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long john thomas

Long John Thomas and the Duffs

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Long John Thomas and the Duffs – Presenting

Wormtone Records – WT-508 [2006]
Ain’t She Sweet – Shake, Shake Little Gwendolyn – Buckle Shoe Stomp – Be Cool – Excuse Me Baby -. So What – 9 Times Out Of 10 – Move It Baby – Dynamite – Girl With The Pretty Face – Fish & Chips – Uh Huh, Oh Yeah – Having A Wild Weekend – Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It’s Flavor (On The Bedpost Overnight)

Long John Thomas and the Duffs

In a world where you can find a Western swing band in Helsinki, a jump blues band in Madrid, and a rockabilly combo in Zagreb, I shouldn’t be surprised to stumble upon a Merseybeat-influenced trio in Missouri. Long John Thomas and the Duffs (Tim Hopmeier on bass, Scott Lasser on drums, and Ray James on vocals and guitar) are more English than the Queen Mum herself. They have the accent, the car, the hat, and they even have a song they wrote called Fish’n’Chips (I thought only Englishmen were proud of their food!).
Musically, they are heavily influenced by Johnny Kidd (look at the pic on the cover; doesn’t he remind you of someone?), Cliff Richard (they cover Dynamite) and the early Beatles from the Hamburg days (the album opens on Ain’t She Sweet based upon the Tony Sheridan/Fab Four arrangement). But they are not a revival or a nostalgic act. They write good songs that find their place ideally in the set and bring a bit of modernity to their music with some garage incursions sometimes close to Thee Milkshakes. Besides, John’s voice bears certain resemblances with Mickey Hampshire’s. The album ends on a solid cover of Lonnie Donegan’s “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It’s Flavor.”

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Wormtone Records

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Wormtone records

Wormtone records was a Denver based label ran by Kurt Ohlen & Karen Brown who were also behind the Denver’s Rock N’ Rhythm-Billy Weekender.

7”

  • Mohair, Hop’d – Mohair / Hop’d – WT-701 [1993]
  • The Dalhart Imperials – Crocodile Tears ‎- WT-702 [1995]
  • The Dalhart Imperials – There Ain’t No Place Like The Panhandle ‎- WM-703 [1996]
  • The Tennessee Boys – Blue Hearted Fool ‎- WT-704 [1996]
  • The Sugar King Boys – Tip Top & Three Other Hits – WT 705 [1996]
  • Kim Lenz And Her Jaguars – Shake A Leg! ‎- WT 706 [1997]
  • The Haywoods – Rockin’ By The Bay – WT-707 [1998]
  • Blue Ribbon Boys – Messin’ Around / Hot Liquor: Plus More! ‎- WT-708 – 1999
  • The Orangu-Tones – Santa’s Comin’ ‎- WT-709 [2004]
  • The Surfites / The Thunderchiefs – Surf Nut! ‎- WT-710 [2014]

CD’s

  • The Sugar King Boys – The Sugar King Boys Are… Topsy Turvy ‎- WT-501 [1998]
  • The Haywoods – Drinkin’ Cryin’ & Moanin’ ‎- WT-502 [1999]
  • The Orangu-Tones – Introducing The Simian Sounds Of The… ‎- WT-503 [2002]
  • The Orangu-Tones – Pledge Kappa Epsilon Gamma – WT-504 [2004]
  • Eddie Clendening The Rage Of The Teen-Age! ‎WT-505 [2005]
  • The Aquasonics – Plays Songs For The Surfin’ Set – WT-506 [2005]
  • The Thunderchiefs – Dig ‎- WT-507 [2007]
  • Long John Thomas And The Duffs – Presenting ‎- WT-508 [2006]
  • The Thunderchiefs – The Interstellar Sounds Of The Thunderchiefs ‎- WT-509 [2010]