Smyle - "Crazy Lazy Little Miss Daisy"

Smyle - Crazy Lazy Little Miss Daisy b/w There's no Reason to Cry (Polydor 1974 - French issue)

Perhaps Smyle's most overlooked single, this one happens to be my favorite! A perfect blend of Beatle-esque melody and rousing glam rock. This Jaap Eggermont-produced tune starts out with a nice early-moog riff, leading into a tasty compressed guitar lick, and has big danceability factor overall. Written by singer Bas Muys and one J. Gimmik, who appears to also have co-written well-known (to nerds like me, anyway) tracks by Catapult and Long Tall Ernie & The Shakers. Everything I've seen with the J. Gimmik writing credit happens to be produced by Jaap Eggermont, coincidence? The B-side is decent, like an early-70's John Lennon album cut.

For more info on Smyle check out NEDERGLAM . I'm sure I can't say it any better than Mark Boon himself!

Willie and the Walkers - "Poor Janie"

Willie & The Walkers - Alone in my Room b/w Poor Janie (United Artists 1967 - US issue)

Recorded May 1967 and released November of that same year, this b-side to Canadian #1 hit "Alone in my Room" has huge double-tracked drums and some real stanky electric piano stabs that make this track a stormer!

This is the band's third and final single as "Willie and the Walkers", though they did reunite in '72 as "The Walkers" for one more. The a-side is mid-tempo Verdelle Smith cover, sounding like a second-rate Zombies. For me, the Willie McCalder-written b-side is the real gem. Recorded by former Buddy Holly manager/producer Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico. This one was also comped on "Get Ready to fly," a collection of '60s Petty-produced tracks.