Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Dunwich Records: The Pride and Joy - If You're Ready and Girl

If You're Ready
Girl
It's day 3 of Dunwich, man! Today we listen to both sides of Dunwich 152. As we like to do, we've flipped the record over and are pimping the Flip-Side of the April, 1967 single first. The band is going by the god-awful name The Pride and Joy. But in reality this is The Del-Vetts (just as bad a name). They must have realized just how un-mod the name Del-Vetts was in '66 and tried, poorly, to rechristen themselves with the more "now" sounding name of Pride and Joy. Regardless of what they called themselves on any given week, we dig them. We've highlighted the Del-Vetts in the past with their über-nugget, Last Time Around/Everytime on Dunwich. Check out that post (please) to learn more about the band.


Girl/If You're Ready was the last song recorded on Dunwich by Jim Lauer and the rest of the band. And what a great song it is. This sometimes gets overlooked by collectors because of the ill-advised name change, but it's a real gem. Both songs are written by Dennis Dahlquist (who also wrote Last Time Around).

If You're Ready starts with Lauer's familiar sounding fuzz guitar and then it rolls into his plea to a no good woman to let him be free. Lauer's lead guitar skills get a nice little moment before the song rolls into a double time, harmonica driven close. The Yardbirds would be proud.

Girl, is far more pop, and thus makes sense on the A-side. A nice number written, again, by Dahlquist, we find Lauer now singing his heart out to (probably) that same woman who appeared on If You're Ready. But now he is real smitten by the girl. Dude, which is it?

Enjoy them and we'll see you tomorrow On The Flip-Side.

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