As far as garage music in the sixties was concerned, there were two categories: there was The Sparkles and there was everybody else that didn’t stack up. Born in Levelland, Texas then relocating to Lubbock, this group is absolutely the rawest, screaming garage I have ever dug up. While many groups later in the seventies experimented with two drummers these guys were doing it in 1965 and doing it well. Formed in 1957, but not recording their debut until 1962 “The UT” (for Untitled) on the tiny Caron label. This recording garnered zero attention.

After this flop most of the group went on to new projects leaving only one remaining original member to start a new line up from scratch. This line up would turn out to be a success with: Louie Holt on lead guitar, Jimmy Marriott on drums, Bobby Smith on bass, Lucky Floyd on drums and lead vocal and lastly Gary P. Nunn on rhythm guitar and organ. The group signed to Hickory Records and was able to get Roy Orbison’s drummer, Larry Parks, as their producer. In 1966 they recorded “The Hip” which turned out to be a swinging dance number quite popular with the fraternity crowd at the University of Texas at Austin. This single is one, which I consider a novelty in a garage/psych genre, being that the vocals are so fast they have a rapping or slam quality.

The Sparkles were one of a few groups that were a working band only; they played for their livelihood, perfecting their sound with no dead end jobs getting in the way. The group recorded their masterpiece “No Friend of Mine” in late 1967. This incendiary effort distinguished by Nunn’s snarling guitar lead and Floyd’s remarkably anguished vocal was later immortalized via inclusion on the first Nuggets box set. I want to point out that Sundazed has released an E.P. by The Sparkles that includes three tracks: “No Friend of Mine,” “Hipsville 29 B.C.” and “I Want To Be Free.” Being that “Hipsville 29 B.C.” and “No Friend of Mine” are around $200 45s, buying the E.P. might be a good route, then again maybe you will get lucky like I have and dig them up. As for this group, the nuclear meltdown-strength classics “The Hip,” and “No Friend Of Mine” are of a different breed than any group of this time period; they capture the garage genre at peak power for the sixties. ENJOY.

LISTEN: The Sparkles – The U.T.

LISTEN: The Sparkles – The Hip

LISTEN: The Sparkles – Daddy Gonna’ Put the Hurt On You

LISTEN: The Sparkles – No Friend Of Mine