Frantic Flintstones – Bedrock!
Raucous Records RAUC002 [1987]
Bedrock – Hot Head Baby – Let’s Go Somewhere – Sugar Daddy
Released in 1987, Bedrock is the first-ever effort on wax by the Frantic Flintstones. All the ingredients are already in place: demented vocals from Chuck Harvey, furious slap bass by Gary Day, and simple but effective guitar. Three fast-paced Psychobilly tune and a slower one, Sugar Daddy, to conclude.One thousand five hundred copies were pressed; 1000 with a printed sleeve and 500 with a white sleeve.
Frantic Flintstones – A Nightmare on Nervous
Nervous Records NERCD034 [1988]
Hellfire – Monte Carlo or Bust – 44 – Please Cool Baby – Oh Baby oh Yeah – Alley Cat King – Gone Gone Well Gone – Red Chevy – Ring ring ringin’ – What the Hell – Sugar Daddy – Frantic Flintstones – Safe Surf* – Shake Your Honey Maker* – Old Jack Joe* – Jack the Ripper* – Whisky Bottle Baby* [*CD bonus tracks]
Released in 1988, A Nightmare On Nervous marks the debut of a prolific career. In a certain aspect you can compare it to an early Johnny Cash album. By that I mean that this guy turn their weak points into a strength. With a guitarist far from being a virtuoso, they build their songs around Chuck’s distinctive voice and a solid rhythm section that features Gary Day on bass. Sometimes the system shows its limits. Songs like “Sugar Daddy” and “Monte Carlo and bust“, though good, could easily be one minute shorter. But this album is full of classics approaching different styles : early psychobilly (Alley Cat King, What The Hell), neo-rockabilly (44, Red Chevy) and even a wild rockin’ blues (Billy Fury’s Since You’ve Been Gone renamed here Gone Gone Well Gone). The cd version features 5 bonus tracks recorded later with Gasty on bass : two covers played the Flintstones way “Shake Your Honey Maker” and “Old Black Joe“, “Safe Surf” a semi instrumental (Safe surf repeated a dozen times doesn’t count as lyrics, does it?) variation around “Hang 10“, “Jack The Ripper” is not Screaming Lord Sutch’s but another version of “Necro Blues“, and an excellent original “Whisky Bottle Baby” previously known in a live version on the “Live & Rockin'” album.
Frantic Flintstones – Rockin’ Out
Link Records – LINK LP 051 [1988]
Rockin’ Out – What The Hell – One Night Stand – Hot Head Baby / Chuck Blows A Fuse – Rockin’ Bones – Let’s Go Somewhere (Rockin’) – No One Stays
After a successful first album but which would have benefited from being much shorter, the Frantic Flintstones returned the following year with a new label (Link Records), a new guitarist (Jon “Pug” Peet, ex-Mysterons with Gaz Day) and an explosive new mini-album.
It’s an understatement to say that the short distance (eight tracks) suits the group better.
Surprisingly, the disc opens with a Jazzy Fever-style instrumental with a muted trumpet. But something doesn’t quite match the atmosphere: it’s Gaz’s overpowering double bass, which seems invested with a life of its own. And quickly, the group slides, or explodes, the word is more correct, towards a new frenzied version of What the Hell. The future classics follow one after the other. With this new line-up, between the rich voice of Chuck, the furious double bass of Gaz and the economical but always precise guitar of Pug, the group has found its balance. Arriving at the end of side A, the breathless listener barely has the strength to turn the record over, yet the group launches into Chuck Blows a Fuse, a furious instrumental. Three superb compositions follow, two of which were written during the Mysterons era (No One Stays and House Of Rockin’ Bones), and it’s already over.
The Frantic Flintstones have a more than impressive discography, but this record alone would have been enough for Chuck and his band to inscribe their names in the Psychobilly pantheon.
Frantic Flintstones – Not Christmas Album
Link Records – Link LP 072 [1989]
Frantic – Wider Road To Hell – Honey Maker – Necro Blues – Oh Little Town Of Bedrock – Gone Gone Well Gone (Harp Mix) / Alone Again/Round Mountain – Just Because – Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me – Santa Claus Is Back In Town – Blue Christmas – Ole Black Joe
The year 1988 ends and the Frantic Flintstones seem to show no signs of fatigue. With their new double bassist, Gasty from the Blue Ridge Rockets (Martin “Griz” Smith, also from the Blue Ridge Rockets plays drums on some tracks), they entered the studio to record what would become Not Christmas Album.
With the help of its guests (saxophone, slide guitar, banjo, harmonica), the group expands its range. So the album begins with a cover of Prince Buster’s Madness, aptly renamed Frantic. The sax and slapped double bass combination gives an explosive result.
Alternating slow and threatening parts with sudden accelerations, it’s a return to Psychobilly in top form with Wider Road To Hell. Shake Your Money Maker by Elmore James is transformed into a psychotic blues that fits Chuck and his acolytes perfectly. Necro Blues, also recorded under the title Jack the Ripper, leans more towards the Rockabilly/Hillbilly side.
Oh Little Town Of Bedrock begins as a gospel song (Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem) before the group launches into a furious new version of Bedrock.
Chuck and his gang then give a new version of Gone, Gone, Well Gone (Billy Fury’s Since You’ve Been Gone), which benefits from an extended bluesy intro with a harmonica.
Alone Again begins slowly in a country blues atmosphere reinforced by slide guitar before ending with a festive Round Mountain.
Then comes an excellent version of Just Because with sax, and continuing on the Presley vein, the Frantic Flintstones play three Christmas classics played by the King, including an excellent Santa Claus Is Back In Town, bluesy as hell.
Ole Black Joe concludes this superb and eclectic album in style.
Frantic Flintstones – Live’n’Rockin
Link Records – LINK LP 098 [1989]
Alone Again – Round the Mountain – What The Hell -. Shake Your Moneymaker – No One Stays – Rockin’Bones – Necro Blues – Hang Ten – Bedrock – Old Black Joe – Gone Gone Well Gone – Playschool Baby – Just Because -. Whisky Bottle Baby – One Night Stand – Blue Christmas
The Live and Rockin’ serie on Link was mostly a poorly recorded (and often poorly played) affair. One notable exception was the Frantic Flintstone live album recorded during the Rocking Out tour in November 1988. Despite being recorded just after the departure of ace bass player Gary “Gaz” Day who is replaced by Gasty from the Blue Ridge Rockets, it found the Flintstones in top form playing classics one after another. The songs come from Nightmare on Nervous, Rockin’ Out and for the large part Not A Christmas Album recorded a couple of weeks after this gig.
Frantic Flintstones – The Nightmare Continues…Demonic Verses…Chuck’s Revenge
Link Records LINK LP 109 [1989]
Smack Smack – Dog Rip – Bone Rest – Twisted Retard – Rasppin’ Grasses – Burned ‘N’ Turned – Dustbin Case – Five Clawed Talon – Angel – Lost Love – Astral Cowboy – Waste of Life
After a few high-end Psychobilly albums still very much influenced by Rockabilly and Neo-Rockabilly, the Frantic Flintstones released The Nightmare Continues in 1989. The album was recorded in June that year, with Gasty (ex-Blue Ridge Rockets ) on the double bass. The result may be surprising at first. If Chuck’s voice remains recognizable among thousands, the whole album is very dark. The sound is heavy and powerful, supported by one or more distorted guitars. It’s as if the Frantic Flintstones had merged with Demented Are Go. It’s pretty successful, and the graft between Psychobilly Gothic and the Frantic Flintstones works well, although it’s a bit repetitive in length. The sound homogenizes everything, and all the songs end up sounding similar.
Frantic Flintstones – Schlachthof Boogie Woogie
Link Records LINK LP 129 [1990]
Drugs in the Valley – Holy Sisters – Playschool Baby – Absolution – Endless Sleep – Hang 10 – Trips – Pantman – Breakout Mania – Gonna Miss Ya! – Sexy Red Number – West of London – The Race Is On – Legion Song – D.S. – Pantman
Schlachthof Boogie Woogie was released in 1990. If it contains good songs, there’s also a good dose of filler too. The whole album lacks coherence and suffers from the absence of a solid line-up behind Chuck and Johnny Pug. The group is scattered a little between the acoustics of Drugs In The Valley (Peace In the Valley), Holy Sisters, which recalls The Nightmare Continues and yet another version of Playschool Baby (this time with fiddle, perhaps in an attempt to sound like Demented Are Go?) And those are just the first three tracks on the album. The rest is of the same ilk, a catch-all mixing skabilly (Endless Sleep), tunes with a laid-back feeling (Trips), a massacre of a classic tune (The Race Is On) useless instrumentals like Breakout Mania or Pantman (aka Batman) with which we are gratified (afflicted ?) two versions. It’s not always played very well, so Sexy Number‘s double bass leaves something to be desired. The best song remains West Of London (an adaptation of John Denver’s West Virginia), but again, the group will record a superior version on Cuttin’ A Fine Line.
Frantic Flintstones – Well Gone In Europe
Kix4U KIX 3358 [1990]
Ole Black Joe – Alcohol Buzz – 44 – Honey Maker – Necro Blues – Gone Gone Well Gone – Let’s Go Somewhere – The Race Is On – Legion Song – Cryin’ Eyes (Country Mix – Broke Up (f/mushrooms Mix) – Endless Sleep (Skankabilly Mix)
The Frantic Flintstones released many albums often with the same songs. In the end, you keep wondering if you have another best-of of slightly different versions. This is what happens with “Well Gone In Europe.” Except if you’re a total and absolute completist, you can live without that one.
Frantic Flintstones – Take A Hike
Kix 4 U KIXCD3363 [1991]
Your Cheatin’ Heart – Dream On-Blue – Just A Dream – Sweet Nothings – So Sad – Little old Lady – Necro Blues – Burned’n’Turned – Rockin’ Bones – Frantic – Honey Maker – Gone Gone Well Gone – Blue Xmas – Santa Bring My Baby Back – Santa Claus Is Back In Town – Old Black Joe – Dream On-move
Though the sound is quite good, this album is far from being essential. Actually, on the 17 songs , 7 come from “Not A Christmas Album”, 3 are re-recorded versions of Flintstones classics (Burned and Turned, Rockin’ Bones, Necro blues) and in the remaining 7, Dream On is featured two times (a slow one and a fast one). That said the new versions are excellent, the group is in fine form and the Frantic Flintstones have released far worst than this album. One for the completist.
Frantic Flintstones – Rockin’ With…
Rumble Records – GANG 011 [1991]
Tom Dooley – Gotta Know – Brown Eyed Girl – Therapy
Out of the four songs that constitute this EP, only Therapy is unissued, the other three being lifted from Cuttin’ A Fine Line. It’s a Doo-Wop tune with only Chuck, a vocal accompaniment by the band and light piano.You never know what to expect with the Frantic Flintstones and that’s why they are great!
Frantic Flintstones – Cuttin’ A Fine Line
Rumble RUMBCD009 [1991]
Chilled bones – You’re the one who done it – Sweet Marilee – Jungle love – Time of day – You got me rockin’ – Tom Dooley – Gotta know – Brown eyed girl – Boneshaker baby – Slowly killing me – Don’t want you baby – Drug squad – West of London – Love me – Am I that easy to forget
Released in the early nineties for the German label Rumble Records (Scum Rats, Rockabilly Mafia, Punishers etc.) “Cuttin’ A Fine Line” finds the band in superb form with the return of Gaz Day on bass with Rich Taylor on drums (Nitros), Pug still on guitar and of course the unmistakable voice of Chuck Harvey. This excellent album (one the very best ever released by the band) mixes classic psychobilly numbers (Chilled Bones, Don’t Want You Baby that features Gaz on lead vocals), blues (Time Of A Day), first class rockabilly (You’re The One That Done It, Sweet Marilee, Gotta Know), skiffle (Tom Dooley) and some country songs like West Of London and Drug Squad that deals with one of Chuck’s favourite subject. The selection is rounded with two acoustic numbers (Elvis’Love Me and Am I That Easy To Forget) with just Pug and Chuck that announces their following album, the all acoustic Skin Up, Chill Out, Just Buskin’ Through.
Frantic Flintstones – Skin Up, Chill Out, Just Buskin’ Through
Rumble RUMCD018 [1992]
Hello Marylou – Blue Moon of Kentucky – Will the Circle be Unboken – You Are my Sunshine – Tom Dooley – I Can’t Help it – Born to Lose – Goodnight Irene – It’s Hard to be Humble – Love me – Drugs in the Valley – Take me Home, Country Roads – I Gotta Baby – Am I That Easy to Forget
The only thing predictable with the Frantic Flintstones is that they are unpredictable. For this record originally released on Rumble Records in 1992 the band – reduced to just Chuck and Pug – went for an acoustic session. The mood is very laid back and the repertoire is made of covers of classic rockabilly and hillbilly tunes taken from the catalog of Hank Williams, Mac Davis, John Denver, Ricky Nelson, Elvis, Johnny Cash, The Carter Family and though they appear in brand new version here, some of them have been recorded by the band before. It’s not completely representative of the style of the Frantic Flintstones but it’s a nice addition to your collection.
Frantic Flintstones – Flesh’n’Fantasy/My Woman Is A Leach
Tombstone Records – Tomb CD 2006 [1992]
My Woman Is A Leach – J.B. Boogie – Will The Circle Be Unbroken – So Close To Heaven – Out Of My Face – Lock Me Up – Fruit Batz – Don’t The Moon Look Lonesome (Lupo) – Sweet Nothings – Gone To The Dogs – Drugged Up Fool (Bonus Track) – Stiffies (Bonus Track) – Devils Rain (Bonus Track) – Fantasize – Fantasize You (Bonus Track) – Sub-Sic-Mental-Menial (Bonus Track) – Tom Dooley (C.D.B.) (Bonus Track) – Necro Blues ’91 (Bonus Track)
We find the Frantic Flintstones, this time made up of Chuck, Pug, Jonny Bowler on double bass, and Rich Taylor on drums, but also Gaz on three tracks from a previous session and Graeme “Captain Drugbuster” Grant.
The album begins with the excellent “My Woman Is A Leach”. After the neo-rockabilly interlude on the Rumble label, we find the Frantic Flintstones more Psychobilly than ever in the vein of The Nightmare Continues. Then follows an instrumental that is not particularly original but has the merit of highlighting Jonny Bowler’s double bass (probably the “JB” of the title). The next track is the Country classic Will The Circle Be Unbroken, which the band plays over an almost Rocksteady beat. So Close To Heaven and Don’t the Moon Look Lonesome are two blues-tinged songs which allow us to hear another, more demonstrative side of Pug. Out Of My Face is a typical Frantic Flintstones song, alternating slow and fast parts. Way stranger is Lock Me Up. The music mixes Rockabilly with Samba on a House beat. It could almost work (almost), at least until halfway through, when the group abandons us, letting the rhythmic loop play ad nauseam.
The listening continues with a pair of Psychobilly tracks (Fruit Batz, Gone To The Dogs) and a more Neo-Rockabilly Sweet Nothings. Then comes a series of “bonus tracks”. The first is Don’t Be Cruel, transformed into Drugged Up Fool, which is neither original nor very good. More interesting are the three songs (Stiffies, Devils Rain, Fantasize – Fantasize You) on which Gaz Day plays and produced by Bon Boorer. We find the very dark Frantic Flintstones from Nightmare Continues. More or less in the same line, Sub Sic Mental Menial is reminiscent of Demented Are Go (One Sharp Knife), with Chuck’s voice played backwards. The album ends with Tom Dooley and Necro Blues, the latter coming from Take A Hike.
In the end, the album indeed contains good songs, even if none reach the status of the group’s classic. Still, Flesh’n’Fantasy/My Woman Is A Leach clearly lacks the direction and homogeneity to rise to the rank of some of its illustrious predecessors.
Frantic Flintstones – Rock it Boy
Rumble RUMBCD024 [1993]
Marylou – You Call Everybody Darlin’ – You Ain’t Nothing But Fine – I Cant Trust Me In Your Arms Anymore – Carry Me Back To Old Virginia – Blues Stay Away From Me – Blue Moon Of Kentucky – Your Cheatin’ Heart – I’m Walkin’ – Sweet Baby Doll – Will The Circle Be Unbroken – So CLose To Heaven – Jimmy Jazz – Love For A Nutter – Broken Heart
Originally released in 1993, this is the third Frantic Flintstones’ album for the German label Rumble records. And like “Cuttin’…” and “Skill Up…” it has a strong rockabilly flavour in it. The line-up for this one is Chuck, Pug, Johnny Bowler (Get Smart, Guana Batz) and Scag. It’s a very good album that only lacks of original songs, but with a charismatic band-leader like Chuck (and a solid band to back him) that’s not such a big problem. The band draws into the catalog of Jerry Lee Lewis, hence the presence of a piano, Ricky Nelson, Rockin’ Sydney, Johnny Burnette/Delmore Brothers, Hank Williams and delivers an excellent rockabilly version of the Clash’s Jimmy Jazz. As usual with the FF it features different versions of previously released tunes like Blue Moon Of Kentucky, Will The Circle Be Unbroken and Your Cheatin’ Heart wasted by the backing vocals. “Love For A Nutter” is a demo recorded with Alan Wilson that announces the following albums (X-Ray Sessions and Jamboree) and the beginning of a fruitful collaboration. Bowler closes the set with a vocal prestation on “Broken Heart” that won’t figure as one of the highest moment in the Frantic Flintstones history. It’s been reissued on the British label Raucous Records with a slightly different cover.
Frantic Flintstones – Jamboree
CDMPSYCHO15 [1993]
Detroit Dirtbox – Love For A Nutter – Your Time Is Up – Mean Mean Woman – Diablo – Stay With Me – Sweet Georgia Brown – Lunatics (Are Raving) – Busted – Mindkill – (To The Devil)A Son – Oh 898 – Candyman – He’s Waitin’ – Sad N’ Lonely – Suspended – Chop-Chop, Slash Slash – Honey Child – Hey Chuck – Detroit Bloodbox
Previously issued in 1993 but out of print since then, Anagram had the good idea to reissue this 20 songs album in their Psychobilly serie. Produced by Sharks frontman Alan Wilson who also plays most of the guitar parts, with former bassist Gary Day back in the line-up, this is one of the 3 best album the Frantic Flinstones ever made and probably the richest in styles approached. Wilson is one hell of a guitar player and songwriter and his team with Chuck Harvey is just perfect. From “Diablo” with its surprising jazzy solo in the middle, to the country tune “To the Devil A Son”, and even a waltz (“Sad’n’Lonely”) they apparently have fun to work together and explore various kind of music. Some guests are present too. Detroit Donny plays harmonica on “Detroit Dirt Box” a bluesy instrumental and on Roy Orbison’s “Candyman”, Sonny West, who had an album on Nervous, plays some guitars and sings The Sonics’ “He’s Waitin’”. Alan Wilson sings “Mindkill” he co-wrote with Hodges. This one can be seen as the first song from the resurrected Sharks for this is during this recording that Gaz Day convinced him to reform the band. Psychobilly is present, of course, with”Your Time Is Up” which is not far from “What The Hell” on their debut album, “Sweet Georgia Brown” (not the jazz standard) and the great “Love For A Nutter”, although I do prefer the demo version issued on “Rock It Boy”. Add a bit of rockabilly (“Honey Child” and “Mean Mean Woman”) and if you still wonder why are the Frantic Flinstones so great, just ask yourself who could better than them sing a song about a psycho killer like a sixties pop ballad?
The Radioactive Kid
