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 1965 to 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 68/118: Put the Clock Back on the Wall by The E-Types
From: Salinas, California
Aphoristic Rating: 8/10
PUT THE CLOCK BACK ON THE WALL – The “E” Types [2:25]
(Alan Gordon/Gary Bonner)
Personnel/BOB WENCE: vocals, guitar * DON SHEPHARD: lead guitar, vocals * JODY WENCE: keyboards, vocals * DANNY MONIGOLD: bass * REGGIE SHAFFER: drums
Produced by ED COBB for GREEN GRASS PRODUCTIONS
Recorded in Studio City, CA
Tower single #325 (3/67)
In a weird coincidence, this week I bought a five-novel omnibus from the most famous resident of Salinas, John Steinbeck. This week’s Nuggets band is also from Salinas. The E-Types were apparently nicknamed “The Salinas Beatles” on account of their tight musicianship and harmonies. The band played alongside notable acts like Jefferson Airplane and Paul Revere & the Raiders, but never achieved sales success, only releasing a series of singles.
Lots of Nuggets bands mine British sounds for inspiration – The Kinks, Them, The Yardbirds, and The Beatles are common reference points. But ‘Put the Clock Back on the Wall’ most closely resembles the folk-rock of The Byrds. It’s tuneful and professional, although perhaps out-of-step compared to the psychedelic sounds coming into favour by 1967. It was written by Alan Gordon and Gary Bonner, who also wrote ‘Happy Together’ for The Turtles.
The band broke up after five 1960s singles – ‘Put The Clock Back on the Wall’ is the best-known. The E-Types reunited for their first studio album in 1998, Chase the Moon, with three of the original members.
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I like how this one’s got some piano in it, which hardly any of these songs ever did. And also I always liked songs that imitate the sound of a clock ticking with the drums. Like Time Has Come Today, except that one uses a cowbell and not really drums.
Are we into the series of songs that you really like now? I hear organ, but not piano.
There’s a whole piano solo right about in the middle of the song.
Sorry! I gave it a quick relisten and just heard organ, but I obviously didn’t listen though to the solo…
Yeah it’s not as noticeable in the shortened version since most of it comes near the end of the song. That’s why when I listened to the version that you have posted here it seemed different than the way I remembered it.
It does sound very 60s and vaguely familiar as well.
I don’t think I’ve heard it before Nuggets, but it would certainly fit oldies radio.
Pretty decent tune! I love the organ sound, and these guys could definitely sing harmony!
Yeah, I think they were definitely talented – they probably suffered from being a lot behind the trend. Could have done better 6 months earlier.
Sounds like something The Monkees might have pulled off. I found myself fascinated with the tambourine.
You’re right, it does sound a bit like The Monkees too. There is lots of good playing – I like the bass as well.
It’s a mix of difference influences that works well….it would have worked better commercially in 65 or 66. Its a shame some of these bands weren’t heard more. The band’s name and the title of the song is really cool.
Off Topic… I’m posting about it tomorrow but I’m taking a month break from blogging after tomorrow… becasue of work, home projects, and just to recharge…I’ll be back Sept 2.
Enjoy your break if you’re still reading this! See you in a month.
Thanks Graham!
Actually now that I listen to it I think it’s a woodblock that makes the tick tocks in Time Has Come Today and not a cowbell, but I’m not really sure. It could be both actually. The cowbell makes the tick, and the woodblock makes the tock. I remember what a woodblock is because in like sixth or seventh grade I took orchestra in school and I remember that this one kid had to play the woodblock, and it was like a hollowed-out piece of dark shiny wood with a little mallet that you hit it with. And the kid only got to play a couple notes on it and the rest of the time he just had to stand there looking stupid..
A pretty good tune that sadly got lost among the avalanche of similar-sounding songs of the day. Their fascinating band name was ahead of its time, and like Max, I love the song title.
Where does the name E-Types come from?
I don’t know, but it sounds like a rather
technological word that might have come into use much later than the 60s.
It makes me think of a blood type, although obviously E isn’t one.
In the long version of the song It does the piano part thing about three times toward the end of the song. They only do it once in the short version. And the long version does more of the ticking clock thing near the end.