In The Past: Garage Rock Podcast

It's time for a beautiful song this week... namely,  "I Only Have Eyes For You" by Harry Warren (composer) and Al Dubin (lyrics). We start with the original by Dick Powell in 1934 and listen to us tell you about the 1930s style of crooning! But we're back on familiar ground with the most famous version by Doo-Woppers The Flamingos, from 1959! The most beautiful nocturnal song of all time (take that My Bloody Valentine!) We also feature versions by Art Garfunkel (70s), Zapp & Roger (80s), and Mercury Rev (90s) - does this ditty ever get updated every decade! Doo-bop sh-bop!

Our word on the Bird this week - "Surfin' Bird," that is! We have to start with two songs by The Rivingtons: "Papa Oom-Mow-Mow" & "The Bird's The Word," which laid the foundation for future ornithological madness. After seeing The Sorenson Brothers (formerly The Revels) perform a mash-up of the two songs, The Trashmen added the tune to their repertoire and the rest is history! We also have a sighting of The Cramps and their version in this episode. This episode is not a lame duck!

Over the holidays, we were in Canada's Royal City - Victoria, BC - and Erik suggested we take on The Kinks song of the same name. She reigned for 63 years so her impact was large, on both Ray Davies and the city of the newly wed & nearly dead! Mexico's Los Rockin Devils covered the song the same year and we don't speak Spanish, but we think they changed the lyrics to make it a love song. If it has a [Tex-]Mex-style organ, we don't care! In the US, Little Roger & The Goosebumps made a bubblegum/powerpop version which leaves us kinda konfused? Back in Ol' Blighty, The Fall authored a rendition that seems to amplify the satirical elements of the original, but that's mostly seen in the video and not heard. Finally, Victoria's own The Hanson Brothers did the song and it travesties the Canadian city - if you've ever been to the Empress, your monocle might pop out when you hear these locals have to say! Lucky us!!!

It's time to celebrate the brightest and Bo Diddliest of 2025 on our Year-End roundup! Categories this year are ...Bo Diddliest Song From a Series EpisodeBo Diddliest Cymbal WorkBo Diddiest Song From a Theme Episodeand the one everyone really waits for ...Most Insane Song!!Thanks to all the Pastronauts and see you in 2026!

It's less than a week before the big day, so let's get the big ball of twine out to wrap up some Xmas gifts, starting with The Wailers, who are out of their (Christmas) tree once again to lambaste the consumerism of the holiday season with the Dylan-esque "Christmas Spirit" ... a couple of Yuletide yowlers by The Hallmarks and the freaky-peaky A440 follow. Santa's sleigh propels into the 70s with a "reason for the season" number by Alex Chilton & Big Star is next, and then a Christmas list by Vaughn Toulouse & his 80s post-punk pals Department S make your whole cup of eggnog runneth over! We wish it was Xmas everyday!!