The Dovers: We`re not just anybody (Compilation)

BAND INFO

Something bout the concept of "doving" or being a "dover" appealed to musicians in both the garage rock and doo wop genres, indicating that the vast gap between street corner and garage can be spanned, providing the concept is vague enough. Thus the existence of at least two different doo wop groups called the Dovers, who sometimes obscure the fine rock group of the same name that came out of the free-flowing Santa Barbara scene of the mid-'60s. Without a doubt, the Beatles were the dominant influence on the band, who started out calling themselves the Vandells. Apparently the latter name, in addition to potentially serving as an escape valve from the confusion with the doo wop scene, might also describe the tactics of record collectors when it comes to procuring copies of the sides this band originally cut for the Miramar label. In garage rock, the Dovers are apparently the equivalent of the strongest French cheese, the original singles too expensive to purchase, the group's songs too personal for cover bands to attempt.

Most followers of garage rock hear the Dovers on compilation collections; "She's Gone" and "She's Not Just Anybody" are two titles that show the band flowing in the mainstream of rock and roll thought patterns for this era. Bands were fascinated with "chicks" -- "She's Not There," "She's a Rainbow," and so on and so forth. Drummer Rick Morinini was one of the first original members to leave the group. His replacement, Randy Busby, saw this as a step up from his gig with Ernie and the Emperors. Busby's period in the band includes some good raga rock. The group's last sessions were in May of 1966. Original bassist Robbie Laudewig died in the late '80s. In 2001, the Misty Lane label released a complete collection of the group's material.

ALBUM REVIEW

The Dovers are rightly revered among collectors for having released a few of the finest obscure pop-oriented singles in the '60s garage rock style. All eight of the tracks from their four rare 45s are on this 10" LP. The best of the songs -- "She's Gone," "She's Not Just Anybody," and "What Am I Going to Do" -- were all among the best such singles to combine heavily Beatles/Byrds-influenced guitars, melodies, and vocals with a distinctively self-pitying teen garage sullenness. As is often the case when a thorough compilation of such a garage group is assembled, however, it also turns out that the three songs that were previously given the heaviest exposure on various-artist '60s garage anthologies are the best by a clear margin. In this instance, those songs are the aforementioned "She's Gone," "She's Not Just Anybody," and "What Am I Going to Do," all of which appeared on the original series of Pebbles LPs about 20 years before this Italian album was issued. Still, the other songs have their merits, especially in the Byrds-like guitar riffs, and "The Third Eye" in particular shows a psychedelic raga-rock influence that the group might have developed more had they continued to put out records.

The music of the Dovers is still as fresh and exciting today as it must have been upon its initial release in 1965-1966. Prior to Misty Lane Records’ complete recorded output LP reissue in 2003, however, the Dovers were the mystery band of note for 1960’s garage band collectors. They managed to release four singles – and all eight sides are fantastic examples of ‘60’s folk/raga/acid/garage rock. Mike Markesich provided a nice history of the group in the liner notes to the Misty Lane LP, but when the opportunity presented itself to ask members of the band some questions we quickly jumped at the chance. (Beyond the Beat Gen)

LINK: PEOPLE ASK ME WHY (JUST, DONT)