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wormtone records

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]

Sugar King Boys (the)

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Sugar King Boys (the) – Topsy Turvy

sugar king boys

Wormtone Records WT501
Ivy Room – Topsy Turvy – Hey Hey Love – Lovers Curse – Barking Up The Wrong Tree – She’s Got Eyes – Driving Me Crazy – Having A Whole Lot Of Fun – Drinkin’ Pop So-Dee-O-Dee – High Roller – Get Gone – When She Bopped – Twin Guitar Take-Off

The Sugar King Boys were a Rockabilly quartet from San Francisco. The members were Pete Gowdy on vocals, Johnny “Big Hand” Bartlett of the Phantom Surfers on guitar, Jose Espinosa on double bass, and Joey Myers on drums.
In 1998, they recorded and released this album produced by Deke Dickerson on Kurt Ohlen’s Wormtone Records (Dalhart Imperials.)
It features 14 songs of wild Rockabilly and desperate Rock’n’Roll.
Next to their own numbers, one can find classic covers of Don Woody (Barking Up the Wrong Tree), Johnny Jano (Having A Whole Lotta Fun), Ben Joe Zeppa (Topsy Turvy), and Bracey Everett (Lover’s Curse.)
Some of the songs feature Deke Dickerson on saxophone, backing vocals, and Danelectro bass. Dickerson also plays guitar on the last tune, an instrumental with Johnny Bartlett.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis