7.12.2008

Cannibal & the Headhunters: Land of 1000 Dances (1966, Garage-Frat)

With "Land of 1000 Dances (Naa, Na, Na, Na, Naa)," L.A.'s Cannibal & the Headhunters had one of the great party hits of the '60s. It hit number 30 on the charts and inspired one of Wilson Pickett's finest covers. The group never followed it up with any hits, but their album, 1965's Land of 1000 Dances on Rampart, is a lost classic, one of the strongest you are likely to hear from a mid-'60s "party" band. Backed by musicians borrowed from the cream of the city's Latin groups like Thee Midniters and the Premiers, the group runs through a selection of contemporary hits like the Temptations' "My Girl," Junior Walker's "Shotgun," and the Ad Libs' "The Boy from New York City" and a handful of originals composed by the band and fellow members of the Rampart Records family like Chick Carlton and Larry Tamblyn. The covers are fun and energetic, but the originals like "Strange World," a powerful ballad led by Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia's yearning lead, the stomping brown-eyed soul shouter "Don't Let Her Go," and "The Fat Man," a loose frat rocker with some wild harmonica, demonstrate what an exciting and fun band they were. The only fault with the album is that the group never followed it up.

Frat Garage, soul, pop airs. Cannibal sounds... good one yes.

LINK: I SAID: NA NA NA NA NAAAAAAAAAAAAA....... NANANANAAA....

7 comments:

The Bomber said...

Pass: mza-garage
or
mza-garage.blogspot.com

Dmitrich said...

I say: Suuupppper..puper..good one yes.

Anonymous said...

track 16
not full
damage

the family cat said...

What the Hell have they done to this album-half of its unlistenable-sounds like that bloody awful Stereo Enhanced Mono.I hate stereo anyway-the way to listen to music is in MONO.
The opening of Land of 1000 Dances has been chopped so the fade in is missing.
And the ratty sounding accapella with a bass out in the street does the group no favors.
Shotgun has been totally ruined-why can't they leave classic material alone

The Bomber said...

yes yes family cat, totally agree.
the way to listen is in MONO, yes sir.

Anonymous said...

Great album - and I also agree on mono over "rechanneled" stereo!

Unknown said...

Thank you for leaving me this legacy pops!! Theres lots of webs to untangle, its so worth it though!!!