Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled the 2 album set, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from the years from 1965-1968 and was a major influence on punk rock. Rhino Records reissued an expanded version of the set in 1998, with 118 tracks in total. I’m profiling and rating each of these 118 tracks, working backwards.
Track 97: Out Of Our Tree by The Wailers
From: Tacoma, Washington
Aphoristical Rating: 8/10
OUT OF OUR TREE – Wailers [3:23]
(Ronald Gardner/Kent Morrill/John Ormsby)
Personnel/RON GARDNER: vocals, sax * NEIL ANDERSON: guitar * KENT MORRILL: organ, vocals * JOHN “BUCK” ORMSBY: bass * DAVE ROLAND: drums
An ETIQUETTE Production
Recorded in Tacoma, WA
Etiquette single #ET-21 (10/65)
Like The Sonics, The Wailers came from Tacoma, Washington. Their biggest hit, the instrumental ‘Tall Cool One’, was released back in 1959. Because of this, they can claim to be America’s first garage band.
“Before there was grunge, there was garage. Don’t ever forget that. And there are two bands that started that whole thing: The Wailers and The Ventures.”
–Billy Bob Thornton
As well as ‘Tall Cool One’, The Wailers recorded ‘Louie Louie’ in 1961. They only enjoyed a regional hit with the song, but The Kingsmen’s iconic version was based on their arrangement. A young Jimi Hendrix, just starting his performing career in the early 1960s, was a fan of The Wailers.
According to Ace Records, when The Beatles played Seattle in August 1964 George Harrison asked after The Wailers. The Wailers adapted their sound for the British Invasion, and by 1965 they were playing fuzzy rockers like ‘Out Of Our Tree’. The riff resembles The Rolling Stones’ ‘Satisfaction’,
‘Out Of Our Tree’ is inventive enough to not be a simple Stones clone. There’s a rich arrangement with a busy bassline and organ providing a counterpoint to the fuzz guitar. It’s not as abrasive as The Sonics, but it’s still edgy for a 1965 track.
The Wailers went through many lineup changes during their tenure. The only constant member was keyboardist Kent Morrill. The band broke up in 1969, although they periodically reformed. The group never copyrighted the name; Bob Marley later used it as the name of his backing band, meaning that The Wailers had to play as The Fabulous Wailers in reunion shows.
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Unlike many of the other bands in this series…they didn’t form because of the Beatles or British Invasion…I listened to Tall Cool One and Louie Louie…the progressed well. Good solid song…you can tell the Satisfaction influence in the guitar and drums but it’s their own song and sound.
I like the singer a lot….I am impressed by them.
Yup, it’s unusual to find a band on Nuggets that reaches back into the 1950s. They did still sound different after The Beatles though.
They did evolve that is certain…doesn’t sound like the same band.
I like those little drum breaks in this one. And this is better than their Louie Louie. It’s better when you can’t make out the lyrics like on the Kingsmen one. One time I looked up the lyrics and Louie Louie didn’t seem as great after I knew what the lyrics were. It’s better when you can’t understand what the guy is saying. Lol. I don’t get that Billy Bob Thornton quote. Is he saying that grunge comes from The Ventures and The Wailers? They couldn’t be more different. What does the instrumental surf music of the Ventures have to do with the other two things?? I don’t get it.
I think Billy Bob was saying that garage rock was also significant in the pacific northwest.
It’s funny how Louie Louie got banned just in case it was obscene.
I can definitely hear the Stones influence on this one.
Would be good if they played it on the radio sometime so we can have a break from Satisfaction.
Good point.
I know. I never wanna listen to Satisfaction anymore even though I listen to all the other early Stones stuff. You always hear how it’s their greatest but I think Get Off of My Cloud is better. I think all the other early ones are better actually. Mother’s Little Helper, Time is on My Side, 19th Nervous Breakdown. Under My Thumb. Those are all better.
Good riff, mediocre song IMO. It might not make it into my Stones top 100. I would have liked to hear the others more when I was listening to classic hits radio. They did play Get Off My Cloud and Jumping Jack Flash.
Not even in your top 100? That’s way too harsh. Lol. It’s actually somewhere in the middle like this I think.
https://rateyourmusic.com/list/bobbyb5/top-rolling-stones-songs/
Yeah I like this one.
They had a nice sound, fuzz guitar and organ.
They conjured up thoughts of other bands