The Best Of T.C. Atlantic (US, 1965/67)

In the mid- and late '60s, T.C. Atlantic was one of the biggest groups in Minneapolis, recording a few singles and a live LP that were little heard outside of the region. They did manage to cut one song, "Faces," that became deservedly revered by '60s collectors as one of the finest garage psychedelic 45s after it was reissued on Pebbles, Vol. 3. Nothing else they did matched that single's magnificent snaky melody and guitars, though their live album (consisting entirely of covers) has a certain je ne sais quoi that distinguishes it as one of the best all-cover '60s garage LPs.

This band recorded in Minneapolis, Minnesota between the mid-sixties and early seventies and, aside from the above-mentioned album, issued several 45s including the one for Sire as Eric Marshall and The Chimes. They also had a cut on the Money Music compilation (Faces). Drummer, Rod Eaton, later played with The Underbeats, an early version of Gypsy.The live album, which was reissued on the French Eva label in 1983, contains some fine drivin' renderings of such sixties classics as Lovelight, Mona, Baby Please Don't Go, Shake, I'm So Glad and Smokestack Lightning, as well as fine covers of more sensitive numbers like Spanish Harlem and I Love You So, Little Girl.

With the possible exception of Love Is Just, their post-'66 output is disappointing given that Faces is rightly regarded as one of THE best examples of psychedelic punk. Be warned that the version of Faces on the Parrot 45 is an orchestrated mellow version and, sad to say, sucks! Some of this band's material was produced and written by Harley Toberman, who also recorded with Blue Sandelwood Soap.

This focuses entirely on T.C. Atlantic's studio output, including nothing from the band's rare 1967 album, Recorded Live at the Bel Rae Ballroom. With the exception of the mesmerizing 1966 single "Faces," one of the finest obscure psychedelic records with its entwining fuzz-raga guitars, T.C. Atlantic didn't produce anything of enduring magnificence, though the group's early singles weren't bad. That handful of 1965-1966 singles -- by far the most interesting selections here -- leads off the CD, and includes "Faces," the Zombies-like "I Love You So Little Girl," the strange Merseybeat-ish pop of "Once Upon a Melody," a surprisingly good cover of Bo Diddley's "Mona" with "I Want Candy"-like drums, and a raucous, brief cover of "Baby Please Don't Go." After that, unfortunately, T.C. Atlantic became a pretty anonymous if competent late-'60s group with far greater hard rock and soul influences, though "I'm So Glad" wasn't bad pseudo-Merseybeat and "(20 Years Ago) In Speedy's Kitchen" typical Baroque psychedelic pop. Not as typical, and not very good, were the novelty single "O-Rang-A-Tang" and a re-recording of "Faces" with strings and wah-wah guitar (issued on a late-'60s single) that was far inferior to the original version. The discographical documentation in the otherwise good liner notes is indefinite but, for whatever reason, a few songs that came out on 45s are missing, like the 1966 single "Shake"/"Spanish Harlem." Also, a few songs that were not released at the time, apparently recorded in the late '60s, are included.

You can find more stuff about this band here in the lovely Faintly Blowing blog,
and in my old friend`s blog mysteryposter.

T.C. ATLANTIC