Swedish rockers MarySlim on Zorch Records in Sweden. It was released in February 2002 limited to 500 copies on black wax. "Live for the Day" was an Uncle Sam cover that Steve chose to record. Uncle Sam were a great rock band in the late 1980s from Rochester, NY, that no one except Steve and Jake had ever heard of! This song ended up on a freebie 7" single released in June 2002 with issue #21 of Philadelphia-based magazine "Carbon 14." "Erotic Neurotic" was a Saints cover song that Kevin chose to record. It was actually released as a bonus track on the European pressing of "Right On!" in September 2001 on People Like You Records in Germany, but is included here for completion purposes. "Where Eagles Dare" was a Misfits cover song chosen by Kevin because, apparently, he couldn't get his former band to ever play it. It eventually ended up on the "Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail" 7" EP on Stereodrive Records in Germany… which leads to the next paragraph.

As mentioned before, Steve Baise is a good friend of the band's and invited them down to record at his newly acquired studio in early 2001 before the "Right On!" album sessions were to begin. The band had been invited to contribute to a Dead Boys tribute album that has yet to see the light of day; but in any case, decided to record "Down in Flames" at Baise's studio. Larry May, screamer extraordinaire from the Candy Snatchers, had stopped by during the recording of the vocals and laid down his ubiquitous wail on the track! Jake had already written his Bukowski ode "Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail," so they decided to record that, too. This song would be re-recorded the following month for inclusion on the "Right On!" album in 2001. The wild card was the Baise song that he had written for the band: "Beltway to My Heart (Beltway to the Starr)." Baise was supposed to have recorded a demo of it and sent it to the band before their entering the studio. Well, in typical Baise mischief, he purposely waited to teach it to the band in the studio to keep it fresh. While the band toiled away at learning the song, Jake was trying to make sense of the lyrics scrawled on a napkin that Baise had provided. Honestly, it's a miracle the song came together as well as it did. So eventually, "Down in Flames" would appear as the b-side to the "There's a Bimboo Under My Bed" 7" on Bad Attitude Records in Finland released in August 2003 and limited to 500 copies on black wax. This version of "Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail" and "Beltway…" ended up (along with previously mentioned "Where Eagles Dare") on the "Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail" 7" EP on Stereodrive Records in Germany released in October 2001 and limited to 471 on orange and black wax.

And as far as "Special Secret Song Inside," what can I say except Jake has a big mouth on stage and Dan-o decided to make fun of him about it.

So, another 24 songs that most of you have never heard. How does this band keep doing it? I don't know, but I do know that their latest album "Power to the People" on People Like You Records is a landmark as are all of their albums. Okay, Murray, you've blown enough smoke up Adam West's ass. Time to move on. Enjoy.

Murray Mansøz
Rock Consultant
Washington, DC
Spring 2006