Dark Clouds, Vol. 5: An Ode To Winter

(still from the 1948 weeper, Portrait of Jennie, dir. William Dieterle)

Hi friends! So for months I've had the idea floating around for a wintery themed mix, but was waiting for the weather to get cold, rainy, windy, just super duper gnarly so I'd have some kind of inspiration to draw upon. And I'm still waiting! I should know by now, being a native/naive Californian, that not a chance in hell was Mother Nature gonna grant us such prolonged weather. We might as well be ground zero for global warming! Not that I don't mind one bit, but I'd one day love to stare sullenly out the window at a torrential storm or play in the snow like most normal kids do... not admire colorful, fiery sunsets from my 15th floor office building or shuffle around the beach in ironic graphic tees, BBQing, sipping icy Tecates at the end of January/beginning of February. Siiiigh. But I digress...

Oakland did get several hours of rain and apocalyptic-like fog last week. And for that, I was ever so grateful to use that precious time to assemble a slightly eclectic mix of seasonal moody tunes for you, opening with the predictably distressing "Lonely Winter" (a song later covered by the Bee Gees), and drawing to an optimistic close, finishing with the haunting yet encouraging chorus on "Need Some Sunshine." This mix is slightly distinguished from its Dark Clouds peers in 1) genre: garage rock reigns, but I had to throw in some soft/sunshiny, folk rock, and a Joe Meek production that were just too rad to pass, and 2) location: with the occasional Canadian exception, you might've noticed my unintentional sense of patriotism in past mixes. But for this one I've gone global (thanks to a newly renewed passport) - bowing down to England, Norway and Australia! 

01 Steve & the Board - "Lonely Winter" [Spin EL 31997] (1966) Sydney, AU
02 Hollie Helloms & the Rhythm Kings - "Don't Blame It On the Rain" [Major 1015] (196?) Waynesboro, VA
03 The Whether Bureau - "White and Frosty" [Laurie 3431] (1968) New York, NY
04 The Unrelated Segments - "It's Gonna Rain" [Liberty 55992] (1966) Detroit, MI
05 Nocturnal Day Dream - "Dark Dreary Night" [Unknown] (196?) U.S.A.
06 Firebeats Inc. - "This Rain" [His Master's Voice NCLP 5] (1966) Oslo, Norway
07 The Rainy Daze - "Snow and Ice and Burning Sand" [UNI 73002] (1967) Denver, CO
08 The Kasuals - "Listen to the Rain" [GMA 4] (1964) Chicago, IL
09 The Early Americans - "It's So Cold Outside" [Paris Tower 106] (1967) Tampa, FL
10 John Leyton - "Wild Wind" [Top Rank International JAR 585] (1961) Essex, UK
11 The Fredric - "Saturday Morning With Rain" [Forte 80461] (1968) Grand Rapids, MI
12 Jan & Lorraine - "Snow Roses" [ABCS 691] (1969) London, UK
13 Brigadune - "Misty Mornin'" [Verve VK 10655] (1971) Los Angeles, CA
14 The New Dawn - "It's Rainin'" [Garland GR 70-4569] (1970) Salem, OR
15 Teen Tones - "Long Cold Winter" [T&T 2487/8] (1964) South Bend, IN
16 The Sinners - "Only On A Rainy Day" [Craig 210] (1966) PA
17 Sunset Love - "Winter's Day" [Collectables 0665] (1968) Odessa, TX
18 The Rising Storm - "The Rain Falls Down" [Remnant BBA 3571] (1966) Andover, MA
19 Philamore Lincoln - "The North Wind Blew South" [Epic BN 26497] (1970) UK
20 The Ill Winds - "Fear of the Rain" [Reprise 0423] (1965) Los Angeles, CA
21 The Rock Garden - "The Wind Is My Keeper" [Revise 300] (1967) Camden, AR
22 Electric Train - "Thru Winter and Sunshine" [Moxie M 106] (196?) Marin County, CA
23 The Magic Mushrooms - "Let The Rain Be Me" [East Coast 1001] (1968) Philadelphia, PA
24 The Morning Dew - "Winter Dreams" [Audio House Acetate] (1966) Topeka, KS
25 The Omen & Their Luv - "Need Some Sunshine" [Daisy 4825] (196?) Tuscaloosa, AL

Download 'Dark Clouds Vol. 5: An Ode To Winter' --> HERE!!
Download Vols. 1-3 --> right here
Download Vol. 4 --> and here

Hope you enjoy! Feedback (be it good, bad, constructive, creepy, off-topic, etc.) is always welcome. Thanks!

My first compilation: Southern California folk-rock

Blue Byrds Over The Canyon:

Southern California’s Folk-Rock UnScene (1965-71)

01 Dave & The Customs - "He Was A Friend Of Mine" [DAC] (1965) Pomona

02 Lyme & Cybelle - "Follow Me" [White Whale] (1966) Los Angeles

03 The Psychedelic Psymphony - "Don't Be Afraid" [Arcania International] (1965) Los Angeles

04 The Dovers - "She's Gone" [Miramar] (1965) Santa Barbara

05 East Side Kids - "Take A Look In The Mirror" [Orange Empire] (1967) East Los Angeles

06 Hamilton Streetcar - "Silver Wings" [Dot] (1969) Los Angeles

07 The Agents - "Gotta Help Me" [Rally] (1965) Los Angeles

08 The F.B.I. - "What Am I To Do" [Unreleased] (1965) Los Angeles

09 Stone Country - "Time Isn't There (Anymore)" [RCA] (1968) Los Angeles

10 The Hard Times - "Goodbye" [World Pacific] (1966) San Diego

11 Thorinshield - "Pleasure Time" [Philips] (1967) Los Angeles

12 Brigadune - "I'll Cry Out From My Grave (God I'm Sorry)" [Verve] (1971) Los Angeles

13 American Zoo - "Back Street Thoughts" [Reena] (1967) Los Angeles

14 The Edge - "Seen Through The Eyes" [Enith] (1969) Los Angeles

15 Rick Jarrard - "High Coin" [Chattahoochie] (196?) Los Angeles

16 The Palace Guard - "Oh Blue (The Way I Feel Tonight)" [Orange Empire] (1966) Los Angeles

17 The Black Sleep - "I'm Feeling Down" [Columbia] (1967) La Cañada

18 The Roosters - "You Gotta Run" [Progressive Sounds Of America] (1966) Los Angeles

19 The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - "Transparent Day" [Reprise] (1967) Los Angeles

20 Peter Fonda - "Catch The Wind" [Chisa] (1967) Hollywood

21 The Cascades - "She'll Love Again" [Liberty] (1965) Los Angeles

22 The Answers - "Please Please Go Away" [Blue Boy] (1965) San Bernardino

23 Chris & Craig - "I Need You" [Capitol] (1966) Los Angeles

24 Spider & The Mustangs - "You Ask Me Why" [Sands] (1966) Hemet

25 The Yankee Dollar - "Mucky Truckee River" [Dot] (1969) San Louis Obispo

Download 'Blue Byrds Over The Canyon' -----> HERE