The Nuggets series continues with a various artist compilation charting the life of the San Franciscan label Hush Records. Owner Garrie Thompson's story reads like an American dream come true-.-for a man whose forays in the music industry were no more than a hobby, he had an innate ability to spot a good singer and song. Though he will always be remembered as the producer of the one hit wonders Syndicate Of Sound, with the classic garage hit Little Girl, this 24 tracker shows the full extent of his and his artist's talents.
The Syndicate were Thompson's best known band, a group of fine young musicians whose clear aim was to be successful. Consequently, their musical style evolved to fit the trend of the day: they had started out playing in James Brown-style combos but soon switched to the British sound of the Beatles. Little Girl was the culmination of a mostly improvised session. With only a rough structure to the song, and some spontaneous arrangement, Thompson recorded the session and achieved the dynamics of a hit record. Get Outta My Life was an attempt to create a similar track to Little Girl, brimming with attitude. Looking For The Good Times (The Robot) and Rumour were recorded for their Bell album-.-2 hard-edged original tunes stood out of an album which contained mainly covers. The Brogues were another of Thompson's discoveries, tabbing their music as "American Music With A British Accent". They regarded themselves as hard-line R&B musicians, playing gutsy, punkified tunes with a strong influence from British bands such as Manfred Mann and the Pretty Things. Though some of the tracks included on this compilation, such as Someday or But Now I Find are lightweight folk rock. Thompson recorded several other bands including Wm Penn & The Quakers, Gerry & Leslie, Stop Sign and the Diminished Fifth with their own brand of punk rock. Some of the best tracks from their repertoire has been included here. Hush sadly closed its doors in 1968, after a series of flops. THE HUSH RECORDS STORY contains the best of Thompson's work. Of the 24 tracks contained on this compilation 10 have never been issued before-.-some are alternate takes while others are stereo mixes.
