Nuggets Night

WHERE THE ACTION IS! LOS ANGELES NUGGETS 1965-1968 is the fourth in a line of 4-CD boxed sets mining obscure gems from the 1960s, and its original namesake, the 1972 Nuggets double-LP, served as a template for all serious compilations that followed. In that sense, it was the foundation upon which Rhino was built.

The Nuggets collections cast a wide net, reeling in garage, psychedelia, frat, and pop sounds from decades past, typically from bands whose time in the spotlight could be measured in months. The original vinyl set and the Rhino boxes that followed it make a convincing argument that even the most obscure groups in that magical mid-’60s timeframe could come up with a song for the ages.

Where The Action Is puts a new spin on the trusted formula; its focus on the vast and varied output of Southern California studios ensures that folk-rock and singer-songwriter types will figure more prominently in the musical mix, and that more tracks will bear a commercial sheen appropriate for “the entertainment capitol of the world.” Los Angeles Nuggets also features some unusually prominent names (including The Byrds, The Doors, The Mamas & Papas, and The Beach Boys), though not playing their familiar hits. In the swinging ’60s, rock stars and unknown hopefuls bumped elbows in the same Sunset Strip clubs.

It was like that again on September 22, when the famous and the ’60s faithful gathered at Hollywood’s Amoeba Music on Sunset Blvd to celebrate the release of Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968. Boxed set producer Andrew Sandoval served as master of ceremonies for the evening, and was clearly in his element, sprinkling bits of local music lore in between the introductions (I had no idea The Rolling Stones cut “Satisfaction” in a studio that once stood just across the street). A musician himself, Andrew called on some friends from the L.A. pop scene, including members of The Wondermints, to back the evening’s solo performers.

The first of these was Keith “Guitar” Allison, who turned in a fiery version of “Action, Action, Action,” which opens Disc 3 of Los Angeles Nuggets. He was joined on vocals by Bobby Hart, who’d cowritten the song (along with Tommy Boyce -- a partnership that produced many of The Monkees’ biggest hits). The significance of professional songwriters to the ’60s L.A. music scene was also underlined by the next two performances, “Halloween Mary” by P.F. Sloan (who was half of the prolific Sloan/Barri writing team as well as a solo artist) and a stirring version of “Splendor In The Grass” by Jackie DeShannon (in addition to her own hits, she supplied songs to The Searchers, Kim Carnes, and many others).

Next up was Danny Hutton, best known for founding Three Dog Night and whose “Roses And Rainbows” is featured on the new boxed set’s final disc saluting “New Directions.” An L.A. native, Hutton shared a few memories of growing up in the area in the 1960s before enlisting a couple of string players to help replicate his track’s orchestrations. Then it was on to the groups.

The Peanut Butter Conspiracy hadn’t played together in decades, but you wouldn’t have known it from their spot-on rendition of “Eventually.” These guys were clearly having a great time together, and their enthusiasm was contagious. L.A. garage greats The Standells (whose “Dirty Water” was a highlight of the original Nuggets) closed the show with “Riot On Sunset Strip” complete with siren sound effects.

For the next hour or so, fans were able to mingle with these musicians and get their signatures on copies of Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968 and other memorabilia. And the autograph table wasn’t the only place with familiar faces; spotted in the crowd this evening were Micky Dolenz, Kim Fowley, Billy Hinsche (of Dino, Desi & Billy) and members of The Electric Prunes, Pasternak Progress, and The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band.

I grew up in Southern California, but a little too late to have been aware of all that was going on in the clubs and recording studios in the 1960s (a vague memory of The Beatles cartoon series and hearing “Pushin’ Too Hard” being played on a TV is about all I can muster from the music scene of those days). So it might be wise to resist the temptation to liken “Nuggets Night” to an exciting evening on the Strip in 1966. I’d guess most evenings at Sunset Strip night spots seemed rather uneventful as they were occurring. But I’d also guess that there was a sense that “Something’s happening here” – that there was something coming on the horizon, and that it might turn out to be wonderful. It seems a rather foreign feeling these days, but I must say I got a little bit of it while standing in the aisles at Amoeba.